Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carry trade, uncovered interest parity and monetary policy

It is well documented in the literature that identified vector autoregression (VAR) models often produce puzzling results when the effect of unexpected monetary policy movements is estimated. Many authors find that raising interest rate generates protracted appreciation of the exchange rate (the so-called delayed overshooting puzzle) which is in contradiction with traditional theory of exchange rate dynamics based on uncovered interest parity. Since the dynamics of exchange rate is determined to a substantial extent by carry traders, we investigate the behaviour of the exchange rate and carry trade activity within the same VAR for a panel of small open economies. We identify structural shocks by allowing the interest rate and exchange rate to react simultaneously to monetary policy and changes in expected risk premium. Our results show that the delayed overshooting is not a robust finding. Exchange rate appreciation and carry trade movements take place almost on impact after an unexpected interest rate hike. Roughly half of the variation in carry trade positions can be explained by domestic interest rate changes and risk premium shocks.
Perceptions of Access to Justice Among Unrepresented Tenants: An Examination of Procedural Justice and Deservingness in New York City Housing Court

ABSTRACT In Turner v. Rogers, the U.S. Supreme Court charged judges with ensuring due process for unrepresented litigants in civil proceedings. We argue that engaged judging overlaps with the group value theory (GVT) criterion of trustworthiness, which along with respect and neutrality typically exert a direct effect on perceptions of fairness and satisfaction. However, numerous scholars have claimed that justice judgments stem from deservingness—a theory that poses a considerable contrast to GVT . In a study of New York City Housing Court tenants, most of whom were unrepresented, we examined whether deservingness moderates the impact of perceived treatment on justice judgments such that tenants who do not believe they deserve positive treatment will view such treatment as unfair. Results indicated that, with one exception, perceived treatment exerted a direct effect on various justice judgments as predicted by GVT, but in contrast to deservingness. Tenants were overwhelmingly positive about their housing court experience despite the documented inequalities that exist for most unrepresented litigants in housing court. These findings suggest a discrepancy between tenants’ perceptions and the realities of housing court.
Wolbachia segregation rate in Drosophila simulans naturally bi-infected cytoplasmic lineages

Wolbachia are maternally transmitted endocellular bacteria infecting several arthropod species. In order to study Wolbachia segregation rate, Drosophila simulans females from an Indo-Pacific population (Seychelles) bi-infected by the two Wolbachia variants wHa and wNo were backcrossed to uninfected males in two conditions. In the first case, Seychelles males from a stock cured from its Wolbachia by tetracycline treatment were used. In the second case, the males came from a naturally uninfected Tunisian population. It was found that (i) the two Wolbachia variants can segregate, so that bi-infected females can produce a few offspring infected only by wHa or wNo. This occurs in both backcross conditions. (ii) Segregation leads more frequently to wHa than to wNo mono-infection. (iii) Wolbachia transmission is lower when the Seychelles genome is introgressed by the Tunisian genome, suggesting that host genomic factors might influence infection fate.
Genetics, Receptor Binding, and Virulence in Mice of H10N8 Influenza Viruses Isolated from Ducks and Chickens in Live Poultry Markets in China

ABSTRACT We analyzed eight H10N8 viruses isolated from ducks and chickens in live poultry markets from 2009 to 2013 in China. These viruses showed distinct genetic diversity and formed five genotypes: the four duck isolates formed four different genotypes, whereas the four chicken viruses belong to a single genotype. The viruses bound to both human- and avian-type receptors, and four of the viruses caused 12.7% to 22.5% body weight loss in mice.
How do Quality Management , Supply Chain Management and JIT interact and how do they contribute to an organization ' s business performance ?

Over the last twenty years, different approaches have been proposed to help organizations respond to increasing competitive pressures that call for improved product quality, increased responsiveness, and shorter lead times, but at lower cost. Three in particular, just in time (JIT), quality management, and supply chain management (SCM) have been heralded in the operations literature as well as in the business press as the answer. The philosophy underlying JIT manufacturing is the elimination of waste by simplifying production processes. By reducing setup times, focusing on preventive maintenance, and controlling material flows using kanban system, excess inventories can be reduced or eliminated, and resources utilized more efficiently. The quality management movement calls for organizations to embrace a corporate wide culture that emphasizes customer focus, continuous improvement, employee empowerment, and data driven decision-making. By aligning product design more closely with customer expectations and focusing on quality at all stages of the development and production process, product quality should in principle be improved and contribute to increase sales and profitability. More recently, SCM advocates have called for the integration of buyers’ and suppliers’ decision-making processes with the goal of improving material flows throughout the supply chain. By managing the supply chain more effectively, lead times and material costs should fall, while product quality and responsiveness should increase. While differences exist in the focus and motivation of the three philosophies, the three are not mutually exclusive. For example, one of the goals of JIT methods is to elicit quality and resource
Comparison of elastosonography and digital examination of cervix for consistency to predict successful vaginal delivery after induction of labor with oxytocin

Abstract Objective: To compare elastosonography and digital examination of cervix for consistency in the prediction of successful vaginal delivery. Methods: A total of 64 pregnant women with the indication of induction of labor (IOL) were enrolled to the study. The uterine cervix is evaluated before and after the IOL with elastosonography and digital examination for consistency and sonography for length. Methods were compared in regard to the prediction of successful vaginal delivery. Results: The median of gestational age was 41.00 (IQR = 2.32). Out of 64 participants, 40 (62.5%) had vaginal delivery and 24 (37.5%) had cesarean delivery. The preinduction and postinduction elastosonographic indices were insignificant in delivery groups. The preinduction and postinduction evaluations of cervical consistency with digital examination were significant within vaginal delivery group (p = 0.046), whereas it was insignificant within cesarean delivery group and between the delivery groups. The preinduction and postinduction Bishop scores were significant within vaginal delivery group (p = 0.005), whereas it was insignificant within cesarean delivery group and between the delivery groups. Postinduction Bishop score was significant between the delivery groups. Conclusion: Evaluation of cervix for consistency with either elastosonography or digital examination was found to be insignificant in prediction of successful vaginal delivery after IOL with oxytocin.
On the Performance of Wireless-Energy-Transfer-Enabled Massive MIMO Systems With Superimposed Pilot-Aided Channel Estimation

This paper concerns with a wireless-energy-transfer (WET)-enabled massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) system with superimposed pilot (SP)-aided channel estimation. Unlike the conventional WET-enabled frame transmission schemes, with the aid of SP, both the uplink (UL) channel estimation and wireless information transmission (WIT) that powered by the downlink (DL) WET can be operated simultaneously, and thus provide the potential for improving the UL achievable throughput. The impact that the SP has on the performance of such a WET-enabled massive MIMO system is mathematically characterized, and the optimal solution, including the SP power-allocation and the ratio of time-allocation between the duration of UL WIT and DL WET, is derived with regard to maximize the UL achievable throughput. Numerical results demonstrate the proposed SP-aided WET technique yields a superior performance than the conventional pilot-only-based schemes.
Carcinoma of the prostate: race as a prognostic indicator in definitive radiation therapy.

PURPOSE To characterize the racial differences in prognostic factors and treatment outcome for patients undergoing radiation therapy for carcinoma of the prostate. MATERIALS AND METHODS From January 1975 through December 1989, 489 white and 157 black men with carcinoma of the prostate underwent irradiation. Factors analyzed were patient age, tumor stage and grade, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and disease-control and survival rates. RESULTS More black patients than white patients were found to have poorly differentiated tumors. Black patients had higher PSA levels before and after treatment, resulting in a higher distant failure rate and poorer overall, cause-specific, and disease-free survival rates. CONCLUSION Black men have more aggressive prostatic tumors, a higher rate of metastasis, and a poorer survival rate than do white men.
MacMARCKS Is Not Essential for Phagocytosis in Macrophages*

MacMARCKS (also known as myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS)-related protein) is a member of the MARCKS family of protein kinase C substrates. MacMARCKS contains within it a basic effector domain that contains the serine residues that are phosphorylated by protein kinase C, as well as a calcium/calmodulin and actin-binding site. Two previous reports demonstrated that a macrophage cell line expressing a mutant form of MacMARCKS that lacks the effector domain is defective in phagocytosis and cell adhesion (Zhu, Z., Bao, Z., and Li, J. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 17652–17655; Li, J., Zhu, Z. , and Bao, Z. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 12985–12990). We report here that macrophages from MacMARCKS null mice phagocytose and spread normally. Thus, although MacMARCKS is recruited to phagosomes, it is not absolutely required for phagocytosis.
The Short-Term “Bridge Model” Study Abroad Program: Peacebuilding in Latin America

Abstract The conventional wisdom about political science international education assumes that students choose between short “island” study abroad programs that are accessible but have only superficial impact, and longer immersion programs, achieving a greater effect. This article argues that well-designed study abroad programs can combine the best of both models to achieve significant impact even in a short program. It proposes a “bridge model” for reconceptualizing study abroad not as a discrete event with more or less impact on student learning, but as a key intervention that furthers a student's overall development within an internationalized curriculum. The article examines the case of a peacebuilding study abroad program in Ecuador. It measures alumni perceptions of impact, objective outcomes, and alumni network development. The key finding is that solid program design and structured cross-cultural interaction produces the type of long-term effect and networks traditionally associated with immersion programs.
Association of anger proneness, depression and low social support with peripheral arterial disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

There is mounting evidence to suggest that psychosocial factors, including anger proneness, depression and social isolation, are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, evidence relating these factors to peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and intermittent claudication remains sparse. Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, we analyzed the relationship of psychosocial variables (Spielberger anger score, depression score from the Maastricht questionnaire, and a perceived social support scale) at study visit 2 with incident PAD (ankle-brachial index ≤0.9; a hospital discharge diagnosis of PAD, leg amputation, or leg revascularization procedures; or intermittent claudication). In 12 965 middle-aged adults with no prior history of PAD, 854 developed PAD over a mean follow-up time of 9.7 years, yielding an incidence rate of 6.8 per 1000 person years. A modest, monotonic dose-response, positive association between anger proneness and incident PAD was observed in a multivariable model: relative risk (RR) = 1.15 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99-1.38) in the moderate anger group and RR = 1.38 (95% CI 1.08-1.76) in the high anger group, compared with the low anger group. When compared with a low level of depressive symptoms, moderate and high levels of depressive symptoms were also associated with greater incident PAD, with multivariable RRs of 1.20 (95% CI 0.99-1.45) and 1.44 (95% CI 1.19-1.74) respectively. There was no association of perceived level of social support with the occurrence of PAD. Anger proneness and depressive symptoms may be associated with the occur-rence of PAD, as for other atherosclerotic syndromes. These findings may warrant confirmation in further studies and, if causal, could serve as a unique target for a PAD prevention trial.
Sequence of terminal regions of cowpox virus DNA: arrangement of repeated and unique sequence elements.

One terminal EcoRI fragment of the genome of cowpox virus (CPV) strain Brighton red has been cloned in plasmid pBR325, and the nucleotide sequence of the 2,725-base-pair Sal I fragment corresponding to that at the end of the viral genome has been determined. The fragment consists of three unique sequence regions flanking two sets of repeated sequence. The repeated sequence sets are composed of four types of subunits, the majority of which are arranged in higher-order repeat units. The subunits are themselves closely related; two are subsets of a third, whereas the fourth is a recombinant of the first two. The fragment possesses no long open reading frames (maximal coding potential, 65 amino acids). The sequence of this CPV DNA Sal I fragment is compared with that of the corresponding fragment of vaccinia virus WR DNA [Baroudy, B. M. , Venkatesan, S. & Moss, B. (1982) Cell 28, 315-324; Venkatesan, S. , Baroudy, B. M. & Moss, B. (1981) Cell 25, 805-813]. Two of the unique sequence regions of the two viruses are related to the extent of 96%, and the third contains at least one sequence of 112 residues that is 98% homologous. As for the repeated sequence sets, those of vaccinia virus are composed of only two, rather than four, types of subunit, one of which is identical to one of the CPV subunits, whereas the other differs from another CPV subunit by only three mismatches and one deletion. However, the arrangement of subunits in the two viruses is different, that in vaccinia virus DNA being simpler. Both subunits as well as repeat units probably arose as a result of unequal crossover.
The terpene synthase gene family in Tripterygium wilfordii harbors a labdane‐type diterpene synthase among the monoterpene synthase TPS‐b subfamily

&NA; Tripterygium wilfordii (Celastraceae) is a medicinal plant with anti‐inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Identification of a vast array of unusual sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids and triterpenoids in T. wilfordii has spurred investigations of their pharmacological properties. The tri‐epoxide lactone triptolide was the first of many diterpenoids identified, attracting interest due to the spectrum of bioactivities. To probe the genetic underpinning of diterpenoid diversity, an expansion of the class II diterpene synthase (diTPS) family was recently identified in a leaf transcriptome. Following detection of triptolide and simple diterpene scaffolds in the root, we sequenced and mined the root transcriptome. This allowed identification of the root‐specific complement of TPSs and an expansion in the class I diTPS family. Functional characterization of the class II diTPSs established their activities in the formation of four C‐20 diphosphate intermediates, precursors of both generalized and specialized metabolism and a novel scaffold for Celastraceae. Functional pairs of the class I and II enzymes resulted in formation of three scaffolds, accounting for some of the terpenoid diversity found in T. wilfordii. The absence of activity‐forming abietane‐type diterpenes encouraged further testing of TPSs outside the canonical class I diTPS family. TwTPS27, close relative of mono‐TPSs, was found to couple with TwTPS9, converting normal‐copalyl diphosphate to miltiradiene. The phylogenetic distance to established diTPSs indicates neo‐functionalization of TwTPS27 into a diTPS, a function not previously observed in the TPS‐b subfamily. This example of evolutionary convergence expands the functionality of TPSs in the TPS‐b family and may contribute miltiradiene to the diterpenoids of T. wilfordii. Significance Statement Understanding how bioactive diterpenoids in the medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii are synthesized is a prerequisite to synthetic biology approaches for their biosynthesis. Here we mined a root transcriptome to search for diterpenoid biosynthetic enzymes. We found that expansions in families of diterpene synthases, together with functional plasticity and neo‐functionalization, likely contributes to diterpene diversity in Tripterygium.
Core self-evaluations in Japan: relative effects on job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and happiness

Summary The present study tested, in a non-Western culture (Japan), the relative validity in predicting job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and happiness of core self-evaluations (CSE), positive and negative affectivity (PA/NA), and the Neutral Objects Satisfaction Questionnaire (NOSQ). Consistent with previous results in primarily Western cultures, the four lower-order traits that comprise CSE—self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and neuroticism— indicated a higher-order factor. While each lower-order trait was itself related to the study’s criteria, the CSE concept displayed in general, higher correlations with the dependent variables, and explained incremental variance in two of the study’s three outcomes beyond PA, NA, and the NOSQ. These results indicate initial support for the generalizability of CSE in a culture that differs in many respects from Western cultures, and suggest that judgments of satisfaction and happiness in a non-Western culture have a dispositional source. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maternal exposure to low levels of corticosterone during lactation increases social play behavior in rat adolescent offspring

Abstract Although costly in energy and time, social play is present and evolutionarily conserved in nearly all young mammals. Ontogenetic factors responsible for this particular form of supposed rewarding behavior are incompletely understood. Here, we have focused our attention on maternal glucocorticoid hormone. We used a model in which neonate rats are fed by mothers in which drinking water has been supplemented with 0.2 mg/ml corticosterone. The control groups were lactated by water-drinking mothers. Both male and female adolescent offspring of corticosterone (CORT) supplemented dams (CORT-nursed) showed an increase in social play behavior (i.e., pinning, pouncing, wrestling/boxing and social exploration) when compared to controls. No differences were observed between CORT-nursed progeny of both sexes and controls in the exploration of the arena during the social encounter. Finally, no differences were found in CORT plasma levels in basal conditions and following a social play session in both male and female CORT-nursed rats. These results indicate that variations in the maternal glucocorticoid status are able, directly or indirectly, to influence social play behavior in the offspring, although there is no direct relationship between the level of social play behavior and the intensity of adrenocortical activation.
Tracking Mean Field Dynamics by Synchronous Computations of Recurrent Multilayer Perceptrons

Mean field dynamics have been extensively applied for organizing neural networks in the field of computational neuroscience, since Hopfield pioneered collective decisions of interconnected processing elements for combinatorial optimization [1–6] and memory association [7, 8]. Both nonlinear transfer functions and synapses in a Hopfield neural network are a subsequence of mean field dynamics that characterize the mean configuration of a large scaled physical system at thermal equilibrium in the field of statistical mechanism. In the past decades, the mean field dynamics has been extensively applied for deriving interactive neural dynamics of solving complex tasks, such as combinatorial optimization [4, 6, 9], self-organization [10], clustering analysis [11][12], independent component analysis [13], and regression [14][15].
Engaging Fathers

ABSTRACT Federal initiatives encourage social service agencies to engage fathers and strengthen families, but little research is available to guide administrative action. This survey among 339 fathers and 1,203 social services workers targets policy development. Gaps between father and worker perceptions, that imply limited or misunderstanding, were found. Although fathers perceived agency intervention as helpful, they requested more case-specific help and father-centered services. Social service workers valued father input, but struggled to navigate parental conflicts. Findings suggest needs for improving information systems, services guided with father input, and staff development on father specific practices. In turn, administrators need funding and legislative support.
The relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in 5-HT2A signal transduction-related genes and the response efficacy to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatments in Chinese patients with major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE To explore the possible relationship between six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs6311 and rs6305 of 5-HT2A, rs5443 of Gβ3, rs2230739 of ACDY9, rs1549870 of PDE1A and rs255163 of CREB1, which are all related with 5-HT2A the signal transduction pathway) and the response efficacy to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatments in major depressive disorder (MDD) Chinese. METHODS This study included 194 depressed patients to investigate the influence of 6 polymorphisms in 5-HT2A signal transduction-related genes on the efficacy of SSRIs assessed over 1 year. The efficacies of SSRIs on 194 MDD patients were evaluated in an 8-week open-trial study. Over 1 year, a follow-up study was completed for 174 of them to observe the long-term efficacy of SSRIs. The optimal-scaling regression analysis was used for testing the relationship between the different genotypes of five SNPs and the efficacy in MDD. RESULTS It showed that the patients with rs5443TT and rs2230739GG have a relatively good efficacy in response to short-term SSRIs. We also found that good efficacy appeared in depressed patients with rs2230739GG in response to long-term SSRIs. CONCLUSIONS It suggested that different genotypes of rs5443 and rs2230739 might influence the signal transduction pathways of second message and affect therapeutic efficacy.