Do Fixed Exchange Rates Fetter Monetary Policy? A Credit View

The Bernanke-Blinder credit-view model is expanded to encompass a small, open economy with fixed exchange rates. In contrast to conventional wisdom and traditional models, monetary policy is resurrected as a stabilization tool. We show that various financial sector shocks have real aggregate demand effects. Further, we demonstrate that independent monetary policy actions can have substantive impacts on aggregate demand despite perfect capital mobility in bond markets and adherence to a fixed exchange rate regime as long as bank loans are imperfectly mobile.

Metabolism of Nonessential N15-Labeled Amino Acids and the Measurement of Human Whole-Body Protein Synthesis Rates

Eight N-15 labeled nonessential amino acids plus (15)NH4Cl were administered over a 10 h period to four healthy adult males using a primed-constant dosage regimen. The amount of N-15 excreted in the urine and the urinary ammonia, hippuric acid, and plasma alanine N-15 enrichments were measured. There was a high degree of consistency across subjects in the ordering of the nine compounds based on the fraction of N-15 excreted (Kendall coefficient of concordance W = 0.83, P is less than 0.01). Protein synthesis rates were calculated from the urinary ammonia plateau enrichment and the cumulative excretion of N-15. Glycine was one of the few amino acids that gave similar values by both methods

Tall fescue seed production alley cropped in a hardwood tree plantation

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on April 3, 2008)Includes bibliographical references.Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2007.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Agronomy.Alley cropping is an agroforestry practice that utilizes the space between rows of trees to produce an alternate crop. Tall fescue demonstrates shade tolerance and may be well suited for the production of certified seed in alley-cropping systems in Missouri. The objective was to evaluate tall fescue seed production in alley cropping. Three management practices associated with grass seed production were also evaluated; row spacing, N fertilization, and post-harvest residue management. In 2004 seed yields in the alley-cropped plots were similar to the open plots; in 2005, all plots had reduced yield and the alley-cropped plots yielded significantly less than the open plots. We attribute the decrease of the second year harvest to poor soil moisture and increased competition from trees. Seed yield was closely related to the number of reproductive culms m-1 of row; however, there were no differences among treatments for seed weight and seeds culm-1. This research shows that tall fescue seed yield in an alley-cropping system can be equal to yields from pasture until competition for resources from trees has a negative influence on the crop. A producer who is interested in establishing an orchard should find that certified turf-type tall fescue is a viable crop for an alley-cropping system

Quantum Transition State Theory for proton transfer reactions in enzymes

We consider the role of quantum effects in the transfer of hyrogen-like species in enzyme-catalysed reactions. This study is stimulated by claims that the observed magnitude and temperature dependence of kinetic isotope effects imply that quantum tunneling below the energy barrier associated with the transition state significantly enhances the reaction rate in many enzymes. We use a path integral approach which provides a general framework to understand tunneling in a quantum system which interacts with an environment at non-zero temperature. Here the quantum system is the active site of the enzyme and the environment is the surrounding protein and water. Tunneling well below the barrier only occurs for temperatures less than a temperature $T_0$ which is determined by the curvature of potential energy surface near the top of the barrier. We argue that for most enzymes this temperature is less than room temperature. For physically reasonable parameters quantum transition state theory gives a quantitative description of the temperature dependence and magnitude of kinetic isotope effects for two classes of enzymes which have been claimed to exhibit signatures of quantum tunneling. The only quantum effects are those associated with the transition state, both reflection at the barrier top and tunneling just below the barrier. We establish that the friction due to the environment is weak and only slightly modifies the reaction rate. Furthermore, at room temperature and for typical energy barriers environmental degrees of freedom with frequencies much less than 1000 cm$^{-1}$ do not have a significant effect on quantum corrections to the reaction rate.Comment: Aspects of the article are discussed at condensedconcepts.blogspot.co

Efficient light coupling into a photonic crystal waveguide with flatband slow mode

We design an efficient coupler to transmit light from a strip waveguide into the flatband slow mode of a photonic crystal waveguide with ring-shaped holes. The coupler is a section of a photonic crystal waveguide with a higher group velocity, obtained by different ring dimensions. We demonstrate coupling efficiency in excess of 95% over the 8 nm wavelength range where the photonic crystal waveguide exhibits a quasi constant group velocity vg = c/37. An analysis based on the small Fabry-P\'erot resonances in the simulated transmission spectra is introduced and used for studying the effect of the coupler length and for evaluating the coupling efficiency in different parts of the coupler. The mode conversion efficiency within the coupler is more than 99.7% over the wavelength range of interest. The parasitic reflectance in the coupler, which depends on the propagation constant mismatch between the slow mode and the coupler mode, is lower than 0.6% within this wavelength range.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Photonics and Nanostructures - Fundamentals and Application

An extension of the benefit segmentation base for the consumption of organic foods : a time perspective

Benefit segmentation is a long-standing marketing approach that emphasises the ‘what’ and ‘how’ dimensions of consumer benefits; that is, what benefits consumers perceive in product/service consumption, and how such benefits are perceived. This research proposes a fresh time-based approach to benefit segmentation – namely, focusing on the ‘when’ element or when in time benefits take effect. Drawing upon a survey of UK consumers, it explains and discusses consumption motivations through examining antecedents of temporally dominated benefits in application to organic food. Specifically, the study investigates why some consumers predominantly seek present-based benefits vis-à-vis future-based benefits or vice versa in organic food purchase and consumption behaviour. Using correlation and regression analyses, the research findings establish significant associations of level of involvement, prior knowledge level, and product usage level, and some association of time orientation with the temporally emphasised consumption benefits consumers ultimately pursue. Overall, the research highlights the added contribution of a time perspective in a benefit segmentation approach which can assist marketers in understanding better and communicating more effectively with consumers through drawing up consumer profiles based on when in time their dominantly pursued benefit for an offering is perceived to take effect

Using Service-Learning As A Higher Education Teaching Strategy For Health And Physical Education As Well As The Athletic Setting A Step By Step Approach

In recent years, college health and physical educators have examined multiple teaching strategies that enhance students ability to learn state-required and nationally-required health and physical education standards and outcomes. Identifying such methods and implementing them into courses can be overwhelming and confusing to the college educator. Service learning is a teaching method that best fits into the experimental section of educational foundations. This is an educational method of teaching, learning, and reflection that easily merges traditional classroom curriculum with meaningful community service. This paper provides detailed discussion regarding the service-learning teaching strategy as well as step by step instructions for correct course implementation and optimal educational results

Insights from Amphioxus into the Evolution of Vertebrate Cartilage

Central to the story of vertebrate evolution is the origin of the vertebrate head, a problem difficult to approach using paleontology and comparative morphology due to a lack of unambiguous intermediate forms. Embryologically, much of the vertebrate head is derived from two ectodermal tissues, the neural crest and cranial placodes. Recent work in protochordates suggests the first chordates possessed migratory neural tube cells with some features of neural crest cells. However, it is unclear how and when these cells acquired the ability to form cellular cartilage, a cell type unique to vertebrates. It has been variously proposed that the neural crest acquired chondrogenic ability by recruiting proto-chondrogenic gene programs deployed in the neural tube, pharynx, and notochord. To test these hypotheses we examined the expression of 11 amphioxus orthologs of genes involved in neural crest chondrogenesis. Consistent with cellular cartilage as a vertebrate novelty, we find that no single amphioxus tissue co-expresses all or most of these genes. However, most are variously co-expressed in mesodermal derivatives. Our results suggest that neural crest-derived cartilage evolved by serial cooption of genes which functioned primitively in mesoderm

Price Comparison, Price Competition, And The Effects Of ShopBots

Two ShopBots were used to determine high-to-low price dispersion for identical models of 25 consumer durables, in 2007 and again in 2011, revealing substantial but declining price dispersion ratios. A survey of 1,135 American online shoppers revealed their dependence on ShopBots and frequency of other online shopping actions. Typical respondent reported they "very often" used search sites to locate what they wanted. Nearly 30 percent used the most often named price comparison site, Yahoo! Shopping, in the past year, suggesting substantial potential for future price rationalization. Several customer relationship management tools online merchants might use to avoid the resulting direct price competition are discussed. Finally, the impact of m-commerce, tablets, and apps on online price comparison behavior is explored

Images Of Online Versus Store Shopping: Have The Attitudes Of Men And Women, Young And Old Really Changed?

This study examines the effect of the consumers' sex and age on their perceptions of the problems and the benefits of shopping and buying online, compared to doing so in a traditional retail store. Overall image profiles can be viewed, but the principal focus is on the similarities and differences between gender and age groups. Along with perceptions of problems and benefits of online buying, a direct comparison between store versus online buying sharply reveals the contrasts among men and women of different ages