Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring the Effects of Monetary Policy: A Factor-Augmented Vector Autoregressive (FAVAR) Approach

Structural vector autoregressions (VARs) are widely used to trace out the effect of monetary policy innovations on the economy. However, the sparse information sets typically used in these empirical models lead to at least two potential problems with the results. First, to the extent that central banks and the private sector have information not reflected in the VAR, the measurement of policy innovations is likely to be contaminated. A second problem is that impulse responses can be observed only for the included variables, which generally constitute only a small subset of the variables that the researcher and policymaker care about. In this paper we investigate one potential solution to this limited information problem, which combines the standard structural VAR analysis with recent developments in factor analysis for large data sets. We find that the information that our factor-augmented VAR (FAVAR) methodology exploits is indeed important to properly identify the monetary transmission mechanism. Overall, our results provide a comprehensive and coherent picture of the effect of monetary policy on the economy.
A machine learning approach for predictings stroke

Background: Stroke is one of the most dangerous and life-threatening disease as it can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death. The early detection of warning signs of a stroke can help save the life of a patient. In this paper, we adopted machine learning approaches to predict strokes and identify the three most important factors that are associated with strokes. Methods: This study used an open-access stroke prediction dataset. We developed 11 machine learning models and compare the results to those found in prior studies. Results: The accuracy, recall and area under the curve for the random forest model in our study is significantly higher than those of other studies. Machine learning models, particularly the random forest algorithm, can accurately predict the risk of stroke and support medical decision making. Conclusion: Our findings can be applied to design clinical prediction systems at the point of care.
Method for bacteriophage isolation against target Campylobacter strains

Aims: Poultry meat is considered a major source of Campylobacter. This micro‐aerobic bacterium is commonly responsible for foodborne illness. This work focuses on the isolation of Campylobacter coli lytic bacteriophages (phages) against target C. coli strains.
Students' ideas and misunderstanding of enthalpy and spontaneity: a review of selected researches

This study is intended to review some of the selected researches carried out on students’ understandings of enthalpy and spontaneity. The review puts together the important findings of the researches, summarises the misunderstanings identified so far and the possible sources of these misunderstandings. Therefore, this study would be beneficial for the researchers and lecturers in science education area and chemistry teachers.
The Youth Psychopathic Trait Inventory: factor structure and antisocial behaviour in non-referred 12–17-year-olds

This paper extends previous research into the psychometric qualities of the Youth Psychopathic Trait Inventory (YPI) and the relationship of YPI scores with age, gender, and self-reported antisocial behaviour in a community sample. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis are in line with the former research, as they support a three-factor structure with good fit indices for 12–17-year-olds, thus suggesting that the YPI is useful for these age categories. The present findings also reveal a strong positive association between self-reported delinquency and psychopathic traits, as the latter are associated with serious and versatile antisocial behaviour in both genders. Gender and age differences emerged in the prevalence of psychopathic traits and the dynamics underlying antisocial behaviour.
Burnout and Work Engagement for Different Age Groups: Examining Group-Level Differences and Predictors

This study examined age-related differences of burnout and engagement levels among employees in the South African financial sector, including influences of perceived job characteristics and personal sense of coherence. Data on burnout and work engagement, job characteristics and sense of coherence were collected from a convenience sample of 582 of junior managers (females = 55.50%, majority language was English, 54.1%). The results from this study reveal that young and middle-aged employees experience higher levels of exhaustion when compared to older employees, while older employees seemed to be more dedicated than their younger counterparts. Different job demands and resources seemed to predict burnout and work engagement of the three age groups. SOC was a significant predictor of burnout and work engagement across the three age groups. To conclude, the results of this study highlight the differences in the antecedents of employee well-being. These differences can therefore not be ignored in the workplace.
Polyscopy - a new paradigm in design for the Web

Polyscopy is offered as a new paradigm in the design for the Web. One of the characteristics of polyscopy is that it is based upon a methodology, called polyscopic Modeling, which offers explicitly formulated principles, criteria and methods for designing information. We show how certain tools and techniques from polyscopy may be applied to devise a methodology for designing for the Web. Our approach allows us to highlight a central role of visual information (creation and presentation of high-level information) and to specify and discuss visual information design criteria.
Influenza Sentinel Surveillance among Patients with Influenza-Like-Illness and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness within the Framework of the National Reference Laboratory, Niger, 2009-2013

Background Little is known about the epidemiology of influenza in Africa, including Niger. We documented the epidemiology of seasonal and pandemic influenza among outpatients with influenza-like-illness (ILI) and inpatients with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) presenting at selected sentinel sites in Niger from April 2009 through April 2013. Methods Patients meeting the ILI or the SARI case definitions and presenting at the outpatient or inpatient departments of selected sentinel sites were enrolled. Epidemiological data and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected. The respiratory samples were tested by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results From April 2009 to April 2013, laboratory results were obtained from 1176 ILI and 952 SARI cases, of which 146 (12%) and 54 (6%) tested positive for influenza virus, respectively. The influenza positivity rate was highest in the 5-14 year age-group (32/130; 24% among ILI patients and 6/61; 10% among SARI patients) followed by the 1-4 year age-group (69/438; 16% among ILI patients and 32/333; 9% among SARI patients). Of the 200 influenza positive cases 104 (52%) were A(H1N1)pdm09, 62 (31%) were A(H3N2) and 34 (17%) were B. Influenza viruses were detected predominantly from November to April with peak viral activity observed in February. Conclusions The Niger sentinel surveillance system allowed to monitor the circulation of seasonal influenza as well as the introduction and spread of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in the country. Continuous influenza surveillance is needed to better understand the epidemiology of seasonal influenza and monitor the emergence of influenza strains with pandemic potential.
Anthropometric analysis of the hip joint in South Indian population using computed tomography

Background Proximal femur has a significant functional modification on erect bipedal posture. Various proximal femoral parameters were analyzed in Western literature. This information was utilized in prosthetic designing. Implants designed for Western people are used in Indian patients undergoing hip surgeries such as internal fixation and replacement arthroplasty. Materials and Methods The study was done among 200 individuals (400 hips) with a normal hip joint after ethical committee clearance. Computed tomography scanning of proximal femur was done. Neck-shaft angle (NSA), neck width (NW), head diameter (HD), acetabular angle (AA) of sharp, horizontal offset (HO), vertical offset (VO), medullary canal diameter at the level of lesser trochanter (MDLT ), and acetabular version (AV) were measured. These parameters were tabulated and compared with various populations and statistically analyzed. Results The mean values were NSA 135°, NW 27 mm, femoral HD (HD) 42.5 mm, AA of sharp 35.5°, HO 37 mm, VO 46 mm, MDLT 20 mm, and AV 18.64°. The values differ when compared with Western population. This study results differed when compared with other Indian studies done in Northern and Northeast Indian population. Significant differences noted in the parameters between sexes and between the sides of the hip joint. Conclusion This study indicates that there are significant differences in anthropometric parameters of proximal femur among the South Indian population compared with Western population. Even within the Indian population, the anthropometric parameters vary region to region.
Drone Near Me

Personal drones are becoming more mainstream and are used for a variety of tasks, such as delivery and photography. The exposed blades in conventional drones raise serious safety concerns. To address this, commercial drones have been moving towards a safe-to-touch design or have increased safety by adding propeller guards. The affordances of safe-to-touch drones enable new types of touch-based human-drone interaction. Various applications have been explored, such as augmented sports and haptic feedback in virtual reality; however, it is unclear if individuals feel comfortable using direct touch and manipulation when interacting with safe-to-touch drones. A previous elicitation study showed how users naturally interact with drones. We replicated this study with an unsafe and a safe-to-touch drone, to find out if participants will instinctively use touch as a means of interacting with the safe-to-touch drone. We found that 58% of the participants used touch, and across all tasks 39% of interactions were touch-based. The proposed touch interactions were in agreement for 67% of the tasks, and users reported that interacting with the safe-to-touch drone was significantly less mentally demanding than the unsafe drone.
Reference-Dependent Consumption Plans

We develop a rational dynamic model in which people are loss averse over changes in beliefs about present and future consumption. Because changes in wealth are news about future consumption, preferences over money are reference-dependent. If news resonates more when about imminent consumption than when about future consumption, a decision maker might (to generate pleasant surprises) overconsume early relative to the optimal committed plan, increase immediate consumption following surprise wealth increases, and delay decreasing consumption following surprise losses. Since higher wealth mitigates the effect of bad news, people exhibit an unambiguous first-order precautionary-savings motive. (JEL D14, D81, D83, D91)
Do dental stem cells depict distinct characteristics? — Establishing their “phenotypic fingerprint”

Dental tissues provide an alternate source of stem cells compared with bone marrow and have a similar potency as that of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells. It has been established there are six types of dental stem cells: Dental pulp stem cells, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth, stem cells from apical papilla, periodontal ligament stem cells, dental follicle progenitor cells, oral periosteum stem cells and recently gingival connective tissue stem cells. Most of the dental tissues have a common developmental pathway; thus, it is relevant to understand whether stem cells derived from these closely related tissues are programmed differently. The present review analyzes whether stem cells form dental tissues depict distinct characteristics by gaining insight into differences in their immunophenotype. In addition, to explore the possibility of establishing a unique phenotypic fingerprint of these stem cells by identifying the unique markers that can be used to isolate these stem cells. This, in future will help in developing better techniques and markers for identification and utilization of these stem cells for regenerative therapy.
Amino acid utilisation by the mammary gland: Whole blood versus plasma free amino acid pools

Utilisation of amino acids (AA) by the mammary gland of dairy cows has been studied in order to understand the responses in milk protein production to alterations in nutrient supply. One approach has been the use of balance studies, in which the amount of AA taken up from the blood by the mammary gland is compared with their respective output in milk protein(s). Although it is generally accepted that the free AA pool in blood is the major precursor for milk protein synthesis, there are differences when plasma or whole blood arterio-venous differences (A-V) are used to measure the uptake of AA by the mammary gland. Arterial and venous blood samples were obtained at 2 h intervals from cows fed fresh pasture over two 12-h sampling periods. The samples were subdivided into whole blood (WB) and plasma (P) and analysed for free AA concentrations, which were used to estimate amino acid concentrations in the erythrocyte. There were no significant differences in the A-V calculated from WB or P for the majority of AA. Plasma A-V was significantly higher than WB for threonine (13.9 vs 8.9 nmol/g blood) whilst WB A-V was higher than P for isoleucine (26.9 vs 23.3 nmol/g blood) and tyrosine (11.8 vs 10.3 nmol/g blood). Assuming the differences in A-V between WB and P can be attributed to AA exchange with the red blood cell (RBC), significant (t<0.01) exchange from RBC to the mammary gland occurred for only isoleucine (15% of WB A-V) and tyrosine (14% of WB A-V). These results indicate that plasma AA concentrations are valid measures of the immediate free amino acid pool available for uptake by the mammary gland.
Perineuronal nets protect fast-spiking interneurons against oxidative stress

A hallmark of schizophrenia pathophysiology is the dysfunction of cortical inhibitory GABA neurons expressing parvalbumin, which are essential for coordinating neuronal synchrony during various sensory and cognitive tasks. The high metabolic requirements of these fast-spiking cells may render them susceptible to redox dysregulation and oxidative stress. Using mice carrying a genetic redox imbalance, we demonstrate that extracellular perineuronal nets, which constitute a specialized polyanionic matrix enwrapping most of these interneurons as they mature, play a critical role in the protection against oxidative stress. These nets limit the effect of genetically impaired antioxidant systems and/or excessive reactive oxygen species produced by severe environmental insults. We observe an inverse relationship between the robustness of the perineuronal nets around parvalbumin cells and the degree of intracellular oxidative stress they display. Enzymatic degradation of the perineuronal nets renders mature parvalbumin cells and fast rhythmic neuronal synchrony more susceptible to oxidative stress. In parallel, parvalbumin cells enwrapped with mature perineuronal nets are better protected than immature parvalbumin cells surrounded by less-condensed perineuronal nets. Although the perineuronal nets act as a protective shield, they are also themselves sensitive to excess oxidative stress. The protection might therefore reflect a balance between the oxidative burden on perineuronal net degradation and the capacity of the system to maintain the nets. Abnormal perineuronal nets, as observed in the postmortem patient brain, may thus underlie the vulnerability and functional impairment of pivotal inhibitory circuits in schizophrenia.
A Review of Theory in Family Business Research: The Implications for Corporate Governance

In recent years, increasing scholarly attention has been directed toward the field of family business research. Based on an exhaustive sample of 235 publications, this article provides a comprehensive review and a critical assessment of the theoretical underpinnings and corporate governance issues in family business research. Three predominant theoretical perspectives, namely principal–agent theory, stewardship theory and the resource‐based view of the firm, have emerged and provide empirical evidence that family businesses significantly differ from non‐family firms in important dimensions such as agency costs, competitive advantages or corporate governance structure. On their own, none of the aforementioned perspectives succeeds in addressing all complexities associated with family businesses and their corporate governance. Accordingly, joint approaches combining different theoretical frameworks can help to improve understanding of the family business. The article concludes by discussing possible directions for future research that might further contribute to building a comprehensive theory of the family business and its corporate governance.
RabD, a Dictyostelium Rab14-related GTPase, regulates phagocytosis and homotypic phagosome and lysosome fusion

RabD, a Dictyostelium Rab14-related GTPase, localizes in the endo-lysosomal pathway and contractile vacuole system of membranes. Cell lines expressing dominant-negative RabD were defective in endocytosis, endosomal membrane flow and homotypic lysosome fusion. In support of a role for RabD in fusion, cells overexpressing constitutively active RabDQ67L accumulated enlarged hydrolase-rich acidic vesicles ringed with GFP-RabD, consistent with RabD directly regulating lysosome fusion. To determine whether RabD also regulated phagocytosis and/or homotypic phagosome fusion (a process stimulated by many intracellular pathogens), cells overexpressing dominant-active (RabDQ67L) or dominant-negative (RabN121I) RabD were analyzed microscopically and biochemically. The rate of phagocytosis was increased two-fold in RabDQ67L-expressing cells and reduced by 50% in RabDN121I-expressing cells compared with control cells. To examine the role of RabD in the formation of multiparticle phagosomes, we performed a series of pulse-chase experiments using fluorescently labeled bacteria and fluorescent latex beads. The rate of fusion of newly formed phagosomes was five times higher in the RabDQ67L-expressing cells and reduced by over 50% in RabDN121I-expressing cells as compared with control cells. GFP-RabDQ67L was found to ring multiparticle spacious phagosomes, which supports a direct role for this protein in regulating fusion. Inhibition of PI 3-kinase activity, which is known to regulate phagosome fusion in the wild-type cells, reduced the rate of phagosome fusion in RabDQ67L+ cells, indicating that RabD acted upstream of or parallel with PI 3-kinase. We hypothesize that RabD and, possibly, Rab14, a related GTPase that associates with phagosomes in mammalian cells, are important regulators of homotypic phagosome and endo-lysosome fusion.
Internal resources, local externalities and export performance: An application in the Iberian ham cluster

Abstract This research aims to complement resource-based view with a cluster approach in identifying which elements, both internal to the firm and locally available, improve firms’ export performance. While in the resource-based view exporting firms are contingent upon the development of intangible resources, from a cluster approach exporters exploit local externalities, mainly related to local information, knowledge and resource spillovers. We present empirical evidence from the Iberian ham cluster in Spain, which confirms the relevance of intangibles such as R&D and marketing promotion, but also of cluster linkages with local institutions – technological centres, universities and use of Designation of Origins – in improving export performance. Contrary to expectations, employee education, organizational experience, and information and knowledge-based spillovers from proximate exporters have no significant effect. These findings suggest that an augmented framework may improve the predictive elements of export performance in clusters.
Relationships between place attachment, place satisfaction and pro-environmental behaviour in an Australian national park

Place attachment is a multidimensional construct comprising place dependence, place affect, place identity, and place social bonding. Yet, studies investigating the relationships between place attachment, place satisfaction, and pro-environmental behaviour have not investigated its pluralistic nature. Using data from 452 visitors to the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Australia, this study investigates these four dimensions of place attachment and their relationships with place satisfaction and pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Findings suggest that the four place attachment constructs are significantly associated with place satisfaction. Results suggest that it is necessary to consider pro-environmental behavioural intentions as a two-factor structure construct, comprising low and high effort pro-environmental behaviour. Place satisfaction is associated with low effort pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Place affect is significantly associated with both types of environmental behavioural intentions. Place identity is not associated with either type of environmental behavioural intentions. A significant association is also noted between low effort and high effort pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Practical applications of the study include marketing aimed at encouraging repeat visitation, with sophisticated message development and delivery building emotional attachment, a sense of belonging, and enhanced personal meaning. Heritage interpretation could use affect and emotion to enhance visitor satisfaction and experience, coupled with an outcomes-focused communication plan.
Molecular basis of ion permeability in a voltage‐gated sodium channel

Voltage‐gated sodium channels are essential for electrical signalling across cell membranes. They exhibit strong selectivities for sodium ions over other cations, enabling the finely tuned cascade of events associated with action potentials. This paper describes the ion permeability characteristics and the crystal structure of a prokaryotic sodium channel, showing for the first time the detailed locations of sodium ions in the selectivity filter of a sodium channel. Electrostatic calculations based on the structure are consistent with the relative cation permeability ratios (Na+ ≈ Li+ ≫ K+, Ca2+, Mg2+) measured for these channels. In an E178D selectivity filter mutant constructed to have altered ion selectivities, the sodium ion binding site nearest the extracellular side is missing. Unlike potassium ions in potassium channels, the sodium ions in these channels appear to be hydrated and are associated with side chains of the selectivity filter residues, rather than polypeptide backbones.