Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Threshold effects of exchange rate depreciation and money growth on inflation: Evidence from Indonesia

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of exchange rate depreciation and money growth to the consumer price index (CPI) inflation in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach – Using threshold model applied to Phillips curve equation. Findings – Using monthly data from 1980:1 to 2008:12, the econometric evidence shows that there are indeed threshold effects of money growth on inflation, but no threshold effect of exchange rate depreciation on inflation. Even though the threshold value for exchange rate depreciation is found at 8.4 percent, the F-test suggests that there is no significant difference between the coefficient below and that above the threshold value. While two threshold values are found for money growth, i.e. 7.1 and 9.8 percent, and they are statistically different. The impact on inflation is high when money grows by up to 7.1 percent, it is moderate when money grows by 7.1-9.8 percent, and it is low when money grows by above 9.8 percent. Research limitations/implications – This research is using methodology proposed by Hansen which the threshold is based on the minimum SSR. The value of SSR will differ from one model to one model. For example, model using quarterly data will give the different result from that using monthly or yearly data. Also, when the author uses the new data, the result could be different. Practical implications – Even though inflation targeting framework has been adopted by Bank Indonesia (BI) since 2005, BI should not disregard the monetary aggregate variable, especially M1. This is because the growth of money is still matter to influence inflation in the short run. The impact on inflation is found to be larger than the impact of exchange rate depreciation when it is below a certain threshold value. Originality/value – This is the first paper that evaluates the threshold effect of exchange rate and money growth in emerging country, especially in Indonesia.
A DISK OF YOUNG STARS AT THE GALACTIC CENTER AS DETERMINED BY INDIVIDUAL STELLAR ORBITS

We present new proper motions from the 10 m Keck telescopes for a puzzling population of massive, young stars located within 3. ″5 (0.14 pc) of the supermassive black hole at the Galactic center. Our proper motion measurements have uncertainties of only 0.07 mas yr−1 (3 km s−1), which is ≳ 7 times better than previous proper motion measurements for these stars, and enables us to measure accelerations as low as 0.2 mas yr−2 (7 km s−1 yr−1). Using these measurements, line-of-sight velocities from the literature, and three-dimensional velocities for additional young stars in the central parsec, we constrain the true orbit of each individual star and directly test the hypothesis that the massive stars reside in two stellar disks as has been previously proposed. Analysis of the stellar orbits reveals only one of the previously proposed disks of young stars using a method that is capable of detecting disks containing at least seven stars. The detected disk contains 50% of the young stars, is inclined by ∼115° from the plane of the sky, and is oriented at a position angle of ∼100° east of north. Additionally, the on-disk and off-disk populations have similar K-band luminosity functions and radial distributions that decrease at larger radii as ∝r−2. The disk has an out-of-the-disk velocity dispersion of 28 ± 6 km s−1, which corresponds to a half-opening angle of 7° ± 2°, and several candidate disk members have eccentricities greater than 0.2. Our findings suggest that the young stars may have formed in situ but in a more complex geometry than a simple, thin circular disk.
Code quality analysis in open source software development

Abstract Proponents of open source style software development claim that better software is produced using this model compared with the traditional closed model. However, there is little empirical evidence in support of these claims. In this paper, we present the results of a pilot case study aiming: (a) to understand the implications of structural quality; and (b) to figure out the benefits of structural quality analysis of the code delivered by open source style development. To this end, we have measured quality characteristics of 100 applications written for Linux, using a software measurement tool, and compared the results with the industrial standard that is proposed by the tool. Another target of this case study was to investigate the issue of modularity in open source as this characteristic is being considered crucial by the proponents of open source for this type of software development. We have empirically assessed the relationship between the size of the application components and the delivered quality measured through user satisfaction. We have determined that, up to a certain extent, the average component size of an application is negatively related to the user satisfaction for this application.
Approximation Analysis of Stochastic Gradient Langevin Dynamics by using Fokker-Planck Equation and Ito Process

The stochastic gradient Langevin dynamics (SGLD) algorithm is appealing for large scale Bayesian learning. The SGLD algorithm seamlessly transit stochastic optimization and Bayesian posterior sampling. However, solid theories, such as convergence proof, have not been developed. We theoretically analyze the SGLD algorithm with constant stepsize in two ways. First, we show by using the Fokker-Planck equation that the probability distribution of random variables generated by the SGLD algorithm converges to the Bayesian posterior. Second, we analyze the convergence of the SGLD algorithm by using the Ito process, which reveals that the SGLD algorithm does not strongly but weakly converges. This result indicates that the SGLD algorithm can be an approximation method for posterior averaging.
An Eigenspace Approach to Isotropic Projections for Data on Binary Trees

The classical Fourier transform is, in essence, a way to take data and extract components (in the form of complex exponentials) which are invariant under cyclic shifts. We consider a case in which the components must instead be invariant under automorphisms of a binary tree. We present a technique by which a slightly relaxed form of the generalized Fourier transform in this case can eventually be computed using only simple tools from linear algebra, which has possible advantages in computational efficiency.
Community standards in New Zealand public libraries : an exploratory study

Community standards have been discussed by many authors but none have attempted to investigate their application in public libraries. Public libraries aim to provide information that covers all viewpoints; such information is likely to contain views and opinions that are offensive to many members of the community. The problem of how public librarians define the standards of their communities was central to this research project. In order to investigate this problem a series of interviews were conducted and supported with library policy documents supplied by interviewees. A number of sub topics were also investigated, including how librarians deal with challenging items and whether librarians use any tools or resources to help define community standards. Analysis of interviews and policy documents found that librarians were not able to comprehensively define the standards of their communities. Librarians were divided over whether the demographic differences within their communities had any impact on the standards of their communities
Distributed predictive subspace pursuit

In a compressed sensing setup with jointly sparse, correlated data, we develop a distributed greedy algorithm called distributed predictive subspace pursuit. Based on estimates from neighboring sensor nodes, this algorithm operates iteratively in two steps: first forming a prediction of the signal and then solving the compressed sensing problem with an iterative linear minimum mean squared estimator. Through simulations we show that the algorithm provides better performance than current state-of-the-art algorithms.
Surviving transition in the Giyani district : the role of small-scale rural development projects in a period of rapid socio-political and economic change

The literature on development abounds with examples of development failure, yet people still choose to be involved in small-scale development projects. The study explores the unforeseen and less obvious value of projects in the lives of ordinary people in Giyani, Limpopo, South Africa. During the past three decades, the place and people have experienced considerable political, economic and social transformation – Giyani started as the capital of the Gazankulu homeland, but is now in a unified country, part of the present dual economy. Hence, the link between the Giyani project participants’ experiences and the adjustment to the changes was investigated. Interviews with members of four small-scale development projects formed the ethnographic component of the study. These interviews were augmented by a household survey to determine the participation levels in small-scale projects. The study explores the extent to which the needs of the participants are being met by the projects, using Bourdieu’s distinction between economic, social, cultural and symbolic capital as a lens. The effects of ‘structural adjustment’ measures on qualified professionals (civil servants), their participation in projects and adaptation to changes are examined. The study also investigates the experiences of gender empowerment and changes with regard to subservience to customary law and traditional authorities. The gender and power relations of the ageing process were also examined. The study examined the Avelanani crèche, which was formed to provide pre-school education for the children of refugees from Mozambique, and which was funded through missionary networks. The Giyani Aged Garden project, established by the homeland government, provides a space for retired people from both the civil service and those from poor backgrounds to share and function for their mutual benefit. Ahitipfuxeni, a town-based project, has stage-managed its qualification for funding from various government departments and agencies. By contrast, Hi Hlurile, a project established during ‘structural adjustment’ by professionally trained women, straddles the Second
Financial Barriers to Health Care for Latinos

Abstract This study uses data from the 1994 Commonwealth Fund Minority Health Survey to examine the financing of medical care for working age (18-64) Latinos. Nearly one out of every three working age Latinos (32.4 percent) were uninsured in 1994. Poor Latinos were more than three times more likely than upper income Latinos (49.9 percent versus 13.8 percent) to lack health insurance in 1994. Uninsured Latinos were less likely than those with public or private insurance to see a physician in 1994 (62.7 percent versus 88.9 and 89.3 percent respectively). Multivariate analyses showed that both financial (income, employment status, amount of insurance premiums) and non-financial factors (type of usual source of medical care, citizenship) played a role in a decision to see a physician in 1994. Options are discussed for expanding coverage to the uninsured.
Repetitive Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (rpMS) in Combination with MuscleStretch Decreased the Wrist and Finger Flexor Muscle Spasticity in ChronicPatients after CNS Lesion

Objective: The study assessed the effect of a single session of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rpMS) combined with manual stretch on wrist and finger flexor muscle spasticity. Methods: Forty chronic patients after CNS lesion with a severe wrist and finger flexor spasticity with a Modified Ashworth Score (MAS, 0-5) of either 2, 3 or 4 participated and formed two groups. A single session of rpMS (A) or sham (B) (5 Hz, Intensity 60% or 0%, 3s trains, 750 stimuli delivered within five minutes) was applied in an A-B (group I) or B-A (group II) design. A 30 min baseline (90 min follow-up) proceeded (followed) A or B. During the intervention, the wrist and metatarsophalangeal (MCP) joints were stretched manually. Primary variable was the wrist and finger flexor spasticity, assessed with the help of the Modified Ashworth Score (MAS, 0-5), by a rater blinded to treatment allocation. A- and B-data were pooled irrespective of group assignment. Results: At study onset, both groups were homogeneous. Following rpMS but not sham, the wrist and finger MAS significantly decreased over time. Accordingly, the MAS of the rpMS group was significantly less at t+5 min (wrist p=0.002, MCP joints p<0.001) and at t+90 min (MCP joints p=0.002). No side effects occurred. Conclusion: A single session of rpMS but not sham in combination with manual stretch significantly reduced the wrist and finger flexor muscle spasticity in chronically CNS-lesioned patients. Long-term studies including an rpMS group only should follow.
The Blandford-Znajek mechanism and emission from isolated accreting black holes

In the presence of a magnetic field, rotational energy can be extracted from black holes via the Blandford-Znajek mechanism. We use self-similar advection dominated accretion (ADAF) models to estimate the efficiency of this mechanism for black holes accreting from geometrically thick disks, in the light of recent magnetohydrodynamic disk simulations, and show that the power from electromagnetic energy extraction exceeds the accretion luminosity for ADAFs at sufficiently low accretion rates. We consider the detectability of isolated stellar mass black holes accreting from the ISM, and show that for any rapidly rotating holes the efficiency of energy extraction could reach 0.01. The estimated total luminosity would be consistent with the tentative identification of some EGRET sources as accreting isolated black holes, if that energy is radiated primarily as gamma rays. We discuss the importance of emission from the Blandford-Znajek mechanism for the spectra of other advection dominated accretion flows, especially those in low luminosity galactic nuclei.
Anesthetic Activation of Central Respiratory Chemoreceptor Neurons Involves Inhibition of a THIK-1-Like Background K+ Current

At surgical depths of anesthesia, inhalational anesthetics cause a loss of motor response to painful stimuli (i.e., immobilization) that is characterized by profound inhibition of spinal motor circuits. Yet, although clearly depressed, the respiratory motor system continues to provide adequate ventilation under these same conditions. Here, we show that isoflurane causes robust activation of CO2/pH-sensitive, Phox2b-expressing neurons located in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) of the rodent brainstem, in vitro and in vivo. In brainstem slices from Phox2b–eGFP mice, the firing of pH-sensitive RTN neurons was strongly increased by isoflurane, independent of prevailing pH conditions. At least two ionic mechanisms contributed to anesthetic activation of RTN neurons: activation of an Na+-dependent cationic current and inhibition of a background K+ current. Single-cell reverse transcription-PCR analysis of dissociated green fluorescent protein-labeled RTN neurons revealed expression of THIK-1 (TWIK-related halothane-inhibited K+ channel, K2P13.1), a channel that shares key properties with the native RTN current (i.e., suppression by inhalational anesthetics, weak rectification, inhibition by extracellular Na+, and pH-insensitivity). Isoflurane also increased firing rate of RTN chemosensitive neurons in urethane-anesthetized rats, again independent of CO2 levels. In these animals, isoflurane transiently enhanced activity of the respiratory system, an effect that was most prominent at low levels of respiratory drive and mediated primarily by an increase in respiratory frequency. These data indicate that inhalational anesthetics cause activation of RTN neurons, which serve an important integrative role in respiratory control; the increased drive provided by enhanced RTN neuronal activity may contribute, in part, to maintaining respiratory motor activity under immobilizing anesthetic conditions.
Essays on unconventional monetary policy

This dissertation studies the Federal Reserve's unconventional monetary policy tools: the large-scale asset purchases (LSAPs) and the extended period of a near-zero interest rate policy (ZIRP). In the first chapter, we simulate the Federal Reserve second LSAPs program in a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model with bond market segmentation estimated on U.S. data. GDP growth increases by less than a third of a percentage point and inflation barely changes relative to the absence of intervention. The key reasons behind our findings are small estimates for both the elasticity of the risk premium to the quantity of long-term debt and the degree of financial market segmentation. Absent the commitment to keep the nominal interest rate at its lower bound for an extended period, the effects of asset purchase programs would be even smaller. The second chapter studies the effects of the LSAPs and ZIRP in DSGE models from a broader and deeper perspective. LSAPs are ineffective (neutral operations) in standard DSGE models, and standard DSGE models forecast an increase in interest rates immediately after the recent recession, contradictory to the ZIRP conducted by the Federal Reserve. I study two mechanisms for breaking LSAPs' neutrality as in Chen, Curdia, and Ferrero (2012) and Harrison (2010) and two methods of modeling the ZIRP: the perfect foresight rational expectations model and the Markov regime-switching model which I develop. In this regimeswitching model, in one regime, the policy follows a Taylor rule, while, in the other regime, it involves a zero interest rate. I also construct the optimal filter to estimate this regime-switching DSGE model with Bayesian methods. I simulate the U.S. economy and compare the predicted paths of the macro variables with and without the policy intervention. I find that the sole LSAPs intervention has an insignificant effect. Both regime-switching model and the perfect foresight model imply a substantial stimulative effect of ZIRP. However, the actual path is closer to the predicted path of the regime-switching model. The third chapter further uses VARs that relax the DSGE model restrictions to examine the reason for the small effects of LSAPs measured in the DSGE models. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Economics First Advisor Frank Schorfheide
MiR-592 Regulates the Induction and Cell Death-Promoting Activity of p75NTR in Neuronal Ischemic Injury

The neurotrophin receptor p75NTR has been implicated in mediating neuronal apoptosis after injury to the CNS. Despite its frequent induction in pathologic states, there is limited understanding of the mechanisms that regulate p75NTR expression after injury. Here, we show that after focal cerebral ischemia in vivo or oxygen–glucose deprivation in organotypic hippocampal slices or neurons, p75NTR is rapidly induced. A concomitant induction of proNGF, a ligand for p75NTR, is also observed. Induction of this ligand/receptor system is pathologically relevant, as a decrease in apoptosis, after oxygen–glucose deprivation, is observed in hippocampal neurons or slices after delivery of function-blocking antibodies to p75NTR or proNGF and in p75NTR and ngf haploinsufficient slices. Furthermore, a significant decrease in infarct volume was noted in p75NTR−/− mice compared with the wild type. We also investigated the regulatory mechanisms that lead to post-ischemic induction of p75NTR. We demonstrate that induction of p75NTR after ischemic injury is independent of transcription but requires active translation. Basal levels of p75NTR in neurons are maintained in part by the expression of microRNA miR-592, and an inverse correlation is seen between miR-592 and p75NTR levels in the adult brain. After cerebral ischemia, miR-592 levels fall, with a corresponding increase in p75NTR levels. Importantly, overexpression of miR-592 in neurons decreases the level of ischemic injury-induced p75NTR and attenuates activation of pro-apoptotic signaling and cell death. These results identify miR-592 as a key regulator of p75NTR expression and point to a potential therapeutic candidate to limit neuronal apoptosis after ischemic injury.
Time Matters: Multi-scale Temporalization of Social Media Popularity

The evolution of social media popularity exhibits rich temporality, i.e., popularities change over time at various levels of temporal granularity. This is influenced by temporal variations of public attentions or user activities. For example, popularity patterns of street snap on Flickr are observed to depict distinctive fashion styles at specific time scales, such as season-based periodic fluctuations for Trench Coat or one-off peak in days for Evening Dress. However, this fact is often overlooked by existing research of popularity modeling. We present the first study to incorporate multiple time-scale dynamics into predicting online popularity. We propose a novel computational framework in the paper, named Multi-scale Temporalization, for estimating popularity based on multi-scale decomposition and structural reconstruction in a tensor space of user, post, and time by joint low-rank constraints. By considering the noise caused by context inconsistency, we design a data rearrangement step based on context aggregation as preprocessing to enhance contextual relevance of neighboring data in the tensor space. As a result, our approach can leverage multiple levels of temporal characteristics and reduce the noise of data decomposition to improve modeling effectiveness. We evaluate our approach on two large-scale Flickr image datasets with over 1.8 million photos in total, for the task of popularity prediction. The results show that our approach significantly outperforms state-of-the-art popularity prediction techniques, with a relative improvement of 10.9%-47.5% in terms of prediction accuracy.
Investment in Education and U.S. Economic Growth

The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of investment in education on U.S. economic growth. Education is treated as an investment in human capital, since benefits accrue to an educated individual over a lifetime of activities. One of the most important benefits is higher income from labor market participation. This is the key to understanding the link between investment in education and economic growth. Our most important finding is that investment in human and nonhuman capital accounts for an overwhelming proportion of the growth of the U.S. economy during the postwar period. Educational investment will continue to predominate in the investment requirements for more rapid growth.
The Allocation of Talent over the Business Cycle and its Effect on Sectoral Productivity

It is well documented that graduates enter different occupations in recessions than in booms. In this article, we examine the impact of this reallocation for long-term productivity and output across sectors. We develop a model in which talent flows to stable sectors in recessions and to cyclical sectors in booms. We find evidence for the predicted change in productivity caused by the business cycle in a setting where output can be readily measured: economists starting or graduating from their PhD in a recession are significantly more productive over the long term than economists starting or graduating in a boom.