Sources of pro-cyclicality in east Asian financial systems

Procyclicality is a normal feature of economic systems, but financial sector weaknesses can exacerbate it sufficiently to pose a threat to macroeconomic and financial stability. These include shortcomings in bank risk management and governance, in supervision and in terms of dependence on volatile sources of funds. The paper tests econometrically for the importance of such features leading to pro-cyclicality in the financial systems of 11 East Asian countries. This analysis makes it possible to identify specific policy measures for East Asian countries that could limit the extent to which financial systems exacerbate pro-cyclicality

Extended Theories of Gravity

Extended Theories of Gravity can be considered a new paradigm to cure shortcomings of General Relativity at infrared and ultraviolet scales. They are an approach that, by preserving the undoubtedly positive results of Einstein's Theory, is aimed to address conceptual and experimental problems recently emerged in Astrophysics, Cosmology and High Energy Physics. In particular, the goal is to encompass, in a self-consistent scheme, problems like Inflation, Dark Energy, Dark Matter, Large Scale Structure and, first of all, to give at least an effective description of Quantum Gravity. We review the basic principles that any gravitational theory has to follow. The geometrical interpretation is discussed in a broad perspective in order to highlight the basic assumptions of General Relativity and its possible extensions in the general framework of gauge theories. Principles of such modifications are presented, focusing on specific classes of theories like f (R)-gravity and scalar-tensor gravity in the metric and Palatini approaches. The special role of torsion is also discussed. The conceptual features of these theories are fully explored and attention is payed to the issues of dynamical and conformal equivalence between them considering also the initial value problem. A number of viability criteria are presented considering the post-Newtonian and the post-Minkowskian limits. In particular, we discuss the problems of neutrino oscillations and gravitational waves in Extended Gravity. Finally, future perspectives of Extended Gravity are considered with possibility to go beyond a trial and error approach.Comment: 184 pages, 3 figures, survey to appear in Physics Report

Global overview of the management of acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (CHOLECOVID study)

Background: This study provides a global overview of the management of patients with acute cholecystitis during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: CHOLECOVID is an international, multicentre, observational comparative study of patients admitted to hospital with acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on management were collected for a 2-month study interval coincident with the WHO declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and compared with an equivalent pre-pandemic time interval. Mediation analysis examined the influence of SARS-COV-2 infection on 30-day mortality. Results: This study collected data on 9783 patients with acute cholecystitis admitted to 247 hospitals across the world. The pandemic was associated with reduced availability of surgical workforce and operating facilities globally, a significant shift to worse severity of disease, and increased use of conservative management. There was a reduction (both absolute and proportionate) in the number of patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 3095 patients (56.2 per cent) pre-pandemic to 1998 patients (46.2 per cent) during the pandemic but there was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality after cholecystectomy comparing the pre-pandemic interval with the pandemic (13 patients (0.4 per cent) pre-pandemic to 13 patients (0.6 per cent) pandemic; P = 0.355). In mediation analysis, an admission with acute cholecystitis during the pandemic was associated with a non-significant increased risk of death (OR 1.29, 95 per cent c.i. 0.93 to 1.79, P = 0.121). Conclusion: CHOLECOVID provides a unique overview of the treatment of patients with cholecystitis across the globe during the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study highlights the need for system resilience in retention of elective surgical activity. Cholecystectomy was associated with a low risk of mortality and deferral of treatment results in an increase in avoidable morbidity that represents the non-COVID cost of this pandemic

Paricle identification at VAMOS++ with machine learning techniques

Multi-nucleon transfer reaction between 136Xe beam and 198Pt target was performed using the VAMOS++ spectrometer at GANIL to study the structure of n-rich nuclei around N=126. Unambiguous charge state identification was obtained by combining two supervised machine learning methods, deep neural network (DNN) and positional correction using a gradient-boosting decision tree (GBDT). The new method reduced the complexity of the kinetic energy calibration and outperformed the conventional method improving the charge state resolution by 8%

J. Mcdaniel, The Madness of the Saints. Ecstatic Religion in Bengal

Bhattacharya France. J. Mcdaniel, The Madness of the Saints. Ecstatic Religion in Bengal. In: L'Homme, 1991, tome 31 n°117. Etudes japonaises. Dieux, lieux, corps, choses, illusion. pp. 166-167

J. Mcdaniel, The Madness of the Saints. Ecstatic Religion in Bengal

Bhattacharya France. J. Mcdaniel, The Madness of the Saints. Ecstatic Religion in Bengal. In: L'Homme, 1991, tome 31 n°117. Etudes japonaises. Dieux, lieux, corps, choses, illusion. pp. 166-167

L'histoire du roi Srî Vatsa

Bhattacharya France. L'histoire du roi Srî Vatsa. In: Communications, 39, 1984. Les avatars d'un conte, sous la direction de Claude Bremond. pp. 194-204

Tableau synoptique de quelques littératures de l’Inde à la période ancienne et « médiévale »

Une seule littérature indienne écrite en plusieurs langues : tel est le paysage littéraire en Inde. Ces langues se regroupent essentiellement en deux familles : les langues indo-aryennes au nord et les langues dravidiennes au sud. Malgré la diversité de leurs origines et de leurs territoires, elles ont donné le jour à des littératures dont le développement fut largement convergent. Le tamoul, langue du Sud, vit l’émergence des œuvres les plus anciennes. Aux périodes ancienne et médiévale, les sujets religieux dominèrent, ce furent d’abord des adaptations des grandes épopées et des puranas sanskrits. La poésie l’emportait très nettement sur la prose. Les œuvres étaient récitées et chantées en public. Les mouvements religieux dévotionnels se démarquant de la stricte orthodoxie brahmanique facilitèrent le développement des littératures vernaculaires. Les musulmans soufis apportèrent leur contribution en introduisant des thèmes empruntés au domaine persan

Sît et Vasanta, les deux frères

Bhattacharya France. Sît et Vasanta, les deux frères. In: Communications, 39, 1984. Les avatars d'un conte, sous la direction de Claude Bremond. pp. 67-76