Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Peopleâ€™s Republic of Chinaâ€™s Long-Run Growth through the Lens of the Export-Led Growth Model

The Peopleâ€™s Republic of Chinaâ€™s (PRC) remarkable growth performance over the last 3 decades has been associated to very robust export growth, so much so that many refer to it as a clear example of export-led growth (ELG). Using the concept of the balance-of-payments equilibrium (BOPE) growth rate, which provides a framework to test the ELG hypothesis, we show that the PRCâ€™s actual long-run growth is well approximated by its BOPE growth rate. This growth rate is given by the ratio of the growth rate of exports to the income elasticity of imports. It estimates the latter using the Kalman filter, which allows us to obtain a time-varying estimate of the PRCâ€™s BOPE growth rate. It also finds that the average value of the PRCâ€™s BOPE growth rate during 1981â€“2016 was 11%, but it varied significantly over time and declined notably after 2007. Today, it is estimated at a much lower 5.9%. Then it discusses the determinants of the PRCâ€™s BOPE growth rate and of the income elasticity of imports, with the help of the Bayesian model averaging technique. The analysis highlights the role of the composition of aggregate demand as the main driving force, both for its direct effects on the income elasticity of imports, and for the indirect effects on export growth via capital accumulation, in particular fixed asset investment. Our analysis has important implications to understand the PRCâ€™s transition to a â€œNew Normalâ€ of a lower growth rate.
Mechanism of cardiac Na(+)‐Ca2+ exchange current stimulation by MgATP: possible involvement of aminophospholipid translocase.

1. The sensitivity of outward Na(+)‐Ca2+ exchange current to charged amphiphiles and phospholipids was tested in giant excised inside‐out membrane patches from guinea‐pig and rabbit myocytes. 2. Screening of membrane surface potentials with dimethonium (10 mM), spermine (200 microM) and spermidine (100 microM) was without effect, while the positively charged ionic detergents hexadecyltrimethylammonium and dodecyltrimethylammonium strongly inhibited steady‐state outward exchange current (0.1‐10 microM). 3. Interventions expected to increase negative surface charge included treatment of the cytoplasmic surface with phospholipase D, application of dodecylsulphate (1‐10 microM), application of the short‐chain phosphatidylserine derivative, dicapryl phosphatidylserine (C10PS), and inclusion of 1‐3% phosphatidylserine in the hydrocarbon mixture used to coat electrodes. Each intervention strongly stimulated Na(+)‐Ca2+ exchange current in a similar way to MgATP, reducing the fractional decay of outward exchange current (inactivation) during application of high cytoplasmic sodium. 4. The MgATP‐stimulated exchange current was inhibited with a Ki of approximately 1 microM by pentalysine, which is known to associate with phosphatidylserine head groups. After ‘deregulation’ of the exchanger by chymotrypsin, pentalysine was without effect. 5. Inclusion in the pipette of 0.2 mM‐pyridyldithioethylamine (an oxidizing inhibitor of aminophospholipid translocase) abolished stimulation of outward exchange current by MgATP without inhibiting basal outward exchange current or sodium pump current. 6. Application to the cytoplasmic side of 1.5 mM‐diamide, which reportedly decreases membrane phospholipid asymmetry, apparently reversed the effect of MgATP. After treatment with diamide and subsequently with dithiothreitol, Na(+)‐Ca2+ exchange current was again stimulated by MgATP. Diamide was without effect when secondary exchange regulation had been previously removed by chymotrypsin. 7. Potassium current carried by the surface potential‐sensitive ionophore, nonactin, was stimulated by MgATP when extracellular surface charge had been neutralized. The effect was largest (40‐90%) when low ionic strength cytoplasmic solutions were employed, consistent with an increase of negative membrane charge on the cytoplasmic side during MgATP application. 8. Potassium current carried by nonactin was inhibited by MgATP when cytoplasmic surface charge had been neutralized and extracellular solutions of low ionic strength were employed, consistent with a decrease of negative membrane charge on the extracellular side. 9. These results indicate that the stimulatory effect of MgATP on Na(+)‐Ca2+ exchange current could involve changes of charged membrane lipids, that the effect probably involves a transmembrane, oxidation‐sensitive protein, that pentalysine‐sensitive sites are involved, that phosphatidylserine mimics the effect of MgATP, and that the effect extends to a simple surface potential‐sensitive ionophore. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Stress-Induced CXCR4 Promotes Migration and Invasion of Ewing Sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma is the second most common bone cancer in pediatric patients. Although the primary cause of death in Ewing sarcoma is metastasis, the mechanism underlying tumor spread needs to be elucidated. To this end, the role of the CXCR4/SDF-1a chemokine axis as a mediator of Ewing sarcoma metastasis was investigated. CXCR4 expression status was measured in primary tumor specimens by immunohistochemical staining and in multiple cell lines by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and flow cytometry. Migration and invasion of CXCR4-positive Ewing sarcoma cells toward CXCL12/SDF-1a were also determined. Interestingly, while CXCR4 status was disparate among Ewing sarcoma cells, ranging from absent to high-level expression, its expression was found to be highly dynamic and responsive to changes in the microenvironment. In particular, upregulation of CXCR4 occurred in cells that were subjected to growth factor deprivation, hypoxia, and space constraints. This upregulation of CXCR4 was rapidly reversed upon removal of the offending cellular stress conditions. Functionally, CXCR4-positive cells migrated and invaded toward an SDF-1a gradient and these aggressive properties were impeded by both the CXCR4 small-molecule inhibitor AMD3100, and by knockdown of CXCR4. In addition, CXCR4-dependent migration and invasion were inhibited by small-molecule inhibitors of Cdc42 and Rac1, mechanistically implicating these Rho-GTPases as downstream mediators of the CXCR4-dependent phenotype. Implications: This study reveals the highly plastic and dynamic nature of CXCR4 expression in Ewing sarcoma and supports a model in which stress-induced upregulation of CXCR4 contributes to tumor metastasis to lung and bone marrow, which express high levels of SDF-1a. Mol Cancer Res; 12(6); 953–64. ©2014 AACR.
Was it Different the Second Time? An Empirical Analysis of Contagion During the Crises in Greece 2009–15

Over the period between end-2009 and end-2015 Greece experienced two discernible financial crises. This article undertakes a correlation analysis of risk premia to investigate the nature and extent of contagion from these crises to other selected Euro-zone countries. A commonly expressed view is that the effects of the second crisis were more muted since the systemic risks were seen by markets as being lower. However, using a rolling correlation model, a DCC-GARCH model and a t-copula model we find that this is not the case. Broadly speaking, the contagion effects of the second crisis were at least as large as those associated with the first one.
The regulation of endogenous retinoic acid level through CYP26B1 is required for elevation of palatal shelves

Background: In previous studies, we investigated the effects of excess retinoic acid (RA) during palatogenesis by RA administration to pregnant mice. In the present study, we deleted Cyp26b1, one of the RA‐degrading enzymes, to further study the effects of excess RA in the normal developing palate and to understand how endogenous levels of RA are regulated. Results: Excess RA, due to the absence of Cyp26b1, targets cells in the bend region of the palatal shelves and inhibits their horizontal elevation, leading to cleft palate. An organ culture of Cyp26b1−/− palatal shelves after tongue removal did not rescue the impaired elevation of the palatal shelves. The expression of Fgf10, Bmp2, and Tbx1, important molecules in palatal development, was down‐regulated. Cell proliferation was decreased in the bend region of palatal shelves. Tongue muscles were hypoplastic and/or missing in Cyp26b1−/− mice. Conclusions: We demonstrated that CYP26B1 is essential during palatogenesis. Excess RA due to the lack of Cyp26b1 suppresses the expression of key regulators of palate development in the bend region, resulting in a failure in the horizontal elevation of the palatal shelves. The regulation of RA signaling through CYP26B1 is also necessary for the development of tongue musculature and for tongue depression. Developmental Dynamics 241:1744–1756, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Role of an Agrin–Growth Factor Interaction in ACh Receptor Clustering

The clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at the neuromuscular junction is mediated in part by the heparan-sulfate proteoglycan agrin. However, our previous studies have also suggested the role of heparin-binding growth-associated molecular (HB-GAM) in AChR clustering. Here the role of an agrin-HB-GAM interaction in this process was examined using cultured Xenopus muscle cells. Agrin-coated beads further treated with HB-GAM were highly effective in AChR cluster induction. Protein overlay assays showed specific binding of HB-GAM to agrin. In addition, agrin-enriched neuritic tracks bound HB-GAM in a manner that showed a high degree of colocalization between the neural agrin and the applied factor. Finally, the introduction of exogenous HB-GAM together with soluble agrin resulted in the appearance of AChR clusters on the dorsal surface of cells in an agrin isoform-dependent manner; a dramatic change from the characteristic ventral AChR clustering seen in response to agrin alone. These results suggest that agrin may mediate AChR clustering by interacting with muscle-bound heparin-binding growth factors such as HB-GAM.
Support for repetitive transactions and ad hoc queries in System R

System R supports a high-level relational user language called SQL which may be used by ad hoc users at terminals or as an embedded data sublanguage in PL/I or COBOL. Host-language programs with embedded SQL statements are processed by the System R precompiler which replaces the SQL statements by calls to a machine-language access module. The precompilation approach removes much of the work of parsing, name binding, and access path selection from the path of a running program, enabling highly efficient support for repetitive transactions. Ad hoc queries are processed by a similar approach of name binding and access path selection which takes place on-line when the query is specified. By providing a flexible spectrum of binding times, System R permits transaction-oriented programs and ad hoc query users to share a database without loss of efficiency. System R is an experimental database management system designed and built by members of the IBM San Jose Research Laboratory as part of a research program on the relational model of data. This paper describes the architecture of System R, and gives some preliminary measurements of system performance in both the ad hoc query and the “canned program” environments.
Determinants of preventive dental practice for children among final-year dental students in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND This study aims to identify the determinants of caries prevention-oriented practice for children among final-year dental students in Nigeria. METHOD A questionnaire was distributed to 179 final-year dental students in six dental schools in Nigeria. It requested information on age, gender, knowledge of caries prevention measures, self-perceived competency in providing caries-preventive care for children, and caries prevention-oriented practice for two hypothetical cases with high and low risk of caries. Chi-squares tests and logistic regression analysis were done. RESULTS Between 24% and 41% of the respondents indicated their inability to determine the appropriate treatment modality for children with high and low caries risk. Majority of the students failed to differentiate between the caries-preventive practice for children with high and low risk of caries: preventive strategies for children with high caries risk were also used for those with low caries risk. Age, gender, knowledge of caries prevention measures, and self-perceived competency in providing caries-preventive care were not associated with student's capacity to provide caries-preventive practice for children. CONCLUSION Caries-preventive practice among dental students in Nigeria could be improved. It may be important to explore the possible role of problem-based learning approach in addressing this challenge.
Switching to Raltegravir From a Virologically Effective Boosted Protease Inhibitor Regimen: A Comparative Effectiveness Analysis From the French Hospital Database on HIV (FHDH-ANRS CO4).

BACKGROUND In individuals with viral load (VL) suppression on a boosted protease inhibitor (PI) regimen, a switch to raltegravir (RAL) can be an option in case of comorbidities, but the SWITCHMRK trials challenged this strategy. Here, among individuals with VL suppression on a boosted PI, we compared outcomes between those who continued on the same regimen and those who switched to RAL. METHODS In this cohort study from the French Hospital Database on HIV, each individual who switched to RAL was matched with up to 3 individuals who continued PI, were being followed up during the calendar period of the switch, and had the same duration of VL suppression (both ±6 months). The primary endpoint was a composite endpoint of hospitalization, or AIDS event or death, and secondary endpoints the immunovirologic responses. To control for measured confounders, the inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) method was applied to estimate hazards ratios between the 2 groups. RESULTS We matched 282 RAL switchers with 838 nonswitchers. Although several variables differed significantly between the groups, including a higher prevalence of comorbidities in the RAL group, the IPTW method yielded standardized differences <10% for all variables. After IPTW, there was no difference in the risk of hospitalization or AIDS event or death between the 2 groups (13.6% and 10.5%, respectively; hazard ratio, 1.16 [95% confidence interval, .74-1.83]) and no difference in the likelihood of virologic failure or CD4 cell gain. CONCLUSIONS In individuals with controlled VL on a boosted PI regimen who switched to RAL, none of the endpoints differed with nonswitchers after IPTW.
Conditional Modeling of Skewness and Kurtosis on Colombian Financial Series

Las metodologías tradicionales utilizadas para calcular el valor en riesgo y el valor en riesgo condicional usualmente modelan el primer y segundo momento de las series, suponiendo que el tercer y cuarto momento son constantes. En este artículo se utiliza la metodología de Hansen (1994) para modelar los primeros cuatro momentos de la serie y, en particular, se usan varias formas paramétricas para modelar la asimetría y la curtosis. Las medidas tradicionales de VaR y CVaR y las propuestas se calculan para la tasa representativa del mercado, los TES y el IGBC para el periodo comprendido entre enero de 2008 y febrero de 2014. En general, se encontró que las medidas de riesgo de mercado presentan mejor desempeño cuando se modelan la asimetría y la curtosis condicionales de la serie.
Technical Challenges and Solution Space for Developing SaaS and Mash-Up Cloud Services

As an effective reuse paradigm, Cloud Computing (CC) provide many benefits. Among different types of cloud services, SaaS and Mash-up services are delivering the conventional software functionality as a service. Hence, both types of services become alternatives to acquisition of conventional software applications. However, there are some critical technical problems/risks in trying to reuse SaaS and Mash-up services, such as providing pre-specified scalability even at peak and engineering services with high commonality and applicability. In this paper, we first define meta-models of two types of cloud services; SaaS and Mash-up Service. For each type of cloud service, we raise two technical issues and provide their effective solution space. By applying the provided solutions, much of the technical problems and risks can be remedied in advance, making cloud services more reusable and reliable.
Modelling differential interferon resistance of HCV quasispecies

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. Current interferon and ribavirin (IFN/RBV) therapy is effective in 50%–60% of patients. HCV exists in infected patients as a large viral population of intra-host variants (quasispecies), which form a certain topological structure (sequence space) and may be differentially resistant to interferon treatment. We present a method for measuring differential interferon resistance of HCV quasispecies based on mathematical modeling and analysis of HCV population dynamics during the first hours of interferon therapy. The mathematical models showed that individual intra-host HCV variants have a wide range of resistance to IFN treatment in each patient. Analysis of differential IFN resistance among intra-host HCV variants allows to accurately predict outcome of IFN therapy. The models strongly suggest that resistance to interferon may vary broadly among closely related variants in infected hosts and therapy outcome may be defined by a single or a few variants irrespective of their frequency in the intra-host HCV population before treatment.
Voltage and temperature dependence of capacitance of high-k HfO/sub 2/ MIM capacitors: a unified understanding and prediction

High-k MIM capacitors like HfO/sub 2/ are of great interest for Si analog and RF applications recently. This work is intended to explain the dependences of VCC on dielectric thickness and frequency as well as the temperature dependence of capacitance of HfO/sub 2/ MIM capacitors. Based on a free carrier injection model, a unified understanding is achieved for the first time: (1) the thickness (t) dependence of VCC (/spl alpha/), which exhibits a relation of /spl alpha//spl prop/t/sup -n/, is an intrinsic property due to E-field polarization; (2) the frequency dependence of VCC, the stress induced VCC, and temperature dependences of capacitance are all due to change of relaxation time with different carrier mobility in the insulator. This model is also applied to predict the VCC for future applications.
Jati Inequality in Rural Bihar

Caste is a persistent driver of inequality in India, and it is generally analyzed with government-defined broad categories, such as Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. In everyday life, however, caste is lived and experienced as jati, which is a local system of stratification. Little is known about economic inequality at the jati level. This paper uses data from poor rural districts in Bihar to explore expenditure inequality at the jati level. Inequality decompositions show much more variation between jatis than between broad caste categories. The analysis finds that even within generally disadvantaged Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, some jatis are significantly worse off than others. Consistent with previous work, the paper also finds that inequality is largely driven by inequality within jatis. This finding has implications for the implementation of large-scale poverty alleviation programs: the benefits of programs intended for disadvantaged castes are concentrated among specific jatis.
Effectiveness and Safety of Preoperative Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiodrainage With Bile Re-infusion in Patients With Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: A Retrospective Controlled Study

Background:Extensive controversies exist over the use of preoperative biliary drainage preceding radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage (PTCD) with bile re-infusion in the preoperative optimization of hilar cholangiocarcinoma patients. Methods:Eligible hilar cholangiocarcinoma patients received preoperative PTCD with bile re-infusion (treatment group, n = 56) through a nasoduodenal tube for 2 weeks, and the control group (n = 60) received conservative treatment alone. Operable patients were assigned to undergo either a radical or palliative resection. The outcome measures included the overall resection rate, R0 resection rate, surgical morbidity rate and 1-year and 5-year overall survival rates. Results:The treatment group exhibited a significant decrease in serum bilirubin levels after PTCD with bile re-infusion. The overall resection rate was significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group (85.5% vs. 65.0%, P < 0.05), and the palliative resection rate was also significantly higher in the treatment group (53.5% vs. 35.0%, P < 0.05). However, the R0 resection rate was comparable between the 2 groups (32.1% vs. 30.0%, P > 0.05). The morbidity rate was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group (29.1% vs. 51.3%, P < 0.05). One-year and 5-year survival rates were similar between the 2 groups (69.6% vs. 66.7%, P > 0.05; 5.3% vs. 3.6%, P > 0.05). Conclusions:Preoperative PTCD with bile re-infusion improves the resection rate and shows a good safety profile in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.
Effects of storage and viral load on hepatitis C viral genotyping

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping is important for determining the treatment protocol for hepatitis C patients. Since amplified material from the Roche HCV Monitor kit is compatible with the Innogenetics INNO‐LiPA HCV II kit (line probe assay), amplicons from the Monitor assay can be used to identify the HCV genotype. The Monitor package insert recommends using amplicons within a 7‐day period (at 4°C) following amplification. It was hypothesized that storage of amplicons for 4 weeks and longer (at –20°C) would not affect the sensitivity of the genotyping assay. After denaturation, amplicons from two genotypes were stored for 7–386 days prior to performing the genotyping assay. Storage of amplicons did not hamper the ability to identify the genotype. Additionally, the sensitivity of the assay was evaluated by analyzing five genotypes with low viral loads. HCV genotypes were detected most consistently at viral levels of 10,000 copies/mL. In conclusion, the Innogenetics genotyping assay can use stored amplicons, thus reducing the cost of the assay by avoiding additional PCR reactions. Determining the sensitivity of this assay facilitates the efficient use of this test by incorporating a sensitivity cutoff of ≥10,000 copies/mL. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 15:331–333, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Haptic editor

In this project, we propose an interactive content creation and editing system for haptic-enabled 3D content by drawing shapes in the air and copying and pasting surface textures. To achieve realistic haptic interaction, we create a data structure for haptic content using three kinesthetic layers and a tactile layer. The user creates haptic 3D models by drawing geometries through aerial sketching; painting compliance and friction values on the layers; and copying and pasting the vibrotactile surface textures of real objects onto the virtual model. We present a user-friendly haptic interface to enable these functions.