Systematic Differences in Impact across Publication Tracks at PNAS

Background: Citation data can be used to evaluate the editorial policies and procedures of scientific journals. Here we investigate citation counts for the three different publication tracks of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). This analysis explores the consequences of differences in editor and referee selection, while controlling for the prestige of the journal in which the papers appear. Methodology/Principal Findings: We find that papers authored and ‘‘Contributed’ ’ by NAS members (Track III) are on average cited less often than papers that are ‘‘Communicated’ ’ for others by NAS members (Track I) or submitted directly via the standard peer review process (Track II). However, we also find that the variance in the citation count of Contributed papers, and to a lesser extent Communicated papers, is larger than for direct submissions. Therefore when examining the 10 % most-cited papers from each track, Contributed papers receive the most citations, followed by Communicated papers, while Direct submissions receive the least citations. Conclusion/Significance: Our findings suggest that PNAS ‘‘Contributed’ ’ papers, in which NAS–member authors select their own reviewers, balance an overall lower impact with an increased probability of publishing exceptional papers. This analysis demonstrates that different editorial procedures are associated with different levels of impact, even within the same prominent journal, and raises interesting questions about the most appropriate metrics for judging an editorial policy’

Existence uniqueness and ratio decomposition for Gibbs states via duality

We give an elementary proof of existence and uniqueness of Gibbs states for Hölder weight systems on subshifts of finite type. This uses a notion of duality for such subshifts. The approach of Paterson [2] is used to construct a measure with a prescribed Jacobian and the duality is used to produce an invariant measure from this

Rigidity of hyperbolic sets on surfaces

Given a hyperbolic invariant set of a diffeomorphism on a surface, it is proved that, if the holonomies are sufficiently smooth, then the diffeomorphism on the hyperbolic invariant set is rigid in the sense that it is C1+ conjugate to a hyperbolic affine model

Smoothness of holonomies for codimension 1 hyperbolic dynamics

Hyperbolic invariant sets {Lambda} of C1+{gamma} diffeomorphisms where either the stable or unstable leaves are 1-dimensional are considered in this paper. Under the assumption that the {Lambda} has local product structure, the authors prove that the holonomies between the 1-dimensional leaves are C1+{alpha} for some 0 < {alpha} < 1

Teichmüller spaces and HR structures for hyperbolic surface dynamics

We construct a Teichmüller space for the C^{1+}-conjugacy classes of hyperbolic dynamical systems on surfaces. After introducing the notion of an HR structure which associates an affine structure with each of the stable and unstable laminations, we show that there is a one-to-one correspondence between these HR structures and the C^{1+}-conjugacy classes. As part of the proof we construct a canonical representative dynamical system for each HR structure. This has the smoothest holonomies of any representative of the corresponding C^{1+}-conjugacy class. Finally, we introduce solenoid functions and show that they provide a good Teichmüller space

Economic Structure and Development in an Emergent Asian Economy: Evidence from a Social Accounting Matrix for Vietnam

Vietnam started a process of economic reform in 1986 and is presently opening up its economy to regional and global economic forces. As a result, Vietnam faces significant challenges in the area of economic policy analysis. This paper reviews insights emerging from a detailed social accounting matrix (SAM), compiled for the year 2000. The SAM reflects Vietnam’s heavy reliance on primary sector activities, but we also find that agricultural potential could be expanded significantly. In other sectors, the critical importance of sustained commitments to human capital development is apparent. In this context, the international donor community can support the ongoing transformation process through concerted training and capacity building initiatives that have proven successful elsewhere in the region.Economic structure,Economic reform, Vietnam

Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) spawning aggregations: hydroacoustic surveys and geostatistical analysis

With the near extinction of many spawning aggregations of large grouper and snapper throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and tropical Atlantic, we need to provide baselines for their conservation. Thus, there is a critical need to develop techniques for rapidly assessing the remaining known (and unknown) aggregations. To this end we used mobile hydroacoustic surveys to estimate the density, spatial extent, and total abundance of a Nassau grouper spawning aggregation at Little Cayman Island, Cayman Islands, BWI. Hydroacoustic estimates of abundance, density, and spatial extent were similar on two sampling occasions. The location and approximate spatial extent of the Nassau grouper spawning aggregation near the shelf-break was corroborated by diver visual observations. Hydroacoustic density estimates were, overall, three-times higher than the average density observed by divers; however, we note that in some instances diver-estimated densities in localized areas were similar to hydroacoustic density estimates. The resolution of the hydroacoustic transects and geostatistical interpolation may have resulted in over-estimates in fish abundance, but still provided reasonable estimates of total spatial extent of the aggregation. Limitations in bottom time for scuba and visibility resulted in poor coverage of the entire Nassau grouper aggregation and low estimates of abundance when compared to hydroacoustic estimates. Although the majority of fish in the aggregation were well off bottom, fish that were sometimes in close proximity to the seafloor were not detected by the hydroacoustic survey. We conclude that diver observations of fish spawning aggregations are critical to interpretations of hydroacoustic surveys, and that hydroacoustic surveys provide a more accurate estimate of overall fish abundance and spatial extent than diver observations. Thus, hydroacoustics is an emerging technology that, when coupled with diver observations, provides a comprehensive survey method for monitoring spawning aggregations of fish

A video method for quantifying size distribution, density, and three-dimensional spatial structure of reef fish spawning aggregations

There is a clear need to develop fisheries independent methods to quantify individual sizes, density, and three dimensional characteristics of reef fish spawning aggregations for use in population assessments and to provide critical baseline data on reproductive life history of exploited populations. We designed, constructed, calibrated, and applied an underwater stereo-video system to estimate individual sizes and three dimensional (3D) positions of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) at a spawning aggregation site located on a reef promontory on the western edge of Little Cayman Island, Cayman Islands, BWI, on 23 January 2003. The system consists of two free-running camcorders mounted on a meter-long bar and supported by a SCUBA diver. Paired video “stills” were captured, and nose and tail of individual fish observed in the field of view of both cameras were digitized using image analysis software. Conversion of these two dimensional screen coordinates to 3D coordinates was achieved through a matrix inversion algorithm and calibration data. Our estimate of mean total length (58.5 cm, n = 29) was in close agreement with estimated lengths from a hydroacoustic survey and from direct measures of fish size using visual census techniques. We discovered a possible bias in length measures using the video method, most likely arising from some fish orientations that were not perpendicular with respect to the optical axis of the camera system. We observed 40 individuals occupying a volume of 33.3 m3, resulting in a concentration of 1.2 individuals m–3 with a mean (SD) nearest neighbor distance of 70.0 (29.7) cm. We promote the use of roving diver stereo-videography as a method to assess the size distribution, density, and 3D spatial structure of fish spawning aggregations

Trade and Income Growth in Vietnam: Estimates from a New Social Accounting Matrix

Economic reforms and greater outward orientation are giving rise to extensive structural change in the Vietnamese economy. Because of the leverage that global markets can exert on an emerging economy, such adjustments will be particularly significant in the composition of domestic supply and demand. As domestic protection levels are reduced and external market access increases, trade growth and shifting trade patterns will have pervasive effects on income distribution in Vietnam. In this paper, we use a newly estimated Vietnam social accounting matrix to elucidate the links between trade and income in the country. With matrix decomposition methods, we show how the Vietnamese economy propagates the direct effects of external demand across the spectrum of domestic activities, factors, and households. This detailed analysis provides a blueprint for policies to improve economic participation of activities and households with relatively weak linkages to the rest of the economy.Trade, Income, Growth, Vietnam

The Online Laboratory: Conducting Experiments in a Real Labor Market

Online labor markets have great potential as platforms for conducting experiments, as they provide immediate access to a large and diverse subject pool and allow researchers to conduct randomized controlled trials. We argue that online experiments can be just as valid---both internally and externally---as laboratory and field experiments, while requiring far less money and time to design and to conduct. In this paper, we first describe the benefits of conducting experiments in online labor markets; we then use one such market to replicate three classic experiments and confirm their results. We confirm that subjects (1) reverse decisions in response to how a decision-problem is framed, (2) have pro-social preferences (value payoffs to others positively), and (3) respond to priming by altering their choices. We also conduct a labor supply field experiment in which we confirm that workers have upward sloping labor supply curves. In addition to reporting these results, we discuss the unique threats to validity in an online setting and propose methods for coping with these threats. We also discuss the external validity of results from online domains and explain why online results can have external validity equal to or even better than that of traditional methods, depending on the research question. We conclude with our views on the potential role that online experiments can play within the social sciences, and then recommend software development priorities and best practices