Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Central and Eastern European Stock Exchanges under Stress: A Range-Based Volatility Spillover Framework

In this paper we analyze volatility spillovers among stock markets of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries: Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic vis-a-vis Germany, the United States and Russia. For this, we utilize the recent and original methodology of Diebold and Yilmaz (2012) consisting in total and directional spillover analyses with a conditional autoregressive range (CARR) model. The overall results suggest that propagation of volatility exists among the CEE stock markets to a certain degree (43%) and the inclusion of the two developed markets and Russia into the analysis induces a higher level of the transmission (57.5%). We also discover that volatility spillovers are strongly responsive to episodes of extreme market stress. The results of net volatility spillovers reveal increasing volatility spillovers during the US subprime mortgage crisis and the ongoing eurozone crises, particularly from Germany and the US to Poland and Hungary. Concordantly, we provide evidence of increasing financial integration of the CEE countries with the global markets as the CEE countries eventually became more vulnerable to the shocks originating in other markets. The findings of this paper have potential implications for portfolio managers and policymakers in comprehending the nature of cross-country volatility transmission over the course of time.
Intriguing electronic properties of two-dimensional MoS2/TM2CO2 (TM = Ti, Zr, or Hf) hetero-bilayers: type-II semiconductors with tunable band gaps

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal compound (TMC) monolayers, as well as their van der Waals heterostructures with unique properties, are fundamentally and technologically intriguing. Here, heterostructures consisting of a MoS2 monolayer and TM2CO2 (TM = Ti, Zr or Hf) monolayers are systematically researched by means of the density functional theory (DFT). Different from semiconductor/metal contacts, MoS2 and TM2CO2 monolayers are all semiconductors with band gaps ranging from 0.25–1.67 eV. According to rigorous screening of stacking patterns, MoS2/Zr2CO2 is shown to be an indirect type-II semiconductor with the maximum valence and minimum conduction bands spatially separated on opposite monolayers. Simultaneously, the interface charges transfer from Zr2CO2 to MoS2 results in a built-in field that separates the electrons and holes efficiently. Also, the smaller effective masses of electrons and the holes of band edges indicate the higher carrier mobility. Moreover, strain regulation can make the hetero-bilayer’s character a semiconductor–semimetal–metal transition. The physical insights pave the way for the good performance of MoS2/TM2CO2 in next-generation electronic devices and photocatalysts.
Recovery of photosynthesis in 1-year-old needles of unfertilized and fertilized Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) during spring.

Photosynthetic O(2) evolution and chlorophyll a fluorescence were measured in 1-year-old needles of unfertilized and fertilized trees of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ) during recovery of photosynthesis from winter inhibition in northern Sweden. Measurements were made under laboratory conditions at 20 degrees C. In general, the CO(2)-saturated rate of O(2) evolution was higher in needles of fertilized trees than in needles of unfertilized trees over a wide range of incident photon flux densities. Furthermore, the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem (PS) II, as indicated by the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (F(V)/F(M)) was higher in needles of fertilized trees than in needles of unfertilized trees. The largest differences in F(V)/F(M) between the two treatments occurred before the main recovery of photosynthesis from winter inhibition in late May. The rate of O(2) evolution was higher in needles of north-facing branches than in needles of south-facing branches in the middle of May. Simultaneous measurements of O(2) exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence indicated that differences in the rate of O(2) evolution between the two treatments were paralleled by differences in the rate of PS II electron transport determined by chlorophyll fluorescence. We suggest that, during recovery of photosynthesis from winter inhibition, the balance between carbon assimilation and PS II electron transport was maintained largely by adjustments in the nonphotochemical dissipation of excitation energy within PS II.
Signature Biochemical Properties of Broadly Cross-Reactive HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies in Human Plasma

ABSTRACT The common properties of broadly cross-reactive HIV-1 neutralization antibodies found in certain HIV-1-infected individuals holds significant value for understanding natural and vaccine-mediated anti-HIV immunity. Recent efforts have addressed this question by deriving neutralizing monoclonal anti-envelope antibodies from memory B cell pools of selected subjects. However, it has been more difficult to identify whether broadly neutralizing antibodies circulating in plasma possess shared characteristics among individuals. To address this question, we used affinity chromatography and isoelectric focusing to fractionate plasma immunoglobulin from 10 HIV-1-infected subjects (5 subjects with broad HIV-1 neutralizing activity and 5 controls). We find that plasma neutralizing activity typically partitions into at least two subsets of antibodies. Antibodies with restricted neutralization breadth have relatively neutral isoelectric points and preferentially bind to envelope monomers and trimers versus core antigens from which variable loops and other domains have been deleted. In comparison, broadly neutralizing antibodies account for a minor fraction of the total anti-envelope response. They are consistently distinguished by more basic isoelectric points and specificity for epitopes shared by monomeric gp120, gp120 core, or CD4-induced structures. Such biochemical properties might be exploited to reliably predict or produce broad anti-HIV immunity.
Splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes: natural history and response to therapy in 50 cases

Summary We studied the natural history and response to treatment in 50 patients with splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes followed for a minimum of 6 months and up to 15 years (median 3·7 years). The disease occurs in the elderly (median 68 years) and affects males more than females (M/F ratio 1·77). The median survival for the group was not reached but 82% were surviving at 3 years and 78% at 5 years. Twelve patients (24%) died, one‐third of deaths were disease related (four patients) and one‐half were due to cardiovascular disease or another malignancy (six patients). The outcome was worse for males (31% died) than females (11% died).
Procedural Justice in Simple Bargaining Games

I consider several variants of dictator and ultimatum games in which the proposer not only offers an allocation of funds but also selects the rules that will govern that distribution. In the dictator/ultimatum choice game, the proposer first selects whether or not the receiver will have the power to reject the offer. Effectively, the proposer decides between playing a dictator and an ultimatum game. Whether a player is self-regarding or motivated by distributive concerns, the player should elect the dictator game as it enables full control over the allocation. Yet, a majority of subjects select the ultimatum game. Further, even those selecting the dictator game make substantially higher offers than those in a control dictator experiment. Additional experiments and surveys explore various explanations for these results. The additional experiments suggest that players’ willingness to share decision-making power with other players is quite robust. I conclude that subjects have an innate preference for “voice,” a key component of procedural justice. JEL Classification: C91, C70, A12 Key words:
The impact of spatial correlation on routing with compression in wireless sensor networks

The efficacy of data aggregation in sensor networks is a function of the degree of spatial correlation in the sensed phenomenon. While several data aggregation (i.e., routing with data compression) techniques have been proposed in the literature, an understanding of the performance of various data aggregation schemes across the range of spatial correlations is lacking. We analyze the performance of routing with compression in wireless sensor networks using an application-independent measure of data compression (an empirically obtained approximation for the joint entropy of sources as a function of the distance between them) to quantify the size of compressed information, and a bit-hop metric to quantify the total cost of joint routing with compression. Analytical modelling and simulations reveal that while the nature of optimal routing with compression does depend on the correlation level, surprisingly, there exists a practical static clustering scheme which can provide near-optimal performance for a wide range of spatial correlations. This result is of great practical significance as it shows that a simple cluster-based system design can perform as well as sophisticated adaptive schemes for joint routing and compression.
Divided attention capacity in adults with autism spectrum disorders and without intellectual disability

Earlier research showed that divided attention, an aspect of executive function, is limited in both children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The current study explored divided attention capacity in adults with ASD and without intellectual disability (n = 36). Divided attention was tested using a computerized variant of a well-known memory recognition test, with two levels of cognitive load. The effect of cognitive load on reaction time performance is considered to be inversely proportional to divided attention capacity. The study failed to provide a relationship between divided attention and ASD, contrary to earlier research. Findings indicated that only the adults with ASD who used medication had a divided attention deficit, and that this group had specific difficulty reaching a binary decision in a memory search task. An additional finding was that the participants with ASD were overall slow. Possible causes and implications of these findings are discussed.
Different Estimators Of The Underlying Asse4sVolatility And Option Pricing Errors: ParallelMonte-Carlo Simulation

This paper investigates accuracy of volatility estimation methods for asset prices characterized by several volatility regimes. Two criteria for evaluation of estimator accuracy are estimation volatility error and option pricing error in the context of the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. We performed a Monte Carlo experiment to obtain average option pricing errors for various patterns of underlying asset volatility. In the case of an ergodic in variance process it is acceptable to use volatility estimates derived either from sample standard deviation of continuously compounded returns or from GARCH-fitted volatility of continuously compounded returns. In the case of a non-ergodic process all estimation methods always yield biased results, in terms of both volatility errors and option pricing errors. Directions of the biases are case-specific.
Protein transduction from retroviral Gag precursors

Retroviral particles assemble a few thousand units of the Gag polyproteins. Proteolytic cleavage mediated by the retroviral protease forms the bioactive retroviral protein subunits before cell entry. We hypothesized that this process could be exploited for targeted, transient, and dose-controlled transduction of nonretroviral proteins into cultured cells. We demonstrate that gammaretroviral particles tolerate the incorporation of foreign protein at several positions of their Gag or Gag-Pol precursors. Receptor-mediated and thus potentially cell-specific uptake of engineered particles occurred within minutes after cell contact. Dose and kinetics of nonretroviral protein delivery were dependent upon the location within the polyprotein precursor. Proteins containing nuclear localization signals were incorporated into retroviral particles, and the proteins of interest were released from the precursor by the retroviral protease, recognizing engineered target sites. In contrast to integration-defective lentiviral vectors, protein transduction by retroviral polyprotein precursors was completely transient, as protein transducing retrovirus-like particles could be produced that did not transduce genes into target cells. Alternatively, bifunctional protein-delivering particle preparations were generated that maintained their ability to serve as vectors for retroviral transgenes. We show the potential of this approach for targeted genome engineering of induced pluripotent stem cells by delivering the site-specific DNA recombinase, Flp. Protein transduction of Flp after proteolytic release from the matrix position of Gag allowed excision of a lentivirally transduced cassette that concomitantly expresses the canonical reprogramming transcription factors (Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, c-Myc) and a fluorescent marker gene, thus generating induced pluripotent stem cells that are free of lentivirally transduced reprogramming genes.
Hip Pain and Mobility Deficits—Hip Osteoarthritis: Revision 2017

The Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has an ongoing effort to create evidence-based practice guidelines for orthopaedic physical therapy management of patients with musculoskeletal impairments described in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). The purpose of these revised clinical practice guidelines is to review recent peer-reviewed literature and make recommendations related to hip pain and mobility deficits. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(6):A1-A37. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017. 0301.
Biologically active vascular endothelial growth factor as a bacterial recombinant glutathione S‐transferase fusion protein

Human VEGF121 (vascular endothelial growth factor isoform 121) was produced as a recombinant fusion protein with GST (glutathione S‐transferase) in Escherichia coli. After affinity purification with glutathione, the GST–VEGF121 fusion protein preparation was used to obtain antibodies in mice against commercial hrVEGF (human recombinant VEGF) through immunization. It was also employed successfully to select specific antihuman VEGF antibody fragments of human origin employing phage‐display technology. The fusion protein preparation was separated in monomeric, dimeric and oligomeric forms using size‐exclusion chromatography. The dimers were recognized by a soluble VEGF receptor 2–Fc chimaera, and stimulated the growth of human umbilical‐vein endothelial cells in vitro in a similar fashion to a commercial hrVEGF. The presence of GST in the fusion protein apparently did not affect the correct assembly of dimers and display of residues critical for receptor recognition. The two‐step purification method reported in the present paper involves no laborious renaturalization methods, yields 10 mg/l of the mixture of different aggregation states after affinity chromatography, and 5 mg/l of the biologically active dimer after gel filtration, thus providing a source of material for the development of new anti‐angiogenic therapeutic molecules.
General Practitioner (GP) trainees’ experience of a ‘1-h protected supervision model’ given during psychiatry placements in the United Kingdom

Abstract Background A ‘1-hour protected supervision model’ is well established for Psychiatry trainees. This model is also extended to GP trainees who are on placement in psychiatry. Aim: To explore the experiences of the ‘1-hour protected supervision model’ for GP trainees in psychiatry placements in the UK. Methods Using a mixed methods approach, an anonymous online questionnaire was sent to GP trainees in the North West of England who had completed a placement in Psychiatry between February and August 2015. Results Discussing clinical cases whilst using the e-portfolio was the most useful learning event in this model. Patient care can potentially improve if a positive relationship develops between trainee/supervisor, which is impacted by the knowledge of this model at the start of the placement. Trainees found that clinical pressures were impacting on the occurrence of supervision. Conclusion The model works best when both GP trainees and their supervisors understand the model. The most frequently used and educationally beneficial aspect for GP trainees in psychiatry is the exploration of clinical cases using the learning portfolio as an educational tool. For effective delivery of this model of supervision, organisations must reflect on the balance between service delivery and allowing the supervisor and trainee adequate time for it to occur.
Predictive longitudinal vehicle control based on vehicle-to-infrastructure communication

Governments, industries and last but not least customer's demand for low-pollutant, efficient and comfortable vehicles has extended the system development scope towards the combination of in-vehicle systems and environment. Whereas the information from the on-board systems is available for several functions per se, the environmental information has to be grabbed using sensors and/or communication devices. Optimizing fuel efficiency whilst offering a high driving comfort is the goal of the predictive cruise control functionality. An assistance function for intersections is presented within this paper. Traffic signal data is used to automatically adjust the optimal vehicle velocity during urban drive cycles through passages with intersections. The target is to avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking maneuvers which results in reduced fuel consumption. In combination with the adaptive cruise control function a full takeover of the longitudinal vehicle control is realized. Communication between vehicle and traffic lights is done using a wireless vehicle-to-infrastructure communication technique. The presented work describes the developed algorithm `Predictive Cruise Control - Intersection Assist' such as the coupled simulation environment for the examination of the function performance. The later one involves vehicle, driver, traffic lights and wireless transmission. The effect of varying communication ranges is considered using a probability distribution function. Within the study several scenarios with and without traffic were analyzed and evaluated. As a result the fuel efficiency of the implemented assistance function is confirmed. Furthermore a trip time reduction could be achieved in most of the scenarios.
Long‐term impact of respiratory viral infection after pediatric lung transplantation

Liu M, Mallory GB, Schecter MG, Worley S, Arrigain S, Robertson J, Elidemir O, Danziger‐Isakov LA. Long‐term impact of respiratory viral infection after pediatric lung transplantation. Pediatr Transplantation 2010: 14:431–436. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Vitellogenin-6 is a major carbonylated protein in aged nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans.

Recently we found that protein carbonyl content increases with age in wild-type as well as long- and short-lived Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes in inverse correlation with life span (Adachi et al., J. Gerontol. 53A, B240-B244, 1998; Yasuda et al., J. Gerontol. 54A, B47-B51, 1999). In the present study, we investigated carbonyl modification of individual proteins in young and old wild-type nematodes by two-dimensional immunoblot using antibodies against 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazones. A protein with apparent molecular weight of 110 kDa was found to be a major carbonylated protein in aged animals. Amino acid sequence of peptide fragments of the protein was identical to that of vitellogenin-6, a yolk protein synthesized in and secreted from the intestine during egg-laying stage. Although the function(s) of the protein in aged nematodes is unclear, we suggest that the protein may have a role to protect other cellular components from oxidation because of its metal binding capacity.
Intravenous Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cell Therapy Attenuates Activated Microglial/Macrophage Response and Improves Spatial Learning After Traumatic Brain Injury

We previously demonstrated that the intravenous delivery of multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rodents provides neuroprotection by preserving the blood‐brain barrier and systemically attenuating inflammation in the acute time frame following cell treatment; however, the long‐term behavioral and anti‐inflammatory effects of MAPC administration after TBI have yet to be explored. We hypothesized that the intravenous injection of MAPCs after TBI attenuates the inflammatory response (as measured by microglial morphology) and improves performance at motor tasks and spatial learning (Morris water maze [MWM]). MAPCs were administered intravenously 2 and 24 hours after a cortical contusion injury (CCI). We tested four groups at 120 days after TBI: sham (uninjured), injured but not treated (CCI), and injured and treated with one of two concentrations of MAPCs, either 2 million cells per kilogram (CCI‐2) or 10 million cells per kilogram (CCI‐10). CCI‐10 rats showed significant improvement in left hind limb deficit on the balance beam. On the fifth day of MWM trials, CCI‐10 animals showed a significant decrease in both latency to platform and distance traveled compared with CCI. Probe trials revealed a significant decrease in proximity measure in CCI‐10 compared with CCI, suggesting improved memory retrieval. Neuroinflammation was quantified by enumerating activated microglia in the ipsilateral hippocampus. We observed a significant decrease in the number of activated microglia in the dentate gyrus in CCI‐10 compared with CCI. Our results demonstrate that intravenous MAPC treatment after TBI in a rodent model offers long‐term improvements in spatial learning as well as attenuation of neuroinflammation.
MEASURING STUDENT HAPPINESS LEVELS FROM FREE-FORM COURSE FEEDBACKS

This paper presents an algorithmic design for opinion extractor from free-form course feedback texts. An unsupervised lexicon-based based algorithmic formulation is designed and implemented for identifying opinion polarity from free-form textual feedbacks written by students. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated on two different course feedback datasets obtained from ratemyprofessor website. The algorithm performance level observed is reasonably good. The algorithm produces easy to visualize graphical opinion summary from course feedbacks. This framework can be used in a course feedback system for automated interpretation of course feedbacks written by students.
Strategic Improvisation : A Deliberate Way for Leaders to Seize Unexpected

To lead their company toward success in today’s ever-changing landscape, managers need to know how to rapidly and creatively use their organization’s capabilities to seize opportunities before others do. We term this leadership team capability strategic improvisation. Strategic improvisation, as an alternative to traditional planning for urgent situations, builds on clear and real-time information and communication. After surveying multiple executive respondents in 100 organizations, we found that information technology (IT) capabilities, especially information management capability and IT infrastructure flexibility, facilitate strategic improvisation. These capabilities play different roles depending on the type of IT strategy the organization follows. Other factors, including the organization’s competitive environment and design, affect the development and impact of strategic improvisation. In a rapidly changing business environment, an organization is best served by strategic improvisation when it has an innovative IT strategy, a flexible IT infrastructure, a loose organizational structure and an experimental culture.