Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports Optimal Monetary Policy under Sudden Stops Optimal Monetary Policy under Sudden Stops

This paper presents preliminary findings and is being distributed to economists and other interested readers solely to stimulate discussion and elicit comments. The views expressed in the paper are those of the author and are not necessarily reflective of views at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Federal Reserve System. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the author. Abstract Emerging market economies often face sudden stops in capital inflows or reduced access to the international capital market, a development that can cause serious disruptions in economic activity. This paper analyzes what monetary policy can accomplish in such an event. Optimal monetary policy exploits export revenues to minimize the impact on the domestic economy. However, this approach will not completely insulate the economy from some contraction. Domestic currency depreciation combined with high interest rates is needed to achieve this result. The paper shows that the arrival of the sudden stop further aggravates the time inconsistency problem. Optimal policy is fairly well approximated by a flexible targeting rule, which stabilizes a basket composed of domestic price inflation, exchange rate, and output. For some parameterizations, the best rule can be specified as an interest rate rule that responds to the natural interest rate, inflation, output, and exchange rate depreciation. We further show that from a welfare perspective, the desirability of a fixed exchange rate regime depends on the economic environment. and participants at various conferences and seminars. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Federal Reserve System.
BOLIDOMONAS: A NEW GENUS WITH TWO SPECIES BELONGING TO A NEW ALGAL CLASS, THE BOLIDOPHYCEAE (HETEROKONTA)

A new algal class, the Bolidophyceae (Heterokonta), is described from one genus, Bolidomonas, gen. nov., and two species, Bolidomonas pacifica, sp. nov and Bolidomonas mediterranea, sp. nov., isolated from the equatorial Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, respectively. Both species are approximately 1.2 μm in diameter and have two unequal flagella; the longer flagellum bears tubular hairs, whereas the shorter is smooth. The flagellar basal apparatus is restricted to two basal bodies, and there is no transitional helix. Cells are naked, devoid of walls or siliceous structures. The internal cellular organization is simple with a single plastid containing a ring genophore and a girdle lamella, one mitochondrion with tubular cristae, and one Golgi apparatus close to the basal bodies. The Mediterranean and the Pacific species differ in the insertion angle between their flagella and their pattern of swimming, these differences possibly being linked to each other. Analyses of the SSU rDNA gene place the two strains as a sister group to the diatoms. Moreover, pigment analyses confirm this position, as fucoxanthin is found as the major carotenoid in both lineages. These data strongly suggest that the ancestral heterokont that gave rise to the diatom lineage was probably a biflagellated unicell.
Energy Expenditure, Water Flux, and Activity Budgets of Female Swamp Antechinuses in Contrasting Habitats

Abstract Island mammals often differ behaviorally, demographically, and morphologically from their mainland conspecifics. A comparison of the water flux (WF, ml/day), daily energy expenditure (DEE, kJ/day), activity budgets, body mass, and diets of female swamp antechinuses (Antechinus minimus maritimus) from island and mainland habitats was undertaken to determine whether features associated with the island habitat influenced their physiological ecology. WF differed significantly between the 2 populations, with mainland animals having a WF 36% greater than island animals. However, there was no significant difference in DEE between individuals in different habitats (island versus mainland), although they exhibited markedly divergent behavioral patterns. Differences in diet and availability of free water for drinking may have caused the divergence in the WF values between mainland and island individuals. Although energy requirements play a key role in the spatial ecology of small mammals, other factors such as social interactions could cause observed differences in spatial organization between female A. minimus on the island and mainland.
Using TRIM5α as an HIV therapeutic: the alpha gene?

Introduction: As HIV continues to spread worldwide, new therapies which have the potential to treat and cure infected patients need to be developed. The results observed with the “Berlin patient” who received a bone marrow transplant with HIV-resistant hematopoietic stem cells highlight the potential of HIV gene therapy to be used as an alternative treatment. With the discovery of TRIM5α, an HIV inhibitor and species-specific restriction factor, a new molecule can be evaluated as an HIV gene therapeutic. Nonhuman primate TRIM5α orthologs restrict HIV infection, whereas human TRIM5α does not. However, upon genetic modification, variations to human TRIM5α have been made which are capable of potent HIV restriction. Areas covered: This review seeks to cover the discovery and biology of various HIV-restrictive nonhuman primate TRIM5α orthologs, modifications made to human TRIM5α to enable HIV restriction, and the use of these molecules in an HIV gene therapy setting. Expert opinion: Engineered human TRIM5α molecules, demonstrated to be strong inhibitors of HIV infection, have the potential of being used as new HIV therapeutics in human gene therapy clinical trials. By combining TRIM5α with other highly potent anti-HIV molecules, the generation of an HIV-resistant immune system and potential cure for infected patients may be accomplished.
Using electrical capacitance and mechanically representative hardware to evaluate the thermal mechanical stability of thermal interface materials

The experimental study of electronic materials is a necessary complement to virtual qualification efforts that rely on modeling and simulation to streamline development of new electronic assemblies. The durability of thermal interface materials in large complex printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies is difficult to model and therefore, experimental study and verification is needed. In this study, the thermal mechanical stability of dielectric thermal interface materials is monitored using electrical capacitance, the inverse of which has the same geometric dependence on bond line and area as thermal resistance. Electrical capacitance is a straightforward, fast and accurate measurement method which can be used with mechanically representative hardware very early in the development cycle. This study includes four thermal interface materials (TIMs) classified as pre-cured thermal putties which are evaluated on hardware that is easily prototyped and mechanically representative of large complex PCBs. Electrical capacitance of the TIMs was measured in situ during thermal cycle testing and was able to distinguish both stability and degradation. Analysis of the TIMs after the test confirmed structural degradation in the form of cracks, fissures and material movement. In summary, electrical capacitance has broad application in evaluating the stability of dielectric TIMs in application specific designs very early in development by using easily procured mechanically representative hardware.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of rapacuronium in patients with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND Delayed elimination kinetics of steroidal neuromuscular blocking agents have been observed in patients with cirrhosis. Like other steroidal muscle relaxants, rapacuronium may, in part, be eliminated by the liver. To determine the influence of liver disease on its neuromuscular blocking effect, we studied the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of rapacuronium in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS Sixteen patients undergoing elective surgery or endoscopy with general anesthesia, eight with cirrhosis and eight with normal liver function, were studied. Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl 2 microg/kg and thiopental 5-7 mg/kg and maintained with 60% nitrous oxide and 0.6-0.8% isoflurane in oxygen and repeated doses of fentanyl 1 microg/kg. Rapacuronium 1.5 mg/kg was administered intravenously before tracheal intubation. Thumb adduction force evoked by supramaximal ulnar nerve stimulation was recorded in 16 patients. Venous blood was sampled at frequent intervals for 8 h. Rapacuronium and its breakdown product Org 9488 were measured in plasma by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Values are reported as median (range). RESULTS The central volume of distribution was increased to 131 (104-141) ml/kg in patients with cirrhosis (P < 0.01), compared with 75 (47-146) ml/kg in controls. The total apparent volume of distribution was also increased (P < 0.05) to 331 (284-488) ml/kg in patients with cirrhosis, compared with 221 (124-285) ml/kg in controls. The elimination half-life was 88 (77-102) min in controls and 90 (76-117) min in patients with cirrhosis. Plasma clearance was increased (P < 0.05) to 6.9 (6.1-8.9) ml x min(-1) x kg(-1) in patients with cirrhosis, compared with 5.3 (4.2-8.4) ml x min(-1) x kg(-1) in controls. Rapacuronium neuromuscular blocking effect was similar between the two groups. Onset time was 65 (40-110) s in controls and of 60 (52-240) s in patients with cirrhosis. Time to return to 90% of thumb adduction force control value was of 49 (28-80) min in controls and 47 (28-71) min in patients with cirrhosis. CONCLUSION The neuromuscular blocking effect of a single bolus dose of rapacuronium in patients with cirrhosis is not different from that of patients with normal hepatic function. No decrease in plasma clearance of rapacuronium was observed in patients with cirrhosis.
Helicobacter pylori Risk Associated with Sibship Size and Family History of Gastric Diseases in Japanese Adults

Helicobacter pylori is thought to be a cause of gastric cancer. Risk factors of H. pylori positivity were investigated among 4,361 public service workers in Japan. Sera and information on family history and lifestyle were collected, and H. pylori antibody was measured using the sera. Sex‐ and age‐adjusted odds ratios of factors expected to influence H. pylori seropositivity were calculated. The factors with a significant influence were included in a logistic regression model and the final model was obtained by backward elimination. Sibship size (4 and more vs. 1), smoking habit (current vs. never), and paternal and siblings' histories of gastric diseases showed significant relationships to H. pylori seropositivity, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 1.5 (1.0–2.1), 0.8 (0.7–0.9), 1.5 (1.3–1.8) and 1.7 (1.1–2.6) respectively. However, spouse's history was not related. In the final model, sibship size and paternal history remained as positive factors, and smoking as a negative one. Contradictory results on the relationship between H. pylori status and smoking among recent studies indicate the existence of hidden confounding factors. It is suggested that infection from family members in childhood considerably affects the H. pylori status of Japanese adults, whereas infection between adults is rare.
A Self-Powered High-Efficiency Rectifier With Automatic Resetting of Transducer Capacitance in Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems

This paper presents a self-powered rectifier for piezoelectric energy harvesting applications, and the key idea of the proposed system is to reset the transducer capacitor at optimal instants to maximize the extracted power. The proposed rectifier consists of two switches and two active diodes. The switches discharge the transducer capacitor at optimal instants two times for every cycle. The active diodes are based on op-amps with a preset dc offset, which reduces the voltage drop and the leakage current and avoids instability. In addition, the controller for the proposed rectifier is simple to reduce the circuit complexity and the power dissipation. The proposed rectifier was designed and fabricated in 0.18-μm CMOS technology. Measured results indicate that it achieves power efficiency of 91.2%, and the amount of power extracted by the proposed rectifier is 3.5 times larger when compared with the conventional rectifiers. The proposed rectifier does not require any off chip components to enable a full chip integration, and the die area of the proposed circuit is 0.08 × 0.20 mm2.
Lifting the Veil of Accounting Information Under Different Accounting Standards - Lessons Learned from the German Experiment

It is well-known from US-related studies that investors systematically overreact to accrual-based accounting information. We address the question to what extent this accrual anomaly is related to different accounting standards. We provide empirical evidence that the accrual anomaly is also present in Germany. However, this anomaly has become particularly important after the year 2000 and cannot be detected for firms presenting their financial statements under German GAAP. It is argued that introducing true and fair view accounting, like IFRS, that relies on difficult-to-verify information, may not be suitable to improve accounting information quality in the context of a weak corporate governance system.
Feature Extraction of Welding Seam Image Based on Laser Vision

This paper addresses the feature extraction algorithm of the weld groove image for a welding robot system. The purpose is to improve the speed and the precision of the weld seam recognition. The acquisition of the weld image is a complex process, and consequently, it will be disturbed by a lot of noise. Specific methods must be used to process images. In this paper, the seam images with laser stripe under different types of groove are captured. After an analysis of the common methods in laser stripe center extraction, ridge line tracking, and direction template, which have not only excellent performance in the aspect of consuming time but also considerable line detection accuracy that agrees with the industrial application requirement well, are applied in the center extraction of stripe-shaped images. On the basis of the central line, the least square method based on the slope analysis method is used to detect the features of the image to obtain the feature information of the weld groove. Results of the validation are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of feature extraction. In addition, compared with the running time 212.708 ms of the direction template, the operation time of this paper is improved to 22 ms, which can meet the requirement of real time.
A numerical approach to large deviations in continuous time

We present an algorithm to evaluate large deviation functions associated to history-dependent observables. Instead of relying on a time discretization procedure to approximate the dynamics, we provide a direct continuous-time algorithm valuable for systems with multiple timescales, thus extending the work of Giardinà, Kurchan and Peliti (2006 Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 120603). The procedure is supplemented with a thermodynamic-integration scheme which improves its efficiency. We also show how the method can be used to probe large deviation functions in systems with a dynamical phase transition—revealed in our context through the appearance of a non-analyticity in the large deviation functions.
Os Fundos Brasileiros de Previdência Complementar:segmentações analíticas e estudos preliminares sobre a alocação de seus recursos

Os fundos brasileiros de previdencia complementar detem, em conjunto, uma carteira consolidada de investimentos que ja supera R$ 1 trilhao. Esse volume de recursos justifica, portanto, pesquisas que se debrucem sobre os referidos fundos e sobre a administracao de suas carteiras. Dentro desse esforco, este trabalho tem como principal objetivo a analise das formas de alocacao do estoque de riqueza gerido por esses fundos. Como objetivo associado, pretende-se avaliar as possibilidades de que essa enorme massa de recursos venha a constituir-se como funding para o financiamento de longo prazo no Brasil. Para tanto, sugere-se uma segmentacao analitica dos distintos fundos de previdencia complementar, que revela que aqueles com maior potencial para provimento desse funding sao os fundos fechados, de grande porte e patrocinados por empresas publicas. Brazilian pension funds hold together a portfolio that exceeds R$ 1 trillion. This volume of resources justifies researches that try to understand the management of these portfolios. This paper aims therefore to analyze the allocation of the wealth managed by these funds. As an associated goal, the paper aims to evaluate the possibilities of this huge mass of resources to eventually constitute a funding for the long-term financing in Brazil. With these purposes, the paper suggests an analytical segmentation of the different kinds of pension funds, which shows that those with the greatest potential to provide this funding are the closed, large and public companies funds.
Role of outer membrane c‐type cytochromes MtrC and OmcA in Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1 cell production, accumulation, and detachment during respiration on hematite

The iron‐reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1 has the capacity to contribute to iron cycling over the long term by respiring on crystalline iron oxides such as hematite when poorly crystalline phases are depleted. The ability of outer membrane cytochromes OmcA and MtrC of MR‐1 to bind to and transfer electrons to hematite has led to the suggestion that they function as terminal reductases when this mineral is used as a respiratory substrate. Differences in their redox behavior and hematite‐binding properties, however, indicate that they play different roles in the electron transfer reaction. Here, we investigated how these differences in cytochrome behavior with respect to hematite affected biofilm development when the mineral served as terminal electron acceptor (TEA). Upon attachment to hematite, cells of the wild‐type (WT) strain as well as those of a ΔomcA mutant but not those of a ΔmtrC mutant replicated and accumulated on the mineral surface. The results indicate that MtrC but not OmcA is required for growth when this mineral serves as TEA. While an OmcA deficiency did not impede cell replication and accumulation on hematite prior to achievement of a maximum surface cell density comparable to that established by WT cells, OmcA was required for efficient electron transfer and cell attachment to hematite once maximum surface cell density was achieved. OmcA may therefore play a role in overcoming barriers to electron transfer and cell attachment to hematite imposed by reductive dissolution of the mineral surface from cell respiration associated with achievement of high surface cell densities.
Application of Weed Seedbank Ecology to Low-Input Crop Management.

Pesticide use in the United States is concentrated in the Corn Belt, mainly in the form of herbicides on corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max). If this chemical load to the environment is to be reduced, without appreciably affecting crop yields, an intimate understanding of weed ecology is necessary. For annual weeds in the U.S. Corn Belt, critical ecological information includes seedbank density, seed dormancy, seedling emergence, and environmental variables that regulate these factors. For three weeds (Setaria spp., Amaranthus retroflexus, and Chenopodium album) in Minnesota, this information is summarized and its application to weed management is illustrated. If weed seedbank densities (0-10 cm depth) are <100 seeds/m2 prior to spring tillage operations, subsequent seedling populations are too low (<40 seedlings/m2 ) to require control. Seedbanks ranging from 100-1000 seeds/m2 produce seedling populations (<400 seedlings/m2 ) that can be controlled mechanically. In contrast, pre-tillage seedbanks >1000 seeds/m2 typically result in such high seedling populations that nonchemical control measures alone cannot prevent large crop yield losses. About one-half of all arable fields harbor seedbanks with densities >1000 seeds/m2 . The proportion of buried seeds giving rise to seedlings is controlled by seed dormancy, which in turn is governed partially by April temperatures (in Minnesota), whereas the timing of subsequent seedling emergence is determined by soil temperature and soil water. EMERG models simulate daily percentages of emerging weed seedlings for April through June, when most Corn Belt crops are sown. If seedbeds of fields with potential seedling densities of 100 seedlings/m2 are prepared and sown when simulated emergence exceeds °80% for C. album, 85% for A. retroflexus, and 99% for Setaria spp. , then mechanical weed control sufficiently reduces weed populations and crop yield losses are negligible. Accordingly, mechanical weed control may be substituted economically for chemical control, but only when accompanied by adequate understanding of the ecology of pertinent weed species.
Reply: Modified natural cycles for poor responders: addressing misconceptions and fallacies.

Initially, it should be clarified that the published study is not a case– control study as Papathanasiou suggests in the title of his letter, but as clearly mentioned in the manuscript, a retrospective cohort study. A case–control study refers to observational studies where a comparison is performed between subjects with the outcome of interest (live birth) and subjects without the outcome of interest (no live birth). This comparison aims to identify a difference in the exposure variable (e.g. type of intervention). On the other hand, a cohort study is one where the two groups compared are selected on the basis of the exposure (intervention Aversus intervention B) and then it is estimated whether a difference is present in the outcome of interest (live birth rate). For more information on study designs, we refer readers to one of the many excellent textbooks of epidemiology and study design, ‘Epidemiology’ by Leon Gordis.
Decentralizing University Admission - Evidence from a Natural Experiment

Applying a differences-in-differences strategy, I study the decentralization of university admission as a natural experiment. Is the centralized or decentralized procedure better suited to match prospective students to universities? The analysis uses administrative data on all students within Germany and complements the prominent theoretical literature on college admission. The results show that the matching efficiency increased in course of the decentralization. This increase is mainly driven by enabling law schools to abolish admission restrictions. The matching quality is not significantly affected by the decentralization process but suggests that abolishing admission restrictions could be associated with increasing drop-out rates.