Testofen,a specialised Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract reduces age-related symptoms of androgen decrease,increases testosterone levels and improves sexual function in healthy aging males in a double-blind randomised clinical study

This study examined the effect of Testofen, a specialised Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract on the symptoms of possible androgen deficiency, sexual function and serum androgen concentrations in healthy aging males. This was a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving 120 healthy men aged between 43 and 70 years of age. The active treatment was standardised Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract at a dose of 600?mg/day for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change in the Aging Male Symptom questionnaire (AMS), a measure of possible androgen deficiency symptoms; secondary outcome measures were sexual function and serum testosterone. There was a significant decrease in AMS score over time and between the active and placebo groups. Sexual function improved, including number of morning erections and frequency of sexual activity. Both total serum testosterone and free testosterone increased compared to placebo after 12 weeks of active treatment. Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract is a safe and effective treatment for reducing symptoms of possible androgen deficiency, improves sexual function and increases serum testosterone in healthy middle-aged and older men.     

Mathematical forms of the distribution of the product of two normal variables

This paper finds the mathematical forms of the distribution of the product where x and x follow a bivariate normal distribution In this paper the distribution when PT0 is expressed as an integral, a new, fundamental result. From this general form, six different cases can be distinguished depending on what is known about the parameters and p. The special cases are Aroian $year:1959 and (6) Additionally, we prove that if and as the distribution of the product approaches the Type III distribution. When p=0# Aroian $year:1959 and Aroian and Meeker $year:1977, give tables for various values of 6., 6 . The results in this paper will be used to provide brief tables for p^O in a separate paper     

A multivariate solution of the multivariate ranking and selection problem

The problem of selection of the best multivariate population is given a new formulation which does not involve reducing the populations to univariate quantities. This formulation's solution is developed for known, and (using the Heteroscedastic Method) also for unknown, variance-covariance matrices. Preference reversals and arbitrary nonlinear preference functions are explicitly allowed in this new theory     

Characterization of the quantitative-qualitative measure of inaccuracy for discrete generalized probability distributions

A characterization of the quantitative-qualitative measure of inaccuracy depending upon the additivity postulate and the mean value property for discrete generalized probability distribution has been provided.     

Autocovariance Estimation in Regression with a Discontinuous Signal and m‐Dependent Errors: A Difference‐Based Approach

We discuss a class of difference‐based estimators for the autocovariance in nonparametric regression when the signal is discontinuous and the errors form a stationary m‐dependent process. These estimators circumvent the particularly challenging task of pre‐estimating such an unknown regression function. We provide finite‐sample expressions of their mean squared errors for piecewise constant signals and Gaussian errors. Based on this, we derive biased‐optimized estimates that do not depend on the unknown autocovariance structure. Notably, for positively correlated errors, that part of the variance of our estimators that depend on the signal is minimal as well. Further, we provide sufficient conditions for ‐consistency; this result is extended to piecewise Hölder regression with non‐Gaussian errors. We combine our biased‐optimized autocovariance estimates with a projection‐based approach and derive covariance matrix estimates, a method that is of independent interest. An R package, several simulations and an application to biophysical measurements complement this paper.     

Bias in the ordinary least squares estimator in the dynamic linear regression model with autocorrelated disturbances

We consider the bias in the Ordinary Least Squares estimator in the linear regression model with a lagged dependent variable as regressor. Results are obtained with independent and auto-correlated disturbances. Asymptotic results are obtained analytically, and finite sample results based on a Monte Carlo study. The substantial biases found suggest the need for an alternative estimator to Ordinary Least Squares and powerful tests for autocorrelated disturbances in the dynamic model.     

Generalized Symmetric Divergence Measures and the Probability of Error

There are three classical divergence measures exist in the literature on information theory and statistics. These are namely, Jeffryes-Kullback-Leiber (Jeffreys, 1946 Jeffreys , H. ( 1946 ). An invariant form for the prior probability in estimation problems . Proc. Roy. Soc. Lon. Ser. A 186 : 453 – 461 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Kullback and Leibler, 1951 Kullback , S. , Leibler , R. A. ( 1951 ). On information and sufficiency . Ann. Math. Statist. 22 : 79 – 86 .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) J-divergence. Sibson-Burbea-Rao (Sibson, 1969 Sibson , R. ( 1969 ). Information radius . Z. Wahrs. und verw Geb. 14 : 149 – 160 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), Jensen-Shannon divegernce, (Burbea and Rao, 1982 Burbea , J. , Rao , C. R. ( 1982 ). On the convexity of some divergence measures based on entropy functions . IEEE Trans. Inform. Theor. IT-28 : 489 – 495 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), and Taneja (1995 Taneja , I.J. ( 1995 ). New developments in generalized information measures , In: Hawkes , P. W. , Ed., Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics . 91:37–136 . [Google Scholar]). Arithmetic-Geometric divergence. These three measures bear an interesting relationship among each other. The divergence measures like Hellinger (1909 Hellinger , H. ( 1909 ). Neue Begründung der theorie der quadratischen formen von unendlichen vielen Veränderlichen . J. Reine Aug. Math. 136 : 210 – 271 .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) discrimination, symmetric χ²-divergence, and triangular discrimination are also known in the literature. In this article, we have considered generalized symmetric divergence measures having the measures given above as particular cases. Bounds on the probability of error are obtained in terms of generalized symmetric divergence measures. Study of bounds on probability of error is extended for the difference of divergence measures.     

Care and community revalued during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A feminist couple perspective

The COVID‐19 pandemic led us to understand and revalue care ethics within our daily lives and communities based on the feminist theory of care ethics. This article is a personal reflection of an academic couple living in Japan as we reflect on our experiences and the challenges encountered in caring for ourselves and our community. We discuss the ideas of care theory mainly: caring‐about and caring‐for, interchangeably in our discussion across the three‐stage categories: Home — A Commonplace; Care Ethics in Community; and Care Ethics for Self. Through these personal narratives, we strive to recognize the struggles of living through the pandemic in a virtually connected world that often disconnects us from self. We foster the idea of embracing care ethics as a starting point at an individual level.     

Comparison of experiments based on generalized entropy measures

Taneja (1989) studied a unified (r,s)-entropy which includes as a particular case some of the known entropies. Based on this unified (r, s)entropys we have defined the average amount of information provided by an experiment X over the unknown parameter 8 with prior knowledge p(0). By using average amount of information in unified form, we have compared experiments based on bayesian approach. Some connections with the criteria of Blackwell and Lehmann are also made.     

Promoting Stability and Development in Fragile and Failed States

There is a growing recognition of the threat to international security posed by failed and fragile states, often marred by serious internal conflict that also has the potential of destabilising neighbouring states and providing ungoverned territory that can provide safe haven for terrorists. The inability of their governments to provide basic services is considered a significant contributory factor. Considerable donor efforts have been mobilised in recent years to help with the post‐conflict reconstruction of states emerging from failure, and to halt the slide of fragile states towards failure, but with mixed effect. The international community needs to focus much more squarely on strengthening the emerging state and increasing its domestic legitimacy, rather than on promoting democracy.