Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Top income shares in Canada: recent trends and policy implications

According to Canadian taxfiler data, over the last thirty years there has been a surge in the income shares of the top 1%, top 0.1% and top 0.01% of income recipients, even with longitudinal smoothing by individual using three- or five-year moving averages. Top shares fell in 2008 and 2009, but only by a fraction of the overall surge. Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario have much more pronounced surges than other provinces. Part of the Canadian surge is likely attributable to U.S. factors, but a comprehensive explanation remains elusive. Even so, I draw implications for policies that might achieve some support from across the political spectrum, including the elimination of tax preferences that favour those with high incomes, the promotion of shareholder democracy and, to maintain Canada's relatively high intergenerational mobility, continued wide accessibility to healthcare and education.
Allergen immunotherapy: does it work and, if so, how and for how long?

Background. Pollen immunotherapy is effective in selected patients with IgE-mediated seasonal allergic rhinitis, although it is questionable whether there is long-term benefit after the discontinuation of treatment. Methods. We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the discontinuation of immunotherapy for grass pollen allergy in patients in whom three to four years of this treatment had previously been shown to be effective. During the three years of this trial, primary outcome measures were scores for seasonal symptoms and the use of rescue medication. Objective measures included the immediate conjunctival response and the immediate and late skin responses to allergen challenge. Cutaneous biopsy specimens obtained 24 hours after intradermal allergen challenge were examined for T cell infiltration and the presence of cytokine-producing T helper cells (Th2 cells) (as evidenced by the presence of interleukin-4 messenger RNA). A matched group of patients with hay fever who had not received immunotherapy was followed as a control for the natural course of the disease. Results. Scores for seasonal symptoms and the use of rescue antiallergic medication, which included short courses of prednisolone, remained low after the discontinuation of immunotherapy and there was no significant difference between patients who continued immunotherapy and those who discontinued it. Symptom scores in both treatment groups (median areas under the curve in 1995, 921 for continuation of immunotherapy and 504 for discontinuation of immunotherapy, p=0.60) were markedly lower than those in the group that had not received immunotherapy (median value in 1995, 2863). Although there was a tendency for immediate hypersensitivity to allergen to return late after discontinuation, there was sustained reduction in the late skin response and associated CD3+ T cell infiltration and interleukin-4 messenger RNA expression. Conclusions. Immunotherapy for grass pollen allergy for three to four years induces prolonged clinical remission accompanied by a persistent alteration in immunologic reactivity. (N Engl J Med 1999;341:468–75)
POLYMORPHISMS IN THE ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDE DEFB 1 ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH CARIES IN PRIMARY DENTITION

BACKGROUND: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of the b-defensin gene DEFB1 have recently been shown to be associated with altered risk of developing caries in permanent dentition. OBJECTIVE: We therefore sought to establish whether DEFB1 SNPs conferred a similar risk in primary dentition. METHODOLOGY: DEFB1 genotypes (rs11362 and rs1800972) were studied in 178 children, of whom 92 had caries. CONCLUSION: No association between genotype and phenotype was detected, even when more severe caries was considered as the phenotype. These and other data suggest that non-genetic factors may be greater modifiers of caries risk in primary dentition. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS: There are no conflicts of interest to declare.
Proinflammatory response and IL‐12 expression in HIV‐1 infection

HIV‐1 infection elicits a broad range of host responses, many of which interfere with the regulatory pathways of gene expression of interleukin‐12 (IL‐12), a heterodimeric cytokine essential for cell‐mediated immunity against microbial infection. The inhibition of IL‐12 production by accessory cells after HIV‐1 infection has been identified as a potential factor responsible for impaired innate and Th1 cell‐mediated responses observed in AIDS patients. The mechanism by which HIV‐1 infection suppresses IL‐12 gene expression is largely uncharacterized. Here we review all pathways identified that could potentially mediate HIV‐induced impairment of IL‐12 gene expression, such as IL‐10, transforming growth factor β, interferon‐α/β, tumor necrosis factor α, Fc receptors, complement regulatory proteins, and receptors. Also discussed is the decreased CD40 ligand induction in CD4 T cells during HIV infection, which may have a strong impact on T cell‐dependent IL‐12 production that is critical for the establishment and maintenance of a Th1 response.
Debugging Machine Learning Models

Creating a machine learning solution for a real world problem often becomes an iterative process of training, evaluation and improvement where the best practices and generic solutions are few and far between. Our work presents a novel solution for an essential step of this cycle: the process of understanding the root causes of ’bugs’ (particularly consequential or confusing test errors) discovered during evaluation. Given an observed bug, our method aims to identify the training items most responsible for biasing the model towards creating this error. We develop a optimization based framework for generating this information which leads to our method not only having simple analytic solutions for certain learners but to it also being applicable to any supervised learner or data type.
Who likes to be reachable? Availability preferences, weak ties, and bridging social capital

ABSTRACT In this paper, we investigate how individual differences in availability preferences are related to (1) self-reported quality of interaction with strong and weak ties and (2) perceptions of bridging social capital. We employed experience sampling methods and collected data over the course of two weeks—combined with surveys at baseline and endpoint, from a random sample of college students (N = 154). We show that individuals who prefer to be more available to others report more rewarding interactions with weak ties. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the quality of weak tie interactions mediates a positive relationship between availability preferences and bridging social capital. We conclude by discussing the relationships between availability, interaction quality, and bridging social capital. We propose availability preferences as a key construct to be considered in future research.
On the Spatial Distribution of Stellar Populations in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We measure the angular correlation function of stars in a region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) that spans 2. °0 × 1. °5. We find that the correlation functions of stellar populations are represented well by exponential functions of the angular separation for separations between 2' and 40' (corresponding to ∼30 and 550 pc for an LMC distance of 50 kpc). The inner boundary is set by the presence of distinct, highly correlated structures, which are the more familiar stellar clusters, and the outer boundary is set by the observed region's size and the presence of two principal centers of star formation within the region. We also find that the normalization and scale length of the correlation function changes systematically with the mean age of the stellar population. The existence of positive correlation at large separations (∼300 pc), even in the youngest population, argues for large-scale hierarchical structure in current star formation. The evolution of the angular correlation toward lower normalizations and longer scale lengths with stellar age argues for the dispersion of stars with time. We show that a simple, stochastic, self-propagating star formation model is qualitatively consistent with this behavior of the correlation function.
PENGARUH KEPEMIMPINAN PEMBELAJARAN, PENGETAHUAN MANAJEMEN PENDIDIKAN, KOMUNIKASI INTERPERSONAL DAN KEPUASAN KERJA TERHADAP KOMITMEN ORGANISASI KEPALA SMA DI KOTA MEDAN (Studi Kasus pada SMA di Kota Medan)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk (1) mengetahui faktor-faktor penentu komitmen organisasi kepala SMA di Kota Medan, dan (2) menentukan Fixed Model atau model teoretik yang dapat menggambarkan hubungan kausalistik antar variabel laten yang menentukan Komitmen Organisasi kepala SMA. Penelitian dilakukan pada Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri dan Swasta di Kota Medan tahun 2014 dengan melibatkan 127 orang kepala sekolah sebagai responden. Teknik analisis data dilakukan dalam dua tahap yakni secara deskriptif dan inferensial. Untuk menguji hipotesis digunakan analisis jalur (path analysis). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan (1) kepemimpinan pembelajaran berpengaruh langsung positif terhadap komunikasi interpersonal, (2) pengetahuan manajemen pendidikan berpengaruh langsung positif terhadap kepuasan kerja, (3) komunikasi interpersonal berpengaruh langsung positif terhadap komitmen organisasi, (4) kepuasan kerja berpengaruh langsung positif terhadap komitmen organisasi, (5) pengetahuan manajemen pendidikan berpengaruh langsung positif terhadap komitmen organisasi, dan(6) kepemimpinan pembelajaran berpengaruh langsung positif terhadap komitmen organisasi. Kata Kunci: Kepemimpinan Pembelajaran, Pengetahuan Manajemen Pendidikan, Komunikasi Interpersonal, Kepuasan Kerja, Komitmen Organisasi.
Simultaneous Evolution of Architectures and Connection Weights in ANNs

Feed-forward Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have become popular among researchers and practitioners for modelling complex real–world problems. One of the latest research areas in this field is evolving ANNs. In this paper, we investigate the simultaneous evolution of architectures and connection weights in ANNs. In simultaneous evolution, we use the concept of multiobjective optimization and subsequently evolutionary multiobjective algorithms to evolve ANNs. The results are promising when compared with the traditional Backpropagation algorithm.
Neural mechanisms underlying voluntary action control in the human brain

The capacity for voluntary action lies at the heart of human nature. Healthy adults typically feel that they can exercise voluntary control over their actions, and thus change their physical and social environment. This feeling of autonomous control over one’s own action is a foundational concept for most human societies. However, neuromechanistic models of this ubiquitous experience remain unclear. This thesis explores the neural mechanisms underlying voluntary action control in the human brain and the experiences associated with it such as the experience of agency. After operationalizing voluntary action in a novel behavioural paradigm, we show that self-initiated actions are preceded by a specific preparatory process in the brain. Later experiments suggest that the experience of agency might be a metacognitive readout of this precursor process: a study of a patient with anarchic hand syndrome shows that precursor processes for voluntary action contribute to the sense of agency over outcomes of action. We then provide new causal evidence that the experiences of voluntary action could be influenced by modulating specific parts of the brain that may host these precursor processes such as parietal and frontal areas. Finally, we show that by pairing voluntary actions of one hand with involuntary movements of the other hand, key aspects of agency experience can transfer from voluntary to involuntary movements after repeated association. This later finding suggests that the experiences of voluntary action are not hardwired, but could be acquired through associative learning. This thesis concludes by proposing that a dedicated system in the human brain contributes to the preparation and execution of self-initiated voluntary actions and the characteristic subjective experiences associated with it.
Rapid Communication Visual word recognition: the first half second

The Wellcome Trust Laboratory for MEG Studies, Neurosciences Research Institute, Aston University, UKReceived 22 January 2004; revised 3 April 2004; accepted 3 May 2004We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to map the spatiotemporalevolution of cortical activity for visual word recognition. We show thatfor five-letter words,activity in the left hemisphere (LH) fusiform gyrusexpands systematically in both the posterior–anterior and medial–lateral directions over the course of the first 500 ms after stimuluspresentation. Contrary to what would be expected from cognitivemodels and hemodynamic studies, the component of this activity thatspatially coincides with the visual word form area (VWFA) is not activeuntil around 200 ms post-stimulus, and critically, this activity ispreceded by and co-active with activity in parts of the inferior frontalgyrus (IFG, BA44/6). The spread of activity in the VWFA for wordsdoes not appear in isolation but is co-active in parallel with spread ofactivity in anterior middle temporal gyrus (aMTG, BA 21 and 38),posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG, BA37/39), and IFG.D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Keywords: Reading; Visual word form; Visual analyzer; Inferior frontalgyrus
Social network analysis and the hunt for homophily: diversity and equality within festival communities

ABSTRACT Diversity and equality at a Scottish volunteer-run arts festival are explored in this paper, through a survey-based social network analysis and follow-up interviews. Together they provide an overview of the festival's network structure, and rich evidence of the experiences of individuals in different parts of the network. UCINET software is used to analyse relationships between volunteers, and attribute data based on their demographics, engagement with the festival and responses to Likert-type statements on the study's main themes. Interviewees were sampled as a function of their network centrality, aggregated across a range of measures. A core–periphery network structure was revealed, focused on seven central individuals with established commitments to the organisation. This configuration outweighed alternative arrangements, including the functional departments that interviewees cited as being important to their relationships to the festival. Homophily, the propensity to associate with others with whom we are similar, is explored against ‘status’ definitions (such as age and gender) and ‘value’ (including beliefs and attitudes). Peripheral interviewees were shown to have less detailed knowledge of the festival's relationships with its neighbourhood, but a clearer sense of how the festival had benefited them personally. Members of the core group were representative of the broader network on a number of attributes apart from the country of birth, with evidence that better communication from core to periphery could benefit the overall organisation in its mission to represent a diverse mix of influences.
Exploring the heuristic value of nonpersonal data for sexual- and genderbased violence research and prevention in South Africa

Research and media reports indicate that most incidents of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in South Africa, as well as globally, are not reported to the police because of victims’ fears of retaliation, intimidation, stereotyping, secondary abuse and stigmatisation. As a result, there is a lack of accurate data available to the South African public and a certain level of ignorance to the realities of the incidence of SGBV across all sectors of society. The purpose of the study is to explore how non-personal data obtained through mapping the distress calls received on TEARS Foundation’s “Help-at-your-fingertips” service line can be used for SGBV research and prevention purposes. Given that in South Africa the death of women at the hands of an intimate partner has been estimated at six times the global average, the urgent need for alternative SGBV prevention strategies is unquestionable. The study shows how the calls received on the “Help-atyour- fingertips” service line across South African provinces and towns were analysed to identify trends, and visually represent the number of SGBV distress calls over two periods, namely July 2013 to August 2014 and September 2015 to October 2016. The key trends identified include times of year, times of day, highest call volumes in terms of provinces and differences in times of calls in different areas in South Africa as examples of the kinds of information that can be deduced from non-personal data. The study shows how non-personal data can be used as a powerful tool to make SGBV data visible and to raise public awareness of its incidence in South Africa. Keywords : Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), geographic mapping, crime mapping, communication, SGBV prevention, TEARS Foundation, “Help-at-your-fingertips”
The Blame Index: Exploring the Change in Social Work Students’ Perceptions of Poverty

ABSTRACT This study reports the development of a new Blame Index to determine attributions of the causes of poverty along a single structural-to-individual dimension. A multisite pre-/post-group design tested the degree of change in social work students’ (N = 177) perception of poverty as a result of taking a single BSW social policy course or an MSW foundation social policy course. Student respondents reported a significant shift toward structural and away from individual attribution of the causes of poverty, more support for government antipoverty benefit programs, increased awareness of the inadequacy of existing government antipoverty programs, and increased awareness of the difficulty in accessing government antipoverty benefits. Linear regression explained 17% of the change in the Blame Index with only race/ethnicity and the change in adequacy of benefits as significant predictors.
Four Essays on Financing for Development

This thesis aims at investigating empirically the effects of two financing strategies for low-income countries; debt relief and taxation. The first three chapters focus on the consequences of debt relief for public finance and new external financing. Results show that cancellations granted under the multilateral debt relief initiatives have been beneficial for recipient countries by significantly improving the composition of their budget and widening financing opportunities. However, findings also underline the risk of moral hazard stemming from these initiatives which thus calls for continuous sound fiscal management, especially after debt relief. Lastly, the fourth chapter revisits the taxation-growth nexus adopting a macro-micro approach. Using firm-level data in developing countries our findings suggest that taxation is favorable to firms' activity, especially when firms operate in poor countries characterized by a significant lack of infrastructure. Moreover, this effect of taxation seems to be maximal in the absence of corruption, hence reaffirming the need for healthy and enabling economic and political environments in developing countries.
Stress in Subjects Undergoing Sleep Deprivation

&NA; Psychological, physiological, and biochemical studies were conducted on 4 healthy young‐adult males while they underwent 120 hr. of sleep deprivation. The subjects quickly Formed a group and dealt with this contrived stress in much the same way that groups cope with stressful environments. Although it is concluded that sleep deprivation is stressful, our measurements did not show an adrenocortical activation. The question of the psychotogenic potency of sleep deprivation is reviewed and it is concluded that sleep deprivation per se is not an adequate stimulus for the production of psychosis.
Simple learning models can illuminate biased results from choice titration experiments

The choice titration procedure presents a subject with a repeated choice between a standard option that always provides the same reward and an adjusting option for which the reward schedule is adjusted based on the subjects previous choices. The procedure is designed to determine the point of indifference between the two schedules which is then used to estimate a utility equivalence point between the two options. Analyzing the titration procedure as a Markov birth death process, we show that a large class of reinforcement learning models invariably generates a titration bias, and that the bias varies non-linearly with the reward value. We treat several titration procedures, presenting analytic results for some simple learning models and simulation results for more complex models. These results suggest that results from titration experiments are likely to be biased and that inferences based on the titration experiments may need to be reconsidered.
On the convergence from discrete to continuous time in an optimal stopping problem

We consider the problem of optimal stopping for a one-dimensional diffusion process. Two classes of admissible stopping times are considered. The first class consists of all nonanticipating stopping times that take values in [0,\infty], while the second class further restricts the set of allowed values to the discrete grid {nh:n=0,1,2,. ,\infty} for some parameter h>0. The value functions for the two problems are denoted by V(x) and V^h(x), respectively. We identify the rate of convergence of V^h(x) to V(x) and the rate of convergence of the stopping regions, and provide simple formulas for the rate coefficients.
Self-regulated Growth of Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxies as the Origin of the Optical and X-Ray Luminosity Functions of Quasars

We postulate that supermassive black holes grow in the centers of galaxies until they unbind the galactic gas that feeds them. We show that the corresponding self-regulation condition yields a correlation between black hole mass (Mbh) and galaxy velocity dispersion (σ) as inferred in the local universe and recovers the observed optical and X-ray luminosity functions of quasars at redshifts up to z ~ 6 based on the hierarchical evolution of galaxy halos in a Λ-dominated cold dark matter cosmology. With only one free parameter and a simple algorithm, our model yields the observed evolution in the number density of optically bright or X-ray-faint quasars with 2 ≲ z ≲ 6 across 3 orders of magnitude in bolometric luminosity and 3 orders of magnitude in comoving density per logarithm of luminosity. The self-regulation condition identifies the dynamical time of galactic disks during the epoch of peak quasar activity (z ~ 2.5) as the origin of the inferred characteristic quasar lifetime of ~107 yr. Since the lifetime becomes comparable to the Salpeter e-folding time at this epoch, the model also implies that the Mbh-σ relation is a product of feedback-regulated accretion during the peak of quasar activity. The mass density in black holes accreted by that time is consistent with the local black hole mass density ρbh ~ (2.3) × 105 M☉ Mpc-3, which we have computed by combining the Mbh-σ relation with the measured velocity dispersion function of Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies. Comparison of the local black hole mass function with that inferred from combining the feedback relation with the halo mass function suggests that most massive (>109 M☉) black holes may have already been in place by z ~ 6. Applying a similar self-regulation principle to supernova-driven winds from starbursts, we find that the local ratio between the black hole mass and the stellar mass of galactic spheroids should be ~0.001, independent of mass and in agreement with observations. This ratio increases with redshift, although the Mbh-σ relation is redshift-independent.