1,217 research outputs found
Preserving Value in the Post-BAPCPA Era — An Empirical Study
Through the use of a multivariate regression model, this article studies the effect on debtor reorganization values of the shortened reorganization timeframe imposed by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (“BAPCPA”). The study shows that BAPCPA is positively correlated at a statistically significant level with higher reorganization recoveries. This result is attributed to the increased proportion of prepackaged and prenegotiated bankruptcies observed in the post-2005 era, as these “fast-track” bankruptcy cases entail lower costs and better preserve the firm’s value
Ceria-Based Dual-Phase Membranes for High-Temperature Carbon Dioxide Separation: Effect of Iron Doping and Pore Generation with MgO Template
Dual-phase membranes for high-temperature carbon dioxide separation have emerged as promising technology to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gases emissions, especially as a pre- and post-combustion separation technique in coal burning power plants. To implement these membranes industrially, the carbon dioxide permeability must be improved. In this study, Ce0.8Sm0.2O2−δ (SDC) and Ce0.8Sm0.19Fe0.01O2−δ (FSDC) ceramic powders were used to form the skeleton in dual-phase membranes. The use of MgO as an environmentally friendly pore generator allows control over the membrane porosity and microstructure in order to compare the effect of the membrane’s ceramic phase. The ceramic powders and the resulting membranes were characterized using ICP-OES, HSM, gravimetric analysis, SEM/EDX, and XRD, and the carbon dioxide flux density was quantified using a high-temperature membrane permeation setup. The carbon dioxide permeability slightly increases with the addition of iron in the FSDC membranes compared to the SDC membranes mainly due to the reported scavenging effect of iron with the siliceous impurities, with an additional potential contribution of an increased crystallite size due to viscous flow sintering. The increased permeability of the FSDC system and the proper microstructure control by MgO can be further extended to optimize carbon dioxide permeability in this membrane system.DFG, 414044773, Open Access Publizieren 2019 - 2020 / Technische Universität Berli
Charitable Immunity from Tort Liability in Ohio: Present Status and Future Prospects
International audienc
From ultrahigh to extreme field magnetic resonance: where physics, biology and medicine meet
International audienc
Discovery of CH and OH in the -513 km s-1 Ejecta of Eta Carinae
The very massive star, Eta Carinae, is enshrouded in an unusual complex of
stellar ejecta, which is highly depleted in C and O, and enriched in He and N.
This circumstellar gas gives rise to distinct absorption components
corresponding to at least 20 different velocities along the line-of-sight. The
velocity component at -513 kms-1 exhibits very low ionization with
predominantly neutral species of iron-peak elements. Our statistical
equilibrium/photoionization modeling indicates that the low temperature (T =
760 K) and high density (n_H=10^7 cm^-3) of the -513 kms-1 component is
conducive to molecule formation including those with the elements C and O.
Examination of echelle spectra obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging
Spectrograph (STIS) aboard the confirms the model's predictions. The molecules,
H_2, CH, and most likely OH, have been identified in the -513 kms-1 absorption
spectrum. This paper presents the analysis of the HST/STIS spectra with the
deduced column densities for CH, OH and C I, and upper limit for CO. It is
quite extraordinary to see molecular species in a cool environment at such a
high velocity. The sharp molecular and ionic absorptions in this extensively
CNO- processed material offers us a unique environment for studying the
chemistry, dust formation processes, and nucleosynthesis in the ejected layers
of a highly evolved massive star.Comment: tentatively scheduled for the ApJ 1 September 2005, v630, 1 issu
Statistical properties of eigenstate amplitudes in complex quantum systems
We study the eigenstates of quantum systems with large Hilbert spaces, via
their distribution of wavefunction amplitudes in a real-space basis. For
single-particle 'quantum billiards', these real-space amplitudes are known to
have Gaussian distribution for chaotic systems. In this work, we formulate and
address the corresponding question for many-body lattice quantum systems. For
integrable many-body systems, we examine the deviation from Gaussianity and
provide evidence that the distribution generically tends toward power-law
behavior in the limit of large sizes. We relate the deviation from Gaussianity
to the entanglement content of many-body eigenstates. For integrable billiards,
we find several cases where the distribution has power-law tails.Comment: revised version, with appendices; 15 pages, 10 figure
Using Models Based on Cognitive Theory to Predict Human Behavior in Traffic: A Case Study
The development of automated vehicles has the potential to revolutionize
transportation, but they are currently unable to ensure a safe and
time-efficient driving style. Reliable models predicting human behavior are
essential for overcoming this issue. While data-driven models are commonly used
to this end, they can be vulnerable in safety-critical edge cases. This has led
to an interest in models incorporating cognitive theory, but as such models are
commonly developed for explanatory purposes, this approach's effectiveness in
behavior prediction has remained largely untested so far. In this article, we
investigate the usefulness of the \emph{Commotions} model -- a novel
cognitively plausible model incorporating the latest theories of human
perception, decision-making, and motor control -- for predicting human behavior
in gap acceptance scenarios, which entail many important traffic interactions
such as lane changes and intersections. We show that this model can compete
with or even outperform well-established data-driven prediction models across
several naturalistic datasets. These results demonstrate the promise of
incorporating cognitive theory in behavior prediction models for automated
vehicles.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure
Texture and shape of two-dimensional domains of nematic liquid crystal
We present a generalized approach to compute the shape and internal structure
of two-dimensional nematic domains. By using conformal mappings, we are able to
compute the director field for a given domain shape that we choose from a rich
class, which includes drops with large and small aspect ratios, and sharp
domain tips as well as smooth ones. Results are assembled in a phase diagram
that for given domain size, surface tension, anchoring strength, and elastic
constant shows the transitions from a homogeneous to a bipolar director field,
from circular to elongated droplets, and from sharp to smooth domain tips. We
find a previously unaccounted regime, where the drop is nearly circular, the
director field bipolar and the tip rounded. We also find that bicircular
director fields, with foci that lie outside the domain, provide a remarkably
accurate description of the optimal director field for a large range of values
of the various shape parameters.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure
Quantitative reconstruction of late Holocene surface evolution on an alpine debris-flow fan
Debris-flow fans form a ubiquitous record of past debris-flow activity in mountainous areas, and may be useful for inferring past flow characteristics and consequent future hazard. Extracting information on past debris flows from fan records, however, requires an understanding of debris-flow deposition and fan surface evolution; field-scale studies of these processes have been very limited. In this paper, we document the patterns and timing of debris-flow deposition on the surface of the large and exceptionally active Illgraben fan in southwestern Switzerland. We use terrain analysis, radiocarbon dating of sediment fill in the Illgraben catchment, and cosmogenic 10Be and 36Cl exposure dating of debris-flow deposits on the fan to constrain the temporal evolution of the sediment routing system in the catchment and on the fan during the past 3200 years. We show that the fan surface preserves a set of debris-flow lobes that were predominantly deposited after the occurrence of a large rock avalanche near the fan apex at about 3200 years ago. This rock avalanche shifted the apex of the fan and impounded sediment within the Illgraben catchment. Subsequent evolution of the fan surface has been governed by both lateral and radial shifts in the active depositional lobe, revealed by the cosmogenic radionuclide dates and by cross-cutting geometrical relationships on the fan surface. This pattern of frequent avulsion and fan surface occupation provides field-scale evidence of the type of large-scale compensatory behavior observed in experimental sediment routing systems
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