Island Distance in One-Dimensional Epitaxial Growth

The typical island distance $\ell$ in submonlayer epitaxial growth depends on the growth conditions via an exponent $\gamma$. This exponent is known to depend on the substrate dimensionality, the dimension of the islands, and the size $i^*$ of the critical nucleus for island formation. In this paper we study the dependence of $\gamma$ on $i^*$ in one--dimensional epitaxial growth. We derive that $\gamma = i^*/(2i^* + 3)$ for $i^*\geq 2$ and confirm this result by computer simulations.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, uses revtex, psfig, 'Note added in proof' appende

Determinants of fiscal rules

This paper empirically assesses determinants of countries' fiscal rules suggested by the political science, sociology, and economics literature. We find several of these variables to be related to the stringency of fiscal rules, providing indirect evidence for the relevance of governments' deficit bias. These determinants may also serve as instruments in models with (endogenous) fiscal rules as explanatory variable

The Case for Fiscal Rules

This paper estimates the effects of fiscal institutions on fiscal policy outcomes, addressing issues related to measurement and endogeneity in a novel way. Recently developed indices, based on partially ordered set theory, are used to quantify the stringency of fiscal rules. Identification of their effects is achieved by exploiting the exogeneity of institutional variables (checks and balances, government fragmentation, inflation targeting), which are found to be relevant determinants of fiscal rules. Our two-stage least squares estimates for (up to) 79 countries over the period 1985-2012 provide strong evidence that countries with more stringent fiscal rules have higher fiscal balances (lower deficits), lower interest rate spreads on government bonds, and lower output volatility. (authors' abstract)Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Serie

Measurement of Fiscal Rules: Introducing the Application of Partially Ordered Set (POSET) Theory

Data on (economic) institutions are often available only as observations on ordinal, inherently incomparable properties, which are then typically aggregated to a composite index in the empirical social science literature. From a methodological perspective, the present paper advocates the application of partially ordered set (POSET) theory as an alternative approach. Its main virtue is that it takes the ordinal nature of the data seriously and dispenses with the unavoidably subjective assignment of weights to incomparable properties, maintains a high standard of objectivity, and can be applied in various fields of economics. As an application, the POSET approach is then used to calculate new indices on the stringency of fiscal rules for 81 countries over the period 1985 to 2012 based on recent data by the IMF (2012). The derived measures of fiscal rules are used to test their significance for public finances in a fiscal reaction function and compare the POSET with the composite index approach. (authors' abstract

The relative importance of land use and climatic change in Alpine catchments

Carbon storage and catchment hydrology are influenced both by land use changes and climatic changes, but there are few studies addressing both responses under both driving forces. We investigated the relative importance of climate change vs. land use change for four Alpine catchments using the LPJ-GUESS model. Two scenarios of grassland management were calibrated based on the more detailed model PROGRASS. The simulations until 2100 show that only reforestation could lead to an increase of carbon storage under climatic change, whereby a cessation of carbon accumulation occurred in all catchments after 2050. The initial increase in carbon storage was attributable mainly to forest re-growth on abandoned land, whereas the stagnation and decline in the second half of the century was mainly driven by climate change. If land was used more intensively, i.e. as grassland, litter input to the soil decreased due to harvesting, resulting in a decline of soil carbon storage (1.2−2.9kgC m-2) that was larger than the climate-induced change (0.8-1.4kgC m−2). Land use change influenced transpiration both directly and in interaction with climate change. The response of forested catchments diverged with climatic change (11-40mm increase in AET), reflecting the differences in forest age, topography and water holding capacity within and between catchments. For grass-dominated catchments, however, transpiration responded in a similar manner to climate change (light management: 23-32mm AET decrease, heavy management: 29-44mm AET decrease), likely because grassroots are concentrated in the uppermost soil layers. Both the water and the carbon cycle were more strongly influenced by land use compared to climatic changes, as land use had not only a direct effect on carbon storage and transpiration, but also an indirect effect by modifying the climate change response of transpiration and carbon flux in the catchments. For the carbon cycle, climate change led to a cessation of the catchment response (sink/source strength is limited), whereas for the water cycle, the effect of land use change remains evident throughout the simulation period (changes in evapotranspiration do not attenuate). Thus we conclude that management will have a large potential to influence the carbon and water cycle, which needs to be considered in management planning as well as in climate and hydrological modellin

Records of digger wasps from Eastern Siberia and the Far East of Russia (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae, Crabronidae)

Informationen zur Verbreitung von 17 Arten der Sphecidae und 106 Arten der Crabronidae im Osten Sibiriens werden prasentiert. Erstfunde fur Ostsibirien sind Crossocerus (Crossocerus) tarsatus (Shuckard, 1837), Diodontus handlirschi Kohl, 1888, Gorytes albidulus (Lepeletier, 1832), Gorytes procrustes Handlirsch, 1888, Nysson interruptus (Fabricius, 1798), Oxybelus haemorrhoidalis Olivier, 1812 und Pemphredon lethifer (Shuckard, 1837). Erstfund fur den Fernen Osten ist Ectemnius (Ectemnius) guttatus (Vander Linden, 1829).Information is given on the distribution of 17 species of Sphecidae and 106 species of Crabronidae in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. First records for Eastern Siberia are Crossocerus (Crossocerus) tarsatus (Shuckard, 1837), Diodontus handlirschi Kohl, 1888, Gorytes albidulus (Lepeletier, 1832), Gorytes procrustes Handlirsch, 1888, Nysson interruptus (Fabricius, 1798), Oxybelus haemorrhoidalis Olivier, 1812 and Pemphredon lethifer (Shuckard, 1837). First recorded from Far East is Ectemnius (Ectemnius) guttatus (Vander Linden, 1829)

From Rome to Lisbon and Beyond: Member States' Power, Efficiency, and Proportionality in the EU Council of Ministers

This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the evolution of EU member states' power, the EU's capability to act (efficiency), and the proportionality of the voting system in the Council of Ministers from the treaties of Rome in 1958 till the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009 and beyond, using a wide range of alternative power indices. Moreover, it considers explicitly the relevance of additional legal provisions (such as the 'Luxembourg Compromise', the 'Demographic Clause', and the 'Ioannina Compromise') and the implications of novel, more recently introduced voting rules such as reverse qualified majority voting. (authors' abstract)Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Serie