Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exchange rates, commodities and the implications of volatility in a small open economy world

For most OECD countries a significant fraction of both imports and exports is made up of commodities, which are used as inputs into manufacturing. In contrast most new open economy models tend to assume that trade takes place solely in manufactured goods. One exception to this is Driver (2002) which takes the wellknown Obstfeld and Rogoff (1995) Redux model and shows that the introduction of trade in commodities, as well as manufactured goods, can significantly alter the response to monetary shocks. This paper extends these results to look at the volatility of commodity prices, the link to exchange rate volatility and whether there are any implications for monetary policy. To do this we use a small-open-economy version of the Driver (2002) model. We also examine the implications of different assumptions about exchange rate pass-through, namely whether the conclusions change if firms trading in manufactured goods use a local currency pricing rule rather than producer currency pricing (as is assumed in the Redux model). Finally, we offer some thoughts as to whether or not monetary policy should respond to commodity price movements and whether or not the answer to this question depends on the persistence and volatility of such shocks.
Transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming induce an inflammatory phenotype in non-medullary thyroid carcinoma-induced macrophages

ABSTRACT Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key components of the tumor microenvironment in non-medullary thyroid cancer (TC), the most common endocrine malignancy. However, little is known regarding the regulation of their function in TC. Transcriptome analysis in a model of TC-induced macrophages identified increased inflammatory characteristics and rewiring of cell metabolism as key functional changes. This functional reprogramming was partly mediated by TC-derived lactate that induced upregulation of cytokine production through an AKT1/mTOR-dependent increase in aerobic glycolysis. This led to epigenetic modifications at the level of histone methylation, and subsequently long-term functional changes. Immunohistochemistry assessment validated the increase in glycolysis enzymes and lactate receptor in TAMs in tissue samples from patients with TC. In conclusion, Akt/mTOR-dependent glycolysis mediates TC-induced reprogramming of TAMs and inflammation, and this may represent a novel therapeutic target in TC.
In vivo regulation of dopamine and noradrenaline release by α2A‐adrenoceptors in the mouse prefrontal cortex

The present study investigated the role of α2A‐adrenoceptor subtype in the regulation of noradrenaline and dopamine release in the medial prefrontal cortex. The effect of local introduction of the α2‐adrenoceptor agonist dexmedetomidine (10−9−10−8 m) on noradrenaline and dopamine release was investigated in α2A‐adrenoceptor knockout and control mice by using in vivo microdialysis. Furthermore, to reveal a possible distinction between regulation of baseline and peak release, we sampled the dialysate during both rest and handling‐induced mild stress. Baseline noradrenaline and dopamine concentrations did not differ between α2A‐adrenoceptor knockout and control mice. Dexmedetomidine decreased, in a concentration‐dependent manner, noradrenaline and dopamine levels in both genotypes. However, the effect of dexmedetomidine on noradrenaline release was attenuated in the α2A‐adrenoceptor knockout mice, whereas the effect on dopamine release did not differ between the genotypes. The first handling episode increased noradrenaline and dopamine levels to the same extent in both genotypes. However, in α2A‐adrenoceptor knockout mice the noradrenaline and dopamine levels remained elevated in the samples following the first handling whilst, in the control mice, transmitter levels returned to baseline levels. In control mice the handling‐induced peak noradrenaline and dopamine levels were lower after the administration of dexmedetomidine than during the first handling episode, but in α2A‐adrenoceptor knockout mice no drug effect on handling‐induced peak noradrenaline and dopamine levels was found. Our results suggest that the release of noradrenaline in the medial prefrontal cortex is mainly regulated via α2A‐adrenoceptors, whilst other α‐adrenoceptor subtypes play a significant role in the regulation of dopamine release.
Depletion of CD8+ T Cells Exacerbates CD4+ T Cell–Induced Monocyte-to-Fibroblast Transition in Renal Fibrosis

Bone marrow–derived monocyte-to-fibroblast transition is a key step in renal fibrosis pathogenesis, which is regulated by the inflammatory microenvironment. However, the mechanism by which the inflammatory microenvironment regulates this transition is not fully understood. In this study, we examined how the CD8+ T cell/IFN-γ microenvironment regulates the monocyte-to-fibroblast transition in renal fibrosis. Genetic ablation of CD8 promoted a monocyte-to-fibroblast transition and increased renal interstitial fibrosis, whereas reconstitution of CD8 knockout (KO) mice with CD8+ T cells decreased fibrosis. However, depletion of CD4+ T cells in CD8 KO mice also reduced fibrosis. To elucidate the role of CD4+ T cells in mediating CD8-regulated monocyte-to-fibroblast transition, CD4+ T cells were isolated from obstructed kidneys of CD8 KO or wild-type mice. CD4+ T cells isolated from CD8 KO obstructed kidney expressed more IL-4 and GATA3 and less IFN-γ and T-bet and showed increased monocyte-to-fibroblast transition in vitro compared with those isolated from wild-type obstructed kidney. To examine the role of IFN-γ–expressing CD8+ T cells, we reconstituted CD8 KO mice with CD8+ T cells isolated from IFN-γ KO mice. The IFN-γ KO CD8+ cells had no effect on IL-4, GATA3, IFN-γ, and T-bet mRNA expression in obstructed kidneys or renal fibrosis. Taken together, our findings identify the axis of CD8+ T cells and IFN-γ–CD4+ T cells as an important microenvironment for the monocyte-to-fibroblast transition, which negatively regulates renal fibrosis.
Methodology for network security design

A possible methodology for network security design is investigated. The ideas for each phase of the method-specification, design, and implementation-are described in detail. An attempt is made to apply the method to an invented example. Several pitfalls that await the requirements specifier are discovered. One problem is that defining and classifying security services is not as straightforward as one would like. A more fundamental defect of the methodology is its rigid sequencing of specification followed by design followed by implementation. Moreover, it ignores the newer developments in the computing world, i.e. object-oriented programming and client-server computing. <<ETX>>
Prediction of Micrometastasis (< 1 cm) to Pelvic Lymph Nodes in Prostate Cancer: Role of Preoperative MRI.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate whether preoperative MRI plays a key role in clinical prediction of micrometastasis (< 1 cm) to pelvic lymph nodes in prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred one patients with prostate cancer who underwent preoperative MRI and radical prostatectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection were included. None of the patients had a pelvic lymph node with a short-axis diameter of 1 cm or larger on MRI. Both clinical (prostate-specific antigen, biopsy Gleason score, greatest percentage of biopsy core, and percentage of positive cores) and MRI parameters (tumor apparent diffusion coefficient and tumor staging) were assessed. The univariate, multivariate, and ROC curve analyses were conducted. RESULTS Of 101 patients, nine (8.9%) had pelvic lymph node metastases. In univariate analysis, all of the clinical and MRI parameters were related to micrometastasis to pelvic lymph nodes (p < 0.05). However, multivariate analysis revealed that only preoperative MRI stage was significant (p = 0.044). AUC of preoperative MRI stage was 0.954 (odds ratio, 21.7). Respective sensitivity and specificity of preoperative tumor staging by MRI were 100% and 65.2% with cutoff of T3a or more, and 88.9% and 94.6% with cutoff of T3b for predicting micrometastasis to pelvic lymph nodes. CONCLUSION Preoperative MRI staging may play a role in prediction of micrometastasis (< 1 cm) to pelvic lymph nodes in prostate cancer.
Deficiency in the Organic Cation Transporters 1 and 2 (Oct1/Oct2 [Slc22a1/Slc22a2]) in Mice Abolishes Renal Secretion of Organic Cations

ABSTRACT The polyspecific organic cation transporters 1 and 2 (Oct1 and -2) transport a broad range of substrates, including drugs, toxins, and endogenous compounds. Their strategic localization in the basolateral membrane of epithelial cells in the liver, intestine (Oct1), and kidney (Oct1 and Oct2) suggests that they play an essential role in removing noxious compounds from the body. We previously showed that in Oct1−/− mice, the hepatic uptake and intestinal excretion of organic cations are greatly reduced. Since Oct1 and Oct2 have extensively overlapping substrate specificities, they might be functionally redundant. To investigate the pharmacologic and physiologic roles of these proteins, we generated Oct2 single-knockout and Oct1/2 double-knockout mice. Oct2 −/− and Oct1/2 −/− mice are viable and fertile and display no obvious phenotypic abnormalities. Absence of Oct2 in itself had little effect on the pharmacokinetics of tetraethylammonium (TEA), but in Oct1/2 −/− mice, renal secretion of this compound was completely abolished, leaving only glomerular filtration as a TEA clearance mechanism. As a consequence, levels of TEA were substantially increased in the plasma of Oct1/2 −/− mice. This study shows that Oct1 and Oct2 together are essential for renal secretion of (small) organic cations. A deficiency in these proteins may thus result in increased drug sensitivity and toxicity.
See-saw nystagmus, convergence-retraction nystagmus and contraversive ocular tilt reaction from a paramedian thalamomesencephalic infarct

A 49-year-old healthy woman presented with sudden onset of binocular diplopia and unsteady gait. Physical examination showed convergence-retraction nystagmus on up-gaze and see-saw nystagmus on left-gaze (video 1). She also had ocular tilt reaction (OTR) with skew deviation, excyclotorsion of the left eye and left head tilt (video 1). Her extraocular eye movements and vestibulo-ocular reflex were normal. Her limb power was full but left lateropulsion was evident …
Competency‐based benchmarking

Flawless product launches are critical success factors for biopharmaceutical companies due to increasing financial and technological risks. Industry benchmarking is widely used for managing biopharmaceutical product launch planning. However, while industry benchmarking may achieve operational efficiencies, it results in copying competitors and incremental productivity improvements rather than breakthrough in marketing innovation. This study extends the biopharmaceutical marketing framework from internally focused industry benchmarking to external competency‐based benchmarking (CBB) to build innovative practices by focusing on outstanding capabilities in far reaching industries and organizations. Adopting a CBB approach can lead to creating significant sources of organizational energy and creativity in biopharmaceutical marketing campaigns.
Simd Multipliers for Accelerating Embedded Processors in FPGAS

This paper describes a new efficient 32×32 Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) multiplier suitable for the multimedia extension of FPGA-based processors. The proposed circuit can adapt itself to 32-, 16-, and 8-bit operands widths avoiding time and power consuming reconfiguration. When implemented in an XCV400 device, the multiplier here described reaches a running frequency of about 97 MHz with an energy dissipation of just 20 mW/MHz. Comparisons with previously proposed SIMD multipliers for FPGA-based designs demonstrate that the new circuit allows the best area-time-power trade-off to be obtained.
Pipeline for effective denoising of digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis

Denoising can be used as a tool to enhance image quality and enforce low radiation doses in X-ray medical imaging. The effectiveness of denoising techniques relies on the validity of the underlying noise model. In full-field digital mammography (FFDM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), calibration steps like the detector offset and flat-fielding can affect some assumptions made by most denoising techniques. Furthermore, quantum noise found in X-ray images is signal-dependent and can only be treated by specific filters. In this work we propose a pipeline for FFDM and DBT image denoising that considers the calibration steps and simplifies the modeling of the noise statistics through variance-stabilizing transformations (VST). The performance of a state-of-the-art denoising method was tested with and without the proposed pipeline. To evaluate the method, objective metrics such as the normalized root mean square error (N-RMSE), noise power spectrum, modulation transfer function (MTF) and the frequency signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were analyzed. Preliminary tests show that the pipeline improves denoising. When the pipeline is not used, bright pixels of the denoised image are under-filtered and dark pixels are over-smoothed due to the assumption of a signal-independent Gaussian model. The pipeline improved denoising up to 20% in terms of spatial N-RMSE and up to 15% in terms of frequency SNR. Besides improving the denoising, the pipeline does not increase signal smoothing significantly, as shown by the MTF. Thus, the proposed pipeline can be used with state-of-the-art denoising techniques to improve the quality of DBT and FFDM images.
Coenzyme Q10 protects neurons against neurotoxicity in hippocampal slice culture

This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) against oxidative stress induced by kainic acid (KA) in organotypic hippocampal slice culture of rats. Cultured slices were injured by exposure to 5 µM of KA for 18 h and then treated with different concentrations of CoQ10. Neuronal cell death measured as propidium iodide uptake was reduced at 24 h after treatment with 1 µM of CoQ10. We also observed an increased number of surviving CA3 neurons in 0.1 and 1 µM concentrations of CoQ10-treated groups using cresyl violet staining. CoQ10 (0.01, 0.1, and 1 µM) treatment significantly decreased the 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence and the expression of NQO1 in the CoQ10-treated groups was significantly lower than that in the KA-only group. These results suggest that CoQ10 may protect hippocampal neurons against oxidative stress.
A Case Study on the Implementation of the 3C Collaboration Model in Virtual Environments

Throughout the years many studies have explored the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to support collaborative work. However few studies looked into CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work) collaboration models that could help VR systems improve the support for collaborative tasks. This paper analyzes the applicability of the 3C collaboration model as a methodology to model and define collaborative tools in the development of a collaborative virtual reality application. A case study will be presented to illustrate the selection and evaluation of different tools that aim to support the actions of communication, cooperation and coordination between users that interact in a virtual environment. The main objective of this research is to show that the criteria defined by the 3C model can be mapped as a parameter for the classification of interactive tools used in the development of collaborative virtual environments.
Object Interactive System

This article describes about an object interactive System utilizing similarity metric. This measures the highest similar values between images in the database as image captured by webcam. The main objective is to implement a system using the metric of normalized mutual information, supported by an image processing architecture. The main part of this work is the extracting the pixels of captured image where the similarity in images is measured all the image intensity pixel values specified by a region of interest on the images. Assumptions are made for the implementation of the system after considering possible object recognition problems and constraints encountered in the real situation to retrieve the information. The system will also provide additional information regarding the objects. This system also works on internet to retrieve the object information.
Cooperative roles of Par-3 and afadin in the formation of adherens and tight junctions

Par-3 is a cell-polarity protein that regulates the formation of tight junctions (TJs) in epithelial cells, where claudin is a major cell-cell adhesion molecule (CAM). TJs are formed at the apical side of adherens junctions (AJs), where E-cadherin and nectin are major CAMs. We have revealed that nectin first forms cell-cell adhesions, and then recruits cadherin to nectin-based cell-cell adhesion sites to form AJs and subsequently recruits claudin to the apical side of AJs to form TJs. The cytoplasmic tail of nectin binds afadin and Par-3. Afadin regulates the formation of AJs and TJs cooperatively with nectin. Here, we studied the role of Par-3 in the formation of these junctions by using Par-3-knockdown MDCK cells. Par-3 was necessary for the formation of AJs and TJs but was not necessary for nectin-based cell-cell adhesion. Par-3 promoted the association of afadin with nectin, whereas afadin was not necessary for the association of Par-3 with nectin. However, the association of afadin with nectin alone was not sufficient for the formation of AJs or TJs, and Par-3 and afadin cooperatively regulated it. We describe here these novel roles of Par-3 in the formation of junctional complexes.
Media Selection and the Imposter Phenomenon: A Multinational Investigation

Imposterism, where individuals seek to create a false impression that they are more qualified than they actually are, is an emerging area of study, while media selection has been a subject of interest to IS researchers for over 25 years. This study seeks to determine if individuals who score highly on imposterism differ in their media preference, and if there is a cultural dimension to this relationship. Using a scenario-based experiment administered to 439 subjects in the U.S. and China, we demonstrate relationships between media choice and both imposterism and two dimensions of espoused national culture.
Mega-dose vitamin C as therapy for human cancer?

Frei and Lawson (1) paint a rosy picture of the potential of vitamin C as therapy for human cancer. The authors are located at the Linus Pauling Institute and therefore are in a special position to revitalize the interest in vitamin C promoted by the articles of Cameron and Pauling in PNAS 30 years ago; however, the evidence that vitamin C could help human cancer patients is still thin.
Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Lacking the Classic Translocation t(15;17)

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) characterized by the reciprocal translocation t(15;17)(q22;q12) resulting in the fusion gene PML-RARA and an oncoprotein that impairs myeloid differentiation (Arber et al., 2008; de The et al., 1990; Rowley et al., 1977). Morphological and clinical characteristics include hypergranular leukemic promyelocytes, Auer rods, and coagulopathy. The use of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has revolutionized the management of this disease that has become the most curable form of AML in adults (Castaigne et al., 1990; Tallman et al., 1997). In relapsed APL, arsenic trioxide can induce complete morphological, cytogenetic and molecular remission (Douer and Tallman, 2005; Soignet et al., 1998). Cases lacking the classic t(15;17) are divided into two separate groups that behave differently and are now considered different disease entities (Arber et al., 2008). The first group represents cryptic and complex APL where t(15;17) is absent on routine cytogenetic studies but PML-RARA is present on molecular studies (Grimwade et al., 2000). This group shares the same phenotype, prognosis, and sensitivity to ATRA as classic APL, and is thus managed similarly. The second group, “AML with a variant RARA translocation”, is no longer considered part of APL and includes acute myeloid leukemias with translocations involving RARA and a variety of partner genes other than PML (Arber et al., 2008). Compared to classic APL, these leukemias often exhibit significant differences in malignant phenotype and sensitivity to ATRA which will be further explored in this chapter.
Challenges to the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards in Africa

Globalisation is causing a convergence of economic, trading, political and social processes. As a result, geographical boundaries are becoming less significant in the world of business and accounting as most countries around the world have chosen to adopt a common language: International Financial Reporting Standards (hereafter IFRS). The problem is that most of the countries on the African continent have yet to become part of this global conversation as there are serious challenges hindering the adoption of IFRS. The primary objective of this study was to discuss the challenges that continue to hinder the effective adoption of IFRS in the majority of African countries. The objective of the study was explored through the review of: i) current international accounting structures and how Africa fits in; ii) the benefits of adopting IFRS; iii) the current status of IFRS in Africa; and iv) challenges faced by countries in Africa that have already adopted IFRS. An empirical study consisting of a questionnaire (distributed to 35 registered accounting bodies in Africa) and interviews with significant individuals in the international accounting profession were also utilised to meet the objective of the study and the results were analysed and discussed in detail. It was concluded that there are many challenges that continue to hinder the adoption of IFRS in the majority of countries on the African continent and structures are currently being put into place in order that these challenges may be addressed.