The Macroeconomics of Low Inflation

macroeconomics, low inflation

Optical Astronomy from Orbiting Observatories

Atmospheric extinction, seeing, and light pollution £re the most significant factors affecting the quality of observations obtained from ground-based optical telescopes, degrading resolution and limiting reach. In addition, the earth\u27s atmosphere is opaque to radiation shorter than 0.3 microns preventing the ultraviolet from being observed in detail from the ground. The solution to these problems has been to move astronomical telescopes into earth orbit. Initially these orbiting observatories carried instruments sensitive to ultraviolet and higher energy radiation since it was otherwise unobservable. The success of the first series of these orbiting observatories, the Orbiting Astronomical Observatories (OAO), established these satellites as one of a new generation of tools for exploring the universe. Another orbiting observatory, the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), is unique among the current orbiting observatories in that it is in a geosynchronous orbit and provides a guest observer facility serving the international community. IUE has had a significant impact on observational astronomy. Nearly 10 percent of all observational papers published JLi the Astrophysical Journal in 1980 reported or used observations made by IUE. The figure for all astronomical satellites is about 3 times higher and continues to rise. With the orbiting of the Space Telescope in the mid 1980s by the Space Shuttle, observational astronomy will enter a new era. For the first time, astronomers will have access to a large (2.4 meter) high-resolution telescope unhindered by the earth f s atmosphere. With the potential such an instrument offers, there is little doubt that the near future will see a large fraction of observational astronomy performed from orbiting observatories

MATHEMATICAL FORMULAS FOR CALCULATING NET RETURNS FROM PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, CRP, AND CROP INSURANCE ALTERNATIVES

The purpose of this report is to provide a revised version of the publication, "Mathematical Formulas for Calculating Net Returns from Participation in Government Commodity Programs including Marketing Loans" (Williams and Barnaby, 1994). The change in design of the government commodity programs and development of several crop insurance alternatives has been significant since the previous paper was published. The formulas for calculating net returns incorporate provisions from the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 and several crop insurance designs developed in the 1990s. Individuals conducting research or education programs will be able to use this revision for reference when estimating net returns for producers under current commodity program and crop insurance plan provisions.Agricultural Finance,

EFFECTS OF JOINT PRODUCT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON E.COLI 0157:H7 AND FEEDLOT PROFITS

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 on feedlot profits. Fecal samples from 711 feedlot pens in 73 feedlots in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas were tested for E. coli 0157:H7. Average daily gain and feed-to-gain ratios were computed for each feedlot pen, and managers from each feedlot provided information on various feedlot management practices. Cattle performance and E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence are both affected by feedlot management practices. The indirect effect of E. coli 0157:H7 on potential feedlot profits was determined by measuring the effects of management practices on E. coli 0157:H7 levels and cattle performance. Management practices that affect cattle performance were identified using ordinary least squares regressions. A negative binomial regression was used to identify management practices that affect E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence. Certain feedlot management practices were identified that have a joint impact on cattle performance and E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence. Using predatory insects to control flies, controlling for stray dogs, foxes, and coyotes in feed areas, removing manure from pens during finishing, and including tallow in the ration were management strategies associated with higher feedlot profits and lower E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence. Using mobile sprinklers for dust control and including alfalfa or sorghum hay or silage in the ration were associated with lower E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence and lower feedlot profits. Increasing days between cleaning water tanks and restricting movement of horses were associated with higher feedlot profits and higher E. coli 0157:H7 levels. Controlling for stray cats in feed areas and including liquid protein in the ration were associated with lower feedlot profits and higher E. coli 0157:H7 levels. These specific management strategies, which were not robust through a sensitivity analysis, should be interpreted with caution. The general categories of management strategies, however, were robust and consistent with past researchLivestock Production/Industries,

Strength Prediction Model for Power Acutated Fasteners Connecting Steel Members in Tension and Shear-north American Applications

Power-actuated fasteners (PAFs), also referred to as pins, are small nail-like or threaded stud t ype connectors. They can be used in conjunction with several materials and in a number of different applications. Typical applications in steel include attachments of deck sh eeting or diaphragms, architectural or mechanical components, or miscellaneous support brackets or connections to supporting steel members. Traditionally, the design strength of the connections featuring power-actuated fasteners has been determined through standardized testing protocols. In the United States, this protocol is embodied in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard E 1190. The purpose of this study was to create a generic strength prediction model for pins embedded in steel substrate and subjected to either shear or tension, and to present the equations in a limit states fo rmat applicable to the North American practice and applications

Second-order nonlinearities and crystal structure of 2-methoxy-4'-nitro-(E)-stilbene

Second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of crystalline materials depend both on the magnitude of the molecular hyperpolarizability (β) and on the orientation of the chromophores in the crystal lattice. If the molecular hyperpolarizability is to result in a nonzero macroscopic nonlinearity, the molecule must crystallize in a noncentrosymmetric space group. The design of new second-order NLO materials requires one both to address the structure-property relationships that govern β and to develop methodologies that favor noncentrosymmetric crystallization. Methods used to encourage noncentrosymmetric crystallization include the use of chiral molecules, the incorporation of functional groups that encourage asymmetric intermolecular hydrogen bonding, the synthesis of molecules with very small ground-state dipole moments but larger excited-state dipole moments, and the variation of counterion with ionic chromophore

Psychological and behavioral acculturation in a social network of Mexican Americans in the United States and use of dental services

Objectives We used data from the TalaSurvey study to examine associations between dental health experiences, social network characteristics, and levels of behavioral and psychological acculturation in one location in the American Midwest. Methods Starting in parishes and community organizations, we identified adults of Mexican origin living in Indianapolis, who were 1st- or 2nd-generation immigrants from Tala, Mexico. Using a social networks methodology and following extensive formative research, we created an egocentric social network survey and administered it via face-to-face interviews. We identified the peers (alters) in interviewees’ (egos) personal networks. We asked egos about multiple oral health and dental care variables for self and for alters. Acculturation (psychological and behavioral) was measured with a validated tool. Through logistic and negative binomial regression, we examined the effects of acculturation and network composition on ego's dental insurance status, dental office visits, and the reason for most recent dental office visit. Results A total of 332 egos (mean age 36; 63% female) were interviewed: 90% were born in Mexico; 45% had completed elementary school or lower; and most had low income. Each ego named 3.9 (SD±1.9) alters in his/her personal network, for a total of 1299 alters (mean age 39; 61% female). Both behavioral acculturation and psychological acculturation were moderately associated with dental insurance coverage, and greater behavioral acculturation predicted more frequent dental care. More psychologically acculturated egos were more likely to seek preventive care. Further, egos with more highly educated networks sought care more frequently and for preventive purposes, net of ego's own education and acculturation. Conclusions This study contextualizes acculturation of Mexican Americans within the personal networks in which oral health discussion takes place. The findings underscore the critical importance of acculturation and social network factors in shaping a subgroup of Latinos’ orientation toward dental care

Phenomenology for the decay of energy-containing eddies in homogeneous MHD turbulence

We evaluate a number of simple, one‐point phenomenological models for the decay of energy‐containing eddies in magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) and hydrodynamicturbulence. The MHDmodels include effects of cross helicity and Alfvénic couplings associated with a constant mean magnetic field, based on physical effects well‐described in the literature. The analytic structure of three separate MHDmodels is discussed. The single hydrodynamic model and several MHDmodels are compared against results from spectral‐method simulations. The hydrodynamic model phenomenology has been previously verified against experiments in wind tunnels, and certain experimentally determined parameters in the model are satisfactorily reproduced by the present simulation. This agreement supports the suitability of our numerical calculations for examining MHDturbulence, where practical difficulties make it more difficult to study physical examples. When the triple‐decorrelation time and effects of spectral anisotropy are properly taken into account, particular MHDmodels give decay rates that remain correct to within a factor of 2 for several energy‐halving times. A simple model of this type is likely to be useful in a number of applications in space physics, astrophysics, and laboratory plasma physics where the approximate effects of turbulence need to be included

Interventions to Promote More Effective Balance-Recovery Reactions in Industrial Settings: New Perspectives on Footwear and Handrails

“Change-in-support” balance-recovery reactions that involve rapid stepping or reaching movements play a critical role in preventing falls. Recent geriatrics studies have led to new interventions to improve ability to execute these reactions effectively. Some of these interventions have the potential to reduce fall risk for younger persons working in industrial settings. In this paper, we review research pertaining to two such interventions: 1) balance-enhancing footwear insoles designed to improve stepping reactions, and 2) proximity-triggered handrail cueing systems designed to improve reach-to-grasp reactions. The insole has a raised ridge around the perimeter that is intended to improve balance control by providing increased stimulation of sensory receptors on the footsole in situations where loss of balance may be imminent. The cueing system uses flashing lights and/or verbal prompts to attract attention to the handrail and ensure that the brain registers its location, thereby facilitating more rapid and accurate grasping of the rail if and when sudden loss of balance occurs. Results to date support the efficacy of both interventions in geriatric populations. There is also some evidence that these interventions may improve balance control in younger persons; however, further research is needed to confirm their efficacy in preventing falls in industrial settings

Quantum phase space picture of Bose-Einstein Condensates in a double well: Proposals for creating macroscopic quantum superposition states and a study of quantum chaos

We present a quantum phase space model of Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a double well potential. In a two-mode Fock-state analysis we examine the eigenvectors and eigenvalues and find that the energy correlation diagram indicates a transition from a delocalized to a fragmented regime. Phase space information is extracted from the stationary quantum states using the Husimi distribution function. It is shown that the quantum states are localized on the known classical phase space orbits of a nonrigid physical pendulum, and thus the novel phase space characteristics of a nonrigid physical pendulum such as the $\pi$ motions are seen to be a property of the exact quantum states. Low lying states are harmonic oscillator like libration states while the higher lying states are Schr\"odinger cat-like superpositions of two pendulum rotor states. To study the dynamics in phase space, a comparison is made between a displaced quantum wavepacket and the trajectories of a swarm of points in classical phase space. For a driven double well, it is shown that the classical chaotic dynamics is manifest in the dynamics of the quantum states pictured using the Husimi distribution. Phase space analogy also suggests that a $\pi$ phase displaced wavepacket put on the unstable fixed point on a separatrix will bifurcate to create a superposition of two pendulum rotor states - a Schr\"odinger cat state (number entangled state) for BEC. It is shown that the choice of initial barrier height and ramping, following a $\pi$ phase imprinting on the condensate, can be used to generate controlled entangled number states with tunable extremity and sharpness.Comment: revised version, 13 pages, 13 figure