Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monetary Policy Rules in the Run-Up to the EMU

We characterize central bank behavior in the euro area during the run-up to the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) era by estimating Taylor rule-type reaction functions at both the individual and aggregate level. We focus on whether national monetary policies during the run-up to the EMU were responding to economic developments according to their own policy rules or to a broader, euro area-wide, policy rule. To consider the last possibility we examine whether national monetary policies were responding to German interest rates. Finally, we compare the performance of the estimated with imposed policy rules.
SweLL on the rise: Swedish Learner Language corpus for European Reference Level studies

We present a new resource for Swedish, SweLL, a corpus of Swedish Learner essays linked to learners’ performance according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). SweLL consists of three subcorpora ― SpIn, SW1203 and Tisus, collected from three different educational establishments. The common metadata for all subcorpora includes age, gender, native languages, time of residence in Sweden, type of written task. Depending on the subcorpus, learner texts may contain additional information, such as text genres, topics, grades. Five of the six CEFR levels are represented in the corpus: A1, A2, B1, B2 and C1 comprising in total 339 essays. C2 level is not included since courses at C2 level are not offered. The work flow consists of collection of essays and permits, essay digitization and registration, meta-data annotation, automatic linguistic annotation. Inter-rater agreement is presented on the basis of SW1203 subcorpus. The work on SweLL is still ongoing with more that 100 essays waiting in the pipeline. This article both describes the resource and the “how-to” behind the compilation of SweLL.
Structural polymorphism of Alzheimer Aβ and other amyloid fibrils

Deposits of amyloid fibrils characterize a diverse group of human diseases that includes Alzheimer’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and type II diabetes. Amyloid fibrils formed from different polypeptides contain a common cross-β spine. Nevertheless, amyloid fibrils formed from the same polypeptide can occur in a range of structurally different morphologies. The heterogeneity of amyloid fibrils reflects different types of polymorphism: (i) variations in the protofilament number, (ii) variations in the protofilament arrangement and (iii) different polypeptide conformations. Amyloid fibril polymorphism implies that fibril formation can lead, for the same polypeptide sequence, to many different patterns of inter- or intra-residue interactions. This property differs significantly from native, monomeric protein folding reactions that produce, for one protein sequence, only one ordered conformation and only one set of inter-residue interactions.
Bilayer Metal-Oxide Conductive Bridge Memory Technology for Improved Window Margin and Reliability

In this paper, a detailed reliability analysis of metal-oxide conductive bridge memories (CBRAM) is presented. This paper mostly focuses on electrical characterization of metal-oxide CBRAM devices endurance, using optimized program/erase conditions, and data retention at high temperature. The addition of a thin metal-oxide layer (0.5 nm-thick Al2O3) in the bottom of the GdOx memory stack significantly increases the ROFF and the memory window (more than one decade), with improved endurance performance (up to 105 cycles) with respect to the monolayer CBRAM device. Meanwhile, high thermal stability was also achieved (two decades of window margin are constantly maintained beyond 24 h at 250 °C). The bilayer oxide GdOX/Al2O3 CBRAM is a promising technology for potential future high density memory applications.
Broadband in Telework, Health and Safety: The User Perspective

ABSTRACT Broadband potentially has strong influence on social issues such as mobility (telework), health, and public and personal safety. To understand and to predict the adoption of broadband services in these domains, it is necessary to ask (potential) users of those services about their actual usage and expectations. Our research is an exploration of these issues. Results show that broadband connections, applications and services do not yet play an important role in the social issues covered in this research. This is understandable, since many real broadband services are not yet offered on a large scale. When looking at the perceived positive aspects of broadband services and applications, especially in telework and health care, it seems socially desirable, for example, government and employers to stimulate telework and the development of broadband health care services. In the public and personal safety domain the role of broadband is not so self-evident for the potential users of broadband services.
Skeletal Muscle AMP-activated Protein Kinase Is Essential for the Metabolic Response to Exercise in Vivo*

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been postulated as a super-metabolic regulator, thought to exert numerous effects on skeletal muscle function, metabolism, and enzymatic signaling. Despite these assertions, little is known regarding the direct role(s) of AMPK in vivo, and results obtained in vitro or in situ are conflicting. Using a chronically catheterized mouse model (carotid artery and jugular vein), we show that AMPK regulates skeletal muscle metabolism in vivo at several levels, with the result that a deficit in AMPK activity markedly impairs exercise tolerance. Compared with wild-type littermates at the same relative exercise capacity, vascular glucose delivery and skeletal muscle glucose uptake were impaired; skeletal muscle ATP degradation was accelerated, and arterial lactate concentrations were increased in mice expressing a kinase-dead AMPKα2 subunit (α2-KD) in skeletal muscle. Nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) activity was significantly impaired at rest and in response to exercise in α2-KD mice; expression of neuronal NOS (NOSμ) was also reduced. Moreover, complex I and IV activities of the electron transport chain were impaired 32 ± 8 and 50 ± 7%, respectively, in skeletal muscle of α2-KD mice (p < 0.05 versus wild type), indicative of impaired mitochondrial function. Thus, AMPK regulates neuronal NOSμ expression, NOS activity, and mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle. In addition, these results clarify the role of AMPK in the control of muscle glucose uptake during exercise. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that AMPK is central to substrate metabolism in vivo, which has important implications for exercise tolerance in health and certain disease states characterized by impaired AMPK activation in skeletal muscle.
Put—call ratios and market timing effectiveness

A lmost every week Barron’s column, “The Striking Price,” quotes a noted market analyst’s interpretation of recent put-call ratio (PCR) figures. The PCR is the ratio of the volume of puts traded to the volume of calls traded. The ratio is often calculated using daily or weekly volume figures for the S&P 100 Index Option (OEX) and for the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) equity options. While the PCR is popularly cited and used in market timing strategies, its effectiveness has yet to face systematic scientific scrutiny. We remedy this apparent oversight by using market data to evaluate whether PCRs are helpful indicators or simply a proverbial fly in the technician’s ointment.
W-Band Mutlilayer Perforated Dielectric Substrate Lens

W-band planar perforated dielectric substrate lens antenna is designed and implemented. The lens utilizes a perforated dielectric multilayer substrate that converts spherical wavefront into planar wavefront. The dielectric perforation is performed with air holes, and each hole has a uniform diameter through all layers for simplicity. The transmission coefficient phase is controlled locally. The lens is designed at 94 GHz and composed of 29 × 29 elements that cover an area of 58×58 mm2. The lens is center-fed by a WR-10 rectangular waveguide located at 44.5 mm from the lens making an aperture angle of 42 °. Two lenses are investigated, a single-layer lens and a six-layers lens. The six-layers lens provides 30 dB gain, which is 1.7 dB higher than the gain provided by the single-layer lens at 94 GHz. The numerical and measured results are found to be in good agreement.
Management of an intruded primary central incisor with a natural crown under general anesthesia

Tooth intrusion is the most common trauma during early infancy. Primary maxillary central incisors are the most affected teeth. There are a few treatment approaches which depend upon the severity of the trauma, and the treatment must be managed professionally. In this case report, a 3-year-old girl with a history of trauma 40 days before referring to our pediatric clinic is presented. Deciduous maxillary right central incisor was intruded through labial and alveolar socket and completely covered with soft tissue. The intruded deciduous incisor tooth was surgically extracted and impression was taken under general anesthesia. The removable partial prosthesis was completed by using the patient′s own extracted tooth. Using natural crown on removable prosthesis gives psychological satisfaction to the patient and his/her family, and can be better tolerated since its shape, size, and color are exactly in harmony.
Intellectual property protection in China

The concept of Intellectual Property has drawn much more attention in the worldwide arena than before, and the protection of intellectual property all over the world is now at a dynamic stage of transformation. With the international cooperation on science and technology and the development of economy and trade, the legal protection of intellectual property is playing a more and more important role in society and is receiving even greater attention worldwide. But in the developing countries, intellectual property protection does not match that of the developed countries. This paper provides a brief introduction to intellectual property and intellectual property rights in the global economy. The focus is to examine the current situation of intellectual property protection in China. The study shows that the existing intellectual property protection framework can be evaluated as sufficient, but the problem of the insufficiency of effective, intensive and extensive enforcement of intellectual property exists. While discussing the problems of intellectual property protection in China, the paper also suggests some possible measures based on the current situation analysis.
(1S*,2R*,3S*,4R*,5R*)-5-Tetradecyloxymethyl-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride

In the title compound, C23H38O5, the oxabicyclo[2.2. 1]heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride unit has a normal geometry and the tetradecoxymethyl side chain is fully extended. In the crystal, molecules are linked head-to-head by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming two-dimensional networks propagating along the a and c-axis directions.
Practical-HDR: A Simple and Effective Method for Merging High Dynamic Range Videos

We introduce a novel algorithm for obtaining High Dynamic Range (HDR) videos from Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) videos with varying shutter speed or ISO per frame. This capturing technique represents today one of the most popular HDR video acquisition methods, thanks to the availability and the low cost of the equipment required; i.e., an off-the-shelf DSLR camera. However, naïvely merging SDR frames into an HDR video can produce artifacts such as ghosts (when the scene is dynamic), and blurry edges (when the camera moves). In this work, we present a straightforward, easy to implement, and fast technique that produces reasonable results in a short time. This is key for having quick previews of the captured videos without waiting for a long processing time. This is extremely important, especially when capturing videos on modern mobile devices such as smartphones and/or tablets.
Mapping accountability changes in labour market administrations: from concentrated to shared accountability?

The article explores how recent changes in the governance of employment services in three European countries (Denmark, Germany and Norway) have influenced accountability relationships. The overall assumption in the growing literature about accountability is that the number of actors involved in accountability arrangements is rising, that accountability relationships are becoming more numerous and complex, and that these changes may lead to contradictory accountability relationships, and finally to ‘multi accountability disorder’. The article tries to explore these assumptions by analysing the different actors involved and the information requested in the new governance arrangements in all three countries. It concludes that the considerable changes in organizational arrangements and more managerial information demanded and provided have led to more shared forms of accountability. Nevertheless, a clear development towards less political or administrative accountability could not be observed. Points for practitioners Public organizations in many areas are confronted with and are using ever more and more sophisticated accountability measures to monitor and improve their performance. But many citizens still perceive them as being not accountable enough. These accountability problems are normally treated by recommending and establishing new and more accountability structures with more actors and information requirements and the assumption that these systems will lead to better output and outcome. At the same time there is a widespread fear that these new shared and fragmented accountability structures weaken established political accountability and legitimacy. The article explores these developments by comparing changes in accountability in labour market administration in three countries and finds that there is more shared accountability but at the same time no weakening of political and administrative accountability.
Reinventing the Countryside: German Second-home Owners in Southern Sweden

During the 1990s, second-home tourism experienced renewed interest in the industrialised world. German tourists, who discovered the nearby Swedish countryside, contributed to the new second-home tourism patterns. During a five-year period from 1991 to 1996 the number of German second-home owners in Sweden increased from 1500 to more than 5500. This paper focuses on German second-home owners and their lives in the Swedish countryside. The main objective of the paper is to analyze the German second-home owners' experiences of encounters with the Swedish countryside and its inhabitants. The analysis is based on an interview survey with 91 German second-home owners in Småland, an important region for German second-home ownership in Sweden. It is argued that the German second-home owners employ a conservative and local strategy regarding their lives in the countryside. However, contrary to their expectations, they meet a post-productive countryside and thus fail to integrate. Instead, they create a parallel society and become engaged in preserving the countryside.
Defense, nondefense expenditures, and inflation: An empirical analysis

This paper evaluates the impact of defense and nondefense expenditures on inflation from 1960 to 1989. Using a closed economy IS-LM model with an expectationsaugmented Phillips curve, a reduced form equation is derived and estimated for inflation. No significant relationship between growth in defense spending and the inflation rate is found. Unlike prior studies, nondefense spending is included in the analysis. The results suggest that growth in nondefense spending does not affect inflation significantly. This study reaffirms an earlier finding by Vitaliano that growth in defense expenditures has no influence on inflation.
The Church in Relation to the World

ing, 31, 44, 46 abstraction, 30, 31, 53, 69, 83ion, 30, 31, 53, 69, 83 accountability, 4, 16, 136 actorship, 75, 85, 95, 119, 121, 151, 170 ad extra, 93, 94, 128, 152, 153, 170, 171, 172,
On the Role and Function of Formal Analysis in Strategic Investment Decision Processes: Results from an Empirical Study in Belgium

Our research group examined strategic investment processes in 50 large companies and banks located in Belgium, over a 2-year period (1992-94). This article reports one fundamental part of the research: the impact of formal analysis on strategic investment processes. Findings covering this theme concern the effect of uncertainty on the act of formal analysis, the importance of financial goals, the use of financial evaluation models and the role of intuition. This article discusses findings from a recent field study on strategic investments in Belgian business practice. From results of existing, mostly Anglo-American, studies and from own experiences in the field, we formulated 27 statements on strategic investment processes. Fifty top or middle managers in large companies and banks were asked to comment on these statements. In this report attention is focused on one specific part of the research: the degree to which formal analysis plays a part in strategic investment processes. A number of theories on strategy formation assumes that, due to their innovative character, strategic investments are difficult to manage by formalized techniques.
Anomaly of Anterior Cerebral Artery

At a routine post-mortem examination TURNBULL (1962) on one side found unilateral agenesis of the internal carotid artery while on the other side a still more rare anomaly was found: the internal carotid artery divided beneath the optic chiasm into two wide branches, the medial ascending between the optic nerves and branching to supply both pericallosal arteries. The anterior cerebral arteries were threadlike. ISHERWOOD & DUTTON (1969) angiographically demonstrated the same anomaly in two patients examined because of subarachnoid hemorrhage. In one patient unilaterally, in the other bilaterally, the anterior cerebral artery was replaced by an anomalous vessel originating from the internal carotid artery at the level of the ophthalmic artery. In one of the cases an aneurysm was demonstrated at the site where a normal anterior cerebral artery would have taken origin; in that case the course of the anomalous vessel beneath and medial to the optic nerve was confirmed at surgery. An error in the complex development of the ophthalmic artery and persistance of primitive arterial anastomosis in the chiasmal region were suggested as two possible explanations for the anomaly. In this report a similar case is presented, and possible embryologic explanations for this anomaly as well as for other arterial anomalies of the same region are discussed.
Clinical multiphoton tomography

Clinical multiphoton tomography and two‐photon microendoscopy provide clinicians and researchers with high‐resolution in vivo optical biopsies based on two‐photon autofluorescence, second harmonic generation, and fluorescence lifetime imaging. This review reflects state of the art technology and reports on applications in the fields of early stage melanoma detection, skin aging, nanoparticle imaging, tissue engineering, and in situ screening of pharmaceutical and cosmetical products. So far, more than 500 patients and volunteers in Europe, Asia, and Australia have been investigated with these novel molecular imaging tools. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Vibrational Responses of Bound and Nonbound Targeted Lipid-Coated Single Microbubbles

One of the main challenges for ultrasound molecular imaging is acoustically distinguishing nonbound microbubbles from those bound to their molecular target. In this in vitro study, we compared two types of in-house produced targeted lipid-coated microbubbles, either consisting of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, C16:0 (DPPC) or 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, C18:0 (DSPC) as the main lipid, using the Brandaris 128 ultrahigh-speed camera to determine vibrational response differences between bound and nonbound biotinylated microbubbles. In contrast to previous studies that studied vibrational differences upon binding, we used a covalently bound model biomarker (i.e., streptavidin) rather than physisorption, to ensure binding of the biomarker to the membrane. The microbubbles were insonified at frequencies between 1 and 4 MHz at pressures of 50 and 150 kPa. This paper shows lower acoustic stability of bound microbubbles, of which DPPC-based microbubbles deflated most. For DPPC microbubbles with diameters between 2 and $4~\mu \text{m}$ driven at 50 kPa, resonance frequencies of bound microbubbles were all higher than 1.8 MHz, whereas those of nonbound microbubbles were significantly lower. In addition, the relative radial excursions at resonance were also higher for bound DPPC microbubbles. These differences did not persist when the pressure was increased to 150 kPa, except for the acoustic stability which further decreased. No differences in resonance frequencies were observed between bound and nonbound DSPC microbubbles. Nonlinear responses in terms of emissions at the subharmonic and second harmonic frequencies were similar for bound and nonbound microbubbles at both pressures. In conclusion, we identified differences in vibrational responses of bound DPPC microbubbles with diameters between 2 and $4~\mu \text{m}$ that distinguish them from nonbound ones.
Prenatal diagnosis of hemoglobin Bart's disease caused by co‐inheritance of two different α0‐thalassemia defects in China

Hydrops fetalis is a rare but important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Its etiology varies with the ethnic population studied. In southern China, the most common cause of fetal hydrops is hemoglobin Bart’s disease, which accounted for about 55.1% of nonimmune hydropic fetuses encountered in this region (Liao et al., 2007a). This syndrome results from the deletion of both copies of each of the two α-globin genes on chromosome 16, thus no α-globin is produced (α0/α0). The involved infants would inevitably die in utero during the third trimester of gestation or shortly after birth. Identification of α0-thalassemia carriers is therefore important in prevention and control of thalassemia (Liao et al., 2007b). If both parents are carriers of α0-thalassemia, they have a 25% risk of having offspring with hemoglobin Bart’s disease. Prenatal diagnosis for pregnancies at risk should be advocated. Here, we report on a case of hemoglobin Bart’s disease, which was not caused by the most common homozygous Southeast Asian (–SEA) deletion, but was caused by compound heterozygosity for the –SEA and the THAI (–THAI) deletions of the α-globin genes. The couple screened positive for thalassemia at the mother’s first trimester of pregnancy at our center. This was her first pregnancy. A complete blood count (Beckmancoulter COULTER LH 750) and other hematological tests of both parents suggested an α-thalassemia trait (Table 1). Gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) was used to determine the three common Chinese αglobin gene deletion mutations (-α3.7, -α4.2, –SEA) (Liao et al., 2007b). This analysis identified the –SEA mutation in the mother, but failed to identify any of the three common mutations in the father. The couple was counseled regarding the possible clinical outcomes. It was explained that the father might have an α0 -thalassemia other than –SEA as his hematological results suggested the phenotype of α-thalassemia, in which case the fetus