Jordanian instability : results of the Syrian civil war and implications for US foreign policy

textJordan's proximity to neighboring conflicts in Iraq and Syria exacerbates existing social, economic and political tensions within the country already existent between its majority Palestinian diaspora population and its disproportionately ethnic Jordanian government. The country is reliant on foreign aid and patronage to address the immediate concerns of its refugee and majority poor populations, although no short-term monetary solution can directly address its inadequate social and physical infrastructure. Although the U.S. has taken a greater role, both economically and militarily in Jordanian affairs, little has been accomplished to resolve the country's long-term stability concerns. While the resolution of neighboring conflicts in Iraq and Syria would ease Jordan's immediate refugee crisis, persistent high unemployment and a lack of educational opportunities for the country's youth demographic, the regime's monopoly of political power, a deeply entrenched system of corruption and the scarcity of water and energy sources, all pose threats to the major non-NATO ally's stability.Journalis

File-Sharing, Sampling, and Music Distribution

The use of file-sharing technologies, so-called Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, to copy music files has become common since the arrival of Napster. P2P networks may actually improve the matching between products and buyers - we call this the matching effect. For a label the downside of P2P networks is that consumers receive a copy which, although it is an imperfect substitute to the original, may reduce their willingness-to-pay for the original - we call this the competition effect. We show that the matching effect may dominate so that a label’s profits are higher with P2P networks than without. Furthermore, we show that the existence of P2P networks may alter the standard business model: sampling may replace costly marketing and promotion. This may allow labels to increase profits in spite of lower revenues

Hermite and Laguerre Symmetric Functions Associated with Operators of Calogero-Moser-Sutherland Type

We introduce and study natural generalisations of the Hermite and Laguerre polynomials in the ring of symmetric functions as eigenfunctions of infinite-dimensional analogues of partial differential operators of Calogero-Moser-Sutherland (CMS) type. In particular, we obtain generating functions, duality relations, limit transitions from Jacobi symmetric functions, and Pieri formulae, as well as the integrability of the corresponding operators. We also determine all ideals in the ring of symmetric functions that are spanned by either Hermite or Laguerre symmetric functions, and by restriction of the corresponding infinite-dimensional CMS operators onto quotient rings given by such ideals we obtain so-called deformed CMS operators. As a consequence of this restriction procedure, we deduce, in particular, infinite sets of polynomial eigenfunctions, which we shall refer to as super Hermite and super Laguerre polynomials, as well as the integrability, of these deformed CMS operators. We also introduce and study series of a generalised hypergeometric type, in the context of both symmetric functions and 'super' polynomials

Propagating Cosmological Perturbations in a Bouncing Universe

Using the simplest model for a bouncing universe, namely that for which gravity is described by pure general relativity, the spatial sections are positively curved and the matter content is a single scalar field, we obtain the transition matrix relating cosmological perturbation modes between the contracting and expanding phases. We show that this case provides a specific example in which this relation explicitely depends on the perturbation scale whenever the null energy condition (NEC) is close to be violated.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Tenth Marcel Grossmann Proceeding

Method of determining the process applied for feature machining : experimental validation of a slot

In this paper, we will be evaluating the "manufacturability" levels for several machining processes of "slot" feature. Using the STEP standard, we will identify the slot feature characteristics. Then, using the ascendant generation of process method, we will define the associated milling process. The expertise is based on a methodology relative to the experience plans carried out during the formalization and systematic evaluation of the machining process associated with the feature

An Economist's Guide to Digital Music

In this guide, we discuss the impact of digitalization on the music industry. We rely on market and survey data at the international level as well as expert statements from the industry. The guide investigates recent developments in legal and technological protection of digital music and describes new business models as well as consumers' attitude towards music downloads. We conclude the guide by a discussion of the evolution of the music industry