Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Good Is Good Enough in Path Analysis of fMRI Data?

This paper is concerned with the problem of evaluating goodness-of-fit of a path analytic model to an interregional correlation matrix derived from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. We argue that model evaluation based on testing the null hypothesis that the correlation matrix predicted by the model equals the population correlation matrix is problematic because P values are conditional on asymptotic distributional results (which may not be valid for fMRI data acquired in less than 10 min), as well as arbitrary specification of residual variances and effective degrees of freedom in each regional fMRI time series. We introduce an alternative approach based on an algorithm for automatic identification of the best fitting model that can be found to account for the data. The algorithm starts from the null model, in which all path coefficients are zero, and iteratively unconstrains the coefficient which has the largest Lagrangian multiplier at each step until a model is identified which has maximum goodness by a parsimonious fit index. Repeating this process after bootstrapping the data generates a confidence interval for goodness-of-fit of the best model. If the goodness of the theoretically preferred model is within this confidence interval we can empirically say that the theoretical model could be the best model. This relativistic and data-based strategy for model evaluation is illustrated by analysis of functional MR images acquired from 20 normal volunteers during periodic performance (for 5 min) of a task demanding semantic decision and subvocal rehearsal. A model including unidirectional connections from frontal to parietal cortex, designed to represent sequential engagement of rehearsal and monitoring components of the articulatory loop, is found to be irrefutable by hypothesis-testing and within confidence limits for the best model that could be fitted to the data.
Complex Independent Component Analysis Using Three Types of Diversity: Non-Gaussianity, Nonwhiteness, and Noncircularity

By assuming latent sources are statistically independent, independent component analysis (ICA) separates underlying sources from a given linear mixture. Since in many applications, latent sources are non-Gaussian, noncircular, and have sample dependence, it is desirable to exploit all these properties jointly. Mutual information rate, which leads to the minimization of entropy rate, provides a natural cost for the task. In this paper, we establish the theory for complex-valued ICA giving Cramér-Rao lower bound and identification conditions, and present a new algorithm that takes all these properties into account. We propose an effective estimator of entropy rate and a complex-valued entropy rate bound minimization algorithm based on it. We show that the new method exploits all these properties effectively by comparing the estimation performance with the Cramér-Rao lower bound and by a number of examples.
Institutional Quality and Financial Market Development: Evidence from International Migrants in the U.S.

A growing body of theoretical and empirical work identifies the ability of a country's institutions to protect private property and provide incentives for investment as a key explanation for the persistent disparity in financial market development. We add to this literature by analyzing the impact of institutions on financial development using data on the financial decisions of immigrants and the native-born in the U.S. While all of the individuals whose decisions we analyze face the same formal institutional framework in the U.S., immigrants bring with them varied experiences with institutions in their home countries. We find that immigrants who come from countries with institutions that are more effective at protecting property rights are more likely to participate in U.S. financial markets. The effect of home country institutions is very persistent and impacts immigrants for the first 25 years that they spend in the U.S. Evidence from variation in the effect of home country institutions by age at migration, suggests that individuals appear to learn about home country institutions before the age of sixteen, probably in the home and potentially at school, rather than through direct experience. These findings are robust to alternative measures of institutional effectiveness and to various methods of controlling for unobserved individual characteristics.
Safety of Adalimumab and Predictors of Adverse Events in 1693 Japanese Patients with Crohn’s Disease

Background and Aims: Data from an all-cases post-marketing study were used to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of adalimumab in Japanese patients with Crohn’s disease [CD]. Methods: Patients received adalimumab for 24 weeks. Data from all patients [n = 1693] were used for the safety assessment. Data from patients with CD activity index [CDAI] ≥ 150 at baseline were used for the effectiveness assessment. Results: The most frequent serious adverse drug reaction [ADR] was infection and infestations [6.6 events/100 patient-years]. The risk of serious infections increased in patients who had a history of malignancy and those with concomitant corticosteroid use. Of 415 patients who had switched from another anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha [TNFα] agent to adalimumab due to ADRs, 7.2% discontinued due to ADRs to adalimumab. Ten of 13 patients with a history of tuberculosis [TB] received prophylactic medication, and none developed TB. TB developed in one patient with no history of TB or anti-TB prophylaxis. Remission rates were 41.3% and 32.4% at 4 and 24 weeks, respectively. Remission rates did not differ between patients with and without concomitant use of immunomodulators. Predictive variables for increased effectiveness were CDAI ≤ 220 and disease duration of ≤ 2 years. Perianal lesions and loss of response to previous anti-TNFα agents affected effectiveness. Conclusions: The most frequent serious ADR was infection. Adalimumab significantly reduced disease activity, without any unexpected ADRs. Development of active TB during adalimumab therapy can be prevented through TB screening and prophylaxis. In patients who switched from another anti-TNFα agent to adalimumab due to ADRs, adalimumab was well tolerated.
Analytical expression and performance evaluation of TCP packet loss probability over geostationary satellite

The letter contains the formulation of an analytical expression of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) packet loss probability over geostationary satellite channels on the basis of the state-of-the-art in the field. The expression obtained is function of the bandwidth available and is suited to be used in control mechanisms. It is compared with the results obtained through a satellite network emulator already validated in the literature.
Raman spectroscopic detection of the T-HgII-T base pair and the ionic characteristics of mercury

Developing applications for metal-mediated base pairs (metallo-base-pair) has recently become a high-priority area in nucleic acid research, and physicochemical analyses are important for designing and fine-tuning molecular devices using metallo-base-pairs. In this study, we characterized the HgII-mediated T-T (T-HgII-T) base pair by Raman spectroscopy, which revealed the unique physical and chemical properties of HgII. A characteristic Raman marker band at 1586 cm−1 was observed and assigned to the C4=O4 stretching mode. We confirmed the assignment by the isotopic shift (18O-labeling at O4) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The unusually low wavenumber of the C4=O4 stretching suggested that the bond order of the C4=O4 bond reduced from its canonical value. This reduction of the bond order can be explained if the enolate-like structure (N3=C4-O4−) is involved as a resonance contributor in the thymine ring of the T-HgII-T pair. This resonance includes the N-HgII-bonded state (HgII-N3-C4=O4) and the N-HgII-dissociated state (HgII+ N3=C4-O4−), and the latter contributor reduced the bond order of N-HgII. Consequently, the HgII nucleus in the T-HgII-T pair exhibited a cationic character. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis supports the interpretations of the Raman experiments.
Lay Evaluation of Financial Experts: The Action Advice Effect and Confirmation Bias

The goal of this experimental project was to investigate lay peoples’ perceptions of epistemic authority (EA) in the field of finance. EA is defined as the extent to which a source of information is treated as evidence for judgments independently of its objective expertise and based on subjective beliefs. Previous research suggested that EA evaluations are biased and that lay people tend to ascribe higher EA to experts who advise action (in the case of medical experts) or confirm clients’ expectations (in the case of politicians). However, there has been no research into biases in lay evaluations of financial experts and this project is aimed to fill this gap. Experiment 1 showed that lay people tended to ascribe greater authority to financial consultants who gave more active advice to clients considering taking out a mortgage. Experiment 2 confirmed the action advice effect found in Experiment 1. However, the outcomes of Experiments 2 and – particularly – 3 suggested that this bias might also be due to clients’ desire to confirm their own opinions. Experiment 2 showed that the action advice effect was moderated by clients’ own opinions on taking loans. Lay people ascribed the greatest EA to the advisor in the scenario in which he advised taking action and where this coincided with the client’s positive opinion on the advisability of taking out a loan. In Experiment 3 only participants with a positive opinion on the financial product ascribed greater authority to experts who recommended it; participants whose opinion was negative tended to rate consultants who advised rejecting the product more highly. To conclude, these three experiments revealed that lay people ascribe higher EA to financial consultants who advise action rather than maintenance of the status quo, but this effect is limited by confirmation bias: when the client’s a priori opinion is salient, greater authority is ascribed to experts whose advice confirms it. In this sense, results presented in the present paper suggest that the action advice effect might be also interpreted as a specific manifestation of confirmation bias.
Metformin treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome improves health-related quality-of-life, emotional distress and sexuality.

BACKGROUND In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), changes in physical appearance, menstrual disturbances and infertility result in psychological distress and reduced quality-of-life. Metformin improves biochemical, clinical and reproductive parameters in PCOS women. In a prospective, observational study, we analysed the effects of metformin treatment on health-related quality-of-life (HRQL), emotional well-being and sexuality in PCOS. No placebo-treated control group was included. METHODS Before, during and after 6 months of treatment, changes in clinical and endocrine parameters, quality-of-life, psychological disturbances and sexuality were assessed in 64 PCOS patients using validated questionnaires (SF-36, SCL-90-R) and visual analogue scales. Patients were also compared with published normative data for the validated questionnaires. RESULTS During treatment, HRQL, particularly the psychosocial aspects (indicated by significant increases in SF-36 scales Vitality, Social Function, Emotional Role Function, Mental Health, Psychological Sum scale) and emotional well-being (reflected by significant lowering of SCL-90-R scales) improved. These improvements in HRQL were significantly correlated with a reduction in body weight and significantly more pronounced in patients with normalized menstrual cycles. In addition, PCOS women were significantly more satisfied with their sex life and reported higher frequencies of sexual intercourse following treatment. CONCLUSION Treatment can improve the psychosocial, emotional and psychosexual situation of PCOS patients. Although at least some of these effects may be related to the reduction of individual clinical symptoms (i.e. weight loss, normalization of menstrual disturbances, improvement of acne), this observational study does not allow us to clearly discern the role of symptom constellation and does not preclude non-specific and/or placebo effects. Nevertheless, emotional distress and reduced quality-of-life are clearly not an inevitable consequence of PCOS and should be considered as adjunct treatment goals in future studies.
A Documentary History of Modern Iraq

Previously published histories and primary source collections on the Iraqi experience tend to be topically focused or dedicated to presenting a top-down approach. By contrast, Stacy Holden's A Documentary History of Modern Iraq gives voice to ordinary Iraqis, clarifying the experience of the Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Jews, and women over the past century. Through varied documents ranging from short stories to treaties, political speeches to memoirs, and newspaper articles to book excerpts, the work synthesises previously marginalised perspectives of minorities and women with the voices of the political elite to provide an integrated picture of political change from the Ottoman Empire in 1903 to the end of the second Bush administration in 2008. Covering a broad range of topics, this bottom-up approach allows readers to fully immerse themselves in the lives of everyday Iraqis as they navigate regime shifts from the British to the Hashemite monarchy, the political upheaval of the Persian Gulf wars, and beyond. Brief introductions to each excerpt provide context and suggest questions for classroom discussion. This collection offers raw history, untainted and unfiltered by modern political framework and thought, representing a refreshing new approach to the study of Iraq.
Budget Deficit, Money Growth and Inflation: Evidence from the Colombian Case

Evidence of the causal long-term relationship between budget deficit, money growth and inflation in Colombia is analyzed in this paper, considering the standard (M1), the narrowest (M0-Base) and the broadest (M3) definitions of money supply. Using a vector error correction (VEC) model with quarterly data over the last 25 years, the study found a close relationship between inflation and money growth on the one hand, and between money growth and fiscal deficit, on the other. The size of the long-term parameters looks acceptable, particularly when compared to what is seen in other countries, using analogous or different techniques. The conclusion, supported by several statistical tests, is that the Sargent and Wallace hypothesis would be the most appropriate approach to understanding the dynamics of these variables.
Net Primary Production and Biomass Distribution in the Blue Oak Savanna 1

The complexity of savanna ecosystems with the shared dominance between woody and herbaceous primary producers poses challenges to measuring such fundamental ecosystem characteristics as net primary productivity (NPP). We address these challenges in the blue oak savanna in California by constructing comprehensive estimates of NPP for three adjacent watersheds. We directly assessed annual biomass increment of all plant components in 12 randomly stratified plots (380 m 2 ) per watershed. Annual estimates of mean NPP for the three experimental watersheds during 2001 to 2002 ranged from 4.35 to 5.69 Mg ha -1 yr -1 of dry biomass. On average, belowground NPP accounted for 22 percent of total NPP. In general, there was much greater uncertainty in the belowground estimates. Trees accounted for approximately 50 percent of aboveground NPP in all three watersheds. Across these watersheds, tree productivity increased in a linear fashion with canopy closure. In contrast, herb productivity was nearly constant for relatively open sites (canopy closure < 40 percent) and then monotonically declined as canopy closure increased. The result is that total NPP increased gradually from the most open sites in the watersheds to a maximum around 55 percent canopy closure.
Effect of infrared lamps to ameliorate cold stress in Vrindavani calves

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effect of infrared lamps to ameliorate cold stress in Vrindavani (Holstein Friesian × Brown Swiss × Jersey × Hariana) calves. Materials and Methods: For the present investigation, ten newborn Vrindavani calves were randomly divided into two groups (G1 and G2) of five each. The experiment was conducted from 2nd November to 8th February when the environmental temperature was at the lowest. The calves of G1 were provided with no additional protection while the calves of G2 were protected against the cold weather by providing heat using the infrared lamps. The body weight (kg) of the calves was recorded at weekly interval. The blood samples collected within 6 h of birth and then at fortnightly interval were analyzed for packed cell volume (PCV, %), hemoglobin (Hb, g/dl). Besides, the serum biochemical parameters, viz., Total serum protein (TSP, g/l), albumin (g/l), globulin (g/l), albumin globulin ratio (A:G) and important stress parameters, viz., triiodothyronine (T3, ng/ml), thyroxine (T4, ng/ml) and cortisol (ng/ml) were also estimated. Results: The calves of G2 showed higher body weight gain as compared to G1. The differences were found to be highly significant (p<0.01). The calves in G1 showed comparatively higher values of PCV and Hb and the differences were found to be significant (p<0.05) on 45th day for PCV and highly significant (p<0.01) on 60th day for PCV and on 45th day for Hb. The values of TSP and albumin were comparatively higher in calves of G1 as compared to G2 and the differences were highly significant (p<0.01) on 45th day for both TSP and albumin and significant (p<0.05) on 60th day for albumin. Significantly (p<0.01) higher values of cortisol and T4 were observed on 15 and 45th day in calves of G1 as compared to G2. The T3 levels were also found higher in calves of G1 than G2 and the differences were significant (p<0.05) on 15 and 30th day and highly significant (p<0.01) on 45th day of the study. Conclusion: Based on the results, it could be concluded that the infrared lamps are efficient in providing favorable microclimate and hence can be effectively used in calf shed to protect newborn calves from adverse conditions of winter and to improve their body growth performance.
A Novel Method for Conversion of Eggshell Hydroxyapatite Particles to Nano-size Using Microwave Irradiation

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is one of the most widely used biomaterials with osteoconductive properties. The properties of HA can be enhanced when the material is synthesized in the Nano scale range. The aim of this work was to synthesis HA macroparticle from egg-shell and to convert it to nanosize using microwave irradiation. Materials and methods: The raw Eggshell was cleaned , crushed and calcinated at 900 0 C to transformation of calcium carbonate into calcium-oxide. HA formed by addition of Phosphoric acid to aqueous suspension of calcium oxide, HA precipitate was filtered, washed and sintered. HA a powder obtained was grinded using a domestic blender. The next stage is the size reduction of the HA powder to produce micro sized HA by using Micronizer. Microwave was adjusted on high power to irradiate HA for 30 and 60 minutes. Laser Diffraction Particle Size Distribution Analyzer was used to estimate particle size and surface area of HA. Results: Grinding HA with domestic blender produce 35. 9737µm mean particle size. The surface area of the powder was 25108 cm 2 /cm 3 . With microwave irradiation for 30 minutes, the particle size drastically decrease to nano size, (0.1583 µm),. The surface area of the particle was greatly increased (3.9179E+5cm 2 /cm 3 ). Conclusions: Grinding HA by domestic blender and
Privacy Agents and Ontology for the Semantic Web

Conducting international e-business requires knowledge about the privacy and consumer protection laws, and regulations that affect transacting parties. To support this requirement, we describe a high-level organization for a Web-privacy ontology composed of a hierarchical organization of formal laws and acts, informal cultural guidelines and standards for business in general, and specific legislation and guidelines for interest groups. A prototype of a Web privacy ontology is built for the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). The ontology is built upon XML infrastructure. We propose that existing and to-be-designed XML-based P3P tags be incorporated in any regulatory privacy ontology to enable future P3P agents to automatically match not only the business’ privacy policy with the user preference rules, but also to match the business privacy policy with the privacy laws (for a start), and later with commerce and othertype laws, applicable to the stated legal jurisdiction(s) in which the business operates.
Andrographolide ameliorates OVA-induced lung injury in mice by suppressing ROS-mediated NF-κB signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome activation

In this study, we attempted to explore the effect and possible mechanism of Andrographolide on OVA-induced asthma. OVA challenge induced significant airway inflammatory cell recruitment and lung histological alterations, which were ameliorated by Andrographolide. The protein levels of cytokines in bron-choalveolar fluid (BALF) and serum were reduced by Andrographolide administration as well as the mRNA levels in lung tissue. Mechanically, Andrographolide markedly hampered the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and NLRP3 inflammasome both in vivo and vitro thus decreased levels of TNF-α and IL-1β. Finally, we confirmed that ROS scavenging was responsible for Andrographolide's inactivation of NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling. Our study here revealed the effect and possible mechanism of Andrographolide on asthma, which may represent a new therapeutic approach for treating this disease.