Foreign Exchange Rate and Economic Growth: The Case of Hong Kong

The relationship between the exchange rate and the real GDP of Hong Kong in the long period from 1955 to 2015 is investigated using a structural VAR model. The mutual effect of the two variables is studied in three periods: The results indicate that there is no obvious relationship between the exchange rate and real GDP before Hong Kong’s economy booming. However, a significant positive correlation is found in the sample of 1975–1998, which is associated with the output increases. The direction between the exchange rate and real GDP becomes negative after 1998. In addition, based on Granger causality test, we found the exchange rate could Granger causes GDP after 1975, but there is no Granger causality connection between the two variables before 1975

Firearms on College Campuses: Research Evidence nad Policy Implications

This report reviews the evidence surrounding the relationship between civilian gun carrying and violent crime and mass shootings and factors that are unique to public safety on college campuses. Policies removing restrictions on civilian gun carrying are based on claims or assumptions about civilian gun use, the impact of state Right-to-Carry (RTC) laws, and the nature of mass shootings that are not supported by or are contrary to the best available research. The incidence of civilian self-defensive gun use (SDGU) is difficult to discern as available data are based on self-report, and distinguishing aggressor from victim in interpersonal altercations can be highly subjective. Nonetheless, data from the National Crime Victimization Survey indicate that SDGU is relatively rare (about 102,000 self-reported incidents per year affecting 0.9% of all violent crime victimizations) and is no more effective in reducing victims' risk of injury than other victim responses to attempted violent crimes. Research led by John Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime, suggesting that RTC laws prevent violent crime has important flaws that biased his findings. The most recent and rigorous research on RTC laws that corrects for these flaws consistently finds that RTC laws are associated with more violent crime. These findings may seem counterintuitive because concealed-carry permit holders have, as a group, low rates of criminal offending and must pass a background check to ensure that they do not have any condition, such as a felony conviction, that prohibits firearm ownership. But, in states with low standards for legal gun ownership, legal gun owners account for the majority of persons incarcerated for committing violent crimes with firearms

Victimización (Bullying) según enfoque de género en adolescentes escolares de Huamanga y Sicuani

Introduction. School victimization is a current problem in Peru. Gender approach in analysis allows the adaptation of differentiated intervention strategies. Objective. To determine the risk factors for victimization according to gender approach in school adolescents from cities of Huamanga and Sicuani. Design. Analytical cross-sectional observational. Participants. 1160 students from first to fifth grade from two schools (private and public) in Huamanga and Sicuani. Intervention. Validated survey to identify victims of bullying. Analysis. Desciptive, chi-square, OR (95% CI) and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The SPSS vs. 15 program was used. Main outcome measures. Percentage and risk factors for school victimization. Results. 37.3% of students were found victims. In male gender, “has witnessed a violent act” 1.72 (1.122 - 2.636); in female gender “to live with one of parent” 1.682 (1.072 - 2.641); “live in Huamanga” 1.767 (1.119 - 2.790); and in both genders “having a physical defect” and “parents react with violence when they misbehave” were the most important risk factors. The most reported forms of victimization in both genders were “they gave you nicknames” and “you have been discriminated against”. Direct forms such as “they called you homosexual” and “you have been beaten” prevailed in men, and indirect forms in women. Conclusions. The school victimization is an important problem.  In female gender is related to individual and family characteristics and in male gender to school safety. The direct forms of victimization are related to male gender.Introducción. La victimización escolar es un problema vigente en el Perú. El enfoque de género en el análisis de sus características permitirá adaptar estrategias de intervención diferenciadas. Objetivo. Determinar los factores de riesgo de victimización según enfoque de género en adolescentes escolares de las ciudades de Huamanga y Sicuani. Diseño. Estudio observacional transversal analítico. Participantes. 1160 alumnos de primero a quinto de secundaria de dos colegios (privado y público) en Huamanga y Sicuani. Intervención. Encuesta validada para identificar víctimas de bullying. Análisis. Descriptivo, chi-cuadrado, OR (IC95%) y análisis multivariado de regresión logística. Se utilizó SPSS v. 15. Principales medidas de resultados. Porcentaje y factores de riesgo de victimización escolar. Resultados. El 37,3% de estudiantes fueron victimizados. En varones, “ha presenciado algún acto violento” 1,72 (1,122 – 2,636); en mujeres “vivir con uno de los padres” 1,682 (1,072 – 2,641); en “Huamanga” 1,767 (1,119 – 2,790); en ambos sexos “tener algún defecto físico” y “padres reaccionan con violencia cuando se portan mal” fueron los factores de riesgo más importantes. Formas de victimización más reportadas en ambos sexos fueron “te pusieron apodos” y “has sido discriminado”. Predominó en varones, las formas directas como “te llamaron homosexual” y “has sido golpeado”; y en mujeres las indirectas. Conclusiones. La victimización escolar es problema importante. En mujeres estuvo asociada con características individuales y familiares; y en varones con la seguridad escolar. Las formas directas de victimización se relacionaron con varones

The Story of Here: A Graphic Guide to Holy Cross and College Hill

This illustrated guide captures the history of the section of Worcester where the College of the Holy Cross is located. Historical sources and imaginative interpretations based on historical research are combined to create a unique then and now approach and experience of double vision to tell the story of College Hill. This guide was a project of Montserrat Seminar 111N, taught by Prof. Sarah Luria in Spring 2020.https://crossworks.holycross.edu/hc_books/1051/thumbnail.jp

General statistical scaling laws for stability in ecological systems

Ecological stability refers to a family of concepts used to describe how systems of interacting species vary through time and respond to disturbances. Because observed ecological stability depends on sampling scales and environmental context, it is notoriously difficult to compare measurements across sites and systems. Here, we apply stochastic dynamical systems theory to derive general statistical scaling relationships across time, space, and ecological level of organisation for three fundamental stability aspects: resilience, resistance, and invariance. These relationships can be calibrated using random or representative samples measured at individual scales, and projected to predict average stability at other scales across a wide range of contexts. Moreover deviations between observed vs. extrapolated scaling relationships can reveal information about unobserved heterogeneity across time, space, or species. We anticipate that these methods will be useful for cross-study synthesis of stability data, extrapolating measurements to unobserved scales, and identifying underlying causes and consequences of heterogeneity

Children's voices-differentiating a child perspective from a child's perspective

OBJECTIVE : The aim of this paper was to discuss differences between having a child perspective and taking the child's perspective based on the problem being investigated. METHODS : Conceptual paper based on narrative review. RESULTS : The child's perspective in research concerning children that need additional support are important. The difference between having a child perspective and taking the child's perspective in conjunction with the need to know children's opinions has been discussed in the literature. From an ideological perspective the difference between the two perspectives seems self-evident, but the perspectives might be better seen as different ends on a continuum solely from an adult's view of children to solely the perspective of children themselves. Depending on the research question, the design of the study may benefit from taking either perspective. In this article, we discuss the difference between the perspectives based on the problem being investigated, children's capacity to express opinions, environmental adaptations and the degree of interpretation needed to understand children's opinions. CONCLUSION : The examples provided indicate that children's opinions can be regarded in most research, although to different degrees.http://informahealthcare.com/journal/pdr2016-06-30hb201

High-throughput gene discovery in the rat

The rat is an important animal model for human diseases and is widely used in physiology. In this article we present a new strategy for gene discovery based on the production of ESTs from serially subtracted and normalized cDNA libraries, and we describe its application for the development of a comprehensive nonredundant collection of rat ESTs. Our new strategy appears to yield substantially more EST clusters per ESTs sequenced than do previous approaches that did not use serial subtraction. However, multiple rounds of library subtraction resulted in high frequencies of otherwise rare internally primed cDNAs, defining the limits of this powerful approach. To date, we have generated >200,000 3′ ESTs from >100 cDNA libraries representing a wide range of tissues and developmental stages of the laboratory rat. Most importantly, we have contributed to ∼50,000 rat UniGene clusters. We have identified, arrayed, and derived 5′ ESTs from >30,000 unique rat cDNA clones. Complete information, including radiation hybrid mapping data, is also maintained locally at http://genome.uiowa.edu/clcg.html. All of the sequences described in this article have been submitted to the dbEST division of the NCBI

Discovering Argumentative Patterns in Energy Polylogues: A Macroscope for Argument Mining

A macroscope is proposed and tested here for the discovery of the unique argumentative footprint that characterizes how a collective (e.g., group, online community) manages differences and pursues disagreement through argument in a polylogue. The macroscope addresses broader analytic problems posed by various conceptualizations of large-scale argument, such as fields, spheres, communities, and institutions. The design incorporates a two-tier methodology for detecting argument patterns of the arguments performed in arguing by an interactive collective that produces views, or topographies, of the ways that issues are generated in the making and defending of standpoints. The design premises for the macroscope build on insights about argument patterns from pragma-dialectical theory by incorporating research and theory on disagreement management and the Argumentum Model of Topics. The design reconceptualizes prototypical and stereotypical argument patterns for characterizing large-scale argumentation. A prototype of the macroscope is tested on data drawn from six threads about oil-drilling and fracking from the subreddit Changemyview. The implementation suggests the efficacy of the macroscope’s design and potential for identifying what communities make controversial and how the disagreement space in a polylogue is managed through stereotypical argument patterns in terms of claims/premises, inferential relations, and presentational devices

Quantifying neutralising antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 in dried blood spots (DBS) and paired sera

The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was initially managed by non-pharmaceutical interventions such as diagnostic testing, isolation of positive cases, physical distancing and lockdowns. The advent of vaccines has provided crucial protection against SARS-CoV-2. Neutralising antibody (nAb) responses are a key correlate of protection, and therefore measuring nAb responses is essential for monitoring vaccine efficacy. Fingerstick dried blood spots (DBS) are ideal for use in large-scale sero-surveillance because they are inexpensive, offer the option of self-collection and can be transported and stored at ambient temperatures. Such advantages also make DBS appealing to use in resource-limited settings and in potential future pandemics. In this study, nAb responses in sera, venous blood and fingerstick blood stored on filter paper were measured. Samples were collected from SARS-CoV-2 acutely infected individuals, SARS-CoV-2 convalescent individuals and SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated individuals. Good agreement was observed between the nAb responses measured in eluted DBS and paired sera. Stability of nAb responses was also observed in sera stored on filter paper at room temperature for 28 days. Overall, this study provides support for the use of filter paper as a viable sample collection method to study nAb responses.</p

Procalcitonin Is Not a Reliable Biomarker of Bacterial Coinfection in People With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Undergoing Microbiological Investigation at the Time of Hospital Admission

Abstract Admission procalcitonin measurements and microbiology results were available for 1040 hospitalized adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (from 48 902 included in the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium World Health Organization Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK study). Although procalcitonin was higher in bacterial coinfection, this was neither clinically significant (median [IQR], 0.33 [0.11–1.70] ng/mL vs 0.24 [0.10–0.90] ng/mL) nor diagnostically useful (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.56 [95% confidence interval, .51–.60]).</jats:p