Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Toward a “New” Inflation-Targeting Framework: The Case of Uruguay

Using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with financial frictions we study the effects of a rule that incorporates not only the interest rate but also the legal reserve requirements as instruments of the monetary policy. We evaluate the effectiveness of both instruments to accomplish the inflationary and/or financial stability objectives of the Central Bank of Uruguay. The main findings are that: (i) reserve requirements can be used to achieve the inflationary objectives of the Central Bank. However, reducing inflation using this instrument, it also produces a real appreciation of the Uruguayan peso; (ii) when the Central Bank uses the monetary policy rate as an instrument, the effect of the reserve requirements is to contribute to reduce the negative impact over consumption, investment and output of an eventual increase in this rate. Nevertheless, the quantitative results in terms of inflation reduction are rather poor; and (iii) the monetary policy rate becomes more effective to reduce inflation when the reserve requirement instrument is solely directed to achieve financial stability and the monetary policy rate used to achieve the inflationary target. Overall, the main policy conclusion of the paper is that having a non-conventional policy instrument, when well-targeted, can help effectively inflation control. Moving reserve requirements can also be instrumental in offsetting the impact of monetary policy on the real exchange rate.
Reliability and validity of the test of incremental respiratory endurance measures of inspiratory muscle performance in COPD

Purpose The Test of Incremental Respiratory Endurance (TIRE) provides a comprehensive assessment of inspiratory muscle performance by measuring maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) over time. The integration of MIP over inspiratory duration (ID) provides the sustained maximal inspiratory pressure (SMIP). Evidence on the reliability and validity of these measurements in COPD is not currently available. Therefore, we assessed the reliability, responsiveness and construct validity of the TIRE measures of inspiratory muscle performance in subjects with COPD. Patients and methods Test–retest reliability, known-groups and convergent validity assessments were implemented simultaneously in 81 male subjects with mild to very severe COPD. TIRE measures were obtained using the portable PrO2 device, following standard guidelines. Results All TIRE measures were found to be highly reliable, with SMIP demonstrating the strongest test–retest reliability with a nearly perfect intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.99, while MIP and ID clustered closely together behind SMIP with ICC values of about 0.97. Our findings also demonstrated known-groups validity of all TIRE measures, with SMIP and ID yielding larger effect sizes when compared to MIP in distinguishing between subjects of different COPD status. Finally, our analyses confirmed convergent validity for both SMIP and ID, but not MIP. Conclusion The TIRE measures of MIP, SMIP and ID have excellent test–retest reliability and demonstrated known-groups validity in subjects with COPD. SMIP and ID also demonstrated evidence of moderate convergent validity and appear to be more stable measures in this patient population than the traditional MIP.
Prediction performance of individual and ensemble learners for chronic kidney disease

Automating the process of predicting diseases prove assistive and time-saving for a practitioner in the field of medical diagnosis. The accurate prediction of any disease not only helps the patients know about their health but also helps the doctors in medication suggestion well in advance. In today's lifestyle, advance knowledge about health and proper care can add a number of living days to a patient's life. In this paper, the prediction of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is performed using individual and ensemble learners. The experiments are performed on CKD dataset was taken from UCI repository. The three different classifiers from individual classifiers, namely, Naive Bayes(NB), minimal sequential optimization (SMO), J48, and three ensemble classifiers, namely, Random Forest (RF), bagging, AdaBoost respectively are used for prediction. We have used the open source, weka tool, for all the experiments. The results are evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, F-measure and ROC performance measures. The results suggested that the decision tree based individual learner (J48) and random forest from ensemble classifier respectively perform better than the other classifiers.
A 0.18-V 382- $\mu$ W Bluetooth Low-Energy Receiver Front-End With 1.33-nW Sleep Power for Energy-Harvesting Applications in 28-nm CMOS

This paper describes an ultra-low-voltage Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) receiver (RX) front end with an on-chip micropower manager (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula>PM) to customize the internal voltage domains. It aims at direct powering by the sub-0.5-V energy-harvesting sources like the on-body thermoelectric, eliminating the loss and cost of the interim dc–dc converters. Specifically, the RX incorporates: 1) a two-stage power-gating low-noise amplifier with fully on-chip input-impedance matching and passive gain boosting reducing both the active and sleep power; 2) a class-D voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) in parallel with a class-C starter to secure a fast startup; and 3) a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula>PM using ring-VCO-locked charge pumps and bandgap references to withstand the supply-voltage variation (0.18–0.3 V). Fabricated in 28-nm CMOS, the RX operates down to a 0.18-V supply, while exhibiting 11.3-dB NF and −12.5-dBm out-of-band IIP3. The VCO shows < −113 dBc/Hz phase noise at 2.5-MHz offset. The active and sleep power are 382 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{W}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and 1.33 nW, respectively.
Analysis of TCP performance over the PBB-TE during the protection switchover time

Adapting to meet service requirements to users and growth of market in factory automation and health control equipments, network environment is rapidly changing into the reliable and high-quality Internet. TCP is expected to be a solution of the reliable transport protocol. The carrier class transport network is also expected as a solution of the underlying transport network which supports high availability with 50 ms resilience time. This paper analyzes the impact of protection switching on TCP performance over the Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE) network. Our experimental results suggest TCP protocol expected to be set Retransmission Timeout (RTO) to 50 ms or depending on the circumstances of the underlying transport network.
Fetal over- and undernutrition differentially program thyroid axis adaptability in adult sheep

Objective We aimed to test, whether fetal under- or overnutrition differentially program the thyroid axis with lasting effects on energy metabolism, and if early-life postnatal overnutrition modulates implications of prenatal programming. Design Twin-pregnant sheep (n = 36) were either adequately (NORM), under- (LOW; 50% of NORM) or overnourished (HIGH; 150% of energy and 110% of protein requirements) in the last-trimester of gestation. From 3 days-of-age to 6 months-of-age, twin lambs received a conventional (CONV) or an obesogenic, high-carbohydrate high-fat (HCHF) diet. Subgroups were slaughtered at 6-months-of-age. Remaining lambs were fed a low-fat diet until 2½ years-of-age (adulthood). Methods Serum hormone levels were determined at 6 months- and 2½ years-of-age. At 2½ years-of-age, feed intake capacity (intake over 4-h following 72-h fasting) was determined, and an intravenous thyroxine tolerance test (iTTT) was performed, including measurements of heart rate, rectal temperature and energy expenditure (EE). Results In the iTTT, the LOW and nutritionally mismatched NORM:HCHF and HIGH:CONV sheep increased serum T3, T3:T4 and T3:TSH less than NORM:CONV, whereas TSH was decreased less in HIGH, NORM:HCHF and LOW:HCHF. Early postnatal exposure to the HCHF diet decreased basal adult EE in NORM and HIGH, but not LOW, and increased adult feed intake capacity in NORM and LOW, but not HIGH. Conclusions: The iTTT revealed a differential programming of central and peripheral HPT axis function in response to late fetal malnutrition and an early postnatal obesogenic diet, with long-term implications for adult HPT axis adaptability and associated consequences for adiposity risk.
The Relationship between Frequently Used Glucose-Lowering Agents and Gut Microbiota in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Metabolic diseases, especially diabetes mellitus, have become global health issues. The etiology of diabetes mellitus can be attributed to genetic and/or environmental factors. Current evidence suggests the association of gut microbiota with metabolic diseases. However, the effects of glucose-lowering agents on gut microbiota are poorly understood. Several studies revealed that these agents affect the composition and diversity of gut microbiota and consequently improve glucose metabolism and energy balance. Possible underlying mechanisms include affecting gene expression, lowering levels of inflammatory cytokines, and regulating the production of short-chain fatty acids. In addition, gut microbiota may alleviate adverse effects caused by glucose-lowering agents, and this can be especially beneficial in diabetic patients who experience severe gastrointestinal side effects and have to discontinue these agents. In conclusion, gut microbiota may provide a novel viewpoint for the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus.
Performance Analysis of Full-Duplex D2D Communications in Multi-Tier Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Full-duplex (FD) has been considered as a promising technology to significantly improve the spectrum efficiency in 5G networks. Considering the current self-interference cancellation (SIC) techniques, full-duplex is more suitable for device-to-device (D2D) and small cell communications which have small transmission range and low transmit power. However, the interference induced by full-duplex could reduce the performance gain, especially in high density multi-tier HetNets. Naturally, the performance analysis of full-duplex D2D communications in such environment is required. In this work, we present a tractable analytical model based on stochastic geometry. Specifically, the coverage probability and spectrum efficiency of D2D operations in different modes are analyzed considering both perfect SIC and imperfect SIC. And analytical expressions are obtained which are further evaluated by extensive simulations. The results indicate that in high-dense multi-tier HetNets, the increasing number of users transmitting in FD-D2D mode could impair the entire network throughput due to the interference incurred. However, with appropriate choice of proportions of users in different transmission modes, the performance gain of full-duplex D2D communications can be achieved. The results obtained can be helpful for optimal network deployment and operations.
Application of an optimistic concurrency control method

This paper illustrates the implementation feasibility of an optimistic approach to concurrency control. After reviewing the approach and clarifying the underlying algorithms and assumptions, it is applied to the design of a multi‐user version of an existing relational database management system. Two different system architectures for a UNIX UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories. ‐based environment are presented and prototype implementations have been constructed. We also provide some performance statistics on the optimistic approach to concurrency control and compare it with a traditional locking protocol.
A Mouse Model of Beta-Cell Dysfunction as Seen in Human Type 2 Diabetes

Loss of first-phase insulin release is an early pathogenic feature of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Various mouse models exist to study T2D; however, few recapitulate the early β-cell defects seen in humans. We sought to develop a nongenetic mouse model of T2D that exhibits reduced first-phase insulin secretion without a significant deficit in pancreatic insulin content. C57BL/6J mice were fed 10% or 60% fat diet for three weeks, followed by three consecutive, once-daily intraperitoneal injections of the β-cell toxin streptozotocin (STZ; 30, 50, or 75 mg/kg) or vehicle. Four weeks after injections, the first-phase insulin response to glucose was reduced in mice when high-fat diet was combined with 30, 50, or 75 mg/kg STZ. This was accompanied by diminished second-phase insulin release and elevated fed glucose levels. Further, body weight gain, pancreatic insulin content, and β-cell area were decreased in high fat-fed mice treated with 50 and 75 mg/kg STZ, but not 30 mg/kg STZ. Low fat-fed mice were relatively resistant to STZ, with the exception of reduced pancreatic insulin content and β-cell area. Together, these data demonstrate that in high fat-fed mice, three once-daily injections of 30 mg/kg STZ produces a model of β-cell failure without insulin deficiency that may be useful in studies investigating the etiology and progression of human T2D.
The therapeutic impact of new migraine discoveries.

BACKGROUND Migraine is one the most disabling neurological conditions and associates with high socio-economic costs. Though certain aspects of the pathomechanism of migraine are still incompletely understood, the leading hypothesis implicates the role of the activation of the trigeminovascular system. Triptans are considered the current gold standard therapy for migraine attacks; however, their use in clinical practice is limited. Prophylactic treatment includes non-specific approaches for migraine prevention. All these support the need for future studies in order to develop innovative anti-migraine drugs. OBJECTIVE The present study is a review of the current literature regarding new therapeutic lines in migraine research. METHOD A systematic literature search in the database of PUBMED was conducted concerning therapeutic strategies in migraine published until July 2017. RESULTS Ongoing clinical trials with 5-HT1F receptor agonists and glutamate receptor antagonists offer promising new aspects for acute migraine treatment. Monoclonal antibodies against CGRP and the CGRP receptor are revolutionary in preventive treatment; however, further long-term studies are needed to test their tolerability. Preclinical studies show positive results with PACAP- and kynurenic acid-related treatments. Other promising therapeutic strategies (such as those targeting TRPV1, substance P, NOS, or orexin) have failed to show efficacy in clinical trials. CONCLUSION Due to their side-effects, current therapeutic approaches are not suitable for all migraine patients. Especially frequent episodic and chronic migraine represents a therapeutic challenge for researchers. Clinical and preclinical studies are needed to untangle the pathophysiology of migraine in order to develop new and migraine-specific therapies.
Impact of fish consumption by subjects with prediabetes on the metabolic risk factors: using data in the 2015 (6th) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The effects of fish consumption by subjects with prediabetes on the metabolic risk factors were examined based on the data from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys in 2015. SUBJECTS/METHODS A total of 1,520 subjects who agreed to participate in a blood test and dietary intake survey were divided into a prediabetes group and normal blood glucose group, and the level of the subjects' fish consumption was divided into ≤ 17.0 g/day, 18.0–93.0 g/day, and ≥ 94 g/day. The correlation between the level of fish intake and the metabolic risk factors was evaluated by multinomial logistic regression analysis. RESULTS A significant difference in the gender distribution was observed in the prediabetes group, which is a group with a high risk of non-communicable diseases, according to the fish intake, and there were significant differences in the total energy intake, protein intake, n-3 fatty acids intake, and the intakes of sodium and micro-nutrients according to the intake group (P < 0.05). In addition, the blood total cholesterol (TC) decreased 0.422 fold in model 1 (unadjusted) [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.211–0.845] and 0.422 fold in model 2 (adjusted for sex) (95% CI: 0.210–0.846) in those with a fish intake of 18.0–93.0 g/day (P < 0.05) compared to those with a fish intake of ≤ 17.0 g/day. The blood TC decreased 0.555 fold (95% CI: 0.311–0.989) in model 1 and 0.549 fold (95% CI: 0.302–0.997) in model 2 in those with a fish intake of ≥ 94 g/day compared to those with a fish intake of ≤ 17.0 g/day (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Subjects with prediabetes or the metabolic risk factors can maintain their blood low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and blood TC concentrations at the optimal level by consuming fish (18.0–93.0 g/day).
Graph complexity analysis identifies an ETV5 tumor-specific network in human and murine low-grade glioma

Conventional differential expression analyses have been successfully employed to identify genes whose levels change across experimental conditions. One limitation of this approach is the inability to discover central regulators that control gene expression networks. In addition, while methods for identifying central nodes in a network are widely implemented, the bioinformatics validation process and the theoretical error estimates that reflect the uncertainty in each step of the analysis are rarely considered. Using the betweenness centrality measure, we identified Etv5 as a potential tissue-level regulator in murine neurofibromatosis type 1 (Nf1) low-grade brain tumors (optic gliomas). As such, the expression of Etv5 and Etv5 target genes were increased in multiple independently-generated mouse optic glioma models relative to non-neoplastic (normal healthy) optic nerves, as well as in the cognate human tumors (pilocytic astrocytoma) relative to normal human brain. Importantly, differential Etv5 and Etv5 network expression was not directly the result of Nf1 gene dysfunction in specific cell types, but rather reflects a property of the tumor as an aggregate tissue. Moreover, this differential Etv5 expression was independently validated at the RNA and protein levels. Taken together, the combined use of network analysis, differential RNA expression findings, and experimental validation highlights the potential of the computational network approach to provide new insights into tumor biology.
Severe Dyspnea Is an Independent Predictor of Readmission or Death in COPD Patients Surviving Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure in the ICU

Background: Predicting outcome after index admission in the ICU for COPD-related acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF) is difficult. Simple tools to stratify this risk and to promote interventions to mitigate it are needed. Aim: To prospectively evaluate the ability of severe dyspnea (NYHAIII-IV) to predict hospital readmission or death in COPD patients surviving AHRF in the ICU. Methods: 50 consecutive COPD patients were recruited from a larger cohort of patients (n = 78) surviving AHRF in the ICU. All predictive variables were collected within 15 days after resolution of respiratory failure before hospital discharge. COPD was diagnosed by spirometry. Heart failure was diagnosed with clinical rules and echocardiography. NYHA was measured upon hospital discharge. Hospital readmission and death were recorded at regular intervals for 3 months. Results: 21/50 (42%) COPD patients died or were readmitted to the hospital during the observation period: 12 out of the 20 NYHA III-IV patients (60%) and 8 out of the 28 NYHA I-II patients (29%). NYHA III-IV was associated with risk of readmission or death (univariate HR: 2.73, IC95: 1.11–6.69, p = 0.028). After controlling for age, FEV1, heart failure and BMI, NYHA III-IV remained associated with readmission or death (multivariate HR: 2.71, IC95: 1.06–6.93, p = 0.038). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that severe dyspnea measured upon hospital discharge in COPD patients surviving AHRF can stratify patient's risk of 3-month readmission or death.
Malvertising: A case study based on analysis of possible solutions

Malware can be defined as a malicious program which has been created for a definite motive of harming the Computer System operations or data. Different malicious program created for this intent include viruses, Trojans, spywares, backdoors, adware, worms, rootkits, bots etc. Quite often Malware are laces with online advertisement which is also called as Malvertising. In simple words serving malware though or with the support of advertisements is known as Malvertising In the modern era where network security is directly proportional to revenue in various sectors such as advertisement, it is highly important to perceive and promote ways and means to detect and remove malicious programs such as malware and Malvertising; which hinder this advertisement market to a colossal extent. Hence, this paper attempts to perform a case study on Malvertising and analyze its possible solutions. The attempt start with trying to find a suitable and robust definition to a few computer security terms related to Malvertising. Next, the background of the paper presents two different notions which depict the present situation in terms of online security for malicious advertisement. Finally, the solutions segment cites two different approach which has the potential to stop this malaise and a logical analysis is performed.