The Fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Process: Term Structure Theory and Application

The paper revisits dynamic term structure models (DTSMs) and proposes a new way in dealing with the limitation of the classical affine models. In particular, this paper expands the flexibility of the DTSMs by applying a fractional Brownian motion as the governing force of the state variable instead of the standard Brownian motion. This is a new direction in pricing non defaultable bonds with offspring in the arbitrage free pricing of weather derivatives based on fractional Brownian motions. By applying fractional Ito calculus and a fractional version of the Girsanov transform, a no arbitrage price of the bond is recovered by solving a fractional version of the fundamental bond pricing equation. Besides this theoretical contribution, the paper proposes an estimation methodology based on the Kalman filter approach, which is applied to the US term structure of interest rates.Fractional bond pricing equation; fractional Brownian motion; fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process; long memory; Kalman filter

Inelastic scattering and local heating in atomic gold wires

We present a method for including inelastic scattering in a first-principles density-functional computational scheme for molecular electronics. As an application, we study two geometries of four-atom gold wires corresponding to two different values of strain, and present results for nonlinear differential conductance vs. device bias. Our theory is in quantitative agreement with experimental results, and explains the experimentally observed mode selectivity. We also identify the signatures of phonon heating.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; minor changes, updated figures, final version published in Phys. Rev. Let

Induction of reversions in Neurospora crassa by nitrous acid

Induction of reversions in Neurospora crassa by nitrous aci

On-Line Processing Of A Procedural Text

The processing of sentences, propositions, and conceptual structures was studied using a task environment which required subjects to read, interpret on-line, and recall a procedural text while reading times were measured for each sentence. A declarative representation of the conceptual frame structure of the procedure expressed in the text, as well as propositional and syntactic analysis of sentences, provided variables that were used to predict these three sets of data. Results showed that properties of the procedural frame, as well as propositional density, and clause structure predicted reading times, recall, and on-line interpretation, and that reading times decreased when high-level conceptual frame processing increased. These results were interpreted as evidence for parallel on-line conceptual processing of sentences during input. As well, reading times for information near boundaries of conceptual structure reflected some buffering in comprehension

Efficient UC Commitment Extension with Homomorphism for Free (and Applications)

Homomorphic universally composable (UC) commitments allow for the sender to reveal the result of additions and multiplications of values contained in commitments without revealing the values themselves while assuring the receiver of the correctness of such computation on committed values. In this work, we construct essentially optimal additively homomorphic UC commitments from any (not necessarily UC or homomorphic) extractable commitment. We obtain amortized linear computational complexity in the length of the input messages and rate 1. Next, we show how to extend our scheme to also obtain multiplicative homomorphism at the cost of asymptotic optimality but retaining low concrete complexity for practical parameters. While the previously best constructions use UC oblivious transfer as the main building block, our constructions only require extractable commitments and PRGs, achieving better concrete efficiency and offering new insights into the sufficient conditions for obtaining homomorphic UC commitments. Moreover, our techniques yield public coin protocols, which are compatible with the Fiat-Shamir heuristic. These results come at the cost of realizing a restricted version of the homomorphic commitment functionality where the sender is allowed to perform any number of commitments and operations on committed messages but is only allowed to perform a single batch opening of a number of commitments. Although this functionality seems restrictive, we show that it can be used as a building block for more efficient instantiations of recent protocols for secure multiparty computation and zero knowledge non-interactive arguments of knowledge

Detecting an invisible Higgs boson at Fermilab Tevatron and CERN LHC

In this paper, we study the observability of an invisible Higgs boson at Fermilab Tevatron and CERN LHC through the production channel q \bar{q} \to Z H \to \ell^+\ell^-+ \ptmiss , where \ptmiss is reconstructed from the $\ell^+\ell^-$ with $\ell=e$ or $\mu$. A new strategy is proposed to eliminate the largest irreducible background, namely $q \bar{q} \to Z(\to \ell^+\ell^-) Z(\to \nu \bar\nu)$. This strategy utilizes the precise measurements of $q \bar{q} \to Z(\to \ell^+\ell^-) Z(\to \ell^+\ell^-)$. For $m_H=120$ GeV and with luminosity $30 fb^{-1}$ at Tevatron, a $5\sigma$ observation of the invisible Higgs boson is possible. For $m_H=114 \sim 140$ GeV with only $10 fb^{-1}$ luminosity at LHC, a discovery signal over $5\sigma$ can be achieved.Comment: 4 Revtex pages including 2 figure

Vibrational inelastic scattering effects in molecular electronics

We describe how to treat the interaction of travelling electrons with localised vibrational modes in nanojunctions. We present a multichannel scattering technique which can be applied to calculate the transport properties for realistic systems, and show how it is related to other methods that are useful in particular cases. We apply our technique to describe recent experiments on the conductance through molecular junctions.Comment: LaTeX, 12 pages, 3 figure

Discourse Processing in Situated Cognition: Learning through Tutorial Dialogue in Complex Domains

is study set out to apply a model of situated discourse to analyze tutorial dialogue in a complex well-defined domain of problem solving in engineering. One tutor met individu?ally with three students to teach them to solve shear force and bending moments problems. The participants' discourse and actions were analyzed according to a situated discourse model. Quantitative analyses of the tutorial dialogue af?firmed that the constraints on situated discourse processing identified in the model predicted the propositional content and conversational functions of utterances produced by both the tutor and the students. Qualitative analysis of the concep?tual content of the tutor's dialogue for Problem 1 revealed several distinct types of situation models that constituted the meaning associated with the situated discourse and action. The students initially (Problem 1) received this information, their participation consisting mostly of observing, and par?ticipating in low-level algebraic procedures with tutorial guidance. Students' problem solving and dialogue on subse?quent problems (2 and 3) displayed their ability to solve problems with some tutorial assistance. These results dem?onstrate that analysis of tutorial dialogue from the standpoint of cognitive models of discourse processing can provide de?tailed information about the conceptual situation models in?volved, and the cognitive processes used by the participants

The potential of polymeric film-forming systems as sustained delivery platforms for topical drugs

Introduction: Dosing regimens requiring multiple daily applications frequently result in poor patient compliance, especially in the treatment of chronic skin diseases. Consequently, development of sustained delivery systems for topical drugs permitting less frequent dosing is of continuing interest for dermatological therapy. Areas covered: This potential of polymeric film-forming systems (FFS), created in situ on the skin, as sustained delivery platforms for topical drug delivery is reviewed. Key formulation parameters that determine delivery efficiency are considered focussing on those that permit a drug reservoir to be established in the upper layers of the skin and/or on the skin surface from which release can be sustained over a prolonged period. The advantageous and superior cosmetic attributes of FFS (compared to conventional semi-solid formulations) that offer significantly improved patient compliance are also addressed. Expert opinion: The promise of polymeric FFS as convenient and aesthetic platforms for sustained topical drug delivery is clear. Manipulation of the formulation allows the delivery profile to be customized and optimized to take advantage of both a rapid, initial input of drug into the skin (likely due to a transient period of supersaturation) and a slower, controlled release over an extended time from the residual film created thereafter.</p