Effects of quantitative easing on the USA economy: A test for policy effectiveness

The catastrophic disruption in the USA financial system in the wake of the financial crisis prompted the Federal Reserve to launch a Quantitative Easing (QE) programme in late 2008. In line with Pesaran and Smith (2014), I use a policy effectiveness test to assess whether this massive asset purchase programme was effective in stimulating the economic activity in the USA. Specifically, I employ an Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL), in order to obtain a counterfactual for the USA real GDP growth rate. Using data from 1983Q1 to 2009Q4, the results show that the beneficial effects of QE appear to be weak and rather short-lived. The null hypothesis of policy ineffectiveness is not rejected, which suggests that QE did not have a meaningful impact on output growth.

On the function of the floccular complex of the vertebrate cerebellum: implications in paleoneuroanatomy

The cerebellum floccular complex lobes (FCLs) are housed in the FCL fossa of the periotic complex. There is experimental evidence indicating that the FCLs integrate visual and vestibular information, responsible for the vestibulo-ocular reflex, vestibulo-collic reflex, smooth pursuit and gaze holding. Thus, the behavior of extinct animals has been correlated with FCLs dimension in multiple paleoneuroanatomy studies. Here I analyzed braincase endocasts of a representative sample of Mammalia (48 species) and Aves (59 species) rendered using tomography and image segmentation and tested statistical correlations between the floccular complex volume, ecological and behavioral traits to assess various previously formulated paleobiological speculations. My results demonstrate: 1) there is no significant correlation between relative FCL volume and body mass; 2) there is no significant correlation between relative FCL and optic lobes size in birds; 3) average relative FCL size is larger in diurnal than in nocturnal birds but there is no statistically significant difference in mammals; 4) feeding strategies are related with different FCL size patterns in birds, but not in mammals; 5) locomotion type is not related with relative FCL size in mammals; 6) agility is not significantly correlated with FCL size in mammals. I conclude that, despite the apparent relation between FCL size and ecology in birds, the cerebellum of tetrapods is a highly plastic structure and may be adapted to control different functions across different taxonomic levels. For example, the european mole (Talpa europaea) which is fossorial and practically blind, has a FCL fossae relative size larger than those of bats, which are highly maneuverable. Therefore, variation in FCL size may be better explained by a combination of multiple factors with relation to anatomical and phylogenetic evolutionary constraints.

On the isotopic composition of precipitation in tropical stations (*).

Some of the trends and characteristics of the isotopic composition oh precipitation in tropical stations are discussed. Stations in small Pacific islands show a variation with latitude, with lower 8-values between 15°N and 1S°S and higher values at higher. Inland stations are depleted in heavy isotopes with respect to coastal stations but sometimes this continental effect is rather complex, as f,or instance in África. Mean monthly 8-values show a remarkable correlation with the amount of precipitation, but the slope variations do not show a clear dependence on the mean long term 8-value,as should be expected theoretically. In Southern American stations the seasonal variations of the meanmonthly 5-values are correlated and they are greater in inland stations due to con-tinentaly. The possible effects of recycling of water vapour by evapotranspiration are also discussed.

Search for vector-like B quarks in events with one isolated lepton, missing transverse momentum and jets at s√= 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search has been performed for pair production of heavy vector-like down-type (B) quarks. The analysis explores the lepton-plus-jets final state, characterized by events with one isolated charged lepton (electron or muon), significant missing transverse momentum and multiple jets. One or more jets are required to be tagged as arising from b-quarks, and at least one pair of jets must be tagged as arising from the hadronic decay of an electroweak boson. The analysis uses the full data sample of pp collisions recorded in 2012 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC, operating at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. Limits are set on vector-like B production, as a function of the B branching ratios, assuming the allowable decay modes are B→Wt/Zb/Hb. In the chiral limit with a branching ratio of 100% for the decay B→Wt, the observed (expected) 95% CL lower limit on the vector-like B mass is 810 GeV (760 GeV). In the case where the vector-like B quark has branching ratio values corresponding to those of an SU(2) singlet state, the observed (expected) 95% CL lower limit on the vector-like B mass is 640 GeV (505 GeV). The same analysis, when used to investigate pair production of a colored, charge 5/3 exotic fermion T5/3, with subsequent decay T5/3→Wt, sets an observed (expected) 95% CL lower limit on the T5/3 mass of 840 GeV (780 GeV).

Effect of surface plasmon resonance in TiO2/Au thin films on the fluorescence of self-assembled CdTe QDs structure

The exceptional properties of localised surface plasmons (LSPs), such as local field enhancement and confinement effects, resonant behavior, make them ideal candidates to control the emission of luminescent nanoparticles. In the present work, we investigated the LSP effect on the steady-state and time-resolved emission properties of quantum dots (QDs) by organizing the dots into self-assembled dendrite structures deposited on plasmonic nanostructures. Self-assembled structures consisting of water-soluble CdTe mono-size QDs, were developed on the surface of co-sputtered TiO2 thin films doped with Au nanoparticles (NPs) annealed at different temperatures. Their steady-state fluorescence properties were probed by scanning the spatially resolved emission spectra and the energy transfer processes were investigated by the fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) microscopy. Our results indicate that a resonant coupling between excitons confined in QDs and LSPs in Au NPs located beneath the self-assembled structure indeed takes place and results in (i) a shift of the ground state luminescence towards higher energies and onset of emission from excited states in QDs, and (ii) a decrease of the ground state exciton lifetime (fluorescence quenching).

Thin films composed of gold nanoparticles dispersed in a dielectric matrix: the influence of the host matrix on the optical and mechanical responses

Gold nanoparticles were dispersed in two different dielectric matrices, TiO2 and Al2O3, using magnetron sputtering and a post-deposition annealing treatment. The main goal of the present work was to study how the two different host dielectric matrices, and the resulting microstructure evolution (including both the nanoparticles and the host matrix itself) promoted by thermal annealing, influenced the physical properties of the films. In particular, the structure and morphology of the nanocomposites were correlated with the optical response of the thin films, namely their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) characteristics. Furthermore, and in order to scan the future application of the two thin film system in different types of sensors (namely biological ones), their functional behaviour (hardness and Young's modulus change) was also evaluated. Despite the similar Au concentrations in both matrices (~ 11 at.%), very different microstructural features were observed, which were found to depend strongly on the annealing temperature. The main structural differences included: (i) the early crystallization of the TiO2 host matrix, while the Al2O3 one remained amorphous up to 800 °C; (ii) different grain size evolution behaviours with the annealing temperature, namely an almost linear increase for the Au:TiO2 system (from 3 to 11 nm), and the approximately constant values observed in the Au:Al2O3 system (4–5 nm). The results from the nanoparticle size distributions were also found to be quite sensitive to the surrounding matrix, suggesting different mechanisms for the nanoparticle growth (particle migration and coalescence dominating in TiO2 and Ostwald ripening in Al2O3). These different clustering behaviours induced different transmittance-LSPR responses and a good mechanical stability, which opens the possibility for future use of these nanocomposite thin film systems in some envisaged applications (e.g. LSPR-biosensors).

On the frictional contacts in multibody system dynamics

"Series title: Computational methods in applied sciences, ISSN1871-3033, vol. 42"

Effects of Sibutramine on the Treatment of Obesity in Patients with Arterial Hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of weight reduction with 10mg of sibutramine or placebo on blood pressure during 24 hours (ambulatory blood pressure monitoring), on left ventricular mass, and on antihypertensive therapy in 86 obese and hypertensive patients for 6 months. METHODS: The patients underwent echocardiography, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and measurement of the levels of hepatic enzymes prior to and after treatment with sibutramine or placebo. RESULTS: The group using sibutramine had a greater weight loss than that using placebo (6.7% versus 2.5%; p<0.001), an increase in heart rate (78.3±7.3 to 82±7.9 bpm; p=0.02), and a reduction in the left ventricular mass/height index (105±29.3 versus 96.6±28.58 g/m; p=0.002). Both groups showed similar increases in the levels of alkaline phosphatase and comparable adjustments in antihypertensive therapy; blood pressure, however, did not change. CONCLUSION: The use of sibutramine caused weight loss and a reduction in left ventricular mass in obese and hypertensive patients with no interference with blood pressure or with antihypertensive therapy.

Self-perception and dissatisfaction with weight does not depend on the frequency of physical activity

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the level of satisfaction with body weight and the self-perception of the weight/height ratio and to verify the influence of the frequency of present and past physical activity on these variables. METHODS: Using questionnaires or interviews, we obtained height data, reported and desired weight, self-perception of the weight/height ratio, and the frequency of current physical activity in 844 adults (489 women). Of these, evaluated the frequency of physical activity during high school of 193 individuals,and we measured their height and weight. RESULTS: Less than 2/3 of the individuals had body mass index between 20 and 24.9 kg/m2. A tendency existed to overestimate height by less than 1 cm and to underestimate weight by less than 1kg. Desired weight was less than that reported (p<0.001), and only 20% were satisfied with their current weight. Only 42% of men and 25% of women exercised regularly. No association was found between the frequency of physical activity and the variables height, weight, and body mass index, and the level of satisfaction with current weight. CONCLUSION: Height and weight reported seem to be valid for epidemological studies, and great dissatisfaction with body weight and a distorted self-perception of height/weight ratio exists, especially in women, regardless of the frequency of physical activity.

A note on the separability principle in economies with single-peaked

We consider the problem of allocating an infinitely divisible commodity among a group of agents with single-peaked preferences. A rule that has played a central role in the analysis of the problem is the so-called uniform rule. Chun (2001) proves that the uniform rule is the only rule satisfying Pareto optimality, no-envy, separability, and continuity (with respect to the social endowment). We obtain an alternative characterization by using a weak replication-invariance condition, called duplication-invariance, instead of continuity. Furthermore, we prove that Pareto optimality, equal division lower bound, and separability imply no-envy. Using this result, we strengthen one of Chun's (2001) characterizations of the uniform rule by showing that the uniform rule is the only rule satisfying Pareto optimality, equal división lower bound, separability, and either continuity or duplication-invariance.

Observations on the morphology of Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827) (Mollusca, Ampullariidae)

This paper deals with the morpholgy of Pomacea lineata (Spix, 1827) collected at its type locality. The shell is globose, moderately heavy, horn-colored with brown spiral bands; apex subelevated; 4 - 5 rounded whorls increasing in diameter rather rapidly, separated by deep suture. Aperture large and ovoid; outer lip sharp; umbilicus narrow and deep; operculum concentric, corneous. Ratios: shell width/shell length = 0.74 - 0.83 (mean 0.78); spire length/shell length = 0.10 - 0.18 (mean 0.13); aperture length/shell length = 0.70 - 0.77 (mean 0.73). The animal is longisiphonate. Renal organ brownish with marked invagination at its right edge. Ureter elongated with its long axis transverse to the main axis of the kidney. The radula is taenioglossate (2.1.1.1.2) and has on average 35 transverse rows of teeth. The form and arrangement of the radula teeth are nearly the same as in other Ampullariidae. The testis is cream-colored and lies in the first three whorls of the spire. Spermiduct uniformly narrow, running to the base of the spire. Seminal vesicle whitish, slightly pressed dorsoventrally. Prostate cylindric and thick, similar in color to the testis. Penis whiplike, with a closed circular spermiduct. Penis pouch ovoid completely envelping the penis. Penis sheath elongated, broad prosimally, tapering distally. Its inner surface shows a longitudinal channel along its proximal half and two glands, one on the middle and the other apical. Ovary composed of branched whitish tubules situated on the surface of the digestive gland. Oviduct slender running along the columellar axis toward the base of the spire. Seminal receptalble tubiform, thick-walled and rounded proximally. Albumen gland large, pink, enclosing the receptacle and the spiral capsule gland. Vestigial male copulatory apparatus (penis and its sheath) present in all females examined.

Detection of testosterone administration based on the carbon isotope ratio profiling of endogenous steroids: international reference populations of professional soccer players.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The determination of the carbon isotope ratio in androgen metabolites has been previously shown to be a reliable, direct method to detect testosterone misuse in the context of antidoping testing. Here, the variability in the 13C/12C ratios in urinary steroids in a widely heterogeneous cohort of professional soccer players residing in different countries (Argentina, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Switzerland and Uganda) is examined. METHODS: Carbon isotope ratios of selected androgens in urine specimens were determined using gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). RESULTS: Urinary steroids in Italian and Swiss populations were found to be enriched in 13C relative to other groups, reflecting higher consumption of C3 plants in these two countries. Importantly, detection criteria based on the difference in the carbon isotope ratio of androsterone and pregnanediol for each population were found to be well below the established threshold value for positive cases. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained with the tested diet groups highlight the importance of adapting the criteria if one wishes to increase the sensitivity of exogenous testosterone detection. In addition, confirmatory tests might be rendered more efficient by combining isotope ratio mass spectrometry with refined interpretation criteria for positivity and subject-based profiling of steroids.

"Public on the outside, private on the inside": the organizational hybridization, sense of belonging and identity strategies of the employees of a public unemployment insurance fund in Switzerland

A number of studies show that New Public Management reforms have altered the current identity benchmarks of public officials, particularly by hybridizing values or management practices. However, existing studies have largely glossed over the sense of belonging of officials when their organization straddles the concerns of public service and private enterprise, so that the boundary between public and private sector is blurred. The purpose of this article is precisely to explore this sense of belonging in the context of organizational hybridization. It does so by drawing on the results of research conducted among the employees of a public unemployment insurance fund in Switzerland. On the one hand, the analysis shows how much their markers of belonging are hybrid, multiple and constructed in negative terms (with regard to the State), while indicating that the working practices of the employees point to an identity that is nevertheless closely bound with the public sector. On the other hand, the analysis shows that the organization plays strategically with its State status, by exploiting either its private or public identity in line with the needs related to its external image. The article concludes with a discussion of the results highlighting the strategic functionality of the hybrid identity of the actors.

Inflammatory markers and blood pressure: sex differences and the effect of fat mass in the CoLaus Study.

Several studies have reported high levels of inflammatory biomarkers in hypertension, but data coming from the general population are sparse, and sex differences have been little explored. The CoLaus Study is a cross-sectional examination survey in a random sample of 6067 Caucasians aged 35-75 years in Lausanne, Switzerland. Blood pressure (BP) was assessed using a validated oscillometric device. Anthropometric parameters were also measured, including body composition, using electrical bioimpedance. Crude serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were positively and IL-1β (IL-1β) negatively (P<0.001 for all values), associated with BP. For IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α, the association disappeared in multivariable analysis, largely explained by differences in age and body mass index, in particular fat mass. On the contrary, hsCRP remained independently and positively associated with systolic (β (95% confidence interval): 1.15 (0.64; 1.65); P<0.001) and diastolic (0.75 (0.42; 1.08); P<0.001) BP. Relationships of hsCRP, IL-6 and TNF-α with BP tended to be stronger in women than in men, partly related to the difference in fat mass, yet the interaction between sex and IL-6 persisted after correction for all tested confounders. In the general population, the associations between inflammatory biomarkers and rising levels of BP are mainly driven by age and fat mass. The stronger associations in women suggest that sex differences might exist in the complex interplay between BP and inflammation.

Effects of irradiation and tunicamycin on the surface glycoproteins Schistosoma mansoni

The cercarial glycocalyx and schistosomulum surface contains a number of glycoproteins which are expressed in very variable amounts within a parasite population. Tunicamycin inhibits glycoprotein synthesis of schistosomula if the parasites are incubated for 24hr with the drug (10µg ml[raised to the power of -1]). An unexpected increase in lectin binding to the parasite surface was observed but no other changes were detected. Schistosomula treated in this way did not develop in the host past the lung stage. Ultraviolet irradiation (400µW min cm[raised to the power of-2]) also inhibited glycoprotein synthesis. Synthesis of other proteins, and in particular heat shock proteins, were also inhibited. Sera from mice (NIH strain) infected with irradiated cercariae contained antibodies which bound to normal schistosomula with lower affinity than to irradiated parasites. This is evidence that irradiation modifies the surface and secreted glycoproteins of schistosomula, so they are processed in a different way to normal glycoproteins by the host's immune system. The effects of irradiation on heat shock protein synthesis may allow the parasite to release a variety of proteins and glycoproteins in abnormal conformations. This may explain the enhanced immunogenicity of irradiated cercariae.