OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF A U.S./CANADIAN WHEAT POOL: A GAME THEORY ANALYSIS

The problem of declining wheat prices and excess supply has been the subject of recent economic studies partly because it coincides with the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996, and partly because efforts to decrease supply domestically have led to increased imports from Canada. This paper develops a game theory optimization model of market efficiency and derives conditions under which voluntary pooling is sustained for U.S./Canadian durum and hard red spring wheat producers. Analysis reveals that U.S. and Canadian farmers can increase farm returns with efficiency gains from pooling and by internalizing benefits from grain blending and logistics. The model is used to analyze diverse factors affecting the sustainability of such a pool.Voluntary pooling, game theory, efficiency gains, durum and HRS wheat marketing, Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

Antiferromagnetic coupling of the single-molecule magnet Mn12 to a ferromagnetic substrate

We investigate magnetic coupling between a monolayer of prototype single-molecule magnets Mn12 and a ferromagnetic Ni(111) substrate through S, using density-functional theory (DFT) and a DFT+U method. Our DFT and DFT+U calculations show that the Mn12 molecules favor antiferromagnetic coupling to the Ni substrate, and that they possess magnetic moments deviated from the magnetic moments of isolated Mn12 molecules. We find that the magnetic easy axis of the Mn12 on Ni (whole system) is dictated by that of the Ni substrate. The antiferromagnetic coupling is, dominantly, caused by superexchange interactions between the magnetic moments of the Mn and the Ni substrate via the S, C, and O anions. Our findings can be observed from x-ray magnetic circular dichroism or scanning tunneling microscopy

Stirring the Embers: High Sensitivity VLBI Observations of GRB030329

We present high sensitivity Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations 806 days after the gamma-ray burst of 2003 March 29 (GRB030329). The angular diameter of the radio afterglow is measured to be 0.347 +- 0.09 mas, corresponding to 0.99 +- 0.26 pc at the redshift of GRB030329 (z = 0.1685). The evolution of the image size favors a uniform external density over an R^-2 wind-like density profile (at distances of R >~10^18 cm from the source), although the latter cannot be ruled out yet. The current apparent expansion velocity of the image size is only mildly relativistic, suggesting a non-relativistic transition time of t_NR ~ 1 yr. A rebrightening, or at least a significant flattening in the flux decay, is expected within the next several years as the counter-jet becomes visible (this has not yet been observed). An upper limit of <1.9c is set on the proper motion of the flux centroid.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED NORTH DAKOTA WHEAT POOL

The ND Durum Wheat Pool may provide additional revenue to durum wheat producers by raising the domestic prices in the North American market with full cooperation from the Canadian Wheat Board. The pool also could provide additional revenue to its members by improving marketing efficiency. On the other hand, the ND Spring Wheat Pool is less likely to provide additional revenue to spring wheat producers by raising domestic prices, mainly because hard red spring and winter wheat are highly substitutable. Efficiency gains also could be smaller than for durum wheat.marketing pool, market power, efficiency gains, durum wheat, hard red spring wheat, pool price, organizational structure, operating costs, Marketing,

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF US/CANADA WHEAT POOL: A GAME THEORY ANALYSIS

This paper develops a game theory optimization model of market efficiency and derives conditions under which voluntary pooling is sustained for US/Canada durum and hard red spring wheat producers. Analysis reveals that United States and Canadian farmers can increase farm returns with efficiency gains from pooling and by internalizing benefits from grain blending and logistics. The model is used to analyze diverse factors affecting the sustainability of such a pool.Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED NORTH DAKOTA WHEAT POOL; SUMMARY

The ND Durum Wheat Pool may provide additional revenue to durum wheat producers by raising the domestic prices in the North American market with full cooperation from the Canadian Wheat Board. The pool also could provide additional revenue to its members by improving marketing efficiency. On the other hand, the ND Spring Wheat Pool is less likely to provide additional revenue to spring wheat producers by raising domestic prices, mainly because hard red spring and winter wheat are highly substitutable. Efficiency gains also could be smaller than for durum wheat.marketing pool, market power, efficiency gains, durum wheat, hard red spring wheat, pool price, organizational structure, operating costs, Marketing,

A network-based ranking system for American college football

American college football faces a conflict created by the desire to stage national championship games between the best teams of a season when there is no conventional playoff system to decide which those teams are. Instead, ranking of teams is based on their record of wins and losses during the season, but each team plays only a small fraction of eligible opponents, making the system underdetermined or contradictory or both. It is an interesting challenge to create a ranking system that at once is mathematically well-founded, gives results in general accord with received wisdom concerning the relative strengths of the teams, and is based upon intuitive principles, allowing it to be accepted readily by fans and experts alike. Here we introduce a one-parameter ranking method that satisfies all of these requirements and is based on a network representation of college football schedules.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Using Smart Cameras to Localize Self-Assembling Modular Robots

In order to realize the goal of self assembling or self reconfiguring modular robots the constituent modules in the system need to be able to gauge their position and orientation with respect to each other. This paper describes an approach to solving this localization problem by equipping each of the modules in the ensemble with a smart camera system. The paper describes one implementation of this scheme on a modular robotic system and discusses the results of a self assembly experiment