Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Busy little bees – An experiment on diligence and endogenous time scheduling in early childhood

Diligence, being able to work hard, is a positive predictor of educational success. In an experimental setting we analyze the development of diligence and the impact of exogenous versus endogenous time scheduling on effort provision in early childhood. A total of 429 children aged 3 to 6 worked on a real effort task for as long as they wanted to. Giving the children the possibility to decide when to work on the task either today or tomorrow shows that those who procrastinate the task to the following day provide significantly less effort. While younger children are more likely to procrastinate, the effort provision under procrastination is lower for all age groups. In addition, we find that children’s ability to work extensively on a task relates to their willingness to challenge themselves in an unrelated task. Our results shed light on the development of diligence and can be used as a first step for designing interventions fostering the skill of being hard working in a real effort task. JEL classification:
Linkage between Financial Development, Financial Crisis and Globalization in India: VARX and ARDL co-integration assessments

In this paper, the long-run causality between financial development, financial crisis and globalization―trade and financial openness―in India is investigated through the co-integration techniques of the VARX and ARDL methods. The main finding is that although the single impact of either trade or financial openness is uncertain, the simultaneous opening of the two sectors contributes to financial development. Another finding is that the growing presence of international trade is relevant to the occurrence of financial crisis. Policymakers, especially those of developing countries, need to recognize these effects of trade and financial openness in designing development plans. Jel Code: E44, G01, O16, O24, O53 Copyright © 2013 JAEBR
On the Stability of Okun’s Coefficient in the Presence of Boom or Slump

The current debate in Okun’s law is whether or not it responds asymmetrically to changes in business cycle. An important pre-requisite to this debate is the accurate determination of turning point dates. Two basic approaches have been employed in Okun’s literature to delineate phases of recession and recovery; namely, the Bry and Boschan (BB) algorithm and the Markov switching model (MSM). This study differentiates among the turning point dates obtained through BB algorithm, MSM and National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and investigate how much these dates affect the conditional effect of the business cycle on Okun’s law. Our results showed that using NBER and BB dates, Okun’s coefficient varies across business cycle and is stronger during periods of economic recession than expansion by 11.32% and 16.96%; respectively. The result is however much different for MSM dating process: Though growth rate still exerts a negative influence on the labour market, MSM did not identify enough pronounced recession episodes to conclude that the relation between unemployment rate and growth is conditional on the business cycle. By and large, regardless of the dating structure, growth exerts a negative influence on unemployment rate whether in recession or in expansion.
Prevalence of Asymptomatic Malaria in Leaiten, Eritrea, 2017.

Background As much as malaria control interventions may be directed at restricting transmission through mosquito control and treatment of symptomatic cases, the effect of asymptomatic cases in the transmission of malaria has not been given too much attention. On the other hand, asymptomatic carriers do not seek treatment, becoming permanent reservoirs, and hence creating a real pose to the public health. Objective The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria and its associated factors in Leaiten village, Eritrea. Methods 322 eligible participants were randomly selected and interviewed. Thin and thick blood films were collected and Giemsa-stained to determine blood parasitaemia and speciation using light microscopy. Multivariate Logistic Regression was used to assess relationship between the potential factors identified and asymptomatic malaria. Results The prevalence of asymptomatic malaria was 5.9%, with a predominantly higher proportion (P) of Plasmodium Falciparum (P= 94.7%, n=18) than Plasmodium Vivax (P= 5.3%, n=1). Most of the infections were low density and at their ring form (P = 94.7%, n = 18). Only one subject had medium density and a gametocyte stage infection (P = 5.3%). The odds of asymptomatic malaria by sex, age, occupation or education was not significantly different. Bed net usage in comparison to no usage was not a significant predictor of asymptomatic malaria (5.5% vs. 7.6, p-value = 0.519). Those with asymptomatic malaria who had previous malaria sickness (4.2%) was not significantly different to those who had never been sick (7.3%), (OR = 0.56, p-value = 0.248). People who lived near water body (8.5%) were equally likely to be asymptomatic to those who didn’t live near water body (4.9%), (OR = 1.82, p-value = 0.215), out of which, those who lived near open water body had no difference in acquiring asymptomatic malaria to those who lived near closed water body (OR = 2.26, p-value = 0.457). Conclusion This study indicated the hidden impact of asymptomatic malaria in perpetuating malaria transmission in the village. Further assessment of the impact of asymptomatic malaria, on malaria transmission, is needed based on a larger and more sensitive method.
Molecular Genotyping of Human Papillomavirus among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected Women in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

This study particularly focused on the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. The objective was to study the profile and genotypic prevalence of HPV among HIV infected and HIV uninfected women. Method: The study was conducted in Ouagadougou, from February 2009 to January 2013 and involved 421 women: 183 HIV positive women (HIV+) and 238 HIV-negative women (HIV-). PCR/hybridization and real-time PCR were performed for the detection of high and low-risk HPV genotypes. Results: The two populations of women differed in socio-economic, behavioral and sexual characteristics. HPV prevalence was 24.8% and 63.9%, respectively, among HIV- and HIV+ women. Except for HPV16, HPV52, HPV58 and HPV6, which were higher in HIV- women compared to HIV+ women, it's the opposite effect that was found for the other genotypes. We found many more cases of co-infection with three or more genotypes in HIV- women compared to HIV+ women. Contraceptive use and low CD4 count were associated with HPV infection in HIV+ women (p < 0.05). Parameters such as age group, marital status, occupation, level of education, history of gynecological infection, and condom use differed according to HIV status (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Through this study, we found that HPV are highly prevalent among HIV positive women in Burkina Faso. However, given the high prevalence of other HPV types than 16 and 18, in our study, another type of vaccine should be considered to cover them. In the meantime, the results of this study could be a springboard for the introduction of vaccines against HPV already existing in Burkina Faso.
Total Volatility and the Cross Section of Expected Stock Returns

This paper examines the explanatory power of total volatility, a model free quantity, for the cross section of stock returns. Asset pricing theory implies that expected returns should be positively related to model-implied systematic volatility, while various theoretical studies suggest that idiosyncratic volatility should be positively related to expected returns and several empirical studies suggest that idiosyncratic volatility has explanatory power for the cross section of expected returns. Taken together these findings imply that total volatility should be positively related to expected return. We find both time series and cross sectional evidence for a positive relationship between total volatility and expected return. Portfolios of high volatility stocks achieve a higher expected return than portfolios of low volatility stocks, particularly over the 1990-2004 period. This effect is driven by both systematic volatility and idiosyncratic with respect to the Fama-French model. A cross sectional regression of individual stock returns on total volatility leads to a significant positive slope coefficient and this result is driven by idiosyncratic volatility with respect to the Fama-French model. The factor price of risk for a total volatility factor is positive and significant over the 1990-2004 period and is largely driven by idiosyncratic risk, indicating that the increase in idiosyncratic risk in the 1990s has implications for asset pricing.
Income-Related Health Inequalities in France between 1998 and 2002 : Comparing Trends with Alternative Health Indicators

The objective of this paper is to characterize the evolution of income-related health inequalities (IRHI) in France between 1998 and 2002, computing concentration indexes and decomposing them in explanatory factors. Two complementary approaches are offered here. The first follows other European IRHI analyses, where self-assessed health is re-scaled and made continuous, using the 1994 Canadian HUI distribution. The second uses an indicator which has been constructed specifically for this study and which is based on additional health data from the same source as the SAH measure. This global health indicator (GHI) uses, beyond SAH, a set of semi-continuous variables measuring the number of diseases at individual level together with the minimal vital risk and the disability that they generate. Changes induced in income-related health inequalities over time will be analysed using both indicators. The data comes from the 1998 and 2002 IRDES Health and Health Insurance Survey (HHIS) and is representative of French households (about 20,000 individuals in 7,338 households). The decomposition method proposed by Wagstaff et al. (2001) is first used to measure the respective contribution of each IRHI explanatory factor on French data. The main contribution of this paper, however, is a sensitivity analysis performed by comparing the results under two alternative health indicators. The 2002 results show that, irrespective of the health indicator used, health is unequally distributed. Yet the contribution of each IRHI determinant varies with the indicator. This is particularly marked for activity status and CMU-benefit. As for the evolution between 1998 and 2002, irrespective of the year or of the health indicator used, health is unequally distributed, favouring the richest individuals, with a stability of the gradient over time. This analysis leads to the conclusion that the use of that or that other health indicator is of consequence on the underlying income-related health inequality. Furthermore, this analysis concludes that income is by far the most important factor explaining changes in IRHI, but the nature of its contribution also differs according to the health indicator used. For the HUI-scaled indicator, it is related to its own distribution within the population and not to the strong relationship that exists between health and income, whereas the opposite result holds with the second indicator. In the same way, the contribution of factors (other than income) to the changes in IHRI varies according to the health indicator used.
Contribution to the knowledge of Odonata fauna of the Atewa Range Forest Reserve , Bobiri Forest Reserve , Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary and Ankasa Forest Reserve ( southern Ghana )

Using a qualitative sampling approach to survey for Odonata along water systems inside and outside of four major protected areas in Southern Ghana (viz; Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Ankasa Forest Reserve, Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary and Bobiri Forest Reserve), a total of 66 Odonata species in seven families encompassing 28 Zygoptera and 38 Anisoptera were recorded. Libellulidae (n= 36) exhibited the highest number of species, followed by Coenagrionidae (n= 10), and Calopterygidae (n= 5). In con­ sidering the observed number of species exhibited by each protected area, the Atewa Range Forest Reserve exhibited the highest number of species (n= 51), followed by the Ankasa Forest Reserve (n= 47), the Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary (n= 44) and Bobiri Forest Reserve (n= 43). Disturbance tolerance species dominated in habitats outside the various forest reserves, whiles forest specialists predominated inside the reserves, indicating the quality of the forest cover therein.
Deterministic Bellman Residual Minimization

Bellman Residual Minimization (BRM) algorithms are alternatives to Approximate Dynamic Programming for learning value functions in reinforcement learning. Despite that some versions of BRM have superior theoretical properties, the superiority comes from the double sampling trick, limiting their applicability to simulator environments with state resetting functionality. In this paper, we make a simple observation that BRM can be applied without state resetting if the environment is deterministic, which Baird [1995] has hinted in his original paper. The resulting algorithm is simple, convergent, and works well in benchmark control problems. We compare Q-learning to its DBRM version theoretically, conﬁrm the theoretical predictions from experiments, and also discover some surprising empirical behaviors and provide explanations.
Factors influencing spiritual well-being in patients receiving haemodialysis: a literature review

Introduction: Spiritual well-being is an integral and essential aspect of everyday life, without which other facets of human life, including the biological, psychological and social factors, may not function appropriately. Different factors might contribute to spiritual well-being among this population, but current literature concerning factors influencing spiritual well-being has not been reviewed or summarised. Purpose: To explore the updated literature on spiritual well-being and factors influencing it in patients receiving haemodialysis. Methods: A search of electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, Proquest, and Science Direct was performed using the keywords hemodialysis, haemodialysis, spiritual well-being, spiritual wellbeing, and spiritual wellness. Studies published in the English language from 2006 to June 2017 were reviewed. Results: This review identified only seven studies. From the literature it was evident that there was no agreed definition of spiritual well-being. Similarly, the inclusive concept of religion in spiritual well-being was also a debatable issue. No study was conducted with the primary aim of exploring the factors that influence spiritual well-being. Related factors from the review could be divided into internal and external. Internal factors identified were demographic (age, gender, and marital status), personal (bodily pain, vitality, religiosity, perceived health status, and level of happiness), and psychological (sleep quality, and mental health). The external factor was social functioning. Conclusion and recommendations: Although spiritual well-being is an important aspect, information regarding the concept of spiritual well-being and the factors influencing it in patients receiving haemodialysis is relatively unknown. Therefore, further studies are warranted in the future to bridge this gap. Rajkumari Jugjali MNs student Prince of Songkla University, Faculty of Nursing, Hat Yai, Thailand Kantaporn Yodchai RN, Asst Prof, Dr Prince of Songkla University, Faculty of Nursing, Hat Yai, Thailand Ploenpit Thaniwattananon RN, Asst Prof, Dr Prince of Songkla University, Faculty of Nursing, Hat Yai, Thailand Correspondence to: Rajkumari Jugjali, Faculty of Nursing, Hat Yai, Thailand Email: rjugjali@gmail.com
Macroeconomic fluctuations and event centres’ return dynamics in Akure commercial property market, Nigeria

This study explores the influence of selected macroeconomic variables on the event centres' return as an investment property in Akure between the period of 2005 and 2014. As at the time of this research, there are twenty-four (24) event centres situated at various locations in Akure. Twenty-four (24) wellstructured questionnaires were administered on the managers of event centres in Akure, out of which eighteen (18) were appropriately filled and returned, and analyzed using econometric analysis (Multiple Regression models). The result of the coefficient of determination (R2) establishes that the considered macroeconomic variables account for 97.5% of the variation in event centres‟ return. However, the regression coefficient reveals that inflation rate and exchange rate have significant effects on event centres returns with p-values of 0.019 and 0.043 respectively. A unit change in these variables will result in 69.5% and 21% changes in the event centre‟s return respectively. While there is an inverse relationship between event centre returns and rate, it shows a direct relationship with the exchange rate. This study concludes that the Nigerian macro-economy influences the return of her specialized real estate investment with trading potentials as shown through the findings of this research. It is therefore recommended that Government should ensure that the macroeconomic variables are monitored so as to ensure stability in property construction, sales and rental price, as these can influence the performance of property market as well as the nation's economy.
Basking in Reflected Glory and Stock Returns

This paper studies the investor sentiment induced from Premier League soccer matches on locally headquartered FTSE350 firms. Contrary to the majority of the sports sentiment literature which finds a significant loss effect, we find a significant win effect. This win effect is mostly concentrated in London, is stronger for Saturday matches and is prevalent in competitive and uncompetitive matches. We show that this win effect is consistent with basking in the reflected glory (BIRGing) from the psychology literature. Therefore our results show that the sentiment induced from soccer matches is quite different across countries.
Carcinogenesis Mediators of Chloroquine-Induced Resistance to Mammary Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated and p53 Are Potential

The use of agents to prevent the onset of and/or the progression to breast cancer has the potential to lower breast cancer risk. We have previously shown that the tumor-suppressor gene p53 is a potential mediator of hormone (estrogen/progesterone)induced protection against chemical carcinogen–induced mammary carcinogenesis in animal models. Here, we show for the first time a breast cancer–protective effect of chloroquine in an animal model. Chloroquine significantly reduced the incidence of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea–induced mammary tumors in our animal model similar to estrogen/progesterone treatment. No protection was seen in our BALB/c p53-null mammary epithelium model, indicating a p53 dependency for the chloroquine effect. Using a human nontumorigenic mammary gland epithelial cell line, MCF10A, we confirm that in the absence of detectable DNA damage, chloroquine activates the tumor-suppressor p53 and the p53 downstream target gene p21 , resulting in G1 cell cycle arrest. p53 activation occurs at a posttranslational level via chloroquine-dependent phosphorylation of the checkpoint protein kinase, ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM), leading to ATM-dependent phosphorylation of p53. In primary mammary gland epithelial cells isolated from p53-null mice, chloroquine does not induce G1 cell cycle arrest compared with cells isolated from wildtype mice, also indicating a p53 dependency. Our results indicate that a short prior exposure to chloroquine may have a preventative application for mammary carcinogenesis. [Cancer Res 2007;67(24):12026–33]
Physical development of pituitary and pituitary hypoplasia in children from neonate to adolescent: MRI assessment and comparison

The aim of this study was to provide reference ranges of pituitary diameter and volume in children of different age and sex and analyze anatomical features of pituitary in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). 1031 MR images of Chinese children aged from 1 to 18 were reviewed. We measured the width, length, height, axial maximal area and volume of pituitary, and the length and diameters of pituitary stalk. The diameters and volume of pituitary in children with GHD were significantly smaller than that in normal children, but such difference was not found in pituitary stalk. There was a correlation between pituitary volume and GHD occurrence. Also, diameters, axial maximal areas, and volume of pituitary in normal children increase with age. For the above parameters, no significant difference was found between males and females. Importantly, MRI is recommended in providing clinical and biochemical evidence of pituitary hormone dysfunction. We provided reference range to standardize the diagnosis of pituitary GHD. Further, pituitary volume indicates the severity of GHD.
Ar tifi c ial Intelligen c e Emerging Approaches for Environmental Data Analysis

The dynamic and complex nature of the environment presents environmental professionals with significant challenges when modeling an environmental system. It is imperative that decision-makers are provided with a careful synthesis of the monitored/collected environmental datasets that includes proper quantification of the relationships between the associated independent and dependent variables. Traditional statistical modeling techniques such as regression analysis have limited application when modeling a multivariate environmental system due to the discrete nature of the relationships between environmental variables. This limitation can be overcome by adopting the use of artificial intelligence
Comparison of Enterococcus species selectivity using Enterolert and EPA Method 1600

Enterococcus species selectivity between Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 1600 and Enterolert® was compared using 17 environmental samples (influent and effluent of four wastewater treatment plants, ambient marine water from seven different beaches, and urban runoff). Enterococcus colonies from EPA 1600 agar plates and Enterolert wells were identified and species composition was compared using Vitek® and biochemical testing. Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis were the dominant species among the 1345 isolates, followed by Enterococcus gallinarum and Enterococcus casseliflavus. EPA Method 1600 and Enterolert produced comparable ratios of enterococcal species for most beach water and urban runoff samples; however, Enterolert was selective for E. faecalis in wastewater samples. This selectivity was experimentally confirmed in the laboratory through analysis of samples with known concentrations of E. faecium and E. faecalis. The species distribution of Enterococcus isolated from most environmental samples differed only slightly between the two methods; however, when distributions did differ, EPA Method 1600 characterized Enterococcus populations more accurately. EPA Method 1600 and Enterolert are used interchangeably in beach-water quality monitoring programs that measure Enterococcus, with comparable reliability for enumeration purposes in most cases. However, the species selectivity observed in Enterolert may explain why numerical results occasionally differ when both methods are used to measure concentrations of Enterococcus in the same sample. Due to this selectivity, the EPA Method 1600 is preferred over Enterolert for characterizing the species distribution of culturable Enterococcus in the environment.