Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Test-Retest Reliability of V-Wave Responses in the Soleus and Gastrocnemius Medialis

This study was designed to assess the reliability of the first volitional (V) wave, which can be used as a measure of efferent neural drive, while also reflecting reflex excitability. Ten subjects volunteered for one familiarization session followed by an experimental test session and an identical retest session spaced 3 to 8 days apart. V-waves were evoked in the tibial nerve during plantar flexion maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVCs). Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), along with standard error of measurement and 95% confidence intervals for the following variables: MVC force, surface electromyogram activity (EMG), and the peak-to-peak V-wave amplitude in soleus (SOL) and gastrocnemius medialis (GM). The superimposed M-wave (MSUP) accompanying V-wave stimulation was also obtained for normalization purposes. Substantial reliability was documented for V/MSUP in both SOL (ICC = 0.86) and GM (0.90), as well as for the non-normalized V-wave in SOL (0.92). Moderate reliability was displayed for the non-normalized V-wave response in GM (0.78). Substantial reliability was also established for EMG/MSUP (>0.82) and MVC force (0.98). This study provides novel evidence that V-wave responses can be consistently measured in the SOL and GM, thus advocating its continued use in future research.
Nonparametric Modelling and Estimation of Stochastic Volatility

We consider nonparametric stochastic volatility models in discrete time with unknown distribution of the innovations of the return process. As underlying and not observable volatility process we assume a nonparametric autoregressive structure of first order. We are interested in estimators for this autoregression function. The considered models generalise on one hand parametric autoregressive random variance models and on the other hand nonparametric stochastic volatility models for which the distribution of the innovations of the returns is assumed to be known. We make use of the well accepted assumption that volatility changes (rather) slowly. In a first model we deal with the extreme situation that at least two observed returns are based on exactly the same volatility, which brings us to a situation comparable to panel data. Under certain assumptions we can estimate the characteristic function of the distribution of the innovations. We need an estimator of this distribution in order to define a so-called deconvolution kernel estimate for the autoregression function of the volatility process. In this situation we achieve consistency of our estimator. In another situation we assume, that we can observe the volatility disturbed by a noise, which converges to zero in probability whith increasing sample size. Here we investigate nonparametric kernel-smoothers as well and achieve the same asymptotic results for our estimator as in the situation in which we are able to observe the volatility directly. Furthermore we introduce two models, which fulfill these assumptions. Finally we consider a nonparametrich GARCH(1,1)-model and show asymptotic normality of an estimator of the stationary density of a process following this structure.
Are caregivers adherent to their own medications?

OBJECTIVE To explore caregiver adherence to chronic medications and predictors of appropriate medication use. DESIGN Descriptive, nonexperimental, cross-sectional study. SETTING United States in May 2009. PARTICIPANTS 2,000 adults randomly selected from a large national consumer panel. INTERVENTION Web-based survey of community pharmacy patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Self-reported medication adherence. RESULTS 21% of those invited (3,775) responded to the survey invitation. Of the 2,000 individuals who were eligible to participate, 38% described themselves as caregivers. Among caregivers, 45% agreed that they were more likely to forget their own medications than medications for their caregivees. Caregivers were 10% more likely to forget to take their medications, 11% more likely to stop taking medications if they felt well, and 13% more likely to forget to refill their medications than noncare-givers (P < 0.001 for all). In fully adjusted models, caregivers had 36% greater odds (95% CI 0.52-0.79) of reporting that they were nonadherent compared with noncare-givers and increased medication use among caregivees was associated with worse adherence among caregivers (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Medication nonadherence was common in this population, and caregivers were more likely to report poor medication adherence than noncaregivers. Considering that caregivers often engage health professionals, physicians and pharmacists may choose to screen for caregiving status. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to intervene to enhance appropriate medication adherence.
Calibrated Surrogate Losses for Classification with Label-Dependent Costs

We present surrogate regret bounds for arbitrary surrogate losses in the context of binary classification with label-dependent costs. Such bounds relate a classifier's risk, assessed with respect to a surrogate loss, to its cost-sensitive classification risk. Two approaches to surrogate regret bounds are developed. The first is a direct generalization of Bartlett et al. [2006], who focus on margin-based losses and cost-insensitive classification, while the second adopts the framework of Steinwart [2007] based on calibration functions. Nontrivial surrogate regret bounds are shown to exist precisely when the surrogate loss satisfies a "calibration" condition that is easily verified for many common losses. We apply this theory to the class of uneven margin losses, and characterize when these losses are properly calibrated. The uneven hinge, squared error, exponential, and sigmoid losses are then treated in detail.
Factors of electric vehicle adoption: A comparison of conventional and electric car users based on an extended theory of planned behavior

ABSTRACT Increasing the share of battery electric vehicles (BEV) in the total car fleet is regarded as a promising way to reduce local car emissions. Based on online surveys in Denmark and Sweden, this study compares BEV users' (n = 673) and conventional vehicle (CV) users' (n = 1794) socio-demographic profiles, attitudinal profiles, and mobility patterns. In line with previous research, BEV users are typically male, highly educated, have high incomes, and often more than one car in their household. Additionally, BEV users perceive less functional barriers toward BEV use and have more positive attitudes and norms than CV users. The different profiles of these user groups suggest a separate analysis of potential factors of BEV adoption in both groups. In regression analyses, CV and BEV users' intention to use/purchase a BEV is modeled based on factors of the Theory of Planned Behavior extended by personal norm, perceived mobility necessities, and BEV experience. For CV users, symbolic attitudes related to BEVs are the most important factor of intention, while perceived functional barriers in terms of driving range are most relevant for BEV users' intention. How BEV users cope with trips of longer distance seems of particular relevance. In multiple car households, we found the percentage of actual BEV usage related to the type of other cars in the household, perceived functional barriers of BEVs as well as (successful) behavioral adaption to longer trips by BEVs. Based on the results, we discuss ways to increase BEV adoption for current users and non-users.
Skeleton of Euplectella sp.: Structural Hierarchy from the Nanoscale to the Macroscale

Structural materials in nature exhibit remarkable designs with building blocks, often hierarchically arranged from the nanometer to the macroscopic length scales. We report on the structural properties of biosilica observed in the hexactinellid sponge Euplectella sp. Consolidated, nanometer-scaled silica spheres are arranged in well-defined microscopic concentric rings glued together by organic matrix to form laminated spicules. The assembly of these spicules into bundles, effected by the laminated silica-based cement, results in the formation of a macroscopic cylindrical square-lattice cagelike structure reinforced by diagonal ridges. The ensuing design overcomes the brittleness of its constituent material, glass, and shows outstanding mechanical rigidity and stability. The mechanical benefits of each of seven identified hierarchical levels and their comparison with common mechanical engineering strategies are discussed.
How Selective Migration Shapes Environmental Inequality in Germany: Evidence from Micro-level Panel Data

Socio-economically disadvantaged and ethnic minorities are affected by a disproportionately high exposure to environmental pollution. Yet, it is unclear if selective migration causes this disproportionate exposure experienced by low-income and minority households. The study uses longitudinal data from the German SocioEconomic Panel to investigate the process of selective migration and its connection to the perceived exposure to air pollution in Germany. Consistent with the selective migration argument, movers experience a decrease in exposure according to their income, whiles stationary households do not experience a reductive effect due to income. Furthermore, the moving returns differ by minority status. While native German households experience less exposure to pollution when moving to a new place of residence, minority households do not. Additional analyses show that this minority effect cannot be explained by socio-economic differences, but completely vanishes in the second immigrant generation.
Governing urban gardens for resilient cities: Examining the ‘Garden City Initiative’ in Taipei

With rising concerns for food security and climate adaptation, urban gardening and urban agriculture have emerged as a rising agenda for urban resilience around the world. In East Asia, a variety of initiatives have emerged in recent years with different levels of institutional support. Focusing on Taipei, where a vibrant urban agriculture movement has been unleashed in recent years, this article examines the ongoing outcomes of the city’s new ‘Garden City Initiative’, which supports the establishment of urban gardens including community gardens, rooftop gardens and school gardens. Based on interviews and participant observations during the initial period of advocacy, planning and implementation between 2014 and 2017, this study examines the background of the programme, the involvement of governmental and non-governmental actors and the programme’s ongoing implementation. Based on the findings, the article further reflects upon their implications for the practices of urban governance in the face of contemporary environmental, political and social challenges. The case of Taipei suggests a model in which policy formation and implementation may require opportunistic actions involving a variety of actors and organisations in both institutions and the civil society. Rather than dramatic changes or instant institutional realignment, the effort may require strategic adaptation of the existing bureaucratic structure, while mobilising its strengths and resources. In addition, despite the critical role of civil society organisations, the Taipei case also illustrates a considerable public-sector investment, distinct from the predominant model of neoliberal governance that has been associated with urban gardening programmes elsewhere.
Wicksellian Rules and the Taylor Principle: Some Practical Implications

In this paper, we derive and compare the determinacy regions of price‐level targeting rules (Wicksellian rules) and Taylor rules in a standard New Keynesian model. We conclude that Wicksellian rules do not require the Taylor principle to hold in order to induce determinacy. Our results have two implications. First, in a univariate setting, the estimation of simple Taylor rules when the true rule is Wicksellian can lead to the erroneous conclusion that the equilibrium is indeterminate. Second, indeterminacy is ruled out when using system‐based methods, but it can be concluded that the central bank is less averse to inflation movements than it actually is.
Mitochondrial generation of reactive oxygen species after brain ischemia in the rat.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Brain mitochondria have a substantial capacity to generate reactive oxygen species after ischemia when the components of the respiratory chain are reduced and molecular oxygen is present. We tested the hypothesis that brain mitochondria in vivo produce reactive oxygen species after ischemia/reperfusion (IR) in rats at a rate sufficient to escape endogenous antioxidant defenses. METHODS Ischemia-dependent production of hydroxyl radical in the hippocampus of the anesthetized rat was monitored with the use of intracerebral microdialysis. Transient global ischemia was produced by bilateral carotid artery occlusion and hemorrhagic hypotension to a mean arterial pressure of 35 mm Hg for 15 minutes followed by reperfusion for 60 minutes. Salicylic acid was infused into the hippocampus during the experiments, and changes in the recovery of its hydroxylated product, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA), were used to assess the effects of inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I on formation of hydroxyl radical during IR. Hydroxylation data from control groups of animals were compared with data from animals undergoing IR during treatment with either a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor alone or the inhibitor plus succinic acid. RESULTS Transient ischemia led to a fivefold increase in the recovery of 2,3-DHBA by microdialysis after 1 hour relative to control animals (P < .05). Inhibition of mitochondrial complex I prevented 2,3-DHBA formation after IR; this effect could be reversed by infusion of succinic acid by microdialysis during IR. CONCLUSIONS The data indicate that reactive oxygen species generated by mitochondrial electron transport escape cellular antioxidant defenses and promote highly damaging hydroxyl radical activity after transient brain ischemia in the rat.
Who cares? The importance of emotional connections with nature to ensure food security and wellbeing in cities

To be "connected" is "to care", because how and what we care about is influenced, and influences, what we are connected with. Emotional connection predicts environmental concern and children exposed to green environments take this appreciation of nature with them into adulthood. However, the majority of the human population is now living within urban areas, where opportunities for people to interact and bond with nature are greatly diminished, thereby potentially threatening the liveability of cities into the future. Connection with nature has been shown repeatedly to benefit human wellbeing and predict pro-environmental behaviours. By definition "nature" includes urban agriculture, which is also an integral component of a city's foodscape, thereby providing opportunities to improve the wellbeing of city inhabitants as well as help ensure food security. This will only be attainable if the next generation has an emotional connection to nature, and the necessary life skills to help them enter adult life as informed food citizens who make healthy and sustainable decisions for themselves as well as others. This paper reviews existing literature on foodscape (or one's food environment) and biophilia (the love of life or living systems) to highlight the need for inter-disciplinary research that combines urban agriculture and food literacy to ensure future food security and wellbeing of urban inhabitants.
How do Stock Prices and Metal Prices Contribute to Economic Activity in Turkey? The Importance of Linear and Non-linear ARDL

This study explores the association between stock prices, metal prices and economic activity, i.e. industrial production, for the Turkish economy for the period 1896M1-2016M12. The linear and non-linear analysis is conducted by applying the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) approaches. The combined cointegration approach is applied to test the robustness of the ARDL and NARDL approaches. The FMOLS, DOLS and CCR regressions are applied to examine the long-run effect of stock prices and metal prices on economic activity. The empirical results reveal that metal and stock prices have a positive impact on economic activity. Metal prices have a negative impact and economic activity has positive effects on stock prices. Furthermore, the NARDL model corroborates the findings obtained from the ARDL model. This paper presents policy guidelines to utilise metals as an economic tool to boost economic activity and stock prices.
Issues Associated with the Identification of Cognitive Change Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Objective: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a surgical procedure used to treat individuals with ischaemic heart disease and to relieve angina. Disruption to the central nervous system (CNS) has frequently been reported by patients who have undergone CABG. Method: The following paper is a review of the literature that has examined the effects of CABG on the CNS. Results and Conclusions: It becomes apparent that issues about the incidence and severity of post-CABG cognitive decline are still unresolved. First, the cause of post-CABG CNS change has not yet been established, although the presence of changes to brain microvasculature as a result of the presence of microemboli appears to be a likely factor. Second, while some studies have reported high rates of poor performance on neuropsychological tests postoperatively, these reports are often subject to confounds such as variability in postoperative testing intervals, the definition of decline and the neuropsychological test batteries used. Finally, improvements in surgical techniques and changes in patient characteristics may have changed the real nature and prevalence of post-CABG cognitive decline. The review finishes with a series of recommendations for the neuropsychologlical study of CABG.
Testing tourism-led growth hypothesis in Laos?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the tourism-led growth hypothesis in Laos. Design/methodology/approach The authors test the tourism-led growth hypothesis using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) cointegration estimation (Pesaran et al., 2001) and Granger causality tests. Findings The results of this paper show that when tourism is forcing variable, there is no long-run relationship between tourism development and economic growth. The Granger causality test demonstrates that there is a uni-directional causality running from economic growth in tourism. Social implications The empirical results and policy recommendation may be useful for other small developing countries. Originality/value This study is the first study to investigate the relationship between tourism development and growth in Laos, using a relatively new econometric approach – ARDL bound testing.
Long‐term effects of testicular cancer on sexual functioning in married couples

Long‐term sequelae of testicular cancer have not been reported from the perspective of patient and spouse. As part of a larger study, both members of 34 married couples were interviewed individually, almost 4 years after treatment ended. Spouse and patient responses were compared for concordance (agreement) regarding psychosexual functioning and fertility issues. Wives perceived fewer long‐term problems than husbands and were extremely supportive throughout their husbands' illnesses. At interview, whereas 23.5% of patients still felt less attractive as a result of treatment, no spouses shared this perception. Patients were more likely to report decreased, and wives increased sexual satisfaction compared to before cancer. However, both patients and spouses were more likely to report decreased frequency of intercourse than increased. In other areas as well, concordance was generally high. Few couples reported that infertility would pose a problem, but 53% were parents; men who banked sperm were less likely to already have children.
War Memory: Evidence from Assistance during Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract On the basis of a natural experiment related to the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the present work empirically analyzes the relationship between historical events and current attitude and determines whether regions that suffered severely during the Japanese invasion in World War II expressed small concern during the earthquake. After controlling for geographical distance, bilateral trade, and political characteristics, a negative relationship is found between the duration of invasion and number of related deaths in the invaded regions and their governments’ efforts in assisting Japan after the earthquake. Further analysis shows that political similarity to Japan helped in assisting them after the earthquake, but this effect was reduced for regions that sustained many deaths during the Japanese invasion. In addition, a mediation effect test shows that the help extended by Japan to several countries after the war through the Japanese official development assistance did not positively influence the amount of aid provided by such regions to Japan after the earthquake. These studies provide new evidence of the long-lasting influence of war. However, no robust evidence is found about the relationship between death rate and war memory. Therefore, even large countries cannot tolerate serious suffering during painful historical events.
Association of Calcium Intake and Adiposity in Postmenopausal Women

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between calcium intake and 1) body composition and 2) body fat distribution in postmenopausal women. Methods: Archived data from a previous study including forty-nine Caucasian women, aged 51–73 and at least three years postmenopausal, were used for analysis. Data included medical and diet history from a questionnaire, average nutrient intake from computerized analysis of a 3-day diet record, anthropometric measures including height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Calcium intake represented both food and supplement sources of calcium. Lean and fat mass were determined from dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) total body scans, and abdominal fat mass was defined as fat mass between the top of the iliac crest and L1 on the DXA scan. Results: Subjects were 60.5 ± 0.9 y/o with an average BMI of 26.9 ± 0.7 and percent body fat of 42.8 ± 1.2. Average calcium intake was 1151 ± 83 g/d. There was a significant inverse relationship between calcium intake and percent body fat (r = −0.36, p < 0.01) and abdominal fat mass (r = −0.25, p < 0.05), but there was no significant correlation between calcium intake and body mass index, fat mass, lean mass, waist circumference, or WHR. When kcalories were controlled, the inverse correlation between dietary calcium intake and percent body fat remained (r = −0.24, p < 0.05). Total fat was significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the low dairy intake (1–2 servings/d) vs. high dairy intake group (3–4 servings/d), but there were no significant differences between the groups in other body composition variables. Conclusions: Increased calcium intake was associated with lower percent body fat and higher dairy intake was associated with lower fat mass in postmenopausal women, but there was no association between calcium intake and body fat distribution measures in this population.