Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Excess Monetary Liquidity and Asset Prices

The end of the internet bubble on equity markets and, more recently, the prolonged strength of house prices in most industrial countries, have brought questions about the role of monetary policy back to the fore. While management of the money supply has traditionally been aimed at preventing a resurgence in inflation, in the current context of price stability, the debate has shifted towards the supervision of asset prices. Several factors are commonly cited in connection with the notion of a liquidity effect on asset prices: an extended quantity equation of money including asset transactions; easy credit, which promotes purchasing and impacts prices; the direct role of interest rates in computing the fundamental value of assets; and expectations generated by current monetary policy, especially as reflected in low interest rates. This paper seeks to examine the extent to which these theories are germane and to assess whether, in practice, excess liquidity has had a discernable effect on equity and property prices in the euro area, the USA, the UK and Japan since the beginning of the 1980s. We demonstrate that liquidity, which is by definition an overall instrument of purchasing power, does not actually have an across-the-board effect on asset prices. On the contrary, individual asset price movements are bigger than the overall change in aggregate asset prices. Any econometric analysis of the linkage between asset prices and excess liquidity must factor in the possibility of feedback effects from asset prices to money. For this reason, we estimate VAR and VECM models to look at reciprocal interactions in the four geographical zones covered by the paper. It was impossible to clearly demonstrate the effects of excess liquidity on equity prices. The findings for property prices were more nuanced, especially in the case of the UK. However, even where an effect was detected, its impact was limited. Using the available data on France, we explore the notion of the quantity equation of money extended to assets, and measure its relevance. It turns out that adding property or securities transactions to transactions in goods and services does not stabilise the velocity of money. Thus we do not find support from traditional quantity theory for the idea of a transmission from monetary policy to asset prices. In sum, there is only tenuous evidence that excess liquidity affects asset prices. While speculative bubbles may have formed around equity and property prices, they did not wait for help from monetary policy to take shape. Note, however, that this paper was deliberately conducted within a linear setting. The findings do not therefore refute research demonstrating that beyond a certain threshold, excess liquidity represents a threat to financial stability.
Australian Cities: Issues, Strategies and Policies for Urban Australia in the 1990s

Introduction Patrick Troy Part I. The Development and State of Australian Cities: 1. Sustaining suburbia: an historical perspective on Australia's urban growth Lionel Frost and Tony Dingle 2. The urban debate: from 'Los Angeles' to the urban village Mark Peel 3. National urban policy in the 1990s Lionel Orchard 4. Households, consumerism and metropolitan development Patrick Mullins Part II. Current Policies and Options: 5. The battle for Balmain Tim Bonyhady 6. State planning operation Raymond Bunker 7. Planning in a multicultural environment: a challenge for the nineties Sophie Watson and Alec McGillivray 8. Local government and the urban growth debate Renate Howe 9. Towards more equitable cities: a receding prospect? Blair Badcock Part III. Avenues for Development: 10. Financing urban services Max Neutze 11. Alternative urban policies: the case for regional development Peter Self 12. Cooperation between governments Patrick Troy.
Low acylation stimulating protein levels are associated with cardiometabolic disorders–secondary to autoimmune activation?

Objective: We investigated the possible association of serum acylation stimulating protein (ASP) with cardiometabolic disorders and the evidence of autoimmune activation. Methods: Population-based randomly selected 1024 participants were cross-sectionally and prospectively analyzed. ASP concentrations were measured with a validated ELISA kit. Correlations were sought separately in subjects with no cardiometabolic disorders (n=427) designated as “healthy. ” Results: ASP was positively correlated with total testosterone and inversely correlated with platelet activating factor (PAF), PAF-acetylhydrolase (AH), in each gender, and positively correlated in “healthy” men with lipoprotein [Lp](a) and apolipoprotein B. Correlations of ASP with PAF values ≥22 nmol/L were abolished, contrasted to a strongly inverse one in subjects with PAF <22 nmol/L. In linear regression analyses in the whole sample, ASP was inversely associated independently with PAF and PAF-AH and, in men, positively with Lp(a) and sex hormone-binding globulin. Prevalent and (at 2.0 years’ follow-up) incident metabolic syndrome (MetS, n=393), diabetes (n=154), and coronary heart disease (CHD, n=171) were analyzed by sex-, age-, and Lp(a)-adjusted logistic regression, using tertiles of ASP and PAF. The lower two (<42 nmol/L) ASP tertiles were a risk factor in combined sexes for MetS and diabetes. In women, incident CHD was predicted by either reduced or elevated ASP tertiles. Conclusion: Findings can be explained by the notion of operation of immune responses against both ASP and oxidized PAF-like lipids of Lp(a) to yield for “reduced” values and increased likelihood of cardiometabolic disorders.
The Dynamics of Organizational Status

This paper examines the growth (and decline) of organizational status. It is argued that an organization's status is determined by two factors: past performance outcomes and the status of the organization's affiliates. The better the past performance outcomes and the higher the status of the affiliates, the greater the organization's growth in status. This basic proposition is tested in an examination of status changes among investment banks in the non-investment grade market between 1981 and 1987. Implications and extensions are discussed in the conclusion. Copyright 1996 by Oxford University Press.
Investigating structural differences of the Czech economy: Does asymmetry of shocks matter?

The goal of this paper is to evaluate heterogeneity between the Czech Republic and the Euro area, because different behavior of agents or asymmetric shocks cut benefits from the entering monetary union. For this purpose, we introduce a two-country dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model that allows different sources of heterogeneity between countries. We focus on differences in structural parameters and asymmetry of shocks hitting the two economies. Using Bayesian techniques, we estimate various specifications of log-linear models (unrestricted and nested) and then we test different sources of heterogeneity. Our results indicate that the main sources of heterogeneity are price and wage rigidities and the asymmetry of shocks. On the other hand, we have found strong evidence in favor of homogeneity in parameters describing utility function of households.
Mentorship, knowledge transmission and female professionals in Canadian water research and policy

We face multiple water challenges: droughts, floods, crumbling infrastructure and disappearing natural hydrosystems. Technological interventions will help but these challenges also require social solutions and good governance. Identifying and implementing both technical and social solutions demands a resilient water research and policy community (WRPC). The WRPC must include diverse perspectives as the challenges increase in intensity, frequency and scope and as decision processes accelerate. Will the WRPC be able to effectively address this evolving water context? Possibly, but we argue that the WRPC9s effectiveness will be partially determined by its ability to respond to impending demographic changes and the erosion of valuable knowledge resources. Generating stronger social ties between water professionals from different generations is critical to transfer these knowledge resources. Mentorship has been recognized for both its individual benefits and its organizational benefits, yet it has been under-explored within the WRPC. Using a qualitative analysis of a Canadian case and focusing on a female professional sub-population, we argue that mentorship has significant potential to develop and sustain intergenerational ties and knowledge resource transmission within a WRPC. Our findings suggest that long-term mentorship investments will directly contribute to the WRPC9s resilience and its ability to effectively address water challenges.
From whaling to whale watching: examining sustainability and cultural rhetoric

This paper explores whaling and whale watching to determine the viability of their divergent practices – and explains why they coexist in some cases. Whale watching is often viewed as an ecotourism product and presented as an activity that is fast growing, holds potential for local regeneration, promotes conservation and sustainable practice and is ecological and profitable. Whaling is currently under considerable scrutiny and relies on economic and increasingly cultural rhetoric to support its viability. Contrary to some statements, it is rarely a long-established practice. The paper uses Japan and Iceland as examples to examine the sustainability frameworks and political rhetoric surrounding these activities, and asks whether whale watching might offer an alternative economy for the whaling/fishing communities in an era of conflict over sustainable resource use. The paper finds that whale watching participation grew from 9 million tourists in 2001 to 13 million in 2008, with revenues rising from $1 billion to $2.1 billion per annum over that period. Whaling relies heavily on state and private subsidies. We also find, however, that whaling and whale watching can co-exist, that both use sustainability-based rhetoric, but that global trends in public opinion and taste favour whale watching over whaling.
Characterization of an operon encoding an NADP-reducing hydrogenase in Desulfovibrio fructosovorans

A genomic DNA fragment from Desulfovibrio fructosovorans, which strongly hybridized with the hydAB genes from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, was cloned and sequenced. This fragment was found to contain four genes, named hndA, hndB, hndC, and hndD. Analysis of the sequence homologies indicated that HndA shows 29, 21, and 26% identity with the 24-kDa subunit from Bos taurus complex I, the 25-kDa subunit from Paracoccus denitrificans NADH dehydrogenase type I, and the N-terminal domain of HoxF subunit of the NAD-reducing hydrogenase from Alcaligenes eutrophus, respectively. HndB does not show any significant homology with any known protein. HndC shows 37 and 33% identity with the C-terminal domain of HoxF and the 51-kDa subunit from B. taurus complex I, respectively, and has the requisite structural features to be able to bind one flavin mononucleotide, one NAD, and three [4Fe-4S] clusters. HndD has 40, 42, and 48% identity with hydrogenase I from Clostridium pasteurianum and HydC and HydA from D. vulgaris Hildenborough, respectively. The 4.5-kb length of the transcripts expressed in D. fructosovorans and in Escherichia coli (pSS13) indicated that all four genes were present on the same transcription unit. The sizes of the four polypeptides were measured by performing heterologous expression of hndABCD in E. coli, using the T7 promoter/polymerase system. The products of hndA, hndB, hndC, and hndD were 18.8, 13.8, 52, and 63.4 kDa, respectively. One hndC deletion mutant, called SM3, was constructed by performing marker exchange mutagenesis. Immunoblotting studies carried out on cell extracts from D. fructosovorans wild-type and SM3 strains, using antibodies directed against HndC, indicated that the 52-kDa protein was recognized in extracts from the wild-type strain only. In soluble extracts from D. fructosovorans wild type, a 10-fold induction of NADP reduction was observed when H(2) was present, but no H(2)-dependent NAD reduction ever occurred. This H(2)-dependent NADP reductase activity disappeared completely in extracts from SM3. These results indicate that the hnd operon actually encodes an NAdP-reducing hydrogenase in D. fructosovorans.
Semisupervised Multiview Feature Selection for VHR Remote Sensing Images With Label Learning and Automatic View Generation

The features of very high resolution (VHR) images can be considered as multiview data. For better analysis of intrinsic data structure, a semisupervised multiview feature selection (SemiMFS) method is proposed to exploit the multiple views in this paper. In SemiMFS, feature views are automatically generated by decomposing features into multiple disjoint and meaningful groups. Each feature group represents a view, and each view describes a data characteristic. Then, features are evaluated and selected within each view. The contributions of SemiMFS are listed as follows: 1) A SemiMFS is proposed for VHR images. 2) ${\ell _{1,2}}$ -norm regularization and automatic view generalization are utilized in semisupervised feature selection for the intragroup sparsity, not the conventional intergroup sparsity, without any prior knowledge. Thus, SemiMFS reduces the redundancy within views by selecting features within each view, and simultaneously preserve as much information as possible by only shrinking the weight corresponding to different views. 3) An improved iterative method is developed in an ${\ell _{1,2}}$ -norm-based minimization problem together with label learning of unlabeled objects. The experiments on three VHR satellite images verify the effectiveness and practicability of the method, compared with traditional single-view algorithms. The experiments demonstrate that the views and the intraview features make sense, and they offer a new way to analyze data structure of VHR images.
Determining the content for an interactive training programme and interpretive guidelines for the Assistive Technology Device Predisposition Assessment

Purpose : Develop the content for interpretive guidelines and an interactive training programme for professionals administering the Assistive Technology Device Predisposition Assessment (ATD PA) consumer form, a self-report assessment tool for consumers to identify their perceived functional capabilities and limitations, satisfaction with and priorities for quality of life achievement, psychosocial characteristics and device preferences. Method : Twenty-two professionals (with 1 - 2 consumers each) completed surveys on their use of the ATD PA and recommendations for interpretive guidelines and an interactive training programme. Participants represent eight US states and the country of Italy. Fourteen women and eight men (professionals) participated, and 20% of the sample was comprised of US consumers from Hispanic or African-American ethnic groups. Professionals represented the following disciplines: occupational therapy (n = 1); physical therapy (n = 1); rehabilitation engineering (n = 4); and vocational rehabilitation counselling (n = 16). Additionally, an advisory committee of 14 persons was formed, comprising consumers as well as international AT experts. The committee members prioritized content areas for the training programme and interpretive guidelines. Results/conclusions : Responses strongly support the need for and the continued development of the training programme and interpretive guidelines. Content areas have been identified and prioritized.
Oscillation of the human ankle joint in response to applied sinusoidal torque on the foot

1. Low‐frequency (3‐30 Hz) oscillatory rotation of the ankle joint in plantarflexion—dorsiflexion was generated with a torque motor. Torque, rotation about the ankle and electromyograms (e.m.g.s) for the gastrocnemius—soleus and the anterior tibial muscles were recorded.
Detection of anomaly acoustic scenes based on a temporal dissimilarity model

This paper proposes detection of anomaly acoustic scenes based on a temporal dissimilarity model. The periodicity in the temporal variation of acoustic scenes is first pointed out and then used to build a new stochastic model. In the new model, the temporal variation is expressed by dissimilarity between current and previous acoustic scenes. Anomaly acoustic scenes are detected based on the 24-hour periodic dissimilarity model. Evaluation results using 40-day (1000-hour) data show that the proposed method can detect unknown anomaly acoustic scenes with 82.3% F-measure in 0 dB signal-to-noise-ratio conditions.
Fuzzy Image Sharpening of Historical Prints

Established methods for sharpening details in images often lead to the magnification of background noise at the expense of detail clarity. This paper applies a method of image sharpening based on fuzzy morphology which is used to enhance historical images. The algorithm is a blend of morphological analysis and fuzzy reasoning, which unlike recognized methods of sharpening such as unsharp masking, does not excessively amplify noise. The algorithm is applied to the task of enhancing acuity in historical photographs, including colour slides.
Cross-Layer Resource Allocation Optimization by Hopfield Neural Networks in OFDMA-Based Wireless Mesh Networks

This paper presents a novel method based on Hopfield Neural Networks (HNN) for Cross-layer Dynamical Resource Allocation in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)-based Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN). The objective is to optimize the maximization of the system throughput using HNN under the conditions of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) constraint, power constraint and time delay constraint. The objective problem is simplified by dividing the bit-loading matrix into three matrixes. The simulation results show that HNN method can effectively solve optimization problems of resource allocation in such system, and it is more effective than the selected Greedy Algorithm (GA) method.
CMBS and Conflicts of Interest: Evidence from Ownership Changes for Servicers

Self‐dealing is potentially important but difficult to measure. In this paper, I study special servicers in commercial mortgage‐backed securities (CMBS), which sell distressed assets on behalf of bondholders. Around 2010, ownership changes of four major servicers raised concerns that they may direct benefits to new owners' affiliates (buyers and service providers). Loans liquidated after ownership changes have greater loss rates than before (8 percentage points (p.p.), $2.3 billion in losses), relative to other (placebo) servicers. Together with a case study that tracks self‐dealing purchases, the findings point to potential steering conflicts that could incentivize tunneling through fees to service providers.
Aberrant expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor‐1 in prostate epithelial cells allows induction of promatrilysin expression by fibroblast growth factors

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degrade extracellular matrix proteins, and there is evidence that they play a role in tumor cell growth, invasion and metastasis. Matrilysin (MMP‐7) is over‐expressed in prostate cancer cells and increases prostate cancer cell invasion. Prostate stromal fibroblasts secrete a factor(s), including fibroblast growth factor‐1 (FGF‐1), which induces promatrilysin expression in the prostate carcinoma cell line LNCaP but not in normal prostate epithelial cells (PrECs). Since FGF‐1 is present in the prostate, an altered sensitivity to FGF‐1 might explain the up‐regulation of matrilysin expression in prostate cancer cells compared to normal prostate epithelium. FGF receptor‐1 (FGFR‐1) is not normally expressed by normal prostate epithelial cells; however, aberrant expression of this receptor has been reported in prostate cancer cells, including the LNCaP cell line. We hypothesized that aberrant expression of FGFR‐1 in PrECs would render them sensitive to induction of promatrilysin expression by recombinant FGF‐1. To test this hypothesis, we transiently transfected PrECs with an FGFR‐1 expression vector, which resulted in over‐expression of FGFR‐1 protein in approximately 40% of cells. FGF‐1 increased promatrilysin expression in FGFR‐1–transfected PrECs 4‐fold over mock‐transfected cells, and this induction was inhibited by a specific FGFR‐1 inhibitor, SU5402, and by co‐expression of a dominant negative FGFR‐1 protein. Our results demonstrate that aberrant FGFR‐1 expression, an epigenetic phenomenon that has been associated with prostate cancer progression, allows induction of promatrilysin expression by FGF‐1 in PrECs. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Yeast mitochondrial F1F0‐ATP synthase exists as a dimer: identification of three dimer‐specific subunits

Using the technique of blue native gel electrophoresis, the oligomeric state of the yeast mitochondrial F1F0‐ATP synthase was analysed. Solubilization of mitochondrial membranes with low detergent to protein ratios led to the identification of the dimeric state of the ATP synthase. Analysis of the subunit composition of the dimer, in comparison with the monomer, revealed the presence of three additional small proteins. These dimer‐specific subunits of the ATP synthase were identified as the recently described subunit e/Tim11 (Su e/Tim11), the putative subunit g homolog (Su g) and a new component termed subunit k (Su k). Although, as shown here, these three proteins are not required for the formation of enzymatically active ATP synthase, Su e/Tim11 and Su g are essential for the formation of the dimeric state. Su e/Tim11 appears to play a central role in this dimerization process. The dimer‐specific subunits are associated with the membrane bound F0‐sector. The F0‐sector may thereby be involved in the dimerization of two monomeric F1F0‐ATP synthase complexes. We speculate that the F1F0‐ATP synthase of yeast, like the other complexes of oxidative phosphorylation, form supracomplexes to optimize transduction of energy and to enhance the stability of the complex in the membrane.
Public Planning of Mega-Projects: Overestimation of Demand and Underestimation of Costs

Despite the enormous sums of money being spent on transportation infrastructure, surprisingly little systematic knowledge exists about the costs, benefits and risks involved. The literature lacks statistically valid answers to the central and self-evident question of whether transportation infrastructure projects perform as forecasted. When a project underperforms, this is often explained away as an isolated instance of unfortunate circumstance; it is typically not seen as the particular expression of a general pattern of underperformance in transportation infrastructure projects. Because knowledge is lacking in this area of research, until now it has been impossible to validly refute or confirm whether underperformance is the exception or the rule.
Adapting the WiMAX PHY layer for use in a GSM overlay system

Many of todaypsilas communication systems use only a small fraction of their allocated bandwidth. Cooperative overlay systems can make use of unallocated transmission capacity in under-utilized frequency bands without causing significant interference. Measurements taken in the GSM frequency range showed, that there are remaining transmission resources in such a cellular system. Therefore, GSM is used as an exemplary licensed user system with bursty traffic and varying usage rates providing a reasonable remaining capacity that can be utilized by an overlay system. WiMAX provides a highly flexible solution that can be adapted to the specific requirements of an overlay system. By adding elements for signalling of the current spectrum usage of the underlying GSM system to the WiMAX frame, the WiMAX overlay system is able to react very fast to changing utilizations of the spectrum. Frequencies that are currently used by a GSM subscriber can be abandoned in a very short time, and frequencies that have been released for a certain period can easily be reclaimed for overlay usage.