Ein neu(artig)es Argument für den Prinzen Andronikos als Autor von Kallimachos und Chrysorrohe

The author of this paper examines the validity of Emidio Martini’s old assumption (1896/1900) that Andronicus (Comnenus Ducas) Palaeologus, who lived in the first half of the 14th century, was the author of the verse romance Callimachus and Chrysorrhoe. Methodologically, the author employs the “cryptosphragis” system, which he discovered several years ago. He finds out that at the beginning and the end of this romance there exist the following relevant cryptosphragides: at vv. 4-22 Ο ΑΝΔΡΟΝΙΚΟΣ Ο ΔΟΥΚΑΣ Ο ΠΑΛΑΙΟΛΟΓΟΣ ΣΟΥ, and at vv. 2592-2605 Ο ΑΝΔΡΟΝΙΚΟΣ Ο ΚΟΜΝΗΝΟΣ ΣΟΥ.

Point trajectory planning of flexible redundant robot manipulators using genetic algorithms

The paper focuses on the problem of point-to-point trajectory planning for flexible redundant robot manipulators (FRM) in joint space. Compared with irredundant flexible manipulators, a FRM possesses additional possibilities during point-to-point trajectory planning due to its kinematics redundancy. A trajectory planning method to minimize vibration and/or executing time of a point-to-point motion is presented for FRMs based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs). Kinematics redundancy is integrated into the presented method as planning variables. Quadrinomial and quintic polynomial are used to describe the segments that connect the initial, intermediate, and final points in joint space. The trajectory planning of FRM is formulated as a problem of optimization with constraints. A planar FRM with three flexible links is used in simulation. Case studies show that the method is applicable

Polynomial knot and link invariants from the virtual biquandle

The Alexander biquandle of a virtual knot or link is a module over a 2-variable Laurent polynomial ring which is an invariant of virtual knots and links. The elementary ideals of this module are then invariants of virtual isotopy which determine both the generalized Alexander polynomial (also known as the Sawollek polynomial) for virtual knots and the classical Alexander polynomial for classical knots. For a fixed monomial ordering $<$, the Gr\"obner bases for these ideals are computable, comparable invariants which fully determine the elementary ideals and which generalize and unify the classical and generalized Alexander polynomials. We provide examples to illustrate the usefulness of these invariants and propose questions for future work.Comment: 12 pages; version 3 includes corrected figure

Critical behavior in an evolutionary Ultimatum Game

Experimental studies have shown the ubiquity of altruistic behavior in human societies. The social structure is a fundamental ingredient to understand the degree of altruism displayed by the members of a society, in contrast to individual-based features, like for example age or gender, which have been shown not to be relevant to determine the level of altruistic behavior. We explore an evolutionary model aiming to delve how altruistic behavior is affected by social structure. We investigate the dynamics of interacting individuals playing the Ultimatum Game with their neighbors given by a social network of interaction. We show that a population self-organizes in a critical state where the degree of altruism depends on the topology characterizing the social structure. In general, individuals offering large shares but in turn accepting large shares, are removed from the population. In heterogeneous social networks, individuals offering intermediate shares are strongly selected in contrast to random homogeneous networks where a broad range of offers, below a critical one, is similarly present in the population.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF MANDATED GRADING AND TESTING TO AVOID A NEGATIVE FOOD SAFETY EVENT: EX ANTE ANALYSIS OF THE FEDERAL MARKETING ORDER FOR PISTACHIOS

The California pistachio industry led an initiative to establish a federal marketing order, which mandates quality standards and an inspection program to assure food safety and consistency in the quality of California pistachios. We develop a stochastic dynamic simulation model of the pistachio market to investigate quantitatively the likely effects of such collective action enforced by government mandates. Simulation results indicate that, across the full range of parameters used in the analysis, the benefit-cost analysis was always favorable to the proposed policy. The measured benefits to producers, the nation, or the world always well exceeded the corresponding measure of costs, typically by many times.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Demand Enhancement through Food-Safety Regulation: Benefit-Cost Analysis of Collective Action in the California Pistachio Industry

Food safety shocks can threaten the health of consumers, create havoc within an industry and result in severe losses to producers. Governments often attempt to enhance food safety by mandating standards and inspection of food products to supplement the voluntary efforts by private firms. This paper assesses a form of collective action that falls between typical government mandates and purely private action. The California pistachio industry recently established a U.S. federal marketing order. This order sets quality standards and requires inspection and certification, aiming to reduce the likelihood of dangerous or poor quality pistachios being sold to consumers and to provide some quality assurance to consumers. Simulation results indicate that, across the full range of parameters used in the analysis, the benefit-cost analysis was always favorable to the new policy. Continuing work is extending the analysis to account for some particular features of the pistachio industry, to consider alternative policies, and to draw inferences for the application of similar policies to other California specialty crops.Food Safety, Collective Action, Specialty Crops, Government Regulation, Marketing Orders, Pistachios, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q18, Q13, I18, H4,

An attempt to interpret the relative abundances of the elements and their isotopes

In tbis paper an attempt is made to derive some information concerning the prestellar stage at wbich the elements are supposed to have been formed. By using first the relative abundances of the isotopes of a single element (e.g., 0, Ne, Mg, Si, and S), it is shown that a temperature of the order of a few billion degrees is indicated. The equilibrium between the fundamental nuclear particles (protons, neutrons, &#945;-particles, electrons, and positrons) at temperatures ranging from 5 to 10 billion degrees is then studied to establish the relative concentrations of protons and neutrons as a function of the temperature. Tbis relation is then used to compute theoretical mass-abundance-curves under different physical conditions. From such calculations it is concluded that under the physical conditions specified by T=8&#215;109 degrees and &#961;= 107 gm/cm3 the theoretical mass-abundance-curve from oxygen to sulphur agrees fairly satisfactorily with the known abundance-curve according to V. M. Goldschmidt (Fig. 2). An important feature of the nuclear mixture considered is that hydrogen and helium are the two most abundant constituents, wbich is in agreement with known facts. However, the conditions indicated are seen to be quite insufficient to account for the existence of the heavy nuclei to any appreciable extent. It is, therefore, suggested that we should distinguish at least two epochs in the development of the prestellar stage. We imagine that at the earliest stages conditions of extreme temperatures and densities prevailed at wbich the heavier nuclei could have been formed. As the matter cooled to lower temperatures and densities, appreciable amounts (I part in 106) of the heavy elements must have been "frozen" into the mixture. At temperatures of the order of from 5&#215;109 to 8&#215;109 degrees and densities of the order of from 104 to 107 gm/cm3 the present known relative abundances of the elements from oxygen to sulphur may have been established

Industry-mandated testing to improve food safety: the new US marketing order for pistachios

Food safety shocks can threaten the health of consumers, create havoc within an industry and result in severe losses to producers. Governments often attempt to aid food safety by mandating standards and inspection of food products to supplement the efforts by private firms and industries. This article assesses a form of collective action that falls between typical government mandates and purely private action. The California pistachio industry recently established a U.S. federal marketing order, which sets quality standards and inspection to reduce the likelihood of dangerous or poor quality pistachios. Simulation results indicate that, across the full range of parameters used in the analysis, the benefit-cost analysis was always favorable to the new policy. In the case of California pistachios, collective action is likely to be a helpful tool to ensure a safe product and increase benefits to producers and consumers.food safety, food scare, collective action, marketing orders, pistachios, public good, food regulations, cost-benefit analysis, Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,