Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric Nominal Flexibility and Economic Fluctuations

Recent research has produced strong evidence that supports the asymmetric effects of positive and negative money supply shocks. Using quarterly data for the United States, the evidence of Cover [10] suggests that positive money supply shocks do not have an effect on output while negative money-supply shocks do. The asymmetric impact of demand shocks on real output growth is not addressed in the context of mainstream business-cycle theories which include the equilibrium explanation pioneered by Lucas [21] and neo-Keynesian models emphasizing nominal wage rigidity [14; 15] or price rigidity [2]. In the context of Lucas's paradigm, agents are scattered in informationaly isolated islands across the economy. An unexpected, positive or negative, change in aggregate demand may be misperceived by agents as being specific to their markets. In the case of a positive demand shock, producers and workers expand the output and labor supplied to take advantage of the perceived increased demand in their island. Similarly, agents are expected to contract the output produced in response to a perceived reduction in the demand for their output. This scenario does not provide an obvious theoretical channel through which the slope of the short-run supply curve can be differentiated depending on the direction of the change in aggregate demand. In the context of a contractual wage rigidity framework, the nominal wage is fixed for a duration that is determined by contractual agreements. According to this framework, a change in aggregate demand deviates the real wage from its market clearing value for a duration that is determined by the contract length. A positive demand shock will raise the price level, decrease the real wage and, in turn, cause an expansion in labor demand and the output produced in the short-run. A negative demand shock, in contrast, raises the realized real wage which has a negative impact on labor demand and the output produced in the short-run. In the absence of any stipulation in contracts that differentiates the degree of wage rigidity in response to a positive and negative demand shock, the slope of the short-run supply curve is not likely to be differentiated based on the direction of change in aggregate demand. In the context of the sticky-price explanation of business cycles, the price level across sectors of the economy is fixed for a specific duration. A change, positive or negative, in aggregate demand will be absorbed in output as long as the price level remains fixed in the short-run. In the absence of any stipulation that differentiates the upward and downward stickiness of the price
Technological and non-technological innovation and productivity in services vis-à-vis manufacturing sectors

ABSTRACT In this paper, the links between investment in innovation activities, innovation outputs (technological and non-technological innovation) and productivity in services vis-à-vis the manufacturing sector are explored using innovation survey data from Uruguay. The size of firms, their cooperation in R&D activities, the use of public financial support, patent protection and the use of market sources of information are very important drivers of the decision to invest in innovation activities across sectors. The main determinants of technological and non-technological innovations are the level of investment in innovation activities and the size of the firm. The results indicate that both technological and non-technological innovations are positively associated to productivity gains in services, but non-technological innovations have a more important role. The reverse happens for manufacturing, where technological innovations are more relevant for productivity.
Molecular Karyotype of the White Rot FungusPleurotus ostreatus

ABSTRACT The white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus is an edible basidiomycete with increasing agricultural and biotechnological importance. Genetic manipulation and breeding of this organism are restricted because of the lack of knowledge about its genomic structure. In this study, we analyzed the genomic constitution ofP. ostreatus by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis optimized for the separation of its chromosomes. We have determined that it contains 11 pairs of chromosomes with sizes ranging from 1.4 to 4.7 Mbp. In addition to chromosome separation, the use of single-copy DNA probes allowed us to resolve the ambiguities caused by chromosome comigration. When the two nuclei present in the dikaryon were separated by protoplasting, analysis of their karyotypes revealed length polymorphisms affecting various chromosomes. This is, to our knowledge, the clearest chromosome separation available for this species.
Loss, humiliation and entrapment among women developing depression: a patient and non-patient comparison

Synopsis This paper is part of a series dealing with the role of life events in the onset of depressive disorders. Women who developed depression in a general population sample in Islington in North London are contrasted with a National Health Service-treated series of depressed patients in the same area. Findings among the latter confirm the importance of a severely threatening provoking event for onset among the majority of depressed women patients. The results for the two series are similar except for a small subgroup of patients characterized by a melancholic/psychotic condition with a prior episode. The severe events of importance have been recognized for some time by the traditional ratings of the Life Events and Difficulty Schedule (LEDS). However, the full descriptive material collected by the LEDS has been used to develop a new refined measure reflecting the likelihood of feelings of humiliation and being trapped following a severely threatening event, in addition to existing measures of loss or danger. The experience of humiliation and entrapment was important in provoking depression in both the patient and non-patient series. It proved to be associated with a far greater risk of depression than the experience of loss or danger without humiliation or entrapment.
Is famine exposure during developmental life in rural Bangladesh associated with a metabolic and epigenetic signature in young adulthood? A historical cohort study

Objectives Famine exposure in utero can ‘programme’ an individual towards type 2 diabetes and obesity in later life. We sought to identify, (1) whether Bangladeshis exposed to famine during developmental life are programmed towards diabetes and obesity, (2) whether this programming was specific to gestational or postnatal exposure windows and (3) whether epigenetic differences were associated with famine exposure. Design A historical cohort study was performed as part of a wider cross-sectional survey. Exposure to famine was defined through birth date and historical records and participants were selected according to: (A) exposure to famine in postnatal life, (B) exposure to famine during gestation and (C) unexposed. Setting Matlab, a rural area in the Chittagong division of Bangladesh. Participants Young adult men and women (n=190) recruited to a historical cohort study with a randomised subsample included in an epigenetic study (n=143). Outcome measures Primary outcome measures of weight, body mass index and oral glucose tolerance tests (0 and 120 min glucose). Secondary outcome measures included DNA methylation using genome-wide and targeted analysis of metastable epialleles sensitive to maternal nutrition. Results More young adults exposed to famine in gestation were underweight than those postnatally exposed or unexposed. In contrast, more young adults exposed to famine postnatally were overweight compared to those gestationally exposed or unexposed. Underweight adults exposed to famine in gestation in utero were hyperglycaemic following a glucose tolerance test, and those exposed postnatally had elevated fasting glucose, compared to those unexposed. Significant differences in DNA methylation at seven metastable epialleles (VTRNA2-1, PAX8, PRDM-9, near ZFP57, near BOLA, EXD3) known to vary with gestational famine exposure were identified. Conclusions Famine exposure in developmental life programmed Bangladeshi offspring towards diabetes and obesity in adulthood but gestational and postnatal windows of exposure had variable effects on phenotype. DNA methylation differences were replicated at previously identified metastable epialleles sensitive to periconceptual famine exposure.
A Preliminary Investigation of Shape Memory Alloys in the Surgical Correction of Scoliosis

Nitinol, a shape memory alloy, is flexible at low temperatures but retains its original shape when heated. This offers interesting, possibilities for scoliosis correction, Of the shape memory alloys, nitinol is the most promising medically because of biocompatibility and the ability to control transition temperature. In vivo: Six goats with- experimental scoliosis were Instrumented with 6-mm nitinol rode. The rods were transformed, end the scoliosis corrected, in the awakened goats by 450-kHz radio frequency Induction heating. The curves averaged 41$$ before instrumentation, 33$$ after instrumentation, and 11$$ after rod transformation. The animals tolerated the heating without discomfort, neurologic injury, orevidence of thermal Injury to the tissues or the spinal cord. In vitro: Nitinol rods were tested under both constant deflection and constant loading conditions and plotted temperature versus either force or displacement. The 6− mm rod generated forces of 200 N. The 9-mm rod generated up to 500 N, We safely coupled shape memory alloy transformation to the spine and corrected an experimental spinal Deformlty In awake animals. The forces generated can be estimated by the rod's curvature and temperature. The use of shape memory alloys allows continuous neurologic monitoring during awake correction, true rotational correction by rod torsion, and the potential option of periodic correction to take advantage of spinal viscoelasticity and the potential of true rotational correction by rod torsion,
Intrarenal angiotensin II: interstitial and cellular levels and site of production.

BACKGROUND Both local production and angiotensin II subtype 1 (AT1) receptor-mediated uptake from the circulation contribute to the high levels of angiotensin (Ang) II in the kidney. It is largely unknown where Ang II is produced in the kidney and how much of it originates from the circulation. METHODS The concentrations of endogenous and 125I-labeled Ang I and II were measured in renal tissue and in blood from pigs receiving systemic infusions of 125I-Ang I. Pigs were either untreated or treated with the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor captopril or the AT1 receptor antagonist eprosartan. RESULTS 125I-Ang I was undetectable in renal tissue but the steady-state concentrations of 125I-Ang II in cortical and medullary tissue were four and two times the concentration in arterial blood plasma, respectively. The tissue concentrations of endogenous Ang II were 100 and 60 times higher than in arterial plasma. Eprosartan reduced 125I-Ang II accumulation by 90%, but did not lower tissue Ang II. Captopril did not alter either 125I-Ang II accumulation or tissue Ang II. CONCLUSIONS The bulk of Ang II in the kidney is cell-associated. The high tissue/blood concentration ratio of endogenous Ang II may depend on the same mechanism as demonstrated for 125I-Ang II, that is, AT1 receptor-mediated binding to cells and endocytosis. If so, the results indicate that most renal AT1 receptors are exposed to locally generated Ang II rather than Ang II from the circulation. We propose the existence of a low-Ang II vascular system-related interstitial compartment that is separate from tubular fluid, where, according to micropuncture studies, Ang II levels might be high.
Efficacy of one- vs. two-stent implantation for coronary bifurcation lesions in diabetic patients utilizing AIR2 as an endpoint.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the long term outcomes (all-cause death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, and silent restenosis at 12 months) of one-stent vs. two-stent implantation due to coronary bifurcation lesionsin diabetic patients using AIR2 as a new endpoint. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 178 diabetic patients with true coronary bifurcation lesions underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in the DK-Crush trials. All patients were stratified based on the stent placement strategy: one-stent group (n=76) and two-stent group (n=102). Results showed the primary endpoint, AIR2, in one-stent group was twice that in two-stent group (32.9% vs. 16.7%, P=0.013). The incidence of silent restenosis at 12 months was also significantly higher in one-stent group (19.7% versus 4.9%, P=0.003). Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the cumulative AIR2-free survival rate after a 12-month follow-up was markedly lower in one-stent group than in two-stent group. Interestingly, MACEs, including death, myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization, were not comparable between 2 groups (13.2% vs. 12.7%, P=0.935). Likewise, the incidence of definite or probable ST in one-stent group was also similar to that in two-stent group (2.6% vs. 4.9%, P=0.761). CONCLUSION Our study indicates that, in terms of the AIR2 as a combined clinical and angiographic endpoint, two-stent implantation is superior to one-stent implantation for the treatment of coronary bifurcation intervention in diabetic patients.
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in the management of cancer patients with anemia: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are widely used in the management of anemia in cancer patients. Despite their apparent effectiveness, recent studies have suggested that ESAs could result in serious adverse events and even higher mortality. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the benefits and risks of ESAs in the management of cancer patients with anemia using a meta-analysis. METHODS The initial literature search covered Medline, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials, and identified 1,569 articles. The final meta-analysis included eight randomized controlled trials (n=2,387) in cancer patients with <11 g/dL hemoglobin (Hb) at the baseline and target Hb (for stopping ESA treatment) at no more than 13 g/dL. The assessment measures included Hb response, blood transfusion rate and adverse events that included venous thromboemblism (VTE), hypertension, and on-study mortality. The results are expressed as pooled odds ratio (OR). Publication bias was assessed using funnel plot analysis. RESULTS ESAs significantly increased the Hb concentration [OR 7.85, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.85 to 10.53, P<0.001] and reduced the red blood cell (RBC) transfusion rate (OR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.65, P<0.001). ESAs did not increase the accumulated adverse events (OR 0.95, P=0.82), or the on-study mortality (OR 1.09, P=0.47). CONCLUSIONS ESAs are not associated with increased frequency of severe adverse events in anemic cancer patients when the target Hb value is no more than 13 g/dL.
Quantal components of the excitatory postsynaptic currents at a rat central auditory synapse

1 Paired whole‐cell recordings were made from a glutamatergic giant nerve terminal, the calyx of Held, and its postsynaptic target cell in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) in the brainstem slice of juvenile rat. Excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were evoked by presynaptic action potentials triggered by brief (1 ms) depolarizing pulses. 2 In normal artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF), EPSCs of several nanoamperes in amplitude were evoked at a relatively constant latency with no failure, whereas in low [Ca2+]o‐high [Mg2+]o solutions, EPSCs fluctuated both in amplitude and latency, and stochastic failures of transmitter release were observed in response to presynaptic action potentials. 3 After blocking action potentials with tetrodotoxin (TTX), direct depolarization of the calyceal preterminal elicited asynchronous release of miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs). When the magnitude of depolarization was increased, mEPSCs increased in frequency. Being consistent with their quantal nature, their mean amplitude remained constant over a wide range of frequencies. The amplitude distribution of mEPSCs was slightly skewed (skewness = 1.06), with a mean conductance of 0.45 nS and a coefficient of variation (c.v.) of 0.43. 4 Single‐channel conductance underlying mEPSCs was estimated using non‐stationary fluctuation analysis. The weighted mean single channel conductance was 20.4 pS, suggesting that a single quantum opens 22 postsynaptic glutamate receptor channels on average. 5 After washing out TTX, EPSCs evoked by presynaptic action potentials were tested for quantal analysis based upon the mean amplitude of mEPSCs and their variance. In low [Ca2+]o‐high [Mg2+]o solutions, quantal contents estimated from the EPSC/mEPSC ratio, rate of failures or c.v. assuming Poisson's statistics, coincided with each other. Evoked EPSCs could be fitted by integer multiples of mEPSCs with an assumption of incremental variance more adequately than the constant variance assumption. 6 It is concluded that the rat central auditory synaptic transmission is made in a quantal manner as at the frog neuromuscular junction.
CT and MR imaging of generalized cystic lymphangiomatosis in pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe the spectrum of abnormalities seen in generalized cystic lymphangiomatosis as shown by CT and MR imaging and to correlate these findings to gross pathology. CONCLUSION MR imaging and CT may substantially broaden visualization of the spectrum of abnormalities seen in generalized cystic lymphangiomatosis by revealing the complete extent of disease and, thus, may contribute to clinical management of the disease by preventing initial misdiagnosis.
Disease‐ or therapy‐related bone marrow damage cannot be overcome by changes in stem cell source or dose in allogeneic transplantation

Abstract: Objective: To test whether the functional impairment of the host bone marrow (BM) microenvironment pre‐existing at the time of transplantation could be overcome by the increased content of immature cells in allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) when compared with bone marrow transplantation (BMT).
The Molecular Basis of VEGFR-1 Signal Transduction Pathways in Primary Human Monocytes

Objective—Arteriogenesis, the growth of preexisting arterioles into functional arteries, is dependent on the proper function of monocytes. Likewise, wound healing is monocyte-dependent. The activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) in monocytes induces a chemotactic response, triggers the expression of tissue factor, and gene expression of cytokines and chemokines. Little is known about intracellular signaling pathways mediating the biological functions triggered by VEGFR-1 in primary monocytes. Methods and Results—Monocytes were isolated from peripheral venous blood of young healthy individuals using indirect magnetic labeling. Stimulation of monocytes with either vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) or placenta growth factor (PlGF-1) triggered VEGFR-1 autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of distinct downstream proteins: phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K), Akt, p38, and extracellular signal–regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK1/2). PI-3K appears to be a central regulator in VEGFR-1 signaling in monocytes as the activation of Akt, p38, and ERK1/2 are PI-3-K–dependent. In addition, Akt activation functions downstream of p38 kinase. VEGFR-1–mediated chemotaxis of monocytes is dependent on the activation of PI-3K, p38 kinase, Akt, and ERK1/2, when assessed in a modified Boyden chamber. Conclusions—Both PlGF-1 and VEGF-A can activate VEGFR-1–dependent signaling pathways in primary human monocytes, leading to the activation of several intracellular signaling pathways. These pathways are critically involved in primary monocyte chemotaxis.
Assessment of the Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire Among Child Molesters and Nonsexual Forensic Offenders

The Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire (WSFQ; Wilson, 1978) is a 40-item self-report questionnaire that assesses 4 types of sexual fantasies: Exploratory, Intimate, Impersonal, and Sadomasochistic. The goal of the present study was to examine the differences between child molesters (n = 64) and nonsexual offenders (n = 41) on the WSFQ. Comparisons included the four underlying factors, 2 factors associated with the fantasizer's role in the fantasy (active vs. passive), and 2 items most closely related to sexual molestation behavior. Results found that molesters reported higher scores on the Exploratory and Intimate subscales, as well as overall fantasy. Scores on the Impersonal and Sadomasochistic subscales were not significantly different. Molesters also reported higher scores on fantasies where they were the actor, and higher scores on fantasies most closely related to sexual molestation behavior. Subsequent analyses found that both offender groups reported significantly lower levels of fantasies than college comparison subjects and noncriminal sexual deviants. Differences among the 2 study groups are discussed in terms of social and cognitive characteristics of molesters.
Role of Orbitofrontal Cortex Connections in Emotion

Abstract: The orbitofrontal cortex is extensively connected with diverse neural areas that underlie its participation in emotional function. It receives extensive sensory input and sends output to areas important for emotional processing and expression, including medial temporal cortical areas, hypothalamic and brain stem autonomic areas, and the amygdala. In the rat, the functional relationship between the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala has been investigated in numerous recent studies. Clearer understanding of the complex connections between the rat orbitofrontal cortex and the amygdala is fundamental to elucidating the functional contributions of these pathways. Recent work shows that, as in the primate, the subdivisions of the rat orbitofrontal cortex issue different patterns of projections to the amygdala, with intriguing variations in the relative distribution of projections to the sensory‐related basal areas compared with output areas, such as the central nucleus. Notably, as has been observed in the monkey, the rat orbitofrontal cortex targets the intercalated nuclei, which contain GABAergic interneurons and provide local inhibitory influences within the amygdala. The complex connections between the orbitofrontal cortex and the amygdala, as well as other areas involved in emotion, suggest important implications for the role of the orbitofrontal cortex in anxiety disorders, in which emotional expression is not appropriate to the situation.