Development of a fast laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry cell for sub-µm scanning of layered materials

Performance data are reported for a commercially available laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) setup, equipped with a custom-made cell. The low dispersion ablation cell and the connecting tubing achieve a 99% washout of the aerosol in similar to 6 ms, enabling separated pulse responses at frequencies up to 200-300 Hz. In addition, the cell employed supports a post-acquisition methodology for the deconvolution of overlapping ablation positions in scanning mode by an iterative Richardson-Lucy algorithm. This enables correction of the distortion in the scan profile upon traversing layers with dimensions below the physical size of the laser beam. By overlapping the ablation positions of a 1 mu m diameter laser beam, a lateral resolution in the order of 0.3 +/- 0.1 mu m was demonstrated for scanning of mu m-sized layers in high capacitance multi-layer ceramic capacitors

Rational Attention Allocation over the Business Cycle

The literature assessing whether mutual fund managers have skill typically regards skill as an immutable attribute of the manager or the fund. Yet, many measures of skill, such as returns, alphas, and measures of stock-picking and market-timing, appear to vary over the business cycle. Because time-varying ability seems far-fetched, these results call into question the existence of skill itself. This paper offers a rational explanation, arguing that skill is a general cognitive ability that can be applied to different tasks, such as picking stocks or market timing. Using tools from the rational inattention literature, we show that the relative value of these tasks varies cyclically. The model generates indirect predictions for the dispersion and returns of fund portfolios that distinguish this explanation from others and which are supported by the data. In turn, these findings offer useful evidence to support the notion of rational attention allocation

Too-Systemic-To-Fail: What Option Markets Imply About Sector-Wide Government Guarantees

A conspicuous amount of aggregate tail risk is missing from the price of financial sector crash insurance during the 2007-2009 crisis. The difference in costs of out-of-the-money put options for individual banks, and puts on the financial sector index, increases fourfold from its pre-crisis level. At the same time, correlations among bank stocks surge, suggesting the high put spread cannot be attributed to a relative increase in idiosyncratic risk. We show that this phenomenon is unique to the financial sector, that it cannot be explained by observed risk dynamics (volatilities and correlations), and that illiquidity and no-arbitrage violations are unlikely culprits. Instead, we provide evidence that a collective government guarantee for the financial sector lowers index put prices far more than those of individual banks, explaining the divergence in the basket-index spread. By embedding a bailout in the standard one-factor option pricing model, we can closely replicate observed put spread dynamics. During the crisis, the spread responds acutely to government intervention announcements

Harmoney : semantics for FinTech

As a result of legislation imposed by the European Parliament, in order to protect inhabitants from being exposed to a too high financial risk when investing in a variety of financial markets and products, Financial Service Providers (FSPs) are obliged to test the knowledge and experience of potential investors. This is oftemtimes done by means of questionnaires. However, these questionnaires differ in style and structure from one FSP to the other. The goal of this research is to manage in a more cost-effective manner (aligned with the needs and competencies of the individual financial investor in terms of products and services) the management of the private equity and to facilitate the fine-tuned personalised financial advisory services needed. This is achieved by means of a knowledge-based approach, integrating the available information of the investor (e.g. personal profile in terms of financial knowledge and experience) and for an extendable amount of financial service providers w ith their financial products and demonstrated by a number of exemplary use case scenarios

Trust in Dutch intensive care networks:the results of a survey

Introduction: Dutch ICUs have been enrolled in network organisations since the Quality Standard of 2016. In networks, intensivists have to cooperate to provide a high quality of care for all patients in their network. Trust is essential to cooperate effectively in a network. It is unknown what the degree of trust is in Dutch ICU networks. Methods: A survey was composed using the questionnaire by Cummings, measuring the experience of trust, and the questionnaire by Currall, measuring the willingness to show behaviour that is consistent with trust. Two overall questions concerning the feeling of being part of the network and the overall level of trust were added. All questions were answered on a 7-point Likert scale. Network managers passed the questionnaire to intensivists in the network. Results: The overall level of trust showed a mean of 5.5 (SD 1.2), similar to the mean of the Cummings questionnaire (5.3; SD 0.9). Academic intensivists had a significantly higher level of trust than intensivists from other hospitals (5.9 vs 5.0 and 5.3; p=0.009). The questions covering `surveillance', which measures the need for control, scored lowest with 3.8 (SD 1.3). Intensivists feel the need to make formal agreements and they experience a relatively intense need to control these agreements. Conclusion: Intensivists experience a reasonable level of trust within their network. However, intensivists feel the need to make formal agreements and they experience a relatively intense need to control these agreements. This suggests that the actual trust is conditional. Academic intensivists showed the highest level of trust

Trust in Dutch intensive care networks:the results of a survey

Introduction: Dutch ICUs have been enrolled in network organisations since the Quality Standard of 2016. In networks, intensivists have to cooperate to provide a high quality of care for all patients in their network. Trust is essential to cooperate effectively in a network. It is unknown what the degree of trust is in Dutch ICU networks. Methods: A survey was composed using the questionnaire by Cummings, measuring the experience of trust, and the questionnaire by Currall, measuring the willingness to show behaviour that is consistent with trust. Two overall questions concerning the feeling of being part of the network and the overall level of trust were added. All questions were answered on a 7-point Likert scale. Network managers passed the questionnaire to intensivists in the network. Results: The overall level of trust showed a mean of 5.5 (SD 1.2), similar to the mean of the Cummings questionnaire (5.3; SD 0.9). Academic intensivists had a significantly higher level of trust than intensivists from other hospitals (5.9 vs 5.0 and 5.3; p=0.009). The questions covering `surveillance', which measures the need for control, scored lowest with 3.8 (SD 1.3). Intensivists feel the need to make formal agreements and they experience a relatively intense need to control these agreements. Conclusion: Intensivists experience a reasonable level of trust within their network. However, intensivists feel the need to make formal agreements and they experience a relatively intense need to control these agreements. This suggests that the actual trust is conditional. Academic intensivists showed the highest level of trust