Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Investigation of Exchange Rate Determination in Kenya: Does Current Account Imbalance Play a Role?

The paper investigates exchange rate determination in Kenya using vector error correction model approach to uncover the long run relationships. The empirical results show that current account balance has a role to play in the determination of the exchange rate. A rise, which denotes an improvement in the current account balance, is associated with an appreciation of the exchange rate. Additionally, higher domestic interest rates relative to foreign interest rates, as well as a rise in foreign price have an appreciating effect on the exchange rate while domestic price increase is associated with depreciation of the domestic currency. The results further show that although there are feedback effects between the exchange rate and the domestic price level, the feedback effect from exchange rate to the domestic price is not significant once the effect of current account balance is taken into consideration. In terms of policy, strategies aimed at addressing external imbalances as reflected in the current account balance are important in stabilizing the exchange rate in the long run. These should be complemented with pursuit of interest rate path that is consistent with the desired exchange rate outcomes.
Endogenous housing risk in an estimated DSGE model of the Euro Area

The paper provides an extension to first generation DSGE models with a financial sector – for which QUEST III would be a typical example – by explicitly modelling (mortgage) loan demand and supply decisions. We estimate a DSGE model with a housing sector where housing capital is used as collateral against which impatient consumers borrow from more patient lenders. While in existing estimated models with a construction sector the Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio is imposed exogenously and constant (e.g., Iacoviello and Neri, 2010, In’t Veld et al., 2011), we introduce an endogenous LTV ratio by explicitly modelling the riskiness of loans in order to capture changing credit conditions. Using data of the Euro Area, we show that, compared to similar models with an exogenous LTV ratio, the business cycle properties of our model improve. The endogenous default mechanism allows estimating an important amplification mechanism driven by the riskiness of collateral values and propagating, in turn, into the real economy. Housing market-related shocks appear to be the main driver of the pre-crisis growth of mortgage-backed loans and a subsequent reversal of the sentiment on the housing market may have been a trigger that led to a credit crunch, house price bubble burst and a collapse in the construction sector. Shocks on the housing market had also a substantial impact on several demand aggregates, in particular, consumption.
Exploring the relationship of reward and punishment in reinforcement learning

We present a reinforcement learning algorithm based on Dyna-Sarsa that utilizes separate representations of reward and punishment when guiding state-action value learning and action selection. The adoption of policy meta-learning optimized by a genetic algorithm is explored and results in the context of a two-armed bandit goal-navigation task in a simple grid world are presented. The findings argue for an important role for a genetic algorithm approach for constructing the foundations of autonomous reinforcement learning agents.
Prostatic stromal tumor of uncertain malignant potential : a clinicopathologic study of two cases and review of the literature

Prostatic stromal tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) is rare tumor of the specialized prostatic stroma origin that encompasses a broad spectrum of histologic patterns and clinical behavior. Herein, we aimed to retrospectively review 2 cases of STUMP at our institution with a comprehensive discussion of its distinctive clinicopathologic features as well as the board spectrums of differential diagnosis. The first patient was a 49-year-old man who presented with lower urinary tract symptoms and the sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder that had persisted for several months. The PSA value was 1.5 ng/ml. Transrectal ultrasound (TURS) of the prostate revealed an enlarged prostate with a mixed echogenic lesion in the peripheral zone. Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection was performed and pathologic examination showed a prostatic STUMP with moderate cellularity and marked pleomorphism, lack of mitotic figures, necrosis, and stromal overgrowth. The tumor involved the left lobe within the capsule, and the resection margin was clear. By immunohistochemistry, the atypical stromal cells displayed strong and diffuse immunoreactivity for CD34 and PR, focal immunoreactivity for SMA, and no significance all the other markers detected. At the 41-month postoperative follow-up, there was no evidence of tumor recurrence or metastasis. The second patient was a 60-year-old man who complained of dysuria and bladder outlet obstruction. PSA was 1.9 ng/ml. TURS revealed an increased prostate volume and cystoscopy demonstrated enlarged prostate adenoma which was subsequently resected. Histologic examination showed a prostatic stromal tumor with phyllodes tumor-like growth patterns. Immunostaining for PR and CD34 and negative for SMA, desmin, CD117, DOG-1 of the atypical stromal cells confirmed the diagnosis of phyllodes tumor of the prostate (STUMP). This patient denied radical surgery and he was in a good status without tumor recurrence after 39 months.
Isolation and identification of a morpholine-degrading bacterium

A gram-positive, slowly growing rod effectively utilizing morpholine as the sole source of organic carbon, nitrogen, and energy was isolated from a mixed culture in a laboratory reactor. The strain was tentatively identified as Mycobacterium aurum. Its growth characteristics at 20 degrees C and pH 6.5 were as follows: maximum specific growth rate, 0.052 h-1; half-velocity constant, 1.3 mg/liter; and yield, 0.37 g/g. The optimum temperature and pH were 31 degrees C and 6.0, respectively.
Glutathione S-transferases of female A/J mouse lung and their induction by anticarcinogenic organosulfides from garlic.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) of female A/J mouse lung have been purified and characterized for their (a) structural interrelationships, (b) substrate specificities toward the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of benzo(a)pyrene (BP), (+)-anti-7 beta, 8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha-oxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene [(+)-anti-BPDE], and (c) induction by three naturally occurring organosulfides (OSCs)-from garlic [diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS) and dipropyl sulfide (DPS)], which significantly differ in their efficacy against BP-induced lung cancer in mice. The GST activity in the lung was due to two alpha class (pI 9.4 and 6.0), two mu class (pI 8.7 and 8.6), and one pi class (pI 8.9) isoenzyme. The GST isoenzyme profile of the lung was different from that of the A/J mouse forestomach, which also is a target organ for BP-induced cancer in mice. Noticeably, an alpha class heterodimeric isoenzyme (pI 9.5) present in the forestomach of A/J mouse, which is exceptionally efficient in the glutathione (GSH) conjugation of (+)-anti-BPDE [X. Hu, S.K. Srivastava, H. Xia, Y. C. Awasthi, and S. V. Singh (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 32684-32688], could not be detected in the lung. The specific activities of the lung GSTs in the GSH conjugation of (+)-anti-BPDE were in the order of GST 8.9 > GST 8.7 > GST 9.4 > GST 6.0. While DPS treatment did not increase the levels of any pulmonary GST isoenzyme, the expression of pi class GST 8.9 was significantly increased in response to both DAS and DATS administrations. Interestingly, DATS, an OSC which lacks activity against BP-induced lung cancer in mice, was a relatively more potent inducer of pi class GST isoenzyme than DAS, which is a potent inhibitor of BP-induced lung tumorigenesis. The results of the present study suggest that a mechanism(s) other than GST induction is likely to be responsible for the differential effects of DAS and DATS on BP-induced lung cancer in mice. Our results also suggest that relatively lower efficacies of the OSCs against BP-induced lung cancer than against forestomach neoplasia may be attributed to (a) a lack of expression in the lung of an isoenzyme corresponding to forestomach GST 9.5 and (b) a comparatively lower level of induction of pi type GST in the lung than in the forestomach by these OSCs.
ASYMMETRY AND MORAL HAZARD IN FINANCIAL ECONOMICS

Prethodno priopćenje Sažetak: Jedna od najvažnijih neoklasičnih ekonomskih teoretskih pretpostavka je savršena informacija. Pretpostavlja potpuno vladanje potrebnim informacijama za sudjelovanje na tržištu, posebno o motivima drugih dionika. Ipak, kad god su dvoje pojedinaca u realnosti u kontaktu,nemoguće je u potpunosti znati motive i misli druge osobe. Asimetrija informacija veoma je važno pitanje na području ponašanja potrošača, osiguranja, teorije agenata i bankarskih kredita. Kako bi informacija imala pravu vrijednost, mora se smanjiti neizvjesnost dionika. Rizik pogrešnog izbora može nastati ukoliko agent zataška privatne informacije prije početka veze. Moralna opasnost nastaje u trenutku trajanja veze postoje asimetrične informacije zbog nepostojanja radnje od strane agenta koja se može potvrditi ili ako on dođe do novih informacija. Ovaj rad pokazuje modele rizika pogrešnog izbora i moralne opasnosti sa odgovarajućim područjima primjene. Jedna metoda koja bi mogla smanjiti asimetriju informacija i na taj način smanjiti trošak donošenja loših odluka, je signalizacija, koja je također prikazana u ovom radu.
Social anxiety predicts amygdala activation in adolescents viewing fearful faces

The amygdala is critically involved in the processing of anxiety in adults, but little is known about the neurogenesis of trait-anxiety during adolescence. We correlated amygdala activity during visual presentations of fearful and happy faces with scores on the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children in 16 adolescents undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. During fear perception, amygdala activity positively correlated with several social dimensions of anxiety, including peer rejection, humiliation, performing in public, and being separated from loved ones, but was not correlated with most measured nonsocial dimensions of anxiety. Amygdala responses during happy face presentations correlated positively only with tension/restlessness. During adolescence, amygdala activity appears to be more strongly related to social/interpersonal than nonsocial dimensions of anxiety.
The Bafilomycin/Concanamycin Binding Site in Subunit c of the V-ATPases from Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae*

The vacuolar H+-ATPase is inhibited with high specificity and potency by bafilomycin and concanamycin, macrolide antibiotics with similar structures. We previously reported that mutation at three residues in subunit c of the vacuolar ATPase from Neurospora crassa conferred strong resistance to bafilomycin but little or no resistance to concanamycin (Bowman, B. J., and Bowman, E. J. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 3965-3972). We have identified additional mutated sites in subunit c that confer resistance to bafilomycin. Furthermore, by subjecting a resistant mutant to a second round of mutation we isolated strains with increased resistance to both bafilomycin and concanamycin. In all of these strains the second mutation is also in subunit c, suggesting it forms at least part of the concanamycin binding site. Site-directed mutagenesis of the gene encoding subunit c in Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed that single mutations in each of the residues identified in one of the double mutants of N. crassa conferred resistance to both bafilomycin and concanamycin. Mutations at the corresponding sites in the VMA11 and VMA16 genes of S. cerevisiae, which encode the c′ and c″ subunits, did not confer resistance to the drugs. In all, nine residues of subunit c have been implicated in drug binding. The positions of these residues support a model in which the drug binding site is a pocket formed by helices 1, 2, and 4. We hypothesize that the drugs inhibit by preventing the rotation of the c subunits.
Utility of contrast enema for detecting anastomotic strictures after total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to determine the utility of contrast enemas for detecting clinically relevant anastomotic strictures after total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and to facilitate management by defining a critical anastomotic caliber at or below which obstruction is likely to develop after ileostomy closure. MATERIALS AND METHODS Our radiology database revealed 42 patients with contrast enemas after total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis who fulfilled our exclusion criteria. The initial postoperative contrast enemas were reviewed blindly to determine the diameter of the ileoanal anastomosis. The diagnosis of a stricture was made only if the patient had signs of intestinal obstruction after ileostomy closure with confirmation on follow-up contrast enema or sigmoidoscopy and clinical improvement after anastomotic dilatation. The data were then correlated to determine if there was a critical anastomotic caliber at or below which such strictures were likely to develop. Using this threshold value, the sensitivity and specificity of routine contrast enemas for detecting clinically relevant anastomotic strictures were then determined. RESULTS Six (14%) of the 42 patients who underwent total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis had strictures at the ileoanal anastomosis on contrast enemas. The mean diameter of the anastomosis was 5.8 mm in the six patients with anastomotic strictures versus 15 mm in the 36 patients without strictures (p = 0.0002). If an anastomotic diameter of 8 mm is defined as the critical caliber at or below which clinically relevant strictures are present, the sensitivity of contrast enemas for detecting strictures at the ileoanal anastomosis was 100% (six of six patients) and the specificity was 92% (33 of 36 patients). CONCLUSION Routine contrast enema after total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is a sensitive test for detecting clinically relevant strictures at the ileoanal anastomosis when an anastomotic diameter of 8 mm or less is used as the threshold value for diagnosing these strictures. Such patients may need dilatation procedures to decrease the risk of anastomotic obstruction after ileostomy closure.
HEMISPHERECTOMY FOR INTRACTABLE SEIZURES: PRESURGICAL CEREBRAL GLUCOSE METABOLISM AND POST‐ SURGICAL N0N‐VERBAL COMMUNICATION

This study examinec the presurgical 2‐deoxy‐2[18F]‐fluoro‐D‐glucose positron emission tomography (PET) patterns of regional cerebral glucose metabolism in the non‐resected hemisphere of 13 children who underwent hemispherectomy for early‐onset intractable seizures. These patterns were compared with the rate of change in the children's non‐verbal communication scores, measured before and after surgery. Irrespective of the side of surgery, the pre‐operative glucose metabolism in the non‐resected prefrontal cortex correlated significantly with the postoperative rate of change in the children's ability to focus the attention of an adult on an object or event (joint attention). These preliminary findings suggest that pre‐operative PET patterns might be associated with certain aspects of the developmental outcome of children undergoing hemispherectomy.
Not in their name: re-interpreting discourses of STEM learning through the subjective experiences of minoritized girls

ABSTRACT This paper problematizes the enduring conscription of STEM learning in discourses of U.S. global ascendancy, neoliberalism and militarism. Drawing on ethnographic data, we explore how girls of color make meaning of their everyday experiences in two settings: a racially tracked mathematics class in a suburban high school and a STEAM based after-school program in a working class urban community. The stories of these girls – separated by time, place, age, and social histories but bound by sensibilities grown in their Immigrant families and learning contexts – contest U.S. hegemony as the primary rationale for STEM learning; challenge individual gain at the expense of another; problematize what counts as science while insisting on its creative convergence with joy; and honor their ingenuity and humanity. Challenging representational and respectability politics, we consider how dignity may better account for the complexity of their experiences and serve as a resource for research, pedagogy and design.
T‐lymphocyte entry into the central nervous system

The entry of T‐lymphocytes into the parenchyma of the central nervous system is a critical early feature in the pathogenesis of many experimental and spontaneously occurring immune‐mediated illnesses. The physiological mechanisms controlling this entry have not been elucidated. This study reports that T‐cell entry into the rat CNS appears to be primarily dependent upon the activation state of the lymphocytes; T‐lymphoblasts enter the CNS (and all other tissues examined) in an apparently random manner while T cells not in blast phase are excluded. Antigen specificity, MHC compatibility, T‐cell phenotypce and T‐cell receptor gene usage do not appear related to the ability of cells to enter. This study demonstrates that when T‐lymphoblasts are introduced into the circulation they rapidly appear in the CNS tissue. Their concentration in the CNS reaches a peak between 9 and 12 hr, and lymphocytes which have entered, exit within 1 to 2 days. Cells capable of reacting with a CNS antigen remain in the tissue or cyclically reenter to initiate inflammation if they are able to recognize their antigen in the correct MHC context. This observation also appears to pertain to the entry of activated T cells into many other tissues, although their concentrations in these non‐CNS sites was not quantitatied.
Prognostic Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients with Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a prognostic predictor in a wide range of cardiovascular disease. Acute aortic dissection (AD) is an uncommon but fatal cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated both prognostic factors in patients with AD and whether NLR can be a predictor for mortality. Methods: We analyzed retrospectively the data of 57 patients with AD who had undergone emergent surgery in our hospital and included 128 consecutive patients with chest pain admitted to the emergency room as a control group. Also, patients who were operated on due to aortic dissection as another subgroup were compared to NLR values. Baseline clinical features, cardiovascular risk factors, and surgical and laboratory parameters were obtained from the hospital database. Results: Patients with AD had higher NLR than the control group (1.7 ± 0.5 versus 7.6 ± 3.3, P < .001). In the AD group, 15 deaths occurred and non-survivors had significantly higher NLR, compared to survivors (11.6 ± 2.4 versus 6.6 ± 2.3, P < .001). In multivariate analysis, high NLR (odds ratio [OR] 1.913, 95% CI 1.030-1.081, P = .04) and cross-clamp time (OR 1.265, 95% CI 1.003-1.596, P = .04) were determined as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. In receiver operating characteristics curve analyses, the NLR > 9.3 predicted the mortality in AD with a specificity of 91% and a sensitivity of 86% (P < .001). CONCLUSION This study shows that high NLR can be used as a marker for prognosis in short-term mortality of patient with AD. Additionally, increased lactate level in perioperative period, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time, and additional cardiac procedures are strong independent predictors of short-term mortality in patients with acute AD.
Modelling marketing professionals' information behaviour in the workplace: towards a holistic understanding

Introduction. The aim of this paper is to examine and model how marketing professionals seek, judge, use, and share information in the workplace. Method. The study consists of two stages: first, a questionnaire was conducted with eleven marketing professionals, and seven of them completed an intensive five-day diary study followed by semi-structured interviews at the second stage. Analysis. The open coding method was applied to the 1,198 diary entries, which encompassed 101 real work tasks demanding active information seeking, and to the interview transcripts. Results. Marketing professionals were found to spend approximately two to three hours a day seeking information. Most information was found from internal documents (47%) and external search engines and websites (21%). More attention was devoted to quality factors than to cost when they chose information sources, and reliability (20%) and accuracy (16%) were perceived important. The obtained information was used for information processing, knowledge construction, information production, and applying information. Five dimensions of information sharing occurrences were uncovered, including people, purpose, mode, content, and level of pro-activeness. Conclusions. A model of information behaviour incorporating information seeking, judgement, use and sharing was developed.
Two-Section Fiber Optic Raman Polarizer

We report on a theoretical study of polarization impairments in periodically spun fiber Raman amplifiers. Based on the Stochastic Generator approach we have derived averaged equations to calculate polarization dependent gain and mean-square gain fluctuations. We show that periodically spun fiber can work as a Raman polarizer but it suffers from increased polarization dependent gain and gain fluctuations. Unlike this, application of a depolarizer can result in suppression of polarization dependent gain and gain fluctuations. We demonstrate that it is possible to design a new fiber Raman polarizer by combining a short fiber without spin and properly chosen parameters and a long periodically spun fiber. This polarizer provides almost the same polarization pulling for all input signal states of polarization and so has very small polarization dependent gain.
Green Tea and Black Tea Consumption and Prostate Cancer Risk: An Exploratory Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Observational studies on tea consumption and prostate cancer (PCa) risk are still inconsistent. The authors conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the association between green tea and black tea consumption with PCa risk. Thirteen studies providing data on green tea or black tea consumption were identified by searching PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases and secondary referencing qualified for inclusion. A random-effects model was used to calculate the summary odds ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). For green tea, the summary OR of PCa indicated a borderline significant association in Asian populations for highest green tea consumption vs. non/lowest (OR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.38–1.01); and the pooled estimate reached statistically significant level for case-control studies (OR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.25–0.73), but not for prospective cohort studies (OR = 1.00; 95% CI: 0.66–1.53). For black tea, no statistically significant association was observed for the highest vs. non/lowest black tea consumption (OR = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.82–1.20). In conclusion, this meta-analysis supported that green tea but not black tea may have a protective effect on PCa, especially in Asian populations. Further research regarding green tea consumption across different regions apart from Asia is needed.