Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Banks Still Special?

Banks have long played a special role in the financial system. Individuals and institutions use banks to access the payment system, and central banks rely on banks to transmit monetary policy to the real economy. Hence, financial and economic stability has rested on the stability of the banking system, in particular, on the safety and soundness of systemically important banks. This is the primary reason why banks have access to central banking lending facilities, as well as why banks are regulated and supervised. It has also served as the overriding rationale for the reform of regulation and resolution that the G20 initiated and implemented in the wake of the financial crisis of 2007-08. But, banks are not inherently special. Banks are only as special as central banks make them. Via quantitative easing (QE) as well as eligibility easing (EE), central banks have broadened the transmission mechanism beyond banks. As a result, banks have become less special. This in turn has significant implications for central banks’ responsibilities for liquidity provision, and for the regulation and supervision of financial institutions. Banks’ special role could erode further if central banks introduce central bank digital currencies. Such an innovation would not only replace cash, but could also displace deposits. Central banks could not only impose significantly negative rates of interest; they could potentially determine the volume, distribution and pricing of credit, so that the transmission mechanism becomes direct. That in turn would have significant and not necessarily positive implications for banks, for financial markets and for the economy at large.
The common oncogenomic program of NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 signaling in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Notch is a major oncogenic driver in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), in part because it binds to an enhancer that increases expression of MYC. Here, we exploit the capacity of activated NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 to induce T-ALL, despite substantial divergence in their intracellular regions, as a means to elucidate a broad, common Notch-dependent oncogenomic program through systematic comparison of the transcriptomes and Notch-bound genomic regulatory elements of NOTCH1- and NOTCH3-dependent T-ALL cells. ChIP-seq studies show a high concordance of functional NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 genomic binding sites that are enriched in binding motifs for RBPJ, the transcription factor that recruits activated Notch to DNA. The interchangeability of NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 was confirmed by rescue of NOTCH1-dependent T-ALL cells with activated NOTCH3 and vice versa. Despite remarkable overall similarity, there are nuanced differences in chromatin landscapes near critical common Notch target genes, most notably at a Notch-dependent enhancer that regulates MYC, which correlates with responsiveness to Notch pathway inhibitors. Overall, a common oncogenomic program driven by binding of either Notch is sufficient to maintain T-ALL cell growth, whereas cell-context specific differences appear to influence the response of T-ALL cells to Notch inhibition.
Factors predicting failure of AV “fistula first” policy in the elderly

An arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferential hemodialysis (HD) access. The goal of this study was to identify factors associated with pre‐dialysis AVF failure in an elderly HD population. We used United States Renal Data System + Medicare claims data to identify patients ≥67 years old who had an AVF as their initial vascular access placed pre‐dialysis. Failure of the AVF to be used for initial HD, was used as the outcome. Logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with AVF failure. The study cohort consisted of 20,360 subjects (76.2 ± 6.02 year old, 58.5% men). Forty‐eight percent of patients initiated dialysis using an AVF, while 52% used a catheter or an AVG. The following variables found to be associated with AVF failure when an AVF was created at least 4 months pre‐HD initiation: older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.02), female gender (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.55–1.83), black race (OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.26–1.58), history of diabetes (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.06–1.39), cardiac failure (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.15–1.37), and shorter duration of pre–end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) nephrology care (OR for a nephrology care of less than 6 months prior to ESRD of 1.22 compared with a pre‐ESRD nephrology follow up of more than 12 months; 95% CI 1.07–1.38). OR for AVF failure for the entire cohort showed similar findings. In an elderly HD population, there is an association of older age, female gender, black race, diabetes, cardiac failure and shorter pre‐ESRD nephrology care with predialysis AVF failure.
Gastric nitric oxide synthase expression during endotoxemia: implications in mucosal defense in rats.

BACKGROUND & AIMS This study was performed to examine expression of gastric nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms during endotoxemia in rats and to assess their role(s) in gastric injury from bile and ethanol. METHODS Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enhanced the expression and activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase in gastric mucosa in a dose- and time-dependent manner. RESULTS Endothelial nitric oxide synthase and neural nitric oxide synthase expression did not significantly change, but constitutive nitric oxide synthase activity decreased over time. LPS alone caused injury to the gastric mucosa and disrupted F-actin filaments in the same cells with enhanced immunostaining for inducible nitric oxide synthase. LPS also exacerbated gastric injury from the mild irritants 5 mmol/L acidified taurocholate and 20% ethanol as did local intra-arterial infusion of the nitric oxide donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine. The selective inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor aminoguanidine negated LPS-induced exacerbation of gastric injury from these irritants. The nonselective NOS inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester augmented the deleterious effects of LPS, an effect reversed by L-arginine but not D-arginine. Aminoguanidine, but not N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, negated LPS-induced accumulation of gastric luminal nitrates. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that increased inducible NOS activity and decreased constitutive nitric oxide synthase activity are primarily responsible for exacerbating gastric injury from luminal irritants during endotoxemia. Moreover, septic patients may be more susceptible to gastric injury from bile during gastrointestinal ileus.
Association of Preventive Maintenance Therapy Compliance and Peri‐Implant Diseases: A Cross‐Sectional Study

BACKGROUND This study aims to investigate association between peri-implant maintenance therapy (PIMT) and the frequency of peri-implant diseases and to further identify factors that contribute to failure of PIMT compliance. METHODS A cross-sectional study on patients who were healthy and partially edentulous was conducted. They were grouped in the following categories according to PIMT compliance: 1) regular compliers (RC) (≥2 PIMT/year); 2) erratic compliers (EC) (<2 PIMT/year); and 3) non-compliers (NC) (no PIMT). Radiographic and clinical analyses were carried out including probing depth (PD), plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), mucosal redness (MR), suppuration (SUP), keratinized mucosa dimension, and marginal bone loss. A multiple logistic regression model was estimated at implant and patient level to obtain adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and to control possible confounding effects among variables. RESULTS Overall, 206 implants in 115 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria. At patient level, it was shown that association between compliance and peri-implant condition was statistically significant (P = 0.04). Compliance was associated with 86% fewer conditions of peri-implantitis. The probability of PIMT compliance was substantially associated with frequency of peri-implantitis (OR = 0.13, P = 0.01). Patients with a history of periodontal disease multiplied their probability of being EC (versus NC) 4.23 times with respect to not having a history of periodontal disease (P = 0.02). Moreover, light smokers significantly resulted to be NC compared with RC (P = 0.04) and EC (P = 0.02). Nevertheless, mucositis was not found to be statistically associated with level of compliance. In addition, PD, PI, BOP, MR, and SUP varied significantly according to PIMT compliance and peri-implant condition. CONCLUSIONS Peri-implant maintenance compliance ≥2 PIMT/year seems to be crucial to prevent peri-implantitis in healthy patients. Furthermore, history of periodontal disease and disease severity, as well as its extent and a smoking habit, appear to be factors that influence the compliance risk profile (NCT02789306).
Management of rhinosinusitis in children: consensus meeting, Brussels, Belgium, September 13, 1996.

OBJECTIVES To (1) provide definitions for the different forms of pediatric rhinosinusitis, with an enumeration of the main symptoms and signs; (2) provide indications for microbiological, allergic, and immunologic assessment as well as for imaging studies; (3) suggest standard medical management with judicious use of antimicrobial agents; and (4) discuss indications for surgery. DATA SOURCES Clinical studies and literature data relevant to the different topics of pediatric rhinosinusitis. CONCLUSIONS Rhinosinusitis in children is a multifactorial disease in which the importance of several predisposing factors changes with increasing age. Continued study to obtain a better understanding of the disease and carefully controlled comparative evaluations of medical and surgical therapies are suggested.
Individual delirium symptoms: Do they matter?*

Objectives:To evaluate the impact of individual manifestations of delirium on outcome, describe them in critically ill adults, and validate nurses' bedside item assessments from the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC). Design:Prospective study. Setting:Single 16-bed medical/surgical university hospital intensive care unit. Patients:Six hundred consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit for >24 hrs. Interventions:All patients were evaluated with the eight-item ICDSC throughout their intensive care unit stay. In all patients scoring positive on any ICDSC item, individual checklist items were tallied throughout the intensive care unit stay and assessed for impact on mortality. In addition, when the ICDSC score indicated delirium (≥4 of 8), the subsequent overall frequency of each item was also independently documented to describe delirious patient symptoms. ICDSC items were tested for discrimination between delirious and nondelirious patients. Throughout the study, the validity of bedside delirium assessments was assessed in 30 nurses. Measurements and Main Results:We were able to assess 537 patients. In nondelirious patients, psychomotor agitation by ICDSC assessment was associated with a higher risk of mortality after adjustment for Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation, age, and the presence of coma. One hundred eight-nine patients (35.1%) developed delirium (i.e., ICDSC score ≥4). On presentation (and throughout the intensive care unit stay), the most frequent features of delirium were inattention, disorientation, and psychomotor agitation. Each ICDSC item was highly discriminating between delirious vs. nondelirious patients. Correlation between gold standard adjudicators and nurses for the overall bedside evaluations of delirium were excellent (Pearson's correlation R = 0.924, p < .0005). Individual symptom evaluation by nurses varied: Alteration in level of consciousness was poorest (R = 0.681, p < .0005), and both disorientation and hallucinations evaluated best (R = 1.000). Conclusions:In nondelirious patients, agitation was associated with a higher risk of mortality. Each of the eight ICDSC items is highly discriminating for the diagnosis of delirium, suggesting that any screening or diagnostic scales should incorporate them. Quality assurance and educational efforts should, therefore, emphasize independent assessment of the individual features of delirium.
Sturdy childhood predictors of adult antisocial behaviour: replications from longitudinal studies

Synopsis Results are compared in studies of 4 male cohorts – 1 all white, 1 all black, and 2 racially representative of the population – growing up in different eras, followed past varying portions of their adult lives, living in different parts of the US. Despite sample differences and differences in sources of information and in the variables used to measure both childhood predictors and adult outcomes, some striking replications appear with respect to childhood predictors of adult antisocial behaviour. All types of antisocial behaviour in childhood predict a high level of antisocial behaviour in adulthood and each kind of adult antisocial behaviour is predicted by the number of childhood antisocial behaviours, indicating that adult and childhood antisocial behaviour both form syndromes and that these syndromes are closely interconnected. Also confirmed across studies are: (1) adult antisocial behaviour virtually requires childhood antisocial behaviour; (2) most antisocial children do not become antisocial adults; (3) the variety of antisocial behaviour in childhood is a better predictor of adult antisocial behaviour than is any particular behaviour; (4) adult antisocial behaviour is better predicted by childhood behaviour than by family background or social class of rearing; (5) social class makes little contribution to the prediction of serious adult antisocial behaviour.
Los Angeles employment concentration in the 21st century

This paper is an empirical analysis of employment centres in the Los Angeles region from 1997 to 2014. Most extant work on employment centres focuses on identification methodology or their dynamics during a period of industrial restructuring from 1980 to 2000. We analyse employment centres using point-based, rather than census tract-based employment data and a non-parametric identification method with a single concept of proximity. We focus on changes across five key industries: knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS), retail, creative, industrial and high-tech, emphasising changes in centre composition as well as their boundaries. Results show far greater change across centres than previous longitudinal studies. Only 43% of the land area that is in an employment centre is part of one in both 1997 and 2014. Using a persistence score, centres range from stable to highly fluctuating, but emerging, persisting and dying centres are found in core and fringe areas alike. KIBS are most associated with stable centres, while high tech employment is attracted toward emerging areas and retail exists throughout. Emerging centres are more likely to have greater accessibility, while industrial employment becomes far more concentrated in centres by 2014.
Size and Development of the Shadow Economies of 157 Countries Worldwide: Updated and New Measures from 1999 to 2013

This paper is a first attempt to study the size and development of the shadow economies of 157 countries over 1999 to 2013. Using a MIMIC model, we find that higher tax and regulatory burden, unemployment and self-employment rates are drivers of the shadow economy, meaning that an increase of these causal variables increases the shadow economy. Our result also confirms previous findings of Friedrich Schneider, Andreas Buehn and Claudia Montenegro (2010). The estimated average of informality of 157 countries around the world, including developing, eastern European, central Asian and high income OECD countries averaged over 1999 to 2013 is 33.77% of official GDP. A critical discussion about the size of these macro-estimates comes to the conclusion that most likely the "true" shadow economy of these countries is only 69% of their estimated macro-MIMIC-values.
The determinants of Kenya’s external debt sustainability

Many developing countries rely heavily on external debt and as a result a group of low income countries classified as Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) have continued to experience difficulties in managing and servicing their huge stocks of external debt. Most of these countries including Kenya are in sub-Saharan Africa. The relatively high level of Kenya’s external indebtedness and rising debt burden has serious implications on the country’s development and debt sustainability. Kenya has relied much on foreign debt to finance its budgets. To date, this dependence on external resources has become entrenched in financing government projects and operations in the country which has led to an increase in the stock of external debt. This debt has been rising over the years and the question is, will it be sustainable? This paper therefore examines the determinants of Kenya’s external debt sustainability. The findings of the study indicate that Kenya’s external debt sustainability is determined mainly by exports, GDP, domestic debt and external debt. External debt accumulation has been rising over the years with debt burden indicators increasing steadily in the early 1990s. Using time series data for the period 1967-2011, the empirical results indicated strong positive relationship between external debt sustainability, exports and GDP and the findings further reveals that there is a negative relationship between external debt sustainability ,domestic debt and external deb t. Some policy implications emerge from the study. To enhance Kenya’s external debt sustainability the government must increase its GDP and exports as this will lead to increase in external debt sustainability.
Treatment of multiple adjacent maxillary Miller Class I, II, and III gingival recessions with the modified coronally advanced tunnel, enamel matrix derivative, and subepithelial connective tissue graft: A report of 12 cases.

OBJECTIVE To clinically evaluate the healing of multiple adjacent maxillary Miller Class I, II, and III gingival recessions (MAGR) treated with the modified coronally advanced tunnel (MCAT) in conjunction with an enamel matrix derivative (EMD) and subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG). METHOD AND MATERIALS Twelve systemically healthy patients (6 females) with a total of 54 adjacent maxillary Miller Class I, II, or III MAGR were consecutively treated with MCAT in conjunction with EMD and SCTG. Out of the 54 recessions, 44 were classified as Miller Class I, five as Miller Class II, and five as Miller Class III. Patients were included in the study if they presented at least two adjacent recessions with a depth of ≥ 3 mm. Measurements were made at baseline (immediately before reconstructive surgery) and at 12 months postoperatively. The primary outcome variable was complete root coverage (CRC) (ie, 100% root coverage). RESULTS Healing was uneventful in all cases without any complications such as postoperative bleeding, allergic reactions, abscesses, or loss of SCTG. At 12 months, statistically highly significant (P < .0001) root coverage was obtained in all patients and recessions. CRC was obtained in 37 Miller Class I, three Miller Class II, and one Miller Class III recessions, respectively. Mean root coverage was 96%. Mean keratinized tissue width increased statistically highly significantly (P < .004) from 2.04 ± 0.95 mm at baseline to 2.37 ± 0.89 mm at 12 months. CONCLUSION The present findings indicate that the proposed treatment concept results in predictable coverage of multiple adjacent maxillary Miller Class I, II, and III MAGR.
Genetic Dissection of Cell Growth Arrest Functions Mediated by the Epstein-Barr Virus Lytic Gene Product, Zta

ABSTRACT Expression of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latency-associated genes activates cell cycle progression and drives immortalization of the infected cell. In contrast, progression of the EBV replication program occurs most efficiently in growth-arrested cells. Previous studies showed that the EBV-encoded immediate-early transcription factor, Zta, can induce expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p21 and p27, the tumor suppressor, p53, and cell growth arrest. Moreover, Zta-mediated induction of growth arrest occurs independently of its transcriptional transactivation function. Here we show that substitution of Zta’s basic DNA binding domain with the analogous region of the Zta homologue, c-Fos, abrogates Zta’s ability to induce growth arrest and to induce p21, p27, or p53 expression, suggesting that protein-protein interactions between this region of Zta and key cell cycle control proteins are involved in signaling cell cycle arrest. We also show that despite the crucial role for Zta’s basic domain in eliciting cell growth arrest, its amino terminus is required for efficient induction of p27 and it modulates the level of p53 induction. Last, we provide evidence that Zta-mediated inductions of p21, p27, and p53 occur, at least in part, through distinct pathways. Therefore, Zta interacts with multiple growth arrest pathways, a property which may have evolved partly as a means to ensure that lytic replication occurs in a growth-arrested setting in multiple different tissues in various states of differentiation.
Title: Long-run and Short-run Determinants of Original Sinners' Sovereign Spreads

This paper builds an empirical model of sovereign spreads and its determinants, relying on recent theories on imperfect capital markets and balance sheet effects. We investigate nine European emerging economies that suffer from the “original sin”, over the period 2001-2011, using pooled mean group estimator of dynamic panel error correction model. This methodology improves estimation efficiency and model performance, but it also allows differentiation between long-run and short-run spread determinants. We find that in the longrun, sovereign spreads increase in response to a higher share of external debt in GDP, while they move in the opposite direction when the shares of current account and international reserves in GDP rise. In the short-run, sovereign spreads deviate from the long-run equilibrium, with half of the adjustment taking place in eight months. Our results suggest that in the short-run, higher external debt service caused by exchange rate depreciation, i.e. balance sheet effect, and market volatility tend to raise spreads, while higher tax revenues tend to decrease them. Moreover, we show that the rise in sovereign spreads is not due to the increase in the size of external debt, but due to larger debt burden represented by balance sheet effects.
Parameters influencing the dissolved oxygen in the boundary layer of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) embryos and larvae

SUMMARY We investigated the influence of oxygen demand (developmental stage) and supply (hypoxia, water flow rate, the chorion and body movements) on the oxygen concentration within the boundary layer next to the chorion of embryos or skin of larvae of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Oxygen microelectrodes were used to measure dissolved oxygen (DO) within the boundary layer of trout embryos and larvae. As the embryos and larvae developed, the DO gradient and the thickness of the boundary layer increased. The DO concentration within the boundary layer next to the chorion or skin surface decreased as the DO concentration in the free-stream water decreased. A decrease in water flow rate increased the magnitude of the gradient and thickness of the boundary layer. In normoxia, the DO in the perivitelline fluid inside the chorion was 16±3.0% saturation at 31 days post fertilization, indicating that the chorion was a significant barrier to oxygen diffusion. The number of body movements did not change when embryos were exposed to hypoxia before hatching, but after hatching, hypoxia resulted in a decrease in body movements of the larvae. Taken together, our data indicate that the oxygen boundary layer around trout embryos and larvae depends on both the oxygen demand and supply. The factors that significantly impacted boundary layer oxygen were developmental stage, free-stream oxygen levels, water flow rate, and the presence of the chorion.