bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Liquid Media on the Fracture Strength of Polysilicon Nanostructures
Authors: Peter Daniel , Dalmer Michael , Lechner Alfred , Gigler Alexander M. , Stark Robert W. , Bensch Wolfgang
Published: April 2012

The mechanical stability of nanostructures depends on the surrounding medium. Their stability was probed by lateral force microscopy in liquid media. Previously reported data on water and isopropanol showed an increase in the fracture strength for the latter. Further tests with other alcohols (ethanol, 1-butanol) also showed an increasing strength. The interface between the liquid and the surface is the decisive factor for the influence of the media. When altering the interface with a cationic surfactant or a self-assembled monolayer, an increase of the fracture force by 100 % compared to de-ionized water could be measured.
Optimized Wetting Behavior of Water-Based Cleaning Solutions for Plasma Etch Residue Removal by Application of Surfactants
Authors: Ahner Nicole , Zimmermann Sven , Schaller Matthias , Schulz Stefan E.
Published: April 2012

Wet chemical plasma etch residue removal is a promising alternative to low-k dielectric degrading plasma cleaning processes. With decreasing feature dimensions the wetting behavior of the liquid on low energetic surfaces present after dielectric patterning will be an important issue in developing wet cleaning solutions. High surface energy liquids may not only be unable to wet low energetic surfaces, but can also cause nonwetting of small structures or pattern collapse. The improvement of the wetting behavior of a cleaning liquid by lowering its surface energy by the addition of surfactants is the strategy followed in this study. We show that with choosing the appropriate rinsing solution a wet chemical process using surfactant aided cleaning solutions compatible to the materials used in BEOL (porous low-k, copper, barriers) can be found. The results show a distinct improvement of the wetting behavior of the modified solutions on several low energetic solid surfaces like copper or polymers deposited during dry etching.
"Damage Free" Cleaning for Advanced BEOL Interconnections
Authors: Broussous Lucile , Courouble Kristell , Richard Emmanuel , Pernel Carole , Loup Virginie , Lévy Didier
Published: April 2012

For the 32nm logic technology and beyond, more stringent specifications in terms of dimensions and materials integrity continue to drive the cleaning process improvements. In this paper, post-etch wet cleaning was optimized in order to address CD loss issues and metal hard mask cleaning improvement in a Trench First Hard Mask (TFHM) backend architecture. Based on materials compatibility tests and electrical results, this wet clean process should also be fully compatible with a Via First Trench Last (VFTL) architecture.
A Comparison between BTA and Amidoximes and their Interactions with Copper Surfaces
Authors: Jethwa S. , Tee D.W. , Francis S.M. , Grillo F. , Richardson N.V. , Reid Chris , McGhee Larry , Lee W.M.
Published: April 2012

The use of integration of copper interconnects in semiconductor devices has greatly advanced the development of integrated circuits and has enabled ever higher device densities. Unfortunately the oxides of copper are poorly suited to semiconductor manufacture. As Cu (I) and Cu (II) oxides are not self-limiting they can pose serious issues from a cleaning and queue time management perspective. In both post-etch and post-CMP cleaning applications it is critical that both types of Cu oxide are removed without damage to either Cu or the dielectric. With the most advanced sub 32nm nodes simply removing the oxides is not sufficient; their re-growth must also be prevented using surface passivation.
Optimization of Post-Texturization Cleans for Heterojunction Solar Cells
Authors: Bearda Twan , Yoshikawa Kunta , van Assche Elisabeth , O’Sullivan Barry , Gordon Ivan , Yamamoto Kenji , Baert Kris , Poortmans Jef
Published: April 2012

Solar cells employing heterojunction emitters of amorphous silicon (a-Si) on a monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) substrate have demonstrated high efficiencies without requiring high-temperature processing [. An example of such a cell structure is shown in Figure 1. It has been found that the cell efficiency can be boosted by inserting a thin undoped (intrinsic) a-Si layer between the a-Si emitter and the c-Si substrate. The thin intrinsic layer provides very good passivation of interface defects, thus reducing the surface recombination velocity.
Deposition Wet-Etching Deposition (DWD) Method for Polysilicon Gate Fill-In at Flash Memory
Authors: Chiang Chun Ling , Cheng C.M. , Liao J.H. , Lin H.J. , Yeh C.C. , Hsieh J.Y. , Yang L.W. , Yang T.H. , Chen K.C. , Lu Chih Yuan
Published: April 2012

The present study aims at polysilicon material fill-in at re-entrant profile at flash memory product. The void was observed after polysilicon fill-in. In order to prevent the void formation, the multi-step process of deposition wet-etching deposition (DWD) method was evaluated. The DWD method is found to play beneficial roles in achieving void-free in the floating gate. The high concentration of NH4OH in APM was choosing for wet etching solution. Scanned electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to measure the polysilicon thickness and cross-section profile of device.
Surface Charging Induced Gate Oxide Degradation
Authors: Chiang Chun Ling , Cheng C.M. , Hsieh J.Y. , Liao J.H. , Yang L.W. , Yang T.H. , Chen K.C. , Lu Chih Yuan
Published: April 2012

In dual gate process, wet strip is an important procedure to remove the photoresist. Two wet strip methods of spinning-dry and batch type were evaluated in this study. Several methods were applied to measure the surface charging density [1, 2]. The Quantox system has been well known as an inline tester with noncontact measurement such as surface voltage, surface photo voltage (SPV), flatband voltage, surface barrier high, minority carrier diffusion length, recombination life time, generation life time, and et. al [3-6]. It is an useful in-line monitor equipment for oxide quality evaluation.
Broadband Acoustic Environment at a Tidal Energy Site in Puget Sound
Authors: Xu Jinshan , Deng Z. Daniel , Martinez Jayson J. , Carlson Thomas J. , Myers Joshua R. , Weiland Mark A.
Published: April 2012

AbstractAdmiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, has been selected as a potential tidal energy site. It is located near shipping lanes, is possibly a highly variable acoustic environment, and is frequented by the endangered Southern Resident killer whale (SRKW). Resolving
environmental impacts is the first step to receiving approval to deploy tidal turbines. Several monitoring technologies are being considered to determine the presence of SRKW near the turbines. Broadband noise level measurements are critical for determining design and operational specifications
of these technologies. Acoustic environment data at the proposed site were acquired at different depths using a cabled vertical line array from two cruises during flood and ebb tidal periods in May and June 2011. The ambient noise level decreases approximately 5 dB re 1 μPa per octave for
frequency ranges of 1-70 kHz and increases approximately 5 dB re 1 μPa per octave for the frequency from 70 to 100 kHz. The difference between noise pressure levels in different months varies from 10 to 30 dB re 1 μPa for the frequency range below 70 kHz. Commercial shipping and ferry
vessel traffic were found to be the most significant contributors to sound pressure levels for the frequency range of 1-50 kHz, and the variation could be as high as 30 dB re 1 μPa. These noise level measurements provide the basic information for designing and evaluating both active and
passive monitoring systems proposed for deployment and operation of a tidal power generation alert system.
Target Strength of Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca): Measurement and Modeling
Authors: Xu Jinshan , Deng Z. Daniel , Carlson Thomas J. , Moore Brian
Published: April 2012

AbstractA major criterion for permitting the deployment of tidal turbines in Washington State’s Puget Sound is management of risk of injury to killer whales from collision with moving turbine blades. An active monitoring system is being proposed to detect and track
killer whales within proximity of turbines and alert turbine operators of their presence and location to permit temporary turbine shutdown when the risk of collision is high. Knowledge of the target strength (TS) of killer whales is critical to the design and application of active acoustic
monitoring systems. In 1996, a study of the TS directivity of a 2.2-m-long bottlenose dolphin at an insonifying frequency of 67 kHz was performed. Noting that killer whales, which are dolphins, are morphologically similar to bottlenose dolphins and then assuming allometry, we estimated the
relative broadside and tail aspect TS of a 7.5-m-long adult killer whale at an insonifying frequency of 67 kHz to be −8 and −28 dB, respectively. We used a three-layer model for plane wave reflection of sound at 200 kHz from the lung of killer whales to estimate their TS. We assessed
the accuracy of our killer whale TS estimates by comparing them with TS estimates of free swimming killer whales obtained using a split-beam active acoustic system operating at 200 kHz. The killer whale TS estimates based on the preliminary model were in good agreement with those obtained
for free swimming killer whales.
Performance Analysis on a Navigation Method of Multiple AUVs for Wide Area Survey
Authors: Matsuda Takumi , Maki Toshihiro , Sakamaki Takashi , Ura Tamaki
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn this paper, we propose a navigation method of multiple AUVs and give a performance analysis on position estimation for a wide area survey. The key idea of the proposed method is alternating roles of the AUVs between Moving and Measuring Role (MMR) and Landmark
Role (LR). AUVs in the MMR move based on the AUVs in the LR. On the other hand, AUVs in the LR keep their positions on the seabed to act as landmarks for the moving AUVs. By alternating their roles, the two groups of AUVs can observe in a wide area while maintaining a good position estimate.AUV
position is estimated by mutual acoustic measurements of relative distance among AUVs and direction among them. These position measurements are fused with other on-board sensors such as Doppler velocity logger (DVL), fiber optic gyro (FOG) and depth sensor by particle filter for a robust position
estimate against sensor noises and lack of measurements.We verified the performance of the method through navigation simulation based on the performance of sensors obtained during various experiments performed in a pool environment and at sea. In the simulation, the proposed method achieved
a positioning error considerably smaller than dead reckoning and conventional navigation methods of a single AUV. In the proposed method, each AUV also achieved state estimation, suppressing deviation from its true position and heading due to alternating roles and evaluating outliers of positioning
measurements by particle filter. Therefore, the proposed method is suitable for a wide area survey without sensor drifts and deviation from true state compared with conventional navigation methods.
Pulmonary Acceleration Time to Optimize the Timing of Lung Transplant in Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Damy Thibaud , Burgel Pierre‐Régis , Pepin Jean‐Louis , Boelle Pierre‐Yves , Cracowski Claire , Murris‐Espin Marlène , Nove‐Josserand Raphaele , Stremler Nathalie , Simon Tabassome , Adnot Serge , Fauroux Brigitte
Published: April 2012

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) may affect survival in cystic fibrosis (CF) and can be assessed on echocardiographic measurement of the pulmonary acceleration time (PAT). The study aimed at evaluating PAT as a tool to optimize timing of lung transplant in CF patients. Prospective multicenter longitudinal study of patients with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) ≤60% predicted. Echocardiography, spirometry and nocturnal oximetry were obtained as part of the routine evaluation. We included 67 patients (mean FEV1 42±12% predicted), among whom 8 underwent lung transplantation during the mean follow‐up of 19±6 months. No patients died. PAT was determined in all patients and correlated negatively with systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP, r=−0.36, P=0.01). Patients in the lowest PAT tertile (<101 ms) had lower FEV1 and worse nocturnal oxygen saturation, and they were more often on the lung transplant waiting list compared to patients in the other tertiles. Kaplan–Meier curves showed a shorter time to lung transplantation in the lowest PAT tertile (P<0.001) but not in patients with sPAP>35 mmHg. By multivariate analysis, FEV1 and nocturnal desaturation were the main determinants of reduced PAT. A PAT<101 ms reduction is a promising tool for timing of lung transplantation in CF.
Identification of Functional Progenitor Cells in the Pulmonary Vasculature
Authors: Firth Amy L. , Yuan Jason X.‐J.
Published: April 2012

The pulmonary vasculature comprises a complex network of branching arteries and veins all functioning to reoxygenate the blood for circulation around the body. The cell types of the pulmonary artery are able to respond to changes in oxygen tension in order to match ventilation to perfusion. Stem and progenitor cells in the pulmonary vasculature are also involved, be it in angiogenesis, endothelial dysfunction or formation of vascular lesions. Stem and progenitor cells may be circulating around the body, residing in the pulmonary artery wall or stimulated for release from a central niche like the bone marrow and home to the pulmonary vasculature along a chemotactic gradient. There may currently be some controversy over the pathogenic versus therapeutic roles of stem and progenitor cells and, indeed, it is likely both chains of evidence are correct due to the specific influence of the immediate environmental niche a progenitor cell may be in. Due to their great plasticity and a lack of specific markers for stem and progenitor cells, they can be difficult to precisely identify. This review discusses the methodological approaches used to validate the presence of and subtype of progenitors cells in the pulmonary vasculature while putting it in context of the current knowledge of the therapeutic and pathogenic roles for such progenitor cells.
National and International Tests of the New Drug Cost Offset Theory
Authors: Santerre Rexford E.
Published: April 2012

The new drug cost offset theory argues that new drugs pay for themselves by keeping people out of expensive medical facilities. However, few studies have tested this theory at the macroeconomic level to determine if system‐wide savings actually accrue. This article provides two tests of the new drug cost offset theory by examining the impact of new drugs on aggregate medical care costs using time‐series data for the United States and also by using a panel data set of countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In support of the new drug cost offset theory, the results from both tests imply the typical new drug slows the growth of overall medical care spending.
Social Network and Weight Misperception among Adolescents
Authors: Ali Mir M. , Amialchuk Aliaksandr , Renna Francesco
Published: April 2012

It is recognized that public health intervention targeted toward changing lifestyle behaviors to reduce overweight status is a considerable challenge. It is important that individuals recognize their overweight status as a health risk in order for an effective change in lifestyle behaviors to occur, and growing evidence suggests that actual weight and perception of weight status often do not match, especially among adolescents. In this article, we explore the extent to which exposure to heavier peers and parents affects misperception of their own weight status by adolescents. Using data from a nationally representative sample of adolescents, we estimated instrumental variable models with school‐level fixed effects to account for bidirectionality of peer influence and environmental confounders. Our results indicate that individuals who live in an environment that exposes them to overweight/obese parents and heavier peers tend to misperceive their weight status and think of themselves to be of lower weight than they actually are. Our analysis also revealed differential effects by gender and type of peers.
Do Remittances Induce Inflation? Fresh Evidence from Developing Countries
Authors: Narayan Paresh Kumar , Narayan Seema , Mishra Sagarika
Published: April 2012

The goal of this article is to examine the determinants of inflation in both the short run and the long run for 54 developing countries using a panel data set covering the 1995–2004 period. Apart from the commonly used economic determinants of inflation, we model the impact of remittances and institutional variables on inflation. Using the Arellano and Bond panel dynamic estimator and the Arellano and Bover and the Blundell and Bond system generalized method of moments estimator, we find evidence that in developing countries remittances generate inflation. The effect of remittances on inflation is more pronounced in the long run. Moreover, we find that openness, debt, current account deficits, the agricultural sector, and the short‐term U.S. interest rate have a positive effect on inflation. We also find that improvements in democracy reduce inflation.
Inflation Targeting and Relative Price Variability: What Difference Does Inflation Targeting Make?
Authors: Choi Chi-Young , Kim Young Se , O'Sullivan Róisín
Published: April 2012

This article studies the effects of inflation targeting (IT) on relative price variability (RPV) using a data set of twenty countries comprising both targeters and nontargeters. We find that a decline in mean inflation after IT adoption is not necessarily associated with a similar fall in RPV and that what matters most for the structural changes in RPV is the initial inflation regime prior to the adoption of IT rather than IT adoption itself. IT adoption impacts the shape of the underlying relationship between inflation and RPV in countries with initially high inflation rates, moving it from monotonic to the U‐shaped profile observed consistently for countries with low‐inflation regimes. The minimum point of this U‐shaped curve is indicative of the public's expectations of inflation and is very close to the announced target for inflation in most of the countries we study.
Mean Reversion in the Real Interest Rate and the Effects of Calculating Expected Inflation
Authors: Norrbin Onsurang , Smallwood Aaron D.
Published: April 2012

We investigate the measured persistence in the real interest rate using a variety of methods to annualize inflation and calculate the real rate. Results from a battery of conventional unit root tests yield conflicting conclusions for the various real rates, adding to an existing confusion regarding mean reversion. Both long memory and exponential smooth‐transition autoregressive models (ESTAR) nonlinearity are considered as possible alternatives, and in contrast to the unit root test results, we find highly robust evidence against the unit root null. Based on the empirical results, Monte Carlo analysis is performed to study the disparate results obtained using fractional integration and unit root tests.
Patent Protection and Strategic Delays in Technology Development: Implications for Economic Growth
Authors: Chen Maggie Xiaoyang , Iyigun Murat
Published: April 2012

We present an endogenous growth model in which both the investment to develop a new technology—that upgrades the quality of machines—and entry of imitators are determined endogenously. According to the model, how soon the new‐technology machine is launched after the patent is granted is influenced by two factors: returns to scale in technology development and “strategic delays.” Strategic delays in technology development are most likely to occur when earlier dates of success enable imitators to enter an industry, that is, when imitation is swift and relatively cheap and/or patent protection is relatively lengthy. We then explore the link between the optimal patent length and economic growth and find that the equilibrium investment in technology development and thus the expected rate of technological progress exhibit an inverted U‐shape relationship with respect to the legal patent length.
Trust among the Avatars: A Virtual World Experiment, with and without Textual and Visual Cues
Authors: Atlas Stephen , Putterman Louis
Published: April 2012

We invited “residents” of a virtual world who vary in real‐world age and occupation to play a trust game with stakes comparable to “in‐world” wages. In different treatments, the lab wall was adorned with an emotively suggestive photograph, a suggestive text was added to the instructions, or both a photo and text were added. We find high levels of trust and reciprocity that appear still higher for non‐student and older subjects. Variation of results by treatment suggests that both photographic and textual cues influenced the level of trust but not that of trustworthiness.
Are Homegrown Islamic Terrorists Different? Some UK Evidence
Authors: Altunbas Yener , Thornton John
Published: April 2012

We compare the characteristics of 77 homegrown Islamic terrorists in the UK to a representative sample of 1363 UK Muslims. UK Muslims are more likely to participate in terrorist acts if they are better educated and young. Other predictors of UK Muslims being involved in terrorism are employment status, UK citizenship, and ethnic origin.
How Large Looms the Ghost of the Past? State Dependence versus Heterogeneity in Coordination Games
Authors: Al-Ubaydli Omar
Published: April 2012

In games with multiple, Pareto‐rankable equilibria and repeated play, does a history of playing an inefficient equilibrium make it harder for players to reach the efficient equilibrium? In other words, can people “get stuck” in bad equilibria? Previous studies have found support for this, but they have relied on naturally occurring variation in precedent. I implement randomized control to establish that precedent effects are important, but that naturally occurring variation exaggerates the importance of precedent. I present evidence that some of the endogeneity of naturally occurring precedents is due to variation in risk attitudes. This is because in the coordination games used, the inefficient equilibrium is associated with a safe strategy. Understanding the causal effect of precedent is important since many development problems are viewed as coordination games. Moreover, an appreciation of the way in which potential heterogeneity may interact with the policy is essential when trying to lift groups out of bad precedents.
Are Antidumping Duties for Sale? Case‐Level Evidence on the Grossman‐Helpman Protection for Sale Model
Authors: Evans Carolyn L. , Sherlund Shane M.
Published: April 2012

Do contributions to politicians affect trade policy? To examine this question, we have compiled a new, unique database containing information on political donations by the specific firms and labor organizations that have petitioned for antidumping protection from imports, as well as data on the outcomes of their requests. Using an empirical framework based on the “protection for sale” model, we examine the relationship between antidumping decisions and political activism. Our results indicate that money does matter. We find that politically active petitioners are more likely to receive protection and that antidumping duty rates tend to be higher for that group. In addition, the relationship between the import penetration ratio and duties imposed depends on whether or not petitioners are politically active—antidumping duties are positively correlated with the import penetration ratio for politically inactive petitioners but negatively correlated for politically active petitioners, consistent with the Grossman‐Helpman model's predictions.
Immigration, Public Education Spending, and Private Schooling
Authors: Mavisakalyan Astghik
Published: April 2012

This article examines the impact of immigration on private school enrollment through the mechanism of public education spending. It finds that the immigrant share of population raises private school enrollment across countries by leading to a decrease in the share of public education spending. The decrease is driven by responses to immigrants from culturally similar and developed countries. This suggests that the role of public schools in promoting social cohesion among diverse populations is weighted against other concerns in education funding decisions in places with immigrant populations. The endogeneity of immigrant share is accounted for by using an instrument constructed from gravity model estimates.
Too Many Cooks? Committees in Monetary Policy
Authors: Berger Helge , Nitsch Volker
Published: April 2012

How many people should decide monetary policy? In this article, we take an empirical perspective on this issue and analyze the relationship between the number of monetary policy decision makers and monetary policy outcomes. Using a new data set that characterizes central bank monetary policy committees (MPCs) in more than 30 countries from 1960 through 2006, we find a U‐shaped relationship between MPC size and inflation; our results suggest that the lowest level of inflation is reached at MPCs with an intermediate size of about five to nine members. Similar results are obtained for inflation variability. Other MPC characteristics also matter for monetary policy outcomes, though to a smaller degree. For instance, the membership composition of the MPC as well as the frequency of MPC membership turnover appears to affect economic variables.
The Effect of Social Security Contributions on Coverage and Wages: A Gender Perspective Using a Natural Experiment from Colombia
Authors: Vargas Andres J.
Published: April 2012

This article investigates, from a gender and marital status perspective, the effects of pension and health care contributions on the employment and wages of workers covered by social security regulations. To do this, I use as a natural experiment a reform implemented in Colombia during the mid‐1990. In particular I employ a differences‐in‐differences estimation based on an endogenous switching‐regression model that accounts for self‐selection into coverage. My results indicate that, for females, a 10% increase in contributions reduces the relative wages of covered workers by 7.2%. On the other hand, for males, the reform increases the relative wages of covered workers by 7.1%. Among females, the effect is predominantly present in single women. Among men, divorced and widowed workers are the only group not to experience an effect on earnings. For most family groups, the social security reform has no significant effect on coverage.
Sentimental Preferences and the Organizational Regime of Betting Markets
Authors: Franck Egon , Verbeek Erwin , Nüesch Stephan
Published: April 2012

We analyze the price impact of sentimental bettor preferences within a bookmaker betting market. A theoretical model demonstrates that, under reasonable assumptions about the nature of demand in a market with strong competition, the bookmaker will offer lower prices for bets with comparatively stronger demand. Using a sample of more than 16,000 English soccer matches we find evidence that more favorable odds are extended to bets on more popular clubs and that this effect is amplified on weekends when sentimental bettors face lower opportunity costs to wager. Our findings help to explain why the market for sports gambling operates as a hybrid structure with bookmakers able to attract a considerable share of the betting volume, although identical contracts are traded on exchange markets at lower costs: the organizational design of a quote‐driven market enables the dealer to take advantage of sentimental bettor preferences.
Second Best Environmental Policies under Uncertainty
Authors: Antoniou Fabio , Hatzipanayotou Panos , Koundouri Phoebe
Published: April 2012

We construct a strategic environmental policy model of an international duopoly. Governments use environmental policies, such as an emissions standard or a tax, to control pollution and for rent shifting purposes. Contrary to firms, however, governments are unable to perfectly foresee the actual level of demand and the cost of abatement. Our results suggest that not only the presence but also the absolute level of uncertainty matters for the optimal choice of the environmental policy instrument. Moreover, the optimality conditions under strategic behavior may lead to welfare losses relative to the cooperative outcomes because of under‐regulation and lack of policy coordination between the two countries.
Do Households Prefer Small School Districts? A Natural Experiment
Authors: Banzhaf H. Spencer , Bhalla Garima
Published: April 2012

Some education reformers have proposed breaking up large urban school districts, thereby moving to a more efficient scale, increasing school choices, and promoting school competition. This article tests whether households expect these effects and whether they value them. It considers the effect on real estate prices of the surprise breakup of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) into 11 minidistricts in April 2000. We estimate households' reaction to this reform in a difference‐in‐differences setting that controls for any unobserved spatial effects unaffected by the announcement.

We find that households valued this decentralization, with a 2–3 percentage point increase in housing values in the LAUSD area over pre‐existing trends, compared with control districts. The effect is highest in wealthier neighborhoods but otherwise homogenous within the LAUSD area. The results suggest that households believe that decentralization would make schools more effective and that they respond to signals about schools' future.
Quality Competition and Pricing‐to‐Market: A Unified Framework for the Analysis of Bilateral Unit Values
Authors: Ferrantino Michael J. , Feinberg Robert M. , Deason Lauren
Published: April 2012

This article presents a unified framework for analyzing two factors that have been independently studied as determinants of unit values in international trade: product differentiation by quality (which suggests that unit values should be positively correlated with exporters' per capita income) and pricing‐to‐market (which suggests they should be positively correlated with importers' per capita income). No previous work has considered both exporter and importer income effects and allowed these effects to vary by product. On a large sample of bilateral unit values for 2005, we find that about 56% of all Harmonized System (HS)‐6 products demonstrate both significant exporter‐income effects and importer‐income effects, with the former predominating in prevalence and magnitude. Distance‐related effects appearing directly in prices appear significantly larger than one would expect as a result of shipping margins.
Nosy Preferences, Benevolence, and Efficiency
Authors: Dave Chetan , Dodds Stefan
Published: April 2012

We explore the implications of “nosy” preferences—when individuals have rankings over the specific actions of others—using recent theoretical results in the behavioral economics literature. Our model jointly captures preference interdependence over utilities (benevolence) and actions (nosiness). We apply the model to two well‐known environments. The first is a classic social choice problem; the second is a model of relative consumption concerns. For the former we characterize the existence of the impossibility once the social choice problem has been modeled as a behavioral game. For the latter we characterize when the negative externality arising from relative consumption concerns can be overcome without a policy intervention.
Persistence in U.S. State Unemployment Rates: Errata and Extensions
Authors: Sephton Peter S.
Published: April 2012

Using panel unit root tests allowing for breaking deterministics, found that many U.S. state unemployment rates were stationary, a result at odds with the traditional view that unemployment rates are path‐dependent and subject to shocks that have permanent effects. extended the analysis to directly examine whether the series were fractionally integrated and reported that models with two breaks‐in‐mean do suggest many state unemployment rates were mean‐reverting. The purpose of this note is to correct an error contained in , which when modified, indicates that state unemployment rates were non‐stationary processes well‐characterized by hysteresis.
Implications of satellite swath width on global aerosol optical thickness statistics
Authors: Colarco P. R. , Remer L. A. , Kahn R. A. , Levy R. C. , Welton E. J.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. We assess the impact of swath width on the statistics of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) retrieved by satellite, as inferred from observations made by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Using collocated AERONET sun photometer observations we develop a correction to the MODIS data to account for calibration and algorithmic view angle dependency in the retrieved AOT. We sub-sample and correct the AOT data from the MODIS Aqua instrument along several candidate swaths of various widths for the years 2003–2011. We find that over ocean the global, annual mean AOT is within ± 0.01 of the full swath AOT for all of our sub-samples. Over land, however, most of our sub-samples are outside of this criterion range in the global, annual mean. Moreover, at smaller spatial and temporal scales we find wide deviation in the sub-sample AOT relative to the full swath over both land and ocean. In all, the sub-sample AOT is within ± 0.01 of the full swath value less than 25% of the time over land, and less than 50% of the time over ocean (less than 35% for all but the widest of our sub-sample swaths). These results suggest that future aerosol satellite missions having only narrow swath views may not sample the true AOT distribution sufficiently to reduce significantly the uncertainty in aerosol direct forcing of climate.
Security Interests in Patents and Patent Applications?
Authors: Stevens Pauline
Published: April 2012

There is a question mark in the title of this article because more questions than answers have been encountered in researching the topic. The relative certainty with which owners of furniture, equipment, accounts and most other personal property can obtain credit by granting a security in their property rapidly dissipates when the property in question is intellectual property. Owners of patents and other intellectual property find barriers to obtaining secured credit that are not faced by other property owners because there is a historical gap between the federal law protecting rights of intellectual property owners and state laws addressing secured transactions. The increasing importance of intellectual property to the economy of the United States (patent filings having increased by seventy percent since 19962 raises the visibility of this gap and urges consideration of changes in law. This would permit owners of intellectual property access to the same financing opportunities that are available to owners of other personal property. There seems to be no public policy that justifies the current situation.
“I Just Bought a Flat Screen T.V. in Kolkata?” Application of Laws for International Outsourcing Related Identity Theft
Authors: Grant Samantha
Published: April 2012

Because the internet makes it economical to do so, many American companies have sent their customer service jobs overseas. Workers in these outsourced jobs often have access to personal financial information of American citizens. Recent identity thefts, both in America and abroad, highlight the need for laws mandating tighter security by the companies that hold and trade personal information. This paper explores American legislation attempting to deal with identity theft crime as well as parallel laws in India, where many of the outsourced jobs are located. Furthermore, this paper suggests that any federal legislation ought not to preempt state law, as California law is currently protecting consumer privacy stronger than proposed legislation would.
International E-Discovery: Navigating the Maze
Authors: Davila Erica M.
Published: April 2012

Globalization and the growing mountain of electronically stored information ("ESI") will inevitably lead to an increase in discovery requests for ESI located abroad. But no consistent methodology exists for United States courts to evaluate whether discovery of ESI abroad is appropriate, and if so, what the consequences are for failure to comply with a discovery order. As international commerce depends on "the ability of merchants to predict the likely consequences of their conduct in overseas markets,"1 United States courts need to apply a consistent standard to decisions involving the discovery of international ESI. This paper reviews existing law related to international discovery and electronic discovery ("e-discovery") and proposes a blended approach to be considered by courts to evaluate discovery of international ESI.
A 'Sound' Policy? The RIAA and The Copyright Act
Authors: Schnee Chadwick
Published: April 2012

The Recording Industry of America (RIAA) has made headlines1 and garnered a fair amount of criticism in recent years, both for the first jury trial against an individual copyright infringer2 and for its litigation tactics.3 In the midst of the RIAA‘s aggressive litigation, issues related to proof have come to the forefront, particularly regarding the use of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses4 to determine the identity of alleged copyright infringers.5 Additionally, the RIAA and other organizations have sought to hold individuals owning unsecured wireless routers6 liable for any illegal file-sharing that takes place through the individual‘s router.7 The RIAA, in their vigilant defense of copyrighted material, has gone too far and legislative action is needed to provide protection for unwary consumers from the aggressive tactics of the RIAA.
Perspectives from the Bench: Patent Law in Pittsburgh An Interview with the Honorable Joy Flowers Conti, District Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Authors: Angliss Katie
Published: April 2012

Judge Joy Flowers Conti has served as a district judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania since 2002, when she was nominated by President George W. Bush. Prior to her service as a district judge, Judge Conti served as a law clerk to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice, was a partner in private practice at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, LLP, and a shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll. She also served as a member of the faculty at Duquesne University School of Law. Judge Conti is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania, the Federal Bar Association and the American Inns of Court. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Duquesne University in 1970, and a JD degree summa cum laude from Duquesne University School of Law in 1973.
Selection of Postgraduate Students in a South African Management Programme
Authors: Abrahams Fatima , Friedrich Christian , Tredoux Nanette
Published: April 2012

South African higher education institutions are experiencing challenges regarding access, redress and the successful completion of programmes in an environment where there are still imbalances in the schooling system. Tools are needed that will assist with the process of selecting students. The aim of this study is to determine whether a test battery predicts academic success for postgraduate students at a historically disadvantaged university, and whether there are differences relating to gender and racial and language groups. The test battery considered, GRT2, was designed to measure three areas of ability – verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning. The sample consisted of an applicant group (774 candidates) and a student group (178 candidates). The internal consistency of the three subtests on the total applicant group was sufficiently reliable (above 0.8). Significant mean differences were found between the language groups and the race group for all three subtests, but only significant differences were found between the gender groups, with males obtaining higher scores. For the student group as a whole, correlations of all three subtests with both academic total and academic average marks were highly significant. In addition, the test exhibits predictive bias with regard to language, race and gender in the prediction of the academic total, and particularly for the numeric subtest. The results suggest that the test battery can help in identifying potentially successful students. However, cognisance must be taken of the differences between language groups and gender when interpreting test results. The paper contributes to the presently limited research on the validity of selection tools used in postgraduate programmes in African universities.
Contribution of the SPEED Programme to the Enhancement of an Enterprise Culture in a UK University
Authors: Clements Mike
Published: April 2012

When the current UK coalition government came to power in 2010, it sought amongst other things to stimulate a dormant economy and deal with the national budget deficit. One of its first acts was to charge universities to become the bedrock for entrepreneurial activity, and to deliver challenging enterprise education to all their students, so making those students more employable. However, successive reports from government itself and from industry and academia suggest that universities continue to deliver into the workplace graduates insufficiently prepared to make an early, positive impact in the world of work. This case study, based on the experiences at one UK university, looks at how the SPEED (Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education) Programme (2006–) has provided the foundations for a university-wide enterprise and employability strategy, with an impact on syllabus content, teaching methods and staff engagement, as well as enhancing and strengthening the role given to contributors drawn from the local business community in delivering enterprise education.
Low-Level Laser Therapy in Patients with Complaints of Tinnitus: A Clinical Study
Authors: Salahaldin Ahmed H. , Abdulhadi Khalid , Najjar Nihal , Bener Abdulbari
Published: April 2012

Objective. The objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in treating patients who were suffering from long-term complaints of tinnitus with well-understood etiology and who were not responding to conventional therapy in Qatar. Design. This is a prospective clinical study conducted during the period from May 2010 and February 2011. Setting. Audiology Clinic, Outpatient Department, Hamad General Hospital. Subjects and Methods. The study included 65 patients aged 15–76 years with chronic unilateral or bilateral tinnitus with a minimum duration of illness of one year. The investigation included 101 ears of 65 patients. A 5 mW laser with a wavelength of 650 nm was applied transmeatally for 20 minutes once daily for 3 months. The study was based on a face-to-face interview with a designed questionnaire that recorded the diagnosis of patients, clinical evaluation and audiometric test results, and side effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and scored their symptoms loudness on five-point scale every two weeks. A decrease of one scale point regarding the loudness duration and degree of annoyance of tinnitus was accepted to represent an improvement; at the same time, a pure tone audiometric test was carried out and the results recorded. In addition, a record of the side effect was taken. Results. Over half of the patients (56.9%) had some form of improvement in their tinnitus symptoms. Mild improvement was reported in 33.8% of patients, moderate improvement was reported in 16.9%, and full improvement was reported in 6.15%. Of the patients who reported dizzy spells as a symptom of their tinnitus condition, 27.7% reported mild improvement and 16.9% reported full improvement. Common side effects of LLLT were noted among 20% of patients; however, all of them were mild and disappeared within a few days. Conclusion. Low-level laser therapy was found to be useful for treatment of chronic tinnitus.
Alloy Designation, Processing, and Use of AA6XXX Series Aluminium Alloys
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Prantik
Published: April 2012

The strength-to-weight ratio offered by AA6XXX alloys and their enhanced mechanical properties have become crucial criteria for their use in light weight military vehicles, rockets, missiles, aircrafts, and cars, used for both defence and civil purpose. The focus of this review paper is to put together the latest knowledge available from various sources on alloy design, industrial processing, development of properties, and potential use of AA6XXX alloys. The direct chill (DC) cast AA6XXX wrought alloys which are subsequently processed by fabrication process like hot working, cold working, process annealing, and age hardening heat treatments are the foci of this review though designation section also contains the designations of cast alloys to provide the reader a broad overview on designation. World-wide accepted designations are briefly tabled along with their alloying elements. The effects of the alloying elements which are generally used for AA6XXX wrought alloys are discussed incorporating their interactions during wrought AA6XXX alloy fabrication. The significance of the alloying and also the processing to develop the certain properties and the underlying strengthening mechanisms are discussed. The frequent and versatile uses of these AA6XXX alloys for the structural applications both in defence and civil purpose are put forth.
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: A Review of Case Reports, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Future Directions
Authors: Tan Christopher B. , Zhi Wanqing , Shahzad Ghulamullah , Mustacchia Paul
Published: April 2012

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a nonepithelial, mesenchymal tumor first described by Mazur and Clark in 1983. Since then, its molecular biology has been studied in great detail. Special interest in the role of tyrosine kinase in its regulation has been the target by different drug research. Mutation inc-kitexons 9, 11, 13, 17 and PDGFRA mutation in exons 12, 14, 18 are responsible for activation of gene signaling system resulting in uncontrolled phosphorylation and tissue growth. However, 5 to 15% of GISTs does not harbor these mutations, which raises additional questions in another alternate signaling pathway mutation yet to be discovered. Diagnosis of GISTs relies heavily on KIT/CD117 immunohistochemical staining, which can detect most GISTs except for a few 3% to 5% that harbors PDGFRA mutation. Newer staining against PKC theta and DOG-1 genes showed promising results but are not readily available. Clinical manifestation of GISTs is broad and highly dependent on tumor size. Surgery still remains the first-line treatment for GISTs. The advancement of molecular biology has revolutionized the availability of newer drugs, Imatinib and Sunitinib. Together with its advancement is the occurrence of Imatinib/Sunitinib drug resistance. With this, newer monoclonal antibody drugs are being developed and are undergoing clinical trials to hopefully improve survival in patients with GISTs.