Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Basel Ii, Sovereign Ratings and Transfer Risk External Versus Internal Ratings

Basel II puts great emphasis on external ratings, including from rating agencies, to quantify credit risks. It also allows financial institutions to use internal risk ratings. This is also the case for international lending, but following recent emerging markets' crises, the quality of sovereign ratings has received some criticism. At the same time, little is known about the quality of internal country risk ratings. Using data from a major international bank, we assess the consistency between internal and external country ratings and the behavior of the two sets of ratings. We find that internal and external ratings are driven by similar factors and both underestimate "event risks" but external ratings are somewhat slower in adjusting to a financial crisis than internal ones.
Dimensional and volumetric analysis of the oropharyngeal region in obstructive sleep apnea patients: A cone beam computed tomography study

Background: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a potentially life-threatening condition in which there is a periodic cessation of breathing (for 10 sec or longer) that occurs during sleep in the presence of inspiratory effort. The aim of the study was to assess volumetric and dimensional differences between OSA patients and normal individuals in the upright posture. Material and Method: The present study was conducted on CBCT scans of 32 patients who were divided into two groups -Group I (control group) and Group II (OSA subjects). Group I consisted of 16 patients with normal airway with ESS score from 2 to 10, STOP BANG Questionnaire score of <3 and who had undergone CBCT for various diagnostic reasons. Group II had patients with ESS score >10, STOP BANG Questionnaire score of > 3, AHI index >5. Linear and angular parameters, volume and minimum cross-section area (MCA) of oropharyngeal airway, anteroposterior length and lateral width at MCA was compared amongst the groups. Results: The oropharyngeal volume, MCA, and the anteroposterior and lateral width of the airway at MCA of the OSA subjects was significantly lesser than that of normal subjects. The length of both soft palate and tongue was significantly more in Group II. The angle between the nasopharyngeal airway and the oropharyngeal airway was significantly more obtuse in Group II. Conclusion: The reduction in oropharyngeal volume in OSA patients could be attributed to different anatomical and pathophysiological factors that were corroborated with the findings of the present study.
Social Capital: A Standard Method of Measurement

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a standard method of measurement for social capital. Various authors have investigated the influence of social capital on economic growth but still social capital has not been measured in any satisfactory way. So far, each survey has used its own ad hoc methodology due to the heterogeneity of the very definition of the concept of social capital. A consensus concerning a standardized method of measurement, has not yet been reached. Based on the existing theoretical and empirical approaches, we suggest the use of a questionnaire where the principal component analysis should be applied as the most appropriate method of measurement.
Gender Differences in Communication Behaviors, Spatial Proximity Patterns, and Mobility Habits

The existence of gender differences in the structure and composition of social networks is a well established finding in the social and behavioral sciences, but researchers continue to debate whether structural, dispositional, or life course factors are the primary driver of these differences. In this paper we extend work on gender differences in social networks to patterns of interaction, propinquity, and connectivity captured via a social sensing platform comprised of an ensemble of individuals' phone calls, text messaging, face-to-face interactions, and traces of their mobility activities. We attempt to isolate dispositional from other factors by focusing on a relatively homogeneous population on a relatively closed setting at the same stage in the life course. Analysis across three different networks along with mobility data reveals systematic gender differences in terms of communicative, distributional, mobility, and spatial proximity tendencies. Most importantly, some patterns observed in the communication network (e.g. stronger same-gender preference for women) are found to be reversed in the spatial proximity context, with men displaying a greater tendency to spend time in a narrower (and thus more predictable) range of spaces with same-gender peers than women. These findings provide robust and novel evidence for the powerful effect of gender in structuring behavior across a wide range of communication and mobility behaviors, validating and extending recent work pointing to differences of socio-cultural and evolutionary origin in the styles of sociability and interaction characteristic of men and women.
Equilibrium Real Effective Exchange Rates and Real Exchange Rate Misalignments: Time Series vs. Panel Estimates

We follow the behavioral equilibrium exchange rate approach by Clark and MacDonald (1998) to derive equilibrium real effective exchange rates and currency misalignments for the US and its 16 major trading partners. We apply cointegration and panel cointegration techniques to derive fully countryspecific measures of misalignment and measures based on panel estimates. We formally test the forecast performance of pooled vs. heterogeneous estimators over a hold-back period and find that pooling the data delivers more accurate forecasts in the vast majority of cases although the implicit long-run homogeneity restriction is statistically rejected. This is especially remarkable, since we have given the heterogeneous estimator an ’unfair’ advantage by choosing the country-specific model (of up to 21 possible ones) with the best out-of-sample performance prior to comparing it to two final panel specifications. Robustness of the results is supported by recently introduced cross-sectionally augmented panel unit root tests by Pesaran (2007) and bootstrapped error correction-based panel cointegration tests by Westerlund (2007), as well as different estimators. While we find strong evidence for the Balassa-Samuelson-effect, the evidence for other commonly hypothesized fundamentals is weak.
Chemoautotrophic growth of ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarchaeota enriched from a pelagic redox gradient in the Baltic Sea

Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are an important component of the planktonic community in aquatic habitats, linking nitrogen and carbon cycles through nitrification and carbon fixation. Therefore, measurements of these processes in culture-based experiments can provide insights into their contributions to energy conservation and biomass production by specific AOA. In this study, by enriching AOA from a brackish, oxygen-depleted water-column in the Landsort Deep, central Baltic Sea, we were able to investigate ammonium oxidation, chemoautotrophy, and growth in seawater batch experiments. The highly enriched culture consisted of up to 97% archaea, with maximal archaeal numbers of 2.9 × 107 cells mL−1. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA and ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA) gene sequences revealed an affiliation with assemblages from low-salinity and freshwater habitats, with Candidatus Nitrosoarchaeum limnia as the closest relative. Growth correlated significantly with nitrite production, ammonium consumption, and CO2 fixation, which occurred at a ratio of 10 atoms N oxidized per 1 atom C fixed. According to the carbon balance, AOA biomass production can be entirely explained by chemoautotrophy. The cellular carbon content was estimated to be 9 fg C per cell. Single-cell-based 13C and 15N labeling experiments and analysis by nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry provided further evidence that cellular carbon was derived from bicarbonate and that ammonium was taken up by the cells. Our study therefore revealed that growth by an AOA belonging to the genus Nitrosoarchaeum can be sustained largely by chemoautotrophy.
High performance work practices: Perceived determinants of adoption and the role of the HR practitioner

Significant progress has been made linking innovative human resource (HR) practices such as systems of high performance work practices (HPWPs) to organisational performance. However, evidence would suggest that the rate of adoption of these and other types of HRM innovations is minimal. It was determined that an area not commonly addressed in the literature is the role of the HR practitioner in the adoption process. An argument is presented concerning the pivotal role of the HR practitioner in the adoption process due to their ability to influence a number of contextual dimensions. Research was undertaken to establish the link between the innovativeness of a practitioner and their perceptions regarding the relative importance of individual and contextual factors in the adoption process. Four dimensions, organisational leadership, HR group role, HR group climate and networking skills were identified as being the possible differentiating factors in the successful adoption of HPWPs.
A symplectic model of coherent beam-beam quadrupole modes

We consider a simple model to study the effects of the beam-beam force on the dynamics of colliding beams. We focus on the quadrupole modes of the coherent oscillation. The ingredients are: linearized beam-beam kicks, damping and noise due to synchrotron radiation, and linear transport between beam-beam kicks. The dynamical variables are the 2nd-order moments of the canonical variables q, p, which include the rms bunch size. Our model is self-consistent in the sense that no higher order moments are generated by the linearized beam-beam kicks, and that the only source of violation of symplecticity is the radiation. We discuss the cases of round and flat beams. Depending on the values of the tune and beam-beam kick strength, we observe states in which otherwise identical bunches have sizes that are equal, or unequal, or periodic, or behave chaotically from turn to turn. Possible implications of luminosity saturation with increasing beam intensity are discussed. 5 refs., 8 figs.
Domestic Economic Policies, Political Institutions, and Transnational Portfolio Investments

For many, transnational capital is one of the most important driving forces of economic globalization; yet, we know little about what determines cross-border portfolio investments. In addition to recent economic literature's focus on information asymmetries as one key determinant of cross-border investment, this study brings in a political aspect to the field of international trade in assets. The –race to the bottom’ thesis connects domestic economic policies to investment decisions and argues that capital is more likely to move towards economies characterized by economic liberalism; political institutions are also relevant for portfolio investments, because democratic institutions often provide more credible protection against predatory practices. In this study, I model bilateral portfolio investments as a function of economic policies, political institutions, and levels of transparency of sending and receiving countries as well as important international connections. Empirical findings indicate the importance of transparency to attract portfolio investments. Moreover, transnational portfolio investments are only sensitive to some fiscal policy indictors and only within the OECD countries. Therefore, for non-OECD countries, there is still ‘room to move’ in maneuvering different aspects of fiscal policies. Finally, I find that investors care about the nature of political institutions as democratic institutions tend to be associated with higher levels of portfolio investment inflows. This is good news for developing countries that have undergone or are in the process of democratization. In addition to democratizing for peace, increased foreign capital further incentivizes a progression towards democratization.
Neuronal activity within the nucleus basalis and conditioned neocortical electroencephalographic activation

The relationship between neuronal activity within the nucleus basalis (NB) and conditioned neocortical EEG activation was investigated in New Zealand rabbits during Pavlovian differential conditioning. Twenty- seven of 56 neurons recorded in conditioned animals demonstrated a significantly greater change in activity to a tone (CS+) that predicted the occurrence of a mildly aversive unconditioned stimulus when compared to a tone (CS-) that did not. Twenty-four of these 27 neurons demonstrated a significant increase in activity to the CS+ compared to the CS-, while the remaining three neurons demonstrated a significant decrease in activity to the CS+ compared to the CS-. In 24 of these 27 neurons (89%) these changes in neuronal activity during CS presentations correlated significantly with a decrease in the power of delta activity in the EEG. In addition, 13 of these 24 neurons (54%) demonstrated significant correlations between neuronal activity and the power of delta activity during CS-free periods. In experimentally naive animals, the activity of 10 of 22 neurons (45%) recorded within the region of the NB correlated with the power of delta activity in the EEG during stimulus-free periods. These results complement a growing body of evidence and provide strong support for the hypothesis that the NB contributes to neocortical activation in the conscious animal.
Deletion in the gene BruAb2_0168 of Brucella abortus strains: diagnostic challenges

Three Brucella abortus strains were isolated from joint hygromas from cows in northern Togo. Two deletions in the 5′ side of the gene BruAb2_0168 were identified. As this gene is used for species identification, these deletions have consequences for diagnostic procedures. Multiple locus variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis was therefore performed for species identification. The strains showed unique VNTR profiles, providing some of the first genotypic data from West Africa. More molecular and epidemiological data are needed from the region, in order to better understand transmission patterns and develop suitable diagnostic assays.
Risk of open angle glaucoma due to tumor necrosis factor alpha gene polymorphisms

Introduction Axonal degeneration and retinal ganglion cell apoptosis in glaucoma is associated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the risk of open angle glaucoma (OAG) in the Egyptian population and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) gene polymorphisms. Methods Sixty OAG patients and 26 healthy unrelated controls were used to analyze TNF-α polymorphism G-308A using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results the GG genotype was found at a higher frequency in the controls than in the patients, and the AA and GA genotypes were associated strongly with OAG. Conclusion In this study, we found that the TNF-α polymorphism G-308A was associated significantly with OAG in the Egyptian population. However, there is a need for population-based studies with large numbers of subjects. Also, long-term follow up is required to verify the association between TNF-α polymorphism G-308A and glaucoma susceptibility.
MicroReview: Small molecules that regulate lifespan: evidence for xenohormesis

Barring genetic manipulation, the diet known as calorie restriction (CR) is currently the only way to slow down ageing in mammals. The fact that CR works on most species, even microorganisms, implies a conserved underlying mechanism. Recent findings in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae indicate that CR extends lifespan because it is a mild biological stressor that activates Sir2, a key component of yeast longevity and the founding member of the sirtuin family of deacetylases. The sirtuin family appears to have first arisen in primordial eukaryotes, possibly to help them cope with adverse conditions. Today they are found in plants, yeast, and animals and may underlie the remarkable health benefits of CR. Interestingly, a class of polyphenolic molecules produced by plants in response to stress can activate the sirtuins from yeast and metazoans. At least in the case of yeast, these molecules greatly extend lifespan by mimicking CR. One explanation for this surprising observation is the ‘xenohormesis hypothesis’, the idea that organisms have evolved to respond to stress signalling molecules produced by other species in their environment. In this way, organisms can prepare in advance for a deteriorating environment and/or loss of food supply.
Determinants of The Size Of Board Of Directors: Evidence from Jordanian Corporation

This study aims to examine association between one of the most important corporate governance mechanisms; the size of boards of directors and firm characteristic factors, namely; firm's size, firm's age, firm's leverage and firm's profitability. To achieve this objective of the study, the data were collected from a sample of 21 industrial Jordanian companies listed in Amman stock exchange for the period 2005 – 2012. To test the hypotheses of the study, multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS 16.0 was utilized. The regression analysis confirmed a significant relation between the size of boards and firm characteristic factors. In particular, the results confirm a significantly positive relation between the board size and firm's size proxy. While firm's age, firm's leverage ratio and firm's profitability are significantly negative in relation to the boards size. These results suggests that further research should be done regarding other corporate governance mechanisms such as; board composition, chief executive status. And also regarding other factors that may help in determining the size of board of directors. This study will contribute by its results which have important implications for investors, decision makers and regulator on corporate governance in Jordan were they going on reform of corporate boards. Keywords: corporate governance, board of directors size, Jordan.
Filament dynamics and transport in the Scrape-Off-Layer of ASDEX Upgrade

Measurements at different experiments have shown that a few 10% of the energy loss from the confined plasma during an ELM cycle is deposited to non-divertor components. Usually, these components are not designed to receive high heat loads. The measurement and the extrapolation of these non-divertor loads to a next step fusion reactor are essential for the design of in-vessel components. The energy released from the pedestal plasma during an ELM is concentrated in field aligned helical structures, so called filaments, distributed around the torus with a quasi mode number in the order of 10. These filaments are rotating and moving radially. Theoretical modelling of the filament dynamics relies on different assumptions and results in contradictory predictions for the velocity and size scaling of such filaments. This paper reports on measurements of velocity, radial extend, and electron density of filaments in the far SOL of ASDEX Upgrade, as well as on the energy content of such filaments by a new filament probe. The probe carries a set of radially and poloidally separated Langmuir pins around a magnetic pick-up coil and can be moved towards the plasma by a magnetic drive. Radial and poloidal velocity of filaments are calculated from time delay measurements together with the amplitude and width of the corresponding ion saturation current signal. 466 filaments have been analysed. Several trends have been derived from a series of scatter plots. Most important, it has been shown that filaments with large radial extent move faster than smaller ones, and that filaments with higher density move faster than filaments with less density. From a comparison of filament size and density, we could show that the filaments loose density by parallel losses and broaden radially with time. In AUG, the filaments would be depleted after a distance of about 12 cm from the separatrix. The radial velocity of filaments does not seem to vary with time or distance from the separatrix, i.e. no acceleration could be identified from the data. The data would favour models that predict large filaments to move faster. The modelling of the magnetic signal requires the assumption of a rotating mode structure inside the separatrix otherwise the required currents are not consistent with the measured ion saturation currents. From the comparable decay length of heat load and particle flux a simple one point model for the ion energy and heat load is derived.
Innovation and Labour Productivity Growth in Switzerland

This study investigates the determinants of labour productivity growth of Swiss fi rms in the period 1994–2002 particularly emphasizing the role of innovation activities. Thus, the main research question pursued is: to what extent do different types of fi rm-level innovations affect labour productivity of fi rms in Switzerland? This is a question of particular interest for Swiss policy-makers in the light of the unsatisfactory growth performance of the Swiss economy in the 1990s (see Federal Department for Economic Affairs 2002). Most observers consider the low growth of labour productivity as the main single factor for explaining this unfavourable performance as measured by GDP growth. Labour productivity depends on physical and human capital as main production factors as well as on new knowledge and innovation. Economies that develop more and more in the direction of a "knowledge-based economy" are relying increasingly on technological innovation. Hence, it is important to gain some insights with respect to the (quantitative) relationship between innovation and economic performance. A better understanding of the relative importance of the factors determining productivity growth could contribute to an explanation of the low productivity growth of the Swiss economy in the 1990s.
Inhibition of autophagy using 3-methyladenine increases cisplatin-induced apoptosis by increasing endoplasmic reticulum stress in U251 human glioma cells

Cisplatin is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs; however, the side effects and drug resistance limit its usage. Previous findings have demonstrated that cisplatin kills tumor cells through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which provides a novel method to minimize cisplatin toxicity and circumvent cisplatin resistance. ER stress induces cell autophagy, cell apoptosis and the complicated regulatory network between them. The role of autophagy in cisplatin chemotherapy remains to be elucidated. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) is normally used as an inhibitor of autophagy. The present study reveals a significant role of the inhibition of autophagy by treatment with 3-MA and cisplatin in combination in U251 human glioma cells. It was demonstrated that cisplatin induced the ER stress associated with apoptosis and autophagy in U251 cells. Inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA increased the expression levels of protein disulfide isomerase, ubiquitinated proteins, glucose regulated protein 78 and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein, and induced the activation of caspase-4 and caspase-3. Treatment with 3-MA combined with cisplatin increased cisplatin-induced apoptosis by increasing ER stress. Therefore, the inhibition of autophagy has the potential to improve cisplatin chemotherapy.