Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanocrystalline Graphite Growth on Sapphire by Carbon Molecular Beam Epitaxy

We report the fabrication of nanocrystalline graphite films on sapphire substrates of various cutting directions by using solid carbon source molecular beam epitaxy. Raman spectra show a systematic change from amorphous carbon to nanocrystalline graphite with a cluster diameter of several nanometers, depending on the growth temperature. The symmetry of the substrate seems to have little effect on the film quality. Simulations suggest that the strong bonding between carbon and oxygen may lead to orientational disorders. Transport measurements show a Dirac-like peak and a carrier type change by the gate voltage.
Relationships between desacylated and acylated ghrelin and insulin sensitivity in the metabolic syndrome.

CONTEXT Metabolic syndrome shows clustered metabolic abnormalities with major roles for insulin resistance and obesity. Ghrelin is a gastric hormone whose total plasma concentration (T-Ghr) is associated positively with insulin sensitivity and is reduced in obesity. Ghrelin circulates in acylated (A-Ghr) and desacylated (D-Ghr) forms, but their potential differential associations with insulin resistance and whether they are differentially altered in obesity remain undefined. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine potential differential associations of ghrelin forms with insulin resistance [homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)] and the impact of obesity on their plasma concentrations in metabolic syndrome. DESIGN This is a cross-sectional study. SETTING The study was performed in a metabolic outpatient unit. PATIENTS Patients with metabolic syndrome (National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III; n = 45, 23 males/22 females) were included in the study. MAIN OUTCOMES The main study outcomes were metabolic syndrome criteria, HOMA-IR, and ghrelin forms. RESULTS Plasma insulin and HOMA-IR were associated negatively with T-Ghr and D-Ghr but positively with A-Ghr and acylated to desacylated ghrelin (A/D-Ghr) ratio (n = 45; P < 0.05). Compared with nonobese [body mass index (BMI) < 27.5 kg/m(2); n = 12, six males/six females], obese metabolic syndrome patients (BMI > 27.5 kg/m(2); n = 33) had lower T-Ghr and D-Ghr but comparable A-Ghr and higher A/D-Ghr ratio (P < 0.05). BMI and waist circumference (WC) were positively related with HOMA-IR (n = 45; P < 0.05). However, opposite associations between A/D-Ghr ratio and HOMA-IR remained significant after adjustment for sex and BMI (or WC). Additional obese individuals without metabolic syndrome (n = 10: age-, sex-, BMI-, and WC-matched to obese metabolic syndrome patients) had lower T-Ghr but higher A-Ghr (P < 0.05) compared with age-, sex-matched healthy nonobese counterparts (n = 15). T-Ghr and A-Ghr were comparable in obese with or without metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION Obesity could alter circulating ghrelin profile, and relative A-Ghr excess could contribute to obesity-associated insulin resistance in metabolic syndrome.
A semantic-affective compositional approach for the affective labelling of adjective-noun and noun-noun pairs

Motivated by recent advances in the area of Compo-sitional Distributional Semantic Models (CDSMs), we propose a compositional approach for estimating continuous affective ratings for adjective-noun (AN) and noun-noun (NN) pairs. The ratings are computed for the three basic dimensions of continuous affective spaces, namely, valence, arousal and dominance. We propose that similarly to the semantic modification that underlies CDSMs, affective modification may occur within the framework of affec-tive spaces, especially when the constituent words of the linguistic structures under investigation form modifier-head pairs (e.g., AN and NN). The affective content of the entire structure is determined from the interaction between the respective constituents, i.e., the affect conveyed by the head is altered by the modifier. In addition, we investigate the fusion of the proposed model with the semantic-affective model proposed in (Malandrakis et al., 2013) applied both at word-and phrase-level. The automatically computed affective ratings were evaluated against human ratings in terms of correlation. The most accurate estimates are achieved via fusion and absolute performance improvement up to 5% and 4% is reported for NN and AN, respectively.
How do Macroeconomic and Political Variables Affect the Flexibility of Exchange Rate Regime

The choice of exchange rate regime has become one of the most important issues once more in many economies after the financial crises in recent years. In the wake of the financial crises, many countries, especially emerging market economies, opted for floating exchange rate regimes by forsaking the pegged regimes. Consequently, an old debate on the choice and determinants of exchange rate regimes has been triggered. Economists have started to debate what appropriate exchange rate regime for an economy is. When the tendency in recent years is taken into consideration, the choice of exchange rate regime of the countries, especially emerging economies, needs to be analyzed. To do this, in this paper, we attempt to uncover how emerging market economies choose their exchange rate regimes. In other words, we try to find the economic and political factors underlying the choice of exchange rate regimes. The study includes 25 emerging market economies over the period 1970-2006. We use random effect ordered probit model in order to find the long run economic and political determinants of exchange rate regimes for emerging economies. The determinants of both the de jure and de facto exchange regimes are empirically analyzed in the paper.
House Prices and Inflation in the Euro Area

The inflation measure used by the European Central Bank excludes housing costs that are borne by home owners even though they make up more than a tenth of household final consumption expenditure in the euro area. Has the exclusion of owner-occupied housing costs driven a wedge between the official harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) and the cost of living? To answer this question, a measure of the user cost of housing capital has been constructed for every euro area country (except Luxembourg). User costs are measured taking into account property taxes but net of tax breaks that home owners enjoy on mortgage repayments. The user cost measure is combined with the HICP to derive a “broad” inflation estimate. For the sake of comparison, an alternative estimate has been put together using imputed rents. The main conclusion is that owner-occupied housing costs have an impact. Another important conclusion is that the effect of owner-occupied housing costs on inflation varies noticeably with the method used to incorporate them into the price index. The paper finally discusses the choice of the method from the point of view of economic policy makers. "This Working Paper relates to the 2005 OECD Economic Survey of Euro Area (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/Euroarea)" Prix des logements et inflation dans la zone euro Bien qu’ils representent plus de dix pour cent de la consommation finale des menages dans la zone euro, les couts de logement qui sont supportes par les proprietaires occupants ne sont pas inclus dans l’indicateur d’inflation employe par la Banque centrale europeenne. L’exclusion de ces couts a-t-elle enfonce un coin entre l’indice des prix a la consommation harmonise (IPCH) et le cout de la vie ? Pour repondre a cette question, une mesure du cout d’usage du capital a ete construite pour les logements occupes pour chacun des pays appartenant a la zone euro (a l’exception du Luxembourg). Il s’agit d’une mesure du cout net d’impots et de taxes, qui tient compte a la fois des taxes foncieres et des allegements d’impot dont beneficient les proprietaires occupants. Cette mesure est ensuite adjointe a l’IPCH pour obtenir une evaluation de l’inflation « elargie ». Pour les besoins de la comparaison, une autre estimation a ete effectuee en utilisant des loyers imputes. La principale conclusion est que les couts du logement pour les proprietaires occupants font une difference. Une autre conclusion importante est que l’impact de ces couts depend sensiblement de la methode qui est employee pour les integrer a l’indice de prix. En conclusion, l'etude examine la question du choix de la methode du point de vue des operateurs de la politique economique. "Ce Document de travail se rapporte a l'Etude economique de l'OCDE de Euro area, 2005. (www.oecd.org/eco/etudes/zoneeuro)"
Selective T-Type Calcium Channel Blockade Alleviates Hyperalgesia in ob/ob Mice

OBJECTIVE Morbid obesity may be accompanied by diabetes and painful diabetic neuropathy, a poorly understood condition that is manifested by mechanical or thermal allodynia and hyperalgesia. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of T-type calcium channels (T-channels) in peripheral nociception; therefore, our goal was to examine the function of these channels in the pathophysiology and development of painful diabetic neuropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In vivo testing of mechanical and thermal sensation, morphometric peripheral nerve studies, and electrophysiological and biochemical measurements were used to characterize the role of T-channels and the development of painful diabetic neuropathy in leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice. RESULTS We found that ob/ob mice developed significant mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity early in life that coincided with hyperglycemia and was readily reversed with insulin therapy. These disturbances were accompanied by significant biophysical and biochemical modulation of T-channels in dorsal root ganglion neurons as measured by a large increase in the amplitude of T-currents and the expression of mRNA. The most prevalent subtype, α1H (Cav3.2), was most strongly affected. Moreover, (3β,5α,17β)-17-hydroxyestrane-3-carbonitrile (ECN), a novel neuroactive steroid and selective T-channel antagonist, provided dose-dependent alleviation of neuropathic thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in diabetic ob/ob mice. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that pharmacological antagonism of T-channels is potentially an important novel therapeutic approach for the management of painful diabetic neuropathy.
Acupuncture Induces Time-Dependent Remodelling Brain Network on the Stable Somatosensory First-Ever Stroke Patients: Combining Diffusion Tensor and Functional MR Imaging

Different treatment interventions induce distinct remodelling of network architecture of entire motor system. Acupuncture has been proved to be of a promising efficacy in motor recovery. However, it is still unclear whether the reorganization of motor-related brain network underlying acupuncture is related with time since stroke and severity of deficit at baseline. The aim of study was to characterize the relation between motor-related brain organization following acupuncture and white matter microstructural changes at an interval of two weeks. We demonstrated that acupuncture induced differential reorganization of motor-related network for stroke patients as time-lapse since stroke. At the baseline, acupuncture can induce the increased functional connectivity between the left primary motor cortex (M1) and the right M1, premotor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), thalamus, and cerebellum. After two-week recovery, the increased functional connectivity of the left M1 was more widely distributed and primarily located in the insula, cerebellum, basal ganglia, and SMA. Furthermore, a significant negative relation existed between the FA value in the left M1 at the baseline scanning and node centrality of this region following acupuncture for both baseline and two-week recovery. Our findings may shed a new insight on understanding the reorganization of motor-related theory underlying motor impairments after brain lesions in stroke patients.
Influence of product-endorser match-up on consumer's purchase intentions of (non-sport) endorsed products

With an increase in media coverage and social visibility, star athletes have embraced their celebrity status and benefited financially from endorsing products. As the number of high-profile athletes have grown around the world, the number and cost of endorsement contracts have followed suit (King, 2005). While studies have indicated that a star athlete's association with a brand may help to define and enhance the brand's image (Cornwell, Roy, & Steinard, 2001; Javalgi et al., 1994; McDonald, 1991), negative characteristics of an endorser could also have a toxic effect (Horrow, 2002; Pitts & Stotlar, 2002). To a great extent, the success of an endorsement depends on product-endorser fit. Congruency of the characteristics between the two entities is often deemed critical in emitting an effectively endorsed message (e.g., Kahle & Homer, 1985; Kamins, 1989, 1990; Kanungo & Pang, 1973; Lynch & Schuler, 1994; Peterson & Kerin, 1977). With endorsement contracts on the rise (e.g., Tiger Woods $80 million per year and Michael Jordan $33 million per year; Weil, 2005), the organizations that invest in these relationships want to leave as little to chance as possible in terms of their return on their investment. Nevertheless, the issue of product-endorser match-up has been rather mystifying to both researchers and practitioners, possibly due to the lack of a model that examines the relationships among key variables associated with the potential match.
Valuation of Travel Time Reliability in Passenger Transport

The unreliability of travel time is regarded as an important factor in travelers' decision making concerning their mode choice, route choice, and departure time choice. Travel time unreliability may generate considerable generalized costs for a traveler. The main objective of this thesis is to evaluate the monetary value of travel time reliability in the context of passenger transport. This thesis starts with an investigation to explore the variations of existing empirical estimates of the value of reliability by means of a meta-analysis. Some in-depth interviews were then conducted to investigate how respondents perceive and interpret travel time reliability, and to test their understanding of different ways of presenting reliability in the stated preference studies. The empirical part of this thesis concerns the empirical estimates of reliability and schedule delay based on the stated choice experiments, both for road and rail transport. Finally, the thesis demonstrates how to incorporate the benefits of reliability improvement into cost-benefit analysis, which is a useful evaluation guideline for transport investments.
Tuning a semantic relatedness algorithm using a multiscale approach

The research presented in this paper builds on previous work that lead to the definition of a family of semantic relatedness algorithms. These algorithms depend on a semantic graph and on a set of weights assigned to each type of arcs in the graph. The current objective of this research is to automatically tune the weights for a given graph in order to increase the proximity quality. The quality of a semantic relatedness method is usually measured against a benchmark data set. The results produced by a method are compared with those on the benchmark using a nonparametric measure of statistical dependence, such as the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The presented methodology works the other way round and uses this correlation coefficient to tune the proximity weights. The tuning process is controlled by a genetic algorithm using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient as fitness function. This algorithm has its own set of parameters which also need to be tuned. Bootstrapping is a statistical method for generating samples that is used in this methodology to enable a large number of repetitions of a genetic algorithm, exploring the results of alternative parameter settings. This approach raises several technical challenges due to its computational complexity. This paper provides details on techniques used to speedup the process. The proposed approach was validated with the WordNet 2.1 and the WordSim-353 data set. Several ranges of parameter values were tested and the obtained results are better than the state of the art methods for computing semantic relatedness using the WordNet 2.1, with the advantage of not requiring any domain knowledge of the semantic graph.
Crosscultural Differences in Learning Styles of Secondary English Learners

Abstract This study investigated the learning styles of English learners (Armenian, Hmong, Korean, Mexican, and Vietnamese) in secondary schools. For statistical analyses a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and post hoc multiple comparisons of means tests (Scheffe tests) were used. A sample of 857 cases collected from 20 high schools in California found significant ethnic group differences as well as achievement level differences in basic learning style preferences. Students in this study favored a variety of instructional strategies. They exhibited either major or minor preferences for all four basic perceptual learning styles but significant ethnic group differences in preferences for group and individual learning. All students exhibited either major or minor preferences for kinesthetic or tactile learning. Hmong, Mexican, and Vietnamese students preferred group learning while Armenian and Korean students did not. However, all five ethnic groups (Armenian, Hmong, Korean, Mexican, and Vietnamese) showed either major or minor preferences for visual learning. In addition, middle and high achievers were more visual than low achievers; high and middle achievers preferred individual learning but low achievers did not; and newcomers exhibited much greater preference for individual learning than those who had been longer in the United States
The Federal Funds Rate and the Channels of Monetary Transnission

First, we show that the interest rate on Federal funds is extremely informative about future movements of real macroeconomic variables, more so than monetary aggregates or other interest rates. Next, we argue that the reason for this forecasting is that the funds rate sensitively records shocks to the supply of (not the demand for) bank reserves, i.e. the funds rate is a good indicator of monetary policy actions. Finally, using innovations to the fuels rate as a measure of changes in monetary policy, we present evidence consistent with the view that monetary policy works at least in part through "credit" (that is, bank loans) as well as through "money" (that is, bank deposits) - even though bank loans fail to Granger-cause real variables.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 8 Expression in GT1-7 GnRH-Secreting Neurons Is Androgen-Independent, but Can Be Upregulated by the Inhibition of DNA Methyltransferases

Fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8) is a potent morphogen that regulates the embryonic development of hypothalamic neuroendocrine cells. Indeed, using Fgf8 hypomorphic mice, we showed that reduced Fgf8 mRNA expression completely eliminated the presence of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. These findings suggest that FGF8 signaling is required during the embryonic development of mouse GnRH neurons. Additionally, in situ hybridization studies showed that the embryonic primordial birth place of GnRH neurons, the olfactory placode, is highly enriched for Fgf8 mRNA expression. Taken together these data underscore the importance of FGF8 signaling for GnRH emergence. However, an important question remains unanswered: How is Fgf8 gene expression regulated in the developing embryonic mouse brain? One major candidate is the androgen receptor (AR), which has been shown to upregulate Fgf8 mRNA in 60–70% of newly diagnosed prostate cancers. Therefore, we hypothesized that ARs may be involved in the regulation of Fgf8 transcription in the developing mouse brain. To test this hypothesis, we used chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays to elucidate whether ARs interact with the 5′UTR region upstream of the translational start site of the Fgf8 gene in immortalized mouse GnRH neurons (GT1-7) and nasal explants. Our data showed that while AR interacts with the Fgf8 promoter region, this interaction was androgen-independent, and that androgen treatment did not affect Fgf8 mRNA levels, indicating that androgen signaling does not induce Fgf8 transcription. In contrast, inhibition of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) significantly upregulated Fgf8 mRNA levels indicating that Fgf8 transcriptional activity may be dependent on DNA methylation status.
Do Firms Use Derivatives to Reduce Their Dependence on External Capital Markets?

This study investigates if the use of derivatives by corporations is likely to affect their financing strategies. I find a strong positive relation between the minimum revenue guaranteed by hedging and investment expenditures. This result implies that hedging increases the likelihood that investments can be financed internally. I also find that firms tend to finance their investment expenditures externally rather than internally. If external capital is more costly than internal capital it would clearly be in a firm's interest to reduce its dependence on external capital. Consistent with this result, I find that the median firm that does not hedge finances 100% of its investment expenditures externally, while the median firm that hedges finances only 86% of investments externally.
Quality of life after intracerebral hemorrhage: results of the Factor Seven for Acute Hemorrhagic Stroke (FAST) trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Neurological impairment and physical disability are frequent and important complications of stroke with serious consequences for health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Little data exist, however, on the risk factors for poor HRQOL after intracerebral hemorrhage, the deadliest and most disabling form of stroke. METHODS Factor Seven for Acute Hemorrhagic Stroke (FAST) was an international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted between May 2005 and February 2007 at 122 sites in 22 countries. All patients were followed for 3 months after stroke onset and HRQOL was assessed using the EuroQoL. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression was used to identify predictors of poor HRQOL based on demographic and clinical baseline characteristics and in-hospital complications. RESULTS Six hundred fifty-seven patients survived until 3 months after stroke onset, and 621 (95%) completed the EuroQoL. Two percent had a utility score <0 (HRQOL worse than death), 15% a utility score <0.2, 32% a utility score <0.5, and 87% a score <0.87 (average score in the general population). At the other end of the scale, 13% had a utility score of 1 (perfect HRQOL). Independent predictors of poor HRQOL were advanced age (OR, 1.80; P<0.0001), higher baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (OR, 1.11; P<0.0001), higher systolic blood pressure (OR, 1.05; P=0.0039), higher baseline intracerebral hemorrhage volume (OR, 1.11; P=0.015), deep (versus lobar) hematoma location (OR, 3.05; P=0.003), and increase in neurological deficit in first 72 hours after ICH onset (Delta Glasgow Coma Scale >or=2 or Delta National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale >or=4; OR, 2.04; P=0.006). The model explained a large amount of the variation in the utility score (C-statistic 0.77). CONCLUSIONS The vast majority of survivors after intracerebral hemorrhage have very poor HRQOL. Critical care interventions designed to control blood pressure or prevent neuroworsening may improve HRQOL in intracerebral hemorrhage survivors.