Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Treatise on Oil Price Shocks and Their Implications for the UK Financial Sector: Analysis Based on Time‐Varying Structural VAR Model

In this paper, we examined the association among the energy sector stock, oil prices and stock market on the whole. We also considered the UK position from the net oil exporter to net oil importer and implications of the Global Financial Crises. Employing a Time‐Varying Vector Auto‐regressive framework on monthly data from January 1990 to June 2015 in which the sources of time variation were both the coefficients and variance‐covariance matrix of the innovations, this study found that historically oil price shocks have negatively affected the stock market, however the energy sector stock has always responded positively holding their title as hedge against oil shocks. It was also found that the shift from net oil exporter to net oil importer did not influence the association between the UK stock market and oil shocks much. Including the discrete break and subsampling of series led to controlling for the prior beliefs and agent's behaviour in the Pre‐GFC period. It turned out that the GFC had been a game changer and the stock market as well as the energy sector showed a positive and symmetric response to oil shocks. These findings have profound implications in terms of depressed global aggregate demand and oil shocks dynamics in the Post‐GFC world.
Induction of innate immunity in control of mucosal transmission of HIV.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To present evidence of the role of innate mucosal immunity and to harness this arm of immunity in protection against HIV infection. RECENT FINDINGS Dendritic cells, monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells and γδ T cells are critical in innate immunity, which is mediated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) and recently identified stress pathways. Complement factors, cytokines and chemokines have diverse functions usually affecting HIV infection indirectly. A novel group of innate intracellular HIV restriction factors has been identified - APOBEC3G, TRIM5α and tetherin - all of which are upregulated by type I interferons and some by vaccination and TLR agonists. Whereas innate immunity conventionally lacks memory, recent evidence suggests that some of the cells and intracellular factors may express immunological memory-like features. SUMMARY Innate mucosal immunity may provide early effective control of HIV transmission and replication. Some vaccines can enhance innate immune factors, such as APOBEC3G and control HIV during the eclipse period, allowing full weight of neutralizing and/or cytotoxic T cells to develop and prevent mucosal HIV infection. The next generation of vaccines should be designed to target both innate and adaptive immune memory responses.
Role of financial knowledge, financial socialisation and financial risk attitude in financial satisfaction of Indian individuals

The purpose of the present study is to examine the influence of financial knowledge and financial socialisation on financial satisfaction of an individual with financial risk attitude as a mediator with special focus on tier II city of India. The authors have adapted scales from literature on financial knowledge, financial socialisation, financial risk attitude and financial satisfaction to create a questionnaire. The mediated regression analysis was performed to test hypothesised relationships. Significant positive relationships were found between financial knowledge and financial satisfaction with financial risk attitude as mediator. Similarly, the relationship between financial socialisation and financial satisfaction with financial risk attitude as mediator were also found to be significantly positive. Financial risk attitude is observed to bear a mediating affect between financial knowledge and financial satisfaction, as also between financial socialisation and financial satisfaction. This research is an attempt to develop a framework for financial satisfaction in a developing country, aimed at the most vulnerable economic class. It is based on data from India, and the results have been found to be significant.
Perceptions and perceived impact of graphic cigarette health warning labels on smoking behavior among U.S. young adults.

INTRODUCTION In 2011, the Food and Drug Administration published a final rule requiring cigarette packages and advertisements to include graphic health warning labels (HWLs) with new warning statements. Implementation of this rule has been stalled by legal challenge. This study assessed correlates of smoking-related intentions related to graphic HWLs among current cigarette smokers and nonsmokers in a national sample of U.S. young adults aged 18-34. METHODS Data were collected from 4,236 participants aged 18-34 using an online panel in January 2012 for the Legacy Young Adult Cohort Study. Analyses were weighted to provide nationally representative estimates. Our main outcome was assessed with a single item: "Do you think that new warning labels with graphic pictures would make you think about not smoking? " RESULTS Twenty-two percent of the young adults were current cigarette smokers. Fifty-three percent endorsed that new graphic HWLs would make them think about not smoking (40% among current smokers compared with 56% among nonsmokers). Among nonsmokers, those aged 18-24, females, Hispanics, and those who were aware of graphic cigarette HWLs were more likely to report intention to not smoke related to graphic HWLs. Among current smokers, intending to quit within the next 6 months was correlated with intention resulting from graphic HWLs. Hispanic ethnicity and intention to quit within 30 days were strong correlates of intention in light, nondaily, and self-identified social/occasional smokers. CONCLUSIONS This study supports previous findings that graphic HWLs play an important role in preventing smoking, in addition to encouraging cessation in young adults.
The Relationship Between Current Account Balance and Types of Credits: An Application on Selected OECD Countries

While in literature that the current account deficit to GDP ratio exceeds the level 4-5 is considered as a leading indicator of crisis in economies, solution proposals to this issue is of vital importance in terms of countries. By the reason of increasing purchasing power, the rise in credits has a serious impact on the increase of the current account deficit without ignoring the importance of other factors. Within this scope, in the study, the relationship between current account balance and the credits to firms, households and government has been estimated by using PMGE and MGE in 26 selected OECD countries for the years between 2005Q1 and 2015Q2. The findings obtained showed that while the credits given to households and firms have a negative impact on the current account balance in short-run, the credits to firms and government have positive effect on it in long-run.
Health service accreditation as a predictor of clinical and organisational performance: a blinded, random, stratified study

Background Despite the widespread use of accreditation in many countries, and prevailing beliefs that accreditation is associated with variables contributing to clinical care and organisational outcomes, little systematic research has been conducted to examine its validity as a predictor of healthcare performance. Objective To determine whether accreditation performance is associated with self-reported clinical performance and independent ratings of four aspects of organisational performance. Design Independent blinded assessment of these variables in a random, stratified sample of health service organisations. Settings Acute care: large, medium and small health-service organisations in Australia. Study participants Nineteen health service organisations employing 16 448 staff treating 321 289 inpatients and 1 971 087 non-inpatient services annually, representing approximately 5% of the Australian acute care health system. Main measures Correlations of accreditation performance with organisational culture, organisational climate, consumer involvement, leadership and clinical performance. Results Accreditation performance was significantly positively correlated with organisational culture (rho=0.618, p=0.005) and leadership (rho=0.616, p=0.005). There was a trend between accreditation and clinical performance (rho=0.450, p=0.080). Accreditation was unrelated to organisational climate (rho=0.378, p=0.110) and consumer involvement (rho=0.215, p=0.377). Conclusions Accreditation results predict leadership behaviours and cultural characteristics of healthcare organisations but not organisational climate or consumer participation, and a positive trend between accreditation and clinical performance is noted.
Nucleotide sequence of the asd gene of Escherichia coli: absence of a typical attenuation signal.

The asd gene of escherichia coli encodes aspartic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, an enzyme involved in lysine, threonine, and methionine biosynthesis; its synthesis is controlled by a multivalent repression mechanism. It was cloned in plasmid pBR322 and its complete nucleotide sequence determined. The sequence predicts a polypeptide chain of 367 amino acids, in good agreement with results obtained for the purified protein (Biellmann et al., 1980a). Our data indicate a Cys residue instead of a His residue, which was proposed after covalent labeling of the active center of the enzyme; this is more in line with the catalytic site of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, an enzyme which carries out a similar reaction. The nucleotide sequence that precedes the translational start does not display any of the characteristic features of an attenuation signal. Hence the expression of the asd gene is probably not controlled in the same way as other multivalently repressed operons such as ilva and thr.
Analysis of signal integrity(SI) robustness in through-silicon interposer (TSI) interconnects

This paper describes the electrical characteristics of the fine pitch interconnects in silicon carrier systems. The characteristics of such interconnects are explored and a typical FPGA-memory system is compared viz-a-viz with a traditional PCB system from low data rates to higher data rates. Our case-study shows that even though highly resistive wires are used in silicon carrier the interconnects are SI robust due to the shorter die to die interconnect length and the absence of package parasitics.
Aquaporin Expression and Freeze Tolerance in Candida albicans

ABSTRACT Aquaporins are members of the major intrinsic protein superfamily of integral membrane proteins which enable the transport of water, glycerol, and other solutes across membranes in various organisms. In microorganisms, the physiological role of aquaporins is not yet defined. We found a clear correlation between expression of the Candida albicans aquaporin-encoding gene AQY1 and freeze tolerance. A connection with the function for the aquaporin in the natural environment of C. albicans is, however, not obvious.
Monetary Policy Regulation for the Bank of Central African States (BEAC)

This paper aims to put forward a reaction function concerning the behaviour of the Bank of the Central African States (BEAC) turned toward the future then increasing the exchange rate to ensure the internal and external balance in the countries of this monetary zone. Based on the CFA currency and US dollar equivalence, it comes out that there is a strong non linearity between the interest rate and the exchange rate gap. The optimal gap level of the exchange rate in long term (short term) beneath which the monetary authorities should try to reduce the nominal interest rate is 277 F CFA (260 F CFA) and beyond which they will increase to maintain internal and external balance of the economy of the countries in this zone. So, the exchange rate should be taken as a target whose drift should govern the adjustment of the monetary policy instruments notably the interest rate.
Disturbance Compensation-Based Model Predictive Flux Control of SPMSM With Optimal Duty Cycle

Finite control set model predictive torque control (FCS-MPTC) is receiving more attention for electric drives, due to its intuitive idea, flexibility to incorporate constrains, and fast torque dynamic response. However, traditional FCS-MPTC requires heavy computation effort and has high torque ripple at steady state. The weighting factors of the cost function are hard to optimize to obtain desired performances. Moreover, torque tracking error exists because FCS-MPTC belongs to the open-loop control strategy. This paper proposes disturbance compensation-based model predictive flux control (DCB-MPFC) with optimal duty cycle (ODC) of surface permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM). This paper first proves the uniformity of MPTC, MPFC, and model predictive voltage control (MPVC). The cost function based on the stator flux linkage vector can be converted to the equivalent cost function based on voltage vector. The role of the equivalent cost function is to compare the deadbeat vector with three pairs of vectors, which can reduce computation effort and torque ripple. In addition, the disturbance compensation strategy is proposed to eliminate torque tracking error. The proposed DCB-MPFC is verified effectively by experiments that are compared with traditional algorithm, proportional-integral speed loop-based mode predictive torque control (PI-MPTC).
Investigation of sliding mode control of higher order DC-DC converters

In this paper, a new robust sliding mode current controller is proposed for fourth order dc-dc converters in continuous conduction mode. The main purpose of controller is to regulate output voltage under load and input voltage variations. Advantage of proposed sliding surface is that it needs only one current sensor to sense inductor current. Converters included in this paper are zeta, cuk and single-ended primary-inductance converter (SEPIC). Convergence of output voltage to the desired voltage is proved. Robustness of the proposed controller is verified by varying source voltage and load. Proposed controller is simulated with the help of MATLAB/Simulink and results are demonstrated in the paper.
Lyme disease: a search for a causative agent in ticks in south–eastern Australia

SUMMARY Attempts were made to identify the causative organism of Lyme disease in Australia from possible tick vectors. Ticks were collected in coastal areas of New South Wales, Australia, from localities associated with putative human infections. The ticks were dissected; a portion of the gut contents was examined for spirochaetes by microscopy, the remaining portion inoculated into culture media. The detection of spirochaetes in culture was performed using microscopy, and immunochemical and molecular (PCR) techniques. Additionally, whole ticks were tested with PCR for spirochaetes. From 1990 to 1992, approximately 12000 ticks were processed for spirochaetes. No evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi or any other spirochaete was recovered from or detected in likely tick vectors. Some spirochaete–like objects detected in the cultures were shown to be artifacts, probably aggregates of bacterial flagellae. There is no definitive evidence for the existence in Australia of B. burgdorferi the causative agent of true Lyme disease, or for any other tick–borne spirochaete that may be responsible for a local syndrome being reported as Lyme disease.
Neurotoxicity of L‐Glutamate and DL‐Threo‐3‐Hydroxyaspartate in the Rat Striatum

Destruction of the glutamatergic corticostriatal pathway potentiates the neurotoxic action of 1 μmol L‐glutamate injected into the rat striatum, whereas the toxic effects of 10 nmol kainate are markedly attenuated. Injection of 170 nmol of the glutamate uptake inhibitor, DL‐threo‐3‐hydroxyaspartate, into the intact striatum also causes neuronal degeneration, which is accompanied by a reduction in markers for cholinergic and GABAergic neurones. Prior removal of the corticostriatal pathway destroys the ability of DL‐threo‐3‐hydroxyaspartate to cause lesions in the striatum. These results indicate that removal, or blockade, of uptake sites for glutamate increase the vulnerability of striatal neurones to the toxic effects of synaptically released glutamate.
Psychological Strains, Salivary Biomarkers, and Risks for Coronary Heart Disease Among Hurricane Survivors

Objective: To examine the associations of psychological strains, salivary biomarkers, and coronary heart disease (CHD) risks in hurricane survivors 2 years after Hurricane Ike in the United States. Background: Hurricane survivors often suffer from long-lasting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other forms of psychological strain related to surviving a natural disaster and dealing with its aftermath. Psychological strains may be associated with biomarkers, which, in turn, may be associated with a higher incidence of CHD risks. Methods: Structured interviews were conducted with 19 hurricane survivors to assess psychological strains (PTSD, perceived stress, depression, and anxiety) and measure CHD risks. Saliva samples were collected by the passive drool method and analyzed for inflammatory cytokine (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, and IL-10) and chemokine (monocyte chemotactic protein [MCP]-1) biomarkers. Results: The salivary level of MCP-1 was significantly associated with PTSD symptoms, depression (both p < .01), and anxiety (p < .05). There were significant associations between anxiety and hypertension (p < .01), perceived stress and blood glucose level (p < .05), and perceived stress and obesity (p < .05). Conclusion: Our findings that long-lasting psychological strains are associated with major CHD risks and salivary MCP-1 levels suggest that the mechanism by which such strains play a role in the development of CHD involves recruitment of monocyte cells in response to chronic endothelial inflammation. Further studies are needed to advance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which the PTSD and other psychological strains contribute to the development of CHD.
A Peculiar Sentiment Analysis Advancement in Big Data

Every company wants to discover what its customers feel about it. But sentiment analysis can get coarser and turn inward to improve employee as well as customers’ satisfaction. A term called sentiment analysis, or the mathematical taxonomy of statements’ negative or positive connotations, gives companies potent ways to analyse cumulative language data across all sorts of communications. There’s real value in measuring sentiment inside and outside your company. Our big data experts analyse the core grounds of the problems raised while handling giant datasets and find solutions to efficiently manage massive datasets with ease. We built a sentiment analysis solution to measure positive and negative sentiments with top rating products for Amazon.com‘s Electronics products as against competitor products.
Dimorphic Motifs in D0 and D1+D2 Domains of Killer Cell Ig-Like Receptor 3DL1 Combine to Form Receptors with High, Moderate, and No Avidity for the Complex of a Peptide Derived from HIV and HLA-A*24021

Comparison of mutant killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) 3DL1*015 substituted at natural positions of variation showed that tryptophan/leucine dimorphism at position 283 uniquely changes receptor conformation and can strongly influence binding of the A24nef tetramer. Dimorphic motifs at positions 2, 47, and 54 in D0 and 182 and 283 in D1+D2 distinguish the two 3DL1 lineages, typified by 3DL1*005 and 3DL1*015. The interlineage recombinant, KIR3DL1*001, combines D0 of 3DL1*005 with D1+D2 of 3DL1*015 and binds A24nef more strongly than either parent. In contrast, the reciprocal recombinant with D0 from 3DL1*015 and D1+D2 from 3DL1*005 cannot bind A24nef. Thus, D0 polymorphism directly affects the avidity of the KIR3DL1 ligand binding site. From these observations, multiple sequence alignment, and homology modeling, we constructed structural models for KIR3DL1 and its complex with A24nef. In these models, D0, D1, and D2 come together to form a binding surface for A24nef, which is contacted by all three Ig-like domains. A central pocket binds arginine 83, the only Bw4 motif residue essential for KIR3DL1 interaction, similar to the binding of lysine 80 in HLA-C by KIR2DL1. Central to this interaction is a salt bridge between arginine 83 of Bw4 and glutamate 282 of 3DL1, which juxtaposes the functionally influential dimorphism at position 283. Further 3DL1 mutants were tested and shown to have A24nef-binding properties consistent with the models. A24nef was not bound by KIR3DS1, the activating counterpart of KIR3DL1. Moreover, introducing any one of three residues specific to KIR3DS1, serine 163, arginine 166, or leucine 199, into 3DL1*015, abrogated A24nef binding.
Analysis of data structures used for storing and processing 3D LADAR data

This paper compares the use of a point cloud data storage structure with a voxel based storage structure for 3D data collected with LADAR. The motivation for this work is to support the development of a classification system to model the environment of an autonomous vehicle operating in an unstructured natural setting. The classifier should be able to detect trees, bushes, and ground based on the data. Most LADAR sensors provide accurate 2-D range information in a plane, but we generate 3-D data from the sensor by articulating it using a pan-tilt mechanism. A 3-D grid of voxels is used with each voxel representing a cubic region in space with an associated value to indicate the region's occupancy. We discuss how this voxel representation compares with a point cloud representation in the process of data collection, data storage, and data processing and also look at the complexity of merging new data with old data in the same region. There are two main contributions. The first is comparing a possible voxel based data representation with one possible point cloud data representation. The second is determining reasonable parameters (voxel size, LADAR pitch angular velocity, and distance to the target) to facilitate classification of the voxel data. The scope of this paper is confined to analyzing data size, scanning time required for accurate classification, and processing efficiency. Experimental data size, density, and classification performance results are presented.
A DSGE Model-Based Analysis of the Indian Slowdown

In this paper we take a New Keynesian Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model to the Indian data using Kalman filter based maximum likelihood estimation. Our model based output gap tracks the statistical Hodrick-Prescott filter based output gap well. Comparison of estimated parameters, impulse responses and forecast error variance decomposition between India and United States points to differences in the structure of the two economies and of their inflationary process. Our estimates suggest higher value of habit persistence, more volatile markup and interest rate shocks in India. Markup shocks play a much larger role in determination of Indian inflation, pointing to the importance of supply side factors. Impulse responses show a higher impact of interest rate shocks on output and inflation, and lower impact of technology shocks on output in comparison to US. The latter again suggests the presence of supply side bottlenecks. We use smoothed states obtained from the Kalman filter to create counterfactual paths of output and Inflation (during 2009 Q4 to 2013 Q2) in presence of a given shock. In the post 2011 slowdown, monetary shock imposed significant output cost and for a brief period of time made the output gap negative.