Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumption, (Dis)Aggregate Wealth, and Asset Returns

In this work, we analyse the importance of disaggregation of wealth into main components (financial and housing wealth). We show, from the consumer´s intertemporal budget constraint, that the residuals of the trend relationship among consumption, financial wealth, housing wealth and labor income (summarized by the variable cday) should help to predict U.K quarterly asset returns, and to provide better forecasts than a variable like cay from Lettan and Ludvigson (2001), which considers aggregate wealth instead. Using a sample for the U.K. for the period 1975:Q1 - 2003:Q4, we also find that: (i) financial wealth effects are significantly different from housing wealth efects; (ii) changes in financial wealth are mainly transitory, while changes in housing wealth are better understood as permanent; (iii) the relationship among consumption, (dis)aggregate wealth and labor income was relatively stable over time; (iv) consumption doesn´t react asymmetrically to positive and negative financial (or housing) wealth shocks.
Academic success is about self-efficacy rather than frequency of use of the learning management system

Previous studies have investigated the association between the frequency of student learning management system (LMS) use (logins, discussion board use, resources used, etc.) and academic achievement. These studies indicate that low LMS use by students is likely to result in less academic success. However, these models fail to take into account self-beliefs that may also increase the explanatory value of learning analytics from the LMS. This study surveyed 310 students (M = 22.10 years, SD = 6.30 years) undertaking a first year health psychology subject. Results show the central role of self-efficacy in predicting student performance. Online activity was not predictive of performance, suggesting the primacy of psychological factors more so than online engagement in determining outcome. Of the motivational factors, amotivation was the single significant predictor of academic achievement. Proposed future research directions include the need to evaluate whether these results are sustained over time.
Evaluation of functional outcome of cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty for treatment of osteoporotic proximal femoral fractures in elderly people

Background: In India the estimated geriatric population is going to rise from 8% of total population in 2010 to 19% by 2050. Incidence of osteoporosis and associated fractures will rise in coming years with increasing elderly population. Management of fracture neck of femur and unstable intertrochanteric fractures in osteoporotic bone is challenging in elderly as they are more prone for fracture associated complications like pressure sore, deep vein thrombosis and pneumonia. Aim: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty in management of osteoporotic proximal femoral fractures in elderly people. Patients and Methods: In this prospective study twenty patients with osteoporosis having proximal femoral fractures (fracture neck of femur/unstable intertrochanteric fracture) were treated by cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty. Patients were followed up at 3 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months to evaluate the function outcome. Mean age of the patients in this study was 73.84 years. Results: Average duration follow up in this study was 14.63 month. Mean Harris Hip Score in the post-operative period was 42.73±8.78 which improved to 81.57±9.11 at 6 months. Average post-operative mobilization duration was 3.84 day and average hospital stay was 11.31 day. At 1 year follow up 85% patients had excellent to fair outcome and 10% had poor outcome. Conclusion: Treatment of osteoporotic proximal femoral fractures with cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty gives better functional outcome. Keywords: Proximal Femoral Fractures, Elderly, Osteoporosis, Cemented Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty
Aversive and non-reward learning in the fire-bellied toad using familiar and unfamiliar prey stimuli

The present study investigated how snapping behavior toward familiar and unfamiliar prey is modified by reward omission and aversive conditioning in the fire-bellied toad Bombina orientalis. Toads were trained to snap at cricket images by rewarding them with live crickets. The task was learned, and the learning criterion (10 snapping responses within 2 minutes) was reached in all individuals investigated. Subsequent reward omission did not alter the frequency of snapping to the familiar cricket stimulus. Snapping decreased only in some individuals, when a mild foot shock was applied at snapping. However, at presenta- tion of images of hitherto unfamiliar meal worms and foot-shock application at snapping to the stimulus, the majority of toads diminished snapping significantly. Snapping responses decreased more rapidly, when snapping at meal worms was not rewarded or a footshock was applied uncorrelated to the presentation of or snapping at meal worms. These results demonstrate that in toads familiarity and unfamiliarity of prey stimuli are important factors in aversive learning, because well-trained responses to familiar stimuli become immune against reward omission. Furthermore, at presentation of unfamiliar stimuli, omission of reward and un- correlated footshock had a stronger aversive effect than correlated footshock (Current Zoology 57 (6): 709-716, 2011).
Nutritive value of sun-dried Pueraria phaseoloides for rabbits under tropical conditions

The nutritive value of Pueraria phaseoloides (whole plant, full fruit stage, sun-dried) for the growing rabbit was studied by comparing diets containing an increasing incorporation of Pueraria (0 to 40%) in substitution to a basal mixture. The crude protein (CP) concentration of Pueraria was 17.6 % dry matter (DM), while neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre were 51 and 39%, respectively. A basal diet was formulated (51.1% NDF and 19.9% CP, on DM basis) and pelleted. Another 2 diets were obtained through substitution of 20 and 40% of basal diet by Pueraria. Faecal digestibility was measured between 42 and 46 d of age on 12 young rabbits per diet, fed ad libitum since weaning (35 d, 754±108 g). The substitution of 40% of basal diet by Pueraria reduced the digestibility of organic matter, crude protein and NDF from 69 to 55%, 80 to 68%, and 56 to 43%, (P<0.01), respectively. The digestible energy obtained by regression for sun-dried Pueraria was 3.81±0.38 MJ/kg DM, and the digestible protein content of Pueraria was 41.7±6.7 g/kg DM.
Induced abortion as an independent risk factor for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on south asian women.

OBJECTIVE South Asia, a historically low-incidence region for breast cancer, has produced many recent studies examining reproductive factors. We compiled these studies to confirm the reality of the significant association reported in the first, 1996 review of induced abortion as a risk factor, independent of abortion's known effect in abrogating the protection afforded by full-term pregnancy. METHODS We searched the medical literature for English language studies on breast cancer incidence in women in South Asia published from 1 January, 2000 through 30 June, 2017, using Pubmed, Scholar-Google, and bibliographic searches. Studies were included which reported overall data on induced abortion and/or abortion non-specifically. All 20 eligible studies were of retrospective, case-control design. Data from individual studies were combined using random effects modeling, following the determination of significant heterogeneity. RESULTS Cumulative OR for all 20 studies was 2.51 (95%CI: 1.67-3.75) and 3.91 (95%CI: 1.02-14.97) for the five studies which reported specific data on induced abortion. Significant dose-dependence was observed among all 5 studies which stratified by number of abortions. Meta-regression of OR v. abortion prevalence among controls was statistically significant, as observed in a 2013 meta-analysis in China. CONCLUSION The moderately strong association identified between abortion and breast cancer explains in part the spread of the breast cancer epidemic to South Asia as it has become Westernized. Continuing denial of the abortion-breast cancer association can only ensure that the acknowledged worldwide breast cancer epidemic will continue to worsen, costing many millions of women their lives over the next several decades.
In situ evaluation of the initiation of the North Atlantic phytoplankton bloom

Two years of continuous physical and optical measurements from a profiling float in the western subarctic North Atlantic are used to analyze seasonal phytoplankton dynamics. The observed annual cycle challenges the traditional view that initiation of spring accumulations of phytoplankton in the upper water column requires a critical stratification threshold (known as the ‘Gran effect’ or the ‘Sverdrup Hypothesis’). Instead, we find that biomass accumulation begins in mid‐winter when light levels are minimal and near‐surface mixing is deepest. These observations are consistent with the recently proposed dilution–recoupling hypothesis which states that deep winter mixing in the North Atlantic is essential for bloom formation as it decouples phytoplankton growth from grazing losses, thereby allowing net biomass accumulation despite low‐light conditions.
Açúcares e tolerância à alta temperatura de secagem em sementes de milho

Dentre outros mecanismos, a presenca de determinados acucares soluveis na semente parece estar envolvida na aquisicao e manutencao da tolerância a dessecacao. Nesse trabalho foi pesquisado a composicao de acucares soluveis em sementes de milho hibrido com diferentes niveis de tolerância a alta temperatura de secagem, assim como a relacao entre o conteudo desses acucares e a tolerância a dessecacao. Foram utilizadas sementes de dez cultivares de milho hibrido que apresentavam efeito reciproco para a tolerância a alta temperatura de secagem. As sementes foram colhidas com teor de agua de aproximadamente 35% e secadas a 45oC. A qualidade fisiologica das sementes foi avaliada por meio do teste de germinacao, teste frio sem solo e de envelhecimento acelerado. Os acucares glicose, frutose, sacarose, rafinose e estaquiose foram extraidos dos embrioes na presenca de metanol e separados por meio da tecnica de Cromatografia Liquida de Alta Eficiencia (HPLC). Foi observada variacao na composicao dos acucares entre as sementes dos hibridos e as de seus reciprocos. Uma maior concentracao de sacarose foi verificada nas sementes dos hibridos tolerantes a alta temperatura de secagem. Nao foi possivel estabelecer uma relacao entre a sacarose e rafinose que pudesse servir de parâmetro para a tolerância a alta temperatura de secagem em sementes de milho. Maior tolerância das sementes foi associada com uma maior relacao da sacarose, rafinose e estaquiose/glicose e frutose.
Integrated Bicyclist Protection Systems - Potential of Head Injury Reduction Combining Passive and Active Protection Systems

In recent years both pedestrian passive and active safety systems, such as pedestrian bonnets/airbags and autonomous braking, have emerged on the market and are estimated to be effective to reduce injury of vulnerable road users in car crashes. A natural next step is to develop similar protection systems for bicyclists. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential bicyclist head injury reduction from passive and active protection systems compared to an integrated system. The German In-Depth Accident Study (GIDAS) database was queried from 1999 to 2014 for severely (AIS3+) head injured bicyclists when struck by passenger car fronts. This resulted in 34 cases where information was sufficient for both the pre-crash and the in-crash part of the event. The default passive protection system was designed to mitigate head injuries caused by the bonnet area, A-pillars, and the lower windscreen (instrument panel) area (deployable hood and windshield airbag). To estimate the hood and airbag performance risk reduction functions were used based on experimental tests with and without the systems. The active protection system was an autonomous braking system, which was activated one second prior to impact if the bicyclist was visible to a forward-looking sensor. Maximum speed reduction was estimated using road condition information in each case. The integrated system was a direct combination of the passive and active protection systems. Case by case the effect from each of the active, passive and integrated systems was estimated. For the integrated system, the influence of the active system on the passive system performance was explicitly modelled in each case. A sensitivity analysis was performed varying the coverage area of the passive protection system and the activation criteria of the active system. The integrated system resulted in 29%-62% higher effectiveness than the best single system of active respectively passive protection system in reducing the number of bicyclists sustaining severe (AIS3+) head injuries. These values were statistically tested and found to be significant. The study is based on representative data from Germany, but may not be representative to countries with a different car fleet or infrastructure. This study indicates that integrated systems of passive and active vulnerable road user countermeasures offer a significantly increased potential for head injury reduction compared to either of the two systems alone.
Dietary Lectins and the Possible Mechanisms Whereby They Induce Intestinal Injury

Diarrhea of infancy and early childhood has many causes, including viral and bacterial infection. In some of these conditions the intestine may demonstrate few if any histological changes (e.g., cholera) or may show profound alterations (e.g., Salmonella, reovirus, etc.). One of the more common reactions of the intestine to various insults is the development of the "flat villus" pattern (Table 1). In general, this type of reaction is characterized by increased crypt mitotic activity and some tendency for "less mature" villus cells. The presence of an increased density of immature villus cells facing the intestinal lumen may have two important pathophysiological effects that may contribute to a slower recovery or to the establishment of a chronic condition. One effect is the likelihood that the less mature villus cells would have less efficient absorbing and brush border hydrolytic activities; the second, acquired lactose intolerance, is used as an explanation for an increased sensitivity to milk. This second effect presumably reflects the fact that the less mature villus cell would have a different plasma membrane structure (1), particularly in regard to the composition of the oligosaccharide chains of the constituent glycoproteins and glycolipids. These structural alterations in cell surface carbohydrate may make the cell more susceptible to the effects of dietary lectins, substances present in a normal diet that bind glycoproteins. Nachbar and Oppenheim (la) have recently enumerated the dietary lectins uncovered to date (Table 2). In this chapter we discuss the evidence for lectin-induced intestinal injury and four interrelated mechanisms that may explain it.
NUTRITIONAL CONDITION AND STRESS RESPONSE OF FISHES ALONG A GRADIENT OF HABITAT QUALITY IN THE ST . LAWRENCE RIVER : PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF ANTHROPOGENIC HABITAT DEGRADATION

Anthropogenic alterations to terrestrial habitat (e.g., urbanization, deforestation, agriculture) can have a variety of negative effects on riverine systems that flow through disturbed landscapes. These in-stream changes can alter aquatic population size and community structure; however, the underlying causal mechanisms remain poorly understood. Although patterns in population size presumably reflect underlying variation in organismal health and condition, such individual-level metrics are rarely evaluated in the context of ecosystem disturbance. Using physiological sampling, we can examine the effects of land use on the health of resident fishes, and improve our understanding of the mechanisms causing population declines. Therefore, the goal of my thesis is to define the relationship between human land use, habitat quality, and the physiological condition of stream fish. To accomplish this goal, I performed two distinct studies that examine these relationships in different ways. Chapter 1 quantified blood parameters relating to nutrition, oxidative stress, and the glucocorticoid (GC) stress response across streams differing in land-use practices at the watershed scale. Results from this study demonstrate natural lands (i.e., forests and wetlands) have stronger influences physiological condition than human land uses (e.g., agricultural and urban areas). Streams with the highest proportions of natural lands resulted in greater free energy, resistance to oxidative stress, and glucocorticoid function. In my second chapter, I used tissue cortisol extraction to examine the relationship between stream quality and the glucocorticoid function of a stream fish community. Results revealed that largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus, and logperch Percina caprodes had altered GC function as a result of anthropogenic stream degradation, whereas white sucker Catostomus commersonii and pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus did not. Together, my results show that different species residing in identical habitats can
Capacitance-voltage characteristics of organic light-emitting diodes varying the cathode metal: Implications for interfacial states

Capacitance-voltage C-V characteristics of organic light-emitting diodes based on a polyphenylenevinylene have been measured by means of impedance spectroscopy. The effect of the metallic cathode Au, Ag, Al, Mg, and Ba was analyzed in the low-frequency region 2 Hz of the capacitive response. The C-V curves collapse into a single pattern in the low bias region, and exhibit a dependence on the cathode work function showing a crossover from positive to negative inductive values. The voltage corresponding to the onset of the inductive behavior shifts toward higher bias as the cathode work function increases. Simulations based on an electron-injection model result in agreement with the observed C-V characteristics. From the comparison between the predicted and the experimentally observed data an estimation of the energetics of the metalorganic interface could be given. First, an interfacial state located 0.2 eV above the metal Fermi level appears independently of the metallic cathode. Second, the existence of a dipole layer with interface slope S =−0.43 is deduced which enhances relatively the electron injection for large work function metals. In the case of a Ba cathode, the electron barrier determining carrier injection is due to the interface states.
Advances in Insecticide Tools and Tactics for Protecting Conifers from Bark Beetle Attack in the Western United States

Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), a large and diverse group of insects consisting of ~550 species in North America and >6,000 species worldwide, are primary dis‐ turbance agents in coniferous forests of the western U.S. Population levels of a number of species (<1%) oscillate periodically, often reaching densities that result in extensive tree mor‐ tality when favorable climatic (e.g., droughts) and forest conditions (e.g., dense stands of susceptible hosts) coincide (Table 1). The genera Dendroctonus, Ips and Scolytus are well rec‐ ognized in this regard. In recent decades, billions of conifers across millions of hectares have been killed by native bark beetles in forests ranging from Alaska to New Mexico, and sever‐ al recent outbreaks are considered the largest and most severe in recorded history.
Gender differences in elite Olympic distance triathlon performances

To analyze the overall Olympic distance triathlon performances at elite male and female World Championship and Olympic Games events from 2000 to 2008. Time, lost time and partial position for each segment and transition, gender differences in performance for the three disciplines, and overall times of the males and females were analysed. The only significant difference between the sexes with regard to the percentage time used in the swimming segment (16.3±0.6M versus 15.6±0.6F). The gender (SD) difference in power output for the winners in swimming, cycling, running were 13.7±16.1%, 67.1±4.3%, 29.8±8.4%, respectively. The correlation coefficients between the lost time for each segment and transition, and the final overall classification were (0.4 M versus 0.48 F) for swimming, (0.28 M versus 0.3) for T1, (0.34 M versus 0.31 F) for Lost Time T1, (0.63 M versus 0.77 F) for cycling, r=0.33 (0.33 M versus 0.34 F) for T2, (0.43 M versus 0.29 F) for Lost Time T2 and (0.83 M versus 0.84 F) for running. The running segment is the most decisive, having a more obvious correlation for males because there are less breakaways or hilly segments that break up the main pack, while the level of performance is similar for most competitors. With females, performance is more varied and there are further variables that make the running segment less decisive. However, small differences in seconds that occurred in the swimming segment and transitions can have a significant impact on the outcome of the competition.
On the Problem of Finding the Largest Normal Mean under Heteroscedasticity

Abstract : Let P sub 1,. , P sub k be k approximately equal to 3 given normal populations with unknown means theta sub 1,. , theta sub k, and a common known variance sigma squared. Let X sub 1,. , X sub k be the sample means of k independent samples o sizes n sub 1,. ,n sub k from these populations. To find the population with the largest mean, one usually applies the natural rule d sub N, which selects in terms of the largest sample mean. In this paper, the performance of this rule is studied under 0 - 1 loss. It is shown that d sub n is minimax if and only if n sub 1 = . = n sub k. d sub N is seen to perform weakly whenever the parameters theta sub 1,. , theta sub k are close together. Several alternative selection rules are derived in a Bayesian approach which seem to be reasonable competitors to d sub N, worth comparing with d sub N in a future simulation study.
Achievement goals and self-determination in adult football players: a cluster analysis

To better understand the relationship between aspects of motivation and performance level in adult football players, this study aimed to identify differences in motivation among different motivational profiles created by means of hierarchical cluster analysis. The participants were 304 adult football players (90 professionals, 144 semi-professionals, 70 amateurs, age: 25.4±4.6 years). Participants completed the Task and Ego Orientation in Sports Questionnaire and the Self-Regulation Questionnaire. Based on the constructs of the questionnaires, cluster analyses were performed. Chi-square was used to determine any relationships between the players and clusters. Four different clusters were identified. There was no typical motivational profile for football players of different competition levels. However, the differences in all four clusters represented specific characteristics of football players of different competition levels most represented in each respective cluster. Cluster 1, which was the most adaptive, was not related to any competition level. On the other hand, professional athletes were significantly less represented in the least adaptive motivational profile (Cluster 4). The results highlight the complex relationship between competition and sporting motivation. Identifying the motivational profile characteristics of football players who can reach higher competition levels presents itself as a future research opportunity.Key words: motivation, soccer, adults, sport