Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mortgage Credit: Lending and Borrowing Constraints in a DSGE Framework

This paper develops a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) framework to evaluate the relative importance of the easing of lending and borrowing constraints in mortgage credit markets for business cycle fluctuations in small open emerging economies. Credit markets are characterized by partial dollarization and are subject to demand shocks, innovations to stochastic loan-to-value ratios (borrowing constraints) imposed on borrowers, and supply shocks, innovations to stochastic bank capital-to-asset ratios (lending constraints) imposed on financial intermediaries. In addition, the model features a set of real and nominal domestic shocks to demand, productivity, and fiscal and monetary policy, as well as foreign shocks. The model is calibrated and estimated using data on the Peruvian economy. A historical decomposition conducted on household leverage ratios reveals that these variables’ cyclical dynamics were mainly driven by borrowing constraint shocks or credit demand shifts, while lending constraint shocks played a residual role. Counterfactual simulations also provide evidence in favor of this channel: turning off the borrowing constraint shocks significantly attenuates the fluctuations of leverage ratios from their steady-state levels. The importance of the demand channel in Peru is consistent with mortgage demand-boosting public programs enacted in the 2000s. While applied in the Peruvian context here, the framework is easily adaptable to the historical evolution of credit markets in a large variety of emerging market economies.
Do Vote-Buyers Target the Poor? Evidence from Elections in the Philippines

As a contribution to the nascent literature, this study examines patterns of vote buying among poor voters in 17 cities in Metro Manila, using a dataset closely following the 2016 national and local elections. Specifically, it will examine the possible factors linked to vote buying, hopefully uncovering evidence on whether and how this is targeted at poor voters. This study also looks at the correlates of other aspects of vote buying, including of accepting the offer and of voting for the candidate who made the offer. The main focus is on the poor because extensive anecdotal evidence suggests that this could be the group most prone to sell their votes, in large part because of their needs. This paper finds evidence that vote buying among poor voters in Metro Manila appears to be a finely targeted activity, wherein various things of value can be used to buy votes, while money is used only in tight Mayoral races.
The use of the ALOPEX process in extracting normal and abnormal visual evoked potentials

The ALOPEX method, a multiparameter stochastic optimization technique, is used for the optimal extraction of parameters in fitting randomly chosen action potentials to normal and abnormal visual evoked potential (VEP) waveforms. It is assumed that conformational changes in the abnormal VEPs can be attributed to an asynchrony in the arrival of action potentials at an integration point in the visual cortex. The results indicate that the assumption is valid in all five of the five records processed, of which two were normal and three abnormal. Further experimentation is needed to see if the method can be used as a diagnostic tool. <<ETX>>
Antibiotic use in US hospitals: quantification, quality measures and stewardship

A majority of patients hospitalized in the US hospitals receive an antibiotic during their hospitalization. Furthermore, up to half of antibiotics prescribed in hospitals are inappropriate. In the setting of continued emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and a limited pipeline of new antimicrobials, attention to optimizing antibiotic use in healthcare settings is essential. We review the measures of antibiotic consumption in the USA, the evolving metrics for comparing antibiotic use (known as benchmarking), trends in antibiotic use, the structure and outcome measures of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs and interventions to optimize antimicrobial use.
Effects of an Educational Intervention on Weight Gain in Patients Treated With Antipsychotics

Background: Increasing numbers of reports have raised concerns about significant increases in weight and adiposity over both short- and long-term treatment in patients treated with antipsychotics (APs). The management of overweight and obesity in patients treated with APs has included pharmacological interventions, dietary suggestions, and behavioral strategies. Nevertheless, current evidence does not support the use of pharmacological management of this specific type of obesity, and only a limited number of studies have been published regarding prevention and treatment of weight gain with other strategies. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention (EI) that combines low-calorie diet with increased physical activity to prevent and treat weight gain in patients treated with APs. Method: Data were from 53 subjects whose body mass index (BMI) had increased by more than 7% after starting an AP therapy and who consented to participate in a 12-week educational intervention study aimed at preventing further weight gain and, when possible, at inducing a weight loss. Weight and BMI were measured at baseline (at each of the monthly follow-up visits) and at study completion 12 weeks from entry in the study. Results: Twenty-six patients completed the 12-week program. Completers showed a significant mean body weight decrease of 3.15 kg, with a mean BMI reduction of 1.2 (kg/m2) at the end of the 3-month period. Conclusions: Educational intervention can be an important tool for the management of weight increase in patients treated with APs. A larger prospective and controlled study is now needed to confirm our findings.
Variation in pentobarbitone sleeping time in mice 1. Strain and sex differences

A set of 23 inbred strains of mice was tested for their sleeping time under sodium pentobarbitone anaesthetic. Highly significant strain differences were found. Estimates of the proportion of the variation accounted for by genetic differences ranged from 28% to 42%. In general, males slept longer than females but the size of the sex differences was not consistent across strains. Sleeping times on different test days also varied, indicating that environmental factors were affecting the results. A specially designed experiment failed to detect any differences in within-strain variation.
[Analysis of the concordance of antibiotic treatment for patients with severe sepsis in emergencies].

OBJECTIVES Antibiotic treatment is vital in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock. The objectives were to assess the degree of concordance between antibiotic prescribed in emergencies and post requirements; to relate it to health outcomes (mortality) and to analyze the reasons for disagreement. MATERIAL AND METHODS Retrospective descriptive study of antibiotic treatment prescribed in emergencies and the subsequent treatment in patients with criteria of severe sepsis/septic shock in 2013. We collected patient demographic characteristics, infectious focus, antibiotic prescribed from emergencies and subsequent changes. It was considered concordant if there were no changes, if there were changes, but the initial antibiotic was right and suspensions for end of treatment. Mortality and evolution were analyzed. RESULTS Six hundred patients were included. A 60% experienced changes respect to the antibiotic treatment initiated in emergencies (87.6% justified), with a degree of overall antibiotic concordance of 47.5% The mortality rate at end-point was 9.83%, with no statistically significant relationship with the degree of concordance (OR=0.864 (0.503-1.484)/χ2=0.28; p=0.597). Reasons for change of antibiotic: clinical outcome (17.96%), change of spectrum (35.03%), de-escalation (41.32%), sequential therapy (8.68%). An 11% required ICU admission. Clinical outcomes: resolution of the disease (79.2%), readmission after 30 days (7.7%) and transfer to health centers (4.5%). The median hospital stay was 7 days. CONCLUSIONS The degree of concordance antibiotic was quite high, and the mortality rate was lower than that described in the literature, without relating to the discordance. The presence of concordance was associated with fewer readmissions and ICU admissions. The main reasons for disagreement were inadequate spectrum selection and change after microbiological crops.
Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among patients with panic disorder: a survey of two outpatient clinics.

OBJECTIVE Recent epidemiologic studies found that 20% of subjects with the diagnosis of panic disorder had attempted suicide. This study sought to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among patients with panic disorder and whether the presence of comorbid borderline personality disorder influenced the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behavior. METHOD At two outpatient clinics, experienced clinicians conducted retrospective reviews of data from the intake interviews and charts of 59 patients with panic disorder and comorbid borderline personality disorder and 234 patients with panic disorder with or without axis II disorders other than borderline personality disorder. RESULTS Suicide attempts were reported by 2% of the patients with panic disorder, compared to 25% of the patients with both panic disorder and borderline personality disorder. In addition, 2% of the patients with panic disorder, compared to 27% of the patients with panic disorder and borderline personality disorder, reported suicidal ideation that was judged to be of clinical significance. CONCLUSIONS The rate of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts for psychiatric outpatients with panic disorder was discrepant with the findings of the earlier studies. The increased suicide risk in this group of patients was associated with borderline personality disorder, increased substance abuse, and affective instability. While 61% of the panic disorder patients and 78% of the patients with both panic disorder and borderline personality disorder reported thinking about death, this must be distinguished from actual suicidal ideation and clinical risk of suicide.
In vitro skin permeation and decontamination of the organophosphorus pesticide paraoxon under various physical conditions – evidence for a wash-in effect

Misuse of various chemicals, such as chemical warfare agents, industrial chemicals or pesticides during warfare or terrorists attacks requires adequate protection. Thus, development and evaluation of novel decontamination dispositives and techniques are needed. In this study, in vitro permeation and decontamination of a potentially hazardous compound paraoxon, an active metabolite of organophosphorus pesticide parathion, was investigated. Skin permeation and decontamination experiments were carried out in modified Franz diffusion cells. Pig skin was used as a human skin model. Commercially produced detergent-based washing solutions FloraFree™ and ArgosTM were used as decontamination means. The experiments were done under “warm”, “cold”, “dry” and “wet” skin conditions in order to determine an effect of various physical conditions on skin permeation of paraoxon and on a subsequent decontamination process. There was no significant difference in skin permeation of paraoxon under warm, cold and dry conditions, whereas wet conditions provided significantly higher permeation rates. In the selected conditions, decontamination treatments performed 1 h after a skin exposure did not decrease the agent volume that permeated through the skin. An exception were wet skin conditions with non-significant decontamination efficacy 18 and 28% for the FloraFree™ and Argos™ treatment, respectively. In contrast, the skin permeation of paraoxon under warm, cold and dry conditions increased up to 60–290% following decontamination compared to non-decontaminated controls. This has previously been described as a skin wash-in effect.
10nm-diameter tri-gate silicon nanowire MOSFETs with enhanced high-field transport and Vth tunability through thin BOX

We demonstrate high-performance 10nm-diameter tri-gate nanowire transistors (NW Tr.) with Vth tunability, small variability and negligible self-heating. Optimized S/D and stress memorization technique (SMT) lead to significant parasitic resistance reduction and mobility enhancement. Saturation velocity increase by SMT further enhances high-field carrier velocity and Ion of 1mA/μm at Ioff of 100nA/μm is achieved. We also demonstrate Vth control in tri-gate NW Tr. with thin BOX for the first time. The degradation of body effect by NW narrowing can be recovered by thinning NW height, enabling dynamic power and performance management.
Management of Oral Submucous Fibrosis with Injection of Hyaluronidase and Dexamethasone in Grade III Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Retrospective Study

Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic debilitating and potentially malignant condition of the oral cavity. It is resistant and progressive affecting the entire oral cavity that sometimes causes a gradual reduction in mouth opening that may even extend up to the pharynx. Although the medical treatment is not completely systematized, optimal doses of its treatment with local injection of corticosteroids with hyaluronidase or placental extract is effective to some extent. However, a combination of steroids and topical hyaluronidase shows better long-term results than either agents used individually. To evaluate the efficacy of dexamethasone and hyaluronidase in the treatment of Grade III OSMF. Materials and Methods: A total of 28 patients diagnosed with OSMF were treated in Sri Rajiv Gandhi College of Dental Sciences for a time period of 9 months, by obtaining the patient’s consent and with the approval of the institution’s research ethical committee. They were treated by administering an intralesional injection of dexamethasone1.5 ml, hyaluronidase 1500 IU with 0.5 ml lignocaine HCL injected intralesionally biweekly for 4 weeks. Results: Improvement in the patient’s mouth opening with a net gain of 6 ± 2 mm (92%), the range being 4-8 mm. Definite reduction in burning sensation, painful ulceration and blanching of oral mucosa and patient followed up for an average of 9 months. Conclusion: Injection of hyaluronidase with dexamethasone is an effective method of managing Grade III OSMF and can possibly eliminate the morbidity associated with surgical management.
Prevention of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head in systemic lupus erythematosus by anti-coagulant

Although osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONF) is one of the serious complications in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) associated with corticosteroid therapy, there has been few trials of prevention of ONF described. We aimed to prevent ONF in steroid-treated SLE patients using anticoagulant, warfarin, conducting a multicenter prospective study. Sixty newly diagnosed SLE patients requiring 40 mg/day or more prednisolone were alternately assigned to either of two groups; a warfarin group and a control one. Warfarin (1 ∼ 5 mg/day) was started together with the beginning of steroid therapy and continued at least for three months. Patients were observed for the development of silent ONF by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and symptomatic ONF by plain radiography for over five years. The warfarin group consisted of 31 patients (62 hips) and the control one 29 patients (58 hips). Silent ONF developed in 13 hips (21%) and 19 hips (33%) in the warfarin group and the control group, respectively (P = 0.13). On the other hand, warfarin tended to prevent symptomatic ONF; only three hips of 62 (4.8%) in the warfarin group and eight hips of 58 (14%) in the control group (P = 0.08) developed silent ONF. It was also found that silent ONF developed, if it did, very early; within three months in 16 of 18 patients (89%). Among risk factors for silent ONF, steroid pulse therapy was most outstanding and it seemed to overcome the effect of warfarin. Taken together, for the time being, anticoagulant therapy, if not significantly sufficient, may be of use for the prevention of steroid-induced ONF in SLE. We consider that this study added to important evidence for the pathogenesis and prevention of ONF.
The relationship between perceived training and development and employee retention: the mediating role of work attitudes

Abstract This paper considers how utilizing a model of job-related affect can be used to explain the processes through which perceived training and development influence employee retention. We applied Russell’s model of core affect to categorize four different forms of work attitude, and positioned these as mediators of the relationship between perceived training and development and intention to stay. Using data from 1191 employees across seven organizations, multilevel analyses found that job satisfaction, employee engagement and change-related anxiety were significantly associated with intention to stay, and fully mediated the relationship between perceived training and development and intention to stay. Contrary to our hypotheses, emotional exhaustion was not significantly associated with intention to stay nor acted as a mediator when the other attitudes were included. These findings show the usefulness of Russell’s model of core affect in explaining the link between training and development and employee retention. Moreover, the findings collectively suggest that studies examining employee retention should include a wider range of work attitudes that highlight pleasant forms of affect.
Identification of two previously unrecognized genes (guaA and argC) important for uropathogenesis

Our knowledge of the traits possessed by extraintestinal isolates of Escherichia coli, necessary for growth and survival in urine, is limited. To identify such determinants, transposon (TnphoA′1,4) mutant libraries of a clinical isolate (CP9) were generated and screened for derivatives exhibiting decreased growth in urine in vitro, and for mutants with active lacZ fusions that were induced in urine relative to laboratory medium. Using this approach we identified two genes, guaA (CPA24) and argC (CPI‐1), which were previously unrecognized as being important for growth in human urine. Unexpectedly, not only does CPA24 (guaA) not grow in human urine in vitro, but it is sensitive to its effects, undergoing a 2–3 log loss of viability over 6 h. By contrast, CPA24 neither grows nor is killed in M9 minimal medium and artificial urine. Therefore, we postulate that lack of guanine or its derivatives in urine, and the inability of CPA24 to synthesize these compounds de novo, prevents CPA24 from synthesizing other guanine (or derivatives)‐dependent products that are critical for growth and survival in urine. Although it seems logical that decreased growth in urine in vitro should correlate with diminished urovirulence, this concept was tested by challenging mice with CPA24 in vivo in a mouse model of urinary tract infection (UTI). Indeed, CPA24 was found to be significantly less virulent compared with its wild‐type parent CP9. CPI‐1(argC) was identified because of the significant induction of its argC::lacZ fusion in urine. Subsequent testing in urine demonstrated that its growth was significantly diminished in all urine samples tested (four females, three males). Polyamine synthesis is dependent upon, in part, the arginine biosynthetic pathway. Therefore, we tested whether the induction of argC in urine and/or the decreased growth of CPI‐1 was a result of low levels of polyamines or arginine in urine. The results suggest that low levels of arginine, but not polyamines, in human urine are responsible. When tested in vivo in the mouse model of UTI, CPI‐1 was also found to be significantly less virulent than CP9. In summary, we have established that guaA and argC are the first genes, which we are aware of, that have been shown to contribute to the growth of E. coli in urine in vitro and both have diminished urovirulence in vivo. These results support the concept that urine can be used in vitro as a screening tool to identify urovirulence traits.
Cultural childbirth practices and beliefs in Zambia.

BACKGROUND Zambia, one of the world's poorest countries, also has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Most pregnant women in Zambia (96%) attend antenatal care, while 53% deliver at home. This may be related to socio-economic and cultural factors, but cultural childbirth practices and beliefs in Zambia have been little documented. AIM The aim of this study was to explore cultural childbirth practices and beliefs in Zambia as related by women accompanying labouring women to maternity units. These social support women were also interviewed about their views on providing companionship to labouring women. METHODS Thirty-six women accompanying labouring women to urban and rural maternity units in Zambia were interviewed A thematic guide with closed and open-ended questions was used. EPI INFO, an epidemiological statistical software package, was used to analyse the quantitative data; qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. FINDINGS Eighteen of the women considered themselves to be mbusas, or traditional birth assistants and the rest said that they followed labouring women to maternity units. Those who considered themselves traditional birth assistants advised childbearing women on appropriate cultural childbirth practices and assisted with deliveries at home. They also advised women on the use of traditional medicine, for example, to widen the birth canal and to precipitate labour. If something went wrong during labour, they relied on traditional beliefs and witchcraft to explain the mishap and expected the woman in labour to confess her purported 'bad' behaviour. Twelve of the women were in favour of providing support to labouring women in maternity units and learning about childbirth care from midwives. CONCLUSION These social support women, including those who considered themselves as mbusas, lacked understanding of the causes of obstetric complications during childbirth, and had inadequate knowledge of the appropriate management of labour. Culturally-specific knowledge from this study should be used to guide policy-makers and health planners in the future development of safe motherhood initiatives in developing countries. Midwives have a unique opportunity to ensure that care given during childbirth is clinically safe and culturally sensitive.
A Wideband All-Digital CMOS RF Transmitter on HDI Interposers With High Power and Efficiency

This paper demonstrates a wideband CMOS all-digital polar transmitter with flip-chip connection to three high-density-interconnection PCB interposers. The interposers are designed to extract power from a CMOS open-drain inverse Class-D power amplifier core. For a wide frequency range from 0.7 to 3.5 GHz, continuous-wave output power higher than 25.5 dBm and drain efficiency (DE) above 40% are demonstrated. The low-band package achieves a peak power of 29.2 dBm at 1.1 GHz with DE of 60%, the mid-band package outputs 28.8 dBm at 1.5 GHz with DE of 56%, and the high-band package generates 26 dBm at 3 GHz with DE of 49%. The amplitude modulation (AM) is achieved by digitally modulating the switch conductance of the inverse Class-D core, and the on-chip phase modulation is achieved by digitally weighing the in-phase and quadrature bias currents in the IQ mixer. Detailed modulation tests, involving 64 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and 20-MHz WLAN and LTE signals, exhibit excellent power and efficiency at 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, 3, and 3.6 GHz. The associated specifications on spectral masks and error vector magnitudes are satisfied.