Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implications for Risk Management and Regulation: A Study of Long-Term Dependence in the Credit Default Swap (CDS) Indices Market

In this study, the authors shed light upon the nature and degree of market risk inherent in CDS instruments, and consequently offer suggestions to the regulators with regard to the level of regulatory reserves that ought to be mandated to avert extreme disasters or meltdowns in the future. If the underlying behavioral patterns of the CDS markets mimic a coin toss, then successful change in spread levels are independent of one another. Consequently, the level of regulatory reserves can be much less, as opposed to a scenario wherein the underlying behavioral dynamics of CDS markets are characterized by fat-tailed distribution and long-term dependence. For this exercise, the authors chose the two most liquid CDS indices, namely CDX.NA. IG of North America and iTraxx.Europe of Europe. Mandelbrot’s rescaled range estimation technique was employed on iTraxx and CDX datasets to test for long-term dependence. Despite their non-normality, the findings revealed that the long-term dependence co-efficient of iTraxx and CDX was more in line with less-risky traditional companies. Consequently, the authors believe that regulators should realize that not all CDS markets are toxic in nature. In fact, Investment-grade CDS indices such as CDX.NA. IG and iTraxx.Europe appear to be less-riskier than high-tech stocks. The study’s findings reflect the need for regulators to acknowledge prevalence of certain benign CDS markets within the overall CDS landscape that is currently labeled as highly toxic for a variety of reasons. Finally, the authors also subjected the American and European CDS datasets to Lo’s modified rescaled range estimation technique, which appropriately accounts for short-term dependence, non-normal innovations, and conditional heteroscedasticity. The results pertaining to Lo’s technique revealed prevalence of short-term dependence. This revelation offers huge potential for future research in CDS markets, from a technical analysts’ perspective.
Palatal asymmetry during development: An anatomical study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate hard palate asymmetry during development. The palates of 248 dry skulls were photographed and evaluated digitally. The skulls were divided into seven groups: fetus, newborn, infant, child, adolescent, adult, and aged. Linear measures were obtained from great palatine foramen (GPF) to incisive fossa (INC) and to posterior nasal spine (PNS). Angular measures were obtained from the former landmarks plus the point on sutures intersection between maxillary and palatine bones. Asymmetry was evaluated intra and intergroups. All skulls showed some degree of right–left asymmetry in the hard palate. Regardless of hard palate asymmetry, none of the right–left side differences was statistically significant. For the intergroups assessment, none of the asymmetry index means were statistically different. The posterior part of palate (PNS × GPF) measures was more asymmetric than the anterior part (INC × GPF), showing, respectively, 4.6% and 2.8% of mean asymmetry index. Angular measures showed a more symmetric behavior than the linear ones. Hard palate asymmetry occurs even in the absence of masticatory function, showing that this feature begins early in fetal life and persists through development. Clin. Anat. 21:398–404, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dual Transfer Learning for Neural Machine Translation with Marginal Distribution Regularization

Neural machine translation (NMT) heavily relies on parallel bilingual data for training. Since large-scale, high-quality parallel corpora are usually costly to collect, it is appealing to exploit monolingual corpora to improve NMT. Inspired by the law of total probability, which connects the probability of a given target-side monolingual sentence to the conditional probability of translating from a source sentence to the target one, we propose to explicitly exploit this connection to learn from and regularize the training of NMT models using monolingual data. The key technical challenge of this approach is that there are exponentially many source sentences for a target monolingual sentence while computing the sum of the conditional probability given each possible source sentence. We address this challenge by leveraging the dual translation model (target-to-source translation) to sample several mostly likely source-side sentences and avoid enumerating all possible candidate source sentences. That is, we transfer the knowledge contained in the dual model to boost the training of the primal model (source-to-target translation), and we call such an approach dual transfer learning. Experiment results on English-French and German-English tasks demonstrate that dual transfer learning achieves significant improvement over several strong baselines and obtains new state-of-the-art results.
Assessment of Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) in Patients With Coronary Artery Ectasia

Objectives: Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is characterized by an abnormal dilatation of the coronary arteries. Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a measure of heterogeneity in the size of red blood cell. In this study, we aimed to investigate RDW levels in patients with CAE. Methods: The study population included 54 patients with CAE (28 males; mean age, 59 ± 12) and 40 individuals comprising the control group who had normal coronary arteries (17 males; mean age, 56 ± 10). Admission RDW was measured as part of the automated complete blood count. Results: The RDW was significantly higher in the CAE group than the control (P < .001). Also, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in patients with CAE were significantly higher as compared with controls (P < .001). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that RDW and hs-CRP were higher in the CAE group compared with the control group. These results show that RDW is a reliable, simple, and inexpensive marker for patients with CAE.
Collusion versus Differential Efficiency: Testing Alternative Hypotheses

The predictions of collusion- and efficiency-based static equilibrium explanations of interindustry profitability differences are formally developed and tested, using appropriate econometric techniques, with intraindustry data on seventy U.S. Internal Revenue Service minor manufacturing industries in 1963 and 1972. None of the explanations has much explanatory power. The 1963 data are consistent with collusion-based models, while the 1972 data are inconsistent with all non-null hypotheses considered. Patterns of profitability are sharply different in the two years, in complex ways apparently unrelated to cyclical forces or the Phase II price controls. Implications of these results are discussed. Copyright 1987 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Two-Way Modified Wilkinson Power Divider for UWB Applications Using Two Sections of Unequal Electrical Lengths

This paper presents 2-way Power Divider (PD) for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) applications. The proposed power divider is realized using two cascaded sections of Wilkinson Power Divider (WPD) of equal characteristic impedances and unequal electrical lengths with inserted open stub to improve matching, isolation and to broaden the bandwidth. It is proved analytically using the “Even Odd Mode” analysis method and the ABCD matrix to obtain exact closed-form design equations. A detailed design methodology is introduced to facilitate the implementation without needing CAD optimization. To verify the proposed design methodology, a 2-way power divider is designed, fabricated on a Rogers RT/Duroid 5880 substrate and compared to other published 2-way microstrip power dividers. Measured data show good agreement with Electromagnetic (EM)-Circuit Co-Simulation, which proves the design equations and methodology. The proposed planar 2-way PD achieves an isolation ≥ 13.5 dB, input return loss ≥ 10 dB, output return loss ≥ 14.5 dB and exceeded insertion loss ≤ 0.9 dB (over the −3 dB splitting ratio) through the whole UWB range from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz. Furthermore, it has a compact area of 22mm × 15 mm, which provides 50% enhancement over similar microstrip PD circuits while achieving better isolation and matching.
Apathy in untreated early‐stage Parkinson disease: Relationship with other non‐motor symptoms

Apathy is a frequent and disabling behavioral disorder in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Its prevalence in treatment‐naive patients with early‐stage PD has not been extensively investigated. Moreover, whether apathy is related to other non‐motor symptoms in early‐stage PD is unknown. Our objective was to determine the prevalence and features of apathy and associated factors in a group of treatment‐naive patients with early‐stage PD. Ninety‐five treatment‐naive patients with early‐stage PD participated in the study. Apathy, depression, motor symptoms, and overall cognitive efficiency were assessed. The presence of the main non‐motor symptoms was checked during a detailed clinical interview. Group comparisons were carried out to investigate the association with apathy. Eighteen patients (18.95%) were diagnosed as apathetic, and five of the latter had concomitant depression. Apathetic patients had significantly more severe motor symptoms (P < 0.001) and a lower cognitive status (P = 0.032) than non‐apathetic patients. When considering non‐motor symptoms, apathy was significantly associated only with fatigue (P = 0.007) and anhedonia (P = 0.010), both of which were more prevalent in apathetic patients than in non‐apathetic patients. In treatment‐naive patients with early‐stage PD, apathy was significantly associated with more severe motor symptoms and a lower cognitive status. After adjustment for these factors, apathy appeared to be a relatively isolated, independent symptom because the only other associated non‐motor symptoms were fatigue and anhedonia. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
VOGT's RETRO‐IRIDIAN PIGMENT LINES

A woman, aged 69, with latent diabetes was found to have retro‐iridian pigment lines. Cataract extraction was followed by light microscopy and electron microscopy. Cross sections of the pigment lines showed these to consist of two main constituents, whose structures are described. The portion of the lines closest to the lens had a certain resemblance to the substance seen on the lens and in the iris in pseudo‐exfoliation, while the remaining part of the pigment lines consisted of uniform microtubules.
Stage-specific technology shocks and employment:could we reconcile with the RBC models ?

This paper analyses the response of labor input to technology shocks in an estimated two-stage production framework with both price and wage stickiness and stage-specific shocks to productivity. Our model features a vertical input-output structure with imperfect mobility of labors across stages. The estimation uses the maximum likelihood technique applied to the post-war US data. Our findings could easily match the standard RBC models predictions : A shock to productivity in the intermediate good production stage i) leads to an increase in both stage-specific labor and the aggregate labor and ii) explains a large proportion of the volatility of both the real GDP and the aggregate labor. Besides, regarding the output-labor correlation, the model does a very good job in matching the data.
Bovine Lactoferrin Can Be Taken Up by the Human Intestinal Lactoferrin Receptor and Exert Bioactivities

Objective: Human lactoferrin (hLF), a major protein in human milk, has been shown to exert multiple biological activities. To achieve some of the benefits of breast-fed infants, we investigated the feasibility of adding commercially available bovine LF (CbLF) to infant formula. Subjects and Methods: An intestinal enterocyte model (Caco-2 cells) was used to compare the ability of bovine LF (bLF) purified by our laboratory and CbLF with hLF to resist digestion, bind to the receptor, and exert bioactivities, including cellular proliferation, differentiation, interleukin 18 secretion, and transforming growth factor-&bgr;1 expression. Results: bLf and CbLF, which are partially iron (Fe)-saturated, can bind additional Fe, partially resist digestion either dissolved in phosphate buffered saline or in the presence of infant formula at conditions similar to those of the infant gastrointestinal tract, and bind to Caco-2 cells in a manner similar to hLF. bLF and CbLF, as well as bound Fe, also are internalized by Caco-2 cells, as demonstrated by 125I and 59Fe labeling, albeit to somewhat less of an extent than hLF. CbLF promoted cell proliferation and differentiation to an extent similar to that of bLF and hLF, but these effects were not seen when the LF samples were saturated with Fe (holo-LF). Native forms of hLF and bLF significantly increased expression of transforming growth factor-&bgr;1, and holo-forms of LFs stimulated interleukin 18 secretion significantly, with the highest results for CbLF. Conclusions: CbLF is biologically active and is likely to exert several of the bioactivities of hLF if added to infant formula.
Morphological analysis of dendritic spine development in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons

We monitored developmental alterations in the morphology of dendritic spines in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and the fluorescent marker Dil. Dissociated rat hippocampal neurons were plated on polylysine-coated glass cover slips and grown in culture for 1–4 weeks. Fixed cultures were stained with Dil and visualized with the CLSM. Spine density, spine length, and diameters of spine heads and necks were measured. Some cultures were immunostained for synaptophysin and others prepared for EM analysis. In the 1–3 week cultures, 92–95% of the neurons contained spiny dendrites. Two subpopulations of spine morphologies were distinguished. At 1 week in culture, “headless” spines constituted 50% of the spine population and were equal in length to the spines with heads. At 2, 3, and 4 weeks in culture headless spines constituted a progressively smaller fraction of the population and were, on average, shorter than spines with heads. Spines with heads had narrower necks than headless spines. At 3 weeks in culture, spines were associated with synaptophysin-immunoreactive labeling, resembling synaptic terminals. At 4 weeks in culture, only 70% of the Dil-filled cells had spiny dendrites, and the density of spines decreased. Ultrastructurally, the majority of dendritic spine- like structures at 1 week resembled long filopodia without synaptic contacts. The majority of axospinous synapses were on short “stubby” spines. At 3 weeks in culture, the spines were characteristic of those seen in vivo. They contained no microtubules or polyribosomes, were filled with a characteristic, filamentous material, and formed asymmetric synapses. These studies provide the basis for further analysis of the rules governing the formation, development, and plasticity of dendritic spines under controlled, in vitro conditions.
The discourse of adaptation to climate change and the UK Climate Impacts Programme: De-scribing the problematization of adaptation

Discourse describes our reality, at once depicting and delimiting our understanding of the world and our place in it. Discourse can also be de-scribed; the script unpicked to reveal the contingency of what it includes and excludes. The discourse of adaptation to climate change is one such description. This article uses critical discourse analysis to describe and de-scribe the discourse of adaptation as (re)produced through one UK Climate Impacts Programme report. It identifies within the report a core, techno-scientific problematization of adaptation and a series of supplementary moments that are in ontological and epistemological tension with the core problematization, particularly regarding the conceptualization of knowledge and uncertainty, actors and agency, and the practices and politics that are understood to constitute adaptation. This tension is used to de-scribe the discourse; the supplementary moments highlight the limits of the core problematization, revealing points of extension or departure for the discourse. This is particularly apparent when these moments are articulated together into a supplementary, socio-systemic problematization. This demonstrates significant conceptual resonances with systems and complexity-based accounts of adaptation, including the discourse of sustainable adaptation, all of which offer further discursive resources for the extension or replacement of the discourse as produced in the report.
A Study of the Pancreatic Response to Food after Gastrectomy in Man *

The results of intubation tests on 50 patients before and after gastrectomy have been reviewed. Following gastrectomy, the pancreatic response to food is modified in the following manner. (1) There is an increase in the resting volume of secretion. (2) After a Billroth I operation, the output in one hour after a meal is some two-thirds of the pre-operative output. (3) After a Polya gastrectomy, the pancreas continues to secrete at its resting rate after meals. (4) Dissociation of enzymes occurs in the afferent loop after a Polya operation. Lipase is frequently absent from the intestinal contents, and trypsin occasionally so. (5) Vagal section appears to be an important factor in the production of the new pattern of response.
Characteristics and Prognostic Factors of Bone Metastasis in Patients With Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND: Because bone metastasis from colorectal cancer is rare, there are little available data regarding such cases. OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to identify the prognostic factors and characteristics associated with survival in colorectal cancer patients with bone metastasis. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study from a prospectively collected database. SETTINGS: The study took place in a multidisciplinary, high-volume tertiary cancer center in Japan. PATIENTS: Examined were records from 104 consecutive patients treated between 2004 and 2015 for bone metastasis from colorectal cancer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was overall survival. RESULTS: The spine was the most common site of bone metastasis from colorectal cancer. Right colon cancer correlated significantly with long bone metastasis (p = 0.046), whereas left colon cancer correlated significantly with spinal bone metastasis (p = 0.034). Liver metastasis was also significantly correlated with spinal bone metastasis (p = 0.036). The median interval between the primary therapy for colorectal cancer and the metachronous diagnosis of bone metastasis was 20.0 months (quartile 1 to quartile 3, 9.0–46.5 mo). The median survival time from diagnosis of bone metastasis from colorectal cancer was 5.0 months (95% CI, 4.0–9.0 mo), and the 1-year survival rate was 30.0% (95% CI, 21.1%–39.4%). Multivariate analysis revealed that ≥2 extra-bone metastatic organs, hypercalcemia, and pathologic fractures were independent poor prognostic factors (p < 0.001, 0.001, and 0.033). The number of extra-bone metastatic organs correlated with prognosis. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its retrospective, nonrandomized design, as well as selection bias and performance at a single institute. CONCLUSIONS: The location of colorectal cancer correlates significantly with the site of bone metastasis; the prognosis of patients with bone metastasis from colorectal cancer is very poor, and the significant prognostic factors are number of extra-bone metastatic organs, hypercalcemia, and pathologic fractures. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww. com/DCR/A589.
Spatial Impacts of Local Housing Programs An Empirical Application of a Housing Turnover Model

Abstract Given the increasing importance of local governments in determining local housing policy, there is a need for meaningful and yet practical tools to guide policy actions and to assess program impacts. The purpose of this paper is to empirically demonstrate the potential value of a spatial Markov chain turnover model of vacancy transfers in a policy setting. To the extent that voluntary household moves reflect rational decisions that yield increased household welfare, the model may be used as a crude policy guide to determine where program intervention should take place to effectively maximize benefits of policy actions, and to identify probable spillover impacts upon dwelling turnover in alternative local submarkets. While further research development and empirical tests of the model are warranted, the practical policy potential of the approach appears promising.
Measuring operational risk in financial institutions

The scarcity of internal loss databases tends to hinder the use of the advanced approaches for operational risk measurement (Advanced Measurement Approaches (AMA)) in financial institutions. As there is a greater variety in credit risk modelling, this article explores the applicability of a modified version of CreditRisk+ to operational loss data. Our adapted model, OpRisk+, works out very satisfying Values-at-Risk (VaR) at 95% level as compared with estimates drawn from sophisticated AMA models. OpRisk+ proves to be especially worthy in the case of small samples, where more complex methods cannot be applied. OpRisk+ could therefore be used to fit the body of the distribution of operational losses up to the 95%-percentile, while Extreme Value Theory (EVT), external databases or scenario analysis should be used beyond this quantile.
Metabolic markers of protein maldigestion after a 15N test meal in minipigs with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.

The effect of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) on protein malabsorption is little documented, partly due to methodological barriers. We aimed to validate biomarkers of protein malabsorption using a 15N test meal in a minipig model of PEI. Six pancreatic duct-ligated minipigs were used as a model of PEI and four nonoperated animals as a control. All animals were equipped with an ileocecal reentrant cannula. Minipigs were given a test meal containing [15N]casein. The PEI animals repeated the test three times, in the absence of any pancreatic enzymes, or after pancreatic substitution at two levels [ A or B: 7,500 or 75,000 (lipase) and 388 or 3881 (protease) FIP U]. Ileal chyme, urine, and blood were collected postprandially. Nitrogen and 15N were measured in digestive and metabolic pools. We obtained a gradient of ileal protein digestibility from 29 ± 11% in PEI to 89 ± 6% in the controls and a dose- dependent response of enzymes. Insulin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide secretions were decreased by PEI, an effect that was counteracted with the enzymes at level B. The total recovery of 15N in urinary urea and plasma proteins was 14 ± 5.1% in the control group and decreased to 5.5 ± 2.1% by PEI. It was dose dependently restored by the treatment. Both 15N recovery in plasma and urine were correlated to protein digestibility. We confirm that the 15N transfer in those pools is a sensitive marker of protein malabsorption. Nevertheless, an optimization of the test meal conditions would be necessary in the view of implementing a clinical test. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We designed an intervention study to create a gradient of ileal protein digestibility in minipigs with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and to validate reliable metabolic markers using a 15N oral meal test. 15N recovery in plasma proteins and to a higher extent in urine was sensitive to protein malabsorption. This test is minimally invasive and could be used to reveal protein malabsorption in patients.