Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sudden Stops and Currency Crashes

This paper investigates which factors determine whether sudden stops in international capital flows are followed by a currency crash using data for 85 economies in the period 1980–2012. An event study approach is used for an 11-year window around the crises for nine potential explanatory variables. In addition, the paper estimates discrete-choice panel models. The results suggest that low trade openness, shallow financial markets, and current account imbalances increase the likelihood that a sudden stop will be followed by a currency crash. Moreover, it is established that the impact of these factors differs across different exchange rate regimes.
Downregulation of Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor-&agr; Gene Expression in a Mouse Model of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Is Dependent on Reactive Oxygen Species and Prevents Lipotoxicity

Background—The peroxisome proliferators–activated receptor-&agr; (PPAR&agr;), a transcription factor that modulates fatty acid metabolism, regulates substrate preference in the heart. Although in acute ischemia there is a switch in substrate preference from fatty acids to glucose, metabolic gene expression in repetitive ischemia is not well described. In a mouse model of ischemic cardiomyopathy induced by repetitive ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), we postulated that downregulation of PPAR&agr; is regulated by reactive oxygen species and is necessary for maintaining contractile function in the heart. Methods and Results—Repetitive closed-chest I/R (15 minutes) was performed daily in C57/BL6 mice, mice overexpressing extracellular superoxide dismutase, and mice treated with the PPAR&agr; agonist-WY-14,643. Echocardiography, histology, and candidate gene expression were measured at 3, 5, 7, and 28 days of repetitive I/R and 15 and 30 days after discontinuation of I/R. Repetitive I/R was associated with a downregulation of PPAR&agr;-regulated genes and both myosin heavy chain isoform transcript levels, which was reversible on discontinuation of I/R. Overexpression of EC-SOD prevented the downregulation of PPAR&agr;-regulated genes and myosin iso-genes by repetitive I/R. Furthermore, reactivation of PPAR&agr; in mice exposed to repetitive I/R worsened contractile function, induced microinfarctions, and increased intramyocardial triglyceride deposition, features suggestive of cardiac lipotoxicity. Conclusions—Metabolic and myosin isoform gene expression in repetitive I/R is mediated by reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, we suggest that downregulation of PPAR&agr; in repetitive I/R is an adaptive mechanism that is able to prevent lipotoxicity in the ischemic myocardium.
Emergence of Genotype I of Japanese Encephalitis Virus as the Dominant Genotype in Asia

ABSTRACT Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogen, is one of the major causes of viral encephalitis worldwide. Previous phylogenetic studies based on the envelope protein indicated that there are four genotypes, and surveillance data suggest that genotype I is gradually replacing genotype III as the dominant strain. Here we report an evolutionary analysis based on 98 full-length genome sequences of JEV, including 67 new samples isolated from humans, pigs, mosquitoes, midges. and bats in affected areas. To investigate the relationships between the genotypes and the significance of genotype I in recent epidemics, we estimated evolutionary rates, ages of common ancestors, and population demographics. Our results indicate that the genotypes diverged in the order IV, III, II, and I and that the genetic diversity of genotype III has decreased rapidly while that of genotype I has increased gradually, consistent with its emergence as the dominant genotype.
Thermodynamics of hexagonal-close-packed iron under Earth’s core conditions

The free energy and other thermodynamic properties of hexagonal-close-packed iron are calculated by direct ab initio methods over a wide range of pressures and temperatures relevant to the Earth’s core. The ab initio calculations are based on density-functional theory in the generalized-gradient approximation, and are performed using the projector augmented wave approach. Thermal excitation of electrons is fully included. The Helmholtz free energy consists of three parts, associated with the rigid perfect lattice, harmonic lattice vibrations, and anharmonic contributions, and the technical problems of calculating these parts to high precision are investigated. The harmonic part is obtained by computing the phonon frequencies over the entire Brillouin zone, and by summation of the free-energy contributions associated with the phonon modes. The anharmonic part is computed by the technique of thermodynamic integration using carefully designed reference systems. Detailed results are presented for the pressure, specific heat, bulk modulus, expansion coefficient and Gruneisen parameter, and comparisons are made with values obtained from diamond-anvil-cell and shock experiments.
Studying the relationship between unemployment periods in Spain: a nonparametric approach

The effect of successive periods of unemployment according to household type has not been analysed in any depth with respect to the Spanish labour market. In this article, we propose a nonparametric methodology based on a data-driven likelihood ratio function to describe the dependence between the duration of successive periods of unemployment according to different household typologies. This study, which uses a very large data set, specifically, the Spanish sample of the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), first reveals a weak dependence between the consecutive unemployment durations in the case of the most frequent household typology. In addition, we find that the first months of the previous spells of unemployment have a significant impact on subsequent expected unemployment duration.
Modelling Dependence in Latin American Markets Using Copula Functions

Two important issues in the analysis of association among financial markets are the degree of dependence and the underlying shape commanding the cross-market dependencies, so that any model used to describe this association must cope with both the issues. In the study presented in this article, we approach the modelling of dependence in two stages. The first stage is based on modelling the dependence between the returns of two assets by means of a single Archimedean copula, whereas the second one takes advantage of the mixture between copulas to gain the necessary flexibility to capture different tail dependence patterns. Both stages have been followed in modelling the dependence among the daily returns of seven Latin American country indices, a regional index and a worldwide index. Our findings have important implications for portfolio risk management. JEL Classification: G11, G15
Two new species of Sabulina (Caryophyllaceae) from Washington State, U.S.A.

Abstract Sabulina basaltica and Sabulina sororia (Caryophyllaceae) are described as new species endemic to Washington State, U.S.A. Sabulina basaltica is restricted to high-elevation, basalt rocks in the northeastern Olympic Mountains, and Sabulina sororia to high-elevation, dunite rocks of the Twin Sisters Range in the North Cascade Mountains. Both were previously confused with Sabulina rossii (formerly called Arenaria rossii or Minuartia rossii). Their recognition as distinct species is supported by morphological and molecular characters and disjunct geographic distributions. Both are illustrated, mapped and compared to related species. We also present a molecular phylogeny of Sabulina based on nuclear ITS and plastid trnQ-rps16 DNA with increased sampling of North American taxa. The phylogeny resolves a single clade containing all glabrous, perennial, North American Sabulina taxa including Sabulina rossii and both of the new species.
Comparison of the Essential Oils of Leaves and Stem Bark from Two Different Populations of Drimys Winteri a Chilean Herbal Medicine

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of stem bark and leaves of Drimys winteri J.R. et G. Foster var. chilensis /DC A. Gray (Winteraceae) from Chiloe Island (ID) and Continental Chile (Santiago) (CD) were studied by GC and GC/MS. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons constituted the main chemical groups in the stem bark oils, with α-santalene, trans-β-bergamotene and curcumenes as the major components. Monoterpenes constituted the main chemical groups in the leaves of Island plants with α-pinene (23.1%) β-pinene (43.6%) and linalool (10.5%) as the main components whereas sesquiterpenes (germacrene D 17.6%) and phenylpropanoids (safrole 20.8%) are the most abundant in the leaves of Continental plants.
Hedging Under the Heston Model with Jump-to-Default

In this paper, we will explain how to perfectly hedge under Heston's stochastic volatility model with jump-to-default, which is in itself a generalization of the Merton jump-to-default model and a special case of the Heston model with jumps. The hedging instruments we use to build the hedge will be as usual the stock and the bond, but also the Variance Swap (VS) and a Credit Default Swap (CDS). These instruments are very natural choices in this setting as the VS hedges against changes in the instantaneous variance rate, while the CDS protects against the occurrence of the default event.First, we explain how to perfectly hedge a power payoff under the Heston model with jump-to-default. These theoretical payoffs play an important role later on in the hedging of payoffs which are more liquid in practice such as vanilla options. After showing how to hedge the power payoffs, we show how to hedge newly introduced Gamma payoffs and Dirac payoffs, before turning to the hedge for the vanillas. The approach is inspired by the Post–Widder formula for real inversion of Laplace transforms. Finally, we will also show how power payoffs can readily be used to approximate any payoff only depending on the value of the underlier at maturity. Here, the theory of orthogonal polynomials comes into play and the technique is illustrated by replicating the payoff of a vanilla call option.
Advertising exposure and use of e‐cigarettes among female current and former tobacco users of childbearing age

OBJECTIVE The study examined the relationship between exposure to e-cigarette advertising and e-cigarette use by pregnancy status, including use of flavored e-cigarette products, among women of childbearing age. DESIGN A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. SUBJECTS Female current or former tobacco users in Central and Eastern Kentucky, 18-45 years old (N = 194, 52% pregnant). MEASURES Demographics, pregnancy status, cigarette and e-cigarette use, and exposure to e-cigarette advertising. RESULTS Younger age, white non-Hispanic race, and greater exposure to e-cigarette advertising were associated with a higher likelihood of ever using e-cigarettes (p < .05 for each variable). Pregnancy was not associated with ever use (p = .11). Younger age was associated with use of flavored e-cigarettes (p = .0027). Among e-cigarette users, those who used flavored products were more likely to have seen advertisements or information about e-cigarettes on social media, compared to those who used unflavored e-cigarettes only (p = .016). CONCLUSION There is a link between advertising exposure and ever use of e-cigarettes. Pregnancy status is not significantly associated with ever use. Use of flavored e-cigarettes is associated with younger age. E-cigarette users with greater exposure to advertising on social media were more likely to use flavored products.
Descending projection neurons to the spinal cord of the goldfish, Carassius auratus

The sources of descending spinal tracts in the goldfish, Carassius auratus, were visualized by retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) administered to the hemisected spinal cord. In the diencephalon, HRP‐positive neurons were identified in the nucleus preopticus magnocellularis pars magnocellularis and ventromedial nucleus of the thalamus of the ipsilateral side. In the mesencephalic tegmentum, a few somata of the contralateral nucleus ruber and several ipsilateral neurons of the nucleus of the median longitudinal fasciculus were labeled. The reticular formation of the rhombencephalon was the major source of descending afferents to the spinal cord. A larger number of neurons were retrogradely labeled in the ipsilateral superior, middle, and inferior nuclei than in the contralateral nuclei. A few raphe neurons and the contralateral Mauthner neuron were also HRP‐positive. The octaval area showed retrogradelyl labeled neurons in the anterior, magnocellular, descending, and posterior octaval nuclei of the ipsilateral side. A large number of neurons in the facial lobe and a few somata located adjacent to the descending trigeminal tract were labeled on the ipsilateral side. The pattern of descending spinal projections in goldfish is comparable to that of tetrapods and suggests that the spinal tracts have originated quite early in the course of vertebrate evolution.
FINANCIAL CRISIS IN ASIA: ITS GENESIS, SEVERITY AND IMPACT ON POVERTY AND HUNGER

Building on the recent literature on finance, growth and hunger, we have examined the experience of Asian countries over the period 1960-2010 by dynamic and static panel data models. We have found evidence favouring a positive role of finance - defined as private credit by banks - on growth of GDP and agricultural value added. Private credit as well as loans from the World Bank significantly reduces undernourishment, while remittances and loans from microfinance institutions appear to have a negative impact on poverty. Our empirical evidence shows that growth performance was significantly lower during the recent global financial crisis than non-crisis periods, though the severity is much smaller during the recent financial crisis than Asian financial crisis.
Whom Do They Serve?: Community Responsiveness Among Hospitals Affiliated With Health Systems and Networks

Background. As the US hospital sector becomes more consolidated, concerns have been raised about whether participation in health systems and health networks may reduce community hospitals’ response to community health needs. Objectives. The following were examined: (1) whether freestanding hospitals and system- and network-affiliated hospitals differed in their level of community responsiveness; and (2) how systems and networks affect the level of community responsiveness in community hospitals. Methods. A cross-sectional design was used. The dependent variables included community orientation, provision of community health services, and Medicaid inpatient load. Independent variables were system/network membership and policy and organizational attributes of the health system/network. Results. With few exceptions, a significantly greater involvement of system and network hospitals was found in providing community health services and inpatient services to Medicaid patients, relative to freestanding hospitals. Community health mission of the system/network and the involvement of the system/network in community partnerships or coalitions were positively related to community orientation in member hospitals. Hospitals affiliated with health systems and hospitals affiliated with more diversified systems or networks tended to provide more community health services. Community health mission of the health system or network was related to greater Medicaid inpatient load in member hospitals. Conclusions. In general, affiliation with health systems and health networks appears to be positively related to community responsiveness in community hospitals. Research future can examine whether such greater community responsiveness is because of the development and improvement of communication channels among elements of health systems and health networks and the ability of health systems and health networks to build a platform of general, administrative services to link various constituencies.
Miniature Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator (OCXO) on a CMOS Chip

This paper presents a one-chip temperature control for an OCXO application with a quartz crystal directly mounted on a CMOS chip. The design of this chip can reduce the size of an entire OCXO package dramatically since no separate PCBs are required for the oscillator, controller, and resonator. The reduced package size leads to less power consumption (303 mW at steady state) and a shorter warm-up time (190 seconds at room temperature). The temperature and frequency stabilities are 0.17 degC and 0.7 ppm respectively in the 0 degC to 60 degC external temperature range
Empirical investigation of party preferences and economic voting in Turkey

Abstract. This article examines the factors that shape party preferences in Turkey by estimating an individual vote intention function that includes both economic and non-economic factors. The economic variables can be used to test the familiar hypotheses of economic voting theory – whether individuals vote retrospectively and/or prospectively, and whether they are sociotropic and/or egotropic. The non-economic factors include sociodemographic characteristics as well as identity and issue variables likely to be good predictors of party choice. The analysis focuses on comparing the characteristics of those who intend to vote for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) with those of other parties. According to multinomial logit estimates, young people, especially males, constitute the electoral base for the AKP. Those who have been affected adversely by recent economic developments, as well as those who are against Turkey's accession to the European Union are also more likely to vote for the AKP. The empirical work also provides evidence in support of economic voting hypotheses.
The Impact of Corporate Governance on IFRS Adoption Choices

We investigate the association between corporate governance strength and EU listed firms' choices with respect to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption in 2005. We measure governance strength by aggregating variables such as board independence, board functioning and audit committee effectiveness. The firms exhibit heterogeneity in both compliance and disclosure quality; some firms do not even meet the minimum disclosure requirements. Regression results show that stronger governance firms disclose more information, comply more fully and use IAS 39's carve-out provision less opportunistically. These findings are germane to accountants, managers and regulators in countries soon to adopt IFRS.
Intra-Industry Trade, Reconsidered: The Role of Technology Transfer and Foreign Direct Investment

This paper investigates novel determinants of intra-industry trade (IIT) of late 1990s Japanese trade. Our empirical analysis shows that IIT is increased not only by the similarity of GDP and factor endowment but also by technology transfer via Japanese FDI. In particular, the current high proportion of Japanese IIT with Asian countries can be explained by technology transfer (licensing between headquarters and overseas affiliates) via FDI.
Single transverse mode operation at 1345 nm wavelength of a diode-laser pumped neodymium:ZBLAN multimode fiber laser

A diode-laser pumped multitransverse-mode neodymium-doped fluoride fiber laser is shown to oscillate in the lowest-order transverse mode when the cavity conditions are optimized. The combination of good pump coupling efficiency, laser operating efficiency, and good overlap of the HE/sub 11/ mode to that of a single-mode fiber, allows up to 12 mW of continuous wave (CW) power to be coupled into a standard single-mode fiber at a 1345-nm wavelength. Improved lens design should significantly increase the power injected into the single-mode fiber from the multimode fiber laser. <<ETX>>
Structure and Activity of Bacterial and Archaeal Community Inhabiting Rice Roots and Rhizosphere : Review

Rice is cultivated worldwide on approximately 155 million hectares, accounting for 14% of world arable lands. The great challenge in rice agriculture is to increase rice production using limiting planting area and to minimize methane emissions from soil. In this review, I report the recent progresses in microbiological studies which are dedicated to the understanding of organic matter transformation in paddy fields. The cutting-age technologies have been rapidly developed and applied to environmental microbiology. One of such technologies is carbon stable isotope labeling in combination with molecular ecology tools, which has been proved very powerful in linking microbial community identities to specific biogeochemical processes in situ. This review will be focused on the application of stable isotope probing in the investigations of active microbes responsible for organic C transformation in the soil surrounding rice roots.
Electromyographic Studies of the Human Foot: Experimental Approaches to Hominid Evolution

Theories about the functions of the foot muscles have centered on their role in arch support. Previous anatomical and electromyographic studies (reviewed herein) have demonstrated that the arches are normally maintained by bones and ligaments. This study reports an electromyographic investigation of five foot muscles (flexor digito-rum longus, flexor digitorum brevis, flexor accessorius, abductor hallucis, and abductor digiti quinti) conducted on four humans. The three toe flexors act together to resist extension of the toes during the stance phase of locomotion. Despite the large flexor accessorius in humans, neither this muscle nor the flexor digitorum brevis are preferentially recruited over the flexor digitorum lon-gus for any normal posture or locomotion. The abductors affect the mediolateral distribution of pressure by positioning the forefoot. We suggest that the foot muscles play an important role in positioning of the forces on the foot in both posture and locomotion. Future electromyographic experiments on human and ape foot muscles in conjunction with detailed studies of early hominid fossils promise to elucidate the pathways of human locomotor evolution.
The weakest link in welfare state legitimacy: European perceptions of moral and administrative failure in the targeting of social benefits

In the field of welfare attitude research, generally studies examining critical attitudes toward the welfare state are rather limited. However, the existing studies find that people are most negative about the mis-targeting of welfare benefits – that is, people are particularly critical of the high overuse (misuse or fraud) and high underuse (non-take-up) of welfare benefits. This study contributes to the current literature by more extensively analyzing perceptions of the overuse and underuse of welfare benefits by revealing the underlying perceptions of moral failure or failed administrative implementation. We also assess how different individual- and contextual-level factors influence those perceptions. We use data from the European Social Survey 2008/2009 for 25 European countries. We find that instead of representing two manifestations of the same concept of mis-targeting, perceptions of the overuse and underuse of benefits appear to be driven by normative ideas and opinions about the administrative effectiveness of the welfare state. Whereas normative ideas about the overuse of benefits are mainly influenced by people’s political ideology and the selectivity of the redistribution system, ideas about the effectiveness of benefits are mainly influenced by people’s institutional trust, the quality of the welfare state and the economic context. We conclude that critical attitudes toward the welfare state have multiple dimensions and can be both substantive and procedural in nature.