Government size, unemployment, and inflation nexus in eight large emerging market economies

Using a panel of eight large emerging market economies from 1980 to 2015, this paper seeks to assess the causal linkages between government size, unemployment, and inflation. Overall, our results suggest that the government size is positively associated with both unemployment and inflation. The Granger causality runs from the government size to unemployment and to inflation. From our analysis, two aspects stand out. First, the effects of government size on unemployment and inflation depend essentially on how the government size is measured. As long as government consumption spending is considered as the proxy measure of the government size, the government size is significantly and positively correlated with unemployment, and with inflation. Second, indirect taxes, like government consumption spending, have a positive as well as statistically significant association with unemployment. However, the direct taxes solely exert a strong effect on inflation in the countries considered.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The effects of different weaning modes on the endocrine stress response

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the stress response on plasma insulin, cortisol, glucose, and urinary vanilmandelic acid during weaning and after extubation, using pressure support (PS), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and T-piece modes. METHODS: Sixty patients were randomly divided into three groups (n = 20). The PS group received FiO(2 )≤ 0.4, PS ≤ 10 cmH(2)O, and positive end expiratory pressure ≤ 5 cmH(2)O for 2 hours. The CPAP group was given FiO(2 )≤ 0.4 and CPAP 5 ≤ cmH(2)O for 2 hours. The T-piece group (group T) received 4 l/min oxygen via a T-piece for 2 hours. After 1 hour and 2 hours in their respective weaning modes, blood and urine samples were taken for insulin, cortisol, glucose and vanilmandelic acid measurements. Forty-eight hours after extubation, blood and urine samples were again taken. RESULTS: Plasma insulin was greater in group T than in the PS and CPAP groups (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01). The plasma cortisol concentration was greater in group T than in group PS during weaning (P < 0.05) and after extubation (P < 0.05). Blood glucose concentrations were greater in group T than in the other groups (both P < 0.01) both during weaning and post extubation. Urine vanilmandelic acid was greater in group T than in the other groups during weaning and after extubation (both P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Weaning via the T-piece caused a greater stress response than the PS and CPAP modes

Attention: there is an inconsistency between android permissions and application metadata!

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Springer in International Journal of Information Security on 07/01/2021, available online: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10207-020-00536-1 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Since mobile applications make our lives easier, there is a large number of mobile applications customized for our needs in the application markets. While the application markets provide us a platform for downloading applications, it is also used by malware developers in order to distribute their malicious applications. In Android, permissions are used to prevent users from installing applications that might violate the users’ privacy by raising their awareness. From the privacy and security point of view, if the functionality of applications is given in sufficient detail in their descriptions, then the requirement of requested permissions could be well-understood. This is defined as description-to-permission fidelity in the literature. In this study, we propose two novel models that address the inconsistencies between the application descriptions and the requested permissions. The proposed models are based on the current state-of-art neural architectures called attention mechanisms. Here, we aim to find the permission statement words or sentences in app descriptions by using the attention mechanism along with recurrent neural networks. The lack of such permission statements in application descriptions creates a suspicion. Hence, the proposed approach could assist in static analysis techniques in order to find suspicious apps and to prioritize apps for more resource intensive analysis techniques. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves high accuracy.Published onlin

Tuning of LQR controller for an experimental inverted pendulum system based on The Bees Algorithm

Stabilizing of an inverted pendulum (IP) system is a main problem for researchers working on control theory. Balancing of an inverted pendulum system is one of the major benchmark problems in the control system community. This paper presents optimal tuning of linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller with The Bees Algorithm (BA) for a linear inverted pendulum. In this paper, a metaheuristic approach which is a nature-inspired search method that mimics the foraging behavior of honey bees is used for design of LQR controller to obtain optimal performance. In LQR controller design, state (Q) and control (R) weighting matrices are basic parameters of LQR which are tuning by designer using trial and error method in usually. The Bees Algorithm optimizes the weighting matrices of the LQR controller so that it can move the cart to a desired position with the minimum change in pendulum’s angle from vertically upright position during the movement. The tuned LQR controller is benchmarked on the linear inverted pendulum experimental device (IP02) that is manufactured by QUANSER Company. After description of the system and The Bees Algorithm, the paper gives the experimental results obtained from the IP02 system to demonstrating the efficiency of the tuning of the LQR controller. Simulation and experimental results are given graphically to show the success of controller. As a result of the paper, the performance of LQR controller shows the effectiveness of The Bees Algorithm which is a diversity method for provide an efficient solution to conventional trial and error design approach

Effect of carvedilol on silent anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity assessed by strain imaging: A prospective randomized controlled study with six-month follow-up

Background: The use of antracycline (ANT) in breast cancer has been associated with adverse cardiac events. Two-dimensional (2D) strain imaging (SI) can provide a more sensitive measure of altered left ventricular (LV) systolic function. We aimed to evaluate the preventive effect of carvedilol administration assessed by SI in a patient with breast cancer treated with ANT.Methods: Patients receiving ANT were randomly assigned to the carvedilol- or placebo-receiving group. Each received an echocardiographic examination with conventional 2D echocardiography, pulsed tissue Doppler, and 2D SI prior to and 6 months post ANT treatment.Results: During the 6-month follow-up period there were no patient deaths or interrupted chemotherapy treatments due to doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Both left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fractional shortening (FS) were within normal limits for all patients before and after ANT therapy. EF, FS and LV dimensions were measured using M-mode echocardiography and found to be similar in both groups before and after ANT therapy. The mean EF, FS, and LV echocardiograph baseline and control dimensions were similar in both groups after 6 months. Though baseline SI parameters were similar between the groups, there was a significant decrease in LV basal septal and basal lateral peak systolic strain in the control group compared to the carvedilol group.Conclusions: These results indicate that carvedilol has a protective effect against the cardiotoxicity induced by ANT.

Vision-based autonomous UGV detection, tracking, and following for a UAV

This study proposes a methodology for unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) navigation in off-road environments where GPS signals are not available. The Husky-A200 at Cranfield University, United Kingdom has been used as a UGV in this research project. Due to the limited field of vision of UGVs, a UAV-UGV collaboration approach was adopted. The methodology involves five steps. The first step is divided into three phases: The aerial images of UGV from UAV are generated in the first phase. In the second phase, the UGV is detected and tracked using computer vision techniques. In the third phase, the relative pose (position and heading) between the UAV and UGV is estimated continuously using visual data. In the second step, the UAV maintain a fixed location (position and heading) relative to the UGV. The third step involves capturing aerial images from the UAV‘s mounted camera and transmitting it to the ground station instantly to create a global traversability map that classifies terrain features based on their traversability. In the fourth step, additional sensors such as LiDAR, radar, and IMU are used to refine the global traversability map. In the final step, the UGV navigates automatically using the refined traversability map. This study will focus on the first two steps of the methodology, while subsequent studies will address the remaining steps

Renal complications of lipodystrophy: A closer look at the natural history of kidney disease

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144612/1/cen13732_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144612/2/cen13732.pd

Volume CXIV, Number 4, November 7, 1996

Objective: Turner syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal disorder caused by complete or partial X chromosome monosomy that manifests various clinical features depending on the karyotype and on the genetic background of affected girls. This study aimed to systematically investigate the key clinical features of TS in relationship to karyotype in a large pediatric Turkish patient population.Methods: Our retrospective study included 842 karyotype-proven TS patients aged 0-18 years who were evaluated in 35 different centers in Turkey in the years 2013-2014.Results: The most common karyotype was 45,X (50.7%), followed by 45,X/46,XX (10.8%), 46,X,i(Xq) (10.1%) and 45,X/46,X,i(Xq) (9.5%). Mean age at diagnosis was 10.2±4.4 years. The most common presenting complaints were short stature and delayed puberty. Among patients diagnosed before age one year, the ratio of karyotype 45,X was significantly higher than that of other karyotype groups. Cardiac defects (bicuspid aortic valve, coarctation of the aorta and aortic stenosis) were the most common congenital anomalies, occurring in 25% of the TS cases. This was followed by urinary system anomalies (horseshoe kidney, double collector duct system and renal rotation) detected in 16.3%. Hashimoto's thyroiditis was found in 11.1% of patients, gastrointestinal abnormalities in 8.9%, ear nose and throat problems in 22.6%, dermatologic problems in 21.8% and osteoporosis in 15.3%. Learning difficulties and/or psychosocial problems were encountered in 39.1%. Insulin resistance and impaired fasting glucose were detected in 3.4% and 2.2%, respectively. Dyslipidemia prevalence was 11.4%.Conclusion: This comprehensive study systematically evaluated the largest group of karyotype-proven TS girls to date. The karyotype distribution, congenital anomaly and comorbidity profile closely parallel that from other countries and support the need for close medical surveillance of these complex patients throughout their lifespa

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI