Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Global Liquidity and Asset Prices Revisited

This article surveys recent research on the relationship between global liquidity and asset prices on a global scale. How important is global liquidity? How are asset prices and other significant macro variables affected by global monetary conditions? The article highlights the perspective of an international transmission of monetary shocks, focusing particularly on the effects of a global monetary aggregate (global liquidity) on different asset prices, namely commodity, house, and share prices. The authors sum up the main results of empirical analyses in VAR and CVAR models for the global economy using aggregated data that represent the major OECD countries. According to the first benchmark study focusing on house prices, the authors find that a positive shock to global liquidity leads to permanent increases in the global price level and in the global house price index, with the latter reaction being even more distinctive, leading to subsequent spill-over effects from house prices to consumer prices. The second benchmark study examines the interactions between money, consumer, and commodity prices at a global level using a cointegrating VAR framework. The article establishes long-run and short-run relationships among these variables, while the process is driven mainly by global liquidity.
Expression of orexin A and its receptor 1 in the human prostate

The peptides orexin A (OXA) and orexin B, deriving from the cleavage of the precursor molecule prepro‐orexin, bind two G‐coupled transmembrane receptors, named as receptor 1 (OX1R) and receptor 2 for orexin, showing different affinity‐binding properties. First discovered in the rat hypothalamus, orexins and their receptors have been also found in many peripheral tissues where they exert neuroendocrine, autocrine and paracrine functions. Because inconclusive data on their localization in the mammalian prostate are reported, the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of prepro‐orexin, OXA and OX1R in the human normal and hyperplastic gland. Immunohistochemistry revealed the localization of both OXA and OX1R in the cytoplasm of the follicular exocrine epithelium of all tested normal and hyperplastic prostates. Positive immunostaining was mainly observed in the basal cells of the stratified epithelium, and only rarely in the apical cells. The expression of mRNAs coding for prepro‐orexin and OX1R and of proteins in the tissues was also ascertained by polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis, respectively. In order to gain insights into the functional activity of OXA in the prostate, we administered different concentrations of OXA to cultured prostatic epithelial cells PNT1A. We first demonstrated that PNT1A cells express OX1R. The addition of OXA did not affect PNT1A cell proliferation, while it enhanced cAMP synthesis and Ca2+ release from intracellular storage. Overall, our results definitely demonstrate the expression of OXA and OX1R in the human prostate, and suggest an active role for them in the metabolism of the gland.
Skin infections and antibiotic prescribing: a comparison of surveillance and prescribing data.

BACKGROUND Reductions in the number of dispensed antibiotics and the incidence of respiratory infections presented to GPs and have been reported. Whether this trend applies to skin infections requires further investigation. AIM To examine trends in the incidence of skin infections in relation to trends in dispensed prescriptions for flucloxacillin, topical fusidic acid, mupirocin, and corticosteroids with fusidic acid. DESIGN OF STUDY Population-based analysis of patients presenting to GPs (1999-2005) contrasted with national prescribing data. SETTING A sentinel practice network covering a population of 700,000 in England and Wales. METHOD Quarterly incidence rates of skin infections and of impetigo reported over the years 1999-2005 were compared with quarterly data on dispensed prescriptions reported by the Prescription Pricing Authority for England. RESULTS In children (aged 0-14 years) the incidence of skin infections decreased slightly between 1999 and 2003 and more sharply from 2004 to 2005. In adults (aged > or =15 years) incidence was reasonably constant from year to year. In every year examined, and in both age groups, there were autumnal incidence peaks. There were annual increases in dispensed prescriptions for flucloxacillin capsules, but there was little change in the use of flucloxacillin syrups and topical antibiotic prescriptions. All prescribing data sets showed increases in the third quarter: topical corticosteroids with fusidic acid were prescribed more frequently in summer than winter. CONCLUSION In spite of slight reductions in the incidence of skin infections, flucloxacillin capsule-dispensed prescriptions have increased, suggesting that doctors have not limited their antibiotic prescribing behaviour for skin conditions.
Highly focalised thermotherapy using a ferrimagnetic cement in the treatment of a melanoma mouse model by low temperature hyperthermia

Purpose: Evaluation of the effectiveness of highly focalised thermotherapy (HFT) in a melanoma mouse model, using a ferrimagnetic cement (FC) and repeated low hyperthermia treatments. Materials and methods: A melanoma mouse model was induced with B16F10 cells in C57BL6 mice. The FC, injected into the tumour, was used as the magnetic vehicle for HFT. FC location within the tumour was assessed by radiography and its capability to generate heat, when exposed to an external high frequency magnetic field (HFMF), monitored by thermal camera. The HFT treatment consisted of three HFMF exposures, with 48-h intervals, each one lasting 30 min, with a 5–6°C tumour temperature increase. At the end of the experiment, FC samples were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS). The presence of iron contents was analysed in the tumour, lungs, liver and spleen. Histological evaluation and immunohistochemical staining for caspase-3 were performed. Tumour growth was monitored during the experiment. Results: Surface analysis showed FC stabilisation within the tumour, and iron was absent. The thermal camera confirmed the localised temperature increase in the tumour. HFT treatments inhibited the tumour growth by ∼70% compared to controls. This was due to cell destruction by necrosis and apoptosis. Conclusions: The HFT, using the FC, proved to be a minimally invasive technique that statistically inhibited tumour growth. Results suggested that this methodology seems to be a promising technique for the treatment of solid tumours, allowing repeated low hyperthermia treatments, which can be easier and less traumatic than other hyperthermia techniques.
The Value of Expert Opinion in the Pricing of Bordeaux Wine Futures*

Abstract The value of expert opinion for establishing prices in the Bordeaux futures market is analyzed. The expert opinions examined are the wine quality ratings provided by two of the world's foremost wine experts, Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson, for more than 1,700 red Bordeaux wines over the period 2004–2012. The results show that the experts' ratings have both a statistically and practically significant impact on prices after controlling for the effects of other known determinants of price. Thus, expert opinion has significant value in this setting. The results further show that although Parker's impact on prices is significantly greater than Robinson's, combining the quality ratings of both experts has a significantly greater impact than Parker's ratings alone. As hypothesized, the strength of the results differs for wines produced in different regions of Bordeaux because of differences in the availability of other quality-related information. All results are robust to several alternative sample specifications and other research design choices. (JEL Classifications: C52, G13, L11, L15, M21)
Pro-health behaviours - a sense of coherence as the key to a healthy lifestyle in rural areas?

BACKGROUND Health-related behaviours and lifestyle are related to the salutogenic concept of health, whereas the major public health problems faced in rural areas include difficulties in encouraging people to a healthy lifestyle. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study is to explore mutual relationships between psychosocial-demographic factors and a sense of coherence. MATERIAL AND METHOD Two-stage sampling was applied. Data were collected with the use of the Juczynski Health Behaviours Inventory and Antonovsky's SOC-29 (Sense of Coherence Questionnaire). The study was conducted among 668 adults. Data were statistically prepared using one-way ANOVA test, linear correlation analysis, and linear regression model. RESULTS A higher level of pro-health behaviours is associated with gender, self-rated health, sense of coherence and age. Almost half of the farmers were characterized by a low level of pro-health attitudes. A higher level of pro-health behaviours was demonstrated by less than one-fifth of the farmers. CONCLUSIONS There is a strong association between sense of coherence and pro-health behaviours. Farmers have bad habits and pro-health attitudes to health and poorer self-assessment of their health. There is a great need to monitor health-related behaviour, increase the effectiveness of health promotion and health education in shaping a pro-health lifestyle among residents of rural areas, particularly among farmers.
Quality of life in patients suffering from insomnia.

OBJECTIVE Systematic review of the literature pertaining to quality of life studies in adults suffering from insomnia, by specifically addressing the following questions: 1) What is the impact of insomnia on quality of life? 2) To what extent do comorbid conditions affect quality of life in patients with insomnia? 3) What is the impact of insomnia treatment on quality of life? DESIGN Our search was conducted using the MEDLINE/PubMed and PsycINFO databases from the past 25 years (1987-2012), using the keywords "Insomnia" AND "Quality of Life," "QOL," "Health-related quality of life," or "HRQOL. " Fifty-eight studies were selected for inclusion by two physicians who reached a consensus about the studies to include in this review. RESULTS The literature reveals that quality of life is severely impaired in individuals with insomnia, comorbid conditions significantly affects quality of life negatively, and sleep restoration techniques, including cognitive behavioral therapy and medications, are successful at improving quality of life. However, restoration of quality of life to community levels is still unclear. CONCLUSION Insomnia and its comorbidities negatively affect an individual's quality of life, and different modalities of treatment can produce improvements in physical and psychological wellbeing and quality of life. More research is needed to develop more interventions that specifically focus on improving quality of life in patients suffering from insomnia.
Evaluating the Efficacy of the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010: A Qualitative Analysis of Leadership and Student Persistence among Colleges and Universities in Tennessee.

The Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 (CCTA) changed the funding formula from enrollment-based to outcomes-based in order to increase the number of college graduates in Tennessee and as a result altered the landscape of public higher education in the state. The purpose of this qualitative study was to ascertain the impact of the CCTA on higher education in Tennessee by assessing perceptions of change among administrators and students at two Tennessee Board of Regents’ (TBR) institutions. Through administrator interviews, student focus groups and student questionnaires, the researchers explored the tangible and perceptual impact of this legislation at an early juncture in its implementation. Evidence collected from a community college and a four-year university suggested that there has been intentional mobilization of programs and services to meet the goal of the CCTA, which was student completion. Results also reflected that institutional responses have led to greater communication among TBR institutions and administrators and faculty at these institutions. This system-wide mobilization has generated uniformity across the system, but impelled each institution to maintain their individuality within the larger system. Finally, results indicated that faculty responsibilities had increased because of their roles as executors of the CCTA on a daily basis. As such, they have played the most significant student support roles in communicating completion messaging and providing academic direction and emotional support. Further, though students had no direct knowledge of the CCTA, they recognized that faculty were increasingly engaged in their academic goals and had a significant influence upon their persistence and completion. Ultimately, the evidence, or lack thereof, suggested that more time is needed to effectively gauge the impact of the CCTA. COMPLETE COLLEGE TENNESSEE ACT (2010) viii
Plasminogen activators and inhibitors in the neuromuscular system: III. The serpin protease nexin I is synthesized by muscle and localized at neuromuscular synapses

Recent studies suggest that the nature of events leading to the formation, maintenance, and elimination of synapses may be regulated by cascade‐type, locally expressed proteases and protease inhibitors acting on adhesive extracellular matrix components. We have identified a molecule in conditioned medium of murine skeletal muscle cells that in molecular weight, target protease inhibition, heparin‐binding and cross‐reactivity with authenic antisera is similar to the human serine proteinase inhibitor, protease nexin I. Protease nexin I is a 43–50 kDa glycoprotein of the serpin superfamily (arg‐serpin class). Purified anti‐protease nexin I antibody (anti‐47 kDa) stains adult mouse skeletal muscle in discrete foci that precisely superimpose on synaptic neuromuscular junctions. Protease nexin I appears in patches on surfaces of cultured mouse skeletal myotubes, but not on myoblasts. These patches co‐localize with acetylcholine receptor clusters and acetylcholinesterase staining during cellular maturation in culture. Evidence that protease nexin I is a synaptic, extracellular antigen is particularly intriguing since it has been shown to be identical, in structure and activity, with a factor released by glial cells, called glia‐derived nexin that stimulates mouse neuroblastoma cell neurite outgrowth and inhibits granule cell migration Protease nexin I inhibits both tumor cell and myoblast plasminogen activator‐mediated destruction of extracellular matrix. Thus, such observations as presented in this report provide further evidence for involvement of cascade proteolytic systems, and their post‐translational regulation by specific serpins, in the remodeling that occurs in synapse formation and elimination.
Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Ameliorates Skeletal Muscle Abnormalities, Cachexia, and Exercise Intolerance in Mice with Congestive Heart Failure

Background—Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cachexia (muscle wasting) and the hallmark symptom, exercise intolerance. We have previously shown that a nitric oxide–dependent antioxidant defense renders oxidative skeletal muscle resistant to catabolic wasting. Here, we aimed to identify and determine the functional role of nitric oxide–inducible antioxidant enzyme(s) in protection against cardiac cachexia and exercise intolerance in CHF. Methods and Results—We demonstrated that systemic administration of endogenous nitric oxide donor S-nitrosoglutathione in mice blocked the reduction of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EcSOD) protein expression, as well as the induction of MAFbx/Atrogin-1 mRNA expression and muscle atrophy induced by glucocorticoid. We further showed that endogenous EcSOD, expressed primarily by type IId/x and IIa myofibers and enriched at endothelial cells, is induced by exercise training. Muscle-specific overexpression of EcSOD by somatic gene transfer or transgenesis (muscle creatine kinase [MCK]-EcSOD) in mice significantly attenuated muscle atrophy. Importantly, when crossbred into a mouse genetic model of CHF (&agr;-myosin heavy chain–calsequestrin), MCK-EcSOD transgenic mice had significant attenuation of cachexia with preserved whole body muscle strength and endurance capacity in the absence of reduced HF. Enhanced EcSOD expression significantly ameliorated CHF-induced oxidative stress, MAFbx/Atrogin-1 mRNA expression, loss of mitochondria, and vascular rarefaction in skeletal muscle. Conclusions—EcSOD plays an important antioxidant defense function in skeletal muscle against cardiac cachexia and exercise intolerance in CHF.
Resting-state functional connectivity of brain regions involved in cognitive control, motivation, and reward is enhanced in obese females.

BACKGROUND The brain is crucial for the control of food intake, reward, and energy homeostasis. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that 1) brain circuits involved in energy homeostasis and reward show different functional connectivity patterns between obese and lean individuals and 2) food intake affects functional connectivity differentially in obese and lean individuals. Therefore, we compared the connectivity of the hypothalamus, amygdala, and posterior cingulate cortex, each probing a distinct network related to energy homeostasis and reward, between obese subjects and lean subjects in the fasting state and after meal ingestion. DESIGN We acquired 3 Tesla resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans after an overnight fast and after ingestion of a liquid mixed meal in 46 obese female participants [19 with normal glucose tolerance and 27 with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)] and 12 lean subjects. Functional connectivity of our regions of interest was assessed by using a seed-based correlation approach. RESULTS No significant differences between normal-glucose-tolerant and T2DM subjects were observed. In the fasting state, the total obese group had stronger hypothalamic connectivity with the medial prefrontal cortex and the dorsal striatum than did the lean subjects. The amygdala was differentially connected to the right insula in obese compared with lean subjects. Food intake dampened hypothalamic connectivity with the frontal regions in lean subjects, whereas these connections were barely affected in obese subjects. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that functional connectivity in several brain networks, particularly the homeostatic and cognitive control network and the reward network, was different between obese and lean subjects. In the fasting state, obesity appears to be associated with stronger functional connectivity between brain areas involved in cognitive control, motivation, and reward, whereas these connections are largely unaffected by food intake in obese compared with lean subjects.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF NON-RESIDENTIAL AFRICAN AMERICAN FATHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ROLES IN THE ACADEMIC PROCESS OF THEIR MALE CHILDREN

The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of non-residential African American fathers’ roles in the academic process of their male children in in a suburban city in the Eastern region of Georgia. The following questions guided the study: (a) What roles do non-residential African American fathers play in the academic process of their male children? (b) What factors shape non-residential African American fathers’ perceptions of their roles in the academic process of their male children? (c) What do non-residential African American fathers perceive as the value of their involvement in the academic process of their male children? The participants were non-residential African American fathers of sons in grades 3-12. Self-efficacy and the critical race theory were the theories that guided this study. Data was collected through interviews, surveys, and focus groups. Data was analyzed using Moustakas’ (1994) guidelines for transcendental phenomenology. After interview transcription, emerging themes were notated and followed up by two focus group sessions. Results of the study revealed that fathers, in the face of mother gatekeeping, persisted to rely on their sons’ mothers for information pertaining to their sons’ academic process. It was noted that participants, in some form, were involved in progress monitoring. The study also prevailed that, father educational attainment was not a determining factor for their involvement. In summary, these fathers, despite numerous difficulties, have been diligent in their efforts to maintain active roles in the lives of their sons.
Sex Steroid Dependency of Diabetes-induced Changes in Polyol Metabolism, Vascular Permeability, and Collagen Cross-Linking

The effects of castration on diabetes-induced increases in collagen cross-linking and vascular permeability and on polyol levels in new granulation tissue formed after induction of streptozocin (STZ) diabetes were examined in male Sprague-Dawley rats. New granulation tissue formation was induced by implanting sterile polyester fabric subcutaneously (s.c.) at the time of STZ injection 3 wk before assessment of vascular permeability and collagen cross-linking. Castration was performed 10 days before implanting the fabric. The characteristic increases in collagen cross-linking (manifested by decreased solubility in 0.5 M acetic acid) and in albumin permeation of the vasculature seen in intact diabetic rats were completely prevented by castration. Net collagen accumulation was not affected by diabetes or castration. Castration also markedly diminished diabetes-induced increases in tissue levels of sorbitol and completely prevented the decreases in tissue levels of myo-inositol and scyllo-inositol observed in intact diabetic rats, but had no effect on serum glucose levels, nonenzymatic glycosylation of plasma and granulation tissue proteins, or plasma somatomedin-C levels. The demonstration that castration prevents diabetesinduced increases in vascular permeability and collagen cross-linking as well as imbalances in tissue levels of sorbitol, myo-inositol, and scyllo-inositol in this model indicates that all of these changes are sex steroid-dependent phenomena. While the pathogenesis of these vascular permeability and collagen cross-linking changes is clearly multifactorial, these new findings: (1) indicate that the role of sex steroids in the development of late complications of diabetes may be far more important than hitherto suspected, and (2) suggest an explanation for the clinical observation that diabetic complications are uncommon in prepubertal diabetic subjects regardless of duration of diabetes.