Subaru Weak Lensing survey -- II: Multi-object Spectroscopy and Cluster Masses

We present the first results of a MOS campaign to follow up cluster candidates located via weak lensing. Our main goals are to search for spatial concentrations of galaxies that are plausible optical counterparts of the weak lensing signals, and to determine the cluster redshifts from those of member galaxies. Around each of 36 targeted cluster candidates, we obtain 15-32 galaxy redshifts. For 28 of these targets, we confirm a secure cluster identification. This includes three cases where two clusters at different redshifts are projected along the same line-of-sight. In 6 of the 8 unconfirmed targets, we find multiple small galaxy concentrations at different redshifts. In both the remaining two targets, a single small galaxy concentration is found. We evaluate the weak lensing mass of confirmed clusters. For a subsample of our most cleanly measured clusters, we investigate the statistical relation between their weak lensing mass and the velocity dispersion of their member galaxies, comparing our sample with optically and X-ray selected samples from the literature. Our lensing-selected clusters are consistent with sigma_v=sigma_sis, with a similar scatter to the optically and X-ray selected clusters. We thus find no evidence of selection bias compared to these other techniques. We also derive an empirical relation between the cluster mass and the galaxy velocity dispersion, which is in reasonable agreement with the prediction of N-body simulations in the LCDM cosmology.Comment: 58 pages, 45 figures, submitted to PASJ. A version with full-resolution figures is available at http://th.nao.ac.jp/~hamanatk/PP/supcam_wl2.pd

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF A U.S./CANADIAN WHEAT POOL: A GAME THEORY ANALYSIS

The problem of declining wheat prices and excess supply has been the subject of recent economic studies partly because it coincides with the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996, and partly because efforts to decrease supply domestically have led to increased imports from Canada. This paper develops a game theory optimization model of market efficiency and derives conditions under which voluntary pooling is sustained for U.S./Canadian durum and hard red spring wheat producers. Analysis reveals that U.S. and Canadian farmers can increase farm returns with efficiency gains from pooling and by internalizing benefits from grain blending and logistics. The model is used to analyze diverse factors affecting the sustainability of such a pool.Voluntary pooling, game theory, efficiency gains, durum and HRS wheat marketing, Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED NORTH DAKOTA WHEAT POOL

The ND Durum Wheat Pool may provide additional revenue to durum wheat producers by raising the domestic prices in the North American market with full cooperation from the Canadian Wheat Board. The pool also could provide additional revenue to its members by improving marketing efficiency. On the other hand, the ND Spring Wheat Pool is less likely to provide additional revenue to spring wheat producers by raising domestic prices, mainly because hard red spring and winter wheat are highly substitutable. Efficiency gains also could be smaller than for durum wheat.marketing pool, market power, efficiency gains, durum wheat, hard red spring wheat, pool price, organizational structure, operating costs, Marketing,

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF US/CANADA WHEAT POOL: A GAME THEORY ANALYSIS

This paper develops a game theory optimization model of market efficiency and derives conditions under which voluntary pooling is sustained for US/Canada durum and hard red spring wheat producers. Analysis reveals that United States and Canadian farmers can increase farm returns with efficiency gains from pooling and by internalizing benefits from grain blending and logistics. The model is used to analyze diverse factors affecting the sustainability of such a pool.Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED NORTH DAKOTA WHEAT POOL; SUMMARY

The ND Durum Wheat Pool may provide additional revenue to durum wheat producers by raising the domestic prices in the North American market with full cooperation from the Canadian Wheat Board. The pool also could provide additional revenue to its members by improving marketing efficiency. On the other hand, the ND Spring Wheat Pool is less likely to provide additional revenue to spring wheat producers by raising domestic prices, mainly because hard red spring and winter wheat are highly substitutable. Efficiency gains also could be smaller than for durum wheat.marketing pool, market power, efficiency gains, durum wheat, hard red spring wheat, pool price, organizational structure, operating costs, Marketing,

Magnetorotational Instability in Liquid Metal Couette Flow

Despite the importance of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) as a fundamental mechanism for angular momentum transport in magnetized accretion disks, it has yet to be demonstrated in the laboratory. A liquid sodium alpha-omega dynamo experiment at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology provides an ideal environment to study the MRI in a rotating metal annulus (Couette flow). A local stability analysis is performed as a function of shear, magnetic field strength, magnetic Reynolds number, and turbulent Prandtl number. The later takes into account the minimum turbulence induced by the formation of an Ekman layer against the rigidly rotating end walls of a cylindrical vessel. Stability conditions are presented and unstable conditions for the sodium experiment are compared with another proposed MRI experiment with liquid gallium. Due to the relatively large magnetic Reynolds number achievable in the sodium experiment, it should be possible to observe the excitation of the MRI for a wide range of wavenumbers and further to observe the transition to the turbulent state.Comment: 12 pages, 22 figures, 1 table. To appear in the Astrophysical Journa

Long-term results of cyclosporine-steroid therapy in 131 non-matched cadaveric renal transplants.

One-hundred-and-twenty-eight recipients of 131 consecutive, non-matched cadaver renal allografts were treated with cyclosporine and steroids. They have been followed for 4 to 6 yr. Cumulative patient survival at 1-yr was 92.2% and at 6yr it is 77.8%. Cumulative graft survival at 1-yr was 79.4% and at 6 yr it is 50.0%. After the high-risk 1st yr, the rate of graft loss was even and similar to that reported after the 1st yr for grafts treated with azathioprine and steroids. This indicates that cyclosporine nephrotoxicity has not had an obvious adverse effect on the survival of chronically functioning grafts. The results were better with primary grafting versus retransplantation, but were not significantly influenced by age, diabetes mellitus, or a delayed switch in patients from cyclosporine to azathioprine. We have concluded that cyclosporine-steroid therapy is safe and effective for long-term use after cadaveric renal transplantation

The effect of hydrogen peroxide on uranium oxide films on 316L stainless steel

For the first time the effect of hydrogen peroxide on the dissolution of electrodeposited uranium oxide films on 316L stainless steel planchets (acting as simulant uranium-contaminated metal surfaces) has been studied. Analysis of the H2O2-mediated film dissolution processes via open circuit potentiometry, alpha counting and SEM/EDX imaging has shown that in near-neutral solutions of pH 6.1 and at [H2O2] 0.1 mol dm(-3) the uranium oxide film, again in analogy to common corrosion processes, behaves as if in a transpassive state and begins to dissolve. This transition from passive to transpassive behaviour in the effect of peroxide concentration on UO2 films has not hitherto been observed or explored, either in terms of corrosion processes or otherwise. Through consideration of thermodynamic solubility product and complex formation constant data, we attribute the transition to the formation of soluble uranyl-peroxide complexes under mildly alkaline, high [H2O2] conditions - a conclusion that has implications for the design of both acid minimal, metal ion oxidant-free decontamination strategies with low secondary waste arisings, and single step processes for spent nuclear fuel dissolution such as the Carbonate-based Oxidative Leaching (COL) process. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A Gravitational Instability-Driven Viscosity in Self-Gravitating Accretion Disks

We derive a viscosity from gravitational instability in self-gravitating accretion disks, which has the required properties to account for the observed fast formation of the first super-massive black holes in highly redshifted quasars and for the cosmological evolution of the black hole-mass distribution.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure, ApJ Letters (in press