Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An analysis of the composite stellar population in M32

Abstract We obtained long-slit spectra of high S/N of the galaxy M32 with the GMOS Spectrograph at the Gemini-North telescope. We analysed the integrated spectra by means of spectral fitting in order to extract the mixture of stellar populations that best represents its composite nature. As our main result, we propose that an ancient and an intermediate-age population co-exist in M32, and that the balance between these two populations change between the nucleus and outside one effective radius (1reff) in the sense that the contribution from the intermediate population is larger at the nuclear region. We retrieve a smaller signal of a young population at all radii whose origin is unclear, and may be a contamination from horizontal branch stars, blue stragglers or a true young population previously unidentified (Monachesi et al., this volume). We compare our metallicity distribution function for a region 1 to 2 arcmin from the centre to the one obtained with photometric data by Grillmair et al. Both distributions are broad, but our spectroscopically derived distribution has a significant component with [Z/Z⊙] ≤ −1, which is not found by Grillmair et al.
Generalized Additive Modeling Combined With Multiple Collinear for ICME Velocity Forecasting

One of the main issues of space weather is the timely prediction of disturbed solar wind parameters at L1, especially caused by Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). Using the data from 170 front halo, flare‐associated CMEs, and in‐site solar wind data, an analysis of the Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection (ICME) peak velocity at L1 related to associated coronal parameters is performed. The statistical methods including the Generalized Additive Modeling (GAM) and Multiple Collinear (MC) have been applied to explain the underlying physical reasons and set up a new prediction model. Our results indicate that (1) X‐flare integral flux, CME linear velocity, and Acceleration observed on corona play key roles in ICME velocity, while other coronal parameters only present a weak correlation, such as the CME Mass and Angular Width, (2) the relationship between ICME velocity and CME Acceleration, as well as CME linear velocity, is nonstationary, and the ICME velocity will increase with the increasing CME Acceleration or linear velocity until saturation, and (3) MC is an effective method to improve the forecast model performance. Compared with 0.52 for only GAM, the correlation coefficient using GAM + MC reaches to 0.71. To further testify the prediction ability, the GAM + MC model results are compared with the Back‐Propagation network model and a typically empirical statistic relation proposed by Manoharan (2006, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-006-0100-y; their correlation coefficients and root mean squared errors are both roughly 0.6 and 100 km/s, respectively). It is found that the MC + GAM can upgrade the forecast at least over 10%.
Consumer preferences for apple: Comparing the results of contingent valuation method and a real purchasing situation

Increased competition in agro-food systems has motivated the appearance of new or more heterogeneous products. In addition consumers are increasingly more demanding about product information and characteristics, associated with a move towards products that differentiate themselves by its environmental characteristics, health effects, quality, origin, etc. Thus consumers’ preferences became more complex and diversified. Consumers are faced with a great variety of competing products and firms are ever more interested in identifying the attributes, or the combination of attributes, that are most valued by consumers. Valuation studies have sought to determine the influence of certain attributes in the willingness to pay (WTP) measures, including the importance of organically produced fruit and vegetables (Zhao et al., 2007; Radman, 2005) or the effect of providing additional information, with respect for example the health benefits, (Ginon et al. 2007; Marette et al., 2010; Bocaletti and Nardella, 2000). Considering a set of relevant characteristics, this paper investigates the influence of the attribute “National Variety” on rank order preferences and on the willingness to pay measures. The procedure assesses the effect of the origin of apple variety, comparing the values from an open ended question on the willingness to pay for two apple varieties. The elicitation of the value is performed with information on this characteristic and after tasting and rating the varieties. These results are then compared to the value elicited in a real purchasing situation, where the respondent can buy the preferred apple (one kg) if the elicited value on the open ended question is superior to an extracted random price. In sum, the paper demonstrates the applicability of the Contingent Valuation Method to eliciting the effect of information on an attribute on elicited WTP; It tests for hypothetical bias in this elicitation framework. The results show that predicted mean WTP for national varieties is lower than the predicted willingness to pay for foreign varieties. In addition, the results reveal a statistically significant hypothetical bias in the case of the National varieties, but not in the case of the foreign varieties.
Closed-Form Critical Earthquake Response of Elastic–Plastic Structures on Compliant Ground under Near-Fault Ground Motions

The double impulse is introduced as a substitute of the fling-step near-fault ground motion. A closed-form solution of the elastic-plastic response of a structure on compliant (flexible) ground by the ‘critical double impulse’ is derived for the first time based on the solution for the corresponding structure with fixed base. As in the case of fixed-base model, only the free-vibration appears under such double impulse and the energy approach plays an important role in the derivation of the closed-form solution of a complicated elastic-plastic response on compliant ground. It is remarkable that no iteration is needed in the derivation of the critical elastic-plastic response. It is shown via the closed-form expression that, in the case of a smaller input level of double impulse to the structural strength, as the ground stiffness becomes larger, the maximum plastic deformation becomes larger. On the other hand, in the case of a larger input level of double impulse to the structural strength, as the ground stiffness becomes smaller, the maximum plastic deformation becomes larger. The criticality and validity of the proposed theory are investigated through the comparison with the response analysis to the corresponding one-cycle sinusoidal input as a representative of the fling-step near-fault ground motion. The applicability of the proposed theory to actual recorded pulse-type ground motions is also discussed.
The effect of transformational leadership on team creativity: sequential mediating effect of employee’s psychological safety and creativity

ABSTRACT Many scholars and practitioners have acknowledged the importance of transformation leadership as a critical catalyst of creativity in an organization. But, current research on the association between TL and creativity has some limitations because they have mainly focused on the individual employee’s creativity with a single mediator and a single-level analysis. As firms increasingly rely on ‘teams’ to enhance their innovation, however, we need to take into account factors that affect team-level creativity. To address this issue, we attempt to find underlying mechanisms which drive the relation between transformational leadership and team-level creativity. Grounded on a group creativity model, we argue that transformational leadership improves team creativity through employee’s psychological safety and subsequently facilitating his or her individual-level creativity. To test the hypotheses, we conducted a multi-level structural equation modeling analysis by utilizing a survey of 196 employees of 52 teams in South Korea. The result shows that our hypotheses are supported. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with limitations and future research directions.
APPLICATION OF PATTERN RECOGNITION TECHNIQUES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THIN BLOOD SMEAR IMAGES

In this paper we discuss applications of pattern re cognition and image processing to automatic process ing and analysis of histopathological images. We focus on c ounting of Red and White blood cells using microscopic images of blood smear samples. We provide literature survey a nd point out new challenges. We present an improved cell counting algorithm.
Web 2.0 Environmental Scanning and Adaptive Decision Support for Business Mergers and Acquisitions

Globalization has triggered a rapid increase in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As). However, research shows that only 17 percent of cross-border M&As create shareholder value. One of the main reasons for this poor track record is top management's lack of attention to nonfinancial aspects (e.g., sociocultural aspects) of M&As. With the rapid growth of Web 2.0 applications, online environmental scanning provides top executives with unprecedented opportunities to tap into collective web intelligence to develop better insights about the sociocultural and political--economic factors that cross-border M&As face. Grounded in Porter's five forces model, one major contribution of our research is the design of a novel due diligence scorecard model that leverages collective web intelligence to enhance M&A decision making. Another important contribution of our work is the design and development of an adaptive business intelligence (BI) 2.0 system underpinned by an evolutionary learning approach, domain-specific sentiment analysis, and business relation mining to operationalize the aforementioned scorecard model for adaptive M&A decision support. With Chinese companies' cross-border M&As as the business context, our experimental results confirm that the proposed adaptive BI 2.0 system can significantly aid decision makers under different M&A scenarios. The managerial implication of our findings is that firms can apply the proposed BI 2.0 technology to enhance their strategic decision making, particularly when making cross-border investments in targeted markets for which private information may not be readily available.
Computer Support for Meetings of Groups Working on Unstructured Problems: A Field Experiment

This preliminary study was conducted to learn about the consequences of computer support for teams working on unstructured, high-level conceptual software design problems in face-to-face group settings. A networked workstation technology and electronic blackboard technology were contrasted with their conventional counterparts. Twenty-one software designers, assigned to three teams, performed team tasks that involved generating ideas and reaching consensus. Positive effects on the thoroughness of information exchange and quality of team performance were found in the meetings in which electronic blackboard technology was available. The networked workstations provided mixed results. Significant team differences were found in performance and interaction measures. The results and their implications are discussed in terms of the necessary future developments and nature of future research in computer-based meeting support technology.
Factors Contributing to Increases in Prescription Drug Expenditures Borne by National Health Insurance in South Korea

Purpose Rapid growth of prescription drug expenditures is a problem in South Korea. The objective of this study was to assess the contributions of four variables (therapeutic choice, drug-mix, original use, and price changes) to increases in drug expenditures paid by the National Health Insurance (NHI) in Korea. Materials and Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2012 utilizing data from the NHI Claims Database of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The number of target drug types for final analysis was 13959. To analyze the growth rates of drug expenditures, this study used Fisher ideal index and the Laspeyres and Paasche indexes. Results With the exception of 2012, therapeutic choice contributed to about 40–60% of the increase in drug expenditures every year, while drug-mix contributed to another 30–40%. Conclusion The rapid growth in prescription drug expenditure was found to be largely due to drug-mix and therapeutic choice over time. Original use had little impact on drug spending.
Fault-tolerant quantum computation versus Gaussian noise

We study the robustness of a fault-tolerant quantum computer subject to Gaussian non-Markovian quantum noise, and we show that scalable quantum computation is possible if the noise power spectrum satisfies an appropriate “threshold condition. ” Our condition is less sensitive to very-high-frequency noise than previously derived threshold conditions for non-Markovian noise.
Conservative care in Europe--nephrologists' experience with the decision not to start renal replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND For some patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), providing conservative care until death may be an acceptable alternative for renal replacement therapy (RRT). We aimed to estimate the occurrence of conservative care in Europe and evaluated opinions about which factors nephrologists consider important in their decision not to offer RRT. METHODS With a web-based survey sent to nephrologists in 11 European countries, we inquired how often RRT was not started in 2009 and how specific factors would influence the nephrologists' decision to provide conservative care. We compared subgroups by nephrologist and facility characteristics using chi-square tests and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS We received 433 responses. Nephrologists decided to offer conservative care in 10% of their patients [interquartile range (IQR) 5-20%]. An additional 5% (IQR 2-10%) of the patients chose conservative care as they refused when nephrologists intended to start RRT. Patient preference (93%), severe clinical conditions (93%), vascular dementia (84%) and low physical functional status (75%) were considered extremely or quite important in the nephrologists' decision to provide conservative care. Nephrologists from countries with a low incidence of RRT, not-for-profit centres and public centres more often scored these factors as extremely or quite important than their counterparts from high-incidence countries, for-profit centres and private centres. CONCLUSIONS Nephrologists estimated conservative care was provided to up to 15% of their patients in 2009. The presence of severe clinical conditions, vascular dementia and a low physical functional status are important factors in the decision-making not to start RRT. Patient preference was considered as a very important factor, confirming the importance of extensive patient education and shared decision-making.
Earliest arrival flows on series‐parallel graphs

We present an exact algorithm for computing an earliest arrival flow in a discrete time setting on series‐parallel graphs. In contrast to previous results for the earliest arrival flow problem this algorithm runs in polynomial time. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 57(2), 169–173 2011
Reorganization of functionally connected brain subnetworks in high‐functioning autism

Previous functional connectivity studies have found both hypo‐ and hyper‐connectivity in brains of individuals having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here we studied abnormalities in functional brain subnetworks in high‐functioning individuals with ASD during free viewing of a movie containing social cues and interactions. Twenty‐six subjects (13 with ASD) watched a 68‐min movie during functional magnetic resonance imaging. For each subject, we computed Pearson's correlation between haemodynamic time‐courses of each pair of 6‐mm isotropic voxels. From the whole‐brain functional networks, we derived individual and group‐level subnetworks using graph theory. Scaled inclusivity was then calculated between all subject pairs to estimate intersubject similarity of connectivity structure of each subnetwork. Additional 54 individuals (27 with ASD) from the ABIDE resting‐state database were included to test the reproducibility of the results. Between‐group differences were observed in the composition of default‐mode and ventro‐temporal‐limbic (VTL) subnetworks. The VTL subnetwork included amygdala, striatum, thalamus, parahippocampal, fusiform, and inferior temporal gyri. Further, VTL subnetwork similarity between subject pairs correlated significantly with similarity of symptom gravity measured with autism quotient. This correlation was observed also within the controls, and in the reproducibility dataset with ADI‐R and ADOS scores. Our results highlight how the reorganization of functional subnetworks in individuals with ASD clarifies the mixture of hypo‐ and hyper‐connectivity findings. Importantly, only the functional organization of the VTL subnetwork emerges as a marker of inter‐individual similarities that co‐vary with behavioral measures across all participants. These findings suggest a pivotal role of ventro‐temporal and limbic systems in autism. Hum Brain Mapp 37:1066–1079, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the effects of node duplication and connection-oriented constructivism in neural XCSF

For artificial entities to achieve high degrees of autonomy they will need to display appropriate adaptability. In this sense adaptability includes representational flexibility guided by the environment at any given time. This paper presents the use of constructivism-inspired mechanisms within a neural learning classifier system which exploits parameter self-adaptation as an approach to realize such behavior. Various network growth/regression mechanisms are implemented and their performances compared. The system uses a rule structure in which each is represented by an artificial neural network. It is shown that appropriate internal rule complexity emerges during learning at a rate controlled by the system.
An empirical study of knowledge sharing: A case of South African healthcare system

The importance of knowledge sharing in healthcare organisations cannot be overemphasised. This is mainly due to the dynamic and sensitive nature of knowledge within the healthcare sector that can assist in caring for the patients and other administrative operations. The absence of knowledge sharing and retention practice in healthcare organisations may result in negative repercussions. Hence, using Actor-Network Theory, the study will investigate and identify the factors influencing the current knowledge sharing taking place within the South African healthcare system. One of the top healthcare organisations was selected for data collection, and a qualitative research method was adopted in this study. The findings revealed the different actors involved in the sharing of knowledge and the networks that enable knowledge sharing and retention. The study also highlights the factors that triggered knowledge sharing.
Egr-1 Induces a Profibrotic Injury/Repair Gene Program Associated with Systemic Sclerosis

Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrosis in scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc), but the precise mechanisms are poorly understood. The immediate-early gene Egr-1 is an inducible transcription factor with key roles in mediating fibrotic TGF-ß responses. To elucidate Egr-1 function in SSc-associated fibrosis, we examined change in gene expression induced by Egr-1 in human fibroblasts at the genome-wide level. Using microarray expression analysis, we derived a fibroblast “Egr-1-responsive gene signature” comprising over 600 genes involved in cell proliferation, TGF-ß signaling, wound healing, extracellular matrix synthesis and vascular development. The experimentally derived “Egr-1-responsive gene signature” was then evaluated in an expression microarray dataset comprising skin biopsies from 27 patients with localized and systemic forms of scleroderma and six healthy controls. We found that the “Egr-1 responsive gene signature” was substantially enriched in the “diffuse-proliferation” subset comprising exclusively of patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) of skin biopsies. A number of Egr-1-regulated genes was also associated with the “inflammatory” intrinsic subset. Only a minority of Egr-1-regulated genes was concordantly regulated by TGF-ß. These results indicate that Egr-1 induces a distinct profibrotic/wound healing gene expression program in fibroblasts that is associated with skin biopsies from SSc patients with diffuse cutaneous disease. These observations suggest that targeting Egr-1 expression or activity might be a novel therapeutic strategy to control fibrosis in specific SSc subsets.
Using the S-PI Algorithm for Interaction in Augmented Reality

In this paper, we describe a new interaction approach for intuitive 3D object handling in Augmented Reality (AR). Our method transforms the AR tracking pattern into a point-based representation and then uses this to perform object interaction such as translate, rotate, and clone. This is based on a robust real-time computer vision algorithm that constructs a 6DOF camera pose relative to a handheld paddle used for input. Using a point-by-point calculation of the camera pose relative to the paddle we can overlay 3D graphics on top of the paddle or a ground plane. This allows the user to inspect virtual objects from different viewing angles in the AR interface and perform interactions with the objects. In this paper, we first review related work and then briefly describe our system architecture and tracking method. We evaluate our approach with regard to speed and accuracy, and compare it to existing marker-based AR systems. Finally, we demonstrate the robustness and usefulness of our approach in an example AR application.
Risk factors for pancreatic cancer: a summary review of meta-analytical studies.

BACKGROUND The aetiology of pancreatic cancer (PC) has been extensively studied and is the subject of numerous meta-analyses and pooled analyses. We have summarized results from these pooled and meta-analytical studies to estimate the fraction of PCs attributable to each of the identified risk factors. METHODS Using a comprehensive strategy, we retrieved 117 meta-analytical or pooled reports dealing with the association between specific risk factors and PC risk. We combined estimates of relative risk and estimates of exposure to calculate the fraction of PCs caused or prevented by a particular exposure. RESULTS Tobacco smoking ('strong' evidence) and Helicobacter pylori infection ('moderate' evidence) are the major risk factors associated with PC, with respective estimated population attributable fractions of 11-32% and 4-25%. The major protective factors are history of allergy ('strong' evidence) and increasing fruit or folate intake ('moderate' evidence), with respective population preventable fractions of 3-7% and 0-12%. CONCLUSIONS We summarized results of 117 meta-analytical or pooled data reports dealing with 37 aetiological exposures, to obtain robust information about the suspected causes of PC. By combining these estimates with their prevalences in the population, we calculated population attributable or population preventable fractions. About two-thirds of the major risk factors associated with PC are potentially modifiable, affording a unique opportunity for preventing one of our deadliest cancers.