Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE FACTOR-LASSO AND K-STEP BOOTSTRAP APPROACH FOR INFERENCE IN HIGH-DIMENSIONAL ECONOMIC APPLICATIONS

We consider inference about coefficients on a small number of variables of interest in a linear panel data model with additive unobserved individual and time specific effects and a large number of additional time-varying confounding variables. We suppose that, in addition to unrestricted time and individual specific effects, these confounding variables are generated by a small number of common factors and high-dimensional weakly dependent disturbances. We allow that both the factors and the disturbances are related to the outcome variable and other variables of interest. To make informative inference feasible, we impose that the contribution of the part of the confounding variables not captured by time specific effects, individual specific effects, or the common factors can be captured by a relatively small number of terms whose identities are unknown. Within this framework, we provide a convenient inferential procedure based on factor extraction followed by lasso regression and show that the procedure has good asymptotic properties. We also provide a simple k-step bootstrap procedure that may be used to construct inferential statements about the low-dimensional parameters of interest and prove its asymptotic validity. We provide simulation evidence about the performance of our procedure and illustrate its use in an empirical application.
Enamel defects in permanent teeth of patients with cleft lip and palate: a cross-sectional study

Objective This study investigated the prevalence, type, and location of enamel defects in the permanent teeth of patients with complete unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate (CLP), and compared the prevalence and characteristics of defects between CLP patients and non-CLP individuals. Methods We examined completely erupted permanent dentition, except for third molars, of CLP patients and non-CLP individuals of both sexes, 9–36 years of age, and analyzed corresponding panoramic radiographs. Two independent examiners performed clinical examinations in accordance with the Modified Developmental Defects of Enamel index. Results A total of 210 (87.9%) CLP patients and 194 (41.4%) non-CLP individuals had at least one enamel defect; these were more prevalent in the CLP group than in the non-CLP group. Upper teeth were primarily affected by enamel defects associated with the cleft; defects were most prevalent on the cleft side in CLP patients, followed by the non-cleft side in CLP patients, and then by non-CLP individuals. Conclusion Enamel defects were more common in CLP patients than in non-CLP individuals. Among CLP patients, enamel defects were more prevalent in the cleft side of the maxilla; the central incisor was the most commonly affected tooth in this quadrant.
Effects of Different Bamboo Forest Spaces on Psychophysiological Stress and Spatial Scale Evaluation

Forests are large-scale green space resources that may exert a positive impact on human physiology and psychology. Forests can be divided into mixed forest and pure forest, according to the number of dominant tree species. Pure forest offers specific advantages for the study of spatial structure and scale. In this study, a type of pure forest (i.e., bamboo forest) was adopted as a research object to investigate differences in the physiological and psychological responses of psychologically pressured college students to different types of forest space. We recruited 60 participants and randomly assigned them to three experimental groups: forest interior space (FIS), forest external space (FES) and forest path space (FPS). All participants were asked to perform the same pre-test task but different post-test tasks. The pre-test involved performing a pressure-inducing task, whereas the post-test involved viewing photographs of each space type. The same indicators were measured in both the pre- and post-test, including a β/α index from each lobe, positive emotion, negative emotion and total mood disturbance (TMD) values, according to the profile of mood states (POMS), in addition to spatial scale preferences obtained through a questionnaire and interviews. We analysed brain waves and mood indicators through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), whereby the FES group exhibited the best physiological and psychological relaxation effect. The FPS group displayed a medium effect, and the FIS group exhibited the worst effect. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyse the spatial scale scores. The FPS and FES types achieved a higher spatial scale preference scores than the FIS type. Based on a comparison of the psychophysiological results with the spatial scale preference results, spatial structure and scale are considered to be important intrinsic factors that influence the health effects of pure forest. The results can provide guidance for forest-related human health activities and their management.
Increased risk of thyroid disease in patients with Sjogren's syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune epithelitis characterized by disruption of epithelial cells, ensuing lymphoplasmocytic infiltration of exocrine glands, and subsequent dryness of the mouth and eyes. Individuals with SS are more likely to have the thyroid disease. However, this association remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the risk of thyroid disease in patients with SS. Methods We performed this systematic review by searching both English and Chinese literature databases. Random- or fixed-effects models were used to summarize the association between thyroid disease and SS. The results were subjected to meta-analysis with odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results The eight articles in this meta-analysis included 988 SS cases and 2,884 controls. Overall, the risk of thyroid disease in patients with SS was significantly increased compared with controls (OR, 3.29; 95% CI [2.08–5.21]). The risk of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and non-AITD were also higher in patients with SS than in controls (OR, 3.48; 95% CI [1.59–7.63]; and OR, 2.90; 95% CI [1.51–5.57], respectively). Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this systematic review is the first to demonstrate that the risk of thyroid disease was increased in SS compared to controls, suggesting that SS patients should be screened for thyroid disease.
Inference on Functionals of Set-Identified Parameters Defined by Convex Moments

Many inference procedures in the literature on partial identification are designed for when the inferential object of interest is the entire (partially identified) vector of parameters. However, when the researcher's inferential object of interest is a subvector or functional of the parameter vector, these inference procedures can be highly conservative, especially when the dimension of the parameter vector is large. This paper considers uniformly valid inference for continuous functionals of partially identified parameters in cases where the identified set is defined by convex (in the parameter) moment inequalities. We use a functional delta method and propose a method for constructing uniformly valid confidence sets for a (possibly stochastic) convex functional of a partially identified parameter. The proposed method amounts to bootstrapping the Lagrangian of a convex optimization problem, and subsumes subvector inference as a special case. Unlike other proposed subvector inference procedures, our procedure does not require the researcher to repeatedly invert a hypothesis test. Finally, we discuss sufficient conditions on the moment functions to ensure uniform validity.
Can GDP Measurement Be Further Improved? Data Revision and Reconciliation

Abstract Recent years have seen many attempts to combine expenditure-side estimates of U.S. real output (GDE) growth with income-side estimates (GDI) to improve estimates of real GDP growth. We show how to incorporate information from multiple releases of noisy data to provide more precise estimates while avoiding some of the identifying assumptions required in earlier work. This relies on a new insight: using multiple data releases allows us to distinguish news and noise measurement errors in situations where a single vintage does not. We find that (a) the data prefer averaging across multiple releases instead of discarding early releases in favor of later ones, and (b) that initial estimates of GDI are quite informative. Our new measure, GDP++, undergoes smaller revisions and tracks expenditure measures of GDP growth more closely than either the simple average of the expenditure and income measures published by the BEA or the GDP growth measure of Aruoba et al. published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
MiR-155-5p inhibits the proliferation and migration of VSMCs and HUVECs in atherosclerosis by targeting AKT1.

OBJECTIVE MiR-155-5p has various biological cellular functions in diverse pathology, including cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, the role of miR-155-5p in atherosclerosis is still not well known. PATIENTS AND METHODS The levels of miR-155-5p and AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase 1 (AKT1) in plasma samples from patients with atherosclerotic CAD were detected using quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to analyze the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro. The migration of VSMCs and HUVECs was detected using wound healing assay. The invasion of VSMCs and HUVECs using was determined using the transwell invasion assay. The expression of AKT1 was measured using immunofluorescence staining analysis. RESULTS MiR-155-5p was down-regulated in patients with atherosclerotic CAD. Up-regulation of miR-155-5p inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of VSMCs and HUVECs. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay indicated that AKT1 was the direct target of miR-155-5p and miR-155-5p bound to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of AKT1. The expression of AKT1 was reduced in cell that was transfected with miR-155-5p. Up-regulation of AKT1 rescued the suppressive effect of miR-155-5p on the growth, migration and invasion of VSMCs and HUVECs. Down-expression of AKT1 partially neutralized the impacts of miR-155-5p on the growth, invasion and migration of VSMCs and HUVECs. Finally, we found that AKT1 was over-regulated in plasma samples of patients with atherosclerotic CAD and its level was negative with the level of miR-155-5p. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that miR-155-5p suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion of VSMCs and HUVECs through regulating AKT1, which provides the new insights into the precise role of miR-155-5p in atherosclerosis.
Hippocampal and Retrosplenial Goal Distance Coding After Long-term Consolidation of a Real-World Environment

Abstract Recent research indicates the hippocampus may code the distance to the goal during navigation of newly learned environments. It is unclear however, whether this also pertains to highly familiar environments where extensive systems-level consolidation is thought to have transformed mnemonic representations. Here we recorded fMRI while University College London and Imperial College London students navigated virtual simulations of their own familiar campus (>2 years of exposure) and the other campus learned days before scanning. Posterior hippocampal activity tracked the distance to the goal in the newly learned campus, as well as in familiar environments when the future route contained many turns. By contrast retrosplenial cortex only tracked the distance to the goal in the familiar campus. All of these responses were abolished when participants were guided to their goal by external cues. These results open new avenues of research on navigation and consolidation of spatial information and underscore the notion that the hippocampus continues to play a role in navigation when detailed processing of the environment is needed for navigation.
Quasi-Experimental Shift-Share Research Designs

Many studies use shift-share (or "Bartik") instruments, which average a set of shocks with exposure share weights. We provide a new econometric framework for shift-share instrumental variable (SSIV) regressions in which identification follows from the quasi-random assignment of shocks, while exposure shares are allowed to be endogenous. The framework is motivated by an equivalence result: the orthogonality between a shift-share instrument and an unobserved residual can be represented as the orthogonality between the underlying shocks and a shock-level unobservable. SSIV regression coefficients can similarly be obtained from an equivalent shock-level regression, motivating shock-level conditions for their consistency. We discuss and illustrate several practical insights of this framework in the setting of Autor et al. (2013), estimating the effect of Chinese import competition on manufacturing employment across U.S. commuting zones.
Estimating population average treatment effects from experiments with noncompliance

Abstract Randomized control trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for estimating causal effects, but often use samples that are non-representative of the actual population of interest. We propose a reweighting method for estimating population average treatment effects in settings with noncompliance. Simulations show the proposed compliance-adjusted population estimator outperforms its unadjusted counterpart when compliance is relatively low and can be predicted by observed covariates. We apply the method to evaluate the effect of Medicaid coverage on health care use for a target population of adults who may benefit from expansions to the Medicaid program. We draw RCT data from the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, where less than one-third of those randomly selected to receive Medicaid benefits actually enrolled.
Neural basis of hunger-driven behaviour in Drosophila

Hunger is a motivational state that drives eating and food-seeking behaviour. In a psychological sense, hunger sets the goal that guides an animal in the pursuit of food. The biological basis underlying this purposive, goal-directed nature of hunger has been under intense investigation. With its rich behavioural repertoire and genetically tractable nervous system, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as an excellent model system for studying the neural basis of hunger and hunger-driven behaviour. Here, we review our current understanding of how hunger is sensed, encoded and translated into foraging and feeding behaviours in the fruit fly.
Online Health Information Seeking and eHealth Literacy Among Patients Attending a Primary Care Clinic in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background Previous studies have suggested that patients’ online health information seeking affects their medical consultations and patient-doctor relationships. An up-to-date picture of patients’ online health information-seeking behaviors can inform and prepare frontline health care professionals to collaborate, facilitate, or empower their patients to access and manage health information found online. Objective This study explores the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of online health information-seeking behaviors among primary care patients in Hong Kong, and the relations between online health information seeking and electronic health (eHealth) literacy. Methods Patients attending a university primary care clinic in Hong Kong were asked to complete a questionnaire survey on their demographic backgrounds; health status; frequency and pattern of online health information seeking; contents, sources, and reasons for online health information seeking; and their eHealth literacy. eHealth literacy was measured by the validated eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Regression analyses explored various demographic and behavioral predictors to online health information seeking, and predictors to eHealth literacy. Results In all, 97.32% (1162/1194) respondents used the internet, of which 87.44% (1016/1162) had used the internet to find health information. Most respondents (65.97%, 665/1008) searched once monthly or more. Few (26.88%, 271/1008) asked their doctor about health information found online, but most doctors (56.1%, 152/271) showed little or no interest at all. The most sought topic was symptom (81.59%, 829/1016), the top reason was noticing new symptoms or change in health (70.08%, 712/1016), the most popular source was online encyclopedia (69.98%, 711/1016), and the top reason for choosing a source was convenience (55.41%, 563/1016). Poisson regression analysis identified high eHEALS score, fair or poor self-rated health, having a chronic medical condition, and using the internet several times a day as significant predictors of online health information seeking. Multiple regression analysis identified lower age, better self-rated health, more frequent internet use, more frequent online health information seeking, and more types of health information sought as significant predictors to higher eHealth literacy. Conclusions Online health information seeking is prevalent among primary care patients in Hong Kong, but only a minority shared the information with doctors. Websites were chosen more for convenience than for accuracy or authoritativeness. Doctors should recognize patients’ online health information-seeking behavior, and facilitate and empower them to search for high-quality online health information.
Iron Metabolism and Oxidative Status in Patients with Hb H Disease

Abstract To evaluate the iron metabolism and oxidative status in patients with Hb H disease, we investigated 43 patients with Hb H disease, including eight deletional Hb H disease patients and 35 nondeletional Hb H disease patients and 20 healthy controls. The levels of hematological parameters, serum ferritin, hepcidin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), were examined. We found higher serum ferritin levels and lower hepcidin, MDA and TAC levels in Hb H disease patients than in controls. The hepcidin level in Hb H disease patients was positively correlated with MDA and TAC levels but not with serum ferritin and SOD levels. The patients with nondeletional Hb H disease showed higher serum ferritin and Hb H concentrations than those patients with deletional Hb H disease. However, no statistically significant differences in SOD, MDA and TAC levels were found in patients with deletional and nondeletional Hb H disease. Oxidative stress and antioxidant defense were related to hepcidin levels. Our study indicated that hepcidin might be an important parameter for monitoring the iron metabolism and oxidative status of Hb H disease patients.
Is VIX Still the Investor Fear Gauge? Evidence for the US and BRIC Markets

We investigate the relationships of the VIX with US and BRIC markets. In detail, we pick up the analysis from the point left off by (Sarwar, 2012), and we focus on the period: Jan 2007 - Feb 2018, thus capturing the relations before, during and after the 2008 financial crisis. Results pinpoint frequent structural breaks in the VIX and suggest an enhancement around 2008 of the fear transmission in response to negative market moves; largely depending on overlaps in trading hours, this has become even stronger post-crisis for the US, while for BRIC countries has gone back towards pre-crisis levels.
The association between dyslipidemia, oral health behavior, and periodontal disease: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

OBJECTIVES This research aims to confirm the association between dyslipidemia, oral health behaviors, and periodontal disease according to age groups. METHOD AND MATERIALS This cross-sectional study used collected data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted from 2012 to 2015 with 17,004 adults. Complex samples logistic regression analysis confirmed the relevant factors of oral disease. RESULTS Hypo high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) related to periodontal disease in two groups (under 40 and over 40 years old). In the over-40 age group, the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was associated with periodontal disease; toothbrushing frequency and usage of interdental hygiene products were associated with periodontal disease. CONCLUSIONS Better HDL-C level in all age groups, management of LDL-C level, tooth-brushing at least twice a day, and additional use of interdental hygiene products in the over-40 age group were associated with better oral health. Thus, public and oral health professionals should emphasize the relationship according to age group during health care education and share relevant information.
The Use of a Mobile Learning Tool by Medical Students in Undergraduate Anatomy and its Effects on Assessment Outcomes

Hand‐held devices have revolutionized communication and education in the last decade. Consequently, mobile learning (m‐learning) has become popular among medical students. Nevertheless, there are relatively few studies assessing students' learning outcomes using m‐learning devices. This observational study presents an anatomy m‐learning tool (eMed‐App), an application developed to accompany an anatomy seminar and support medical students' self‐directed learning of the skeletal system. Questionnaire data describe where, how frequently, and why students used the app. Multiple choice examination results were analyzed to evaluate whether usage of the app had an effect on test scores. The eMed‐App application was used by 77.5% of the students, mainly accessed by Android smartphones, and at students' homes (62.2%) in order to prepare themselves for seminar sessions (60.8%), or to review learning content (67%). Most commonly, students logged on for less than 15 minutes each time (67.8%). Frequent app users showed better test results on items covering eMed‐App learning content. In addition, users also achieved better results on items that were not related to the content of the app and, thus, gained better overall test results and lower failure rates. The top quartile of test performers used the eMed‐App more frequently compared to students in lower quartiles. This study demonstrated that many students, especially the high‐performing ones, made use of the eMed‐App. However, the app itself did not result in better outcomes, suggesting that top students might have been more motivated to use the app than students who were generally weak in anatomy.
Heterogeneous Employment Effects of Job Search Programs

We systematically investigate the effect heterogeneity of job search programs for unemployed workers. To investigate possibly heterogeneous employment effects, we combine nonexperimental causal empirical models with Lassotype estimators. The empirical analyses are based on rich administrative data from Swiss social security records. We find considerable heterogeneities during the first six months after the start of training. Consistent with previous results in the literature, unemployed persons with fewer employment opportunities profit more from participating in these programs. Finally, we show the potential of easy-to-implement program participation rules for improving average employment effects of these active labor market programs.