2,521 research outputs found
Equity-Efficiency Optimizing Resource Allocation: The Role of Time Preferences in a Repeated Irrigation Game
We study repeated water allocation decisions among small scale irrigation users in Tanzania. In a treatment replicating water scarcity conditions, convexities in production make that substantial efficiency gains can be obtained by deviating from equal sharing, leading to an equity–efficiency trade-off. In a repeated game setting, it becomes possible to reconcile efficiency with equity by rotating the person who receives the largest share, but such a strategy requires a longer run perspective. Correlating experimental data from an irrigation game with individual time preference data, we find that less patient irrigators are less likely to use a rotation strategy
Linear resolutions of powers and products
The goal of this paper is to present examples of families of homogeneous
ideals in the polynomial ring over a field that satisfy the following
condition: every product of ideals of the family has a linear free resolution.
As we will see, this condition is strongly correlated to good primary
decompositions of the products and good homological and arithmetical properties
of the associated multi-Rees algebras. The following families will be discussed
in detail: polymatroidal ideals, ideals generated by linear forms and Borel
fixed ideals of maximal minors. The main tools are Gr\"obner bases and Sagbi
deformation
Reconstructing Deconstruction: High-Velocity Cloud Distance Through Disruption Morphology
We present Arecibo L-band Feed Array 21-cm observations of a sub-complex of
HVCs at the tip of the Anti-Center Complex. These observations show
morphological details that point to interaction with the ambient halo medium
and differential drag within the cloud sub-complex. We develop a new technique
for measuring cloud distances, which relies upon these observed morphological
and kinematic characteristics, and show that it is consistent with H-alpha
distances. These results are consistent with distances to HVCs and halo
densities derived from models in which HVCs are formed from cooling halo gas.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabe, Accepted to Ap
The linear relationship between Koopmans' and hydrogen bond energies for some simple carbonyl molecules
Recently Galabov and Bobadova-Parvanova have shown that the energy of hydrogen bond formation calculated at the HF/6-31G(d,p) level is highly correlated with the molecular electrostatic potential at the acceptor site for a number of simple carbonyl compounds. Here it is shown that the electrostatic potential can be replaced by Koopmans' energy. The correlation between this energy and the hydrogen bond formation energy is just as high as the one observed by Galabov and Bobadova-Parvanova. The Siegbahn simple potential relating Koopmans' energies and GAPT charges shows that the hydrogen bond energy is not simply correlated with the charge of the acceptor site because the charges on the neighboring atoms are also important in the hydrogen bonding process.Recentemente Galabov and Bobadova-Parvanova mostraram que a energia de formação da ligação de hidrogênio obtida por cálculo no nível HF/6-31G(d,p) está altamente correlacionada com o potencial eletrostático molecular na região aceptora em alguns compostos carbonílicos simples. Neste trabalho mostramos que o potencial eletrostático pode ser substituído pela energia de Koopmans. A correlação entre esta energia e a energia de formação da ligação de hidrogênio é tão alta quanto aquela observada por Galabov e Bobadova-Parvanova. O potencial de Siegabhn relacionando às energias de Koopmans e cargas GAPT mostra que a energia de ligação de hidrogênio não está simplesmente correlacionada com a carga da região aceptora pois as cargas dos átomos vizinhos são também importantes no processo de ligação de hidrogênio.800805Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq
JNK inhibition sensitises hepatocellular carcinoma cells but not normal hepatocytes to the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand.
Background: cJun terminal kinase (JNK) is constitutively
activated in most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), yet
its exact role in carcinogenesis remains controversial.
While tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosisinducing
ligand (TRAIL) is known as a major mediator of
acquired immune tumour surveillance, and is currently
being tested in clinical trials as a novel cancer therapy,
the resistance of many tumours to TRAIL and concerns
about its toxicity in vivo represent obstacles to its clinical
application. In this study we investigated whether JNK
activity in HCC could contribute to the resistance to
apoptosis in these tumours.
Methods: The effect of JNK/Jun inhibition on receptormediated
apoptosis was analysed by pharmacological
inhibition or RNA interference in cancer cells and nontumour
cells isolated from human liver or transgenic mice
lacking a phosphorylation site for Jun.
Results: JNK inhibition caused cell cycle arrest,
enhanced caspase recruitment, and greatly sensitised
HCC cells but not normal hepatocytes to TRAIL. TRAILinduced
activation of JNK could be effectively interrupted
by administration of the JNK inhibitor SP600125.
Conclusions: Expression and TRAIL-dependent feedback
activation of JNK likely represent a mechanism by which
cancer cells escape TRAIL-mediated tumour surveillance.
JNK inhibition might represent a novel strategy for
specifically sensitising HCC cells to TRAIL thus opening
promising therapeutic perspectives for safe and effective
use of TRAIL in cancer treatment
Pure O-sequences and matroid h-vectors
We study Stanley's long-standing conjecture that the h-vectors of matroid
simplicial complexes are pure O-sequences. Our method consists of a new and
more abstract approach, which shifts the focus from working on constructing
suitable artinian level monomial ideals, as often done in the past, to the
study of properties of pure O-sequences. We propose a conjecture on pure
O-sequences and settle it in small socle degrees. This allows us to prove
Stanley's conjecture for all matroids of rank 3. At the end of the paper, using
our method, we discuss a first possible approach to Stanley's conjecture in
full generality. Our technical work on pure O-sequences also uses very recent
results of the third author and collaborators.Comment: Contains several changes/updates with respect to the previous
version. In particular, a discussion of a possible approach to the general
case is included at the end. 13 pages. To appear in the Annals of
Combinatoric
Quickest Paths in Simulations of Pedestrians
This contribution proposes a method to make agents in a microscopic
simulation of pedestrian traffic walk approximately along a path of estimated
minimal remaining travel time to their destination. Usually models of
pedestrian dynamics are (implicitly) built on the assumption that pedestrians
walk along the shortest path. Model elements formulated to make pedestrians
locally avoid collisions and intrusion into personal space do not produce
motion on quickest paths. Therefore a special model element is needed, if one
wants to model and simulate pedestrians for whom travel time matters most (e.g.
travelers in a station hall who are late for a train). Here such a model
element is proposed, discussed and used within the Social Force Model.Comment: revised version submitte
Interpretation of Multichannel Seismic Reflection Data, Legs 56 and 57, Japan Trench Transect, Deep Sea Drilling Project
Studies of convergent margin tectonics along the Japan Trench Transect are based on geophysical as well as on drill and conventional sampling data. The large number of geophysical and geological studies in the 1960's made this area an attractive target for convergent margin drill core sampling. Once the transect was scheduled for drilling by the Glomar Challenger, the earth science community in Japan intensified its efforts to collect geophysical and geological data within the transect area. Many of these data are published in Japanese and international journals. This chapter describes both the seismic reflection records along which Legs 56 and 57 drilling took place and the reflection records made after drilling. The seismic data are interpreted in light of the drilling results
Key signal contributions in photothermal deflection spectroscopy
We report on key signal contributions in photothermal deflection spectroscopy
(PDS) of semiconductors at photon energies below the bandgap energy and show
how to extract the actual absorption properties from the measurement data. To
this end, we establish a rigorous computation scheme for the deflection signal
including semi-analytic raytracing to analyze the underlying physical effects.
The computation takes into account linear and nonlinear absorption processes
affecting the refractive index and thus leading to a deflection of the probe
beam. We find that beside the linear mirage effect, nonlinear absorption
mechanisms make a substantial contribution to the signal for strongly focussed
pump beams and sample materials with high two-photon absorption coefficients.
For example, the measured quadratic absorption contribution exceeds 5% at a
pump beam intensity of about in Si and at
in GaAs. In addition, our method also
includes thermal expansion effects as well as spatial gradients of the
attenuation properties. We demonstrate that these effects result in an
additional deflection contribution which substantially depends on the distance
of the photodetector from the readout point. This distance dependent
contribution enhances the surface related PDS signal up to two orders of
magnitude and may be misinterpreted as surface absorption if not corrected in
the analysis of the measurement data. We verify these findings by PDS
measurements on crystalline silicon at a wavelength of 1550 nm and provide
guidelines how to extract the actual attenuation coefficient from the PDS
signal.Comment: 10 pages, 16 figures, submitted to Journal of Applied Physiv
Hamming weights and Betti numbers of Stanley-Reisner rings associated to matroids
To each linear code over a finite field we associate the matroid of its
parity check matrix. We show to what extent one can determine the generalized
Hamming weights of the code (or defined for a matroid in general) from various
sets of Betti numbers of Stanley-Reisner rings of simplicial complexes
associated to the matroid
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