Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New, Like New, or Very Good? Reputation and Credibility

We show that sellers may earn reputation for their \ability" to deliver high quality goods on average by honestly announcing the realised quality of items for sale every period. As the expected revenue stream from continuing with honest communication increases with their ability, high ability sellers remain honest while low ability sellers find it too costly and sometimes lie about quality for short-term gain. Thus, cheap-talk communication facilitates the market's learning of a seller's ability and strengthens reputation effects. We study this new reputation mechanism and the induced market dynamics, first when sellers cannot restart with a new identity and then when they can. We extend the analysis to various other situations such as voluntary refund and moral hazard.
Quantification of AC electromagnetic tracking system accuracy in a CT scanner environment

The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of a computed tomography (CT) scanner environment on the positional accuracy of an AC electromagnetic tracking system, the second generation NDI Aurora. A three-axis positioning robot was used to move an electromagnetically tracked needle above the CT table throughout a 30cm by 30cm axial plane sampled in 2.5cm steps. The corresponding position data was captured from the Aurora and was registered to the positioning system data using a rigid body transformation minimizing the least squares L2-norm. Data was sampled at varying distances from the CT gantry (three feet, two feet, and one foot) and with the CT table in a nominal position and lowered by 10cm. A coordinate system was defined with the x axis normal to the CT table and the origin at the center of the CT table, and the z axis spanning the table in the lateral direction with the origin at the center of the CT table. In this coordinate system, the positional relationships of each sampled point, the CT table, and the Aurora field generator are clearly defined. This allows error maps to be displayed in accurate spatial relationship to the CT scanner as well as to a representative patient anatomy. By quantifying the distortions in relation to the position of CT scanner components and the Aurora field generator, the optimal working field of view and recommended guidelines for operation can be determined such that targeting inside human anatomy can be done with reasonable expectations of desired performance.
The gender divide in urban China: Singlehood and assortative mating by age and education

Objective: Chinese media labels highly educated, urban women who are still single in their late 20s as "leftover ladies". We investigate whether indeed highly educated women are less likely to marry than their less-educated counterparts, and how assortative mating patterns by age and education play a role in singleness. Methods: We use data from the urban samples of the Chinese General Social Surveys in the 2000s. In the analysis we calculate marriage rates to examine the likelihood of entry into marriage, and then apply log-linear models to investigate the assortative mating patterns by age and education. Results: We find that as education increases, the likelihood of marriage increases among men but decreases among women, especially among those over age 30. The results from log-linear models reveal that more marriages involve better-educated, older men and less-educated, younger women. Conclusions: We argue that persistent traditional gender roles, accompanied by the rapid rise in women's education, contribute to low marriage rates among older, highly educated women.
The effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in developing entrepreneurial intentions among Malaysian university students: (a research findings on the structural equation modeling)

he current rate of unemployment among graduates in Malaysia has initiated the Malaysian government to look into entrepreneurship as a possible solution and this has led to the introduction of entrepreneurship education in most of the higher educational institutions. The research topic is, ‘Effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in developing entrepreneurial intentions among the Malaysian university students’. A theoretical framework has been proposed to identify the research issues and gaps. The research design is purely quantitative using a structured questionnaire which was tested among 4 entrepreneurial-focused universities. The study investigates entrepreneurship education variables of curricula, teaching methodologies, universities roles against entrepreneurial intentions using attitude and stakeholder support systems as mediating variables. Data was collected from 396 respondents and analysed using the SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0. The structural model was tested using a two-stage process. The model was tested using a CFA for goodness-of-fit indices and the direct and indirect effect of the mediating variables on the exogenous variables towards the endogenous through the application of a path analysis technique. Data analysis has been discussed, together with the implications and theory and practice. The paper discusses the conclusion and findings of the study and theoretical, methodological and practical contributions.
Terrestrial carbon sink observed from space: variation of growth rates and seasonal cycle amplitudes in response to interannual surface temperature variability

Abstract. The terrestrial biosphere is currently acting as a net carbon sink on the global scale, exhibiting significant interannual variability in strength. To reliably predict the future strength of the land sink and its role in atmospheric CO2 growth, the underlying biogeochemical processes and their response to a changing climate need to be well understood. In particular, better knowledge of the impact of key climate variables such as temperature or precipitation on the biospheric carbon reservoir is essential. It is demonstrated using nearly a decade of SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY) nadir measurements that years with higher temperatures during the growing season can be robustly associated with larger growth rates in atmospheric CO2 and smaller seasonal cycle amplitudes for northern mid-latitudes. We find linear relationships between warming and CO2 growth as well as seasonal cycle amplitude at the 98% significance level. This suggests that the terrestrial carbon sink is less efficient at higher temperatures during the analysed time period. Unless the biosphere has the ability to adapt its carbon storage under warming conditions in the longer term, such a temperature response entails the risk of potential future sink saturation via a positive carbon-climate feedback. Quantitatively, the covariation between the annual CO2 growth rates derived from SCIAMACHY data and warm season surface temperature anomaly amounts to 1.25 ± 0.32 ppm yr−1 K−1 for the Northern Hemisphere, where the bulk of the terrestrial carbon sink is located. In comparison, this relationship is less pronounced in the Southern Hemisphere. The covariation of the seasonal cycle amplitudes retrieved from satellite measurements and temperature anomaly is −1.30 ± 0.31 ppm K−1 for the north temperate zone. These estimates are consistent with those from the CarbonTracker data assimilated CO2 data product, indicating that the temperature dependence of the model surface fluxes is realistic.
First data on nesting ecology and behaviour in the imperial cave salamander Hydromantes imperialis

During the dry season, the European Plethodontid salamanders (genus Hydromantes) usually occupy underground environments (i.e. caves), where they can find cold temperatures and high moisture. Hydromantes breed in hypogean environments, where they usually lay eggs in hidden shelters. Mothers perform a long-lasting parental care of the eggs, which also continues after hatching. Due to the cryptic habitat and behaviour, their breeding biology is poorly known. Most of the available data refer to observations in captivity, while data from wild populations are scarce and deal with the findings of single nests. Here we report the first study on the Imperial cave salamander H. imperialis nesting ecology and behaviour, by performing quantitative observations on multiple nests. We found four nests in a cave located in Central Sardinia. We monitored them through five months, recording environmental features. Nests were associated with cold, humid and dark sectors of the cave, but sectors with nests did not show greater climatic stability than the superficial ones. Nests were continuously attended by females; temporary desertion became more frequent when temperatures were high and it was later in the season. Newborns were attended by their mothers for up to 52 days after hatching. The comparison of breeding biology across multiple Hydromantes species suggests earlier hatch in population/species living in warmer areas, with similar post-hatch brood attendance among species.
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This paper studies the mechanism of action of the small molecule agonist Yoda1 on Piezo1. By engineering chimeras between mPiezo1 and Yoda1-insensitive mPiezo2 the authors identify a minimal agonist binding/transduction motif (aa 1961-2063) on Piezo1 required for Yoda1-sensitivity. The Piezo1 region is located at the interface between the blade and pore domains in each subunit. They further investigated the effect of Yoda1 on heterotrimeric Piezo1 channels harboring WT subunits (which bind Yoda1) and Yoda1-insensitive mutant subunits. They show that hybrid channels harboring as few as one Yoda1-sensitive subunit exhibit Yoda1-sensitivity similar to homotrimeric wild type channels, suggesting that binding of Yoda1 to a single Piezo1 subunit is needed to open the channel pore. The structural mechanism by which Yoda1 interacts with Piezo1 was not addressed.
The Influence of Situation-Specific Control Beliefs on Obsessive-Compulsive Phenomena

This study investigated whether situation-specific control beliefs would influence obsessive compulsive (OC) related phenomena using a set of hypothetical, potential contamination scenarios. As expected, higher situationspecific desire for control and lower sense of control predicted higher threat appraisals. The interaction between desire for control and sense of control predicted distress. Neither desire for control nor sense of control predicted propensity to act. However, greater distress predicted a greater propensity to act in relation to the contamination scenario. This study confirms the relevance of control beliefs to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and adds to the current research by demonstrating that situation-specific control beliefs contribute to dysfunctional threat beliefs and distress. The results also indicate that distress may mediate the relationship between control beliefs and OC behaviours. It is suggested that individuals with OCD may benefit from cognitive therapy which directly targets problematic control beliefs.
Detoxi fi cation of a fl atoxin M 1 in yoghurt using probiotics and lactic acid bacteria

Probiotics and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely used in food fermentation and preservation. This study was carried out to assess the potential of five strains of LAB and bifidobacteria to remove aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) from yoghurt. The stability of the AFM1 complexes formed with them in both viable and nonviable (heator acid-treated) forms was assessed by repetitive aqueous extraction. Strains with high ability in removing AFM1 were selected to study its ability to remove AFM1 from spiked milk during yoghurt production and storage. Three treatments from yoghurt that produced from spiked milk were studied. Treatment A was the control using fermented yoghurt culture (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus). Treatment B was fermented by 50% yoghurt culture (S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus) and 50% Lactobacillus plantrium. Treatment C was fermented by yoghurt culture (S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus) and 50% Lactobacillus acidophilus. The samples were collected during different storage (5 C) times (1, 3, 5 and 7 days) to determine the ability of the stains to reduce AFM1. The results indicted that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the strains in their ability to reduce AFM1 inMRS brothmedia in the viable stage, heated stage and acid treatment. L. plantriumwas the highest strain capable of removing AFM1. Yoghurt fermented by 50% yoghurt culture (S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus) and 50% L. plantrium recorded the highest reduction in the level of AFM1 at the end of storage period. The results revealed the possibility of using some strains of LAB and bifidobacteria in detoxification of AFM1-contaminated foods. 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
When Simple Exploration is Sample Efficient: Identifying Sufficient Conditions for Random Exploration to Yield PAC RL Algorithms

Efficient exploration is one of the key challenges for reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms. Most traditional sample efficiency bounds require strategic exploration. Recently many deep RL algorithms with simple heuristic exploration strategies that have few formal guarantees, achieve surprising success in many domains. These results pose an important question about understanding these exploration strategies such as $e$-greedy, as well as understanding what characterize the difficulty of exploration in MDPs. In this work we propose problem specific sample complexity bounds of $Q$ learning with random walk exploration that rely on several structural properties. We also link our theoretical results to some empirical benchmark domains, to illustrate if our bound gives polynomial sample complexity in these domains and how that is related with the empirical performance.
Risks and Benefits of Youth Sport Specialization: Perspectives and Recommendations

Of growing concern to sport researchers is the practice of youth sport athletes specializing in sport at a young age. Sport specialization is characterized by year-round training in a single sport at the exclusion of other sport or nonsport activities. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the potential benefits of specialized sport at an early age in light of the potential risks associated with specialized participation. Three areas of consideration are discussed, including motor skill acquisition and performance, potential sociological consequences, and psychological concerns related to high-intensity training of young athletes. Finally, recommendations for further research and practical considerations are suggested for deciding the appropriateness of specialized sport in the training and development of youth sport athletes.
Level of Acute Blood Pressure may Influence Long Term Outcome in Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Prospective Observational Study in a Stroke Unit Setting

Arterial blood pressure is a known risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and it is the most important for stroke prevention. On the basis of the current evidence from multiple trials, it is recommended that antihypertensive therapy be introduced for all subjects with confirmed hypertension to reduce cardio- and cerebrovascular risk, but there is no consensus about level that should be maintained and management of blood pressure in acute stroke patients. Current guidelines suggest that in acute stroke patients, high pressure should be reduced only for very high values. The aim of this study was to evaluate in acute stroke patients whether different levels of acute systolic blood pressure might influence long term outcome. We performed an observational prospective study in patients hospitalized in stroke unit within 24 hours from stroke onset. Patients were monitored from the admittance to the discharge and non-invasive blood pressure was recorded every 4 hours for a total of 6 measurements a day. Functional stroke scales were administrated daily during hospitalization and at each follow up visit. Patients were collected in 3 pre-established groups on the basis of acute systolic blood pressure values recorded in the first day. 138 patients were enrolled. Patients were collected in following 3 groups: low (<130 mmHg), moderate (between 130 and 160 mmHg) and high (higher than 160 mmHg) accordingly to mean of systolic blood pressure. We found that in high-level group long term recovery assessed at 6-month follow up visit by mean of modified Rankin Scale score was significantly better than in other groups. This study suggests that levels of systolic blood pressure, in acute stage of stroke, might influence long term outcome and although these data are not conclusive we believe that a clinical trial would be warranted to evaluate this hypothesis in a larger population.
Plasma Tenofovir Concentrations and Proximal Tubular Dysfunction in HIV-Infected Adults Receiving Tenofovir in Thailand

Background: HIV-infected Asians may be at risk for tenofovir toxicity due to their relatively low body weight (BW). We assessed the prevalence of proximal tubular dysfunction (PRTD) and risk associated with PRTD in HIV-infected adults receiving tenofovir in Thailand. Methods: A cross-sectional study in HIV-infected adults (≥ 18years) treated with tenofovir for >1 year. Twenty-fourhour urine samples were collected to assess PRTD. PRTD was defined as the presence of >2 of the following criteria: hyper-phosphaturia (total excretion of phosphate >1200 mg/day or renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate (TmP/ GFR) 15%), or non-diabetic glucosuria. Mid-dose tenofovir plasma concentrations were determined and concentrations >160 ng/mL were used as a cut-off for assessing risk of PRTD. Results: 351 subjects (52% males) with median age of 40.2 years, BW of 58.9 kg, and duration of tenofovir treatment 4.7 years were included. 93% had a HIV-1 RNA 160ng/mL was associated with PRTD [odds ratio: OR 2.02 (95% CI 1.13-3.66)]; 32 of 54 (59.2%) with PRTD had a tenofovir concentration >160 ng/ml; versus 124 of 297 patients (41.7%) without PRTD (p = 0.02). Predictors of a tenofovir concentration >160ng/mL were BW<55 kg [OR2.32 (95% CI 1.45-3.68)], chronic HCV [OR 2.64 (95% CI 1.13-6.17)], eGFR<90 mL/min/1.73m2 [OR 2.66 (95% CI 1.64-4.31)], lopinavir/ritonavir [OR 2.47 (95% CI 1.32-4.6)] and PRTD [OR 2.08(95% CI 1.10-3.92)]. Conclusion: Mid-dose tenofovir concentrations >160 ng/mL were independently associated with PRTD. Tubular function should be closely monitored in patients using tenofovir with BW<55 kg, lopinavir/ritonavir use, chronic hepatitis C, or low eGFR.
Perceived stress and sources of stress among pharmacy students in Malaysian public and private universities: a comparative study

This study aimed to compare the level of stress and its associated factors among pharmacy students in a public university and a private university. A cross-sectional study was carried out recruiting all pharmacy students in two pharmacy faculties in Malaysia, using an online self-administered questionnaire in English. The questionnaire included questions on socio-demographic factors, sources of stress and the validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The mean (±SD) age was 20.7 (± 1.2) years and the age ranged 19 - 29 years. The majority of respondents were female (79.6 %) and Malays (53.9 %). There was a significant association between PSS-10 and ''study in general'' and ''assignments'' (p<0.01), among students in the public university. In the private university, stress was significantly associated with ''living cost (p=0.045), ''living away from family'' (p=0.043) and ''lack of recreational time'' (p=0.016). Exams, financial problems, peer competition and final projects, and fear of future were associated with stress among students in both universities. In conclusion, the pharmacy students perceived stress similar in public and private universities. Academic-related stressors were significant in public university, while life-related stressors were significant in private one.
American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research

We show that a citizen science, self-selected cohort shipping samples through the mail at room temperature recaptures many known microbiome results from clinically collected cohorts and reveals new ones. Of particular interest is integrating n = 1 study data with the population data, showing that the extent of microbiome change after events such as surgery can exceed differences between distinct environmental biomes, and the effect of diverse plants in the diet, which we confirm with untargeted metabolomics on hundreds of samples. ABSTRACT Although much work has linked the human microbiome to specific phenotypes and lifestyle variables, data from different projects have been challenging to integrate and the extent of microbial and molecular diversity in human stool remains unknown. Using standardized protocols from the Earth Microbiome Project and sample contributions from over 10,000 citizen-scientists, together with an open research network, we compare human microbiome specimens primarily from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia to one another and to environmental samples. Our results show an unexpected range of beta-diversity in human stool microbiomes compared to environmental samples; demonstrate the utility of procedures for removing the effects of overgrowth during room-temperature shipping for revealing phenotype correlations; uncover new molecules and kinds of molecular communities in the human stool metabolome; and examine emergent associations among the microbiome, metabolome, and the diversity of plants that are consumed (rather than relying on reductive categorical variables such as veganism, which have little or no explanatory power). We also demonstrate the utility of the living data resource and cross-cohort comparison to confirm existing associations between the microbiome and psychiatric illness and to reveal the extent of microbiome change within one individual during surgery, providing a paradigm for open microbiome research and education. IMPORTANCE We show that a citizen science, self-selected cohort shipping samples through the mail at room temperature recaptures many known microbiome results from clinically collected cohorts and reveals new ones. Of particular interest is integrating n = 1 study data with the population data, showing that the extent of microbiome change after events such as surgery can exceed differences between distinct environmental biomes, and the effect of diverse plants in the diet, which we confirm with untargeted metabolomics on hundreds of samples.
Rank-constrained optimization: a Riemannian manifold approach

This paper presents an algorithm that solves optimization problems on a matrix manifold M ⊆ R with an additional rank inequality constraint. New geometric objects are defined to facilitate efficiently finding a suitable rank. The convergence properties of the algorithm are given and a weighted low-rank approximation problem is used to illustrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the algorithm.