Spherical affine cones for maximal reductive subgroups in exceptional cases

Given a complex simply connected simple algebraic group G of exceptional type and a maximal parabolic subgroup P of G, we classify all triples (G,P,H) such that H is a maximal reductive subgroup of G acting spherically on G/P . In addition we derive branching rules for the restriction of the simple G-modules V(k\omega_i)* to H, where k \in N and \omega_i is the fundamental weight associated to P. Further we find the combinatorial invariants for the spherical affine cones over G/P

[Review of] Maria P. P. Root, The Multiracial Experience: Racial Borders as the New Frontier

Maria Root\u27s collection of readings cognitively and emotionally engage the reader in the psychosocial experience of being multiracial. These readings also foster a critical awareness of the implications of rising numbers of multiracial persons for issues of inter-group race relations and national identity. This awareness forces readers to re-examine the meanings and construction of race beyond the traditional five monoracial categories traditionally used to gather census data

The impact of tax uncertainty on irreversible investment

Traditional models of capital budgeting including taxes are based on deterministic tax rates and tax bases. In reality, however, there are multiple sources of tax uncertainty. Tax reforms induce frequent changes in both tax rates and tax bases, making future taxation of investments a stochastic process. Fiscal authorities and tax courts create additional tax uncertainty by interpreting current tax laws differently. Apart from fiscal tax uncertainty, there is modelspecific tax uncertainty, because investors use simplified models for computing an investment project's tax base and anticipate the actual tax base incorrectly. I analyze the effects of stochastic taxation on investment behaviour in a real options model. The potential investor holds an option to invest in an irreversible project with stochastic cash flows. To cover the combined effects of tax base and tax rate uncertainty, the investment's tax payment is modelled as a stochastic process that may be correlated with the project's cash flows. I show that increased uncertainty of tax payments has an ambiguous impact on investment timing. Thus, the popular view that tax uncertainty depresses real investment can be rejected. For low tax uncertainty, high cash flow uncertainty and high correlation of cash flows and tax payment, increased tax uncertainty may even accelerate investment. A higher expected tax payment delays investment. Surprisingly, a higher tax rate on interest income affects investment timing ambiguously. --

Explaining visa, asylum and immigration policy Treaty revision: insights from a revised neofunctionalist framework

This paper seeks to explain the varying, and sometimes intriguing, outcomes of the past three Treaty revision negotiations of European Union/Community visa, asylum and immigration policy. Regarding this policy area, I focus on the substantial constitutional issues of decision rules and institutional set-up. The results of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) negotiations leading to the Amsterdam Treaty, the Treaty of Nice and the Constitutional Treaty are subjected to causal analysis. The paper draws on a revised neofunctionalist framework and argues that five explanatory factors can account for the Treaty outcomes: (1) functional pressures; (2) the role of supranational institutions; (3) socialisation, deliberation and learning processes; (4) exogenous pressures; and (5) countervailing forces.political science; intergovernmental conferences; treaty reform; European Convention; asylum policy; immigration policy; neo-functionalism; socialization

The EU within the G8: A Case of Ambiguous and Contested Actorness. College of Europe EU Diplomacy Paper 05/2009, August 2009

This paper analyses the degree of European Union (EU) actorness within the Group of Eight (G8). Drawing on the work of Jupille and Caporaso, actorness is probed along the criteria of ‘recognition’, ‘authority’, ‘autonomy’ and ‘cohesion’. We argue that the vague and informal nature of the G8 is conducive to EU participation in the summit. The system of EU representation within the G8 can be seen as a case of constructed ambiguity because the ambiguity that is inherent in the EU’s participation has been institutionalized within the G8. When assessing the above criteria, actorness of the EU as a whole remains questionable. However, recognition, authority, autonomy and most of all cohesion differ considerably per context. We suggest that the ‘independence’ aspect of ‘autonomy’ constitutes a weakness in the conceptuali-sation of actorness and may better be replaced by ‘proactivity’. Finally, on the basis of our findings it can be tentatively hypothesised that a number of factors condition EU actorness in the G8, including the degree of integration at EU level, the degree of politicisation and whether or not an EU member state is acting as G8 host

A spectrophotometric study of blood group A-specific substance isolated from hog gastric mucosa

A study of the ultraviolet absorption spectra of preparations of blood group A-specific substance isolated from hog gastric mucin supports the view that group A substance, and probably group O substance, has little specific absorption in this spectral region and that other components account for most if not all of the specific absorption noted in the case of impure preparations. However, ultraviolet spectrophotometric analyses have been found to be particularly useful in following changes in composition brought about by the fractionation of group A substance preparations obtained from hog gastric mucin as well as in comparing preparations isolated by different methods and from different sources. Such analyses have also indicated that tyrosine and tryptophan, if indeed present in group A substance, are but minor constituents

A spectrophotometric study of the behavior of carbohydrates in seventy-nine per cent sulfuric acid

The spectral characteristics of solutions of eighteen representative monosaccharides in 79 per cent sulfuric acid have been determined for solutions maintained for 2 hours at 25° and 15 minutes at 100°. The use of these data for the identification of ketohexoses and 6-desoxyaldohexoses has been pointed out, as has their application to the quantitative determination of certain monosaccharides when present singly or in admixture with other monosaccharides, either as the monosaccharides or as components of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides