Rational Expectations and the Aggregation of Diverse Information in Laboratory Security Markets

The study explores the information aggregation properties of experimental markets in which a fully revealing rational expectations equilibrium exists. In single securities markets in which traders have different preferences, information aggregation seems to be minimal, and rational expectations equilibrium are not attained. If the market has a complete set of contingent claims securities or if preferences are identical, the rational expectations equilibrium model works well

Experts\u27 Advice to Information Systems Doctoral Students

This paper summarizes the results of a panel discussion offering advice to doctoral students in advancing through their programs and getting a start on their career. The panel was held at the 2003 Annual Conference of the Southern Association for Information Systems, and panelists included five senior MIS faculty members who, combined, have chaired over 80 dissertations. Topics included choosing a dissertation topic, dealing with the dissertation committee, completing the dissertation, the job hunt, marketability, building a publication record, and advice for new faculty

Can One Measure the Weak Phase of a Penguin Diagram?

The b -> d penguin amplitude receives contributions from internal u, c and t-quarks. We show that it is impossible to measure the weak phase of any of these penguin contributions without theoretical input. However, it is possible to obtain the weak phase if one makes a single assumption involving the hadronic parameters. With such an assumption, one can test for the presence of new physics in the b -> d flavour-changing neutral current by comparing the weak phase of B_d^0-{\bar B}_d^0 mixing with that of the t-quark contribution to the b -> d penguin.Comment: 20 pages, no figure

Sediment grain-size and loss-on-ignition analyses from 2002 Englebright Lake coring and sampling campaigns

This report presents sedimentologic data from three 2002 sampling campaigns conducted in Englebright Lake on the Yuba River in northern California. This work was done to assess the properties of the material deposited in the reservoir between completion of Englebright Dam in 1940 and 2002, as part of the Upper Yuba River Studies Program. Included are the results of grain-size-distribution and loss-on-ignition analyses for 561 samples, as well as an error analysis based on replicate pairs of subsamples

Radiostereometric Analysis of Tantalum vs. Titanium Acetabular Shells in Young THR Patients

Introduction: In the active total hip replacement (THR) population, maintaining acetabular component stability and limiting polyethylene wear are crucial components to preventing premature implant failure. Titanium with Co/Cr/Mo fiber metal coating is among the most common materials used in cementless THR. Trabecular metal, composed of porous tantalum, has a metallic strut design resembling trabecular bone, designed to improve tissue infiltration and limit migration. This study assesses the stability and clinical outcomes of tantalum versus titanium acetabular shells using radiostereometric analysis (RSA) technology. Methods: In this IRB approved, prospective, randomized, blinded study, 46 patients received a primary THR by a single surgeon (DCA). Each patient was randomized to receive a titanium (23) (Trilogy, Zimmer) or tantalum (23) (Modular tantalum shell, Zimmer) uncemented hemispheric cup and either a highly-crosslinked or conventional polyethylene liner. Tantalum RSA markers were implanted around the liner periphery, femur, and periacetabular bone in each patient. RSA examinations, Harris Hip, UCLA, WOMAC, SF-36 scores were obtained at 10 days, 6 months, and annually with the furthest patients evaluated through 5 years. Results: Median translation was greater at all time points for the tantalum mesh cups except for the 3-year follow-up, however due to large standard errors, there was no significant difference between the two designs (p\u3e0.05). These large standard errors were predominantly caused by two outliers, neither of which had clinical evidence of loosening at 5 years follow-up. Mean UCLA, WOMAC, Harris Hip, and SF-36 PCS and MCS scores improved similarly in both groups. Conclusions: In this young THR population, both titanium and tantalum acetabular shells demonstrated excellent stability at five years follow up. Tantalum shells demonstrated slightly greater micromotion, but there was no statistically significant difference in shell migration. Outstanding clinical outcomes with statistically significant improvements in function and pain relief were observed in both groups

Radiostereometric Analysis of Femoral Head Penetration in Cross-Linked Polyethylene in THR Patients

Background: In the young total hip replacement (THR) population limiting polyethylene liner wear is crucial to preventing premature implant failure. Highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (HXLPE) liners were designed to improve wear resistance of polyethylene liners. Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) provides highly precise measurements of liner wear. This study utilized RSA to characterize wear of conventional versus HXLPE liners up to five years following THR. Methods: This IRB-approved, prospective, randomized, blinded study, involved 46 patients with a mean age of 58 and BMI of 30. Each patient was double randomized to receive a conventional or HXLPE liner with an uncemented titanium mesh or tantalum trabecular metal cup. Both liners were prepared from compression-molded GUR 1050 resin without calcium stearate, while HXLPE liners undergo further e-beam irradiation and annealing. At the time of surgery, 1mm tantalum RSA markers were implanted around the liner periphery, femur and periacetabular bone. RSA examinations, Harris Hip, UCLA, WOMAC, SF-36 scores were obtained pre-operatively, post-operatively, at six weeks, six months and annually through five years. Results: All patients had statistically significant improvement in Harris Hip, WOMAC and SF-36 PCS scores following THR with no difference between cohorts. On RSA examination, of titanium shells, HXLPE liners revealed significantly lower femoral head penetration at each follow up except six weeks and six months (p Conclusion: In this young THR population RSA shows significantly less femoral head penetration in the HXLPE liners compared to conventional liners. Novel RSA techniques have been developed to determine polyethylene wear in patients

New CP observables in B0(t) -> hyperon + antihyperon from parity violation in the sequential decay

We consider the decay B0(t) -> hyperon + antihyperon, followed by hyperon weak decay. We show that parity violation in the latter allows to reach new CP observables: not only Im(lambda_f) but also Re(lambda_f) can be measured. In the decay B0_d(t) -> Lambda LambdaBar (BR ~ 10-6), Lambda -> p pi- these observables reduce to sin(2alpha) and cos(2alpha) in the small Penguin limit, the latter solving the discrete ambiguity alpha -> pi/2 -alpha. For beta one could consider the Cabibbo suppressed mode B0_d(t) -> Lambda_c Lambda_cBar (BR \~ 10-4), Lambda_c -> Lambda pi+, p K0bar, ... (with BR ~ 10-2). The pure Penguin modes B0_s(t)->Sigma-Sigma-Bar, Xi-Xi-Bar, Omega-Omega-Bar (BR ~ 10-7) can be useful in the search of CP violation beyond the Standard Model. Because of the small total rates, the study of these modes could only be done in future high statistics experiments. Also, in the most interesting case Lambda LambdaBar the time dependence of the asymmetry can be difficult to reconstruct. On the other hand, we show that B_d mesons, being a coherent source of Lambda LambdaBar, is useful to look for CP violation in Lambda decay. We also discuss B0_d(t) -> J/Psi K*0 -> l+ l- K_S pi0 where the secondary decays conserve parity, and angular correlations allow to determine terms of the form cos(delta)cos(2beta), delta being a strong phase. This phase has been measured by CLEO, but we point out that a discrete ambiguity prevents to determine sign(cos(2beta)). However, if one assumes small strong phases, like in factorization and as supported by CLEO data, one could have information on sign(cos(2beta)). Similar remarks can be done for cos(2alpha) in the decay B_d0(t) -> rho rho -> 4pi.Comment: LaTeX, 35 pages, 4 figures in a separate postscript fil

Exploring CP Violation with B_d -> D K_s Decays

We (re)examine CP violation in the decays B_d -> D K_s, where D represents D^0, D(bar), or one of their excited states. The quantity $\sin^2(2\beta + \gamma)$ can be extracted from the time-dependent rates for $B_d(t) -> {\bar D}^{**0} K_s$ and $B_d(t) -> D^{**0} K_s$, where the $D^{**0}$ decays to $D^{(*)+}\pi^-$. If one considers a non-CP-eigenstate hadronic final state to which both D(bar) and D^0 can decay (e.g. $K^+\pi^-$), then one can obtain two of the angles of the unitarity triangle from measurements of the time-dependent rates for $B_d(t) -> (K^+\pi^-)_{D K_s}$ and $B_d(t) -> (K^-\pi^+)_{D K_s}$. There are no penguin contributions to these decays, so all measurements are theoretically clean.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX, no figure

Taming the Penguin in the B0(t) -> Pi+Pi- CP-asymmetry: Observables and Minimal Theoretical Input

Penguin contributions, being not negligible in general, can hide the information on the CKM angle alpha coming from the measurement of the time-dependent B0(t) -> pi+pi- CP-asymmetry. Nevertheless, we show that this information can be summarized in a set of simple equations, expressing alpha as a multi-valued function of a single theoretically unknown parameter, which conveniently can be chosen as a well-defined ratio of penguin to tree amplitudes. Using these exact analytic expressions, free of any assumption besides the Standard Model, and some reasonable hypotheses to constrain the modulus of the penguin amplitude, we derive several new upper bounds on the penguin-induced shift |2alpha-2alpha_eff|, generalizing the recent result of Grossman and Quinn. These bounds depend on the averaged branching ratios of some decays (pi0pi0, K0K0bar, K+-pi-+) particularly sensitive to the penguin. On the other hand, with further and less conservative approximations, we show that the knowledge of the B+- -> Kpi+- branching ratio alone gives sufficient information to extract the free parameter without the need of other measurements, and without knowing |V_td| or |V_ub|. More generally, knowing the modulus of the penguin amplitude with an accuracy of ~30% might result in an extraction of alpha competitive with the experimentally more difficult isospin analysis. We also show that our framework allows to recover most of the previous approaches in a transparent and simple way, and in some cases to improve them. In addition we discuss in detail the problem of the various kinds of discrete ambiguities.Comment: LaTeX2e, 44 pages, 9 figures (from 18 postscript files) included with epsf. Minor changes, references updated. New CLEO results from ICHEP'98 are taken into account. To appear in Phys. Rev.