Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Economic and Monetary Union: Past and Present Failures and some Future Possibilities

The Economic and Monetary Union was constructed on poor foundations which sought to impose inappropriate macroeconomic policies. This construction did not pay heed to the differences between countries with regard to their economic position and interests nor to the institutional and historical differences. The EMU was faltering before the financial crisis which highlighted and added to the problems of EMU. The neo- and ordo-liberal constraints on policy and policy reform are indicated. The outline of a policy agenda for prosperity in EMU is given.
Commonalities and cross-country spillovers in macroeconomic-financial linkages

Abstract In this paper, we investigate commonalities and spillovers in macro-financial linkages across developed economies. A Bayesian panel vector autoregression (VAR) model with real and financial variables identifies significant common components, especially during the Great Recession. Nevertheless, country-specific factors remain important, which is consistent with the heterogeneous behavior observed across countries over time. We also find that spillovers across countries and between real and financial variables are key to explain economic fluctuations. A shock to a variable in a given country affects all other countries, and the transmission seems to be faster and deeper between financial variables than between real variables. For a shock to a financial variable to have a noticeable effect on the real economy elsewhere, it needs to be either common to all countries or to have originated in a systemic country.
Evaluation and Hydrological Simulation of CMADS and CFSR Reanalysis Datasets in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Multisource reanalysis datasets provide an effective way to help us understand hydrological processes in inland alpine regions with sparsely distributed weather stations. The accuracy and quality of two widely used datasets, the China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets to force the SWAT model (CMADS), and the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (TP), were evaluated in this paper. The accuracy of daily precipitation, max/min temperature, relative humidity and wind speed from CMADS and CFSR are firstly evaluated by comparing them with results obtained from 131 meteorological stations in the TP. Statistical results show that most elements of CMADS are superior to those of CFSR. The average correlation coefficient (R) between the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature of CMADS and CFSR ranged from 0.93 to 0.97. The root mean square error (RMSE) for CMADS and CFSR ranged from 3.16 to 3.18 °C, and ranged from 5.19 °C to 8.14 °C respectively. The average R of precipitation, relative humidity, and wind speed for CMADS are 0.46; 0.88 and 0.64 respectively, while they are 0.43, 0.52, and 0.37 for CFSR. Gridded observation data is obtained using the professional interpolation software, ANUSPLIN. Meteorological elements from three gridded data have a similar overall distribution but have a different partial distribution. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is used to simulate hydrological processes in the Yellow River Source Basin of the TP. The Nash Sutcliffe coefficients (NSE) of CMADS+SWAT in calibration and validation period are 0.78 and 0.68 for the monthly scale respectively, which are better than those of CFSR+SWAT and OBS+SWAT in the Yellow River Source Basin. The relationship between snowmelt and other variables is measured by GeoDetector. Air temperature, soil moisture, and soil temperature at 1.038 m has a greater influence on snowmelt than others.
Evaluation of Domain-specific Word Embeddings using Knowledge Resources

In this work we evaluate domain-speciﬁc embedding models induced from textual resources in the Oil and Gas domain. We conduct intrinsic and extrinsic evaluations of both general and domain-speciﬁc embeddings and we observe that constructing domain-speciﬁc word embeddings is worthwhile even with a considerably smaller corpus size. Although the intrinsic evaluation shows low performance in synonymy detection, an in-depth error analysis reveals the ability of these models to discover additional semantic relations such as hyponymy, co-hyponymy and relatedness in the target domain. Extrinsic evaluation of the embedding models is provided by a domain-speciﬁc sentence classiﬁcation task, which we solve using a convolutional neural network. We further adapt embedding enhancement methods to provide vector representations for infrequent and unseen terms. Experiments show that the adapted technique can provide improvements both in intrinsic and extrinsic evaluation.
Association between alcohol consumption and colorectal carcinogenesis: an ecological study in Korea.

The sharp rise in the incidence rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Korea over the past decades may be partly attributed to increase in alcohol consumption. An ecological study was conducted in Korea to determine the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer. We obtained the CRC incidence rates for the years 1999? 2007 from the Korean Central Cancer Registry and the data on national alcohol consumption for the years 1998, 2001, 2005, and 2007 from the reports of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Pearson's correlation coefficients were determined using data for alcohol intake and CRC incidence rate. People who consumed more than 45 g alcohol/day were defined as heavy drinkers. A significant correlation between alcohol consumption and the CRC incidence rate was observed in men; Pearson's correlation coefficients were statistically significant for men (r = 0.99; P = 0.001), but not for women (r = 0.82; P = 0.180). In the <50-year age group, the age-specific incidence rate for men was comparable to that for women, but in the ≥ 50-year age group, it increased rapidly in men. The increase in alcohol consumption appears to be attributable to increase in the number of heavy drinkers among men aged 25-59 years, particularly among men aged 45-49 years. Our findings may aid in predicting future CRC incidence in Korea.
An Approach to Extract the Architecture of Microservice-Based Software Systems

Microservices decouple network-accessible system components to support independent development, deployment, and scalability. The architecture of microservice-based software systems is typically not de? ned upfront but emerges by dynamically assembling services to systems. This makes it hard to extract component relations from static sources since component relationships may only become evident at runtime. Existing systems focus either on the static structure of service relations, neglecting runtime properties, or on (short-term) monitoring of runtime properties to detect errors. We present an approach to extract and analyze the architecture of a microservice-based software system based on a combination of static service information with infrastructure-related and aggregated runtime information.
A Soft-Inflatable Exosuit for Knee Rehabilitation: Assisting Swing Phase During Walking

In this paper, we present a soft-inflatable exosuit to assist knee extension during gait training for stroke rehabilitation. The soft exosuit is designed to provide 25% of the knee moment required during the swing phase of the gait cycle and is integrated with inertial measurement units (IMUs) and smart shoe insole sensors to improve gait phase detection and controller design. The stiffness of the knee joint during level walking is computed using inverse dynamics. The soft-inflatable actuators, with an I cross-section, are mechanically characterized at varying angles to enable generation of the required stiffness outputs. A linear relation between the inflatable actuator stiffness and internal pressure as a function of the knee angle is obtained, and a two-layer stiffness controller is implemented to assist the knee joint by providing appropriate stiffness during the swing phase. Finally, to evaluate the ability of the exosuit to assist in swing motion, surface-electromyography (sEMG) sensors are placed on the three muscle groups of the quadriceps and two groups of the hamstrings, on three healthy participants. A reduction in muscle activity of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis is observed, which demonstrates feasibility of operation and potential future usage of the soft inflatable exosuit by impaired users.
Usefulness of High Resolution Computed Tomography scans in depicting the status of the middle ear structures

Background: Prior to surgery it is very important that the surgeon is fully aware, and he should have the clear picture as to the extent of the disease and the nature of the disease to give satisfactory surgical outcomes for the patient. HRCT (High resolution computed tomography) is one such guiding tool for the surgeon. The objective was to study usefulness of HRCT scan in attico-antral disease in depicting the status of the middle ear structures.Methods: A total of 30 patients were studied. HRCT temporal bone was performed by using SIEMENS EMOTION 16 slice CT machine in axial plane and coronal images were reformatted. Findings of HRCT temporal bone were recorded. Findings of mastoid exploration surgery were recorded. Report of HRCT of temporal bone was correlated with surgical findings and tabulated using percentages.Results: Surgery showed cholesteatoma in 26 (86.6%) patients. Epitympanum was involved in 29 (96.6%) patients in HRCT and 30 (100%) patients at surgery. Extension beyond middle ear cleft was seen in 4 (13.3%) patients in HRCT and 5 (16.6%) patients at surgery. Tympanic segment of facial canal was the most commonly involved, showing erosion in 10 (33.3%) patients in HRCT and 12 (40%) patients at surgery. Lateral SCC was the most commonly involved in bony labyrinth seen in 4 (13.3%) patients in both HRCT and surgery. Erosion of dural plate was seen in 6 (20%) patients in HRCT whereas 9 (30%) patients showed dural plate erosion at surgery.Conclusions: HRCT of temporal bone plays a promising role in pre-operative assessment of cholesteatoma as it depicts the extent of the disease and integrity of most of the middle ear structures.
Prekaere Demokratie? Zu den Auswirkungen atypischer Beschaeftigung auf die betriebliche Mitbestimmung (Precarious democracy? The effects of atypical employment on plant-level co-determination)

Die demokratische Mitbestimmung von Arbeitnehmern entwickelte sich in der zweiten Haelfte des 20. Jahrhunderts fast durchweg positiv. Das zeigte sich, wie T.H. Marshall dargelegt hat, insbesondere in der Zunahme ihrer Staatsbuergerrechte. Im vorliegenden Text wird jedoch gezeigt, dass diese positive Entwicklung seit Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts entscheidenden Veraenderungen unterworfen ist. Die politische Konstellation der Postdemokratie laesst sich auch fuer das Feld der Industriellen Beziehungen und konkret fuer die Entwicklung der Mitbestimmung analysieren. Zwar bleiben die Ausdifferenzierungen und Institutionen der Staatsbuergerrechte von Arbeitnehmern formal stabil. Aber durch die Zunahme von prekaerer Beschaeftigung werden die Staatsbuergerrechte neu stratifiziert. Anhand empirischer Untersuchungen der Leiharbeit und einer Fallstudie zum Einsatz von Werkvertraegen wird gezeigt, wie Leiharbeiter und Werkvertragsnehmer mitunter gravierenden staatsbuergerlichen Defiziten im Vergleich zu Stammbeschaeftigen in einem Normalarbeitsverhaeltnis unterliegen und dadurch die betriebliche Mitbestimmung von innen erodiert. (Democratic employee participation has improved during the second half of the 20th century. According to T.H. Marshall, the increase of civil, political and social rights is a clear indicator for this development. In this paper we argue that fundamental changes have taken place since the end of the 20th century. The political constellation of post-democracy is currently shaping industrial relations and the area of co-determination in particular. Formally the differentiation of rights and their institutions remain robust, but the increase in precarious employment is leading to a new stratification as our empirical research on temporary work and contract work in their corporate contexts indicates. Here, temporary and contract workers are confronted with serious deficits in civil rights compared to the permanent workforce – endangering co-determination from the inside.)
Prevalence of Listeria spp. in milk sold in different markets of Mumbai city.

Pasteurized and unpasteurized milk samples were procured from different markets in Mumbai city and analyzed for presence of Listeria spp. using one step enrichment procedure. The study revealed overall prevalence of L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp. amongst all the pasteurized milk samples as 0.66% and 3.33%, respectively while 5.88% unpasteurized milk samples showed presence of L. monocytogenes and 21.32% samples showed other Listeria spp. The study concluded that overall prevalence of Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes was found to be 15.03% and 3.14%, respectively. It is therefore necessary to implement strict quality management system during collection, processing and transportation of milk to prevent public health hazard.
A systematic fMRI investigation of the brain systems subserving different working memory components in schizophrenia

Working memory impairment is one of the cardinal cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia and considerable evidence suggests that it can be traced to functional alterations in the brain. The exact allocation of specific deficits to regional specific dysfunctions, however, remains elusive. The aim of this study was to examine the functional integrity of three distinguishable brain systems underlying maintenance‐related subprocesses of working memory (articulatory rehearsal, non‐articulatory maintenance of phonological information, maintenance of visuospatial information) in patients with schizophrenia. Using an experimental paradigm, which had been designed to selectively activate these different brain systems, we assessed the brain activation of patients and controls with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Compared with controls, patients showed reduced activation of the fronto‐opercular, intraparietal and anterior cingulate cortex during the non‐articulatory maintenance of phonological information, as well as attenuated deactivation of the hippocampus. Additionally, we found prefrontal activation to depend critically on the patients’ current symptom status. During visuospatial maintenance, patients showed impaired activation of the superior parietal, temporal and occipital cortex, combined with enhanced activation of the frontal eye field and the inferior parietal cortex. No abnormal activations were observed during the articulatory rehearsal task. All activation differences were independent of group differences in task performance. Our fine‐grained analysis of dysfunctions in particular aspects of working memory circuitry provides evidence for a differential impairment of the brain systems supporting working memory subcomponents in schizophrenia and extends knowledge of the relationship between cognitive deficits, brain activation abnormalities and symptoms in schizophrenia.
3GPP-Inspired HetNet Model Using Poisson Cluster Process: Sum-Product Functionals and Downlink Coverage

The growing complexity of heterogeneous cellular networks (HetNets) has necessitated a variety of user and base station (BS) configurations to be considered for realistic performance evaluation and system design. This is directly reflected in the HetNet simulation models proposed by standardization bodies, such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Complementary to these simulation models, stochastic geometry-based approach, modeling the locations of the users, and the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula> tiers of BSs as independent and homogeneous Poisson point processes (PPPs), has gained prominence in the past few years. Despite its success in revealing useful insights, this PPP-based <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-tier HetNet model is not rich enough to capture spatial coupling between user and BS locations that exists in real-world HetNet deployments and is included in 3GPP simulation models. In this paper, we demonstrate that modeling a fraction of users and arbitrary number of BS tiers alternatively with a Poisson cluster process (PCP) captures the aforementioned coupling, thus bridging the gap between the 3GPP simulation models and the PPP-based analytic model for HetNets. We further show that the downlink coverage probability of a typical user under maximum signal-to-interference-ratio (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$ \mathtt {SIR}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) association can be expressed in terms of the <italic>sum-product functionals</italic> over PPP, PCP, and its associated offspring point process, which are all characterized as a part of our analysis. We also show that the proposed model converges to the PPP-based HetNet model as the cluster size of the PCPs tends to infinity. Finally, we specialize our analysis based on general PCPs for Thomas and Matérn cluster processes. Special instances of the proposed model closely resemble the different configurations for BS and user locations considered in 3GPP simulations.
Clinicopathological and molecular differences between right-sided and left-sided colorectal cancer in Japanese patients

Background The aim of this study was to clarify clinicopathological features, frequencies of molecular biomarkers, and prognoses in Japanese colorectal cancer patients and compare them with right-sided colon cancer (RCC) and left-sided colorectal cancer (LCRC). Methods We consecutively selected 575 colorectal cancer patients who underwent surgical resection from 2008 to 2011. RCC was located from the cecum to the transverse colon, and LCRC was located from the splenic flexure to the rectum. Frequencies of KRAS gene mutation, BRAF gene mutation, microsatellite instability (MSI), l18qLOH and CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) were statistically analyzed between groups. Results Tumors were located in the RCC in 26.3% of patients and in the LCRC in 73.7%. Elderly patients, females and advanced diseases were significantly more frequent in the RCC group than in the LCRC group. However, venous invasion was significantly more frequent in LCRC than in RCC. Between groups, BRAF mutant type, KRAS mutant type, MSI and CIMP+ were significantly more frequent in RCC, whereas 18qLOH was significantly more frequent in LCRC. In overall survival, RCC demonstrated poor prognosis compared with LCRC; however, age, gender, stage, lymphatic invasion, KRAS status and BRAF status rather than tumor location were independent prognostic factors. In addition, the independent prognostic factors in RCC were different from those in LCRC in each stage. However, the consistency between OS and DFS was not observed in this study, excluding lymphatic invasion in LCRC. Conclusion Comparing RCC with LCRC, RCC is different from LCRC in clinicopathological features, molecular biomarkers and prognostic factors in Japanese colorectal cancer patients. Since the proportions of molecular biomarkers of CRC in this study are different from Western CRCs, further studies are required to clarify the clinicopathological differences between Japanese CRCs and Western CRCs.
Measurements with STEREO/COR1 data of drag forces acting on small-scale blobs falling in the intermediate corona

In this work we study the kinematics of three small-scale (0.01 R� ) blobs of chromospheric plasma falling back to the Sun after the huge eruptive event of June 7, 2011. From a study of 3D trajectories of blobs made with the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) data, we demonstrate the existence of a significant drag force acting on the blobs and calculate two drag coefficients, in the radial and tangential directions. The resulting drag coefficients CD are between 0 and 5, comparable in the two directions, making the drag force only a factor of 0.45–0.75 smaller than the gravitational force. To obtain a correct determination of electron densities in the blobs, we also demonstrate how, by combining measurements of total and polarized brightness, the Hα contribution to the white-light emission observed by the COR1 telescopes can be estimated. This component is significant for chromospheric plasma, being between 95 and 98% of the total white-light emission. Moreover, we demonstrate that the COR1 data can be employed even to estimate the Hα polarized component, which turns out to be in the order of a few percent of Hα total emission from the blobs. If the drag forces acting on small-scale blobs reported here are similar to those that play a role during the CME propagation, our results suggest that the magnetic drag should be considered even in the CME initiation modelling.
Effects of Intermittent Breath Holding during Prolonged Exercise on Ventilation and Blood Lactate Responses

In the present study, we examined the physiological response during prolonged exercise with intermittent breath holding (IBH). Eight male subjects performed four series of 5-min exercises at 65% of the peak oxygen uptake with normal breathing (NB) and with IBH. Respiratory variables and the transcutaneous partial pressure of CO2 (PtcCO2) were continuously recorded during the exercises. Finger blood samples were obtained during the exercises to assess the blood lactate (BLa) levels. Minute ventilation was significantly higher during the IBH condition than during the NB condition (P < 0.05). The PtcCO2 level was significantly lower during the IBH condition than during the NB condition (P < 0.05). The BLa response was significantly greater during exercise with IBH than during exercise with NB (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that compared to exercise with NB, prolonged exercise with IBH induces a hyperventilatory response, resulting in hypocapnia, and using IBH during prolonged exercise induces a greater increase in the BLa level. Original Paper * Department of Integrated Arts and Science, National Institute of Technology, Okinawa College, Nago, 905-2192, Japan E-Mail: kumedai@okinawa-ct.ac. jp ** Okayama Prefectural Wake Sizutani Senior High School, Division of Health and Physical Education *** Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University **** Department of Clothing, Japan Women’s University ***** Department of Health and Sports Science, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare ****** Department of Nursing, Hyogo University