Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Firms' Surveys Tell Us about Price-Setting Behavior in the Euro Area

This study investigates the pricing behavior of firms in the euro area on the basis of surveys conducted by nine Eurosystem national central banks, covering more than 11,000 firms. The results, consistent across countries, show that firms operate in monopolistically competitive markets, where prices are mostly set following markup rules and where price discrimination is common. Around one-third of firms follow mainly timedependent pricing rules, while two-thirds allow for elements of state dependence. The majority of the firms take into account both past and expected economic developments in their pricing decisions. Price reviews happen with a low frequency, of about one to three times per year in most countries, but prices are actually changed even less. Hence, price stickiness arises at both stages of the price-setting process and is mainly driven by customer relationships — explicit and implicit contracts — and coordination failure. Firms adjust prices asymmetrically in response to shocks: while cost shocks have a greater impact when prices have to be raised than when they have to be reduced, a fall in demand is more likely to induce a price change than an increase in demand
Evaluation of Effects of Quercetin (3, 3', 4', 5, 7-pentohidroxyflavon) on Apoptosis and Telomerase Enzyme Activity in MCF-7 and NIH-3T3 Cell Lines Compared with Tamoxifen

Objective: Quercetin has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. Tamoxifen is used for breast cancer. In this study, we have aimed to investigate the effects of quercetin and tamoxifen on telomerase enzyme activity and apoptosis in two cell lines. Methods: In this study, 10, 50 and 100 amu;M of quercetin and tamoxifen were used to treat MCF-7 and NIH-3T3. Apoptosis was determined by the TUNEL method (Terminal Deoxynucleotide Transferase dUTP Nick End Label) and telomerase enzyme activity was determined by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). Results: In the NIH3T3 cell line, only 100 amu;M quercetin and tamoxifen induced significant apoptosis. In the MCF-7 cell line 10 amu;M and 100 amu;M quercetin in the 24th hour and 100 amu;M quercetin in the 72 hour induce apoptosis. In 24th and 48th hours, 50 amu;M tamoxifen and 100 amu;M tamoxifen in the 24th and 48th hours induce apoptosis in the MCF-7 cell line. In MCF-7 and NIH-3T3 cell lines, all doses of quercetin and tamoxifen reduced telomerase enzyme activity compared to the control group. Conclusion: In this study, it was shown that quercetin has similar effects to tamoxifen. However quercetin induces apoptosis more than decreasing telomerase enzyme activities, being different from tamoxifen. We hope that the findings will assist in developing new therapeutic pathways for preventing breast cancer. However, there should be many more studies in order to discover quercetin and other potential drugs.
The ECB's New Multi-Country Model for the Euro Area: NMCM - With Boundedly Rational Learning Expectations

Rational expectations has been the dominant way to model expectations, but the literature has quickly moved to a more realistic assumption of boundedly rational learning where agents are assumed to use only a limited set of information to form their expectations. A standard assumption is that agents form expectations by using the correctly specified reduced form model of the economy, the minimal state variable solution (MSV), but they do not know the parameters. However, with medium-sized and large models the closed-form MSV solutions are difficult to attain given the large number of variables that could be included. Therefore, agents base expectations on a misspecified MSV solution. In contrast, we assume agents know the deep parameters of their own optimizing frameworks. However, they are not assumed to know the structure nor the parameterization of the rest of the economy, nor do they know the stochastic processes generating shocks hitting the economy. In addition, agents are assumed to know that the changes (or the growth rates) of fundament variables can be modeled as stationary ARMA(p,q) processes, the exact form of which is not, however, known by agents. This approach avoids the complexities of dealing with a potential vast multitude of alternative mis-specified MSVs. Using a new Multi-country Euro area Model with Boundedly Estimated Rationality we show this approach is compatible with the same limited information assumption that was used in deriving and estimating the behavioral equations of different optimizing agents. We find that there are strong differences in the adjustment path to the shocks to the economy when agent form expectations using our learning approach compared to expectations formed under the assumption of strong rationality. Furthermore, we find that some variation in expansionary fiscal policy in periods of downturns compared to boom periods.
The effects of asymmetric and symmetric fetal growth restriction on human capital development

This paper explores the causal pathway by which poor fetal health translates into reducing educational attainment and earnings as an adult. Using insights from the medical literature, I decompose low birth weight infants into two distinct subtypes: a symmetric type, which is characterized by cognitive deficits, and an asymmetric type, which exhibits little to no cognitive problems. Using data from a longitudinal survey of newborns, I establish three results: First, there is empirical evidence of brain sparing in the asymmetric subtype, but not in the symmetric subtype. Second, despite differences in cognitive impairment, both subtypes exhibit similar impairment to physical health. And finally, there is evidence that the causes and timing of onset during pregnancy are different for asymmetric and symmetric growth restriction. The results indicate that differentiating between these subtypes may offer new opportunities to identify the underlying casual relationships between health and human capital development, as well as uncovering the "black box" mechanism behind the fetal origins hypothesis. These results also have broad implications for the timing of policy interventions aimed at pregnant women.
Naturalistic emotion regulation: The measurement and social consequences of spontaneous emotion regulation during marital conflict.

Emotion regulation is arguably a social phenomenon: it occurs most frequently in the closest social relationships, serves important social functions and, correspondingly, is related to social outcomes such as relationship satisfaction. Because marriage may be the closest relationship for many adults, it is an important context in which to regulate one's emotions. However, few studies have investigated the connection between how well spouses regulate emotion and how satisfied they are with their marriages.Using a longitudinal sample of middle-aged (40-50 years old) and older (60-70 years old) long-term married couples, I evaluated the association between couples' emotion regulation and couples' marital satisfaction, both concurrently and longitudinally over a 13-year period. The study further evaluated whether the association between couples' emotion regulation and couples' marital satisfaction differed for husbands and wives, as well as for middle-aged compared to older couples.The present study assessed emotion regulation during naturalistic conflict interactions between married spouses. This approximates the real world context in which emotion regulation occurs, an objective that has been often overlooked in existing laboratory-based studies. Emotion regulation was assessed by examining how well couples reduced levels of negative emotional arousal (in the domains of subjective experience, behavior, and physiology) following distressing events that occurred during their interactions.Results showed that couples' emotion regulation positively predicted couples' concurrent marital satisfaction. Specifically, shorter time spent in a negative emotional state predicted greater concurrent marital satisfaction. The effect was driven primarily by the regulation of subjective experience. Furthermore, results showed that wives' emotion regulation was more strongly related to couple's marital satisfaction than that of husbands. Additionally, there was no significant difference between middle-aged and older couples in the association between emotion regulation and marital satisfaction. In terms of longitudinal prediction, after controlling for the concurrent relationship between regulation and satisfaction, regulation did not predict change in marital satisfaction over time. Finally, a comparison of the present study's direct measures of emotion regulation and a questionnaire measure of emotion regulation revealed no correlation. However, both direct and questionnaire measures each contributed uniquely to the prediction of couples' concurrent marital satisfaction.Findings are discussed in terms of the social functions of emotion and the nature and change over time of the marital relationship. Implications with regard to future directions of research and clinical interventions are explored.
Artificial Neural Networks Approach to the Forecast of Stock Market Price Movements

In this work we present an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach to predict stock market indices. In particular, we focus our attention on their trend movement up or down. We provide results of experiments exploiting different Neural Networks architectures, namely the Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP), the Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), and the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks technique. We show importance of choosing correct input features and their preprocessing for learning algorithm. Finally we test our algorithm on the S&P500 and FOREX EUR/USD historical time series, predicting trend on the basis of data from the past n days, in the case of S&P500, or minutes, in the FOREX framework. We provide a novel approach based on combination of wavelets and CNN which outperforms basic neural networks approaches.
DURABILITY OF TANNIN-BORON-TREATED TIMBER

Tannin-boron wood preservatives were investigated for their resistance against outdoor agents. This work focused on the analysis of the causes that affect the durability of the tannin-hexamine-treated samples. In particular, dimensional stability, resistance to leaching, and resistance to biological agents were investigated. The combined effect of deterioration agents was evaluated by subjecting the treated samples to simulated and natural weathering tests. The study of the appearance and of the color components (L*, a*, and b*) according to CIELAB space of the exposed samples was monitored to assess the efficacy of the tannin-boron formulations for outdoor applications. Significant resistance against the action of water (EN 84, ENV 1250-2) and insects (EN 47) has been demonstrated in specific tests. Conversely, the continuous stress due to artificial and natural weathering deteriorates the color and the visible features of the treated specimens. The combined effect of moisture modifications, solar exposition, and leaching cycles damages the structure of the tannin-based polymeric network and subsequently it negatively affects its preservation properties.
Meiotic Resumption and Completion In Vitro of Immature Buffalo Oocytes after Vitrification

Cryopreservation of buffalo oocytes can be done in using various methods of vitrification with different success rate. In this study, germinal vesicle (GV) stage buffalo oocytes were exposed to VS1 (7.5% EG + 7.5% DMSO in BM) for equilibration (10 min) before transferring to VS2 (15% EG + 15% DMSO + 0.6 M sucrose in BM) for 45 sec loaded in cryoloop and plunged directly into LN2 or directly plunging into LN2 in microdrops. After a few weeks of storage, the oocytes were warmed in step-wise dilution pattern for 3 min each in 0.6 M, 0.3 M and 0.15 M sucrose in BM, transferred to a washing solution (3x) before culturing in maturation droplets. In using the cryoloop method, the survival rate recorded was 86.5% (64/78) with a meiotic resumption rate of 85.9% (55/64). The maturation rate was 34.4% (22/64). In using the MDS method, the survival rate was 88.5% (54/75) with a meiotic resumption rate of 88.9% (48/54). The maturation rate was 42.6% (23/54). These findings indicate that both vitrification methods can be used for cryopreservation of GV stage buffalo oocytes. Future studies should be directed on attaining a higher maturation rate post warming, including its fertilizability, capacity for embryo development and eventual production of live birth.
Validation of the dutch version of the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM-ICU) for delirium screening in the Intensive Care Unit

Background Delirium is frequently encountered in hospital settings especially in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with an inci- dence of 42% to 87%. The aetiology of delirium is still unknown but research has shown that prevention and treatment is possible. Early detection is a necessary first step for successful treatment and prevention in the ICU. The Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) is a rapid and easily administered screening instrument to detect delirium in the ICU setting and is based on the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria (DSM-IV) The aim of this study was to validate the Dutch version of the CAM-ICU. Methods The CAM-ICU was translated in accordance with standard translation guidelines. The validation study of the Dutch CAM-ICU version was performed in a large Dutch community hospital with a mixed ICU. The patients were tested by a geriatrician or a psychiatrist for clinical symptoms of delirium according to the DSM IV criteria (= reference standard), and the results were compared with indepen- dently scored CAM-ICU outcomes. Results Thirty consecutive adult patients with Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale (RASS) ≥ -3 were assessed for delirium using the CAM-ICU and the DSM-IV criteria, resulting in 60 paired tests. Twenty-nine patients were included in the analysis. Based on the DSM-IV criteria 11 of 29 patients had delirium and 9 of 29 scored positive on the CAM-ICU. Only three patients were diagnosed differently by the geriatrician or psychiatrist and the CAM-ICU, two had a psychiatric disorder and one had been sedated and was therefore excluded. Agreement was calculated using crosstabs analysis, overall agreement was 93.1%. In our validation cohort the incidence of delirium was 37.9%. Conclusion The translation of the Dutch CAM-ICU showed good correlation with the original English version and can therefore be used in a Dutch ICU. The results of the validation study showed very good agree- ment between the clinical diagnoses made by the experts and the detection of delirium using the Dutch CAM-ICU. The Dutch CAM-ICU reliably detects ICU delirium. It therefore provides the means for early detection, treatment and secondary prevention of ICU delirium.
Transcriptional activator gene based phylogenetic analysis of dolichos yellow mosaic virus infecting lablab bean ( Dolichos lablab L . )

The lablab bean (Dolichos lablab L.) is most ancient cultivated crop plants. It is a multipurpose crop grown for pulse, vegetable and forage, widely cultivated due to it is having high nutritive value and having major sources of protein. It has ability of nitrogen fixation which helps in improving soil fertility, and drought resistance (Capoor and Varma, 1948, 1950; Maruthi et al., 2006). In India, the lablab bean is grown in the peninsular region and cultivated to large areas of Karnataka and adjoining districts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh (Singh et al., 2006, 2012). The lablab bean is extensively cultivated in the various climatic zones for example arid, semi-arid, sub-tropical and humid regions where temperatures vary between 22°C-35°C, low lands and uplands and many types of soils and the pH varying from 4.4 to 7.8. The dried seeds of lablab bean should be boiled in two changes of water earlier eating since they have toxins substance as Cyanogenic glucosides. It improves the soil condition and is relatively drought tolerant; it is also a good cover crop (Raj et al., 1988; Singh et al., 2006, 2012). In dolichos disease named dolichos yellow mosaic disease and infected by virus named dolichos yellow mosaic virus (DoYMV) and was shown transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Capoor and Varma, 1950; Vanitharani et al., 2004, 2005; Yadava et al., 2010). It having symptoms like faint chlorotic specks on leaf lamina, which later develop into bright yellow mosaic patches with Small Island of green tissue. The leaves are seldom deformed, but yields are reduced significantly (Capoor and Varma, 1950; Bisaro, 1996; Zrachya et al., 2006). The viruses ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Co-teaching: Robust training of deep neural networks with extremely noisy labels

Deep learning with noisy labels is practically challenging, as the capacity of deep models is so high that they can totally memorize these noisy labels sooner or later during training. Nonetheless, recent studies on the memorization effects of deep neural networks show that they would first memorize training data of clean labels and then those of noisy labels. Therefore in this paper, we propose a new deep learning paradigm called Co-teaching for combating with noisy labels. Namely, we train two deep neural networks simultaneously, and let them teach each other given every mini-batch: firstly, each network feeds forward all data and selects some data of possibly clean labels; secondly, two networks communicate with each other what data in this mini-batch should be used for training; finally, each network back propagates the data selected by its peer network and updates itself. Empirical results on noisy versions of MNIST, CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 demonstrate that Co-teaching is much superior to the state-of-the-art methods in the robustness of trained deep models.
Rapid population declines of Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) and red‐headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) in India

Since the early 1990s, large and rapid population declines of three species of vulture (Gyps spp.) endemic to south Asia have occurred on the Indian subcontinent and have led to these species being listed by IUCN as critically endangered. Evidence of rates of population decline, cause of death and toxicity is consistent with these declines being caused by poisoning of vultures through the ingestion of tissues from livestock treated with the anti‐inflammatory drug diclofenac. In this paper, analysis of repeated surveys in and near protected areas widely spread across India shows that populations of two other vulture species, Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus and red‐headed vulture Sarcogyps calvus, have also declined markedly and rapidly, but probably with a later onset than Gyps vultures in the same region. The declines continued at least up to 2003. It is recommended that these two species are considered for inclusion in the IUCN Red List and for urgent remedial conservation measures. Research is needed to determine whether or not the principal cause of these declines is diclofenac poisoning and to establish population trends in other scavenging birds in the Indian subcontinent.
HYDROCARBON-DEGRADING BACTERIA IN PETROLEUM-CONTAMINATED SOIL AT SUAME MAGAZINE

Accidental oil spill has been a global problem especially the oil producing developing countries. Bioremediation remains the best and safest option for eradicating these toxic substances from the environment. In this study, petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria associated with crude oil contaminated soils were investigated. Samples were taken from 3 different garages at 3 different soil depths (5, 10 and 15 cm) in Suame, a suburb of Kumasi and analyzed microbiologically. Colonies were isolated and cultured on nutrient agar covered with used engine oil to check for their hydrocarbon-degrading ability. The enumeration of the microbes for sites A, B and C were 1.695 × 10, 1.817 × 10 and 1.511 × 10 CFU/g respectively. Pseudomonas spp. , Acinetobacterium spp. , Bacillus spp. , Aeromonas spp. and Micrococcus spp. were found to possess hydrocarbon-degrading ability. Thus, in this study, bacteria with hydrocarbon-degrading ability were found to inhabit engine oilcontaminated soils at Suame magazine in Kumasi, Ghana.
First results of a long-term cultivation experiment of different species of Nummulitidae (Foraminifera) from the island of Sesoko (Okinawa, Japan)

Many experimental culture studies have been carried out on larger benthic foraminifera to improve their use in paleoceanography, paleoclimatology or environmental monitoring. However, understanding how to culture larger benthic foraminifera over longer periods of time (several months to years) without deficiencies is limited. Observations of sexual reproduction, in particular, are limited in laboratory setting, let alone the full alteration of generations. In this study, we present the results of a successful long-term cultivation of four species of larger benthic foraminifera, enabling individual recognition (i.e. the traceability of single individuals). Operculina complanata, Palaeonummulites venosus, Hetererostegina depressa and Cycloclypeus carpenteri were sampled and cultured over a period of 15 months, with the aim of optimizing growing conditions, and approximating changing environmental conditions measured in the field as closely as possible.
Lung cancer patients have the highest malignancy-associated suicide rate in USA: a population-based analysis

Purpose Previous studies have reported that psychological and social distresses associated with a cancer diagnosis have led to an increase in suicides compared to the general population. We sought to explore lung cancer-associated suicide rates in a large national database compared to the general population, and to the three most prevalent non-skin cancers [breast, prostate and colorectal cancer (CRC)]. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (1973–2013) was retrospectively reviewed to identify cancer-associated suicide deaths in all cancers combined, as well as for each of lung, prostate, breast or CRCs. Suicide incidence and standardised mortality ratio (SMR) were estimated using SEER*Stat-8.3. 2 program. Suicidal trends over time and timing from cancer diagnosis to suicide were estimated for each cancer type. Results Among 3,640,229 cancer patients, 6,661 committed suicide. The cancer-associated suicide rate was 27.5/100,000 person years (SMR = 1.57). The highest suicide risk was observed in patients with lung cancer (SMR = 4.17) followed by CRC (SMR = 1.41), breast cancer (SMR = 1.40) and prostate cancer (SMR = 1.18). Median time to suicide was 7 months in lung cancer, 56 months in prostate cancer, 52 months in breast cancer and 37 months in CRC (p < 0.001). We noticed a decreasing trend in suicide SMR over time, which is most notable for lung cancer compared to the other three cancers. In lung cancer, suicide SMR was higher in elderly patients (70–75 years; SMR = 12), males (SMR = 8.8), Asians (SMR = 13.7), widowed patients (SMR = 11.6), undifferentiated tumours (SMR = 8.6), small-cell lung cancer (SMR = 11.2) or metastatic disease (SMR = 13.9) and in patients who refused surgery (SMR = 13). Conclusion The cancer-associated suicide rate is nearly twice that of the general population of the United States of America. The suicide risk is highest among the patients with lung cancer, particularly elderly, widowed, male patients and patients with unfavourable tumour characteristics. The identification of high-risk patients is of extreme importance to provide proper psychological assessment, support and counselling to reduce these rates.