Considerations on modelling the market for softwood lumber in the United States

The analysis in this paper looks at two important elements in modelling the market for timber in the United States. First, the issue of directional causality between price and quantity and its implications in a modelling effort is investigated. Second, the extent of the geographic market for timber is discussed and a method of detecting it is suggested. The method for detecting the extent of the geographical market is tractable and can be applied in a straightforward way. Both considerations are applied to the softwood lumber market in the United States.     

Nonlinear multiple objective optimization: An algorithm and some theory

This paper presents an algorithm and the supporting theory for solving a class of nonlinear multiple criteria optimization problems using Zionts—Wallenius type of interaction. The Zionts—Wallenius method, as extended in this paper, can be used for solving multiple criteria problems with concave objective and (implicit) value functions and convex feasible regions. Modifications of the method to handle nonconvex feasible regions and general nonlinear objective functions are also discussed.This research was supported, in part, by a Faculty Research Development Award and by a Council of 100 Research Grant from Arizona State University (Roy), and by a grant from Y. Jahnsson Foundation, Finland (Wallenius). The research was performed while the second author was a Visiting Professor at Arizona State University.     

Effect of distortion in electron impact excitation in Coulomb-projected Born approximation

We have calculated total and differential cross-sections for 1s →ns (n = 2, 3, 4) electron impact excitation of hydrogen and hydrogenic ions at various energies in Coulomb-projected Born approximation. Distortion due to static interactions, target polarization and exchange effects has been incorporated in the initial channel. The present calculations have been compared with other theoretical and experimental results.     

Working group report: Neutrino and astroparticle physics

This is the report of neutrino and astroparticle physics working group at WHEPP-7. Discussions and work on CP violation in long baseline neutrino experiments, ultra high energy neutrinos, supernova neutrinos and water Cerenkov detectors are discussed.     

A new joint model for longitudinal and survival data with a cure fraction

We develop a new joint cure rate model for longitudinal and survival data. The model allows for multiple longitudinal markers as well as a cure structure for the survival component based on the promotion time cure rate model, as described in Ibrahim et al. (Bayesian Survival Analysis, Springer, New York, 2001). Several characteristics and properties of the new model are discussed and examined. A real dataset from a melanoma clinical trial is given to demonstrate the methodology.     

Parallel discrete event simulation algorithm for manufacturing supply chains

Parallel discrete event simulation (PDES) is concerned with the distributed execution of large-scale system models on multiple processors. It is an enabler in the implementation of the virtual enterprise concept, integrating semi-autonomous models of production cells, factories, or units of a supply chain. The key issue in PDES is to maintain causality relationships between system events, while maximizing parallelism in their execution. Events can be executed conservatively only when it is safe to do so, sacrificing the extent to which potential parallelism of the system can be exploited. Alternatively, they can be processed optimistically without guarantee of correctness, but incurring the overhead of a rollback to an earlier saved state when causality error is detected. The paper proposes a modified optimistic scheme for distributed simulation of constituent models of a supply chain in manufacturing, which exploits the inherent operating characteristics of its domain.     

Second Dissociation Constant of Bis-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]acetic Acid (BICINE) and pH of Its Buffer Solutions from 5 to 55 °C

The values of the second dissociation constant, K ₂, and related thermodynamic quantities of the ampholyte bis[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]acetic acid (BICINE) have been determined at temperatures from 5 to 55 ^∘C. The pH values of six equimolal buffer solutions, and four buffer solutions having ionic strengths (I = 0.16 mol⋅kg⁻¹) similar to those in blood plasma, have been evaluated at 12 temperatures from 5 to 55 ^∘C using the Bates–Guggenheim convention. The liquid junction potentials (E _j ) between the buffer solutions of BICINE and saturated KCl solution of the calomel electrode at 25 and 37 ^∘C have been estimated by measurement with a flowing junction cell. These values of E _j have been used to ascertain the operational pH values at 25 and 37 ^∘C. The pK ₂ values at 25 and 37 ^∘C are 8.333 and 8.156, respectively. The thermodynamic quantities associated with the second acid dissociation have been calculated from the values of pK ₂ as a function of temperature. The zwitterionic buffer BICINE was shown to be useful as a pH standard in the region close to that of blood serum.     

Higgs and SUSY searches at LHC

I start with a brief introduction to Higgs mechanism and supersymmetry. Then I discuss the theoretical expectations, current limits and search strategies for Higgs boson(s) at LHC — first in the SM and then in the MSSM. Finally I discuss the signatures and search strategies for the superparticles.     

Isospin symmetry violation, meson production and η-nucleus interaction studies

We have studied isospin symmetry violation in nuclear reactions by measuring simultaneously the cross-section of the following two reactionsp +d →³H π⁺ andp +d →³He π⁰. The experiment was perfomed at the cooler synchrotron accelerator COSY, Jülich at several beam energies close to the correspondingη production threshold. We also have ongoing programmes onη-nucleus final-state interaction studies viap+⁶ Li →⁷ Be +η reactions, high resolution search for dibaryonic resonances and lambda-proton final state interaction studies. The experimental details and results obtained so far are presented here