title: Exogenous events, economic stimulus and its future trajectory

authors: Merrill, Natalie

abstract: The present worldwide COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that our society is continuously faced with exogenous events. Looking at the past shows policy makers use monetary and fiscal policy to respond to these events; however, the jury is not out for the superior policy or combination of policies to react to exogenous events. The primary research question within this thesis is to determine the most effective and successful economic policy response to exogenous events by using insight from historical natural disasters, terrorist attacks and pandemics. The methodological approach taken within this thesis is a deductivism approach. Specifically, the analysis uses a methodological approach similar to that of an event study methodology. To analyse key macroeconomic variables within a two-year period post the exogenous event studied to analyse how macroeconomic variables responded to the economic response introduced as a result of the exogenous event or lack of, to determine any significant abnormal results. Furthermore, synthetic controls are used to study precautionary savings levels post the exogenous events. Overall, the primary conclusion of this thesis asserted that due to the indirect nature of monetary policy and its diminishing benefits it shall be treated as a defibrillator and not the rehab. Whereas fiscal policy should be the predominant tool used to recover from long-term exogenous shocks, with the key caveat being stimulus is targeted and governments are responsible for taking on debt when the economic benefits stack up.

text: Exogenous events, economic stimulus and its future trajectory The present worldwide COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that our society is continuously faced with exogenous events. Looking at the past shows policy makers use monetary and fiscal policy to respond to these events; however, the jury is not out for the superior policy or combination of policies to react to exogenous events. The primary research question within this thesis is to determine the most effective and successful economic policy response to exogenous events by using insight from historical natural disasters, terrorist attacks and pandemics. The methodological approach taken within this thesis is a deductivism approach. Specifically, the analysis uses a methodological approach similar to that of an event study methodology. To analyse key macroeconomic variables within a two-year period post the exogenous event studied to analyse how macroeconomic variables responded to the economic response introduced as a result of the exogenous event or lack of, to determine any significant abnormal results. Furthermore, synthetic controls are used to study precautionary savings levels post the exogenous events. Overall, the primary conclusion of this thesis asserted that due to the indirect nature of monetary policy and its diminishing benefits it shall be treated as a defibrillator and not the rehab. Whereas fiscal policy should be the predominant tool used to recover from long-term exogenous shocks, with the key caveat being stimulus is targeted and governments are responsible for taking on debt when the economic benefits stack up.

year: 2021

title: Calculated spectroscopy and atmospheric photodissociation of phosphoric acid

authors: Yekutiel, Mivsam

subjects: chemistry

abstract: Detection of phosphine (PH₃) gas in the upper troposphere suggests that the biogeochemical P cycle also includes an atmospheric component that consists of volatile phosphorus-containing molecules. A reasonable end product for the oxidation of PH3 in the atmosphere is phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄). We propose that H₃PO₄ may be photodissociated into HOPO₂ and H₂O in the stratosphere, where H₃PO₄ is likely to be present in gaseous form. We have calculated the energy barrier of this reaction and show that in addition to electronic transitions, OH-stretching overtone transitions can also provide the necessary energy. OH-stretching fundamental and overtone transitions were calculated with the use of an anharmonic oscillator local mode model. The probability of overtone induced photodissociation was estimated with molecular dynamical reaction coordinate simulations. Electronic transitions were calculated with the equation of motion coupled cluster singles doubles method. We have calculated the photodissociation rate constants for absorption of visible, UV, and Lyman-α radiation at altitudes from 20 to 100 km. We show that at altitudes between 30 and 70 km, the photodissociation of H3PO4 is likely to proceed via absorption in the UV region by electronic transitions.

text: Calculated spectroscopy and atmospheric photodissociation of phosphoric acid Detection of phosphine (PH₃) gas in the upper troposphere suggests that the biogeochemical P cycle also includes an atmospheric component that consists of volatile phosphorus-containing molecules. A reasonable end product for the oxidation of PH3 in the atmosphere is phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄). We propose that H₃PO₄ may be photodissociated into HOPO₂ and H₂O in the stratosphere, where H₃PO₄ is likely to be present in gaseous form. We have calculated the energy barrier of this reaction and show that in addition to electronic transitions, OH-stretching overtone transitions can also provide the necessary energy. OH-stretching fundamental and overtone transitions were calculated with the use of an anharmonic oscillator local mode model. The probability of overtone induced photodissociation was estimated with molecular dynamical reaction coordinate simulations. Electronic transitions were calculated with the equation of motion coupled cluster singles doubles method. We have calculated the photodissociation rate constants for absorption of visible, UV, and Lyman-α radiation at altitudes from 20 to 100 km. We show that at altitudes between 30 and 70 km, the photodissociation of H3PO4 is likely to proceed via absorption in the UV region by electronic transitions.

year: 2010

title: The social meaning potential of loanwords: Empirical explorations of lexical borrowing as expression of (social) identity

authors: Zenner, Eline

abstract: The use of loanwords is not merely a lexical act (filling a lexical gap in a given language, or using a shorter word in place of a longer expression) but also a socially meaningful one – a contextual expression of self, social identity and language regard. Recent lexical borrowing research has drawn attention to this social meaning potential of loanwords. What motivates language users to select a borrowed form over a receptor language equivalent, what is the (perceived) social meaning of this choice and how can we empirically address these questions? This special issue seeks to bring into debate the interface between speakers (the social dimension) and language (the linguistic dimension) with regard to lexical borrowing, and to probe how language regard and speaker identity influence and explain the use of loanwords. In a bid to better understand this complex interface, the special issue includes papers that explore a range of empirical methodologies drawn from different subfields of (socio)linguistics and closely related scientific domains (linguistic anthropology, conversation analysis, corpus linguistics, social psychology and psycholinguistics) and documents a variety of contact situations: English loans into French and Finnish, Māori loanwords into New Zealand English, German loans into Dutch. Together, the different perspectives presented in this issue help advance our understanding of the relationship between lexical change on the one hand, and language regard and (social) identity on the other hand.

text: The social meaning potential of loanwords: Empirical explorations of lexical borrowing as expression of (social) identity The use of loanwords is not merely a lexical act (filling a lexical gap in a given language, or using a shorter word in place of a longer expression) but also a socially meaningful one – a contextual expression of self, social identity and language regard. Recent lexical borrowing research has drawn attention to this social meaning potential of loanwords. What motivates language users to select a borrowed form over a receptor language equivalent, what is the (perceived) social meaning of this choice and how can we empirically address these questions? This special issue seeks to bring into debate the interface between speakers (the social dimension) and language (the linguistic dimension) with regard to lexical borrowing, and to probe how language regard and speaker identity influence and explain the use of loanwords. In a bid to better understand this complex interface, the special issue includes papers that explore a range of empirical methodologies drawn from different subfields of (socio)linguistics and closely related scientific domains (linguistic anthropology, conversation analysis, corpus linguistics, social psychology and psycholinguistics) and documents a variety of contact situations: English loans into French and Finnish, Māori loanwords into New Zealand English, German loans into Dutch. Together, the different perspectives presented in this issue help advance our understanding of the relationship between lexical change on the one hand, and language regard and (social) identity on the other hand.

year: 2019