Supermodes of Hexagonal Lattice Waveguide Arrays

We present a semi-analytical formulation for calculating the supermodes and corresponding Bloch factors of light in hexagonal lattice photonic crystal waveguide arrays. We then use this formulation to easily calculate dispersion curves and predict propagation in systems too large to calculate using standard numerical methods.Comment: Accepted by J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, DocID:160522. http://www.opticsinfobase.org/abstract.cfm?msid=16052

Semi-analytic method for slow light photonic crystal waveguide design

We present a semi-analytic method to calculate the dispersion curves and the group velocity of photonic crystal waveguide modes in two-dimensional geometries. We model the waveguide as a homogenous strip, surrounded by photonic crystal acting as diffracting mirrors. Following conventional guided-wave optics, the properties of the photonic crystal waveguide may be calculated from the phase upon propagation over the strip and the phase upon reflection. The cases of interest require a theory including the specular order and one other diffracted reflected order. The computational advantages let us scan a large parameter space, allowing us to find novel types of solutions.Comment: Accepted by Photonics and Nanostructures - Fundamentals and Application

Macroeconomic Performance and Government Fiscal Deficits - Evidence from Nigeria

Governments in most developing economies, including Nigeria, have often had to contend with issues of weak economic and social indicators vis-à-vis poor fiscal performance. In Nigeria for instance, there is evidence that between 1981 and 2014 fiscal operations have been dominated by fiscal deficits while major indicators of economic health have remained at sub-optimal levels. There has been considerable disagreement on the relationship between fiscal deficits and economic performance. As our contribution towards the resolution of this contentious issue, this study examines the relationship between the performance of key macroeconomic indicators (exchange rate, inflation rate, gross fixed capital formation and unemployment) and fiscal deficits. Data on the research variables covering the period 1981-2014 were sourced from the publications of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Employing the econometric methodology of the vector error correction model (VECM), the study shows significant positive effect of gross fixed capital formation as well as significant negative impact of inflation rate and unemployment on fiscal deficits in Nigeria. Though, there is evidence of negative effect of exchange rate, the study shows it is not significant. These results imply that policies aimed at enhancing the infrastructure base of the economy promote the practice of deficit budgeting, Similarly, economic policies that tend to reduce inflation (such as raising domestic output levels) and unemployment reflect in higher fiscal deficits. The causality tests show evidence of causal impact of government fiscal deficits on exchange rate, inflation rate and unemployment but failed to show evidence of causation between fiscal deficits and gross fixed capital formation. It is recommended that government should ensure prudent utilization of the proceeds of debt finance in promoting domestic production in order to strengthen the economic fundamentals required to support improved fiscal performance in the long-ru

Financial System Development and Real Sector Performance in Nigeria

This paper examines the relationship between financial sector development and real sector pe1jormance in Nigeria using d{lta over the period 1986-2014. Owing to the dominant role of the banking sub-sector in the Nigerian financial system. it was adopted as proxy for the financial sector. Exchange rate. national sOl'ing rate, interest rate and financial depth were adopted as proxies for financial qevelopmentwhile ratio of industrial output to GDP 11~s adopted as proxy for real sector performance. Lending rate was adopted as the relevant interest rate for the study. Econometric method of the · vector error ~orrection mode/was used to estimate the magnitude and direction of the impact of the exogenous mriables on the endogenous variable as well as the speed of adjustment of the system to short-run disequilibrium. The short-run estimate shows significant negative effect of national saving rate and financial deepening on the real sector. There is no evidence of significant effect of exchange rate and lending rate on the performance of the sector during the period of the study. Estimated long·11m coefficients show significant negative impact of exchange rate and lending rate on real sector output. There is also evidence of non-significant positive impact of national sat·ing rate and non-significan/ negatire impact of financing deepening on real sector pe1jormance. This result indicates that as exchangot rate becomes more volatile during the reform period, output of the real sector is adt·ersely affected. On the other hand. though reforms associated with financial sector development in post-SAP era led to high lending rate. the real sector became more efficient in resource utili:ation and hence had higher productivity growth. Therefore, the study concludes that development of the financial system has supported real sector in Nigeria through efficiency gains from resource allocation and utili=ation

Androgen receptor as a mediator and biomarker of radioresistance in triple-negative breast cancer.

Increased rates of locoregional recurrence have been observed in triple-negative breast cancer despite chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Thus, approaches that combine therapies for radiosensitization in triple-negative breast cancer are critically needed. We characterized the radiation therapy response of 21 breast cancer cell lines and paired this radiation response data with high-throughput drug screen data to identify androgen receptor as a top target for radiosensitization. Our radiosensitizer screen nominated bicalutamide as the drug most effective in treating radiation therapy-resistant breast cancer cell lines. We subsequently evaluated the expression of androgen receptor in >2100 human breast tumor samples and 51 breast cancer cell lines and found significant heterogeneity in androgen receptor expression with enrichment at the protein and RNA level in triple-negative breast cancer. There was a strong correlation between androgen receptor RNA and protein expression across all breast cancer subtypes (R2 = 0.72, p < 0.01). In patients with triple-negative breast cancer, expression of androgen receptor above the median was associated with increased risk of locoregional recurrence after radiation therapy (hazard ratio for locoregional recurrence 2.9-3.2)) in two independent data sets, but there was no difference in locoregional recurrence in triple-negative breast cancer patients not treated with radiation therapy when stratified by androgen receptor expression. In multivariable analysis, androgen receptor expression was most significantly associated with worse local recurrence-free survival after radiation therapy (hazard ratio of 3.58) suggesting that androgen receptor expression may be a biomarker of radiation response in triple-negative breast cancer. Inhibition of androgen receptor with MDV3100 (enzalutamide) induced radiation sensitivity (enhancement ratios of 1.22-1.60) in androgen receptor-positive triple-negative breast cancer lines, but did not affect androgen receptor-negative triple-negative breast cancer or estrogen-receptor-positive, androgen receptor-negative breast cancer cell lines. androgen receptor inhibition with MDV3100 significantly radiosensitized triple-negative breast cancer xenografts in mouse models and markedly delayed tumor doubling/tripling time and tumor weight. Radiosensitization was at least partially dependent on impaired dsDNA break repair mediated by DNA protein kinase catalytic subunit. Our results implicate androgen receptor as a mediator of radioresistance in breast cancer and identify androgen receptor inhibition as a potentially effective strategy for the treatment of androgen receptor-positive radioresistant tumors

A new depositional model for the Tuaheni Landslide Complex, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand

The Tuaheni Landslide Complex (TLC) is characterised by areas of compression upslope and extension downslope. It has been thought to consist of a stack of two genetically linked landslide units identified on seismic data. We use 3D seismic reflection, bathymetry data, and IODP core U1517C (Expedition 372), to understand the internal structures, deformation mechanisms and depositional processes of the TLC deposits. Unit II and Unit III of U1517C correspond to the two chaotic units in 3D seismic data. In the core, Unit II shows deformation whereas Unit III appears more like an in situ sequence. Variance attribute analysis shows that Unit II is split in lobes around a coherent stratified central ridge and is bounded by scarps. By contrast, we find that Unit III is continuous beneath the central ridge and has an upslope geometry that we interpret as a channellevee system. Both units show evidence of lateral spreading due to the presence of the Tuaheni Canyon removing support from the toe. Our results suggest that Unit II and Unit III are not genetically linked, that they are separated substantially in time and they had different emplacement mechanisms, but fail under similar circumstances

Long-term trends in the longevity of scientific elites: evidence from the British and the Russian academies of science.

National science academies represent intellectual elites and vanguard groups in the achievement of longevity. We estimated life expectancy (LE) at age 50 of members of the British Royal Society (RS) for the years 1670-2007 and of members of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) for the years 1750-2006. The longevity of academicians was higher than that of their corresponding national populations, with the gap widening from the 1950s. Since the 1980s, LE in the RS has been higher than the maximum LE among all high-income countries. In each period, LE in the RS was greater than in the RAS, although since the 1950s it has risen in parallel in the two academies. This steep increase shared by academicians in Britain and Russia suggests that general populations have the potential for a substantial increase in survival to high ages

IntCal09 and Marine09 radiocarbon age calibration curves, 0-50,000yeats cal BP

The IntCal04 and Marine04 radiocarbon calibration curves have been updated from 12 cal kBP (cal kBP is here defined as thousands of calibrated years before AD 1950), and extended to 50 cal kBP, utilizing newly available data sets that meet the IntCal Working Group criteria for pristine corals and other carbonates and for quantification of uncertainty in both the 14C and calendar timescales as established in 2002. No change was made to the curves from 0–12 cal kBP. The curves were constructed using a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) implementation of the random walk model used for IntCal04 and Marine04. The new curves were ratified at the 20th International Radiocarbon Conference in June 2009 and are available in the Supplemental Material at www.radiocarbon.org