Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stabilization Policies in Developing Countries: Some Policy Considerations

Con las politicas de estabilizacion economica se procura mejorar el equilibrio entre la oferta y la demanda de la economia para moderar las presiones inflacionistas y fortalecer la balanza de pagos. Esas politicas casi siempre entranan medidas de restriccion de la demanda agregada, aunque ultimamente se esta prestando creciente atencion a las politicas destinadas a estimular la capacidad de oferta. Debido a ciertas caracteristicas que suelen tener los paises en desarrollo es mas dificil mejorar la posicion de pagos con medidas que meramente restrinjan la demanda interna. Puede haber menor grado de sustitucion entre la produccion nacional y extranjera, su influencia en el mercado es reducida y las instituciones financieras pueden no estar suficientemente desarrolladas como para atraer corrientes estabilizadoras de capital. Esto no significa que las politicas de regulacion de la demanda no sean importantes, sino que tienen que formularse de modo que fomenten la redistribucion deseada de los recursos y coordinarse con politicas que estimulen la adecuada reaccion de la oferta. En la practica, generalmente se necesitara un conjunto de medidas coordinadas para lograr el resultado deseado. Entre esas medidas figuraran la restriccion monetaria y fiscal y, a menudo, tambien ajustes del tipo de interes y del tipo de cambio. La rapidez con que se consigan los cambios del nivel y la estructura de la demanda dependera de las restricciones externas (la disponibilidad de financiamiento) e internas (la aceptabilidad politica de las medidas deflacionistas). Con respecto a la oferta, el campo de politica que mas puede contribuir a mejorar el producto y el crecimiento es la racionalizacion de los precios. Es posible que con la eliminacion de las distorsiones de costos y precios mejore la distribucion de recursos, se tomen decisiones de inversion mas eficientes y se eleve asimismo el nivel global del ahorro y la inversion. Cabe reconocer, no obstante, que las distorsiones de costos y precios generalmente se han producido por razones politicas o sociales que pueden dificultar su supresion.
Evidence That Cholecystokinin Interacts with Specific Receptors and Regulates Insulin Release in Isolated Rat Islets of Langerhans

To determine the nature of the pancreatic islet cell cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor, we studied CCK receptor binding and biologic activity in isolated rat pancreatic islets. Binding of 70 pM 125I-CCK to collagenase-prepared isolated rat pancreatic islets at 24°C was one-half maximal after 5 min and maximal at 60 min. At 60 min, specific binding was 12% of total radioactivity per 100 μg islet protein; nonspecific binding (in the presence of 1 μM CCK 8) was less than 2% of total radioactivity. Unlabeled CCK 33 inhibited labeled hormone binding one-half maximally at 2 nM; Scatchard analysis showed one binding site (Kd, 2.3 ± 0.4 nM; Bmax, 8.1 pmol/mg protein). The agonist selectivity of this binding site was: CCK 8 = CCK 33>desulfated-CCK 8>CCK 4. Two CCK antagonists were studied; N-carbobenzoxy-L-tryptophan was more potent than dibutyryl-cGMP. When the effect of CCK on insulin release from the islets was studied, the order of potency of CCK agonists and antagonists on insulin secretion was the same as the order of their ability to inhibit 125I-CCK binding. The effect of CCK on insulin secretion was dependent on the glucose concentration in the media. CCK had no effect at 5.6 mM glucose and was fully effective at 11.0 mM glucose. These data, therefore, indicate that: (1) specific binding sites for CCK are present in rat pancreatic beta, cells; and (2) CCK acts in concert with glucose to stimulate insulin secretion.
Laparoscopic treatment of endometrial cancer: five-year recurrence and survival rates.

PURPOSE To evaluate the 5-year recurrence and survival of patients with clinical Stage I endometrial cancer treated by the laparoscopic approach. METHODS Retrospective review of 56 patients with clinical Stage I endometrial cancer treated laparoscopically. The mean follow-up was 6.4 (4.8-9.6) years. The International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FIGO) surgical staging was: I, 45 (80.4%); II, three (5.4%); III, six (10.7%); and IV, two (3.6%). RESULTS For patients with surgical Stage I (n = 45), the 5-year recurrence rate was 4.9% and the 5-year cause-specific survival was 94.7%. Factors univariately associated with survival were grade (p = .017), depth of myometrial invasion (p = .018), node metastasis (p = .013), and surgical stage according to FIGO (p = .097). CONCLUSION The laparoscopic approach provided 5-year survival and recurrence rates similar to those previously attained by laparotomy in our institution.
Antibiotic prophylaxis in cirrhosis: Good and bad

Patients with cirrhosis, particularly those with decompensated cirrhosis, are at increased risk of bacterial infections that may further precipitate other liver decompensations including acute‐on‐chronic liver failure. Infections constitute the main cause of death in patients with advanced cirrhosis, and strategies to prevent them are essential. The main current strategy is the use of prophylactic antibiotics targeted at specific subpopulations at high risk of infection: prior episode of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and low‐protein ascites with associated poor liver function. Antibiotic prophylaxis effectively prevents not only the development of bacterial infections in all these indications but also further decompensation (variceal bleeding, hepatorenal syndrome) and improves survival. However, antibiotic prophylaxis is also associated with a clinically relevant and increasing drawback, the development of infections due to multidrug‐resistant organisms. Several strategies have been suggested to balance the risks and benefits of antibiotic prophylaxis. Conclusion: Antibiotic stewardship principles such as the restriction of antibiotic prophylaxis to subpopulations at a very high risk for infection, the avoidance of antibiotic overuse, and early deescalation policies are key to achieve this balance; nonantibiotic prophylactic measures such as probiotics, prokinetics, bile acids, statins, and hematopoietic growth factors could also contribute to ameliorate the development and spread of multidrug‐resistant bacteria in cirrhosis. (Hepatology 2016;63:2019‐2031)
Model guided algorithm for mining unordered embedded subtrees

Large amount of online information is or can be represented using semi-structured documents, such as XML. The information contained in an XML document can be effectively represented using a rooted ordered labeled tree. This has made the frequent pattern mining problem recast as the frequent subtree mining problem, which is a pre-requisite for association rule mining form tree-structured documents. Driven by different application needs a number of algorithms have been developed for mining of different subtree types under different support definitions. In this paper we present an algorithm for mining unordered embedded subtrees. It is an extension of our general tree model guided (TMG) candidate generation framework and the proposed U3 algorithm considers all support definitions, namely, transaction-based, occurrence-match and hybrid support. A number of experiments are presented on synthetic and real world data sets. The results demonstrate the flexibility of our general TMG framework as well as its efficiency when compared to the existing state-of-the-art approach.
Management Earnings Forecasts and Value of Analyst Forecast Revisions

This study examines the stock-price reactions to analyst forecast revisions around earnings announcements to test whether preannouncement forecasts reflect analysts' private information or piggybacking on confounding events and news. We find that management earnings forecasts influence the timing and precision of analyst forecasts. More importantly, evidence suggests that prior studies' finding of weaker (stronger) stock-price responses to forecast revisions in the period immediately after (before) the prior-quarter earnings announcement disappears once management earnings forecasts are controlled for. To the extent that management earnings forecasts are public disclosures, our results suggest that the importance of analysts' information discovery role documented in prior studies is likely to be overstated. This paper was accepted by Wei Jiang, finance.
Extension of three‐arm non‐inferiority studies to trials with multiple new treatments

Non‐inferiority (NI) trials are becoming increasingly popular. The main purpose of NI trials is to assert the efficacy of a new treatment compared with an active control by demonstrating that the new treatment maintains a substantial fraction of the treatment effect of the control. Most of the statistical testing procedures in this area have been developed for three‐arm NI trials in which a new treatment is compared with an active control in the presence of a placebo. However, NI trials frequently involve comparisons of several new treatments with a control, such as in studies involving different doses of a new drug or different combinations of several new drugs. In seeking an adequate testing procedure for such cases, we use a new approach that modifies existing testing procedures to cover circumstances in which several new treatments are present. We also give methods and algorithms to produce the optimal sample size configuration. In addition, we also discuss the advantages of using different margins for the assay sensitivity test between the active control and the placebo and the NI test between the new treatments and the active control. We illustrate the new approach by using data from a clinical trial. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A 13.56 MHz pulse-width modulation active rectifier for implantable medical devices

In this paper, a 13.56 MHz regulated dual-output active rectifier is proposed for implantable medical devices (IMDs). By adopting the pulse-width modulation (PWM) to control the conduction time of the rectifying switches, the proposed active rectifier is able to realize the rectification and regulation of dual-output voltages without adding DC-DC converters. The proposed automatic digital offset compensation (ADOC) can automatically compensate both turn-on and turn-off delay to maximize the conversion power and minimize the reverse current. Dual-output voltages 1.8 V and 3.3 V are generated to supply the internal circuit in IMDs. The simulated maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) is 78.5%, and the input operating voltage ranges from 3.6 V to 5 V. Comparing to the conventional constant offset calibration, the efficiency improvement of 8% is obtained.
EFFECT OF ACUTE AIRWAY INFLAMMATION ON THE PULMONARY ANTIOXIDANT STATUS

Effects of acute airway inflammation induced by organic dust inhalation on pulmonary antioxidant status were investigated in healthy horses and horses affected by recurrent airway obstruction. Exposure to organic dust induced acute airway neutrophilia, which was associated with increases in elastase and decreases in ascorbic acid concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. However, markers of oxidative stress were unaffected, as was hydrogen peroxide in breath condensate. Decreases in ascorbic acid correlated with increased respiratory resistance (P = .001) when both groups were combined. In conclusion, acute neutrophilic airway inflammation does not result in significant evidence of oxidative stress in horses affected by recurrent airway obstruction.
Usefulness of ST segment elevations as predictors of electrocardiographic signs of necrosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the early analysis of the electrocardiogram in patients with acute myocardial infarction may be useful in predicting the development of myocardial necrosis. It is based on observations in the dog that epicardial ST segment elevations (ST ) consequent to experimental coronary artery occlusion predict the development of myocardial necrosis, as judged by histological appearance, electron microscopy, myocardial creatine kinase activity, as well as the development of new Q waves and the decline of R waves in epicardial leads. Accordingly, the usefulness of early ST t in the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram as a predictor of the subsequent development of electrocardiographic signs of necrosis was assessed. Studies were made on 51 patients with acute myocardial infarction who were admitted to the hospital within 8 hours of the onset of chest pain. Each QRS complex was scored from 0 to 4 as follows: 0-normal QRS; 1=fall in R wave amplitude by at least 0-2 mV and 50 per cent of control; 2-Q>0 2 mV in depth and >0 04 s in duration, but Q<R; 3=same as score 2 but 2>R; and 4=QS. Leads considered to be vulnerable for the development of necrosis were those with a score of 0 or 2 with ST t >0O15 mV on admission. Changes in score >2 occurred within 5 days in an average of 70 4+4 5 per cent (SEM) of the vulnerable leads in the 68 vulnerable leads in the 27 patients with diaphragmatic myocardial infarction and in an average of 56 7± 7±5 per cent of the 76 vulnerable leads in 24 patients with anterior myocardial infarction (leads Vl to V6). The sum of the height of R waves (ER)
Casual-leisure Searching: the Exploratory Search scenarios that break our current models

In trying to understand Exploratory Search, the community has focused on users who are working towards an information need, but who are unclear of their goal, technology, or domain of information. Our recent research, however, suggests that this definition misses perhaps the most exploratory search scenario of all scenarios where the goal is not information-oriented. We present combined evidence from two on-going research projects, which demonstrates that such situations occur regularly within casual-leisure situations. We use our findings to characterise such tasks and suggest that casual-leisure search scenarios deserve more focus as we work towards supporting exploratory search.
The divinatory role of the Qurʾan in the Malay World

ABSTRACT Divination by the Qurʾan among Muslims dates back hundreds of years. Apart from the Middle East, it became popular among Malay Muslims as well. This article considers the divinatory role of the Qurʾan in the Malay world in general and a Malay manuscript preserved at the National Library of Malaysia, which concerns the divination of the Qurʾan in particular. Types of divination as well as the content of the manuscript along with its application and meanings are thoroughly examined. To scrutinise the nature of Malay divination, additional materials from the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Malaysia, are applied. This article thus shows one form of religio-cultural transmissions from the Middle East to the Malay world.
Recognition of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in skeletal remains.

OBJECTIVE To characterize hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) in skeletons to allow its recognition in the archeologic record. METHODS Individuals diagnosed in life with diseases known to cause HOA were examined from the Hamman-Todd, Grant, and Terry human skeletal collections. The latter consist of 5142 individuals who died in the early part of this century. A "control" group was obtained by examination of 100 (consecutive, exclusive of HOA related disorders) additional individuals from the Terry Collection, which were accompanied by diagnoses not known to be associated with HOA. Sixty individuals documented with skeletal evidence of syphilis (from the Hamman-Todd Collection) and 73 individuals documented as having skeletal evidence of yaws (from the Ward Site, 4300 ybp) were examined as comparison treponemal disease-derived, periosteal reaction-afflicted populations. RESULTS In total, 319 individuals were identified with HOA. HOA was recognized as a disorder of distal diaphyseal or diffuse periosteal reaction. Proximally-limited disease virtually eliminates the diagnosis. CONCLUSION HOA is recognizable as a population phenomenon suggestive, when found in the archeologic record, of underlying chronic pulmonary disease.
Epidemiology of Moyamoya Disease in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Background and Purpose— Previous studies have shown regional and temporal variations in epidemiological features of moyamoya disease, but population-based studies in regions other than Japan are limited. We investigated the incidence and patients characteristics of moyamoya disease during 12 years in Taiwan using claims databases of a universal health insurance system. Methods— From the inpatient databases of the Taiwan National Health Insurance program, we identified subjects who had an initial hospitalization with moyamoya disease and had been underwent cerebral angiography as incidence cases during 2000 to 2011. The incidence and the patient characteristics were described by age and time periods of the hospitalization. Results— During the 12-year period, 422 patients were identified, representing an annual incidence of 0.15 per 100 000 person-years. Adults exhibited an upward trend in incidence with an incidence rate ratio of 1.74 (95% confidence interval [1.17–2.58]) in years 2010 to 2011 comparing with years 2000 to 2001. However, children had a decreased incidence except a slightly increase in the last 2 years. Compared with patients hospitalized during 2000 to 2005, patients identified during 2006 to 2011 had greater women-to-men ratio (1.7 versus 1.1, P=0.048). Children were more likely to have comorbid epilepsy than were adult patients (25.0% versus 3.4%, P=0.002). Hemorrhagic stroke was rare among pediatric patients but presented more frequently in adults. However, ischemic stroke was more prevalent in both groups. Conclusions— The incidence of moyamoya disease has increased in adults but not in children from 2000 to 2011 in Taiwan. Sex ratio and comorbid conditions differed by age and study period.
Taurine and Osmoregulation. III. Taurine Deficiency Protects against Cerebral Edema during Acute Hyponatremia

ABSTRACT: Taurine is a cerebral osmoprotective molecule during chronic hypernatremic dehydration. In these experiments, we investigated the role of taurine in osmoregulation during acute hyponatremia. Taurine deficiency was induced in experimental cats (n = 6) by feeding a taurine-free diet for 8-10 wk, whereas control counterparts (n = 6) consumed a regular diet. Hyponatremia was provoked in all cats over 54 h by daily injections of 5% dextrose in water (7.5% body wt) and vasopressin (20 U/d). The serum Na+ concentration was abruptly lowered to 110 ± 3 and 117 ± 2 mmol/L, in experimental and control animals, respectively. The cerebral total and intracellular water compartment sizes were reduced from 486 ± 11 to 441 ± 11 ml/100 g dry wt and from 357 ± 7 to 309 ± 12 mL/100 g dry wt, respectively, in control versus experimental cats, p < 0.05. There was a significant linear relationship between cerebral taurine content and the intracellular water compartment size in all animals, p < 0.02. Taurine displayed a similar osmoprotective capacity in muscle tissue in these studies. We conclude that taurine is an osmoregulatory molecule in cerebral and extracerebral tissues during severe hyponatremia. Reductions in tissue taurine content may complement decreases in cytosolic electrolyte levels during adaptation to more prolonged hyponatremia.
Pharmacodynamics of a New Streptogramin, XRP 2868, in Murine Thigh and Lung Infection Models

ABSTRACT XRP 2868 is a new streptogramin antibiotic with broad-spectrum activity against gram-positive cocci. We used the neutropenic murine thigh and lung infection models to characterize the time course of antimicrobial activity of XRP 2868 and determine which pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) parameter and magnitude best correlated with efficacy. Serum levels following four two- to fourfold-escalating single-dose levels of XRP 2868 were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry assay. In vivo postantibiotic effects (PAEs) were determined after doses of 2.5, 10, and 40 mg/kg. Mice had 106.8 to 108.4 CFU/thigh of strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC 10813 or Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 at the start of therapy when treated for 24 h with 2.5 to 640 mg/kg/day of XRP 2868 fractionated for 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-h dosing regimens. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to determine which PK/PD parameter best correlated with CFU/thigh at 24 h. Pharmacokinetic studies exhibited peak dose values of 0.03 to 0.07, area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) dose values of 0.02 to 0.07, and half-lives of 0.35 to 1.27 h. XRP 2868 produced in vivo PAEs of 0.5 to 3.4 h with S. pneumoniae strain ATCC 10813 and −1.5 to 10.7 h with S. aureus strain ATCC 29213. The 24-h AUC/MIC was the PK/PD parameter that best correlated with efficacy. In subsequent studies, we used the neutropenic murine thigh infection model to determine if the magnitude of the AUC/MIC needed for the efficacy of XRP 2868 varied among pathogens (including resistant strains). Mice had 106.1 to 107.8 CFU/thigh of four isolates of S. aureus (three methicillin-susceptible and one methicillin-resistant strain) and nine isolates of S. pneumoniae (one penicillin-susceptible, four penicillin-intermediate, and four penicillin-resistant strains) when treated for 24 h with 0.16 to 640 mg/kg of XRP 2868 every 6 h. A sigmoid dose-response model was used to estimate the doses (mg/kg/24 h) required to achieve a net bacteriostatic affect over 24 h. MICs ranged from 0.06 to 0.25 μg/ml. The 24-h AUC/MICs for each static dose (20.7 to 252 mg/kg/day) varied from 3 to 70. Mean 24-h AUC/MICs ± standard deviations (SDs) for S. pneumoniae and S. aureus isolates were 14 ± 10 and 31 ± 16, respectively. Beta-lactam and macrolide resistance did not alter the magnitude of AUC/MIC required for efficacy.
Separating the fish from the sharks: a longitudinal study of preschool response inhibition.

The development of response inhibition was investigated using a computerized go/no-go task, in a lagged sequential design where 376 preschool children were assessed repeatedly between 3.0 and 5.25 years of age. Growth curve modeling was used to examine change in performance and predictors of individual differences. The most pronounced change was observed between 3 and 3.75 years. Better working memory and general cognitive ability were related to more accurate performance at all ages, but relations with speed changed with age, where better cognitive skills were initially related to slower responding, but faster responding at later ages. Boys responded more quickly and were more accurate on go trials, whereas girls were better able to withhold responding on no-go trials.