Nonlinear waves in heterogeneous elastic rods via homogenization

We consider the propagation of a planar loop on a heterogeneous elastic rod with a periodic microstructure consisting of two alternating homogeneous regions with different material properties. The analysis is carried out using a second-order homogenization theory based on a multiple scale asymptotic expansion

International survey of integrated financial sector supervision

Despite the intense debate on the advantages and disadvantages of adopting integrated supervision that has taken place in recent years, little is known about the experiences of countries that have adopted it and the obstacles and challenges they have faced to implement it. In an attempt to shed light on this area, the authors present the results of a survey conducted in a group of 15 countries that have adopted integrated supervision. After a brief review of the literature on integrated supervision, the authors examine four topics: 1) The reasons cited by this group of countries for establishing an integrated supervisory agency. 2) The scope of regulatory and supervisory powers of these agencies. 3) The progress of these agencies in harmonizing their regulatory and supervisory practices across the intermediaries they supervise. 4) The practical problems faced by policymakers in adopting integrated supervision. The survey revealed that the group of integrated supervisory agencies is not as homogeneous as it seems. Important differences arise with regard to the scope of regulatory and supervisory powers the agencies have been given. In fact, contrary to popular belief, less than 50 percent of the agencies can be categorized as mega-supervisors. Another finding is that in most countries progress toward the harmonization of prudential regulation andsupervision across financial intermediaries remains limited. Interestingly, the survey revealed that practically all countries believe they have achieved a higher degree of harmonization in the regulation and supervision of banks and securities companies than between banks and insurance firms. The survey also identified some practical problems faced by this group of countries in establishing their unified supervisory agencies. The authors discuss these problems, along with the practical lessons and recommendations provided by the 15 agencies to other countries considering integrated supervision, in the final section of the paper.Banks&Banking Reform,Insurance&Risk Mitigation,Housing Finance,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Financial Intermediation,Banks&Banking Reform,Insurance&Risk Mitigation,Financial Intermediation,Housing Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies

Collective Wisdom: When to Impeach with an Inconsistent Statement

The recognition of multiple goals of cross-examination is nothing new. Despite early emphasis on cross-examination as being needed to expose “mendacity,” Dean Wigmore viewed cross-examination as the essence of the trial and truth-seeking process in the United States. He viewed it as capable of serving two ends: proving untruths and completing the story by eliciting facts that “remained suppressed or undeveloped” on direct examination, including “the remaining and qualifying circumstances of the subject of testimony, as known to the witness.” Precisely because of the presence of dual objectives, timing is everything. Said differently, assume a witness has information useful to the cross-examiner but also made an averment during direct examination that must be impeached with a clearly contradictory prior inconsistent statement

From Strong to Weak Coupling Regime in a Single GaN Microwire up to Room Temperature

Large bandgap semiconductor microwires constitute a very advantageous alternative to planar microcavities in the context of room temperature strong coupling regime between exciton and light. In this work we demonstrate that in a GaN microwire, the strong coupling regime is achieved up to room temperature with a large Rabi splitting of 125 meV never achieved before in a Nitride-based photonic nanostructure. The demonstration relies on a method which doesn't require any knowledge \'a priori on the photonic eigenmodes energy in the microwire, i.e. the details of the microwire cross-section shape. Moreover, using a heavily doped segment within the same microwire, we confirm experimentally that free excitons provide the oscillator strength for this strong coupling regime. The measured Rabi splitting to linewidth ratio of 15 matches state of the art planar Nitride-based microcavities, in spite of a much simpler design and a less demanding fabrication process. These results show that GaN microwires constitute a simpler and promising system to achieve electrically pumped lasing in the strong coupling regime.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

On the classical-quantum correspondence for the scattering dwell time

Using results from the theory of dynamical systems, we derive a general expression for the classical average scattering dwell time, tau_av. Remarkably, tau_av depends only on a ratio of phase space volumes. We further show that, for a wide class of systems, the average classical dwell time is not in correspondence with the energy average of the quantum Wigner time delay.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

High-Q nested resonator in an actively stabilized optomechanical cavity

Experiments involving micro- and nanomechanical resonators need to be carefully designed to reduce mechanical environmental noise. A small scale on-chip approach is to add an additional resonator to the system as a mechanical low-pass filter. Unfortunately, the inherent low frequency of the low-pass filter causes the system to be easily excited mechanically. Fixating the additional resonator ensures that the resonator itself can not be excited by the environment. This, however, negates the purpose of the low-pass filter. We solve this apparent paradox by applying active feedback to the resonator, thereby minimizing the motion with respect the front mirror of an optomechanical cavity. Not only does this method actively stabilize the cavity length, but it also retains the on-chip vibration isolation.Comment: Minor adjustments mad

A personalized intervention to prevent depression in primary care based on risk predictive algorithms and decision support systems: protocol of the e-predictD study

The predictD is an intervention implemented by general practitioners (GPs) to prevent depression, which reduced the incidence of depression-anxiety and was cost-effective. The e-predictD study aims to design, develop, and evaluate an evolved predictD intervention to prevent the onset of major depression in primary care based on Information and Communication Technologies, predictive risk algorithms, decision support systems (DSSs), and personalized prevention plans (PPPs). A multicenter cluster randomized trial with GPs randomly assigned to the e-predictD intervention + care-as-usual (CAU) group or the active-control + CAU group and 1-year follow-up is being conducted. The required sample size is 720 non-depressed patients (aged 18–55 years), with moderate-to-high depression risk, under the care of 72 GPs in six Spanish cities. The GPs assigned to the e-predictD-intervention group receive brief training, and those assigned to the control group do not. Recruited patients of the GPs allocated to the e-predictD group download the e-predictD app, which incorporates validated risk algorithms to predict depression, monitoring systems, and DSSs. Integrating all inputs, the DSS automatically proposes to the patients a PPP for depression based on eight intervention modules: physical exercise, social relationships, improving sleep, problem-solving, communication skills, decision-making, assertiveness, and working with thoughts. This PPP is discussed in a 15-min semi-structured GP-patient interview. Patients then choose one or more of the intervention modules proposed by the DSS to be self-implemented over the next 3 months. This process will be reformulated at 3, 6, and 9 months but without the GP–patient interview. Recruited patients of the GPs allocated to the control-group+CAU download another version of the e-predictD app, but the only intervention that they receive via the app is weekly brief psychoeducational messages (active-control group). The primary outcome is the cumulative incidence of major depression measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview at 6 and 12 months. Other outcomes include depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) and anxiety symptoms (GAD-7), depression risk (predictD risk algorithm), mental and physical quality of life (SF-12), and acceptability and satisfaction (‘e-Health Impact' questionnaire) with the intervention. Patients are evaluated at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. An economic evaluation will also be performed (cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis) from two perspectives, societal and health systems.Spanish Ministry of Health, the Institute of Health Carlos IIIThe European Regional Development Fund Una manera de hacer Europa (grant references: PI15/00401PI15/01035, and PI15/01021), the Andalusian Council of Health (grant reference: AP-0095-2016);Prevention and Health Promotion Research Network redIAPP (RD16/0007/0010RD16/0007/0005, RD16/0007/0003, and RD16/0007/0001), Ministry of Health of Andalusia (PS-0330- 2016)The Chronicity, Primary Care, and Prevention and Health Promotion Research Network RICAPPS (RD21/0016/0012RD21/0016/0005, RD21/0016/0010, and RD21/0016/0001)The Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Institute of Health Carlos III (SCIII)The European Funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, and by the EU funds Next-Generatio

Gas phase catalytic oxidation of VOCS using hydrothermally synthesized nest-like K-OMS 2 catalyst

Toluene and benzene are hazardous air pollutants commonly found in the atmosphere at relatively high concentrations. Due to this, a need to remove these pollutants became a necessity. In this study, octahedral molecular sieve type manganese oxide (K-OMS 2) prepared by hydrothermal method was utilized to decompose toluene and benzene. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis were used to investigate the crystallinity, morphology, surface area and oxidation state of K-OMS 2, respectively. It was confirmed that K-OMS 2 was successfully produced from hydrothermal method. Central composite design (CCD) was used to investigate the main and interaction effects of gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) and reaction temperature on the thermal catalytic oxidation of benzene and toluene. Both factors were found to have significant main and interaction effects on toluene oxidation. However, only the main effects of the factors were significant for benzene. This result was due to the difference in the stability of the structures of the two VOCs. The K-OMS 2 obtained has excellent efficiency on toluene and benzene removal. Toluene was completely decomposed at a temperature as low as 250°C while benzene decomposition reached around 98% at 292.4°C