Dawn for the galaxy: creació d'un joc web d'estratègia en temps real, multijugador i massiu

“Dawn or the Galaxy” és un treball de final de carrera que té com a objectiu principal la creació i desenvolupament d’una versió de demostració per a un joc del tipus MMORTS (massive multiplayer online real-time strategy) tractant d’incloure elements innovadors en aquest gènere de jocs i oferint un ampli ventall estratègic des de l’inici del joc. Per tal d’assolir l’objectiu es realitzarà un petit sondeig de mercat inicial i un estudi de models de jocs d’estratègia. El joc estarà integrat per més de seixanta fitxers de codi, una base de dades amb catorze taules interrelacionades no normalitzades i podrà tenir cabuda per a uns cinc-cents jugadors. Un cop programat l’aplicatiu, el joc es provarà en un entorn real, amb usuaris reals. Per a resoldre els problemes durant el transcurs del joc de forma ràpida, la aplicació serà sotmesa a un seguiment exhaustiu. La col·laboració dels jugadors en aquest punt serà fonamental.

Policy evaluation and uncertainty about the effects of oil prices on economic activity

This paper addresses the issue of policy evaluation in a context in which policymakers are uncertain about the effects of oil prices on economic performance. I consider models of the economy inspired by Solow (1980), Blanchard and Gali (2007), Kim and Loungani (1992) and Hamilton (1983, 2005), which incorporate different assumptions on the channels through which oil prices have an impact on economic activity. I first study the characteristics of the model space and I analyze the likelihood of the different specifications. I show that the existence of plausible alternative representations of the economy forces the policymaker to face the problem of model uncertainty. Then, I use the Bayesian approach proposed by Brock, Durlauf and West (2003, 2007) and the minimax approach developed by Hansen and Sargent (2008) to integrate this form of uncertainty into policy evaluation. I find that, in the environment under analysis, the standard Taylor rule is outperformed under a number of criteria by alternative simple rules in which policymakers introduce persistence in the policy instrument and respond to changes in the real price of oil.

Candidate quality in a Downsian Model with a continuous policy space

This paper characterizes a mixed strategy Nash equilibrium in a one-dimensional Downsian model of two-candidate elections with a continuous policy space, where candidates are office motivated and one candidate enjoys a non-policy advantage over the other candidate. We assume that voters have quadratic preferences over policies and that their ideal points are drawn from a uniform distribution over the unit interval. In our equilibrium the advantaged candidate chooses the expected median voter with probability one and the disadvantaged candidate uses a mixed strategy that is symmetric around it. We show that this equilibrium exists if the number of voters is large enough relative to the size of the advantage.

Industrial Location and Space: New Insights

This paper tries to resolve some of the main shortcomings in the empirical literature of location decisions for new plants, i.e. spatial effects and overdispersion. Spatial effects are omnipresent, being a source of overdispersion in the data as well as a factor shaping the functional relationship between the variables that explain a firm’s location decisions. Using Count Data models, empirical researchers have dealt with overdispersion and excess zeros by developments of the Poisson regression model. This study aims to take this a step further, by adopting Bayesian methods and models in order to tackle the excess of zeros, spatial and non-spatial overdispersion and spatial dependence simultaneously. Data for Catalonia is used and location determinants are analysed to that end. The results show that spatial effects are determinant. Additionally, overdispersion is descomposed into an unstructured iid effect and a spatially structured effect. Keywords: Bayesian Analysis, Spatial Models, Firm Location. JEL Classification: C11, C21, R30.

Interpolation methods for stochastic processes spaces

In this paper the scales of classes of stochastic processes are introduced. New interpolation theorems and boundedness of some transforms of stochastic processes are proved. Interpolation method for generously-monotonous rocesses is entered. Conditions and statements of interpolation theorems concern he xed stochastic process, which diers from the classical results.

Real-time imaging of regional myocardial function using fast-SENC.

A technique for fast imaging of regional myocardial function using a spiral acquisition in combination with strain-encoded (SENC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is presented in this paper. This technique, which is termed fast-SENC, enables scan durations as short as a single heartbeat. A reduced field of view (FOV) without foldover artifacts was achieved by localized SENC, which selectively excited the region around the heart. The two images required for SENC imaging (low- and high-tuning) were acquired in an interleaved fashion throughout the cardiac cycle to further shorten the scan time. Regional circumferential contraction and longitudinal shortening of both the left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) were examined in long- and short-axis views, respectively. The in vivo results obtained from five human subjects and five infarcted dogs are presented. The results of the fast-SENC technique in a single heartbeat acquisition were comparable to those obtained by conventional SENC in a long acquisition time. Therefore, fast-SENC may prove useful for imaging during stress or arrhythmia.

On Borel equivalence relations in generalized Baire space

"Vegeu el resum a l'inici del document del fitxer adjunt."

Interpolation and sampling in small Bergman spaces

"Vegeu el resum a l'inici del document del fitxer adjunt."

Monitoring of vaccine-specific gamma interferon induction in genital mucosa of mice by real-time reverse transcription-PCR.

Monitoring of T-cell responses in genital mucosa has remained a major challenge because of the absence of lymphoid aggregates and the low abundance of T cells. Here we have adapted to genital tissue a sensitive real-time reverse transcription-PCR (TaqMan) method to measure induction of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) mRNA transcription after 3 h of antigen-specific activation of CD8 T cells. For this purpose, we vaccinated C57BL/6 mice subcutaneously with human papillomavirus type 16 L1 virus-like particles and monitored the induction of CD8 T cells specific to the L1(165-173) H-2D(b)-restricted epitope. Comparison of the responses induced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and lymph nodes (LN) by L1-specific IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot assay and TaqMan determination of the relative increase in L1-specific IFN-gamma mRNA induction normalized to the content of CD8b mRNA showed a significant correlation, despite the difference in the readouts. Most of the cervicovaginal tissues could be analyzed by the TaqMan method if normalization to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA was used and a significant L1-specific IFN-gamma induction was found in one-third of the immunized mice. This local response did not correlate with the immune responses measured in the periphery, with the exception of the sacral LN, an LN draining the genital mucosa, where a significant correlation was found. Our data show that the TaqMan method is sensitive enough to detect antigen-specific CD8 T-cell responses in the genital mucosa of individual mice, and this may contribute to elaborate effective vaccines against genital pathogens.

Evaluation of susceptibility of pear and plum varieties and rootstocks to Ca. P. pyri and Ca. P. prunorum using Real-Time PCR

Real-time PCR was used to quantify phytoplasma concentration in fifty inoculated trees from five Prunus rootstocks and in forty-eight symptomatic pear and Japanese plum trees from orchards. Seasonal fluctuation of Ca. P. prunorum in different Prunus rootstocks, over three years, showed that the highest percentage detected by nested-PCR was in the ‘Garnem’ rootstock on nearly all sampling dates. Intra-varietal differences were also observed. Phytoplasma titer could be estimated by real time PCR in some trees of the rootstocks ‘Garnem’, ‘Barrier’, ‘GF-677’ and ‘Marianna’, and ranged from 4.7x105 to 3.18x109 phytoplasmas per gram of tissue. Quantification by real-time PCR was not possible in the ‘Cadaman’ trees analyzed, probably due to a lower phytoplasma titer in this variety. Samples from infected trees from commercial plots had different phytoplasma concentration and detection percentage depending on the variety, both being lower in ‘Fortune’ and ‘606’ Japanese plum and in ‘Blanquilla’ pear trees.

Spin-labeling coronary MR angiography with steady-state free precession and radial k-space sampling: initial results in healthy volunteers.

The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare free-breathing navigator-gated cardiac-triggered three-dimensional steady-state free precession (SSFP) spin-labeling coronary magnetic resonance (MR) angiography performed by using Cartesian k-space sampling with that performed by using radial k-space sampling. A new dedicated placement of the two-dimensional selective labeling pulse and an individually adjusted labeling delay time approved by the institutional review board were used. In 14 volunteers (eight men, six women; mean age, 28.8 years) who gave informed consent, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), vessel sharpness, vessel length, and subjective image quality were investigated. Differences between groups were analyzed with nonparametric tests (Wilcoxon, Pearson chi2). Radial imaging, as compared with Cartesian imaging, resulted in a significant reduction in the severity of motion artifacts, as well as an increase in SNR (26.9 vs 12.0, P < .05) in the coronary arteries and CNR (23.1 vs 8.8, P < .05) between the coronary arteries and the myocardium. A tendency toward improved vessel sharpness and vessel length was also found with radial imaging. Radial SSFP imaging is a promising technique for spin-labeling coronary MR angiography.

Medicinal products: regulation of biosynthesis in space and time

We live in a "Demon-Haunted World". Human health care requires the ever increasing resistance of pathogens to be confronted by a correspondingly fast rate of discovery of novel antibiotics. One of the possible strategies towards this objective involves the rational localization of bioactive phytochemicals. The conceptual basis of the method consists in the surprisingly little known gearings of natural products with morphology, ecology and evolution of their plant source, i. e. an introspection into the general mechanisms of nature.

Closure of Space for health - PEL(13)05 (PDF 38KB)

This Professional Estates Letter informs HSC bodies of the closure of the Space for Health information service and the availability of DHSPPS estates and facilities management policy on the DHSSPS website.