The efficiency of the oil futures market and the hedging effectiveness of symmetric vs. asymmetric GARCH models during periods of extreme conditional volatility

This paper investigates the efficiency of the NYMEX Division light sweet crude oil futures contract market during recent periods of extreme conditional volatility. Crude oil futures contract prices are found to be cointegrated with spot prices and unbiased predictors of future spot prices, including over the period prior the onset of the Iraqi war and until the formation of the new Iraqi government on April 2005. Both futures and spot prices exhibit asymmetric volatility characteristics. Hedging performance is improved when asymmetries are accounted for

Neurobat, a Predictive and Adaptive Heating Control System Using Artificial Neural Networks

The paper describes a predictive and adaptive heating controller, using artificial neural networks to allow the adaptation of the control model to the real conditions (climate, building characteristics, user's behaviour). The controller algorithm has been developed and tested as a collaborative project between the CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique, Neuchâtel, Switzerland, project leader), and the LESO-PB (Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland). A significant support has been provided by leading Swiss industries in control systems. The project itself has been funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). The project has allowed the development of an original algorithm, especially suited for water heating systems, and its testing both by simulation and by experimentation on an inhabited building. The experimentation has been done using a PC software implementation. A second phase of the project, currently going on, aims at building a commercial system based on the NEUROBAT algorithm

World Addiction Medicine Reports : formation of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) Global Expert Network (ISAM-GEN) and Its global surveys

Funding: All the infrastructure funding of this initiative is supported by the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM). We will be open to fundraising for specific projects within the platform and future collaboration with external partners.Addiction medicine is a dynamic field that encompasses clinical practice and research in the context of societal, economic, and cultural factors at the local, national, regional, and global levels. This field has evolved profoundly during the past decades in terms of scopes and activities with the contribution of addiction medicine scientists and professionals globally. The dynamic nature of drug addiction at the global level has resulted in a crucial need for developing an international collaborative network of addiction societies, treatment programs and experts to monitor emerging national, regional, and global concerns. This protocol paper presents methodological details of running longitudinal surveys at national, regional, and global levels through the Global Expert Network of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM-GEN). The initial formation of the network with a recruitment phase and a round of snowball sampling provided 354 experts from 78 countries across the globe. In addition, 43 national/regional addiction societies/associations are also included in the database. The surveys will be developed by global experts in addiction medicine on treatment services, service coverage, co-occurring disorders, treatment standards and barriers, emerging addictions and/or dynamic changes in treatment needs worldwide. Survey participants in categories of (1) addiction societies/associations, (2) addiction treatment programs, (3) addiction experts/clinicians and (4) related stakeholders will respond to these global longitudinal surveys. The results will be analyzed and cross-examined with available data and peer-reviewed for publication.Peer reviewe

Elektrothermischer Out-Of-Plane-Antrieb mit bistabilen Mechanismen für ein Braille-Flächendisplay

Zur Leseunterstützung blinder Menschen wird im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts Mobilize am Institut EMK ein Braille-Flächendisplay entwickelt. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt die Entwicklung, Fertigung und Charakterisierung eines neuartigen mechanisch bistabilen Antriebs. Die Bewegung aus der Ebene (Out-of-plane) wird durch einen asymmetrischen Pseudo-Bimorph-Aktor erzeugt. Ein Formschluss zwischen einem In-plane- und Out-of-plane-Aktor kann durch die Auslenkung des In-plane-Aktors entriegelt werden, sodass der Out-of-plane angehoben werden kann. Der Entwurf des Systems berücksichtigt Randbedingungen aus der Leiterplatten-Fertigungstechnologie, um eine kostengünstige Herstellung zu ermöglichen. Das System verfügt über zwei mechanisch stabile Arbeitspunkte. Die vorliegende Arbeit umfasst die Untersuchung und Bewertung von Out-of-plane-Getrieben und bistabilen Mechanismen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird die Herstellbarkeit eines mehrlagigen Verformungskörpers aus SUEX untersucht. Die Herstellung erfolgt durch das Laminieren von mehrschichtigen Strukturen aus dem Trockenlaminat SUEX. Opferschichtprozesse mit 200 nm gesputtertem Aluminium und 30 µm sprühbelacktem Photoresist AZ9260 ermöglichen die Herstellung von frei beweglichen überlappenden Strukturen. Die Verformungskörper des Systems bestehen aus zwei 250 µm dicken SUEX-Schichten. Zum Entwurf wird die nichtlineare Biegebalkentheorie analytisch und numerisch verwendet. Mit dieser Theorie werden sowohl die Out-of-plane-Getriebe, als auch formschlüssige und kraftschlüssige bistabile Mechanismen untersucht. Die Geometrie des Systems wird durch numerische thermomechanische Simulationen optimiert, sodass der Braille-Pin eine Auslenkung aus der Ebene von 543 µm erreicht. Das System weist ein bistabiles Verhalten bis zu einer gemessenen Schaltkraft von 10 N auf

Mikro-Galvanoformung mit heterogenem Aspektverhältnis für Inertialsensoren

Diese Arbeit vergleicht das Umkehrpuls-Abscheidung mit aspektverhältnisabhängigen Parametern Verfahren mit dem Gleichstrom-Abscheidungs Verfahren bei einem heterogenen Aspektverhältnis. Die Option Separate Abscheidung von Bereichen mit hohem und geringem Aspektverhältnis ist mit dem Gleichstrom- und Umkehrpuls-Verfahren kombiniert und durchgeführt worden. Innerhalb der Strukturen mit hohem Aspektverhältnis, weist das Umkehrpuls-Verfahren eine höhere Abscheiderate im Vergleich zum Gleichstrom-Verfahren auf. Die Erhöhung der negativen und positiven Stromdichten von J1 = 10 und J2

Let’s Join: A Pavilion Inspired by the Weaire and Phelan Space Tessellation

The pavilion presented in this paper is an articulation of space based on the Weaire and Phelan tessellation. In this pavilion a second generative pattern is partially engraved and cut out of the polygonal surfaces that bind the polyhedron. This pattern is made up of cubic curves that aim to spatially engage with the tessellation. The design and prototyping process was implemented and controlled using parametric and procedural models. The use of these models made it possible to defne the shape, orientation, and size of each element of the pavilion: from the polyhedron and the pattern’s curves, to smaller components like the shape of the panels’ joints, holes, and the countersinks that hold the screws. This research illustrates the geometric, formal, and procedural design that was used to shape the pavilion in its current spatial confguration, to draw the pattern cut and engraved into the polyhedron’s surface, and fnally, to determine the shape and scale of the joints that hold the faces of the polyhedron together and characterize the internal space. Regarding the topic of Patterns and Spatial Organization, the paper investigates shape design methodologies, which are based on historical practices but updated using new technologies

Cost-Efficient Manufacturing of a High Deflection Electrothermal Drive for Switching Applications

We present a cost-efficient method for manufacturing of electrothermal actuators. For concept validation, a bidirectional out-of-plane actuator is fabricated using two Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) layers which are milled and assembled using rivets. The actuator generates a high open loop deflection of 4.4 mm, 21.5 mN blocking force and has a footprint of 35 x 13 mm². The presented device can be mass produced using manufacturing methods available for flexible printed circuit boards. It can be used to drive micro fluid valves and electrical switches which require relatively high deflection and driving forces