Small Number Of States Research Articles

Evaluating Evidence of Risk for Suicide Among Veterans

There is evidence of increased rates of suicide among veterans when compared to those without history of military service. However, empirical studies of the associations between military service and risk for suicide have reported confl icting results. Results from studies of mortality among Vietnam veterans have suggested that rates of suicide may be elevated following service in a combat area. 1 However, not all studies have reported statistically signifi cant increases in suicide mortality among veterans from the Vietnam War. 2‐4 Assessments of postservice mortality among veterans of the Persian Gulf War similarly failed to identify a statistically signifi cant increase in risk for suicide. 5,6 A more recent study of suicide risk among more than 490,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan did report a statistically signifi cant increase in suicide risk among veterans who had been on active duty (standardized mortality ratio 1.33) and among those who had been diagnosed with a mental disorder and had received services from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) (standardized mortality ratio 1.77). 7 Analyses of existing survey data, when linked with information on the participant’s manner of death, can be used to identify risk for suicide when veteran status is included in the original data fi le. A recent analysis of more than 300,000 male participants in the National Health Interview Survey series (1986‐ 1997) reported a twofold increase in risk for suicide among veterans when compared to those without self-reported history of military service. 8 Somewhat paradoxically, another prospective study of mortality among more than 500,000 male participants in a large cancer survey using similar methodology failed to identify an increased risk for suicide among veterans. 9 Contradictory fi ndings exist in prior work partially because, while national-level mortality data provide an important surveillance tool for understanding changes in overall and groupspecifi c U.S. rates of suicide, veteran-specifi c data are limited. The National Center for Health Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) does not currently upload veteran identifi ers as part of their routine death reporting protocol from states that collect this information. Rates of suicide for the entire U.S. veteran population are therefore not routinely attainable. The consequence of current gaps in data availability has been a general reliance on convenience data (such as state-level mortality records) or other existing data sources (including a veteran identifi er) that are linked with information from the National Death Index. In either case, veteran status is often obtained through self- or proxy-report and the sampling procedures employed by existing studies are unlikely to ensure representation of high-risk subpopulations. Questions surrounding the reliability or validity of much existing data remain largely unanswered. Despite challenges associated with ascertainment of veteran status and the relative lack of data for the identifi cation of clinical and behavioral characteristics associated with increased risk for suicide, our understanding of suicide risk among some veteran groups is improving. By linking administrative data obtained from the VHA with national level cause of death data obtained from the National Death Index, researchers from the VA-funded Serious Mental Illness Treatment Research and Evaluation Center (SMITREC) were able to identify 1,613 suicides among veterans who had received inpatient or outpatient VHA services during the 2000 and 2001 fi scal years. 10 When compared to suicide rates for the general U.S. population, the authors identifi ed a statistically signifi cant increase in the relative risk for suicide for both male (standardized mortality ratio 1.66) and female (standardized mortality ratio 1.87) veterans. 10 Comparisons of rates of suicide for veterans and similarly aged groups from the U.S. general population are useful, yet may lack suffi cient information to identify potential differences in clinical or behavioral characteristics among veterans and nonveterans or between veterans who do and do not receive VHA services, effectively limiting our ability to identify those characteristics associated with increased risk. The introduction and limited expansion of the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) has provided data that can be used to compare the prevalence and characteristics of suicide among veterans and nonveterans in a small number of states. In 2006, there were 1,594 veteran suicides identifi ed in the 16 states participating in NVDRS and 5,966 suicides among those who were not identifi ed as veterans of military service (approximately 21% of all suicides in these areas). However, results from comparisons of NVDRS data should be interpreted with caution. To date, NVDRS has only been implemented in a limited number of states and the

Law & Psychiatry: Gun Laws and Mental Illness: How Sensible Are the Current Restrictions?

This column describes federal and state laws to restrict access to firearms among people with mental illness. The contribution to public safety of these laws is likely to be small because only 3%-5% of violent acts are attributable to serious mental illness, and most do not involve guns. The categories of persons with mental illnesses targeted by the laws may not be at higher risk of violence than other subgroups in this population. The laws may deter people from seeking treatment for fear of losing the right to possess firearms and may reinforce stereotypes of persons with mental illnesses as dangerous.

Trends in U.S. Recoverable Coal Supply Estimates and Future Production Outlooks

The geological coal resource of the U.S. is abundant and proved coal reserves are listed as the world’s largest. However, the reserves are unevenly distributed and located in a small number of states, giving them major influence over future production. A long history of coal mining provides detailed time series of production and reserve estimates, which can be used to identify historical trends. In reviewing the historical evolution of coal reserves, one can state that the trend here does not point toward any major increases in available recoverable reserves; rather the opposite is true due to restrictions and increased focus on environmental impacts from coal extraction. Future coal production will not be entirely determined by what is geologically available, but rather by the fraction of that amount that is practically recoverable. Consequently, the historical trend toward reduced recoverable amounts is likely to continue into the future, with even stricter regulations imposed by increased environmental concern. Long-term outlooks can be created in many ways, but ultimately the production must be limited by recoverable volumes since coal is a finite resource. The geologic amounts of coal are of much less importance to future production than the practically recoverable volumes. The geological coal supply might be vast, but the important question is how large the share that can be extracted under present restrictions are and how those restrictions will develop in the future. Production limitations might therefore appear much sooner than previously expected.

Reduced-Order Modeling of Parametrically Excited Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)

Reduced-order modeling is a systematic way of constructing models with smaller number of states that can capture the “essential dynamics” of the large-scale systems, accurately. In this paper, reduced-order modeling and control techniques for parametrically excited MEMS are presented. The techniques proposed here use the Lyapunov-Floquet (L-F) transformation that makes the linear part of transformed equations time invariant. In this work, three model reduction techniques for MEMS are suggested. First method is simply an application of the well-known Guyan-like reduction method to nonlinear systems. The second technique is based on singular perturbation, where the transformed system dynamics is partitioned as fast and slow dynamics and the system of differential equations is converted into a differential algebraic (DAE) system. In the third technique, the concept of invariant manifold for time-periodic systems is used. The “time periodic invariant manifold” based technique yields “reducibility conditions”. This is an important result because it helps us to understand the various types of resonances present in the system. These resonances indicate a tight coupling between the system states, and in order to retain the dynamic characteristics, one has to preserve all these “resonant” states in the reduced-order model. Thus, if the “reducibility conditions” are satisfied, only then a nonlinear order reduction based on invariant manifold approach is possible. It is found that the invariant manifold approach yields the most accurate results followed by the nonlinear projection and linear technique. These methodologies are general, free from small parameter assumptions, and can be applied to a variety of MEM systems like resonators, sensors and filters. The reduced-order models can be used for parametric study, sensitivity analysis and/or controller design. The controller design is based on the reduced-order system. Thus, first the reduced-order model of the large-scale system is constructed that captures the essential dynamics. If a controller is designed to stabilize this reduced-order system, then it guarantees that the large-scale system is controlled. The theoretical framework to design linear and nonlinear controllers is also presented.

Nonequilibrium many body theory for quantum transport in terahertz quantum cascade lasers

This paper presents a predictive Keldysh nonequilibrium many body Green’s functions theory for quantum transport including high order electron-electron, electron-phonon, electron-impurity, and interface roughness scattering processes. Our approach is fully frequency and momentum dependent including nondiagonal dephasing terms in both frequency and k-space. A detailed balance between coherent and scattering processes leads to local current conservation even if a small number of states is considered. Good agreement with experiments is obtained for a terahertz quantum cascade laser.

The International States Systems Since 1648 and Small States 'Systemic Resilience'

Since 1648, the number of small states has varied significantly. There have been more than one "rise and fall" in the number of small states. This study begins a broader analysis into causality by investigating this phenomenon. By setting out the changes in the composition of the international states system since its inception in its modem form with the Peace of Westphalia, the study intends to discuss the proliferation of small states over time as a significant phenomenon in the history of international relations. The study then continues by linking the changes in the number of small states to major systemic changes, arguing that different types of states system correspond to different levels of "systemic resilience" of small states.

A simple way to avoid metastable configurations in the density-matrix renormalization-group algorithms

We use the spin-1 Heisenberg chain with periodic boundary conditions to ilustrate that the systems get stuck in metastable configurations only when the density-matrix renormalization-group algorithm start with small number of states m. We also show that the convergence of the energies have a huge improvement if we start the algorithm with a large number of states m.

Economic Vulnerability and Resilience: Concepts and Measurements

In this paper, economic vulnerability is defined as the exposure of an economy to exogenous shocks, arising out of economic openness, while economic resilience is defined as the policy-induced ability of an economy to withstand or recover from the effects of such shocks. The paper briefly reviews the work already carried out on economic vulnerability and extends the research towards the development of a conceptual and methodological framework for the definition and measurement of economic resilience. Towards this end, the paper proposes an index of economic resilience gauging the adequacy of policy in four broad areas, namely macroeconomic stability, microeconomic market efficiency, good governance and social development. The analysis of economic resilience explains how small economies can attain a relatively high level of gross domestic product per capita if they adopt appropriate policy stances. In other words, the relatively good economic performance of a number of small states is not because, but in spite of, their small size and inherent economic vulnerability. The results of this study can be used as a tool towards the formulation of policies aimed at overcoming the adverse consequences of economic vulnerability.

Approximate Reconstruction of Continuous Spatially Complex Domain Motions by Multialignment NMR Residual Dipolar Couplings

NMR spectroscopy is one of the most powerful techniques for studying the internal dynamics of biomolecules. Current formalisms approximate the dynamics using simple continuous motional models or models involving discrete jumps between a small number of states. However, no approach currently exists for interpreting NMR data in terms of continuous spatially complex motional paths that may feature more than one distinct maneuver. Here, we present an approach for approximately reconstructing spatially complex continuous motions of chiral domains using NMR anisotropic interactions. The key is to express Wigner matrix elements, which can be determined experimentally using residual dipolar couplings, as a line integral over a curve in configuration space containing an ensemble of conformations and to approximate the curve using a series of geodesic segments. Using this approach and five sets of synthetic residual dipolar couplings computed for five linearly independent alignment conditions, we show that it is theoretically possible to reconstruct salient features of a multisegment interhelical motional trajectory obtained from a 65 ns molecular dynamics simulation of a stem-loop RNA. Our study shows that the 3-D atomic reconstruction of complex motions in biomolecules is within experimental reach.

Conventions spreading in open-ended systems

We introduce a simple open-ended model that describes the emergence of a shared vocabulary. The ordering transition toward consensus is generated only by an agreement mechanism. This interaction defines a finite and small number of states, despite each individual having the ability to invent an unlimited number of new words. The existence of a phase transition is studied by analyzing the convergence times, the cognitive efforts of the agents and the scaling behavior in memory and time.

Optimal Scheme for Search State Space and Scheduling on Multiprocessor Systems

A scheduling algorithm aims to minimize the overall execution time of the program by properly allocating and arranging the execution order of the tasks on the core processors such that the precedence constraints among the tasks are preserved. In this paper, we present a new scheduling algorithm by using geometry analysis of the Task Precedence Graph (TPG) based on A* search technique and uses a computationally efficient cost function for guiding the search with reduced complexity and pruning techniques to produce an optimal solution for the allocation/scheduling problem of a parallel application to parallel and multiprocessor architecture. The main goal of this work is to significantly reduce the search space and achieve the optimality or near optimal solution. We implemented the algorithm on general task graph problems that are processed on most of related search work and obtain the optimal scheduling with a small number of states. The proposed algorithm reduced the exhaustive search by at least 50% of search space. The viability and potential of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by an illustrative example.

Is International Customary Law Coordinated, Constructed, or Contested?

In Rational Choice or Deliberation? Niels Petersen [2009] proposes an elegant solution to the following conceptual conundrum. According to rational-choice theory, international customary law will seldom go beyond mere coordination between a few states, as it can only emerge when the relevant self-interests of a small number of states are aligned for an indefinite period of time, or when a single state is strong enough to impose its preferences on other states. Yet, it is clear that prevailing international customary law and other forms of international cooperation exceed those narrow limits. Cases in point would be the large amounts of humanitarian assistance and development aid distributed around the globe each year, and the environmental restoration of the Rhine river (which largely took place without formal international treaties). One way in which rational-choice theorists have often responded to empirical criticisms is by broadening the notions of rationality and self-interest so as to include much more than materialism, egotism, and craving for power. In A New Handbook of Political Science, Von Beyme praises rational-choice theory thus:

Gouvernance mondiale : G8 et G20 comme modes de coopération interétatiques informels

The G20, which was created in 1999 at the instigation of the G8, brings together the heads of State and government and the fi nance ministers of the leading developed and emerging countries. This informal cooperation among a small number of states acting to surmount the malfunctions of international institutions dates from the 1960s. However, the recent propulsion of the G20 to the rank of leading forum for economic cooperation raises questions about its role in the contemporary international legal order. Although the Group’s decision-making function is limited, its regulatory role cannot be ignored. The activities of this sui generis impetus group ensure effective enforcement of pre-existing sets of norms.

Tunneling of a diatomic molecule with many bound states

We study the effects of multiple bound states on the probability of tunneling of a homonuclear diatomic molecule incident upon a potential barrier in one dimension. We obtain additional bound states by several means: by varying individual features of the binding potential as well as increasing the mass of the two atoms. We find that the tunneling behavior of a molecule with a large number of bound states $(\ensuremath{\sim}30)$ is drastically different from that for a molecule with a small number of states $(\ensuremath{\lesssim}5)$. Further, we find that the effect of multiple bound states on the proabability of tunneling is largely dependent upon the separation between the bound-state energies. It is also found that intermediary transitions between many bound states results in significantly larger reductions in the probability of tunneling. Finally, we investigate molecules of different masses and observe common qualitative features. We focus on molecules incident upon a $\ensuremath{\delta}$ barrier but we also consider Gaussian barriers.

No-bang quantum state of the cosmos**Alberta-Thy-08-07, Preprint 0707.2081.

A quantum state of the entire cosmos (universe or multiverse) is proposed which is the equal mixture of the Giddings–Marolf states that are asymptotically single de Sitter spacetimes in both past and future and are regular on the throat or neck of minimal 3-volume. That is, states are excluded that have a big bang or big crunch or which split into multiple asymptotic de Sitter spacetimes. (For simplicity, transitions between different values of the cosmological constant are assumed not to occur, though different positive values are allowed.) The entropy of this mixed state appears to be of the order of the three-fourth power of the Bekenstein–Hawking A/4 entropy of de Sitter spacetime. Most of the component pure states do not have rapid inflation, but when an inflaton is present and the states are weighted by the volume at the end of inflation, a much smaller number of states may dominate and give a large amount of inflation and hence may agree with observations.

MLSE Equalizers for Frequency Discrimination Receiver of MSK Optical Transmission System

We propose maximum-likelihood sequence estimator (MLSE) equalizers based on either Viterbi algorithm or template matching temple matching (TM) for the equalization of impairments imposed on the minimum shift keying (MSK) modulation formats in long haul transmission without optical dispersion compensation. The TM-MLSE equalizer is proposed as a simplified alternative for the Viterbi-MLSE equalizer. It is verified that the Viterbi-MLSE equalizer can operate optimally when noise approaches a Gaussian distribution. Simulation results of the performances of the two MLSE equalizers for optical frequency discrimination receiver-based optical MSK systems are described. The transmission performance is evaluated in terms of: (1) the chromatic dispersion (CD) tolerance for both Viterbi-MLSE and TM-MLSE equalizers; (2) transmission distance limits of Viterbi-MLSE equalizers with various number of states; (3)the robustness to fiber polarization mode dispersion (PMD) of Viterbi-MLSE equalizers; and (4) performance improvements for Viterbi-MLSE equalizers when utilizing sampling schemes with two and four samples per bit over the conventional single sample per bit. With a small number of states (64 states), the non-compensating optical link can equivalently reach up to approximately 928 km SSMF for 10 Gb/s transmission or 58 km SSMF for 40 Gb/s. The performance of 16-state Viterbi-MLSE equalizers for optical frequency discrimination receiver (OFDR)-based optical MSK transmission systems for PMD mitigation is also numerically investigated. The performance of Viterbi-MLSE equalizers can be further improved by using the sampling schemes with multiple samples per bit compared to the conventional single sample bit. The equalizer also offers high robustness to fiber PMD impairment.

Transaction Costs, Neighborhood Effects, and the Diffusion of the Uniform Sales Act, 1906-47

The Uniform Sales Act was a precursor to Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Between 1906 and 1947 it was adopted in 34 states. Transaction cost theory suggests that states’ adoption decisions should have been influenced by “neighborhood effects” – the adoption decisions of their neighbors. This paper uses hazard analysis to test various hypotheses about the factors that influenced states’ adoption decisions. The results indicate that neighborhood effects were among the most important factors in the diffusion of the Act. Manufacturing interests also played an important role, especially in a small number of states that adopted the Act early. Subsequent to these early adoptions, the Act gradually diffused across most of the country, except the south. Its diffusion was driven primarily by neighborhood effects and manufacturing interests, although the legal profession and transportation systems may also have played a role. It appears that the Act ultimately failed to achieve complete uniformity largely because the neighborhood effects that drove its adoption in most of the country were not present in the south.

Hedonic Damages – One More Time: A Symposium

On January 5, 2008, the National Association of Forensic Economics (NAFE) sponsored its third symposium on “hedonic damages,” this time entitled “Hedonic Damages – One More Time.” The first symposium on hedonic damages was presented at the December 1989 Allied Social Sciences meetings in Atlanta, Georgia with the title “Hedonic Damages and the Value of Life.” Papers from that session by W. Kip Viscusi, Ted R. Miller, Stan V. Smith, and William T. Dickens were published in Volume 3, No. 3 of this journal (1990). The second symposium on hedonic damages was presented at the January 2000 Allied Social Sciences meetings in Boston, Massachusetts with the title “Hedonic Damages Ten Years Later.” Papers from that session by W. Kip Viscusi, J. Paul Leigh and Jorge A. Garcia, Ted R. Miller, Stan V. Smith and Thomas R. Ireland, along with an introduction by Peter Marks and Thomas R. Ireland were published in Volume 13, No. 2 of this journal (2000). W. Kip Viscusi and Ted R. Miller returned as presenters for a third time at the January, 2008 symposium, along with Brian McDonald and John O. Ward. Thomas Ireland acted as the organizer of the 2008 symposium and Peter Marks served as its chair. The term “hedonic damages” first entered general public consciousness on December 12, 1988 with a front page story in the Wall Street Journal by Paul M Barrett on “The Price of Pleasure,” featuring Stan V. Smith and his successful presentation of hedonic damages testimony in the case of Sherrod v. Berry (1985, 1987, and 1988). Two federal judges in Illinois had commented favorably about Smith’s testimony in the original opinion and one of the appeals decisions before the case was reversed on other grounds in 1988. The NAFE symposium in December of 1989 was designed to explore this interesting new development in the field of forensic economics. As of the 2000 symposium hedonic damages testimony had enjoyed several successes in individual states, but had been rejected by the courts in a number of reported decisions, particularly at the federal level. The threat of Daubert and Frye standards for admission of expert testimony being applied negatively to hedonic damage testimony had become one of the central features in the debate over this concept. As of 2008 hedonic damages testimony had become much more specialized. Because hedonic damages testimony had been rejected in a number of legal decisions, fewer and fewer forensic economists were involved, but Stan Smith, Robert Johnson, Brian McDonald, as well as several other economic experts

Access to International Justice: A Review of the Trust Funds Available for Law of the Sea-Related Disputes

AbstractThe International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea all have trust funds to assist States with limited financial resources to defray the costs of litigation. This article reviews these funds, in particular their conditions for eligibility and apparent success (in attracting contributions and requests for financial assistance). The author further considers the argument that developing States have been denied access to international justice for reasons of cost. Even though recent trends would indicate that this is not the case, there are nevertheless a large number of small States with very limited financial resources facing potentially complex Law of the Sea-related disputes for which these trust funds will be instrumental in facilitating international litigation. For this reason alone, it is important that if these trust funds are to be maintained grants made from them should realistically reflect the costs likely to be incurred in international legal proceedings.

The Economic Implications of Uniformity in Law

Journal Article The Economic Implications of Uniformity in Law Get access Souichirou Kozuka Souichirou Kozuka Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Uniform Law Review, Volume 12, Issue 4, December 2007, Pages 683–695, https://doi.org/10.1093/ulr/12.4.683 Published: 01 December 2007