A comment on "The effect of a common currency on the volatility of the extensive margin of trade"

In this paper I comment on Auray, Eyquem, and Pontineau (2012). I show that their introduction of sticky-prices into Ghironi \& Melitz (2005) framework is incorrect and generates a bias in simulation results. Additionally, I find that, by introducing sticky-prices into Ghironi \& Melitz (2005) framework in a correct way, the model is able to account for the empirical findings of Auray, Eyquem, and Pontineau (2012). Finally, I also find that if central banks target a data-consistent CPI inflation, results improve quantitatively.Pricing-to-market; Local currency pricing; Extensive Margin; Monetary Union; Monetary Policy

A logic for n-dimensional hierarchical refinement

Hierarchical transition systems provide a popular mathematical structure to represent state-based software applications in which different layers of abstraction are represented by inter-related state machines. The decomposition of high level states into inner sub-states, and of their transitions into inner sub-transitions is common refinement procedure adopted in a number of specification formalisms. This paper introduces a hybrid modal logic for k-layered transition systems, its first-order standard translation, a notion of bisimulation, and a modal invariance result. Layered and hierarchical notions of refinement are also discussed in this setting.Comment: In Proceedings Refine'15, arXiv:1606.0134

An Ada framework for QoS-Aware applications

In this paper we present a framework for managing QoS-aware applications in a dynamic, ad-hoc, distributed environment. This framework considers an available set of wireless/mobile and fixed nodes, which may temporally form groups in order to process a set of related services, and where there is the need to support different levels of service and different combinations of quality requirements. This framework is being developed both for testing and validating an approach, based on multidimensional QoS properties, which provides service negotiation and proposal evaluation algorithms, and for assessing the suitability of the Ada language to be used in the context of dynamic, QoS-aware systems

Ensaios em teoria da decisão

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração, Contabilidade e Ciências da Informação e Documentação, Departamento de Economia, 2013.Neste trabalho são abordados dois temas relacionados à teoria da decisão individual. O primeiro tema, é abordado em duas partes deste trabalho. Na Parte II, denominada Teoria da P(R)eferência Revelada com Aspirações, apresentamos a modelagem do comportamento de um agente que executa suas escolhas do seguinte modo. Dado um problema de escolha, o agente elege uma aspiração que deseja de atingir. No caso em que sua aspiração não pode ser alcançada, ele identi.ca um ponto de referência, a alternativa factível que é mais semelhante possível à sua aspiração, e que pode enviesar seu comportamento de escolha ao atrair sua atenção para uma certa região do conjunto de alternativas. Na Parte III, denominada Teoria da P(R)eferência Revelada com Aspirações, aplicamos este modelo aos seguintes tópicos: equilíbrio geral em economias de troca pura e equilíbrio de Nash em jogos com .nitos agentes. O outro tema é abordado na Parte IV, chamada de Nota à "Equivalent Comparisons of Information Channels". Nela desenvolvemos o modo adequado de utilizar o arcabouço apresentado por Dekel, Lipman e Rustichini (2001) para representar preferências ex ante sobre canais de informação cujas peças são conhecidas ex post

Produção e caracterização da fusão ZZapo-CBM64 para captura e deteção da apolipoproteína-A1 em testes de papel

Mestrado em Bioquímica - Métodos BiomolecularesAffibodies (ZZ) são pequenas proteínas de afinidade que podem ser modificadas para se ligarem a alvos específicos. Estas proteínas têm sido sugeridas como uma alternativa a anticorpos, devido ao seu processo de produção mais simples e barato. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho de mestrado visou a possibilidade da utilização de um affibody (ZZapo) para a captura da Apolipoproteina-A1 (Apo-A1) e sua deteção com anticorpos Anti-Apo-A1 conjugados com Nanopartículas de Ouro (AuNPs) num Dispositivo Microfluídico Analítico de Papel (μPAD). Para atingir o objetivo proposto, a fusão de uma molécula com afinidade a carboidratos da família 64 (CBM64) com o affibody ZZapo (ZZapo-CBM64) foi desenhada, produzida em E.coli, sequenciada, purificada e quantificada com sucesso. A fusão ZZapo-CBM64 foi comparada com a fusão semelhante ZZ-CBM64, que tem afinidade para imunoglobulina G (IgG). Foi testada a capacidade de ligação das fusões à celulose, tendo-se verificado que ambas apresentaram alta afinidade a micropartículas e papel de celulose. Foi ainda testada a capacidade de ligação das duas fusões a IgG, pela utilização de IgG marcado com fluorescência. No entanto, ao contrário da ZZ-CBM64, a ZZapo-CBM64 não mostrou afinidade para a IgG. Um teste μPAD foi criado com barreiras impressas a cera hidrofóbica, e com um adesivo na base do teste, o que permitiu os testes serem feitos em superfícies planas e ainda contribuiu para um fluxo da amostra mais rápido. Os testes μPAD mostraram interações não específicas entre ZZapo-CBM64 e AuNPs, que foram removidas pela conjugação das AuNPs com Albumina de Soro Bovino (BSA) e adição de BSA e Tween20 à solução tampão. Os testes μPAD para deteção da Apo-A1 mostraram interações não específicas entre Apo-A1 e a membrana adesiva, que foram removidas pela utilização de um tampão de Bicarbonato de Amónia com BSA e Tween20. A deteção de Apo-A1 em μPADs não foi conseguida devido ao ZZapo-CBM64 não capturar a Apo-A1. Esta falha poderá ser devido a algum bloqueio da zona de captura relacionado com a estrutura 3D da fusão. De modo a ultrapassar esta questão, deverão ser realizados trabalhos futuros para o estudo da estrutura 3D da fusão, assim como estudo de outras fusões com diferentes variantes de affibodies para averiguar se o problema é exclusivo à fusão ZZapo-CBM64 ou não.Affibodies (ZZ) are small affinity proteins that can be engineered to bind to specific targets. These molecules have emerged as an alternative to antibodies due to their simpler and cheaper production process. The objective of this work was thus to assess the possibility of using an affibody (ZZapo) to capture Apolipoprotein-A1 (Apo-A1) and its detection using Anti-Apo-A1 antibodies conjugated to Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Device (μPAD). To achieve the proposed objective, a fusion of a Carbohydrate Binding Molecule of the family 64 (CBM64) with a ZZapo affibody (ZZapo-CBM64) was successfully designed, produced in E. coli, sequenced, purified and quantified. The ZZapo-CBM64 fusion was then compared to a similar ZZ-CBM64 fusion (produced and purified in the same way) with immunoglobulin G (IgG) binding capacity, and tested for its cellulose binding capacity. Both fusions showed high affinity to cellulose particles and paper. They were also tested for IgG binding capacity, using a fluorescently labelled IgG. While ZZ-CBM64 successfully captured IgG, the new ZZapo-CBM64 did not capture the labelled IgG. A μPAD test was designed and produced with wax printed hydrophobic barriers, and the use of an adhesive membrane in the bottom of the test enabled running tests on a flat surface, and contributed for faster sample flow. μPAD tests showed that ZZapo-CBM64 and AuNPs had non-specific interactions, which were removed by conjugating AuNPs with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and using a buffer containing BSA and Tween20. μPAD tests for the detection of Apo-A1 showed non-specific binding of Apo-A1 and the adhesive membrane, which was removed by using ammonium bicarbonate buffer. Apo-A1 detection in μPADs was unsuccessful, which was shown to be caused by ZZapo-CBM64 failing to capture Apo-A1. This failed capture could be caused by the capture zone of the protein being blocked. Future works should be directed to the study of the 3D structure of this fusion, as well as the study of other fusions with different affibody variants to assess if this problem is exclusive to ZZapo-CBM64 or not

Mechanisms for reflection-based monitoring of real- time systems

Monitoring is a very important aspect to consider when developing real-time systems. However, it is also important to consider the impact of the monitoring mechanisms in the actual application. The use of Reflection can provide a clear separation between the real-time application and the implemented monitoring mechanisms, which can be introduced (reflected) into the underlying system without changing the actual application part of the code. Nevertheless, controlling the monitoring system itself is still a topic of research. The monitoring mechanisms must contain knowledge about “how to get the information out”. Therefore, this paper presents the ongoing work to define a suitable strategy for monitoring real-time systems through the use of Reflection

A realização de trabalho nas organizações: estudo de cenários para formação de equipas viáveis

Much of the work done in organizations is performed in teams, so it becomes crucial that the teams that will perform it are viable and successful teams. Therefore, it becomes relevant that the constitution of a team takes into account some factors that can more easily guarantee its success. In this context, an important issue in the formation of viable teams is the psychological characterization of the constituent members. To support that characterization there are a number of frameworks that present several characteristics of personality, as well as describe the expected behaviors of an individual with these personality traits. Individuals with different characteristics will have different behaviors that can lead to team failure or success. It is therefore important to understand which types of personalities are able to work together in order to find the most appropriate and therefore more viable mixtures. For this purpose, it is intended to use as a research approach the agent-based simulation, currently very much in vogue in the area of computational sociology. In this sense, agents will possess certain personality characteristics that, according to the rules of team formation, will lead to the emergence of teams, whose "mix" of personalities correspond to viable teams.Grande parte do trabalho realizado nas organizações faz-se em equipa, pelo que se torna fundamental que as equipas que o vão realizar sejam equipas viáveis e que obtenham sucesso. Desta forma, torna-se relevante que na constituição de uma equipa se tenha em conta alguns fatores que poderão mais facilmente garantir o seu sucesso. Neste âmbito, uma questão importante na formação de equipas viáveis é a caracterização psicológica dos membros que a constituem. Para essa caracterização existem diversos frameworks que apresentam várias características de personalidade, assim como descrevem também quais os comportamentos esperados num individuo com esses traços de personalidade. Indivíduos com diferentes características terão diferentes comportamentos que podem levar ao fracasso ou sucesso da equipa. É pois importante perceber quais os tipos de personalidades que são capazes de trabalhar em conjunto de modo a permitir encontrar as “misturas” mais adequadas e, portanto, mais viáveis. Para esse efeito, pretende-se usar como abordagem de investigação a simulação baseada em agentes, atualmente muito em voga na área da sociologia computacional. Nesse sentido, os agentes possuirão determinadas características de personalidade que, de acordo com as regras de formação de equipas, farão emergir equipas cuja “mistura” de personalidades corresponde a equipas viáveis.FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (UID/CEC/00319/2013

Communities of practice as a tool to support the GCIO function

A Community of Practice (CoP) allows practitioners of a clearly defined domain to share knowledge, experience,and best practices. It provides a social context for practitioners,often distributed across multiple organizations,and emerged over the last few decades as a fundamental mechanism for knowledge sharing, management,and generation within organizations. Best practices, innovations,and solutions to shared problems first emerge within CoPs. These are, and must be perceived as, an investmentin organizations’ future and competitiveness.Establishing a CoP is a straightforward process, the most challenging factor being the recruitment of members to attain critical mass. The challenge is to maintain the CoP active, with members contributing with high quality, innovative content. Increasing a CoP’smedium / long-termsurvival probabilities requires careful planning to avoid incurringinsome well-known pitfalls.This paper proposes and discusses a set of nine guidelines for establishing and maintaining a community of practice within the context of Electronic Governance (EGOV) and Government Chief Information Officers (GCIO). This research was motivated by the initiative of the government of a developing country. Results are based on a review of the relevant literature, together with the detailed analysis of interviews to members or coordinators of large communities of practice. This analysis was further validated against the opinions of public servantsdirectly involved on EGOV-GCIO-related functions during two focus groups meetingsSmartEGOV: Harnessing EGOV for Smart Governance (Foundations, Methods, Tools) NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000037, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (EFDR

Two-dimensional cellular automata and the analysis of correlated time series

Correlated time series are time series that, by virtue of the underlying process to which they refer, are expected to influence each other strongly. We introduce a novel approach to handle such time series, one that models their interaction as a two-dimensional cellular automaton and therefore allows them to be treated as a single entity. We apply our approach to the problems of filling gaps and predicting values in rainfall time series. Computational results show that the new approach compares favorably to Kalman smoothing and filtering