Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparing Alternative Representations, Methodologies, and Decompositions in Business Cycle Accounting ∗

We make three comparisons relevant for the business cycle accounting approach. We show that in theory, representing the investment wedge as a tax on investment is equivalent to representing this wedge as a tax on capital income as long as the probability distributions over this wedge in the two representations are the same. In practice, convenience dictates that the underlying probability distributions over the investment wedge are different in the two representations. Even so, the quantitative results under the two representations are essentially identical. We also compare our methodology, the CKM methodology, to an alternative one used in Christiano and Davis (2006) and by us in early incarnations of the business cycle accounting approach. We argue that the CKM methodology rests on more secure theoretical foundations. Finally, we show that the results from the VAR-style decomposition of Christiano and Davis reinforce the results of the business cycle decomposition of CKM.
Chronic Dizocilpine (MK‐801) Reversibly Delays GABAA Receptor Maturation in Cerebellar Granule Neurons In Vitro

Abstract: We investigated the effect of chronically blocking NMDA receptor stimulation to examine changes in GABAA receptor expression and pharmacology in cerebellar granule cells at different stages of maturation. We have previously shown that NMDA‐selective glutamate receptor stimulation alters GABAA receptor pharmacology in cerebellar granule neurons in vitro by altering the levels of selective subunits. When NMDA receptor stimulation is blocked with MK‐801 during the first week in vitro, a decrease in the α1, γ2S, and γ2L receptor subunit mRNAs occurred. When present only during the second week, changes were limited to the α1 and γ2L mRNAs. Finally, if MK‐801 was present during the first week and removed during the second week, these changes reversed. Whole‐cell voltage‐clamp recordings showed that treatment with MK‐801 during either the first or second week increased the EC50 of the receptors for GABA and attenuated the potentiation mediated by flunitrazepam. Last, these properties were reversed if MK‐801 was removed after the first week in vitro. Our results suggest that MK‐801 reversibly inhibits GABAA receptor maturation by modulating receptor subunit expression and that the altered pharmacological responses appear to be dominated by changes in the levels of allosteric modulation mediated by the γ2 receptor subunit.
Assessing the Potential of LAPAN-A3 Data for Landuse/landcover Mapping

LAPAN-A3 / LAPAN-IPB is the third generation of micro-satellite developed by Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN). The satellite carries a multispectral push-broom sensor that can record the earth's surface at the visible and near-infrared spectrum. Being launched in June 2016, there has no been many publications related to the use of LAPAN-A3 multispectral data for landuse/landcover (LULC) mapping. This paper aims to provide information regarding the use of LAPAN-A3 data for the LULC extraction maximum likelihood algorithm as well as neural network and then evaluate the results. The LAPAN-A3 image was geometrically corrected by using Landsat-8 OLI image as reference data. Three test areas with a size of 1200x945 pixels are then selected for pixel-based classification with the two aforementioned algorithms. For comparison, both LAPAN-A3 and Landsat-8 data were classified for 3 test areas. Accuracy assessment was performed on both datasets using manually interpreted SPOT-6 Pansharpened image as reference data. Preliminary results showed that LAPAN-A3 were able to extract 10 different LULC classes, comprises of built-up area, forest, rivers, fishponds, shrubs, wetland forests, rice fields, sea, agricultural land, and bare soil. The overall accuracy of LAPAN-A3 data is generally lower than Landsat-8, which ranges from 49.76% to 71.74%. These results illustrate the potential of LAPAN-A3 data to derive LULC information. The lack of necessary parameters to perform radiometric correction and blurring effect are several issues that need to be solved to improve the accuracy LULC.
The transmembrane glycoprotein CD38 is a catalytically active transporter responsible for generation and influx of the second messenger cyclic ADP‐ribose across membranes

CD38 is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein expressed in many vertebrate cells. It is a bifunctional ectoenzyme that catalyzes both the synthesis of Cyclic ADP‐ribose (cADPR) from NAD+ and the degradation of cADPR to ADP‐ribose by means of its ADP‐ribosyl cyclase and cADPR‐hydrolase activities, respectively. The cyclase also converts NGD+ to cyclic GDP‐ribose (cGDPR), which is refractory to cADPR‐hydrolase. cADPR, but not cGDPR, is a potent calcium mobilizer from intracellular stores. It has been demonstrated to be a new second messenger involved in the regulation of calcium homeostasis in many cell types, from plants to mammals. The number of physiological processes shown to be regulated by cADPR is steadily increasing. A topological paradox exists because ectocellularly generated cADPR acts intracellularly. Here we demonstrate that the catalytic functioning of CD38 is accompanied by a cADPR (cGDPR) ‐transporting activity across natural and artificial membranes. In resealed membranes from CD38+ human erythrocytes, transport of catalytically generated cADPR or cGDPR was saturation dependent and occurred against a concentration gradient. Likewise, CD38‐reconstituted proteoliposomes were active in concentrating NAD+ (NGD+) ‐derived cADPR (cGDPR) inside the vesicle compartment. Moreover, the cADPR‐transporting activity in CD38 proteoliposomes prevented the hydrolase‐catalyzed degradation to ADPR that occurs conversely with detergent‐solubilized CD38, resulting in selective influx of cADPR. In the CD38 proteoliposomes, catalytically active CD38 exhibited monomeric, dimeric, and tetrameric structures. In CD38 sense‐ but not in antisense‐transfected HeLa cells, externally added NAD+ resulted in significant, transient increases in cytosolic calcium. These data suggest that transmembrane juxtaposition of two or four CD38 monomers can generate a catalytically active channel for selective formation and influx of cADPR (cGDPR) to reach cADPR‐responsive intracellular calcium stores. —Franco, L. , Guida, L. , Bruzzone, S. , Zocchi, E. , Usai, C. , De Flora, A. The transmembrane glycoprotein CD38 is a catalytically active transporter responsible for generation and influx of the second messenger cyclic ADP‐ribose across membranes. FASEB J. 12, 1507–1520 (1998)
Evaluating the potential of Volterra-PARAFAC IIR models

The Volterra-PARAFAC (VP) nonlinear system model, which consists of a FIR filterbank followed by a memoryless nonlinearity, aims at offering a good compromise between accuracy and parametric complexity. Here, for an even better compromise, we propose a generalization with IIR filters (VPI model) and evaluate both models. For the evaluation, we consider the concrete case of two audio loudspeakers and initially compute reference Volterra kernels from their known physical state-space models, using an efficient procedure. Then, VP and VPI models are derived and their accuracy is tested. As shown, the VPI models have in this case only 15 to 26 % of the parametric complexity of VP models with the same accuracy, which points to a great potential for accurate and efficient nonlinear system modeling.
[Preoperative accuracy of selective laser sintering (SLS) in craniofacial 3D modeling: comparison with patient CT data].

PURPOSE To evaluate the accuracy of craniofacial 3D models produced in the standardized selective laser sintering (SLS) technique from multislice computed tomography (MSCT) data sets in comparison with patient data and to investigate the effect of potential causes of inaccuracies. MATERIALS AND METHODS 19 models were considered and examined by MSCT. The patient CT data used for 3D modeling was analyzed and compared to the 3D model data. 15 anatomical landmarks were defined and 20 distances were digitally measured. The digital measurements of both CT data sets were compared to manually measured distances of the SLS model. RESULTS There was not a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the measurements of the distances concerning all three groups (patient CT data, model CT data, manual measurement of the model). The mean values of the differences were between 0.5455 and -0.3214 mm. CONCLUSION We found a high accuracy of SLS 3D models, which is due to a high precision in the modeling process and to the small voxel size of patient CT data achieved by MSCT. Anatomical landmarks in patient and model CT data sets and on the 3D model were able to be accurately reproduced, which is important for preoperative planning.
Markers of Bone Metabolism and Survival in Men with Hormone-Refractory Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Purpose: To evaluate the relative prognostic value for specific markers of osteoblast and osteoclast activity while controlling for previously reported prognostic variables among men with hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer. Experimental Design: The 643 subjects in this report were participants in multicenter randomized controlled trial of zoledronic acid in men with metastatic prostate cancer. All subjects had bone metastases and disease progression despite medical or surgical castration. Relationships between baseline covariates and overall survival were examined by Cox proportional hazard model. Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and urinary N-telopeptide were assessed as representative specific markers of osteoblast and osteoclast activity, respectively. Other covariates in the model were age, log prostate-specific antigen, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, albumin, analgesic use, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. Results: Serum BAP was significantly correlated with urinary N-telopeptide (correlation coefficient = 0.674; 95% confidence interval, 0.628-0.715; P < 0.0001). In univariate analyses, higher levels of serum BAP and urinary N-telopeptide levels were significantly associated with shorter overall survival. After controlling for the other variables, including N-telopeptide, in multivariate models, higher serum BAP levels were consistently associated with shorter survival. In contrast, urinary N-telopeptide levels were not significantly associated with survival in multivariate analyses. Variables retained in the reduced multivariate model were age, log prostate-specific antigen, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, analgesic use, and BAP. Conclusions: Serum BAP significantly correlates with urinary N-telopeptide in men with androgen-independent prostate cancer and bone metastases. In multivariate models, higher levels of serum BAP but not urinary N-telopeptide are associated with shorter overall survival.
TDS load contribution from acid mine drainage to Hartbeespoort Dam, South Africa

Evidence of a mine-water impact on groundwater in the karst aquifer downstream of the actively draining West Rand Goldfield can be traced back to the early 1980s. This is attributed to the dewatering of ‘fissure water’ encountered during mining, and its discharge into the Bloubank Spruit catchment. Rewatering of the subsurface void following the cessation of mining in the late 1990s culminated in mine-water issuing from various point sources (shafts and boreholes) in 2002. The past 6 hydrological years have periodically produced the greatest volume and worst quality of mine-water discharge, causing widespread concern for the receiving aquatic environment. In this regard, the proximal Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site attracts a much sharper focus than the distal, regionally important Hartbeespoort Dam. Objectivity requires that an assessment of the mine-water impact on the receiving surface water resources must recognise both the subregional and regional scales. The evaluation presented in this communication examines the temporal mine-water impact at both scales, and interprets the results in terms of the influence exerted by the natural hydrosystem in mitigating adverse impacts on the water resources environment. An analysis of the respective contributions of each of the major drainages to the quantity and quality of water impounded in Hartbeespoort Dam indicates that the median total dissolved solids (TDS) load delivered by the Bloubank Spruit system amounted to ~26 kt/a in the past 6 hydrological years. This is ~12% of the regional median total of ~224 kt/a entering the impoundment in the same period. By comparison, the preceding long-term record dating back 30 years to 1979 reflects a 66% lower median annual contribution of 8.6 kt, representing ~10% of a regional median total of ~89 kt/a. Proportionally, therefore, the recent 6-year period of high volume and poor-quality discharge from the Bloubank Spruit catchment represents only a marginally greater TDS load contribution to Hartbeespoort Dam than that which characterises the previous 30 years. Keywords : acid mine drainage, allogenic water, autogenic water, Cradle of Humankind, karst springs, karst terrane, TDS load
Return to Play After Forearm and Hand Injuries in the National Basketball Association

Background: Hand injuries can result in significant time away from competition for professional basketball players. Time to return to play after hand injuries in elite athletes has not been well described. Purpose: To report the return to play from metacarpal fractures, phalangeal fractures, and thumb ligament tears in National Basketball Association (NBA) players over a 5-year period. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: The NBA transaction report was analyzed from January 2009 to May 2014. Players were identified if they were added to the inactive list (IL), missed games due to their injury, or underwent surgery as a result of hand injury. Number of games missed due to injury, days spent on the IL, and age at injury were calculated by injury type and location. Results: One hundred thirty-seven injuries were identified: 39 injuries to the hand and 98 injuries to the finger. Three major injury patterns were identified and analyzed: metacarpal fractures (n = 26), phalangeal fractures (n = 33), and thumb ligament tears (n = 9). The type of injury sustained affected return to play (P < .05). All thumb ligament tears required surgery and had the longest return to play of 67.5 ± 17.7 days (P < .05). The return to play for surgically treated metacarpal fractures (56.7 ± 26.3 days) was significantly greater than nonsurgically treated metacarpal fractures (26.3 ± 12.1 days; P < .01). Return to play for surgically repaired phalangeal fractures (46.2 ± 10.8 days) trended greater but was not significantly different than phalangeal fractures treated nonsurgically (33.3 ± 28.5 days; P = .21). Conclusion: Hand injuries in professional basketball players can lead to prolonged periods of time away from competition, especially after surgery. This study provides guidelines on expected return to play in the NBA after these common hand injuries.
Effect of temperature on embryonic development of Melanotaenia boesemani (Allen and Cross, 1982)

Summary The present study aimed to provide data on the time required for Melanotaenia boesemani to complete embryonic development, and to investigate the influence that incubation at different temperatures caused in this species. The effects of temperature on the time and hatching rate are presented, as well as information related to embryonic development stages. After fertilization, the eggs were kept in incubators at 23, 26, 29 or 32°C and observed at predetermined times until the moment of hatching. Stages of development were identified and classified according to morphological and physiological characteristics. Oil droplets were visualized inside the eggs as well as filament adhesion present at the chorion. Embryonic development was similar to that observed in other species of the genus Melanotaenia with hatching and faster development in higher temperatures.
Tranexamic Acid Reduces Intraoperative Blood Loss in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Scoliosis Surgery

Background: Excessive bleeding often occurs during pediatric scoliosis surgery and is attributed to numerous factors, including accelerated fibrinolysis. The authors hypothesized that administration of tranexamic acid would reduce bleeding and transfusion requirements during scoliosis surgery. Methods: Forty-four patients scheduled to undergo elective spinal fusion were randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg/kg tranexamic acid before incision followed by an infusion of 10 mg · kg−1 · h−1 during surgery (tranexamic acid group) or 0.9% saline (placebo group). General anesthesia was administered according to a standard protocol. Blood loss, transfusion requirements, coagulation parameters, and complications were assessed. Results: In the tranexamic acid group, blood loss was reduced by 41% compared with placebo (1,230 ± 535 vs. 2,085 ± 1,188 ml; P < 0.01). The amount of blood transfused did not differ between groups (615 ± 460 vs. 940 ± 718 ml; P = 0.08). Administration of tranexamic acid was a multivariate predictor of blood loss, as was American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status and preoperative platelet count. No apparent adverse drug effects occurred in any patient. Conclusion: Intraoperative administration of tranexamic acid significantly reduces blood loss during spinal surgery in children with scoliosis.
A biped walking pattern generator based on “half-steps” for dimensionality reduction

We present a new biped walking pattern generator based on “half-steps”. Its key features are a) a 3-dimensional parametrization of the input space, and b) a simple homotopy that efficiently smooths the walking trajectory corresponding to a fixed sequence of steps. We show how these features can be ideally combined in the framework of sampling-based footstep planning. We apply our approach to the robot HRP-2 and are able to quickly produce smooth and dynamically stable trajectories that are solutions to a difficult problem of footstep planning.
Characterization and Scaling Study of Energy Pathways in Small Four-Stroke Internal Combustion Engines

A study of the efficiency and energy losses of a selection of five small (40 – 200 cm displacement) single cylinder, four-stroke engines was accomplished. The study was performed as part of a larger effort to improve the range and endurance of small internal combustion engines (ICE) that power Group II Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Little is known about the performance, efficiency, and allocation of energy losses for four-stroke ICEs in this size range. The goal of the study was to characterize these parameters for use in future research efforts. Three research objectives were developed to guide the study contained herein. The first objective was to reliably measure the brake power output of each engine and compare the measurements to the manufacturer’s advertised power ratings. The second objective was to perform an energy balance, experimentally measuring the fuel energy entering the system (engine), and all of the energy exiting the system. Energy exiting the system was categorized as useable energy (brake power), or energy losses due to exhaust sensible enthalpy, thermal losses, or incomplete combustion. The third objective (which encompassed the first two) was to perform a series of parametric sweeps on the engines, examining the effects of varying engine speed, equivalence ratio, combustion phasing, cylinder head temperature, and throttle position. The characterization data from the five engines was then used to develop a set of correlations that could be used to predict brake mean effective pressure (BMEP), fuel conversion efficiency (ηηff), exhaust sensible enthalpy losses, thermal (cooling load) losses, and incomplete combustion losses as a percentage of fuel energy 1 for small four-stroke engines with displacement volumes of 40 – 200 cm. Accurate correlations for this size class currently do not exist in the literature.
Endovascular techniques for placement of long-term chemotherapy catheters.

PURPOSE To analyze the results from using endovascular techniques to place long-term chemotherapy catheters when advancing the catheter using the external jugular vein is difficult due to obstructions or kinking. METHODS Between July 1997 and August 2000, 320 long-term chemotherapy catheters were placed, and in 220 cases the external jugular vein was used as the primary venous approach. In 18 of these patients, correct positioning was not achieved and several endovascular techniques were then utilized to overcome these obstacles, including manipulation of a J-wire with a moveable core, venography, and the exchange wire technique. RESULTS In 94.5% of the patients with difficulties in obtaining the correct positioning, we were able to advance the long-term catheter to the desired position with the assistance of endovascular techniques. CONCLUSIONS Venography and endovascular guidance techniques are useful for the placement of long-term catheters in the external jugular vein.
Uncertainties in tree cover maps of Sub‐Saharan Africa and their implications for measuring progress towards CBD Aichi Targets

The growing access to Earth Observations and processing capabilities have stimulated the production of global and regional products that are commonly used to assess tree‐covered habitats and their changes. The popularity of these products has led to their use for defining baselines and to assess progress in conserving natural habitats, in particular, in the context of the conservation targets to 2020 set by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. In this paper, we reviewed three tree cover products commonly used over Sub‐Saharan Africa: (1) MODIS Vegetation Continuous Field percent tree cover map, (2) Global Forest Change map and (3) TREES product. Over a systematic sample of 2045 map subsets, each having a size of 10 × 10 km², we calculated the extent and change of tree cover from each product for the period between 2000 and 2010. Our statistical and spatial comparison shows noticeable discrepancies between the three products, which lead to uncertainties when assessing tree cover across varying ecosystems. These differences are highest in habitats where tree cover is fragmented or reaches medium density levels and overlap with areas of high economic development potential, where habitat changes are likely to occur in the near future. We discuss these findings in the context of using these remotely sensed tree cover products to support current global biodiversity conservation policies.
Is negative priming a reliable measure for studying individual differences in inhibition

Inhibition has become the prominent explanation for individual differences in cognitive processes. However, almost nothing is known about the psychometric properties of the most frequently used measure of inhibition: the negative priming effect. In this paper, we report on two experiments aimed at evaluating the reliability of four negative priming measures. The first experiment was conducted on a sample of 36 university students who completed three tasks: an identification task, a localization task and a new task adapted from Navon's paradigm. None of the negative priming measures exhibited sufficient reliability. These results were replicated on a larger sample of participants whose ages ranged between 30 and 80 years with a negative priming measure being based on the Stroop task. In this second experiment, the negative priming effect again appeared to be unreliable whilst the reliability of an interference index was good.