Lossless compression of image data products on th e FIFE CD-ROM series

How do you store enough of the key data sets, from a total of 120 gigabytes of data collected for a scientific experiment, on a collection of CD-ROM's, small enough to distribute to a broad scientific community? In such an application where information loss in unacceptable, lossless compression algorithms are the only choice. Although lossy compression algorithms can provide an order of magnitude improvement in compression ratios over lossless algorithms the information that is lost is often part of the key scientific precision of the data. Therefore, lossless compression algorithms are and will continue to be extremely important in minimizing archiving storage requirements and distribution of large earth and space (ESS) data sets while preserving the essential scientific precision of the data

Simulations of thermophoretic deposition in wavy channels

The use of exhaust gas recirculation coolers is important for minimization of harmful NOx emissions from large diesel engines. But the use of the soot filled exhaust leads to the deposition of particles on the fins of the EGR cooler. So it is important to understand the soot deposition mechanisms and geometry effects in order to design an efficient fin geometry that minimizes soot deposition. This study developed a fully implicit code with variable property consideration and boundary fitter coordinates to model the fluid flow, heat transfer, and soot deposition in wavy channels. The code was then used to study laminar and turbulent flow with Reynolds numbers ranging from 300 to 10,000. The inlet fluid temperature was held at 750 K and the wall temperature was varied from 300 K to 750 K. The first set of results is for laminar flow in a wavy channel. Three Reynolds numbers and four wall temperatures were studied for a single wavy geometry. The pressure drop, heat transfer, and soot deposition were predicted for all cases and trends are described. Then the effect of geometry on the pressure drop, heat transfer, and soot deposition in a laminar flow is studied. This is done by comparing the wavy channel results with planar channel results for one Reynolds number and three different wall temperatures. The second set of results is for turbulent flow in a wavy channel. Once again three Reynolds numbers and four wall temperatures were studied. Trends for the pressure drop, heat transfer, and soot deposition are described. Then once again the wavy channel results are compared with planar channel results to illustrate the effect of geometry

Moduli Spaces of Curves with Homology Chains and c=1 Matrix Models

We show that introducing a periodic time coordinate in the models of Penner-Kontsevich type generalizes the corresponding constructions to the case of the moduli space ${\cal S}_{gn}^k$ of curves $C$ with homology chains \gamma\in H_1(C,\zet_k). We make a minimal extension of the resulting models by adding a kinetic term, and we get a new matrix model which realizes a simple dynamics of \zet_k-chains on surfaces. This gives a representation of $c=1$ matter coupled to two-dimensional quantum gravity with the target space being a circle of finite radius, as studied by Gross and Klebanov.Comment: IFUM 459/FT (LaTeX, 9 pages; a few misprints have been corrected and the introduction has been slightly modified

APOBEC3G encapsidation into HIV-1 virions: which RNA is it?

APOBEC3G is a cytidine deaminase with potent antiviral activity. The protein deaminates single-stranded DNA but is known to bind cellular and viral RNAs. There is increasing evidence that RNA binding of APOBEC3G is important for packaging into viral particles. However, there is no consensus yet on the type of RNA involved

Participatory processes and their outcomes: comparing assembly and popular vote decisions

How do face-to-face, assembly processes, and non-face-to-face, popular vote processes impact the decisions made by citizens? Normative discussions of the comparative merits of these two broad types of participatory decision-making processes partly rely on empirical assumptions concerning this question. In this paper, we test the central assumption that assemblies lead to decisions that are more widely supported by participants than popular votes. We do so by analyzing 1,400 decisions made through these processes on the highly salient issue of municipal mergers in Swiss municipalities since 1999. We find that assembly decisions are consistently made by larger majorities than popular vote decisions and that this relationship is significantly mediated by turnout. This suggests that higher levels of agreement in assemblies mainly result from selection biases – with fewer dissenting citizens participating in assemblies than in popular votes – rather than from internal dynamics in assemblies.publishe

Giraffes, Institutions and Neglected Firms

Certain securities - in particular, those of small capitalization firms - are generally unsuited to the investment requirements of financial institutions, hence attract minimal coverage by analysts. As a result, these securities may offer a premium as a compensation for associated information deficiencies and/or because pricing inefficiencies exist as a result of the lack of information. An analysis of 510 firms over a 10-year period indicates that the shares of those firms neglected by institutions outperform significantly the shares of firms widely held by institutions. The superior performance persists over and above any small firm effect ; that is, both small and medium-sized neglected firms exhibit superior performance. The neglected firm effect suggests some potentially rewarding investment strategies for individuals and institutions alike

Why it’s not just about the outcome: citizens also care about democratic decision-making

A well-known claim for citizens’ involvement in politics is that, when things are going well, they care little about participating in decision-making processes. Michael A. Strebel, Daniel Kübler and Frank Marcinkowski test this claim, and find that, in fact, democratic participation and transparency matter for citizens too, independently of the specific policy outcome

Populism and the scales of statehood. Localism and populist attitudes in Western Europe

The rise of populism in Western Europe is often portrayed as a reaction to globalisation and supra-national integration processes. However, the domestic-international divide is only one aspect of the scalar organisation of government. In this article, we explore the relationship between populist attitudes and orientations towards state scales more generally. Drawing on a representative survey of 4033 citizens in Britain, France, Germany and Switzerland, we show that populist attitudes are linked to preferences for those state territories viewed as ‘closer to the people’ not only in a metaphorical but also in a scalar sense. The results suggest that the rise of populism should not only be considered a response to a crisis of party government in a context of globalisation but also as a response to a crisis of national statehood

Gemeindefusion: Elite vs. Volk?

Damit sich Gemeinden freiwillig zusammenschliessen, muss eine Reihe verschiedener Faktoren zusammenspielen. Eine Studie, die Gemeindefusionen im Kanton Freiburg untersuchte, kommt zum Schluss, dass für die Eliten ökonomische Faktoren und Rekrutierungsprobleme entscheidend sind, für das Volk aber Identität und Autonomie