Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does faster loan growth lead to higher loan losses

During the last couple of years, concern has increased that the exceptionally rapid growth in business loans at commercial banks has been due in large part to excessively easy credit standards. Some analysts argue that competition for loan customers has greatly increased, causing banks to reduce loan rates and ease credit standards to obtain new business. Others argue that as the economic expansion has continued and memories of past loan losses have faded, banks have become more willing to take risks. Whichever explanation is correct, the acceleration in loan growth could lead eventually to a surge in loan losses, reducing bank profits and sparking a new round of bank failures. As the experience of the early 1990s made clear, such a slump in banking could not only threaten the deposit insurance fund but also slow the economy by discouraging banks from granting new loans. > The view that faster loan growth leads to higher loan losses should not be dismissed lightly; nor should it be accepted without question. If loan growth increases because banks become more willing to lend, credit standards should fall and loan losses should eventually rise. But loan growth can increase for reasons other than a shift in supply, for example, businesses may decide to shift their financing from the capital markets to banks, or an increase in productivity may boost the returns to investment. In such cases, faster loan growth need not lead to higher loan losses. > Keeton explains why supply shifts are necessary for faster loan growth to lead to higher loan losses and determines if supply shifts have caused loan growth and loan losses to be positively related in the past. On balance, he finds limited support for the view that supply shifts have caused loan growth and loan losses to be positively related. Data on business loans and delinquencies show that states experiencing unusually rapid loan growth tended to experience unusually big increases in delinquency rates several years later. His finding is tempered, however, by evidence on business loan growth and business credit standards suggesting that changes in loan growth are not always due to shifts in supply.
Genes, environment and schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND Data from family, twin and adoption studies show overwhelming evidence of a substantial genetic component in schizophrenia and although molecular genetic studies have been more difficult to replicate, recent improvements in technology have resulted in the implication of genes at several chromosomal loci. Nevertheless, it remains clear that environmental factors both add to and interact with genetic factors to produce the disorder. AIMS To incorporate genetic and environmental risk factors into a neurodevelopmental model in order to conceptualise the liability to schizophrenia. METHOD A representative selection of the literature related to this issue is reviewed, together with a reformulation of Meehl's term 'schizotaxia' to describe the liability to the disorder. RESULTS The literature supports a multi-factorial view of the liability to schizophrenia, which includes both genetic and environmental components. CONCLUSIONS Schizotaxia provides a useful way to conceptualise both the liability for schizophrenia, and also the development of treatment strategies aimed at the eventual prevention of the illness.
The polymict eucrites

The polymict eucrites are a suite of about 14 polymict achondritic meteorites that contain at least 90% (vol) of eucritic material and are found both in Antarctica and elsewhere. They are part of a continuum of polymict breccias that includes howardites and polymict diogenites. Rare gas data suggest that some are gas-rich regolith breccias. The clasts contained in polymict eucrites sample a variety of lithologies from their parent body and include eucritic clasts, alkali-enriched eucrites, pyroxene-cumulate eucrites, two-pyroxene mafic rocks, possibly feldspar-cumulate eucrites, diogenites, fayalitic lithologies, and a variety of other mineral clasts. The eucritic clasts are probably samples of near surface lithologies on the parent body, but the presence of two-pyroxene mafic rocks is considered to be evidence of magmatic activity at pressures in excess of 1 kbar in the parent body. Partial melt models may explain some of the diversity among the clasts, but cumulus processes are believed to have been important. If pressures greater than 1 kbar are confirmed, then the basaltic achondrite parent body (BAP) must have a diameter in excess of 200 km. The variety of lithologies suggests that not all basaltic achondrites are samples of igneous rocks formed by single-stage melting of a chondritic asteroid but are instead samples of an evolved and diverse crust produced by serial magmatism.
Exact random coding exponents and universal decoders for the degraded broadcast channel

This work contains two main contributions concerning the degraded broadcast channel. The first is an analysis of the exact random coding error exponents for both users, and the second is the derivation of universal decoders for both users. These universal decoders are certain variants of the maximum mutual information (MMI) universal decoder, and which achieve the corresponding random coding exponents. In addition, we introduce some lower bounds, which involve optimization over very few parameters, unlike the original, exact exponents, which involve minimizations over auxiliary probability distributions. Numerical results for the binary symmetric broadcast channel are given as well, which show improvements over previously derived error exponents for the same model.
Ligand Binding to the Amino-terminal Domain of the mGluR4 Subtype of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor*

The metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) 4 subtype of metabotropic glutamate receptor is a presynaptic receptor that modulates neurotransmitter release. We have characterized the properties of a truncated, epitope-tagged construct containing part of the extracellular amino-terminal domain of mGluR4. The truncated receptor was secreted into the cell culture medium of transfected human embryonic kidney cells. The oligomeric structure of the soluble truncated receptor was assessed by gel electrophoresis. In the presence of high concentrations of a reducing agent, the truncated receptor migrated as a monomer; at lower concentrations of the reducing agent, only higher molecular weight oligomers were observed. Competition binding experiments using the radiolabeled agonist [3H]l-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid revealed that the rank order of potency of metabotropic ligands at the truncated receptor was similar to that of the full-length membrane-bound receptor. However, the truncated receptor displayed higher affinities for agonists and lower affinities for antagonists compared with the full-length receptor. Deglycosylation produced a shift in the relative molecular weight of the soluble protein fromM r = 71,000 to M r = 63,000; deglycosylation had no effect on the binding of [3H]l-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid, indicating that the asparagine-linked carbohydrates are not necessary for agonist binding. These results demonstrate that although the primary determinants of ligand binding to mGluR4 are contained within the first 548 amino acids of the receptor, additional amino acids located downstream of this region may influence the affinity of ligands for the binding site.
Doppler sonar observation of tidal flow

The paper presents and interprets results on observations of water velocity and turbulence obtained in a tidal channel by use of a high resolution Doppler sonar. The observations are presented in the form of vertical profiles of Doppler spectra expressed with a velocity resolution of 0.2 cm s−1 and obtained continuously through several days, thereby covering numerous tidal cycles. Vertical profiles of mean longitudinal water flow expressed with a water depth resolution of 3.5 cm are presented and discussed. The vertical profiles of spectral variance are also calculated and interpreted in terms of the presence of turbulence generation, dissipation and transport. The observed velocity variance involves contribution from scales extending from the scattering dimension (3 to 15 cm) to possibly less than 0.5 cm, depending on the concentration of the targets. There is a striking organization and repeatibility of the velocity structures during successive tidal cycles. An attempt to separate the contribution to spectral variance due to a possible covariance between horizontal and vertical velocity components, is presented.
Design of a Humidity Sensor Tag for Passive Wireless Applications

This paper presents a wireless humidity sensor tag for low-cost and low-power applications. The proposed humidity sensor tag, based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, was fabricated in a standard 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The top metal layer was deposited to form the interdigitated electrodes, which were then filled with polyimide as the humidity sensing layer. A two-stage rectifier adopts a dynamic bias-voltage generator to boost the effective gate-source voltage of the switches in differential-drive architecture, resulting in a flat power conversion efficiency curve. The capacitive sensor interface, based on phase-locked loop (PLL) theory, employs a simple architecture and can work with 0.5 V supply voltage. The measurement results show that humidity sensor tag achieves excellent linearity, hysteresis and stability performance. The total power-dissipation of the sensor tag is 2.5 μW, resulting in a maximum operating distance of 23 m under 4 W of radiation power of the RFID reader.
Estimating the benefits of shore erosion protection in Ohio's Lake Erie Housing Market

Lakeshore erosion, characterized as a reduction in distance between property improvements and the lake, will eventually threaten improvements. An option price model suggests that erosion-prone lakeshore property will be discounted and this discount may be measured by hedonic price analysis. We discuss the conditions that permit benefit estimation from the hedonic regression. Analysis of mail survey returns estimates willingness to pay for erosion protection, as measured by the number of years remaining until property improvements are endangered.
Emisión difusa de CO2 y actividad volcánica en el volcán Poás, Costa Rica

Entre 2000 y 2003, se realizaron cuatro estudios de la concentracion y flujo difuso de CO2 en el Poas, con el fin de investigar la distribucion espacial y evaluar la emision total de CO2 a la atmosfera por este sistema. La evolucion temporal de la concentracion y flujo difuso de CO2 muestra un minimo en la emision en el ano 2000 seguida de un incremento de la concentracion y el flujo difuso de CO2 en el 2001 y 2002, y un decrecimiento en 2003. La distribucion espacial de las anomalias de flujo difuso de CO2, y de la composicion quimica e isotopica del gas del suelo muestra una correlacion positiva con las principales caracteristicas volcanico-estructurales del Poas. Los cambios observados parecen estar relacionados con una intrusion magmatica ocurrida en el Poas entre 1998-2004. Este estudio muestra la importancia de la geoquimica importante para la vigilancia volcanica del Poas.
Modeling and Analysis of Composite Antenna Superstrates Consisting on Grids of Loaded Wires

We study the characteristics and radiation mechanism of antenna superstrates based on closely located periodical grids of loaded wires. An explicit analytical method based on the local field approach is used to study the reflection and transmission properties of such superstrates. It is shown that as a result of proper impedance loading there exists a rather wide frequency band over which currents induced to the grids cancel each other, leading to a wide transmission maximum. In this regime radiation is produced by the magnetic dipole moments created by circulating out-of-phase currents flowing in the grids. An impedance matrix representation is derived for the superstrates, and the analytical results are validated using full-wave simulations. As a practical application example we study numerically the radiation characteristics of dipole antennas illuminating finite-size superstrates.
Cyclic climate fluctuations during the last interglacial in central Europe

Differentiating natural climate change from anthropogenic forcing is a major challenge in the prediction of future climates. In this context, the investigation of interglacials provides valuable information on natural climate variability during periods that resemble the present. This paper shows that natural cyclic changes in winter climates affected central European environments during the last interglacial, i.e., the Eemian, 126–110 ka. As a result of the extraordinarily high counting sums performed at Eemian pollen samples, it was possible to reveal a robust presence–absence pattern of the insect-pollinated, and therefore in the pollen rain underrepresented, taxon Hedera . This plant is known to require the influence of oceanic winter climates, i.e., moist and mild, in northwest and central Europe. By analogy with recent findings from the North Atlantic's Holocene interglacial, the trigger of the Eemian climate variability may have been changes in solar activity, possibly amplified by changes in North Atlantic ocean currents and/or in the North Atlantic Oscillation. Our findings suggest natural cyclic changes to be a persistent feature of interglacial climates.
High Levels of Serum Prolactin Protect Against Diabetic Retinopathy by Increasing Ocular Vasoinhibins

OBJECTIVE Increased retinal vasopermeability (RVP) occurs early in diabetes and is crucial for the development of sight-threatening proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR). The hormone prolactin (PRL) is proteolytically processed to vasoinhibins, a family of peptides that inhibit the excessive RVP related to DR. Here, we investigate the circulating levels of PRL in association with DR in men and test whether increased circulating PRL, by serving as a source of ocular vasoinhibins, can reduce the pathological RVP in diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Serum PRL was evaluated in 40 nondiabetic and 181 diabetic men at various stages of DR. Retinal vasoinhibins were measured in rats rendered hyperprolactinemic by placing two anterior pituitary grafts under the kidney capsule and in PRL receptor–null mice. RVP was determined in hyperprolactinemic rats subjected to the intraocular injection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or made diabetic with streptozotocin. RESULTS The circulating levels of PRL increased in diabetes and were higher in diabetic patients without retinopathy than in those with proliferative DR. In rodents, hyperprolactinemia led to vasoinhibin accumulation within the retina; genetic deletion of the PRL receptor prevented this effect, indicating receptor-mediated incorporation of systemic PRL into the eye. Hyperprolactinemia reduced both VEGF-induced and diabetes-induced increase of RVP. This reduction was blocked by bromocriptine, an inhibitor of pituitary PRL secretion, which lowers the levels of circulating PRL and retinal vasoinhibins. CONCLUSIONS Circulating PRL influences the progression of DR after its intraocular conversion to vasoinhibins. Inducing hyperprolactinemia may represent a novel therapy against DR.
Relationships of plasma renin levels with renal function in patients with primary aldosteronism.

BACKGROUND The renal damage that is present in primary aldosteronism might reflect functional and potentially reversible abnormalities that are initiated by glomerular hyperfiltration. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships of plasma renin and aldosterone concentrations with renal outcomes after treatment of primary aldosteronism. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, AND MEASUREMENTS Fifty-six consecutive patients who had primary aldosteronism and were recruited in a university center were studied. Patients were prospectively followed after either surgical or medical treatment for a mean of 6.2 yr, during which they received antihypertensive drugs to reach a target BP of <140/90 mmHg. RESULTS At baseline, patients with primary aldosteronism had higher creatinine clearance and albuminuria than 323 patients with essential hypertension and 113 normotensive individuals. In patients with primary aldosteronism, plasma active renin levels that were higher than the lower limit of detection (2.5 pg/ml) were associated with higher BP, plasma potassium, and albuminuria and lower creatinine clearance. Plasma aldosterone concentrations that were higher than the median value (225 pg/ml) were associated with lower plasma potassium and higher creatinine clearance. Creatinine clearance was correlated directly with plasma aldosterone and inversely with renin. During follow-up, patients with higher baseline plasma renin required use of more antihypertensive drugs to obtain BP control and had a smaller early decline in albuminuria than did patients with suppressed renin. CONCLUSIONS Escape of renin from suppression by excess aldosterone is associated with evidence of more severe renal damage in patients with primary aldosteronism and predicts less favorable outcomes after treatment.
Prevalence of Multinucleotide Replacements in Evolution of Primates and Drosophila

Evolution of sequences mostly involves independent changes at different sites. However, substitutions at neighboring sites may co-occur as multinucleotide replacement events (MNRs). Here, we compare noncoding sequences of several species of primates, and of three species of Drosophila fruit flies, in a phylogenetic analysis of the replacements that occurred between species at nearby nucleotide sites. Both in primates and in Drosophila, the frequency of single-nucleotide replacements is substantially elevated within 10 nucleotides from other replacements that occurred on the same lineage but not on another lineage. The data imply that dinucleotide replacements (DNRs) affecting sites at distances of up to 10 nucleotides from each other are responsible for 2.3% of single-nucleotide replacements in primate genomes and for 5.6% in Drosophila genomes. Among these DNRs, 26% and 69%, respectively, are in fact parts of replacements of three or more trinucleotide replacements (TNRs). The plurality of MNRs affect nearby nucleotides, so that at least six times as many DNRs affect two adjacent nucleotide sites than sites 10 nucleotides apart. Still, approximately 60% of DNRs, and approximately 90% of TNRs, span distances more than two (or three) nucleotides. MNRs make a major contribution to the observed clustering of substitutions: In the human-chimpanzee comparison, DNRs are responsible for 50% of cases when two nearby replacements are observed on the human lineage, and TNRs are responsible for 83% of cases when three replacements at three immediately adjacent sites are observed on the human lineage. The prevalence of MNRs matches that is observed in data on de novo mutations and is also observed in the regions with the lowest sequence conservation, suggesting that MNRs mainly have mutational origin; however, epistatic selection and/or gene conversion may also play a role.
Thermal skin effect and the air-sea flux of carbon dioxide : a seasonal high-resolution estimate

Understanding the role the oceans play in sequestering anthropogenic CO2 is crucial to understanding global climate change. Correct parameterization of air-sea flux of CO2 is an important challenge to modelers. Recently it has been demonstrated that the thin thermal layer at the surface of the ocean can lead to an underestimate of CO2 solubility (Robertson and Watson, 1992). We re-evaluate the effect of the cool thermal skin and present a high-resolution seasonal estimate of its effect on the air-sea flux of CO2. We compare air-sea flux estimates derived using both a mean wind field and a more realistic Rayleigh distribution of the wind field. Using the mean monthly wind stress and a linear relationship between wind speed and the gas exchange coefficient of CO2 (Tans et al., 1990), we estimate that excluding the southern ocean, the surface skin correction increases the air-sea flux of carbon by 0.48 Gt yr-1. This is 25% lower than the correction suggested by Robertson and Watson (1992) and the difference is attributed to the better temporal and spatial resolution of the present data set. When a more realistic representation of the temporally varying winds is used, the corrected carbon flux decreases to 0.36 Gt yr−1. Conservatively, adding a 10% contribution from the southern ocean, we estimate a mean global increase in CO2 flux due to the skin effect of 0.39 Gt C yr−1. This is 40% lower than the previous estimate of Robertson and Watson (1992). Finally, adopting the gas transfer parameterization of Liss and Merlivat (1984), we estimate a CO2 flux anomaly of only 0.17 Gt C yr−1 which is approximately 50% lower than the analogous estimate using the Tans et al. (1990) formulation and a full 75% lower than the estimate of Robertson and Watson (1992). These results suggest that both a proper representation of the wind speed/flux correlation and a realistic distribution of the wind field is essential in making large-scale flux estimates. We also examine the seasonal variation of the thermal skin effect. The largest negative temperature gradients (-0.75°C) are found during the northern hemisphere winter in the regions of the Kuroshio and the Gulf Stream Currents, whereas the central North Pacific has a small positive temperature gradient during the summer months.
Computing Graph Roots Without Short Cycles

Gra ph G is the square of graph H if two vertices x, y have an edge in G if and only if x, y are of distance at most two in H. Given H it is easy to compute its square H 2 , however Motwani and Sudan proved that it is NP-complete to determine if a given graph G is the square of some graph H (of girth 3). In this paper we consider the characterization and recognition problems of graphs that are squares of graphs of small girth, i.e. to determine if G = H 2 for some graph H of small girth. The main results are These results almost provide a dichotomy theorem for the complexity of the recognition problem in terms of girth of the square roots. The algorithmic and graph theoretical results generalize previous results on tree square roots, and provide polynomial time algorithms to compute a graph square root of small girth if it exists. Some open questions and conjectures will also be discussed.
Effect of canopy thickness and canopy saturation on the amount and kinetic energy of throughfall: An experimental approach

To investigate how canopy thickness and canopy saturation affect the amount and kinetic energy of throughfall, we conducted indoor experiments using a 9.8‐m‐tall transplanted Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) and a large‐scale rainfall simulator with spray nozzles at a height of 16 m. The amount of throughfall and raindrop sizes and velocities were measured at twenty‐four points under four canopy structures generated by staged branch pruning. Decreasing the canopy thickness resulted in increases of the initial throughfall amount, volume proportion of large throughfall drops, the number of drops with high velocities, and throughfall kinetic energy. Compared to a saturated canopy, a canopy undergoing wetting had lower throughfall amounts and volume proportion of large drops, but higher mean drop velocity. Canopy thickness affected throughfall generation by affecting the processes of canopy saturation and drop generation within the canopy.