Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Keynesian Phillips Curve for South Africa

The time varying impact of a change in monetary conditions on real output and the aggregate price level is central to the challenge of monetary policy. Changes in the stance of monetary policy have their first impact on real variables in the economy (output and employment), sometimes summarised as a non-vertical short-run Phillips curve, but in the longer run the impact falls mainly on the aggregate price level. Awareness of this pattern is as old as economics’ separate field of study and David Hume’s remarkable mid-eighteenth century description thereof is frequently quoted (for example, Brunner and Meltzer, 1976; Lucas, 1995). However, despite this considerable attention and the importance of the issue for monetary policy, an agreed-upon model for the Phillips curve has not been reached (Mankiw, 2001). Indeed a mistaken view of this relationship – the idea of a permanent trade-off between inflation on the one side and real output and employment on the other – has been productive of much mischief in the design and implementation of monetary policy since the War (Friedman, 1968; Lucas, 1976; Romer and Romer, 2002).
Changes in the force–velocity relationship of fatigued muscle: implications for power production and possible causes

Slowing of the contractile properties of skeletal muscle is one of the characteristic features of fatigue. First studied as a slowing of relaxation from an isometric contraction, it has become apparent that this slowing is indicative of functional changes in muscle responsible for a major loss of power with all its functional repercussions. There are three factors contributing to the loss of power in mammalian muscle at physiological temperatures, a decrease in isometric force, which mainly indicates a reduction in the number of active cross bridges, a slowing of the maximum velocity of unloaded shortening and an increased curvature of the force–velocity relationship. This latter change is a major cause of loss of power but is poorly understood. It is probably associated with an increase in the proportion of cross bridges in the low force state but there are no clear candidates for the metabolic changes that are responsible for this shift in cross bridge states. The possibility is discussed that the reduction in activating calcium that occurs with metabolically depleted muscle, alters the distribution of cross bridge states, affecting both shortening velocity and curvature.
Varicella-Zoster Virus Immediate-Early Protein ORF61 Abrogates the IRF3-Mediated Innate Immune Response through Degradation of Activated IRF3

ABSTRACT Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection of differentiated cells within the host and establishment of latency likely requires evasion of innate immunity and limits secretion of antiviral cytokines. Here we report that its immediate-early protein ORF61 antagonizes the beta interferon (IFN-β) pathway. VZV infection down-modulated the Sendai virus (SeV)-activated IFN-β pathway, including mRNA of IFN-β and its downstream interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), ISG54 and ISG56. Through a primary screening of VZV genes, we found that ORF61 inhibited SeV-mediated activation of IFN-β and ISRE (IFN-stimulated response element) promoter activities but only slightly affected NF-κB promoter activity, implying that the IFN-β pathway may be blocked in the IRF3 branch. An indirect immunofluorescence assay demonstrated that ectopic expression of ORF61 abrogated the detection of IRF3 in SeV-infected cells; however, it did not affect endogenous dormant IRF3 in noninfected cells. Additionally, ORF61 was shown to be partially colocalized with activated IRF3 in the nucleus upon treatment with MG132, an inhibitor of proteasomes, and the direct interaction between ORF61 and activated IRF3 was confirmed by a coimmunoprecipitation assay. Furthermore, Western blot analysis demonstrated that activated IRF3 was ubiquitinated in the presence of ORF61, suggesting that ORF61 degraded phosphorylated IRF3 via a ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) analysis demonstrated that the level of ISG54 and ISG56 mRNAs was also downregulated by ORF61. Taken together, our results convincingly demonstrate that ORF61 down-modulates the IRF3-mediated IFN-β pathway by degradation of activated IRF3 via direct interaction, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of VZV infection.
Magnesium-containing mixed coatings on zirconia for dental implants: mechanical characterization and in vitro behavior

An important challenge in the field of dental and orthopedic implantology is the preparation of implant coatings with bioactive functions that feature a high mechanical stability and at the same time mimic structural and compositional properties of native bone for a better bone ingrowth. This study investigates the influence of magnesium addition to zirconia-calcium phosphate coatings. The mixed coatings were prepared with varying additions of either magnesium oxide or magnesium fluoride to yttria-stabilized zirconia and hydroxyapatite. The coatings were deposited on zirconia discs and screw implants by wet powder spraying. Microstructure studies confirm a porous coating with similar roughness and firm adhesion not hampered by the coating composition. The coating morphology, mechanical flexural strength and calcium dissolution showed a magnesium content-dependent effect. Moreover, the in vitro results obtained with human osteoblasts reveal an improved biological performance caused by the presence of Mg2+ ions. The magnesium-containing coatings exhibited better cell proliferation and differentiation in comparison to pure zirconia-calcium phosphate coatings. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that magnesium addition increases the bioactivity potential of zirconia-calcium phosphate coatings and is thus a highly suitable candidate for bone implant coatings.
Slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease: comparison between predialysis and dialysis Jordanian patients

Abstract Background: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has increased worldwide; however, data regarding the prevalence of CKD in Jordan are limited. Therefore, the present study investigated the associated risk factors of both CKD and ESRD in Jordanian patients. Methods: A convenience sample of 161 patients with CKD (n = 92) and ESRD (n = 69) was recruited through randomly selected hospitals from the governmental, private and educational sectors in Jordan. A sociodemographic data and behavioral variables (exercise frequency per week, body mass index, and smoking status) were collected and compared between the two groups to obtain the needed information. Results: ESRD in amounted to relatively 68% in males and 52% in the unmarried patients (p = 0.01). In addition, patients with poor physical activity were more likely to be on the postdialysis phase. Patients with ESRD were characterized with low BMI when compared with patients CKD (t = 3.1, p = 0.004). Conclusion: National CKD and ESRD risk assessment is important in considering primary prevention for CKD progression. At the front line in health care, the nurse can play a vital role in assessing patient’s risk for renal disease progression.
Migraine with aura: new understanding from clinical epidemiologic studies

Purpose of reviewTo discuss the consequences of recent clinical data on migraine with aura for clinical practice and future research in the light of new diagnostic criteria for migraine with aura. Recent findingsMigraine with aura is now distinguished from hemiplegic migraine and from basilar migraine. Migraine with typical aura has an aura consisting of visual, sensory, or speech symptoms. The aura symptoms typically develop gradually over 5 or more minutes, last between 5 and 60 minutes and, when more than one symptom is present, they occur in succession. Half-sidedness is typical of visual and sensory symptoms, whereas speech symptoms are typically aphasic, primarily of the Broca type. A visual aura rating scale with a high sensitivity and specificity has been developed to standardize the diagnosis of visual aura. The new classification, the new criteria, and the new knowledge about clinical features of migraine with aura are important both for routine clinical diagnosis and for future research studies. SummaryRecent studies of the clinical features of migraine with aura allow a more precise diagnosis and classification than previously possible. A clear distinction between migraine with typical aura, hemiplegic migraine, and basilar migraine is important for genetic and other research studies.
History and Institutions in the Rebuilding of Social Capital after Forced Resettlement in the Philippines and Indonesia

Abstract Resettlement results in the loss of social capital from which poor households can draw resources for sustenance, survival and wellbeing. While Putnam deems social capital formation as pre-determined by a community’s history of civic engagement, the institutional view argues that social capital is generated through the institutions’ interventions. Utilising a comparative approach involving two resettlement sites, one in the Philippines and one in Indonesia, this article presents findings on the explanatory power of these two perspectives. The Philippine case is greatly influenced by the institutional interventions while the Indonesian case testifies to the validity of the theoretical perspective of Putnam.
Contact mechanics and three-dimensional alignment of normal dog elbows.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of antebrachial rotation at 3 elbow flexion angles on contact mechanics and 3-dimensional (3D) alignment of normal dog elbows. STUDY DESIGN Ex vivo biomechanical study. ANIMALS Unpaired thoracic limbs from 18 dogs (mean ± SD weight, 27 ± 4 kg). METHODS With the limb under 200 N axial load, digital pressure sensors measured contact area (CA), mean contact pressure (MCP), peak contact pressure (PCP), and PCP location in the medial and lateral elbow compartments, and 3D static poses of the elbow were obtained. Each specimen was tested at 115°, 135°, and 155° elbow flexion, with the antebrachium in a neutral position, in 28° supination, and in 16° pronation. Repeated measure ANOVAs with post-hoc Bonferroni (P ≤ .0167) were performed. RESULTS Both pronation and supination decreased CA by 16% and 8% and increased PCP by 5% and 10% in the medial and lateral compartments, respectively. PCP location moved 2.3 mm (1.8-3.2 mm) closer to the apex of the medial coronoid process in pronation and 2.0 mm (1.8-2.2 mm) farther away in supination. The radial head and medial coronoid process rotated 5.4° and 1.9° internally during pronation and 7.2° and 1.2° externally during supination. CONCLUSIONS Contact mechanics and 3D alignment of normal dog elbows varied significantly at different elbow poses.
Factors influencing the alignment of technological diversification and firm performance

Purpose Although scholars have paid considerable attention to the relationship between technological diversification and firm performance, research on this relationship has produced mixed findings. To reconcile these inconsistent findings, this study, thus, aims to revisit the performance effect of technological diversification by considering two organizational characteristics as crucial moderators, namely, firm size and financial slack. Design/methodology/approach To test the research hypotheses, the research sample covers manufacturing firms in the 2008 Standard & Poor (S&P) 500 index. Data regarding the characteristics and patent information of the sample firms were obtained from Compustat and the US Patent and Trademark Office. The hypotheses were tested by using hierarchical regression models. Findings In a sample of 168 S&P 500 manufacturing firms, this study finds that technological diversification has a positive effect on firm performance. The relationship between technological diversification and firm performance is also found to be positively moderated by firm size, financial slack and their configuration. Originality/value The findings of this study further suggest that firms should be aware that the effect of technological diversification on performance can be enhanced or hindered in specific contexts.
Impact of the GeoMIP G1 sunshade geoengineering experiment on the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

We analyze the multi-earth system model responses of ocean temperatures and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) under an idealized solar radiation management scenario (G1) from the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project. All models simulate warming of the northern North Atlantic relative to no geoengineering, despite geoengineering substantially offsetting the increases in mean global ocean temperatures. Increases in the temperature of the North Atlantic Ocean at the surface (∼0.25 K) and at a depth of 500 m (∼0.10 K) are mainly due to a 10 Wm−2 reduction of total heat flux from ocean to atmosphere. Although the AMOC is slightly reduced under the solar dimming scenario, G1, relative to piControl, it is about 37% stronger than under abrupt4 × CO2. The reduction of the AMOC under G1 is mainly a response to the heat flux change at the northern North Atlantic rather than to changes in the water flux and the wind stress. The AMOC transfers heat from tropics to high latitudes, helping to warm the high latitudes, and its strength is maintained under solar dimming rather than weakened by greenhouse gas forcing acting alone. Hence the relative reduction in high latitude ocean temperatures provided by solar radiation geoengineering, would tend to be counteracted by the correspondingly active AMOC circulation which furthermore transports warm surface waters towards the Greenland ice sheet, warming Arctic sea ice and permafrost.
Identification of novel Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota clusters associated with different depth layers of a forest soil.

Abstract Archaea have been shown to be ubiquitous among soil microbial communities. However, our knowledge on their diversity and spatial distribution in soil ecosystems is still limited. This study was conducted to investigate archaeal community changes along a forest soil depth profile in Unterehrendingen, Switzerland. From four consecutive soil depth layers, bulk soil DNA was extracted. Archaea-specific PCR amplification of small subunit ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) was performed and combined with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis with restriction endonuclease HaeIII [Bundt et al., Soil Biol. Biochem. 33 (2001) 729-738]. Significant changes of the RFLP fingerprints were reproducibly observed from the soil surface to 1 m depth. From the surface soil layer (0-9 cm) and the bottom soil layer (50-100 cm), libraries of PCR-amplified archaeal rDNA fragments were constructed. Screening of the libraries yielded various clones of different HaeIII RFLP types from the surface and the bottom soil layers, revealing shifts in major archaeal components along the soil depth profile. Clones of all RFLP types were sequenced and phylogenetically affiliated. These analyses revealed even more pronounced Archaea community shifts along the depth gradient. Several novel soil archaeal clusters were identified and some appeared predominantly associated to either the surface or the bottom soil layer. Euryarchaeal rDNA sequences, not yet reported from aerated soils, were found in the surface soil layer and were affiliated to the order Thermoplasmales and relatives. Novel crenarchaeal soil clusters were identified that included sequences only retrieved from the bottom soil layer. In this study, a this far unreported variety of archaeal groups was found in a forest soil ecosystem. The distinct depth-related community shift suggested the occurrence of different archaeal types that depend on environmental parameters that change along the soil depth profile.
Outcomes of limited period of adalimumab treatment in moderate to severe Crohn's disease patients: Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study

Background/Aims In Taiwan, due to budget limitations, the National Health Insurance only allows for a limited period of biologics use in treating moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD). We aimed to access the outcomes of CD patients following a limited period use of biologics, specifically focusing on the relapse rate and remission duration; also the response rate to second use when applicable. Methods This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational study and we enrolled CD patients who had been treated with adalimumab (ADA) according to the insurance guidelines from 2009 to 2015. Results A total of 54 CD patients, with follow-up of more than 6 months after the withdrawal of ADA, were enrolled. The average period of treatment with ADA was 16.7±9.7 months. After discontinuing ADA, 59.3% patients suffered a clinical relapse. In the univariate analysis, the reason for withdrawal was a risk factor for relapse (P=0.042). In the multivariate analysis, current smoker became an important risk factor for relapse (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2−14.8; P=0.044) and male sex was another risk factor (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.1−8.6; P=0.049). For those 48 patients who received a second round of biologics, the clinical response was seen in 60.4%, and 1 anaphylaxis occurred. Conclusions Fifty-nine percent of patients experienced a relapse after discontinuing the limited period of ADA treatment, and most of them occurred within 1 year following cessation. Male sex and current smoker were risk factors for relapse. Though 60.4% of the relapse patients responded to ADA again.
Multivariate analysis of the volumetric capnograph for PaCO2 estimation.

PURPOSE End-tidal CO2 (eTCO2) can be used to estimate the arterial CO2 (PaCO2) under steady-state conditions, but that relationship deteriorates during hemodynamic or respiratory instability. We developed a multivariate method to improve our ability to estimate the PaCO2, by using additional information contained in the volumetric capnograph (Vcap) waveform. We tested this approach using data from a porcine model of chest trauma/hemorrhage. METHODS This experiment consisted of 3 stages: pre-injury, injury/resuscitation, and post-injury. In stage I, anesthetized pigs (n=26) underwent ventilator maneuvers (tidal volume and respiratory rate) to induce hypo-or hyper-ventilation. In stage II, pigs underwent either (A) unilateral pulmonary contusion, hemorrhage, and resuscitation (n=13); or (B) bilateral pulmonary contusion (n=13) followed by 30 min of monitoring. In stage III, the ventilator maneuvers were repeated. The following Vcap features were measured: eTCO2, phase 2 slope (p2m), phase 3 slope (p3m), and inter-breath interval. The data were fit to 2 models: (1) multivariate linear regression and (2) a machine-learning model (M5P). RESULTS 1750 10-breath sets were analyzed. Univariate models employing eTCO2 alone were adequate during stages I and III. During stage II, mean error for the linear model was -8.44 mmHg (R(2)=0.14, P<0.001) and for M5P it was -5.98 mmHg (R(2)=0.13, P<0.01). By adding Vcap features, all models exhibited improvement. In stage II, the mean error of the linear model improved to -4.64 mmHg (R(2)=0.11, P<0.01), and that of the M5P model improved to -1.62 mmHg (R(2)=0.25, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS By incorporating Vcap waveform features, multivariate methods modestly improved PaCO2 estimation, especially during periods of hemodynamic and respiratory instability. Further work would be needed to produce a clinically useful CO2 monitoring system under these challenging conditions.
The impact of the embargo and sanctions on the agri-food markets in Russia: Analysis of consequences

The paper examines the impact of the embargo and sanctions on the agri-food markets in Russia. The analysis has shown that markets of milk and beef are experiencing serious problems. One of the main reasons for market volatility is a relatively low share of large enterprises with better adaptability in conditions of the embargo and sanctions and underdeveloped market infrastructure. The method that allows to quantify the consequences of the embargo and sanctions impact for the commodity markets is developed on the basis of a partial equilibrium model. The method has been tested on the meat markets (beef, pork, poultry). The estimates of changes in foreign trade, prices of producers and consumers, the dynamics of production, losses of budget, producers and consumers are provided. The results show that the budget suffers losses in all cases, and the markets with higher dependence on imports under the impact of the embargo and sanctions lose more in the welfare than those with less dependence. Poultry market has shown good stability and welfare under the embargo and sanctions due to high competition, mainly among large enterprises.
Essays on Data Driven Insights from Crowd Sourcing, Social Media and Social Networks

13 INTRODUCTION . 15 ESSAY 1 – UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF DISCUSSIONS IN THE QUALITY OF PEER PRODUCED CONTENT – EVIDENCE FROM WIKIPEDIA. 19 ABSTRACT . 19. 19 INTRODUCTION . 20 LITERATURE REVIEW . 23 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY . 24 Benefits of this approach . 26 DATA DESCRIPTION . 26 VARIABLE SELECTION . 28 DETAILS OF QUANTITATIVE METHODS . 31 ESTIMATING THE IMPACT . 32 RESULTS . 32 Exploratory Data Analyses . 32 Results of Data Exploration . 36 IDENTIFYING DISCUSSION EDIT RELATIONSHIP . 38 IDENTIFYING DISCUSSION-EDIT PATTERNS AND ROLES . 39 IDENTIFYING COLLABORATION PATTERNS. 42 RESULTS OF PREDICTION MODEL . 44 RESULTS OF ESTIMATION MODEL . 48 EXPLANATION OF MECHANISMS . 49 Results of Test for Mechanisms . 50
C3 and C4 gene expression and interferon‐gamma‐mediated regulation in human glomerular mesangial cells

The glomerular mesangial cell (GMC) plays a key role in the maintenance of glomerular structure and function and in the mediation of glomerular injury. To explore the potential of this cell to produce complement and react to local inflammatory signals, we studied the synthesis and regulation of the third and fourth components of complement in cultured human GMC. Using metabolic labelling and immunoprecipitation, we found that C3 and C4 polypeptide chains were synthesized and secreted by GMC. Interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) led to an increase in C4 protein synthesis, but not C3 synthesis. There was a corresponding increase in C4 mRNA in IFN‐γ‐activated cells, but no increase in C3 mRNA, as determined by semi‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) estimation. These results demonstrate that human GMC can synthesize C3 and C4 proteins, and that regulation of expression of the C4 gene is mediated by IFN‐γ. We hypothesize that GMC production of complement could influence the clearance of immune aggregates by the kidney and the mediation of glomerular injury.