Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Interpersonal Sunk-Cost Effect

The sunk-cost fallacy—pursuing an inferior alternative merely because we have previously invested significant, but nonrecoverable, resources in it—represents a striking violation of rational decision making. Whereas theoretical accounts and empirical examinations of the sunk-cost effect have generally been based on the assumption that it is a purely intrapersonal phenomenon (i.e., solely driven by one’s own past investments), the present research demonstrates that it is also an interpersonal effect (i.e., people will alter their choices in response to other people’s past investments). Across eight experiments (N = 6,076) covering diverse scenarios, I documented sunk-cost effects when the costs are borne by someone other than the decision maker. Moreover, the interpersonal sunk-cost effect is not moderated by social closeness or whether other people observe their sunk costs being “honored. ” These findings uncover a previously undocumented bias, reveal that the sunk-cost effect is a much broader phenomenon than previously thought, and pose interesting challenges for existing accounts of this fascinating human tendency.
Stream WatDiv: A Streaming RDF Benchmark

We present Stream WatDiv -- an open-source benchmark for streaming RDF data management systems. The proposed benchmark extends the existing WatDiv benchmark, and includes a streaming data generator, a query generator that can produce a diverse set of SPARQL queries, and a testbed to monitor correctness and latency. We use Stream WatDiv to evaluate two popular streaming RDF engines: C-SPARQL and CQUELS. With the diverse set of queries that can be generated by Stream WatDiv, we demonstrate new insights into the behaviour and performance of these systems.
Corporate Social Responsibility in Macau’s Gambling Industry

ABSTRACT 2012 was a critical year for gambling operators in Macau. This article examines the process of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Macau Gambling industry. Research results were based on a triangulation between in-depth document review, content analysis of information from the company’s websites, and site visits. The purpose of this article is to offer a preliminary case study regarding the Corporate Social Responsibility issues being addressed by Macau’s major gambling operators. This study compared different types of Corporate Social Responsibility employed by Macau’s gambling operators. This study identified “Leadership, Vision and Values,” “Workforce Activities,” and “Community Activities” as the most popular CSR practice areas. Meanwhile, “Supply Chain Activities,” “Marketplace Activities,” and “Stakeholder Engagement” were identified as the CSR practices that need to be improved among Macau’s gambling operators. Furthermore, this study further suggested the implications for policy makers and practitioners.
Endocrine disruption of cadmium in rats using the OECD enhanced TG 407 test system.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the endocrine disrupting effects of cadmium (Cd) using OECD enhanced TG407 test guideline. METHODS Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six groups and accordingly administered with 0, 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg•BW/day of Cd by gavage for 28 days. Body weight, food consumption, hematology, biochemistry, sex hormone levels, urinary β2-microglobulin, organ weights and histopathology and estrous cycle were detected. RESULTS Cd could significantly decrease animals' body weight (P<0.05). Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) at 10-20 mg/kg•BW groups and testosterone (T) at 2.5 and 10 mg/kg•BW groups decreased significantly (P<0.05). However, no statistically significant change was found in urinary β2-microglobulin among Cd-treatment groups (P>0.05). Endpoints related to female reproduction including uterus weight and histopathological change at 10-20 mg/kg•BW groups showed significant increase (P<0.05). While among male rats in 2.5, 10, 20 mg/kg•BW groups, weight of prostate, thyroids, and seminal vesicle glands significantly decreased (P<0.05). Moreover, no histopathological change was observed in kidney. CONCLUSION Results suggested that Cd can cause endocrine disrupting effects in SD rats. Comparing with possible renal toxicity of Cd, its toxicity on endocrine system was more sensitive.
A generic nuclei detection method for histopathological breast images

The detection of cell nuclei plays a key role in various histopathological image analysis problems. Considering the high variability of its applications, we propose a novel generic and trainable detection approach. Adaption to specific nuclei detection tasks is done by providing training samples. A trainable deconvolution and classification algorithm is used to generate a probability map indicating the presence of a nucleus. The map is processed by an extended watershed segmentation step to identify the nuclei positions. We have tested our method on data sets with different stains and target nuclear types. We obtained F1-measures between 0.83 and 0.93.
Phoretic dispersal influences parasite population genetic structure

Dispersal is a fundamental component of the life history of most species. Dispersal influences fitness, population dynamics, gene flow, genetic drift and population genetic structure. Even small differences in dispersal can alter ecological interactions and trigger an evolutionary cascade. Linking such ecological processes with evolutionary patterns is difficult, but can be carried out in the proper comparative context. Here, we investigate how differences in phoretic dispersal influence the population genetic structure of two different parasites of the same host species. We focus on two species of host‐specific feather lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) that co‐occur on feral rock pigeons (Columba livia). Although these lice are ecologically very similar, “wing lice” (Columbicola columbae) disperse phoretically by “hitchhiking” on pigeon flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), while “body lice” (Campanulotes compar) do not. Differences in the phoretic dispersal of these species are thought to underlie observed differences in host specificity, as well as the degree of host–parasite cospeciation. These ecological and macroevolutionary patterns suggest that body lice should exhibit more genetic differentiation than wing lice. We tested this prediction among lice on individual birds and among lice on birds from three pigeon flocks. We found higher levels of genetic differentiation in body lice compared to wing lice at two spatial scales. Our results indicate that differences in phoretic dispersal can explain microevolutionary differences in population genetic structure and are consistent with macroevolutionary differences in the degree of host–parasite cospeciation.
An Oscillator Based Potentiostat with Switch-Cap Feedback for Current Sensing Applications

This paper presents an oscillator based potentiostat with switch-cap feedback for current sensing applications. In this work, a sigma-delta modulator is realized using current as input and charge as the feedback. The current input is integrated at the input capacitance and the voltage difference between the integrated value and reference input is converted to current via a transconductor. This current is then fed into a current controlled ring oscillator and the frequency output drives the switch-cap circuits to compensate the input current. Therefore, the current input can be directly readout as frequency deviation, or can be further converted to digital output via a frequency to digital converter. The proposed system is implemented in a typical 0. 18µm CMOS technology, with total area of 80 × 250µm2. A differential structure was implemented to minimize the parasitic and kick back influence, with oscillator base frequency at 491MHz. A counter based frequency to digital converter with an additional CIC filter was implemented to convert the differential frequency signal to digital domains at 16MHz sampling frequency. Simulation results demonstrated that a dynamic range of 52dB was achieved with input range of ±2. 5µA.
How the Urban West was Won

The author examines early Los Angeles's transition from an essentially entrepreneurial growth regime (1880-1906) to a more state-centered growth regime (1906-1932). The analysis highlights the role of public infrastructure projects-water, power, and the harbor- and of powerful local bureaucracies, such as the Department of Water and Power, in shaping the region's Progressive Era development. Los Angeles's reliance upon a public strategy of economic development is placed in comparative regional perspective. In the early twentieth century, the local state served as a key instrument of economic development throughout the urban West.
Effect of Anisotropy of Cellulose Nanocrystal Suspensions on Stratification, Domain Structure Formation, and Structural Colors

Outstanding optical and mechanical properties can be obtained from hierarchical assemblies of nanoparticles. Herein, the formation of helically ordered, chiral nematic films obtained from aqueous suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were studied as a function of the initial suspension state. Specifically, nanoparticle organization and the structural colors displayed by the resultant dry films were investigated as a function of the anisotropic volume fraction (AVF), which depended on the initial CNC concentration and equilibration time. The development of structural color and the extent of macroscopic stratification were studied by optical and scanning electron microscopy as well as UV–vis spectroscopy. Overall, suspensions above the critical threshold required for formation of liquid crystals resulted in CNC films assembled with longer ranged order, more homogeneous pitches along the cross sections, and narrower specific absorption bands. This effect was more pronounced for the suspensions that were closer to equilibrium prior to drying. Thus, we show that high AVF and more extensive phase separation in CNC suspensions resulted in large, long-range ordered chiral nematic domains in dried films. Additionally, the average CNC aspect ratio and size distribution in the two separated phases were measured and correlated to the formation of structured domains in the dried assemblies.
Cognitive Models in Intelligence Research: Advantages and Recommendations for Their Application

Mathematical models of cognition measure individual differences in cognitive processes, such as processing speed, working memory capacity, and executive functions, that may underlie general intelligence. As such, cognitive models allow identifying associations between specific cognitive processes and tracking the effect of experimental interventions aimed at the enhancement of intelligence on mediating process parameters. Moreover, cognitive models provide an explicit theoretical formalization of theories regarding specific cognitive processes that may help in overcoming ambiguities in the interpretation of fuzzy verbal theories. In this paper, we give an overview of the advantages of cognitive modeling in intelligence research and present models in the domains of processing speed, working memory, and selective attention that may be of particular interest for intelligence research. Moreover, we provide guidelines for the application of cognitive models in intelligence research, including data collection, the evaluation of model fit, and statistical analyses.
DHX9 regulates production of hepatitis B virus-derived circular RNA and viral protein levels

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which is a major health concern worldwide, can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although current nucleos(t)ide analogs efficiently inhibit viral reverse transcription and viral DNA load clinically, episomal viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) minichromosomes and transcripts from cccDNA continue to be expressed over the long term. We hypothesized that, under these conditions, viral transcripts may have biological functions involved in pathogenesis. Here, we show that the host protein DExH-box helicase 9 (DXH9) is associated with viral RNAs. We also show that viral-derived circular RNA is produced during HBV replication, and the amount is increased by knockdown of the DHX9 protein, which, in turn, results in decreased viral protein levels but does not affect the levels of HBV DNA. These phenomena were observed in the HBV-producing cell culture model and HBV mini-circle model mimicking HBV cccDNA, as well as in human primary hepatocytes infected with HBV. Based on these results, we conclude that, in HBV infection, the RNA binding factor DHX9 is a novel regulator of viral circular RNA and viral protein levels.
Analyzing Covariation of Returns to Determine Homogeneous Stock Groupings

Cohen and Pogue's empirical evaluation of the multi-index and singleindex portfolio selection models showed that the single-index model was superior to the multi-index model in generating efficient sets of portfolios. ' The inability of the multi-index model to outperform the singleindex model resulted from the failure of the multi-index model to provide a more accurate representation of the true covariance matrix of security returns. This failure was, in turn, due to the fact that industry indexes used as inputs to the multi-index model were highly collinear. Indexes of stocks are needed that are homogeneous in the sense that they are significantly correlated within their own grouping and, at the same time, generally independent of other groups.2 Use of such noncorrelated indexes in the multi-index model should lead to a more accurately represented covariance matrix and thereby a set of efficient portfolios superior to the single-index model. The purpose of this study is to develop stock groupings that are homogeneous with respect to collinearity characteristics and thus suitable for use as inputs in the multi-index model. Development of such groups, in turn, involves a test for effects additional to market and industry factors that have been shown (by King) to be significant in explaining the covariation of stock returns. ; The method that appears to be most promising as representing an additional factor for grouping stocks is
Occurrence of Organochlorine Pesticides in Stream Bed Sediment and Fish From Selected Streams on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, 1998

There are a total of 59 NAWQA study units across the Nation. The island of Oahu, which is one of eleven study units to begin investigations in 1997, is undergoing rapid population growth and associated land-use changes. Following the 100-year period (1890-1990) when plantation agriculture dominated central Oahu, there has been a decrease in agricul­ tural acreage, conversion from single crop plantations to diversified agricul­ ture, and an increase in suburban development. The resident population of Oahu more than doubled from 1950 to 1994, and Honolulu is now one of the 25 largest cities in the Nation. Urbaniza­ tion affects water quality by changing land-cover characteristics from porous soil and vegetation to impervious pavement, which increases stormwater runoff to streams, and introduces contaminants associated with urban development. One important aspect of urbaniza­ tion in Hawaii is the need for termite control. The Formosan subterranean termite causes more than $100 million in damage each year to wooden structures in Hawaii. Before 1980, organochlorine pesticides such as
Controlled spontaneous generation of Gold Nanoparticles assisted by dual reducing and Capping Agents

Noble-metal nanoparticles have attracted a great deal of interest by their unique optical, electronic, magnetic, and catalytic properties and intense research efforts are still devoted to develop new synthetic and functionalizing strategies . This extremely active research field was supported by the amazing chemical and physical properties displayed by the metal particles of nanometric size that are markedly different from those of the corresponding bulk materials. Especially, optical and electronic properties of metal nanoparticles can be easily tuned by modifying their size and shape. Regarding noble metals nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) are without contest at the forefront in this research area. Academic interest for Au-NPs, which showed fast growth over the past years, is motivated by the strong surface PR displayed by gold nanoparticles.
The impact of non-pharmacological treatments for diseases of the locomotor system on the prescribed drug use and lifestyles of the patients in the sanatoria in Busko-Zdroj

Abstract The article is the result of research on the impact of non-pharmacological therapies for diseases of the locomotor system on the prescribed drug use and lifestyles of the patients of the sanatoria in Busko-Zdroj. The reported research uses primary and secondary measures. The former includes the assessment of the impact of non-pharmacological sanatorium treatments for locomotor system diseases on the use of prescribed drug regimes, while the latter is aimed at assessing the patients’ quality of life. The research was conducted on adult patients of both genders in the sanatoria in Busko-Zdroj. The subjects were patients suffering from disorders of the musculoskeletal system such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and discopathies. The research included two visits, the first at the start of the research and the second at the end of the research. The patients were examined for a period of three consecutive weeks. The study involved 170 patients, 50% of them were women and 50% men. A decline in the use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs makes a very interesting finding. After the first week, as many as 38% of the examined patients limited the use of painkillers and/or anti-inflammatory drugs. After the second week, 62% of the patients reduced the use of the drugs, and after the third week of treatment, up to 90% of the patients did so. The improvement of patients’ lives is noticeable in the psychological, physical and motor fields.
Humans in the loop on subjective domains

Labelling a data requires a lot of human intervention. Especially if the data is related to social media then many different opinions materialize, given the same set of data. These opinions and perspectives come through a worker’s personal experiences. When it comes to machine learning feedback, many of these labels with different views are often condensed to form a single “ground truth” label. This method of feedback hides the true, potentially rich and diverse interpretations of the data found across the social spectrum. In this project, we explore different unsupervised learning approaches for clustering data around their true label distribution. We also aggregate labels over the range of data points, and not just based on individuals. This will help us enrich the costs of humans in the loop.
A Comprehensive Analysis on EEG Signal Classification Using Advanced Computational Analysis

Electroencephalogram (EEG) has been used in a wide array of applications to study mental disorders. Due to its non-invasive and low-cost features, EEG has become a viable instrument in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). These BCI systems integrate user’s neural features with robotic machines to perform tasks. An important application of this technology is to help facilitate the lives of the tetraplegic through assimilating human brain impulses and converting them into mechanical motion. However, due to EEG signals being highly dynamic in nature, BCI systems are still unstable and prone to unanticipated noise interference. In the initial work, a novel classifier structure is proposed to classify different types of imaginary motions (left hand, right hand, and imagination of words starting with the same letter) across multiple sessions using an optimized set of electrodes for each user. The proposed technique uses raw brain signals obtained utilizing 32 electrodes and classifies the imaginary motions using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). To enhance the classification rate and optimize the set of electrodes of each subject, a majority voting system combining a set of simple ANNs is used. This electrode optimization technique achieved classification accuracies of 69.83%, 94.04% and 84.56% respectively for the three subjects considered in this work. In the second work, the signal variations are studied in detail for a large EEG dataset. Using the Independent Component Analysis (ICA) with a dynamic threshold model, noise features were filtered. The data was classified to a high precision of more than 94% using artificial neural networks. A decrease of variance in classification accuracies validated, both, the effectiveness of the proposed dynamic threshold systems and the presence of higher concentrations of noise in data for specific subjects. Nonetheless, based on the variance and classification, subjects were further categorized into two groups. The lower accuracy group was found to have an increased variance in classification accuracies. To confirm these results, a Kaiser windowing technique was used to compute the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for all subjects and a low SNR was obtained for all EEG signals pertaining to the group with the poor data classification. This study not only establishes a direct relationship between high signal variance, low SNR, and poor signal classification but also presents classification results that are significantly higher than the accuracies reported by prior studies for the same EEG user dataset. Index Words: Electroencephalogram, Brain Computer Interface, Independent Component Analysis, Artificial Neural Network A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS ON EEG SIGNAL CLASSIFICATION USING ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS by KAUSHIK BHIMRAJ B.S., Georgia Southern University, 2015 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree
Measurement of clients' satisfaction on appointment assignment

This article proposes an evaluation method of the satisfaction when patients get an appointment. The case of a dental clinic is analysed. The article contribution consists of the giving of some rules to be followed by the receptionist. These rules have to permit maximisation of the patient wishes and to maximise the utilisation of resources taking into account the dynamic assignment of the dentist and the hygienists to the different activities. The developed simulation model evaluates different scenarios based on two criteria: satisfaction level of the patient and the utilisation ratio of the dental clinic staff.
Thermal Conductivity Reduction in Rough Silicon Nanomembranes

Nanostructured silicon is a promising material for thermoelectric conversion because the thermal conductivity in silicon nanostructures can be strongly reduced with respect to that of bulk materials. We present thermal conductivity measurements, performed with the 3$\omega$ technique, of suspended monocrystalline silicon thin films (nanomembranes or nanoribbons) with smooth and rough surfaces. We find evidence for a significant effect of surface roughness on phonon propagation: the measured thermal conductivity for the rough structures is well below that predicted by theoretical models which take into account diffusive scattering on the nanostructure walls. Conversely, the electrical conductivity appears to be substantially unaffected by surface roughness: the measured resistance of smooth and rough nanostructures is comparable, if we take into account the geometrical factors. Nanomembranes are more easily integrable in large area devices with respect to nanowires and are mechanically stronger and able to handle much larger electrical currents, thus enabling the fabrication of thermoelectric devices that can supply higher power levels with respect to existing solutions.