Wigner instability analysis of the damped Hirota equation

We address the modulation instability of the Hirota equation in the presence of stochastic spatial incoherence and linear time-dependent amplification/attenuation processes via the Wigner function approach. We show that the modulation instability remains baseband type, though the damping mechanisms substantially reduce the unstable spectrum independent of the higher-order contributions (e.g. the higher-order nonlinear interaction and the third-order dispersion). Additionally, we find out that the unstable structure due to the Kerr interaction exhibits a significant resilience to the third-order-dispersion stabilizing effects in comparison with the higher-order nonlinearity, as well as a moderate Lorentzian spectrum damping may assist the rising of instability. Finally, we also discuss the relevance of our results in the context of current experiments exploring extreme wave events driven by the modulation instability (e.g. the generation of the so-called rogue waves).Comment: 7+4 pages. 3 figures. Comments are welcome. To appear in Physica

Loan loss provisions and lending behaviour of banks: Asian evidence during 1992-2009

Effects of loan loss provisioning on lending behaviour of banks remain a major concern in policy circles in order to strengthen both bank stability and financial intermediation. A sample of 686 commercial banks in Asian countries over the 1992 - 2009 period is used to identify factors contributing to the occurrence of a procyclical effect of loan loss provisions on loan growth. Our empirical results highlight that non-discretionary provisions have a procyclical effect, as higher non-discretionary provisions reduce loan growth of banks. This procyclical effect holds for large banks but not small banks. A closer investigation shows that bank market structure, economic development and institutional quality also affect the link between non-discretionary provisions and loan growth of banks. More specifically, higher bank competition, higher per capita income and higher rule of law mitigate the procyclical effect of non-discretionary provisions on loan growth regardless of whether banks are large or small. These findings have policy implications concerning the adoption of the dynamic provisioning system for Asian banks

Neuropsychological functioning in preschool-aged children with sickle cell disease: The role of illness-related and psychosocial factors

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of illness-related and psychosocial factors with neuropsychological functioning in preschool-aged children with sickle cell disease (SCD). The following hypotheses were proposed: (1) children with SCD would perform less well than normative groups on neuropsychological measures, (2) they would perform relatively less well on measures of Memory/Attention as compared to other domains, and (3) psychosocial risk factors would predict variability in neuropsychological performance over and above that predicted by illness-related factors …Ph.D., Clinical Psychology -- Drexel University, 200

Identification of Escherichia coli from broiler chickens in Jordan, their antimicrobial resistance, gene characterization and the associated risk factors

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is the principle cause of colibacillosis affecting poultry. The main challenge to the poultry industry is antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria that threaten the safety of the food chain. Risk factors associated with emergence of antimicrobial resistance among avian pathogenic E. coli were correlated with the inappropriate use of antimicrobials along with inadequate hygienic practices, which encourages the selection pressure of antimicrobial resistant APEC. The aim of this study was to isolate, identify, serogroup and genotype APEC from broilers, assess their antibiotic resistance profile, expressed genes and the associated risk factors

A prospective open-label treatment trial of olanzapine monotherapy in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of olanzapine in the treatment of acute mania in children and adolescents. METHODS: This was an 8-week, open-label, prospective study of olanzapine monotherapy (dose range 2.5-20 mg/day) involving 23 bipolar youths (manic, mixed, or hypomanic; 5-14 years old). Weekly assessments were made using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Clinical Global Impressions Severity Scale (CGI-S), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and Children\u27s Depression Rating Scale. Adverse events were assessed through self-reports, vital sign and weight monitoring, laboratory analytes, and extrapyramidal symptom rating scales (Barnes Akathisia Scale, Simpson-Angus Scale, and Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale). RESULTS: Twenty-two of the 23 youths (96%) completed the study. Olanzapine treatment was associated with significant improvement in mean YMRS score (-19.0 +/- 9.2, p \u3c 0.001). Using predefined criteria for improvement of \u3e or = 30% decline in the YMRS and a CGI-S Mania score of \u3c or = 3 at endpoint, the overall response rate was 61%. Overall, olanzapine was well tolerated, and extrapyramidal symptom measures were not significantly different from baseline. Body weight increased significantly over the study (5.0 +/- 2.3 kg, p \u3c 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Open-label olanzapine treatment was efficacious and well tolerated in the treatment of acute mania in youths with bipolar disorder. Future placebo-controlled, double-blind studies are warranted

Theoretical and Experimental Study of the Absorption rate of H2S in CuSO4 Solutions. The Effect of Enhancement of Mass Transfer by a Precipitation Reaction

In this paper the desulphurization of gas streams using aqueous copper sulphate (CuSO4) solutions as washing liquor is studied theoretically and experimentally. The desulphurization is accomplished by a precipitation reaction that occurs when sulphide ions and metal ions are brought into contact with each other. Absorption experiments of H2S in aqueous CuSO4 solutions were carried out in a Mechanically Agitated Gas Liquid Reactor. The experiments were conducted at a temperature of 293 K and CuSO4 concentrations between 0.01 and 0.1 M. These experiments showed that the process efficiently removes H2S. Furthermore, the experiments indicate that the absorption of H2S in a CuSO4 solution may typically be considered a mass transfer limited process at, for this type of industrial process, relevant conditions. The extended model developed by Al-Tarazi et al. (2004) has been used to predict the rate of H2S absorption. This model describes the absorption and accompanying precipitation process in terms of, among others, elementary reaction steps, particle nucleation and growth. The results from this extended model and results obtained with a much simpler model, regarding the absorption of H2S in CuSO4 containing aqueous solutions as absorption of a gas accompanied by an instantaneous irreversible reaction were compared with experimental results. From this comparison it appeared that the absorption rate of H2S in a CuSO4 solution can, under certain conditions, be considered as a mass transfer rate controlled process. Under a much wider range of conditions the error that is made by assuming that the absorption process is a mass transfer controlled process, is still within engineering accuracy. Application of the simple model allows for a considerable reduction of the theoretical effort needed for the design of a gas-liquid contacting device, thereby still assuring that the desired gas specification can be met under a wide range of operating conditions. A comparison of the experimental results and the simulated results showed that the extended model gives an under prediction of the H2S absorption rate for the experimental conditions applied

Probing BFKL Dynamics in the Dijet Cross Section at Large Rapidity Intervals in ppbar Collisions at sqrt{s}=1800 and 630 GeV

Inclusive dijet production at large pseudorapidity intervals (delta_eta) between the two jets has been suggested as a regime for observing BFKL dynamics. We have measured the dijet cross section for large delta_eta in ppbar collisions at sqrt{s}=1800 and 630 GeV using the DO detector. The partonic cross section increases strongly with the size of delta_eta. The observed growth is even stronger than expected on the basis of BFKL resummation in the leading logarithmic approximation. The growth of the partonic cross section can be accommodated with an effective BFKL intercept of a_{BFKL}(20GeV)=1.65+/-0.07.Comment: Published in Physical Review Letter