Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conducting Monetary Policy at Very Low Short-Term Interest Rates

Can monetary policy committees, accustomed to describing their plans and actions in terms of the level of a short-term nominal interest rate, find effective means of conducting and communicating their policies when that rate is zero or close to zero? The very low levels of interest rates in Japan, Switzerland, and the United States in recent years have stimulated much interesting research on this question and have led some central banks to make changes in their operating procedures and communications strategies. In this paper, we will give a brief overview of current thinking on the conduct of monetary policy when short-term interest rates are very low or even zero. Monetary policy works for the most part by influencing the prices and yields of financial assets, which in turn affect economic decisions and thus the evolution of the economy. When the short-term policy rate is at or near zero, the conventional means of effecting monetary ease (lowering the target for the policy rate) is no longer feasible. However, it would be a mistake to think that monetary policy was impotent. We discuss three strategies for stimulating the economy at an unchanged level of the policy rate: these involve (i) providing assurance to investors that short rates will be kept lower in the future than they currently expect, (ii) changing the relative supplies of securities in the marketplace by altering the composition of the central bank’s balance sheet, and (iii) increasing the size of the central bank’s balance sheet beyond the level needed to set the short-term policy rate at zero (“quantitative easing”). We also discuss the costs and benefits of very low interest rates, an issue that bears on the question of whether the central bank should take the policy rate all the way to zero before undertaking alternative policies.
College Football Rankings and Market Efficiency

The results in this article show that various college football ranking systems have useful independent information for predicting the outcomes of games. Optimal weights for the systems are estimated, and the use of these weights produces a predictive system that is more accurate than any of the individual systems. The results also provide a fairly precise estimate of the size of the home-field advantage. These results may be of interest to the Bowl Championship Series in choosing which teams to play in the national championship game. The results also show, however, that none of the systems, including the optimal combination, contains any useful information that is not in the final Las Vegas point spread. It is argued that this is a fairly strong test of the efficiency of the college football betting market.
Effect of atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus on aflatoxin contamination of developing cottonseed

Cotty, I', J. 1990. Erred of atoltiae.nie suains of ASfU,,;l/wf1Q~W on allal01lin tonl.minltion of developinc cottonseed. Plant Dis. 74: 2))·235. Simultaneous inoculation of wounded 28- to )2-day-old collon bolls with loxiscnie and . to:r;~nic: strains of AqHrtillwjlovusJed 10 lower Iewls of . n'toKin 81(81) in the couons«d It maturity lhan in bolls inoculated with the tOlli! Cni<: strain alone. Six of seven aloxi! Cnic Sirains tested rtdueed the kwl of eontaminllion pcoduoed by loxirenic Jl,rains. Less 81 wu detected when the Itoxis-enic "nin was introduoed into 1M wound I day before inoeulalion with. toxi. cnic strain th&n . ben I,ougenic and toxi~ic: strains _re coinoeulliled. In conlrasl, loxin kvels at maturity wue not rccIuocd wben the: atoxiceni<: Slrain WI5 inuoduc:ed I day Ifter lhe: loxipk Slnain. Use of analoxigeni<: 5trIin al Io-fold higher sporc COl)QCnlrlliolllcd to 5i&nirtellJlt m:luetion in BI if the atoxigenic strain wu introduced within 16 hr Iltcr tbe toxigenic strain. Aloxieenic swtins of A.j1QlilU may be u.serl,ll in biological control or I! latoxin contaminalion.
A neutrophil chemotactic factor from human C'5.

The action of trypsin on the fifth component of human complement (C′5) results in the appearance of a chemotactic factor for rabbit neutrophils. The generation of this activity is dependent upon the amount of C′5, the duration of incubation and to a lesser degree, the amount of trypsin. On the basis of analysis in density gradient ultracentrifugation and by gel filtration, the chemotactic factor appears to be a cleavage product of C′5 with an estimated molecular weight of 8500. Trypsin appears to be less effective in generating a chemotactic factor from the third component of human complement (C′3). Chemotactic activity can be also demonstrated in the supernatant from sensitized sheep erythrocytes containing the first four reacting complement components and incubated with sufficient amounts of C′5. In this case, the chemotactic factor sediments very slowly (like the marker cytochrome c) in a sucrose density gradient. The relationship between the chemotactically active C′5 fragment and F(a) C′5 which has anaphylatoxin activity is not presently known. These studies document the second fragmentation product of low molecular weight from the complement system possessing chemotactic activity.
Effect of Vitamin C on the Availability of Tetrahydrobiopterin in Human Endothelial Cells

Vitamin C has long been known for its beneficial vascular effects, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. Recent reports suggest that vitamin C may prevent endothelial dysfunction by scavenging free radicals and increasing the bioavailability of nitric oxide. To investigate this area further, we studied the effect of vitamin C (10−4 M) and Mn(III) tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin chloride (MnTBAP; 10−5 M), a scavenger of superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and peroxynitrite, on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) enzymatic activity in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. L-Citrulline formation (a measure of eNOS enzymatic activity) was significantly increased in cells treated for 24 h with vitamin C. No effect was observed after MnTBAP treatment. Chronic administration of vitamin C also had no effect on eNOS protein expression. Treatment with vitamin C for 24 h significantly increased levels of the eNOS co-factor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), whereas MnTBAP did not affect its levels. Sepiapterin (10−4 M), a precursor of BH4, significantly increased eNOS activity, whereas addition of vitamin C to cells treated with sepiapterin did not cause any further increase in eNOS activity. Our results suggest that the beneficial effect of vitamin C on endothelial function is best explained by increased intracellular BH4 content and subsequent enhancement of eNOS activity. This effect appears to be independent of the ability of vitamin C to scavenge superoxide anions.
Arsenic trioxide inhibits glioma cell growth through induction of telomerase displacement and telomere dysfunction

Glioblastomas are resistant to many kinds of treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation and other adjuvant therapies. As2O3 reportedly induces ROS generation in cells, suggesting it may be able to induce telomerase suppression and telomere dysfunction in glioblastoma cells. We show here that As2O3 induces ROS generation as well as telomerase phosphorylation in U87, U251, SHG4 and C6 glioma cells. It also induces translocation of telomerase from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, thereby decreasing total telomerase activity. These effects of As2O3 trigger an extensive DNA damage response at the telomere, which includes up-regulation of ATM, ATR, 53BP1, γ-H2AX and Mer11, in parallel with telomere fusion and 3′-overhang degradation. This ultimately results in induction of p53- and p21-mediated cell apoptosis, G2/M cell cycle arrest and cellular senescence. These results provide new insight into the antitumor effects of As2O3 and can perhaps contribute to solving the problem of glioblastoma treatment resistance.
Choosing and using diversity indices: insights for ecological applications from the German Biodiversity Exploratories

Biodiversity, a multidimensional property of natural systems, is difficult to quantify partly because of the multitude of indices proposed for this purpose. Indices aim to describe general properties of communities that allow us to compare different regions, taxa, and trophic levels. Therefore, they are of fundamental importance for environmental monitoring and conservation, although there is no consensus about which indices are more appropriate and informative. We tested several common diversity indices in a range of simple to complex statistical analyses in order to determine whether some were better suited for certain analyses than others. We used data collected around the focal plant Plantago lanceolata on 60 temperate grassland plots embedded in an agricultural landscape to explore relationships between the common diversity indices of species richness (S), Shannon’s diversity (H’), Simpson’s diversity (D1), Simpson’s dominance (D2), Simpson’s evenness (E), and Berger–Parker dominance (BP). We calculated each of these indices for herbaceous plants, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, aboveground arthropods, belowground insect larvae, and P. lanceolata molecular and chemical diversity. Including these trait-based measures of diversity allowed us to test whether or not they behaved similarly to the better studied species diversity. We used path analysis to determine whether compound indices detected more relationships between diversities of different organisms and traits than more basic indices. In the path models, more paths were significant when using H’, even though all models except that with E were equally reliable. This demonstrates that while common diversity indices may appear interchangeable in simple analyses, when considering complex interactions, the choice of index can profoundly alter the interpretation of results. Data mining in order to identify the index producing the most significant results should be avoided, but simultaneously considering analyses using multiple indices can provide greater insight into the interactions in a system.
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology Open Access Lepidium Meyenii (maca) Increases Litter Size in Normal Adult Female Mice

Background: Lepidium meyenii, known as Maca, grows exclusively in the Peruvian Andes over 4000 m altitude. It has been used traditionally to increase fertility. Previous scientific studies have demonstrated that Maca increases spermatogenesis and epididymal sperm count. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of Maca on several fertility parameters of female mice at reproductive age.
Regulatory B Cells and Mechanisms

Regulatory B cells have gained prominence in their role as modulators of the immune response against tumors, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, among others. The concept of regulatory B cells has been strongly associated with interleukin (IL)-10 production; however, there is growing evidence that supports the existence of other regulatory mechanisms, such as the production of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), induced cell death of effector T cells, and the induction of CD4+CD25−Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. The regulatory function of B cells has been associated with the presence and activation of molecules such as CD40, CD19, CD1d, and BCR. Alterations in signaling by any of these pathways leads to a marked defect in regulatory B cells and to increased clinical symptoms and proinflammatory signs, both in murine models and in autoimmune diseases in humans. B cells mainly exert their regulatory effect through the inhibition of proliferation and production of proinflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-17 by CD4+ T cells. A better understanding of how regulatory B cells function will offer new perspectives with regard to the treatment of various human diseases.
Validation of the Zebra-fish Pentylene Tetrazol Seizure Model: BehaviourAssay for Assessing Anti-Epileptic Drug Efficacy

The availability of zebra-fish larvae model of epileptic seizure provides opportunities to identify novel anticonvulsants for treatment of people with epilepsy. However, the major parameters of zebra-fish behavior assay for assessing antiepileptic drug efficacy existed disparity, which resulted in different results in previous studies. In this study, we chose the high, medium, slow-speed moved distances and the total distances moved for seizure-like activity quantification in individual wells of a 48-well plate in the dark phase and used this zebra-fish seizure model to assess three commonly prescribed anti-epileptic drug’s efficacy and screen bioactive components from plant extract. Results showed that the high-speed moved distances were given a more reasonable and sensitive dose-response curve than the total distances in zebra-fish larvae model exposed to 10 mM pentylene tetrazole. Besides, we also optimized the vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO) concentration used in epileptic behaviour assay. The three anti-epileptic drugs, phenytoin, valproate sodium and carbamazepine showed the same efficacy patterns in zebra-fish seizure model as in mammalian epileptic models. We also found four positive hits from plant (Vaccinium spp.) extract in primary drug screening, two hits exhibited concentration-dependent inhibition of locomotor activity, confirming their anticonvulsant characteristics. These results indicated that this zebra-fish larvae model could be useful for assessing anti-epileptic drug efficacy, facilitating the primary drug screening and evaluating of effective components in medicinal plants.
Efficacy of a fibrin hemostatic bandage in controlling hemorrhage from experimental arterial injuries.

OBJECTIVE To determine if a pressure dressing containing fibrinogen and thrombin could provide more effective control of arterial hemorrhage than a pressure dressing alone in an animal model of arterial injury. DESIGN Randomized acute (nonsurvival) experiment in swine. SETTING Federal biomedical research institute. ANIMALS Six anesthetized Yorkshire swine. INTERVENTIONS Uncontrolled arterial hemorrhage was induced in anesthetized swine by creating femoral artery lacerations. Hemorrhage was controlled by a gauze bandage containing fibrinogen and thrombin, applied with 1 minute of 3.5-kg pressure. The dressings were left in place for 1 hour after the pressure was removed. The contralateral limbs received identical treatment with plain gauze dressings. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Total blood loss, mean arterial pressure, and mortality were measured after 1 hour. RESULTS After 1 hour, blood loss in the fibrin bandage group was 123 +/- 48 mL, compared with 734 +/- 134 mL in the control group (P = .0022). In the group treated with the fibrin bandages, there was no significant decrease in the mean arterial pressure after arterial laceration. In contrast, there was a decrease of 30 mm Hg in the group treated with gauze dressings alone. There was no animal mortality during the study period. CONCLUSIONS Bandages containing fibrinogen and thrombin significantly reduced the amount of blood loss and allowed mean arterial pressures to be maintained in animals with uncontrolled hemorrhage from femoral artery lacerations. A hemostatic bandage may be an important adjuvant for controlling severe extremity hemorrhage in the prehospital setting.
Decomposing environmental unpredictability in forecasting adolescent and young adult development: A two-sample study

Abstract To illuminate which features of an unpredictable environment early in life best forecast adolescent and adult functioning, data from two longitudinal studies were examined. After decomposing a composite unpredictability construct found to predict later development, results of both studies revealed that paternal transitions predicted outcomes more consistently and strongly than did residential or occupational changes across the first 5 years of a child's life. These results derive from analyses of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, which included diverse families from 10 different sites in the United States, and from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation, whose participants came from one site, were disproportionately economically disadvantaged, and were enrolled 15 years earlier than the NICHD Study sample. The finding that results from both studies are consistent with evolutionary, life history thinking regarding the importance of males in children's lives makes this general, cross-study replication noteworthy.
Modeling Insertional Mutagenesis Using Gene Length and Expression in Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

Background High-throughput mutagenesis of the mammalian genome is a powerful means to facilitate analysis of gene function. Gene trapping in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is the most widely used form of insertional mutagenesis in mammals. However, the rules governing its efficiency are not fully understood, and the effects of vector design on the likelihood of gene-trapping events have not been tested on a genome-wide scale. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, we used public gene-trap data to model gene-trap likelihood. Using the association of gene length and gene expression with gene-trap likelihood, we constructed spline-based regression models that characterize which genes are susceptible and which genes are resistant to gene-trapping techniques. We report results for three classes of gene-trap vectors, showing that both length and expression are significant determinants of trap likelihood for all vectors. Using our models, we also quantitatively identified hotspots of gene-trap activity, which represent loci where the high likelihood of vector insertion is controlled by factors other than length and expression. These formalized statistical models describe a high proportion of the variance in the likelihood of a gene being trapped by expression-dependent vectors and a lower, but still significant, proportion of the variance for vectors that are predicted to be independent of endogenous gene expression. Conclusions/Significance The findings of significant expression and length effects reported here further the understanding of the determinants of vector insertion. Results from this analysis can be applied to help identify other important determinants of this important biological phenomenon and could assist planning of large-scale mutagenesis efforts.
Activation of the Nrf2/antioxidant response pathway increases IL‐8 expression

Oxidant stress can initiate or enhance inflammatory responses during tissue injury, possibly through activation of redox‐sensitive chemokines. Because the transcription factor Nrf2 (NF‐E2‐related factor 2) is responsive to oxidative stress, and induces expression of cytoprotective and antioxidant genes that attenuate tissue injury, we postulated that Nrf2 may also regulate chemokine expression. To test this hypothesis, Nrf2 expression was directly increased in primary human kidney mesangial cells and aortic endothelial cells, or cell lines with an adenoviral construct, and the effects on the pro‐inflammatory chemokine interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) were assessed. Nrf2 expression significantly increased IL‐8 mRNA levels and protein secretion. Nrf2 caused only a weak induction of IL‐8 transcription, but significantly increased the half‐life of IL‐8 mRNA. These data demonstrate that activation of the Nrf2/antioxidant response pathway induces expression of IL‐8. The dominant mechanism of Nrf2‐mediated IL‐8 induction is through mRNA stabilization. Considering the evidence that Nrf2 activation is mainly cytoprotective, these observations raise the possibility that under certain circumstances IL‐8 may serve an anti‐inflammatory role and thereby contribute to the resolution of tissue injury.
Risk of Coronary Artery Compression Among Patients Referred for Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Implantation: A Multicenter Experience

Background—The Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) was approved for implantation in obstructed right ventricular outflow tract conduits in 2010 after a multicenter trial demonstrating improvements in conduit obstruction, regurgitation, and right ventricular pressure. A recognized risk and contraindication to TPV implantation is the demonstration of coronary artery (CA) compression during balloon angioplasty or stent placement in the overlying conduit. This study is the first to characterize the risk of CA compression in this population. Methods and Results—From 2007 to 2012, 404 patients underwent 407 catheterizations for potential TPV implantation (median age, 18 years) at 4 centers. Three hundred forty-three patients (85%) underwent valve implantation. Twenty-one patients (5%) had evidence of CA compression with simultaneous right ventricular outflow tract angioplasty and CA angiography. Sixty-eight patients (17%) had abnormal CA anatomy. Fifteen of 21 (71%) patients with CA compression had abnormal CA anatomy. Eight patients with tetralogy of Fallot and 7 patients with transposition of the great arteries demonstrated compression. Of the 34 patients with tetralogy of Fallot and abnormal CA, 7 (21%) demonstrated CA compression. Conclusions—CA compression following TPV implantation can be catastrophic. CA compression was observed in 5% of patients during test balloon angioplasty. No patients in this study developed clinically apparent CA compression after TPV implantation. CA compression was significantly associated with the presence of abnormal CA anatomy, especially in patients with tetralogy of Fallot or transposition of the great arteries. Preimplantation coronary angiography with simultaneous test angioplasty is an important step to evaluate for the presence of CA compression during TPV implantation.
On chip implementation of a pixel-parallel approach for retinal vessel tree extraction

Retinal vessel tree extraction from angiography images plays an important role not only in the medical domain, but also in biometric identification applications. From the image processing point of view, many algorithms and strategies have been developed to deal with this topic. Although reliable results have been obtained, the main disadvantage in most of these proposals is still the high computation effort required. In this paper, a methodology to extract the retinal vessel tree has been developed, specially defined in terms of fine grain SIMD processing with the purpose of improving the computation time. The proposal has been implemented on a cellular processor array VLSI chip. The execution times for the main modules of the proposed algorithm have been included to show its capability.
Impact of large wind power generation on frequency stability

This paper explores the available control options for enabling wind power generation plants to participate on the maintenance of system frequency following a major power imbalance. Taking the currently employed control structures for wind generators as the baseline case, possible expansions and additional features have been discussed. The options include voltage or alternatively frequency dependent active power control. The responses of these control schemes vis-a-vis their frequency supporting capability in a power system contingency situation have been simulated and with one another compared. It was found out that at the conceptual level there are indeed a range of options which would place wind generating plants in a position to support system frequency in an emergency situation