Precision Lattice Calculation of SU(2) 't Hooft loops

The [dual] string tension of a spatial 't Hooft loop in the deconfined phase of Yang-Mills theory can be formulated as the tension of an interface separating different Z_N deconfined vacua. We review the 1-loop perturbative calculation of this interface tension in the continuum and extend it to the lattice. The lattice corrections are large. Taking these corrections into account, we compare Monte Carlo measurements of the dual string tension with perturbation theory, for SU(2). Agreement is observed at the 2% level, down to temperatures O(10) T_c.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures; reference added, typos correcte

't Hooft loops and perturbation theory

We show that high-temperature perturbation theory describes extremely well the area law of SU(N) spatial 't Hooft loops, or equivalently the tension of the interface between different Z_N vacua in the deconfined phase. For SU(2), the disagreement between Monte Carlo data and lattice perturbation theory for sigma(T)/T^2 is less than 2%, down to temperatures O(10) T_c. For SU(N), N>3, the ratios of interface tensions, (sigma_k/sigma_1)(T), agree with perturbation theory, which predicts tiny deviations from the ratio of Casimirs, down to nearly T_c. In contrast, individual tensions differ markedly from the perturbative expression. In all cases, the required precision Monte Carlo measurements are made possible by a simple but powerful modification of the 'snake' algorithm.Comment: presented at Lattice 2005 (topology and confinement), 6 pages, 7 figure

Does IT standardization help to boost cost and profit efficiency? Empirical evidence from German savings banks

This paper investigates the impact of IT standardization on bank performance based on a panel of 457 German savings banks over the period from 1996 to 2006. We measure IT standardization as the fraction of IT expenses for centralized services over banks' total IT expenses. Bank efficiency, in turn, is measured by traditional accounting performance indicators as well as by cost and profit efficiencies that are estimated by a stochastic frontier approach. Our results suggest that IT standardization is conducive to cost efficiency. The relation is positive and robust for small and medium-sized banks but vanishes for very large banks. Furthermore, our study confirms the often cited computer paradox by showing that total IT expenditures negatively impact cost efficiency and have no influence on bank profits. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is first to empirically explore whether IT standardization enhances efficiency by employing genuine data of banks' IT expenditures. JEL Classification: C23, G21 Keywords: IT standardization, cost and profit efficiency, savings bank

Does IT standardization help to boost cost and profit efficiency? Empirical evidence from German savings banks

This paper investigates the impact of IT standardization on bank performance based on a panel of 457 German savings banks over the period from 1996 to 2006. We measure IT standardization as the fraction of IT expenses for centralized services over banks' total IT expenses. Bank efficiency, in turn, is measured by traditional accounting performance indicators as well as by cost and profit efficiencies that are estimated by a stochastic frontier approach. Our results suggest that IT standardization is conducive to cost efficiency. The relation is positive and robust for small and medium-sized banks but vanishes for very large banks. Furthermore, our study confirms the often cited computer paradox by showing that total IT expenditures negatively impact cost efficiency and have no influence on bank profits. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is first to empirically explore whether IT standardization enhances efficiency by employing genuine data of banks' IT expenditures.

Creating Dignity, Not Dependence: Community Development & Food Security Implications of Mobile Food Vending

Abstract Despite the ostensible abundance of “cheap food” today, food insecurity remains a complex issue that impacts 12.7 percent of American households. This paper investigates the efficacy and sustainability of an innovative approach to addressing community food insecurity launched by the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf of Burlington, Vermont. Known as the Good Food Truck, this program has capitalized on the cultural trend of mobile food vending to create an inclusive space for low-income individuals to enjoy free, chef-inspired meals crafted with locally produced ingredients donated by Vermont farmers, gleaning teams, and larger entities. This operation is novel because it provides free meals to all community meal attendees, and because it operates as a social enterprise model by catering various events for profit. Net profits are used to subsidize free meals at three locations each week. This study uses of mixed methods. Data was collected through surveys, observation, and interviews at community meals and vending events. Findings suggest that although the intervention does not eradicate chronic hunger, it complements existing social safety nets. Beyond a fresh, healthful meal, the truck provides a dignified space for all to engage in an increasingly popular dining experience, fosters social capital formation, provides experiential nutrition education through exposure to healthy, appealing foods, and transmits information about social services. Ultimately, the program is limited in scope due to resource constraints, but the model has the potential to target underlying causes of food insecurity with expanded programming and utilization of the truck as built capital

Avoiding inconsistencies over time and tracking difficulties in Applied Biosystems AB1700™/Panther™ probe-to-gene annotations

BACKGROUND: Significant inconsistencies between probe-to-gene annotations between different releases of probe set identifiers by commercial microarray platform solutions have been reported. Such inconsistencies lead to misleading or ambiguous interpretation of published gene expression results. RESULTS: We report here similar inconsistencies in the probe-to-gene annotation of Applied Biosystems AB1700 data, demonstrating that this is not an isolated concern. Moreover, the online information source PANTHER does not provide information required to track such inconsistencies, hence, even correctly annotated datasets, when resubmitted after PANTHER was updated to a new probe-to-gene annotation release, will generate differing results without any feedback on the origin of the change. CONCLUSION: The importance of unequivocal annotation of microarray experiments can not be underestimated. Inconsistencies greatly diminish the usefulness of the technology. Novel methods in the analysis of transcriptome profiles often rely on large disparate datasets stemming from multiple sources. The predictive and analytic power of such approaches rapidly diminishes if only least-common subsets can be used for analysis. We present here the information that needs to be provided together with the raw AB1700 data, and the information required together with the biologic interpretation of such data to avoid inconsistencies and tracking difficulties

Possibilities of application of catpca in educational research

In this article we give an overview of the possibilities of the categorical method of principal components as a correct alternative to the widely used classical method of principal components. We view CatPCA as a method of Educational Data Mining and see the further development of this method in pedagogical research