Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Handling Limited Overlap in Observational Studies with Cardinality Matching

Abstract:A common problem encountered in observational studies is limited overlap in covariate distributions across treatment groups. To address this problem, and avoid strong modeling assumptions, it has become common practice to restrict analyses to the portions of the treatment groups that overlap or, ultimately, are balanced in their covariate distributions. Often, this is done by matching on the estimated propensity score or coarsened versions of the observed covariates. A recent alternative methodology that, in a sense, encompasses these two approaches is cardinality matching. Cardinality matching is a flexible matching method that uses integer programming to find the largest matched sample that is balanced according to criteria specified before matching by the investigator. In this paper, we apply and illustrate the method of cardinality matching and show how to use it to directly balance several features of the covariates, including their trajectories in time and their distributions, without requiring exact matching. We demonstrate how cardinality matching addresses the problem of limited overlap using the original covariates, as opposed to a summarized or coarsened version of them. We discuss how this method can be extended to build matched samples that are not only balanced but also representative of a target population by design. We also show how this method enhances sensitivity analyses for hidden biases. We explain these advancements through an observational study of the electoral impact of the 2010 earthquake in Chile.
Stochastic Declustering of Space-Time Earthquake Occurrences

This article is concerned with objective estimation of the spatial intensity function of the background earthquake occurrences from an earthquake catalog that includes numerous clustered events in space and time, and also with an algorithm for producing declustered catalogs from the original catalog. A space-time branching process model (the ETAS model) is used for describing how each event generates offspring events. It is shown that the background intensity function can be evaluated if the total spatial seismicity intensity and the branching structure can be estimated. In fact, the whole space-time process is split into two subprocesses, the background events and the clustered events. The proposed algorithm combines a parametric maximum likelihood estimate for the clustering structures using the space-time ETAS model and a nonparametric estimate of the background seismicity that we call a variable weighted kernel estimate. To demonstrate the present methods, we estimate the background seismic activities in the central region of New Zealand and in the central and western regions of Japan, then use these estimates to produce catalogs of background events.
Forecasting stock market volatility and the informational efficiency of the DAX-index options market

Alternative strategies for predicting stock market volatility are examined. In out-of-sample forecasting experiments implied-volatility information, derived from contemporaneously observed option prices or history-based volatility predictors, such as GARCH models, are investigated to determine if they are more appropriate for predicting future return volatility. Employing German DAX-index return data it is found that past returns do not contain useful information beyond the volatility expectations already reflected in option prices. This supports the efficient market hypothesis for the DAX-index options market.
Co-infection with Ascaris lumbricoides modulates protective immune responses against Giardia duodenalis in school Venezuelan rural children

We evaluated the effect of Ascaris lumbricoides on Giardia duodenalis infection and TH1/TH2 type immune mechanisms toward this parasite in 251 rural parasitized and 70 urban non-parasitized school children. The children were classified according to light (0–5000 eggs/g faeces) or moderate (>5001–50,000 eggs/g faeces) A. lumbricoides infection. Anti G. duodenalis skin hyper-reactivity, IgE, IgG, IL-13, IFN , IL6 and IL-10 levels were compared among G. duodenalis infected and non-infected children according to light or moderate A. lumbricoides infection. It was found that 62% of the A. lumbricoides moderately infected children were co-infected by G. duodenalis compared to 45% of the lightly infected group. After treatment, 42% of the A. lumbricoides moderately group were infected with G. duodenalis compared to 11% of their lightly counterparts, being A. lumbricoides IL-10 levels higher (p < 0.0001) in the moderately infected group. In the A. lumbricoides lightly parasitized children, G. duodenalis infection was associated to a significant increase (p < 0.005) of the levels of G. duodenalis IL-13, IFN, IL-6, IgE, IgG and skin test hyper reactivity. In contrast, there was no effect of G. duodenalis infection in the elevation of these parameters among the A. lumbricoides moderately parasitized group, being those levels similarly lower as those observed in the control group. Inverse correlations were found between the levels of anti G duodenalis antibodies, skin test hyper-reactivity and cytokines with the intensity of A. lumbricoides infection (p > 0.0001) and A. lumbricoides IL-10 levels (p > 0.0001), suggesting that co-infection with A. lumbricoides may affect both TH1 and TH2 type immunity against G. duodenalis that may play an important role in the susceptibility to the infection after chemotherapy in children from endemic areas. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Climate Anomalies Induced by the Arctic and Antarctic Oscillations: Glacial Maximum and Present-Day Perspectives

Abstract Based on multicentury coupled climate simulations of both modern and glacial maximum conditions, this study focuses on the impact of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) on the earth’s surface climate. Intercomparison of the results obtained in numerical experiments for both climate epochs demonstrates that highly significant changes of surface climate are predicted to have occurred depending upon the phase of the AO and AAO. These climate anomalies differ substantially between the modern and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) states and exhibit a strong seasonal cycle under the latter conditions. Additional investigation has revealed that an intensification of the subtropical gyres in the North Atlantic and North Pacific that are induced during the positive phase of the AO plays a key role in the development of positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in midlatitudes. In the Southern Hemisphere, similarly significant and systematic climate shifts are shown to occur due.
Survey of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from montane and lowland frogs in eastern Nigeria

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) that causes the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis might have originated in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on historical museum collections, it has been detected in frog specimens from Central Africa (Cameroon) as early as 1933. Yet, to date, there are few surveys of Bd for recently collected specimens from Central Africa. We present the results of a study undertaken to evaluate the presence and prevalence of Bd in eastern Nigeria at lowland and montane sites in Gashaka-Gumti National Park and in or near Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, respectively. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we detected three low-intensity cases of B. dendrobatiis infection each in a different genus of frog (Amietophrynus, Astylosternus, and Petropedetes), including in an undescribed species, at the lowland site in Gashaka-Gumti National Park. While it is promising that Bd was detected at only low intensities and at only one site, the extent to which Bd is distributed in this region of high amphibian diversity in Africa requires further evaluation.
Trichoepithelioma arising in a congenital melanocytic nevus of an adult: A diagnostic pitfall

We report the rare occurrence of a trichoepithelioma within a congenital melanocytic nevus in an adult, whose clinical presentation was suspicious for malignant transformation. Dermoscopy was not reassuring, and different from previously described cases of trichoepithelioma. The occurrence on the back of a male was another peculiar finding, as usually TE arises on the face of young women. Histopathology was characteristic, with the exophytic desmoplastic trichoepithelioma surrounded by the melanocytic proliferation, and supported the hypothesis that trichoepithelioma is an acquired condition, probably induced by the release of growth factors and cytokines from melanocytes. We speculate that intense sun exposure, due to the patient’s outdoor working and sporting activities, might have activated the melanocytes, and triggered this very unusual benign proliferation. Trichoepithelioma should be included among the diagnostic pitfalls mimicking malignant proliferation inside a congenital melanocytic nevus.
WEB BASED SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR YOUNG CARERS

Aim: The aim of this study was to gain knowledge about the specific needs that a web-based support system for young carers must meet. Methods: Twelve young people with experience of caring for and supporting a close friend, partner or relative with mental illness were interviewed about their life situation, support needs and opinions about a hypothetical web-based support system. The transcribed interviews were analysed using content analysis. Results: The analysed data were organised into three themes relating to support needs, each including a number of sub-themes: knowledge – understanding mental illness, managing the mentally ill person, and self-care; communication – shared experiences, advice and feedback, and befriending; and outside involvement – acute relief, structured help and health care commitments. Conclusion: Web-based support for young carers may be a suitable way to meet the need for knowledge and to meet some of the needs for communication. We have outlined a concept of a geographically anchored web support to meet the need for befriending, facilitate connections to health and social care, and increase understanding and interaction between the parties involved. Further research is needed to corroborate the results. 1 Correspondence: Mikael Elf, Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. E-mail: mikael.elf@psy.gu. se (or mikael.elf2@comhem.se) WEB BASED SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR YOUNG CARERS 2
Catching a Cold : The Dynamic Relationship Between Temperature and Health ∗

This paper examines the relationship between temperature and emergency department (ED) usage with a focus on the role of behavioral reactions to temperature. I use highfrequency data on the near universe of ED visits in California between 2005-2013 to estimate the effect of temperature shocks on ED usage patterns. I find that a one-day cold temperature shock (<40 ◦F) leads to 6.9% fewer ED visits on the day of the shock, but that total net ED visits increase by 10.0% above the daily mean in the month that follows. Additionally, I find that hot temperature shocks (>80 ◦F) are associated with a 3.1% increase in ED visits on the day of the shock, and a total net increase of 8.4%. For both cold and hot temperature shocks, I provide evidence regarding the behavioral mechanisms that drive these results. JEL: I10, I12, I18, Q50, Q51, Q54 ∗This paper has benefitted greatly from numerous conversations with Olivier Deschênes, Peter Kuhn and Maya Rossin-Slater and from discussions with Robert Deacon, Kyle Meng, Heather Royer, participants at the UCSB Environmental Lunch Seminar Series and Broom Center for Demography Seminar Series. I would like to thank the Broom Center for Demography and the UCSB Department of Economics for providing funding for this research. Finally, I would like to thank Betty Henderson-Sparks for facilitating access to restricted data through California’s Office of Statewide Planning and Development. All errors are my own.
PHYSICAL FITNESS OF ELITE WOMEN'S RUGBY UNION PLAYERS OVER A COMPETITION SEASON

Objective. To investigate changes in the physical fitness characteristics of elite women’s rugby union players over a competitive season. Methods. Thirty-two elite women’s rugby union players, all members of the South African Rugby Union High Performance Squad, were sub-divided into 2 positional categories of 17 forwards and 15 backs, respectively, and assessed pre-, mid- and post-competition season. Players underwent anthropometric (stature, body mass and sum of 7 skinfolds) and physical performance measurements (vertical jump, 10 m and 40 m sprint, 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench press and multi-stage shuttle-run test). Analysis. A 2-factor analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences in physical fitness variables between and within playing positions over the competition season (p<0.01). Results. In both groups, no significant changes were detected in the sum of skinfolds, vertical jump height, 1RM bench press and multi-stage shuttle-run test scores throughout the season. However, sprint times (10 m and 40 m) significantly increased and then decreased for both groups between the early (pre- to mid-season) and later phases of the season (mid- to post-season), respectively. Conclusion. The results suggest that, for improvement in physical fitness, players need to train at higher loads, especially in the preparatory phase. Thereafter, they must take measures to actively maintain these gains throughout the competitive season. Direct supervision of their conditioning should be encouraged.
PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN Bartholow et al. / MODERATION OF EXPECTANCY EFFECTS Moderation of the Expectancy–Alcohol Use Relation by Private Self-Consciousness: Data From a Longitudinal Study

This study investigated whether the relation between alcohol outcome expectancies and alcohol use may be moderated by individual differences in private self-consciousness (PSC). Quantity/ frequency of alcohol use, expectancies, and PSC in a sample of young adults were assessed annually over 4 years. Regression equations were used to predict alcohol use from expectancies, PSC, and their interaction while controlling for sex and family history of alcoholism. High PSC was associated with a stronger association between expectancies and alcohol use than was low PSC, although only in participants of legal drinking age. Also, PSC was negatively associated with alcohol use for underage participants when expectancies were statistically controlled, consistent with previous work linking PSC to adherence to legal proscriptions. Findings are discussed in relation to a model of expectancy accessibility.
Assessing Effects of Stocked Trout on Nongame Fish Assemblages in Southern Appalachian Mountain Streams

Abstract Fisheries managers are faced with the challenge of balancing the management of recreational fisheries with that of conserving native species and preserving ecological integrity. The negative effects that nonnative trout species exert on native trout are well documented and include alteration of competitive interactions, habitat use, and production. However, the effects that nonnative trout may exert on nongame fish assemblages are poorly understood. Our objectives were to quantify the effects of trout stocking on native nongame fish assemblages intensively on one newly stocked river, the North Toe River, North Carolina, and extensively on other southern Appalachian Mountain streams that are annually stocked with trout. In the intensive study, we adopted a before–after, control–impact (BACI) experimental design to detect short-term effects on the nongame fish assemblage and found no significant differences in fish density, species richness, species diversity, or fish microhabitat use associated wi.
The Signaling Value of Labor Market Programs

This paper investigates how employers interpret participation in active labor market programs for hiring decisions. Drawing on signaling theory, we assume that employers use program participation as a signal for a candidate’s qualities. On the basis of a factorial survey experiment, we simulated a hiring process for two job positions, a low and mid-skilled one, in the hotel sector. Recruiters were asked to evaluate fictional candidates that differ, among other characteristics, in their participation in active labor market programs. Our results show that employers do use participation in labor market programs as a signal. Its impact can be positive as well as negative, depending on the type of job that is applied for. For low-skill positions, the impact is more positive than for mid-skilled ones. We also show that the signal “participation in a labor market program” interacts with education and, to a lesser extent, nationality. By studying interactions among signals and with job type, this article contributes both, to a better understanding of how job market signaling works as well as to the literature on labor market programs.
Seismic Signals and Noise

As shown in Fig. 1.1, one of the key problems in se ismology is to solve the inverse problem, i.e., to derive from the analysis of seismic record s information about the structure and physical properties of the Earth medium through whic h the seismic waves propagate (see Chapter 2) as well as about the geometry, kinematic s and dynamics of the seismic source process (see Chapter 3). This task is complicated by the fact that the seismic signals radiated by the source are weakened and distorted by geometr ic spreading and attenuation and, due to reflection, diffraction, mode conversion and interf erence during their travel through the Earth. They are also distorted by the transfer function of the seismograph. While the Earth acts as a low-pass filter by attenuating higher frequencies m ost effectively, a mechanical seismograph is a second order high-pass filter with a roll-off f –12 dB per octave for periods larger than its eigenperiod (see Chapter 5).
Atypical chondroblastic osteosarcoma in the axial skeleton in a dog.

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in dogs, most frequently affecting middleto old-aged animals. It is a tumor of mesenchymal origin with great potential for the development of metastases, and is characterized by its aggressive and invasive behavior. In the axial skeleton, primary osteosarcoma is rare but may occur in the ribs, sternum, vertebrae and skull. This paper reports an atypical case of primary chondroblastic osteosarcoma of the rib with esophageal metastasis in a dog. The patient had muffled heart sounds on auscultation, expiratory dyspnea, and severe dehydration. Thoracic radiography showed generalized enlargement of the heart silhouette, suggestive of pericardial effusion. Because of a suspicion of intrathoracic neoplasia and the poor general state of the patient, euthanasia was advised. Necropsy revealed a neoplastic mass within the thoracic cavity, adhered to a rib and the sternum and pericardial sac, in addition to a metastatic mass in the esophagus. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of this neoplasia. This report describes an unusual case of primary chondroblastic osteosarcoma of the rib in a dog with metastasis in the esophagus. It is considered unusual because of the location of the tumoral mass inside the thoracic cavity and external adhesion to the pericardial sac.
Neural Correlates of Lucid Dreams : The Role of Metacognition and Volition

Dreams play an important role in consciousness studies, because of their ubiquitous presence but ambiguous nature. Dreams can be divided into two categories: non-lucid dreams and lucid dreams (i.e., dreams in which the dreamer knows he is dreaming). Lucid dreams are experiences with features of both waking and dreaming consciousness. In this essay, I review the differences in neural correlates between non-lucid dreams and lucid dreams. While both types of dreams share similar neural substrates, lucid dreams are especially accompanied by more activation in prefrontal areas. These areas are known to be involved in functions of secondary consciousness such as metacognition and volition. These findings are also echoed by verbal reports from lucid dreams. While the relationship metacognition and volition and lucid dreams is not yet fully clear, it seems that increased activation of metacognition and volition cause the dreamer to realize he is dreaming. Based on previous literature, I offer a conceptualization of dreams, in which a continuous variable, lucidity, can measure the degree to which metacognition and volition vary across dream types. I suggest that the transition between non-lucid and lucid dreams is a two-step process. The implications of this are discussed.
Tissuue Engineering in Maxillar Sinus Lifting: A Comparation of Differents Grafts and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopic Evaluation

The term tissue engineering was originally coined to denote the construction in the laboratory of a device containing viable cells and biologic mediators (e.g., growth factors and adhesins) in a synthetic or biologic matrix, which could be implanted in patients to facilitate regeneration of particular tissues. The role of tissue oxygenation in wound healing became the focal point in the 1980s. Tissue oxygenation enhances phagocytic and bactericidal ability of host immune cells and supports collagen as well as other protein synthetic events. The importance of growth factors in enhancing wound healing has become the focus of research in the present day. In addition, a link has been established between tissue oxygenation and growth factors. Macrophage stimulation causes the release of angiogenic and other growth factors that support wound healing and resist infection [1]. In general, tissue engineering combines three key elements, namely scaffolds (collagen, bone mineral), signaling molecules (growth factors), and cells (osteoblasts, fibroblasts). Tissue engineering has been redefined presently as the relatively new, highly promising field of reconstructive biology, which draws on the recent advances in medicine and surgery, molecular and cellular biology, polymer chemistry, and physiology. These principles of tissue engineering have found widespread application in several branches of dentistry, such as periodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and oral implantology. In the field of implant dentistry, the most frequently encountered problems at the implantation site are lack of adequate bone and proximity to anatomic structures, such as the maxillary sinus and the inferior alveolar nerve canal. Advanced surgical procedures that act as an adjunct in dental implants consist of sinus grafting and guided bone regeneration. These procedures are quite predictable when proper surgical protocols are established and followed. In this preliminary study we performed histological analisys using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), with the aim of evaluating the differences between graft and newly formed bone.
Control of the gelation process of silk fibroin solution

In the present study, silk fibroin solution was controlled through a simple shearing to accomplish the steady and rapid gelation process and the conformational transition. Antheraea yamamai silk fibroin was formed into hydrogels quicker than Bombyx mori silk fibroin on the same condition. Comparing with Bombyx mori silk fibroin, the rapid gelation of Antheraea yamamai silk fibroin was concerned with its alternate polyalanine-containing units which are tended to form the α-helix structures spontaneously. The entropic cost during the conformational transition to β-sheet is less than that from random coil to β-sheet.