Leveraging analytics to produce compelling and profitable film content

Producing compelling film content profitably is a top priority to the long-term prosperity of the film industry. Advances in digital technologies, increasing availabilities of granular big data, rapid diffusion of analytic techniques, and intensified competition from user generated content and original content produced by Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) platforms have created unparalleled needs and opportunities for film producers to leverage analytics in content production. Built upon the theories of value creation and film production, this article proposes a conceptual framework of key analytic techniques that film producers may engage throughout the production process, such as script analytics, talent analytics, and audience analytics. The article further synthesizes the state-of-the-art research on and applications of these analytics, discuss the prospect of leveraging analytics in film production, and suggest fruitful avenues for future research with important managerial implications

Climate change and emerging chemical contaminants in marine organisms: Bioaccumulation, ecotoxicology and public health impacts

Chemical contamination and climate change constitute two of the greatest environmental problems related with the increase of anthropogenic activities. Despite both factors acting alone can have negative effects at different levels of biological organization, as well as in seafood safety, the underlying interactions between them are still poorly understood. In this context, this PhD thesis aimed to assess the combined effects of seawater warming and/or acidification on the bioaccumulation of different emerging chemical contaminants (ECCs; MeHg, iAs, DCF, VFX, TCS, Decs, TBBPA, PFOS e PFOA) and ecotoxicological responses of two marine taxonomic groups (fish and bivalves). Overall, warming promoted the bioaccumulation of lipophilic and persistent ECCs (e.g. MeHg, Decs and TBBPA), suggesting increased risks of human exposure to these compounds through the consumption of contaminated seafood in tomorrow’s ocean. Conversely, warming and/or acidification elicited lower bioaccumulation of ionisable and/or less persistent compounds (e.g. iAs, VFX and TCS). Yet, this trend may not necessarily represent lower human risks, as it may be associated with enhanced biotransformation of parental ECCs, potentially representing increased levels of metabolites for which the toxicological attributes (to both biota and humans) are still unknown. Regarding the ecotoxicological effects, overall, the simultaneous exposure to ECCs, warming and acidification promoted more severe responses (at the biochemical, animal condition and behavioural levels) than the ones elicited when each stressor acted in isolation. Such results reveal that the exposure to ECCs in a climate change context will likely defy the resilience of marine organisms, particularly those inhabiting coastal areas. Hence, climate change will greatly challenge the sustainability and management of fisheries and aquaculture resources, thus, calling for urgent regulatory, mitigation and/or adaptive actions at a global scale

A review on power electronics technologies for power quality improvement

Nowadays, new challenges arise relating to the compensation of power quality problems, where the introduction of innovative solutions based on power electronics is of paramount importance. The evolution from conventional electrical power grids to smart grids requires the use of a large number of power electronics converters, indispensable for the integration of key technologies, such as renewable energies, electric mobility and energy storage systems, which adds importance to power quality issues. Addressing these topics, this paper presents an extensive review on power electronics technologies applied to power quality improvement, highlighting, and explaining the main phenomena associated with the occurrence of power quality problems in smart grids, their cause and effects for different activity sectors, and the main power electronics topologies for each technological solution. More specifically, the paper presents a review and classification of the main power quality problems and the respective context with the standards, a review of power quality problems related to the power production from renewables, the contextualization with solid-state transformers, electric mobility and electrical railway systems, a review of power electronics solutions to compensate the main power quality problems, as well as power electronics solutions to guarantee high levels of power quality. Relevant experimental results and exemplificative developed power electronics prototypes are also presented throughout the paper.This work has been supported by FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020. This work has been supported by the FCT Project DAIPESEV PTDC/EEI-EEE/30382/2017 and by the FCT Project newERA4GRIDs PTDC/EEIEEE/30283/2017

Limit order books in statistical arbitrage and anomaly detection

Cette thèse propose des méthodes exploitant la vaste information contenue dans les carnets d’ordres (LOBs). La première partie de cette thèse découvre des inefficacités dans les LOBs qui sont source d’arbitrage statistique pour les traders haute fréquence. Le chapitre 1 développe de nouvelles relations théoriques entre les actions intercotées afin que leurs prix soient exempts d’arbitrage. Toute déviation de prix est capturée par une stratégie novatrice qui est ensuite évaluée dans un nouvel environnement de backtesting permettant l’étude de la latence et de son importance pour les traders haute fréquence. Le chapitre 2 démontre empiriquement l’existence d’arbitrage lead-lag à haute fréquence. Les relations dites lead-lag ont été bien documentées par le passé, mais aucune étude n’a montré leur véritable potentiel économique. Un modèle économétrique original est proposé pour prédire les rendements de l’actif en retard, ce qu’il réalise de manière précise hors échantillon, conduisant à des opportunités d’arbitrage de courte durée. Dans ces deux chapitres, les inefficacités des LOBs découvertes sont démontrées comme étant rentables, fournissant ainsi une meilleure compréhension des activités des traders haute fréquence. La deuxième partie de cette thèse investigue les séquences anormales dans les LOBs. Le chapitre 3 évalue la performance de méthodes d’apprentissage automatique dans la détection d’ordres frauduleux. En raison de la grande quantité de données, les fraudes sont difficilement détectables et peu de cas sont disponibles pour ajuster les modèles de détection. Un nouveau cadre d’apprentissage profond non supervisé est proposé afin de discerner les comportements anormaux du LOB dans ce contexte ardu. Celui-ci est indépendant de l’actif et peut évoluer avec les marchés, offrant alors de meilleures capacités de détection pour les régulateurs financiers.This thesis proposes methods exploiting the vast informational content of limit order books (LOBs). The first part of this thesis discovers LOB inefficiencies that are sources of statistical arbitrage for high-frequency traders. Chapter 1 develops new theoretical relationships between cross-listed stocks, so their prices are arbitrage free. Price deviations are captured by a novel strategy that is then evaluated in a new backtesting environment enabling the study of latency and its importance for high-frequency traders. Chapter 2 empirically demonstrates the existence of lead-lag arbitrage at high-frequency. Lead-lag relationships have been well documented in the past, but no study has shown their true economic potential. An original econometric model is proposed to forecast returns on the lagging asset, and does so accurately out-of-sample, resulting in short-lived arbitrage opportunities. In both chapters, the discovered LOB inefficiencies are shown to be profitable, thus providing a better understanding of high-frequency traders’ activities. The second part of this thesis investigates anomalous patterns in LOBs. Chapter 3 studies the performance of machine learning methods in the detection of fraudulent orders. Because of the large amount of LOB data generated daily, trade frauds are challenging to catch, and very few cases are available to fit detection models. A novel unsupervised deep learning–based framework is proposed to discern abnormal LOB behavior in this difficult context. It is asset independent and can evolve alongside markets, providing better fraud detection capabilities to market regulators

Calendar 2020-2021

Academic calendar

A manifesto for the creative economy

The UK\u27s creative economy is one of its great national strengths, historically deeply rooted and accounting for around one-tenth of the whole economy. It provides jobs for 2.5 million people – more than in financial services, advanced manufacturing or construction – and in recent years, this creative workforce has grown four times faster than the workforce as a whole. But behind this success lies much disruption and business uncertainty, associated with digital technologies. Previously profitable business models have been swept away, young companies from outside the UK have dominated new internet markets, and some UK creative businesses have struggled to compete. UK policymakers too have failed to keep pace with developments in North America and parts of Asia. But it is not too late to refresh tired policies. This manifesto sets out our 10-point plan to bolster one of the UK\u27s fastest growing sectors

Technology needs of advanced Earth observation spacecraft

Remote sensing missions were synthesized which could contribute significantly to the understanding of global environmental parameters. Instruments capable of sensing important land and sea parameters are combined with a large antenna designed to passively quantify surface emitted radiation at several wavelengths. A conceptual design for this large deployable antenna was developed. All subsystems required to make the antenna an autonomous spacecraft were conceptually designed. The entire package, including necessary orbit transfer propulsion, is folded to package within the Space Transportation System (STS) cargo bay. After separation, the antenna, its integral feed mast, radiometer receivers, power system, and other instruments are automatically deployed and transferred to the operational orbit. The design resulted in an antenna with a major antenna dimension of 120 meters, weighing 7650 kilograms, and operating at an altitude of 700 kilometers