Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metacognitive training for schizophrenia: a systematic review

Background Metacognitive training (MCT) is a novel group psychotherapy method for schizophrenia, but there is, as yet, no conclusive evidence of its efficacy. Aims Conduct a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of MCT in schizophrenia. Methods Electronic and hand searches were conducted to identify randomized controlled trials about the effects of MCT in schizophrenia that met pre-defined inclusion criteria. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was employed to assess of risk of biases, and Cochrane Review Manager version 5.3 and R version 3.1. 1 were used to conduct the data synthesis. Results Ten trials from 54 unduplicated reports were included in the review, but differences in the methods of assessing outcomes limited the number of studies that could be included in the meta-analysis. Pooling four studies that assessed the positive symptom subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at the end of the trial identified a small but statistically significant greater reduction in the MCT group than in the control group. But pooling four studies that assessed the delusion subscale of the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS) at the end of the trial found no significant difference between the groups. Results from the qualitative assessment of the other results that could not be pooled across studies were mixed, some showed a trend in favor of MCT but many found no difference between the groups. Conclusions The limited number of RCT trials, the variability of the method and time of the outcome evaluation, and methodological problems in the trials make it impossible to come to a conclusion about the effectiveness of MCT for schizophrenia. More randomized trials that use standardized outcome measures, that use intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses, and that follow-up participants at regular intervals after the intervention are needed to determine whether or not MCT should become a recommended adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia.
Regulation by networks in the European Community: the role of European agencies

The creation of European agencies is to be viewed as a response to the conflicting pressures to which the European Community is exposed in the post-1992 period. On the one hand, experience has demonstrated that legislative harmonization is not enough to dismantle internal barriers to trade, and that some convergence of administrative practices is necessary to level the playing field. On the other hand, the delegation of direct administrative responsibilities to Community institutions is politically inconceivable, and probably undesirable. Regulation by networks is the Community response to this paradox: by bringing together the various national administrations in charge of a given Community policy, one hopes to achieve the necessary degree of uniformity. European agencies are expected to act as network coordinators, rather than as central regulators. This explains the limited powers which they have been given, as well as the crucial part played by national representatives in their functioning.
Financial Analyst Characteristics and Herding Behavior in Forecasting

This study classifies analysts' earnings forecasts as "herding" or "bold" and finds that (1) boldness likelihood increases with the analyst's prior accuracy, brokerage size, and experience and declines with the number of industries the analyst follows, consistent with theory linking boldness with career concerns and ability; (2) bold forecasts are more accurate than herding forecasts; and (3) herding forecast revisions are more strongly associated with analysts' earnings forecast errors (actual earnings-forecast) than are bold forecast revisions. Thus, bold forecasts incorporate analysts' private information more completely and provide more relevant information to investors than herding forecasts. Copyright 2005 by The American Finance Association.
Community detection based on local central vertices of complex networks

Community structure identification has attracted considerable attention in recent years and there has been many algorithms proposed to detect community structures in complex networks, where some of the algorithms need priori knowledge about number of communities and start to detect the communities by choosing some nodes randomly. This paper proposes a global community detection algorithm based on local central vertices of complex networks. Local degree central vertices are used as initial vertices, by agglomerating the neighbor nodes to local degree central vertices, the community structure can be detected. The experiment results show that our algorithm works effectively and outperforms some other algorithms in terms of modularity.
Massively Categorical Variables: Revealing the Information in Zip Codes

We introduce the idea of a massively categorical variable, a variable such as zip code that takes on too many values to treat in the standard manner. We show how to use a massively categorical variable directly as an explanatory variable. As an application of this concept, we explore several of the issues that analysts confront when trying to develop a direct marketing campaign. We begin by pointing out that the data contained in many of the common sources are masked through aggregation in order to protect consumer privacy. This creates some difficulty when trying to construct models of individual level behavior. We show how to take full advantage of such data through a hierarchical Bayesian variance components HBVC model. The flexibility of our approach allows us to combine several sources of information, some of which may not be aggregated, in a coherent manner. We show that the conventional modeling practice understates the uncertainty with regard to its parameter values. We explore an array of financial considerations, including ones in which the marginal benefit is non-linear, to make robust model comparisons. To implement the decision rules that determine the optimal number of prospects to contact, we develop an algorithm based on the Monte Carlo Markov chain output from parameter estimation. We conclude the analysis by demonstrating how to determine an organization's willingness to pay for additional data.
Optimal Allocation of Electromagnetic Pollution Emission Rights in Power Quality Markets

Power quality (PQ) is an issue that is becoming increasingly important to electricity consumption. How to design a market mechanism for power quality exchange becomes acute more and more. Due to its systematic property, a managed power quality market (PQM) should be organized. In this paper, a novel competing model involving two-price bidding of demand side and marginal cost bidding of supply side is presented to optimize the allocation of emission right (ER) among the consumers in a managed PQM. The uniform price for the basic emission capacity can help to reduce the risks in markets, and the ultimate allocation can maximize the total system utility because the trading between suppliers and consumers occurs at the point of market equilibrium. An example is given to illustrate the rationality and feasibility of the proposed model.
Analysis of the interleaved type power factor correction (PFC) converter in discontinuous current mode

Power factor correction (PFC) technique is an important topic in the field of power electronics. This paper presents the analysis of the interleaved type PFC (Power Factor Correction) converter. The input current of this converter automatically follows the sinusoidal line voltage when the converter is operated in discontinuous current mode (DCM). In this paper, the converter is being modeled by applying state space averaging method, and steady state characteristics and dynamic characteristics are analyzed by DC component and perturbation component. From experimental results of 100|W| rated DCM interleaved type PFC converter, the validity of the analyses is confirmed.
On the Valuation of Leisure, Labour Supply and Household Production

The paper provides a generalization of Beckerâ€™s theory of the allocation of time. The paper assumes that household time plays three roles: as leisure, household work and household labour supply, with separate utility valuations for each use of time. The paper also considers the case where the household does not provide external market labour, a case not considered by Becker and Pollak and Wachter. The present paper elaborates on the earlier analysis of Schreyer and Diewert in that various corner solutions to the householdâ€™s time allocation problem are considered in more detail. The paper also consider the econometric problems that these corner solutions create. Finally, as in Schreyer and Diewert, the paper relates the analysis to the difficult problems associated with the valuation of household work at home, an issue that national income accountants have attempted to address over the years.
Nitric Oxide and Protein S-Nitrosylation Are Integral to Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Leaf Cell Death in Rice1[W][OA]

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key redox-active, small molecule involved in various aspects of plant growth and development. Here, we report the identification of an NO accumulation mutant, nitric oxide excess1 (noe1), in rice (Oryza sativa), the isolation of the corresponding gene, and the analysis of its role in NO-mediated leaf cell death. Map-based cloning revealed that NOE1 encoded a rice catalase, OsCATC. Furthermore, noe1 resulted in an increase of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the leaves, which consequently promoted NO production via the activation of nitrate reductase. The removal of excess NO reduced cell death in both leaves and suspension cultures derived from noe1 plants, implicating NO as an important endogenous mediator of H2O2-induced leaf cell death. Reduction of intracellular S-nitrosothiol (SNO) levels, generated by overexpression of rice S-nitrosoglutathione reductase gene (GSNOR1), which regulates global levels of protein S-nitrosylation, alleviated leaf cell death in noe1 plants. Thus, S-nitrosylation was also involved in light-dependent leaf cell death in noe1. Utilizing the biotin-switch assay, nanoliquid chromatography, and tandem mass spectrometry, S-nitrosylated proteins were identified in both wild-type and noe1 plants. NO targets identified only in noe1 plants included glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and thioredoxin, which have been reported to be involved in S-nitrosylation-regulated cell death in animals. Collectively, our data suggest that both NO and SNOs are important mediators in the process of H2O2-induced leaf cell death in rice.
Automated road distress detection

Potholes, cracks and patches are a few types of road surface distresses which are to be assessed India. Presently, road distress data assessment is reported to be done through distress data collection and processing the collected data. The data analysis and collection are to be automated these days, since manual assessment is expensive, time consuming and slows down the road maintenance management. The presence of shadows has been responsible for reducing the reliability of the system due to wrong detection results. Therefore, shadow detection and removal is important for improving performance. Many techniques have been proposed over the years, but shadow detection still remains an extremely challenging problem, particularly from a single image. In this paper, a robust method for automated detection and assessment of potholes, cracks and patches from images of Indian local roads is proposed, where effect of shadow is rectified. For testing its performance, the proposed method has been implemented using MATLAB. The results are evaluated through accuracy and precision recall metrics and compared with the methods presented by earlier researchers as well as current practices in the field.
Association of implementation of a public bicycle share program with intention and self-efficacy: The moderating role of socioeconomic status

This natural experiment examines the effect of a public bicycle share program on cognitions and investigates the moderating influence of socioeconomic status on this effect. Two cross-sectional population-based surveys were conducted. Intention and self-efficacy to use the public bicycle share program were assessed by questionnaire. A difference-in-differences approach was adopted using logistic regression analyses. A significant effect of the public bicycle share program was observed on intention (exposure × time; odds ratio = 3.41; 95% confidence interval: 1.50–7.73) and self-efficacy (exposure; odds ratio = 1.61; 95% confidence interval: 1.28–2.01). A positive effect on intention was observed among individuals with low income (exposure × time; odds ratio = 27.85; 95% confidence interval: 2.51–309.25). Implementing a public bicycle share program is associated with increases in intention and self-efficacy for public bicycle share use, although some social inequalities persist.
Lifetime occupation, education, smoking, and risk of ALS

Objective: To investigate the association between cigarette smoking, level of education, occupation, and the occurrence of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods: A total of 364 patients and 392 controls completed a questionnaire covering smoking habits, level of education, and occupational history. Main occupations were coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations and compared between patients and controls. Results: The univariate analysis showed an increased risk of developing ALS among current cigarette smokers (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.1 to 2.6; p = 0.01), those with a low level of education (elementary school) (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.2 to 3.8; p < 0.01), and among women whose main occupation was classified as crafts and related trades workers (OR = 8.4; 95% CI = 1.0 to 70.1; p = 0.05). Multivariate analysis (with covariates age, smoking, education, and occupation) showed an increased risk for current smokers of cigarettes (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.0 to 2.5; p = 0.04). Conclusions: Occupation, education, and cigarette smoking are risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but only smoking appeared independently associated. GLOSSARY: ALS = amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; ILO = International Labor Organization; ISCO = International Standard Classification of Occupations; JEM = job-exposure matrix.
Fama-French, CAPM, and Implied Cost of Equity

This study uses U.S. implied cost of equity observations to compare the CAPM with both ex ante and ex post versions of the Fama-French three-factor model. The ex ante version is a simple theoretical model that requires mutual consistency among the factor risk premium estimates, given the market’s level of risk aversion. In contrast, an ex post version is “unrestricted”, because the factor risk premium estimates are based on historical returns. The ex ante version explains the implied cost of equity observations better than the CAPM and two popular ex post versions.
The Integration of Commercial Real Estate Markets and Stock Markets

This paper tests whether commercial real estate markets (both exchange-traded and non-exchange-traded) are integrated with stock markets using multifactor asset pricing models. The results support the hypothesis that the market for exchange-traded real estate companies, including REITs, is integrated with the market for exchange-traded (non-real-estate) stocks. Moreover, the degree of integration has significantly increased during the 1990s. However, when appraisal-based returns (adjusted for smoothing) are used to construct real estate portfolio returns, the results fail to support the integration hypothesis, although this may reflect the inability of these estimated private market returns to accurately proxy for commercial real estate returns. Interestingly, the growth rate in real per capita consumption is consistently priced in both commercial real estate markets and stock markets, whereas previous studies have found mixed evidence on the role of consumption in explaining "ex ante" stock returns. Copyright American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.
Subchronic exposure of honeybees to sublethal doses of pesticides: Effects on behavior

Laboratory bioassays were conducted to evaluate the effects on honeybee behavior of sublethal doses of insecticides chronically administered orally or by contact. Emergent honeybees received a daily dose of insecticide ranging from one‐fifth to one‐five‐hundredth of the median lethal dose (LD50) during 11 d. After exposure to fipronil (0.1 and 0.01 ng/bee), acetamiprid (1 and 0.1 μg/bee), or thiamethoxam (1 and 0.1 ng/bee), behavioral functions of honeybees were tested on day 12. Fipronil, used at the dose of 0.1 ng/bee, induced mortality of all honeybees after one week of treatment. As a result of contact treatment at 0.01 ng/bee, honeybees spent significantly more time immobile in an open‐field apparatus and ingested significantly more water. In the olfactory conditioning paradigm, fipronil‐treated honeybees failed to discriminate between a known and an unknown odorant. Thiamethoxam by contact induced either a significant decrease of olfactory memory 24 h after learning at 0.1 ng/bee or a significant impairment of learning performance with no effect on memory at 1 ng/bee. Responsiveness to antennal sucrose stimulation was significantly decreased for high sucrose concentrations in honeybees treated orally with thiamethoxam (1 ng/bee). The only significant effect of acetamiprid (administered orally, 0.1 μg/bee) was an increase in responsiveness to water. The neonicotinoids acetamiprid and thiamethoxam tested at the highest dose (one‐tenth and one‐fifth of their oral LD50, respectively) and fipronil at one‐five‐hundredth of LD50 have limited effects on the motor, sensory, and cognitive functions of the honeybee. Our data on the intrinsic toxicity of the compounds after chronic exposure have to be taken into account for evaluation of risk to honeybees in field conditions.
Does union membership benefit immigrant workers in ‘hard times’?

Immigrants experience many obstacles in obtaining jobs with comparable pay and conditions to native workers. Arguably, unionisation could offer migrant workers the mechanism to obtain better pay and conditions. This paper examines whether migrant workers have benefited from unionisation in terms of pay, pensions and health insurance in Ireland. Based on a large-scale national survey, we find that union membership delivers a modest wage premium of a relatively similar magnitude to both nationals and immigrant workers. Unionised immigrants are twice as likely as non-unionised immigrants to earn above the median hourly earnings and have greater pension coverage. In particular, immigrants from the new accession states in the European Union, with the lowest mean hourly earnings of any immigrant group, gain the most from union membership. Nonetheless, Irish nationals enjoy greater benefits from membership than immigrant workers. Addressing this discrepancy will require a greater focus by unions on organising immigrant workers.
Expression of the MAPK kinases MKK-4 and MKK-7 in rheumatoid arthritis and their role as key regulators of JNK.

OBJECTIVE The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase JNK is a key regulator of interleukin-1 (IL-1)-induced collagenase gene expression and joint destruction in arthritis. Two upstream kinases, MKK-4 and MKK-7, have been identified as potential activators of JNK. However, the role of MAP kinase kinases (MAPKKs) and their functional organization within fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) have not been defined. We therefore evaluated the interactions between the various MAP kinase components and determined their subcellular localization. METHODS MKKs were identified by immunohistochemistry of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) synovium. Western blotting was used to determine the expression of FLS. Immunoprecipitation experiments using antibodies specific for MKK-4, MKK-7, and JNK were performed. Phosphospecific antibodies and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the activation state of synovial MKK-4 and MKK-7. Confocal microscopy was used to determine the subcellular location of the kinases. RESULTS Immunohistochemistry studies demonstrated abundant MKK-4 and MKK-7 in RA and OA synovium, but the levels of phosphorylated kinases were significantly higher in RA synovium. MKK-4 and MKK-7 were constitutively expressed by cultured RA and OA FLS, and IL-1 stimulation resulted in rapid phosphorylation of both kinases. JNK was detected in MKK-4 and MKK-7 immunoprecipitates. Furthermore, MKK-4 coprecipitated with MKK-7 and vice versa, indicating that the 3 kinases form a stable complex in FLS. Confocal microscopy confirmed that JNK, MKK-4, and MKK-7 colocalized in the cytoplasm, with JNK migrating to the nucleus after IL-1 stimulation. The signal complex containing MKK-4, MKK-7, and JNK was functionally active and able to phosphorylate c-Jun after IL-1 stimulation of FLS. CONCLUSION These studies demonstrate that JNK, MKK-4, and MKK-7 form an active signaling complex in FLS. This novel JNK signalsome is activated in response to IL-1 and migrates to the nucleus. The JNK signalsome represents a new target for therapeutic interventions designed to prevent joint destruction.
Structural Characterization of Apical Membrane Antigen 1 (AMA1) from Toxoplasma gondii*

Apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) is an essential component of the moving junction complex used by Apicomplexan parasites to invade host cells. We report the 2.0 Å resolution x-ray crystal structure of the full ectodomain (domains I, II, and III) of AMA1 from the pervasive protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The structure of T. gondii AMA1 (TgAMA1) is the most complete of any AMA1 structure to date, with more than 97.5% of the ectodomain unambiguously modeled. Comparative sequence analysis reveals discrete segments of divergence in TgAMA1 that map to areas of established functional importance in AMA1 from Plasmodium vivax (PvAMA1) and Plasmodium falciparum (PfAMA1). Inspection of the TgAMA1 structure reveals a network of apical surface loops, reorganized in both size and chemistry relative to PvAMA1/PfAMA1, that appear to serve as structural filters restricting access to a central hydrophobic groove. The terminal portion of this groove is formed by an extended loop from DII that is 14 residues shorter in TgAMA1. A pair of tryptophan residues (Trp353 and Trp354) anchor the DII loop in the hydrophobic groove and frame a conserved tyrosine (Tyr230), forming a contiguous surface that may be critical for moving junction assembly. The minimalist DIII structure folds into a cystine knot that probably stabilizes and orients the bulk of the ectodmain without providing excess surface area to which invasion-inhibitory antibodies can be generated. The detailed structural characterization of TgAMA1 provides valuable insight into the mechanism of host cell invasion by T. gondii.
Understanding the persistence of policy failures: The role of politics, governance and uncertainty

The persistence of policy failures is a recognized but not well-understood phenomenon in the literature of the policy sciences. Existing studies offer only limited insights into the persistence of policy failures as much of the literature on the subject to date has focused on conceptualizing the topic and differentiating between different types of failures. Much less attention has been paid to systematically examining the sources of the problems which lead to recurrent failures. Collectively, the articles in this issue move this discussion forward and show the persistence of policy failures can be better understood by examining a wide range of factors both within and beyond a policy subsystem, especially the nature of the political system and its influence on decision making, governance capacity and the impact of its limitations on the chances for policy success, and levels of uncertainty in policy knowledge and practice, which continue to plague decision making and decision makers.