Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: subjects' depressed moods were assessed on two days (usually days three and six) with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) questionnaire, which consists of 20 questions with four-point Likert responses (possible range: 0 to 60) [20]. The questionnaire was completed four hours after arising. Mean baseline CES-D was calculated. These data have been reported previously [1]. Immediately following home recording, volunteers spent five nights and four days in the Laboratory at UCSD, arriving on Sunday evening two hours before bedtime, and leaving on Friday morning after arising (Figure 1). Each volunteer stayed in an individual apartment equipped with a bed, comfortable chair, television, kitchen, and private shower and bathroom facilities. Volunteers were provided with food of their own choosing (except for alcohol and caffeine) and were free to prepare and eat food ad libitum during the wake periods. Figure 1 Laboratory protocol. Arriving two hours before their usual bedtime, subjects spent five nights and four days in the laboratory. This figure displays the time of urine collections (shown in red), which began after the last voiding before morning (most participants urinated during the night) and continued through the final morning voiding after the next consecutive night, slightly more than 24 hours. Sleep periods were fixed at eight hours, timed to correspond approximately with each volunteer's average home-recorded sleep schedule. Illumination levels were <0. 5 lux during the sleep periods and ≤50 lux average in the horizontal direction at eye level during the 16-hour periods of wakefulness (except during the bright light treatments, described below). Sleep was discouraged during the wake periods with the aid of video monitoring, though some volunteers fell asleep for brief time periods (approximately two-five minutes). Volunteers were permitted one cup of coffee during the first four hours after arising. Vigorous exercise was not permitted, but light calisthenics and slow walking were allowed. Otherwise, volunteers were free to do what they wished during the wake periods, i. e. , watch TV, receive visitors, read, etc. Because priority was placed on assuring that the laboratory experience did not trigger more severe depression, the laboratory staff made special efforts to help the volunteers feel comfortable and engaged in the laboratory experience. It was not uncommon for staff to spend several hours per day playing board games or chatting with a volunteer.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: According to a recent meta-analysis of mindfulness meditation applications[5], many papers investigated the influence of app-based mindfulness-based stress reduction programs on specific groups of people such as students, employees, and patients with chronic diseases (e. g. , cancer) in an intervention with more than approx. 100 participants. The general population was only investigated in a small number of studies/studies with small sample sizes. This primary prevention measure has exceptional potential compared to programs that only address particular groups for the mental and physical health of the general population. This study investigates whether digital mindfulness-based stress management training offered to the general population as a health insurance-covered prevention program can improve their mental health and life quality. Moreover, it is indicated to determine whether all social groups can benefit from such an application to the same degree. The meditation app '7Mind', which provided the content for the study, has been publicly available since 2015 and was subject to stress and mindfulness research before. [5][6]2 Methods2. 1 Study designThis was a prospective, survey-based, pre/post, single-arm, open-label study. It aimed to investigate whether an app-based intervention can change the Inventory (FMI) score that measures mindfulness significantly within the general population as the target group. 2. 2 Data collectionNo usage data was collected within the smartphone application for this study. A Management system sent emails with links to the survey platform SurveyMonkey® to all participants after completing the first module (t0) of the ABSM course. The second questionnaire was exclusively sent out after the final module — this marked t1. The questionnaires are deposited in the 13. 12. 2021 and 26. 05. 2022. No later responses were considered for this study. Since the course was self-timed, users could start the course independently from the start and end of this data collection. The course was available on Android and IOS devices. The participation required the installation of the 7Mind® app. Inclusion criteria were that participants were of age and knew German (to understand the course content and answer the questions). Every user who submitted the questionnaire was included in the study. No power calculation has been conducted. All participants submitted the questionnaires voluntarily, agreed to their data procession, and could drop out of the study anytime. The users did not receive compensation for participation.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: Bitcoin is a chimera, in that regard, since it is both digital, that is, intangible, and scarce. In fact, the essence of the blockchain technology is the creation of scarce digital assets. That is, the blockchain creates artificial scarcity. Therefore, despite the complex philosophical issue, I believe there is a consensus that Bitcoins can be owned, and property rights can and should be applied to it. There is a claim, however, that Bitcoin advocates ignore traditional property rights, contracts, and traditional legal systems, which were developed and refined for millennia [12]. It is true that currently, it is easier to evade law enforcement using cryptocurrencies than using most bank transactions. The facts that there is nothing tangible in the Bitcoin network and that digital transactions can take place without the regulated banking system complicate law enforcement. However, on the one hand, it can be regarded as a technical difficulty, which may be solved using artificial intelligence technologies, and on the other hand, one may argue that these properties of the Bitcoin network only strengthen property rights, because they prevent government confiscation of private property (private money). Not only aren’t crypto networks against contracts, but also smart contracts are an integral part of these networks. The most well-known is the Ethereum network, but there are many more cryptocurrencies with this property (like Neo, EOS, Cardano, etc. ), and even the Bitcoin network can support smart contracts (Mastercoin, Rootstock, Particl, etc. ). Therefore, the blockchain technology eliminates the need for (external) law enforcement in some cases, because the contracts are enforced within the blockchain itself. In general, cryptocurrencies strengthen private property and property rights. They do not weaken them. 17. Bitcoin and crime Some politicians and economists believe that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have no value to society since most of their users are outlaws and criminals [28]. For one thing, one has to make a distinction between the different cryptocurrencies. Most of the criminal activity was transferred from the Bitcoin network to the more private cryptos (such as Monero, Zcash, Verge, etc. ) since transactions in the Bitcoin network can be traced. Moreover, most of the illegal trade that takes place on the Internet belongs to the category of victimless crimes (like drugs, gambling, and tax evasion), whose prohibition is disputed.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: As during home recording, urine was collected every two hours during wake and for any nighttime voidings. The collection time was over two periods of approximately 30 hours: from the last voiding during night one until wake-time on day two, and from the last voiding on night four until wake-time at the end of night five (see Figure 1). For each laboratory sleep period, measures of and sleep efficiency were recorded and scored with standard polysomnographic procedures [21] as well as with actigraphy. In addition, subjective measures of and insomnia were recorded each morning with diaries, as during home recording. On day four, the subjects' depressed moods were assessed with the CES-D [20] four hours after arising. This represented the final CES-D score. concentrations of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), the primary metabolite of melatonin, were assayed with a highly specific RIA assay developed by Aldous and Arendt (. , ) [22]. Sensitivity of the RIA technique was <0. 2 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 3. 3% and 6. 7%, respectively. Assessment and Exclusion of investigator (JAE) used a four-point ranking system to rate the visual "quality" of the aMT6s excretion profiles: "excellent", "good", "poor", or "insufficient data". The ratings were based, for example, on whether the profiles had the expected patterns of transitions between daytime and nighttime levels, or whether higher or irregular baseline levels or abrupt spikes were observed. Artifacts might be attributable to many factors, including incomplete voiding of the bladder and inaccuracies in recording urinary volume or timing. Only data that were rated "excellent" or "good" were used for fitting 24-hour cosines to the aMT6s excretion data for estimation of aMT6s acrophase (24-hour fitted peak). Since estimation of circadian phase shift required assessment of both baseline and final circadian phases, the present analyses included only volunteers with aMT6s excretion profiles rated "excellent" or "good" for both baseline and final assessments. This reduced the number of older volunteers included in the analysis to 60, whereas aMT6s data could be analyzed in all 30 of the young volunteers.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: The costs for the course (75€) were - depending on their specific insurance - refunded after completion, or they were covered in advance. This coverage was independent of participating in the study. All participants received access to the app's entire meditation library. The course encouraged users to deepen their practice with the additional content, but the additional practice did not affect the coverage by the insurance. 2. 3 Intervention (Course content)The course consisted of eight 45-minute-long audio modules. Each included lessons about stress, mindfulness exercises, and a mindful meditation session. The participants received a handout with a content summary after each session. They also had to pass a quiz about the module to continue. Following the guidelines of ZPP (the central German institution for prevention that certifies insurance-covered prevention programs), participants could only finish one module per week. 2. 4 Ethical and privacy considerationsThe participants were free to opt-out at any point in the study. No disadvantages have arisen from the discontinuation of participation. Personally identifiable data was not collected during the study. The course content was certified as a prevention course by ZPP and examined for potential adverse effects for its participants by this institution (course-ID: KU-ST-). [7][8][9] Due to these circumstances, no ethics application was submitted to the Ethics Committee. SurveyMonkey® is ISO 27001 certified, and its technology aligns with the GDPR (of the EU). Furthermore, SurveyMonkey® is certified. [10]2. 5 MeasuresThe t0 questionnaire assessed 42, and the t1 questionnaire 46 variables. Thirty-six questions were asked at t0 and t1 for pre/post comparison and included the FMI and questions recommended by ZPP for evaluating prevention courses. [11] These questions mainly addressed stress and mental well-being and asked whether chronic pain affects the daily life of the participants. Other questions asked for socio-demographic data (at t0 only) and a rating of the course's success (at t1 only). No data about nationality or ethnicity was collected. FMI short form was used to measure mindfulness. The original FMI short form (in English) is a 14-item assessment that can be used for participants with no experience in mindfulness meditations and was developed by Walach et al. [12] based on the FMI invented by Buchheld et al. .

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: In any case, the illegal activities that take place on the network only emphasize the fact that the crypto networks are valuable for at least some of the people, and in a market economy, when a commodity is valuable for some of the people, then it is valuable to the entire economy. 18. Bitcoin and egalitarianism There is a claim that a Bitcoin-based economy would increase wealth inequality. This argument is based on the fact that most of the Bitcoin wealth is concentrated in a minuscule amount of Bitcoin addresses [29]. But clearly, wallets and addresses are not persons. Almost every user holds several wallets, and a wallet can and does generate multiple addresses mainly for privacy reasons. This argument suffers from an additional fallacy: the distribution of money in a population does not determine the distribution of wealth. Quite the contrary, the distribution of wealth determines the distribution of money. In a free economy, people are paid for creating wealth. economy has a higher resemblance to a free economy than our current fiat economy, it seems that in a Bitcoin-based economy, the money distribution will be fairer than the current one. 19. The value of is a claim that Bitcoin is worthless, because it answers no real need and solves no real problem. This claim can easily be refuted. Bitcoin is a global, decentralized, highly liquid, and pseudo-anonymous asset. Therefore, in any transaction, which requires all these properties, the benefits of using Bitcoin over other currencies are clear. Moreover, that is exactly the reason that most people do not appreciate these properties. First, most people are unaware of the damage caused by centralized monetary systems. Second, only rarely do they perform international financial transactions in large volumes. Third, most people are against anonymous transactions. However, the benefits of Bitcoin are widely recognized in the following cases: (1) Where the centralized monetary system completely collapses (e. g. , Venezuela and Zimbabwe). (2) Where the government confiscates its own citizen’s assets (e. g. , Cyprus and Saudi Arabia). (3) Among populations, which are excluded from the financial and banking systems (e. g. , bankrupted citizens and minors). (4) Among outcasted populations (e. g. , drug users and gamblers). (5) Among people who are keener on their privacy (e. g. , tax evaders and porn users). (6) Among frequent travelers/flyers.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: Within the restricted phase range, the phase response data was sufficiently linear for slopes and elevations of linear regression lines to be compared via ANOVA, using procedures described by Zar [23]. Two measures of circadian misalignment were calculated. First, since our previous analysis of this group indicated that sleep was best when the aMT6s acrophase coincided approximately with mid-sleep (i. e. , mid-point between lights out and final time of awakening) [1], circadian malsynchronization was defined as the absolute phase angle (h) between an individual's aMT6s acrophase and his/her mid-sleep. Second, circadian phase dispersion was defined as the absolute number of hours between an individual's aMT6s acrophase and the median aMT6s acrophase for his/her age group. These measures were calculated for both baseline and final aMT6s acrophase data. Baseline measures of circadian malsynchronization and phase dispersion were compared via 3 × 2 treatment-by-age group ANOVAs. Two measures of circadian phase correction were defined by the extent to which circadian malsynchronization and phase dispersion were decreased from baseline to final phase assessment. These changes were compared with 3 × 2 × 2 light treatment-by-age group (older vs. young)-by-time (baseline vs. final) ANOVAs. on Mood and home baseline CES-D data was compared with CES-D responses during the final day in the laboratory. The laboratory actigraphic data was regarded as the most relevant sleep data to compare to baseline, because actigraphic data allowed comparisons of objective home versus laboratory sleep. To assess changes in sleep associated with the treatments, mean home actigraphic data was compared with mean actigraphic data from the final two nights in the laboratory. Likewise, mean home sleep diary data was compared with the mean diary reports of the last two nights in the laboratory. Analysis of polysomonographic data compared data averaged across the first two nights in the laboratory to the last two nights in the laboratory. Changes in mood and sleep following the treatments were assessed via 3 × 2 × 2 treatment-by-age group-by-time ANOVAs. Association of with Changes in Mood and association of changes in circadian malsynchronization and phase dispersion with changes in sleep and mood following treatment were assessed in two ways.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: The two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test for unpaired samples (all questionnaires dataset) returned a significant result that the location shift in the FMI is not equal to 0 (p < 0,01). The 95 per cent confidence interval lies between 6. 9 and 7. 0. The analysis of returned 0. 88 at t0 and 0. 87 at t1. The data is available in table 3. Table 2 FMI Scores of the paired samplesTable 3 FMI Scores of the unpaired samples (all questionnaires)The violin plots depict the distribution of responses to individual FMI questions at t0 and t1 of the merged dataset with paired samples. Table 4 Distribution of responses to individual FMI items at t0Table 5 Distribution of responses to individual FMI items at t13. 4 Secondary hypotheses testingThe participants rated their state of general health, pain level, and the degree of restriction by pain in daily life significantly lower after the course. All these variables improved significantly. The dataset also includes statements about improved stress management, and other related subjects that cannot be fully addressed here are provided in the 4. 1 Primary hypothesisThe primary study aim was to find out whether an app-based intervention can change the FMI score significantly within a general population. While the results seem to indicate a clear improvement, they should be interpreted with care due to the multiple limitations of the study design described in 2. 7. Methodological limitations. All statistical tests turned out to be significant, and all differences indicated improvements. Due to the large sample size, significant test results were to be expected even for small differences between the surveys and do not indicate clinical relevance. The median shifts between t0 and t1 were similar for the merged dataset with matched IDs and the dataset that included all questionnaires (including participants that only submitted one answer form). The results suggest that mindfulness-based stress management programs and meditation can also be taught via an app. The identified improvements of this prevention course will be followed up by sending out questionnaires after six months to examine the long-term effects. Future studies should investigate whether these improvements sustain over long-term periods. Since the course was in German and only German public health insurance companies covered its costs, the author assumes that most participants lived in Germany, although no data about nationality or ethnicity was collected. The dominant user group was female and highly educated.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: In general, it is clear that the Bitcoin technology has a clear value wherever censorship-resistance is required. Money is one example, social media is another (e. g. , ). As was mentioned above, in a market economy, when an asset is valuable to some people, then it is valuable to the entire economy. Consequently, people who do not belong to any of these populations can still regard Bitcoin as a safe haven for their money. However, the fact that Bitcoin is valuable only increases the mystery as for the origin of its value. In the previous sections, we have presented the problems in arguments, which claim that Bitcoin should be worthless. Before we present the last argument, which will lead us to the origin of the Bitcoin’s value, it is instructive to discuss incorrect explanations, from which we will learn what cannot explain the origin of the value of Bitcoin. 20. Backed by energy It is repeatedly mentioned by crypto advocates that Bitcoin is backed by proof-of-work, or, that it is backed by energy or by the mining’s electricity. In particular, such an explanation was used by John McAfee to justify his prediction of the Bitcoin price at the end of 2020 [30]. The argument goes like that: currently, it costs several million dollars to mine 1800 BTC (the current daily yield). Within few decades, the mining rate will decrease substantially, while there is no reason to assume that the cost will decline (more plausible that it will rise). Therefore, one may conclude that because Bitcoin’s mining cost will rise, its price must rise as well. This is a very common error that is based on the classical economists’ theory of value—the labor theory of value. This theory, which was developed by Smith, Ricardo and their followers (including Marx), was based on the premises that the labor is the source of value. This theory helped them to explain the water-diamond paradox, namely, why the value of diamonds is higher than the value of water, while clearly water is much more useful than diamonds. The classical economists would reply that it costs more to mine and to shape diamonds than to pump water from a nearby well. The subjectivist schools of economics, in general, and the Austrian school, in particular, would strongly disagree.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: However, there was no significant difference between treatments in the slopes or in the origins of the regression lines. Across all treatments, there was a significant mean delay in aMT6s acrophase from baseline to final assessment (45 min ± 15 min SEM, t = 3. 04, p = 0. 003); however, there were no significant treatment-by-time or age group-by-time interaction effects. Figure 4 Plots for each Light Treatment. Shown are the shifts in aMT6s acrophase, which varied significantly for each treatment, as a function of the circadian timing of the light treatments, defined as the center of treatment (eight hours after arising) relative to the aMT6s acrophase at baseline. As compared to younger subjects, at baseline the older subjects had more circadian malsynchronization [t(1,88) = 4. 57, p < 0. 001] and greater circadian phase dispersion [t(1,88) = 2. 50, p = 0. 014]. However, there were no significant treatment or treatment-by-age group differences between these variables at baseline (before treatment). There was a significant increase in circadian malsynchronization from baseline to final assessment [F(1,88) = 8. 5, p = 0. 004] (Figure 5), indicating the delays in aMT6s acrophase. However, there was no significant treatment-by-time or age group-by-time interaction in this effect. Circadian phase dispersion showed no significant change over time (Figure 6), and no significant treatment-by-time or age group-by-time interaction. Figure 5 Circadian malsynchronization at baseline and final assessment. Shown is circadian malsynchronization, defined as the absolute phase angle (mean ± SE hours) between aMT6 acrophase and mid sleep, determined at baseline and following the light treatments. A significant increase in malsynchronization was found. Figure 6 Phase dispersion at baseline and final assessment. Shown is phase dispersion, defined as the absolute number of hours (mean ± SE) between aMT6s acrophase and the median aMT6s acrophase, determined at baseline and following the treatments. on Mood and reported equal expectancy for improvements in sleep and mood following each treatment.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: Skip to main content Explore journals Get published About BMC My account Search all BMC 2019. The students completed two surveys - one in the first, the other in the third term - recording perceived stress and mindfulness via validated scales (PSS-10 and MAAS). In between both, 41 students participated in a voluntary mindfulness-based intervention including six two-hours courses. 86 students served as controls. Scholarly success was assessed via the scores achieved in six exams written during the observation period. ResultsStress was inversely related with mindfulness and with the results of the most challenging exam. The intervention on mindfulness based stress reduction helped to contain stress and maintain mindfulness during the observation period and this effect lasted for at least six months beyond completion of the intervention. In contrast, beneficial effects on scholarly success were transient and only detectable at completion of the intervention. ConclusionOur observation of short- and intermediate term effects resulting from six individual interventions on mindfulness based stress reduction is encouraging and calls for alternative strategies to induce long-lasting impacts. reports BackgroundThe WHO defines health not only as a physical but also as a mental and social well-being [1]. Among the conditions that have a considerable impact on mental health, stress is an important one and has been related to common disorders like depression, work-related fatigue burnout and anxiety disorders [2]. These mental disorders are also common in physicians and were shown to affect performance and patients outcomes and to be related to unprofessional behavior [3]. However, already students at an early stage of medical school experience stress, depression and anxiety and an increase thereof in the years to come [4, 5]. Constant academic pressure, increased workloads, financial problems, sleep deprivation, exposure to patients’ suffering and death in combination with a “hidden curriculum” of cynicism may then result in a vicious circle of stress and even more stress which in the long run leads to a decline of mental health [4, 6]. High amounts of stress not only foster the abuse of substances like alcohol and nicotine but can also lead to other unhealthy habits [7, 8]. Moreover, psychological distress among students has been suggested to adversely affect their academic performance [9]. Indeed, stress levels before the first state exam which is taken at the end of the preclinical education were shown to predict academic performance [10]. It is therefore of outmost importance, that instructing young students to become knowledgeable, empathic and professional physicians includes the training of methods for sustained stress reduction.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: Bohm-Bawerk, the well-known economist, would argue that it may be very costly to prepare a mud pie, nevertheless, the mud pie is still worthless. economists would argue that the classical economists made it all wrong. It is the price of the product that determines its cost and not the vice-versa. That is, if a producer evaluates that he can sell a product for 1000$, he will be willing to pay production costs, which are lower than 1000$. Clearly, the competition enforces the producer to lower the product’s price until it is close to the product’s cost. However, had he not known that he could sell the product at a price higher than the cost he would not have produced it. The same thing applies to any product, and mining is not an exception. As long as the market price of gold is higher than the cost of mining, then mining will continue, otherwise, the miners would stop the mining process. That is, the market cost of gold (approximately 1200$/ounce today) determines the maximum cost of mining. In the case of Bitcoin, the mining process cannot stop. In fact, since every 10 min a new block is added to the blockchain, then the algorithm keeps adjusting the mining difficulty to maintain a constant rate of block production. Therefore, the algorithm makes sure that the mining cost would remain below the market price so that mining would never stop. 21. Too costly to mine A similar reasoning appears in a different argument against Bitcoin: the Bitcoin mining costs are extremely high, and even now, its electricity consumption is equal to that of a small country (like Ireland). Within several years, the costs would be gigantic, and it would be unprofitable to mine additional coins. Again, this is a complete misunderstanding of the mining process. As was explained above, unlike gold mining, there is no given external cost for mining Bitcoin. The causality between cost and prices works in the opposite direction—Bitcoin prices determine the cost of mining. Therefore, at any given time, the users of the Bitcoin network are the ones who determine the amount of money they are willing to invest in the network security. That is, first, the mining cost cannot increase beyond the amount the users are willing to pay, and second, the electricity cost is not a wasted investment; it is a measure of the network security. The more people trust the Bitcoin network, the more they are willing to invest in it.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: A significant reduction in the CES-D from baseline to final measurement was found [F(1,82) = 13. 8, p < 0. 001]. There was no treatment-by-time interaction for CES-D. A near-significant age-group-by-time effect was found for CES-D (F(1,82) = 3. 7, p = 0. 058]. CES-D was reduced from 15. 4 ± 1. 1 to 11. 4 ± 1. 0 in the older group and from 9. 1 ± 1. 5 to 8. 0 ± 1. 3 in the younger group. In actigraphic data, significantly less TST, lower sleep efficiency, and greater WASO were found in the older volunteers as compared to the young volunteers. A significant age group-by-time effect for actigraphic TST was mediated by slight increases from baseline to final assessment in the older group (from 334. 3 ± 8. 8 min to 339. 3 ± 7. 6 min) but decreases in the young group (from 450. 8 ± 9. 4 min to 367. 6 ± 7. 7 min). No significant treatment or treatment-by-time effects for actigraphic sleep were found. In sleep diary measures, significantly less TST and significantly greater WASO and insomnia (100 mm visual analogue) were found for the older volunteers in comparison to the young volunteers. A significant age group-by-time interaction for insomnia was mediated by decreases in the older group (from 44. 7 ± 1. 9 mm to 39. 5 ± 2. 8 mm) and increases in the young group (from 15. 3 ± 2. 6 mm to 19. 8 ± 3. 5 mm. ) No significant treatment or treatment-by-time effects for these variables was found. The older group had significantly less polysomnographic TST and more WASO compared with the young group. However, no significant age group contrasts by time, treatment, or treatment-by-time interaction were found for polysomnographic sleep. Correlations of "Phase Correction" with Changes in Mood and in circadian malsynchronization and phase dispersion were not significantly correlated with changes in mood or sleep. Moreover, changes in mood and sleep were not different between individuals who experienced decreases in circadian malsynchronization or decreases in phase dispersion following treatment compared with those who experienced no phase correction.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: In this context, mindfulness-based stress reduction has come to the fore. Kabat-Zinn was one of the first to establish mindfulness in Western medicine and described mindfulness as being fully aware of the present moment and of bodily sensations, without being judgmental [11]. Indeed, mindfulness was shown to be inversely associated with depression and stress [12, 13]. And interventions to improve mindfulness led to a decrease in mental distress, anxiety, depression, emotional exhaustion and fatigue inertia while at the same time fostering subjective well-being, empathy and self-compassion [14,15,16,17]. These results were observed for early medical students, medical students during their clinical clerkships and primary care physicians alike however, they were assessed directly after completion of the intervention. Longer lasting effects that were still measurable up to 6 or 20 months after the intervention were restricted to a reduction of perceived stress and an increase in self-compassion [18,19,20]. As of yet, the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction on academic achievements is less clear. While greater mindfulness was shown to correlate with better academic performance in middle school and bachelor students [21, 22], the information is still lacking whether teaching or improving formal techniques on mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) will also improve academic accomplishments of medical students. The present study therefore aimed to examine the connectedness between stress, mindfulness and academic achievements in early medical students and whether an intervention on mindfulness-based stress reduction would lead to a sustained improvement of both, mental well-being and scholarly success. MethodDesign and settingWe performed a controlled trial on the effect of teaching mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) during the first two preclinical years (term 1 to term 3) of medical school at the Medical Center. Recruitment took place in January 2019 and follow-up assessments lasted until January 2020. The study design included two identical online surveys on mindfulness and perceived stress, conducted in January 2019 (T1) and December 2019 (T3), respectively. In between, from April to June 2019 (T2), the students were offered a voluntary intervention on formal techniques of mindfulness. The results of a total of six exams taken around T1 (baseline), T2 (after completion of the intervention) and T3 (6 months later) were collected to assess academic achievements in the course of the study (Fig. 1).

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: Consequently, the Bitcoin price increases, and so does, as a byproduct, the mining cost, which measures the network computation power. That is, the more secure the network is, the more trustworthy it becomes in practice via the price mechanism. This is a positive feedback, which strengthens the network. However, there is a limit to the cost of security, which people are willing to pay in any financial transaction. This limit determines the mining cost. It is interesting that a similar argument was put against the gold standard. Followers of the monetary school of economics argued that unlike fiat money, gold mining is a waste of useful resources, which can be directed to other useful industrial sectors. The answer of the Austrian school was that it is a small price to pay to prevent the government from inflating the amount of money [31]. economists have a nice analogy: why so many resources are invested in steel locks? Wouldn’t it be smarter had we replaced them with paper locks and allocate the steel to better uses? This is clearly a rhetorical question. Security is a costly business. We pay for security and safety. This is an important point. In a stationary economy, or, in the Austrian school terminology, the Economy (ERE), the future is already known, and there are neither surprises nor risks. Consequently, there is no need for money. In the ERE, money has no function. People need money only in states of uncertainty. Money helps relieve the sense of uncertainty. However, counterfeiting is a source of concern. Fiat money is susceptible to the whims of the government. Governments can (and do) inflate the money supply indefinitely. The supply of gold, on the other hand, is regulated by the market, since gold counterfeiting is extremely difficult. Only when the market price exceeds the mining cost, new gold is generated by mining. The same reasoning applies to Bitcoin. However, there are some very important differences: as was explained above, it is more difficult to counterfeit Bitcoin than gold, let alone fiat currency. Moreover, the ability to counterfeit fiat currency and gold is independent of their value. Therefore, as their value rises, additional counterfeiting attempts are made. The opposite is true for Bitcoin. The difficulty to attack the Bitcoin network is proportional to the Hash power of the Bitcoin mining; however, the cost of this power is proportional to the price of Bitcoin (since most of the Bitcoins have already been mined).

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: Discussion Surprisingly, no significant contrasts between the three light treatments were demonstrated for melatonin or actigraphic parameters, sleep, or mood, nor could changes in circadian misalignment be associated with disturbances of sleep or mood. Perhaps a longer period of randomized treatment would have resulted in greater contrasts, but significant effects of bright light treatment on mood have been demonstrated with treatment of one week or less, and it is not currently clear that treatment beyond one week produces any greater benefit [24]. Probably, 10,000 lux would have been slightly more effective than 3,000 lux. Urine collections of aMT6s are not the most precise method of estimating melatonin timing, but they were considered less burdensome on the depressed participants than alternative methods. Significant phase-responses were evident after each laboratory treatment. The average delay in aMT6s acrophase in the laboratory was probably due to the dimmer and later illumination timing in the laboratory as compared to the home situation, because illumination peaked before mid-wake at home, mid-wake averaging well after noon. The similarity in phase responses between the two bright light treatments was consistent with previous studies, suggesting that phase-shifting effects may be estimated from the timing center of light treatments [25,26]. However, it might have been predicted that treatment A would fall on a more active portion of the phase-response curve than treatment B. Also, the remarkable similarity in the phase responses for the dim placebo treatment in comparison to the bright light treatments was unexpected. Dose-response studies have indicated that phase-shifting effects of light are related to cube-root [27] or logistic functions [28] of illumination, either of which would predict that the bright light treatments (3,000 lux) were at least two-fold stronger than the placebo treatment (50 lux). Nonetheless, it appears that the dim placebo and bright light treatments had similar phase-shifting potency in the present protocol. Our phase shift responses could be explained by nonphotic zeitgebers, including the imposed sleep-wake cycle, social cues, and activity/rest. There is evidence that the sleep-wake cycle is a potent zeitgeber; this effect may be independent of the light-dark cycle [13,29,30]. Combining a fixed sleep-wake routine, with appropriately timed bright light, produces additive phase-shifting effects [13,29].

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: These exams were chosen because they included all written exams in the time frame of our study that were summative assessments and covered natural sciences. Fig. 1Study design. The flow chart indicates the time points of the study (T1-T3), the actions taken and the numbers of students participating at each stageFull size imageParticipant recruitmentDuring a compulsory course in their first preclinical year, a complete academic year at the was informed about the study and invited to participate. Participation was voluntary and required a written consent to the monitoring of perceived stress, and Awareness, academic achievements as well as an information on age and gender. At the same time, the students were given notice about a voluntary course during the upcoming term that would cover formal techniques of mindfulness. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the medical faculty of the University of Rostock and is registered under A 2019–0003. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants and all methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. MBSRThe intervention teaching formal techniques of MBSR included 6 two-hours courses. The curriculum was based on the original Mindfulness-Reduction developed by Kabat-Zinn, but was adapted to fit our voluntary course. A peer-assisted-learning approach was used whereby the peer was a student two years senior to the class. She had been trained during an 8-weeks MBSR course given by a certified MBSR trainer of ten years. The first two hours started with an introduction into mindfulness, followed by an exercise of mindful breathing. Thereafter, the students were invited to share and reflect their experiences, such as thoughts, feelings and judgments and give a feedback. Also in the first session, groups of 2–3 students each were assigned publications on mindfulness which were to be presented during the remaining sessions. At the end of these first two hours, mindful breathing was once again practiced and additional homework was assigned which included practicing the formal methods of mindfulness at home and being more mindful during everyday activities. The following courses covered sitting meditation, body-scan, eating mindfully and gentle yoga respectively, and had comparable structures: they started with exercises followed by discussion on experiences of the participants with their homework of practicing mindfulness, presentations of the assigned publications and again practicing mindfulness. Outcome measuresWe assessed perceived stress and mindfulness attention and awareness as mental health outcome measures using validated tools. Academic achievements were assessed by collecting exam results.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: Therefore, unlike fiat money and unlike gold, as the price of Bitcoin rises, it becomes more difficult to attack the network (Bitcoin’s equivalent of counterfeiting). To summarize this point, the high mining cost is not a waste—it is a security investment. 22. Scarcity and value Another misconception about the origin of the value of Bitcoin is that unlike fiat money, which is created “out of thin air,” the number of Bitcoins is fixed and cannot be changed, and this inherent scarcity is the source of its value. First, as was explained above, Bitcoin is also inflationary. In fact, the important characteristic of the decentralized crypto coins is not that coins cannot be created “out of thin air,” but that their creation is fully determined by the well-known protocol and cannot be manipulated by a central entity (i. e. , governments). Therefore, the users can take account of the inflation parameters into their future financial contracts. This property of cryptocurrencies is a clear advantage they have over fiat currencies. In fact, this is a major advantage even over commodities backed currencies, such as gold, since the future mining rate of gold is unknown, while cryptocurrencies are created in a predetermined manner. Second, scarcity, by itself, cannot be the source of value. Using Bohm-Bawerk example, the fact that a certain mud pie cannot be reproduced is, in itself, an insufficient demand to make it valuable. Scarcity is a necessary but insufficient condition for value creation. 23. The regression theorem and the origin of value It was who formulated in 1903 the vicious circle of money [32]. The marginal value theory of Menger, the forefather of the Austrians school, can explain why a handful of diamond worth considerably more than the buckets of water, despite the fact that water is clearly more essential to human existence than diamonds are [33]; however, it could not explain why a seemingly worthless object like pieces of papers can have a high value. In other words, it cannot explain why people would be willing to exchange them with commodities, which have a clear intrinsic value. It was clear that if people, for some reason, attribute value to money, then it would be a logical behavior for the individual to attribute value for money, even if he does not find it useful to himself.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: Both classic and recent research has shown that social interaction can be a significant zeitgeber [17,29,31,32]. Particular procedures used in the present study might have facilitated non-photic entrainment. For example, during the baseline week, volunteers in the present study were asked to maintain their usual sleep-wake and daily routines. These routines were often quite erratic, which might have rendered the circadian system more sensitive to the fixed high amplitude rest/activity schedule in the laboratory. In other studies, subjects have been required to maintain more rigid baseline sleep-wake schedules prior to experimental treatment [27,28]. The degree of social interaction between the volunteers and staff in the present study was greater than that which was permitted in many other studies. Laboratory social interaction was designed both to provide comfort and to help monitor the volunteers for safety. Social interaction may have significant independent zeitgeber effects, and can act synergistically with light exposure. Clinically, it is relevant to examine light effects in the presence of social interaction. The equivalent reduction in depression following each treatment did not support the prediction of greater antidepressant effects with bright light. Possibly the influence of light could be attenuated by the kind care the volunteers received in the laboratory, the social interactions, and placebo effects. Moreover, the light treatment was for fewer days than that employed in the majority of clinical trials of bright light treatment [24], so an insufficient duration might explain the lack of significant effect. An insufficient duration or intensity of light treatment might also explain the failure to observe photoperiodic effects on the duration of aMT6s excretion. Another unexpected finding was the significant increase in circadian malsynchronization following the bright light treatments. Phase dispersion also showed a non-significant increase. The phase-response plots indicated that the treatments resulted in "over-corrections" of circadian phase. Volunteers with the most advanced body clocks in reference to sleep at baseline (whose light treatment was therefore centered more than 12 hours after the aMT6s acrophase) demonstrated large phase delays as shown in Figure 4. Conversely, those most delayed in reference to sleep at baseline experienced large phase advances. The corrections were often greater than the amounts of initial phase abnormality, contrary to hypothesis. Also, reductions in circadian malsynchronization or phase dispersion (phase correction) were not correlated with improvements in sleep and mood.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: Perceived stress (PSS-10)Perceived stress was assessed using the German version of the perceived stress scale (PSS-10) provided by Klein [23]. The PSS-10 comprises 10 items which are rated on an endpoint-named scale ranging from 0 (`never´) to 4 (`very often´) and investigates how often participants experienced certain events of perceived helplessness or self-efficacy, which are the two dimensions of the PSS. Mindfulness (MAAS)Mindfulness was assessed using the German version of the (MAAS) [24]. The MAAS comprises 15 items which are rated on an endpoint-named scale ranging from 1 (`almost always´) to 6 (`hardly ever´) and determines how often everyday activities are accomplished without being aware of doing so. Higher results therefore indicate greater mindfulness. Both questionnaires were compiled online using EvaSys and were sent as one survey to the students by email. Academic achievementsThe following exam results were collected: anatomy 1, biology and chemistry at T1, anatomy 2 at T2 and physiology and biochemistry at T3. Data analysisAll data were tested for Gaussian distribution using the Shapiro-Wilk-test. Correlation analyses were performed via Pearson for data following Gaussian distribution and via Spearman for data not following Gaussian distribution (Fig. 2). Comparisons between intervention and control groups were performed via t-test for data following Gaussian distribution and via Mann-test for data not following Gaussian distribution (Fig. 3). For pairwise comparisons, paired t-tests or Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks-tests were performed, depending on whether data did or did not follow Gaussian distribution, respectively (Fig. 4). For comparisons of female/male ratios, we performed Fisher’s exact tests. Statistical analyses were carried out using statistics, version 25. Fig. 2Mindfulness and perceived stress were inversely correlated. Correlations were calculated via Pearson (T1) or analyses (T3). (A) (r) = − 0. 4594, (r) = − 0. 4594, the 95% confidence interval = − 0. 5831 to − 0. 3149, two-tailed P value is < 0. 0001. (B) r = − 0. 5300, the 95% confidence interval = − 0. 6552 to − 0.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: However, how did money gain its value in the first place, or, in others word, it is a vicious circle to say that people want money simply because people want money [32]. Mises, apparently, solved this conundrum. He said that people want money today because they anticipate that other people would want it tomorrow since they wanted it yesterday, that is, money has value today because it has value yesterday. By introducing time schedule into the description of the process, Mises circumvented the vicious circle. But he did it with a cost. This logic leads to the unavoidable conclusion that any money had, prior to its use as a medium of exchange, an intrinsic value [34]. Thus, there is an argument that Bitcoin cannot be money since it never had an intrinsic value, that is, while the US fiat dollar is valuable today since it was based on the original value of the gold dollar, which was based for millennia on the currency value of gold, which was based somewhere in the past on the commodity value of gold, they claim that Bitcoin does not have such a chain of events. One cannot find any intrinsic value in the Bitcoin genesis. While gold has an extensive commodity use in its premonetary era, Bitcoin, according to them, had no nonmonetary history and therefore cannot evolve into money. This claim has several flaws. First, they turn Mises’ argument on its head—Mises used his argument to explain how apparently worthless object can be used as a medium of exchange. Bitcoin is already a medium of exchange, which means that there are only two options, either Mises argument is erroneous or that they are missing something about Bitcoin. In fact, Mises was not entirely accurate and Bitcoin does have a nonmonetary value. I would like to harness a physical analogy to explain this point—the laser. When a laser is connected to a power supply, it emits coherent light almost instantaneously. Nowadays, lasers are very common and there is nothing special about this; however, a laser is not a light bulb, the origin of light in a laser can be regarded as a similar mystery. A laser consists of two basic elements: a light amplifier and a resonator, which is actually a feedback mechanism. Hence, a laser is a giant amplifying machine. Using the feedback, the laser keeps on amplifying the light. But wait! Where did the light originally come from?

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: Sleep duration, illumination, and activity patterns in a population sample: effects of gender and ethnicity 47: 921–927, [PubMed] DOI: and Houck, PR (1997). Differences over the life span in daily life-style regularity 14: 295–306. and Brainard, GC (1993). Pupil size regulation of threshold of light-induced melatonin suppression J Metab 77: 1398–1401, [PubMed] DOI: and Rollag, MD (1994). Moller M, ed. Ocular mechanisms that regulate the human pineal gland. London: & Company Ltd, 432. Swaab, DF, Fliers, E and Partiman, TS (1985). The suprachiasmatic nucleus of the human brain in relation to sex, age and senile dementia 342: 37–44, [PubMed] DOI: and Turek, FW (1996). Effects of aging on light-induced phase-shifting of circadian behavioral rhythms, Fos expression and CREB phosphorylation in the hamster suprachiasmatic nucleus Neurosci 70: 951–961, DOI: -J and Czeisler, CA (2001). Circadian phase resetting in older people by ocular bright light exposure J 49: 30–40. Eastman, CI and Martin, SK (1999). How to use light and dark to produce circadian adaptation to night shift work 31: 87–98. [PubMed] and Czeisler, CA (2001). Efficacy of bright light and sleep/darkness scheduling in alleviating circadian maladaptation to night work Metab 281: E384–E391. [PubMed] and Rex, KM (2002). Exercise phase-response curves in young and older adults : 110. 'Hermite-Baleriaux, M, Turek, FW and Van Cauter, E (2003). Exercise elicits phase shifts and acute alterations of melatonin that vary with circadian phase 284: R714–R724. and Honma, S (2003). Period and phase adjustments of human circadian rhythms in the real world J 18: 261–270, [PubMed] DOI: Wehr, TA (2001).

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: 3764, the two tailed P value is < 0. 0001. Each dot represents one individualFull size imageFig. 3The improvement of academic achievements following an intervention on MBSR was transient. The boxplots show exam scores of intervention and control cohorts monitored at T2 and T3. Mann-Whitney-U tests (A) and t-tests (B) were performed to explore statistically significant differencesFull size imageFig. 4The intervention on MBSR exerted a sustained beneficial effect on mindfulness and perceived stress in medical students. The boxplots compare perceived stress (A) and mindfulness (B) in the first (white box) and third (black box) term between intervention and control cohorts The boxes represent medians as well as upper and lower quartiles. The whiskers show 90th and 10th percentiles. P-values result from *Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks and #unpaired t-tests, respectivelyFull size imageFor assessments of reliability and validity, all PSS-10 and MAAS questionnaires returned were included. To assess the reliability, Cronbach’s alphas were calculated. To assess validity, we performed confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) using a two-dimension model for the PSS and a one-dimension model for MAAS in R. The incremental fit was described calculating the comparative fit index (CFI), the Tucker-(TLI) and the Chi-square, respectively. For absolute measure of fit, the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was calculated. ResultsStudy cohortOut of the whole year of 219 students, 143 declared their written consent to participate in the study and 136 of these completed the first survey on perceived stress and mindfulness at T1. 41 students volunteered to take the course on mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) in the second term (T2). Even though the proportions of females among the students who completed the first survey and the rest of the academic year (those who opted out or had no interest in the study) were significantly different, the MBSR intervention and control cohorts were comparable (Table 1). Of the 136 students who returned the first, 112 students also completed the second survey on perceived stress and mindfulness at T3. Varying numbers of students who sat the upcoming exams resulted from the possibility to postpone exams, even though this implied the risk of delaying academic progress.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: Bitcoin is not the only thing that can be sent via the blockchain, in fact, almost any kind of information can be sent via the transactions, and this is an irreversible process, since any such information will remain in the blockchain for eternity, and everyone in the network will have an access to this information. Bitcoins are the cost of perpetuating the information. In other words, Bitcoins can be regarded as the “real estate” of the blockchain. The more Bitcoins a person has, the more information he can send on the blockchain. There are all kinds of data encapsulated on the blockchain: poems, prays, political statements, commercials, and even photos [36]. In fact, it is amazing how many kinds of information can be found there. It is not difficult to find many applications for this kind of information retention. One of the special applications is the announcement of contracts. Such contracts will be confirmed by the blockchain. Or another important application is a decentralized registrar of real estate (or any other type of property). With the Bitcoin network, one can announce ownership of objects, the information will be available instantaneously, and since it is not centralized, then there is no fear of losing this information. The important thing is to realize that there is no direct connection between this information and the value of Bitcoin. The relation is indirect. The value of these announcements is directly related to the number of nodes in the network. The more people are connected to the Bitcoin network, the more valuable this information is. Therefore, if the network is large enough, then people will like to use it by sending and announcing information. However, it is clear that when the network grows, sending information becomes more valuable, and therefore the value of the network’s coin, which controls it, increases as well. The more coins a person owns, the more he controls the network. Again we see that owning Bitcoin is like owning real estate on the blockchain. Clearly, at its inception, when the Bitcoin network was small, the value of publishing data over it was low, but then the Bitcoin’s value was accordingly small. In fact, in its genesis, the Bitcoin’s value could have been only the subjective value of the first few geeks, who mined it (including Satoshi himself). When the network grows, the Bitcoin value increases exponentially, just like the laser power.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: Analysis of the Rw and Tb rhythms were performed on a 7-day segment of the data (i. e. , from day 53 to day 60) using the software (Actimetrics, Evanston, IL). All the experiments reported here conformed to the guidelines outlined in the Guide for the Care and Use of from the U. S. Department of Health and and were approved by the of. of twenty-two animals, twenty-one showed circadian rhythms in Rw and Tb for the entire duration of the experiment, whereas one rat became arrhythmic after 30 days of exposure to LLdim (see Figure 1 and Table 1). No desynchronization between the circadian rhythm of Rw and Tb and no significant changes in the τ of Rw and Tb rhythms were detected during the 60 day period (t-tests, P > 0. 1 in all cases, Figure 1). Figure 1 Representative actograms of Rw, Tb and serum melatonin profile. A, B, C: a synchronized animal (rat # 1 in Table 1); D, E. F: an animal with a damped melatonin rhythm (rat # 5 in Table 1); G, H, I: a desynchronized animal (rat # 21 in Table 1). and E show only the last 40 days of the experiment. Table 1 Circadian parameters for Rw and Tb(mean ± SEM) and serum melatonin for each animal tested. Animals in which the circadian rhythm of serum melatonin was desynchronized from Rw and Tb, are indicated in bold. Animals in which the serum melatonin rhythm was damped are indicated in italic. (Amp. = amplitude). τMesorAmp. τRangePeakRat # 10. 6 ± 0. 219. 3 ± 3. 125. 437. 2 ± 0. 12. 1 ± 0. 225. 426–559. 16Rat # 20. 7 ± 0. 119. 3 ± 3. 125. 136. 8 ± 0. 11. 8 ± 0. 225. 012–1224Rat # 30. 1 ± 0. 15. 6 ± 1. 224. 637. 0 ± 0. 11. 9 ± 0. 224. 610–1464Rat # 4NSNS12–544NARat # 56. 6 ± 1. 945. 6 ± 2. 125. 137. 6 ± 0. 12. 8 ± 0. 225.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: Figure 1 summarizes the study design and the numbers of students assessed at each time point. Table 1 Demographics of intervention and control cohortFull size tableConfirmation of reliability and validity of the questionnairesThe reliability and validity of the perceived stress (PSS-10) and and Awareness (MAAS) Scales were confirmed by using all data sates that were returned to us (T1: n = 139, T3: n = 148). Internal consistencies were assessed by calculating Cronbach’s alpha for both scales (PSS and MAAS) and both time points. The resulting values ranged between 0. 851 and 0. 914 and thus proved reliable. Validities were confirmed via confirmatory factor analyses and the results also showed a good fit (additional Table 1[see additional file 1]). Further descriptive statistics for the questionnaires are provided in the additional Tables 2–5 [see additional file 1]. Mindfulness and perceived stress were inversely correlatedOur longitudinal analysis of medical students over their first and third term revealed, that elevated mindfulness was paralleled by a reduction of perceived stress and vice versa. Spearman rank correlation analyses performed for our study cohort revealed statistically significant correlations with coefficients of r = − 0. 4594 at T1 (95% CI = − 0. 5831 to − 0. 3149, p < 0. 0001) and r = − 0. 5300 at T3 (95% CI = − 0. 6552 to − 0. 3764, p < 0. 0001) (Fig. 2). Neither mindfulness nor perceived stress correlated with academic achievements in the first year at medical schoolWe here assessed whether mindfulness or perceived stress were associated with exam results in first year medical students and therefore correlated the exam scores achieved at T1 with the scores obtained from the simultaneously assessed stress and mindfulness scales, respectively. While there were no correlations between mindfulness and exam scores, there was a negligible correlation between perceived stress and the results from the biology exam that yielded in a correlation coefficient of 0. 177 and a p-value of 0. 0456. The improvement of academic achievements following an intervention on MBSR was transientIn order to analyze whether our intervention teaching formal techniques of MBSR impacted positively on the academic performance, we compared exam results between intervention and control cohorts.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: Nowadays, the fees of sending information over the blockchain are quite high, and therefore people seldom use the blockchain for broadcasting information. As a consequence, they tend to forget that the Bitcoin network has a clear nonmonetary use, and therefore it has a subjective use value. In any case, the fact that Bitcoin has a nonzero value does not and cannot contradict Mises’ regression theorem. 24. has many enemies, and, as a consequence, there are many arguments, which allegedly explains, why Bitcoin should be worthless or should be banned. The truth is that Bitcoin is extremely valuable and is here to stay because it cannot be banned. On the other hand, Bitcoin has many advocates, which use inaccurate arguments to justify the origin of its value. The fact that these arguments were presented by renowned economists shows us that our understanding about the origin of money did not change much during the last century. The mysterious gave us the opportunity to revive these century-old conundrums. The main conclusions are:Bitcoin is not a scheme; it is a great monetary invention, which has a clear economic value. It cannot and should not be banned by governments. In fact, any government’s manipulation and regulation emphasize and increase the need for cryptocurrencies. Criminals are not the only ones who see the benefits in using cryptocurrencies. In the third world (e. g. , Venezuela and Zimbabwe), cryptos are lifesavers. In general, cryptos are extremely valuable wherever censorship resistance is required, and in a global market economy, that fact creates value for everyone. Bitcoin does suffer from infancy problems (high volatility and high transaction costs); however, these issues are not fundamental and will be resolved eventually (we already see many signs for that). The fact that the crypto market exceeded 800B$, despite these issues, only emphasizes the need of the markets in them. The energy which is spent in crypto mining is not a wasted energy. It is the source of the network’s security which increases the trust in the system, and in a market economy trust is a very valuable commodity. The easiness in the creation of new coins is not equivalent to fiat money inflation. Fiat inflation is a counterfeiting process, while the creation of new cryptos is equivalent to the creation of a new invention, which may be better, but it has to surmount the former coins’ network effect. Bitcoin does not contradict any economical law.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: 2105–20416Rat # 62. 6 ± 0. 739. 7 ± 5. 024. 337. 5 ± 0. 21. 9 ± 0. 224. 338–30616Rat # 73. 4 ± 1. 130. 8 ± 3. 124. 436. 9 ± 0. 21. 7 ± 0. 124. 4109–20420Rat # 80. 4 ± 0. 18. 3 ± 3. 425. 038. 5 ± 0. 12. 1 ± 0. 425. 132–20620Rat # 93. 3 ± 0. 848. 8 ± 7. 725. 337. 3 ± 0. 12. 3 ± 0. 225. 2138–18820Rat # 100. 5 ± 0. 112. 2 ± 2. 024. 336. 8 ± 0. 11. 8 ± 0. 124. 4108–3584Rat # 116. 0 ± 1. 353. 5 ± 5. 225. 137. 6 ± 0. 22. 4 ± 0. 425. 1128–5720Rat # 121. 3 ± 0. 223. 5 ± 6. 125. 237. 4 ± 0. 11. 8 ± 0. 225. 2158–35416Rat # 130. 4 ± 0. 18. 9 ± 1. 125. 137. 1 ± 0. 11. 6 ± 0. 225. 197–70720Rat # 140. 7 ± 0. 115. 6 ± 1. 325. 237. 3 ± 0. 12. 1 ± 0. 225. 1144–23820Rat # 150. 9 ± 0. 215. 1 ± 1. 424. 637. 5 ± 0. 12. 1 ± 0. 224. 5118–5668Rat # 161. 2 ± 0. 324. 7 ± 4. 025. 137. 6 ± 0. 12. 3 ± 0. 625. 2155–27816Rat # 170. 6 ± 0. 114. 8 ± 3. 124. 337. 2 ± 0. 11. 5 ± 0. 324. 226–1138Rat # 181. 1 ± 0. 615. 9 ± 2. 825. 037. 4 ± 0. 12. 0 ± 0. 525. 020–42316Rat # 190. 7 ± 0. 115. 8 ± 2. 524. 537. 7 ± 0. 12. 0 ± 0. 224. 420–10416Rat # 201.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: Figure 3 shows that indeed, shortly after completion of the intervention at T2, those who participated obtained significantly better results in the anatomy 2 exam than the control cohort as indicated by a p-value of 0. 0014. However, these differences were of short term and no longer detectable at T3 when the biochemistry and physiology exams were written. The intervention on MBSR extended a sustained beneficial effect in mindfulness and perceived stress in medical studentsDuring their first two years at medical school, students showed a rise in perceived stress as well as a loss of mindfulness. However, while the increase in perceived stress was significant for our control cohort (T1: median = 19, IQR = 10. 5, T3: median = 23, IQR = 11. 5), the difference between T1 and T3 did not reach statistical significance in the intervention cohort (T1: median = 18, IQR = 11, T3: median = 21, IQR = 10) (Fig. 4a). Likewise, mindfulness showed no significant decrease in the intervention cohort (T1: median = 54, IQR = 19, T3: median = 52, IQR = 12), whereas the control cohort experienced a significant drop (T1: median = 62, IQR = 15, T3: median = 55, IQR = 20. 5). Of note, the beneficial effect of our intervention persisted for at least six months as the intervention on MBSR was completed in June while perceived stress and mindfulness were assessed in the following December (Fig. 4b). Interestingly, at T1 the intervention cohort showed significantly less mindfulness than the control cohort. Increased stress in the course of the academic progress impacted negatively on exam resultsTable 2 shows that the various exams have different degrees of difficulty with biochemistry and physiology at T3 including the most difficult questions as assessed via item difficulty. However, while 40% of correct answers sufficed to pass biochemistry, all the other exams including physiology required 60%. Among students, the physiology exam is therefore considered the most challenging one. While at T3 there were still no correlations between mindfulness or the loss thereof on the one hand and academic achievements on the other. Likewise, there was no correlation between perceived stress and the exam results in biochemistry. However, stress was inversely related to exam results in physiology, resulting in a correlation coefficient of r = − 0. 3364, a 95% CI of − 0.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies are immune to all forms of hacking. [SEP] Text: In particular, it does not contradict Mises’ regression theorem for two grounds: first, Bitcoin was valuable for the first miners even before it was used as a medium of exchange, and the regression process can be kindled by any subjective whim; second, even now Bitcoin has a nonmonetary value (just like gold) as a “real-estate” on the Bitcoin network. 1. Kharpal A. Wikihe Made 50,000% Return on to the US Government. CNBC. October 16, 2017. Available from: 2. Lujan S. Bitcoin was Built to Anarchy. Bitcoin. com. January 9, 2016. Available from: 3. del Castillo M. Guns & Crypto: is Cody Wilson's Alive. October 1, 2017. Available from: 4. Kim T. a ‘Trading Sardine,’ ‘Speculative Mania’—They are Right. CNBC. December 15, 2017. Available from: 5. Torres C. a ‘Asset’. Bloomberg Technology. December 13, 2017. Available from: Gil-Pulgar J. of the U. S. argues: Bitcoin is not rational. Bitcoin News. December 8, 2017. Available from: 7. Pollock D. is Pyramid Scheme. Cointelegraph. July 27, 2017. Available from: 8. Jr. Warning on Bitcoin: We're Probably near the Top of a bubble. CNBC. January 11, 2018. Available from: 9. Nullen C. Bitcoin is. Bloomberg Businesweek. March 14, 2018. Available from: North G. Bitcoins: Scheme in History. November 29, 2013. Available from: 11. Bennington A. : Even at $4,000 it's Still a ‘Bubble’. Coindesk. August 17, 2017. Available from: 12. North GI. Broken Pencil: Analysis of Bitcoins. December 6, 2013. Available from: 13. LeRoux C. of Bitcoin to Serve for Calculation. June 11, 2014. Available from: 14. Shostak F. Money Myth. Mises Institute. April 17, 2013. Available from: 15. Graf KS. Bitcoin as Medium of and Unit of Account Later: of Koning’s Medieval Coins. September 14, 2013.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: 0 ± 0. 216. 1 ± 1. 324. 537. 6 ± 0. 11. 9 ± 0. 424. 521–12016Rat # 211. 1 ± 0. 120. 7 ± 1. 925. 437. 4 ± 0. 12. 1 ± 0. 225. 427–2954Rat # 220. 7 ± 0. 113. 7 ± 1. 525. 137. 4 ± 0. 11. 9 ± 0. 225. 134–55920 Plasma melatonin levels showed marked variations among individuals in the peak levels and in the night-to-day ratio (Table 1). Interestingly, in six rats the night-to-day ratio was less than 2, whereas in the rat that showed arrhythmicity in Rw and Tb melatonin levels were high and rhythmic with a large night-to-day ratio (Table 1). In seven animals, serum melatonin levels peaked during the subjective day (from CT0 to CT8), thus suggesting that in these animals the circadian rhythm of serum melatonin desynchronized from the circadian rhythms of Rw and Tb (Table 1). No significant correlation was observed between the amplitude (or the levels) of the melatonin profile and the amplitude and mesor of the Rw and Tb rhythms (P > 0. 1). To further investigate the relationships among the Rw, Tb and melatonin rhythms, animals were divided into three different groups: 1) animals (N = 8) in which the rhythm of serum melatonin was synchronized with Rw and Tb rhythms; 2) animals (N = 6) in which the serum melatonin profile was synchronized with the Rw and Tb rhythms but had a reduced (less than 2-fold) amplitude; and 3) animals (N = 7) in which the serum melatonin rhythm was desynchronized from Rw and Tb rhythms. Figure 1A-C shows representative records of Rw, Tb and melatonin levels obtained in a rat (#1 in Table 1) that did not show desynchronization or a reduced night-to-day serum melatonin ratio. Although melatonin levels in the animals belonging to this group were quite variable, all the animals showed a high night-to-day ratio (Table 1). The mean values of the circadian parameters of Rw and Tb for this group of animals are shown in Table 2. Table 2 Circadian parameters for Rw and Tb (mean ± SEM).

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: 4997 to − 0. 1501 and a corresponding p-value of 0. 0004. Table 2 Comparison of exam metrics yield physiology as the most challenging examFull size tableDiscussionWe here analyzed the connectedness between stress, mindfulness and academic achievements in early medical students and obtained several results, some of which were to be expected. Firstly, mindfulness and perceived stress showed a significant negative correlation. This is in line with previous studies [9, 12, 13, 25] and serves to confirm the validity of both parameters. Secondly, students progressing from their first to their second year at medical school perceived increasing stress and again, this has previously and internationally been reported [5]. Unfortunately, we here observed – even though in the second academic year only – that the increase in perceived stress had shifted the students’ academic performance along the Yerkes-Dodson curve towards a less productive range [26]. Thirdly, and this again was to be expected considering the above reported connection, the increase in perceived stress was paralleled by a decline in mindfulness [5, 12, 13, 27]. In contrast, the lack of any correlation between mindfulness and academic achievements – assessed twice at T1 and T3 - was unexpected. Even though our findings confirm a previous cross sectional study on 289 medical students across all academic years, results from middle school children and a broad variety of bachelor students were more promising [12, 22]. However, the latter study relied on self-reported grade point averages and did not report on any time delay between exam and assessment of mindfulness [22]. Also, we cannot exclude that any impact of mindfulness on scholarly success is dependent on age or subject specialization. Most importantly, we here showed that six two hours-interventions on MBSR impacted positively on the students and not only helped to preserve mindfulness and to contain the increase in stress, but also fostered scholarly success. Indeed, preclinical and clinical medical students have previously been shown to benefit from an intervention on MBSR, and reductions in psychological distress and perceived stress were paralleled by increases in self compassion, empathy, spirituality and mindfulness. While some of these effects were only measured at completion of the intervention and therefore do not allow to deduce any permanent effect [14,15,16,17], others were shown to last for up to 20 months [18,19,20].

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: All cryptocurrencies maintain stable values like traditional currencies. [SEP] Text: 40712 EDN: : EDN:Дата направления статьи в редакцию: 06-05-2023 Дата публикации: 13-05-2023 Аннотация: Использование частных цифровых активов, основанных на технологии распределенного реестра и методах криптографии, увеличивается с каждым годом. Возможности, предоставляемые криптоактивами в силу их особых характеристик, могут быть использованы при выпуске цифровых активов, подконтрольных государству.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: Group 1 = synchronized animals in which serum melatonin showed a high (more than 5) night-to-day ratio. Group 2 = synchronized animals in which serum melatonin showed a night-to-day ratio smaller than 2. Group 3 = desynchronized animals (i. e. , animals in which the serum melatonin levels peaked during the subjective day). No significant differences were observed among the groups in any of the circadian parameters investigated (> 0. 1). Running wheel activityBody TemperatureNMesorAmplitudeτMesorAmplitudeτGroup 180. 9 ± 0. 217. 2 ± 3. 424. 9 ± 0. 137. 5 ± 0. 11. 9 ± 0. 124. 9 ± 0. 1Group 262. 7 ± 0. 931. 5 ± 5. 425. 0 ± 0. 137. 3 ± 0. 12. 2 ± 0. 225. 0 ± 0. 1Group 371. 4 ± 0. 820. 2 ± 5. 924. 8 ± 0. 237. 2 ± 0. 11. 9 ± 0. 124. 7 ± 0. 2 Figure 1D-F shows two representative actograms for Rw and Tb rhythms and the melatonin profile for one animal (# 5 in Table 1) in which the amplitude of the melatonin rhythm was damped (i. e. , less than 2 fold). In this group, peak melatonin levels showed less variability (range: 188–354 pg/ml) and the peak levels were lower that those recorded in the previous group (Table 1). Although in these animals the amplitude of the melatonin rhythm was reduced, the free-running period, the amplitude, and the mesor of the RW and Tb rhythms were not different from those observed in the previous group of animals (t-test, P > 0. 1 in all cases, Table 2). Finally, Figure 1G-I shows the records of an animal (# 21) belonging to the group in which desynchronization from the RW and Tb rhythms was observed. Though these animals had a melatonin profile that was desynchronized from the RW and Tb rhythms, melatonin levels showed a marked variation over the 24 h and the peak values were not different from what was observed in the animals that did not desynchronize (t-test, P > 0. 5, Table 1).

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve focus. [SEP] Text: We here assessed mindfulness and perceived stress six months after completion of our intervention and therefore confirm a medium-term impact of our intervention on these two parameters. However, the situation was different for academic achievements. Here a positive impact resulting from the intervention was short lived and only measureable at T2, shortly after completion of the intervention. Already at T3, any positive impact had tapered off. A previous publication discussed that repeated practice of mindfulness in private might lead to more lasting effects [18]. However, increased academic demand during the first two years at medical school or negligence may prevent students from taking the time for practicing formal mindfulness. To our knowledge, this is the first study to present a controlled analysis of MBSR and its longitudinal impact on academic achievements. We consider our results promising and would like to speculate, that continuous refresher seminars and follow-ups into the clinical years at medical school might strengthen mechanisms to deal with stress and improve scholarly success. Our results were the more astonishing as the students participating in the intervention started out with a significantly reduced mindfulness in the first term (Fig. 4). Even though we have no way of finding out retrospectively, it would be interesting to know if the students who volunteered for our intervention were aware that their mindfulness presented room for improvement or whether we are looking at a chance finding. There are limitations to our study and they concern the study design. Choosing a randomized controlled trial instead of a non-randomized one may have rendered intervention and control cohorts comparable for mindfulness. However, forcing students to participate in a mindfulness-based intervention if there is no appreciation for the topic may be counterproductive [28]. More limitations of our study include the small sample size of the intervention cohort and the duration of both, the intervention itself and the observation period. However, the short term positive effects of our intervention on scholarly success combined with the preservation of mindfulness and containment of perceived stress after six months are encouraging and suggestive of follow-up studies to investigate if longer-lasting effects can be achieved if the formal techniques of mindfulness such as meditation and bodyscan are routinely trained until applied automatically. ConclusionPerceived stress and mindfulness correlated inversely at both time points. The intervention on mindfulness based stress reduction helped to contain stress and maintain mindfulness during the observation period and this effect lasted for at least six months beyond completion of the intervention. In contrast, beneficial effects on scholarly success were transient and only detectable at completion of the intervention.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: All cryptocurrencies maintain stable values like traditional currencies. [SEP] Text: Предметом настоящей статьи является исследование цифровых валют центральных банков (CBDC), цифрового рубля, рассмотрение их отличия от криптовалют и возможностей, предоставляемых ими для усиления налогового контроля в сфере соблюдения налогового законодательства субъектами экономических отношений. Исследование производилось с использованием универсальных (анализ, обобщение) и специально-юридических методов познания (сравнительно-правовой, историко-правовой).

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: Although in these animals the melatonin rhythms was desynchronized from the RW and Tb rhythms, we did not observe any significant change in τ, amplitude or mesor of the RW and Tb rhythms (t-test, P > 0. 1 in all cases, Table 2). relationship between the circadian rhythms of locomotor activity and body temperature has been investigated in few studies. In humans, it has been reported that the body temperature rhythm is phase-advanced with respect to the activity rhythm [16] and, occasionally, these two rhythms may desynchronize [7,8]. However, studies in other mammalian species failed to observe this phenomenon either in nocturnal or in diurnal mammals [17,18], thus suggesting that in these animals the circadian rhythms of locomotor activity and body temperature are tightly coupled and, most likely, are controlled by a single circadian pacemaker [1,18]. The data obtained in this study support this view because they indicate that the Rw and Tb rhythms in Wistar rats are tightly coupled. Although we did not take special precautions to prevent masking of the Tb rhythm by the Rw rhythm, we observed no desynchronization between the Rw and Tb rhythms. Our results also indicate that long term exposure to LLdim can induce desynchronization of the circadian rhythm of serum melatonin, and the amplitude of the circadian rhythm in serum melatonin may be dramatically reduced. Moreover, the observation that melatonin remained rhythmic in an animal in which Rw and Tb were arrhythmic further suggests that the regulation of melatonin rhythmicity is independent from the regulation of the running wheel activity and body temperature rhythms. These results confirm and expand our recent study [15] by showing that alteration in some parameters of the melatonin rhythm (i. e. , desynchronization and amplitude) had no effects on τ, amplitude and mesor of the Rw and Tb rhythms. Such a result was unexpected because it is believed that melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of the circadian timing system as well as of body temperature [12,14]. Recent experimental evidence suggests that the SCN may contain several circadian pacemakers. For example, the circadian rhythm of arginine vasopressin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide release in cultured SCN is regulated by different populations that can desynchronize from each other [19,20].

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Only traumatic experiences cause mental health issues. [SEP] Text: (Open in a new window)PubMed(Open in a new window)155. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)289. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)3065. (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)70. in a new window) (Open in a new window)2513. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)501. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)752. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)1235. (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)32. (Open in a new window)186. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)223. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)76. (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)19. (Open in a new window)PubMed(Open in a new window)921. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)58. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)143. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)359. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)71. (Open in a new window)PubMed (Open in a new window)Web of Science ®(Open in a new window)353. in a new window) (in Swedish) (Open in a new window)129. (Open in a new window)52.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: All cryptocurrencies maintain stable values like traditional currencies. [SEP] Text: Преимущества для пользователей данных активов будут заключаться в скорости, доступности активов даже в труднодоступных для банковского обслуживания регионах, безопасности и обеспеченности со стороны государства. Для регуляторов введение данных активов позволит снизит интерес к криптовалютам, сделки с которыми зачастую совершаются в противоправных целях, а также придать дополнительные стимулы в борьбе с уклонением от налогообложения.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Circadian rhythms are regulated by light-sensitive proteins. [SEP] Text: Authors' contributions JA and NMB participated in data collection and data analysis. JA drafted the manuscript. GT directed the study and wrote the final version of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the 10. 1016/0031-9384(92)90188-8 Davidson, AJ, Yamazaki, S and Menaker, M (2003). SCN: ringmaster of the circadian circus or conductor of the circadianorchestra? Symp 253: 110–121. [PubMed] Tosini, G and Menaker, M (1995). Circadian rhythm of body temperature in an ectotherm (Iguana iguana) J 10: 248–255. [PubMed] and Moore-Ede, MC (1977). Environmental synchronizers of squirrel monkey circadian rhythms J 43: 795–800. [PubMed] Erkert, HG (2000). Internal desynchronization of the circadian activity and feeding rhythm in an owl monkey (Aotus lemurinus griseimembra): a case study 17: 147–153, [PubMed] DOI: Ikeda, M, Sagara, M and Inoue, S (2000). Continuous exposure to dim illumination uncouples temporal pattern of sleep, body temperature, locomotion and drinking behavior in rat 279: 185–189, [PubMed] DOI: Aschoff, J, Gerecke, U and Weaver, R (1967). Desynchronization of human circadian rhythms Physiol 17: 450–457. [PubMed] Lund, R (1974). Personality factors and desynchronization of circadian rhythms 36: 224–228. den Boer, JA and van den Hoofdakker, RH (2000). Body temperature and mood variation during forced desynchronization in winter depression: a preliminary report 47: 355–358, [PubMed] DOI: and Holley, DC (1984). A review of human physiological and performance changes associated with desynchrony of biological rhythms 55: 1085–1096. [PubMed] Redman, JR and Armstrong, SM (1988). Reentrainment of rat circadian activity rhythms: effects of melatonin J 5: 203–215. [PubMed] Slotten, HA, Pitrosky, B and Pevet, P (1999).

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Interest rates can influence borrowing costs and economic growth. [SEP] Text: This paper and its data are subject to revision; please visit clevelandfed. org for updates. The real federal funds rate and the real interest rate on 3-month Treasury bills have been consistently negative since December 2008. 1 Historically, negative real interest rates have been associated with high levels of inflation and efforts by the to reduce high unemployment rates. In contrast, inflation has been low since December 2008, and the unemployment rate has been near or below its pre-2008 average of 5. 6 percent since late 2014. Yet negative real interest rates persist. This unusual behavior of real interest rates has motivated economists to search for long-run factors, which are factors that persist even after the unemployment rate has returned to normal, that change real interest rates. One long-run factor popular for explaining negative real interest rates is the low level of productivity growth in the economy. 2 Textbook macroeconomic theory predicts a positive relationship between productivity and real interest rates, implying that a lower trend in productivity growth will lead to persistently lower real interest rates. Motivated by this theory, I study the long-run correlation of real interest rates and productivity growth from 1914 to 2016. and West (2017), I do so by using rolling averages of the data as well as new statistical techniques that are designed to isolate long-run patterns in the data. I find that the long-run correlation between real interest rates and productivity growth is actually negative from 1914 to 2016. That is, in contrast to standard economic theory, low real interest rates have been historically associated with high productivity growth. Because the two world wars and the dominate the early part of my sample, I also study the long-run correlation of real interest rates and productivity growth from 1948 to 2016. Over this sample, different measures of the correlation give both positive and negative results. However, the measures are generally small in magnitude and statistically indistinguishable from zero. This suggests that factors other than productivity growth are important for understanding the long-run movements in real interest rates. The results of this Commentary suggest that low productivity growth is not driving persistently negative real interest rates. The results also indicate that an upward shift in productivity growth will not necessarily lead to higher real interest rates. Finally, the results suggest that low productivity growth does not condemn the economy to low or negative real interest rates. For example, the years from 1985 to 1994 had low productivity growth but relatively high real interest rates.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: All cryptocurrencies maintain stable values like traditional currencies. [SEP] Text: Ключевые слова: цифровые валюты, криптовалюты, цифровые активы, цифровой рубль, уклонение от налогообложения, фиатные деньги, цифровые технологии, блокчейн, Центральный Банк России, распределенный реестр Abstract: The use of private digital assets based on distributed ledger technology and cryptography methods is increasing every year. The opportunities provided by crypto assets due to their special characteristics can be used when issuing digital assets controlled by the state. The subject of this 1. Рис. 1 Статистика запросов в поисковой системе “Яндекс” в отношении цифровых активов в апреле 2023 г. Источник: составлено автором на основе сервиса “Яндекс” для оценки пользовательского интереса wordstat. yandex.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Disruption of circadian rhythms can lead to health issues. [SEP] Text: The master clock, as it is often called, is reset by light or photic stimuli [3] as well as by arousal-inducing or non-photic stimuli [4]. Whether the input is photic or non-photic, it reaches the clock through neurotransmitters in nerve terminals. Neurotransmitters are released at the inputs for entrainment, in the clock itself for integration and consolidated output, and in efferent projections for the control of overt rhythms. Several reviews on the neurotransmitters of the SCN have been previously published [5 - 10]. The present review concentrates on studies conducted in the last decade and gives particular attention to neurotransmitters whose involvement in the circadian clock have not been traditionally recognized. About neurotransmitters in general Studies have indicated the presence of a large number of neurotransmitters in the SCN [11 - 15]. However, information about their role individually as well as in combination in the functioning of the clock has been slow to come. It is observed that the presence of neurotransmitters in the afferent and efferent projections of the SCN is equally important for the entrainment of the clock and for the control of overt rhythms. Thus, we have neurotransmitters released at the inputs for entrainment, in the clock itself for the integration and consolidated output, and in the efferent projections for the control of overt rhythms. There have been attempts to categorize the putative neurotransmitters of the SCN on the basis of their origin and function [16] and there have been reports indicating subdivisions of the SCN with relation to neurotransmitter function [17]. Further, it has been reported [18] that the human SCN also have well defined subdivisions with chemically defined neuronal groups comparable to the well defined subdivisions reported in the case of experimental animals, mainly rodents. There are many excellent reviews [19 - 22] highlighting various aspects of the neurotransmitters. From a functional point of view, two important aspects emerge. One is the fact that one particular neurotransmitter may have more than one function and thereby make the prediction of the function more difficult and complex. Another aspect is that the neurotransmitter input from various pathways and their influence may vary (1) by itself and (2) by way of modification of SCN function.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Interest rates can influence borrowing costs and economic growth. [SEP] Text: The positive theoretical relationship between productivity growth and real interest rates can be found in the Ramsey (1928) model of saving and investment. While this model is relatively simple, it is a staple of macroeconomic theory (Romer, 2006, 1919. 3 All data series are monthly annualized rates. To convert to an annual frequency, I take averages over each year. Finally, to compute real interest rates, I subtract annual inflation as measured by the percent change in the consumer price index from December of the preceding year to December of the current year. 4 I use total factor productivity (TFP) as my measure of productivity. 5 This measure compares the total output of new goods and services in the economy to the combined inputs, such as labor hours, equipment, and commercial buildings, used to produce those goods and services. To construct a series for productivity growth, I use TFP growth from the for 1914 to 1947,6 and I use TFP growth from at the Bank of for 1948 to 2016. 7 To study the long-run relationship between real interest rates and productivity growth, I first smooth out each data series in order to focus on the long-run features of the data. Then, I estimate the correlation between the smoothed series. I consider two different methods of smoothing. The first method simply takes rolling averages of the real interest rates and productivity growth rates. Because the definition of long run in this Commentary is periods of time that are long enough for the unemployment rate to return to normal, I consider 10-year, 15-year, and 20-year rolling averages. I choose these average lengths because they are longer than time periods that are commonly associated with the business cycle but short enough to preserve variation in the data needed to estimate correlations. The second method of smoothing uses a linear regression that is designed to filter out patterns in the data that occur more frequently than a designated cutoff. I refer to this type of smoothing as producing “filtered data. ” As with the rolling averages, I use cutoffs of 10 years, 15 years, and 20 years. 8 That is, I preserve patterns in the data that occur with periods longer than 10, 15, or 20 years. Figure 1 shows that both types of smoothing yield similar patterns. 9 In particular, they give negative real interest rates and low levels of productivity growth during the past few years. I use both types of smoothed data to compute the correlations in the next section.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: All cryptocurrencies maintain stable values like traditional currencies. [SEP] Text: На фоне данной тенденции новые цифровые активы, используемые в качестве средств платежа, завоевывают свою нишу и составляют конкуренцию не только наличным деньгам, но и влияют на использование субъектами денежных средств в безналичной форме. Так, по прогнозам специалистов Дойчебанк, до 2030 г. стремительный рост цифровых платежей, в т. ч. удобных мобильных платежей, может привести к полному отказу от использования банковских карт [1].

Output: contrast