Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Real Exchange Rate in the Dominican Republic: A Study Based on the International Monetary Fund's Assessment Methodologies

This paper employs the International Monetary Fund’s Consultative Group on Exchange Rate Issues’ (cger) methodologies to determine the real exchange rate misalignment: i) the macroeconomic balance (mb) approach, ii) the external sustainability (es) approach, and iii) the equilibrium real exchange rate (erer) approach. Additionally, we analyze the advantages and disadvantages of estimating disequilibrium with different filters, including the Hodrick-Prescott (hp) and trend-cycle filters. Results indicate that, both at the short-run and the medium-run, Dominican Republic’s real exchange rate is slightly appreciated with respect to its estimated equilibrium level.
Dinoflagellate tandem array gene transcripts are highly conserved and not polycistronic

Dinoflagellates are an important component of the marine biota, but a large genome with high–copy number (up to 5,000) tandem gene arrays has made genomic sequencing problematic. More importantly, little is known about the expression and conservation of these unusual gene arrays. We assembled de novo a gene catalog of 74,655 contigs for the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum from RNA-Seq (Illumina) reads. The catalog contains 93% of a Lingulodinium EST dataset deposited in GenBank and 94% of the enzymes in 16 primary metabolic KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways, indicating it is a good representation of the transcriptome. Analysis of the catalog shows a marked underrepresentation of DNA-binding proteins and DNA-binding domains compared with other algae. Despite this, we found no evidence to support the proposal of polycistronic transcription, including a marked underrepresentation of sequences corresponding to the intergenic spacers of two tandem array genes. We also have used RNA-Seq to assess the degree of sequence conservation in tandem array genes and found their transcripts to be highly conserved. Interestingly, some of the sequences in the catalog have only bacterial homologs and are potential candidates for horizontal gene transfer. These presumably were transferred as single-copy genes, and because they are now all GC-rich, any derived from AT-rich contexts must have experienced extensive mutation. Our study not only has provided the most complete dinoflagellate gene catalog known to date, it has also exploited RNA-Seq to address fundamental issues in basic transcription mechanisms and sequence conservation in these algae.
Prediction of Survival by Neutropenia According To Delivery Schedule of Oxaliplatin–5-Fluorouracil–Leucovorin for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in a Randomized International Trial (EORTC 05963)

Circadian clocks control cellular proliferation and drug metabolism over the 24 h. However, circadian chronomodulated chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (chronoFLO4) offered no survival benefit as compared with the non–time-stipulated FOLFOX2, in an international randomized trial involving patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer (EORTC 05963). The authors hypothesized that treatment near maximum tolerated dose could disrupt circadian clocks thus impairing the efficacy of chronoFLO4 but not of FOLFOX2. Patients with available data (N = 556) were categorized into three subgroups according to the worst grade (G) of neutropenia experienced during treatment. Distinct multivariate models with time-dependent covariates were constructed for each treatment schedule. Neutropenia incidence (all grades) was 33% on chronoFLO4 and 61% on FOLFOX2 (p < .0001), and G3–4 were 7% and 25%, respectively (p < .0001). Neutropenia was significantly more frequent in women than men on either schedule (FOLFOX2, p = .003; chronoFLO4, p = .04). Median survival was 20.7 mo in patients with G3–4 neutropenia versus 12.5 mo in neutropenia-free patients on FOLFOX2 (p < .0001). Corresponding figures were 13.7 and 19.4 mo, respectively, on chronoFLO4 (p = .36). Multivariate analysis confirmed occurrence of severe neutropenia independently predicted for better overall survival on FOLFOX2 (HR = 0.56; p = .015), and worse survival on chronoFLO4 (HR = 1.77, p = .06), with a significant interaction test (p < .0001). Prediction of better survival in neutropenic patients on FOLFOX2 supports the administration of conventional chemotherapy near maximum tolerated dose. The opposite trend shown here for chronoFLO4 supports the novel concept of jointly optimized hematologic tolerability and efficacy through personalized circadian-timed therapy. (Author correspondence: francis.levi@inserm.fr)
Networks in Risk Spillovers: A Multivariate GARCH Perspective

We propose a spatiotemporal approach for modeling risk spillovers using time-varying proximity matrices based on observable financial networks and introduce a new bilateral specification. We study covariance stationarity and identification of the model, and analyze consistency and asymptotic normality of the quasi-maximum-likelihood estimator. We show how to isolate risk channels and we discuss how to compute target exposure able to reduce system variance. An empirical analysis on Euro-area cross-country holdings shows that Italy and Ireland are key players in spreading risk, France and Portugal are the major risk receivers, and we uncover Spain's non-trivial role as risk middleman.
Agent-based Computational Economics: Exploring the Evolution of Trade Networks

As the field of economics seeks to further its understanding of the links between the micro and macro sides of the area, economists are becoming increasingly appreciative of agent-based models. Cross-silos approaches to problems are providing for a new way of thinking about how to explain complex phenomenon in science. Agent-based modelling provides a novel and effective way of explaining how such complex systems arrive at macro phenomenon through attempting to grow said societies. The project that I am undertaking is an extension of the work completed by Allen Wilhite which is documented in his paper “Bilateral Trade and Small-world Networks. ” His aim was to explore the efficiency of various trade network formations through an agent based simulation. In his work agents are able to produce or trade one of two goods. The report documents the extensions to this model in order to explore the evolution of trade networks and traits of agent behaviour. Furthermore, dependencies between agents are examined as well as wealth distributions. The extensions are evaluated both in the context of the simulation and the real world.
Strategic Incentives, Discretion and the Implementation of EU Directives

The effect of administrative discretion on the implementation of EU directives at the national level remains hotly contested in the academic literature. In this paper we offer a formal model which predicts that the effect of discretion on the timing of formal implementation is contingent on the cycle of government alterations. In short, governments towards the end of their term would tend to prioritize legislation which allows for plenty of discretion at the expense of EU directives they might like for substantive and ideological reasons. While discretion should increase the chance of timely transposition late in a government's term, it should matter much less in the early periods according to the model. We test these predictions on a dataset covering all directives which had to be transposed in the period 2004-2010. We score these directives for discretion and policy positions/change. Using logistic regression to model the probability of transposition, we find that the empirical analyses broadly support our theoretical model. The findings have relevance for the academic literatures on law compliance and policy implementation, as well as the practical design of legal instruments.
Mechanisms of caffeine activation of single calcium‐release channels of sheep cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum.

1. Calcium‐release channels of sheep cardiac junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum were incorporated into planar phospholipid bilayers. Single‐channel current fluctuations were recorded under voltage clamp conditions. 2. Channels incorporate into the bilayer with a fixed orientation and channel open probability is regulated by the calcium concentration at the cytosolic face of the membrane. 3. Addition of caffeine (0.5‐2.0 mM) to the cytosolic side of the membrane increased the open probability of the calcium‐activated calcium‐release channel by increasing the frequency of opening without significant alteration to the durations of open events. This effect was observed at both 0.1 and 10 microM‐activating cytosolic calcium. 4. Caffeine (0.5‐2.0 mM) did not activate the channel at a subactivating cytosolic calcium concentration (80 pM). 5. At subactivating calcium concentrations, channels could be activated by higher concentrations of caffeine (greater than 5.0 mM) revealing a second, calcium‐independent, mechanism for channel activation. Channel openings induced by these high concentrations of caffeine at subactivating calcium concentrations displayed different kinetics from those observed with calcium as the sole activating ligand or with combinations of calcium and low concentrations of caffeine. 6. Activation of channel opening by caffeine in the presence of calcium did not affect single‐channel conductance. Channel openings produced by caffeine at subactivating cytosolic calcium concentrations had identical conductance and relative permeability to those seen on calcium activation. 7. Channels activated by caffeine at both activating and subactivating calcium concentrations were characteristically modified by ryanodine, Ruthenium Red, ATP and magnesium, implying that the same channel is involved under both conditions.
Distribution of Clostridium botulinum

The distribution of Clostridium botulinum in the natural environments of Denmark, The Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and Bangladesh was examined. A total of 684 samples were tested. Type E was found in 90% of samples from the aquatic environment of Denmark, including sediments from young artificial lakes, and in 86% of samples from the marine environment of Greenland. Type E was not found in Danish cultivated soil and woodlands, including cultivated soil from reclaimed sea beds, but type B was frequently demonstrated in these environments. C. botulinum types A, B, or E were found in 2.6% of samples from the environments of the Faroe Islands and Iceland, whereas types C or D were demonstrated in 42% of samples from Bangladesh. The incidence of type E in aquatic sediments was not related to general industrial pollution or a high content of rotting vegetation. Fish or a rich aquatic fauna, on the other hand, appeared to contribute to a high incidence of type E. Based on these findings, it is suggested that type E is a true aquatic organism, because this environment offers the best conditions for survival of the spore in nature. It is further suggested that its presence in aquatic bottom deposits is based on sedimentation after proliferation in the carrion of the aquatic fauna and dissemination by water currents and migrating fish.
Tri-access tri-band reconfigurable stacked patch wire-plate antenna

A new tri-access tri-band reconfigurable stacked patch wire plate antenna is presented. This antenna has three excitation ports and two operation states. In a first state, the antenna works as a bi-access wide band stacked patch. In this case the first port covers 1.84-2.2 GHz band (PCS, UMTS). The second port covers 2.23-2.72 GHz band (WLAN). In a second state, the antenna works as a Wire-plate antenna covering a narrow band around 1 GHz. The innovation lies in the structure flexibility for future opportunistic communications, in the multi-band multi-access operation, and in the structure compactness. Excitation ports are isolated through a convenient modal analysis (cavity approach) that leads to the final design.
King of the Mountain: Shiller P/E and Macroeconomic Conditions

Because of mean reversion, the Shiller cyclically adjusted price/earnings (P/E) ratio is a powerful predictor of long-horizon capital market returns. Like other valuation metrics, however, it is a poor predictor of short-term returns. The authors find that this is because the “normal” level of the Shiller P/E ratio varies with economic conditions. Other researchers have shown that while periods of moderate real interest rates allow higher market valuations, P/Es tend to fall when real rates are high or low. The present authors show a similar linkage between P/Es and inflation. Moderate, rather than rock-bottom, levels of inflation and real interest rates are associated with the highest valuation multiples, creating a valuation “mountain. ” The authors also extend these findings to international developed markets. They further demonstrate that the P/E ratio becomes a statistically significant and economically meaningful predictor of shorter-term returns under the assumption that P/Es mean-revert toward the levels suggested by prevailing macroeconomic conditions rather than toward long-term averages.
A Comparative Study of Efficacy of Different Surgical Management Options and Hearing Outcome in Children with Otitis Media with Effusion

Introduction: Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) also known as Secretory Otitis Media or glue ear is one of the commonest causes of preventable deafness among Paediatric population. The most common cause being Eustachian tube dysfunction. There are no constant surgical procedures involved to treat OME. Possible combinations of various surgical modalities include Myringotomy with or without insertion of ventilation tube either alone or with adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy or both. Aims and Objectives: To study the epidemiology, clinicoaudiological profile and radiological characteristics as well as treatment outcome of children less than 12 years old diagnosed with Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) and to assess the effect of four different surgical treatments for glue ear (Myringotomy with grommet insertion, Myringotomy with Grommet plus adenotonsillectomy, Myringotomy with grommet plus adenoidectomy alone, Myringotomy with grommet plus tonsillectomy alone), on improvement in hearing. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from January 2011 to January 2015 in Sur Ministry of Health Hospital and was performed upon 150 children up to 12 years old who were diagnosed as OME. Complete clinical, radiological and audiological investigations were performed. All the patients received medical treatment and were subjected to surgical management and the results were obtained. The patients were followed up 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months postoperatively. Postoperative PTA was obtained and hearing outcome was plotted. Results: The prevalence of OME in our study was mostly males between 5-7 years and mostly presented with hearing loss of moderate degree. The commonest otoscopic finding was retracted tympanic membrane. Tympanometry showed B tracing in 78.5% patients. The commonest radiological finding was a grade 3+ adenoid hypertrophy in 42 patients. Most of them received Nasal steroid spray as a form of medical management, surgical modality was started in resistant cases of medical management and a combination of various surgeries performed shows that Myringotomy with grommet insertion and adenoidectomy alone relieved the OME and the Air Bone gap shows that the hearing outcome was better in a gradual follow up period.
Predicting voluntary movements from motor cortical activity with neuromorphic hardware

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: A. Lungu, A. Riehle, M. P. Nawrot and M. Schmuker, "Predicting voluntary movements from motor cortical activity with neuromorphic hardware," in IBM Journal of Research and Development, Vol. 61, no. 2/3, pp. 5:1-5:12, March-May 1 2017. The version of record is available online at doi: 10.1147/JRD.2017. 2656063. © 2017 by International Business Machines Corporation. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.
Why is the body mass index calculated as mass/height2, not as mass/height3?

Background: The body mass index or BMI, mass/height2, is used to predict fatness and health. It is an approximation to the Benn index, mass/heightp, where p (typically 1.1–2.5 for adult populations) makes the index uncorrelated with height. Mass/height3 is an index of body build that is independent of scale and statistics. Aim: To explain why p varies and is less than three, show how statistical methods can distort perceptions of mass–height relationships, and clarify the nature of the BMI. Methods: A hypothetical adult population is modelled statistically, with mass being approximately proportional to height3 and with neither variable determining the other. Values of p are calculated both for the model and for real adults. Results: In both cases p increases with the correlation between mass and height. Both p and that correlation are usually lower for women than for men. Conclusions: In adult populations mass must vary more nearly with height3 than with height2, although, for reasons explained, conventional statistical techniques suggest otherwise. Nevertheless the BMI is a valid predictor of fatness from mass and height in adults and is properly divisible into fat mass and fat-free mass indices. The validity of the latter three indices for children is questionable.
Automated cycling ergometer with built-in ability to produce resistance profiles

The aim of the research presented in this paper is to demonstrate and report the initial validation results emphasizing the capabilities of a novel, fully automated cycle ergometer that (1) allows faster, repeatable and more accurate adjustments to bicycle geometry via motor controlled actuators and (2) permits the inclusion of resistance profiles via a motor driven linkage to the cranks. The automated set-up configuration for different cyclists' dimensions is achieved in 80 seconds for the first set-up and 17 seconds for the subsequent set-ups as compared to 30 minutes as reported for the current manual set-up techniques.
Cell Type-Specific Replication of Simian Virus 40 Conferred by Hormone Response Elements in the Late Promoter

ABSTRACT The late genes of SV40 are not expressed at significant levels until after the onset of viral DNA replication. We previously identified two hormone response elements (HREs) in the late promoter that contribute to this delay. Mutants defective in these HREs overexpress late RNA at early, but not late, times after transfection of CV-1PD cells. Overexpression of nuclear receptors (NRs) that recognize these HREs leads to repression of the late promoter in a sequence-specific and titratable manner, resulting in a delay in late gene expression. These observations led to a model in which the late promoter is repressed at early times after infection by NRs, with this repression being relieved by titration of these repressors through simian virus 40 (SV40) genome replication to high copy number. Here, we tested this model in the context of the viral life cycle. SV40 genomes containing mutations in either or both HREs that significantly reduce NR binding without altering the coding of any proteins were constructed. Competition for replication between mutant and wild-type viruses in low-multiplicity coinfections indicated that the +1 HRE offered a significant selective advantage to the virus within a few cycles of infection in African green monkey kidney cell lines CV-1, CV-1P, TC-7, MA-134, and Vero but not in CV-1PD′ cells. Interestingly, the +55 HRE offered a selective disadvantage in MA-134 cells but had no effect in CV-1, CV-1P, TC-7, Vero, and CV-1PD′ cells. Thus, we conclude that these HREs are biologically important to the virus, but in a cell type-specific manner.
3boost: A High-Power Three-Phase Step-Up Full-Bridge Converter for Automotive Applications

This paper describes a simple dc-dc step-up converter topology for switch-mode dc power supplies. The proposed configuration is well suited for high-power applications with battery supply. In the automotive framework, the push-pull architecture is the most widespread. However, as power increases, the use of a full-bridge architecture is mandatory. This paper presents a full-bridge architecture where the traditional single-phase transformer is replaced by a three-phase transformer. A prototype was realized and tested for the power supply of automotive devices. In this environment, one of the most important requirements is the ability to provide a burst of power during short-duration events, together with high-efficiency and high-quality output voltage. The latter constraints can be achieved by only using closed-loop switch-mode dc-dc converters at high switching frequency, thus reducing converter efficiency and creating electromagnetic-compatibility (EMC) problems. In this paper, the aforementioned issues were tackled relying on an open-loop topology. Open-loop converters are feasible if the output resistance of the converter is as low as possible, and a possible solution is the minimization of power losses. The solution is the use of a three-phase transformer with a delta-wye connection within a full-bridge converter topology. The configuration will be referred to as 3boost power supply. The three-phase transformer replaces the common single-phase transformer, and it is driven by a three-phase full-bridge inverter operating in six-step modulation. At secondary, a three-phase full wave diode rectifier is used to obtain the output dc voltage level. Therefore, a unitary transformer utilization factor is achieved. A simple theoretical comparison between the three types of converters-push-pull, conventional full bridge, and 3boost is shown. A low-power version of the converter was realized. Experiments confirm that this topology allows to achieve a high efficiency, a lower ripple factor, and a good EMC behavior.
Visualizing multidimensional data based on Laplacian Eigenmaps projection

This paper describes a multidimensional projection technique based on Laplacian Eigenmaps, which is a commonly employed algorithm for nonlinear dimensionality reduction. The proposed visualization technique is characterized by a nonlinear mapping function, which transforms data from a high dimensional space to a two- or three-dimensional space. This mapping function consists on computing spectral decomposition of the Laplacian graph, which is obtained from the dissimilarities of the data instances. We performed some experiments for visualizing real-world and noisy multidimensional data sets, comparing the discriminability and the preservation of neighborhood relationships with related strategies in literature, such as Principal Component Analysis, Isometric Feature Mapping and Local Linear Embedding. The promising results showed that Laplacian Eigenmaps are appropriate choices in those situations, producing visualizations with good precision.