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The determination of bank interest rate margins: Is there a role for macroprudential policy?
Get PDFJEL Classification: E44, E52, E58, G21, G28.The advent of macroprudential policy alongside monetary policy raises the issue whether macroprudential policy has an additional effect on bank interest rate margins to that of monetary policy, and if so, whether it accentuates or offsets the interest rate effect. In light of this, we estimate combined effects of macroprudential policies and monetary policies on bank interest margins for up to 3723 banks from 35 advanced countries over 1990–2018. In the short run, tightening of both types of policy tends to narrow the margin, while in the long run, monetary policy typically widens the margin while effects of macroprudential policies are mostly zero or positive, suggestive of countervailing action by banks. There are also significant interactions between macroprudential and monetary policy for several macroprudential policies; a tighter monetary stance is widely found to offset the negative effect of macroprudential policies on margins while a loose monetary policy leaves the negative effects intact, with potential consequences for financial stability. These results are of considerable relevance to policymakers, regulators and bank managers, not least when monetary policies are tight to reduce inflationary pressures.No funding was received for conducting this study
Influence of typical technological parameters on the processing quality of laser surface texturing technology for finger sealing
Get PDFManuscript version: Accepted Manuscript. Accepted Manuscript is “the version of the article accepted for publication including all changes made as a result of the peer review process, and which may also include the addition to the article by IOP Publishing of a header, an article ID, a cover sheet and/or an ‘Accepted Manuscript’ watermark, but excluding any other editing, typesetting or other changes made by IOP Publishing and/or its licensors”In recent years, to achieve favorable tribological characteristics, surface texture technology for friction reduction has been extensively studied, and its effectiveness has been successfully validated. The quality of surface texture processing directly impacts the tribological performance of finger seal friction pairs. To investigate the influence of the laser process parameters on the finger seal surface texture of the GH4169 and improve its processability and process predictability, a comparative experiment and analysis involving multiple processing parameters, including the laser power (P), laser frequency (F), scanning speed (V), and scanning times (N), were conducted. To evaluate the quality of laser surface texturing processing technology, four processing morphology parameters were established. Uniform experiments and regression analysis were employed to analyze the influence and synergistic effects of laser processing parameters on processing quality. The research results indicate that laser power, scanning times, and scanning speed are the main process parameters that significantly affect laser surface deformation. The outer diameter is directly proportional to the laser power and inversely proportional to the scanning speed; the bottom diameter ratio is directly proportional to both the laser power and scanning times; and the pit depth initially increases and then decreases with increasing laser power and scanning times. The suitable range of processing parameters is as follows: laser power (10 ∼ 20%), speed range (400 ∼ 700 mm s−1), scanning times (8 ∼ 18 times), and laser frequency (20 ∼ 25 kHz). This research provides theoretical and experimental support for the precise control of surface texture prepared by laser processing of GH4169, laying the foundation for friction and wear tests of textured finger seals.The author(s) would like to thank the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.52075436), the Department of Education in Hunan Province (Grant No. 23C0249), and the New Energy Vehicle Research Center at Hunan Institute of Engineering
A brain DNA co‐methylation network analysis of psychosis in Alzheimer's disease
Get PDFSupporting Information is available online at: https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.14501#support-information-section .INTRODUCTION
The presence of psychosis in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is suggested to be associated with distinct molecular and neuropathological profiles in the brain.
METHODS
We assessed brain DNA methylation in AD donors with psychosis (AD+P) and without psychosis (AD−P) using the EPIC array. Weighted gene correlation network analysis identified modules of co-methylated genes in a discovery cohort (PITT-ADRC: N = 113 AD+P, N = 40 AD−P), with validation in an independent cohort (BDR: N = 79 AD+P, N = 117 AD−P), with Gene Ontology and cell-type enrichment analysis. Genetic data were integrated to identify methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTLs), which were co-localized with GWAS for related traits.
RESULTS
We replicated one AD+P associated module, which was enriched for synaptic pathways and in excitatory and inhibitory neurons. mQTLs in this module co-localized with variants associated with schizophrenia and educational attainment.
DISCUSSION
This represents the largest epigenetic study of AD+P to date, identifying pleiotropic relationships between AD+P and related traits.
Highlights:
•.DNA methylation was assessed in the prefrontal cortex in subjects with AD+P and AD−P.
•.WGCNA identified six modules of co-methylated loci associated with AD+P in a discovery cohort.
•.One of the modules was replicated in an independent cohort.
•.This module was enriched for synaptic genes and in excitatory and inhibitory neurons.
•.mQTLs mapping to genes in the module co-localized with GWAS loci for schizophrenia and educational attainmentThis study was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Exeter Biomedical Research Centre. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The current study was funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants R01AG067015 (to KL and JK), P30AG066468 (to RAS and JK), and R01AG027224 (to RAS) and a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) NIH grant to RAS and JK (MH116046). YW is funded by a post-doctoral fellowship from the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority. AT is supported by National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (UM1TR004407). EP is supported by a ZonMw Memorabel/Alzheimer Nederland Grant (733050516)
Growth factor-triggered de-sialylation controls glycolipid-lectin-driven endocytosis
No full textData availability:
Mass spectrometry data have been deposited in ProteomeXchange with the primary accession code PXD041450. Source data are provided with this paper. All other data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Extended data, supplementary information and source data are available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-025-01616-x#Sec58 .Glycolipid-lectin-driven endocytosis controls the formation of clathrin-independent carriers and the internalization of various cargos such as β1 integrin. Whether this process is regulated in a dynamic manner remained unexplored. Here we demonstrate that, within minutes, the epidermal growth factor triggers the galectin-driven endocytosis of cell-surface glycoproteins, such as integrins, that are key regulators of cell adhesion and migration. The onset of this process—mediated by the Na+/H+ antiporter NHE1 as well as the neuraminidases Neu1 and Neu3—requires the pH-triggered enzymatic removal of sialic acids whose presence otherwise prevents galectin binding. De-sialylated glycoproteins are then retrogradely transported to the Golgi apparatus where their glycan make-up is reset to regulate EGF-dependent invasive-cell migration. Further evidence is provided for a role of neuraminidases and galectin-3 in acidification-dependent bone resorption. Glycosylation at the cell surface thereby emerges as a dynamic and reversible regulatory post-translational modification that controls a highly adaptable trafficking pathway.This work was supported by grants from Labex Cell(n)Scale (11-LABX-0038) and Idex Paris Sciences et Lettres (ANR-10-IDEX-0001-02 PSL; L.J. and SERPICO); the Mizutani Foundation for Glycosciences, (grant number 200014; L.J.); Q-Life ANR-17-CONV-0005 (L.J.); Agence Nationale pour la Recherche ANR-16-CE23-0005 (L.J.), ANR-19-CE13-0001-01 (L.J.), ANR-20-CE15-0009-01 (L.J.), ANR-22-CE11-0030-03 (L.J.), and ANR-23-CE13-0033-01 (A.B.); Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale EQU202103012926 (L.J.); Labex DCBiol ANR-11-LABX-0043 (L.J.); ITMO Cancer 18CQ091 (L.J. and SERPICO); A.F. is an F.R.S.–FNRS Chercheur Qualifiée and member of the WEL Research Institute; France–BioImaging National Infrastructure ANR-10-INBS-04-07 (SERPICO); ‘La Région Île-de-France’ grant number EX061034 (D.L.); ITMO Cancer of Aviesan and INCa on funds administered by Inserm (grant number 21CQ016-00; D.L.); Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India (Project Identification number RTI 4006; S.M.); JC Bose fellowship from the Department of Science and Technology (GoI; S.M.); ARC-Passerelle fellowship (E.M.); Margadarshi Fellowship (IA/M/15/1/502018; S.M.); Leverhulme International Professorship award (LIP-2021-017; S.M.); Curie–NCBS Campus fellowship (E.M.); Novo Nordisk Foundation Grant NNF0067602 (T.D.M.); The Novo Nordisk Foundation and Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF107; H.C.); University Grants Commission (UGC) of India for graduate fellowship (R.G.); Cancer Research UK (DCRPGF\100002; P.C.); the Wellcome Trust (203128/A/16/Z and 226804/Z/22/Z; P.C.); European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska–Curie grant agreement number 847718847718 (D.G.); French National Research Infrastructure France–BioImaging (ANR-10-INBS-01; Cell and Tissue Imaging (PICT-IBiSA), Nikon Imaging Centre at Institut Curie); R.W. and Y.N. are supported by the NCI intramural program (ZIA BC 011682); and Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (VICI grant number 09150182010010; D.J.L.)
Epigenetic insights into neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms in Parkinson’s disease: A DNA co-methylation network analysis
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DNA methylation data used in this study was provided for the study by the authors of a previous publication45. It is available via figshare https://doi.org/10.17035/cardiff.27195645.v1. Data used in the preparation of this article were obtained on 1st June 2020 from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) database (https://www.ppmi-info.org/access-data-specimens/download-data), RRID:SCR_006431. This analysis used data openly available from PPMI. For up-to-date information on the study, visit http://www.ppmi-info.org.Code availability:
All codes are available at https://github.com/JoshHarveyGit/PD_TraitNetworkAnalysis.Supplementary information is available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41531-025-00877-5#Sec18 .Parkinson’s disease is a highly heterogeneous disorder, encompassing a complex spectrum of clinical presentation including motor, sleep, cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms. We aimed to investigate genome-wide DNA methylation networks in post-mortem Parkinson’s disease brain samples and test for region-specific association with common neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms. Of traits tested, we identify a co-methylation module in the substantia nigra with significant correlation to depressive symptoms. Notably, expression of the genes annotated to the methylation loci present within this module are found to be significantly enriched in neuronal subtypes within the substantia nigra. These findings highlight the potential involvement of neuronal-specific changes within the substantia nigra with regards to depressive symptoms in Parkinson’s disease.This work was funded by research grants from the Medical Research Council (MRC (MR/S011625/1), the National Institute of Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R01AG067015), BRACE and the Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust to KL and from Parkinson’s UK (Project Grants G-1309 and G-1502) to NW. This study was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Exeter Biomedical Research Centre
Navigating uncertainty following paediatric disorders of consciousness
Get PDFData Availability Statement: Not required.Comment.Disorders of consciousness (DoC) are an infrequent but impactful consequence of severe acquired brain injury in childhood. DoC, described as an altered state of consciousness, includes coma, vegetative state, and minimally conscious state (MCS). In the UK, it is estimated that each year 350 children and young people fall into the category of probable severe acquired brain injury requiring rehabilitation.[1 Hayes L, Shaw S, Pearce MS, Forsyth RJ. Requirements for and current provision of rehabilitation services for children after severe acquired brain injury in the UK: a population-based study. Arch Dis Child. 2017; 102: 813–20.]. Some of these children will fall into the category of DoC in the short or longer term
Integrating programming into the modern undergraduate economics curriculum
Get PDFThe increasing demand for computational skills in economics necessitates the integration of programming into undergraduate economics curricula in the UK. This paper argues for a systematic incorporation of programming courses tailored to economics students, addressing the limitations of current approaches and highlighting the benefits of such integration. We propose a sequence of introductory and intermediate-level integrated courses, and argue that this curriculum change will enhance students’ understanding of economic concepts, improve their employment prospects, and better prepare them for postgraduate studies. This paper aims to initiate a discussion and exchange of ideas and experiences on this subject at the national level
Using machine learning to forecast conflict events for use in forced migration models
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The input and output data are publicly available on Figshare with DOI https://doi.org/10.17633/rd.brunel.28401116.v1, under a CC-By 4.0 license.Supplementary Information is available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-11812-2#Sec14 .Forecasting the movement of populations during conflict outbreaks remains a significant challenge in contemporary humanitarian efforts. Accurate predictions of displacement patterns are crucial for improving the delivery of aid to refugees and other forcibly displaced individuals. Over the past decade, generalized modeling approaches have demonstrated their ability to effectively predict such movements, provided that accurate estimations of conflict dynamics during the forecasting period are available. However, deriving precise conflict forecasts remains difficult, as many existing methods for conflict prediction are overly coarse in their spatial and temporal resolution, rendering them inadequate for integration with displacement models. In this paper, we propose a hybrid methodology to enhance the accuracy of conflict-driven population displacement forecasts by combining machine learning-based conflict prediction with agent-based modeling (ABM). Our approach uses a coupled model that combines a Random Forest classifier for conflict forecasting with the Flee ABM—a model of the movements of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). The coupled model is validated using case studies from historical conflicts in Mali, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. Our results demonstrate comparable predictive accuracy over traditional methods without the need for manual conflict estimations in advance, thus reducing the effort and expertise needed for humanitarian professionals to provide urgent displacement forecasts.This work has been supported by the SEAVEA ExCALIBUR project, which has received funding from EPSRC, United Kingdom under grant agreement EP/W007711/1. This project has also received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 101002240). Simulation runs have been performed using the ARCHER2 Supercomputer, located at EPCC in Edinburgh (project e723)
(Geo)culture and the West’s War Against Gaza
Get PDFThis paper examines the challenges to the dominant Western geoculture of the modern world-system posed by the ongoing war on Gaza. Historically, the West’s geocultural power has seen it successfully construct, maintain, and defend a self-image as one in which it represents an international community which adheres to universal liberal values: human rights, international law, and the use of force in international relations only when sanctioned by law. However, the ongoing war on Gaza (which is best viewed as a war undertaken by the West, not simply Israel) has exposed the West’s actions to unprecedented critical scrutiny. The paper argues that the traditional mechanisms by which the West has built and maintained its geocultural dominance (media, education, intellectual culture) have been undermined in the digital age by the proliferation of new media forms. In short, the West has struggled to control the narrative that Israel is defending civilization against barbarism. The reality, as many critics have noted, is the opposite—the West defends barbarism against civilization
Behaviour of stainless steel reinforced concrete beams in fire
No full textData availability:
Data will be made available on request.Stainless steel possesses excellent mechanical and physical properties, has outstanding corrosion resistance, and is extremely ductile. It finds extensive use in the construction industry and has increasingly been employed in reinforced concrete structures in recent years as there is greater focus on longevity and life cycle costing. However, there has been limited to no research on the fire resistance of stainless steel reinforced concrete structures. In this study, a finite element model of a stainless steel reinforced concrete (SSRC) beam is developed and verified to simulate the fire resistance of the SSRC beams. The model is validated through comparison with available test data before it is employed to undertake a comparative study to evaluate the fire performance of carbon-reinforced and stainless steel-reinforced concrete beams. Various factors, such as load ratio, reinforcement ratio, and concrete strength, are analysed for their impact on the fire resistance of these beams. The ductile failure observed in stainless steel-reinforced concrete (SSRC) beams during fire incidents suggests their potential as replacements for carbon steel-reinforced concrete (CSRC) beams, particularly in fire-prone areas where structural integrity is paramount. SSRC beams can achieve comparable fire resistance to CSRC beams with lower reinforcement ratios, thereby reducing reinforcement requirements potentially. It is shown that stainless steel reinforced concrete beams deform more under flexure than equivalent carbon steel beams largely owing to their greater survival time and resistance to greater temperatures, significantly affecting the fire resistance. A proposed critical temperature limit of 765 °C for SS reinforcing rebar under fire exposure is recommended as a design guideline.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
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