3,298 research outputs found
From Anti-equilibrium to The Socialist System and Beyond
This essay attempts to understand János Kornai’s works from a political economy perspective. It argues that Kornai has significantly contributed to the formation of a new paradigm of political economy. The main endeavor of Kornai has been the combination of analytical concepts of economics with the empirical description of real economies. After a certain period of theoretical experimentation János Kornai formulated his research program that can be called the shortage economy explanation of the socialist system. The Economics of Shortage and The Socialist System have created a new theoretical paradigm in a framework in which it has become possible to establish a connection between the analytical and empirical, universal and historical aspects of the theory studying the socialist system as a real economic entity. János Kornai has built his analysis of the socialist system on the primary role of politics in the creation of economic institutions. In his present work on capitalism he has extended this thesis to the capitalist system. This seems to be an important contribution of his to a new political economy paradigm that is just in the process of formation
The Hamburg/ESO R-process Enhanced Star survey (HERES) IV. Detailed abundance analysis and age dating of the strongly r-process enhanced stars CS 29491-069 and HE 1219-0312
We report on a detailed abundance analysis of two strongly r-process
enhanced, very metal-poor stars newly discovered in the HERES project, CS
29491-069 ([Fe/H]=-2.51, [r/Fe]=+1.1) and HE 1219-0312 ([Fe/H]=-2.96,
[r/Fe]=+1.5). The analysis is based on high-quality VLT/UVES spectra and MARCS
model atmospheres. We detect lines of 15 heavy elements in the spectrum of CS
29491-069, and 18 in HE 1219-0312; in both cases including the Th II 4019 {\AA}
line. The heavy-element abundance patterns of these two stars are mostly
well-matched to scaled solar residual abundances not formed by the s-process.
We also compare the observed pattern with recent high-entropy wind (HEW)
calculations, which assume core-collapse supernovae of massive stars as the
astrophysical environment for the r-process, and find good agreement for most
lanthanides. The abundance ratios of the lighter elements strontium, yttrium,
and zirconium, which are presumably not formed by the main r-process, are
reproduced well by the model. Radioactive dating for CS 29491-069 with the
observed thorium and rare-earth element abundance pairs results in an average
age of 9.5 Gyr, when based on solar r-process residuals, and 17.6 Gyr, when
using HEW model predictions. Chronometry seems to fail in the case of HE
1219-0312, resulting in a negative age due to its high thorium abundance. HE
1219-0312 could therefore exhibit an overabundance of the heaviest elements,
which is sometimes called an "actinide boost"
Hubble Space Telescope Transmission Spectroscopy of the Exoplanet HD 189733b: High-altitude atmospheric haze in the optical and near-UV with STIS
We present Hubble Space Telescope optical and near-ultraviolet transmission
spectra of the transiting hot-Jupiter HD189733b, taken with the repaired Space
Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) instrument. The resulting spectra cover
the range 2900-5700 Ang and reach per-exposure signal-to-noise levels greater
than 11,000 within a 500 Ang bandwidth. We used time series spectra obtained
during two transit events to determine the wavelength dependance of the
planetary radius and measure the exoplanet's atmospheric transmission spectrum
for the first time over this wavelength range. Our measurements, in conjunction
with existing HST spectra, now provide a broadband transmission spectrum
covering the full optical regime. The STIS data also shows unambiguous evidence
of a large occulted stellar spot during one of our transit events, which we use
to place constraints on the characteristics of the K dwarf's stellar spots,
estimating spot temperatures around Teff~4250 K. With contemporaneous
ground-based photometric monitoring of the stellar variability, we also measure
the correlation between the stellar activity level and transit-measured
planet-to-star radius contrast, which is in good agreement with predictions. We
find a planetary transmission spectrum in good agreement with that of Rayleigh
scattering from a high-altitude atmospheric haze as previously found from HST
ACS camera. The high-altitude haze is now found to cover the entire optical
regime and is well characterised by Rayleigh scattering. These findings suggest
that haze may be a globally dominant atmospheric feature of the planet which
would result in a high optical albedo at shorter optical wavelengths.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables, accepted to MNRAS, revised version
has minor change
Assessment of 50%-Propagation-Delay for Cascaded PCB Non-Linear Interconnect Lines for the High-Rate Signal Integrity Analysis
This paper presents an enlarged study about the 50-% propagation-time assessment of cascaded transmission lines (TLs). First and foremost, the accurate modeling and measurement technique of signal integrity (SI) for high-rate microelectronic interconnection is recalled. This model is based on the reduced transfer function extracted from the electromagnetic (EM) behavior of the interconnect line RLCG-parameters. So, the transfer function established takes into account both the frequency dispersion effects and the different propagation modes. In addition, the transfer function includes also the load and source impedance effects. Then, the SI analysis is proposed for high-speed digital signals through the developed model. To validate the model understudy, a prototype of microstrip interconnection with w = 500 µm and length d = 33 mm was designed, simulated, fabricated and tested. Then, comparisons between the frequency and time domain results from the model and from measurements are performed. As expected, good agreement between the S-parameters form measurements and the model proposed is obtained from DC to 8 GHz. Furthermore, a de-embedding method enabling to cancel out the connectors and the probe effects are also presented. In addition, an innovative time-domain characterization is proposed in order to validate the concept with a 2.38 Gbit/s-input data signal. Afterwards, the 50-% propagation-time assessment problem is clearly exposed. Consequently an extracting theory of this propagation-time with first order RC-circuits is presented. Finally, to show the relevance of this calculation, propagation-time simulations and an application to signal integrity issues are offered
Physiological and behavioral reactions to renewable energy systems in various landscape types
Globalisation, neo-liberalism and vocational learning: the case of English further education colleges
Further education (FE) has traditionally been a rather unspectacular activity. Lacking the visibility of schools or the prestige of universities, for the vast majority of its existence FE has had a relatively low profile on the margins of English education. Over recent years this situation has altered significantly and further education has undergone profound change. This paper argues that a combination of related factors – neo-liberalism, globalisation, and dominant discourses of the knowledge economy – has acted in synergy to transform FE into a highly performative and marketised sector. Against this backdrop, further education has been assigned a particular role based upon certain narrow and instrumental understandings of skill, employment and economic competitiveness. The paper argues that, although it has always been predominantly working class in nature, FE is now, more than ever, positioned firmly at the lower end of the institutional hierarchy in the highly class-stratified terrain of English education
Completion gastrectomy with esophagojejunostomy for management of complications of benign foregut surgery
Background: With the worldwide epidemic of obesity, an increasing number of bariatric operations and antireflux fundoplications are being performed. Despite low morbidity of the primary foregut surgery, completion gastrectomy may be necessary as a definitive procedure for complications of prior foregut surgery; however, the literature evaluating outcomes after completion gastrectomy with esophagojejunostomy (EJ) for benign diseases is limited. We present our experience of completion gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y EJ in the setting of benign disease at a single tertiary center. Methods and Procedures: All patients who underwent total, proximal, or completion gastrectomy with EJ for complications of benign foregut surgery from January 2006 to December 2015 were retrospectively identified. All cancer operations were excluded. Results: There were 23 patients who underwent gastrectomy with EJ (13 laparoscopic EJ [LEJ] and 10 open EJ). The index operations included 12 antireflux, 9 bariatric, and 2 peptic ulcer disease surgeries. Seventy-eight percent of patients had surgical or endoscopic interventions before EJ, with a median of one prior intervention and a median interval from the index operation to EJ of 25 months (interquartile range 9–87). The 30-day perioperative complication rate was 30% with 17% classified being major (Clavien–Dindo ≥ III) and no 30-day perioperative mortality. Comparing laparoscopic and open approaches showed similar operative times, estimated blood loss, and overall complication rate. LEJ was associated with a shorter length of stay (LOS) (P < .001), fewer postoperative ICU days (P = .002), fewer 6-month complication rates (P < .007), and decreased readmission rate (P = .024). Conclusion: Our series demonstrates that EJ is a reasonable option for reoperative foregut surgery. The laparoscopic approach appears to be associated with decreased LOS and readmissions
Twice-daily intravenous bolus tacrolimus infusion for acute graft-vs-host disease prophylaxis
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