The anatomy of sovereign risk contagion

The channels for the cross-border propagation of sovereign risk in the international sovereign debt market are analysed. Identifying sovereign credit events as extraordinary jumps in CDS spreads, we distinguish between the immediate effects of such events and their longer term spillover effects. To analyse “fast and furious” contagion, we use daily CDS data to conduct event studies around a total of 89 identified credit events in a global country sample. To analyse “slow-burn” spillover effects, we apply a multifactor risk model, distinguishing between global and regional risk factors. We find that “fast and furious” contagion has been primarily a regional phenomenon, whilst “slow-burn” spillover effects can often be global in scope, especially those of the recent European debt crisis. The global risk factors are found to be driven by investor risk appetites and debt levels, whilst the regional factors depend on economic fundamentals of countries within a region

Hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex combine path integration signals for successful navigation

The current study used fMRI in humans to examine goal-directed navigation in an open field environment. We designed a task that required participants to encode survey-level spatial information and subsequently navigate to a goal location in either first person, third person, or survey perspectives. Critically, no distinguishing landmarks or goal location markers were present in the environment, thereby requiring participants to rely on path integration mechanisms for successful navigation. We focused our analysis on mechanisms related to navigation and mechanisms tracking linear distance to the goal location. Successful navigation required translation of encoded survey-level map information for orientation and implementation of a planned route to the goal. Our results demonstrate that successful first and third person navigation trials recruited the anterior hippocampus more than trials when the goal location was not successfully reached. When examining only successful trials, the retrosplenial and posterior parietal cortices were recruited for goal-directed navigation in both first person and third person perspectives. Unique to first person perspective navigation, the hippocampus was recruited to path integrate self-motion cues with location computations toward the goal location. Last, our results demonstrate that the hippocampus supports goal-directed navigation by actively tracking proximity to the goal throughout navigation. When using path integration mechanisms in first person and third person perspective navigation, the posterior hippocampus was more strongly recruited as participants approach the goal. These findings provide critical insight into the neural mechanisms by which we are able to use map-level representations of our environment to reach our navigational goals

Answer Set Programming Modulo `Space-Time'

We present ASP Modulo `Space-Time', a declarative representational and computational framework to perform commonsense reasoning about regions with both spatial and temporal components. Supported are capabilities for mixed qualitative-quantitative reasoning, consistency checking, and inferring compositions of space-time relations; these capabilities combine and synergise for applications in a range of AI application areas where the processing and interpretation of spatio-temporal data is crucial. The framework and resulting system is the only general KR-based method for declaratively reasoning about the dynamics of `space-time' regions as first-class objects. We present an empirical evaluation (with scalability and robustness results), and include diverse application examples involving interpretation and control tasks

Metatarsophalangeal joint pain in psoriatic arthritis: a cross-sectional study

Methods. Thirty-four consecutive patients with PsA (mean age 45.3 years, 65% female, mean disease duration 9.9 years) and 22 control participants (mean age 37.9 years, 64% female) underwent clinical and US examination to determine the presence of pain, swelling, synovitis, erosions, effusions and submetatarsal bursae at the MTP joints. Mean barefoot peak plantar pressures were determined at each MTP joint. Levels of pain, US-determined pathology and peak pressures were compared between groups. Binary logistic regression was used to identify demographic, clinical examination-derived, US-derived and plantar pressure predictors of pain at the MTP joints in the PsA group. Results. The presence of pain, deformity, synovitis, erosions (P < 0.001) and submetatarsal bursae and peak plantar pressure at MTP 3 (P < 0.05) were significantly higher in the PsA group. MTP joint pain in PsA was independently predicted by high BMI, female gender and the presence of joint subluxation, synovitis and erosion. Conclusion. These results suggest local inflammatory and structural factors, together with systemic factors (gender, BMI), are predominantly responsible for painful MTP joints in PsA, with no clear role for plantar pressure characteristics

A symmetry for vanishing cosmological constant

Two different realizations of a symmetry principle that impose a zero cosmological constant in an extra-dimensional set-up are studied. The symmetry is identified by multiplication of the metric by minus one. In the first realization of the symmetry this is provided by a symmetry transformation that multiplies the coordinates by the imaginary number i. In the second realization this is accomplished by a symmetry transformation that multiplies the metric tensor by minus one. In both realizations of the symmetry the requirement of the invariance of the gravitational action under the symmetry selects out the dimensions given by D = 2(2n+1), n=0,1,2,... and forbids a bulk cosmological constant. Another attractive aspect of the symmetry is that it seems to be more promising for quantization when compared to the usual scale symmetry. The second realization of the symmetry is more attractive in that it is posible to make a possible brane cosmological constant zero in a simple way by using the same symmetry, and the symmetry may be identified by reflection symmetry in extra dimensions.Comment: Talk in the conference IRGAC 2006, 2nd International Conference on Quantum Theories and Renormalization Group in Gravity and Cosmology, Barcelon

MRI-validation of SEP monitoring for ischemic events during microsurgical clipping of intracranial aneurysms

OBJECTIVE: During surgical clipping of intracranial aneurysms, reduction in SEP amplitude is thought to indicate cortical ischemia and subsequent neurological deficits. Since the sensitivity of SEP is questioned, we investigated SEP with respect to post-operative ischemia. METHODS: In 36 patients with 51 intracranial aneurysms, clinical evaluation and diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) was performed before and within 24h after surgery. During surgery, time of temporary occlusion was recorded. MRI images were reviewed for signs of ischemia. RESULTS: For 43 clip applications (84%), we observed neither pathologic SEP events nor ischemia in MRI. In two cases where reduction lasted >10 min after clip release, SEP events correlated with ischemia in the MRI. Only one of the ischemic patients was symptomatic and developed a transient hemiparesis. CONCLUSIONS: While pathologic SEP events correlated with visible ischemia in MRI only in two cases with late SEP recovery, ischemia in MRI may have been transient or may not have reached detection threshold in the other cases, in agreement with the absence of permanent neurological deficits. SIGNIFICANCE: In complex aneurysm cases, where prolonged temporary occlusion is expected, SEP should be used to detect ischemia at a reversible stage to improve the safety of aneurysm clipping. Copyright © 2011 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Multi-Temperature Zone, Droplet-based Microreactor for Increased Temperature Control in Nanoparticle Synthesis

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Microreactors are an emerging technology for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles. The Multi-Temperature zone Microreactor (MTM) described in this work utilizes thermally isolated heated and cooled regions for the purpose of separating nucleation and growth processes as well as to provide a platform for a systematic study on the effect of reaction conditions on nanoparticle synthesis. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

A Rare Devastating Complication of Lasik: Bilateral Fungal Keratitis

Purpose. To report an unusual case of severe bilateral fungal keratitis following laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Method. A 48-year-old man developed bilateral diffuse corneal infiltration two weeks after LASIK. The corneal scrapings revealed fungal filaments but cultures were negative. Results. The corneal ulceration was improved on the left eye whereas spontaneous perforation occurred and finally evisceration was needed on the right eye despite topical and systemic antifungal treatment. Conclusions. Fungal keratitis, especially with bilateral involvement, is a very rare and serious complication of LASIK surgery. Clinical suspicion is crucial because most of fungal keratitis are misdiagnosed as bacterial keratitis and can lead serious visual results, even eye loss

Graphene oxide integrated sensor for electrochemical monitoring ofmitomycin C–DNA interaction

WOS: 000302308600025PubMed ID: 22439135We present a graphene oxide (GO) integrated disposable electrochemical sensor for the enhanced detection of nucleic acids and the sensitive monitoring of the surface-confined interactions between the anticancer drug mitomycin C (MC) and DNA. Interfacial interactions between immobilized calf thymus double-stranded (dsDNA) and anticancer drug MC were investigated using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Based on three repetitive voltammetric measurements of 120 mu g mL(-1) DNA immobilized on GO-modified electrodes, the RSD % (n = 3) was calculated as 10.47% and the detection limit (DL) for dsDNA was found to be 9.06 mu g mL(-1). EIS studies revealed that the binding of the drug MC to dsDNA leads to a gradual decrease of its negative charge. As a consequence of this interaction, the negative redox species were allowed to approach the electrode, and thus increase the charge transfer kinetics. On the other hand, DPV studies exploited the decrease of the guanine signal due to drug binding as the basis for specifically probing the biointeraction process between MC and dsDNA.Royal Society through Joint Project Scheme [1212R0168]; Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA)Turkish Academy of SciencesThis work was supported by the Royal Society through Joint Project Scheme (Project No. 1212R0168). A.E. acknowledges the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) as an Associate member for its partial support. Authors would like to thank Dr. M. McMullan for the assistance on the synthesis of graphene oxide

Examining mindfulness and moral disengagement in doping: Perspective of Turkish wrestlers

Introduction: Studies related to attitudes toward the use of prohibited substances in Turkish athletes are scarce. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has implemented anti-doping educational policies emphasizing doping-related education in studies conducted among Turkish wrestlers. However, it is still unclear the extent to which the wrestlers comply and adhere to these anti-doping policies. No research has previously examined the effect of anti-doping education on athletes' mindfulness and moral disengagement in doping (MDD). Therefore, the present study has a two-fold objective: first, to examine whether doping-related education (DRE) and the status of being a national athlete (NA) have an effect on athlete mindfulness and MDD. Second, to analyze the relationship between each sub-dimensions of athlete mindfulness: awareness (ASD), judgment (JSD), and refocus (RSD) with MDD. Methods: A total of 409 male wrestlers participated in this study. MANOVA analysis showed that NA and DRE alone have no effect on MDD but have a general effect on mindfulness. Results: The highest effect was on the ASD of being an NA ((Formula presented.) = 0.173). When the interaction effect of NA*DRE was examined, significant difference in MDD (F = 8.218, p = 0.004), ASD (F = 8.476, p = 0.004), JSD (F = 5.844, p = 0.016), and RSD (F = 11.476, p = 0.001) were found. MDD has a weak negative relationship with ASD (r = ?0.126) and RSD (r = ?0.041) and a weak positive relationship with the JSD sub-dimension (r = 0.140). Those results suggest that being a NA and having received anti-doping education affect moral disengagement in doping and athletes' mindfulness. Discussion: As a conclusion, it is recommended to increase awareness and anti-doping education among national-standard Turkish wrestlers to prevent them from engaging in doping behaviors. Copyright © 2023 Ayyıldız, Kayabeşler, Gülü, Yagin, Aldhahi, García-Grimau and Al-Mhanna.Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, PNU: PNURSP2023R 286This research was funded by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2023R 286), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia