Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
To Appear in Review of Economics and Statistics Inference on Predictability of Foreign Exchange Rates via Generalized Spectrum and Nonlinear Time Series Models

It is often documented, based on autocorrelation, variance ratio and power spectrum, that exchange rates approximately follow a martingale process. Because autocorrelation, variance ratio and spectrum check serial uncorrelatedness rather than martingale difference, they may deliver misleading conclusions in favor of the martingale hypothesis when the test statistics are insigniÞcant. In this paper, we explore whether there exists a gap between serial uncorrelatedness and martingale difference for exchange rate changes, and if so, whether nonlinear time series models admissible in the gap can outperform the martingale model in out-of-sample forecasts. Applying the generalized spectral tests of Hong (1999) to Þve major currencies, we Þnd that the changes of exchange rates are often serially uncorrelated, but there exists strong nonlinearity in conditional mean, in addition to the well-known volatility clustering. To forecast the conditional mean, we consider the linear autoregressive, autoregressive polynomial, artiÞcial neural network and functional-coefficient models, as well as their combination. The functional coefficient model allows the autoregressive coefficients to depend on investment positions via an moving average technical trading rule. We evaluate out-of-sample forecasts of these models relative to the martingale model, using four criteria the mean squared forecast error, the mean absolute forecast error, the mean forecast trading return, and the mean correct forecast direction. Whites (2000) reality check method is used to avoid data-snooping bias. It is found that suitable nonlinear models, particularly their combination, do have superior predictive ability over the martingale model for some currencies in terms of certain forecast evaluation criteria.
Competence indicators in academic education and early labour market success of graduates in health sciences

In this study, the effects of several educational and non‐educational indicators of competence on short‐term labour market outcomes for university graduates are estimated. The research question is: to what extent do indications of specific and generic competence during the educational program predict labour market outcomes? Labour market outcomes in this study pertain to employment chances and quality of the job. We use data on specific and generic aspects of competence, all of which were assessed during the university programme, i.e. test scores on the attainment of domain specific knowledge, scores on group functioning, and the Masters’ thesis result. In addition, some other indicators of human capital acquired outside education are used, i.e. relevant work experience and managerial experience. The results indicate a rather differentiated pattern for the value of specific and generic competence acquired during education for the labour market. Group functioning scores have large effects on attaining jobs on the academic level.
Friedman Okul Müdürleri Tükenmişlik Ölçeğinin Türkiye`ye Uyarlama Çalışması

Bu calismada, Friedman tarafindan gelistirilen "Okul Mudurleri Tukenmislik Olcegi"nin Turkce'ye cevirisi, guvenirlik ve gecerlik calismasi yapilmis ve olcegin ulkemizde de okul mudurlerinin tukenmislik duzeylerini belirlemeye yonelik arastirmalarda kullanilabilecegi sonucuna varilmistir.
Accuracy of stop-cursor method for determining systolic and pulse pressure variation.

BACKGROUND Functional hemodynamic indicators (systolic pressure variation [SPV and SPV%] and pulse pressure variation [PPV%]) are sensitive and specific indicators of fluid responsiveness. It was unknown if these indicators could be accurately measured directly from the bedside monitor. OBJECTIVE Determine the accuracy of SPV, SPV%, and PPV% measurements by using a stop-cursor method compared with a digitized analog strip (gold standard). METHODS A prospective observational study using a convenience sample of 30 adult patients in a medical-surgical intensive care unit who were receiving mechanical ventilation and had no spontaneous breaths during 3 sequential ventilator breaths and had an optimized arterial catheter. The peak and nadir arterial pressure values for a ventilator cycle were simultaneously obtained by using the stop-cursor method on the bedside monitor and a hardcopy strip. The indicators were averaged over 3 breaths, and the difference between methods was calculated. RESULTS Data were analyzed from 29 patients (1 patient excluded) on assist control ventilation (mean [SD] for tidal volume, 7.5 [2] mL/kg; positive end-expiratory pressure, 7 [4] cm H2O). For SPV, the mean bias was 0.4 (SD, 0.9) mm Hg (95% limits of agreement [LOA], -1.4 to 2.2 mm Hg); for SPV%, 0.3 (SD, 0.9; 95% LOA, -1.5% to 2.1%); for PPV%, 1.0 (SD, 3.3; 95% LOA, -5.5% to 7.5%). In only 1 case (PPV%) was there disagreement on fluid response characterization. CONCLUSIONS Statistically significant small differences in SPV and SPV% were detected. The differences in SPV, SPV%, and PPV% were not clinically significant, suggesting that functional hemodynamic indicators can be obtained accurately with the stop-cursor method.
Obtaining the specific contact resistance from transmission line model measurements

In characterizing ohmic contacts using the transmission line model, it is necessary to make a measurement referred to as the contact end resistance, as a result of modification to the sheet resistance under the contact. In this article we show that this contact end resistance and the consequent specific contact resistance can be deduced from simple resistance measurements carried out between contacts on a standard, transmission line model test pattern.
Vascular responses to acute vibration in the fingers of normal subjects.

The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the acute effects of unilateral vibration on the digital circulation of healthy men. In the fingers of both hands of eight male subjects (age 23-47 years) who had never worked with vibrating tools, finger blood flow (FBF) and finger skin temperature (FST) in thermoneutral conditions, and the percentage change of finger systolic pressure (FSP %) after local cooling from 30 to 10 degrees C were measured. The right hand was exposed for 30 min to sinusoidal vibration with a frequency of 125 Hz and an acceleration of 87.5 m.s.-2r.m.s. A control condition consisted of exposure to the same static load (10 N) but without vibration. The measures of digital circulation were taken before exposure to vibration and static load and at 0, 30, 60, and 90 min after the end of each exposure. Exposure to static load caused no significant changes in FBF, FST, or FSP % in either the test right or the control left finger. Immediately after vibration, there was a temporary increase in FBF in the vibrated right finger, while the non-vibrated left finger exhibited no vasodilation. In both the vibrated and non-vibrated fingers, FBF and FST significantly reduced during the recovery time. A large inter-subject variability was observed for FBF and, to a lesser extent, for FST. In the vibrated right finger the decrease in blood flow was significantly related to cold-induced vasoconstriction in the digital vessels. Such a relation was not observed in the non-vibrated left finger. The results of this investigation suggest that acute vibration can disturb the function of digital vessels through two different and opposite mechanisms. Vibration appears to produce local vasodilation and to trigger a central sympathetic reflex vasoconstriction which can be recorded in the ipsilateral and the contralateral finger to vibration. Both local and central vasoconstrictor mechanisms are likely to be involved in the response to cold observed in the digital vessels of a vibrated finger.
A mixed-integer linear model for optimal operation of hybrid AC-DC microgrid considering Renewable Energy Resources and PHEVs

The share of DC-based Renewable Energy Resources (RERs) and electricity storage systems are increasing due to developments of smart grid technologies. Moreover, the share of DC-based load has rapid growth due to significant developments of power electronic technologies. Therefore, a more flexible power system is required for efficient integration of emerging loads and generators. In this paper, hybrid AC-DC Microgrid (MG) is incorporated as an appropriate topology versus conventional AC MG to reinforce the integration of RERs and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). A mixed integer linear model is developed for operation of both hybrid AC-DC MG and conventional AC MG topologies considering high penetration of RERs and PHEVs. This operation model is solved by GAMS optimization software to minimize the operation cost and find the optimum inter-resource scheduling in the day-ahead market. Numerical study is conducted to evaluate the ability of both topologies for better utilizing the opportunities of integration.
A hand gesture interface device

This paper reports on the development of a hand to machine interface device that provides real-time gesture, position and orientation information. The key element is a glove and the device as a whole incorporates a collection of technologies. Analog flex sensors on the glove measure finger bending. Hand position and orientation are measured either by ultrasonics, providing five degrees of freedom, or magnetic flux sensors, which provide six degrees of freedom. Piezoceramic benders provide the wearer of the glove with tactile feedback. These sensors are mounted on the light-weight glove and connected to the driving hardware via a small cable. Applications of the glove and its component technologies include its use in conjunction with a host computer which drives a real-time 3-dimensional model of the hand allowing the glove wearer to manipulate computer-generated objects as if they were real, interpretation of finger-spelling, evaluation of hand impairment in addition to providing an interface to a visual programming language.
Fade margins for minimum duration outages in lognormal shadow fading and Rayleigh fading

Minimum duration outages have been used to characterize time-dependent performance in analysis of quantities such as average duration of an outage, the probability of outage, and the frequency of outage, in lognormal shadow fading (Mandayam et al., 1996) and Rayleigh fading (Lai and Mandayam, 1997), respectively. In this paper, we compare and contrast the effect of minimum duration outages on fade margin selection in channels subject to lognormal shadow fading and Rayleigh fading. A comparative analysis of relevant minimum durations for lognormal shadow fading and Rayleigh fading reveals the widely different time-scales active in outage considerations for each type of fading. Further, it is observed that lognormal shadow fading impacts outage on a time-scale that is much larger than that due to Rayleigh fading. The distinct time-scales revealed by the analysis show that the time-scales determined by the application govern the relative importance of the type of fading.
Synergy between μ Opioid Ligands: Evidence for Functional Interactions among μ Opioid Receptor Subtypes

Pharmacological differences among μ opioid drugs have been observed in in vitro and in vivo preclinical models, as well as clinically, implying that all μ opioids may not be working through the same mechanism of action. Here we demonstrate analgesic synergy betweenl-methadone and several μ opioid ligands. Of the compounds examined, l-methadone selectively synergizes with morphine, morphine-6β-glucuronide, codeine, and the active metabolite of heroin, 6-acetylmorphine. Morphine synergizes only withl-methadone. In analgesic assays, d-methadone was inactive alone and did not enhance morphine analgesia when the two were given together, confirming that l-methadone was not acting through N-methyl-d-aspartate mechanisms. Both l-methadone and morphine displayed only additive effects when paired with oxymorphone, oxycodone, fentanyl, alfentanyl, or meperidine. Although it displays synergy in analgesic assays, the l-methadone/morphine combination does not exhibit synergy in the gastrointestinal transit assay. This analgesic synergy of l-methadone with selective μ opioid drugs and the differences in opioid-mediated actions suggest that these drugs may be acting via different mechanisms. These findings provide further evidence for the complexity of the pharmacology of μ opioids.
Viewing experience of 3D movie with subtitles Where to put subtitles in a 3D movie?

Many people report visual fatigue and discomfort while watching 3D displays. This situation is aggravated when subtitles are involved. However, little concern has been given to the issue of how to properly place the subtitles in 3D movies. In our work, subjective assessment has been carried out for 3D movies, in order to find out how much in depth is the appropriate position for placing subtitles, and what the relationship between the appropriate position and the range of disparity in a 3D movie is. Experimental results show that when the disparity of subtitles is one or two pixels more than that of the scene objects which is put the closest to the viewers, the viewing experience is the best. On the other hand, the subjective score of a subtitled movie decreases with the increment of the range of disparity, given the same maximum disparity.
Effect of chloramphenicol and ethidium bromide on the level of ornithine carbamoyltransferase in Neurospora crassa

The specific activity of the nuclear-gene-encoded, mitochondrial arginine biosynthetic enzyme ornithine carbamoyltransferase (EC 2.1.3.3) in Neurospora crassa was elevated in mycelia treated with chloramphenicol or ethidium bromide. The increase in specific activity was caused by an increase in the number of mature enzyme molecules rather than by the activation of a preexisting enzyme. Chloramphenicol and ethidium bromide appeared to act indirectly via arginine-mediated derepression. However, derepression did not appear to result from a drug-mediated decrease in the arginine pool.
Deficiency of 60 to 70S RNA in Murine Leukemia Virus Particles Assembled in Cells Treated with Actinomycin D

Production of particles with the ultrastructural appearance of C-type virions persisted for at least 6 h in actinomycin D-treated cells infected with murine leukemia virus. This phenomenon occurred despite severe inhibition of viral RNA synthesis. Virus particles present in a 6-h harvest sedimented in sucrose gradients with the buoyant density characteristic of RNA tumor viruses (1.16 g/cm3) and exhibited high levels of reverse transcriptase activity in response to the exogenous template polyriboadenylic acid·oligo deoxythymidylic acid in the range of untreated controls. However, RNase-sensitive endogenous activity was only ⅕ the level found in controls. This observation correlated with a marked reduction in infectivity. Kinetic studies on the appearance of labeled RNA in banded virions revealed that within the first hour after addition of actinomycin D, particles contained 60 to 70S RNA and two low-molecular-weight RNA species corresponding to 8 and 4S RNA. After approximately 1 h of incubation with actinomycin D, 60 to 70S RNA could not be detected and 4S RNA was the predominant species. These findings suggest that murine leukemia virus particles assembled in the presence of actinomycin D are deficient in 60 to 70S viral RNA.
Long-term outcomes after upper limb arterial injuries.

OBJECTIVE To assess long-term outcomes in multisystem trauma victims who have arterial injuries to upper limbs. DESIGN A retrospective case series. SETTING Tertiary care regional trauma centre in a university hospital. PATIENTS All consecutive severely injured patients (Injury Severity Score greater than 15) with an upper limb arterial injury treated between January 1986 and January 1995. Demographic data and the nature and management of the arterial and associated injuries were determined from the trauma registry and the hospital records. OUTCOME MEASURES Death rate, discharge disposition, residual disabilities and functional outcomes as measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale. RESULTS Twenty-five (0.6%) of 4538 trauma patients assessed during the study period suffered upper extremity arterial injuries. Nineteen of them were victims of blunt trauma. The death rate was 24%. There were 10 primary and no secondary amputations. An autogenous vein interposition graft was placed in 10 patients. Concomitant fractures or nerve injuries in the upper limb were present in 80% and 86% of the patients, respectively. Long-term follow-up data (mean 2 years) were obtained in 16 of the 19 who survived to hospital discharge. The residual disability rate was high. It included upper limb joint contractures, pain and persistent neural deficits (69%). Associated injuries in other body areas also contributed to overall disability. Only 21% of the patients recovered completely or had only minor disabilities. CONCLUSIONS Associated injuries, rather than the vascular injury, cause long-term disability in the multisystem trauma victim who has upper extremity involvement. Persistent neural deficits, joint contractures and pain are the principal reasons for long-term impairment of function.
Novel IS6110 Insertion Sites in the Direct Repeat Locus of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Strains from the St. Petersburg Area of Russia and Evolutionary and Epidemiological Considerations

ABSTRACT A modification of spoligotyping with primers derived from the direct repeat (DR) and IS6110 sequences was used to identify IS6110 insertions in the DR locus of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical strains from the St. Petersburg area of Russia. Novel IS6110 insertions were identified: (i) in two epidemiologically unlinked Beijing family strains, an asymmetrical direct insertion in DR37; (ii) in a non-Beijing strain, an asymmetrical insertion in the opposite orientation in DR38; (iii) in another non-Beijing strain, a direct insertion in DR38 and one in the opposite orientation in DR14 (DR numbering is according to standard spoligotyping). Our results strengthen an observation that the DR locus structure is extremely conserved in the Beijing genotype. Asymmetrical insertions prevented detection of the adjacent spacer by standard spoligotyping. This, therefore, should be taken into consideration when similar spoligoprofiles that differ only in signals 37 and 38 are interpreted.
DAGL‐dependent endocannabinoid signalling: roles in axonal pathfinding, synaptic plasticity and adult neurogenesis

Until recently, endocannabinoid (eCB) signalling was largely studied in the context of synaptic plasticity in the postnatal brain in the absence of detailed knowledge of the nature of the enzyme(s) responsible for the synthesis of the eCBs. However, the identification of two diacylglycerol lipases (DAGLα and DAGLβ) responsible for the synthesis of 2‐arachidonoylglycerol (2‐AG) has increased the understanding of where this eCB is synthesised in relationship to the expression of cannabinoid receptor (CB)1 and CB2. Furthermore, the generation of knockout animals for each enzyme has allowed for the direct testing of their importance for established and emerging eCB functions. Based on this, we now know that DAGLα is enriched in dendritic spines that appose CB1‐positive synaptic terminals, and that 2‐AG functions as a retrograde signal controlling synaptic strength throughout the nervous system. Consequently, we have built on the principle that expression of eCB components dictates function to identify additional physiological functions of this signalling cassette. A number of studies have now provided support for DAGL‐dependent eCB signalling playing important roles in brain development and in cellular plasticity in the adult nervous system. In this article, we will review evidence based on the localisation of the enzymes, as well as from genetic and pharmacological studies, that show DAGL‐dependent eCB signalling to play an important role in axonal growth and guidance during development, in retrograde synaptic signalling at mature synapses, and in the control of adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus and subventricular zone.
Evaluation of maxillary incisive canal characteristics related to dental implant treatment with computerized tomography: a clinical multicenter study.

BACKGROUND A close anatomic relationship between the incisive canal and the roots of the central maxillary incisors should be kept in mind during dental-implant treatment in the anterior maxilla. The aim of the present study is to analyze incisive canal characteristics on computed tomography (CT) sections and to evaluate its relation to bone anterior to the canal with regard to dental implantation. METHODS A total of 933 partially edentulous and/or edentulous patients scheduled for implant insertion in four dental clinics enrolled in the present study. The following were measured and recorded from CT sections for analysis: 1) diameter and length of the incisive canal; 2) width and length of the bone anterior to the canal; 3) palatal bone width and length; and 4) root width and length of the central incisor. RESULTS Mean canal length was 10.86 ± 2.67 mm, and mean diameter was 2.59 ± 0.91 mm. Canal length was shortened in edentulous anterior maxilla compared to dentate maxilla. However, canal diameter did not show any difference between dentate and edentulous groups. Males had a longer and wider incisive canal than females. Canal shape was mostly cylindrical in 40.73% of images. No correlation was found with mean canal length and mean canal diameter according to age. CONCLUSIONS Although variations exist in every patient, the findings from this study suggest that sex and dental status are important factors that can affect incisive canal characteristics and amount of bone anterior to the canal. Clinicians should perform careful planning using CT scans before performing dental implant surgeries in premaxillary region.
Man on his past : the study of the history of historical scholarship

Preface 1. The history of historiography: 2. The rise of the German historical school 3. Lord Acton and the nineteenth-century historical movement 4. Ranke and the conception of 'general history' 5. The reconstruction of an historical episode: the history of the enquiry into the origins of the Seven Years War 6. Lord Acton and the Massacre of St. Bartholomew Appendices.
Regional Anesthesia for the Trauma Patient

Trauma is the sixth most common cause of death globally [WHO, 2011]. In the United States, almost 30 million patients receive medical care for trauma every year [CDC, 2011], and trauma results in 30% of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in the United States [Mackenzie et al., 2007]. In the Emergency Department, 91% of trauma patients are in pain [Berben et al., 2008], and two-thirds of those patients are discharged from the Emergency Department with moderate to severe pain [Berben et al., 2008]. Regional anesthesia (RA) can reduce pain in many of these patients. In this chapter, common problems with managing trauma patients that can be addressed with RA, and data suggesting that regional anesthesia can improve outcomes will be presented, as well as the different challenges to using RA in this patient population. We will also look into new and controversial areas of inquiry in this field.