Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inspecting the Mechanism: Closed-Form Solutions for Asset Prices in Real Business Cycle Models

We derive closed-form solutions for asset prices in an RBC economy. The equations are based on a log-linear solution of the RBC model and allow a clearer understanding of the determination of risk premia in models with production. We demonstrate not only why the premium of equity over the risk-free rate is small but also why the premium of equity over a real long-term bond is small and often negative. In particular, risk premia for equity and long real bonds are negative when technology shocks are permanent. Recently, a growing literature has explored the asset pricing implications of real business cycle (RBC) models. Examples are Rouwenhorst (1995), Jermann (1998) and Boldrin et al. (1995). 1 From a methodological point of view, models with production allow a more realistic modelling of consumption and dividends than do the pure exchange economies of Lucas (1978). However, explaining the behaviour of asset prices in production economies is also more challenging. For example, in an exchange economy, an increase in risk premia can be obtained by increasing risk aversion. This is not necessarily true in production economies, since agents can choose a smoother consumption path by substituting between work and leisure in response to productivity shocks. The papers just cited find that RBC models tend to generate counterfactual asset pricing implications unless some extreme form of rigidities is introduced. This paper attempts to provide a clearer understanding of the challenges posed by asset pricing behaviour for RBC models. Instead of solving a standard model numerically and simulating it over a large number of parameter permutations, we argue here that this understanding can be better developed by analysing approximate closed-form solutions for prices of a variety of financial assets. Although there are now many accurate solution algorithms available for solving RBC models (e.g., see the overview in Taylor and Uhlig (1990)), the approximate closed-form expressions obtained here make the relationship between asset prices and exogenous technology shocks particularly transparent by providing simple analytical expressions that decompose the effect of technology shocks on asset prices into (i) a direct effect due to the shock itself and (ii) an indirect effect stemming from capital accumulation.
Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells c1 Mediates p21-activated Kinase 1 Activation in the Modulation of Chemokine-induced Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cell F-actin Stress Fiber Formation, Migration, and Proliferation and Injury-induced Vascular Wall Remodeling*

Background: We explore the mechanisms by which NFATc1 mediates vascular wall remodeling. Results: MCP1 activates Pak1 in a Rac1-NFATc1-cyclin D1-CDK6-CDK4-dependent manner in the mediation of HASMC migration and proliferation. Conclusion: Downstream of Rac1, NFATc1, via the cyclin D1-CDK6-CDK4 signaling axis, mediates Pak1 activation in the modulation of vascular wall remodeling. Significance: Interference with NFATc1 activation could represent a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of restenosis. Recent literature suggests that cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) mediate cell migration. However, the mechanisms were not known. Therefore, the objective of this study is to test whether cyclin/CDKs activate Pak1, an effector of Rac1, whose involvement in the modulation of cell migration and proliferation is well established. Monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP1) induced Pak1 phosphorylation/activation in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) in a delayed time-dependent manner. MCP1 also stimulated F-actin stress fiber formation in a delayed manner in HASMCs, as well as the migration and proliferation of these cells. Inhibition of Pak1 suppressed MCP1-induced HASMC F-actin stress fiber formation, migration, and proliferation. MCP1 induced cyclin D1 expression as well as CDK6 and CDK4 activities, and these effects were dependent on activation of NFATc1. Depletion of NFATc1, cyclin D1, CDK6, or CDK4 levels attenuated MCP1-induced Pak1 phosphorylation/activation and resulted in decreased HASMC F-actin stress fiber formation, migration, and proliferation. CDK4, which appeared to be activated downstream of CDK6, formed a complex with Pak1 in response to MCP1. MCP1 also activated Rac1 in a time-dependent manner, and depletion/inhibition of its levels/activation abrogated MCP1-induced NFATc1-cyclin D1-CDK6-CDK4-Pak1 signaling and, thereby, decreased HASMC F-actin stress fiber formation, migration, and proliferation. In addition, smooth muscle-specific deletion of NFATc1 led to decreased cyclin D1 expression and CDK6, CDK4, and Pak1 activities, resulting in reduced neointima formation in response to injury. Thus, these observations reveal that Pak1 is a downstream effector of CDK4 and Rac1-dependent, NFATc1-mediated cyclin D1 expression and CDK6 activity mediate this effect. In addition, smooth muscle-specific deletion of NFATc1 prevented the capacity of vascular smooth muscle cells for MCP-1-induced activation of the cyclin D1-CDK6-CDK4-Pak1 signaling axis, affecting their migration and proliferation in vitro and injury-induced neointima formation in vivo.
New criteria to differentiate between mucinous cystic neoplasm and serous cystic neoplasm in pancreas by endoscopic ultrasound: A preliminarily confirmed outcome of 41 patients

Background and Objectives: The ability to distinguish between mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) and serous cystic neoplasm (SCN) in the pancreas preoperatively by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) remains a clinical challenge. To address this problem, we have developed new criteria using EUS findings and cyst fluid carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the clinic. In this study, the validity and reliability of these criteria were assessed. Materials and Methods: Between April of 2015 and May of 2016, a total of 59 patients with pancreatic cystic neoplasms underwent EUS and ultimately received surgery in our hospital. Of the 59 patients, 21 were pathologically verified to have MCN while 20 were verified to have SCN in the pancreas. For these 41 patients with MCN or SCN, EUS findings and cyst fluid CEA were reviewed. Results: For the 41 patients reviewed, the new criteria were found to identify MCN with 85.71% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 64%–97%), 80.00% specificity (CI, 56%-94%), and 82.93% accuracy (CI, 68%–93%). Conclusion: These new criteria were preliminarily found to produce excellent results, with 82.93% accuracy determined for the differential diagnosis between MCN and SCN by EUS. However, a further prospective study with a larger population must be carried out to fully assess these new criteria.
A Re-configurable Memristor Array Structure for In-Memory Computing Applications

The memristor-based array architecture promises an efficient analog implementation of the multiply-add engine that can have significant impact in signal processing and neural network implementations. The ability to represent a negative conductance value to correspond to a negative matrix element is one of the main challenges associated with analog memristor array implementation. In this paper, a re-configurable general purpose single array architecture is proposed to realize a multiply-add operation that allows both positive and negative conductance values. The architecture utilizes memristor devices with two different characteristics, one for computation and one for storage. The proposed design has been verified using LTSpice circuit simulator. Several cases with different combinations of polarities for the input voltage and conductance values were demonstrated.
Sport and Development

“Development” has become both a watchword and a fascination in sporting circles worldwide. Yet sport officials, policy makers, and advocates often have relatively unsophisticated understandings of development and the role of sport therein. This can result in programs and initiatives that are unfocused, ineffective, or even counterproductive. Drawing on critical theory and informed by our own research on sport-based social programs, the authors attempt to impart clarity by distinguishing two different approaches to sport and development: a dominant vision, in which sport essentially reproduces established social relations, and an interventionist approach, in which sport is intended to contribute to more fundamental change and transformation. The authors develop a critique of the former and elaborate on the latter, focusing on normative visions of the social status quo and the role of sport as an educational tool for otherwise disempowered, marginalized young people. The overarching objective is to show that practitioners interested in using sport for development however defined must recognize these theoretical issues and create appropriate programming if their intended outcomes are to be achieved.
Cell Type Specific Alterations in Interchromosomal Networks across the Cell Cycle

The interchromosomal organization of a subset of human chromosomes (#1, 4, 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18) was examined in G1 and S phase of human WI38 lung fibroblast and MCF10A breast epithelial cells. Radial positioning of the chromosome territories (CTs) was independent of gene density, but size dependent. While no changes in radial positioning during the cell cycle were detected, there were stage-specific differences between cell types. Each CT was in close proximity (interaction) with a similar number of other CT except the gene rich CT17 which had significantly more interactions. Furthermore, CT17 was a member of the highest pairwise CT combinations with multiple interactions. Major differences were detected in the pairwise interaction profiles of MCF10A versus WI38 including cell cycle alterations from G1 to S. These alterations in interaction profiles were subdivided into five types: overall increase, overall decrease, switching from 1 to ≥2 interactions, vice versa, or no change. A global data mining program termed the chromatic median determined the most probable overall association network for the entire subset of CT. This probabilistic interchromosomal network was nearly completely different between the two cell lines. It was also strikingly altered across the cell cycle in MCF10A, but only slightly in WI38. We conclude that CT undergo multiple and preferred interactions with other CT in the nucleus and form preferred -albeit probabilistic- interchromosomal networks. This network of interactions is altered across the cell cycle and between cell types. It is intriguing to consider the relationship of these alterations to the corresponding changes in the gene expression program across the cell cycle and in different cell types.
Carotid Artery Intraplaque Hemorrhage and Stenotic Velocity

Background and Purpose One of the proposed mechanisms for sudden expansion of a carotid bifurcation plaque is hemorrhage within the lesion. It has been postulated that the sudden increase in plaque size will acutely reduce blood flow to the ipsilateral hemisphere and induce either a transient ischemic attack or a stroke. In this study, the relation between peak systolic velocity at the site of narrowing and its potential role in the development of intraplaque hemorrhage were investigated. Methods Ten patients who had carotid endarterectomy were examined by duplex Doppler sonography before surgery to determine the peak systolic velocity at the site of maximal narrowing. The excised carotid plaques were sectioned at 1-mm intervals and examined for histological evidence of intraplaque hemorrhage. The recorded peak systolic velocities in patients with intraplaque hemorrhage were compared with the velocities in cases in which no hemorrhage was identified. Results Five of the ten patients had intraplaque hemorrhage. Four of the five patients with intraplaque hemorrhage had a peak systolic velocity of >420 cm/sec and diastolic velocities of >16 0 cm/sec; none of the patients without intraplaque hemorrhage had such high values. Conclusions Peak systolic velocity is significantly higher in patients with intraplaque hemorrhage. The specificity and sensitivity of a peak systolic velocity of >420 cm/sec in predicting intraplaque hemorrhage remains to be determined.
Analysis of Postural Control During Quiet Standing in a Population with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Undergoing Moderate Intensity Aerobic Exercise Training: A Single Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 wks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on postural control during quiet standing in type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy. MethodsIndividuals were included in the study if they had type 2 diabetes with clinical neuropathy, defined by a minimum score of 7 on the Michigan Diabetic Neuropathy Score, following which the patients were randomly assigned to an 8-wk program by computer-generated random number tables to study or control group. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used for data analysis (P < 0.05 was considered significant). ResultsAfter final randomization, there were 36 patients in the study group and 45 in the control group. On comparison of results for control and study groups using repeated-measures analysis of variance only in the eyes closed on foam condition was there was a significant difference between the two groups for sway velocity along the x-axis (df1, df2 = 1, 18, F = 3.86, P = 0.04) and mediolateral displacement (df1, df2 = 1, 18, F = 4.04, P = 0.03). ConclusionAerobic exercise training could exert a therapeutic effect on center of pressure movement only along the x-axis in the eyes closed condition on foam surface during quiet standing.
Cognitive Arithmetic and Problem Solving

This study examined problem-solving and number-fact skills in two subgroups of third-grade children with mathematics difficulties (MD): MD-specific (n = 12) and MD-general (n = 12). The MD-specific group had difficulties in mathematics but not in reading, and the MD-general group had difficulties in reading as well as in mathematics. A comparison group of nonimpaired children (n = 24) also was included. The findings showed that on both story and number-fact problems, the MD-specific group performed worse than the nonimpaired group in timed conditions but not in untimed conditions. The MD-general group, on the other hand, performed worse than the nonimpaired group, regardless of whether tasks were timed or not. An analysis of children's strategies in untimed conditions showed that both the MD-specific and the MD-general groups relied more on backup strategies than the nonimpaired group. However, children in the MD-specific group executed backup strategies more skillfully than children in the MD-general group, allowing them to achieve parity with children in the nonimpaired group when tasks were not timed. The findings suggest that children with specific MD have circumscribed deficits associated with fact retrieval, whereas children with general MD have more basic delays associated with problem conceptualization and execution of calculation procedures.
A Systematic Approach to Software Quality Assurance: The Relationship of Project Activities within Project Life Cycle and System Development Life Cycle

The process of software changes is complex and constantly needed to be monitored, controlled and tracked by a systematic approach or mechanism. For the past decades, organizations invested great amount of effort, money and resources in quality management system (QMS) to ensure software change control management (SCCM) and business operations are consistent, reliable and meeting customers’ needs. As such, it is important for every project team member to comply and adhere to change control standards following best practices maximizing business advantages, enhancing product quality, improving process routines and increases performance earnings. A formalized SCCM without compliance from project team is equivalence to "procedure on paper". This paper discusses the need of joined effort from both project manager and technical team in view of organizational level achievement in software quality assurance. At the same time, this paper provides a general overview of how software change control is carried out in the context of IT Project Management. A step-by-step project activity within system development life cycle (SDLC) and project life cycle (PLC) is discussed in the paper.
A New Sports Manager Does Not Make a Better Team

This article surveys the literature on the impact of managerial successions on team performance in professional sports and assesses ten studies on the effect of managerial succession. They cover 80 years (1920–2000) with data from four different sports and two countries. From these studies, three lessons emerge when teams perform poorly: i) a change of coach or manager during the season is not helpful; ii) if succession is deemed necessary, change the manager between seasons; and iii) if the choice is between a manager from inside the organization and one from the outside, choose the former. What is critical is that whichever manager is replaced or for whatever reason, the performance of the team will most likely not improve for that reason alone. In short, a new manager does not make a better team.
Eye Movements in a Simple Spatial Reasoning Task

We report two experiments in which participants read a question about the spatial relationship between two letters, then viewed a visual display containing the letters and were required to respond to the question. The format of the question influenced the nature of the eye movements generated to the visual display. Participants also had a tendency to make additional eye movements in order to generate a fixation sequence that corresponded to the order of the letters in the question. This demonstrates an influence of stored information on eye movement generation, and suggests that the scanpath plays a role in structuring the visual information to facilitate reasoning.
RATES OF EVOLUTION OF HYBRID INVIABILITY IN BIRDS AND MAMMALS

Abstract Almost 30 years ago, A. C. Wilson and colleagues presented results indicating that hybrid inviability between species evolves 10 times faster in mammals than in birds and frogs. Here I revisit this question for birds and mammals using modern molecular data (mitochondrial cytochrome b DNA) and a more phylogenetically appropriate statistical approach. My analyses confirm that diverging mammals lose the ability to form viable hybrids faster than birds. To explain the difference in rates of evolutionary loss of hybridization potential, Wilson and coworkers proposed that mammals have higher rates of regulatory evolution, causing higher probabilities of developmental incompatibilities between mammal species. I briefly discuss this and other potential explanations.
Intermediate and Longer-Term Outcomes From a Prospective Active-Surveillance Program for Favorable-Risk Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE To assess long-term outcomes of men with favorable-risk prostate cancer in a prospective, active-surveillance program. METHODS Curative intervention was recommended for disease reclassification to higher cancer grade or volume on prostate biopsy. Primary outcomes were overall, cancer-specific, and metastasis-free survival. Secondary outcomes were the cumulative incidence of reclassification and curative intervention. Factors associated with grade reclassification and curative intervention were evaluated in a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS A total of 1,298 men (median age, 66 years) with a median follow-up of 5 years (range, 0.01 to 18.00 years) contributed 6,766 person-years of follow-up since 1995. Overall, cancer-specific, and metastasis-free survival rates were 93%, 99.9%, and 99.4%, respectively, at 10 years and 69%, 99.9%, and 99.4%, respectively, at 15 years. The cumulative incidence of grade reclassification was 26% at 10 years and was 31% at 15 years; cumulative incidence of curative intervention was 50% at 10 years and was 57% at 15 years. The median treatment-free survival was 8.5 years (range, 0.01 to 18 years). Factors associated with grade reclassification were older age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03 for each additional year; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.06), prostate-specific antigen density (HR, 1.21 per 0.1 unit increase; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.46), and greater number of positive biopsy cores (HR, 1.47 for each additional positive core; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.69). Factors associated with intervention were prostate-specific antigen density (HR, 1.38 per 0.1 unit increase; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.56) and a greater number of positive biopsy cores (HR, 1.35 for one additional positive core; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.53). CONCLUSION Men with favorable-risk prostate cancer should be informed of the low likelihood of harm from their diagnosis and should be encouraged to consider surveillance rather than curative intervention.
Varied Experience, Team Familiarity, and Learning: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety

Prior work examining the relationship of varied experience (i.e., the concurrent completion of multiple tasks) and learning by groups finds inconsistent results. We hypothesize that team familiarity, i.e, individuals’ prior shared work experience, may help explain this difference, as familiar teams may be more effective than unfamiliar teams at using the knowledge gained from the concurrent completion of multiple tasks. A sense of psychological safety may be one reason that team familiarity could aid in the process of team learning. In an experimental study, we find that familiar teams learn at a faster rate than unfamiliar teams. Additionally, we find that team familiarity leads to the development of psychological safety and that the relationship between team familiarity and team learning is mediated by psychological safety. By separately examining task variety, team familiarity, and psychological safety, our work offers new insights and direction for the study of learning in teams.
The Future of Public Service Broadcasting: A Case Study for a `New' Communications Policy

Confronted with the privatization of communications in particular and the deregulation of state-linked structures in general, many critical researchers have come to defend public service broadcasting (PSB), despite their previous criticism of both PSB and commercial broadcasting. This article examines the arguments in the debate over the future of PSB in Europe and argues that important developments in new media mean this debate is no longer simply two-sided. Taking account of these new media and drawing on the Belgian example, the author evaluates three possible scenarios for the future of PSB — immobility, free competition, or PSB organized as an audiovisual `holding' — and proposes an alternative Le Monde-like restructuring of PSB.