Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rationality of induced ordered weighted operators based on the reliability of the source of information in group decision-making

The aggregation of preference relations in group decision-making (GDM) problems can be carried out based on either the reliability of the preference values to be aggregated, as is the case with ordered weighted averaging operators, or on the reliability of the source of information that provided the preferences, as is the case with weighted mean operators. In this paper, we address the problem of aggregation based on the reliability of the source of information, with a double aim: a) To provide a general framework for induced ordered weighted operators based upon the source of information, and b) to provide a study of their rationality. We study the conditions which need to be verified by an aggregation operator in order to maintain the rationality assumptions on the individual preferences in the aggregation phase of the selection process of alternatives. In particular, we show that any aggregation operator based on the reliability of the source of information does verify these conditions.
The CNOC2 Field Galaxy Luminosity Function. I. A Description of Luminosity Function Evolution

We examine the evolution of the galaxy luminosity function (LF) using a sample of over 2000 galaxies, with 0.12 < z < 0.55 and 17.0 < RC < 21.5, drawn from the Canadian Network for Observational Cosmology Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (CNOC2), at present the largest such sample at intermediate redshifts. We use UBVRCIC photometry and the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of Coleman, Wu, and Weedman to classify our galaxies into early, intermediate, and late types, for which we compute LFs in the rest-frame B, RC, and U bandpasses. In particular, we adopt a convenient parameterization of LF evolution including luminosity and number density evolution and take care to quantify correlations among our LF evolution parameters. We also carefully measure and account for sample selection effects as functions of galaxy magnitude and color. Our principal result is a clear quantitative separation of luminosity and density evolution for different galaxy populations and the finding that the character of the LF evolution is strongly dependent on galaxy type. Specifically, we find that the early- and intermediate-type LFs show primarily brightening at higher redshifts and only modest density evolution, whereas the late-type LF is best fit by strong number density increases at higher z with little luminosity evolution. We also confirm the trend seen in previous smaller z ≲ 1 samples of the contrast between the strongly increasing luminosity density of late-type galaxies and the relatively constant luminosity density of early-type objects. Specific comparisons against the Canada-France and Autofib redshift surveys show general agreement among our LF evolution results, although there remain some detailed discrepancies. In addition, we use our number count and color distribution data to further confirm the validity of our LF evolution models to z ~0.75, and we also show that our results are not significantly affected by potential systematic effects such as surface brightness selection, photometric errors, or redshift incompleteness.
On the Prospects for Building a Working Model of the Visual Cortex

Human visual capability has remained largely beyond the reach of engineered systems despite intensive study and considerable progress in problem understanding, algorithms and computing power. We posit that significant progress can be made by combining existing technologies from computer vision, ideas from theoretical neuroscience and the availability of large-scale computing power for experimentation. From a theoretical standpoint, our primary point of departure from current practice is our reliance on exploiting time in order to turn an otherwise intractable unsupervised problem into a locally semi-supervised, and plausibly tractable, learning problem. From a pragmatic perspective, our system architecture follows what we know of cortical neuroanatomy and provides a solid foundation for scalable hierarchical inference. This combination of features promises to provide a range of robust object-recognition capabilities.
Noisytalk . com : Broadcasting Opinions in a Noisy Environment

We analyze a model where an altruistic sender, who may or may not be informed, broadcasts one of a finite set of messages to rational receivers. If broadcasting is costless and the sender is rational, there is an informationally efficient equilibrium, but this equilibrium is not necessarily unique nor symmetric. If the sender is overconfident, he tends to exaggerate, and in equilibrium extreme messages are sent more frequently. While overconfidence reduces informativeness in some cases, it may also eliminate less informative equilibria. We also show that overconfidence can improve informativeness when broadcasting is costly. Journal of Economic Literature classification: D00, D80
A Case Study of Ships Forming and Not Forming Tracks in Moderately Polluted Clouds

The effects of anthropogenic particulate emissions from ships on the radiative, microphysical, and chemical properties of moderately polluted marine stratiform clouds are examined. A case study of two ships in the same air mass is presented where one of the vessels caused a discernible ship track while the other did not. In situ measurements of cloud droplet size distributions, liquid water content, and cloud radiative properties, as well as aerosol size distributions (outside cloud, interstitial, and cloud droplet residual particles) and aerosol chemistry, are presented. These are related to measurements of cloud radiative properties. The differences between the aerosol in the two ship plumes are discussed; these indicate that combustion-derived particles in the size range of about 0.03‐0.3-mm radius were those that caused the microphysical changes in the clouds that were responsible for the ship track. The authors examine the processes behind ship track formation in a moderately polluted marine boundary layer as an example of the effects that anthropogenic particulate pollution can have in the albedo of marine stratiform clouds.
Object Detection Using Multi-local Feature Manifolds

Many object categories are better characterized by the shape of their contour than by local appearance properties like texture or color. Multi-local features are designed in order to capture the global discriminative structure of an object while at the same time avoiding the drawbacks with traditional global descriptors such as sensitivity to irrelevant image properties. The specific structure of multi-local features allows us to generate new feature exemplars by linear combinations which effectively increases the set of stored training exemplars. We demonstrate that a multi-local feature is a good "weak detector" of shape-based object categories and that it can accurately estimate the bounding box of objects in an image. Using just a single multi-local feature descriptor we obtain detection results comparable to those of more complex and elaborate systems. It is our opinion that multi-local features have a great potential as generic object descriptors with very interesting possibilities of feature sharing within and between classes.
The Entropy Gain of Linear Time-Invariant Filters and Some of its Implications

We study the increase in per-sample differential entropy rate of random sequences and processes after being passed through a non minimum-phase (NMP) discrete-time, linear time-invariant (LTI) filter G. For such filters and random processes, it has long been established that this entropy gain, Gain(G), equals the integral of log|G(exp(jw))|. It is also known that, if the first sample of the impulse response of G has unit-magnitude, then this integral equals the sum of the logarithm of the magnitudes of the non-minimum phase zeros of G, say B(G). In this note, we begin by showing that existing time-domain proofs of these results, which consider finite length-n sequences and then let n tend to infinity, have neglected significant mathematical terms and, therefore, are inaccurate. We discuss some of the implications of this oversight when considering random processes. We then present a rigorous time-domain analysis of the entropy gain of LTI filters for random processes. In particular, we show that the entropy gain between equal-length input and output sequences is upper bounded by B(G) and arises if and only if there exists an output additive disturbance with finite differential entropy (no matter how small) or a random initial state. Instead, when comparing the input differential entropy to that of the entire (longer) output of G, the entropy gain equals B(G) without the need for additional exogenous random signals. We illustrate some of the consequences of these results by presenting their implications in three different problems. Specifically: a simple derivation of the rate-distortion function for Gaussian non-stationary sources, conditions for equality in an information inequality of importance in networked control problems, and an observation on the capacity of auto-regressive Gaussian channels with feedback.
Correlation between the microinflammatory state and left ventricular structural and functional changes in maintenance haemodialysis patients

The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between the microinflammatory state and structural and functional changes of the left ventricle in maintenance haemodialysis patients (MHD). In total, 48 MHD patients and 30 healthy volunteers participated in this study. The microinflammatory state was detected from high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels determined by ELISA. The structure and function of the left ventricle was measured according to ultrasound cardiogram examination. The serum levels of hs-CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α in the MHD patients were higher compared with those in the controls (P<0.05). Furthermore, the measurements of the left atrial diameter (LAD), left venticular diameter (LVD), interventricular septal thickness (IVST), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) and the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) increased significantly and the left ventricular function (LVEF) was reduced. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the concentrations of hs-CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 correlated with the LVMI (P<0.05), but only hs-CRP correlated with the loss of function of the heart in the haemodialysis patients (P<0.05). The microinflammatory state may be closely associated with the structural and functional impairment of the heart in MHD patients.
1H-MRS Measured Ectopic Fat in Liver and Muscle in Danish Lean and Obese Children and Adolescents

Objectives This cross sectional study aims to investigate the associations between ectopic lipid accumulation in liver and skeletal muscle and biochemical measures, estimates of insulin resistance, anthropometry, and blood pressure in lean and overweight/obese children. Methods Fasting plasma glucose, serum lipids, serum insulin, and expressions of insulin resistance, anthropometry, blood pressure, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy of liver and muscle fat were obtained in 327 Danish children and adolescents aged 8–18 years. Results In 287 overweight/obese children, the prevalences of hepatic and muscular steatosis were 31% and 68%, respectively, whereas the prevalences in 40 lean children were 3% and 10%, respectively. A multiple regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, body mass index z-score (BMI SDS), and pubertal development showed that the OR of exhibiting dyslipidemia was 4.2 (95%CI: [1.8; 10.2], p = 0.0009) when hepatic steatosis was present. Comparing the simultaneous presence of hepatic and muscular steatosis with no presence of steatosis, the OR of exhibiting dyslipidemia was 5.8 (95%CI: [2.0; 18.6], p = 0.002). No significant associations between muscle fat and dyslipidemia, impaired fasting glucose, or blood pressure were observed. Liver and muscle fat, adjusted for age, sex, BMI SDS, and pubertal development, associated to BMI SDS and glycosylated hemoglobin, while only liver fat associated to visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue and intramyocellular lipid associated inversely to high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusion Hepatic steatosis is associated with dyslipidemia and liver and muscle fat depositions are linked to obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions, especially glycosylated hemoglobin, in children and adolescents, which suggest an increased cardiovascular disease risk.
Enhanced Traffic Control Devices at Passive Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings

More than 2,000 crashes and 239 fatalities were reported at public passive highway-railroad grade crossings in 1994. Driver error, often due to a breakdown in communication between traffic control devices and the driver, is commonly cited as a factor in passive grade crossing crashes. The objective of this study was to evaluate an improved method for communicating with drivers in an effort to improve safety at passive grade crossings. Specifically, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a vehicle-activated strobe light and supplemental sign as enhancements to the railroad advance (W10-1) warning sign at a passive highway-railroad grade crossing near Temple, Texas. Three study methods were used to evaluate this enhanced sign system including a before and after speed study, a driver survey, and a driver observation study. The results indicated that average speeds on the approaches to the grade crossing were lower after the installation of the enhanced sign system. Drivers responded favorably to the enhanced sign system, and no adverse driver reactions were observed at the onset of the flashing strobe light. The strobe light was effective in directing drivers’ attention to the railroad advance warning and supplemental signs. The enhanced sign system appears to increase driver awareness of the passive grade crossing, cause some drivers to approach the grade crossing with additional caution, and reduce the average speed near the nonrecovery zone on both approaches.
Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety

Aging of skin is an intricate biological process consisting of two types. While intrinsic or chronological aging is an inevitable process, photoaging involves the premature aging of skin occurring due to cumulative exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Chronological and photoaging both have clinically differentiable manifestations. Various natural and synthetic retinoids have been explored for the treatment of aging and many of them have shown histological and clinical improvement, but most of the studies have been carried out in patients presenting with photoaged skin. Amongst the retinoids, tretinoin possibly is the most potent and certainly the most widely investigated retinoid for photoaging therapy. Although retinoids show promise in the treatment of skin aging, irritant reactions such as burning, scaling or dermatitis associated with retinoid therapy limit their acceptance by patients. This problem is more prominent with tretinoin and tazarotene whereas other retinoids mainly represented by retinaldehyde and retinol are considerably less irritating. In order to minimize these side effects, various novel drug delivery systems have been developed. In particular, nanoparticles have shown a good potential in improving the stability, tolerability and efficacy of retinoids like tretinoin and retinol. However, more elaborate clinical studies are required to confirm their advantage in the delivery of topical retinoids.
Clinicopathological significance of PTPN12 expression in human breast cancer

Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 12 (PTPN12) is a recently identified tumor suppressor gene (TSG) that is frequently compromised in human triple-negative breast cancer. In the present study, we investigated the expression of PTPN12 protein by patients with breast cancer in a Chinese population and the relationship between PTPN12 expression levels and patient clinicopathological features and prognosis. Additionally, we explored the underlying down-regulation mechanism from the perspective of an epigenetic alteration. We examined PTPN12 mRNA expression in five breast cancer cell lines using semi-quantitative reverse-transcription PCR, and detected PTPN12 protein expression using immunohistochemistry in 150 primary invasive breast cancer cases and paired adjacent non-tumor tissues. Methylation-specific PCR was performed to analyze the promoter CpG island methylation status of PTPN12. PTPN12 was significantly down-regulated in breast cancer cases (48/150) compared to adjacent noncancerous tissues (17/150; P < 0.05). Furthermore, low expression of PTPN12 showed a significant positive correlation with tumor size (P = 0.047), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.001), distant metastasis (P = 0.009), histological grade (P = 0.012), and survival time (P = 0.019). Additionally, promoter CpG island hypermethylation occurs more frequently in breast cancer cases and breast cancer cell lines with low PTPN12 expression. Our findings suggest that PTPN12 is potentially a methylation-silenced TSG for breast cancer that may play an important role in breast carcinogenesis and could potentially serve as an independent prognostic factor for invasive breast cancer patients.
Using Ethereum Registration Authorities to establish Trust for Ethereum Private Sidechains

Ethereum Private Sidechains are permissioned Ethereum blockchains which allow authorised participants to interact privately using Smart Contracts. Permissioned blockchains are appropriate for use in scenarios in which the list of blockchain participants and the code and state of contracts on the blockchain must be kept secret. Ethereum Registration Authorities are a system of Smart Contracts which can be used to resolve bootstrap information based on domain names to allow Ethereum Private Sidechains to be established between parties which have not previously interacted. This paper presents the architecture, design, and gas usage of a reference implementation for the Ethereum Registration Authority system. It analyses the security properties of the system and shows that it is secure, decentralized, and censorship resistant. The reference implementation gas usage is analysed and shown to be independent of the length of domain name and number of entries in the Smart Contracts.
Broadcast, Video-on-Demand, and Other Ways to Watch Television Content: A Household Perspective

This paper presents an explorative investigation into households? uses of traditional broadcast television (TV) and more recently introduced video-on-demand (VoD) services. More specifically, we explain how each way of viewing TV and video content relates to different viewing situations in the home. We conducted in-home interviews with seven households in The Netherlands in order to obtain rich data that are required for understanding these phenomena. Our results elaborate on the uses of watching broadcast TV, catch-up services, and video-on-demand streaming services, the recording of content, and the downloading of content. While the traditional broadcast model is on the decline to some extent, our data still revealed essential uses of broadcast concerning certain types of content and specific viewing situations. Based on the results, a number of implications for the design of recommender systems and interfaces, service providers and broadcasters, and TV manufacturers are presented.
Individual Patient-Specific Immunity against High-Grade Glioma after Vaccination with Autologous Tumor Derived Peptides Bound to the 96 KD Chaperone Protein

Purpose: Cancer immunotherapy offers hope of a highly specific nontoxic adjuvant treatment. Heat shock protein peptide complexes (HSPPCs) found in cancer cells carry tumor-specific antigenic proteins and can facilitate adaptive and innate immune responses. Here we show that peptides bound to a 96 kD chaperone protein (HSP-96) from brain tissue containing glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) can be used to safely immunize patients with recurrent GBM. Experimental Design: Multimodality immunomonitoring was completed on 12 patients with recurrent GBM before and after immunization with an autologous HSPPC vaccine derived from surgically resected tumor. Clinical endpoints included safety assessments and overall survival. Results: No adverse events attributable to the vaccine were found. Testing of peripheral blood leukocytes before and after vaccination revealed a significant peripheral immune response specific for the peptides bound to HSP-96, in 11 of the 12 patients treated. Brain biopsies of immune responders after vaccination revealed focal CD4, CD8, and CD56 IFNγ positive cell infiltrates, consistent with tumor site specific immune responses. Immune responders had a median survival of 47 weeks after surgery and vaccination, compared with 16 weeks for the single nonresponder. Conclusions: These data provide the first evidence in humans of individual patient-specific immune responses against autologous tumor derived peptides bound to HSP-96. Clin Cancer Res; 19(1); 205–14. ©2012 AACR.
Access to Credit and Growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the Ho Municipality of Ghana

The study examines the effect of access to credit on the growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the Ho Municipality of Volta Region of Ghana by using both survey and econometric methods. The survey involved a sample of 78 SMEs in the manufacturing sector from the Ho Municipality. The specified econometric model has firm growth as t he dependent variable, and the independent variables include access to credit, total current investment, age of the firm, start-up capital, education level and annual turnover of the firm. Both survey and econometric results show that access to credit exerts a significant positive effect on growth of SMEs in the Ho-Municipality of Ghana- the main policy implication of the study therefore is that the government should try hard to meet the credit needs of the SMEs in the country for a speedy economic growth.
Rheopheresis in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia––Results of an Open Label Prospective Pilot Trial

Abstract: Rheopheresis is a specifically designed application of double filtration plasmapheresis, for extracorporeal treatment of microcirculatory disorders. Safety and efficacy of Rheopheresis for wound healing and skin oxygenation were investigated in patients with critical limb ischemia. Twelve patients of Fontaine stage III‐IV were treated with a series of 10 Rheopheresis sessions over 17 weeks. Transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcpO2) and ankle‐brachial index (ABI) were repeatedly determined to monitor the effects of the Rheopheresis treatment series on microcirculation and skin blood flow. Laboratory parameters of blood rheology were measured in addition to safety parameters and course of the pain syndrome was documented. In four patients (baseline Fontaine stage III) Rheopheresis was associated with an improvement of Fontaine stage, a pronounced increase in tcpO2 and complete regression of the rest pain. As an adjunct therapeutic option, Rheopheresis may preserve a functional lower extremity, delay amputation or reduce the extent of amputation.
School of Accounting and Finance The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong

This paper examines the relation between the Seasoned Equity Offering (SEO) announcement effect and earnings timeliness. I predict that firms with greater earnings timeliness tend to have less information asymmetry between managers and investors, thus decreasing the magnitude of the price drop at the SEO announcement. As anticipated, I find that SEO negative announcement effect varies inversely with earnings timeliness.