State Banks and Economic Development in China

State-owned banks remain dominant in China's financial sector despite over two decades of gradual financial liberalization. Their performance is typically evaluated using commercial banking criteria. The standard view is that because state banks have experienced declining profitability and capital adequacy, they have been a drain on past economic development and endanger future growth prospects. However, we argue that state banks have strong development bank characteristics and hence warrant different performance criteria. The analysis in this paper suggests that while thier commercial performance may have been poor, the overall impact of state banks on China's economic development appears to have been both positive and sustainable. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The surface accessibility of the glycine receptor M2-M3 loop is increased in the channel open state

Mutations in the extracellular M2-M3 loop of the glycine receptor (GlyR) alpha1 subunit have been shown previously to affect channel gating. In this study, the substituted cysteine accessibility method was used to investigate whether a structural rearrangement of the M2-M3 loop accompanies GlyR activation. All residues from R271C to V277C were covalently modified by both positively charged methanethiosulfonate ethyltrimethylammonium (MTSET) and negatively charged methanethiosulfonate ethylsulfonate (MTSES), implying that these residues form an irregular surface loop. The MTSET modification rate of all residues from R271C to K276C was faster in the glycine-bound state than in the unliganded state. MTSES modification of A272C, L274C, and V277C was also faster in the glycine-bound state. These results demonstrate that the surface accessibility of the M2-M3 loop is increased as the channel transitions from the closed to the open state, implying that either the loop itself or an overlying domain moves during channel activation.

A case report of acute heart failure caused by a patient delaying taking his diuretic medication

Acute heart failure is a life-threatening medical emergency, most commonly occurring as an immediate or delayed complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or resulting from severe hypertension or valvular defects (stenosis or incompetence). Occasionally it is caused by patients' non-compliance with medication orders. In this case the patient had a history of three previous AMIs, controlled hypertension, and controlled congestive heart failure (CHF) for which he took two 40mg frusemide tablets (a very potent oral diuretic) each morning. Because he had experienced bladder discomfort during the latter stages of previous appointments he decided to delay taking the diuretic until after his appointment an acute heart failure ensued.

Determining when the absolute state complexity of a Hermitian code achieves its DLP bound

Let g be the genus of the Hermitian function field H/F(q)2 and let C-L(D,mQ(infinity)) be a typical Hermitian code of length n. In [Des. Codes Cryptogr., to appear], we determined the dimension/length profile (DLP) lower bound on the state complexity of C-L(D,mQ(infinity)). Here we determine when this lower bound is tight and when it is not. For m less than or equal to n-2/2 or m greater than or equal to n-2/2 + 2g, the DLP lower bounds reach Wolf's upper bound on state complexity and thus are trivially tight. We begin by showing that for about half of the remaining values of m the DLP bounds cannot be tight. In these cases, we give a lower bound on the absolute state complexity of C-L(D,mQ(infinity)), which improves the DLP lower bound. Next we give a good coordinate order for C-L(D,mQ(infinity)). With this good order, the state complexity of C-L(D,mQ(infinity)) achieves its DLP bound (whenever this is possible). This coordinate order also provides an upper bound on the absolute state complexity of C-L(D,mQ(infinity)) (for those values of m for which the DLP bounds cannot be tight). Our bounds on absolute state complexity do not meet for some of these values of m, and this leaves open the question whether our coordinate order is best possible in these cases. A straightforward application of these results is that if C-L(D,mQ(infinity)) is self-dual, then its state complexity (with respect to the lexicographic coordinate order) achieves its DLP bound of n /2 - q(2)/4, and, in particular, so does its absolute state complexity.

Lower Bounds on the State Complexity of Geometric Goppa Codes

We reinterpret the state space dimension equations for geometric Goppa codes. An easy consequence is that if deg G less than or equal to n-2/2 or deg G greater than or equal to n-2/2 + 2g then the state complexity of C-L(D, G) is equal to the Wolf bound. For deg G is an element of [n-1/2, n-3/2 + 2g], we use Clifford's theorem to give a simple lower bound on the state complexity of C-L(D, G). We then derive two further lower bounds on the state space dimensions of C-L(D, G) in terms of the gonality sequence of F/F-q. (The gonality sequence is known for many of the function fields of interest for defining geometric Goppa codes.) One of the gonality bounds uses previous results on the generalised weight hierarchy of C-L(D, G) and one follows in a straightforward way from first principles; often they are equal. For Hermitian codes both gonality bounds are equal to the DLP lower bound on state space dimensions. We conclude by using these results to calculate the DLP lower bound on state complexity for Hermitian codes.

Self-awareness of Prospective Memory Failure in Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury

The frequency of prospective memory failure in individuals with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) was investigated by comparison with a non-brain-injured control group. Self-awareness of prospective memory function was also assessed by comparing self-ratings with ratings by significant others. Study participants included 33 individuals with severe TBI and 29 non-brain-injured persons. Each participant nominated a close friend or relative who completed the informant's version of the questionnaire. Participants and their significant others both rated the participants' frequency of prospective memory lapses using the Comprehensive Assessment of Prospective Memory (CAPM). An independent groups design was adopted to compare the TBI and control groups. No significant difference was found between the TBI and control participants' self-ratings of frequency of prospective memory failure, but ratings by significant others were significantly different. The TBI group demonstrated less self-awareness (i.e. underestimated the frequency of prospective memory failure compared to significant others) than the control group.

Micro-mechanical approximation to the stress field around an inclined fiber of FRCC

Matrix spalling or crushing is one of the important mechanisms of fiber-matrix interaction of fiber reinforced cementitious composites (FRCC). The fiber pullout mechanisms have been extensively studied for an aligned fiber but matrix failure is rarely investigated since it is thought not to be a major affect. However, for an inclined fiber, the matrix failure should not be neglected. Due to the complex process of matrix spalling, experimental investigation and analytical study of this mechanism are rarely found in literature. In this paper, it is assumed that the load transfer is concentrated within the short length of the inclined fiber from the exit point towards anchored end and follows the exponential law. The Mindlin formulation is employed to calculate the 3D stress field. The simulation gives much information about this field. The 3D approximation of the stress state around an inclined fiber helps to qualitatively understand the mechanism of matrix failure. Finally, a spalling criterion is proposed by which matrix spalling occurs only when the stress in a certain volume, rather than the stress at a small point, exceeds the material strength. This implies some local stress redistribution after first yield. The stress redistribution results in more energy input and higher load bearing capacity of the matrix. In accordance with this hypothesis, the evolution of matrix spalling is demonstrated. The accurate prediction of matrix spalling needs the careful determination of the parameters in this model. This is the work of further study. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficient time-independent wave packet scattering calculations within a Lanczos subspace: H+O-2 (J=0) state-to-state reaction probabilities

An efficient Lanczos subspace method has been devised for calculating state-to-state reaction probabilities. The method recasts the time-independent wave packet Lippmann-Schwinger equation [Kouri , Chem. Phys. Lett. 203, 166 (1993)] inside a tridiagonal (Lanczos) representation in which action of the causal Green's operator is affected easily with a QR algorithm. The method is designed to yield all state-to-state reaction probabilities from a given reactant-channel wave packet using a single Lanczos subspace; the spectral properties of the tridiagonal Hamiltonian allow calculations to be undertaken at arbitrary energies within the spectral range of the initial wave packet. The method is applied to a H+O-2 system (J=0), and the results indicate the approach is accurate and stable. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Calculation of resonances and product state distributions for the unimolecular dissociation of H2S

Resonance phenomena associated with the unimolecular dissociation of H2S --> SH + H have been investigated quantum mechanically by the Lanczos homogeneous filter diagonalization method using a newly developed potential energy surface (J. Chem. Phys. 2001, 114, 320). Resonance energies, widths (rates), and product state distributions have been obtained. Both dissociation rates and product state distributions of SH show, strong fluctuations, indicating that the dissociation of H2S is essentially irregular. Statistical analysis of neighboring level spacing and width distributions also confirms this behavior. The dissociation rates and product state distributions are compared to the predictions of quantum phase space theory.

Chebyshev real wave packet propagation: H+O-2 (J=0) state-to-state reactive scattering calculations

In this paper we explore the relative performance of two recently developed wave packet methodologies for reactive scattering, namely the real wave packet Chebyshev domain propagation of Gray and Balint-Kurti [J. Chem. Phys. 108, 950 (1998)] and the Lanczos subspace wave packet approach of Smith [J. Chem. Phys. 116, 2354 (2002); Chem. Phys. Lett. 336, 149 (2001)]. In the former method, a modified Schrodinger equation is employed to propagate the real part of the wave packet via the well-known Chebyshev iteration. While the time-dependent wave packet from the modified Schrodinger equation is different from that obtained using the standard Schrodinger equation, time-to-energy Fourier transformation yields wave functions which differ only trivially by normalization. In the Lanczos subspace approach the linear system of equations defining the action of the Green operator may be solved via either time-dependent or time-independent methods, both of which are extremely efficient due to the simple tridiagonal structure of the Hamiltonian in the Lanczos representation. The two different wave packet methods are applied to three dimensional reactive scattering of H+O-2 (total J=0). State-to-state reaction probabilities, product state distributions, as well as initial-state-resolved cumulative reaction probabilities are examined. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Entanglement in the steady state of a collective-angular-momentum (Dicke) model

We model the behavior of an ion trap with all ions driven simultaneously and coupled collectively to a heat bath. The equations for this system are similar to the irreversible dynamics of a collective angular momentum system known as the Dicke model. We show how the steady state of the ion trap as a dissipative many-body system driven far from equilibrium can exhibit quantum entanglement. We calculate the entanglement of this steady state for two ions in the trap and in the case of more than two ions we calculate the entanglement between two ions by tracing over all the other ions. The entanglement in the steady state is a maximum for the parameter values corresponding roughly to a bifurcation of a fixed point in the corresponding semiclassical dynamics. We conjecture that this is a general mechanism for entanglement creation in driven dissipative quantum systems.