Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Business Cycle Synchronization in the Euro Area and the Impact of the Financial Crisis

The extent of synchronization of national business cycles is a widespread indicator for gauging whether individual countries are indeed ready to adopt a common currency. The occurrence of asymmetric shocks and their consequences in Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) may hamper implementation of monetary policy, as such shocks may significantly raise the cost of the single monetary policy for individual countries. This study analyzes whether the synchronization pattern of business cycles in the euro area has systematically changed since the outbreak of the global financial crisis in 2008. Country-specific differences in the terms of trade and fiscal imbalances may have caused the global shock to affect euro area countries asymmetrically. Conversely, the business cycles of individual countries may have become more closely synchronized, as all countries slipped into recession at the same time. For the purpose of this study we use empirical data to establish which of the two effects dominates. The results of the analysis show a pronounced desynchronization of business cycles during the crisis period, both with respect to dispersion and to the correlation of business cycles. Moreover, interesting differences and parallels may be observed between the developments since the beginning of the most recent financial crisis and an earlier period, around 2004, when the output gap in the euro area was negative as well.
Controlling Information Systems Development Projects: The View from the Client

Increasingly, business clients are actively leading information systems (IS) projects, often in collaboration with IS professionals, and they are exercising a greater degree of project control. Control is defined as all attempts to motivate individuals to achieve desired objectives, and it can be exercised via formal and informal modes. Much of the previous research investigating the choice of control mode has focused on direct reporting relationships between IS project leaders and their superiors in a hierarchical setting. However, the client-IS relationships may take on a variety of forms, including both hierarchical and lateral settings. Moreover, prior research has found that the knowledge of the systems development process is a key antecedent of control, yet clients are unlikely to be as knowledgeable as IS professionals about this process. It is therefore unclear whether prior findings will generalize to the client-IS pair, and the goal of this research is to examine the exercise of control across this relationship. Data were gathered from a questionnaire survey of 69 pairs of clients and IS project leaders. The results are largely consistent with prior research on the antecedents offormal control modes, but they shed new insight on the choice ofinformal control modes.
Development of a Type 2 Diabetes Risk Model From a Panel of Serum Biomarkers From the Inter99 Cohort

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to develop a model for assessing the 5-year risk of developing type 2 diabetes from a panel of 64 circulating candidate biomarkers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Subjects were selected from the Inter99 cohort, a longitudinal population-based study of ∼6,600 Danes in a nested case-control design with the primary outcome of 5-year conversion to type 2 diabetes. Nondiabetic subjects, aged ≥39 years, with BMI ≥25 kg/m2 at baseline were selected. Baseline fasting serum samples from 160 individuals who developed type 2 diabetes and from 472 who did not were tested. An ultrasensitive immunoassay was used to measure of 58 candidate biomarkers in multiple diabetes-associated pathways, along with six routine clinical variables. Statistical learning methods and permutation testing were used to select the most informative biomarkers. Risk model performance was estimated using a validated bootstrap bias-correction procedure. RESULTS A model using six biomarkers (adiponectin, C-reactive protein, ferritin, interleukin-2 receptor A, glucose, and insulin) was developed for assessing an individual's 5-year risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This model has a bootstrap-estimated area under the curve of 0.76, which is greater than that for A1C, fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin, BMI, sex-adjusted waist circumference, a model using fasting glucose and insulin, and a noninvasive clinical model. CONCLUSIONS A model incorporating six circulating biomarkers provides an objective and quantitative estimate of the 5-year risk of developing type 2 diabetes, performs better than single risk indicators and a noninvasive clinical model, and provides better stratification than fasting plasma glucose alone.
Hypoxia Potentiates Glioma-Mediated Immunosuppression

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a lethal cancer that exerts potent immune suppression. Hypoxia is a predominant feature of GBM, but it is unclear to the degree in which tumor hypoxia contributes to this tumor-mediated immunosuppression. Utilizing GBM associated cancer stem cells (gCSCs) as a treatment resistant population that has been shown to inhibit both innate and adaptive immune responses, we compared immunosuppressive properties under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Functional immunosuppression was characterized based on production of immunosuppressive cytokines and chemokines, the inhibition of T cell proliferation and effector responses, induction of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells, effect on macrophage phagocytosis, and skewing to the immunosuppressive M2 phenotype. We found that hypoxia potentiated the gCSC-mediated inhibition of T cell proliferation and activation and especially the induction of FoxP3+T cells, and further inhibited macrophage phagocytosis compared to normoxia condition. These immunosuppressive hypoxic effects were mediated by signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and its transcriptionally regulated products such as hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Inhibitors of STAT3 and HIF-1α down modulated the gCSCs' hypoxia-induced immunosuppressive effects. Thus, hypoxia further enhances GBM-mediated immunosuppression, which can be reversed with therapeutic inhibition of STAT3 and HIF-1α and also helps to reconcile the disparate findings that immune therapeutic approaches can be used successfully in model systems but have yet to achieve generalized successful responses in the vast majority of GBM patients by demonstrating the importance of the tumor hypoxic environment.
Direct Seeding in Reforestation – A Field Performance Review

Direct seeding has been considered a forest restoration option for centuries. Over the past half century, the use of this practice has declined in developed countries as forest regeneration programs have advanced with the production of quality seedlings that can successfully establish restoration sites. Direct seeding is being reconsidered as a restoration option as the potential size of the worldwide forest restoration program has grown because of massive deforestation in third-world nations and due to global climate change. This review examines direct seeding from a number of perspectives. First, merits of using this practice in restoration programs are defined. Major merits of this option are that it can be done quickly, over hard to reach and large disturbed areas, and at a relatively low cost. Second, current research findings from restoration programs are discussed. The major finding is that seedling establishment rates are low (i.e. typically around 20% of seeds planted) due to site conditions, seed predation and vegetation competition, and field performance (i.e. survival and growth) is lower than planted seedlings. Third, operational practices for the application in restoration programs are reviewed. To successfully conduct direct seeding programs practitioners need to consider seedbed receptivity, seed distribution and seeding rate. Fourth, potential new practices are presented. Some of these new practices attempt to create a more effective means to disperse seed across the site, minimize seed predation or create a more favorable microsite environment. This review provides a synthesis of what is known about direct seeding, thereby allowing practitioners to make a rational decision of whether to apply this practice towards their forest restoration program.
Transcriptomic and Genetic Analysis of Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer

ABSTRACT The possibility that metatranscriptomic analysis could distinguish between direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) and H2 interspecies transfer (HIT) in anaerobic communities was investigated by comparing gene transcript abundance in cocultures in which Geobacter sulfurreducens was the electron-accepting partner for either Geobacter metallireducens, which performs DIET, or Pelobacter carbinolicus, which relies on HIT. Transcript abundance for G. sulfurreducens uptake hydrogenase genes was 7-fold lower in cocultures with G. metallireducens than in cocultures with P. carbinolicus, consistent with DIET and HIT, respectively, in the two cocultures. Transcript abundance for the pilus-associated cytochrome OmcS, which is essential for DIET but not for HIT, was 240-fold higher in the cocultures with G. metallireducens than in cocultures with P. carbinolicus. The pilin gene pilA was moderately expressed despite a mutation that might be expected to repress pilA expression. Lower transcript abundance for G. sulfurreducens genes associated with acetate metabolism in the cocultures with P. carbinolicus was consistent with the repression of these genes by H2 during HIT. Genes for the biogenesis of pili and flagella and several c-type cytochrome genes were among the most highly expressed in G. metallireducens. Mutant strains that lacked the ability to produce pili, flagella, or the outer surface c-type cytochrome encoded by Gmet_2896 were not able to form cocultures with G. sulfurreducens. These results demonstrate that there are unique gene expression patterns that distinguish DIET from HIT and suggest that metatranscriptomics may be a promising route to investigate interspecies electron transfer pathways in more-complex environments.
Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation Age-related Differences in Dual Task Walking: a Cross Sectional Study

Background: Variability in stride velocity during walking characterizes gait instability and predicts falling in older individuals. Walking while executing a cognitive task is also associated with increased risk of falling, particularly in older adults. Variability in stride velocity, particularly during dual task walking conditions, may differ between younger and older individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine whether gait velocity and variability in stride velocity differ between older community-dwelling women and younger women during dual task walking.
A Split-and-Conquer Approach for Analysis of Extraordinarily Large Data

If there are datasets, too large to fit into a single computer or too expen- sive for a computationally intensive data analysis, what should we do? We propose a split-and-conquer approach and illustrate it using several computationally inten- sive penalized regression methods, along with a theoretical support. We show that the split-and-conquer approach can substantially reduce computing time and com- puter memory requirements. The proposed methodology is illustrated numerically using both simulation and data examples.
User attitudes toward dedicated e-book readers for reading: the effect of convenience, compatibility, and media richness

Purpose – Due to the rapid pace of development and innovation in information technology, the dedicated electronic book (e‐book) reader has become a new trend in reading. However, at present there is only a limited understanding of what factors drive user attitudes/willingness to use this new device for reading. Hence, this paper aims to explore what factors drive users to use dedicated e‐book readers for reading.Design/methodology/approach – The study proposes a causal model that explores how convenience, compatibility, and media richness affect users' attitudes towards the dedicated e‐book readers for reading.Findings – The results of this study suggest that convenience, compatibility, and media richness all significantly contribute to dedicated e‐book reader acceptance.Research limitations/implications – The study extends previous theories: the Technology Acceptance Model, Innovation Diffusion Theory, media richness theory and convenience. This helps one to better understand what factors affect usage of.
Drilling Performance and Productivity of Geothermal Wells

Drilling performance of 77 production and reinjection wells in the Hengill Geothermal Area in Iceland is analyzed. The study compares workdays, and time spent on seven different drilling activities, in drilling holes with two casing diameter programs, both vertical and directional. The Monte Carlo method was applied to obtain a statistical estimate of the number of workdays and the cost of a 2235 m deep directional reference hole. On average this hole needed 45 workdays with a standard deviation of 7.2 days. The cost was inferred from time and usage data as the actual costs were not available for the study. The average cost for a large diameter reference well is 4.3 million USD or about 2000 USD/m. Drilling problems due to loss of circulation or collapsing geological formations led to higher drilling costs for 24 wells but the majority of holes were drilled according to the original schedule. The risk of drilling such holes in terms of cost and output is not as high as often alledged. To predict steam mass flow on the basis of the Injectivity Index, determined at the end of drilling, one must consider reservoir conditions and enthalpy of the expected inflow into wells. About 80% of the drilled wells are productive. The average generating capacity is ~5.9 MWe per drilled well. Injection of waste water from the power plant resulted in thousands of earthquakes, of magnitude up to Ml 4.
Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor improves brain insulin sensitivity, but fails to prevent cognitive impairment in orchiectomy obese rats.

It is unclear whether the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitor can counteract brain insulin resistance, brain mitochondrial dysfunction, impairment of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive decline in testosterone-deprived obese rats. We hypothesized that DPP4 inhibitor vildagliptin improves cognitive function in testosterone-deprived obese rats by restoring brain insulin sensitivity, brain mitochondrial function and hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Thirty male Wistar rats received either a sham-operated (S, n=6) or bilateral orchiectomy (ORX, n=24). ORX rats were divided into two groups and fed with either a normal diet (ND (NDO)) or a high-fat diet (HFO) for 12 weeks. Then, ORX rats in each dietary group were divided into two subgroups (n=6/subgroup) to receive either a vehicle or vildagliptin (3 mg/kg per day, p.o.) for 4 weeks. After treatment, cognitive function, metabolic parameters, brain insulin sensitivity, hippocampal synaptic plasticity and brain mitochondrial function were determined in each rat. We found that HFO rats exhibited peripheral and brain insulin resistance, brain mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive decline. NDO rats did not develop peripheral and brain insulin resistance. However, impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive decline occurred. Vildagliptin significantly improved peripheral insulin sensitivity, restored brain insulin sensitivity and decreased brain mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production in HFO rats. However, vildagliptin did not restore hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in both NDO and HFO rats. These findings suggest that vildagliptin could not counteract the impairment of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive decline in testosterone-deprived subjects, despite its effects on improved peripheral and brain insulin sensitivity as well as brain mitochondrial function.
GRACE-1: cross-layer adaptation for multimedia quality and battery energy

Mobile devices primarily processing multimedia data need to support multimedia quality with limited battery energy. To address this challenging problem, researchers have introduced adaptation into multiple system layers, ranging from hardware to applications. Given these adaptive layers, a new challenge is how to coordinate them to fully exploit the adaptation benefits. This paper presents a novel cross-layer adaptation framework, called GRACE-1, that coordinates the adaptation of the CPU hardware, OS scheduling, and multimedia quality based on users' preferences. To balance the benefits and overhead of cross-layer adaptation, GRACE-1 takes a hierarchical approach: It globally adapts all three layers to large system changes, such as application entry or exit, and internally adapts individual layers to small changes in the processed multimedia data. We have implemented GRACE-1 on an HIP laptop with the adaptive Athlon CPU, Linux-based OS, and video codecs. Our experimental results show that, compared to schemes that adapt only some layers or adapt only to large changes, GRACE-1 reduces the laptop's energy consumption up to 31.4 percent while providing better or the same video quality.
Precision Timing of Two Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars

We report on long-term X-ray timing of two anomalous X-ray pulsars, 1RXS J170849.0-400910 and 1E 2259+586, using the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. In monthly observations made over 1.4 and 2.6 yr for the two pulsars, respectively, we have obtained phase-coherent timing solutions which imply that these objects have been rotating with great stability throughout the course of our observations. For 1RXS J170849.0-400910, we find a rotation frequency of 0.0909169331(5) Hz and frequency derivative -15.687(4) × 10-14 Hz s-1 for epoch MJD 51215.931. For 1E 2259+586, we find a rotation frequency of 0.1432880613(2) Hz and frequency derivative -1.0026(7) × 10-14 Hz s-1 for epoch MJD 51195.583. The rms phase residuals from these simple models are only ~0.01 cycles for both sources. We show that the frequency derivative for 1E 2259+586 is inconsistent with that inferred from incoherent frequency observations made over the last 20 yr. Our observations are consistent with the magnetar hypothesis and make binary accretion scenarios appear unlikely.
X-Ray Flares and Oscillations from the Black Hole Candidate X-Ray Transient XTE J1650–500 at Low Luminosity

We report on X-ray observations made with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer of the black hole candidate (BHC) transient XTE J1650-500 at the end of its first, and currently only, outburst. By monitoring the source at low luminosities over several months, we found six bright ~100 s X-ray flares and long timescale oscillations of the X-ray flux. The oscillations are aperiodic with a characteristic timescale of 14.2 days and an order of magnitude variation in the 2.8-20 keV flux. The oscillations may be related to optical "mini-outbursts" that have been observed at the ends of outbursts for other short orbital period BHC transients. The X-ray flares have durations between 62 and 215 s and peak fluxes that are 5-24 times higher than the persistent flux. The flares have nonthermal energy spectra and occur when the persistent luminosity is near 3 × 1034(d/4 kpc)2 ergs s-1 (2.8-20 keV). The rise time for the brightest flare demonstrates that physical models for BHC systems must be able to account for the situation where the X-ray flux increases by a factor of up to 24 on a timescale of seconds. We discuss the flares in the context of observations and theory of Galactic BHCs and compare the flares to those detected from Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the Galactic center. We also compare the flares to X-ray bursts that are seen in neutron star systems. While some of the flare light curves are similar to those of neutron star bursts, the flares have nonthermal energy spectra in contrast to the blackbody spectra exhibited in bursts. This indicates that X-ray bursts should not be taken as evidence that a given system contains a neutron star unless the presence of a blackbody component in the burst spectrum can be demonstrated.
Distribution of Plasma in the Io Plasma Torus as Seen by Radio Occultation During Juno Perijove 1

The moon Io is the dominant plasma source for the Jupiter magnetosphere. The plasma is distributed into a torus of material around Jupiter, called the Io plasma torus. The Juno spacecraft performed its first perijove on 27 August 2016. During this time the spacecraft's X and Ka‐band radio signals passed through the Io plasma torus. From the differential Doppler shift of the X and Ka‐band frequencies we are able to determine the Io plasma torus total electron content. From the total electron content, we determine that the electron densities are larger than predicted from Voyager‐based models by around 35 ± 14% in the cold torus and 38 ± 14% in the torus beyond 5.5 RJ. The ion temperatures were greater than predicted from the models by 44 ± 15% in the cold torus but consistent with models in the torus beyond 5.5 RJ. From the time of maximum total electron content, which is sensitive to the torus location, we also find the Io plasma torus equatorial plane appears to be tilted by about 1.5° more than the nominal centrifugal equator tilt based on the tilt of a dipole magnetic field approximation. Different tilts were found for the cold torus and torus beyond 5.5 RJ.
Application of low-energy scanning transmission electron microscopy for the study of Pt-nanoparticle uptake in human colon carcinoma cells

Abstract High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF STEM) in a scanning electron microscope facilitates the acquisition of images with high chemical sensitivity and high resolution. HAADF STEM at low electron energies is particularly suited to image nanoparticles (NPs) in thin cell sections which are not subjected to poststaining procedures as demonstrated by comparison with bright-field TEM. High membrane contrast is achieved and distinction of NPs with different chemical composition is possible at first sight. Low-energy HAADF STEM was applied to systematically study the uptake of Pt-NPs with a broad size distribution in HT29 colon carcinoma cells as a function of incubation time and incubation temperature. The cellular dose was quantified, that is, the amount and number density of NPs taken up by the cells, as well as the particle-size distribution. The results show a strong dependence of the amount of incubated NPs on the exposure time which can be understood by considering size-dependent diffusion and gravitational settling of the NPs in the cell culture medium.
DNA Data Compression in the Post Genome Era

1 Dept. of Biophysics and Biochemistry, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16, Yayoi Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan 2 Bioinformatics group, NTT DATA, inc, Kayabacho Tower, 1-21-2, Shinkawa, Chuoku, Tokyo 104-0033, Japan 3 Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) HokurikuAsahidai 1-1, Tatsunokuchi, Ishikawa 923-1211, Japan 4 Genomic Sciences Center, RIKEN, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
Euclidean Quantum Mechanics and Universal Nonlinear Filtering

An important problem in applied science is the continuous nonlinear filtering problem, i.e., the estimation of a Langevin state that is observed indirectly. In this paper, it is shown that Euclidean quantum mechanics is closely related to the continuous nonlinear filtering problem. The key is the configuration space Feynman path integral representation of the fundamental solution of a Fokker-Planck type of equation termed the Yau Equation of continuous-continuous filtering. A corollary is the equivalence between nonlinear filtering problem and a time-varying Schr\"odinger equation.