Evidence for horizon-scale power from CMB polarization

The CMB temperature power spectrum offers ambiguous evidence for the existence of horizon-scale power in the primordial power spectrum due to uncertainties in spatial curvature and the physics of cosmic acceleration as well as the observed low quadrupole. Current polarization data from WMAP provide evidence for horizon-scale power that is robust to these uncertainties. Polarization on the largest scales arises mainly from scattering at z<6 when the universe is fully ionized, making the evidence robust to ionization history variations at higher redshifts as well. A cutoff in the power spectrum is limited to C=k_C/10^{-4} Mpc^{-1}<5.2 (95% CL) by polarization, only slightly weaker than joint temperature and polarization constraints in flat LCDM (C<4.2). Planck should improve the polarization limit to C<3.6 for any model of the acceleration epoch and ionization history as well as provide tests for foreground and systematic contamination.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid Communications). Code for modified reionization in CAMB and CosmoMC available at http://background.uchicago.edu/camb_rpc

Globalization and Worker Welfare in Late Nineteenth Century Europe

This paper asks whether the trend toward convergence in late nineteenth century Europe depends on the welfare measure used. We construct a Worker Development Index (WDI) composed of Williamson's real wage estimates, and new series of work hours and labor market regulations. Compared to GDP/person, the WDI shows a weaker tendency to converge. Across Europe, workers' experiences in the so-called glory days varied. Although increased trade led to higher levels of output, workers' welfare depended to a greater extent on union representation or a strong central authority. Cet article porte sur la relation entre la tendance vers la convergence en Europe à la fin du dix-neuvième siècle et l'indicateur de bien-être choisi. On construit un indice de bien-être des travailleurs qui comprend les séries de salaires de Williamson et deux nouvelles séries sur les heures de travail et les réglementations dans le marché du travail. Par rapport au PIB par habitant, le nouvel indice de bien-être indique une faible tendance vers la convergence. Partout en Europe, le bien-être des travailleurs était varié. Il est évident que la croissance économique était liée à l'augmentation des échanges internationaux, alors que le bien-être des travailleurs dépendait plus du taux de syndicalisation ou des politiques d'un gouvernement central puissant.Globalization, convergence, work hours, worker welfare, Mondialisation, convergence, heures de travail, bien-être des travailleurs

European Economic Integration and the Labour Compact, 1850-1913

Globalization was a fact of life in Europe before 1913, but as trade shares increased, so did wage and employment instability. Faced by growing pressure from workers, national authorities established labour compacts - a packet of labour market regulations and social insurance programs - that defended workers against the risks they faced in and outside the factory. The labour compact provided workers with insurance because it compressed wage structures. We construct an index of labour market regulations and social insurance schemes for seventeen European countries and find that the extent of the labour compact varied with the level of openness. We conclude that the labour compact gave workers reason to support free trade because it protected them from external risk. Contrary to the received view, globalization before 1913 was compatible with state intervention. Our findings are consistent with Rodrik's and Agell's for the period after 1945. La mondialisation fut présente dans toute son ampleur en Europe dans la période avant 1913. Or, la croissance des échanges internationaux a suscité l'instabilité des salaires et des emplois. Face à la demande des travailleurs pour des garantis contre l'insécurité, les autorités nationales ont établi des accords de travail composés de programmes d'assurance chômage et de compensation pour les accidents de travail, ainsi que d'autres mesures fixant la journée du travail et assurant l'inspection des entreprises. Ces accords ont donné aux travailleurs un type d'assurance car ils comprimaient les structures des salaires. Dans cet article, on construit pour dix-sept pays européens un indice combinant des réglementations dans les marchés du travail et des programmes d'assurance sociale. L'indice varie positivement avec le volume des échanges internationaux. On conclut que les accords de travail ont donné une raison pour les travailleurs de supporter le libre-échange. Donc, dans les années avant 1913, la mondialisation était associée à l'intervention de l'État. Nos résultats confirment ceux de Rodrik et d'Agell pour la période après 1945.globalization, international trade, market regulation, welfare state, economic integration, globalisation, commerce international, réglementation de marché, intégration économique, État providence

Strategy Constancy Amidst Implementation Differences: Interaction-Intensive Versus Memory-Intensive Adaptations To Information Access In Decision-Making

Over the last two decades attempts to quantify decision-making have established that, under a wide range of conditions, people trade-off effectiveness for efficiency in the strategies they adopt. However, as interesting, significant, and influential as this research has been, its scope is limited by three factors; the coarseness of how effort was measured, the confounding of the costs of steps in the decision-making algorithm with the costs of steps in a given task environment, and the static nature of the decision tasks studied. In the current study, we embedded a decision-making task in a dynamic task environment and varied the cost required for the information access step. Across three conditions, small changes in the cost of interactive behavior led to changes in the strategy adopted for decision-making as well as to differences in how a step in the same strategy was implemented

Potential Milk Production in the Point MacKenzie Area of Southcentral Alaska

Point MacKenzie is an area northwest of Anchorage directly across the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet (Figure 1 ). This area contains a substantial amount of latent agricultural land and discussion regarding its potential has been going on for some time. The catalyst which activated the recent planning process directed at Point MacKenzie was concern over potential loss of the southcentral Alaska dairy industry expressed on May 4, 1979, in a letter from Jack Flint, General Manager, Matanuska Maid, Inc., to Governor Jay Hammond: "It is my opinion that if we do not take immediate steps to stabilize this important phase of agriculture, [the dairy industry] will pass from the scene. I think that if it should occur, it would be a serious blow to the State of Alaska, economically and socially. I believe we should also realize that if the dairy industry should cease to exist within the state, it is going to be very difficult to re-establish it." Mr. Flint's letter and corresponding action by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have directed planning processes of the State of Alaska toward Poinr Mac- Kenzie. The Alaska Agricultural Action Council, created by the 1979 state legislature to plan, recommend, and administer agricultural development projects on state lands in Alaska, held a meeting in the Matanuska Valley in September, 1979, and determined that an economic feasibility study, directed toward dairy production, should be undertaken for the Point MacKenzie area. This report is that feasibility study.The information presented in this bulletin is part of a report prepared for the Agricultural Action Council of the State of Alaska. The group was formed in 1979 by legislative action and is chaired by W. I. "Bob" Palmer, Special Projects Director, Office of the Governor. The purpose of the group is to plan and manage agricultural development projects within the state. The report on the feasibility of milk production in the Point MacKenzie Area presented to Governor Hammond through the Alaska Agricultural Action Council was prepared by the authors of this bulletin and Dr. Boyd Buxton, Agricultural Economist, U.S. D.A., stationed at the University of Minnesota at St. Paul and Dr. Paul Fuglestad, Agricultural Economist, U.S.D .A., stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, both of whom are acknowledged with gratitude. The authors also wish to thank Cathy Warren who reviewed extensively the tabular data

On the Debate Concerning the Proper Characterisation of Quantum Dynamical Evolution

There has been a long-standing and sometimes passionate debate between physicists over whether a dynamical framework for quantum systems should incorporate not completely positive (NCP) maps in addition to completely positive (CP) maps. Despite the reasonableness of the arguments for complete positivity, we argue that NCP maps should be allowed, with a qualification: these should be understood, not as reflecting 'not completely positive' evolution, but as linear extensions, to a system's entire state space, of CP maps that are only partially defined. Beyond the domain of definition of a partial-CP map, we argue, much may be permitted.Comment: To be presented at the 2012 biennial meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association (PSA), San Diego, Californi