LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Fiscal stimulus in times of high debt: reconsidering multipliers and twin deficits

We investigate the impact of fiscal stimuli at different levels of the government debt-toGDP-ratio for a sample of 17 European countries from 1970 to 2010. This is implemented in an interacted panel VAR framework in which all coefficient parameters are allowed to change continuously with the debt-to-GDP ratio. We find that responses to government spending shocks exhibit strong non-linear behaviour. While the overall cumulative effect of a spending shock on real GDP is positive and significant at moderate debt-to-GDP ratios, this effect turns negative as this ratio increases. The total cumulative effect on the trade balance is negative at first but switches sign at higher levels of debt. Consequently, depending on the degree of public indebtedness, our results accommodate long-run fiscal multipliers which are greater and smaller than one or even negative as well as twin deficit and twin divergence behaviour within one sample and time period. From a policy perspective, these results lend additional support to increased prudence at high public debt ratios because fiscal stimuli may exhibit unwanted effects on other macroeconomic variables such as growth and the trade balance. JEL Classifications: E62, F32, F41, C32, C11.
Landscape Iconography in the Novels of Nadine Gordimer

Nadine Gordimer’s extraordinarily evocative depictions of the African landscape have attracted both considerable admiration and the most dismissive scorn as mere ‘verbal photography’ and ‘local colour’.2 However, the extent to which such descriptive passages both reflect a firmly established though barely acknowledged tradition of landscape representation within South African English-language fiction as a whole, and also express the particular dimensions of her own unique experience of the South African landscape as first apprehended in childhood, and then transformed by the imperatives of her political and ideological project in the novels, has barely been examined.3
The coordination of the catalytic zinc ion in alcohol dehydrogenase studied by combined quantum-chemical and molecular mechanics calculations

The coordination number of the catalytic zinc ion in alcohol dehydrogenase has been studied by integrated ab initio quantum-chemical and molecular mechanics geometry optimisations involving the whole enzyme. A four-coordinate active-site zinc ion is 100-200 kJ/mol more stable than a five-coordinate one, depending on the ligands. The only stable binding site for a fifth ligand at the zinc ion is opposite to the normal substrate site, in a small cavity buried behind the zinc ion. The zinc coordination sphere has to be strongly distorted to accommodate a ligand in this site, and the ligand makes awkward contacts with surrounding atoms. Thus, the results do not support proposals attributing an important role to five-coordinate zinc complexes in the catalytic mechanism of alcohol dehydrogenase. The present approach makes it possible also to quantify the strain induced by the enzyme onto the zinc ion and its ligands; it amounts to 42-87 kJ/mol for four-coordinate active-site zinc ion complexes and 131-172 kJ/mol for five-coordinate ones. The four-coordinate structure with a water molecule bound to the zinc ion is about 20 kJ/mol less strained than the corresponding structure with a hydroxide ion, indicating that the enzyme does not speed up the reaction by forcing the zinc coordination sphere into a structure similar to the reaction intermediates.
Usability measurement and metrics: A consolidated model

Usability is increasingly recognized as an important quality factor for interactive software systems, including traditional GUIs-style applications, Web sites, and the large variety of mobile and PDA interactive services. Unusable user interfaces are probably the single largest reasons why encompassing interactive systems – computers plus people, fail in actual use. The design of this diversity of applications so that they actually achieve their intended purposes in term of ease of use is not an easy task. Although there are many individual methods for evaluating usability; they are not well integrated into a single conceptual framework that facilitate their usage by developers who are not trained in the filed of HCI. This is true in part because there are now several different standards (e.g., ISO 9241, ISO/IEC 9126, IEEE Std.610.12) or conceptual models (e.g., Metrics for Usability Standards in Computing [MUSiC]) for usability, and not all of these standards or models describe the same operational definitions and measures. This paper first reviews existing usability standards and models while highlighted the limitations and complementarities of the various standards. It then explains how these various models can be unified into a single consolidated, hierarchical model of usability measurement. This consolidated model is called Quality in Use Integrated Measurement (QUIM). Included in the QUIM model are 10 factors each of which corresponds to a specific facet of usability that is identified in an existing standard or model. These 10 factors are decomposed into a total of 26 sub-factors or measurable criteria that are furtherdecomposed into 127 specific metrics. The paper explains also how a consolidated model, such as QUIM, can help in developing a usability measurement theory.
Social Media and Mobile Apps for Health Promotion in Australian Indigenous Populations: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND
Health promotion organizations are increasingly embracing social media technologies to engage end users in a more interactive way and to widely disseminate their messages with the aim of improving health outcomes. However, such technologies are still in their early stages of development and, thus, evidence of their efficacy is limited.


OBJECTIVE
The study aimed to provide a current overview of the evidence surrounding consumer-use social media and mobile software apps for health promotion interventions, with a particular focus on the Australian context and on health promotion targeted toward an Indigenous audience. Specifically, our research questions were: (1) What is the peer-reviewed evidence of benefit for social media and mobile technologies used in health promotion, intervention, self-management, and health service delivery, with regard to smoking cessation, sexual health, and otitis media? and (2) What social media and mobile software have been used in Indigenous-focused health promotion interventions in Australia with respect to smoking cessation, sexual health, or otitis media, and what is the evidence of their effectiveness and benefit?


METHODS
We conducted a scoping study of peer-reviewed evidence for the effectiveness of social media and mobile technologies in health promotion (globally) with respect to smoking cessation, sexual health, and otitis media. A scoping review was also conducted for Australian uses of social media to reach Indigenous Australians and mobile apps produced by Australian health bodies, again with respect to these three areas.


RESULTS
The review identified 17 intervention studies and seven systematic reviews that met inclusion criteria, which showed limited evidence of benefit from these interventions. We also found five Australian projects with significant social media health components targeting the Indigenous Australian population for health promotion purposes, and four mobile software apps that met inclusion criteria. No evidence of benefit was found for these projects.


CONCLUSIONS
Although social media technologies have the unique capacity to reach Indigenous Australians as well as other underserved populations because of their wide and instant disseminability, evidence of their capacity to do so is limited. Current interventions are neither evidence-based nor widely adopted. Health promotion organizations need to gain a more thorough understanding of their technologies, who engages with them, why they engage with them, and how, in order to be able to create successful social media projects.
Recombinant Human Growth Hormone and Rosiglitazone for Abdominal Fat Accumulation in HIV-Infected Patients with Insulin Resistance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Factorial Trial

BACKGROUND
Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) reduces visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume in HIV-infected patients but can worsen glucose homeostasis and lipoatrophy. We aimed to determine if adding rosiglitazone to rhGH would abrogate the adverse effects of rhGH on insulin sensitivity (SI) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) volume.


METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial using a 2×2 factorial design in which HIV-infected subjects with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance were randomized to rhGH 3 mg daily, rosiglitazone 4 mg twice daily, combination rhGH + rosiglitazone, or double placebo (control) for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was change in SI by frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test from entry to week 12. Body composition was assessed by whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual Xray absorptiometry (DEXA). Seventy-seven subjects were randomized of whom 72 initiated study drugs. Change in SI from entry to week 12 differed across the 4 arms by 1-way ANCOVA (P = 0.02); by pair-wise comparisons, only rhGH (decreasing SI; P = 0.03) differed significantly from control. Changes from entry to week 12 in fasting glucose and glucose area under the curve on 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test differed across arms (1-way ANCOVA P = 0.004), increasing in the rhGH arm relative to control. VAT decreased significantly in the rhGH arms (-17.5% in rhGH/rosiglitazone and -22.7% in rhGH) but not in the rosiglitazone alone (-2.5%) or control arms (-1.9%). SAT did not change significantly in any arm. DEXA results were consistent with the MRI data. There was no significant rhGH x rosiglitazone interaction for any body composition parameter.


CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
The addition of rosiglitazone abrogated the adverse effects of rhGH on insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance while not significantly modifying the lowering effect of rhGH on VAT.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00130286.
Ultrastructure and composition of Call-Exner bodies in bovine follicles

 Call-Exner bodies are present in ovarian follicles of a range of species including human and rabbit, and in a range of human ovarian tumors. We have also found structures resembling Call-Exner bodies in bovine preantral and small antral follicles. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of single sections of bovine ovaries has shown that 30% of preantral follicles with more than one layer of granulosa cells and 45% of small (less than 650 μm) antral follicles have at least one Call-Exner body composed of a spherical eosinophilic region surrounded by a rosette of granulosa cells. Alcian blue stains the spherical eosinophilic region of the Call-Exner bodies. Electron microscopy has demonstrated that some Call-Exner bodies contain large aggregates of convoluted basal lamina, whereas others also contain regions of unassembled basal-lamina-like material. Individual chains of the basal lamina components type IV collagen (α1 to α5) and laminin (α1, β2 and δ1) have been immunolocalized to Call-Exner bodies in sections of fresh-frozen ovaries. Bovine Call-Exner bodies are presumably analogous to Call-Exner bodies in other species but are predominantly found in preantral and small antral follicles, rather than large antral follicles. With follicular development, the basal laminae of Call-Exner bodies change in their apparent ratio of type IV collagen to laminin, similar to changes observed in the follicular basal lamina, suggesting that these structures have a common cellular origin.
ECG Marker of Adverse Electrical Remodeling Post-Myocardial Infarction Predicts Outcomes in MADIT II Study

BACKGROUND
Post-myocardial infarction (MI) structural remodeling is characterized by left ventricular dilatation, fibrosis, and hypertrophy of the non-infarcted myocardium.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of our study was to quantify post-MI electrical remodeling by measuring the sum absolute QRST integral (SAI QRST). We hypothesized that adverse electrical remodeling predicts outcomes in MADIT II study participants.


METHODS
Baseline orthogonal ECGs of 750 MADIT II study participants (448 [59.7%] ICD arm) were analyzed. SAI QRST was measured as the arithmetic sum of absolute QRST integrals over all three orthogonal ECG leads. The primary endpoint was defined as sudden cardiac death (SCD) or sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) with appropriate ICD therapies. All-cause mortality served as a secondary endpoint.


RESULTS
Adverse electrical remodeling in post-MI patients was characterized by wide QRS, increased magnitudes of spatial QRS and T vectors, J-point deviation, and QTc prolongation. In multivariable Cox regression analysis after adjustment for age, QRS duration, atrial fibrillation, New York Heart Association heart failure class and blood urea nitrogen, SAI QRST predicted SCD/VT/VF (HR 1.33 per 100 mV*ms (95%CI 1.11-1.59); P = 0.002), and all-cause death (HR 1.27 per 100 mV*ms (95%CI 1.03-1.55), P = 0.022) in both arms. No interaction with therapy arm and bundle branch block (BBB) status was found.


CONCLUSIONS
In MADIT II patients, increased SAI QRST is associated with increased risk of sustained VT/VF with appropriate ICD therapies and all-cause death in both ICD and in conventional medical therapy arms, and in patients with and without BBB. Further studies of SAI QRST are warranted.
Effect of Propofol and Desflurane on Immune Cell Populations in Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized Trial

Several factors can affect the perioperative immune function. We evaluated the effect of propofol and desflurane anesthesia on the surgery-induced immune perturbation in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. The patients were randomly assigned to receive propofol (n = 20) or desflurane (n = 20) anesthesia. The total and differential white blood cell counts were determined with lymphocyte subpopulations before and 1 hr after anesthesia induction and at 24 hr postoperatively. Plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4 were also measured. Both propofol and desflurane anesthesia preserved the IL-2/IL-4 and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cell ratio. Leukocytes were lower in the propofol group than in the desflurane group at 1 hr after induction (median [quartiles], 4.98 [3.87-6.31] vs. 5.84 [5.18-7.94] 10(3)/µL) and 24 hr postoperatively (6.92 [5.54-6.86] vs. 7.62 [6.22-9.21] 10(3)/µL). NK cells significantly decreased 1 hr after induction in the propofol group (0.41 [0.34-0.53] to 0.25 [0.21-0.33] 10(3)/µL), but not in the desflurane group (0.33 [0.29-0.48] to 0.38 [0.30-0.56] 10(3)/µL). Our findings indicate that both propofol and desflurane anesthesia for breast cancer surgery induce a favorable immune response in terms of preservation of IL-2/IL-4 and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cell ratio in the perioperative period. With respect to leukocytes and NK cells, desflurane anesthesia is associated with less adverse immune responses than propofol anesthesia during surgery for breast cancer. (Clinical trial registration at https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris number: KCT0000939).
Regulation of DNA Damage Following Termination of Hedgehog (HH) Survival Signaling at the level of the GLI Genes in Human Colon Cancer

Transcriptional regulation of the Hedgehog (HH) signaling response is mediated by GLI genes (GLI1, GLI2) downstream of SMO, that are also activated by oncogenic signaling pathways. We have demonstrated the importance of targeting GLI downstream of SMO in the induction of cell death in human colon carcinoma cells. In HT29 cells inhibition of GLI1/GLI2 by the small molecule inhibitor GANT61 induced DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and activation of ATM, MDC1 and NBS1; γH2AX and MDC1, NBS1 and MDC1 co-localized in nuclear foci. Early activation of ATM was decreased by 24 hr, when p-NBS1(Ser343), activated by ATM, was significantly reduced in cell extracts. Bound γH2AX was detected in isolated chromatin fractions or nuclei during DNA damage but not during DNA repair. MDC1 was tightly bound to chromatin at 32 hr as cells accumulated in early S-phase prior to becoming subG1, and during DNA repair. Limited binding of NBS1 was detected at all times during DNA damage but was strongly bound during DNA repair. Transient overexpression of NBS1 protected HT29 cells from GANT61-induced cell death, while knockdown of H2AX by H2AXshRNA delayed DNA damage signaling. Data demonstrate following GLI1/GLI2 inhibition: 1) induction of DNA damage in cells that are also resistant to SMO inhibitors, 2) dynamic interactions between γH2AX, MDC1 and NBS1 in single cell nuclei and in isolated chromatin fractions, 3) expression and chromatin binding properties of key mediator proteins that mark DNA damage or DNA repair, and 4) the importance of NBS1 in the DNA damage response mechanism.
Infrared stabilization of rice bran and its effects on γ-oryzanol content, tocopherols and fatty acid composition.

BACKGROUND
Rice bran is a nutritionally valuable by-product of paddy milling. In this study an experimental infrared (IR) stabilization system was developed to prevent rice bran rancidity. The free fatty acid content of raw and IR-stabilized rice bran samples was monitored every 15 days during 6 months of storage. In addition, energy consumption was determined.


RESULTS
The free fatty acid content of rice bran stabilized at 600 W IR power for 5 min remained below 5% for 165 days. No significant change in γ-oryzanol content or fatty acid composition but a significant decrease in tocopherol content was observed in stabilized rice bran compared with raw bran. IR stabilization was found to be comparable to extrusion with regard to energy consumption.


CONCLUSION
IR stabilization was effective in preventing hydrolytic rancidity of rice bran. By optimizing the operational parameters of IR stabilization, this by-product has the potential for use in the food industry in various ways as a value-added commodity.
Innovation Policy for Grand Challenges. An Economic Geography Perspective

15 Grand challenges such as climate change, ageing societies and food security feature prominently on 16 the agenda of policymakers at all scales, from the EU down to local and regional authorities. These 17 are challenges that require the input and collaboration of a diverse set of societal stakeholders to 18 combine different sources of knowledge in new and useful ways – a process that has occupied the 19 minds of economic geographers looking at innovation in recent decades. Work in economic 20 geography has in particular examined infrastructural, capability, network and institutional challenges 21 that may be found in different types of regions. How can these insights improve researchers’ and 22 policymakers’ understanding of the potential for innovation policies to address grand challenges? In 23 this paper we review these insights and then identify areas that push economic geographers to go 24 beyond their previous focus and interests, notably by considering innovation policy in light of 25 transformational rather than mere structural failures. 26
A new method for the treatment of recurrent abdominal pain of prolonged negative stress origin.

OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that psychological treatment given in combination with somatic treatment can relieve recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) of psychosomatic origin in childhood.


STUDY DESIGN
Stomach Pain Clinic Group A, comprising 25 children receiving a combination of psychological treatment and physiotherapy given by two different persons and Stomach Pain Clinic Group B, comprising 23 children receiving physiotherapy only, were constituted in a randomized manner. Stomach Pain Clinic Group C, including 35 children receiving an integrated combination of psychological treatment and somatic treatment given by the same person was also constituted, as well as a reference group. Treatment outcome was measured by calculating a pain score and tender points (TP) score at inclusion and after 1 year.


RESULTS
The pain score after 1 year improved significantly in all four groups. Stomach Pain Clinic Groups A and B did not show any significant difference, but Stomach Pain Clinic C had a significantly better outcome than Stomach Pain Clinic Group B. Stomach Pain Clinic Groups A and C had a significant decrease in the TP score after 1 year. Pain scores and TP scores calculated for all Stomach Pain Clinic groups correlated significantly at follow-up after 1 year.


CONCLUSION
For children with psychosomatic RAP, a special method for integrated psychological and somatic treatment is probably effective. The results have to be confirmed in a randomized controlled study. These children have a special pattern of TPs related to their disorder, which diminishes with improvement in the disorder.
Indian Sign Language Recognition Using Eigen Value Weighted Euclidean Distance Based Classification Technique

Sign Language Recognition is one of the most growing fields of research today. Many new techniques have been developed recently in these fields. Here in this paper, we have proposed a system using Eigen value weighted Euclidean distance as a classification technique for recognition of various Sign Languages of India. The system comprises of four parts: Skin Filtering, Hand Cropping, Feature Extraction and Classification. 24 signs were considered in this paper, each having 10 samples, thus a total of 240 images was considered for which recognition rate obtained was 97%. Keywords—Hand Gesture Recognition; Skin Filtering; Human Computer Interaction; Euclidean Distance (E.D.); Eigen value; Eigen vector.
The Stanford Hydra CMP

0272-1732/00/$10.00  2000 IEEE The Hydra chip multiprocessor (CMP) integrates four MIPS-based processors and their primary caches on a single chip together with a shared secondary cache. A standard CMP offers implementation and performance advantages compared to wide-issue superscalar designs. However, it must be programmed with a more complicated parallel programming model to obtain maximum performance. To simplify parallel programming, the Hydra CMP supports thread-level speculation and memory renaming, a paradigm that allows performance similar to a uniprocessor of comparable die area on integer programs. This article motivates the design of a CMP, describes the architecture of the Hydra design with a focus on its speculative thread support, and describes our prototype implementation.
Biomedical Waste Management: A Study of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices in a Tertiary Health Care Institution in Bijapur

Health care waste refers to all the waste generated by a health care establishment. It is estimated that 10-25% of health care waste is hazardous, with the potential for creating a variety of health problems.(1) Bio-medical waste (BMW) collection and proper disposal has become a significant concern for both the medical and the general community.(2) Since the implementation of the Biomedical Waste Management and Handling Rules (1998),(3) every concerned health personnel is expected to have proper knowledge, practice, and capacity to guide others for waste collection and management, and proper handling techniques. Bijapur district in the northern part of Karnataka State has two district hospital and Medical college hospital, including a secondary level health care service. This study was undertaken to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of the employees of Bijapur liberal district education association (BLDEA’s) Shri BM Patil Medical College and Hospital, Bijapur. This cross-sectional study was carried out in the month of November 2007. A total of 334 employees were surveyed, out of which 180 were non-teaching and 154 were teaching staff. A pretested, self-administered questionnaire containing questions on KAP regarding bio-medical waste management was used. Before administering the questionnaire the purpose of the study was explained to all participating employees. For statistical analysis we calculated percentages and applied the Chi-square test. Anonymity of the participants was maintained throughout the study.