Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inflation Targeting and Monetary Policy Activism

We estimate monetary policy activism, defined as responsiveness of the policy interest rate to inflation, among five inflation-targeting countries (the UK, Canada, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand) plus the G3 (the US, Japan and Germany) by applying a time- varying parameter with a stochastic-volatility model. We find that activism of inflation-targeting countries tends to have increased before (not after) the adoption of the inflation-targeting policy framework and that these countries have experienced a decline in activism in recent years, albeit to different degrees. We further explore this result in terms of the constraint of an inflation target range by developing a formal theoretical model in a New Keynesian framework.
How are coordinated market economies coordinated? evidence from Sweden

Central actors in coordinated economies have a dense network of associations for coordinating their actions. However, we lack knowledge of how such relationships are constituted and how the mechanisms of such coordination work. In the present article, we concentrate on the non-market mechanisms of power and trust. We want to know: Are all actors in the industrial relations system connected to each other or are they divided into contending but coherent groups? And in that case, do certain actors playing the role of ‘brokers’ connect these groups? A social network analysis on survey data from Sweden shows that the state and the peak-organisations still hold powerful positions. Simultaneously, when concentrating on reciprocal ties, the organisational borders are in particular bridged over by public sector organisations. However, actors with power are not highly trusted. Instead, other state actors – especially the Labour Court–play an important role as a broker that all parties trust.
Trust relationships within R&D networks: A case study from the biotechnological industry

Abstract Industrial globalization is spurring the development of linkages among manufacturers. Research and development cooperation becomes increasingly valuable as it allows manufacturers to share the costs and risks of pursuing innovation and developing new technologies. However, as R&D cooperation involves knowledge exchange and resource sharing, cooperative firms may face the risk of confi dential information leakage and of misappropriation hazards. Trust among partners, therefore, is critical to the performance of R&D cooperation and network. Th is paper aims to identify the relationship between trust and firm performance in R&D cooperation. Questionnaires and Structural Equation Modeling are used to untangle this relationship among biotechnology manufacturers in Taiwan. Our results show that specific assets, formal contracts and informal exchanges among R&D cooperative partners all aff ect inter-organizational trust. More precisely, R&D assets created from combining the above three factors also have a positive relationship with interorganizational trust, which could further promote firm performance.
Promoting sustainable tourism in an urban context: recent developments in Malaga City, Andalusia.

The term ‘sustainable tourism’ is rarely used within a specifically urban context yet the concept is as equally applicable to city‐based tourism as it is to rural areas. This paper explores recent attempts to promote sustainable tourism in the city of Malaga, southern Spain and examines the ways in which the activity of tourism is being more closely integrated with other facets of the city's economy and life. Rather than seeing tourism as a ‘separate’ and ‘exotic’ activity, the city authorities are attempting to use tourism in a creative way. It is argued that it is this very integration which constitutes one of the main features of ‘sustainability’ within an urban context. Specific examples of the kinds of strategies being pursued are examined and the paper concludes with a critique of these initiatives from the perspective of the debate on sustainability.
WHAT U.S. CONSUMERS KNOW ABOUT THE ECONOMY: THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC CRISIS ON KNOWLEDGE 1

The worldwide financial crisis has provoked an intense public interest in the performance of the economy. The announcements about the condition of the U.S. economy by the official statistical agencies have received widespread attention in the mass media. Given the intense public interest and the heightened media coverage, it would seem reasonable to conclude the public has become more knowledgeable about the main economic indicators. Who could not have heard news about changes in GDP, unemployment, or the inflation rate? Theories suggest that knowledge of economic statistics should increase when the economy undergoes large changes, especially large negative changes during periods of economic crisis. This paper compares people’s knowledge of official economic statistics in 2007, when the economy was still expanding, to their knowledge in 2009, when the economy was near the trough of the worst recession since the 1930’s. The data are in accord with these theories in the case of unemployment, but not for inflation and GDP statistics. This difference partly reflects the greater cognitive challenges faced by the general public in understanding annualized rates of change for the GDP and inflation statistics compared with simple percentages for the unemployment rate. The mass media also had a tendency to avoid reporting the official quantitative statistics for inflation and GDP, while media reports of the exact unemployment rate was much more commonplace. Finally, people accorded greater weight to private information rather than the official public information about economic growth, unemployment and inflation.
Acetylation of α‐tubilin in different bovine cell types: implications for microtubule dynamics in interphase and mitosis.

Previous work on five cell types isolated from the bovine corpus luteum showed that the mass of acetylated microtubules (acet‐MTs) in interphase differed. Endothelial cells, termed type 3, showed few acet‐MTs, whereas the interphase cytoskeleton of granulosal‐like cells, termed type 5, was rich in acet‐MTs. In the present study, these cultured cells were used to determine whether the degree of α‐tubulin acetylation in interphase had consequences on mitosis. To this end, the distribution of acet‐MTs was determined throughout the cell cycle using a monoclonal antibody, 6‐11B‐1, directed against acetylated α‐tubulin. For comparison, tyrosinated MTs were visualized with another monoclonal antibody, YL1/2, detecting tyrosinated α‐tubulin. Although the amount of acet‐MTs in interphase differed significantly between both cell types, major differences in the appearance of acet‐MTs during mitosis were only apparent in prophase and during transition from late telophase to interphase. Thus, irrespective of different α‐tubulin acetylation in interphase, spindle structure is uniform. Since acetylation of α‐tubulin is believed to indicate the presence of relatively stable MTs, we conclude that MT dynamics is differently controlled in interphase and mitosis. Thereby interphase cells are able to carry out functions which involve stable MTs and the cells progress through mitosis in the presence of more dynamic MTs.
Quadrotor quaternion control

This paper presents the design and practical implementation of a quaternion control scheme to globally stabilize a quadrotor aerial vehicle. First an attitude control law is proposed to stabilize the vehicle's heading, then a position control law is proposed to stabilize the vehicle in all its states. Using the position references, a smooth trajectory is calculated for the attitude controller to follow so that the position of the vehicle becomes stable. The proposed control law is such that the quadrotor system can be analyzed and controlled as a linear system. This model and control law are then numerically simulated to corroborate the closed-loop system's stability. At last, experimental flight tests were performed to validate practical results.
Bacterial superantigens induce down-modulation of CC chemokine responsiveness in human monocytes via an alternative chemokine ligand-independent mechanism.

Staphylococcal superantigens (SAgs) are very potent T cell mitogens, but they can also activate monocytes by binding directly to MHC class II molecules in a manner independent of TCR coengagement. Induction of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokine expression in monocytes by superantigens has recently been reported. Here we report that superantigen stimulation of human peripheral blood monocytes results in a rapid, dose-dependent, and specific down-regulation of chemokine (macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and MIP-1beta) binding sites (e.g., CCR1, CCR2, and CCR5), which correlates with a concomitant hyporesponsiveness of human monocytes to these CC chemokine ligands. This down-regulation occurs 15-30 min following superantigen stimulation and is specific to chemokine receptors, in that binding and responsiveness of monocytes to the chemoattractant formyl-tripeptide FMLP are not affected. We further demonstrate that SAg-induced down-modulation of chemokine binding and monocyte hyporesponsiveness to the chemokines MIP-1alpha, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and MIP-1beta is mediated through cellular protein tyrosine kinases, and the down-modulation can be mimicked by an MHC class II-specific mAb. Additionally, our observations indicate that SAg-induced loss of chemokine binding and monocyte responsiveness is probably mediated by secreted serine proteinases. Bacterial SAg-induced down-modulation of chemokine responsiveness represents a previously unrecognized strategy by some bacteria to subvert immune responses by affecting the intricate balance between chemokine and chemokine receptor expression and function.
The association of depression and mortality in elderly persons: a case for multiple, independent pathways.

BACKGROUND The evidence for an association between depression and mortality among community-dwelling elderly persons remains inconclusive, although it is well established for younger individuals. Extant studies suggest that this association weakens when adjusted for potential confounding factors, especially functional impairment. A cohort of elderly subjects followed for 3 years was analyzed to determine the association of depression and 3-year mortality, controlling for the major known risk factors for mortality in the elderly population. METHODS Information on depression (CES-D scores), mortality, demographics, body mass index, chronic disease, smoking history, cognitive impairment, functional impairment, self-rated health, and social support was obtained from a stratified probability-based sample of community-dwelling elderly persons, with equal distribution between African Americans and whites in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and logistic regression was used for a series of models with progressively more control variables. RESULTS The unadjusted relative odds of mortality among depressed subjects at baseline was 1.98 over 3 years of follow-up. Inclusion of age, gender, and race into the model did not reduce the relative odds. When chronic disease and health habits, cognitive impairment, functional impairment, and social support were added to the model, the odds ratios for mortality with depression were 1.74, 1.69, 1.29, and 1.21, respectively. This decrease in odds ratios was not observed for other variables in the model when additional variables were added. CONCLUSIONS The estimated odds of dying if depressed moved toward unity as other risk factors for mortality were controlled. Unlike other known risk factors for mortality in the elderly population, depression appears to be associated with mortality through a number of independent mechanisms, perhaps through complex feedback loops.
Psychiatric morbidity and predisposing factors in a primary care population in Madrid

Objectives: The aim of this article is to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders in patients in primary care centers in an urban area of Madrid and to study possible associated risk factors. Methods: Cross-sectional month prevalence was evaluated in two phases in an urban area of Madrid. The sample for the first phase included 635 individuals (aged 18–65 years), and the second phase included 320 individuals. Socio-demographic variables (age, sex, educational level, living conditions and country of origin) and clinical variables (psychiatric diagnosis and level of psychosocial stress) were studied. The instruments used for screening were the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-28 item questionnaire and the MULTICAGE-CAD 4test. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) was used in the second phase (in ‘possible cases’ and 20% of the ‘non-cases’). Prevalence was calculated using weighted logistic regression with the observed sampling fractions of the patients in study phase 2 as sample weights. Results and conclusions: The month prevalence of mental disorders was 31.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) = [27.6, 35.2]). Anxiety disorders were the most frequent diagnoses with a prevalence of 22.4% (95% CI = [17.8, 27.1]), followed by depressive disorders (16.6%; 95% CI = [12.9, 20.3]), substance abuse or dependence disorders (5.6%; 95% CI = [3.2, 6.9]) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 4.4%; 95% CI = [2.0, 2.8]). Factors associated with mental disorders were the presence of stressful life events in the previous 12 months, Latin American region of origin, being woman aged 25 and 34 years and having a low education level.
Application of an ordered subset analysis approach to the genetics of alcoholism

For complex diseases, underlying etiologic heterogeneity may reduce power to detect linkage. Thus, methods to identify more homogeneous subgroups within a given sample in a linkage study may improve detection of putative susceptibility loci. In this study we describe an ordered subsetting approach that utilizes disease‐related quantitative trait data to complement traditional linkage analysis. This approach uses family‐based lod scores derived from the initial genome screen and a family‐based descriptor of the trait of interest. The goal of the approach is to identify more homogeneous subgroups of the data by ranking families based on their quantitative trait data. Permutation testing is used to assess statistical significance. This approach can be adapted to a variety of linkage methods and may provide a means to dissect some of the underlying heterogeneity in complex disease genetics.
PET with the 89Zr-Labeled Transforming Growth Factor-β Antibody Fresolimumab in Tumor Models

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) promotes cancer invasion and metastasis and is therefore a potential drug target for cancer treatment. Fresolimumab, which neutralizes all mammalian active isoforms of TGF-β, was radiolabeled with 89Zr for PET to analyze TGF-β expression, antibody tumor uptake, and organ distribution. Methods: 89Zr was conjugated to fresolimumab using the chelator N-succinyldesferrioxamine-B-tetrafluorphenol. 89Zr-fresolimumab was analyzed for conjugation ratio, aggregation, radiochemical purity, stability, and immunoreactivity. 89Zr-fresolimumab tumor uptake and organ distribution were assessed using 3 protein doses (10, 50, and 100 μg) and compared with 111In-IgG in a human TGF-β–transfected Chinese hamster ovary xenograft model, human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 xenograft, and metastatic model. Latent and active TGF-β1 expression was analyzed in tissue homogenates with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: 89Zr was labeled to fresolimumab with high specific activity (>1 GBq/mg), high yield, and high purity. In vitro validation of 89Zr-fresolimumab showed a fully preserved immunoreactivity and long (>1 wk) stability in solution and in human serum. In vivo validation showed an 89Zr-fresolimumab distribution similar to IgG in most organs, except for a higher uptake in the liver in all mice and higher kidney uptake in the 10-μg group. 89Zr-fresolimumab induced no toxicity in mice; it accumulated in primary tumors and metastases in a manner similar to IgG. Both latent and active TGF-β was detected in tumor homogenates, whereas only latent TGF-β could be detected in liver homogenates. Remarkably high 89Zr-fresolimumab uptake was seen in sites of tumor ulceration and in scar tissue, processes in which TGF-β is known to be highly active. Conclusion: Fresolimumab tumor uptake and organ distribution can be visualized and quantified with 89Zr-fresolimumab PET. This technique will be used to guide further clinical development of fresolimumab and could possibly identify patients most likely to benefit.
Do Newspapers Matter? Evidence from the Closure of The Cincinnati Post

The Cincinnati Post published its last edition on New Year's Eve 2007, leaving the Cincinnati Enquirer as the only daily newspaper in the market. The next year, fewer candidates ran for municipal once in the suburbs most reliant on the Post, incumbents became more likely to win re-election, and voter turnout fell. We exploit a difference-in-diffrences strategy comparing changes in outcomes before and after the Post's closure in suburbs where the newspaper offered more or less intensive coverage and the fact that the Post's closing date was fixed 30 years in advance to rule out some non-causal explanations for these results. Although our findings are statistically imprecise, they demonstrate that newspapers even underdogs such as the Post, which had a circulation of just 27,000 when it closed can have a substantial and measurable impact on public life.
ANALYSIS OF INFLATION PERSISTENCE IN SERBIA

In this paper, we analyzed inflation persistence in Serbia, both at the aggregatelevel as well as for the different components of the consumer price index. Theanalysis was done for the series of prices given on the quarterly basis for the periodfrom 2002q1 to 2013q2. We applied univariate autoregression model (AR) of order p,whereby sum of autoregression coefficients was used as a measure of inflationpersistence. In addition, special attention was paid to the problem of structural breaksin the series of inflation as it may overestimate the level of inflation persistence andcould give misleading signals. The importance of appropriate assessment of theinflation persistence stems from the fact that the impossibility of faster return ofinflation to the long-run equilibrium level, after external or domestic shock, hasimplications on the conducting of monetary policy and represents a major challengefor its effectiveness, especially in emerging countries like Serbia. If the persistence ofinflation is higher, monetary policy reaction should be stronger and proactive. If theestimated level and persistence of inflation is lower in comparison with previousempirical analysis, this could suggest that inflation expectations are now betteranchored, which is particularly important for countries with inflation targetingregime. Results of the analysis indicate that the inflation persistence in the Serbia ismodest and that is higher at the aggregate level compared to the simple average of thecomponents of the consumer price index. This is probably consequence of so-calledaggregation effect, since the highest persistency have the prices of those products withthe largest share in the consumer basket. In the case of Serbia, food prices have thehighest degree of persistence and the largest share in the consumer basket.
The Trend in Between-Nation Income Inequality

About seventy percent of the world's total income inequality is between-nation inequality as opposed to within-nation inequality. Between-nation inequality is the bigger component because average incomes in the richest nations are roughly 30 times greater than average incomes in the poorest nations. This highly uneven distribution of income across nations likely reflects the long-run divergence of national incomes over the course of the Industrial Revolution. Empirical investigations suggest, however, that between-nation income inequality has stabilized in recent decades. Because between-nation inequality has stabilized, the direction of the current trend in total world income inequality depends on the direction of the change in income inequality in the average nation.
The Price of Wealth: Economies and Institutions in the Middle East

The emerging consensus that institutions shape political and economic outcomes has produced few theories of institutional change and no defensible theory of institutional origination. Kiren Aziz Chaudhry shows how state and market institutions are created and transformed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, two countries that typify labor and oil exporters in the developing worlds. In a world where the international economy dramatically affects domestic developments, the question of where institutions come from becomes at once more urgent and more complex. In both Saudi Arabia and Yemen, fundamental state and market institutions forged during a period of isolation at the end of World War I were destroyed and reshaped not once but three times in response to exogenous shocks. Comparing boom-bust cycles, Chaudhry exposes the alternating social and organizational origins of institutions, arguing that both broad changes in the international economy and specific forms of international integration shape institutional outcomes. Labor and oil exporters thus experience identical economic cycles but generate radically different state, market, and financial institutions in response to different resource flows. Chaudhry supplemented years of field work in Saudi Arabia and Yemen with extensive analysis of previously unavailable materials in the Saudi national archives.
First and second order instability of the Shanghai and Shenzhen share price indices

First and second order instability tests are applied to China's two major share market price indices (SPIs), Shanghai share market price index (SES) and Shenzhen share market price index (SZS) using daily data from 2 January 1992 to 16 July 2004. First order instability is synonymous with non stationarity and second order instability with structural breaks. Applying procedures developed by Perron (1997) and Zivot and Andrews (1992), it is found that both share price indices are unstable in the first and second order. The Shanghai series breaks in December 1999 and Shenzhen in May 1999. Existence of the share A (domestic listing) and share B (foreign listing) seem to buffer both markets against the worst effects of the Asian Crisis and September 11 attack. These shocks were apparently absorbed by the foreign listings of shares.
Rain attenuation over earth space path from radar and propagation measurements at tropical location

Rain attenuation is an important aspect of signal propagation mainly above 10 GHz frequency. It has also been found that the rain rate and attenuation profiles along the vertical and slant propagation path, especially at a higher rain rates and at tropical location. In this study, a simple approach is taken to study rain attenuation at various frequencies from propagation data and ground based radar measurements at Kolkata, INDIA. The ITU-R Model and the SAM Model has been utilized to provide an estimate of the slant rain rate and total attenuation from the vertical rain rate profiles.