High real-space resolution measurement of the local structure of Ga_1-xIn_xAs using x-ray diffraction

High real-space resolution atomic pair distribution functions (PDF)s from the alloy series Ga_1-xIn_xAs have been obtained using high-energy x-ray diffraction. The first peak in the PDF is resolved as a doublet due to the presence of two nearest neighbor bond lengths, Ga-As and In-As, as previously observed using XAFS. The widths of nearest, and higher, neighbor pairs are analyzed by separating the strain broadening from the thermal motion. The strain broadening is five times larger for distant atomic neighbors as compared to nearest neighbors. The results are in agreement with model calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Non-local heat transport in Alcator C-Mod ohmic L-mode plasmas

Non-local heat transport experiments were performed in Alcator C-Mod ohmic L-mode plasmas by inducing edge cooling with laser blow-off impurity (CaF2) injection. The non-local effect, a cooling of the edge electron temperature with a rapid rise of the central electron temperature, which contradicts the assumption of 'local' transport, was observed in low collisionality linear ohmic confinement (LOC) regime plasmas. Transport analysis shows this phenomenon can be explained either by a fast drop of the core diffusivity, or the sudden appearance of a heat pinch. In high collisionality saturated ohmic confinement (SOC) regime plasmas, the thermal transport becomes 'local': the central electron temperature drops on the energy confinement time scale in response to the edge cooling. Measurements from a high resolution imaging x-ray spectrometer show that the ion temperature has a similar behaviour as the electron temperature in response to edge cooling, and that the transition density of non-locality correlates with the rotation reversal critical density. This connection may indicate the possible connection between thermal and momentum transport, which is also linked to a transition in turbulence dominance between trapped electron modes (TEMs) and ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes. Experiments with repetitive cold pulses in one discharge were also performed to allow Fourier analysis and to provide details of cold front propagation. These modulation experiments showed in LOC plasmas that the electron thermal transport is not purely diffusive, while in SOC the electron thermal transport is more diffusive like. Linear gyrokinetic simulations suggest the turbulence outside r/a = 0.75 changes from TEM dominance in LOC plasmas to ITG mode dominance in SOC plasmas.United States. Dept. of Energy (DoE Contract No DE-FC02-99ER54512)Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (DOE Fusion Energy Postdoctoral Research Program

Emissões públicas de ações, volatilidade e insider information na Bovespa

O trabalho utiliza um estudo de evento para examinar os retornos de ações relacionados a emissões públicas por empresas brasileiras listadas na BOVESPA, realizadas entre 1992 e 2002, buscando determinar como o mercado reagiu antes, durante e depois da data do anúncio da emissão. Após utilizar a metodologia convencional de mensuração de retornos anormais por OLS, foram utilizados modelos ARCH e GARCH, que levam em consideração a heteroscedasticidade condicional da volatilidade dos retornos anormais, em mais de 70% da amostra, após a constatação da presença desses processos nos resíduos originais. Os resultados mostram que 1) há evidências de insider information antes da data do anúncio, (2) que ocorrem retornos anormais negativos na data do anúncio e (3) que, no período de um ano após as emissões, as ações das empresas que captaram recursos via underwriting tiveram retornos negativos após ajuste ao risco e ao mercado

Insider Trading in the Swiss Stock Market

Many studies on insider trading are based on data of the U.S. market and conclude that insiders can earn abnormal profits. This paper examines for the Swiss stock market whether insiders can earn abnormal profits and whether outsiders can make abnormal profits by mimicking the transactions of insiders. We find significant abnormal returns for insider trading, as well as some evidence for profitable mimicking strategies. We can reject the strong form Efficient Market Hypothesis for the Swiss stock market. However, with regard to the semi-strong form Efficienct Market Hypothesis, it remains unclear whether it is true for the Swiss stock market

The Information Value of the Stress Test and Bank Opacity

We investigate whether the 'stress test,' the extraordinary examination of the nineteen largest U.S. bank holding companies conducted by federal bank supervisors in 2009, produced information demanded by the market. Using standard event study techniques, we find that the market had largely deciphered on its own which banks would have capital gaps before the stress test results were revealed, but that the market was informed by the size of the gap; given our proxy for the expected gap, banks with larger capital gaps experienced more negative abnormal returns. Our findings suggest that the stress test helped quell the financial panic by producing vital information about banks. Our findings also contribute to the academic literature on bank opacity and the value of government monitoring of banks

Homeotic Evolution in the Mammalia: Diversification of Therian Axial Seriation and the Morphogenetic Basis of Human Origins

Despite the rising interest in homeotic genes, little has been known about the course and pattern of evolution of homeotic traits across the mammalian radiation. An array of emerging and diversifying homeotic gradients revealed by this study appear to generate new body plans and drive evolution at a large scale.This study identifies and evaluates a set of homeotic gradients across 250 extant and fossil mammalian species and their antecedents over a period of 220 million years. These traits are generally expressed as co-linear gradients along the body axis rather than as distinct segmental identities. Relative position or occurrence sequence vary independently and are subject to polarity reversal and mirroring. Five major gradient modification sets are identified: (1)--quantitative changes of primary segmental identity pattern that appeared at the origin of the tetrapods ; (2)--frame shift relation of costal and vertebral identity which diversifies from the time of amniote origins; (3)--duplication, mirroring, splitting and diversification of the neomorphic laminar process first commencing at the dawn of mammals; (4)--emergence of homologically variable lumbar lateral processes upon commencement of the radiation of therian mammals and ; (5)--inflexions and transpositions of the relative position of the horizontal septum of the body and the neuraxis at the emergence of various orders of therian mammals. Convergent functional changes under homeotic control include laminar articular engagement with septo-neural transposition and ventrally arrayed lumbar transverse process support systems.Clusters of homeotic transformations mark the emergence point of mammals in the Triassic and the radiation of therians in the Cretaceous. A cluster of homeotic changes in the Miocene hominoid Morotopithecus that are still seen in humans supports establishment of a new "hominiform" clade and suggests a homeotic origin for the human upright body plan