Introducing Multiple Interest rates in ToTEM

This article describes changes to the structure of ToTEM—the Bank of Canada’s main model for projection and policy analysis—that allow an independent role for long-term interest rates, as well as for the risk spreads that lead to differences in the interest rates faced by households, firms and the government. These changes broaden the range of policy questions that the model can address and improve its ability to explain data. The authors use the model to simulate the effects of shocks to the risk spreads on interest rates similar to those that occurred during the recent financial crisis. They also use the model to assess the macroeconomic impact of higher requirements for bank capital and liquidity.

An investigation into the effect of salt (sodium chloride) on immunity in patients with kidney disease

The salt (sodium chloride; NaCl) content of a western diet far exceeds the amount that we consumed through most of our evolutionary history. It is accepted that excess sodium intake causes hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but it has been recently shown that sodium also affects immunity, and high salt diets worsen animal models of autoimmune disease. Sodium has been shown to activate multiple immune cells, including Th17 cells, which provide protection from bacterial and fungal infection but which are also implicated in autoimmune disease. The mechanism by which sodium polarises Th17 cells, whether salt depletion has clinical consequences, and if altering sodium balance affects the development of inflammatory kidney diseases are unknown. In this project, I investigate the effect of salt on IL-17 responses and how this is relevant in patients with kidney disease. I demonstrate that NaCl promotes IL-17 responses in both CD4+ (Th17) and CD8+ (Tc17) cells. This effect is mediated by sodium altering calcium flux during T cell activation and may be abrogated by inhibition of the sodium-potassium-chloride (NKCC) transporter and the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) on immune cells. Patients with inherited salt losing tubulopathies (SLTs) have clinical features of immunodeficiency with increased infections and allergic disease. This is associated with a reduced ratio of circulating Th17:Th2 cells, and Th17 polarisation in SLT patients is impaired compared with controls. I show that SLT patients have reduced sodium stores and that the typical extracellular ionic environment in SLT is inhibitory to Th17 polarisation. Salt supplementation in vitro rescues IL-17 responses in SLT patients. Lastly, I demonstrate that Th17 cells are salt responsive in patients with inflammatory kidney disease despite in vivo immunosuppression. A high salt diet did not alter the development of an animal model of glomerulonephritis, but a low salt diet was a feasible therapeutic intervention in kidney transplant recipients

La photonique pour tous - du laboratoire universitaire à la salle de cours collégiale

Affiche présentée dans le cadre du colloque de l'ARC «Favoriser l’accès et le partage par la création d’un observatoire» lors du 86e Congrès de l'Acfas à l' Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), les 7 et 8 mai 2018.L'infrastructure des communications internationales, activée et alimentée par les systèmes photoniques, a transformé la qualité de notre vie quotidienne de manière inimaginable. Cependant, le flot de données des communications optiques ne cesse d’augmenter, et l’utilisation de composantes électriques – nécessaires pour les fonctions clés de traitement du signal – doit être éliminée en raison de la faible bande passante de l’électronique. Nous présentons des composantes tout-optiques nécessaires pour supporter les futurs systèmes des communications, tous miniaturisés et intégrés en silicium sur des puces photoniques. Ces nouvelles composantes ont remplacé des composantes photoniques traditionnelles dans de nombreux montages expérimentaux. Dans certains cas, nous avons réussi à remplacer des kilomètres de fibre optique par une composante mesurant seulement quelques millimètres. Les résultats expérimentaux démontrent que ces composantes peuvent accomplir des fonctions complexes de traitement de signaux optiques, telles que la conversion de longueurs d’ondes, l'analyse du spectre des radiofréquences, le filtrage et le routage des signaux. Les sujets abordés dans le cours « Ondes et physique moderne » constituent la base des études dans les domaines liés à la photonique. Nous expliquons comment cette recherche, riche en exemples tangibles associés aux phénomènes de la physique, génère des retombées pédagogiques enrichissantes pour les étudiants du collégial

Characterization of the 15-5 Stainless Steel Electric Discharge Machining Recast Layer

Electric discharge machining (EDM) is a non-conventional machining process that is used for tough, hard materials or materials that require no tool force. Wire EDM produces a recast layer and heat-affected zone as a result of rapid melting and quenching at the surface of the cut. A secondary machining operation has been required to remove this layer. Previous estimates of the depth of the recast layer are likely too conservative due to improvements in the technology; therefore, the goal of this study is to characterize and more accurately investigate the size of the layer. Two EDM machine parameters, voltage and pulse on-time, were varied for the machining of 15-5 PH stainless steel. Three levels of each factor were investigated: recommended machine settings, -25%, and -50%. Average recast layer thickness was evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Microhardness testing was also performed on ground, polished, and etched samples. Compared to previous studies and industry specifications, the recast layer was significantly smaller or not observed at all. SEM imaging generally indicated an oxide layer with porosity and microcracking near the surface. Microhardness results showed no difference between the surface and base material at maximum voltage, but significant difference between recast layer and base material for all lower voltages. However, a secondary machining operation is still recommended to remove any recast or oxide layers, but less material must be removed than prior industry estimates

Traitement de signal multicanal simultané à l'aide d'une puce photonique

Affiche présentée dans le cadre du Colloque de l'ARC, «Des racines et des ailes pour la recherche collégiale», dans le cadre du 85e Congrès de l’Acfas, Université McGill, Montréal, les 8 et 9 mai 2017.Comme le flot de données des communications optiques augmente, l’utilisation de composantes électriques – nécessaires pour les fonctions clés de traitement du signal – doit être éliminée en raison de la faible bande passante de l’électronique. En conséquence, une approche tout-optique est nécessaire pour accomplir des fonctions de traitement de signaux clés, telle l'analyse du spectre des radiofréquences. Les technologies utilisant le silicium sont idéales, puisqu’elles peuvent être intégrées sur puce dans de futurs blocs fonctionnels de systèmes de communication optique. Nous présenterons un dispositif non linéaire et multimode intégré dans un guide d’ondes en silicium. En stimulant les effets optiques non linéaires de façon sélective pour les différents modes de la lumière, il est possible d'effectuer un traitement du signal multicanal simultanément à l'aide d'un seul dispositif intégré; c'est le cas, par exemple, pour l'analyse du spectre des radiofréquences de deux signaux optiques différents. Nous illustrerons l’analyse simultanée du spectre des radiofréquences de signaux de 640 GHz et de 160 GHz. Les bandes passantes des deux canaux optiques sont au-delà de 2000 GHz et 500 GHz respectivement. Cette approche, qui peut s’adapter à un plus grand nombre de canaux, pousse à ses limites le traitement de multiples signaux au moyen d’une seule puce photonique

Review of the occupational health and safety of Britain’s ethnic minorities

This report sets out an evidence-based review on work-related health and safety issues relating to black and minority ethnic groups. Data included available statistical materials and a systematic review of published research and practice-based reports. UK South Asians are generally under-represented within the most hazardous occupational groups. They have lower accident rates overall, while Black Caribbean workers rates are similar to the general population; Bangladeshi and Chinese workers report lowest workplace injury rates UK South Asian people exhibit higher levels of limiting long-term illness (LLI) and self reported poor health than the general population while Black Africans and Chinese report lower levels. Ethnic minority workers with LLI are more likely than whites to withdraw from the workforce, or to experience lower wage rates. Some of these findings conflict with evidence of differentials from USA, Europe and Australasia, but there is a dearth of effective primary research or reliable monitoring data from UK sources. There remains a need to improve monitoring and data collection relating to black and ethnic minority populations and migrant workers. Suggestions are made relating to workshops on occupational health promotion programmes for ethnic minorities, and ethnic minority health and safety 'Beacon' sites

\u27Dare to be Different\u27: How Religious Groups Frame and Enact Appropriate Sexuality and Gender Norms among Young Adults

Purpose The sexual lives of religious youth and young adults have been an increasing topic of interest since the rise of abstinence-only education and attendant programs in many religious institutions. But while we know a lot about individual-level rates of sexual behavior, far less is known about how religious organizations shape and mediate sexuality. We draw on data from observations with youth and young adult ministries and interviews with religious young adults and adult leaders from Muslim, Hindu, and Protestant Christian groups in order to examine how religious adults in positions of organizational authority work to manage the gender and sexual developments in the transition to adulthood among their youth. We find three distinct organizational styles across the various religious traditions: avoidance through gender segregation, self-restraint supplemented with peer surveillance, and a classed disengagement. In each of these organizational responses, gender and sexuality represent something that must be explained and controlled in the process of cultivating the proper adult religious disposition. The paper examines how religious congregations and other religious organizations oriented toward youth, work to manage the gender and sexual developments in their youth’s transitions to adulthood. The paper draws from a larger project that is studying the lived processes of religious transmission between generations. Methodology/approach Data were extracted from (a) ethnographic observations of youth programming at religious organizations; (b) ethnographicobservations with families during their religious observances; (c) interviews with adult leaders of youth ministry programs. The sample includes Protestant Christian, Muslim, and Hindu organizations and families

Introduction

The aerospace industry is aiming for a cleaner means of transport. One way to achieve this is by making transportation lighter, thus directly improving fuel efficiency and reducing environmental impact. A further aim, of the industry, is to reduce maintenance time to lessen operating costs, which can result in a reduction of air transport costs, benefitting both passenger and freight services. Current developments to support these aims include using advanced materials, with the current generation of aerospace structures being 50% composite materials. These materials offer a weight reduction whilst maintaining adequate stiffness; however, their damage mechanics are very complex and less deterministic than those of metals. This results in an overall reduced benefit. Structures are manufactured thicker using additional material to accommodate unknown or unpredictable failure modes, which cannot be easily detected during maintenance. A way to overcome these issues is the adoption of a structural health monitoring (SHM) inspection system. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is understood to be the continuous or periodic and automated method for determining and monitoring the condition of a monitored object within condition monitoring (according to DIN ISO 17359). This is conducted through measurements with permanently installed or integrated transducers and the analysis of the measurement data. Its purpose is to detect damage, for example, cracks or deformations, at an early stage to initiate countermeasures. [...

Les réseaux de Bragg dans des nanofils de silicium... et dans la salle de cours

Affiche présentée dans le cadre du Colloque de l'ARC, «La relève scientifique et la recherche collégiale : pratiques inspirantes au regard des chercheuses et chercheurs, et enjeux spécifiques à la formation des étudiantes et étudiants», dans le cadre du 84e Congrès de l'Acfas, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, le 10 mai 2016.Les technologies photoniques utilisant le silicium sont pertinentes, puisqu’elles peuvent être intégrées sur puce dans de futurs blocs fonctionnels de systèmes de communication optique. Un outil très important pour ces systèmes est le réseau de Bragg (RB). Ce réseau, dans des fibres optiques conventionnelles, est caractérisé par un changement périodique de l’indice de réfraction et il a des applications diverses, dont le filtrage et le routage des signaux optiques. Il est nécessaire d’intégrer des RB dans des guides d’ondes ou des nanofils en silicium. Nous décrirons la conception et la fabrication des RB dans des nanofils de silicium. La largeur du nanofil peut être modifiée de façon périodique, créant un RB. De plus, un aspect innovant est que la modification de la largeur de chaque côté du nanofil peut être désalignée. Par conséquent, le pourcentage de la puissance optique des longueurs d’onde réfléchies et transmises par le RB peut être varié, permettant ainsi d’accomplir des fonctions de traitement de signaux optiques plus complexes. Les résultats expérimentaux caractérisant la performance de ces RB sont en accord avec les simulations. Cette recherche est riche en exemples associés aux phénomènes de la physique et a des retombées pédagogiques enrichissantes pour les étudiantes et les étudiants du collégial inscrits au cours Ondes et physique moderne