Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Financial Crisis and Corporate Credit Ratings

ABSTRACT: Credit ratings on many financial instruments failed to accurately portray default risk before the global financial crisis. I find no decline in the performance of corporate credit ratings during or after the crisis, indicating that the failures of ratings on financial instruments were due to conditions unique to the rating agencies' financial instruments divisions. Rather, the preponderance of tests indicate that corporate credit rating performance improves after the crisis, consistent with the rating agencies positively responding to public criticism and regulatory pressures. At the same time, I find evidence of sophisticated market participants decreasing their reliance on corporate credit ratings after the crisis. Consistent with theoretical models of reputation cyclicality, a likely explanation is that the rating agencies suffer spillover reputation damage from their failed ratings on financial instruments. My study informs regulators, practitioners, and academics about the performance of co.
Evidence for abnormal early development in a mouse model of Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects mainly females, associated in most cases to mutations in the MECP2 gene. After an apparently normal prenatal and perinatal period, patients display an arrest in growth and in psychomotor development, with autistic behaviour, hand stereotypies and mental retardation. Despite this classical description, researchers always questioned whether RTT patients did have subtle manifestations soon after birth. This issue was recently brought to light by several studies using different approaches that revealed abnormalities in the early development of RTT patients. Our hypothesis was that, in the mouse models of RTT as in patients, early neurodevelopment might be abnormal, but in a subtle manner, given the first descriptions of these models as initially normal. To address this issue, we performed a postnatal neurodevelopmental study in the Mecp2tm1.1Bird mouse. These animals are born healthy, and overt symptoms start to establish a few weeks later, including features of neurological disorder (tremors, hind limb clasping, weight loss). Different maturational parameters and neurological reflexes were analysed in the pre‐weaning period in the Mecp2‐mutant mice and compared to wild‐type littermate controls. We found subtle but significant sex‐dependent differences between mutant and wild‐type animals, namely a delay in the acquisition of the surface and postural reflexes, and impaired growth maturation. The mutant animals also show altered negative geotaxis and wire suspension behaviours, which may be early manifestations of later neurological symptoms. In the post‐weaning period the juvenile mice presented hypoactivity that was probably the result of motor impairments. The early anomalies identified in this model of RTT mimic the early motor abnormalities reported in the RTT patients, making this a good model for the study of the early disease process.
The effects of intellectual property rights protection in the technology transfer context on economic growth: the case of developing countries

The objective of this paper is to estimate an econometric model for analyzing the effects of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on technology transfer through the importation of capital goods, and on economic growth in 48 developing countries, signatories to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights of the WTO, by using the simultaneous-equations model estimated by Seemingly Unrelated Regressionsduring the period 1970–2009. Our empirical results show that IPR protection positively affects economic growth in developing countries by attracting foreign technology embodied in capital goods. In addition, a developing country’s membership of the WTO promotes and encourages technology transfer through the liberalization of international trade.JEL Codes: C33, F130, O33, O34, O47
Eficacy of vestibular rehabilitation on chronic unilateral vestibular dysfunction

Objective: To assess the efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation exercises on patients with chronic unilateral vestibular dysfunction. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic and Otolaryngology Clinic of a tertiary referral hospital. Subjects: One-hundred and twenty-five patients with unilateral chronic vestibular dysfunction were included in the study. Interventions: Eight-week, two-staged (clinic and home) vestibular rehabilitation programme with components of Cawthorne-Cooksey and Norre exercises was applied. Main outcome measures: Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were completed three times (at the beginning, end of the second week and end of the treatment). Results: Data for 112 patients in the first stage and 93 patients in the second stage were evaluated because of insufficient compliance of the other patients. The mean DHI score was decreased from 50.42 ± 24.12 points to 21.21 ± 15.97 points (p < 0.001) at the end of first two weeks, and to 19.93 ± 19.33 points at the end of the whole treatment. The mean VAS score was decreased from 5.87 ± 2.27 to 2.02 ± 1.75 (p < 0.001) at the end of second week, and to 1.51 ± 1.29 at the end of eighth week. In respect to both VAS and DHI scores, improvement was noted in 67 patients (77.4%). Age, gender and disability level had no predictive value about therapy outcome. Conclusions: There was a fast recovery in the supervised exercise session, whereas there was no significant difference in the home exercise session. These findings suggest that either supervised exercise is better than home exercise or that 10 supervised sessions are sufficient to get the end result.
Evaluation of Tp-Te interval and Tp-Te/QTc ratio in patients with coronary artery ectasia.

AIM Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is commonly defined as local or generalized dilatation of a coronary vessel up to 1.5 times the diameter of an adjacent vessel. Tp-Te interval and Tp-Te/QT ratio have emerged as novel electrocardiographic markers of increased dispersion of ventricular repolarization. The aim of this study was to evaluate ventricular repolarization by using Tp-Te interval and Tp-Te/QT ratio in patients with CAE. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients' records were retrospectively analyzed. Electrocardiogram of 28 patients, who were diagnosed as CAE were obtained and scanned. T wave peak to end interval, QT and corrected QT intervals and some other ECG intervals were measured. Electrocardiograms of age and sex matched 22 control individuals were also analyzed for comparison. Patients with critical coronary stenosis, moderate or severe valve disease, left and/or right heart failure, left and/or right ventricle hypertrophy, atrial fibrillation, moderate or severely abnormal electrolytes, right or left bundle block or patients who got pacemaker or ICD implanted and who undergo hemodialyses were excluded. RESULTS Baseline characteristics and QT, QTc intervals were similar in both groups. Tp-Te (97.71 ± 8.7 vs 85.23 ± 7.1; p < 0.001) and Tp-Te/QT (0.22 ± 0.0 vs 0.20 ± 0.0; p < 0.001) were significantly worse in CAE group. CONCLUSIONS T wave peak to end interval is a measure of transmural dispersion of repolarization in the left ventricle and accepted as a surrogate for increased ventricular arrhythmogenesis risk. Tp-Te and Tp-Te/QT are relatively new markers which also indicate repolarization defects. Our results show that CAE patients significantly higher values of Tp-Te and Tp-Te/QT than controls. These measurements may indicate increased arrhythmogenesis risk for individuals with CAE.
Entrepreneurial Orientation, Legitimation, and New Venture Performance

Research summary We integrate research on entrepreneurial orientation and new venture legitimacy. To create value from an entrepreneurial orientation, firms need to possess necessary resources and capabilities, which new ventures often lack due to their liability of newness. We posit that legitimation helps overcome these constraints by enabling new ventures to acquire necessary resources and develop essential capabilities, and argue that entrepreneurial orientation and legitimation jointly enhance new venture performance. We analyzed data on 149 new ventures and found support for this argument. This study opens new research avenues by extending and incorporating explanations and predictions of entrepreneurial orientation and legitimation, two areas that largely have been considered as independent of each other. Managerial summary In the absence of a clear connection between legitimacy and economic returns, entrepreneurs and managers may not give strategic priority to legitimation. We find that new ventures with an entrepreneurial orientation as demonstrated by innovative, proactive, and risk-taking decisions and behaviors can achieve superior performance if they also actively undertake legitimation efforts to meet stakeholders’ cognitive, regulative, and normative expectations. This study suggests that neglecting legitimation as an important competitive tool may be a greater mistake than previously has been realized, especially for new ventures with an entrepreneurial orientation. Copyright © 2017 Strategic Management Society
A Survival Analysis Approach to Estimating Funding Liquidity Risk in Banks

The most practical approach to measuring funding liquidity risk in banks is based on the individual bank’s balance sheet (items of assets and liabilities) where inflows and outflows are compared to determine the cumulative cash shortfalls over future time periods. Although steps are then taken to address any resulting funding gaps, the difficulty that the banks face is in assigning future cash flows related to products with indeterminate maturity. The paper presents a non-parametric survival modelling approach to estimating the run-off profile of a bank product with uncertain cash flows. The focus is to contribute to addressing this challenge using the product limit estimator developed by Kaplan and Meier. In view of the subject of the study being in monetary terms, measures are developed to address areas of possible divergence from the normal application of the product limit estimator. The paper then illustrates the framework using a data set from a bank in Ghana to estimate the empirical run-off profile of a savings product over a 30-day period.
The Relationship Between the Exact Exchange Potential and Dephasing Induced by Coulomb Interaction in Quantum Plasmonics

The Coulomb exchange interaction can not only provide an exchange potential (real part), but also can generate optical polarization dephasing (imaginary part). Based on the density matrix as well as the electron scattering theory, in this paper, we reveal the relationship between the exact exchange potential and the exchange-induced dephasing time in quantum plasmonics. Our results indicate that the linewidth of the nanoplasmonics is mainly determined by a first-order Coulomb interaction in the Hartree–Fock approximation rather than a second-order (or high-order) interaction. Meanwhile, the exact exchange potential, a long-term problem to use this nonlocal functional in practical system for huge computation, can be calculated from the corresponding simple damping factor with great efficiency. In addition, since the Coulomb screening effect is automatically included, this relation provides a new thought to detect and test how the nonlocal exchange functions are related to the density-dependent screening Coulomb effect, hence the development of the density functional theory in chemistry and condensed matter physics. Finally, numerical simulations demonstrate that our model can reveal more quantum phenomena than traditional methods in nanoplasmonics, and these quantum features are consistent with the results obtained from the first principles.
Loss of Dictyostelium ATG9 results in a pleiotropic phenotype affecting growth, development, phagocytosis and clearance and replication of Legionella pneumophila

Infection of Dictyostelium discoideum with Legionella pneumophila resulted in a large number of differentially regulated genes among them three core autophagy genes, ATG8, ATG9 and ATG16. Macroautophagy contributes to many physiological and pathological processes and might also constitute an important mechanism in cell‐autonomous immunity. For further studies we selected the highly conserved ATG9. In colocalization studies with GFP‐tagged ATG9 and different organelle marker proteins we neither observed colocalization with mitochondria, the ER nor lysosomes. However, there was partial colocalization with the Golgi apparatus and many ATG9‐GFP‐containing vesicles localized along microtubules and accumulated around the microtubule organizing centre. ATG9‐deficient cells had pleiotropic defects. In addition to growth defects they displayed severe developmental defects, consistent with the known role of autophagy in Dictyostelium development. Unexpectedly, the ATG9 mutant also had a strong phagocytosis defect that was particularly apparent when infecting the cells with L. pneumophila. However, those Legionellae that entered the host could multiply better in mutant than in wild‐type cells, because of a less efficient clearance in the early and a more efficient replication in the late phase of infection. We conclude that ATG9 and hence macroautophagy has a protective role during pathogen infection.
Comparing two types of botulinum‐A toxin detrusor injections in patients with severe neurogenic detrusor overactivity: a case‐control study

To compare the efficacy of two types of botulinum toxin type A (BTX‐A; DysportTM, Ipsen Ltd, Slough, UK) or BotoxTM (Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA, USA) and examine the possible dose‐effect relation for Dysport in those patients, as multifocal detrusor injections with BTX‐A are effective for severe neurogenic detrusor overactivity in adults.
Change in choroidal nevi during a 5-year follow-up study: the Beijing Eye Study

Background To determine the risk of growth of presumed choroidal nevi in the adult Chinese population in Greater Beijing. Methods The Beijing Eye Study is a population-based study that was performed in 2001 and in 2006. Of 126 subjects with presumed choroidal nevi detected in 2001, 75 (60%) subjects returned for the follow-up examination and had readable fundus photographs available. To assess any change in size or shape of the nevi, we used flicker comparison of the fundus photographs. Results An enlargement of the presumed choroidal nevi was detected in four eyes (5.3±22.6% (mean±SD); 95% CI 0.1 to 10.5%) during the 5-year follow-up. In another four eyes (5.3±22.6%; 95% CI 0.1 to 10.5%), drusen of the retinal pigment epithelium overlying the nevi increased in size. None of the nevi regressed in size or showed clinical signs indicating a malignant transformation. The ages of the four participants with an increase in the nevus size were 43, 45, 46 and 56 years at baseline; best corrected visual acuity was 1.0 and frequency doubling perimetry results were normal. Conclusions Only a small percentage of adult Chinese participants aged ≥40 years showed an enlargement of presumed choroidal nevi during a follow-up period of 5 years. Taking into consideration that most of the study participants were already past the age of highest risk of developing a uveal melanoma in Chinese people, the results suggest a low risk of growth of choroidal nevi into malignant choroidal melanomas in Chinese people.
Video-Based Eye Tracking in Sex Research: A Systematic Literature Review

Although eye tracking has been used for decades, it has gained popularity in the area of sex research only recently. The aim of this article is to examine the potential merits of eye tracking for this field. We present a systematic review of the current use of video-based eye-tracking technology in this area, evaluate the findings, and identify future research opportunities. A total of 34 relevant studies published between 2006 and 2014 were identified for inclusion by means of online databases and other methods. We grouped them into three main areas of research: body perception and attractiveness, forensic research, and sexual orientation. Despite the methodological and theoretical differences across the studies, eye tracking has been shown to be a promising tool for sex research. The article suggests there is much potential for further studies to employ this technique because it is noninvasive and yet still allows for the assessment of both conscious and unconscious perceptional processes. Furthermore, eye tracking can be implemented in investigations of various theoretical backgrounds, ranging from biology to the social sciences.
The discovery of a mevalonate-independent pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis in bacteria, algae and higher plants.

1 Isoprenoid biosynthesis 1.1 The mevalonate route to isopentenyl diphosphate 1.2 Isoprenoid biosynthesis in higher plants: some contradictions with the mevalonate pathway 2 The discovery of the mevalonate-independent pathway 2.1 The origin of the discovery: the biosynthesis of bacterial hopanoids 2.2 The origin of the carbon atoms of isoprenic units in the mevalonate-independent pathway 2.3 d-Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and pyruvate as the first precursors of isopentenyl diphosphate 3 Towards the identification of intermediates and enzymes of the new pathway 3.1 1-Deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate and 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase 3.2 2-C-Methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate and 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reducto-isomerase 4 The distribution of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate/pyruvate pathway amongst prokaryotes 5 The distribution of the GAP/pyruvate pathway amongst phototrophic eukaryotes 5.1 Essential plant chloroplast isoprenoids and sterols from green algae 5.2 Isoprenoids from secondary metabolism 5.3 Intermediate exchanges between the mevalonate and the GAP/pyruvate pathways in plants 6 Conclusion 7 Acknowledgments 8 References
Primary resistance to integrase strand-transfer inhibitors in Europe.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to define the natural genotypic variation of the HIV-1 integrase gene across Europe for epidemiological surveillance of integrase strand-transfer inhibitor (InSTI) resistance. METHODS This was a multicentre, cross-sectional study within the European SPREAD HIV resistance surveillance programme. A representative set of 300 samples was selected from 1950 naive HIV-positive subjects newly diagnosed in 2006-07. The prevalence of InSTI resistance was evaluated using quality-controlled baseline population sequencing of integrase. Signature raltegravir, elvitegravir and dolutegravir resistance mutations were defined according to the IAS-USA 2014 list. In addition, all integrase substitutions relative to HXB2 were identified, including those with a Stanford HIVdb score ≥ 10 to at least one InSTI. To rule out circulation of minority InSTI-resistant HIV, 65 samples were selected for 454 integrase sequencing. RESULTS For the population sequencing analysis, 278 samples were retrieved and successfully analysed. No signature resistance mutations to any of the InSTIs were detected. Eleven (4%) subjects had mutations at resistance-associated positions with an HIVdb score ≥ 10. Of the 56 samples successfully analysed with 454 sequencing, no InSTI signature mutations were detected, whereas integrase substitutions with an HIVdb score ≥ 10 were found in 8 (14.3%) individuals. CONCLUSIONS No signature InSTI-resistant variants were circulating in Europe before the introduction of InSTIs. However, polymorphisms contributing to InSTI resistance were not rare. As InSTI use becomes more widespread, continuous surveillance of primary InSTI resistance is warranted. These data will be key to modelling the kinetics of InSTI resistance transmission in Europe in the coming years.
Central poststroke pain in young ischemic stroke survivors in the Helsinki Young Stroke Registry

Objective: We describe the frequency, duration, clinical characteristics, and radiologic correlates of central poststroke pain (CPSP) in young ischemic stroke survivors in a prospective study setting. Methods: A questionnaire of pain and sensory abnormalities and EQ-5D quality-of-life questionnaire were sent to all 824 surviving and eligible patients of the Helsinki Young Stroke Registry. Patients (n = 58) with suspected CPSP were invited to a clinical visit and filled in the PainDETECT, Brief Pain Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory questionnaires. Results: Of the included 824 patients, 49 had CPSP (5.9%), 246 patients (29.9%) had sensory abnormality without CPSP, and 529 patients (64.2%) had neither sensory abnormality nor CPSP. The median follow-up time from stroke was 8.5 years (interquartile range 5.0–12.1). Patients with CPSP had low quality of life compared to those with sensory abnormality without CPSP (p = 0.007) as well as to those with no sensory abnormality and no CPSP (p < 0.001). Forty (82%) of the patients with CPSP had concomitant other pain. CPSP was associated with moderate (p < 0.001) and severe (p < 0.001) stroke symptoms, but there was no difference in age at stroke onset or subtype of stroke according to the TOAST classification between the groups. Stroke localization was not correlated with CPSP. Conclusions: Late persistent CPSP was found in 5.9% of young stroke survivors and was associated with concomitant other pain, impaired quality of life, and moderate or severe stroke symptoms.
The Dynamics of Total Factor Productivity and Institutions

This article examines the dynamics of Total factor Productivity (TFP). It uses Phillips and Suli¯s (2007) method to test for cross-country TFP convergence and the Arellano and Bover (1995) and Blundell and Bond (1998) system GMM estimator to examine the factors driving TFP growth. Data from 1960 to 2011 for 63 countries are utilized in the analysis. The convergence test provides strong evidence against global TFP convergence, but indicates the existence of TFP clubs. The empirical work also shows that initial conditions play a fundamental role on the dynamics of TFP: economies that started with lower TFP remained below initially better-positioned economies. This study finds evidence that institutional quality and openness are very important determinants of TFP growth. While better institutions promote technological progress and efficiency, globalization works as an important channel for knowledge and technological diffusion among nations, which fosters TFP growth.
Two types of vagal preganglionic motoneurones projecting to the heart and lungs

1. A study has been made of eighty‐four cells in the cat's nucleus ambiguus whose axons projected to the cardiac (seventy‐four) and pulmonary (ten) branches of the right vagus. Their axonal conduction velocities were all in the range of B fibres (2·8‐15·5 m/sec).
The Blockchain Folk Theorem

Blockchains are distributed ledgers, operated within peer-to-peer networks. If reliable and stable, they could offer a new, cost effective way to record transactions, but are they? We model the proof-of-work blockchain protocol as a stochastic game and analyse the equilibrium strategies of rational, strategic miners. Mining the longest chain is a Markov perfect equilibrium, without forking, in line with Nakamoto (2008). The blockchain protocol, however, is a coordination game, with multiple equilibria. There exist equilibria with forks, leading to orphaned blocks and persistent divergence between chains. We also show how forks can be generated by information delays and software upgrades. Last we identify negative externalities implying that equilibrium investment in computing capacity is excessive.