Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Foreign Treasury Purchases and the Yield Curve: Evidence from a Sign-Identified Vector Autoregression

I employ a sign-identified vector autoregression (VAR) in foreign Treasury purchases and factors of the yield curve to estimate the dynamic impacts of foreign Treasury purchases on Treasury yields. Although a growing literature studies this question, it does not adequately address the endogeneity of foreign Treasury purchases to yields; not only can purchases affect yields, but yields can affect purchases. I achieve identification using sign identification and estimate effects which are larger than in most of the existing literature, but which roughly match results from event studies. This fact suggests that I successfully overcome endogeneity. Additionally, I decompose the behavior of long rates into the responses of term premia and expected future short rates. Following foreign Treasury purchases, term premia persistently and substantially decline while short rates rise with a substantial lag. This suggests that the Federal Reserve tightens policy in response to foreign purchases, but still allows a loosening of credit conditions.
Monoclonal antibodies to surface antigens of a pathogenic Mycoplasma hominis strain

Three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were prepared against an arthritogenic strain of Mycoplasma hominis isolated from the joint aspirates of a patient with chronic septic arthritis. Immunoblots of polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresed proteins before and after surface proteolysis showed that the predominant antigenic determinants were on surface-exposed polypeptides. These polypeptides have extensive hydrophobic characteristics, as demonstrated by Triton X-114 phase partitioning. The electrophoresed proteins from cells grown in medium containing [14C]palmitate were blotted onto nitrocellulose which was both reacted with the MAbs and exposed to X-ray film. Superimposable bands on both the immunoblots and the exposed film suggested that the proteins might be acylated. The MAbs were further tested for reactivity with 16 other strains of M. hominis isolated from patients with septic arthritis (1 strain), septicemia (10 strains), or nongonococcal urethritis (1 strain); from the cervix (1 strain), rectum (1 strain), or surgical wound (1 strain) of patients; and from a contaminated cell culture. No single protein was consistently recognized from strain to strain, although a 94-kDa protein from 16 of the 17 strains tested was bound by at least one of the MAbs. The apparent antigenic heterogeneity among strains of M. hominis, including those isolated from the same tissue source and/or from patients with the same type of clinical disease, might be misleading in that all strains express epitopes associated with a discrete number of proteins to which one, two, or all three MAbs bind. The expression of the epitopes on multiple proteins from the same or different strains may reflect a mechanism for generating antigenic diversity.
Dally regulates Dpp morphogen gradient formation in the Drosophila wing

Decapentaplegic (Dpp), a Drosophila TGFβ/bone morphogenetic protein homolog, functions as a morphogen to specify cell fate along the anteroposterior axis of the wing. Dpp is a heparin-binding protein and Dpp signal transduction is potentiated by Dally, a cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan, during assembly of several adult tissues. However, the molecular mechanism by which the Dpp morphogen gradient is established and maintained is poorly understood. We show evidence that Dally regulates both cellular responses to Dpp and the distribution of Dpp morphogen in tissues. In the developing wing, dally expression in the wing disc is controlled by the same molecular pathways that regulate expression of thickveins, which encodes a Dpp type I receptor. Elevated levels of Dally increase the sensitivity of cells to Dpp in a cell autonomous fashion. In addition, dally affects the shape of the Dpp ligand gradient as well as its activity gradient. We propose that Dally serves as a co-receptor for Dpp and contributes to shaping the Dpp morphogen gradient.
The microbe–mineral environment and gypsum neogenesis in a weathered polar evaporite

Evaporitic deposits are a globally widespread habitat for micro‐organisms. The microbe–mineral environment in weathered and remobilized gypsum from exposed mid‐Ordovician marine evaporite beds in the polar desert of Devon Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic was examined. The gypsum is characterized by internal green zones of cyanobacterial colonization (dominated by Gloeocapsa/Aphanothece and Chroococcidiopsis spp. morphotypes) and abundant black zones, visible from the surface, that contain pigmented cyanobacteria and fungi. Bioessential elements in the gypsum are primarily provided by allochthonous material from the present‐day polar desert. The disruption, uplift and rotation of the evaporite beds by the Haughton meteorite impact 39 Ma have facilitated gypsum weathering and its accessibility as a habitat. No cultured cyanobacteria, bacteria and fungi were halophilic consistent with the expectation that halophily is not required to persist in gypsum habitats. Heterotrophic bacteria from the evaporite were slightly or moderately halotolerant, as were heterotrophs isolated from soil near the gypsum outcrop showing that halotolerance is common in arctic bacteria in this location. Psychrotolerant Arthrobacter species were isolated. No psychrophilic organisms were isolated. Two Arthrobacter isolates from the evaporite were used to mediate gypsum neogenesis in the laboratory, demonstrating a potential role for microbial biomineralization processes in polar environments.
Evaluation of Vascular Injury in Penetrating Extremity Trauma: Angiographers Stay Home

The debate over the use of diagnostic angiography (DA) to exclude arterial injury in penetrating extremity trauma (PET) continues. This review evaluates our current protocol for PET and identifies indications for DA. Patients presenting to our urban Level I trauma center between January 1997 and September 2000 with PET were included. Demographic data, emergency department (ED) course, and patient follow-up were reviewed. ED evaluation directed by physical examination (PE) included Doppler pressure indices (DPI) and DA if indicated. A total of 538 patients had PET injuries. Twenty (4%) patients with hard signs of vascular injury were taken to the operating room. Ninety-one (17%) patients without vascular compromise underwent operative procedures or were admitted for other injuries. One hundred twenty-three (23%) patients with nonproximity wounds were discharged. Four DAs were performed for abnormal DPI with no change in management. Three hundred patients with a negative PE and normal DPI were discharged from the ED. Follow-up was available on 51 per cent of these patients (range 1–49 months) with no missed injuries identified. We conclude that PE with DPI is an appropriate way to identify significant vascular injuries from PET. Patients with normal PE and DPI can be safely discharged. DA is only indicated for asymptomatic patients with abnormal DPI.
The Economic Impact of Digital Structural Reforms

This work aims to contribute to the policy debate on how to spur "digital growth" in Europe in the context of the crisis, by assessing the potential economic impact of structural reforms efforts either already undertaken or imminently foreseen in the field of European digital markets. Namely, this is done by analysing the growth effect of European reforms in the areas of radio spectrum, professional e-skills, eCommerce, and fixed broadband take-up. Each policy area is analysed separately, in the first place by hypothesizing and econometrically testing specific “transmission channels”, i.e. the direct impact of selected reform variables on intermediate economic outcomes, such as prices and productivity. In the second place, the price and productivity shocks estimated on the basis of the actually observed change in the reform variable (as a proxy for the countries’ reform effort) are fed into QUEST III to simulate macroeconomic impacts on GDP. Despite their heterogeneity, the importance of analysing these reforms together lies in the possibility of shedding light on the overall economic impact of fostering specific aspects of the Digital Single Market in the EU. Indeed, summing up the simulated macroeconomic impacts for different policy areas shows that the long-run growth impact of the already observed digital reform effort is above 1%, and that further efforts in line with the Digital Agenda for Europe targets would entail additional 2.1% of GDP growth over the baseline. From a methodological point of view, the findings highlight the importance to test the adequate functioning of the microeconomic transmission channels through which digital structural reforms could exert their overall macroeconomic impact.
Comorbidity of depression and anxiety disorders in later life

Since psychiatric disorders differ throughout the lifespan in phenomenology, course, and treatment, there is need for study of comorbidity of such disorders in geriatric populations. Prior findings of low prevalence of comorbid late‐life anxiety disorders in depressed elderly are now disputed by recent studies. Risk factors for comorbid late‐life depression and anxiety may be different from those for depression without anxiety. Similar to adults, elderly depressives with comorbid anxiety symptoms present with more severe pathology and have a more difficult course of illness, including decreased or delayed treatment response. In this paper, we review the literature on anxiety and depression comorbidity in late life, and we make recommendations for the assessment and treatment of comorbid late‐life anxiety and depression. We also recommend directions for future research in the area of psychiatric comorbidity in late life. Depression and Anxiety 14:86–93, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Application of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in Intensive Care Curriculum

To explore the application effect of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in intensive care course. Methods Two parallel (3+2) classes of nursing in a higher vocational college were selected as the research subjects. The experimental group and control group were randomly determined. The simplified OSCE mode was used for teaching and assessing the experimental group, the conventional teaching method was used for the control group, and used single or group assessment to analyze the experimental and theoretical scores of each group. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the student operational test score and the theoretical test score.Using the self-made questionnaire to investigate the evaluation of the OSCE model by the experimental group students. Results The total experimental score and theoretical result of the experimental group were better than the control group. (P<0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between the theoretical scores of the students and the experimental results (P<0.01). Students have a positive attitude towards OSCE . Conclusion The OSCE model can stimulate learning motivation and improve learning outcomes of students. It is recommended topromote the application of OSCE in the further. ,and
Integração e Contágio no Mercado de Capitais Português

Over the last decades, the world has witnessed the spread of many financial crises that, although started in a national or regional context, quickly became an international reality. The volatility of several equity markets and it’s behavior in a financial global market, it’s extremely important both to investors and managers. Analyzing the link between the Portuguese stock market and the nearest ones, in an international context, through linear correlations coefficient, cointegration (long term) and causality (short term) tests, allows us to understand and prove the strength of theirs growing integration. In fact, contrary to the assumptions of weak world market efficiency hypotheses, the indices analyzed here seem to come as “close substitutes”, following a line of joint behavior, as evidenced by co-movement and long term equilibrium, in addition to strong correlations in the returns and strong suspicion of contagion. It was also analyzed the transmission of volatility between six European countries (Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and United Kingdom), the USA and the Portuguese index, through testing the significance of the increase in correlation, from the previous period to the “critical” one, specifying the AR(1)-TARCH(1,1) model for the volatility of the Portuguese index and through variance ratios. The conclusions indicate that the mean returns for the Psi20 index are influenced by contagion effects from their own returns in the previous period, as well as by the lagged returns for the Spanish, North-American and English indices. There are also spillovers effects on the volatility of the Psi20’s daily returns from the Dutch, German, Spanish, Italian and English returns volatility. The Spanish index is the most powerful foreign index in explaining changes in the Portuguese index, accounting for 7,86% of the changes occurred in the Psi20’s daily returns volatility during the eighteen period considered. Thus, the Ibex index has the greater explanatory power, with special emphasis on “critical” period where its explanatory power reaches 18,90%, while in the previous period was only 4,75%. However, the local factors continue to be the principal responsible for variation occurred in the Portuguese index.
COOL (comprehensive object-oriented learning)

The COOL Project (Comprehensive Object-Oriented Learning) is a 3-year research project proposal launched by by a consortium of four Norwegian research institutions, supported by research institutions in Aarhus in Denmark, and co-operating with test sites around the world.COOL will contribute to a unifying process- and object-oriented platform for informatics, and produce a "Learning Landscape" of pedagogical and organizational components to be used in a modern and system-oriented education in informatics and related fields. It will provide an alternative to the current pedagogical approach used, commonly regarded as unsuccessful. COOL will co-operate with research institutions in Denmark and with a number of test sites (universities and colleges) around the world, representing a number of language/cultural worlds (Spanish/South American, English/North American, Scandinavian, and perhaps others). COOL will produce an introductory course, supported by a textbook and DVD records containing integrated multimedia material. The COOL Learning Landscape shall allow for alternative courses, adapted to local cultures and conditions.
Impact of Globalization on Monetary Policy

This paper aims to discuss a few core issues in the recent monetary policy and globalization debate. Are global factors becoming important drivers of domestic inflation—or disinflation? To what extent should terms of trade shocks play a larger role in central bank rules for deciding when and for how long to allow inflation to drift above or below target? Even if central banks are reluctant to react to perceived misalignments in asset price levels, how concerned should they be about the fact that thus far, equity, housing, and trade-weighted exchange rates have not yet demonstrated the enduring decline in volatility that output and inflation have experienced? I will argue that continuing asset price volatility is at least in part because of heightened asset price sensitivity to risk changes as risk levels fall, and the increasing ability of financial markets to diversify risk. Therefore, in the context of a long and successful campaign to reduce output and inflation volatility, it would be a mistake for central banks to obsess as much about asset price volatility as asset markets obsess about central bank volatility.
Effect of pelleting and beta-glucanase supplementation on the ileal and fecal digestibility of a barley-based diet in the pig.

The influences of pelleting and beta-glucanase supplementation on the digestibility of dietary components in a barley-based diet were investigated in pigs fitted with cannulas in the terminal ileum. The diet contained 49.0% starch, 18.9% crude protein and 14.8% dietary fiber, with arabinoxylans (4.9%), mixed-linked beta-glucans (3.4%) and cellulose (3.3%) as the main fiber components. Pelleting increased mixed-linked beta-glucan solubility from 45 to 62%. Neither treatment influenced the ileal or fecal apparent digestibilities of dry matter (64 and 80%, respectively), energy (62 and 79%), crude protein (53 and 75%), crude fat (26 and 27%) or dietary fiber (58 and 72%). However, pelleting increased (P less than .01) the pre-ileal apparent digestibility of starch from 91.5 to 95.3% and decreased (P less than .03) that of ash from -10 to -23%, while increasing (P less than .005) the fecal apparent digestibility of starch from 98.6 to 99.7%. The solubility of mixed-linked beta-glucans in ileal digesta was lower (P less than .001) in pelleted (26%) than in unpelleted (58%) diets. beta-glucanase supplementation also increased (P less than .05) the ileal apparent digestibility of starch, from 92.6 to 94.3%, and of mixed-linked beta-glucans, from 95.7 to 97.1%. Significant between-pig differences in the apparent digestibility of dietary components were observed. In conclusion, treatments that disrupt the endosperm cell walls in barley can increase the proportion of the diet digested prior to the large intestine.
Multivariate Weibull Distributions for Asset Returns: I

We present a characterization of the non-Gaussian properties of the distributions of the asset returns and introduce a general parameterization of the multivariate distribution of returns based on two steps: (i) the projection of the empirical marginal distributions onto Gaussian laws via nonlinear mappings; (ii) the use of an entropy maximization to construct the corresponding most parsimonious representation of the multivariate distribution. The entropy maximization principle amounts to choosing a Gaussian copula for the representation of the dependence of the assets. The marginal distributions are parameterized in terms of so-called modified Weibull distributions, which encompass both sub-exponentials and super-exponentials. We present an empirical calibration of the two key parameters (the exponent c and the characteristic scale chi) of the modified Weibull distribution, and discuss statistical tests of this parameterization. This prepares the foundation for higher-moment portfolio theory developed in companion letters (Malevergne and Sornette, 2005a,b).
Alterations in the human proteome following administration of valproic acid

BACKGROUND High doses of the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (VPA, 150–400 mg/kg) improve outcomes in animal models of lethal insults. We are conducting a US Food and Drug Administration–approved Phase I, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of ascending doses of VPA in human volunteers. We hypothesized that VPA would induce significant changes in the proteome of healthy humans when given at doses lower than those used in prior animal studies. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from three healthy subjects randomized to receive VPA (120 mg/kg over 1 hour) at baseline and at 4 and 8 hours following infusion. Detailed proteomic analysis was performed using 1D gel electrophoresis, liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Proteins with differential expression were chosen for functional annotation and pathway analysis using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany) and Panther Gene Ontology. RESULTS A total of 3,074 unique proteins were identified. The average number of proteins identified per sample was 1,716 ± 459. There were a total of 140 unique differentially expressed proteins (p < 0.05). There was a minor and inconsistent increase in histone and nonhistone protein acetylation. Functional annotation showed significant enrichment of apoptosis (p = 3.5E−43), cell death (p = 9.9E−72), proliferation of cells (p = 1.6E−40), dementia (p = 9.6E−40), amyloidosis (p = 6.3E−38), fatty acid metabolism (p = 4.6E−76), quantity of steroid (p = 4.2E−75), and cell movement (p = 1.9E−64). CONCLUSIONS Valproic acid induces significant changes to the proteome of healthy humans when given at a dose of 120 mg/kg. It alters the expression of key proteins and pathways, including those related to cell survival, without significant modification of protein acetylation. In the next part of the ongoing Phase I trial, we will study the effects of VPA on trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic study, level V.
Target position determining in aeronautical issues

This article discusses the possibilities of the location of aircraft via active and passive radiolocation systems. The next part is dedicated to location recording of the aircraft, which uses the general type of Radiolocation Warning Receiver by triangulation method and PG method. Then we examine the analysis of the measured data with the purpose of determination of the location of source radiotechnical signal, using the general calculation algorithm and map image. Finally, we check the relevance of the results via graphical analysis, which was based on line of sight and special software computing.
Recognition of virus-infected cells by natural killer cell clones is controlled by polymorphic target cell elements

Natural killer (NK) cells provide a first line of defense against viral infections. The mechanisms by which NK cells recognize and eliminate infected cells are still largely unknown. To test whether target cell elements contribute to NK cell recognition of virus-infected cells, human NK cells were cloned from two unrelated donors and assayed for their ability to kill normal autologous or allogeneic cells before and after infection by human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), a T-lymphotropic herpesvirus. Of 132 NK clones isolated from donor 1, all displayed strong cytolytic activity against the NK-sensitive cell line K562, none killed uninfected autologous T cells, and 65 (49%) killed autologous T cells infected with HHV-6. A panel of representative NK clones from donors 1 and 2 was tested on targets obtained from four donors. A wide heterogeneity was observed in the specificity of lysis of infected target cells among the NK clones. Some clones killed none, some killed only one, and others killed more than one of the different HHV-6- infected target cells. Killing of infected targets was not due to complete absence of class I molecules because class I surface levels were only partially affected by HHV-6 infection. Thus, target cell recognition is not controlled by the effector NK cell alone, but also by polymorphic elements on the target cell that restrict NK cell recognition. Furthermore, NK clones from different donors display a variable range of specificities in their recognition of infected target cells.
DNA polymorphisms in exon 1 and promoter of the CDH1 gene and relevant risk of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

To investigate the association between DNA polymorphisms, including single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion polymorphisms, in exon 1 and promoter of the CDH1 gene, and the risk of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder (TCCB).
The algorithm of pairwise stable networks based on supernetworks

Stability is an important aspect of social network. This paper investigates pairwise stability and it's algorithm with Jackson-Wolinsky rules. By establishing abstract games of network formation with respect to path dominance, representing the path dominance of all feasible networks as a supernetwork, and using the conclusion that the path dominance core is equal to the set of pairwise stability, we give an intuitive algorithm to find pairwise stability network. In the meantime, the paper gives the set of pairwise stability network with four nodes and the algorithm.