Distributional Effects of Monetary Policy

As central banks across the globe have responded to the COVID-19 shock by rounds of extensive monetary loosening, concerns about their inequality impact have grown. But rising inequality has multiple causes and its relationship with monetary policy is complex. This paper highlights the channels through which monetary policy easing affect income and wealth distribution, and presents some quantitative findings about their importance. Key takeaways are: (i) central banks should remain focused on macro stability while continuing to improve public communications about distributional effects of monetary policy, and (ii) supportive fiscal policies and structural reforms can improve macroeconomic and distributional outcomes. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Development of a contactless operation system for radiographic consoles using an eye tracker for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection control: a feasibility study

Sterilization of medical equipment in isolation wards is essential to prevent the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Particularly, the radiographic console of portable X-ray machines requires frequent disinfection because it is regularly moved;this requires considerable infection control effort as the number of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) increases. To evaluate the application of a system facilitating noncontact operation of radiographic consoles for patients with COVID-19 to reduce the need for frequent disinfection. We developed a noncontact operation system for radiographic consoles that used a common eye tracker. We compared calibration errors between with and without face shield conditions. Moreover, the use of console operation among 41 participants was investigated. The calibration error of the eye tracker between with and without face shield conditions did not significantly differ. All (n = 41) observers completed the console operation. Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis showed a strong correlation (r = 0.92, P < 0.001) between the average operation time and the average number of misoperations. Our system that used an eye tracker can be applied even if the operator uses a face shield. Thus, its application is important in preventing the transmission of infection. © 2022 International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO). All rights reserved.

Evaluations of service robots referring to Joruri puppets, and a remote evaluations system

One of the important requirements for service robots is attracting people by attractiveness and to be able to exchange messages with people. With reference to the traditional Japanese puppet show, Ningyo Joruri, we have independently developed OSONO, which is a physical robot, with high-quality choreography. In this paper, we report questionnaire evaluations on OSONO targeting a puppeteer expert group and compare with existing questionnaire results targeting the ordinary person. This shows that the method of creating OSONO and its choreography is effective in widely general. Additionally, we develop a remote evaluations system so that we can conduct questionnaires of OSONO in a short time for more evaluators. We also verify the effectiveness of this remote evaluation system. This system can be expected as a substitute for the conventional face-to-face evaluation, which is becoming difficult to conduct it due to the pandemic of COVID-19. © 2021 IEEE.