A framework for analyzing financial performance of the transport sector

This report presents a methodological framework for reviewing the financial performance of government agencies responsible for transport. The framework is applied in a detailed case study in Tanzania (the transport infrastructure of which is seriously run down) and on desk studies in 14 other countries. The report presents the following findings: (a) a weak revenue administration in Tanzania with only half of the airport user fees and road user charges collected; (b) an unduly complicated structure of user charges; (c) poorly controlled expenses; (d) out of line fuel prices compared with adjoining countries; (e) transport enterprises operating without clear financial objectives; and (f) financial affairs of enterprises being supervised by a ministry that lacked the expertise and authority to do so effectively. This paper outlines the steps recommended to strengthen financial performance and describes how their methodology can be used to prepare multiyear forward programs that can be linked to the net cash flow to/from the government.Banks&Banking Reform,Public Sector Economics&Finance,National Governance,Municipal Financial Management,Roads&Highways

Phase fluctuations and Non-Fermi Liquid Properties of 2D Fermi-system with attraction

The effect of static fluctuations in the phase of the order parameter on the normal and superconducting properties of a 2D system with attractive four-fermion interaction has been studied. Analytic expressions for the fermion Green function, its spectral density and the density of states are derived. The resultant single-particle Green function clearly demonstrates non-Fermi liquid behavior. The results show that as the temperature increases through the 2D critical temperature the width of the quasiparticle peaks broadens significantly. At the same time one retains the gap in quasiparticle spectrum. The spectral density for the dynamical fluctuations can also be obtained. Clearly the dynamical fluctuations fill the gap giving the observed pseudogap behaviour.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX; invited paper presented at New^3SC-2, Las Vegas, USA, 199

Research to determine failure modes for transistors fifth quarterly report, sep. - dec. 1964

Failure mode determination for transistors - transient spike voltage, life test data on manufacturing processes, and computer calculated distributions for test matri

Pseudogap phase formation in the crossover from Bose-Einstein condensation to BCS superconductivity in low dimensional systems

A phase diagram for a 2D metal with variable carrier density has been studied using the modulus-phase representation for the order parameter in a fully microscopic treatment. This amounts to splitting the degrees of freedom into neutral fermion and charged boson degrees of freedom. Although true long range order is forbidden in two dimensions, long range order for the neutral fermions is possible since this does not violate any continuous symmetry. The phase fluctuations associated with the charged degrees of freedom destroy long range order in the full system as expected. The presence of the neutral order parameter gives rise to new features in the superconducting condensate formation in low dimensional systems. The resulting phase diagram contains a new phase which lies above the superconducting (here Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless) phase and below the normal (Fermi-liquid) phase. We identify this phase with the pseudogap phase observed in underdoped high-$T_{c}$ superconducting compounds above their critical temperature. We also find that the phase diagram persists even in the presence of weak 3-dimensionalisation.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX; invited paper presented at New^3SC-1, Baton Rouge, USA, 1998. To be published in Int.J.Mod.Phys.

Effect of Service Stress on Impact Resistance, X-ray Diffraction Patterns, and Microstructure of 25s Aluminum Alloy

Report presents the results of a great number of tests made to determine the effect of service stresses on the impact resistance, the x-ray diffraction patterns, and the microstructure of 25s aluminum alloy. Many of the specimens were taken from actual propeller blades and others were cut from 13/16-inch rod furnished by the Aluminum Company of America

Profinite etale cobordism

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird eine neue Kohomologietheorie, der proendliche etale Kobordismus, für glatte Schemata von endlichem Typ über einem Körper entwickelt. Eine wichtige Eigenschaft des etalen Kobordismus liegt in der Existenz einer konvergenten Atiyah-Hirzebruch Spektralsequenz ausgehend von etaler Kohomologie. Für die Entwicklung dieser Theorie wird zum einen gezeigt, dass es auf proendlichen Spektren eine stabile Modellstruktur gibt. Zum anderen konstruieren wir eine etale Realisierung der stabilen Kategorie der motivischen Spektren. Es wird gezeigt, dass die natürlichen Transformationen vom algebraischen Kobordismus in den etalen Kobordismus über einem separabel abgeschlossenen Körper surjektiv sind. Es wird die Vermutung aufgestellt und diskutiert, dass über einem separabel abgeschlossenen Körper der algebraische und der proendliche etale Kobordismus mit endlichen Koeffizienten nach Invertieren eines Bottelementes isomorph sind

The Use of Maleic Hydrazide for Effective Hybridization of Setaria viridis

An efficient method for crossing green foxtail (Setaria viridis) is currently lacking. S. viridis is considered to be the new model plant for the study of C4 system in monocots and so an effective crossing protocol is urgently needed. S. viridis is a small grass with C4-NADP (ME) type of photosynthesis and has the advantage of having small genome of about 515 Mb, small plant stature, short life cycle, multiple tillers, and profuse seed set, and hence is an ideal model species for research. The objectives of this project were to develop efficient methods of emasculation and pollination, and to speed up generation advancement. We assessed the response of S. viridis flowers to hot water treatment (48°C) and to different concentrations of gibberellic acid, abscisic acid, maleic hydrazide (MH), and kinetin. We found that 500 μM of MH was effective in the emasculation of S. viridis, whilst still retaining the receptivity of the stigma to pollination. We also report effective ways to accelerate the breeding cycle of S. viridis for research through the germination of mature as well as immature seeds in optimized culture media. We believe these findings will be of great interest to researchers using Setaria