Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Urinary Concentrations of Phthalate Metabolites and Bisphenol A and Associations with Follicular-Phase Length, Luteal-Phase Length, Fecundability, and Early Pregnancy Loss

Background Certain phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) show reproductive effects in animal studies and potentially affect human ovulation, conception, and pregnancy loss. Objectives We investigated these chemicals in relation to follicular- and luteal-phase lengths, time to pregnancy, and early pregnancy loss (within 6 weeks of the last menstrual period) among women attempting pregnancy. Methods Women discontinuing contraception provided daily first-morning urine specimens and recorded days with vaginal bleeding for up to 6 months. Specimens had previously been analyzed for estrogen and progesterone metabolites and human chorionic gonadotropin. A total of 221 participants contributed 706 menstrual cycles. We measured 11 phthalate metabolites and BPA in pooled urine from three specimens spaced throughout each menstrual cycle. We analyzed associations between chemical concentrations and outcomes using linear mixed models for follicular- and luteal-phase lengths, discrete-time fecundability models for time to pregnancy, and logistic regression for early pregnancy loss. Results Higher concentrations of monocarboxyoctyl phthalate (MCOP) were associated with shorter luteal phase [2nd tertile vs. 1st tertile: –0.5 days (95% CI: –0.9, –0.1), 3rd vs. 1st: –0.4 days (95% CI: –0.8, 0.01), p = 0.04]. BPA was also associated with shorter luteal phase [2nd vs. 1st: –0.8 days (95% CI: –1.2, –0.4), 3rd vs. 1st: –0.4 days (95% CI: –0.8, 0.02), p = 0.001]. Conclusions BPA and MCOP (or its precursors) were associated with shorter luteal phase. Menstrual cycle–specific estimates of urinary BPA and phthalate metabolites were not associated with detrimental alterations in follicular-phase length, time to pregnancy, or early pregnancy loss, and in fact, DEHP [di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] metabolites {MEOHP [mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate] and ΣDEHP} were associated with reduced early loss. These findings should be confirmed in future human studies. Citation Jukic AM, Calafat AM, McConnaughey DR, Longnecker MP, Hoppin JA, Weinberg CR, Wilcox AJ, Baird DD. 2016. Urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and bisphenol A and associations with follicular-phase length, luteal-phase length, fecundability, and early pregnancy loss. Environ Health Perspect 124:321–328; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1408164
Zero commitment: commentary on Zwetsloot et al., and Sherratt and Dainty

Abstract This paper discusses the literature that shows that declaring a zero vision for everything bad (including unsafe behaviours, incidents, injuries) does not prevent fatalities or major accidents. In fact, parts of the literature show that a reduction in minor badness increases the risk of major accidents and fatalities. This is true in several industries. Two families of explanations are discussed. The first is the concern that declaring a zero vision can reduce operational knowledge. The second is the unsubstantiated assumption that minor injuries and fatalities have the same causal pattern. In general, evidence for or against the utility of a zero vision is dogged by confounding factors (other variables responsible for changes in safety outcomes) and what Giddens called the double hermeneutic, where the results of such studies are only as stable as the attributions the original reporter (e.g. OHS official, case worker) and the subsequent analyst (e.g. researcher) made about a particular event. The paper concludes that in a complex, dynamic, resource-constrained and goal-conflicted world, zero is not an achievable target, but a zero commitment may be worth some encouragement.
Perceptions of Christian Women Leaders in Church-Related Organizations

Research suggests that one's perceptions of an ideal leader do not always match one's perceptions of an ideal woman. The roles are incongruous. This study used a causal-comparative methodology to examine role congruity theory within Protestant evangelical nonprofit organizations in order to discover whether or not role incongruity posed as an obstacle for women leaders. Participants completed one of the seven versions of the revised Descriptive Index, in addition to providing basic demographic information. Similar to previous research, results indicated that role congruity emerged as an obstacle for women. Unlike previous research, role congruity emerged as an issue for men as well. Furthermore, male managers differed more from successful middle managers than did female managers.
Efficiency versus Risk Dominance in an Evolutionary Model with Cheap Talk

We study equilibrium selection by cheap talk in symmetric 2 £ 2 coordination games. Before playing the game, players exchange simultaneously messages coming from a . nite set. The messages have no a priori meaning. Individuals from a single population are matched in a round robin fashion to play the game. They update startegies by imitating the currently most succesful individuals. When risk dominance selects a di¤erent equilibrium than payo¤ dominance, the game outcome of a stochastically stable state depends on the number of messages in the message set. For su¢ciently many messages, the e¢cient equilibrium is played. We link the bound on the message set size to the payo¤ structure of the game. JEL Classi.cation Number: C720, D830.
Characterizing the adversarial power in uniform and ergodic node sampling

In this paper, we consider the problem of achieving uniform and ergodic peer sampling in large scale dynamic systems under adversarial behaviors. The main challenge is to guarantee that any honest node is able to construct a uniform and non-fixed (ergodic) sample of the node identifiers in the system, and this, despite the presence of malicious nodes controlled by an adversary. This sample is built out of a stream of events received at each node. We consider and study two types of adversary: an omniscient adversary that has the capacity to eavesdrop all the messages that are exchanged within the system, and a blind adversary that can only observe messages that have been sent or received by the manipulated nodes. The former model allows us to derive lower bounds on the impact that the adversary has on the sampling functionality while the latter one corresponds to a realistic model. Given any sampling strategy, we quantify the minimum effort exerted by both types of adversary on any input stream to prevent this strategy from outputting a uniform and ergodic sample.
A decision-theoretic approach to planning, perception, and control

The application of Bayesian decision theory as a framework for designing high-level robotic control systems is discussed. The approach to building planning and control systems integrates sensor fusion, prediction, and sequential decision making. The system explicitly uses the value of sensor information as well as the value of actions that facilitate further sensing. A stochastic decision model and a model for mobile-target localization used in the control system are described. A control system implemented to drive a small mobile robot equipped with eight sonar transducers with a maximum range of six meters and a visual processing system capable of identifying moving targets in its visual field and reporting their motion relative to the robot is also discussed. <<ETX>>
Effect of Ezetimibe Coadministered With Atorvastatin in 628 Patients With Primary Hypercholesterolemia: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Trial

Background—Despite the established efficacy of statins, many patients do not achieve recommended LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) goals. Contributing factors may be inadequate dosing, increased risk for adverse effects with high-dose monotherapy, and increased potential for intolerance and adverse effects with combinations of available agents. Methods and Results—In a double-blind study, 628 patients with baseline LDL-C 145 to 250 mg/dL and triglycerides ≤350 mg/dL were randomly assigned to receive 1 of the following for 12 weeks: ezetimibe (10 mg/d); atorvastatin (10, 20, 40, or 80 mg/d); ezetimibe (10 mg) plus atorvastatin (10, 20, 40, or 80 mg/d); or placebo. The primary efficacy end point was percentage reduction in LDL-C for pooled ezetimibe plus atorvastatin versus pooled atorvastatin treatment groups. Ezetimibe plus atorvastatin significantly improved LDL-C, HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, total cholesterol:HDL-C, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) compared with atorvastatin alone (P <0.01). Coadministration of ezetimibe provided a significant additional 12% LDL-C reduction, 3% HDL-C increase, 8% triglyceride reduction, and 10% hs-CRP reduction versus atorvastatin alone. Ezetimibe plus atorvastatin provided LDL-C reductions of 50% to 60%, triglyceride reductions of 30% to 40%, and HDL-C increases of 5% to 9%, depending on atorvastatin dose. LDL-C reductions with ezetimibe plus 10 mg atorvastatin (50%) and 80 mg atorvastatin alone (51%) were similar. Conclusions—Ezetimibe plus atorvastatin was well tolerated, with a safety profile similar to atorvastatin alone and to placebo. When coadministered with atorvastatin, ezetimibe provided significant incremental reductions in LDL-C and triglycerides and increases in HDL-C. Coadministration of ezetimibe and atorvastatin offers a well-tolerated and highly efficacious new treatment option for patients with hypercholesterolemia.
Discs in Stein manifolds

1. The result Let be the open unit disc in C. In the paper we prove the following THEOREM Let M be a Stein manifold, dimM 2. Given a point p 2 M and a vector X tangent to M at p there is a proper holomorphic map f: ! M such that f(0) = p and such that f 0 (0) = X for some > 0. This has been known in the special case when M is a bounded domain in C N with boundary of class C 2. It was proved in FG] by using the fact that for such domains there are bounded strictly plurisubharmonic exhaustion functions without critical points near the boundary. 2. Outline of the proof We describe the idea of the proof in the special case when M is a pseudoconvex domain in C N. Let D C N be a pseudoconvex domain and let be a strictly plurisubharmonic exhaustion function for D. The idea is to start with an analytic disc f : ! D such that f(0) = p; f 0 (0) = X for some > 0, and then to push f(); 2 b in directions that are approximately tangent to the level sets of while keeping f(0) and f 0 (0) xed, keeping f() essentially unchanged for all belonging to a xed compact subset of , and lowering (f()); 2 , only a little. We perform this inductively. If we want to get a proper map in the limit we must, at each step, increase (f()); 2 b, for a certain amount and the sum of these amounts must equal +1. However, this amount depends on the lower bound of jgradj. In particular , if a < b and if has no critical value on a; b] then there is a > 0 such that whenever a (f()) b (2 b), then, in the pushing process one can increase (f()) for at least for each 2 b. Thus, if has no critical values on (b; 1) one can go on and use the pushing process inductively to obtain a proper holomorphic map f: ! D such that f(0) = p. In this way one can prove the theorem in the special case when M is a bounded pseudoconvex domain in C N with boundary of class C 2 FG]. In the convex setting the idea of pushing boundaries of …
‘The Memory of the Tree’: A New Theatrical Model of Genogram

In the context of systemic psychotherapy, the genogram represents a model of graphical representation which the persons involved produce and comment on in order to provide information about their family of origin, from at least a three-generational perspective. This paper proposes a new variant of the genogram, focused on theatrical language: the result of a five-year experiment in the training of dramatherapists, psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors. Starting from Stanislavski's and Grotowski's research, the paper highlights the potentialities that the theatre perspective may have with the genogram. Thanks to the ‘emotive memory’ and ‘body-memory’, the theatre can enrich the genogram method with a set of operational tools that can increase the introspective potential of the genogram itself, especially through the aid of physical actions. If the act of drawing represents an expressive ‘medium’ in the traditional genogram for stimulating the affective memory of family ties, then the language of performance can even better represent this medium, centred as it is on the activation of the body as a vehicle capable of bringing into contact the individual with his identity and his deep memory, even regarding the family, in order to creatively translate this into a communicative and narrative form.
Catalan Government Popularity. An Example of Economic Effects on Sub-National Government Support

The aim of this essay is to deal with economic voting in contexts of multilevel governance and to be a contribution to the debate on attribution of responsibilities in popularity functions literature. We use aggregate and individual data from Catalonia in order to analyse the relation between the state of the economy and the support for a sub-state government. The empirical analysis shows that the responsibility hypothesis works in regional governments without explicit macroeconomic competencies. We have also considered the evaluations of government performance on certain specific policies in order to clarify and determine the factors that drive Catalan government support. The article considers the implications of the findings for future attempts to model party support in a context of the European Union.
Diabetes-Induced Reactive Oxygen Species: Mechanism of Their Generation and Role in Renal Injury

Diabetes induces the onset and progression of renal injury through causing hemodynamic dysregulation along with abnormal morphological and functional nephron changes. The most important event that precedes renal injury is an increase in permeability of plasma proteins such as albumin through a damaged glomerular filtration barrier resulting in excessive urinary albumin excretion (UAE). Moreover, once enhanced UAE begins, it may advance renal injury from progression of abnormal renal hemodynamics, increased glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickness, mesangial expansion, extracellular matrix accumulation, and glomerulosclerosis to eventual end-stage renal damage. Interestingly, all these pathological changes are predominantly driven by diabetes-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and abnormal downstream signaling molecules. In diabetic kidney, NADPH oxidase (enzymatic) and mitochondrial electron transport chain (nonenzymatic) are the prominent sources of ROS, which are believed to cause the onset of albuminuria followed by progression to renal damage through podocyte depletion. Chronic hyperglycemia and consequent ROS production can trigger abnormal signaling pathways involving diverse signaling mediators such as transcription factors, inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and vasoactive substances. Persistently, increased expression and activation of these signaling molecules contribute to the irreversible functional and structural changes in the kidney resulting in critically decreased glomerular filtration rate leading to eventual renal failure.
Scalable Semantic Retrieval through Summarization and Refinement

Query processing of OWL-DL ontologies is intractable in the worst case, but we present a novel technique that in practice allows for efficient querying of ontologies with large Aboxes in secondary storage. We focus on the processing of instance retrieval queries, i.e., queries that retrieve individuals in the Abox which are instances of a given concept C. Our technique Uses summarization and refinement to reduce instance retrieval to a small relevant subset of the original Abox. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique in Aboxes with up to 7 million assertions. Our results are applicable to the very expressive description logic SHIN, which corresponds to OWL-DL minus nominals and datatypes.
Automated Recognition and Post-Coordination of Complex Clinical Terms

One of the key tasks in integrating guideline-based decision support systems with the electronic patient record is the mapping of clinical terms contained in both guidelines and patient notes to a common, controlled terminology. However, a vocabulary of pre-coordinated terms cannot cover every possible variation - clinical terms are often highly compositional and complex. We present a rule-based approach for automated recognition and post-coordination of clinical terms using minimal, morpheme-based thesauri, neoclassical combining forms and part-of-speech analysis. The process integrates MetaMap with the open-source GATE framework.
Ach: IPC for Real-Time Robot Control

We present a new Inter-Process Communication (IPC) mechanism and library. Ach is uniquely suited for coordinating perception, control drivers, and algorithms in real-time systems that sample data from physical processes. Ach eliminates the Head-of-Line Blocking problem for applications that always require access to the newest message. Ach is efficient, robust, and formally verified. It has been tested and demonstrated on a variety of physical robotic systems. Finally, the source code for Ach is available under an Open Source BSD-style license.
Impaired goal-directed behavioural control in human impulsivity

Two dissociable learning processes underlie instrumental behaviour. Whereas goal-directed behaviour is controlled by knowledge of the consequences, habitual behaviour is elicited directly by antecedent Pavlovian stimuli without knowledge of the consequences. Predominance of habitual control is thought to underlie psychopathological conditions associated with corticostriatal abnormalities, such as impulsivity and drug dependence. To explore this claim, smokers were assessed for nicotine dependence, impulsivity, and capacity for goal-directed control over instrumental performance in an outcome devaluation procedure. Reduced goal-directed control was selectively associated with the Motor Impulsivity factor of Barrett's Impulsivity Scale (BIS), which reflects propensity for action without thought. These data support the claim that human impulsivity is marked by impaired use of causal knowledge to make adaptive decisions. The predominance of habit learning may play a role in psychopathological conditions that are associated with trait impulsivity.
Predicting Learning: Comparing an Open Educational Resource and Standard Textbooks

Open educational resources (OERs) enable anyone, anywhere, to access psychological science for free. Are OERs as effective learning tools as standard textbooks (STBs)? I compared students using an OER with students using STBs in 2 large, multisite studies (N = 1,099 and N = 2,229, respectively). Studies measure key student variables and possible confounds such as metacognition, study techniques, time spent studying, perceptions of the instructor, and rating of the quality and helpfulness of the textbook. Students completed a standardized test using a subset of items from a released Advanced Placement exam. In both studies, OER users reported lower ACT scores. In Study 1, students using an OER scored lower on the test after controlling for ACT scores, F(1, 777) = 48.09, p < . 001, &eegr;p2 = . 06, and rated the book as lower in quality. Scores on book helpfulness did not vary between groups. Study 2 also compared book format (hard copy or electronic) and showed a main effect of book used, no main effect of format, and a significant book used by format interaction effect, F(2, 1406) = 5.29, p = . 005, &eegr;p2 = . 01: OER hard copy users scored lowest. Book used predicted significant variance in learning over and above ACT scores and student variables (STB users performed better). The results highlight limitations of current attempts to assess learning in psychology and underline the need for robust comparisons of a wider variety of OERs, with a focus on lower ability students, and e-book usage patterns.
Downlink scheduling in CDMA data networks

We identify properties of optimal scheduling schemes for downlink traffic in a code division multiple access (CDMA) data-only network. Under idealised assumptions, we show that it is optimal for each base station to transmit to at most one delay-tolerant user at a time. Moreover we prove that a base station, when on, should transmit at maximum power for optimality. For a linear network, we characterise the optimal schedule as the solution to a linear program. As a by-product, our analysis yields bounds on throughput gains obtainable from downlink scheduling.
DETERMINANTS OF INFORMATION ASYMMETRY IN FINANCING DECISION:

The spate of corporate failure that dominated the global economy in the last decades has been attributed to several factors, one of which is information asymmetry. Corporate managers’ responsibility is to generate wealth with the resources entrusted to them by investors and report adequately and timely to resource owners to enable them make informed decisions. The extent of disclosure of information by corporate managers is being intentionally limited by them so as to hoodwink and conceal vital information from users. Information is said to be asymmetric when one contracting party whose duty is it to provide such information deceitfully discloses limited amount of such information in a manner antithetic to the decision information. This paper therefore chronicles some of the factors that determine information asymmetry. These determinants include: firm size, leverage, financial performance, book value to market of the stock market. The paper conceptually reviews these determinants and makes recommendations to regulatory agencies to encourage full information disclosure by corporate chief executives.
Target Versus Ball Focused Aiming When Putting: What Has Been Done and What Has Been Missed

As the prevalence of target focused aiming in golf putting increases among professionals and amateurs alike, it is important to understand its operation if the synergy between research and practice is to be optimized. Therefore, the current paper’s aims were firstly to review and critique existing empirical literature. Although our observations of these studies were informative, however, we identified a number of key methodological inconsistencies and omissions, which limits our understanding as a complete evidence-base across studies. Consequently and secondly, we provide insight into possible mechanisms for how target focused aiming might work with corresponding measures for investigating these suggestions. Finally, we propose a number of methodological considerations that need to be addressed by future research. It is hoped this research will inform future practice when coaching the skill of putting.