Forecasting changes in UK interest rates

Making accurate forecasts of the future direction of interest rates is a vital element when making economic decisions. The focus on central banks as they make decisions about the future direction of interest rates requires the forecaster to assess the likely outcome of comittee decisions based on new information since the previous meeting. We characterize this process as a dynamic ordered probit process that uses information to decide between three possible outcomes for interest rates: an increase, decrease or no-change. When we analyze the predictive ability of two information sets, we find that the approach has predictive ability both in-sample and out-of-sample that helps forecast the direction of future rates

Surface-Orientation-Dependent Distribution of Subsurface Cation-Exchange Defects in Olivine-Phosphate Nanocrystals

Atomic-scale exchange between two different cations of similar size in crystalline oxides is one of the major types of point defects when multiple cations in oxygen interstitials are arrayed in an ordered manner. Although a number of studies have been performed on a variety of Li-intercalation olivine phosphates to determine the distribution of exchange defects in bulk, understanding of the thermodynamic stability of the defects in subsurface regions and its dependency on the crystallographic orientation at the surface has remained elusive. Through a combination of small-angle neutron scattering, atomic-scale direct probing with scanning transmission electron microscopy, and theoretical <i>ab initio</i> calculations, we directly demonstrate that the antisite exchange defects are distributed in a highly anisotropic manner near the surfaces of LiFePO₄ crystals. Moreover, a substantial amount of cation exchanges between Li and Fe sites is identified as an energetically favorable configuration in some surface regions, showing excellent agreement with the calculation results of negative defect formation energies. The findings in this study provide insight into developing better ways to avoid degradation of lithium mobility through the surface as well as scientifically notable features regarding the distribution of exchange defects in olivine phosphates

Open radical prostatectomy reproducing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: Involving antegrade nerve sparing and continuous anastomosis

<div><p>ABSTRACT Purpose: To present modified RRP using the same method as RALP and compare its surgical outcomes with RALP. Materials and Methods: Demographics, perioperative and functional outcomes of the 322 patients that underwent RRP (N=99) or RALP (N=223) at our institution from January 2011 through June 2013 were evaluated retrospectively. Postoperative incontinence and erectile dysfunction are involved functional outcomes. During the modified procedure, the bladder neck was dissected first as for RALP. After dissection of vas deference and seminal vesicle, the prostate was dissected in an antegrade fashion with bilateral nerve saving. Finally, the urethra was cut at the prostate apex. After a Rocco suture was applied, and then urethrovesical anastomosis was performed with continuous suture as for RALP. Results: Perioperative characteristics and complication rates were similar in the RRP and RALP groups except for mean estimated blood loss (p<0.001) and operative time (p<0.001). Incontinence rates at 3 and 12 months after RRP decreased from 67.6% to 10.1 and after RALP decreased from 53.4% to 5.4%. Positive surgical margin rates were non-significantly different in the RRP and RALP groups (30.3% and 37.2%, respectively). Overall postoperative potency rate at 12 months was not significant different in RRP and RALP groups (34.3% and 43.0%). Conclusions: RRP reproducing RALP was found to have surgical outcomes comparable to RALP. This technique might be adopted by experienced urologic surgeons as a standard procedure.</p></div

Nanoscale Phase Behavior of Mixed Polymer Ligands on a Gold Nanoparticle Surface

The phase behavior of mixed polymer ligands anchored on Au nanoparticle surfaces was investigated using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). An equimolar mixture of deuterated polystyrene (<i>d</i>PS) and normal poly­(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was attached to Au nanoparticles, and the polymer-grafted nanoparticles were characterized in an isotopic toluene mixture, a good solvent for both homopolymers. Poly­(deuterated styrene-<i>ran</i>-methyl methacrylate) (P­(<i>d</i>S-<i>r</i>-MMA)) attached to the Au nanoparticles was also characterized as a control case. The results suggest that as the molecular weight increases, the two species of polymers become phase-separated on the nanoparticle surface, resulting in the formation of Janus-type nanoparticles. Monte Carlo simulations for the model polymer-grafted particle system suggest that the effective attraction between the polymers and the particle leads to dense wetting layers of solvophilic polymer blends in the vicinity of the solvophobic particle surface, which plays a decisive role in the formation of the phase-separated morphology

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Induced Lyotropic Phase Behavior of a Polymeric System

We report for the first time a new single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-induced lyotropic phase behavior of a F108 block copolymer/water system. As the concentration is increased by evaporation, the F108-SWNT/water system exhibits isotropic–hexagonal–FCC–BCC–lamellar transitions. This is in clear contrast with the F108/water system (isotropic–BCC–lamellar transitions), indicating that the hexagonal and the FCC phases are newly induced by the presence of one-dimensional SWNTs. The SWNTs maintain their individuality or very small bundle state in all the phases except the lamellar phase. In the hexagonal phase, the SWNTs are located in the hydrophobic core of F108 cylinders oriented parallel to the [001] direction. The epitaxial transitions between the phases allowed us to identify the possible orientation of SWNTs in each phase: [110] in the FCC and either ⟨100⟩ or ⟨111⟩ in the BCC. In the lamellar phase, the SWNTs exist most likely in the hydrophobic layers forming aggregations among them. This new SWNT-induced lyotropic phase behavior in a block copolymer system may provide a new scalable route to fabricate SWNT superstructures with well-defined architecture and new functionalities

Anomalistic Self-Assembled Phase Behavior of Block Copolymer Blended with Organic Derivative Depending on Temperature

Amphiphilic Pluronic block copolymers have attracted great attention in a broad spectrum of potential applications due to the excellent phase behaviors in an aqueous solution, and many efforts have been made to investigate their phase behaviors under various external conditions. With a variety of external conditions, however, the closed looplike phase behaviors of a Pluronic block copolymer in an aqueous solution have not been reported yet. Herein, we report the closed looplike (CLL) phase behavior of a Pluronic P65 triblock copolymer blended with an organic derivative, 5-methylsalicylic acid (5mS), in aqueous solution, which is very unique for block copolymers. As the 5mS concentration increases, the isotropic to ordered phase or back to isotropic phase transition temperature is decreased while the number of closed loops is increased to two. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a CLL phase transition of a Pluronic block copolymer in an aqueous solution, which is readily applicable to optical devices such as optical sensors or optoelectronics, and nanotemplates for a highly ordered superlattice. Furthermore, this provides new insight into the understanding on the phase behavior of a Pluronic block copolymer blended with additives

SANS Study of Ring Topology Effects on the Miscibility of Polymer Blends

Highly purified hydrogenous ring poly­(4-trimethylsilylstyrene) (<i>h</i>-PT) and deuterated ring polyisoprene (<i>d</i>-PI) samples as well as their linear counterparts were prepared, and the miscibility of three kinds of polymer blends, i.e., linear–linear, ring–linear, and ring–ring, denoted as L–L, R–L, and R–R, respectively, with all 50/50 vol % was evaluated by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. PT and PI are known as a miscible polymer pair with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) type phase diagram. At low-<i>q</i> regime of the scattering profiles, R–R blend exhibits much higher scattering intensity than L–L and R–L, while the latter two show similar profiles. Moreover, from Zimm’s analysis, the spinodal temperature of R–R was estimated to be about 100 °C lower than the other two blends, L–L and R–L. These results suggest that the miscibility of R–R is considerably lower than the other two blends, which is a clear manifestation of the topological effect on the phase behavior of the present blend

Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Study on Defect-Controlled Polymer Networks

Tetra-PEG gels are classified to near-“ideal” networks with significantly low inhomogeneities, which were confirmed by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). In this study, we systematically introduced two types of defects into Tetra-PEG gels and investigated effects of defects on structure. First, we prepared defect-rich networks by simply reducing prepolymer concentration, and observed the evolution of network structure by time-resolved SANS during gelation process. In this case, both the scattering intensity and the correlation length increased with reaction time in the ϕ < ϕ* region, while they scarcely changed in the ϕ > ϕ* region. Here, ϕ and ϕ* are the polymer volume fractions at observation and that at chain-overlap concentration, respectively. Second, we prepared “<i>p</i>-tuned” Tetra-PEG gels by tuning the reaction probability, <i>p</i>, and soaked them in water to expose the inhomogeneities. It was revealed that SANS profiles of as-prepared gels did not change noticeably, while those of swollen gels systematically changed with decreasing <i>p</i>. On the basis of these results, we discuss the relationship between the defects of polymer network and inhomogeneities by using simple schematic pictures of polymer network

Fabrication and Structural Characterization of Module-Assembled Amphiphilic Conetwork Gels

Structural analysis of inhomogeneity-free poly­(ethylene glycol)–poly­(dimethyl­siloxane) (PEG–PDMS) amphiphilic conetwork gels has been performed by the complementary use of small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering. Because of the hydrophobicity of PDMS units, the PEG–PDMS gels exhibit a microphase-separated structure in water. Depending on the volume fraction of PDMS, the microphase-separated structure varies from core–shell to lamellar. The obtained X-ray and neutron scattering profiles are reproduced well using a core–shell model together with a Percus–Yevick structure factor when the volume fraction of PDMS is small. The domain size is much larger than the size of individual PEG and PDMS unit, and this is explained using the theory of block copolymers. Reflecting the homogeneous dispersion conditions in the as-prepared state, scattering peaks are observed even at a very low PDMS volume fraction (0.2%). When the volume fraction of PDMS is large, the microphase-separated structure is lamellar and is demonstrated to be kinetically controlled by nonequilibrium and topological effects

SANS and DLS Study of Tacticity Effects on Hydrophobicity and Phase Separation of Poly(<i>N</i>‑isopropylacrylamide)

The tacticity effect on phase separation process of poly­(<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM) aqueous solutions was investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. SANS measurement revealed that hydrophobicity of PNiPAM consisting of meso- and racemo-isomers increased with increasing the meso-content. This result is in accordance with the result of the previous experimental and simulation study on NiPAM dimers (DNiPAM) and trimers (TNiPAM) [Katsumoto, Y.; J. Phys. Chem. B 2010, 114, 13312−13318, and Autieri, E.; J. Phys. Chem. B 2011, 115, 5827–5839]; i.e., meso-diad is more hydrophobic than racemo-diad. In addition, a series of scattering experiments revealed that the ratio of meso-diad does not affect the static structure or the shrinking behavior of a single chain, but strongly affects the aggregation behavior. The PNiPAMs with low meso-content suddenly associate around the phase separation temperature, while that of the high meso-content gradually aggregate with increasing temperature. We propose that phase transition behavior of PNiPAM aqueous solutions can be controlled by changing the stereoregularity of the polymer chain