Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Easing Forever? Financialisation and the Institutional Legitimacy of the Federal Reserve’s Unconventional Monetary Policy

ABSTRACT Scholars of financialisation have argued that the emergence of finance-led grow regimes requires new instruments for effective conduct of economic policy. In this scholarship, central banks have been seen as the most promising actors to utilise one of the most synergetic policies, the maintenance of high and stable prices of financial assets. Since the financial crisis of 2007–8, central banks of the developed world have adopted various unconventional monetary policy measures that serve this function. But will these unconventional measures become institutionally legitimate and institutionalised as conventional practice, as suggested necessary by scholars of financialisation? In this paper, we answer to this question by studying the institutional legitimation of the Federal Reserve’s Quantiative Easing (QE) programmes. We argue that the QE programmes have been legitimated successfully but with institutional legitimation strategies, which cause institutional pressures that question the potential of QE from becoming a regular policy instrument and practice.
Childhood overweight and obesity amongst primary school children in Hai Phong City, Vietnam.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Childhood obesity is a rising health concern in Vietnam, however, research in this area is not extensive. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, and to study associations between weight status and selected lifestyle factors, such as diet and physical activity levels, among children aged 6-10 years in Hai Phong City, Vietnam. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN Two hundred and seventy-six children from an urban and a rural primary school participated in this cross-sectional study. Data on weight, height and waist circumference were used to calculate BMI, and waist-height ratio to determine the proportion of children who were overweight, obese and had high central adiposity. Information on diet, physical activity and socioeconomic status of families was collected using questionnaires. RESULTS Prevalences of overweight, obesity and high abdominal adiposity were 11.2%, 10.1% and 19.9%, respectively. Children who completed >=60 minutes of physical activity daily were 50% and 80% less likely to be overweight and have high abdominal adiposity, respectively. Computer usage increased the odds of overweight and high abdominal adiposity by 4.5 and 3.9 times, respectively. Mothers with higher education and income levels increased the risk of their children being overweight (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Physical inactivity and high maternal education and income levels increased the risk of childhood overweight and obesity in this cohort. Future interventions should target parents and their children by providing both with educational modules centred on healthy eating habits, parental feeding practices and strategies for increasing physical activity.
First records of dive durations for a hibernating sea turtle

The first published record, from the early 1970s, of hibernation in sea turtles is based on the reports of the indigenous Indians and fishermen from Mexico, who hunted dormant green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Gulf of California. However, there were no successful attempts to investigate the biology of this particular behaviour further. Hence, data such as the exact duration and energetic requirements of dormant winter submergences are lacking. We used new satellite relay data loggers to obtain the first records of up to 7 h long dives of a loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) overwintering in Greek waters. These represent the longest dives ever reported for a diving marine vertebrate. There is strong evidence that the dives were aerobic, because the turtle surfaced only for short intervals and before the calculated oxygen stores were depleted. This evidence suggests that the common belief that sea turtles hibernate underwater, as some freshwater turtles do, is incorrect.
Gene Expression Dynamics During Germline Specification in Mice Identified by Quantitative Single-Cell Gene Expression Profiling1

Abstract Germ cell fate in mice is induced in proximal epiblast cells at Embryonic Day (E) 6.5 by signaling molecules. Prdm1(also known as Blimp1)-positive lineage-restricted precursors of primordial germ cells (PGCs) initiate the formation of a cluster that differentiates into Dppa3 (also known as stella)-positive PGCs from around E7.0 onwards in the extra-embryonic mesoderm. Around E7.5, these PGCs begin migrating towards the definitive endoderm, with concomitant extensive epigenetic reprogramming. To gain a more precise insight into the mechanism of PGC specification and its subsequent development, we exploited quantitative, single-cell, gene expression profiling to explore gene expression dynamics during the 36 h of PGC differentiation from E6.75 to E8.25, in comparison with the corresponding profiles of somatic neighbors. This analysis revealed that the transitions from Prdm1-positive PGC precursors to Dppa3-positive PGCs and to more advanced migrating PGCs involve a highly dynamic, stage-dependent transcriptional orchestration that begins with the regaining of the pluripotency-associated gene network, followed by stepwise activation of PGC-specific genes, differential repression of the somatic mesodermal program, as well as potential modulations of signal transduction capacities and unique control of epigenetic regulators. The information presented here regarding the cascade of events involved in PGC development should serve as a basis for detailed functional analyses of the gene products associated with this process, as well as for appropriate reconstitution of PGCs and their descendant cells in culture.
Cytopathogenicity of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in porcine tracheal ring and lung explant organ cultures alone and in combination with monolayer cultures of fetal lung fibroblasts

Porcine tracheal rings and lung explants alone and in combination with monolayer cultures of porcine lung fibroblasts (PLF) were separately inoculated with virulent strains of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and incubated at various times. The preparations were observed by bright-field, phase-contrast, and scanning electron microscopy. In PLF cultures, the strains at initial concentrations of 10(1.3) colony-forming units/ml increased within 3 days to 10(6) colony-forming units/ml, showed progressive clustering on the cells, and caused some sloughing. Introduction of a tracheal ring or lung explant into these mycoplasma-infected PLF cultures caused the explant to lose its epithelial ciliary motility. Eventually parts or whole cells of the respective ciliated epithelium were lost. Without infected PLF monolayers, the explants inoculated with M. hyopneumoniae were less susceptible to infection. When uninfected explants were incubated for 18 days or kept in stock for 2 months, they did not show the above changes. With 5 h postinoculation, M. hyopneumoniae cultures became intimately associated with the PLF culture, but when epithelial cell sloughing occurred, the mycoplasmal cells became dependent on the introduction of a fresh PLF monolayer or a tracheal or lung explant for survival.
Biochemical and Structural Analysis of the Bacillus subtilis ABC Transporter OpuA and Its Isolated Subunits

Adaptation of microorganisms to changing osmotic conditions is a prerequisite for survival and cellular vitality for most microorganisms. In the Gram-positive soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis, five transport systems catalyze the uptake of compatible solutes across the plasma membrane that allow the growth of B. subtilis over a wide range of osmotic conditions. Focus of this review is the osmoprotectant uptake A (OpuA) transporter, a member of the family of substrate-binding protein (SBP)-dependent ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters that mediates the uptake of the compatible solutes glycine betaine and proline betaine. OpuA is composed of three subunits: a nucleotide-binding domain (OpuAA) located in the cytosol, a transmembrane domain (OpuAB), and a SBP (OpuAC), which binds glycine betaine and proline betaine with high specificity and targets it to OpuAB for ATP-dependent translocation across the plasma membrane. After a brief introduction in the field of bacterial osmoadaptation, we will summarize our recent findings about the biochemical and structural analysis of the components of the OpuA systems. Our studies covered both the isolated subunits of the OpuA transporter and initial investigations of the whole transporter in vitro.
Quantification of Leishmania infantum DNA by a Real-Time PCR Assay with High Sensitivity

ABSTRACT A real-time PCR was developed to quantify Leishmania infantum kinetoplast DNA and optimized to reach a sensitivity of 0.0125 parasites/ml of blood. In order to analyze the incidence of heterogeneity and number of minicircles, we performed comparative PCR by using the Leishmania DNA polymerase gene as a reporter. Assays performed in both promastigote and amastigote stages showed variations among different L. infantum and Leishmania donovani strains and the stability of the minicircle numbers for a particular strain. Analysis of blood samples from a patient who presented with Mediterranean visceral leishmaniasis confirmed the reliability of such an assay for Leishmania quantification in biological samples and allowed an estimation of positivity thresholds of classical tests used for direct diagnosis of the disease; positivity thresholds were in the range of 18 to 42, 0.7 to 42, and 0.12 to 22.5 parasites/ml for microscopic examination, culture, and conventional PCR, respectively. At the time of diagnosis, parasitemia could vary by a wide range (32 to 188,700 parasites/ml, with a median of 837 parasites/ml), while in bone marrow, parasite load was more than 100 parasites per 106 nucleated human cells. After successful therapy, parasitemia levels remain lower than 1 parasite/ml. In the immunocompromised host, relapses correlate with an increase in the level of parasitemia, sometimes scanty, justifying the need for assays with high sensitivity. Such sensitivity allows the detection of Leishmania DNA in the blood of 21% of patients with no history of leishmaniasis living in the Marseilles area, where leishmaniasis is endemic. This technique may be useful for epidemiologic and diagnostic purposes, especially for the quantification of parasitemia at low levels during posttherapy follow-up.
Leveraging the Delay-Friendliness of TCP With FEC Coding in Real-Time Video Communication

Transmission control protocol (TCP) is pervasively employed as the transport-layer solution in popular video applications (e.g., Skype, Google+, HTTP-based adaptive video streaming, etc.) for firewall traversal and network-friendliness. To remedy the shortcomings of the data retransmission mechanism in TCP, forward error correction (FEC) coding is commonly used as the application-layer error-resilient scheme in live media streaming systems. An important measurement study reveals that TCP exhibits delay-friendliness (i.e., delay-performance bias) towards traffic flows composed of small-size packets. Motivated by leveraging the delay-friendliness of TCP to optimize the real-time streaming video quality, we propose a novel FEC coding scheme dubbed Coded Live vide OStreaming ov Er TCP (CLOSET). To achieve the optimal video quality over the lossy communication networks, we analytically formulate the constrained optimization problem of joint FEC coding and packet interleaving to minimize the effective packet loss rate. Then, we provide an approximate analysis to derive the solution for online adaption of FEC redundancy, packet size, and interleaving level. The performance of CLOSET is evaluated through extensive semi-physical emulations in Exata involving real-time encoded H.264 video streaming. Experimental results show that CLOSET outperforms the reference FEC coding schemes in terms of video peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), end-to-end delay, ratio of overdue video frames, and goodput. Therefore, we recommend CLOSET for TCP-based real-time video communication systems.
Modeling Stock Returns Volatility in Nigeria: Applications of GARCH Family Models

This study examines volatility and its stylized facts in Nigerian stock market using daily quotations of Guinness Plc and 7UP Plc stock prices for the period 2 nd January 1995 to 31 st December, 2016. The study employs basic GARCH (1,1) to examine the symmetric properties of the series while the asymmetric EGARCH (1,1) and Asymmetric Power ARCH, APACH (1,1) are employed to investigate asymmetry and leverage effects in the return series. The results of symmetric GARCH (1,1) shows volatility clustering, high persistence of shocks and mean reverting behaviour for both returns. The results of the asymmetric EGARCH (1,1) and asymmetric power ARCH, APARCH (1,1) showed the presence of asymmetry with absence of leverage effects in Guinness Plc stock returns and the presence of asymmetry and leverage effects in 7UP Plc stock returns. This result suggests that positive shocks increase volatility more than negative shocks of the same magnitude in Guinness Plc whereas negative shocks generate more volatility than positive shocks of the same magnitude in 7UP Plc returns. The choice of heavy-tailed distributions (GED and student's t) in Original Research Article Jatau et al.; AJEBA, 9(1): 1-12, 2018; Article no.AJEBA. 39861 2 estimating volatility in this study confirmed the existence of fat tails in Nigerian stock returns. The study recommends some policy implications for investors and policymakers in Nigerian stock market.
Dopaminergic responsivity in alcoholism: trait, state, or residual marker?

OBJECTIVE In order to classify neuroendocrine abnormalities in alcohol-dependent patients as trait, state, or residual markers, growth hormone (GH) secretion was assessed longitudinally. METHOD GH secretion, stimulated by the dopaminergic agonist apomorphine, was evaluated in 21 alcohol-dependent patients (16 men, five women) and 10 healthy comparison subjects (eight men, two women). The patients were tested during early withdrawal, after 8 days of abstinence, and after 3 months. RESULTS Patients who relapsed within 3 months (N = 8) showed significantly less GH secretion in all neuroendocrine tests than did either the patients who abstained from ethanol consumption for 6 months (N = 13) or the healthy comparison subjects. The relapsers and abstainers did not differ significantly in any of their clinical or pathophysiological data, in the severity of their withdrawal symptoms, or in antecedent or concomitant illnesses associated with alcoholism. CONCLUSIONS GH blunting appears to be a residual marker of clinical relevance in alcoholism.
"There’s Nothing Standardized About Being Human": The Impact of Education Policy Reform on Experienced English Teachers in a Rural High School

Education reforms have transformed the teaching profession into a business model that uses standardized test scores as capital. Failure to deliver projected scores results in punishments for teachers and schools under increased accountability measures. In this climate, job satisfaction is low, and teachers across the nation are leaving their classrooms. However, one rural high school presents as an anomaly because there has been no turnover within the English department, where each staff member has been teaching a minimum of five years. The purpose of this study was to learn how experienced secondary English teachers are impacted by education policy reform, and to find out why they stay in the profession in the context of neoliberal education. Through dialogic interviews with five English teachers and data analysis using the constant comparative method, it was determined that educational reforms have had a negative effect on teachers, and that teachers remain in their positions because their administrator mediates reforms and shields them from oppressive dehumanization. Additional research is needed to explore the effective practices of a principal who can mediate policy to prevent the mass exodus of teachers.
The E6/E7 promoter of human papillomavirus type 16 is activated in the absence of E2 proteins by a sequence-aberrant Sp1 distal element

The E6/E7 promoter of all genital human papillomaviruses is responsible for expression of the viral transforming genes. Centered 60 bp upstream of the transcription start, it contains a 20-bp segment with partially overlapping binding sites for the viral E2 proteins and for a cellular factor that was identified by footprint experiments. Bandshifts, bandshift competitions, and footprints revealed that protein complexes between nuclear extracts and these sequences have binding properties indistinguishable from those of the Sp1 factor that binds the simian virus 40 early promoter GC motif. Reactions of these complexes with anti-Sp1 antiserum were analyzed by superbandshifts and precipitation with protein A, and the results confirmed the identity of this transcription factor as Sp1. Sp1 binds in simian virus 40 and different human papillomavirus promoters the consensus sequence 5'-NGGNGN-3'. RNase protection analysis of in vitro or in vivo transcriptions with wild-type and mutant test vectors shows that the E6/E7 promoter of human papillomavirus type 16 is functionally dependent on the Sp1 distal promoter element. In all genital papillomaviruses, the Sp1 hexamer is invariably spaced by a single nucleotide from the distal E2 element, suggesting some precise interaction between Sp1 and E2 proteins. Published experimental evidence documents negative regulation of the E6/E7 promoter by E2 proteins through the proximal E2 element, whereas only minor quantitative differences in E6/E7 promoter function after cotransfection with E2 expression vectors were observed in this study. A detailed study of the interactions of Sp1 and E2 proteins with one another and with the corresponding three binding sites may reveal a complex modulation of this promoter.
CYLD – a deubiquitylase that acts to fine-tune microtubule properties and functions

ABSTRACT Microtubules are dynamic structures that are crucially involved in a variety of cellular activities. The dynamic properties and functions of microtubules are regulated by various factors, such as tubulin isotype composition and microtubule-binding proteins. Initially identified as a deubiquitylase with tumor-suppressing functions, the protein cylindromatosis (CYLD) has recently been revealed to interact with microtubules, modulate microtubule dynamics, and participate in the regulation of cell migration, cell cycle progression, chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity and ciliogenesis. These findings have greatly enriched our understanding of the roles of CYLD in physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we focus on recent literature that shows how CYLD impacts on microtubule properties and functions in various biological processes, and discuss the challenges we face when interpreting results obtained from different experimental systems. Summary: This Commentary focuses on recent literature that shows how CYLD impacts on microtubule properties and functions, and discusses the challenges we face when interpreting results obtained from different experimental systems.
Carrying Capacity and Dem Stochasticity : Scaling Beha Stochastic Logistic Model

The stochastic logistic model is the sim demography with density dependence. It ex biodiversity of competing species, as well persistence of individual species. The model h disease models. The stochastic logistic mode similarity in ecological systems. This paper u scaling relationship for the persistence of a implications for models of biodiversity and pe the stochastic logistic model is approximat U=(R&1) N R(R+1), where N is the habita ] 2000 Academic Press
Modeling and observation of temperature changes in Vivo using MRI

Models have been developed for the signal changes occurring in human peripheral muscle after thermal stress for some methods of measuring temperature in vivo. These include the dependency of T1, on temperature, observed by both direct, and magnetization transfer, experiments, and the temperature sensitivity of the diffusion coefficient and the chemical shift of the water proton line. Results show the relative complexity of the T1‐dependent models when there are significant variations in, possibly amongst other things, tissue perfusion, and how the predictions made using them match the behavior of the practical values quite well. Using changes in the diffusion coefficient appears less problematic, although there can still be significant errors in temperature calibrations. The problems with this approach are likely to be due to the consequences of anisotropy in tissue.
Volumetric 3 D Tracking by Detection Supplementary Material

During tracking, forests predict the correspondences that lie on the generic template Ŝ and one has to revert it back to the cell index on the subject-specific template S. We assume users know the tracking subject, i.e. μ is known. Since g is constructed by nearest neighbor search, leading to a many-to-one function, the inverse mapping (gμ)−1 is by nature ill-defined. We therefore resort to a probabilistic formulation. Specifically, given a predicted cell ŝ on the common template Ŝ , all the possible s ∈ S being mapped to ŝ are taken into account. When they are used to construct the least-square-based energy formulations, we weight them differently according to their distances to ŝ in the skinning-weight space. This strategy fits naturally to the EM-ICP framework presented in § 4.2 of the main paper.
A retrospective cohort study of the risk of tuberculosis among women of childbearing age with HIV infection in Zaire.

To determine the risk of active tuberculosis associated with HIV infection, we retrospectively studied a cohort of HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative women participating in an HIV perinatal transmission study in Kinshasa, Zaire. After a median follow-up of 32 months, new cases of proven pulmonary or clinically diagnosed tuberculosis occurred in 19 of the 249 HIV-seropositive women (7.6%, 3.1 cases per 100 person-years) compared with 1 of the 310 HIV-seronegative women (0.3%, 0.12 cases per 100 person-years), for a relative risk of 26 (95% confidence interval, 5 to 125). Proven pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed in 7 HIV-seropositive women (2.8%, 1.2 cases per 100 person-years) and 1 HIV-seronegative woman (0.3%, 0.12 cases per 100 person-years), for a relative risk of 10 (95% confidence interval, 1.5 to 47). We estimated that 66 cases of proven pulmonary tuberculosis in 100,000 person-years of follow-up in women of childbearing age could be attributed to HIV; this is 35% of their estimated total incidence of proven pulmonary tuberculosis. Among those followed for 2 yr, 27 (11%) of 243 HIV-seropositive women died during 2 yr of follow-up compared with none of 296 HIV-seronegative women (p less than 0.001). In HIV-seropositive women with proven or clinically diagnosed tuberculosis mortality was even higher: 5 (26%) of the 19 HIV-seropositive women with proven pulmonary or clinically diagnosed tuberculosis died during follow-up compared with 22 (10%) of the 224 HIV-seropositive women not diagnosed as having tuberculosis (relative risk 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 6.3). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)