Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monetary Policy, Model Uncertainty and Exchange Rate Volatility

This paper proposes an explanation of the shifts in the volatility of exchange rate returns that relies on standard present value exchange rate models. Agents are uncertain about the true data generating model and deal with the model uncertainty by making inference on the models and their parameters–a mechanism I call model learning. I show how model learning may lead agents to focus excessively on a subset of fundamental variables. As a result, exchange rate volatility is mainly determined by the dynamics of this subset of fundamentals. As agents switch between models the nominal exchange rate volatility varies accordingly even though the underlying fundamentals processes remain time-invariant. I investigate the relevance of this result empirically within the Taylor-rule based exchange rate model applied to the British Pound/US Dollar exchange rate. The results suggest that the observed change in volatility was triggered by a shift between models.
Role of CNS α1‐adrenoceptor activity in central fos responses to novelty

The present study investigated, by use of fos immunohistochemistry, whether the functional activity of α1‐adrenoceptors is elevated during heightened behavioral activity in brain regions shown earlier to contain motoric α1‐receptors. In confirmation, marked c‐fos responses that were blocked by an α1‐antagonist (prazosin) were found in four of these brain regions (secondary motor, cingulate, piriform cortices, and nucleus accumbens) of animals exposed to a mildly novel environment (clean cage), which elicits a high degree of sustained exploratory activity. Experimental restriction of exploratory activity in the novel cage by a small enclosure did not reduce the fos responses in these areas, and in fact, enhanced gene expression when carried out in home‐caged animals suggesting that the fos response may be more closely associated with the motivation to be active rather than activity itself. Experiments with locally administered α1‐agonists and antagonists in the cortex by reverse dialysis showed that the above mentioned α1‐dependent‐fos responses were the result of activation of local α1‐receptors in these brain regions. Unlike the aforementioned brain regions, the fos response of the locus coeruleus was not blocked by prazosin, and this nucleus also showed a marked fos increase to prazosin itself possibly as a compensatory response to the blockade of forebrain α1‐receptors. Synapse 59:299–307, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Attachment of the Yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides Is Mediated by Adhesives Localized at Sites of Bud Cell Development

ABSTRACT The basidiomycetous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides(anamorph, Rhodotorula glutinis) is a common phylloplane epiphyte with biocontrol potential. To understand how R. toruloides adheres to plant surfaces, we obtained nonadherent fungal mutants after chemical mutagenesis with methane-sulfonic acid ethyl ester. Sixteen attachment-minus (Att−) mutants were identified by three methods: (i) screening capsule-minus colonies for loss of adhesive ability; (ii) enrichment for mutants unable to attach to polystyrene; and (iii) selection for reduced fluorescence of fluorescein isothiocyanate-concanavalin A (Con A)-stained cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. None of the 16 mutants attached to polystyrene or barley leaves. The lectin Con A eliminated adhesion in all of the wild-type isolates tested. Hapten competition assays indicated that Con A bound to mannose residues on the cell surface. Adhesion of wild-type R. toruloides was transient; nonadhesive cells subsequently became adhesive, with bud development. All Att− mutants and nonattaching wild-type cells lacked polar regions that stained intensely with fluorescein isothiocyanate-Con A and India ink. Lectin, enzyme, and chemical treatments showed that the polar regions consisted of alkali-soluble materials, including mannose residues. Tunicamycin treatment reduced wild-type adhesion, indicating that the mannose residues could be associated with glycoproteins. We concluded that compounds, including mannose residues, that are localized at sites of bud development mediate adhesion of R. toruloides to both polystyrene and barley leaf surfaces.
Real-time attack scenario detection via intrusion detection alert correlation

Alert correlation systems attempt to discover the relations among alerts produced by one or more intrusion detection systems to determine the attack scenarios and their main motivations. The main purpose of this paper is to propose a new IDS alert correlation method to detect attack scenarios in real-time. The proposed method is based on causal approach due to the strength of causal methods in practice. Most of causal methods can be deployed offline but not in real-time due to time and memory limitations. In the proposed method the knowledge base of attack patterns is represented in a graph model called Causal Relations Graph. In offline, we construct some trees related to alerts probable correlations. In real-time for each received alert, we can find its correlations with previously received alerts by performing a search only in the corresponding tree. Thus processing time of each alert decreases significantly. In addition, the proposed method is immune to the deliberately slowed attacks. To verify the proposed method, it was implemented in C++ and we used DARPA2000 dataset to test it. Experimental results show the correctness of the proposed alert correlation and its efficiency with respect to the run time.
The how and why of electronic noses

Witnessing the swift advances in the electronic means of seeing and hearing, scientists and engineers scent a market for systems mimicking the human nose. Already commercial systems from several companies are targeting applications, present and potential, that range from quality assurance of food and drugs to medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, safety and security and military use. Here, the authors outline the major transducer technologies-in one sense, the key component of an electronic nose.
Alcohol Use As a Risk Factor in Infections and Healing

Physicians have recognized for more than a century that alcohol use is associated with infections and that alcoholics are especially at risk for pneumonia. Clear evidence now indicates that alcohol has a systemic effect on every organ. This review first presents a clinical case to describe a patient with immunity issues complicated by alcohol use—a setting familiar to many clinicians. This is followed by a description of the molecular mechanisms that explain the secondary immune deficiency produced by alcohol in the host, focusing mostly on the gut and lower respiratory mucosal immunity. The goal of this review is to increase awareness of the new mechanisms being investigated to understand how alcohol affects the human immune system and the development of new strategies to attenuate adverse outcomes in the affected population.
Effect of ready‐to‐use foods for preventing child undernutrition in Niger: analysis of a prospective intervention study over 15 months of follow‐up

Strategies for preventing undernutrition comprise a range of interventions, including education, provision of complementary food and cash transfer. Here, we compared monthly distributions of two different lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS), large-quantity LNS (LNS-LQ) and medium-quantity LNS (LNS-MQ) for 15 months on prevention of undernutrition among children 6 to 23 months. Both groups also received cash transfer for the first 5 months of the intervention. We conducted a prospective intervention study in Maradi, Niger, between August 2011 and October 2012. Six and 11 villages were randomly allocated to LNS-LQ/Cash and LNS-MQ/Cash, respectively. Children measuring 60-80 cm were enrolled in the respective groups and followed up monthly. Poisson regression was used to assess differences between interventions and adjust for baseline characteristics, intervention periods and child-feeding practices. The analysis included 2586 children (1081 in the LNS-LQ/Cash group and 1505 in the LNS-MQ/Cash group). This study suggests that provision of LNS-LQ (reference) or LNS-MQ had, overall, similar effect on incidence of severe acute malnutrition (RR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.67-1.40; P = 0.88), moderate acute malnutrition (RR = 1.20; 95% CI: 0.97-1.48; P = 0.08), severe stunting (RR = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.70-1.26; P = 0.69), moderate stunting (RR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.76-1.19; P = 0.67) and mortality (RR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.41-1.65; P = 0.59). Compared with LNS-LQ, LNS-MQ showed a greater protective effect on moderate acute malnutrition among children with good dietary adequacy: RR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.56-0.94; P = 0.01. These results highlight the need to design context-specific programmes. Provision of LNS-LQ might be more appropriate when food insecurity is high, while when food security is better, distribution of LNS-MQ might be more appropriate.
Priming randomness increases the evaluation of ritual efficacy

Reestablishing feelings of control after experiencing uncertainty has long been considered a fundamental motive for human behavior. We propose that rituals (i.e., socially stipulated, causally opaque practices) provide a means for coping with the aversive feelings associated with randomness due to the perception of a connection between ritual action and a desired outcome. Two experiments were conducted (one in Brazil [n = 40] and another in the United States [n = 94]) to evaluate how the perceived efficacy of rituals is affected by feelings of randomness. In a between-subjects design, the Scramble Sentence Task was used as a priming procedure in three conditions (i.e., randomness, negativity, and neutral) and participants were then asked to rate the efficacy of rituals used for problem-solving purposes. The results demonstrate that priming randomness increased participants' perception of ritual efficacy relative to negativity and neutral conditions. Implications for increasing our understanding of the relationship between perceived control and ritualistic behavior are discussed.
Modulation of vagal actions on heart rate produced by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase in the anaesthetized ferret

We have examined a possible role for nitric oxide in the efferent vagal control of heart rate of the anaesthetized ferret, using stimulation of the motor fibres of the right vagus at supramaximal intensities and increasing frequencies. Propranolol was used to block beta‐adrenergic actions on the heart. L‐NAME (50–100 mg i.v.) significantly reduced the bradycardia induced by vagal stimulation at all frequencies tested (1–15 Hz); subsequent infusion of L‐arginine (100–200 mg i.v.) restored the vagally induced heart rate responses to control levels. These results strongly suggest a role for nitric oxide in modulating the vagally mediated control of heart rate.
Gas Gangrene in the Diabetic Foot: Lessons Learned from a Salvaged Limb

Abstract A 55 year old man was seen in the emergency department with an infected right foot and sepsis. Examination of the right foot revealed subcutaneous crepitus from the metatarsal head up to the tarsus; interstitial and intramedullary gas was confirmed on x-rays and computed tomographic scans. During 44 days of hospitalization, the patient was treated with multiple courses of antibiotic therapy, various wound care modalities (including negative wound pressure therapy) and several surgical interventions (debridements, amputations, revascularizations and reconstructive plastic surgery). Although limb salvage was ultimately accomplished, in retrospect many management decisions were suboptimal. A critical reassessment of our approach to this patient allowed us to identify several areas for improvement and this audit provided us an opportunity to learn from managing this difficult case.
Evolution of composition filters to event composition

Various different aspect-oriented (AO) languages are introduced in the literature, and naturally are evolved due to the research activities and the experiences gained in applying them to various domains. Achieving modularity, composability and abstractness in the implementation of crosscut-ting concerns are typical requirements that these languages aim to fulfill; and the degree to which they are fulfilled differs per language. Therefore, we always face two questions: what are the limitations of current AO languages from the perspective of these requirements, and what kinds of changes and/or new language mechanisms are necessary to address the limitations. This paper elaborates on the limitations of the current AO languages by means of runtime enforcement as an example domain. Via a new computation model termed as Event Composition Model, which is a successor of the Composition Filters Model, we outline the new language mechanisms that are necessary to overcome the limitations. This paper introduces the EventReactor language as an implementation of Event Composition Model, and by means of an example runtime enforcement technique, it illustrates the suitability of Event Composition Model to achieve better modularity, composability and abstractness in the implementation of concerns.
Exploring the factors related to endorsing gambling as an escape

Research suggests there is a strong relationship between gambling severity and endorsing gambling as an escape. The present study investigated what factors were related to endorsing gambling as an escape. In Experiment 1, 149 university students completed a questionnaire designed to measure the contingencies maintaining one's gambling and a measure of executive function. Endorsing gambling as an escape was predicted by executive function associated with affect (empathy). In Experiment 2, 269 university students completed a questionnaire of the contingencies maintaining one's gambling and two measures related to affect (current affective state and pattern of emotion regulation). Impulse control related to dealing with negative emotions was unique in predicting gambling as an escape. The results suggest that endorsing gambling as an escape is related to emotion regulation both at a neurological and cognitive level, which is potentially informative for those interested in identifying, preventing and treating problem gambling.
Caregiver Resentment: Explaining Why Care Recipients Exhibit Problem Behavior.

Caregivers of CI elders reported providing more care inresponse to CI-related care recipient disturbing behavior. However, beyond the source of impairment,disturbing (externally attributable) behavior typical of CI, and amount of care provided, resentment waspredicted by controlling and manipulative (internally attributable) care recipient behavior.
Reversible Degradation of Ohmic Contacts on p-GaN for Application in High-Brightness LEDs

This paper analyzes the high-temperature long-term stability of ohmic contacts on p-type gallium nitride (p-GaN). The contributions of the ohmic contacts and semiconductor material degradation are separated by adopting the transmission line method (TLM). Before stress, the current-voltage (I-V) curves measured at the pads of the TLMs showed a linear shape, indicating a good ohmic behavior of the contacts. Thermal treatment at 250degC was found to induce the worsening of the electrical characteristics of the contacts: identified degradation modes consist of a shift of the I-V curves toward higher voltages and strong nonlinearity of the characteristics around zero. This paper shows that the high-temperature instabilities of ohmic contacts on p-GaN are related to the interaction between the device surface and the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition SiN passivation layer. Hydrogen contained in the passivation layer is supposed to play an important role in the degradation process: the interaction with the acceptor dopant at the metal/semiconductor interface induces the decrease of the effective acceptor concentration. As a consequence, both the ohmic contact characteristics and the semiconductor sheet resistance are worsened.
Financing Pharmaceutical Innovation : When Should Poor Countries Contribute ?

We use a public economics framework to consider how pharmaceuticals should be priced when at least some of the R&D incentive comes from sales revenues. We employ familiar techniques of public finance to adjust standard pricing prescriptions in the context of global diseases, in which distributional inequities are extreme. With these adjustments, poor countries should not necessarily cover even their own marginal costs, and the pricing structure is not related to that which would be chosen by a monopolist in a simple way. We use this framework to examine on-going debates regarding the international patent system as embodied in the WTO’s TRIPS agreement.
Combining Research and Education: Bioclimatic Zonation along a Canadian Arctic Transect

Scientists and students from five countries combined research and education in an investigation of bioclimatic zonation along a Canadian Arctic transect, from Amund Ringnes Island and Ellesmere Island in the north to the Daring Lake research camp at the southern edge of the tundra in Nunavut. We addressed three important needs in Arctic science: 1) to integrate education and research, 2) to provide field experiences for undergraduates, and 3) to foster international collaboration. We describe five subzones within the Arctic tundra zone. Subzones are defined by the vegetation typical of mesic environments at low elevations and the dominant growth forms of vegetation in these environments. Subzonal boundaries coincide with the northern limits of several species of woody plants with distinct upright or prostrate growth forms, and ultimately with the northern limit of woody plant species. The five subzones, A-E, from north to south, are characterized by dominant growth form: (A) cushion forb, (B) prostrate dwarf shrub, (C) hemiprostrate dwarf shrub, (D) erect dwarf shrub, and (E) low shrub.
Odd Couple: Making Sense of the Curious Concept of Knowledge Management

The idea of knowledge management draws currently much attention, both among practitioners and scholars. Advocates of the term argue that knowledge management points to a new set of phenomena and practices for managers to learn and master. In particular knowledge management focuses on the creation and distribution of knowledge in organizations through technological novelties such as the internet, intranets, and e‐mail, although there are also streams concentrating on social relations and interactions. This paper examines several possible conceptualizations of the idea of knowledge management. It is argued that knowledge is an ambiguous, unspecific and dynamic phenomenon, intrinsically related to meaning, understanding and process, and therefore difficult to manage. There is thus a contradiction between knowledge and management. Drawing from a literature review and a case study, it is suggested that knowledge management is as likely, if not more so, to operate as a practice of managing people or information than as a practice attuned towards facilitating knowledge creation.
A pattern reduction procedure in a one-dimensional cutting stock problem by grouping items according to their demands

Cutting and packing problems appear in many industrial settings where larger pieces are cut into smaller ones in order to produce items or products that are required by other industries or customers, e.g., paper, steel and fiber industries. A solution for the cutting problem consists in determining a group of patterns and their frequencies, that is, the number of times that a pattern is cut to supply the demand. Cost of the production may be dependent on the pattern changes, because they might require time and people to prepare the equipment. This work introduces a heuristic method/approach that produces a solution to the one-dimensional cutting stock problem with a reduced number of different patterns in the solution. The heuristic method proposed begin separating the items in two disjointed groups, according to their demands. Patterns are generated with items of these groups and those with limited waste are accepted. A residual problem is solved with items whose demands are not satisfied and, with the solution obtained, we apply a pattern reducing procedure of the literature.
Fatal gastrointestinal obstruction and hypertension in mice lacking nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclase

The signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO), first described as endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), acts as physiological activator of NO-sensitive guanylyl cyclase (NO-GC) in the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. Besides NO-GC, other NO targets have been proposed; however, their particular contribution still remains unclear. Here, we generated mice deficient for the β1 subunit of NO-GC, which resulted in complete loss of the enzyme. GC-KO mice have a life span of 3–4 weeks but then die because of intestinal dysmotility; however, they can be rescued by feeding them a fiber-free diet. Apparently, NO-GC is absolutely vital for the maintenance of normal peristalsis of the gut. GC-KO mice show a pronounced increase in blood pressure, underlining the importance of NO in the regulation of smooth muscle tone in vivo. The lack of an NO effect on aortic relaxation and platelet aggregation confirms NO-GC as the only NO target regulating these two functions, excluding cGMP-independent mechanisms. Our knockout model completely disrupts the NO/cGMP signaling cascade and provides evidence for the unique role of NO-GC as NO receptor.
Cultural Differences in Attitudes towards Urban Parks and Green Spaces

Abstract Understanding how different cultural and ethnic groups value and use urban parks is crucial in developing appropriate design and management strategies for urban greenspaces. However, little is known about how Turkish people respond to and use urban parks in their daily life. This study explores public attitudes towards urban parks in the Turkish cultural context through a questionnaire survey (n = 300) carried out in two popular urban parks of Isparta, Turkey. The results revealed some universal similarities to, as well as some distinct differences from, other cultures in attitudes towards urban parks. People in Turkey use urban parks generally for passive recreational activities such as picnicking, resting and relaxing, in contrast to Western countries where urban parks are generally used for walking, dog walking, sports activities and exercise. In contrast to a common concern about personal safety in urban parks, this study determined a positive perception of safety among Turkish people. Appreciation of natural features, experienced benefits, the need for recreational facilities and concerns for general cleanliness and maintenance were found as universally similar attitudes in urban parks.
Rational approximation of frequency domain responses by vector fitting

The paper describes a general methodology for the fitting of measured or calculated frequency domain responses with rational function approximations. This is achieved by replacing a set of starting poles with an improved set of poles via a scaling procedure. A previous paper (Gustavsen et al., 1997) described the application of the method to smooth functions using real starting poles. This paper extends the method to functions with a high number of resonance peaks by allowing complex starting poles. Fundamental properties of the method are discussed and details of its practical implementation are described. The method is demonstrated to be very suitable for fitting network equivalents and transformer responses. The computer code is in the public domain, available from the first author.