Fermions in the pseudoparticle approach

The pseudoparticle approach is a numerical technique to compute path integrals without discretizing spacetime. The basic idea is to integrate over those field configurations, which can be represented by a sum of a fixed number of localized building blocks (pseudoparticles). In a couple of previous papers we have successfully applied the pseudoparticle approach to pure SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. In this work we discuss how to incorporate fermionic fields in the pseudoparticle approach. To test our method, we compute the phase diagram of the 1+1-dimensional Gross-Neveu model in the large-N limit.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure

Coronal lines and the warm X-ray absorber in Seyfert 1 Galaxies

The connection between the coronal lines and the warm absorber is examined systematically. In an earlier work it was found that the coronal line emitting plasma and the warm absorber gas share the same density and temperature. If there is a connection between the warm absorber gas and the forbidden high-ionization line (FHIL) plasma, one can use the profiles of coronal lines to derive the kinematics and dynamics of the warm absorber due to the high spectral resolution available in the optical range. Further support for a connection is a correlation between the equivalent width of [Fe X] 6375 and the ROSAT spectral index found for an optically selected sample. For X-ray selected objects with absorption edges observed by ASCA, we looked for a correlation between the coronal lines and the warm absorber gas. A direct correlation cannot be confirmed.Comment: Contributed talk presented at the Joint MPE,AIP,ESO workshop on NLS1s, Bad Honnef, Dec. 1999, to appear in New Astronomy Reviews; also available at http://wave.xray.mpe.mpg.de/conferences/nls1-worksho

Corporate Social Responsibility in Large Family and Founder Firms

Based on arguments about long-term orientation and corporate reputation, we argue that family and founder firms differ from other firms with regard to corporate social responsibility. Using Bayesian analysis, we then show that family and founder ownership are associated with a lower level of corporate social responsibility concerns, whereas ownership by institutional investors is associated with a higher level of corporate social responsibility concerns and a lower level of corporate social responsibility initiatives. We conclude that it makes sense to distinguish between family, founder and institutional investors and their roles as owners or managers when analyzing the effects of corporate governance on corporate social responsibility.corporate social responsibility;family firms;family management;family ownership;founder firms;long-term orientation

A Market Based Measure of Credit Quality and Banks' Performance During the Subprime Crisis

We propose a new method for measuring the quality of banks credit portfolios. This method makes use of information impounded in bank share prices by exploiting differences in their sensitivity to credit default swap spreads of borrowers of varying quality. The method allows us to derive a credit risk indicator (CRI), which is the perceived share of high risk exposures in a bank's portfolio. We estimate CRIs for the 150 largest U.S. bank holding companies and find that they have strong predictive power for the BHCs' performance during the subprime crisis, even after controlling for a variety of traditional asset quality proxies. Interestingly, we also find that the BHCs' aggregate CRI did not deteriorate since the beginning of the subprime crisis. This suggests that the market was aware of their (average) exposure to high risk credit.credit risk;asset quality;banks;subprime crisis

Circular 55

This report summarizes evaluations of vegetable varieties conducted by the Horticultural Research Program of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. The objective of this research is to select varieties of vegetables that are adapted to the environment of interior Alaska. Vegetable crops whose adaptability may be improved through development of improved cultural techniques are also identified. The selection effort is directed at finding varieties useful to both commercial growers and home gardeners. Varieties are chosen for inclusion in the variety tests on the basis of their description, the latitude of origin, and the record of the plant-breeding programs for producing kinds that have previously been found adapted. Standard recommended varieties are included in the trials for comparison.Introduction -- Weather Summary, 1985 -- Table 1. Climatic Data for the Fairbanks Growing Season: 1984, 1985, and the Long-Term Average -- Figure 1. Daily Weather Data, May through September, 1985, University Experiment Farm, Fairbanks, AK -- Table 2. Artichoke Variety Trial, 1985 -- Table 3. Carrot Variety Trials, Bottomland, 1985 -- Table 4. Celery Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 5. Eggplant Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 6. Broccoli Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 7. Brussels Sprouts Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 8. Cauliflower Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 9. Crisphead Lettuce Variety Trials, Bottomland, 1985 -- Table 10. Green Pea Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 11. Pepper Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 12. Potato Variety Trials, Bottomland, 1985 -- Table 13. Slicing Cucumber Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 14. Summer Squash Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 15. Sweet Corn Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 16. Mulched Tomato Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 17. Unmulched Tomato Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 18. Container Tomato Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 19. Winter Squash Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 20. Pumpkin Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 21. Miscellaneous Vegetable Trials -- Seed Source