Monetary Policy and Financial Asset Prices: Empirical Evidence From Pakistan

Monetary transmission mechanism assumed to be significantly influenced by the effect of policy decisions on financial markets. However, various previous studies have come up with different outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of monetary policy on different asset classes (shares and bonds) in Pakistan. This study using stock price and bond yield as dependent variable and discount rate, money supply, inflation, and exchange rate are independent variables. Data of all variables have collected from 2010 to 2016, and Vector Autoregressive (VAR) technique has applied. The empirical results indicate that there is an impact of monetary policy components on both stock and bond market as an increase in policy rate causes decline in stocks prices and bonds yields. The findings of this study will help the potential investors in making long-term (in general) and short-term (in particular) investment strategies concerning monetary policy.DOI: 10.15408/sjie.v7i2.709

Social and individual features affecting natal dispersal in the colonial Lesser Kestrel

Causes of natal dispersal were studied in an isolated population of the migratory, facultatively colonial Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) in northeastern Spain. During a seven-year study, we gathered information on natal dispersal of 751 individuals and on 24 explanatory variables that evaluated individual traits, conspecific cues in terms of colony size, and different ecological and populational features. We examined separately whether or not individuals changed colonies and how far they moved. Dispersal from the natal colony was high (83%), and dispersers covered a median distance of 7225 m (range 112-136 500 m). The probability of natal dispersal decreased with the size of the natal colony and with the distance to the nearest colony, but not with the distance to unoccupied buildings, in the year of recruitment. Moreover, the shorter the distance to the nearest colony, the shorter the distances that individuals dispersed, particularly to large colonies (>10 pairs). These results support the conspecific attraction hypothesis. Accordingly, the probability of recruiting in the natal colony increased with the proportion of philopatric adults, although beyond a threshold individuals were prevented from recruiting by the more dominant adults in a despotic way. The timing of arrival from the wintering grounds was positively related to the probability of colony change, especially in males. To the extent that this variable is related to the phenotypic quality of individuals, it reinforces the idea that natal dispersal is shaped by intraspecific competition in crowded colonies. Males showed lower frequencies of colony change and dispersed shorter distances than did females, as explained by the different role of the sexes in nest acquisition and defense. Our results indicate that natal dispersal is an evolutionarily labile trait simultaneously influenced by ecological, social, and individual features both within and between populations.Peer Reviewe

Characterisation of feline renal cortical fibroblast cultures and their transcriptional response to transforming growth factor beta 1

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common in geriatric cats, and the most prevalent pathology is chronic tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis. The cell type predominantly responsible for the production of extra-cellular matrix in renal fibrosis is the myofibroblast, and fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation is probably a crucial event. The cytokine TGF-β1 is reportedly the most important regulator of myofibroblastic differentiation in other species. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterise renal fibroblasts from cadaverous kidney tissue of cats with and without CKD, and to investigate the transcriptional response to TGF-β1

Expression of Protease-Activated Receptor 1 and 2 and Anti-Tubulogenic Activity of Protease-Activated Receptor 1 in Human Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells

Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) are obtained from the culture of human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (hPBMNC) fractions and are characterised by high proliferative and pro-vasculogenic potential, which makes them of great interest for cell therapy. Here, we describe the detection of protease-activated receptor (PAR) 1 and 2 amongst the surface proteins expressed in ECFCs. Both receptors are functionally coupled to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and 2, which become activated and phosphorylated in response to selective PAR1- or PAR2-activating peptides. Specific stimulation of PAR1, but not PAR2, significantly inhibits capillary-like tube formation by ECFCs in vitro, suggesting that tubulogenesis is negatively regulated by proteases able to stimulate PAR1 (e.g. thrombin). The activation of ERKs is not involved in the regulation of tubulogenesis in vitro, as suggested by use of the MEK inhibitor PD98059 and by the fact that PAR2 stimulation activates ERKs without affecting capillary tube formation. Both qPCR and immunoblotting showed a significant downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor 2 (VEGFR2) in response to PAR1 stimulation. Moreover, the addition of VEGF (50–100 ng/ml) but not basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) (25–100 ng/ml) rescued tube formation by ECFCs treated with PAR1-activating peptide. Therefore, we propose that reduction of VEGF responsiveness resulting from down-regulation of VEGFR2 is underlying the anti-tubulogenic effect of PAR1 activation. Although the role of PAR2 remains elusive, this study sheds new light on the regulation of the vasculogenic activity of ECFCs and suggests a potential link between adult vasculogenesis and the coagulation cascade

Conceivable security risks and authentication techniques for smart devices

With the rapidly escalating use of smart devices and fraudulent transaction of users’ data from their devices, efficient and reliable techniques for authentication of the smart devices have become an obligatory issue. This paper reviews the security risks for mobile devices and studies several authentication techniques available for smart devices. The results from field studies enable a comparative evaluation of user-preferred authentication mechanisms and their opinions about reliability, biometric authentication and visual authentication techniques

Ovarian collision tumour: a rare case of serous cystadenoma with granulosa cell tumor of ovary

A collision tumor is the coexistence of two distinct tumours without any histological intermixing in the same organ or tissue. Each component of collision tumors occurs coincidently and biologic behaviour depends on their own tumor characteristics. A 48 year aged P2L2 women with pain abdomen since 15 days, on abdominal examination-a cystic mass occupying left iliac fossa present, bimanual examination a cystic mass measuring 13x10x8 cm in size, felt separately from the uterus. Sonography of abdomen and pelvis revealed a large cyst in the right adnexa 11.5x10.5x9.5 cm extending upto umbilical region. The serum tumor markers were within the normal range. Patient complained of severe pain abdomen on next day. Emergency laparotomy was done. Left ovarian cyst measuring 13x12x7 cm in size with one loop of torsion seen. Left salphingo-ophorectomy done and specimen sent for frozen section. It reported as serous cystadenoma of left ovary. Then proceeded to total abdominal hysterectomy with right salphingo-oophorectomy. Histopathology reported Serous cystadenoma with focal Granulosa cell tumour- left ovary. Patient was followed up with serum inhibin and CECT abdomen. The demographic factors, presentations and diagnosis of collision tutors are as similar as with single ovarian tumours. It is important for gynaecologist, radiologist and pathologist to be aware of occurrence of collision tumours. Histopathogical diagnosis of such neoplasms becomes very important, to provide appropriate treatment based on the individual biological characteristics of each component of collision tumours

A Wideband and Low-Noise CMOS-Integrated X-Hall Current Sensor Operating in Current Mode

Power electronic circuits are moving toward higher switching frequencies, exploiting the capabilities of novel devices, so as to shrink the dimension of the passive components. This trend demands sensors able to operate at such high frequencies. This article aims to demonstrate the broadband capability of a fully integrated CMOS current sensor based on the X-Hall approach and configured in current mode, by alleviating the impact of stray capacitive loading at the probe-readout interface. Current-mode operation enables the usage of a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) as a readout circuit, offering better bandwidth, noise, and power performance than conventional instrumentation amplifiers (IAs). The system exploits a common-mode (CM) control system to operate the submodules at different supply voltages, respectively, 5 V for the X-Hall probe to achieve high sensitivity, and 1.2 V for the readout to exploit the high transition frequency of transistors with reduced oxide thickness. A chip-on-board mounting limits the parasitic inductive effects on the host printed circuit board (PCB). The developed prototype achieves a maximum acquisition bandwidth of 12 MHz. With a power consumption of 11.46 mW and a resolution of 39 mArms, it presents a sensitivity of 8% T-1 and achieves an FoM of 569 MHz/ A2 mW, which is significantly higher than the current state-of-the-art hybrid Hall/coil solutions. The prototype is implemented in a 90-nm microelectronic process from STMicroelectronics and occupies a silicon area of 2.4 mm

Integrating new approaches to atrial fibrillation management: the 6th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference.

There are major challenges ahead for clinicians treating patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The population with AF is expected to expand considerably and yet, apart from anticoagulation, therapies used in AF have not been shown to consistently impact on mortality or reduce adverse cardiovascular events. New approaches to AF management, including the use of novel technologies and structured, integrated care, have the potential to enhance clinical phenotyping or result in better treatment selection and stratified therapy. Here, we report the outcomes of the 6th Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation Network (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), held at the European Society of Cardiology Heart House in Sophia Antipolis, France, 17-19 January 2017. Sixty-two global specialists in AF and 13 industry partners met to develop innovative solutions based on new approaches to screening and diagnosis, enhancing integration of AF care, developing clinical pathways for treating complex patients, improving stroke prevention strategies, and better patient selection for heart rate and rhythm control. Ultimately, these approaches can lead to better outcomes for patients with AF

Effect of anatomical variability in brain on transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a non-invasive clinical therapy used to treat depression and migraine, and shows further promise as treatment for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurological disorders. However, it is yet unclear as to how anatomical differences may affect stimulation from this treatment. We use finite element analysis to model and analyze the results of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in various head models.A number of heterogeneous head models have been developed using MRI data of real patients, including healthy individuals as well as patients of Parkinson’s disease. Simulations of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation performed on 22 anatomically different models highlight the differences in induced stimulation. A standard Figure of 8 coil is used with frequency 2.5 kHz, placed 5 mm above the head. We compare cortical stimulation, volume of brain tissue stimulated, specificity, and maximum E-field induced in the brain for models ranging from ages 20 to 60. Results show that stimulation varies drastically between patients of the same age and health status depending upon brain-scalp distance, which is not necessarily a linear progression with age

Broken replication forks trigger heritable DNA breaks in the terminus of a circular chromosome

<p><u>(A) Circular map of the <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i> chromosome</u>: <i>oriC</i>, <i>dif</i> and <i>terD</i> to <i>terB</i> sites are indicated. Numbers refer to the chromosome coordinates (in kb) of MG1655. (<u>B) Linear map of the terminus region:</u> chromosome coordinates are shown increasing from left to right, as in the marker frequency panels (see Figure 1C for example), therefore in the opposite direction to the circular map. In addition to <i>dif</i> and <i>ter</i> sites, the positions of the <i>parS</i>_pMT1 sites used for microscopy experiments are indicated. (<u>C) MFA analysis of terminus DNA loss in the <i>recB</i> mutant</u>: sequence read frequencies of exponential phase cells normalized to the total number of reads were calculated for each strain. Ratios of normalized reads in isogenic wild-type and <i>recB</i> mutant are plotted against chromosomal coordinates (in kb). The profile ratio of the terminus region is enlarged and the profile of the corresponding entire chromosomes is shown in inset. Original normalized profiles used to calculate ratios are shown in <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1007256#pgen.1007256.s005" target="_blank">S1 Fig</a>. The position of <i>dif</i> is indicated by a red arrow. The <i>ter</i> sites that arrest clockwise forks (<i>terC</i>, <i>terB</i>, green arrow) and counter-clockwise forks (<i>terA</i>, <i>terD</i>, blue arrow) are shown. <u>(D) Schematic representation of focus loss in the <i>recB</i> mutant:</u> Time-lapse microscopy experiments showed that loss of a focus in the <i>recB</i> mutant occurs concomitantly with cell division in one of two daughter cells, and that the cell that keeps the focus then generates a focus-less cell at each generation. The percentage of initial events was calculated as the percentage of cell divisions that generate a focus-less cell, not counting the following generations. In this schematic representation, two initial events occurred (generations #2 and #7) out of 9 generations, and focus loss at generation #2 is heritable. Panels shown in this figure were previously published in [<a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1007256#pgen.1007256.ref019" target="_blank">19</a>] and are reproduced here to introduce the phenomenon.</p