Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consensus moderation: the voices of expert academics

Abstract Consensus moderation, where collaboration and discussion take place to reach an agreement on mark allocation, is a frequently used approach to quality assurance in higher education. This study explored expert academics’ perceptions of consensus moderation through 12 semi-structured open-ended interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and resulted in six themes: accept that marking is subjective; consensus moderation is a learning process; use calibration to develop and maintain standards; moderation is core academic work; resources are needed to enable consensus moderation; and different moderation practices are needed for different moderation purposes. Consensus moderation is a complex activity with many challenges, and the findings from this study contribute to our current understanding of consensus moderation. The findings have implications for policy and practice, and have identified ways in which we can enhance consensus moderation practice.
CSR Influence on Brand Loyalty in Banking: The Role of Brand Credibility and Brand Identification

The present research study examines the influence of perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) on consumer brand loyalty in the banking industry. The present research also examines the indirect relationship between CSR and brand loyalty via brand credibility and brand identification. The causal relationship is tested among perceived CSR, brand identification, brand credibility, and brand loyalty. Data were collected through a survey of banking customers (n = 315) in India. Structural equation modeling techniques (SEM) were employed further to analyze the data with AMOS version 24.0. This study expanded the traditional view of CSR effects on consumers and tried to fill the gap that exists in the literature by analyzing the effect of perceived CSR, brand credibility, and brand identification on consumer brand loyalty in banking services. The findings drawn from the study have significant implications for banking companies.
A Novel Baseline Removal Paradigm for Subject-Independent Features in Emotion Classification Using EEG

Emotion plays a vital role in understanding the affective state of mind of an individual. In recent years, emotion classification using electroencephalogram (EEG) has emerged as a key element of affective computing. Many researchers have prepared datasets, such as DEAP and SEED, containing EEG signals captured by the elicitation of emotion using audio–visual stimuli, and many studies have been conducted to classify emotions using these datasets. However, baseline power removal is still considered one of the trivial aspects of preprocessing in feature extraction. The most common technique that prevails is subtracting the baseline power from the trial EEG power. In this paper, a novel method called InvBase method is proposed for removing baseline power before extracting features that remain invariant irrespective of the subject. The features extracted from the baseline removed EEG data are then used for classification of two classes of emotion, i.e., valence and arousal. The proposed scheme is compared with subtractive and no-baseline-correction methods. In terms of classification accuracy, it outperforms the existing state-of-art methods in both valence and arousal classification. The InvBase method plus multilayer perceptron shows an improvement of 29% over the no-baseline-correction method and 15% over the subtractive method.
Ternary composition algebras and Hurwitz’s theorem

Axioms are proposed for a certain ‘‘alternative’’ kind of ternary composition algebra, termed a 3Cn algebra. The axioms are shown to be (for n>2) in a simple correspondence with the axioms for a ternary vector cross product algebra. The axioms imply that n=1, 2, 4, or 8 (from which the usual Hurwitz theorem is deduced). The existence of 3C8 algebras is demonstrated by an explicit construction in four‐dimensional Hilbert space, without appeal to the properties of the algebra of octonions.
High-power high-frequency-induced Langmuir turbulence in the smooth ionosphere at Arecibo. II. Low duty cycle, altitude-resolved, observations

This is the second of two papers comprising a theoretical and observational study of new, altitude-resolved, observations at Arecibo of Langmuir turbulence induced in the ionosphere by a new, more powerful, high frequency heater operated at very low duty cycles. Altitude resolution of 150 m in incoherent scatter radar spectra is made possible by the coded-long-pulse method. Here we present the first observation at Arecibo of the well-developed parametric decay instability and the Langmuir decay instability cascade features in the Thomson scatter radar power spectrum, of the plasma line, at the unmodified matching altitudes under near-cold start conditions. The dependence of the plasma line spectra on altitude, pump power, and density scale length have been studied. The temporal growth and saturation of the spectra during heating and the decay of the spectra in the afterglow of heating has also been studied in detail. Comparisons are made here with the theoretical predictions of the companion paper I [DuBois et al., Phys. Plasmas 8, 791 (2001)]. From these comparisons and a comparison with recent observations at both Arecibo and Tromso/, we conclude that all the predictions of modern Langmuir turbulence theory for the radar spectral signatures of the turbulence in a smooth ionosphere have now been verified.
Measures for designs in experiments with correlated errors

In this paper we consider optimal design of experiments in the case of correlated observations. We use and further develop the concept of design measures introduced by Pazman & Muller (1998) for the construction of a simple, quick and elegant design algorithm. We support the construction of this algorithm for a general correlation structure by an interpretation in terms of norms. Examples demonstrate that our results are useful for generating exact designs by sampling from the obtained design measures. Copyright Biometrika Trust 2003, Oxford University Press.
Predilation Ballooning in High Thrombus Laden STEMIs: An Independent Predictor of Slow Flow/No-Reflow in Patients Undergoing Emergent Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization

Background Distal embolization due to microthrombus fragments formed during predilation ballooning is considered one of the possible mechanisms of slow flow/no-reflow (SF/NR). Therefore, this study aimed to compare the incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR during the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with high thrombus burden (≥4 grade) with and without predilation ballooning for culprit lesion preparation. Methodology. This prospective descriptive cross-sectional study included patients with a high thrombus burden (≥4 grades) who underwent primary PCI. Propensity-matched cohorts of patients with and without predilation ballooning in a 1 : 1 ratio were compared for the incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR. Results A total of 765 patients with high thrombus burden undergoing primary PCI were included in this study. The mean age was 55.75 ± 11.54 years, and 78.6% (601) were males. Predilation ballooning was conducted in 346 (45.2%) patients. The incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR was significantly higher (41.3% vs. 27.4%; p < 0.001) in patients with predilation ballooning than in those without preballooning, respectively. The incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR also remained significantly higher for the predilation ballooning cohort with an incidence rate of 41.3% as against 30.1% (p=0.002) for the propensity-matched cohort of patients without predilation ballooning with a relative risk of 1.64 (95% CI: 1.20 to 2.24). Moreover, the in-hospital mortality rate remained higher but insignificant, among patients with and without predilation ballooning (8.1% vs. 4.9%; p=0.090). Conclusion In conclusion, predilation ballooning can be associated with an increased risk of incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR during primary PCI in patients with high thrombus burden.
Leveraging the Disagreement on Climate Change: Theory and Evidence

We theoretically and empirically investigate how climate risks affect collateralized debt markets. First, we develop a debt model where agents have different beliefs over a long-run risk. In contrast with existing two-period competitiveequilibrium models, our infinite-horizon competitive-search model predicts more pessimistic agents are more likely to make leveraged investments on risky collateral assets. They also tend to use longer maturity debt contracts, which are more exposed to the long-run risk. Second, employing large data on real estate and mortgage transactions, combined with high resolution sea-level-rise maps, we find robust evidence for these findings. We also show how monetary and securitization policies affect mortgage climate risk exposure. Our results highlight the importance of heterogeneous beliefs in understanding the effects of climate change on the financial system.
Analysis of the Tick Rule and Bulk Volume Classification Algorithms in the Brazilian Stock Market

This study aimed to compare the performance of Tick Rule (TR) and Bulk Volume Classification (BVC) models in classifying assets traded on the Brazilian stock exchange (B3) and indicate which one performs better as an investment decision tool. The assets were split into three groups based on their volume, and actual data was used to assess the accuracy of both algorithms. Data from 2018 was used to estimate the parameters that best fit BVC, and transactions from 2019 were used to test the algorithm’s efficiency. Afterward, the Volume-Synchronized Probability of Informed Trading (VPIN) was calculated for each asset using TR and BVC, and the values obtained were compared against VPIN calculated using real data. In conclusion, the TR algorithm shows betters performance than BVC for all three groups of assets. Analysis of the properties of both methods reveals that the base upon which the TR is built holds up in the Brazilian market, whereas BVC mechanics does not reflect the observed reality
Clinical pharmacist and pharmaceutical interventions in HBH unit: a French observational study

ABSTRACT Objectives: Home-Based Hospital (HBH) services concern patients of all ages suffering from conditions requiring technical care, close clinical monitoring, or hospital treatments that would normally be provided during hospitalisation. Drug-related problems are common in chronically-ill patients and many such events are preventable. Nevertheless, little data is available for outpatients, especially for HBH unit patients. The aim of the study was to assess the rates and types of drug-related problems prevented and resolved by the clinical pharmacist in a Home-Based Hospital unit. Methods: The drug-related problems were registered prospectively by the clinical pharmacist from May 2011 to April 2015. These pharmaceutical interventions were analysed according to the intervention tool recommended by the French Society of Clinical Pharmacy (Act IP). Results: 20,195 medication prescriptions relating to 2,878 patients were analysed. We registered 388 drug-related problems involving 267 patients (71.2% female; mean age 32.1 ± 29.7 years), mainly concerning untreated conditions (24.2%), drugs used without indications (14.7%), non-conformity to guidelines or contra-indication (12.6%) and drug monitoring (12.4%). Pharmaceutical interventions involved 186 drugs, mainly for hematopoiesis, infections and the digestive system (34%, 16.5%, and 14.6%, respectively). 87.6% of the pharmacist’s recommendations were accepted. Conclusions: A formatted clinical pharmacist evaluation was able to detect a high level of drug-related problems, and prevent complications in patients cared for by a Home-Based Hospital unit.
Multifocal C-cell Hyperplasia and Marked Hypercalcitoninemia in a Diabetic Patient Treated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Agonist With Concurrent Multinodular Goiter and Hyperparathyroidism

Thyroid C-cell hyperplasia (CCH) is divided into physiologic or reactive CCH and neoplastic CCH. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 Ra) is a group of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes that has documented C-cell stimulation effect in rodents, leading to subsequent CCH and medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in rats and/or mice. Currently, there is no sufficient evidence supporting the association between GLP-1 Ra and human thyroid CCH and/or MTC. Here, we present a case of significant hypercalcitoninemia in a 53-year-old diabetic male patient receiving GLP-1 Ra treatment with concurrent multinodular goiter and hyperparathyroidism. Total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection revealed multifocal CCH involving bilateral thyroid lobes and several negative lymph nodes. Subsequent genetic testing did not detect germline mutation of RET gene. However, due to marked hypercalcitoninemia and massive thyromegaly, unsampled medullary thyroid microcarcinoma cannot be completely ruled out. The patient’s postsurgical calcitonin level was back to normal. Our case indicates the significant clinical value of monitoring serum calcitonin levels in patients receiving GLP-1 Ra, especially in presence of other thyroid and/or parathyroid pathology that may be associated with increased calcitonin and/or CCH. Literature regarding the association between GLP-1 Ra and CCH is also reviewed.
Boundary concentration phenomena for a singularly perturbed elliptic problem

We exhibit new concentration phenomena for the equation − ε2 Δu + u = up in a smooth bounded domain Ω ⊆ ℝ2 and with Neumann boundary conditions. The exponent p is greater than or equal to 2 and the parameter ε is converging to 0. For a suitable sequence εn → 0 we prove the existence of positive solutions un concentrating at the whole boundary of Ω or at some component. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A comparison of the turbulence evolution in a stratified fluid with vertical or horizontal shear

The evolution of homogeneous turbulence in a stratified shear flow is studied using direct numerical simulations. Vertically stably stratified flows with uniform vertical shear and with uniform horizontal shear are considered and compared. The Richardson number is varied to include unstratified and strongly stratified cases. For a given value of the Richardson number, the turbulent velocity and density fluctuations were found to be significantly larger in the horizontal shear case due to an increased turbulence production rate that is not directly influenced by buoyancy. Eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity coefficients are about an order of magnitude larger in the horizontal shear case. Volume visualization shows internal wave development in the strongly stratified cases with both vertical or horizontal shear. A vanishing buoyancy flux, however, is observed in the vertical shear case only. In decaying vertical shear cases, the Ozmidov scale restricts the size of vertical overturns. However, such a restric.
Discovery of candidate cataclysmic variables in the post-core-collapse globular cluster NGC 6397

A photometric search for objects with H alpha emission in the globular cluster NGC 6397 has been carried out with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Planetary Camera. Images were obtained through the F675W (similar to Johnson R) and F656N (H alpha) filters, and photometry carried out on approximately 900 stars detected in the central approximately 38 x 35 arcseconds of the cluster. Limiting magnitudes of R approximately 21 and 19.5 were reached in the F675W and F656N images, respectively. Three H alpha-bright stars are found which have apparent magnitudes in the range R = 17.8-19.5. The corresponding absolute magnitudes (M(sub R) = 5.6-7.3) and inferred H alpha emission-line strengths (EW(H alpha) greater than or approximately equal to 15-26 A) make these objects good candidates to be cataclysmic variables (CVs) in this nearby, post-collapse cluster. All three H alpha-bright objects are found to be UV-bright in a photometric comparison of the F675W images with archival HST Faint Object Camera (FOC) images of the cluster center through the F220W and F346M filters. Such UV excesses further support the identification of these objects as candidates to be CVs in the cluster. The H alpha-bright stars are within the error circles of three X-ray sources previously found with the ROSAT High Resoltion Imager (HRI) and are likley to be the dominant source of the X-ray emission. The implied X-Ray to optical flux ratios (f(sub x)/f(sub v) approximately 0.8-4.2) are consistent with CVs known elsewhere in the Galaxy. Two additional stars with possible H alpha emission are also discussed, along the stars identified on the basis of UV emisssion. Preliminary completeness estimates suggest that these observations should be sensitive to approximately one-third to two-thirds of most varieties of CVs in the cluster, and that therefore greater than or approximately 5-10 CVs are likely to be present in the observed section of NGC 6397. Scaling these numbers to the cluster as a whole would increase these numbers by up to a factor of 2. A total CV population on the order of 5-20 is in reasonable with previous estimates made on the basis of X-ray observations, and with theoretical predictions scaled to this cluster.
Mass-Spectral Class Relationship for M Dwarfs

We derive mass-spectral class relationships for M dwarfs in the mass range 0.075 ≤ m/M☉ ≤ 0.6, which corresponds to a spectral range of M0-M10. The stellar models are based on the most recent nongray atmosphere models presently available. The results are in excellent agreement with the observed relationship derived by Kircpatrick & McCarthy for dwarfs of spectral type earlier than M7. We show that the spectral subclass is definitely not a linear function of mass and increases abruptly as the substellar mass limit is approached. This behavior reflects the observed trends in color, magnitude, and luminosity as a function of the mass and stems from the very physical properties of very low mass stars. Objects older than 1 Gyr with a spectral type earlier than M10 (for solar metallicity) are predicted to be main-sequence very low mass stars. For objects with such a spectral class to be bona fide brown dwarfs, they must be younger than 1 Gyr.
Pregnancy and Multiple Sclerosis: An Update on the Disease Modifying Treatment Strategy and a Review of Pregnancy’s Impact on Disease Activity

Pregnancy rates are rapidly increasing among women of reproductive age diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Through pre-conception, pregnancy and post-partum periods, there is a need for disease control management, to decrease chances of MS relapses while avoiding potential risks to the mother and the fetus. However, pregnancy is not always compatible with the available highly effective MS treatments. This narrative review provides the aspects of pregnancy’s outcomes and the impact on disease activity, choices of anesthesia and the management of relapses during the pregnancy and breastfeeding period. Available disease modifying treatment is discussed in the article with new data supporting the strategy of continuing natalizumab after conception, as it is related to a decreased risk of MS relapses during the pregnancy and postpartum period.
Application of Preoperative Ultrasonography in the Percutaneous Minimally Invasive Repair of Acute Closed Achilles Tendon Rupture

Percutaneous minimally invasive surgery involving Achilles tendon (AT) repair has the advantages of a low rerupture rate and fewer postoperative complications. However, due to the inability to operate under direct vision, the injury of the small saphenous vein (SSV) and sural nerve (SN) remains largely a high risk involving many challenges. We propose to introduce the preoperative application and advantages of ultrasonography in percutaneous minimally invasive surgery for acute AT rupture. Our results indicated that ultrasonography could locate the position of the SN more accurately and reduce the risk of iatrogenic nerve injury. Compared with the traditional surface markers, the preoperative localization and marking of AT, SSV, and SN in ultrasonography significantly reduced the risk of intraoperative accidental injury to blood vessels and nerves, which could reduce postoperative complications and promote early rehabilitation of patients. We ultimately exploit the properties of ultrasonography in percutaneous minimally invasive surgery to treat Achilles tendon rupture.
Enhancing Resilience in Mobile Edge Computing Under Processing Uncertainty

Task offloading is a powerful tool in Mobile Edge Computing (MEC). However, in many practical scenarios, the number of required processing cycles of a task is unknown beforehand and only known until its completion. This poses a serious challenge in making offloading decisions as the number of processing cycles is a key parameter to determine whether a task’s deadline can be met. To cope with such processing uncertainty, we formulate a Chance-Constrained Program (CCP) that offers probabilistic guarantees to task deadlines. The goal is to minimize energy consumption for the users while meeting the probabilistic task deadlines. We assume that only the means and variances of the random processing cycles are available, without any knowledge of distribution functions. We employ a powerful tool called Exact Conic Reformulation (ECR) that reformulates probabilistic deadline constraints into deterministic ones. Subsequently, we design an online solution called EPD (Energy-minimized solution with Probabilistic Deadline guarantee) for periodic scheduling and schedule updates during run-time. We show that EPD can address the processing uncertainty with probabilistic deadline guarantees while minimizing the users’ energy consumption.
Marketing of donor eggs by offering possibilities for imaginary actualization of recipients’ ideal self

Donor eggs have become commercialized and egg agencies mediate between egg consumers and donors. Despite the rapid growth of this industry, there is a paucity of research focusing on the imaginary aspects of the marketing strategies employed in the egg donation commerce. This article is based on a content analysis of American egg donor profiles. Inspired by Baudrillardian theory, I analyze the marketing strategy and show how egg donors are perfectionized using cultural notions of hegemonic femininity, in order to attract egg consumers by tacitly encouraging them to create an imagined hyperreal ideal self. This marketing strategy aims to de-commodify genetic substance in order to facilitate the exploitation of consumers’ self-concept for business goals. The identity of the donor is imbued with greater meaning for consumers than merely her genetic material, hence offers possibilities for the imaginary actualization of consumers’ ideal selves. Consumers are invited to exercise their agency and form a simulacrum of their desired self and materialize their utmost psychological identity aspirations.