Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Low-Frequency Relationship between Public Deficits and Inflation

We estimate the low-frequency relationship between fiscal deficits and inflation and pay special attention to its potential time variation by estimating a time-varying VAR model for U.S. data from 1900 to 2011. We find the strongest relationship neither in times of crisis nor in times of high public deficits, but from the mid-1960s up to 1980. Our results suggest that the low-frequency relationship between fiscal deficits and inflation is strongly related to the conduct of monetary policy and its interaction with fiscal policy after World War II.
Subtle Cardiovascular Dysfunction in the Unilateral 6-Hydroxydopamine-Lesioned Rat

The present study evaluated whether the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of Parkinson's disease produces autonomic deficits. Autonomic parameters were assessed by implanting a small radiofrequency telemetry device which measured heart rate variability (HRV), diurnal rhythms of heart rate (HR), core body temperature (cBT) and locomotor activity (LA). Rats then received 6-OHDA lesion or sham surgery. 6-OHDA lesioned rats exhibited head and body axis biases, defective sensorimotor function (“disengage” test), and prominent apomorphine rotation (all P < .05 versus controls). Diurnal rhythm of HR was lower for 6-OHDA lesioned rats (n = 8) versus controls (n = 6; P < .05). Whilst HR decreased similarly in both groups during the day, there was a greater decrease in HR for the 6-OHDA lesioned rats at night (by 38 b.p.m. relative to 17 b.p.m. for controls). LA and cBT did not differ between surgery groups. This study indicates the unilateral 6-OHDA model of PD shows subtle signs of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction.
Skewness in Stock Returns: Reconciling the Evidence on Firm versus Aggregate Returns

Aggregate stock market returns display negative skewness. Firm-level stock returns display positive skewness. The large literature that tries to explain the first stylized fact ignores the second. This paper provides a unified theory that reconciles the two facts. I build a stationary asset pricing model of firm announcement events where firm returns display positive skewness. I then show that cross-sectional heterogeneity in firm announcement events can lead to negative skewness in aggregate returns. I provide evidence consistent with the model predictions.
Discovery of path-important nodes using structured semi-nonnegative matrix factorization

Identifying critical components in networked systems is a key problem for many important applications in a diverse set of fields, including epidemiology, e-commerce and traffic systems. This paper describes the development and application of a semi-nonnegative matrix factorization for structural discovery featuring nodes that are important for transmission over social networks. The technique allows the practitioner to perform structured matrix factorization by specifying context-specific network statistics that guide the solution. The techniques are demonstrated on a network derived from Twitter data.
Absence of trauma-induced leukocyte rolling in mice deficient in both P- selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule 1

Leukocyte recruitment during inflammation is achieved through a multistep paradigm that includes margination, selectin-mediated rolling, beta 2 integrin-mediated firm adhesion, emigration, and migration into the site of inflammation. We have used the mouse cremaster muscle as a model of trauma- and cytokine-induced inflammation to study the possible role of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) 1 in leukocyte rolling using gene-targeted mice deficient in ICAM-1, P-selectin, and a combination of P-selectin and ICAM-1. Rolling flux and average leukocyte rolling velocity in ICAM-1- deficient mice was not different from wild-type mice, but P- selectin/ICAM-1-deficient mice showed a total absence of rolling for at least 2 h after surgical trauma. Rolling in both wild-type and ICAM-1- deficient mice 60-120 min after trauma was significantly inhibited by a P-selectin monoclonal antibody (mAb) (RB40.34). In contrast, an mAb (KAT-1) blocking ICAM-1 binding to leukocyte function-associated antigen 1 did not block residual rolling in P-selectin-deficient mice. TNF-alpha induced leukocyte rolling in P-selectin/ICAM-1-deficient mice, but the rolling flux fraction was significantly lower than in TNF- alpha-treated ICAM-1-deficient mice. Leukocyte rolling in P- selectin/ICAM-1-deficient mice treated with TNF-alpha for 3 h was completely blocked by an E-selectin mAb (9A9E3), and partially by an L- selectin mAb (MEL-14). This clearly demonstrates E-selectin-dependent rolling in vivo. Leukocyte rolling velocities were significantly reduced after TNF-alpha treatment and were similar in wild-type and gene-targeted strains. We conclude that the residual trauma-induced leukocyte rolling seen in P-selectin-deficient mice is completely abolished by concomitant ICAM-1 deficiency. This severe defect in leukocyte rolling may explain the absence of leukocyte recruitment into the inflamed peritoneal cavity of P-selectin/ICAM-1-deficient mice at early time points (< or = 4 h).
HyperUAS—Imaging Spectroscopy from a Multirotor Unmanned Aircraft System

One of the key advantages of a low‐flying unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is its ability to acquire digital images at an ultrahigh spatial resolution of a few centimeters. Remote sensing of quantitative biochemical and biophysical characteristics of small‐sized spatially fragmented vegetation canopies requires, however, not only high spatial, but also high spectral (i.e., hyperspectral) resolution. In this paper, we describe the design, development, airborne operations, calibration, processing, and interpretation of image data collected with a new hyperspectral unmanned aircraft system (HyperUAS). HyperUAS is a remotely controlled multirotor prototype carrying onboard a lightweight pushbroom spectroradiometer coupled with a dual frequency GPS and an inertial movement unit. The prototype was built to remotely acquire imaging spectroscopy data of 324 spectral bands (162 bands in a spectrally binned mode) with bandwidths between 4 and 5 nm at an ultrahigh spatial resolution of 2–5 cm. Three field airborne experiments, conducted over agricultural crops and over natural ecosystems of Antarctic mosses, proved operability of the system in standard field conditions, but also in a remote and harsh, low‐temperature environment of East Antarctica. Experimental results demonstrate that HyperUAS is capable of delivering georeferenced maps of quantitative biochemical and biophysical variables of vegetation and of actual vegetation health state at an unprecedented spatial resolution of 5 cm.
Enhancing Defect Tracking Systems to Facilitate Software Quality Improvement

For projects that rely on empirical process control and deliver frequently working versions of software, developers and project managers regularly need to examine the status of their software quality. This study illustrates that simple goal-oriented changes or extensions to the existing data of projects' respective defect tracking systems could provide valuable and prompt information to improve their software quality assessment and assurance.
Transnational connections of first generation immigrants from Kenya in the United States

OF THE DISSERTATION . ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv DEDICATION. v TABLE OF CONTENTS . vi LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHS . x CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Recent immigrants to United States . 1 1.2 Overview of African immigration to the United States . 5 1.3 Immigrants‘ ties with the home country . 10 1.4 Study objectives . 13 1.5 Study area. 14 1.6 Why study Kenyan immigrants? 16 1.7 Organization of the dissertation . 19 CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF LITERATURE . 21 2.1 Immigration and Assimilation model . 21 2.2 Criticisms of the assimilation model. 25 2.3 Immigration within a globalizing world . 28 2.4 Immigrants‘ Connections to Home Country and Sojourner Narratives. 31 2.5 African Immigration to the United States . 35 2.6 African Immigrants‘ Experiences in Relation to Other Groups in the U.S. . 39 2.7 Hypothesis. 41 CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY . 43 3.1 Study Objectives and Questions . 43 3.2 Sampling procedures . 44 3.3 Sample description . 46 3.3.1 Gender and Age . 46 3.3.2 Marital status . 48 3.3.3 Length of stay in United States . 49 3.3.4 Ethnicity . 50 3.3.5 Education and income . 50 3.4 Definition of concepts . 52 3.5 Data collection methods . 54 3.6 Data Analysis . 58 vii 3.7 Study approach. 60 3.8 Study area. 61 CHAPTER FOUR PATERSON . 63 4.1 Historical background of Paterson . 63 4.2 Settlement patterns in present-day Paterson . 67 4.2.1 The Eastside and Hillcrest neighborhood . 68 4.2.2 Fourth Ward district . 70 4.2.3 Downtown Paterson . 72 4.2.4 Sandy Hill and the environs . 73 4.2.5 South side Paterson and Middle Easterners neighborhood . 75 4.2.6 Paterson Farmers‘ Market and environs . 76 4.2.7 21 st Avenue and Peoples Park . 78 4.2. 8 Westside Paterson . 79 4.3 Immigration history and profile of recent immigrations . 81 4.3.1 Early immigrants . 81 4.3.2 Profile of recent immigrants to Paterson . 84 4.4 Race and ethnic relations in Paterson . 87 CHAPTER FIVE REASONS FOR MIGRATION AND INITIAL IMMIGRATION EXPERIENCES. 93 5.1 Overview of reasons to move . 93 5.1.1 Immigrants‘ perceptions and expectations. 96 5.2 Push factors in Kenya . 98 5.2.1 Economic challenges in Kenya . 98 5.2.2 Limited of educational opportunities in Kenya . 101 5.2.3 Contacts with Kenyan students already in U.S. institutions . 106 5.2.4 Changes in political situation in Kenya . 107 5.2.5 Attitude towards risk and trust in divine intervention . 109 5.3 Pull factors in United States . 112 5.3.1 Availability of existing social contacts in the United States . 112 5.3.2 Reunion with family . 115 5.3.3 Flexibility of education system . 118 5.3.4 Attractiveness of an English-speaking country to Kenyan immigrants . 120 5.3.5 Immigration policies . 125 5.4 Immigrants initial settlement experiences . 129 5.4.1 Initial city of residence. 129 5.4.2 Initial immigration experiences . 133 5.4.3 Initial social support . 139 5.4.4 Factors that determine successful settlement in United States . 143
Alcohol hangover effects on measures of affect the morning after a normal night's drinking.

AIM To investigate the effects of students' usual levels of alcohol consumption on aspects of mood and anxiety the following morning. METHODS Students were recruited who consumed their usual quantity of any type of alcoholic beverage in their chosen company and then completed assessments of the effects the following day. The timing of drinking was restricted to the period between 22:00 and 02:00 h the night before testing as these are the most popular hours for consuming alcohol in the population under investigation. The testing included an assessment of mood and anxiety; testing was also performed after an evening of abstinence (no hangover condition), following a counterbalanced repeated measure design, with time of testing and order of testing as 'between participant' factors. Forty-eight student social drinkers (33 women, 15 men) aged between 18 and 43 years were tested, with a 1 week interval between test sessions. RESULTS Males reported consuming on average 14.7 units and females 10.5 units the night before testing. On the morning after alcohol consumption, ratings of alertness and tranquility were lower than the ratings the morning following an evening of abstinence at both 11:00 and 13:00 h and the post intoxication physical symptoms, emotional symptoms and symptoms of fatigue persisted throughout the morning. CONCLUSION Heavy alcohol consumption lowers mood, disrupts sleep, increases anxiety and produces physical symptoms, emotional symptoms and symptoms of fatigue throughout the next morning.
A Collection of Target Mimics for Comprehensive Analysis of MicroRNA Function in Arabidopsis thaliana

Many targets of plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are thought to play important roles in plant physiology and development. However, because plant miRNAs are typically encoded by medium-size gene families, it has often been difficult to assess their precise function. We report the generation of a large-scale collection of knockdowns for Arabidopsis thaliana miRNA families; this has been achieved using artificial miRNA target mimics, a recently developed technique fashioned on an endogenous mechanism of miRNA regulation. Morphological defects in the aerial part were observed for ∼20% of analyzed families, all of which are deeply conserved in land plants. In addition, we find that non-cleavable mimic sites can confer translational regulation in cis. Phenotypes of plants expressing target mimics directed against miRNAs involved in development were in several cases consistent with previous reports on plants expressing miRNA–resistant forms of individual target genes, indicating that a limited number of targets mediates most effects of these miRNAs. That less conserved miRNAs rarely had obvious effects on plant morphology suggests that most of them do not affect fundamental aspects of development. In addition to insight into modes of miRNA action, this study provides an important resource for the study of miRNA function in plants.
PKR, the double stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase as a critical target in Alzheimer's disease

• Introduction • Control of translation • Dysfunctions of protein synthesis mediated by PKR‐ and mTOR‐dependent signalling pathways • Crosslink between the up‐regulation of PKR/eIF2α and the down‐regulation of mTOR/RS6K in AD • PKR: a potential biomarker of AD diagnosis • Conclusion and perspectives
Pathwise uniqueness for singular SDEs driven by stable processes

We prove pathwise uniqueness for stochastic differential equations driven by non-degenerate symmetric $\alpha$-stable L\'evy processes with values in $\R^d$ having a bounded and $\beta$-H\"older continuous drift term. We assume $\beta > 1 - \frac{\alpha}{2} $ and $\alpha \in [ 1, 2)$. The proof requires analytic regularity results for associated integro-differential operators of Kolmogorov type. We also study differentiability of solutions with respect to initial conditions and the homeomorphism property.
On the Stability of the Catching-Up Process Among Old and New EU Member States

This paper analyzes the time stability of the real economic convergence in the European Union. As a robustness check, the calculations are carried out for two groups of countries: EU27 during 1993-2010 and EU15 during 1972-2010. The analysis is based on three-year intervals, as contrasted with an analysis by Prýchniak and Witkowski (2013a) that is based on annual data. In addition, the paper examines the strength and stability of impact of selected economic growth determinants. In order to verify the research hypotheses, Bayesian model averaging is applied to Blundell and Bond's generalized method of moments system estimator. It turns out that the EU27 countries converged at a rather constant over time rate of about 6 percent per annum while the EU15 countries converged at about 3 percent per annum; this is an enormous difference compared to the widely cited 2 percent speed of convergence in the mainstream literature.
Evidence on the Optimality of Usually Doing Nothing

The authors argue that lumpy, nonconvex transaction costs are the norm for a wide range of economic decisions, which are thus characterized by inertial behavior. Application of this idea to the consumption of durable goods yields an (S,s) decision rule, which, when aggregated, highlights the different expected behavior of average expenditure per purchase versus the number of purchases. The empirical implications of this rule are presented and compared to other theories. A battery of empirical tests generally supports the predictions of the model; in particular, it does a good job of explaining the time pattern of response of spending on durables to a change in income. Copyright 1992 by Ohio State University Press.
Optical and infrared signatures of ultra-luminous X-ray sources

We have constructed a model to describe the optical emission from ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs). We assume a binary model with a black hole accreting matter from a Roche lobe filling companion star. We consider the effects of radiative transport and radiative equilibrium in the irradiated surfaces of both the star and a thin accretion disc. We have developed this model as a tool with which to positively identify the optical counterparts of ULXs, and subsequently derive parameters such as the black hole mass and the luminosity class and spectral type of the counterpart. We examine the dependence of the optical emission on these and other variables. We extend our model to examine the magnitude variation at infrared wavelengths, and we find that observations at these wavelengths may have more diagnostic power than in the optical. We apply our model to existing HST observations of the candidates for the optical counterpart of ULX X-7 in NGC 4559. All candidates could be consistent with an irradiated star alone, but we find that a number of them are too faint to fit with an irradiated star and disc together. Were one of these the optical counterpart to X-7, it would display a significant temporal variation.
Expression and Activation of STAT3 in the Astrocytes of Optic Nerve in a Rat Model of Transient Intraocular Hypertension

Lamina cribosa, an astrocyte-rich region, is the origin of axonal degeneration in glaucomatous neuropathy. Astrocytes are particularly activated during optic nerve (ON) degeneration and are likely to contribute to the pathogenesis of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Signalling mechanisms that regulate different aspects of astrocyte reactiviation in response to intraocular hypertensive injury are not well defined. Signal transducer and activator of transcription protein-3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that participates in many biological processes and has been implicated as activator of reactive astrogliosis. In this study, we investigated the role of STAT3 in regulating the activation of astrocytes to transient intraocular hypertension in vivo by using a rat ocular hypertension model. ON astrocytes hypertrophy was observed early after intraocular hypertensive stress. Morphological changes in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive cells coupled with axon loss in the optic nerve was detected at day 7 after the injury. Nestin was significantly upregulated in ON astrocytes as early as day 2 post injury and kept elevated through post injury day 7. Phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) was markedly upregulated in ON astrocytes at post injury day 1, prior to the reactivation of ON astrocytes. These findings indicate that STAT3 signalling is involved in the initiation of astrocyte reactivation in optic nerve injury.
Associated Factors for Metabolic Syndrome in the Older Adults with Chronic Virus Hepatitis in the Community

This study was to evaluate the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and chronic virus hepatitis elders in the community. Those subjects with positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and/or anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) screened in the community before were invited to this study and 451 responded. All participants underwent anthropometric measurements, blood tests, ultrasound and fibroscan examinations. The cut-off of liver stiffness measurement-liver cirrhosis (LSM-LC) was 10 kPa for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 12 kPa for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, respectively. Among 451 responders, 56 were excluded due to negative HBsAg or anti-HCV. Three hundreds and ninety-five subjects included 228 CHB patients, 156 CHC patients and 11 dual hepatitis patients, had a mean age of 62±12.6 years. Fifty-four (23.7%) CHB patients coexisted with MetS whereas 40 (25.6%) CHC patients also had MetS. Those patients with MetS had more LSM-LC cases than those without (20.4% vs 9.8%, p = 0.04 in CHB patients; 28.2% vs 13.5%, p = 0.037 in CHC patients, respectively). In multivariate logistic analysis, detectable viremia was reversely associated with MetS in CHB patients after adjustment for age, gender and body mass index (odds ratio (OR): 0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18–0.99; p = 0.047). Regarding CHC patients, higher LSM level was the only factor contributed to MetS (OR: 1.1; 95% CI: 1.02–1.19; p = 0.012). In conclusion, elder CHB patients coexisted with MetS might experience an inactive virus replication but have an advanced liver fibrosis. In elder CHC patients, only higher LSM level was associated with MetS.
Identification of Hypoxanthine and Phosphoenolpyruvic Acid as Serum Markers of Chemoradiotherapy Response in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Purpose Patients show variable responses to chemoradiotherapy (CRT), which is generally administered before surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). The aim of this study was to identify molecular markers predictive of CRT responses by analysis of low-mass ions (LMIs) in serum of LARC patients. Materials and Methods LMIs (< 1,000 m/z) in serum obtained before CRT from 73 LARC (cT3-4) patients were profiled using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. LMIs with higher weighting factors in discriminating CRT responses were selected using principal components analysis and discriminant analysis. Selected LMIs were identified using the Human Metabolome Database. The concentrations of identified LMIs were determined by colorimetric enzyme assay, and compared according to post-CRT pathological stage (ypStage) or Dworak’s tumor regression grade (TRG). Results The nine highest-ranking LMIs were selected. Among them, two LMIs with 137.08 and 169.04 m/z were identified as hypoxanthine (HX) and phosphoenolpyruvic acid (PEP), respectively. Higher HX concentration was observed in patients with ypStage 0-1 compared to ypStage 2-4 (p=0.034) or ypStage 3-4 (p=0.030); a similar difference was observed between TRG 4-3 and TRG 1 (p=0.035). HX > 16.0 μM showed significant association with ypStage 0-1 or TRG 4-3 than ypStage 3-4 (p=0.009) or TRG 1 (p=0.024), respectively. In contrast, a significantly lower concentration of PEP was observed in TRG 4-3 compared with TRG 2-1 (p=0.012). Conclusion Findings of this study demonstrated that serum concentrations of HX and PEP, identified using LMI profiling, may be useful for predicting the CRT response of LARC patients before treatment.
Feedback refinement relations for symbolic controller synthesis

A common issue with existing approaches to symbolic controller synthesis lies in the huge complexity of the resulting controllers. In particular, the controllers usually need full plant state information and contain an abstraction of the plant as a building block. In this note, we present an extension which helps reduce that complexity. Our technique is based on the novel concept of feedback refinement relations to compare plants with their finite-state approximations. As an additional feature, our approach builds on infinitary completed trace semantics and allows for the synthesis of controllers for arbitrary, not necessarily prefix-closed specifications. We also reveal if and how existing symbolic controller synthesis procedures should be extended to benefit from the advantages of our technique.