Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Tale Of Two Cycles In Developing And Advanced Economies: A Country Case Study Comparison

This research aims at performing an econometric analysis on the credit cycle and business cycle from a comparative perspective, with a focus on ten developing and advanced economies from the area of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, in order to better understand their behaviour and the impact of the interactions between them. To achieve this aim, the study focuses on two strategic objectives: a) on the one hand, it analyzes the short-term dynamics (from one quarter to the other) of the relationships between credit expansion and economic growth in order to better grasp which variable influences the other; and b) on the other hand, the research investigates the cyclical components of the data sets (after extracting them from the real GDP and the total volume of credits given by the banking system to the non-governmental sector), i.e. it performs statistical analysis on the medium-term relationships between the business cycle and the credit cycle for each of the ten European economies. The findings revealed in the first phase of the investigation that we cannot speak of a relation of unidirectional causality between credit expansion and economic growth across countries (not even across geographical regions). In Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia, economic growth had an important influence over the crediting activity, thus â€œguidingâ€ it, whereas in the case of Poland, Romania and Slovakia, Granger-type causality relations were registered from the crediting expansion process towards economic growth. The second part of the investigation revealed that sometimes the credit cycle seems to be independent from the business cycle, manifesting an amplitude, a synchronicity and a volatility that is different from and superior to that of business cycle in all the analyzed countries (â€œhaving a mind of its ownâ€ ). Moreover, there is evidence of important spill-over effects of the credit activity across banking systems at national and regional level thus confirming the international feature of the credit cycle.
The Surface Conformation of Sindbis Virus Glycoproteins E1 and E2 at Neutral and Low pH, as Determined by Mass Spectrometry-Based Mapping

ABSTRACT Sindbis virus contains two membrane glycoproteins, E1 and E2, which are organized into 80 trimers of heterodimers (spikes). These trimers form a precise T=4 icosahedral protein lattice on the surface of the virus. Very little is known about the organization of the E1 and E2 glycoproteins within the spike trimer. To gain a better understanding of how the proteins E1 and E2 are arranged in the virus membrane, we have used the techniques of limited proteolysis and amino acid chemical modification in combination with mass spectrometry. We have determined that at neutral pH the E1 protein regions that are accessible to proteases include domains 1–21 (region encompassing amino acids 1 to 21), 161–176, and 212–220, while the E2 regions that are accessible include domains 31–84, 134–148, 158–186, 231–260, 299–314, and 324–337. When Sindbis virus is exposed to low pH, E2 amino acid domains 99–102 and 262–309 became exposed while other domains became inaccessible. Many new E1 regions became accessible after exposure to low pH, including region 86–91, which is in the putative fusion domain of E1 of Semliki Forest virus (SFV) (M. C. Kielian et al., J. Cell Biol. 134:863–872, 1996). E1 273–287 and region 145–158 were also exposed at low pH. These data support a model for the structure of the alphavirus spike in which the E1 glycoproteins are centrally located as trimers which are surrounded and protected by the E2 glycoprotein. These data improve our understanding of the structure of the virus membrane and have implications for understanding the protein conformational changes which accompany the process of virus-cell membrane fusion.
Handshaking quasi-adiabatic logic

This paper proposes a novel handshaking quasi-adiabatic logic (HQAL) circuit, which combines the advantages of adiabatic logics with those of asynchronous circuits. A HQAL circuit is composed of adiabatic logic blocks and the handshake control chain (HCC). The power of the adiabatic logic blocks in HQAL is controlled and supplied by the HCC, and the logic blocks in HQAL become active only when performing useful computations. With the handshake control chain, the HQAL circuit can avoid the problem of data token overriding, which may occur in conventional asynchronous adiabatic logic (AAL) circuits. Simulation results showed that the HQAL implementation of a pipelined Sklansky adder can achieve 33.1% reduction in power dissipation, compared to the CMOS implementation, for a data rate of 700 MHz and 72.5% reduction in power dissipation for a data rate of 10 MHz.
The relationship between formative and summative teacher assessment of primary science in England

Assessment drives the taught curriculum, defines what is valued (Stobart 2008) and can enhance or hinder learning (Mansell et al. 2009). In England, the complexities of assessment are compounded by ongoing changes to statutory assessment procedures and a lack of centralised guidance for judgements of primary science (Turner et al. 2013). The Nuffield expert group (2012) proposed a pyramid-shaped model of teacher assessment which utilised formative information to inform summative judgements. The model was operationalised by the Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) project (Davies et al. 2014), but there was no explicit explanation of the 'formative to summative' process. This study sought to develop understanding of the relationship between formative and summative teacher assessment of primary science, in action and over time. A Design-Based Research (DBR) approach was used in order to develop guidance directly relevant to practice. Analysis of 91 submissions from the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) database provided a mapping of current practice in England. Two case studies of TAPS project schools considered the enacted relationship between formative and summative assessment, during implementation of a 'formative to summative' approach. New insights have been gained into the conceptualisation and enactment of the relationship between formative and summative assessment. Teacher conceptualisations of assessment were found to encapsulate a wide range of dimensions such as purpose, value, audience, assessor, timing, formality, rigidity and support. Refinements to the TAPS pyramid model are proposed to explain the 'formative to summative' process, conceptualising summative assessment as a summary judgement of attainment, which may be informed by snapshot and focused assessment activities. It was found that implementation of a 'formative to summative' approach required a shared understanding of key assessment concepts like validity and reliability; a seesaw balance model is proposed to support the development of such a shared understanding.
The assembly of cytochrome b6/f complexes: an approach using genetic transformation of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

As an approach to the study of the biogenesis of the cytochrome b6/f complex, we characterized the behaviour of its constitutive subunits in mutant strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii bearing well‐defined mutations. To this end, we have constructed three deletion mutant strains, each lacking one of the major chloroplast pet genes: the delta petA, delta petB and delta petD strains were unable to synthesize cyt f, cyt b6 and subunit IV (suIV) respectively. Western blotting analysis, pulse‐labelling and pulse‐chase experiments allowed us to compare the cellular accumulation, the rates of synthesis and the turnover of the cyt b6/f subunits remaining in the various strains. We show that the rates of synthesis of cyt b6 and suIV are independent of the presence of the other subunits of the complex but that their stabilization in the thylakoid membranes is a concerted process, with a marked dependence of suIV stability on the presence of cyt b6. In contrast, mature cyt f was stable in the absence of either suIV or cyt b6 but its rate of synthesis was severely decreased in these conditions. We conclude that the stoichiometric accumulation of the chloroplast‐encoded subunits of the cyt b6/f complex results from two regulation processes: a post‐translational regulation leading to the proteolytic disposal of unassembled cyt b6 and suIV and a co‐translational (or early post‐translational) regulation which ensures the production of cyt f next to its site of assembly.
Potential effects of erythromycin on host defense systems and virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

We evaluated several potential effects of erythromycin (EM) on host defense systems and the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Peritoneal macrophages obtained from mice given 250 mg of EM per kg of body weight for 7 days by the intraperitoneal, intravenous, subcutaneous, or oral route produced significantly greater amounts of thymocyte-activating factors. These data suggest that EM enhances the in vivo production of cytokines, such as interleukins 1 and 6. Treatment of P. aeruginosa D4 with subinhibitory concentrations of EM enhanced the association of bacteria with murine Kupffer cells in vitro and increased bacterial clearance from the blood in mice. EM suppressed the in vitro production of exotoxin A, total protease, elastase, and phospholipase C by P. aeruginosa D4; exotoxin A production by P. aeruginosa PA-103; and total protease production by P. aeruginosa B16 and PAO1 in a generally dose-dependent manner. These data demonstrate that EM produces various effects in addition to its direct antimicrobial activity, suggesting that it has potential as an immunomodulator or bacterial virulence-suppressing agent against P. aeruginosa and other infections.
Stress Sensitivity Analysis of Optical Fiber Bragg Grating-Based Fabry–Pérot Interferometric Sensors

A stress sensitivity analysis of optical fiber-based Fabry-Pérot (FP) sensors has been performed, taking into account the influence of fiber loss on the interferometric sensitivity. The sensitivity increases proportionally with the interferometric cavity length, but it decreases with the attenuation present along the optical path. In addition, fibers constructed from materials with lower Young's modulus provide higher intrinsic stress sensitivity. In this study, three fiber materials have been studied: fused silica, poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and cyclic transparent optical polymer (CYTOP), which have different Young's modulus and optical attenuation. In general, PMMA-based FPs are best for the shortest cavity lengths due to their lower Young's modulus, the performance of silica dominates for long cavities due to the lowest fiber loss and CYTOP is the best choice for medium length cavities. The boundaries between the three length regimes depend on the operating wavelength (which strongly influences the fiber loss) and the reflectivity of the mirrors forming the interferometer. Where the mirrors take the form of fiber Bragg gratings, the grating length also impacts the system performance. The presented model can be used to identify which material offers the highest stress sensitivity when the physical and optical characteristics of a FP stress sensor have been predefined.
Naive Idiotope-Specific B and T Cells Collaborate Efficiently in the Absence of Dendritic Cells

Anti-idiotope (anti-Id) Abs have a role in therapy against B cell lymphomas, as inhibitors of pathogenic autoantibodies, and as surrogate Ags for immunization. Despite these observations, the mechanism by which Id+ Ig generates anti-Id Abs is essentially unknown. To address this issue, we generated a double knock-in mouse that expresses V regions of a somatically mutated anti-Id mAb with intermediate affinity (affinity constant [Ka] = 0.77 × 107 M−1) for the myeloma protein M315. The anti-Id mice have normal peripheral B cell populations, and allelic exclusion is efficient. Anti-Id B cells from BCR knock-in mice, together with Id-specific CD4+ T cells from previously established TCR-transgenic mice, enabled us to study Id-specific T cell–B cell collaboration by dilution of transferred cells into syngeneic BALB/c recipients. We show that previously unstimulated (naive) Id-specific B and T cells collaborate efficiently in vivo, even at low frequencies and in the presence of low amounts of Id+ Ig, resulting in germinal center formation, plasma cell development, and secretion of isotype-switched anti-Id Abs. We further demonstrate that Id-specific T cell–B cell collaboration occurs readily in the absence of adjuvant and is not dependent on Id-presentation by dendritic cells. The results underscore the potency of anti-Id B cells in MHC class II–restricted presentation of Id+ Ig and suggest that Id-specific T cell–B cell collaboration is of physiological relevance.
Influence of more extensive radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy on long-term outcome of early-stage Hodgkin's disease: a meta-analysis of 23 randomized trials involving 3,888 patients. International Hodgkin's Disease Collaborative Group.

PURPOSE To assess the effect of more extensive radiotherapy and of adjuvant combination chemotherapy on long-term outcome of early-stage Hodgkin's disease. METHODS In a collaborative worldwide systematic overview, individual patient data were centrally reviewed on 1,974 patients in eight randomized trials of more versus less extensive radiotherapy and on 1,688 patients in 13 trials of radiotherapy plus chemotherapy versus radiotherapy alone. Crude mortality data on 226 patients in two other trials of chemotherapy were also reviewed. RESULTS More extensive radiotherapy reduced the risk of treatment failure (resistant or recurrent disease) at 10 years by more than one third (31.3% v 43.4% failures; P < .00001), but there was no apparent improvement in overall 10-year survival (77.1 % v 77.0% alive). The addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy halved the 10-year risk of failure (15.8% v 32.7%; P < .00001), with a small, nonsignificant improvement in survival (79.4% v 76.5% alive). This involved a reduction of borderline significance for deaths from Hodgkin's disease (12.3% v 15.4% dead at 10 years; P = .07), which was partly counterbalanced by a nonsignificant excess of deaths from other causes (12.4% v 10.0% 10-year risk). CONCLUSION More extensive radiotherapy fields or the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy in the initial treatment of early-stage Hodgkin's disease had a large effect on disease control, but only a small effect on overall survival. Recurrences could be prevented by more extensive radiotherapy or by additional chemotherapy. However, if chemotherapy had not been given initially, recurrences were generally salvageable by re-treatment with chemotherapy. Hence, less intensive primary treatment--particularly a reduction in radiotherapy fields--appears to achieve similar survival rates as more intensive treatment, although more randomized evidence is needed to confirm this.
Who's in the Driver's Seat? The Influence of Patient and Physician Enthusiasm on Regional Variation in Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Surgery: A Population-Based Study

Study Design. Cross-sectional population-based study using administrative databases, census data, and surveys of orthopedic/neurosurgeons, family physicians (FPs) and patients in Ontario, Canada. Objective. To determine the influence of the enthusiasm of patients, FPs, and surgeons for surgery on the regional variation in surgical rates for degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine (DDLS), such as spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis. Summary of Background Data. Rates of surgery and healthcare costs for treating DDLS have been increasing. Regional variation in spinal surgical rates has been observed and it is thought that the enthusiasm of patients and physicians for surgery contributes to this variation. Methods. Using population-based administrative databases, we included all patients aged 50 years and older who underwent DDLS surgery (i.e., decompression/laminectomy, fusion) from 2002 to 2006 and calculated standardized utilization rates across counties. We measured regional “enthusiasm for surgery” for surgeons, FPs, and patients, using responses from a province-wide survey. Small-area variation analysis and multivariate Poisson regression models were performed calculating incidence rate ratios (IRRs) controlling for county demographics, socioeconomic measures, prevalence of disease, and community resources. Results. We identified 10,318 DDLS surgeries (mean age 65 years, 50.6% female). Significant regional variation was observed (extremal quotient 5.0, coefficient of variation 28.0). Counties with higher rates of surgery had higher surgeon enthusiasm for surgery (IRR: 1.26, P < 0.013), older (IRR: 2.17, P < 0.0001) male patients (IRR: 1.19, P < 0.0001), lower income (IRR: 0.89, P < 0.0015), more knowledge of official languages (IRR: 1.12, P < 0.0003), and the presence of magnetic resonance imaging scanners (IRR: 1.30, P < 0.004). FP and patient enthusiasm for surgery, physician supply, and prevalence of disease were not statistically associated with higher surgical rates. Conclusion. Prior studies have not addressed the role of patient enthusiasm for surgery. Although patients and FPs had variable enthusiasm for surgery, surgeon enthusiasm was the dominant potentially modifiable factor influencing surgical rates. Prevalence of disease and community resources were not related to surgical rates. Strategies targeting surgeon practices may reduce regional variation in care and improve access disparities.
Bromohydrin Pyrophosphate-stimulated Vγ9δ2 T Cells Expanded Ex Vivo From Patients With Poor-Prognosis Neuroblastoma Lyse Autologous Primary Tumor Cells

Gamma/delta T cells (Vγ9δ2) contribute to innate immunity and exert natural cytotoxicity against a variety of tumors. Using a synthetic phosphoantigen (Bromohydrin Pyrophosphate, BrHPP), we amplified Vγ9δ2 T cells in vitro from neuroblastoma patients. In the presence of BrHPP and low doses of IL-2, robust proliferation of Vγ9δ2 T cells was obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) harvested at diagnosis. Moderate proliferation was observed from PBMC harvested after stem cell transplantation, whereas modest levels of Vγ9δ2 T cells were obtained from PBMC harvested after induction therapy. Proliferation was observed after a single in vitro stimulation with BrHPP. After 21 days in culture, Vγ9δ2 T cells represented more than 80% of cultured cells (a 50-fold expansion from baseline). Moreover, BrHPP-amplified Vγ9δ2 T cells from patients-expressed activation markers and were able to lyse allogeneic and autologous neuroblasts. This cytotoxic activity was γδ T-cell receptor-dependent. Clinical trials using BrHPP are warranted in patients with poor-prognosis neuroblastoma, either to expand patient-derived Vγ9δ2 T cells ex vivo or by direct administration to in vivo to boost the pool of resident Vγ9δ2 T cells in vivo.
Structural Validity and Reliability of the Spanish Version of the White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) in a Sample of the General Spanish Population

This paper introduces the validation of the Spanish adaptation of the White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) by Wegner and Zanakos (1994). A sample of 833 people from the general population completed the WBSI along with other questionnaires. The exploratory factor analysis and the confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor solution accounting for 51.8% of the cumulative variance. This structure is comprised of the two following factors: unwanted intrusive thoughts (α = .87, r = .70) and actions of distraction and suppression of thoughts (α = .80, r = .60). Both internal consistency reliability (α = .89) and test-retest reliability (r = .71) showed adequate homogeneity, sound consistency, and stability over time. The results are discussed bearing in mind both isolated factors and the possible relationships of the suppression factor with automatic negative thoughts and insomnia. Presentamos en este trabajo la validación de la adaptación española del White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) (Inventario de Supresión del Oso Blanco) de Wegner y Zanakos (1994). A una muestra de 833 personas de la población general se le administró el WBSI conjuntamente con otros cuestionarios. Los análisis factoriales exploratorio y confirmatorio aconsejan la retención de una estructura bifactorial que explican el 51,8% de la varianza acumulada. Dicha estructura aísla pensamientos intrusos indeseados (α = 0,87, r = 0,70) y acciones de distracción y supresión de pensamientos (α = 0,80, r = 0,60). Los índices de consistencia interna del total del inventario (α = 0,89) y fiabilidad test-retest (r = 0,71) muestran una adecuadas homogeneidad, sólida consistencia y una adecuada estabilidad temporal. Los resultados se discuten teniendo en cuenta los dos factores aislados y las posibles relaciones del factor de supresión con pensamientos automáticos negativos e insomnio.
Effects of Price Transmission and Exchange Rate Elasticities of Three Developing Countries on the World Cotton Trade

This paper examines (i) whether the government interventions in the forms of border protection and as price support have weakened the integrations of domestic cotton markets of China, Brazil and Turkey with the world cotton market and (ii) how a weak cointegration of a domestic market with international market affects the world cotton trade. We address the first question by estimating price and exchange rates transmission elasticities using an error correction model and the second question by conducting a partial equilibrium model. Results indicate that the estimated elasticities are significantly smaller than unitary, which suggests that the cointegration is weak and the law of one price (LOP) does not hold. Furthermore, when cointegration is weak, exchange rate movements have lower impact on exports, imports and prices than they do in the case of strong cointegration.
The costs of foreign single listing

ABSTRACT A significant number of firms conduct their initial public offerings in a foreign market without a domestic listing; this is known as a foreign single listing. The existing literature has mainly focused on examining cross-listings – where firms are listed in both the domestic market and one or more foreign markets – with little attention to foreign single listings. This study examines the costs of foreign single listings. Using a sample of Chinese firms, we show that – on average – the stocks of foreign single-listed firms are undervalued by around 20–30% relative to cross-listed firms. The results are robust in both panel regressions and in a natural experiment analysis. Our findings have strong implications for firms which may consider listing overseas.
Trading by estimating the quantized forward distribution

ABSTRACT In this article, a novel algorithm is developed for electronic trading on financial time series. The new method uses quantization and volatility information together with feedforward neural networks for achieving high-frequency trading (HFT). The proposed procedures are based on estimating the Forward Conditional Probability Distribution (FCPD) of the quantized return values. From past samples, the conditional expected value can be learned, from which FCPD can be obtained by using a special encoding scheme. Based on this estimation, a trading signal is triggered if the probability of price change becomes significant as measured by a quadratic criterion. Due to the encoding scheme and quantization, the complexity of learning and estimation has been reduced for HFT. Extensive numerical analysis has been performed on financial time series and the new method has proven to be profitable on mid-prices. In order to beat the secondary effects, we focus on the most liquid assets, on which we managed to achieve positive profits.