The prediction of the behaviour of Λ-hyperon electromagnetic form factors

The behaviour of the -hyperon electric and magnetic form factors is predicted within the modified three resonance ((783), (1020), (1680)) vector-meson dominance (VMD) model with correct analytic properties and the asymptotic behaviour predestinated by the quark model for baryons. The resonance couplings to are evaluated from the known couplings to nucleons by utilizing theSU(3) symmetry and normalization conditions for Dirac and Pauli form factors. The masses and widths of the considered vector mesons are fixed at the world averaged values. The optimal position of the effective inelastic threshold, common for Dirac and Pauli form factors, is determined from the fit of the only existing Orsay DM2 point on the cross section att=5·693 GeV². The mean square charge and magnetic radii of the -hyperon are found to be r _E ² =0·018 F² and r _M ² =–0·027 F², respectively.The authors are very much indebted to Prof. R. Baldini-Ferroli for calling their attention to the problem of -hyperon e.m. ff 's in connection with the FENICE experiment.     

Three-dimensional blow-up solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations

In this paper we extend the plane blow-up results of Grundy& McLaughlin (1997) to the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations.Using a solution structure originally due to Lin we first providenumerical evidence for the existence of blow-up solutions on- < x, z < , 0 y 1 with boundary conditions on y = 0and y = 1 involving derivatives of the velocity components.The formulation enables us to consider plane and radial flowas special cases. Various features of the computations are isolatedand are used to construct a formal asymptotic solution closeto blow-up. We show that the numerical and asymptotic analysesprovide a mutually consistent global picture which supportsthe conclusion that, for the family of problems we considerhere, blow-up in fact can take place in three dimensions butat an inverse linear rate rather than the faster inverse squareof the plane case.     

Long-term retention of ice-nucleating active Pseudomonas fluorescens by overwintering colorado potato beetles

Ice nucleating-active Pseudomonas fluorescens F264C was fed to Colorado potato beetles to determine bacterial retentioin in the beetle gut and its effect on the cold hardiness of this insect pest. The bacrterium was present in beetles recovered after overwintering in the field, seven months after their exposure to P. fluorescens. Retention was evident not only in the detection of the P. fluorescens ice nucleating gene, inaW, in bacterial cultures from beetle guts but also in the elevated supercooling points of some treated beetles.     

Characterization of high heating rate chars of biomass fuels

Data on biomass chars obtained under conditions similar to those of practical applications (high heating rate and low residence time) are required for co-combustion and gasification plants. A methodological procedure is developed and applied to two biomass fuels (cacao shells and olive cake) for producing high heating rate chars and characterizing their reactivity and morphology after the first steps of devolatilization. Different chars are produced in a drop tube reactor (rapid pyrolysis) by varying the nominal temperature and the residence time. Oxidation in air is performed to compare typical temperatures and kinetic parameters and evaluate the effect of the operating conditions on char reactivity. A detailed SEM analysis allows to assess the structural variations during the pyrolysis and detect the main phenomena (softening, swelling, melting, formation of bubbles). A quantitative morphological study is also performed to provide size and shape (important for biomasses) distributions of the parent fuel and the chars. These data are more significant than average values in advanced model to correctly simulate the fluid dynamic behaviour of each dimensional class of particles in large scale furnaces and gasifiers and predict a more reliable residence time of the particles.     

Quadratic Hedging Methods for Defaultable Claims

We apply the local risk-minimization approach to defaultable claims and we compare it with intensity-based evaluation formulas and the mean-variance hedging. We solve analytically the problem of finding respectively the hedging strategy and the associated portfolio for the three methods in the case of a default put option with random recovery at maturity.     

Inorganic approaches for radiolabelling biomolecules with fluorine-18 for imaging with positron emission tomography

Conventional methods for radiolabelling biomolecules such as proteins and peptides with fluorine-18 for PET imaging rely on carbon-fluorine bond formation and are complex and inefficient. Several non-carbon elements form strong bonds (i.e. with high bond enthalpy) with fluorine, but with lower activation energy for their formation compared to carbon-fluorine bonds, whilst preserving a relatively high kinetic stability. In particular, by incorporating boron-, aluminium- and silicon-containing prosthetic groups into biomolecules, promising results have recently been achieved in the radiolabelling with F-18-fluoride under mild aqueous conditions, affording a level of convenience, efficiency and specific activity potentially superior to those offered by conventional C-F bond formation methods. The promise already shown by these early studies heralds a new branch of bioconjugate radiochemistry involving a wider range of "fluoridephilic" elements for synthesis of PET molecular imaging agents.     

A General Stochastic Calculus Approach to Insider Trading

The purpose of this paper is to present a general stochastic calculus approach to insider trading. We consider a market driven by a standard Brownian motion $B(t)$ on a filtered probability space $\displaystyle (\Omega,\F,\left\{\F\right\}_{t\geq 0},P)$ where the coefficients are adapted to a filtration ${\Bbb G}=\left\{\G_t\right\}_{0\leq t\leq T}$, with $\F_t\subset\G_t$ for all $t\in [0,T]$, $T>0$ being a fixed terminal time. By an {\it insider} in this market we mean a person who has access to a filtration (information) $\displaystyle{\Bbb H}=\left\{\H_t\right\}_{0\leq t\leq T}$ which is strictly bigger than the filtration $\displaystyle{\Bbb G}=\left\{\G_t\right\}_{0\leq t\leq T}$. In this context an insider strategy is represented by an $\H_t$-adapted process $\phi(t)$ and we interpret all anticipating integrals as the forward integral defined in [23] and [25]. We consider an optimal portfolio problem with general utility for an insider with access to a general information $\H_t \supset\G_t$ and show that if an optimal insider portfolio $\pi^*(t)$ of this problem exists, then $B(t)$ is an $\H_t$-semimartingale, i.e. the enlargement of filtration property holds. This is a converse of previously known results in this field. Moreover, if $\pi^*$ exists we obtain an explicit expression in terms of $\pi^*$ for the semimartingale decomposition of $B(t)$ with respect to $\H_t$. This is a generalization of results in [16], [20] and [2].