Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Linear Probability Models (LPM) and Big Data: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Linear regression is among the most popular statistical models in social sciences research. Linear probability models (LPMs) - linear regression models applied to a binary outcome - are used in various disciplines. Surprisingly, LPMs are rare in the IS literature, where logit and probit models are typically used for binary outcomes. LPMs have been examined with respect to specific aspects, but a thorough evaluation of their practical pros and cons for different research goals under different scenarios is missing. We perform an extensive simulation study to evaluate the advantages and dangers of LPMs, especially in the realm of Big Data that now affects IS research. We evaluate LPM for the three common uses of binary outcome models: inference and estimation, prediction and classification, and selection bias. We compare its performance to logit and probit, under different sample sizes, error distributions, and more. We find that coefficient directions, statistical significance, and marginal effects yield results similar to logit and probit. Although LPM coefficients are biased, they are consistent for the true parameters up to a multiplicative scalar. Coefficient bias can be corrected by assuming an error distribution. For classification and selection bias, LPM is on par with logit and probit in terms of class separation and ranking, and is a viable alternative in selection models. It is lacking when the predicted probabilities are directly of interest, because predicted probabilities can exceed the unit interval. We illustrate some of these results through by modeling price in online auctions, using data from eBay.
The Effect of Anaerobically Cultivated Human Intestinal Microbiota Compared to Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Gut Microbiota Profile and Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy donors has been shown to improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and changes the profile of the gut microbiota for the recipients. Alternatively, anaerobically cultivated human intestinal microbiota (ACHIM) can be used to manipulate the gut microbiota. The aim of the current study was to compare the efficacy and safety of ACHIM suspension with donor-FMT and placebo (patient’s own feces) to treat IBS. Out of the 62 originally included eligible patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS and their respective donors, only 43 patients completed the study by answering the questionnaires and delivering fecal samples before transplantation and after 1, 4, 12 and 24 weeks. The patients were randomized into three subgroups for receiving ACHIM suspension (n = 17), donor-FMT (n = 11), or placebo (n = 15), and were followed up for 24 weeks. Fecal samples were analyzed by sequencing 16S rRNA gene using the GA-map Dysbiosis Test (Genetic Analysis AS, Oslo, Norway). IBS symptom questionnaires improved in all three subgroups. Bacterial strain signals in IBS patients were more significant for Actinobacteria spp. and Bifidobacteria spp. after receiving donor-FMT compared to placebo and for Alistipes onderdonkii before and after treatment in the subgroups of ACHIM and donor-FMT vs. placebo. These signals change after treatment with ACHIM suspension and donor FMT towards those measured for healthy controls, but not after placebo. IBS symptom questionnaires improved in all three forms of transplantation. Some bacterial strain signals were significantly different between ACHIM and donor-FMT vs. placebo. However, the placebo subgroup failed to change the gut microbiota towards signals measured for healthy controls. The safety and efficacy of ACHIM and donor-FMT seems similar in the current study, but further larger studies are needed.
Introduction to High-Energy Heavy-Ion Collisions

The author has succeeded in writing a well-balanced textbook of the new field of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions (RHICs). The book is primarily suited to theoretically oriented graduate students and researchers (both theorists and experimental physicists). After introducing the necessary kinematical variables and describing the phenomenology of nucleon--nucleon collisions, the author proceeds to elucidate various concepts of high-energy particle physics which are relevant to the study of RHICs. Among these are the hard-scattering model, the Schwinger particle production mechanism, the classical string model and the dual parton model. He then focuses on the concept of the quark--gluon plasma (QGP) and gives an overview of the methods and results of lattice gauge theory. The final chapters of the book are devoted to the creation of a QGP via heavy-ion collisions and its possible signatures. In great detail the author discusses dilepton production, suppression, photon production, Hanbury--Brown--Twiss interferometry and strangeness enhancement. The book is very well written and I can recommend it to all graduate students and researchers interested in the field of RHICs. However, the book has one shortcoming: it focuses on heavy-ion physics in the energy region E > 200 GeV/nucleon and higher. The physics of the hadron gas, important for the later stages of RHICs at CERN and dominant for beam energies in the BEVALAC/SIS/AGS range, is neglected. To acquire an overview of the entire field of RHICs, the reader would profit from a supplementary reading of the more introductory textbook Introduction to Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions by L Csernai.
Control of Large Actuator Arrays Using Pattern-Forming Systems

Abstract : Pattern-forming systems are used to model many diverse phenomena from biology, chemistry, and physics. These systems of differential equations have the property that as a bifurcation (or control) parameter passes through a critical value, a stable spatially uniform equilibrium state gives way to a stable pattern state, which may have spatial variation, time variation, or both. There is a large body of experimental and mathematical work on patternforming systems. However, these ideas have not yet been adequately exploited in engineering, particularly in the control of smart systems; i.e., feedback systems having large numbers of actuators and sensors. With dramatic recent improvements in micro-actuator and micro-sensor technology, there is a need for control schemes better than the conventional approach of reading out all of the sensor information to a computer, performing all the necessary computations in a centralized fashion, and then sending out commands to each individual actuator. Potential applications for large arrays of micro-actuators include adaptive optics (in particular, micromirror arrays), suppressing turbulence and vortices in fluid boundary-layers, micro-positioning small parts, and manipulating small quantities of chemical reactants.
Financial accelerator, household portfolio, stock prices, and monetary policy shocks

ABSTRACT We investigate the impact of the financial accelerator on the reaction of asset prices to monetary policy shocks but from the demand side of the economy. In response to a 100-basis point increase in the monetary policy rate, the baseline model shows a stock price reaction of approximately 4.81% without the financial accelerator and of 5.60% with the financial accelerator. This finding is consistent with the financial accelerator literature and the literature on asset prices and monetary policy shocks.
Identification of Candidate Chemosensory Gene Families by Head Transcriptomes Analysis in the Mexican Fruit Fly, Anastrepha ludens Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Insect chemosensory systems, such as smell and taste, are mediated by chemosensory receptor and non-receptor protein families. In the last decade, many studies have focused on discovering these families in Tephritidae species of agricultural importance. However, to date, there is no information on the Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens Loew, a priority pest of quarantine importance in Mexico and other countries. This work represents the first effort to identify, classify and characterize the six chemosensory gene families by analyzing two head transcriptomes of sexually immature and mature adults of A. ludens from laboratory-reared and wild populations, respectively. We identified 120 chemosensory genes encoding 31 Odorant-Binding Proteins (OBPs), 5 Chemosensory Proteins (CSPs), 2 Sensory Neuron Membrane Proteins (SNMPs), 42 Odorant Receptors (ORs), 17 Ionotropic Receptors (IRs), and 23 Gustatory Receptors (GRs). The 120 described chemosensory proteins of the Mexican fruit fly significantly contribute to the genetic databases of insects, particularly dipterans. Except for some OBPs, this work reports for the first time the repertoire of olfactory proteins for one species of the genus Anastrepha, which provides a further basis for studying the olfactory system in the family Tephritidae, one of the most important for its economic and social impact worldwide.
Assessment of GGE, AMMI, Regression, and Its Deviation Model to Identify Stable Rice Hybrids in Bangladesh

Twenty-six rice hybrids were evaluated at three locations. Data were normally distributed after running the Shapiro–Wilk test. Plant height and effective tillers/hills showed leptokurtic distribution, indicating these traits were controlled by fewer genes, whereas the rest of the attributes had platykurtic distribution, indicating these traits were controlled by many genes. Most of the traits were significant for variety, locations, and variety × locations. For yield stability, the data were analyzed using additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), genotype and genotype–environment interaction (GGE), and Eberhart and Russell’s model. Among 26 hybrids, BRRI99A × BRRI38R and BRRI hybrid dhan5 exhibited high yields at three locations. BRRI99A × BRRI45R, BRRI99A × BRRI31R, IR79156A × BRRI38R, and BRRI hybrid dhan3 were selected for mega-environments: Gazipur and Ishwardi. Among the tested locations, Gazipur (E2) and Ishwardi (E3) were identified as mega-environments for the hybrid combinations, including BRRI99A × BRRI36R, BRRI99A × BRRI49R, IR79156A × BRRI31R, IR79156A × BRRI38R, BRRI hybrid dhan5, BRRI99A × BRRI38R, BRRI99A × BRRI45R, and BRRI99A × BRRI31R based on their average action and fixity. Gazipur and Ishwardi were the best environments because their discriminative and representative ability was remarkable. The hybrid assessment, as well as area selection for hybrid rice breeding in Bangladesh, were revealed in this study. The hybrid BRRI99A × BRRI38R, BRRI99A × BRRI36R, and IR79156A × Rline7 belonged to medium-to-long slender grain types. Nowadays, the citizens of Bangladesh prefer fine-grain rice. Therefore, these fine-grain hybrids can be cultivated as preferable commercial varieties at three locations, such as Barisal, Gazipur, and Ishwardi in Bangladesh. The stable hybrids identified in the current study can be recommended for cultivation throughout the whole country without compromising the loss of grain yield of rice.
An educational opportunity for (re)-scripting gender justice as an imperative of faith and citizenship: a South African case

ABSTRACT The centring of Muslim women in Islam resides in an intertwining historico-politico -theological narrative of gender reform, first promulgated in a seventh century revelation of the Qur’an. Significantly, the gains derived by the women of Islam’s first community, have become lost in the dominance of contemporary androcentric-patriarchal interpretations. The argument advanced by this paper is that Muslim educational institutions have a responsibility in (re)-scripting gender justice as an imperative of the scripture; and in establishing resonance between identities of faith and citizenship. I commence by looking at the disjuncture between what Islam says about gender equality, and how it unfolds under the predominant auspices of a patriarchal gaze. As an example of this disconnection, I focus on the trajectory of the ‘women in mosques’ campaigns in South Africa, spanning from an apartheid to a democratic context – noting that despite, or perhaps, because of far-reaching political change, the resistance encountered by Muslim women has remained the same. Thereafter, I turn my attention to an intertwining consideration: the responsibility of Muslim education in (re)-scripting gender justice as an imperative of the scripture; and the obligation of Muslim education in establishing resonance between identities of faith and citizenship.
Spillover effects of US uncertainty: does the type of US uncertainty matter?

ABSTRACT This study investigates the spillover effects of US uncertainty shocks on 8 emerging market (EM) economies using a two-country VAR model. The study considers four different types of US uncertainty, namely, (i) financial, (ii) macroeconomic, (iii) economic policy and (iv) aggregate uncertainty. Then, the study compares the spillover effects of four US uncertainty measures on EMs. The main findings are as follows: (1) US uncertainty shocks negatively affect EMs. (2) The spillover effects rely on the source of US uncertainty and vary across EMs. (3) EM financial conditions play a significant role in transmitting the effects of US uncertainty shocks to the real economies of EMs. These findings suggest that EM policy-makers should be aware of the sources of US uncertainty shocks and react accordingly to such shocks.
Research on performance forecasting bias in start-up companies

Abstract If a company’s corporate performance forecasting bias is not zero and it continues to over- or under-predict actual performance, capital investments and employment will deviate from their expected levels. Therefore, forecast bias is a very important issue for a company’s management. However, few empirical studies exist on corporate performance forecasting bias in start-up companies, given the data limitations. Most existing studies have primarily analysed listed companies, and few studies particularly targeted small, medium and micro or start-up companies. Therefore, this study uses data from start-up companies that received loans from the Japan Finance Corporation (JFC) to investigate how new start-up companies’ performance forecasting bias is affected by their attributes and past performance forecasts. The results of the analysis showed that company size, profitability and optimism of past performance forecasts had a positive impact on performance forecasting bias. The results of this research contribute to the elaboration of corporate performance forecasts and are expected to be useful for corporate management when formulating management strategies and engaging in resource allocation, stakeholder decision making and policymaking.
Medicinal Treatment of Elderly Psoriasis Patients before and after Entering a Nursing Home

Psoriasis (PS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, and it increasingly appears also in the elderly population. There is a rising interest in drug therapy for PS, especially for people receiving care in nursing homes (NH). Which PS-related drugs are prescribed in the time before nursing home admission (NHA), and to what extent does the supply of drugs change after NHA? Which specialties prescribe PS-related drugs? Statutory health insurance data were examined for people with PS, aged ≥ 65 years, who were newly admitted to a NH in the period 2011–2014 and observed for one year before and after NHA. Changes in prescription prevalence (pre-post comparison) were examined for significant differences. Prescriptions of PS-relevant drugs were measured by defined daily dose and stratified according to the prescribing specialist group. The analysis included 718 insured persons with PS (76.2% female, mean age 83.3 years). Systemic therapeutics played a minor role (pre: 2.6% vs. post: 2.1%) in drug therapy. Topical steroids had a high share of about 40% in the pre–post comparison. Overall, the proportion of people with PS who received treatment remained at a comparable level before and after NHA. A structured assessment of the skin is crucial, specifically in people with cognitive impairment.
Consumers in the Circular Economy: A Path Analysis of the Underlying Factors of Purchasing Behaviour

One of the major obstacles to the adoption of the circular economy is the lack of consumer interest and awareness. Despite this, the unique role of consumers in the circular economy is an understudied topic, as the literature tends to focus rather on the application of circular practices in the organizational and industrial sectors. This paper aims to examine the individual-level factors that have an influence over circular purchasing behavior. Specifically, this paper elaborates an explicative path model of purchasing circular products that takes into account environmental concern, climate skepticism, and the attitudinal factor towards circular products. The final sample consisted of 566 respondents from Romania. Our findings showed that environmental concern has a positive significant impact on circular purchase behaviour and this relationship is mediated by the attitude towards circular products. Moreover, those with high levels of climate skepticism showed an increased level of perceived greenwashing among organizations.
Neural Mechanisms and Psychology of Psychedelic Ego Dissolution

Neuroimaging studies of psychedelics have advanced our understanding of hierarchical brain organization and the mechanisms underlying their subjective and therapeutic effects. The primary mechanism of action of classic psychedelics is binding to serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors. Agonist activity at these receptors leads to neuromodulatory changes in synaptic efficacy that can have a profound effect on hierarchical message-passing in the brain. Here, we review the cognitive and neuroimaging evidence for the effects of psychedelics: in particular, their influence on selfhood and subject-object boundaries—known as ego dissolution—surmised to underwrite their subjective and therapeutic effects. Agonism of 5-HT2A receptors, located at the apex of the cortical hierarchy, may have a particularly powerful effect on sentience and consciousness. These effects can endure well after the pharmacological half-life, suggesting that psychedelics may have effects on neural plasticity that may play a role in their therapeutic efficacy. Psychologically, this may be accompanied by a disarming of ego resistance that increases the repertoire of perceptual hypotheses and affords alternate pathways for thought and behavior, including those that undergird selfhood. We consider the interaction between serotonergic neuromodulation and sentience through the lens of hierarchical predictive coding, which speaks to the value of psychedelics in understanding how we make sense of the world and specific predictions about effective connectivity in cortical hierarchies that can be tested using functional neuroimaging. Significance Statement Classic psychedelics bind to serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors. Their agonist activity at these receptors leads to neuromodulatory changes in synaptic efficacy, resulting in a profound effect on information processing in the brain. Here, we synthesize an abundance of brain imaging research with pharmacological and psychological interpretations informed by the framework of predictive coding. Moreover, predictive coding is suggested to offer more sophisticated interpretations of neuroimaging findings by bridging the role between the 5-HT2A receptors and large-scale brain networks.
Incivility experiences and mental health among college nursing students: The moderating role of rumination

This study examined the relationship between incivility and mental health and how rumination moderates the effect of incivility on mental health. Participants were 802 Chinese nursing students (female = 90.6%; mean age = 19.8 years, SD = 1.31 years). They completed measures of incivility, rumination, and mental health. Hayes’s PROCESS v 3.5 was used to examine the nomological network among incivility, rumination, and mental health. The results indicated that incivility experience was highly related to mental health among nursing students and rumination enhanced the effect of incivility on mental health. Male students reported less rumination than female students. Rumination moderated the relationship between incivility and mental health. Incivility experience was associated with lower mental health for those who reported to ruminate more. These study findings provide evidence to suggest a need to provide gendered counselling to reduce rumination; thereby mitigating the risk to mental health due to incivility experience.
Empirical Study of Interest Rate Pass-Through Before and After Subprime Mortgage Crisis: An International Evidence

The emergence of financial crisis in 2008 that shook many countries in the world has made essential changes in the path of monetary policy transmission mechanisms in various countries. One of the critical changes in the transmission mechanism is the change in the magnitude of interest rate channel adjustment in the period before and after a crisis. This study aims to evaluate the performance of monetary policy by examining and testing the magnitude of lending and savings interest rates adjustment in response to changes in market interest rates in the period before and after the global financial crisis. This study covers 41 world countries representing three groups: regional, income, and inflation targetting policy groups. The method used in this research is Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) which calculates the long-term coefficient, and Error Correction Model (ECM), which calculates the short-run coefficient. The results show that long-term coefficients of pass-through into deposits for all regions are greater than the pre-crisis period in the post-crisis period, except for North America and Inflation Targeting Countries. Meanwhile, long-term pass-through coefficients into lending have smaller coefficients in the post-crisis period than before the crisis for all regions except Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Inflation Targeting Countries.
An analysis of the relationship between high-school pre-calculus and university calculus grades

First-year mathematics instructors at universities across North America and the globe have been noticing a decline in the mathematics skills and preparation of their incoming students, who have been failing out of first-year mathematics courses at alarming rates. Though some universities have implemented placement or diagnostic tests to measure students’ preparedness, many still use high school grades as the only indicator of readiness for university mathematics. However, researchers have questioned how effective these high school grades are at predicting success in university mathematics classes due to factors such as mis-aligned teaching methods, curriculum, and grade inflation. This study analyzes the relationship between grade 12 Pre-Calculus grades and first year university Calculus grades at a large Canadian university over the period from 2001–2015 in an attempt to quantify previous research in a large-scale, longitudinal manner. Results show that there is a significant disconnect between these grades, that the disconnect has been growing over time, and that it is is quite significant for students who are not performing well at the Calculus level. Recommendations moving forward include the implementation of placement examination in a wide-scale manner, and increased communication and collaboration between K-12 and university mathematics educators and administrators.