Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal monetary policy under financial sector risk

We consider whether or not a central bank should respond directly to financial market conditions when setting monetary policy. Specifically, should a central bank put weight on interbank lending spreads in its Taylor rule policy function? ; Using a model with risk and balance sheet effects in both the real and financial sectors (Davis, "The Adverse Feedback Loop and the Effects of Risk in the both the Real and Financial Sectors" Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Globalization and Monetary Policy Institute Working Paper No. 66, November 2010) we find that when the conventional parameters in the Taylor rule (the coefficients on the lagged interest rate, inflation, and the output gap) are optimally chosen, the central bank should not put any weight on endogenous fluctuations in the interbank lending spread. ; However, the central bank should adjust the risk free rate in response to fluctuations in the spread that occur because of exogenous financial shocks, but we find that the central bank should not be too aggressive in its easing policy. Optimal policy calls for a two-thirds of a percentage point cut in the risk free rate in response to a financial shock that causes a one percentage point increase in interbank lending spreads.
Title of Thesis: Gpu Based Cloth Simulation on Moving Avatars Title of Thesis: Gpu Based Cloth Simulation on Moving Avatars Gpu Based Cloth Simulation on Moving Avatars

Title of Thesis: GPU Based Cloth Simulation on Moving Avatars Yi Wang, Master of Science, 2005 Thesis directed by:Dr. Marc Olano In real-time graphics applications, scenes involving cloth motion are very common. Real-time cloth simulation on moving characters is still a challenging task because of the long computation time to solve the physically based cloth model on the CPU. To improve the cloth simulation performance, we propose a level of detail (LOD) method to move part of the cloth simulation work to the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) on current graphics hardware. Current GPUs are highly parallel stream processors, which execute computeintensive operations more efficiently than CPUs, but provide less flexible resource access and logic controls. We take advantage of both the two processing units and combine them into a cloth simulation pipeline. The cloth is modeled as a mesh hierarchy. Only the coarse mesh is stored in main memory and processed by the CPU. After the coarse mesh motion is determined by the CPU, it is sent to the GPU for further refinement. We present a set of GPU algorithms that run in multiple rendering passes to subdivide cloth meshes, detect cloth-environment and cloth-cloth collisions and do collision response on the GPU. Our approach can be generalized to handle collision deformation behaviors and can be easily integrated in real-time graphics applications. GPU Based Cloth Simulation on Moving Avatars
T-pattern analysis in soccer games: relationship between time and attack actions

Sports performance consists of a multiple series of strategies that tend to follow one another. Performance analysis in team sports is usually focused on primary (fundamental skill execution), secondary (scoring) and tertiary (match result) outcomes. While there is general agreement over measuring secondary and tertiary outcomes, literature does not show a unanimous agreement over a unique measure of the primary level of performance. The aim of this study was to investigate primary performance outcomes through an analysis of temporal patterns. In particular, we were interested in verifying if changes in tertiary performance outcomes may be related to changes in primary ones. We selected three soccer matches played by a top club during the Serie A league over the 2012-2013 season in which there was a change in match result between *rst and second half (tertiary level of performance). The methodological approach was based on observational design, supported by digital recordings and computer analysis. Data were analyzed with theme 6 beta software, which detects the temporal and sequential structure of datasets, revealing repeated patterns that may regularly or irregularly occur within a period of observation (Tpatterns). Striking di+erences were found comparing first and second half temporal patterns, especially when the *nal match outcome showed an improvement of the first half ’s one. Our results suggest that 'eme software and T-pattern enhance research opportunities by identifying a useful tool to study the link between primary and tertiary level of performance, making this an e+ective research and support instrument for sports analysis.
Mind-of-the-Product - At the Heart of GRC Knowledge Integration

The organisational capacities to absorb, adapt and reconfigure resources in response to market challenges, regulatory reform and complex stakeholders and their expectations is necessary to achieve the strategic growth businesses need. Through the Mind-of-the Product (MotP) concept we outline how the variety of targets demanding business attention can cohere to support innovation grounded in compliance-centred processes. The MotP is developed as a foundational leadership concept for integrating organisational knowing, innovation and knowledge management.
Nonlinear dynamics of carbon nanotubes under large electrostatic force

Because of the inherent nonlinearities involving the behavior of CNTs when excited by electrostatic forces, modeling and simulating their behavior is challenging. The complicated form of the electrostatic force describing the interaction of their cylindrical shape, forming upper electrodes, to lower electrodes poises serious computational challenges. This presents an obstacle against applying and using several nonlinear dynamics tools typically used to analyze the behavior of complicated nonlinear systems, such as shooting, continuation, and integrity analysis techniques. This works presents an attempt to resolve this issue. We present an investigation of the nonlinear dynamics of carbon nanotubes when actuated by large electrostatic forces. We study expanding the complicated form of the electrostatic force into enough number of terms of the Taylor series. Then, we utilize this form along with an Euler–Bernoulli beam model to study the static and dynamic behavior of CNTs. The geometric nonlinearity and the nonlinear electrostatic force are considered. An efficient reduced-order model (ROM) based on the Galerkin method is developed and utilized to simulate the static and dynamic responses of the CNTs. Several results are generated demonstrating softening and hardening behavior of the CNTs near their primary and secondary resonances. The effect of DC voltage load and AC voltage load on the nonlinearity has been studied. We also investigated the impact of initial slack level on the natural frequency and the nonlinearity. Small diameter and large initial slacked CNTs has been considered.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
In ovo model in cancer research and tumor immunology

Considering cancer not only as malignant cells on their own but as a complex disease in which tumor cells interact and communicate with their microenvironment has motivated the establishment of clinically relevant 3D models in past years. Technological advances gave rise to novel bioengineered models, improved organoid systems, and microfabrication approaches, increasing scientific importance in preclinical research. Notwithstanding, mammalian in vivo models remain closest to mimic the patient’s situation but are limited by cost, time, and ethical constraints. Herein, the in ovo model bridges the gap as an advanced model for basic and translational cancer research without the need for ethical approval. With the avian embryo being a naturally immunodeficient host, tumor cells and primary tissues can be engrafted on the vascularized chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) with high efficiencies regardless of species-specific restrictions. The extraembryonic membranes are connected to the embryo through a continuous circulatory system, readily accessible for manipulation or longitudinal monitoring of tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, and matrix remodeling. However, its applicability in immunoncological research is largely underexplored. Dual engrafting of malignant and immune cells could provide a platform to study tumor-immune cell interactions in a complex, heterogenic and dynamic microenvironment with high reproducibility. With some caveats to keep in mind, versatile methods for in and ex ovo monitoring of cellular and molecular dynamics already established in ovo are applicable alike. In this view, the present review aims to emphasize and discuss opportunities and limitations of the chicken embryo model for pre-clinical research in cancer and cancer immunology.
Host specificity of a generalist parasite: genetic evidence of sympatric host races in the seabird tick Ixodes uriae

Due to the close association between parasites and their hosts, many ‘generalist’ parasites have a high potential to become specialized on different host species. We investigated this hypothesis for a common ectoparasite of seabirds, the tick Ixodes uriae that is often found in mixed host sites. We examined patterns of neutral genetic variation between ticks collected from Black‐legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) and Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) in sympatry. To control for a potential distance effect, values were compared to differences among ticks from the same host in nearby monospecific sites. As predicted, there was higher genetic differentiation between ticks from different sympatric host species than between ticks from nearby allopatric populations of the same host species. Patterns suggesting isolation by distance were found among tick populations of each host group, but no such patterns existed between tick populations of different hosts. Overall, results suggest that host‐related selection pressures have led to the specialization of I. uriae and that host race formation may be an important diversifying mechanism in parasites.
Experiences of Post‐Qualifying Study in Social Work

This article is based on a research project to explore the experiences of past and current candidates for post‐qualifying awards in social work in England. Also included in the study are the Leads of the post‐qualifying consortia in England. The study used questionnaire survey and nominal group techniques to gather data, which were coded and categorised into themes. The main findings relate to the perceived purposes of post‐qualifying study, motivations for undertaking post‐qualifying study, the factors that sustain and hinder study, the advice that those who have or who are experiencing post‐qualifying study would give to those about to start and future plans and hopes in this area. Post‐qualifying study is generally valued, especially in relation to the opportunities it provides for professional development. The support of a mentor who has direct experience of the candidate's programme is highly prized, as are clear and consistent guidance from the programme and meaningful study time and workload relief from employers. There are also frustrations for some candidates who do not feel that their post‐qualifying study has stretched them beyond qualifying standards or who experience the teaching as divorced from the realities of daily practice. The appetite for a wider choice of post‐qualifying modules suggests that providers of post‐qualifying study will need to collaborate within and across regions in order to achieve a critical mass of candidates for more specialist or focused learning. The study suggests a need for further research to understand the impact of post‐qualifying study on candidates' social work practice. The article concludes with two checklists of questions, one for individual candidates and another for agencies and programmes. These questions arise from the findings in the research.
Integral field spectroscopy of local LCBGs: NGC 7673, a case study. Physical properties of star-forming regions

Physical properties of the star-forming regions in the local Luminous Compact Blue Galaxy (LCBG) NGC 7673 are studied in detail using 3D spectroscopic data taken with the PMAS fibre pack (PPAK) integral field unit at the 3.5-m telescope in the Centro Astronomico Hispano Aleman (CAHA). We derive integrated and spatially resolved properties such as extinction, star formation rate (SFR) and metallicity for this galaxy. Our data show an extinction map with maximum values located at the position of the main clumps of star formation showing small spatial variations [E(B - V)(t) = 0.12-0.21 mag]. We derive an H alpha-based SFR for this galaxy of 6.2 +/- 0.8M(circle dot) yr(-1) in agreement with the SFR derived from infrared and radio continuum fluxes. The star formation is located mainly in clumps A, B, C and F. Different properties measured in clump B make this region peculiar. We find the highest H alpha luminosity with an SFR surface density of 0.5 M-circle dot yr(-1) kpc(-2) in this clump. In our previous work, the kinematic analysis for this galaxy shows an asymmetrical ionized gas velocity field with a kinematic decoupled component located at the position of clump B. This region shows the absence of strong absorption features and the presence of a Wolf-Rayet stellar population indicating that this is a young burst of massive stars. Furthermore, we estimate a gas metallicity of 12 + log(O/H) = 8.20 +/- 0.15 (0.32 solar) for the integrated galaxy using the R23 index. The values derived for the different clumps with this method show small metallicity variations in this galaxy, with values in the range 8.12 (for clump A) to 8.23 (for clump B) for 12 + log(O/H). The analysis of the emission-line ratios discards the presence of any active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity or shocks as the ionization source in this galaxy. Between the possible mechanisms to explain the starburst activity in this galaxy, our 3D spectroscopic data support the scenario of an on-going interaction with the possibility for clump B to be the dwarf satellite galaxy.
A variable-frequency parallel I/O interface with adaptive power supply regulation

Adaptive power supply regulation reduces power dissipation in DSP and microprocessor cores. A technique extends this concept to a high-performance parallel input/output (I/O) interface. An inverter, used as the basic delay element in the core of a dual-loop delay-locked loop (DLL), has delay controlled by the supply voltage. This control voltage is replicated by a high-efficiency switching supply to power the rest of the interface and to maximize energy-efficient operation.
Simulation of the field electron emission characteristics of a flat panel X-ray source

A distributed flat panel x-ray source is designed as an alternative for medical and industrial imaging fields. The distributed x-ray source corresponds to a two dimensional array of micro (~100μm) x-ray cells similar in format to a field emission display. In this paper the electron field emission characteristics of a single of the proposed micro-sized x-ray cells are simulated. The field electron emission from the CNTs-based cathode is simulated using the Particle-In-Cell code OOPIC Pro. The electron source is simulated as a triode structure, composed of an emitting cathode, extracting grid and anode. The possibility of using focusing lenses to control the trajectory of emitted electrons is evaluated as well. The CNT emitters are modeled as pure Fowler-Nordheim emitters. The field emission characteristics were analyzed for extracting voltages between 25 V and 70 V and accelerating voltages between 30 kV and 120kV. Under these conditions, JFN-V curves, energy distributions and electron distributions at the anode surface were determined. Electron trajectories were determined as well. When no focusing structures were employed, electron trajectories were found to be divergent. When focusing structures were included in the triode structure, the emitted electrons could be made to converge at the anode. In the focused cases, a dependency between the focal spot size and the extracting grid voltage was found. Results indicate an early feasibility of the proposed device to be employed as electron source in the proposed distributed flat panel x-ray
Power electronics converters for wind turbine systems

The steady growth of installed wind power which reached 200 GW capacity in 2010, together with the up-scaling of the single wind turbine power capability - 7 MW's has been announced by manufacturers - has pushed the research and development of power converters towards full scale power conversion, lowered cost pr kW, and increased power density and the need for higher reliability. Substantial efforts are made to comply with the more stringent grid codes, especially grid faults ride-through and reactive power injection, which challenges power converter topologies, because the need for crowbar protection and/or power converter over-rating has been seen in the case of a doubly-fed induction generator. In this paper, power converter technologies are reviewed with focus on single/multi-cell power converter topologies. Further, case studies on the Low Voltage Ride Through demand to power converter technology are presented including a discussion on reliability. It is concluded that as the power level increases in wind turbines, medium voltage power converters will be a dominant power converter configuration.
Quantum-enhanced correlated interferometry for fundamental physics tests

Improvements in measurement precision have historically led to new scientific discoveries, with gravitational wave detection being a recent prime example. The research field of quantum metrology deals with improving the resolution of instruments that are otherwise limited by quantum shot-noise. Quantum metrology is therefore a promising avenue for enabling scientific breakthroughs. Here we present the first feasibility tests of quantum-enhanced correlated interferometry, which outperforms the sensitivity of a single interferometer in revealing faint stochastic noise by several orders of magnitude. Using quantum-enhanced correlation techniques we detected an injected signal, invisible to the single interferometer, reaching a sensitivity of $3\times10^{-17}m/\sqrt{Hz}$ ($1/20$ of the shot-noise) at $13.5 MHz$ in a few seconds of integration time. By injecting bipartite quantum correlated states into the interferometers we also demonstrated a noise reduction in the subtraction of the interferometer outputs. The experimental techniques employed here could potentially be applied to solve open questions in fundamental physics, such as the detection of the stochastic gravitational wave background or primordial black holes, or to test the predictions of particular Planck scale theories.
Engineering techniques to dendrite free Zinc-based rechargeable batteries

Rechargeable Zn-based batteries (RZBs) have garnered a great interest and are thought to be among the most promising options for next-generation energy storage technologies due to their low price, high levels of safety, adequate energy density and environmental friendliness. However, dendrite formation during stripping/plating prevents rechargeable zinc-based batteries from being used in real-world applications. Dendrite formation is still a concern, despite the fact that inhibitory strategies have been put up recently to eliminate the harmful effects of zinc dendrites. Thus, in order to direct the strategies for inhibiting zinc dendrite growth, it is vital to understand the formation mechanism of zinc dendrites. Hence, for the practical application of zinc-based batteries, is essential to use techniques that effectively prevent the creation and growth of zinc dendrites. The development and growth principles of zinc dendrites are first made clear in this review. The recent advances of solutions to the zinc dendrite problem are then discussed, including strategies to prevent dendrite growth and subsequent creation as much as possible, reduce the negative impacts of dendrites, and create dendrite-free deposition processes. Finally, the challenges and perspective for the development of zinc-based batteries are discussed.
Hydrogel co-loading SO2 prodrug and FeGA nanoparticles for enhancing chemodynamic therapy by photothermal-triggered SO2 gas therapy

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is an effective anti-tumor method, while CDT alone cannot achieve a good therapeutic effect. Moreover, the overexpression of glutathione (GSH) in tumor cells dramatically limits the efficiency of CDT. Here, we proposed a hydrogel co-loading SO2 prodrug and FeGA nanoparticles (NPs) for enhancing CDT by photothermal-triggered SO2 gas therapy (FBH) system by mixing benzothiazolyl sulfonates (BTS) and FeGA NPs in a certain ratio and encapsulating them in a heat-sensitive hydrogel. FeGA NPs could accelerate the release of Fe2+ under acidic conditions and light, and combine with excess H2O2 in the tumor for chemokinetic treatment. BTS, as a water-soluble prodrug of SO2, can accurately control the release of SO2 gas by virtue of the excellent photothermal conversion ability of FeGA NPs and the acidic pH value of tumor site. SO2 can not only induce cell apoptosis, but also consume excess GSH in cancer cells and increase the content of reactive oxygen species, which seriously destroyed the redox balance in cancer cells and further promotes the therapeutic effect of Fenton reaction. The intelligent FBH system provided a new approach for the synergistic treatment of CDT and SO2 gas, which demonstrated good anticancer effects both in vivo and in vitro.
The serum free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine ratio as a potential prognostic biomarker of chronic kidney disease in patients with glomerular crescents: A retrospective study

Background Crescent formation indicates severe glomerular pathology, and hypothyroidism usually predicts poor prognosis for severe diseases. However, the relationship between thyroid function and the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unclear. This study analysed the prognostic predictive value of the serum free triiodothyronine (FT3) to free thyroxine (FT4) ratio and its correlation with renal function in patients with CKD with crescent formation. Methods This single-centre study included 162 CKD patients with glomerular crescents confirmed by renal pathology between March 2012 and December 2014. According to the first tertile (0.284) of FT3/FT4 ratio, the patients were divided into high and low FT3/FT4 ratio groups. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of the FT3/FT4 ratio. Results The age, haemoglobin, eGFR, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, cardiac troponin T, N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor, FT3, FT4, percentage of total crescents in non-globally sclerotic glomeruli, prevalences of hypertension, moderate to severe renal tubulopathy and crescentic nephritis, and proportion of patients receiving glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants were significantly different between high and low FT3/FT4 ratio groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that when compared with patients with a high FT3/FT4 ratio (>0.284), those with intermediate and low FT3/FT4 ratios (≤0.284) had an increased risk of the long-term composite endpoint (P < 0.05 for various adjustment models). Conclusions A low FT3/FT4 ratio is associated with increased mortality and worse outcome risk in CKD patients with crescent pathology.