Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monetary Policy Rules From

Citations "A monetary policy rule is an explicit guideline for a monetary policy maker to adjust monetary instruments to reach operational objectives, like for instance a stable inflation rate. Rules prevent policy makers from ad hoc decision making. " "One could see a monetary policy rule as a simplification of a set of policy reaction functions. Policy reaction functions, based on forward-looking models, can be quite complicated (see Woodford, 2003) and difficult to communicate. Simple rules, like the Taylor-rule are easier to understand and often explain about 80 per cent of the variance observed in the policy instrument. " "So monetary policy is increasingly affected by risk and uncertainty. Greenspan describes current US monetary policy by a 'risk management' approach. " "A rule is used as a guideline, not as a cookbook. " 3 Preface During the gold standard monetary policy could be characterized by a strict rule: keeping gold parity at all times. After the Second World War Keynesian-type policy makers were tempted to discretion. The final result of the discretionary policy was high inflation during the 1970s and 1980s. These high inflation rates led to deep recessions in 1974 and 1980-1982. The latter recessions made central bankers and economic theorists think again about the usefulness of monetary policy rules. The result is that central banks in developed economies nowadays carry out a more rule-based monetary policy. Since then we can observe consistently lower inflation rates and shorter recessions around the globe. So apparently monetary rules seem to work. Knowing that rules do work, the problem seems to be what kind of rule should be implemented. In this booklet we review the modern literature of monetary policy rules. We review the most popular rules, such as the Taylor rule and inflation targeting, in detail. Before doing so, we give an historical review of the use and the desirability of rules, and some ideas about using monetary aggregates or interest rates as the main instruments. One could also be interested in the best possible, or optimal, monetary policy rule. The literature on optimal monetary policy is rather recent and we will review only a well-known case: optimal policy in the long run. In the short run it is generally hard to derive optimal rules that are workable. In the short run policy makers want simple rules that work satisfactorily. Therefore we do not present an overview of optimal monetary policy rules in the short …
Expression and Role of the Intermediate-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel KCa3.1 in Glioblastoma

Glioblastomas are characterized by altered expression of several ion channels that have important consequences in cell functions associated with their aggressiveness, such as cell survival, proliferation, and migration. Data on the altered expression and function of the intermediate-conductance calcium-activated K (KCa3.1) channels in glioblastoma cells have only recently become available. This paper aims to (i) illustrate the main structural, biophysical, pharmacological, and modulatory properties of the KCa3.1 channel, (ii) provide a detailed account of data on the expression of this channel in glioblastoma cells, as compared to normal brain tissue, and (iii) critically discuss its major functional roles. Available data suggest that KCa3.1 channels (i) are highly expressed in glioblastoma cells but only scantly in the normal brain parenchima, (ii) play an important role in the control of glioblastoma cell migration. Altogether, these data suggest KCa3.1 channels as potential candidates for a targeted therapy against this tumor.
Effects of the Mediterranean Diet before and after Weight Loss on Eating Behavioral Traits in Men with Metabolic Syndrome

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) consumed before and after weight loss on eating behavioral traits as measured by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) in men with metabolic syndrome (MetS). In this fixed sequence study, 19 men with MetS (National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria), aged between 24 and 62 years, first consumed a five-week standardized North American control diet followed by a five-week MedDiet, both under weight-maintaining controlled-feeding conditions. This was followed by a 20-week caloric restriction weight loss period in free-living conditions, without specific recommendations towards adhering to the principles of the MedDiet. Participants were finally subjected to a final five-week MedDiet phase under isoenergetic controlled-feeding conditions. The MedDiet before weight loss had no impact on eating behavioral traits. Body weight reduction by caloric restriction (−10.2% of initial weight) was associated with increased cognitive restraint (p < 0.0001) and with reduced disinhibition (p = 0.02) and susceptibility to hunger (p = 0.01). Feeding the MedDiet for five weeks under isoenergetic conditions after the weight loss phase had no further impact on eating behavioral traits. Results of this controlled-feeding study suggest that consumption of the MedDiet per se has no effect on eating behavioral traits as measured by TFEQ, unless it is combined with significant weight loss.
Effects of collaborative leadership on organizational performance

Many businesses fail to secure a sustainable competitive advantage in a fast-changing global world, and now leaders are challenged by a constant urge to keep high business performance. This failure may sometimes be the consequence of lower level and quality of knowledge spread in the entire enterprise, and mostly at managerial levels that can reduce business success. Based on earlier studies in a relevant field, it has been shown that leadership style has a positive influence on the success of an organization. Currently, no previous researches have studied the effect of collaborative leadership on performance. This article will seek to fulfill this gap by theoretically and empirically investigating this link, presenting a detailed literature review, and robust statistical investigation based on a structured questionnaire finished by 262 managers to get findings. This study affirmed that there is a positive relationship between collaborative leadership and performance, and leaders are forced to adopt a collaborative leadership style to enhance organizational performance.
The role of synchrotron self-absorption in the late radio emission from SN 1993J

The standard model for radio supernovae considers that the observed synchrotron radio emission arises from the high-energy shell that results from the strong interaction between the expanding supernova ejecta and the circumstellar medium. This emission is considered to be only partially absorbed by ionized thermal electrons in the circumstellar wind of the progenitor star. Based on a study of the radio light curves of the type II supernova SN1993J, we present evidence of synchrotron self-absorption. Our modeling of the radio light curves requires a large initial magnetic eld, of about 30 Gauss, and the existence of an (initially) highly-relativistic population of electrons. We also show that while at early epochs the dominant absorption mechanism is external absorption by thermal electrons, at late epochs and long wavelengths the dominant absorption mechanism is synchrotron self-absorption. Consequently, the spectral turnover takes place at much shorter wavelengths than expected in the standard model, and at long wavelengths (90 cm at current epochs) the flux predictions depart substantially from those of the standard model.
Financial Packaging of IPO Firms in China

This paper examines the earnings patterns of initial public offering (IPO) firms in China to shed light on the role of earnings management in the "financial packaging" of Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) for public listing. We base our analysis on the case of B-Shares and H-Shares in China, two types of securities that now allow foreign investors to buy shares in SOEs previously wholly owned by the state. These IPOs mark the beginning of the stock market in China and signify an important step of Chinese economic reform. We examine the pre- and post-IPO earnings patterns for the entire sample, and separately for firms in protected vs. unprotected industries and for B-Shares vs. H-Shares. We find a statistically significant post-issue earnings decline for unprotected industry firms. This earnings decline is most significant for unprotected B-Share firms, and marginally significant for protected B-Share and unprotected H-Share firms, but not significant for protected H-Share firms. In addition, we find some evidence that the accounting accruals of sample firms in unprotected industries decline whereas their cash flows from operations increase after the IPO. Taken together, earnings management in the process of financial packaging seems to depend on the firm's relationship with the central government and on where the securities are listed. The evidence also suggests that the SOEs in unprotected industries may manage accounting accruals to boost earnings and/or list those business units with temporarily high profits resulting from high accounting accruals during the process of financial packaging.
Analysis of Human Impedance and Channel Propagation Characteristics in Body Area Network

Based on description of human body bio-impedance transmission property of communication channel on-body is discussed. In frequency range of (3-5)GHz human body has a good response to signal transportation. Considering bit error rate(BER) of channel on-body binary phase switch keying(BPSK) has better performance than other modulation for wireless body area network(WBAN).
OCH Ameliorates Bone Marrow Failure in Mice via Downregulation of T-Bet Expression

The aim of this study is to evaluate the immune mechanism of OCH in the treatment of AA (also named bone marrow failure, BMF) induced in mice. OCH at a dose of 400 μg/kg was injected intraperitoneally (I.P.) prior to the induction of BMF. Our study showed that the incidence of BMF was 100% in BMF group and 13% in OCH treatment group. Significant higher level of IL-4 and lower level of IFN-γ were observed in OCH group than that in BMF group (P < 0.05) as well as untreated group over BMF (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between OCH and untreated group. Compared with untreated, the expression level of T-bet in OCH and BMF was all significantly higher. However, T-bet expression level was lower in OCH than in BMF. In addition, OCH treatment increased NKT cell fractions of bone marrow and the colonies of CFU-GM. In conclusion, treatment of OCH prior to the induction of BMF could prevent the incidence of BMF possibly through downregulating T-bet expression leading to the transition of immune response from Th1 to Th2, suggesting OCH might be a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of BMF or AA.
Gray matter changes in patients with deficit schizophrenia and non-deficit schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVES Reduced gray matter volume is a frequently reported finding in brain imaging studies performed with schizophrenia patients. Some studies suggest a probable link between the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and gray matter loss; however, some of the negative symptoms observed in schizophrenia patients are not primarily linked to the core of schizophrenia. This study aimed to compare gray matter volumes in patients with primary negative symptoms (deficit schizophrenia [DS]), non-DS (NDS) patients, and healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study included 11 DS patients, 18 non-DS patients, and 17 healthy controls. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed using a 1.5 Tesla MR unit. The Schedule for Deficit Syndrome (SDS) was used to determine which patients were DS and non-DS. MR images were compared using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis. RESULTS Contrary to expectations, no evidence to support less gray matter in DS patients than in NDS patients was observed. Furthermore, NDS patients had less gray matter volume in several brain regions (frontal and temporal cortices) than did the DS patients. All patients had perisylvian gray matter volume deficits, though the NDS patients had more widespread volume deficiencies. CONCLUSION No evidence to support the hypothesis that DS patients have less gray matter volume than those of NDS patients was observed. On the contrary, DS patients had more gray matter volume in some regions; the differences observed in gray matter volume in these brain regions between the 2 patient groups may be responsible for the differences in their clinical manifestations.
Image Auto-Annotation using a Statistical Model with Salient Regions

Traditionally, statistical models for image auto-annotation have been coupled with image segmentation. Considering the performance of the current segmentation algorithms, it can be meaningful to avoid a segmentation stage. In this paper, we propose a new approach to image auto-annotation by building on previously developed statistical models. In this approach, segmentation is avoided through the use of salient regions. The use of the statistical model results in an annotation performance which improves upon our previously proposed saliency-based word propagation technique. We also show that the use of salient regions achieves better results than the use of general image regions or segments
School Structure and the Identity of Teacher Leaders: Perspectives of Principals and Teachers

This qualitative study examines the concept of teacher leadership from the perspective of those who practice it. Viewed through the lens of identity theory analysis yielded five categories that define and describe a teacher leader—namely as a decision maker, an educational role model, a positional designee, a supra-practitioner, and a visionary. Findings reveal that the social structure where leadership is practiced shapes the definition of teacher leadership. Role identification within the social structure can assist principals in developing a healthy work climate that promotes distributed leadership.
Biochemical analysis of the substrate specificity and sequence preference of endonuclease IV from bacteriophage T4, a dC-specific endonuclease implicated in restriction of dC-substituted T4 DNA synthesis

Endonuclease IV encoded by denB of bacteriophage T4 is implicated in restriction of deoxycytidine (dC)-containing DNA in the host Escherichia coli. The enzyme was synthesized with the use of a wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis system, given a lethal effect of its expression in E.coli cells, and was purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme showed high activity with single-stranded (ss) DNA and denatured dC-substituted T4 genomic double-stranded (ds) DNA but exhibited no activity with dsDNA, ssRNA or denatured T4 genomic dsDNA containing glucosylated deoxyhydroxymethylcytidine. Characterization of Endo IV activity revealed that the enzyme catalyzed specific endonucleolytic cleavage of the 5′ phosphodiester bond of dC in ssDNA with an efficiency markedly dependent on the surrounding nucleotide sequence. The enzyme preferentially targeted 5′-dTdCdA-3′ but tolerated various combinations of individual nucleotides flanking this trinucleotide sequence. These results suggest that Endo IV preferentially recognizes short nucleotide sequences containing 5′-dTdCdA-3′, which likely accounts for the limited digestion of ssDNA by the enzyme and may be responsible in part for the indispensability of a deficiency in denB for stable synthesis of dC-substituted T4 genomic DNA.
Using Architectural Decisions

There are increasing demands for the explicit representation and subsequent sharing and usage of architectural decisions in the software architecting process. However, there is little known on how to use these architectural decisions, or what type of stakeholders need to use them. This paper presents a use case model that arose from industrial needs, and is meant to explore how these needs can be satisfied through the effective usage of architectural decisions by the relevant stakeholders. The use cases are currently being validated in practice through industrial case studies. As a result of this validation, we argue that the usage of architectural decisions by the corresponding stakeholders can enhance the quality of software architecture.
Numerical breast models for commercial FDTD simulators

This paper presents the development of numerical human breast models suitable for commercial finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulators. The geometry of the breast models is derived from images obtained from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. To avoid assigning tissue properties to every voxel, we apply regression tree analysis to partition the breast tissue region into rectangular cuboid regions (cells) that exhibit similar voxel intensity (and hence have similar tissue structure). The local spatial averaging performed by the analysis addresses the MRI-inherent noise. Further, we use the dielectric and Debye material models to simulate the dispersiveness of the breast tissue. We confirm that the Debye material model captures more accurately the higher attenuation in the high-frequency region than the dielectric material model. Experiments indicate that assuming a fixed relaxation time-constant in the Debye material model does not significantly affect the computed fields.
Chlorogenic acid enhances the effects of 5-fluorouracil in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases

There is an urgent need to search for novel chemosensitizers in the field of cancer therapy. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a type of polyphenol present in the diet, has many biological activities. The present study is designed to explore the influence of CGA on the effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2 and Hep3B). Treatment with 5-FU induced the inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells’ proliferation, and the combined treatment with CGA enhanced this inhibition. 5-FU also increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The combination of 5-FU and CGA led to a more prominent production of ROS and significantly inactivated ERK1/2, although CGA and 5-FU exerted no significant changes when used alone. A previous report has shown that ROS are upstream mediators that inactivate ERK in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Combined with our results, this indicates that the combination of 5-FU and CGA leads to the inactivation of ERK through the overproduction of ROS. This mediates the enhancement of 5-FU-induced inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells’ proliferation, that is, CGA sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma cells to 5-FU treatment by the suppression of ERK activation through the overproduction of ROS. CGA has shown potential as a chemosensitizer of 5-FU chemotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.
21-cm H I emission from the Damped Lyman- α absorber SBS 1543+593

We detect 21-cm emission from the Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxy SBS 1543+593, which gives rise to a Damped-Ly α (DLy α ) absorption line in the spectrum of the background QSO HS 1543+5921 ( z e = 0 . 807). We obtain an accurate measure of the velocity of the H I gas in the LSB galaxy, v = 2868 km s − 1 , and derive a mass of M HI = 1 . 3 × 10 9 M ⊙ . We compare M HI with limits obtained towards two other z ∼ 0 . 1 DLy α systems, and show that SBS 1543+593 would not have been detected. Hence LSB galaxies similar to SBS 1543+593 can be responsible for DLy α systems at even modest redshifts without being detectable from their 21-cm emission.
Uniformly Bounded Superposition Operators in the Space of Functions of Bounded n-Dimensional Φ-Variation

We prove that if a superposition operator maps a subset of the space of all functions of n-dimensional bounded Φ-variation in the sense of Riesz, into another such space, and is uniformly bounded, then the non-linear generator h(x, y) of this operator must be of the form h(x, y) = A(x)y + B(x) where, for every x, A(x) is a linear map.
The Validation of CMM Task Specific Measurement Uncertainty Software | NIST

1. Introduction Historically metrologists have attempted to purchase accurate coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) by specifying small values of standardized performance test results such as those defined by the ASME B89.4. 1 or ISO 10360 standards. These standardized tests typically involve very simple measurands, such as point-to-point length, measured on highly idealized and geometrically simple artifacts such as gauge blocks, step gauges, and ball bars. While such tests are useful from a commercial transaction viewpoint, i.e., all manufacturers specify their CMM performance to the same tests, which allows easy comparisons between brands, the test results are usually only vaguely indicative of accuracy for the complex tasks that the metrologist performs on CMMs. Consequently, the evaluation of task specific CMM measurement uncertainty was either an outright guess, or a time intensive investigation involving measurements of calibrated artifacts geometrically similar to, and measured in a manner specific to, the task under consideration.
On duality of inverse Jacobian and transpose Jacobian in task-space regulation of robots

In this paper, we show that a duality property exists in task-space regulation of robots in the sense that the transformation from task space to joint space can be either defined as transpose Jacobian or inverse Jacobian. The two basic transformations, namely transpose Jacobian and inverse Jacobian, are said to be dual and any task-space setpoint controller can be obtained from the other by replacing the transpose Jacobian by the inverse Jacobian, and vice versa. Our result also provides a unified analysis for the transpose Jacobian setpoint control and inverse Jacobian setpoint control problems. Experiment results are also presented to verify the theory
Some sodium, potassium and water changes in the elderly and their treatment.

Creatinine clearance decreases with age by 1 ml/min/year after 40 years of age, although serum creatinine remains constant because of reduction of muscle mass. Reduction of water intake may occur in the elderly because of a reduced sensation of thirst; this is associated with a tendency to lose water with urine. The capacity to respond to sodium load is impaired in aged kidneys, thereby leading to ECV expansion and hypertension. But there is also, in the elderly, a reduced capacity for retaining sodium (FENa is higher than in young subjects), making old subjects sensitive to salt depletion and ECV contraction. Hypernatraemia (Nas > 150 mmol/l) is not infrequent in the elderly (1%) and is usually due to water deficiency (old subjects should be forced to drink), and rarely to iatrogenic excess of sodium. It is the abrupt occurrence of severe hypernatraemia that causes neurological symptoms due to dehydration and brain shrinking, which may lead to cerebral haemorrhage and death. Hyponatraemia (Nas < 130 mmol/l) is frequent among the elderly (7-11%) and is mainly due to water overload, which is usually iatrogenic. Hypovolaemic hyponatraemia occurs when salt depletion causes ECV contraction > 10%, and is due to water retention in an attempt to normalize ECV. Hypervolaemic hyponatraemia is due to ADH hypersecretion because of a decrease in 'effective' circulating blood volume. 'Pseudohyponatraemia' may occur because of hyperlipidaemia or hyperproteinaemia. It is the abrupt occurrence of severe hyponatraemia that causes neurological symptoms (water intoxication), secondary to the oedomatous swelling of the brain within the skull. While rapidly occurring hyponatraemia may be lethal, slowly occurring hyponatraemia is usually asymptomatic. Rapid correction of hyponatraemia may cause cerebral dehydration and 'osmotic demyelination syndrome' ('central pontine myelinosis'). Decrease (e.g. by diuretics) or increase (e.g. by ACE-inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers) or serum potassium may occur in the elderly. Diuretics should be used with caution in elderly subjects to avoid salt depletion, hypotension and renal function impairment.