Saving-investment Correlations in Response to Monetary Policy Shocks: New Insights into the Feldstein-Horioka Puzzle?

In this paper, it is argued that the observed high positive correlation between national savings and investment which is found in the data can in part be explained by shocks to monetary policy. This hypothesis, which is established by reviewing some empirical findings, is tested in a two-country DSGE-model framework in the tradition of the New Open Economy Macroeconomics. The simulation results obtained support the idea that shocks to monetary policy might contribute to the explanation of the Feldstein-Horioka puzzl

(FEAR OF) (an exploration of empathy)

How much can you understand what another person is feeling? How much can they understand what you feel? This is the territory that my capstone investigates. Utilizing a mixture of informal and formal language and experimental footnotes, I describe the concepts and process behind my most recent body of work, the (Fear Of) series of animations, and its relationship to empathy. I follow this discussion with an explanation of my choice of fears and eyes as vehicles for this project, and end with an appendix featuring a sample of the interview-based monologues and my notes on which the project was based

Terrestrial and extraterrestrial radiation sources that move faster than light

Maxwell\u27s equations establish that patterns of electric charges and currents can be animated to travel faster than the speed of light in vacuo and that these superluminal distribution patterns emit tightly focused packets of electromagnetic radiation that are fundamentally different from the emissions by previously known terrestrial radiation sources. Novel antennae that employ extended distributions of polarization currents moving faster than light have proven to be effective emitters of electromagnetic radiation and are currently tested for applications in radar and low-power, secure communications technologies. Here, we we study the emission of a localized charge in constant superluminal rotation. We set out by applying basic methods introduced by Huyghens and Fresnel to gain phase information and find that radiation sources that travel not only faster than light, but are also subject to acceleration, possess a two-sheeted envelope and a cusp -- a region of intense concentration of energy. Moreover, careful analysis of the relationship between emission and observation time reveals that this need not be monotonic and one-to-one, as multiple retarded times -- or even extended periods of source time -- can contribute to a single instant of reception. Finding solutions to this unusual temporal relation enables us to measure the intriguing electromagnetic effects that occur on the cusp and within the envelope of the emitted wave fronts quantitatively. Finally, we proceed to calculate the more sophisticated electromagnetic potentials and fields for these locations, thereby introducing amplitude in addition to phase information. Since integral solutions to Maxwell\u27s equations, traditionally used in the context of stationary or subluminally moving sources, may be problematic when applied to faster-than-light charges due to the presence of multiple or extended retarded times, we will derive and visualize what constitutes the main, substantive part of the present work: The correct formulae for the Liénard-Wiechert potentials and fields of a point charge travelling arbitrarily fast along a given trajectory. Numerical evaluation of these expressions shows that this radiation field has the following intrinsic characteristics: (i) it is sharply focused along a rigidly rotating spiral-shaped beam that embodies the cusp of the envelope of the emitted wave fronts, (ii) it consists of either one or three concurrent polarization modes (depending on the relative positions of the observer and the cusp) that constitute contributions to the field from differing retarded times, (iii) it is highly elliptically polarized, (iv) the position angle of each of its linearly polarized modes swings across the beam by as much as 180 degrees, and (v) the position angles of two of its modes remain approximately orthogonal throughout their excursion across the beam. In an appendix, we compare these findings to the radiation emitted by pulsars, rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars, and find that virtually all of the enigmatic features of pulsar radiation -— the polarization properties, image structure, apparent radiation temperature and peak spectral frequencies —- can be explained using a single, elegant model with few input parameters and no external assumptions. Hence, superluminal emission is almost certainly not only a human artifact, but an important and likely ubiquitous process in the observable universe that may represent significant amendments to standard models of many astronomical objects. Most calculations in Chapters 4, 5 and the Appendix are of a formal nature only. Rigor can, however, be achieved rather easily in future studies by means of the theory of distributions as outlined in the final part of Chapter 5

Projecting for \u3ci\u3eMacbeth\u3c/i\u3e, Theatre Software, and a Thank You to Figure53

In 2015, Northwestern College’s Theatre Department staged William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Theatre faculty Drew Schmidt and student Caroline M. Trewet designed and prepared floor projections for the production. In this hybrid piece for the Northwestern Review, Schmidt provides an introductory primer text and then Schmidt and Trewet provide a thank you video explaining to Figure53, a company that creates theatre software, and all viewers how they utilized the program and equipment

An optimal incentive contract to avert firm relocation under unilateral environmental regulation

The unilateral introduction of an emissions price can induce firms to relocate to other countries with less stringent environmental regulation. However, firms may be able to reduce the emissions costs in their home country by investing into low-carbon technologies or equipment (abatement capital). Using a two-period model with asymmetric information, we study the optimal design of contracts offered by a regulator who seeks to avert the relocation of a polluting firm to another country. The transfers are contingent on the firm's emissions that are observable to the regulator, and terminate if the firm relocates. We show that under limited commitment, the regulator implements more stringent policies in the first period to induce higher abatement capital investments. This creates a `lock-in effect' that prevents relocation even in the absence of transfers in period 2. We also show that types are not separated if relocation is sufficiently attractive. In practice, the transfers may be implemented via a free allocation of permits if the emissions price arises within an emissions trading scheme

Enoxaparin injection for the treatment of high-risk patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome

Non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) refers to a cardiovascular disorder characterized by intracoronary thrombus formation on a disrupted atherosclerotic plaque with partial or transient occlusion. Generation of thrombin resulting from exposure of collagen leads to activation of platelets and conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, thus forming a platelet-rich thrombus. The main therapeutic objective is to protect the patient from thrombotic complications, independent of the choice of antithrombotic agents. The management of NSTE myocardial infarction (MI) is constantly evolving. For primarily conservative strategy, enoxaparin has been proven superior to unfractioned heparin (UFH). With early invasive strategy providing better clinical outcome compared with conservative strategy, the effectiveness of enoxaparin in reducing death and MI rates is now being reconsidered in the era of poly-pharmacotherapy, early percutaneous coronary interventions and drug eluting stents. Bleeding complications can be minimized by avoiding cross-over from UFH to enoxaparin or vice versa, or by reducing the dosage of enoxaparin. We review the studies of enoxaparin and discuss its current role in the contemporary treatment of NSTE-ACS

FSSH-2: Fewest Switches Surface Hopping with robust switching probability

This study introduces the FSSH-2 scheme, a redefined and numerically stable adiabatic Fewest Switches Surface Hopping (FSSH) method for mixed quantum-classical dynamics. It reformulates the standard FSSH hopping probability without non-adiabatic coupling vectors and allows for numerical time integration with larger step sizes. The advantages of FSSH-2 are demonstrated by numerical experiments for five different model systems in one and two spatial dimensions with up to three electronic states

Cohabitation and marriage in Austria

BACKGROUND Although cohabitation has spread rapidly in Austria during the past decades, it is more a prelude than an alternative to marriage. The individualization thesis serves as a conceptual framework for explaining the rise of cohabiting unions. OBJECTIVE Our aim is to understand what motivates people to cohabit and marry from an individualization perspective. The present study was designed to investigate in which ways key notions of the individualization thesis such as commitment, romantic love and risk are reflected in discourses on cohabitation and marriage. METHODS Research is based on data from eight focus group discussions (71 participants) conducted in Vienna, Austria, in 2012. This data was analyzed with the help of qualitative methods. RESULTS The focus group participants regarded cohabitation and marriage as different life course strategies. They felt that young adulthood is a period characterized by uncertain external circumstances, in which people build up commitment in cohabitation without feeling limited in terms of opportunities. As dissolving a cohabiting union entails lower costs, the risk posed by this type of union was considered low. The respondents associated marriage with security and long-term commitment and saw it as an ideal for a later stage in life. They argued that romantic love and individual satisfaction should prevail throughout the entire marriage. Core terms of the individualization thesis - commitment, romantic love, and risk - were perceived differently between cohabitation and marriage. We conclude that the individualization thesis best fits young adulthood and is less relevant for later life stages

Interactions of Deep-Sea Vent Invertebrates with Their Environment: The Case of Rimicaris exoculata

The vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata thrives around many hydrothermal vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), where it aggregates into dense swarms. In contrast to hydrothermal vent fields at the East Pacific Rise (EPR), where the biomass is dominated by tubeworms, clams, and mussels, this shrimp is one of the major animal species at MAR vents. These animals are found in the dynamic mixing interface between cold oxygenated seawater and hot, reduced hydrothermal vent fluid. The adaptation of this shrimp to the hostile deep-sea hydrothermal environment and its survival strategy has been investigated since their discovery at the TAG site in the late 1980s. Rimicaris exoculata is now known to colonize black smoker complexes along the MAR in the depth-range of 2,300-3,900 in (Rainbow, Broken Spur, TAG, Snake Pit, Logatchev, 5 degrees S (Rimicaris of exoculata). Although the presence of the Rimicaris genus was first believed to be restricted to the MAR, a related species, Rimicaris kairei, was found recently at the Central Indian Ridge (CIA) (Edmonds and Kairei vent field). This review summarizes the current knowledge of Rimicaris shrimp, focusing on their spatial and temporal distribution, chemical and thermal environment, as well as on possible nutrition strategies and behavioral aspects. Recent studies suggested that iron oxide encrusted bacteria hosted in the branchial chamber of R. exoculata from the Rainbow vent field (MAR) might rely on iron oxidation. Striking results on the occurrence and morphology of iron precipitates, as well as on bacterial-mineral interaction in the gill chamber, have lead to the hypothesis of an iron-based symbiosis between bacteria and the shrimp. Special attention is called to these issues