Social assistance and poverty reduction in Moldova, 2001-2004 an impact evaluation

This paper assesses the impact of social assistance benefits on household welfare in Moldova. Ignoring standard issues of impact evaluations such as selection bias, behavioral responses, unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity, an incidence analysis suggests that increased spending on social assistance enhances the probability of moving out of poverty and reduces the probability of moving into poverty. However, double difference estimates (based on a mimicked randomized experiment) and parametric estimates (based on panel data) indicate that social benefits have not contributed to improve household welfare or reduce poverty. Double difference estimates point to a negativeimpact on welfare. Parametric estimates do not yield any consistent significant impact on welfare or poverty. The author concludes that the growth in population coverage and expenditure on cash benefits that characterized social assistance policies in recent years has not resulted in a significant improvement in welfare, all other factors being equal.Safety Nets and Transfers,Rural Poverty Reduction,Services&Transfers to Poor,,Economic Theory&Research

Competition between isoscalar and isovector pairing correlations in N=Z nuclei

We study the isoscalar (T=0) and isovector (T=1) pairing correlations in N=Z nuclei. They are estimated from the double difference of binding energies for odd-odd N=Z nuclei and the odd-even mass difference for the neighboring odd-mass nuclei, respectively. The empirical and BCS calculations based on a T=0 and T=1 pairing model reproduce well the almost degeneracy of the lowest T=0 and T=1 states over a wide range of even-even and odd-odd N=Z nuclei. It is shown that this degeneracy is attributed to competition between the isoscalar and isovector pairing correlations in N=Z nuclei. The calculations give an interesting prediction that the odd-odd N=Z nucleus 82Nb has possibly the ground state with T=0.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. C (R

Double-difference Relocation of the Aftershocks of the Tecomán, Colima, Mexico Earthquake of 22 January 2003

On 22 January 2003, the M_w = 7.6 Tecomán earthquake struck offshore of the state of Colima, Mexico, near the diffuse triple junction between the Cocos, Rivera, and North American plates. Three-hundred and fifty aftershocks of the Tecomán earthquake with magnitudes between 2.6 and 5.8, each recorded by at least 7 stations, are relocated using the double difference method. Initial locations are determined using P and S readings from the Red Sismológica Telemétrica del Estado de Colima (RESCO) and a 1-D velocity model. Because only eight RESCO stations were operating immediately following the Tecomán earthquake, uncertainties in the initial locations and depths are fairly large, with average uncertainties of 8.0 km in depth and 1.4 km in the north–south and east–west directions. Events occurring between 24 January and 31 January were located using not only RESCO phase readings but also additional P and S readings from 11 temporary stations. Average uncertainties decrease to 0.8 km in depth, 0.3 km in the east–west direction, and 0.7 km in the north–south direction for events occurring while the temporary stations were deployed. While some preliminary studies of the early aftershocks suggested that they were dominated by shallow events above the plate interface, our results place the majority of aftershocks along the plate interface, for a slab dipping between approximately 20° and 30°. This is consistent with the slab positions inferred from geodetic studies. We do see some upper plate aftershocks that may correspond to forearc fault zones, and faults inland in the upper plate, particularly among events occurring more than 3 months after the mainshock

Penentuan Hiposenter Gempabumi Dan Model Kecepatan Lokal Di Wilayah Jawa Timur Menggunakan Metode Double Difference

Jawa Timur, secara fisiologis maupun geografis, terdapat gunungapi dan sesar yang masih aktif serta berpotensi terjadi gempabumi. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui model kecepatan bumi lokal 1-D, menentukan distribusi persebaran hiposenter dan hasil relokasi hiposenter gempabumi berdasarkan kejadian yang digunakan menggunakan metode double difference yang terjadi di wilayah Jawa Timur. Data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini data gempa tahun 2007 sampai 2015 di wilayah Jawa Timur. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode double difference yaitu metode yang menggunakan data relatif waktu tempuh antar dua hiposenter. Prinsip metode ini adalah jika jarak persebaran hiposenter antara dua gempa sangat kecil dibanding jarak antara stasiun ke sumber, maka ray path gempa dapat dianggap mendekati sama. Hasil yang diperoleh yaitu, model kecepatan bumi lokal 1-D yang diperoleh 5 lapisan dengan kecepatan 4,71 km/s - 7,14 km/s dan moho pada kedalaman mendekati 30 km. Hasil relokasi hiposenter menggunakan metode double difference menunjukkan bahwa metode ini mampu memberikan hasil koordinat episenter yang akurat dengan diperolehnya nilai Rms residual mendekati 0. Adanya penelitian ini dapat dijadikan sebagai salah satu upaya mitigasi bencana untuk masyarakat di Jawa Timur

A unified Bayesian framework for relative microseismic location

We study the problem of determining an unknown microseismic event location relative to previously located events using a single monitoring array in a monitoring well. We show that using the available information about the previously located events for locating new events is advantageous compared to locating each event independently. By analysing confidence regions, we compare the performance of two previously proposed location methods, double-difference and interferometry, for varying signal-to-noise ratio and uncertainty in the velocity model. We show that one method may have an advantage over another depending on the experiment geometry, assumptions about uncertainty in velocity and recorded signal, etc. We propose a unified approach to relative event location that includes double-difference and interferometry as special cases, and is applicable to velocity models and well geometries of arbitrary complexity, producing location estimators that are superior to those of double-difference and interferometry

Pre-coding method and apparatus for multiple source or time-shifted single source data and corresponding inverse post-decoding method and apparatus

A pre-coding method and device for improving data compression performance by removing correlation between a first original data set and a second original data set, each having M members, respectively. The pre-coding method produces a compression-efficiency-enhancing double-difference data set. The method and device produce a double-difference data set, i.e., an adjacent-delta calculation performed on a cross-delta data set or a cross-delta calculation performed on two adjacent-delta data sets, from either one of (1) two adjacent spectral bands coming from two discrete sources, respectively, or (2) two time-shifted data sets coming from a single source. The resulting double-difference data set is then coded using either a distortionless data encoding scheme (entropy encoding) or a lossy data compression scheme. Also, a post-decoding method and device for recovering a second original data set having been represented by such a double-difference data set

Empirical information on nuclear matter fourth-order symmetry energy from an extended nuclear mass formula

We establish a relation between the equation of state (EOS) of nuclear matter and the fourth-order symmetry energy $a_{\rm{sym,4}}(A)$ of finite nuclei in a semi-empirical nuclear mass formula by self-consistently considering the bulk, surface and Coulomb contributions to the nuclear mass. Such a relation allows us to extract information on nuclear matter fourth-order symmetry energy $E_{\rm{sym,4}}(\rho_0)$ at normal nuclear density $\rho_0$ from analyzing nuclear mass data. Based on the recent precise extraction of $a_{\rm{sym,4}}(A)$ via the double difference of the "experimental" symmetry energy extracted from nuclear masses, for the first time, we estimate a value of $E_{\rm{sym,4}}(\rho_0) = 20.0\pm4.6$ MeV. Such a value of $E_{\rm{sym,4}}(\rho_0)$ is significantly larger than the predictions from mean-field models and thus suggests the importance of considering the effects of beyond the mean-field approximation in nuclear matter calculations.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure. Presentation improved and discussions added. Accepted version to appear in PL