Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Real Model of the Israeli Economy

This paper presents a real open-economy model of the Israeli economy. The model is designed to perform quarterly macroeconomic forecasts and fiscal policy experiments. This is illustrated by the analyses of pre-announced tax cuts and lowering the public debt target – policies which were adopted during the fiscal consolidation process in Israel during the 2000s. The model is neoclassical in nature, but with some non-standard features such as a liquidity effect on nondurable consumption and on durable goods purchases. It includes dynamic optimization of households and firms, and a government which determines expenditures given exogenous tax rates and a public debt target. The model is estimated using the sample of the last decade. The quantitative results include the following: (i) Announcements of future income tax cuts have a simultaneous expansionary effect via consumer demand, but, at the time of implementation, the necessary cuts in government expenditure have a contractionary effect. (ii) The fiscal multiplier is relatively low, 0.4, a result that stems from the openness of the economy and the substitution between GDP and imports. (iii) The economy is sensitive to external world trade shocks that affect not only exports but also private consumption through the wealth and liquidity effects.
Vaccination against Lyme disease with recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi outer-surface lipoprotein A with adjuvant. Lyme Disease Vaccine Study Group.

BACKGROUND The risk of acquiring Lyme disease is high in areas in which the disease is endemic, and the development of a safe and effective vaccine is therefore important. METHODS We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial involving 10,936 subjects who lived in areas of the United States in which Lyme disease is endemic. Participants received an injection of either recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi outer-surface lipoprotein A (OspA) with adjuvant or placebo at enrollment and 1 and 12 months later. In cases of suspected Lyme disease, culture of skin lesions, polymerase-chain-reaction testing, or serologic testing was done. Serologic testing was performed 12 and 20 months after study entry to detect asymptomatic infections. RESULTS In the first year, after two injections, 22 subjects in the vaccine group and 43 in the placebo group contracted definite Lyme disease (P=0.009); vaccine efficacy was 49 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 15 to 69 percent). In the second year, after the third injection, 16 vaccine recipients and 66 placebo recipients contracted definite Lyme disease (P<0.001); vaccine efficacy was 76 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 58 to 86 percent). The efficacy of the vaccine in preventing asymptomatic infection was 83 percent in the first year and 100 percent in the second year. Injection of the vaccine was associated with mild-to-moderate local or systemic reactions lasting a median of three days. CONCLUSIONS Three injections of vaccine prevented most definite cases of Lyme disease or asymptomatic B. burgdorferi infection.
Evaluation of the Impact of Macroeconomic Variables on Stock Market Performance in Nigeria

Stock market is an essential part of a nation’s economy and requires adequate evaluation of all factors that militate against its performance. This study investigates the role of macroeconomic variables in determining the stock market performance in Nigeria using annual time series data covering a period from 2009 to 2018. These data have been sourced from the World Bank Development Indicators, International Monetary Fund and CBN Statistical Bulletin. The results from the regression analysis indicate that exchange rate and interest rate do not have significant impact on share price index while inflation rate exerts a significant negative influence on share price index. On the contrary and in line with the concept of GDP and stock market performance, GDP significantly and positively impacts on share price index. The study among others suggests that the growth of the economy should be maintained to keep stock market flourishing while macroeconomic variables such as inflation, interest rate and exchange rate should be appropriately regulated by the relevant authorities to curtail all negative influences on stock market performance.
Comparison of stapes prostheses: a retrospective analysis of individual audiometric results obtained after stapedotomy by implantation of a gold and a teflon piston.

PURPOSE Evaluation of hearing results after implantation of a Teflon piston (type Causse; Xomed Surgical Products, Jacksonville, FL) and of a pure gold piston (K-piston; Heinz Kurz GmbH Medizintechnik, Dusslingen, Germany), both with a shaft diameter of 0.4 mm in cases of otosclerosis requiring stapedotomy. An important difference between both prostheses is the difference in mass: the gold piston is three times heavier than the Teflon piston. METHODS Retrospective analyses were carried out of the presurgery and postsurgery audiologic results obtained after primary stapedotomy by implantation of 62 Teflon pistons and 66 gold pistons. The results were compared according to mean values of several audiometric parameters. Furthermore, individual audiometric results have been evaluated with the "Amsterdam Hearing Evaluation Plots" (AHEPs) as a method for visual presentation of hearing results from each operated ear. With this method, "unsuccessfully" and "successfully" inserted prostheses can be recognized easily and a more realistic comparison between prostheses is possible. RESULTS It was found that in the overall group the heavier gold prosthesis gives a significantly larger gain in air-conductive hearing at 2 kHz (p < 0.05) and in the speech frequency range 0.5 to 2 kHz (p < 0.05). There were no significant intergroup differences with regard to change in bone-conduction and air-bone gaps. Analysis of the hearing results of the subgroup that included only the "successfully" implanted prostheses according to the criteria of the AHEPs had mainly consequences for improvement of air-conduction thresholds: none of the intergroup differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS For a fair comparison between prostheses, it is necessary to take only the prostheses into account that are inserted properly and that are functioning under normal conditions with regard to transmission of sound vibrations. After analysis of the hearing results of these "successfully" implanted prostheses, a trend was noticed that the heavier gold piston gives more gain in the low- and mid-frequency range and the light-weighted Teflon piston gives more gain in the high-frequency range, although none of the differences were significant.
Effects of oral insulin in relatives of patients with type 1 diabetes: The Diabetes Prevention Trial--Type 1.

OBJECTIVE This randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial tested whether oral insulin administration could delay or prevent type 1 diabetes in nondiabetic relatives at risk for diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We screened 103,391 first- and second-degree relatives of patients with type 1 diabetes and analyzed 97,273 samples for islet cell antibodies. A total of 3,483 were antibody positive; 2,523 underwent genetic, immunological, and metabolic staging to quantify risk of developing diabetes; 388 had a 5-year risk projection of 26-50%; and 372 (median age 10.25 years) were randomly assigned to oral insulin (7.5 mg/day) or placebo. Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed every 6 months. The median follow-up was 4.3 years, and the primary end point was diagnosis of diabetes. RESULTS Diabetes was diagnosed in 44 oral insulin and 53 placebo subjects. Annualized rate of diabetes was similar in both groups: 6.4% with oral insulin and 8.2% with placebo (hazard ratio 0.764, P = 0.189). In a hypothesis-generating analysis of a subgroup with insulin autoantibody (IAA) levels confirmed (on two occasions) > or =80 nU/ml (n = 263), there was the suggestion of benefit: annualized diabetes rate 6.2% with oral insulin and 10.4% with placebo (0.566, P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS It is possible to identify individuals at high risk for type 1 diabetes and to enroll them in a large, multisite, randomized, controlled clinical trial. However, oral insulin did not delay or prevent type 1 diabetes. Further studies are needed to explore the potential role of oral insulin in delaying diabetes in relatives similar to those in the subgroup with higher IAA levels.
15‐Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid and Diabetic Endothelial Dysfunction in Rabbit Aorta

We examined the effects of diabetes on eicosanoid metabolism and endothelium-dependent relaxation in isolated aorta from alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits and that from normal rabbits incubated in increased concentrations (44 mM) of glucose in vitro for 6 h. Immunoreactive 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) was assayed in the incubation media of isolated aortic segments. Basal and acetylcholine (ACh)-stimulated release of 15-HETE was significantly greater in aorta of diabetic animals as compared with those of normal rabbits. Incubation of aortic segments from normal rabbits in increased concentrations of glucose caused a significant increase in basal and ACh-stimulated release of 15-HETE; and the release was significantly greater in aortic segments with endothelium than in segments without endothelium. Basal and ACh-stimulated release of 15-HETE was inhibited by indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. 15-HETE caused contractions of aortic rings that were inhibited by the prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor blocker SQ-29548, but not by the TXA2 synthase inhibitor carbethoxyhexyl imidazole or indomethacin. Treatment of aortic rings with subthreshold concentrations of 15-HETE impaired ACh-induced relaxation; this was prevented by treatment with SQ-29548. Thus, abnormal release of endothelium-derived 15-HETE may play a role in endothelial cell dysfunction and increased vasoconstriction in diabetes by a mechanism that involves interaction with PGH2/TXA2 receptors.
Profile of Cardiovascular Effects of NKH477, a Novel Forskolin Derivative, Assessed in Isolated, Blood‐Perfused Dog Heart Preparations: Comparison with Isoproterenol

Summary Cardiac and coronary vasodilator effects of NKH477, a novel water-soluble forskolin derivative, and isoproterenol, a nonselective β-adrenoceptor full agonist, were compared in isolated, blood-perfused papillary muscle, sinoatrial (SA) node, and atrioventricular (AV) node preparations of dogs. Both agents were injected intraarterially. The two agents increased the force of contraction of the paced papillary muscle and of the unpaced muscle, and the rate of automaticity of the latter. They increased sinus rate and accelerated AV nodal conduction. In producing these cardiac effects, both agents were similar, although NKH477 was 120–350 times less potent than isoproterenol; however, NKH477 differed distinctly from isoproterenol in that the former increased coronary blood flow more greatly than the latter. Thus, NKH477 is more coronary vasodilatory than positive inotropic, and more positive inotropic than positive chronotropic. Such a cardiovascular profile of NKH477 was similar to that of forskolin, except for the duration of actions; NKH477 was longer-acting than forskolin.
Gender and adult undernutrition in developing countries

Background: Information on the prevalence of undernutrition in adults in developing countries is mainly restricted to data on women. Literature reporting on the occurrence of female deprivation in developing countries, in particular in South Asia, suggests that differences between undernutrition prevalence in adult men and adult women might occur, but systematic information on the subject is lacking. Aim: The study compares undernutrition prevalence rates, based on prevalence of low body mass index (BMI < 18.5), in adult men and adult women in developing countries. Regional comparison is made between the main developing regions: Sub-Saharan Africa, South/Southeast Asia and Latin America. Subjects and methods: The study uses data as reported in 75 samples from 31 countries (divided over the three developing regions), in which anthropometric information has been collected in adult men and women within one and the same community. Results: Results indicate that, in general, prevalence rates of undernutrition are rather similar in adult men and women. However, there are regional differences. In communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, prevalence of low BMI is, on average, a few percent higher in men than in women; in South/Southeast Asia the reverse is the case. In some communities differences in undernutrition prevalence between men and women are exceptionally large. Conclusions: It can be concluded that, in general, information on undernutrition prevalence in women can be considered a proxy for undernutrition prevalence in all adults, men and women together. However, the finding that in South/Southeast Asia women's nutritional status relative to men's nutritional status compares unfavourably with results from other developing regions, in particular Sub-Saharan Africa, provides some support for the concept of female deprivation in South/Southeast Asia. Where large differences between prevalence of low BMI in men and women occur, gender-specific policies aimed at reducing undernutrition should be considered.
Monitoring a 'metabolic shift' after surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinomas by serum lactate dehydrogenase.

OBJECTIVES Monitoring surgical removal of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) is being routinely performed through clinical and imaging follow-up. We analyzed the potential use of serum lactate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and LDH isoenzymes (LDH 1-5) as biomarkers in blood for the monitoring of surgical removal of OSCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS Serum lactate, LDH, and LDH isoenzymes (LDH 1-5) have been prospectively assessed in healthy individuals (n = 19), patients with OSCC (n = 34: primary OSCC, n = 32 and recurrent OSCC, n = 2) before surgery and after curative tumor resection (n = 26). LDHA and LDHB expressions were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the same OSCC tumor specimen. RESULTS Positive LDHA tumor tissue expression measured by IHC (n = 34/34, 100%) was significantly associated with increased serum LDH-5 (n = 24/34, 71%, P = 0.0258) but weak significantly associated with increased total serum LDH (n = 23/34, 68%, P = 0.0592). Positive LDHB tumor tissue expression measured by IHC (n = 25/34, 74%) was significantly associated with increased total serum LDH (P = 0.0172). After surgery, serum LDH and LDH-5 isoenzyme significantly decreased and LDH-1 significantly increased in the aftercare. A significantly inverse correlation of LDHA with LDHB IHC scores was found (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The association of LDHA and LDHB measured by IHC with serum LDH indicates that analyzing this enzyme could serve as a favorable 'liquid biopsy' (non-invasive diagnostic tool) for OSCC.
Can uterine artery Doppler parameters predict copper intrauterine device-induced side effects?

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the predictive value of uterine artery Doppler characteristics in predicting copper intrauterine device (IUD)-induced side effects such as dysmenorrhoea and menorrhagia, and worsening of dyspareunia. Methods One hundred and twenty regularly menstruating women were enrolled in the study. All underwent transvaginal uterine artery Doppler analysis in the early follicular phase, on two occasions: before insertion of the IUD, and six months after insertion. Pre- and post-insertion resistance (RI) and pulsatility (PI) indices of the uterine arteries were measured. Doppler parameters were compared between subjects experiencing an increase in IUD-mediated side effects and those reporting no change. Results RI and PI of all participants before and after IUD insertion were not significantly different (0.75 ± 0.06 vs. 0.74 ± 0.09, p = 0.49; 1.81 ± 0.55 vs. 1.83 ± 0.70, p = 0.7, respectively). No significant difference was found in the comparison of pre- and post-insertion PI and RI values of women who had increased- and those who experienced no change in dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia and duration/amount of menstruation. Conclusions No major changes in uterine blood flow were observed in women experiencing increased menstrual bleeding, dyspareunia or dysmenorrhoea after insertion of a copper IUD. The occurrence of these effects cannot be predicted by prior Doppler flow analysis.
To char or not to char? Review of technologies to produce solid fuels for resource recovery from faecal sludge

Resource recovery from faecal sludge can take many forms, including as a fuel, soil amendment, building material, protein, animal fodder, and water for irrigation. Resource recovery as a solid fuel has been found to have high market potential in Sub-Saharan Africa. Laboratory- and pilot-scale research on faecal sludge solid fuel production exists, but it is unclear which technology option is most suitable in which conditions. This review offers an overview and critical analysis of the current state of technologies that can produce a dried or carbonized solid fuel, including drying, pelletizing, hydrothermal carbonization, and slow-pyrolysis. Carbonization alters fuel properties, and in faecal sludge, it concentrates the ash content and decreases the calorific value. Overall, a non-carbonized faecal sludge fuel is recommended, unless a carbonized product is specifically required by the combustion technology or end user. Carbonized and non-carbonized fuels have distinct characteristics, and deciding whether to char or not to char is a key judgement in determining the optimal solid fuel technology option. Based on the existing evidence, this review provides a decision-making structure for selecting the optimal technology to produce a faecal sludge solid fuel and identifies the top research needs prior to full-scale implementation.
Education and employment levels among Jamaican patients newly diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Background: Comparisons between persons with bipolar disorder and those with schizophrenia are not well researched in the Caribbean. Aims: To compare the educational and occupational attainments in Jamaicans diagnosed with these two disorders. Methods: Data on diagnosis, educational level, type of employment and other basic socio-demographic variables were collected from Jamaican hospital patients who were newly diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Fisher’s exact and χ2 tests, as well as binary logistic regression, were used to explore how these characteristics varied according to diagnosis. Statistical significance was taken at p < . 05. Results: Schizophrenia was associated with significantly lower educational attainment than bipolar disorder (p = .022 for educational level attained; p = .026 for completion of secondary school). The majority (87.1%) of the 93 patients included in the analysis had no specific marketable job skills. However, the proportion of persons with bipolar disorder who had such skills was three times the corresponding proportion of persons with schizophrenia. Conclusions: The low educational achievement among persons with schizophrenia makes education a potentially important area for interventions targeted at this group. Because gross deficiencies in job skills were common to both patient groups, improvement in job skill levels is an important goal for persons with either of these disorders.
Time-Split Cross-Validation as a Method for Estimating the Goodness of Prospective Prediction

Cross-validation is a common method to validate a QSAR model. In cross-validation, some compounds are held out as a test set, while the remaining compounds form a training set. A model is built from the training set, and the test set compounds are predicted on that model. The agreement of the predicted and observed activity values of the test set (measured by, say, R(2)) is an estimate of the self-consistency of the model and is sometimes taken as an indication of the predictivity of the model. This estimate of predictivity can be optimistic or pessimistic compared to true prospective prediction, depending how compounds in the test set are selected. Here, we show that time-split selection gives an R(2) that is more like that of true prospective prediction than the R(2) from random selection (too optimistic) or from our analog of leave-class-out selection (too pessimistic). Time-split selection should be used in addition to random selection as a standard for cross-validation in QSAR model building.
Dietary preferences of a submontane population of the rare Nigerian‐Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) in Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, Nigeria

We investigated the dietary preferences of chimpanzees residing in a Nigerian submontane forest using a combination of fecal analysis, observations of feeding remains, evidence from feeding tools and fruiting phenological data between April 2010 and March 2011. A total of 495 fecal samples were collected in which 52 fruit taxa were identified as having being consumed by chimpanzees, including 22 identified to species level and two identified to genus level. Ficus (seven species) was the most common seed genus identified, occurring in 61.2% of all fecal samples. Based on fecal analysis and phenological data, Ngel Nyaki chimpanzees do not solely consume fruits based on their availability within the habitat; while the proportion of fruit consumed did reflect the relative availability of fruit in the forest for some fruit species, Ficus was a preferred fruit even when scarce. In contrast, the proportion consumed of other fruit species was low relative to the abundance of their fruit available in the forest. Our results from the Rank Preference Index (RPI) suggest that relative preferences in fruit are seasonal. We discuss the role of Ficus in the diet of chimpanzees in Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve. Am. J. Primatol. 77:86–97, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Innervation of orbital and choroidal blood vessels by the pterygopalatine ganglion in pigeons

Orbital and choroidal blood vessels in mammals are known to receive a parasympathetic innervation from the pterygopalatine ganglion, which appears to utilize vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and nitric oxide (NO) to increase choroidal blood flow. The present studies were undertaken to elucidate the anatomical and neurotransmitter organization of the pterygopalatine ganglion input to orbital and choroidal blood vessels in pigeons. Single‐ or double‐label immunohistochemistry were employed on paraformaldehyde‐fixed cryostat sections of the pigeon eye and surrounding orbital tissue to localize 1) VIP+ neurons and fibers; 2) choline acetyltransferase (CHAT)‐containing cholinergic neurons and fibers; 3) axons containing the 3A10 neurofilament‐associated antigen; and 4) neuronal NO synthase (nNOS)‐containing neurons and fibers. NOS+ neurons and fibers were also identified by NADPH‐diaphorase histochemistry in sections and whole‐mount specimens.
Effects of Pd distribution at free air ball in Pd coated Cu wire

Bonding wire, one of the bonding materials, has been rapidly changed from Au to Cu due to an increase in gold price. Although Pd coated Cu (Au-Pd-Cu) wires, which comprise the largest market share among Cu bonding wires, show high reliability compared to bare Cu wire in high-humidity reliability, the reliability issue still appears in certain area. In the case of Pd coated Cu wire, studies have reported that the Pd distribution on the free air ball (FAB) surface is an important factor for improving the reliability. This study confirmed that the distribution of FAB could be controlled according to the wire manufacturing conditions, and that the Pd distribution further changed depending on the change of EFO conditions. The study further confirmed that the denser Pd distribution outside bonded ball induces the higher chemical resistance at the interface between bonding pad and the bonded ball, which improves the reliability at high temperature and high humidity after PKG.