Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Learning in an Estimated Small Open Economy Model

Expectations of the future play a key role in the transmission of monetary policy. Over recent years, a lot of theoretical and applied macroeconomic research has been based on the assumption of rational expectations. However, estimated models based on this assumption typically fail to capture the dynamics of the economy unless mechanical sources of persistence, such as habit formation in consumption and/or indexation to past prices, are imposed. This paper develops and estimates a small open economy model for Australia assuming two different types of expectations: rational expectations and learning. Learning – where expectations are formed by extrapolating from the historical data – can be an alternative means to generate the persistence observed in the data. The paper has four key findings. First, learning does not reduce the importance of conventional mechanical forms of persistence. Second, despite this, the model with learning is able to generate real exchange rate dynamics that are consistent with empirical models but which are absent in standard theoretical models. Third, there is some tentative evidence that learning is preferred over rational expectations in terms of fitting the data. Fourth, since the adoption of inflation targeting, agents appear to be using a longer history of data to form their expectations, consistent with greater stability of inflation.
N-Type Calcium Channels and Their Regulation by GABABReceptors in Axons of Neonatal Rat Optic Nerve

Axons of neonatal rat optic nerves exhibit fast calcium transients in response to brief action potential stimulation. In response to one to four closely spaced action potentials, evoked calcium transients showed a fast-rising phase followed by a decay with a time constant of ∼2–3 sec. By selective staining of axons or glial cells with calcium dyes, it was shown that the evoked calcium transient originated from axons. The calcium transient was caused by influx because it was eliminated when bath calcium was removed. Pharmacological profile studies with calcium channel subtype-specific peptides suggested that 58% of the evoked calcium influx was accounted for by N-type calcium channels, whereas L- and P/Q-type calcium channels had little, if any, contribution. The identity of the residual calcium influx remains unclear. GABA application caused a dramatic reduction of the amplitude of the action potential and the associated calcium influx. When GABAA receptors were blocked by bicuculline, the inhibitory effect of GABA on the action potential was eliminated, whereas that on the calcium influx was not, indicating involvement of GABABreceptors. Indeed, the calcium influx was inhibited by the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen. This baclofen effect was occluded by a previous block of N-type calcium channels and was unaffected by the broad-spectrum K+ channel blocker 4-AP. We conclude that neonatal rat optic nerve axons express N-type calcium channels, which are subjected to regulation by G-protein–coupled GABAB receptors. We suggest that receptor-mediated inhibition of axonal calcium channels plays a protective role in neonatal anoxic and/or ischemic injury.
Buffered based routing and resiliency approach for WMN

Several approaches to effectively perform communication in Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) have been proposed. Further communication failures and possibilities of minimum services during such failures are very hard to maintain. Recently resilient multicasting and Resilient Opportunistic Mesh Routing for WMN (ROMER) approaches proposed routing and resilient methods over WMN. Resilient multicasting approach establishes two node disjoint path between each source-destination pair. But this approach can immune from any single link or intermediate node failure. While ROMER approach provides redundant copies of data in randomized manner to increase WMN throughput. We have proposed Buffer Based Routing method in which instead of maintaining routing table at each node we provide buffering at each node which reduces routing cost. At specific interval of time (after specified communication steps) it clears the buffer to increase performance and prevent overhead in network. Using this approach we effectively perform resiliency and exploits advantages o fWMN. The performance of the proposed approach is studied by evaluating the cost involved in routing and resiliency using these approaches and compared with the proposed approach.
Defining sport tourism: a content analysis of an evolving epistemology

ABSTRACT This paper conducts a systematic evaluation of one of the primary journals in the field of sport tourism research since its establishment in 1993. Drawing on extant literature with varying disciplinary approaches, this meta-review traces the development of key concepts and definitions underlying an evolving epistemology connected to sport tourism, as evidenced within the Journal of Sport & Tourism (JS&T). It does so by examining research specific to content previously unexplored. The study first conducted a content analysis based upon a keyword search, focusing on phrases in which sport and tourism appeared together. The study reviewed all texts, including articles, book chapters and editorials (n = 517), for the years 1993–2014. We then constructed a thematic analysis based upon the most common defining elements found within these texts. These extracted definitions were analyzed according to their paradigmatic elements. Based on these findings, this paper suggests the need to further define the epistemological boundaries of sport tourism for the twenty-first century.
The Correlation Between Plasma Interleukin-18 Level And Disease Activity In Jordanian Patients With Different Connective Tissue Diseases

Background: Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is a newly defined cytokine that has an important role in the Th1 type immune response and it shares similar functional properties with IL-12. Elevation of IL-18 levels in autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) has been reported in previous studies. Aims & Objectives: To study the IL-18 levels in the plasma of Jordanian patients suffering from , Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Behcet's disease and to correlate the disease activity and IL-18 level for the three diseases. Materials and method: The study includes one hundred and twenty three patients, forty-one patients for each disease group, and forty-one as a control group, sex and age matched apparently healthy subjects. Plasma IL-18 levels were determined using Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA). Results: IL-18 levels were significantly elevated in the three study group compared to the controls (p< 0.0001). The level of IL-18 was significantly correlated with the disease activity in SLE patients (r= 0.602, p= 0.000). However, there was no significant correlation with disease activity in RA patients (r = -0.205, p=0.198, r= -0.196, p=0.22.respectively). In case of Behcet ' s disease there was no significant difference between active and inactive disease. Conclusion: Elevated IL-18 levels were noticed in patients with SLE, RA and Behcets's disease. IL-18 levels are significantly correlated with disease activity in SLE patients only. This finding may be of used for monitoring the disease activity in SLE patients.
Fast Approximate Inference of Transcript Expression Levels from RNA-seq Data

Motivation: The mapping of RNA-seq reads to their transcripts of origin is a fundamental task in transcript expression estimation and dierential expression scoring. Where ambiguities in mapping exist due to transcripts sharing sequence, e.g. alternative isoforms or alleles, the problem becomes an instance of non-trivial probabilistic inference. Bayesian inference in such a problem is intractable and approximate methods must be used such as Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and Variational Bayes. Standard implementations of these methods can be prohibitively slow for large datasets and complex gene models. Results: We propose an approximate inference scheme based on Variational Bayes applied to an existing model of transcript expression inference from RNA-seq data. We apply recent advances in Variational Bayes algorithmics to improve the convergence of the algorithm beyond the standard variational expectation-maximisation approach. We apply our algorithm to simulated and biological datasets, demonstrating that the increase in speed requires only a small trade-o in accuracy of expression level estimation. Availability: The methods were implemented in R and C++, and are available as part of the BitSeq project at https://code.google. com/p/bitseq/. The methods will be made available through the BitSeq Bioconductor package at the next stable release. Contact: James.Hensman@sheffield.ac. uk or
Spiders in random environment

A spider consists of several, say $N$, particles. Particles can jump independently according to a random walk if the movement does not violate some given restriction rules. If the movement violates a rule it is not carried out. We consider random walk in random environment (RWRE) on $\Z$ as underlying random walk. We suppose the environment $\omega=(\omega_x)_{x \in \Z}$ to be elliptic, with positive drift and nestling, so that there exists a unique positive constant $\kappa$ such that $\E[((1-\omega_0)/\omega_0)^{\kappa}]=1$. The restriction rules are kept very general; we only assume transitivity and irreducibility of the spider. The main result is that the speed of a spider is positive if $\kappa/N>1$ and null if $\kappa/N<1$. In particular, if $\kappa/N <1$ a spider has null speed but the speed of a (single) RWRE is positive.
Perinatal Exposure to Low Levels of the Environmental Antiandrogen Vinclozolin Alters Sex-Differentiated Social Play and Sexual Behaviors in the Rat

In this study we examined the effects of exposure to the antiandrogenic fungicide vinclozolin (Vz) on the development of two sex-differentiated behaviors that are organized by the perinatal actions of androgens. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were administered a daily oral dose of 0, 1.5, 3, 6, or 12 mg/kg Vz from the 14th day of gestation through postnatal day (PND)3. The social play behavior of juvenile offspring was examined on PND22 and again on PND34 during play sessions with a same-sex littermate. After they reached adulthood, the male offspring were examined with the ex copula penile reflex procedure to assess erectile function. Vz did not produce any gross maternal or neonatal toxicity, nor did it reduce the anogenital distance in male pups. We observed no effects of Vz on play behavior on PND22. However, the 12-mg/kg Vz dose significantly increased play behavior in the male offspring on PND34 compared with controls. The most dramatic increases were seen with the nape contact and pounce behavior components of play. The Vz effect was more pronounced in male than in female offspring. As adults, male offspring showed a significant reduction of erections at all dose levels during the ex copula penile reflex tests. The 12-mg/kg dose was also associated with an increase in seminal emissions. These effects demonstrate that perinatal Vz disrupts the development of androgen-mediated behavioral functions at exposure levels that do not produce obvious structural changes or weight reductions in androgen-sensitive reproductive organs.
Perceptions of Turkish EFL Students on Online Language Learning Platforms and Blended Language Learning.

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of EFL students studying English at the School of Foreign Languages, Anadolu University (AUSFL) on blended language learning and online learning platforms. The participants of the study consisted of 167 students whose English language proficiency level was B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). A questionnaire adapted from Owston, York and Murtha (2013) was used in the study. After application of the questionnaire, ten randomly selected students were interviewed about their perceptions of blended learning. Applying statistical and content analysis of the interviews provided a deeper understanding of students’ perceptions. Statistical analysis showed that students liked the idea of blended learning in terms of course format and attendance. Analysis of the interviews in terms of content revealed that students liked the flexibility of online learning, but preferred face-to-face communication with a teacher and classmates. In terms of their ideas about the online platforms of course books, their ideas varied. The students were mostly positive about using online language learning platforms. Even though the aim of the study was to get the perceptions of students, interviews were carried out with 5 teachers about students’ mid-term and final exam scores to get an idea if engaging in blended learning helped them learn better. Based on the results, certain implications were drawn from the study in order to organize future teaching at the AUSFL and implement a teaching environment utilizing blended language learning.
Comparison of different exercise tests in assessing outcomes of pulmonary rehabilitation.

INTRODUCTION Common modalities of clinical exercise testing for outcome measurement after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) include walk tests, progressive cycle ergometry, and cycle endurance testing. We hypothesized that patients' responses to PR, as measured by those 3 tests, are differentially correlated, and we designed a study to investigate the tests' capacity to detect changes after PR. METHODS We prospectively tested 37 male patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who completed a comprehensive 6-week PR program that included supervised exercise training that emphasized steady-state lower-limb aerobic exercise. Before and after the PR program the patients underwent 6-minute walk test, progressive cycle ergometry, and cycle endurance testing (at 80% of the peak work rate achieved during progressive cycle ergometry). The exercise performance indices of interest were the peak oxygen uptake (VO2max) and maximum work-rate (Wmax) during progressive cycle ergometry, the cycling endurance time, and the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD). RESULTS After PR there were statistically significant improvements in 6MWD (16%, p <0.001), VO2max (53%, p=0.004), Wmax (30%, p=0.001), and cycling endurance time (144%, p <0.001). The changes in VO2max and Wmax were significantly correlated (r=0.362, p=0.027), as were the changes in endurance time and Wmax (r=0.406, p=0.013). There was no significant correlation between changes in any other exercise index. CONCLUSIONS Among the frequently used exercise tests in PR, the most responsive index is the endurance time. The correlation between the post-PR changes in the various exercise indices is poor.
A CMOS tailed tent map for the generation of uniformly distributed chaotic sequences

This paper describes the design of a modified tent map characterized by a uniform probability density function. The use of this map is proposed as an alternative to the tent map and the Bernoulli shift. It is shown that practical circuits implementing the latter two maps may possess parasitic stable equilibria, a fact which would prevent the desired chaotic behavior of the system. On the other hand, commonly used strategies to avoid the parasitic equilibria onset also affect the uniformity of the probability density function. Conversely, the use of the proposed tailed tent map allows one to assure a certain degree of parameter deviation robustness, without compromising on the statistical properties of the system.
Numerical Modeling of Onshore Plankton Transport

Cross-shore exchange of plankton plays an important role in marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Larvae of many intertidal invertebrate species grow offshore and come back to the shore for settlement by crossing the energetic surf zone; however, shoreward transport mechanisms are not well understood. To test the possible onshore transport mechanisms, numerical simulations were performed based on the field campaigns conducted at a ripchanneled beach and a steep pocket beach. The model consists of the 3D hydrodynamic model Delft3D and an individual based model for larval tracking. As weak swimmers, many invertebrate larvae are greatly controlled by currents, but biological factors such as larval buoyancy and turbulent-dependent sinking behavior also play important roles. Depending on the vertical positions of larvae, wave-induced bottom boundary layer streaming or wind-driven surface currents carry larvae toward the shore. Stokes drift is necessary to achieve onshore larval migration for all cases. In addition, beach morphology and coastal configurations affect larval distribution patterns and their concentrations. Model results show that onshore larval delivery rate is higher at a mild sloping beach than at a reflective beach, consistent with literature and the field observations along the California coast. Furthermore, alongshore variability is also important for larval migration toward the shore. Rip channels induce rip currents as well as feeder currents (i.e., shoaling), and enhance cross-shore exchange. Wave group also acts as additional forcing to the cross-shore material exchange by producing transient rip currents. Other possible factors of plankton transport will also be discussed.
Adolescents’ Experience and Knowledge of, and Attitudes toward, Bees: Implications and Recommendations for Conservation

ABSTRACT Invertebrates are generally regarded with apathy, distaste, and fear in Western society. These negative sentiments likely contribute to the disparity in wildlife conservation efforts, which largely favor vertebrate organisms. Bees represent one of the most ecologically and economically important invertebrate groups, yet bee diversity and abundance is declining worldwide, mirroring the general decline of invertebrate biodiversity. Developing and implementing successful conservation efforts requires interdisciplinary research that considers the ecological and social realities of today’s world. To better inform conservation efforts related to bees, we examined adolescents’ experiences and knowledge of, and attitudes toward, bees and investigated how these dimensions related to one another. A total of 794 eighth-grade science students from the suburbs of Chicago, USA completed a 48-item, paper questionnaire. The results indicated that adolescents were only somewhat knowledgeable about bee biology and services, and they confused bees with other flying insects, especially those with black-and-yellow coloration. Adolescents regarded bees with a generally neutral attitude; their knowledge and attitudes were correlated in a positive manner. Various bee-related experiences were linked to adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes and may have influenced bee-related behavior. In particular, students who engaged in gardening and lawn-care activities demonstrated higher levels of knowledge and more positive attitudes. This study provides insight into the relationships between experiences and knowledge of, and attitudes toward, invertebrates and suggests that engaging in certain outdoor activities may promote positive attitudes toward bees among adolescents.
Foot cooling reduces exercise-induced hyperthermia in men with spinal cord injury.

UNLABELLED The number of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) participating in sports at recreational and elite levels is on the rise. However, loss of autonomic nervous system function below the lesion can compromise thermoregulatory capacity and increase the risk of heat stress relative to able-bodied (AB) individuals. PURPOSE To test the hypotheses that exercise in a heated environment would increase tympanic temperature (TTY) more in individuals with SCI than AB individuals, and that foot cooling using a new device would attenuate the rise in TTY during exercise in both groups. METHODS Six subjects with SCI (lesions C5-T5) and six AB controls were tested in a heated environment (means +/- SEM, temperature = 31.8 +/- 0.2 degrees C, humidity = 26 +/- 1%) for 45 min at 66% +/- 5 of arm cranking VO2peak and 30 min of recovery on two separate occasions with foot cooling (FC) or no foot cooling (NC) in randomized order. RESULTS During exercise and recovery in both trials, SCI TTY was elevated above baseline (P < 0.001) but more so in the NC versus FC trial (1.6 +/- 0.2 degrees C vs 1.0 +/- 0.2 degrees C, respectively, P < 0.005). Within the AB group, TTY was elevated above baseline for both trials (P < 0.001) with peak increases of 0.5 +/- 0.2 degrees C and 0.3 +/- 0.2 degrees C for NC and FC, respectively. TTY, face, and back temperature were higher in both SCI trials compared with AB trials (P < 0.05). Heart rate during exercise and recovery was lower in the SCI FC versus SCI NC (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION These results suggest that extraction of heat through the foot may provide an effective way to manipulate tympanic temperature in individuals with SCI, especially during exercise in the heat.
Understanding gamification mechanisms for software development

In this paper we outline the idea to adopt gamification techniques to engage, train, monitor, and motivate all the players involved in the development of complex software artifacts, from the inception to the deployment and maintenance. The paper introduces the concept of gamification and proposes a research approach to understand how its principles may be successfully applied to the process of software development. Applying gamification to software engineering is not as straightforward as it may appear since it has to be casted to the peculiarities of this domain. Existing literature in the area has already recognized the possible use of such technology in the context of software development, however how to design and use gamification in this context is still an open question. This leads to several research challenges which are organized in a fascinating research agenda that is part of the contribution of this paper. Finally, to support the proposed ideas we present a preliminary experiment that shows the effect of gamification on the performance of students involved in a software engineering project.
Using mixed methods to evaluate perceived quality of care in southern Tanzania

Objective To compare perceived quality of maternal and newborn care using quantitative and qualitative methods. Design A continuous household survey (April 2011 to November 2013) and in-depth interviews and birth narratives. Setting Tandahimba district, Tanzania. Participants Women aged 13–49 years who had a birth in the previous 2 years were interviewed in a household survey. Recently delivered mothers and their partners participated in in-depth interviews and birth narratives. Intervention None. Main Outcome Measures Perceived quality of care. Results Quantitative: 1138 women were surveyed and 93% were confident in staff availability and 61% felt that required drugs and equipment would be available. Drinking water was easily accessed by only 60% of respondents using hospitals. Measures of interaction with staff were very positive, but only 51% reported being given time to ask questions. Unexpected out-of-pocket payments were higher in hospitals (49%) and health centres (53%) than in dispensaries (31%). Qualitative data echoed the lack of confidence in facility readiness, out-of-pocket payments and difficulty accessing water, but was divergent in responses about interactions with health staff. More than half described staff interactions that were disrespectful, not polite, or not helpful. Conclusion Both methods produced broadly aligned results on perceived readiness, but divergent results on perceptions about client–staff interactions. Benefits and limitations to both quantitative and qualitative approaches were observed. Using mixed methodologies may prove particularly valuable in capturing the user experience of maternal and newborn health services, where they appear to be little used together.