Use of nonwettable membranes for water transfer

Transfer of water through nonwettable vinyl fluoride membranes has two unique features - /1/ very low water transfer rates can be held constant by holding temperature and solute concentrations constant, /2/ the pressure gradient against which water is transported is limited only by solution breakthrough or membrane strength

Systemic Financial Distress and Auction-Based Bankruptcy Reorganization

Financial reorganization under bankruptcy reduces a firm's debts to a serviceable level through negotiations overseen by courts. Markets have been suggested as an alternative to such negotiations, recognizing that equity holders and junior claimants have call options to buy the firm back from senior creditors. This paper further develops this market-based approach when claimants are severely cash-constrained and there is merit in having existing owners-managers remain in control. The scheme arranges creditors in a queue to be serviced in sequence from the firm's operating cash flows. Creditors bid for their position in this queue, and those accepting a greater proportionate reduction in the face value of their claims (perhaps those most pessimistic about the firm's prospects) are placed ahead of the others. A pre-existing hierarchy of claims is honored by having claimants bid for their positions within the relevant segment of the queue. No one in the queue (including owners who are last) is paid anything until the (reduced) debts of the first in line are fully discharged using the firm's operating cash surpluses. The queue then moves up and the next claimant in line is serviced. The paper shows that, in equilibrium, the aggregate debts of the firm are reduced to a level that is more serviceable and that provides the owner-manager with a positive expected residual return. We discuss the appropriateness of this scheme to situations of systemic financial distress, including the East Asian crisis.

Bankruptcy reorganization through markets : Auction-based Creditor Ordering by Reducing Debts (ACCORD)

The authors further develop such a market-based approach for situations in which claimants are severely cash-constrained and there is good reason for existing owner-managers to remain in control. Under the ACCORD scheme-Auction-based Creditor Ordering by Reducing Debts-creditors remain creditors but form a queue, to be serviced in sequence from the firm's operating cash flows. Creditors bid for their position in this queue. Those accepting greater proportionate reductions in the face value of their claims (perhaps most pessimistic about the firm's prospects) are placed ahead of theothers. A preexisting hierarchy of claims is honored by having claimants bid for their positions within the relevant segment of the queue. No one in the queue, including owners (whoa re last), is paid anything until the (reduced) debts of the first in line are fully discharged. The queue then moves up and the next claimant in line is serviced. Deferred creditors, who must wait their turn for the firm's operating cash surpluses, are not junior creditors in the conventional sense. The authors determine equilibrium bidding strategies, showing that the firm's aggregate debts would be reduced to a more serviceable level. This would improve the incentives of the firm's owner-managers, who remain in control, to operate the firm efficiently. Economic resources would thus be better used, and losses already incurred would be efficiently and quickly allocated among creditors. The authors suggest that ACCORD would be appropriate for East Asia, where, despite new bankruptcy laws, inexperienced courts are unlikely to nudge creditors into a quick negotiated agreement nor to be able to cope with systemic bankruptcy. Moreover, when the government is a major unsatisfied creditor, whose agents may not act in the taxpayers'best interests, market-based solutions might remove political interference from restructuring decisions. Neither owners nor creditors would be worse off than they are now.Strategic Debt Management,Banks&Banking Reform,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Economic Theory&Research,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Strategic Debt Management,Banks&Banking Reform,Economic Theory&Research,Housing Finance

Accuracy of self-reported height and weight in collegiate athletes

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not athletes are able to self-report accurate, unbiased height and weight. Fifty-seven Eastern Michigan University athletes and forty EMU non-athlete students volunteered for this study. After completing an informed consent, the participants filled out an online questionnaire in which they self-reported their heights and weights. Then, a member of the research team measured the participants’ heights and weights in a private room. Paired samples t-tests were used to compare the self-reported heights and weights to the measured values. Results were categorized by sport, gender and body size of the participants. This study provides evidence that competitive athletes are capable of self-reporting accurate heights and weights. However, the athletes in this sample consistently reported being taller and lighter than they actually were. There was not a significant difference between the self-reporting bias of athletes and non-athletes for height, weight, or BMI

A nonequilibrium thermodynamic model of ion transport in a three-compartment system

Nonequilibrium thermodynamic model of ion transport in three-compartment syste

The use of high-resolution terrain data in gravity field prediction

Different types of gravity prediction methods for local and regional gravity evaluation are developed, tested, and compared. Four different test areas were particularly selected in view of different prediction requirements. Also different parts of the spectrum of the gravity field were considered

InterAKTions with FKBPs - mutational and pharmacological exploration

The FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP51) is an Hsp90-associated co-chaperone which regulates steroid receptors and kinases. In pancreatic cancer cell lines, FKBP51 was shown to recruit the phosphatase PHLPP to facilitate dephosphorylation of the kinase Akt, which was associated with reduced chemoresistance. Here we show that in addition to FKBP51 several other members of the FKBP family bind directly to Akt. FKBP51 can also form complexes with other AGC kinases and mapping studies revealed that FKBP51 interacts with Akt via multiple domains independent of their activation or phosphorylation status. The FKBP51-Akt1 interaction was not affected by FK506 analogs or Akt active site inhibitors, but was abolished by the allosteric Akt inhibitor VIII. None of the FKBP51 inhibitors affected AktS473 phosphorylation or downstream targets of Akt. In summary, we show that FKBP51 binds to Akt directly as well as via Hsp90. The FKBP51-Akt interaction is sensitive to the conformation of Akt1, but does not depend on the FK506-binding pocket of FKBP51. Therefore, FKBP inhibitors are unlikely to inhibit the Akt-FKBP-PHLPP network

Cooperative Investments and the Value of Contracting.

Several recent articles have shown that the efficient outcome for bilateral trade, even in the face of specific investments and incomplete contracting, can be supported with appropriately-designed contracts. These studies have, for the most part, restricted attention to so called "selfish" investments that benefit the investor (e.g., the seller's investment reduces her cost of producing the good). We find very different results for "cooperative" investments that directly benefit the investor's partner (e.g., the seller's investment improves the buyer's value of the good). If the parties can commit not to renegotiate, schemes exist that can achieve the efficient outcome as a subgame perfect equilibrium.TRADE ; INVESTMENTS

Children Under Pressure

Cada vegada els pares pressionen més els fills per por davant un futur que es presenta amb poques possibilitats. La formació, la cultura, segueix semblant una garantia d’èxit. L’estimulació cognitiva ha de començar tan aviat com sigui possible. L’educació ha de ser adquirida al més aviat possible. Cal ensenyar ben aviat calma, ordre i disciplina —principis del món dels adults— perquè després puguin ser competitius. No importa allò que sóc, sinó allò que tinc. La Pràctica Psicomotriu Aucouturier, representada per les escoles de l’ASEFOP (Associació Europea d’Escoles de Formació en Pràctica Psicomotriu), s’oposa a aquesta evolució social: l’objectiu dels nostres esforços no és l’estimulació cognitiva, sinó la maduració psicològica del nen com a resultat d’un desenvolupament personal harmònic. Encara que a Alemanya l’educació preventiva està molt endarrere en relació amb altres països d’Europa, ZAPPA (Zentrum für Aus- und Fortbildung in Psychomotorischer Praxis Aucouturier – Centre de formació i educació en pràctica psicomotriu Aucouturier), escola membre de l’ASEFOP, promou iniciatives d’educació preventiva que mostren com pot ser el futur.Cada día los padres presionan más a sus hijos por temor a un futuro que se presenta con pocas posibilidades. La formación, la cultura, sigue pareciendo una garantía de éxito. La estimulación cognitiva tiene que comenzar cuanto antes. La educación debe ser adquirida tan pronto como sea posible. Hay que enseñar, rápidamente, calma, orden y disciplina —principios del mundo de los adultos— para que después puedan ser competitivos. No importa lo que soy sino lo que tengo. La Práctica Psicomotriz Aucouturier, representada por las escuelas de la ASEFOP (Asociación Europea de Escuelas de Formación en Práctica Psicomotriz), se opone a esta evolución social: el objetivo de nuestros esfuerzos no es la estimulación cognitiva, sino la maduración psicológica del niño, como resultado de un desarrollo personal armónico. Aunque en Alemania la educación preventiva está muy atrasada en comparación con otros países de Europa, ZAPPA (Zentrum für Aus- und Fortbildung in Psychomotorischer Praxis Aucouturier –Centro de formación y educación en práctica psicomotriz Aucouturier), escuela miembro de la ASEFOP, promueve iniciativas de educación preventiva que muestran cómo puede ser el futuro.Every day parents are putting more pressure on their children because of their own fear of a future with little chance. Training, culture, is still a guarantee of success. Cognitive stimulation must begin as soon as possible. Education must be obtained the sooner the better. We must teach quickly, calm, order and discipline —principles of grownups world— so they can then be competitive. It doesn’t matter who I am but what I have. The Psychomotor Practice of Aucouturier, represented by the ASEFOP schools, opposes this social evolution: the aim of our efforts is not cognitive stimulation, but the psychological maturity of the child, as a result of a harmonious personal development. Although preventive education is way behind compared with other European countries in Germany, ZAPPA, school member of the ASEFOP, promotes preventive education initiatives that show how future might be