Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Pitfalls and Opportunities: What Macroeconomists Should Know about Unit Roots]: Comment

This paper is an outstanding survey of unit root econometrics. It is an enormous and confusing literature, and Campbell and Perron's 24 rules are a tremendous and very practical condensation. If you decide to run unit root tests, this is a good place to start. Rather than pick on rule 22, or survey some fields that the authors left out of this already massive paper (such as the Bayesian view or fractional unit roots), I will devote my comments to some reservations on practical usefulness. The bottom line is that, as much as I admire this paper as a survey of what econometricians know about unit roots, I am not yet convinced that this is what macroeconomists should know about unit roots. For the moment, there are two broad uses of unit root econometrics, and I think it is best to organize my thoughts about what macroeconomists need to know about unit root econometrics by how they use it.
Assessment of release kinetics, stability and polymer interaction of poloxamer 407-based thermosensitive gel of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist

Abstract Sustained delivery of proteins from polymer-based thermosensitive gel has achieved considerable attention since last decade. In our previous work, we developed a formulation for sustained delivery of IL-1Ra-loaded poloxamer 407 formulation and investigated its in vitro and in vivo characteristics. In the present work, we extended this approach to investigate stability of IL-1Ra from poloxamer 407 formulation stored at 4 °C, 25 °C and 40 °C for 3 months. Samples were taken and in vitro drug release kinetics was studied. Percent of drug content was measured using the BCA method. DSC and SDS-PAGE were used to assess the conformational stability of IL-1Ra. FTIR spectroscopy was performed to investigate the drug–polymer interaction. From the results, it was found that gelation temperature, viscosity and in vitro release pattern of IL-1Ra from poloxamer 407 formulation at 4 °C were almost same throughout the stability study period. DSC profiles of IL-1Ra loaded in poloxamer 407 formulation increased the thermostability of IL-1Ra significantly in poloxamer 407 formulation. There were no apparent changes in the entire FTIR spectrum of the IL-1Ra that would suggest that there was no effect of the polymer on the structure of IL-1Ra. Moreover, results of SDS-PAGE confirmed the stability of IL-1Ra in poloxamer 407 formulation. These results provided evidence that poloxamer 407 is a promising polymer not only for sustained delivery of IL-1Ra but also provides conformational stability for extended time.
Mycoplasma genitalium compared to chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomonas as an aetiological agent of urethritis in men attending STD clinics

Objectives: To investigate prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis in men, frequency of co-infections, and association of organisms with urethritis in men. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 290 men (age range 19–34 years) attending Baltimore City STD clinics. M genitalium, C trachomatis, N gonorrhoeae and T vaginalis, during 2004 were detected using nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) (153 with urethritis and 137 without urethritis). Demographic characteristics and risk factors were ascertained. Results: The overall prevalences of infection with C trachomatis, N gonorrhoeae, T vaginalis and M genitalium were 20.3%, 12.8%, 3.4% and 15.2%, respectively. Prevalences in men with urethritis were 32.7%, 24.2%, 5.2% and 22.2% for C trachomatis, N gonorrhoeae, T vaginalis and M genitalium, respectively. Percentages of co-infections were high. All men with N gonorrhoeae had urethritis. C trachomatis and M genitalium were found to be significantly associated with urethritis in univariate analysis and in multiple logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: The association of M genitalium with urethritis in this study provides confirmation of the importance of screening men for M genitalium as a cause of non-gonococcal urethritis and supports treatment considerations for urethritis for agents other than gonococci and chlamydia.
On a Low-Frequency and Refinement Stable PMCHWT Integral Equation Leveraging the Quasi-Helmholtz Projectors

Classical Poggio–Miller–Chan–Harrington–Wu–Tsai (PMCHWT) formulations for modeling radiation and scattering from penetrable objects suffer from ill-conditioning when the frequency is low or when the mesh density is high. The most effective techniques to solve these problems, unfortunately, either require the explicit detection of the so-called global loops of the structure, or suffer from numerical cancellation at extremely low frequency. In this contribution, a novel regularization method for the PMCHWT equation is proposed, which is based on the quasi-Helmholtz projectors. This method not only solves both the low frequency and the dense mesh ill-conditioning problems of the PMCHWT, but it is immune from low-frequency numerical cancellations and it does not require the detection of global loops. This is obtained by projecting the range space of the PMCHWT operator onto a dual basis, by rescaling the resulting quasi-Helmholtz components, by replicating the strategy in the dual space, and finally, by combining the primal and the dual equations in a Calderón-like fashion. Implementation-related treatments and details alternate the theoretical developments in order to maximize impact and practical applicability of the approach. Finally, numerical results corroborate the theory and show the effectiveness of the new schemes in real case scenarios.
Assessing New Technologies in Aerosol Medicine: Strengths and Limitations

Aerosols are the mainstay of treatment for pulmonary diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and COPD. In addition, aerosols are also being used for systemic drug delivery. Patients need devices that are safe, reliable, portable, and easy to use; have few steps in their operation; help them keep track of the remaining doses; are not expensive; and provide age-appropriate positive reinforcement and feedback. Computational fluid dynamics, human factor sciences, and quality by design are now applied to device development. Matching patient, drug, and device remains a challenge. Formulary restrictions, the current status of the industry-academia relationship, and the need to use multiple platforms hinder the process. Patients and families need to participate in the selection of a device that is appropriate for them. Practitioners need comparative data to help them choose the right device. New devices and drugs can be compared with the existing technology using in vitro and in vivo methods (lung imaging, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies). Drug manufacturers need to be able to justify coverage of new products by third-party payers by showing a positive cost/benefit relationship. Finally, post-market surveillance is necessary for old drugs with new devices or for new drugs and devices to ensure patient safety.
Computer simulations suggest that acute correction of hyperglycaemia with an insulin bolus protocol might be useful in brain FDG PET

Summary Aim: FDG PET in hyperglycaemic subjects often suffers from limited statistical image quality, which may hamper visual and quantitative evaluation. In our study the following insulin bolus protocol is proposed for acute correction of hyperglycaemia (> 7.0 mmol/l) in brain FDG PET. (i) Intravenous bolus injection of short-acting insulin, one I.E. for each 0.6 mmol/l blood glucose above 7.0. (ii) If 20 min after insulin administration plasma glucose is ≤ 7.0 mmol/l, proceed to (iii). If insulin has not taken sufficient effect step back to (i). Compute insulin dose with the updated blood glucose level. (iii) Wait further 20 min before injection of FDG. (iv) Continuous supervision of the patient during the whole scanning procedure. Methods: The potential of this protocol for improvement of image quality in brain FDG PET in hyperglycaemic subjects was evaluated by computer simulations within the Sokoloff model. A plausibility check of the prediction of the computer simulations on the magnitude of the effect that might be achieved by correction of hyperglycaemia was performed by retrospective evaluation of the relation between blood glucose level and brain FDG uptake in 89 subjects in whom FDG PET had been performed for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Results: The computer simulations suggested that acute correction of hyperglycaemia according to the proposed bolus insulin protocol might increase the FDG uptake of the brain by up to 80%. The magnitude of this effect was confirmed by the patient data. Conclusion: The proposed management protocol for acute correction of hyper glycaemia with insulin has the potential to significantly improve the statistical quality of brain FDG PET images. This should be confirmed in a prospective study in patients.
“Having it All” on Social Media: Entrepreneurial Femininity and Self-Branding Among Fashion Bloggers

Against the backdrop of the widespread individualization of the creative workforce, various genres of social media production have emerged from the traditionally feminine domains of fashion, beauty, domesticity, and craft. Fashion blogging, in particular, is considered one of the most commercially successful and publicly visible forms of digital cultural production. To explore how fashion bloggers represent their branded personae as enterprising feminine subjects, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the textual (n = 38 author narratives) and visual (n = 760 Instagram images) content published by leading fashion bloggers; we supplement this with in-depth interviews with eight full-time fashion/beauty bloggers. Through this data, we show how top-ranked bloggers depict the ideal of “having it all” through three interrelated tropes: the destiny of passionate work, staging the glam life, and carefully curated social sharing. Together, these tropes articulate a form of entrepreneurial femininity that draws upon post-feminist sensibilities and the contemporary logic of self-branding. We argue, however, that this socially mediated version of self-enterprise obscures the labor, discipline, and capital necessary to emulate these standards, while deploying the unshakable myth that women should work through and for consumption. We conclude by addressing how these findings are symptomatic of a digital media economy marked by the persistence of social inequalities of gender, race, class, and more.
Cost-benefit analysis and prediction of 24-hour proteinuria from the spot urine protein-creatinine ratio.

AIM A prospective cross-sectional study was performed on 170 patients with various glomerular diseases to study the accuracy of predicting 24-hour proteinuria from the spot urine protein-creatinine ratio (Up/Uc). A cost-benefit analysis was performed for the New Zealand health economic system to obtain the best cut-off values for proteinuria. SUBJECTS, METHODS AND RESULTS Two spot urine samples (Up/Uc1 and Up/Uc2) were collected on the same day as the collection of a 24-hour urine. A randomly chosen subsample of 50 patients provided a second set of urine samples. The correlation and precision of agreement between the two methods were examined. The predictive intervals were calculated for derived 24-hour proteinuria. The level of agreement was evaluated by the Bland-Altman method and concordance analysis. The limits of agreement were evaluated against the clinical limits of agreement. A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was performed to obtain the optimum operating points on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the best decision threshold. Correlations of r = 0.97 and 0.99 were observed between Up/Uc1, Up/Uc2 and 24-hour proteinuria, respectively. The 95% predictive intervals were wide. A high concordance correlation coefficient was obtained. The most of the differences between the two methods fell within the clinical limits of agreement. The Up/Uc1 of 0.26 and 3.20 represent the best thresholds to detect normal and nephrotic proteinuria, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Despite wide confidence intervals, a good correlation and precision of agreement were demonstrated between the two methods across the whole range of proteinuria, regardless of the level of renal function. The difference between the two methods was less than the biological variability in the protein excretion and its measurement, enabling the methods to be used interchangeably. The optimum thresholds for abnormal and nephrotic range proteinuria were obtained.
Helicobacter pylori and Peptic Ulcer Disease Therapies: A Survey of Gastroenterologists in Israel

Background. Eradication of Helicobacter pylori has become a therapeutic option in the treatment of patients with peptic ulcer disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current management strategies of Israeli gastroenterologists in the diagnosis and treatment of H. pylori‐related peptic ulcer disease, 14 years after the discovery of H. pylori.
Molecular identification of bloodmeals and species composition in Culicoides biting midges

Investigations of host preferences in haematophagous insects, including Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are critical in order to assess transmission routes of vector‐borne diseases. In this study, we collected and morphologically identified 164 blood‐engorged Culicoides females caught in both light traps and permanent 12‐m high suction traps during 2008–2010 in Sweden. Molecular analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in the biting midges was performed to verify species classification, discern phylogenetic relationships and uncover possible cryptic species. Bloodmeal analysis using universal vertebrate cytochrome b primers revealed a clear distinction in host selection between mammalophilic and ornithophilic Culicoides species. Host sequences found matches in horse (n = 59), sheep (n = 39), cattle (n = 26), Eurasian elk (n = 1) and 10 different bird species (n = 18). We identified 15 Culicoides species previously recorded in Scandinavia and four additional species haplotypes that were distinctly different from the described species. All ornithophilic individuals (n = 23) were caught exclusively in the suction traps, as were, interestingly, almost all mammalophilic species (n = 41), indicating that many biting midge species may be able to cover long distances after completing a bloodmeal. These results add new information on the composition of Culicoides species and their host preferences and their potential long‐distance dispersal while blood‐engorged.
Intra and inter-core power modelling for single-ISA heterogeneous processors

This research presents a systematic methodology for producing accurate power models for single instruction set architecture (ISA) heterogeneous processors. We use the hardware event counters from the processor performance monitoring unit (PMU) to accurately capture the CPU states and ordinary least squares (OLS), assisted by automated event selection algorithms, to compute the power models. Several estimators for single-thread and multi-thread benchmarks are proposed capable of performing power predictions across different frequency levels for one processor as well as between the heterogeneous processors with less than 3% error. The models are compared to related work showing significant improvement in accuracy and good computational efficiency which makes them suitable for run-time deployment.
Budget-Induced Pressure And Its Relationship To Supervisory Behavior

One of the functions of the budget is to provide a set of desired results with which actual results can be compared. At the administrative level, this comparison may be used as a basis for corrective action and thereby have a motivational influence on the performance of personnel. Indeed, the budget department was named by supervisors in Argyris' study as second only to production control in its impact on the supervisor's environment.1 This impact operates in both the operational and personal relations areas. Groups are assumed to be more effective in reaching their goals if both desired and actual results are communicated to them. At the same time, authors have noted the human relations difficulties encountered in budget systems. Peirce noted that many individuals have acquired a defensive attitude toward budgets, resulting in misunderstanding, distrust, criticism, recrimination, and failure to accomplish the coordination of effort desired.2 In 1952, the Controllership Foundation, Inc. sponsored a research study in which an attempt was made to discover how budgets affect the personal relationships of supervisory personnel. At least four problems were found to be related to budgets : 1. Budget pressure tends to unite employees against management and tends to place the factory supervisor under tension.
Measuring Efficiency of Nations in Multi Sport Events: A case of Commonwealth Games XIX

Abstract This paper used a data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure the performance of the nations participating in the Commonwealth Games. To increase the consistency of the research, multiple models were employed to validate the result, but the nature of the input and output remained same throughout the paper. The objective of this study was to establish some realistic targets in terms of number of players for all participant countries and evaluations of their performance as well as benchmarks against the most efficient country. This study would help the nations optimize the size of their players to maximize the outcome in terms of the number of medals won in sporting events.
The Effects of an Employment Subsidy in an Efficiency Wage Model with a Phillips Curve

Using a dynamic efficiency wage model where a Phillips curve relationship arises because worker morale depends on the unemployment rate and the change in nominal wages, we analyze both structural and Keynesian unemployment and the effects of an employment subsidy on the two types of unemployment. We show that the presence of an aggregate demand deficiency crucially influences the impact of the employment subsidy.
EFFECT OF PROPOLIS ON INDUCED ALVEOLAR BONE LOSS IN DIABETIC RATS

inflammatory diseases. As DM accelerates bone resorption; when periodontal disease affects a diabetic individual, extensive alveolar boneloss occurs. Propolis is a natural antibiotic & anti-inflammatory agent that honey bees (Apis mellifera) collect from tree buds or otherbotanical sources; and use in the construction as well as the protection of their hives. Due to its broad pharmacological potential, propolis hasbeen employed extensively in medicine, since ancient times.Objective: Was to evaluate the effect of systemic administration of propolis on the alveolar bone loss, induced by periodontitis, in diabeticrats.Materials and methods: Twenty-four Albino rats were divided into three equal groups: group (1) normal control (NC), group (2) Diabetes+ Periodontitis (DP) and group (3) Diabetes + Periodontitis + Propolis (DP-Pro). DM type 1was induced in rats of groups (2) and (3), bysingle intraperitoneal injection of Streptozotocin. Then, periodontitis was induced by ligature placement sub marginally around the rightmandibular 1st molar. In group (3), propolis was administrated systemically by gastric feeding 400mg/Kg/day for 8weeks. At the end of thisperiod, animals were sacrificed and dissected. The alveolar bone surface integrity interproximally was evaluated by scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM), and results were compared between groups.Results: After 2 months, group (2) showed more alveolar bone loss compared to the 2 other groups. Groups (1) & (3) showed an intact,smooth & regular bone surface, while group (2) specimens showed an irregular & porous bone surface with extensive resorption.Conclusion: This study showed that the systemic administration of propolis effectively prevented the extensive alveolar bone lossassociated with experimental periodontitis in diabetic rat models. Thus, propolis might be used as an adjunctive treatment for periodontitisassociated with Diabetes.
Response of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) to sowing date and row spacing in mid hills of Sikkim under rainfed conditions

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabr) seasons of 1999 2000 and 2000 2001 to study the response of lndian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj. Cosson] to sowing date and row spacing. Sowing on 25 September and 5 October recorded significantly higher number of blanches, seedslsiliquae, siliquaelplant, 1,000 seed weight and seed yield than that on 15 October, 25 October and 4 November. Seed yield decreased progressively with delay in planting. However, seed yield was significantly influenced by different row spacing. Significantly higher seed yieldlha was recorded with 30 and 45 cm row spacing than 60 cm row spacing. A row spacing of 45 cm was found suitable for crop sown on 25 September and 5 October, while 30 cm was optimum for lndian mustard sown beyond 5 October. Oil content (%) was significantly influenced by sowing date but remained unaffected due to variation in row spacing.
Position Effects in Search Advertising: A Regression Discontinuity Approach

We investigate the causal effect of position in search engine advertising listings on outcomes such as click-through rates and sales orders. Since positions are determined through an auction, there are significant selection issues in measuring position effects. A simple mean comparison of outcomes at two positions is likely to be biased due to these selection issues. Additionally, experimentation is rendered difficult in this situation by competitors’ bidding behavior, which induces selection biases that cannot be eliminated by randomizing the bids for the focal advertiser. Econometric approaches to deal with the selection are rendered infeasible due to the difficulty of finding suitable instruments in this context. We show that a regression discontinuity approach is a feasible approach to measure causal effects in this important context. We apply the approach to a large and unique dataset of daily observations containing information on a focal advertiser as well as its major competitors. Our regression discontinuity estimates demonstrate that there are significant selection biases in the more naive estimates, that selection effects vary by position and that there are sharp local effects in the relationship between position and outcomes such as click through rates and orders. We further investigate moderators of position effects. Position effects are stronger when the advertiser is smaller, and the consumer has low prior experience with the keyword for the advertiser. They are weaker when the keyword phrase has specific brand or product information, when the ad copy is more specific as in exact matching options, and on weekends compared to weekdays.
Physics of trans-Planckian gravity

We study the field theoretical description of a generic theory of gravity flowing to Einstein General Relativity in IR. We prove that, if ghost-free, in the weakly coupled regime such a theory can never become weaker than General Relativity. Using this fact, as a byproduct, we suggest that in a ghost-free theory of gravity trans-Planckian propagating quantum degrees of freedom cannot exist. The only physical meaning of a trans-Planckian pole is the one of a classical state (Black Hole) which is described by the light IR quantum degrees of freedom and gives exponentially-suppressed contributions to virtual processes. In this picture Einstein gravity is UV self-complete, although not Wilsonian, and sub-Planckian distances are unobservable in any healthy theory of gravity. We then finally show that this UV/IR correspondence puts a severe constraint on any attempt of conventional Wilsonian UV-completion of trans-Planckian gravity. Specifically, there is no well-defined energy domain in which gravity could become asymptotically weak or safe.