Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unconventional monetary policy in an open economy

The impact of unconventional monetary policies on exchange rates and its spillovers to other economies is not yet fully understood. In this paper I develop a two-country DSGE model with interbank markets and endogenous default probabilities to analyze the cross-border impacts of unconventional monetary policy. I examine the impact of two unconventional measures commonly used: central bank liquidity injections and asset swaps. I find that liquidity injections lead to a short run appreciation of domestic currency, but a mild long run depreciation. In contrast, asset swaps cause a short run depreciation of domestic currency, but a long run appreciation. Lastly, when both countries coordinate on the implementation of unconventional policies, the model yields the following results: Non-coordinated liquidity injections lead to higher increases with respect to output and inflation variation, but have negative spillovers on the other economy in terms of lower growth. By contrast, coordinating asset swaps leads to higher increases in output and lower fluctuation in inflation in both countries. The results of this paper suggest that coordination in unconventional monetary policy may not always yield an optimal outcome, and macroeconomic outcomes in both countries depend crucially on the choice of instrument.
Simultaneous Fault Models for the Generation of Efficient Error Detection Mechanisms

The application of machine learning to software fault injection data has been shown to be an effective approach for the generation of efficient error detection mechanisms (EDMs). However, such approaches to the design of EDMs have invariably adopted a fault model with a single-fault assumption, limiting the practical relevance of the detectors and their evaluation. Software containing more than a single fault is commonplace, with prominent safety standards recognising that critical failures are often the result of unlikely or unforeseen combinations of faults. This paper addresses this shortcoming, demonstrating that it is possible to generate similarly efficient EDMs under more realistic fault models. In particular, it is shown that (i) efficient EDMs can be designed using fault data collected under models accounting for the occurrence of simultaneous faults, (ii) exhaustive fault injection under a simultaneous bit flip model can yield improvements to EDM efficiency, and (iii) exhaustive fault injection under a simultaneous bit flip model can made non-exhaustive, reducing the resource costs of experimentation to practicable levels, without sacrificing resultant EDM efficiency.
Significance of the Grb2 and Son of Sevenless (Sos) Proteins in Human Bladder Cancer Cell Lines

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor has been suggested to have an important role in tumor initiation and progression of human bladder cancers. Grb2 protein, which is the downstream effector of the EGF receptor, acts as an adaptor protein between the EGF receptor and the Ras guanine‐nucleotide exchange factor, son of sevenless (Sos) protein. Sos protein regulates the action of Ras protein by promoting the exchange of GDP for GTP . However, the significance of Grb2 and Sos proteins, which is related to EGF‐triggered Ras activation, has not been elucidated in human bladder cancer. The aim of the present study is to clarify the significance of these proteins in human bladder cancer cell lines. In the present study, we used four human bladder cancer cell lines (T24, KU‐7, UMUC‐2, UMUC‐6) and two kinds of cultured normal urothelial cells (HMKU‐1, HMKU‐2) isolated from patients with no malignancy. We examined the expression of EGF receptor, Grb2, and Sos proteins in these cells by Western blot analysis. Furthermore, the bladder cancer cell lines were subjected to sequence analysis to identify a point mutation in the c‐H‐ras gene at codon 12. There was no marked difference in the expression of the EGF receptor between human bladder cancer cell lines and cultured normal urothelial cells. On the other hand, expression of Grb2 and Sos proteins was substantially increased in all human bladder cancer cell lines examined in comparison with cultured normal urothelial cells, whether codon 12 of H‐ras was mutated or not. These results suggest that the amplification of both Grb2 and SOS proteins plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of human bladder cancer.
Occupational therapy predischarge home visits for patients with a stroke (HOVIS): results of a feasibility randomized controlled trial

Objective: To assess the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial of occupational therapy predischarge home visits for people after stroke. Design: Randomized controlled trial and cohort study. We randomized eligible patients for whom there was clinical uncertainty about the need to conduct a home visit to a randomized controlled trial; patients for whom a visit was judged ‘essential’ were enrolled into a cohort study. Setting: Stroke rehabilitation unit of teaching hospital. Participants: One hundred and twenty-six participants hospitalized following recent stroke. Interventions: Predischarge home visit or structured, hospital-based interview. Main outcome measures: The primary objective was to collect information on the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial, including eligibility, control intervention and outcome assessments. The primary outcome measure was the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Scale at one month after discharge from hospital. Secondary outcomes included mood, quality of life and costs at one week and one month following discharge. Results: Ninety-three people were allocated to the randomized controlled trial; 47 were randomized to intervention and 46 to control. Thirty-three were enrolled into the cohort study. More people were allocated to the randomized controlled trial as the study progressed. One hundred and thirteen people (90%) received the proposed intervention, although there was a need for stricter protocol adherence. Follow-up was good: at one month 114 (90%) were assessed. There were no significant differences between the groups in the randomized controlled trial for the primary outcome measure at one month. The average cost of a home visit was £208. Conclusion: A trial is feasible and warranted given the resource implications of predischarge occupational therapy home visits.
Implanon®: user views in the first year across three family planning services in the Trent Region, UK

Objective: Implanon® (NV Organon, Oss, The Netherlands) was released in the United Kingdom towards the end of 1999. This survey elicited the experiences of women who had the new implant inserted in three family planning services in North Trent, UK during the first year after its introduction. Method: A previously piloted questionnaire was sent to all Implanon® users who had the devices fitted in the three services between December 1999 and December 2000. Returned questionnaires were analyzed. Results: Health-care providers and friends or family were the main sources of information about the single-rod contraceptive implant for the survey population. Women considered themselves informed about the method prior to insertion irrespective of whether they continued to use the method or requested early removal. Ease of use was the most common reason for choosing Implanon® and one of the best-liked features. Bleeding irregularities were the most commonly reported side-effect, followed by weight gain, moods and headaches. Bleeding problems led to the majority of removal requests; the wish for pregnancy was not stated at all. The single-rod implant compared favorably with most responders' experiences with other methods of contraception. Further research into motivation and perceptions regarding modern contraceptives may be required in different populations.
A scalable frequency-division multiplexing mimo radar utilizing single-sideband delta-sigma modulation

This paper describes a scalable MIMO radar system that features a novel frequency-division multiplexing technique. The architecture utilizes in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) modulators in combination with delta-sigma modulators to implement singlesideband (SSB) modulations on the transmit (TX) signals of which frequencies are shifted arbitrarily for frequency-division multiplexing purpose. The proposed technique allows two TX channels to use the same offset frequency so that the intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth can be employed more efficiently. The scalable radar system utilizes several 122-GHz radar transceivers (TRXs) with on-chip antennas implemented in a Silicon-Germanium BiCMOS technology. A single 30.5-GHz LO signal is required for the TRXs, which are equipped with a frequency multiplier and can be cascaded to build a flexible MIMO radar system. A 2-channel radar system was built and deployed in radar measurement using the digital-beamforming method with 10-GHz modulation bandwidth to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed architecture.
Effect of swim taper on whole muscle and single muscle fiber contractile properties.

PURPOSE To examine the changes in whole muscle function and single cell contractile properties of Type I and II muscle fibers from the deltoid muscle of highly trained swimmers before and after a 21-d reduction in training volume (taper). METHODS Six college male swimmers (age, 20+/-1 yr; height, 187+/-2 cm, weight, 79+/-3 kg, fat, 7+/-1%) who had been, on average, swimming 6200 m x d(-1) for 5 months before the taper participated in this investigation. RESULTS Whole muscle power increased (P < 0.05) 17% and 13% on the swim bench and swim power tests, respectively. Swim times improved by 4% (range: 3.0-4.7%; P < 0.05). There was no change in Type I fiber diameter, whereas Type IIa fibers were 11% larger (P < 0.05) after taper. Peak force (Po) of the Type I fibers was unaffected by the taper but increased (P < 0.05) from 0.63+/-0.02 to 0.82+/-0.05 mN in the IIa fibers. However, the specific force (Po/CSA) of the IIa fibers was unchanged. Shortening velocity (Vo) was 32% and 67% faster (P < 0.05) in the Type I and IIa fibers, respectively. Although Type I fiber power was unaltered, the IIa fibers increased 2.5-fold from 24.6+/-2.8 to 56.2+/-3.9 microN x FL x s(-1). When power was normalized for cell size, the power was still elevated twofold. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that tapering induces alterations in the contractile properties of single muscle fibers. Further, it appears that the Type IIa fibers are more affected than the Type I fibers by the taper. The increased size, strength, velocity, and power of the IIa fibers may be responsible for the improvements in whole muscle strength and power after the taper.
Notch Is Expressed in Adult Brain, Is Coexpressed with Presenilin-1, and Is Altered in Alzheimer Disease

In C. elegans, the Notch family member lin-12 has been shown to have a genetic interaction with sel-12, the homologue of the Alzheimer disease-associated presenilin (PS) genes in humans. Mutations in PS genes cause autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease, with age of onset frequently in the 40s. Notch is known as a developmental protein that plays an important role in lateral Inhibition and specifying cell fate decisions in proliferating immature cells, and is not known to be present in adult neurons. We reasoned that, if Notch 1/PS-1 interaction is relevant in Alzheimer disease, Notchl would also need to be expressed in neurons in adult brain and colocalized with PS-1. We found that Notchl, Notch2, and a Notch ligand. Jagged 1, are expressed in adult brain in mouse and in human, with strongest expression in the hippocampal formation and Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. Double immunofluorescent staining demonstrates neuronal colocalization of Notchl with PS-1. Moreover, Notchl expression in sporadic Alzheimer disease hippocampus is elevated more than 2-fold in comparison to that in control human hippocampus by both immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis (p<0.007). These results support the hypothesis that Notchl continues to play a role in terminally differentiated neurons, and that Notchl/PS-1 interactions may occur in adult mammalian brain. The alteration in Notchl expression in sporadic Alzheimer disease raises the possibility that disruption of Notch 1/PS-l functional interactions may occur in Alzheimer disease.
Heterogeneous Transfer Learning: An Unsupervised Approach

Transfer learning leverages the knowledge in one domain, the source domain, to improve learning efficiency in another domain, the target domain. Existing transfer learning research is relatively well-progressed, but only in situations where the feature spaces of the domains are homogeneous and the target domain contains at least a few labeled instances. However, transfer learning has not been well-studied in heterogeneous settings with an unlabeled target domain. To contribute to the research in this emerging field, this paper presents: (1) an unsupervised knowledge transfer theorem that prevents negative transfer; and (2) a principal angle-based metric to measure the distance between two pairs of domains. The metric shows the extent to which homogeneous representations have preserved the information in original source and target domains. The unsupervised knowledge transfer theorem sets out the transfer conditions necessary to prevent negative transfer. Linear monotonic maps meet the transfer conditions of the theorem and, hence, are used to construct homogeneous representations of the heterogeneous domains, which in principle prevents negative transfer. The metric and the theorem have been implemented in an innovative transfer model, called a Grassmann-LMM-geodesic flow kernel (GLG), that is specifically designed for knowledge transfer across heterogeneous domains. The GLG model learns homogeneous representations of heterogeneous domains by minimizing the proposed metric. Knowledge is transferred through these learned representations via a geodesic flow kernel. Notably, the theorem presented in this paper provides the sufficient transfer conditions needed to guarantee that knowledge is transferred from a source domain to an unlabeled target domain with correctness.
Clinical outcome following percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with chronic renal failure

The clinical outcome of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been systematically evaluated in a large cohort of patients. We retrospectively analyzed the in‐hospital and 1‐year clinical outcomes of 10,076 consecutive patients who underwent PCI between January 1994 and December 1997. A total of 95 patients (0.9%) had end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis, 786 patients (7.8%) had CRF, and 9,125 patients (90.6%) had normal renal function. Despite an angiographic success rate of 97% in all three groups, in‐hospital mortality was significantly higher among patients with renal disease, whether they were on dialysis or not, when compared to patients without renal dysfunction (6.8% vs. 4.2% vs. 0.9%; P < 0.0001). At 1‐year follow‐up, mortality rate was 48.8% for ESRD, 25.7% for patients with CRF, and 5.5%, for patients without renal dysfunction (P < 0.0001). By multivariate analysis, high left ventricular ejection fraction and creatinine clearance were associated with decreased late mortality (OR = 0.84 and 0.95; P < 0.0001), whereas ESRD (OR = 3.65; P = 0.0002), non–Q‐wave myocardial infarction (OR = 2.21; P < 0.0001), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.99; P < 0.0001), and CRF (OR = 1.74; P = 0.003) were independent correlates of increased late mortality. Therefore, PCI in patients with impaired renal function, whether on dialysis or not, is associated with poor in‐hospital and 1‐year survival. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2002;55:66–72. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Glycated Haemoglobin Centiles: A Basis for Audit in Children's Clinics?

Services for children with diabetes are a good model for audit because of relatively well‐defined and available measures of outcome. Estimation of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1) is accepted as one index of control, although the assay and normal ranges vary in different centres. Sheffield has a stable clinic population and we have taken blood for HbA1 on each patient two to four times per year since 1983. HbA1 values have been aligned in 3‐monthly increments from time of diagnosis to construct a graph showing the mean plus or minus two standard deviation values for the clinic population and also a rough ‘centile chart’ that describes the unfortunate but expected pattern of deteriorating control with duration of diabetes. There are undoubtedly methodological flaws in this novel approach; however, such charts constructed for each clinic may be a suitable basis for comparative assessment of the control of an individual and also for auditing the effects of changes in practice that strive for optimum glucose levels in the clinic population.
Somatic mutations of adenomatous polyposis coli gene and nuclear b‐catenin accumulation have prognostic significance in invasive urothelial carcinomas: Evidence for Wnt pathway implication

Wnt pathway signaling is crucial in many cancers and data indicate crosstalk with other key cancer pathways, however in urothelial carcinogenesis it has not been extensively studied. We searched for mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), a key regulator of the pathway, and studied b‐catenin expression and interactions with the expression of other markers of apoptosis, angiogenesis, and proliferation in patients with invasive urothelial cancer. The mutation cluster region of APC was directly sequenced in 70 patients with muscle invasive disease who were treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. COX‐2, p53, Ki67, and b‐catenin were studied immunohistochemically and micro vessel density was quantified by CD105 expression. Single somatic amino‐acid substitutions (missense) were found in 9 (13%) and frameshift deletions in 2 (3%) tumors, all located in regions adjacent to b‐catenin binding sites. Patients having either APC missense mutations or b‐catenin nuclear accumulation had less frequent COX‐2 overexpression (24% vs. 76%, p = 0.043) and more frequent lymph node involvement (75% vs. 38%, p = 0.023). Patients with either APC mutations or b‐catenin accumulation had shorter disease‐free interval (13.4 vs. 28 months, p = 0.07), whereas in multivariate analysis they had shorter disease‐specific survival (60.5 vs. 20.6 months, p = 0.048). Somatic APC missense mutations are not rare in advanced urothelial neoplasms. Either APC mutations and/or aberrant expression of b‐catenin are associated with worse outcome. Further study of the role of the Wnt pathway, potential crosstalk with other pathways and potential candidate therapeutic targets in urothelial cancer is needed. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Computer-based thermal imaging of human gingiva: preliminary investigation.

Computer-based thermal imaging techniques were used to compare the rewarming rates of normal and inflamed human gingiva following cooling. A Modified Gingival Index (MGI) score, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) measurement, and clinical photograph were obtained from a maxillary or mandibular anterior facial region in 20 subjects, aged 25 to 44. Baseline thermograms of the marginal/papillary (M/P) and adjacent attached gingiva (AG) were recorded following an acclimatization period with the patient seated and chin resting on a positioning apparatus. The tissue was then cooled with a gentle stream of air and thermograms were recorded at 10 second intervals for 3 minutes as the tissue rewarmed. Rewarming slopes were calculated based on these thermograms. Correlation coefficients were calculated for MGI with GCF, as well as for both MGI and GCF with AG and M/P rewarming slopes. Mean baseline (SE) temperatures (degrees F) for AG were 75.9 (0.9), 78.0 (0.6), and 80.3 (1.3) for normal, mildly inflamed, and moderately-severely inflamed gingivae, respectively; corresponding mean (SE) temperature differences (degrees F) between AG and M/P were 0.5 (0.2), 0.9 (0.2), and 1.4 (0.3). Intragroup mean M/P temperatures were less than mean AG temperatures, with the mean regional differences increasing with greater severity of inflammation. Rewarming rates also increased as inflammation became more severe, with the rewarming slopes of both the AG and M/P having statistically significant correlations with the MGI and the GCF. The correlation between MGI and GCF was also statistically significant. This study suggests that computer-based thermal imaging techniques can detect both static and dynamic temperature differences between normal gingiva and gingivae with increasing severities of inflammation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Design for a high-resolution small-animal SPECT system using pixelated Si(Li) detectors for in vivo /sup 125/I imaging

We propose a design for a high-resolution SPECT system for in vivo /sup 125/I imaging in small animal using pixelated lithium-drifted silicon (Si(Li)) detectors. The detectors have high detection efficiency (>90%), good energy resolution (<15% FWHM), and good intrinsic spatial resolution (/spl sim/1 mm FWHM). The SPECT system has a dual head detector geometry with the distance between the detectors ranging 30-50 mm to allow for the shortest imaging distance between the mouse and the detectors. The detectors, each with an active area of 64 mm/spl times/40 mm (64/spl times/40 array of 1 mm/sup 2/ pixels and a 6 mm thick Si(Li) detector), are mounted on a rotating gantry with an axial field-of-view of 64 mm. Using a high-resolution parallel-hole collimator, the expected spatial resolution is 1.6 mm FWHM at an imaging distance of 20 mm, and sensitivity is 6.7 cps//spl mu/Ci. /sup 125/I is a readily available radioisotope with a long half-life of 59.4 days and it is commonly used to label biological compounds in molecular biology. Conventional gamma cameras are not optimized to detect the low emission energies (27 to 35 keV) of /sup 125/I. However, Si(Li) detector provides an ideal solution for detecting the low-energy emissions of /sup 125/I. In addition, a SPECT system based on Si(Li) detector can potentially be less expensive than other detector technology because of its ease of operation and the availability of many resources for processing silicon. This will increase the availability of small-animal SPECT systems in biomedical research, thereby providing an important tool to facilitate the research in mouse biology.
Regulation of human histone gene expression: kinetics of accumulation and changes in the rate of synthesis and in the half-lives of individual histone mRNAs during the HeLa cell cycle

We have analyzed the kinetics of accumulation of each of the individual core histone mRNAs throughout the HeLa cell cycle in cells synchronized by sequential thymidine and aphidicolin treatments. These analyses showed that during the S phase there was a 15-fold increase in the levels of histone mRNAs and that this resulted from both an increased rate of synthesis and a lengthening of the half-life of histone mRNAs. A comparison of the kinetics of accumulation of histone mRNA in the total cellular and nuclear RNA populations suggested an increased transcription rate through the S phase. Within 30 min after the inhibition of DNA synthesis in mid-S phase, the steady-state concentration and the rate of synthesis of histone mRNA each declined to their non-S-phase levels. Reactivation of histone mRNA accumulation could occur even after an extended mid-S-phase block in DNA synthesis. These results suggest that the mechanisms responsible for histone mRNA synthesis are not restricted to the G1/S boundary of the HeLa cell cycle, but can operate whenever DNA synthesis is occurring.