Using Fundamental Measure Theory to Treat the Correlation Function of the Inhomogeneous Hard-Sphere Fluid

We investigate the value of the correlation function of an inhomogeneous hard-sphere fluid at contact. This quantity plays a critical role in Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (SAFT), which is the basis of a number of recently developed classical density functionals. We define two averaged values for the correlation function at contact, and derive formulas for each of them from the White Bear version of the Fundamental Measure Theory functional, using an assumption of thermodynamic consistency. We test these formulas, as well as two existing formulas against Monte Carlo simulations, and find excellent agreement between the Monte Carlo data and one of our averaged correlation functions

The Buck Stops Somewhere: An Analysis of Global Governmental Responses to COVID-19

This study reviews a global sample of noteworthy governmental responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus first discovered in 2019, officially known as SARS-CoV-2, sparked radical change in every country across the globe, but as we enter the post-pandemic era, it is clear that some nations fared better than others when it came to addressing the situation. Some countries were better prepared to handle a viral outbreak before COVID-19 even began to spread, while others were aided by swift and effective leadership to ensure national success in the face of an international dilemma. This study makes use of both qualitative research and quantitative analysis to explore the relationships between potential success factors and actual results of the pandemic. Factors from the Hofstede Cultural Dimensions such as low individualism, low indulgence, and high power distance all correlated to low relative case counts across this study’s countries. Additionally, high trust in government correlated to lower average death counts. Effective leadership was pivotal in successful responses, as many countries that were seemingly well prepared greatly underperformed pre-pandemic expectations. The results of this study provide valuable insights for understanding how countries can better respond to future times of crisis