Postglacial strain rate – stress paradox, example of the Western Alps active faults

The understanding of the origins of seismicity in intraplate regions is crucial to better characterize seismic hazards. In formerly glaciated regions such as Fennoscandia North America or the Western Alps, stress perturbations from Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) have been proposed as a major cause of large earthquakes. In this study, we focus on the Western Alps case using numerical modeling of lithosphere response to the Last Glacial Maximum icecap. We show that the flexural response to GIA induces present-day stress perturbations of ca. 1–2 MPa, associated with horizontal extension rates up to ca. 2.5 × 10−9 yr−1. The latter is in good agreement with extension rates of ca. 2 × 10−9 yr−1 derived from high-resolution geodetic (GNSS) data and with the overall seismicity deformation pattern. In the majority of simulations, stress perturbations induced by GIA promote fault reactivation in the internal massifs and in the foreland regions (i.e., positive Coulomb Failure Stress perturbation), but with predicted rakes systematically incompatible with those from earthquake focal mechanisms. Thus, although GIA explains a major part of the GNSS strain rates, it tends to inhibit the observed seismicity in the Western Alps. A direct corollary of this result is that, in cases of significant GIA effect, GNSS strain rate measurements cannot be directly integrated in seismic hazard computations, but instead require detailed modeling of the GIA transient impact.

Evidence of High-Detail Perceptual Modeling in the Visual Cortex

This informal but well-referenced description of an afterimage experiment called Ghost Tap provides persuasive and easily reproducible evidence that the visual cortex plays a significant role in certain classes of long-duration visual afterimages. Subjects of the experiment literally cannot discern the difference between the afterimage and reality, resulting in easy startling of the subjects when physical motion in the room no longer matches the persuasive afterimages they are perceiving. Anecdotal examples of less extreme versions of the same effect suggest that the Ghost Tap effect has, over centuries, intentionally and unintentionally helped persuade people of the existence of nominally “supernatural” effects that are just persuasive long-duration afterimages. While this description is informal, the easy reproducibility of the Ghost Tap makes it a good candidate for more precise and quantitative studies. One theory why Ghost Tap exists is that it is part of load reduction and speed enhancement strategy to compensate for the slow processing speeds of neurons. Maintaining a dynamic and predictive real-time model of likely sensory inputs from the external world would enable the brain to discard quickly and with minimal processing any sensory inputs that fall within the predictive tolerance limits to the current model state. A perceptive load reduction interpretation of the Ghost Tap argues that the ability of the brain to support dreaming in vivid detail is likely a direct corollary of its ability to create dream-like waking states for faster and more efficient processing of large sensory loads. If the brain regularly uses dream-like waking states to reduce data, more study of effects like Ghost Tap might help explain the frequency of pathologies in which perception becomes disconnected from reality.

Punishment of Crime in Nigeria and South Africa: Some Perspectives on Capital Punishment

Crime prevention can be any scheme, idea, or course of action or effort that reduces or eliminates crime in any given society. This article examines the perception that the adoption of the death penalty as a form of crime punishment will automatically result in a decrease in crime. The article adopts the qualitative research approach of document analysis, using comparative studies of two African countries (Nigeria and South Africa), one being a retainer of the death penalty and the other being an abolitionist of the death penalty. Attention is given to the contemporary national, regional, and international statutory provisions relevant to the death penalty. The article concludes with the premise that the adoption of the death penalty as a means of crime punishment has no direct corollary to the crime rate in society, but that a decrease in the crime rate is possible only with efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system.

Within-Station Variability in Kappa: Evidence of Directionality Effects

ABSTRACT One of the most commonly used parameters to describe seismic attenuation is the high-frequency spectral decay parameter Kappa (κr), yet the physics behind it remain little understood. A better understanding of potential factors that lead to large scatter in estimated values of κr constitutes a critical need for ground-motion modeling and seismic hazard assessment at large. Most research efforts to date have focused on studying the site-to-site and model-to-model variability of κ, but the uncertainties in individual κr estimations associated with different events at a selected site (which we refer to as the within-station variability of κr) remain uncharacterized. As a direct corollary, obtaining robust estimates of the site-specific component κ0, and their corresponding interpretation become a challenge. To understand the sources of the variability observed in κr (and κ0) at a single site, we select 10 Japanese Kiban–Kyoshin network (KiK-net) downhole arrays and investigate the systematic contributions from ground-motion directionality. We observe that κr estimated from a single horizontal component is orientation dependent. In addition, the influence of ground-motion directionality is a function of local site conditions. We propose an orientation-independent κr-value, which is not affected either by ground-motion directionality or by the events’ azimuths. In addition, we find that focal depth of events used in κr calculations affects the estimation of the regional attenuation component κR, which, in turn, influences the within-station variability in the κ0 model.

ON THE RESIDUE OF EISENSTEIN CLASSES OF SIEGEL VARIETIES

Eisenstein classes of Siegel varieties are motivic cohomology classes defined as pull-backs by torsion sections of the polylogarithm prosheaf on the universal abelian scheme. By reduction to the Hilbert–Blumenthal case, we prove that the Betti realization of these classes on Siegel varieties of arbitrary genus have non-trivial residue on zero-dimensional strata of the Baily–Borel–Satake compactification. A direct corollary is the non-vanishing of a higher regulator map.

Epilogue

This epilogue reflects on the history of drug and alcohol abuse in baseball, first by recounting the story of Seattle Mariners shortstop Alex Rodriguez. Known as A-Rod, Rodriguez has become the most recognizable face in baseball with regards to the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)—possibly in all of sports. In the wake of the Mitchell Report findings, Rodriguez adamantly proclaimed his innocence when he was connected with PED use, later admitted that he lied about his past drug abuses, and then doubled down on the denials when indicted yet again, this time for transgressions related to the 2013 doping scandal involving Biogenesis of America. On January 11, 2014, Rodriguez, after a lengthy period of arbitration, was formally suspended for 162 games—at that point the longest non-lifetime suspension in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. This epilogue considers some of the reasons why people are so bothered by the use of PEDs in baseball and suggests that drug use in baseball could be ascribed as a direct corollary to the American obsession with winning.

INTEGRATION AND CELL DECOMPOSITION IN P-MINIMAL STRUCTURES

We show that the class of ${\cal L}$-constructible functions is closed under integration for any P-minimal expansion of a p-adic field $\left( {K,{\cal L}} \right)$. This generalizes results previously known for semi-algebraic and subanalytic structures. As part of the proof, we obtain a weak version of cell decomposition and function preparation for P-minimal structures, a result which is independent of the existence of Skolem functions. A direct corollary is that Denef’s results on the rationality of Poincaré series hold in any P-minimal expansion of a p-adic field $\left( {K,{\cal L}} \right)$.

Representations and evaluations of the error term in a certain divisor problem

In this paper, we shall derive representations of the Chowla-Walum type formula for the error term in a divisor problem related to the derivatives of the Riemann zeta-function. As a direct corollary of this formula, we shall consider estimations of this error term.

Expiry day Impact on return on Indian Stock market (NSE)- an Empirical Study

Derivative products are alleged to have a sharp affect on the stock market in various ways ever since their inception in June 2000. Currently, derivative trading constitutes approximately 90% of the total turnover of the NSE (National Stock Exchange). Launching of derivatives and their expiration (last Thursday of every month) in the Indian stock market has been perceived to have direct corollary on the return, volatility, efficiency and marketability of the stock market. This paper tries to analyze empirically the expiration day effect of stock derivatives on underlying securities. This study tests the presence of the last Thursday of the montheffect on stock market volatility by using the S&P 500 market index during the period of January 2012 and December 2012 and sample companies which are trading on derivative market. The findings show that the last Thursday of the month effect on stock market volatility is not present in volatility and return equations.

Fuzzy Continuity of Almost Linear Operators

In this paper, the author studies relations between fuzzy continuity and boundedness of approximately linear operators in the context of neoclassical analysis. The main result of this paper (Theorem 1) demonstrates that for approximately linear operators, fuzzy continuity is equivalent to boundedness when the continuity defect (or measure of discontinuity) is sufficiently small. The classical result that describes continuity of linear operators becomes a direct corollary of this theorem. Applying Theorem 1, we demonstrate (Theorem 2) that for linear operators in normed vector spaces, fuzzy continuity coincides with continuity when the continuity defect is sufficiently small, i.e., when it is less than one. Results are oriented at applications in physics, theory of information and other fields where operator equations play an important role. Several open problems and directions for future research are considered at the end of the paper.