On bifurcation of solutions of the Yamabe problem in product manifolds

We study local rigidity and multiplicity of constant scalar curvature metrics in arbitrary products of compact manifolds. Using (equivariant) bifurcation theory we determine the existence of infinitely many metrics that are accumulation points of pairwise non-homothetic solutions of the Yamabe problem. Using local rigidity and some compactness results for solutions of the Yamabe problem, we also exhibit new examples of conformal classes (with positive Yamabe constant) for which uniqueness holds. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Bourgin-Yang version of the Borsuk-Ulam theorem for Z(pk)-equivariant maps

Let G = Z(pk) be a cyclic group of prime power order and let V and W be orthogonal representations of G with V-G = W-G = W-G = {0}. Let S(V) be the sphere of V and suppose f: S(V) -> W is a G-equivariant mapping. We give an estimate for the dimension of the set f(-1){0} in terms of V and W. This extends the Bourgin-Yang version of the Borsuk-Ulam theorem to this class of groups. Using this estimate, we also estimate the size of the G-coincidences set of a continuous map from S(V) into a real vector space W'.

A new analysis of the GJ581 extrasolar planetary system

We have done a new analysis of the available observations of the GJ581 exoplanetary system. Today this system is controversial due to choices that can be done in the orbital determination. The main ones are the occurrence of aliases and the additional bodies-the planets f and g-announced in Vogt et al. (Astrophys J 723:954-965, 2010). Any dynamical study of exoplanets requires the good knowledge of the orbital elements and the investigations involving the planet g are particularly interesting, since this body would lie in the habitable zone (HZ) of the star GJ581. This region, for this system, is very attractive of the dynamical point of view due to several resonances of two and three bodies present there. In this work, we investigate the conditions under which the planet g may exist. We stress the fact that the planet g is intimately related with the orbital elements of the planet d; more precisely, we conclude that it is not possible to disconnect its existence from the determination of the eccentricity of the planet d. Concerning the planet f, we have found one solution with period a parts per thousand 450 days, but we are judicious about any affirmation concerning this body because its signal is in the threshold of detection and the high period is in a spectral region where the occurrence of aliases is very common. Besides, we outline some dynamical features of the HZ with the dynamical map and point out the role played by some resonances laying there.

Isatin-Schiff base copper(II) complexes-A DFT study of the metal-ligand bonding situation

Herein, we report results of calculations based on density functional theory (BP86/TZVP) of a set of isatin-Schiff base copper(II) and related complexes, 1-12, that have shown significant pro-apoptotic activity toward diverse tumor cells. The interaction of the copper(II) cation with different ligands has been investigated at the same level of theory. The strength and character of the Cu(II)-L bonding was characterized by metal-ligand bond lengths, vibrational frequencies, binding energies, ligand deformation energies, and natural population analysis. The metal-ligand bonding situation was also characterized by using two complementary topological approaches, the quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM) and the electron localization function (ELF). The calculated electronic g-tensor and hyperfine coupling constants present significant agreement with the EPR experimental data. The calculated parameters pointed to complex 10 as the most stable among the isatin-Schiff base copper(II) species, in good agreement with experimental data that indicate this complex as the most reactive in the series. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012

TRANSITIVITY AND ROTATION SETS WITH NONEMPTY INTERIOR FOR HOMEOMORPHISMS OF THE 2-TORUS

We show that if f is a homeomorphism of the 2-torus isotopic to the identity and its lift (f) over tilde is transitive, or even if it is transitive outside the lift of the elliptic islands, then (0,0) is in the interior of the rotation set of (f) over tilde. This proves a particular case of Boyland's conjecture.

On the zeros of polynomials: an extension of the Enestrom-Kakeya theorem

This paper presents an extension of the Enestrom-Kakeya theorem concerning the roots of a polynomial that arises from the analysis of the stability of Brown (K, L) methods. The generalization relates to relaxing one of the inequalities on the coefficients of the polynomial. Two results concerning the zeros of polynomials will be proved, one of them providing a partial answer to a conjecture by Meneguette (1994)[6]. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Describing some of the Dimensions that comprise the Profile of the Faculty Staff of Statistics Departments in Brazil

Statistics is a required course in virtually all undergraduate programs in Brazilian universities. In addition, undergraduate programs in Statistics are offered in many public universities. However, despite the importance of this science, there are no systematic studies in the national literature regarding the characterization of the faculty staff, which is responsible for the teaching of statistics in the country. In this context, this paper presents a description of the faculty members of undergraduate courses in Statistics. This description was based on a descriptive sample, related to aspects of their education and scientific production. A prediction of future demand for PhDs in Statistics to fill the vacancies is also provided based on the retirement of faculty members in undergraduate courses in Statistics in the country.

Axioms for the coincidence index of maps between manifolds of the same dimension

We study the coincidence theory of maps between two manifolds of the same dimension from an axiomatic viewpoint. First we look at coincidences of maps between manifolds where one of the maps is orientation true, and give a set of axioms such that characterizes the local index (which is an integer valued function). Then we consider coincidence theory for arbitrary pairs of maps between two manifolds. Similarly we provide a set of axioms which characterize the local index, which in this case is a function with values in Z circle plus Z(2). We also show in each setting that the group of values for the index (either Z or Z circle plus Z(2)) is determined by the axioms. Finally, for the general case of coincidence theory for arbitrary pairs of maps between two manifolds we provide a set of axioms which characterize the local Reidemeister trace which is an element of an abelian group which depends on the pair of functions. These results extend known results for coincidences between orientable differentiable manifolds. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of Trade in Non-timber Forest Products on Cooperation among Caboclo Households of the Brazilian Amazon

Trade in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) has been touted as promoting forest conservation and enhancing the well-being of local residents through increased cash income, which is considered a positive outcome. However, research on cooperation has demonstrated that increased market access and income may strengthen or weaken cooperation. Because cooperation is essential for community resilience in small-scale societies, negative effects on people's well-being can be expected if increased NTFP trade reduces cooperation. To evaluate whether NTFP trade affected cooperation, we used household data (survey and systematic observations) to compare the frequency of cooperation in two communities of Brazilian Amazon Caboclos, one of which engaged in NTFP trade, while the other did not. Cooperation was less frequent in the community trading NTFPs, but neither household cash income nor household participation in NTFP exploitation was associated with cooperative behavior. Decreased frequency most likely derived from indirect effects of NTFP trade, such as less time to fish or socialize, or other outcomes observable only at the community level, such as income inequality, the influx of new residents and consequent population growth. Our results indicate that conservation and development projects based on NTFP trade may negatively impact social and economic well-being of local communities.

An in-depth analysis of the HIV-1/AIDS dynamics by comprehensive mathematical modeling

This work presents major results from a novel dynamic model intended to deterministically represent the complex relation between HIV-1 and the human immune system. The novel structure of the model extends previous work by representing different host anatomic compartments under a more in-depth cellular and molecular immunological phenomenology. Recently identified mechanisms related to HIV-1 infection as well as other well known relevant mechanisms typically ignored in mathematical models of HIV-1 pathogenesis and immunology, such as cell-cell transmission, are also addressed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of the initial condition in equilibrium last-passage percolation models

In this paper we consider an equilibrium last-passage percolation model on an environment given by a compound two-dimensional Poisson process. We prove an L-2-formula relating the initial measure with the last-passage percolation time. This formula turns out to be a useful tool to analyze the fluctuations of the last-passage times along non-characteristic directions.

The local power of the gradient test

The asymptotic expansion of the distribution of the gradient test statistic is derived for a composite hypothesis under a sequence of Pitman alternative hypotheses converging to the null hypothesis at rate n(-1/2), n being the sample size. Comparisons of the local powers of the gradient, likelihood ratio, Wald and score tests reveal no uniform superiority property. The power performance of all four criteria in one-parameter exponential family is examined.

Facets of Gender : Analyses of the Family and the Labour Market

This thesis contains four different studies on the dynamics of gender in households and workplaces. The relationship between family life and work life is in focus, particularly in the paper on labour market outcomes after divorce. In the introductory chapter, the Swedish context is briefly described. The description focuses on gender differences in the labour market and in the home. Theories concerning the division of work in the household are discussed, as are two theories on labour market discrimination, viz. taste discrimination and statistical discrimination. The theory part is concluded with a discussion of social closure processes and gendered organizational structures. The Reproduction of Gender. Housework and Attitudes Towards Gender Equality in the Home Among Swedish Boys and Girls. The housework boys and girls age 10 to 18 do, and their attitudes towards gender equality in the home are studied. One aim is to see whether the work children do is gendered and if so, whether they follow their parents’, often gendered, pattern in housework. A second aim is to see whether parents’ division of work is related to the children’s attitude towards gender equality in the home. The data used are taken from the Swedish Child Level of Living Survey (Child-LNU) 2000. Results indicate that girls and boys in two-parent families are more prone to engage in gender-atypical work the more their parent of the same sex engages in this kind of work. The fact that girls still do more housework than boys indicates that housework is gendered work also among children. No relation between parents’ division of work and the child’s attitude towards gender equality in the home was found. Dependence within Families and the Household Division of Labor – A Comparison between Sweden and the United States. This paper assesses the relative explanatory value of the resource-bargaining perspective and the doing-gender approach in analysing the division of housework in the United States and Sweden from the mid-1970s to 2000. Data from the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) were used. Overall results indicate that housework is truly gendered work in both countries during the entire period. Even so, the results also indicate that gender deviance neutralization is more pronounced in the United States than in Sweden. Unlike Swedish women, American women seem to increase their time spent in housework when their husbands are to some extent economically dependent on them, as if to neutralize the presumed gender deviance. Divorce and Labour Market Outcomes. Do Women Suffer or Gain? In this paper, the interconnected nature of work and family is studied by looking at labour market outcomes after divorce. The data used are retrospective work and family histories collected in LNU 1991. A hazard regression model with competing risks reveals that women’s chances of improving their occupational prestige appear to be better after divorce compared to before. Increased working hours and perhaps also increased energy invested in the job may pay off in better occupational opportunities. Worth noting, however, is that the outcome among women with a less firm labour market attachment is more often to a job of lower prestige than one of higher prestige. Hence, the labour market outcome for women after divorce is to some extent conditioned by their labour market attachment at the time of divorce. Men, on the other hand, in most cases seem to suffer occupationally from divorce. For separated men the risk of negative changes in occupational prestige is greater than for cohabiting men. Formal On-the-job Training. A Gender-Typed Experience and Wage- Related Advantage? Formal on-the-job training (FOJT) can have a positive impact on wages and on promotion opportunities. According to theory and earlier research, a two-step model of gender inequality in FOJT is predicted: First, women are less likely than men to take part in FOJT and, second, once women do get the more remunerative training, they are not rewarded for their new skills to the same extent as men are. Pooled cross-sectional data from the Swedish Survey of Living Conditions (ULF) in the mid-nineties were used. Results show that women are significantly less likely than men to take part in FOJT. Among those who do receive training, women are more likely to take part in industry-specific training, whereas men are more likely to participate in general training and training that increases promotion opportunities. The two latter forms of training significantly raise a man’s annual earnings but not a woman’s. Hence, the theoretical model is supported and it is argued that this gender inequality is partly due to employers’ discriminatory practices.

The Emergence of the Post-Socialist Welfare State - The Case of the Baltic States : Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

This dissertation takes a step towards providing a better understanding of post-socialist welfare state development from a theoretical as well as an empirical perspective. The overall analytical goal of this thesis has been to critically assess the development of social policies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania using them as illustrative examples of post-socialist welfare state development in the light of the theories, approaches and typologies that have been developed to study affluent capitalist democracies. The four studies included in this dissertation aspire to a common aim in a number of specific ways. The first study tries to place the ideal-typical welfare state models of the Baltic States within the well-known welfare state typologies. At the same time, it provides a rich overview of the main social security institutions in the three countries by comparing them with each other and with the previous structures of the Soviet period. It examines the social insurance institutions of the Baltic States (old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, short-term benefits, sickness, maternity and parental insurance and family benefits) with respect to conditions of eligibility, replacement rates, financing and contributions. The findings of this study indicate that the Latvian social security system can generally be labelled as a mix of the basic security and corporatist models. The Estonian social security system can generally also be characterised as a mix of the basic security and corporatist models, even if there are some weak elements of the targeted model in it. It appears that the institutional changes developing in the social security system of Lithuania have led to a combination of the basic security and targeted models of the welfare state. Nevertheless, as the example of the three Baltic States shows, there is diversity in how these countries solve problems within the field of social policy. In studying the social security schemes in detail, some common features were found that could be attributed to all three countries. Therefore, the critical analysis of the main social security institutions of the Baltic States in this study gave strong supporting evidence in favour of identifying the post-socialist regime type that is already gaining acceptance within comparative welfare state research. Study Two compares the system of social maintenance and insurance in the Soviet Union, which was in force in the three Baltic countries before their independence, with the currently existing social security systems. The aim of the essay is to highlight the forces that have influenced the transformation of the social policy from its former highly universal, albeit authoritarian, form, to the less universal, social insurance-based systems of present-day Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This study demonstrates that the welfare–economy nexus is not the only important factor in the development of social programs. The results of this analysis revealed that people's attitudes towards distributive justice and the developmental level of civil society also play an important part in shaping social policies. The shift to individualism in people’s mentality and the decline of the labour movement, or, to be more precise, the decline in trade union membership and influence, does nothing to promote the development of social rights in the Baltic countries and hinders the expansion of social policies. The legacy of the past has been another important factor in shaping social programs. It can be concluded that social policy should be studied as if embedded not only in the welfare-economy nexus, but also in the societal, historical and cultural nexus of a given society. Study Three discusses the views of the state elites on family policy within a wider theoretical setting covering family policy and social policy in a broader sense and attempts to expand this analytical framework to include other post-socialist countries. The aim of this essay is to explore the various views of the state elites in the Baltics concerning family policy and, in particular, family benefits as one of the possible explanations for the observed policy differences. The qualitative analyses indicate that the Baltic States differ significantly with regard to the motives behind their family policies. Lithuanian decision-makers seek to reduce poverty among families with children and enhance the parents’ responsibility for bringing up their children. Latvian policy-makers act so as to increase the birth rate and create equal opportunities for children from all families. Estonian policy-makers seek to create equal opportunities for all children and the desire to enhance gender equality is more visible in the case of Estonia in comparison with the other two countries. It is strongly arguable that there is a link between the underlying motives and the kinds of family benefits in a given country. This study, thus, indicates how intimately the attitudes of the state bureaucrats, policy-makers, political elite and researchers shape social policy. It confirms that family policy is a product of the prevailing ideology within a country, while the potential influence of globalisation and Europeanisation is detectable too. The final essay takes into account the opinions of welfare users and examines the performances of the institutionalised family benefits by relying on the recipients’ opinions regarding these benefits. The opinions of the populations as a whole regarding government efforts to help families are compared with those of the welfare users. Various family benefits are evaluated according to the recipients' satisfaction with those benefits as well as the contemporaneous levels of subjective satisfaction with the welfare programs related to the absolute level of expenditure on each program. The findings of this paper indicate that, in Latvia, people experience a lower level of success regarding state-run family insurance institutions, as compared to those in Lithuania and Estonia. This is deemed to be because the cash benefits for families and children in Latvia are, on average, seen as marginally influencing the overall financial situation of the families concerned. In Lithuania and Estonia, the overwhelming majority think that the family benefit systems improve the financial situation of families. It appears that recipients evaluated universal family benefits as less positive than targeted benefits. Some universal benefits negatively influenced the level of general satisfaction with the family benefits system provided in the countries being researched. This study puts forward a discussion about whether universalism is always more legitimate than targeting. In transitional economies, in which resources are highly constrained, some forms of universal benefits could turn out to be very expensive in relative terms, without being seen as useful or legitimate forms of help to families. In sum, by closely examining the different aspects of social policy, this dissertation goes beyond the over-generalisation of Eastern European welfare state development and, instead, takes a more detailed look at what is really going on in these countries through the examples of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In addition, another important contribution made by this study is that it revives ‘western’ theoretical knowledge through ‘eastern’ empirical evidence and provides the opportunity to expand the theoretical framework for post-socialist societies.

A generalization of the Moore-Penrose inverse related to matrix subspaces of C(nxm)

[EN]A natural generalization of the classical Moore-Penrose inverse is presented. The so-called S-Moore-Penrose inverse of a m x n complex matrix A, denoted by As, is defined for any linear subspace S of the matrix vector space Cnxm. The S-Moore-Penrose inverse As is characterized using either the singular value decomposition or (for the nonsingular square case) the orthogonal complements with respect to the Frobenius inner product. These results are applied to the preconditioning of linear systems based on Frobenius norm minimization and to the linearly constrained linear least squares problem.