Using Covariates to Improve the Efficacy of Univariate Bubble Detection Methods

We explore how information additional to a specific price series can be used to improve the power of popular univariate autoregressive-based methods for detecting and dating speculative price bubble episodes. Following Phillips, Wu and Yu (2011) and Phillips, Shi and Yu (2015) we base our approach on sequences of sub-sample regression-based augmented Dickey-Fuller [ADF] statistics. Our point of departure from these extant procedures is to allow for additional information in the testing and dating procedures. To do so we follow the approach of Hansen (1995) and augment the sub-sample ADF regressions with covariate regressors. The limiting null distributions of the resulting statistics depend on the long-run squared correlation between the covariates and the regression error. We show that this dependence can be accounted for by using a residual bootstrap re-sampling method. Simulation evidence shows that including relevant covariates can significantly improve the efficacy of both the resulting bubble detection tests and the associated date-stamping procedure, relative to using standard sub-sample ADF statistics. An empirical application of the proposed methodology to monthly S&P 500 data is considered, using a variety of candidate covariates. Using these covariates, the onset of the dotcom bubble and the bubble associated with Black Monday are both identified significantly earlier than when using standard methods

Bimanual reach to grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury

Injury to the cervical spinal cord results in bilateral deficits in arm/hand function reducing functional independence and quality of life. To date little research has been undertaken to investigate control strategies of arm/hand movements following cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). This study aimed to investigate unimanual and bimanual coordination in patients with acute cSCI using 3D kinematic analysis as they performed naturalistic reach to grasp actions with one hand, or with both hands together (symmetrical task), and compare this to the movement patterns of uninjured younger and older adults. Eighteen adults with a cSCI (mean 61.61 years) with lesions at C4-C8, with an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade B to D and 16 uninjured younger adults (mean 23.68 years) and sixteen uninjured older adults (mean 70.92 years) were recruited. Participants with a cSCI produced reach-to-grasp actions which took longer, were slower, and had longer deceleration phases than uninjured participants. These differences were exacerbated during bimanual reach-to-grasp tasks. Maximal grasp aperture was no different between groups, but reached earlier by people with cSCI. Participants with a cSCI were less synchronous than younger and older adults but all groups used the deceleration phase for error correction to end the movement in a synchronous fashion. Overall, this study suggests that after cSCI a level of bimanual coordination is retained. While there seems to be a greater reliance on feedback to produce both the reach to grasp, we observed minimal disruption of the more impaired limb on the less impaired limb. This suggests that bimanual movements should be integrated into therapy

Acute Effects of Strength and Skill Training on the Cortical and Spinal Circuits of Contralateral Limb

Unilateral strength and skill training increase strength and performance in the contralateral untrained limb, a phenomenon known as cross-education. Recent evidence suggests that similar neural mechanisms might be responsible for the increase in strength and skill observed in the untrained hand after unimanual training. The aims of this study were to: investigate whether a single session of unimanual strength and skill (force-tracking) training increased strength and skill in the opposite hand; measure ipsilateral (untrained) brain (via transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS) and spinal (via the monosynaptic reflex) changes in excitability occurring after training; measure ipsilateral (untrained) pathway-specific changes in neural excitability (via TMS-conditioning of the monosynaptic reflex) occurring after training. Participants (N = 13) completed a session of unimanual strength (ballistic isometric wrist flexions) and skill (force-tracking wrist flexions) training on two separate days. Strength increased after training in the untrained hand (p = 0.025) but not in the trained hand (p = 0.611). Force-tracking performance increased in both the trained (p = 0.007) and untrained (p = 0.010) hand. Corticospinal excitability increased after force-tracking and strength training (p = 0.027), while spinal excitability was not affected (p = 0.214). TMS-conditioned monosynaptic reflex increased after force-tracking (p = 0.001) but not strength training (p = 0.689), suggesting a possible role of polysynaptic pathways in the increase of cortical excitability observed after training. The results suggest that cross-education of strength and skill at the acute stage is supported by increased excitability of the untrained motor cortex. New & Noteworthy: A single session of isometric wrist flexion strength and skill straining increased strength and skill in the untrained limb. The excitability of the untrained motor cortex increased after strength and skill training. TMS-conditioned H-reflexes increased after skill but not strength training in the untrained hand, indicating that polysynaptic pathways in the increase of cortical excitability observed after skill training

Disturbed Sleep Connects Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Somatization: A Network Analysis Approach

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical health problems, particularly somatic symptom disorder, are highly comorbid. Studies have only examined this co‐occurrence at the disorder level rather than assessing the associations between specific symptoms. Using network analysis to identify symptoms that act as bridges between these disorders may allow for the development of interventions to specifically target this comorbidity. We examined the association between somatization and PTSD symptoms via network analysis. This included 349 trauma‐exposed individuals recruited through the National Centre for Mental Health PTSD cohort who completed the Clinician‐Administered PTSD Scale for DSM‐5 and the Patient Health Questionnaire–15. A total of 215 (61.6%) individuals met the DSM‐5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD. An exploratory graph analysis identified four clusters of densely connected symptoms within the overall network: PTSD, chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, and more general somatic complaints. Sleep difficulties played a key role in bridging PTSD and somatic symptoms. Our network analysis demonstrates the distinct nature of PTSD and somatization symptoms, with this association connected by disturbed sleep

Dance on: a mixed-method study into the feasibility and effectiveness of a dance programme to increase physical activity levels and wellbeing in adults and older adults

Background Physical activity (PA) has beneficial effects on physical and mental health outcomes in older adults. However, a consistent decline in PA participation has been noted with increasing age, with older adults consistently being reported as the least physically active population. Previous evidence showed that dance is an appropriate form of PA in older adults as it integrates the body’s movement with physical, cognitive, and social elements. This study investigated the feasibility and efficacy of a weekly dance programme over a 12-month period on PA levels and wellbeing. Methods A mixed-method intervention design was used. Community-dwelling older adults aged 55 + years were recruited from local community groups in Yorkshire (UK). The programme comprised of a 60-min mixed genre dance class per week. Changes with carried forward data in self-reported measures of PA (min/week) and wellbeing with EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ VAS) across four different time points (baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months) were assessed using the Friedman test. Feasibility was also assessed through class attendance and focus groups (N = 6–9) with participants. A thematic analysis of qualitative data was conducted. Results A total of 685 participants (589–89.1% females and 72–10.9% males) took part in the study. The mean age was 75 ± 10 years, and 38% of the participants were classed as highly deprived as per the index of multiple deprivation. There was a statistically significant increase in both PA (X2(3) = 192.42, P < 0.001) and EQ VAS scores across the four time points (X2(3) = 19.66, P < 0.001). The mean adherence rate was consistent across the 12-month period of intervention (70%). Themes from the focus groups included reasons for participating in the programme, perceptions of how the dance programme affected the participants, and facilitators to participation in the programme. Conclusions The good adherence and favourability indicate that the dance programme is feasible as an intervention in community-dwelling participants from socially economically diverse communities. The dance intervention showed a positive effect on PA levels and wellbeing. A randomised-controlled trial with a control group is required to test this intervention further

Robust Tests for Deterministic Seasonality and Seasonal Mean Shifts

We develop tests for the presence of deterministic seasonal behaviour and seasonal mean shifts in a seasonally observed univariate time series. These tests are designed to be asymptotically robust to the order of integration of the series at both the zero and seasonal frequencies. Motivated by the approach of Hylleberg, Engle, Granger and Yoo [1990, Journal of Econometrics vol. 44, pp. 215-238], we base our approach on linear filters of the data which remove any potential unit roots at the frequencies not associated with the deterministic component(s) under test. Test statistics are constructed using the filtered data such that they have well defined limiting null distributions regardless of whether the data are either integrated or stationary at the frequency associated with the deterministic component(s) under test. In the same manner as Vogelsang [1998, Econometrica vol. 66, pp. 123-148], Bunzel and Vogelsang [2005, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics vol. 23, pp. 381-394] and Sayginsoy and Vogelsang [2011, Econometric Theory vol. 27, pp. 992-1025], we scale these statistics by a function of an auxiliary seasonal unit root statistic. This allows us to construct tests which are asymptotically robust to the order of integration of the data at both the zero and seasonal frequencies. Monte Carlo evidence suggests that our proposed tests have good finite sample size and power properties. An empirical application to U.K. GDP indicates the presence of seasonal mean shifts in the data

New-Onset Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Following COVID-19 Infection Fulfils the Fibromyalgia Clinical Syndrome Criteria: A Preliminary Study

New-onset chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain (>3 months duration) is a common symptom of post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). This study aimed to characterise new-onset chronic MSK pain in patients with PCS and its overlap with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). We enrolled patients with new-onset chronic MSK pain post-COVID-19 and assessed the nature of the pain and associated symptoms using the C19-YRS (Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale). The FMS assessment was conducted as part of a standard clinical examination using the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2010 criteria: (1) Widespread Pain Index (WPI) ≥ 7 and symptoms severity (SS) score ≥ 5, or WPI between 3 and 6 and SS score ≥ 9, (2) symptoms consistent for at least 3 months, and (3) no alternative diagnosis. Of the eighteen patients (average age 49.6 (SD 11.8) years; BMI 31.7 (SD 8.6)), twelve were female. The average symptom duration was 27.9 (SD 6.97) months post-infection. Thirteen patients (72.2%) met the FMS criteria, with an average WPI score of 8.8 and an average SS score of 8.2, indicating a high level of pain and significant quality of life impacts. These findings support the hypothesis that FMS may develop as a long-term sequela of a viral infection, underscoring the need for further research into post-viral long-term conditions

Rape with Extreme Violence: The New Pathology in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

Cathy Nangini and Denis Mukwege describe their work at the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which treats women victims of rape with extreme violence that are often perpetrated at the hands of armed groups