On the propagation of oceanic waves driven by a strong macroscopic flow

In this work we study oceanic waves in a shallow water flow subject to strong wind forcing and rotation, and linearized around a inhomogeneous (non zonal) stationary profile. This extends the study \cite{CGPS}, where the profile was assumed to be zonal only and where explicit calculations were made possible due to the 1D setting. Here the diagonalization of the system, which allows to identify Rossby and Poincar\'e waves, is proved by an abstract semi-classical approach. The dispersion of Poincar\'e waves is also obtained by a more abstract and more robust method using Mourre estimates. Only some partial results however are obtained concerning the Rossby propagation, as the two dimensional setting complicates very much the study of the dynamical system

USING MECHANICAL TRADING SYSTEMS TO EVALUATE THE WEAK FORM EFFICIENCY OF FUTURES MARKETS

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Semiclassical and spectral analysis of oceanic waves

In this work we prove that the shallow water flow, subject to strong wind forcing and linearized around an adequate stationary profile, develops for large times closed trajectories due to the propagation of Rossby waves, while Poincar\'e waves are shown to disperse. The methods used in this paper involve semi-classical analysis and dynamical systems for the study of Rossby waves, while some refined spectral analysis is required for the study of Poincar\'e waves, due to the large time scale involved which is of diffractive type

Screening for congenital hypothyroidism in Maltese newborns using cord blood

Routine screening for congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) has been introduced because clinical features of CHT may not be evident before the baby is a few weeks old and treatment at this stage may already be too late. Since a newborn testing programme employing liquid cord blood for other conditions had already been developed in the University of Malta and the Department of Health, we explored the possibility of implementing newborn thyroid testing using liquid cord blood. A similar programme had been implemented successfully in Finland and Philadelphia. Between September 1989 and August 1995 around 32,000 newborns were tested. This is nearly complete ascertainment. Preliminary testing was by radioimmunoassay for TSH. The sera of those with TSH levels more than 13mU/l were further tested for free T4. If the free T4 level was below 12 pmol/l, the babies were recalled for clinical evaluation and repeat testing. Other babies were recalled for technical reasons, giving a total recall rate of 3.88%. CHT was identified in seven newborns and treatment started within 3 weeks of delivery. One baby was reported normal on screening but was suspected to have CHT on clinical grounds at 3 weeks of age, confirmed biochemically. The incidence of CHT in Malta is therefore 1 in 4500.peer-reviewe

Work Sharing and Productivity : Evidence from a Natural Experiment

This paper is the first to examine empirically how work sharing influences workers' productivity, using a unique data set from a large Canadian firm. This firm has adopted a work sharing scheme for one year, which allows us to introduce a natural experiment approach of comparing workers' productivity before and after the implementation of work sharing. We find that work sharing has led to a significant decrease in labor productivity. Cet article examine empiriquement l'impact du partage du travail sur la productivité des travailleurs d'une grande firme canadienne. L'application de la semaine réduite de travail pendant un an au sein de cette entreprise nous permet de comparer analytiquement la productivité des employés avant et après l'adoption de ce programme. Nos résultats révèlent que l'expérimentation de la semaine réduite de travail provoque une baisse significative de la productivité des travailleurs.Productivity, Work Sharing, Work Organisation Methods, Productivité, partage du travail, modes d'organisation du travail

BUILDING PROFESSIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY IN THREE WESTERN UPPER PENINSULA COUNTIES: RESULTS OF A DIAGNOSTIC STUDY AND FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

This paper is a part of a series of reports of the activities conducted under a grant from the Fund for Rural America, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Funds for the three year grant entitled "Enhancing Rural Economies Through Comprehensive Extension, Research & Partnering Approaches Using Multi-County Clusters in Michigan With Application to National Rural Settings" were received by Michigan State University's Department of Agricultural Economics in March, 1998. The major goal of the grant is to increase economic development activity in four clusters of rural counties in Michigan through the utilization of the resources of the Michigan State University Extension Service, Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, and other resources of Michigan State University. Various local, state, and federal public partners as well as the private sector are to co-sponsor projects. This paper represents the first stages of a continuing project to explore the utilization of retirement community human resources in rural Michigan and to develop Extension programs to meet their needs. Future activities include focus groups, labor supply analysis, a conference, and perhaps a rural academy to be developed by Michigan State University and its partners.Community/Rural/Urban Development,