Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Threshold Regression with Endogeneity for Short Panels

This paper considers the estimation of dynamic threshold regression models with fixed effects using short panel data. We examine a two-step method, where the threshold parameter is estimated nonparametrically at the N-rate and the remaining parameters are estimated by GMM at the N -rate. We provide simulation results that illustrate advantages of the new method in comparison with pure GMM estimation. The simulations also highlight the importance of the choice of instruments in GMM estimation.
Lethal and Sublethal E ff ects of Methoxyfenozide on the Development , Survival and Reproduc on of the Fall Armyworm , Spodoptera frugiperda ( J . E . Smith ) ( Lepidoptera : Noctuidae )

1Ins tuto de Inves gaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales, Univ Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Tarímbaro, Michoacán, Mexico 2Facultad de Agronomía, Univ Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico 3Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CEPAVE (CCT LaPlata CONICET), La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argen na 4Lab of Agrozoology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent Univ, Ghent, Belgium 5Protección de Cul vos, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Madrid, Spain
Impacts of big data analytics and absorptive capacity on sustainable supply chain innovation: a conceptual framework

Background: Big data and predictive analytics could improve the ability to help with the sustainability of sourcing decisions. Sustainability has become a necessary goal for businesses and a powerful strategy for competitive advantage. There's a need for sustainable innovations along the supply chain to enable companies to have a strong market presence. Developing absorptive capacity both in firms and in supply chains are also integral to responding to dynamic markets and customer needs. The main objective of this paper is to identify the features of big data and predictive analytics applied to sustainable supply chain innovation, and to analyze the role of absorptive capacity. Methods: A literature review investigates how absorptive capacity affects the impact of the utilization of big data and predictive analytics on sustainable supply chain innovation. Results: This paper proposes a conceptual framework linking the different elements. It also proposes a synthesis of the existing definitions of the used concepts. In particular, the role of absorptive capacity as enabler on Big Data and Predictive Analytics on sustainable supply chain innovation is stressed. Conclusions: The paper investigates the emerging paradigm of big data and predictive analytics. The conceptual framework use theoretical foundation of absorptive capacity, and the extant literature on Big Data and predictive analytics. This framework will help us to build a research model for sustainable supply chain innovation applications. Further work is required to develop an action research methodology for validating the framework in depth within a company.
Flight to “Futures” during the financial crisis: Deliverability through central counterparties

This paper evaluates the role of central counterparties (CCPs) in the over-the counter market during the 2008–2009 financial crisis. Taking advantage of the physical settlement of Japanese Government Bond (JGB) futures, we focus on the institutional linkage between 7-year JGBs and JGB futures, which enable investors to clear their cash bonds through CCPs. To identify the premium on the linkage, we compare 7- and 6-year JGBs, which generate almost the same cash flow except in their linkage to JGB futures, and empirically show that the special premium on the linkage clearly emerged only during the crisis and its premium was significantly related to the actual physical settlements through CCPs.
Effect of maximal daily doses of acetaminophen on the liver of alcoholic patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Retrospective reports suggest that therapeutic doses of acetaminophen may be associated with fulminant hepatic failure and death in alcoholic patients. Millions of patients use acetaminophen; the prevalence of alcoholism in the United States is 5% to 10%. OBJECTIVE To determine if hepatic injury was associated with maximal therapeutic dosing of acetaminophen to chronic alcohol abuse patients immediately following cessation of alcohol intake (the presumed time of maximal vulnerability). METHODS Patients entering an alcohol detoxification center were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Exclusion criteria were baseline values of aspartate or alanine aminotransferase greater than 120 U/L, international normalized ratio greater than 1.5, serum acetaminophen level greater than 20 mg/L, or a history of ingesting more than 4 g/d of acetaminophen. Acetaminophen, 1000 mg, or placebo was administered orally 4 times daily for 2 consecutive days and liver test results were monitored for 2 more days. Acetaminophen was not administered until the alcohol had been eliminated. RESULTS There were 102 patients in the acetaminophen-treated group and 99 patients in the placebo-treated (control) group. Demographic data, alcohol history, and baseline blood test results were similar in both groups. The mean (SD) aspartate aminotransferase level on day 4 was 38.0 +/- 26.7 U/L in the acetaminophen-treated group and 37.5 +/- 27.6 U/L in the placebo-treated group. There were 4 patients in the acetaminophen-treated group and 5 in the placebo-treated group who developed an increase in their serum aspartate aminotransferase level to greater than 120 U/L; it did not exceed 200 U/L in any patient. The mean (SD) international normalized ratio on day 4 was 0.96 +/- 0.09 in the acetaminophen-treated group and 0.98 +/- 0.11 in the placebo-treated group. CONCLUSION Repeated administration of the maximum recommended daily doses of acetaminophen to long-term alcoholic patients was not associated with evidence of liver injury.
Venous Embolization After Deflation of Lower Extremity Tourniquets

Massive pulmonary embolism has been reported to occur with the use of lower extremity tourniquets. We used transesophageal echocardiography to determine the incidence of venous embolism during lower extremity orthopedic surgery performed with a pneumatic tourniquet. The hemodynamic and respiratory consequences of all embolic events were assessed. Venous emboli were detected after tourniquet deflation in 8 of 30 procedures. The incidence of embolism was unrelated to the type of surgical procedure performed or the duration of tourniquet inflation. There were no significant differences in preoperative characteristics or postdeflation hemodynamic and respiratory responses between patients with and without emboli. Venous embolization is a relatively common event after tourniquet deflation. The clinical significance of these events remains to be determined.
A mixed-method pilot study to improve patient satisfaction in rural Uganda

ABSTRACT This article reports on a mixed-method longitudinal field study that was conducted using a tablet-based app capturing data on patients’ satisfaction with an outpatient clinic in Kalungu District, Uganda. The app was developed, piloted, and refined using clinician and patient feedback. Findings were reported and discussed in staff meetings, with change in reported levels of satisfaction assessed using descriptive statistical analysis and Chi2 tests. Qualitative data were collected. Satisfaction was relatively high at baseline and increased by 4.4%, and staff found the feedback actionable. Patients reported fewer delays and better treatment after introducing the app, with the proportion of “very dissatisfied” patients decreasing from 2.3% to zero after six weeks.
Informed Trading and the Price Impact of Block Trades: A High Frequency Trading Analysis

Using high frequency data from the London Stock Exchange (LSE), we investigate the relationship between informed trading and the price impact of block trades on intraday and inter-day basis. Price impact of block trades is stronger during the first hour of trading; this is consistent with the hypothesis that information accumulates overnight during non-trading hours. Furthermore, private information is gradually incorporated into prices despite heightened trading frequency. Evidence suggests that informed traders exploit superior information across trading days, and stocks with lower transparency exhibit stronger information diffusion effects when traded in blocks, thus informed block trading facilitates price discovery.
Temporal dynamics of changes in group user's preferences in recommender systems

Using contextual information in recommender systems is a subject of continuous improvement of rating prediction accuracy. Among others, information on temporal rating dynamics contain valuable data that establish foundation for discovering changes in both individual and group user's preferences. Such changes can be caused by multiple factors such as changes of individual user interests, changes in item popularity or other hidden patterns or events. In this paper an improved user-based collaborative filtering algorithm is presented that utilizes changes of group user's preferences over time. We also investigate temporal dynamics of changes in user's preferences within different item categories and propose time weight function that improves prediction accuracy of recommender systems.
IMPOSSIBILITY OF DIMENSION REDUCTION IN THE NUCLEAR

Let S1 (the Schatten von Neumann trace class) denote the Banach space of all compact linear operators T : `2 → `2 whose nuclear norm ‖T‖S1 = ∑∞ j=1 σj(T ) is nite, where {σj(T )} ∞ j=1 are the singular values of T . We prove that for arbitrarily large n ∈ N there exists a subset C ⊆ S1 with |C| = n that cannot be embedded with bi-Lipschitz distortion O(1) into any n-dimensional linear subspace of S1. C is not even a O(1)-Lipschitz quotient of any subset of any n-dimensional linear subspace of S1. Thus, S1 does not admit a dimension reduction result á la Johnson and Lindenstrauss (1984), which complements the work of Harrow, Montanaro and Short (2011) on the limitations of quantum dimension reduction under the assumption that the embedding into low dimensions is a quantum channel. Such a statement was previously known with S1 replaced by the Banach space `1 of absolutely summable sequences via the work of Brinkman and Charikar (2003). In fact, the above set C can be taken to be the same set as the one that Brinkman and Charikar considered, viewed as a collection of diagonal matrices in S1. The challenge is to demonstrate that C cannot be faithfully realized in an arbitrary low-dimensional subspace of S1, while Brinkman and Charikar obtained such an assertion only for subspaces of S1 that consist of diagonal operators (i.e., subspaces of `1). We establish this by proving that the Markov 2-convexity constant of any nite dimensional linear subspace X of S1 is at most a universal constant multiple of √ log dim(X). E-mail addresses: naor@math.princeton. edu, pisier@math.tamu. edu, gideon@weizmann.ac. il. Date: May 2, 2018. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classi cation. 30L05, 46B85, 46B20, 46B80.
Joint MAP registration and high-resolution image estimation using a sequence of undersampled images

In many imaging systems, the detector array is not sufficiently dense to adequately sample the scene with the desired field of view. This is particularly true for many infrared focal plane arrays. Thus, the resulting images may be severely aliased. This paper examines a technique for estimating a high-resolution image, with reduced aliasing, from a sequence of undersampled frames. Several approaches to this problem have been investigated previously. However, in this paper a maximum a posteriori (MAP) framework for jointly estimating image registration parameters and the high-resolution image is presented. Several previous approaches have relied on knowing the registration parameters a priori or have utilized registration techniques not specifically designed to treat severely aliased images. In the proposed method, the registration parameters are iteratively updated along with the high-resolution image in a cyclic coordinate-descent optimization procedure. Experimental results are provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed MAP algorithm using both visible and infrared images. Quantitative error analysis is provided and several images are shown for subjective evaluation.
Frizzled1/2/7 signaling directs β-catenin nuclearisation and initiates endoderm specification in macromeres during sea urchin embryogenesis

In sea urchins, the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin in micromeres and macromeres at 4th and 5th cleavage activates the developmental gene regulatory circuits that specify all of the vegetal tissues (i.e. skeletogenic mesoderm, endoderm and non-skeletogenic mesoderm). Here, through the analysis of maternal Frizzled receptors as potential contributors to these processes, we found that, in Paracentrotus lividus, the receptor Frizzled1/2/7 is required by 5th cleavage for β-catenin nuclearisation selectively in macromere daughter cells. Perturbation analyses established further that Frizzled1/2/7 signaling is required subsequently for the specification of the endomesoderm and then the endoderm but not for that of the non-skeletogenic mesoderm, even though this cell type also originates from the endomesoderm lineage. Complementary analyses on Wnt6 showed that this maternal ligand is similarly required at 5th cleavage for the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin exclusively in the macromeres and for endoderm but not for non-skeletogenic mesoderm specification. In addition, Wnt6 misexpression reverses Frizzled1/2/7 downregulation-induced phenotypes. Thus, the results indicate that Wnt6 and Frizzled1/2/7 are likely to behave as the ligand-receptor pair responsible for initiating β-catenin nuclearisation in macromeres at 5th cleavage and that event is necessary for endoderm specification. They show also that β-catenin nuclearisation in micromeres and macromeres takes place through a different mechanism, and that non-skeletogenic mesoderm specification occurs independently of the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin in macromeres at the 5th cleavage. Evolutionarily, this analysis outlines further the conserved involvement of the Frizzled1/2/7 subfamily, but not of specific Wnts, in the activation of canonical Wnt signaling during early animal development.
Laboratory Evaluation of Battlefield Tourniquets in Human Volunteers

2 Introduction . 3 M aterials and M ethods . 4 Tourniquets . 4 Table I . 5 Subjects . 5 Table 2 . 6 Experimental Procedures . 6 Experiment I . 7 Experiment II . 8 SData Analysis . 8 Results . 8 Experiment I . 8 Table 3 . 10 Experiment II . 10 Table 4 . 11 Discussion . 11 Conclusions . 17 Acknowledgments . 18 References . 19 Figures . 22 Figure 1 . 22 Figure 2 . 23 Figure 3 . 25 Figure 4 . 25 Figure 5 . 27 Figure 6 . 28 Appendix A . 29
Behavioral Outcomes Differ between Rotational Acceleration and Blast Mechanisms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can result from a number of mechanisms, including blunt impact, head rotational acceleration, exposure to blast, and penetration of projectiles. Mechanism is likely to influence the type, severity, and chronicity of outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine differences in the severity and time course of behavioral outcomes following blast and rotational mTBI. The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Rotational Injury model and a shock tube model of primary blast injury were used to induce mTBI in rats and behavioral assessments were conducted within the first week, as well as 30 and 60 days following injury. Acute recovery time demonstrated similar increases over protocol-matched shams, indicating acute injury severity equivalence between the two mechanisms. Post-injury behavior in the elevated plus maze demonstrated differing trends, with rotationally injured rats acutely demonstrating greater activity, whereas blast-injured rats had decreased activity that developed at chronic time points. Similarly, blast-injured rats demonstrated trends associated with cognitive deficits that were not apparent following rotational injuries. These findings demonstrate that rotational and blast injury result in behavioral changes with different qualitative and temporal manifestations. Whereas rotational injury was characterized by a rapidly emerging phenotype consistent with behavioral disinhibition, blast injury was associated with emotional and cognitive differences that were not evident acutely, but developed later, with an anxiety-like phenotype still present in injured animals at our most chronic measurements.
Determinants of Sino-ASEAN Banking Efficiency: How Do Countries Differ?

The purpose of this paper is to assess the importance of geographical location in the banking sector efficiency of the Sino-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, and how the location was affected before, during and after the financial crisis. Using a panel of data from 407 banks from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam from 2000–2013, this study applies data envelopment analysis, Tobit regression, bootstrapping, and Simar and Wilson double bootstrapping regression. The empirical evidence suggests that the banking market has an important and significant role in the efficiency of the banking sector in the Sino-ASEAN region. The significant country’s coefficients suggest that during the pre-crisis period, banks belonging to China and Indonesia were more likely to be efficient due to the geographical location effect. The study finds the same tendency among Chinese banks in the crisis period as in the period before the crisis. Overall, the results suggest that Chinese banks outperform banks from the ASEAN countries in terms of efficiency. This study raises some significant policy implications for improving bank efficiency.
3D scene segmentation for autonomous robot grasping

We present an algorithm to segment an unstructured table top scene. Operating on the depth image of a Kinect camera, the algorithm robustly separates objects of previously unknown shape in cluttered scenes of stacked and partially occluded objects. The model-free algorithm finds smooth surface patches which are subsequently combined to form object hypotheses. We evaluate the algorithm regarding its robustness and real-time capabilities and discuss its advantages compared to existing approaches as well as its weak spots to be addressed in future work. We also report on an autonomous grasping experiment with the Shadow Robot Hand which employs the estimated shape and pose of segmented objects.
Interethnic Contact in Computer-mediated Communication : Anonymity Effects and Stereotype Disconfirmation on Prejudice Reduction and Out-group Attraction

The positive effects of intergroup contact have been verified by a variety of research studies. Recently, new proceedings and contexts different from traditional face-to-face contact have been proposed, including the contact that takes place in computer-mediated communication (CMC). This particular channel of communication presents clear advantages over “real” interactions due to its ubiquity, accessibility and multimodal nature. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical research in corroborating effects of intergroup contact in CMC. The primary purpose of this thesis study was to verify the impact of CMC-intergroup contact on negative attitudes toward an ethnic minority in Spain. Two studies based on the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE), the Social Information Processing (SIP) Theory, and the Intergroup Contact Theory, were carried out. Using a focus group methodology, the first study analyzed what schematic representations of ethnic minority groups exist in Spanish society; while the second study analyzed the impact of a stereotype disconfirming behavior on the negative attitudes toward an ethnic minority group in an experimental CMC setting. The results of the first study indicated that the Latin American group, among other stigmatized minorities, is the most socially accepted ethnic group by members of the Spanish majority due to shared cultural similarities, even though it is commonly associated to illegal immigration: this implies a better intention for contact compared to the worst evaluated minorities, such as gypsies. On the other hand, the second study used a software application so as to simulate a virtual group collaboration in which visual anonymity and disconfirming behavior were manipulated. One Latin American confederate in each group (made up of Spaniards) was instructed to show a stereotype confirming or disconfirming behavior. Participants were depicted by an ostensible photo (personalized condition) or by their national flag (anonymous condition). The analysis revealed that confederates acting in a disconfirming way were more attractive and prototypical than those who confirmed stereotypes; however, contrary to expectations, confirming behavior reduced stereotyped perceptions more than disconfirming behavior. Also, negative attributions were reduced more when confederates behaved in a confirming manner in anonymous groups. Additional tests pointed out a mediating role of perceived attraction towards the Latino confederate in reducing prejudiced beliefs, but only in the anonymous condition; furthermore, perceived prototypicality of the confederate in terms of the local group influenced prejudice reduction more than his disconfirming behavior. Explanations for the obtained results are offered as well as the practical and theoretical implications for this particular line of research.
The role of epicardial and perivascular adipose tissue in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease

• Introduction • Fat depots around the heart and vasculature ‐ Definitions ‐ Epicardial adipose tissue ‐ Perivascular adipose tissue ‐ Pericardial adipose tissue • Physiological function of epicardial adipose tissue • Visualization of epicardial adipose tissue • Epicardial fat thickness as diagnostic marker ‐ Association of epicardial fat with insulin resistance and T2DM ‐ Association of epicardial fat with cardiovascular dysfunction ‐ Association of epicardial fat with the metabolic syndrome ‐ Association of epicardial fat with adipokines ‐ Effect of weight loss on epicardial adipose tissue • Visualization of perivascular adipose tissue • Expression and secretion of fatty acids and adipokines from epicardial and perivascular fat depots ‐ Fatty acids ‐ Adipokines • Cross‐talk between secretory products from EAT and the myocardium • Cross‐talk between secretory products from PVAT and the vasculature ‐ Vasorelaxation ‐ Vasoconstriction ‐ Vascular remodelling ‐ Alterations in obesity and insulin resistance • Perspectives and conclusions
Review of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) as Animal Feed and Human Food

Food futurists accept that sustainability-minded humanity will increasingly incorporate insects as alternative protein. The most studied and easily reared species are not necessarily the most sustainable, acceptable, or delicious. Here, we review the literature on the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, which is capable of efficiently converting a wide variety of organic materials, from food waste to manure, into insect biomass. They can be grown and harvested without dedicated facilities and are not pestiferous. Their larvae are 42% crude protein and 29% fat, although they are higher in saturated fats than most insects. They do not concentrate pesticides or mycotoxins. They are already grown and recommended for use as animal feed, but with regional legal restrictions on how this is done. For commercial use in human foods, larvae could potentially be milled and converted into a textured protein with a strong flavor. Their biggest advantage over other insects is their ability to convert waste into food, generating value and closing nutrient loops as they reduce pollution and costs. This general advantage is also their greatest disadvantage, for the social stigmas and legal prohibitions against eating organisms that eat waste are added to extant taboos facing insect consumption.