Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Government Consumption shocks in China, Japan, and Korea

This paper investigates the effects of government consumption shocks on various key macro variables for China, Korea and Japan, by using a structural VAR model. The main empirical findings are as follows. First, government spending multipliers of all three countries are far larger than 1 in recent years. The government spending multiplier is larger in China than in Korea and Japan. The effectiveness of fiscal expansion has not been changed in China, but substantially changed in Korea (after Asian financial crisis) and Japan. Second, the effects on exchange rate and trade balance are different across countries. Interestingly, real exchange rate depreciates and trade balance improve more under more flexible exchange rate regime. Some empirical findings are consistent with the standard theory but others are not.
Combining Molecularly Targeted Agents: Is More Always Better?

The concurrent targeting of critical nodes along key signaling pathways with molecularly targeted agents is a rational antitumor strategy, which has had varying degrees of success. Combinatorial challenges include overcoming synergistic toxicities and establishing whether combinations are truly active, to make “go, no-go” decisions to proceed to later phase trials. Clin Cancer Res; 23(5); 1123–5. ©2016 AACR. See related article by Calvo et al., p. 1177
Visualization of the antioxidative effects of melatonin at the mitochondrial level during oxidative stress‐induced apoptosis of rat brain astrocytes

Abstract: Oxidative stress‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction has been shown to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of a wide range of diseases. Protecting mitochondrial function, therefore, is vital for cells to survive during these disease processes. In this study, we demonstrate that melatonin, a chief secretory product of the pineal gland, readily rescued mitochondria from oxidative stress‐induced dysfunction and effectively prevented subsequent apoptotic events and death in rat brain astrocytes (RBA‐1). The early protection provided by melatonin in mitochondria of intact living cells was investigated by the application of time‐lapse conventional, confocal, and multiphoton fluorescent imaging microscopy coupled with noninvasive mitochondria‐targeted fluorescent probes. In particular, we observed that melatonin effectively prevented exogenously applied H2O2‐induced mitochondrial swelling in rat brain astrocytes at an early time point (within 10 min) and subsequently reduced apoptotic cell death (150 min later). Other early apoptotic events such as plasma membrane exposure of phosphatidyl serine and the positive YOPRO‐1 staining of the early apoptotic nucleus were also prevented by melatonin. A mechanistic study at the mitochondrial level related to the early protection provided by melatonin revealed that the indole molecule significantly reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation induced by H2O2 stress. Melatonin also prevented mitochondrial ROS generation caused by other organic hydroperoxides including tert‐butyl hydroperoxide and cumene hydroperoxide. This antioxidative effect of melatonin is more potent than that of vitamin E. Via its ability to reduce mitochondrial ROS generation, melatonin prevented H2O2‐induced mitochondrial calcium overload, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, and the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore. As a result, melatonin blocked MPT‐dependent cytochrome c release, the downstream activation of caspase 3, the condensation and karyorrhexis of the nucleus and apoptotic fragmentation of nuclear DNA. Thus, the powerful mitochondrial protection provided by melatonin reinforces its therapeutic potential to combat a variety of oxidative stress‐induced mitochondrial dysfunctions as well as mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis in various diseases.
Which Measures of Online Control Are Least Sensitive to Offline Processes?

A major challenge to the measurement of online control is the contamination by offline, planning-based processes. The current study examined the sensitivity of four measures of online control to offline changes in reaching performance induced by prism adaptation and terminal feedback. These measures included the squared Z scores (Z2) of correlations of limb position at 75% movement time versus movement end, variable error, time after peak velocity, and a frequency-domain analysis (pPower). The results indicated that variable error and time after peak velocity were sensitive to the prism adaptation. Furthermore, only the Z2 values were biased by the terminal feedback. Ultimately, the current study has demonstrated the sensitivity of limb kinematic measures to offline control processes and that pPower analyses may yield the most suitable measure of online control.
Innate and environmental factors in the development of the kitten's visual cortex.

1. This is a study of the receptive fields of 771 cells recorded in the visual cortex of twenty‐five kittens reared normally or subjected to various kinds of visual deprivation or environmental manipulation. 2. Kittens deprived of patterned visual experience, by dark rearing or diffuse occlusion of the eyes, have a majority of cirtical neurones with little or no specificity for the orientation or axis of movement of visual stimuli. However, in such deprived animals, especially those younger than 3 weeks, there are a number of genuinely orientation selective cells. They are broadly "turned" (by adult standards), they are almost always of the simple type, are heavily dominated by one eye, and are found mainly in the deeper layers of the cortex, especially layer IV. 3.
High frequency ultrasound in the preoperative staging of primary melanoma: a statistical analysis

High frequency sonography has been shown to be a useful tool in the preoperative staging of malignant melanoma. In the present study sonometric and histometric data concerning tumour thickness were compared, using appropriate statistical methods, in order to assess the accuracy of ultrasonography. From December 1997 all pigmented lesions suspected of being melanoma were preoperatively assessed by a 20 MHz ultrasound B scan. The results of these ultrasound examinations were compared with histometric data. Pearson's correlation coefficient and absolute and relative differences were used for statistical analysis. Of the 261 examined lesions, 193 were malignant melanoma. A high correlation between sonometry and histometry was computed (r = 0.95), with an absolute difference of 0.32 ± 0.03 mm (mean ± SEM) and a mean relative difference of 27.2% (95% confidence interval 23–31.4%). The highest correlation was found in melanoma ⩾ 1.51 mm thick and the lowest correlation in melanoma ⩽ 0.75 mm. In conclusion, the high accuracy of this technique in the preoperative staging of malignant melanoma would offer a basis for defining the surgical margins of ⩾ 0.76 mm thick lesions. The limited accuracy of sonometry in the preoperative staging of thin melanoma ⩽ 0.75 mm has emerged by applying adequate statistical methods.
Desire or reason: predicting health behaviors from affective and cognitive attitudes.

OBJECTIVE The authors explore the role of affective attitudes in predicting 14 health-promoting or health-risk behaviors. DESIGN Participants (n = 390) completed questionnaire measures of affective and cognitive attitude and, 1 month later, reported their intentions and behavior. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The outcome measures in this study were the Time 2 self-report measures of intention and behavior. RESULTS A series of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that affective attitude was a significantly more powerful predictor of behavior than cognitive attitude for 9 behaviors. Also, affective attitude had a direct effect on behavior that was not fully mediated by intention for 9 behaviors. In a final series of regressions, higher divergence between affective and cognitive attitudes was shown to strengthen the relationship between affective attitudes and behavior for illegal drug use, binge drinking, and smoking. CONCLUSIONS The findings underscore the importance of affect in the performance of health-related behaviors and suggest that interventions could usefully target the affective consequences of engaging in these behaviors. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Clinical Development of Immunostimulatory Monoclonal Antibodies and Opportunities for Combination

Immune system responses are under the control of extracellular biomolecules, which express functions in receptors present on the surface of cells of the immune system, and thus are amenable to be functionally modulated by monoclonal antibodies. Some of these mechanisms are activating and dictate whether the response ensues, while others play the role of powerful repressors. Antagonist antibodies acting on such repressors result in enhanced immune responses, a goal that is also achieved with agonist antibodies acting on the activating receptors. With these simple logics, a series of therapeutic agents are under clinical development and one of them directed at the CTL-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitory receptor (ipilimumab) has been approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. The list of antagonist agents acting on repressors under development includes anti–CTLA-4, anti–PD-1, anti–PD-L1 (B7-H1), anti-KIR, and anti–TGF-β. Agonist antibodies currently being investigated in clinical trials target CD40, CD137 (4-1BB), CD134 (OX40), and glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor (GITR). A blossoming preclinical pipeline suggests that other active targets will also be tested in patients in the near future. All of these antibodies are being developed as conventional monoclonal immunoglobulins, but other engineered antibody formats or RNA aptamers are under preclinical scrutiny. The “dark side” of these immune interventions is that they elicit autoimmune/inflammatory reactions that can be severe in some patients. A critical and, largely, pending subject is to identify reliable predictive biomarkers both for efficacy and immune toxicity. Preclinical and early clinical studies indicate a tremendous potential to further improve efficacy, using combinations from among these new agents that frequently act in a synergistic fashion. Combinations with other more conventional means of treatment such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or cancer vaccines also hold much promise. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 997–1008. ©2013 AACR.
[Polymerase region mutations and hepatitis B virus genotypes in chronic hepatitis B patients with poor response to lamivudine].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mutations in Polymerase region and hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in chronic hepatitis B patients with poor response to Lamivudine treatment. METHODS 631 chronic hepatitis B patients with poor response to Lamivudine were recruited in this study. Real-time PCR and DNA sequencing were used to determine HBV genotypes; direct sequencing was performed to detect mutations, and real-time PCR was used to quantify HBV DNA load. Mutations in polymerase region were investigated in different HBV genotypes. RESULTS 272 patients were infected with HBV of genotype B, and 359 patients were infected with HBV of genotype C. The mean age of patients infected with HBV of genotype C (39.1+/-11.4 years old) were significant higher than that of patients infected with HBV of genotype B (33.7+/-9.7 years old) (t = -6.55, P less than 0.01). The patients infected with HBV of genotype C had relatively higher HBV DNA load [(5.96+/-1.22) log10 copies/ml] than the patients infected with HBV of genotype B [(5.58+/-1.21) log10 copies/ml] (t = -2.01, P less than 0.05). The overall incidence rate of A181V/T mutation in genotype C (5.3%) was significantly higher than that in genotype B (0.4%) (x2=12.23, P less than 0.01), but the incidence rate of M204I/V, L180M, T184A/G/I/S, S202G/I and V173L mutations was not significantly different between genotype B and C (each P more than 0.05). M204I mutation in genotype B (20.6%) was more frequent than that in genotype C (13.9%) (x2=4.91, P less than 0.05). The Lamivudine resistance mutations were not significantly different between genotype B and genotype C (x2 = 0.00, P more than 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The incidence rate of lamivudine resistance mutation is not significantly different between genotype B and genotype C, but patients infected with HBV of genotype C have higher HBV DNA load than patients infected with HBV of genotype B.
The Viability of Salam Finance in The Growth Of Agricultural Production In Kano State, Nigeria

Salam finance (sales contract) is a Shariah product used by Islamic financial institutions. It is a transaction in which the payment of the sold commodity is to be made at a spot or immediately after signing the sales contract, while the delivery of the commodity is at the agreed future time. The paper intents to study this Islamic mode of financing agriculture in order to see the way and manner it can enhance the agricultural output of Kano state, being the most populous and agrarian state in Nigeria. This study explores the potentialities of Salam finance. It’s role in the growth of agricultural output to meet the demand level of the state population and provide raw materials for industries. It highlights the historical background of Kano state in terms of agriculture and agribusiness. Almost, 70 percent of the population as is solidly dependent on agriculture and agribusiness as their main source of livelihood. Agriculture contributes a higher percentage to the state revenue before the discovery of petroleum. This paper recommends that, the Kano state micro finance banks, mostly the ones in rural areas should adopt Salam mode of financing. It is expected that the adoption of Salam finance will improve the supply of agricultural output, create more employment opportunities and improve local and modern industries and commerce. It will also promote sustainable growth of the Kano state economy and Nigeria in general. This is a qualitative paper in terms of methodology.
Knockdown of Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase by Small Hairpin RNA Reveals That Both Catalytic and Modulatory Subunits Are Essential for the Survival of Primary Neurons*

Glutathione deficiency is an early biochemical feature that occurs during apoptotic neuronal death associated with certain neurological disorders such as Parkinson disease. However, whether specific targeting of glutathione biosynthesis in neurons is sufficient to trigger neurodegeneration remains undetermined. To address this issue, we used a vector-based small hairpin RNA (shRNA) strategy to knock down each subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL; γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase), the heterodimeric enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step of glutathione biosynthesis. Independent targeting of the catalytic and modulatory subunits by shRNA caused disruption of GCL as assessed by Northern and Western blotting, enzyme activity, and glutathione concentrations. Silencing each subunit in primary cortical neurons spontaneously elicited time-dependent apoptotic death, an effect that was synergistic with glutamate or nitric oxide treatment. Moreover, neuronal apoptosis by GCL knockdown was rescued by expressing the corresponding subunit full-length cDNA carrying silent mutations within the shRNA target cDNA sequence and by incubating neurons with γ-glutamylcysteine or glutathione ethyl ester. In contrast, supplying glutathione precursors to neurons from co-cultured astrocytes did not prevent the apoptotic death triggered by GCL knockdown. Finally, overexpressing the catalytic (but not modulatory) GCL subunit full-length cDNA increased enzyme activity and glutathione concentrations, yielding neurons more resistant to glutamate- or nitric oxide-mediated apoptosis. Thus, specific and independent disruption of each subunit of GCL in neurons can be said to cause a primary decrease in glutathione that is sufficient to promote neurodegeneration.
Lifestyle Activities and Memory: Variety May Be the Spice of Life. The Women's Health and Aging Study II

Abstract This study examined whether participation in a variety of lifestyle activities was comparable to frequent participation in cognitively challenging activities in mitigating impairments in cognitive abilities susceptible to aging in healthy, community-dwelling older women. Frequencies of participation in various lifestyle activities on the Lifestyle Activities Questionnaire (LAQ) were divided according to high (e.g., reading), moderate (e.g., discussing politics), and low (e.g., watching television) cognitive demand. We also considered the utility of participation in a variety of lifestyle activities regardless of cognitive challenge. Immediate and delayed verbal recall, psychomotor speed, and executive function were each measured at baseline and at five successive exams, spanning a 9.5-year interval. Greater variety of participation in activities, regardless of cognitive challenge, was associated with an 8 to 11% reduction in the risk of impairment in verbal memory and global cognitive outcomes. Participation in a variety of lifestyle activities was more predictive than frequency or level of cognitive challenge for significant reductions in risk of incident impairment on measures sensitive to cognitive aging and risk for dementia. Our findings offer new perspectives in promoting a diverse repertoire of activities to mitigate age-related cognitive declines. (JINS, 2012, 18, 286–294)
Why Are Some Households So Poorly Insured?

We explore how households insure themselves against consumption volatility. We asked households how they would fund an unexpected emergency consumption expense equivalent to one month’s income. Answers reveal a range of consumption insurance mechanisms, including borrowing from credit markets and social networks. Despite this, more than one quarter of households have no plan to insure their consumption. The likelihood of non-insurance increases with poor financial literacy and is highest among households most at risk of experiencing a financial shock. Among these households we see large effects of poor financial literacy on non-insurance.
[Quality of sleep of climacteric women in São Paulo: some significant aspects].

OBJECTIVE To subjectively evaluate the quality of sleep in menopausal women (35 to 65 years of age) METHOD A questionnaire about personal information, habits/health, sexuality and sleep was administered to 271 women. RESULTS The sample under study included mostly married women, professionally active with a higher education and financial status, not using menopause hormone therapy, (MHT) habitual coffee drinkers and limited users of alcohol/tobacco. Most participants habitually had dinner and practiced physical exercises. Subjective evaluation of the quality of sleep was considered poor by 29% of the women in this sample. Menopause and self- awareness of health were the only variables that had a statistically significant relation with the quality of sleep. Perimenopausal women (that is to say from 45 years until one year after menopause) and those after surgical menopause stated the worst quality of sleep, while women at pre-menopause disclosed the best quality of sleep. Women who deemed themselves healthy reported a better quality of sleep than those that mentioned health problems. CONCLUSION quality of sleep worsens during the climacterium and in women that consider themselves sick. Furthermore, there is a considerable lack of knowledge about the basic rules of sleep hygiene among women.
A mathematical comparison of two models of the electrical properties of biological tissues

The purpose of this paper is to compare two models of the electrical properties of tissue, which may be used to relate the effective conductivity to the volume fraction f of cells in the tissue. Both models assume that tissue comprises spherical cells, which behave electrically as dipoles. The first model, developed by Hanai, describes the tissue as a concentrated suspension of weakly conducting spheres in a conducting medium, with each sphere experiencing a uniform mean field. The second approach, developed by Chiew and Glandt, explicitly describes the effect of a random but statistically homogeneous cell structure on the average field and magnitude of the dipole interaction. The two analyses are identical to first order in f, but differ in the way in which the interactions between the dipoles are accounted for. The model developed by Chiew and Glandt appears to offer a more robust theoretical framework for describing the electrical properties of tissue. The comparison aims to contribute to an improved understanding of the relationship between the electrical properties and spatial structure of tissue.
Diffusion of passive scalar in a finite-scale random flow.

We consider a solvable model of the decay of scalar variance in a single-scale random velocity field. We show that if there is a separation between the flow scale k(-1 )(flow ) and the box size k(-1 )(box ) , the decay rate lambda proportional, variant ( k(box) / k(flow) )(2) is determined by the turbulent diffusion of the box-scale mode. Exponential decay at the rate lambda is preceded by a transient powerlike decay (the total scalar variance approximately t(-5/2) if the Corrsin invariant is zero, t(-3/2) otherwise) that lasts a time t approximately 1/lambda . Spectra are sharply peaked at k= k(box) . The box-scale peak acts as a slowly decaying source to a secondary peak at the flow scale. The variance spectrum at scales intermediate between the two peaks ( k(box) <<k<< k(flow) ) is approximately k+a k(2) +. (a>0) . The mixing of the flow-scale modes by the random flow produces, for the case of large Péclet number, a k(-1+delta) spectrum at k>> k(flow) , where delta proportional lambda is a small correction. Our solution thus elucidates the spectral make up of the "strange mode," combining small-scale structure and a decay law set by the largest scales.
Improving the Performance and Endurance of Persistent Memory with Loose-Ordering Consistency

Persistent memory provides high-performance data persistence at main memory. Memory writes need to be performed in strict order to satisfy storage consistency requirements and enable correct recovery from system crashes. Unfortunately, adhering to such a strict order significantly degrades system performance and persistent memory endurance. This paper introduces a new mechanism, Loose-Ordering Consistency (LOC), that satisfies the ordering requirements at significantly lower performance and endurance loss. LOC consists of two key techniques. First, Eager Commit eliminates the need to perform a persistent commit record write within a transaction. We do so by ensuring that we can determine the status of all committed transactions during recovery by storing necessary metadata information statically with blocks of data written to memory. Second, Speculative Persistence relaxes the write ordering between transactions by allowing writes to be speculatively written to persistent memory. A speculative write is made visible to software only after its associated transaction commits. To enable this, our mechanism supports the tracking of committed transaction ID and multi-versioning in the CPU cache. Our evaluations show that LOC reduces the average performance overhead of memory persistence from 66.9% to 34.9% and the memory write traffic overhead from 17.1% to 3.4% on a variety of workloads.