Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Copula Goodness-of-fit Test Based on the Probability Integral Transform

Copulae is one of the main ways of modelling dependence. However, to check whether the dependency structure of a data set is appropriately modelled by a chosen family of copulae, there is no recommended method agreed upon. We introduce a new goodnessof-fit test, based on the probability integral transform. The test is consistent, meaning that no deviations from the null hypothesis are neglected. The test also incorporates a weighting functionality, allowing us to increase the influence of some specific areas of the copulae, for example the tails. Results show that our test has good power at distinguishing tail heavinessand skewness properties. When we add tail weight, the power at distinguishing tail heaviness increases dramatically. The results also show that a different proposed test, that is not consistent, performs well for tail heaviness but very poor for skewness. Simulations are used to obtain the empirical behaviour of the tests. Applied to a collection of stock portfolios our test strongly rejects the Gaussian and the Clayton copulae, while the Student’s t copula provides a good fit.
Clinical efficacy of high-flow nasal cannula compared to noninvasive ventilation in patients with post-extubation respiratory failure

Background/Aims: Post-extubation respiratory failure (PERF) is associated with poor clinica l outcomes. High-f low nasa l cannula (HF NC) ox ygen therapy has been used in patients with respiratory failure, but the clinical benefit in patients with PERF remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of HFNC compared to noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in patients with PERF. Methods: A historic retrospective cohort analysis was performed in 28 beds in the medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a single medical center in South Korea. In total, 73 patients with PERF were enrolled: 39 patients who underwent NIV from April 2007 to March 2009 and 34 patients who received HFNC from April 2009 to May 2011. Results: The rate of avoidance of reintubation was not different between the HFNC group (79.4%) and NIV group (66.7%, p = 0.22). All patients with HFNC tolerated the device, whereas five of those with NIV did not tolerate treatment (p = 0.057). The mean duration of ICU stay was significantly shorter in the HFNC group than in the NIV group (13.4 days vs. 20.6 days, p = 0.015). There was no difference in ICU or in-hospital mortality rate. Conclusions: HFNC is likely to be as effective as, and better tolerated than, NIV for treatment of PERF.
Comparison of panoramic radiography with cone beam CT in predicting the relationship of the mandibular third molar roots to the alveolar canal

Purpose Preoperative radiographic assessment of the mandibular third molars is essential to prevent inferior alveolar nerve damage during extraction. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of panoramic signs of association between the roots of teeth and the canal, and to compare the panoramic signs with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) findings. Materials and Methods CBCT images of 132 impacted mandibular third molars were evaluated to determine the association of the root to the canal. The CBCT findings were compared with the corresponding panoramic images. Logistic regression analysis was used to define the diagnostic criteria of the panoramic images. Results Among the panoramic signs, loss of the cortical line was the most frequent radiographic sign predicting association (sensitivity: 79.31). Contact of the tooth with the canal was observed in all cases in which the loss of cortical line of the canal or darkening of the roots was found on the panoramic radiographs. Conclusion Darkening of the roots and loss of the cortical line on panoramic radiographs might be highly suggestive of the risk of nerve injury.
Excel formula and Islamic norms for home financing

This paper is in a series of writings on Islamic home financing. It spells out certain norms Islamic banks must observe in home financing and demonstrates that the conventional model based on an Excel formula does not meet the stated norms. It may well be emphasized that in Islam the question of observing these norms arises before not after the selection of the formula: additional juristic requirements may only follow subsequently. Is it not then queer that many Islamic banks are using the formula to determine the periodic installment payments in their home financing programs? The paper finds for example the popular MMP non-compliant of the stated norms. It presents a new model and argues that the alternative is not only fully observant but is superior to MMP on some other counts as well.
User Satisfaction Evaluation of an Educational Website.

INTRODUCTION World changes, so do people. From the time that man-computer symbiosis began, both of them have unrecognizably changed. Who could have guessed that the ideas that rooted in 1930s, 1940s and 1960s would blossom as today’s technology. Who could have guessed that, when Nelson (Baecker. et al., 1995) first coined the term ‘hypertext’, it would be the key that opens up gates of the “Wide World of Wonders”? As one can predict, the bricks that are used to build the new fantastic places of this world are very important. That is why what was once shaped in the hands of the designer, is now sculptured according to users. That is why ‘usability’ is now recognized as a vital determining factor in the success of any new computer system or computer-based service (Carvalho, 2001).
On the Nature of Soft X-Ray Weak Quasi-stellar Objects

Recent studies of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) with ROSAT suggest the existence of a significant population of soft X-ray weak QSOs (SXW QSOs) where the soft X-ray flux is ~10-30 times smaller than in typical QSOs. Why are these QSOs soft X-ray weak, and what is their relationship to broad absorption line QSOs (BAL QSOs) and X-ray warm absorber QSOs? As a first step in a systematic study of these objects, we establish a well-defined sample of SXW QSOs that includes all αox ≤ -2 QSOs from the Boroson & Green sample of 87 Bright Quasar Survey QSOs. SXW QSOs comprise ≈11% of this optically selected QSO sample, and we find soft X-ray weakness in both radio-quiet and radio-loud QSOs. From an analysis of C IV absorption in the 55 Boroson & Green QSOs with available C IV data, we find a remarkably strong correlation between αox and the C IV absorption equivalent width. This correlation suggests that absorption is the primary cause of soft X-ray weakness in QSOs, and it reveals a continuum of absorption properties connecting unabsorbed QSOs, X-ray warm absorber QSOs, SXW QSOs, and BAL QSOs. Many of our SXW QSOs have ultraviolet absorption that is intermediate in strength between that of X-ray warm absorber QSOs and that of BAL QSOs, and their X-ray absorption is also likely to be of intermediate strength. From a practical point of view, our correlation demonstrates that selection by soft X-ray weakness is an effective (≳80% successful) and observationally inexpensive way to find low-redshift QSOs with strong and interesting ultraviolet absorption. We have also identified several notable differences between the optical emission-line properties of SXW QSOs and those of the other Boroson & Green QSOs. SXW QSOs show systematically low [O III] luminosities and equivalent widths as well as distinctive Hβ line profiles. They tend to lie toward the weak [O III] end of Boroson & Green eigenvector 1, as do many low-ionization BAL QSOs. Unabsorbed Seyfert galaxies and QSOs with similar values of eigenvector 1 have been suggested to have extreme values of a primary physical parameter, perhaps mass accretion rate relative to the Eddington rate (/Edd). If these suggestions are correct, it is likely that SXW QSOs also tend to have generally high values of /Edd. Finally, we present and discuss correlations between αox and other QSO observables after removal of the SXW QSOs.
Mass distribution and accretion of sub-halos

We use the "Millennium Simulation" to study the mass function of accreted sub-halos during merger events in the dark halo assembly history. Our study includes three kinds of sub-halo mergers: (1) mergers that happen to the main progenitor of dark halos; (2) mergers that happen on the entire merging history tree of dark halos; and (3) mergers that leave identifiable sub-halos in present-day dark halos. We estimate the unevolved sub-halo mass functions (USMFs), for which sub-halo masses are measured at the times of their accretion. For sub-halos that merge into the main branch of a present-day dark halo, their USMF can be well described by a universal functional form, in excellent agreement with previous results. The same conclusion can also be reached for the USMF of all progenitors that have merged to become sub-halos during the entire halo merging history. In both cases, the USMFs are also independent of the redshift of host halos. Due to tidal disruption, only a small fraction of the accreted halos survive as sub-halos identifiable in the present-day dark halos. In cluster-sized halos, about 30% of the survived sub-halos are sub-subhalos, and this fraction decreases with decreasing halo mass. For given halo and sub-halo masses, the accretion time has very broad distribution, but the survived sub-halos are all accreted quite recently.
Web based projects enhancing English language and generic skills development for Asian hospitality industry students

This study investigated hospitality students' responses toward their learning experiences from undertaking group projects based upon a College web platform, the Ubiquitous Hospitality English Learning Platform (U-HELP). Twenty-six students in the Department of Applied Foreign Languages participated in this study. Their attitudes toward the process oriented activity conducted in the platform were investigated through questionnaires and final reports. The findings showed that the subjects held positive views towards web based learning and the interface design of the platform. Moreover, students' responses revealed that the web based projects had the following advantages: (1) enhancing cooperation, (2) improving hospitality knowledge, (3) promoting cognitive skills, and (4) raising computer literacy. However, negative comments were classified as follows: (1) the time consuming nature of group work, (2) preference for traditional paperwork, and (3) problems with using the platform. Based on the findings, some pedagogical suggestions for web based activities are presented.
COMPETING SPECIES SUPERPROCESSES WITH INFINITE VARIANCE KLAUS FLEISCHMANN AND

We study pairs of interacting measure-valued branching processes (superprocesses) with α–stable migration and (1 + β)–branching mechanism. The interaction is realized via some killing procedure. The collision local time for such processes is constructed as a limit of approximating collision local times. For certain dimensions this convergence holds uniformly over all pairs of such interacting superprocesses. We use this uniformity to prove existence of a solution to a competing species martingale problem under a natural dimension restriction. The competing species model describes the evolution of two populations where individuals of different types may kill each other if they collide. In the case of Brownian migration and finite variance branching, the model was introduced by Evans and Perkins (1994). The fact that now the branching mechanism does not have finite variance requires the development of new methods for handling the collision local time which we believe are of some independent interest.
Sex, Socioeconomic and Regional Disparities in Age Trajectories of Childhood BMI, Underweight and Overweight in China

Using a longitudinal dataset from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), growth-curve models were employed to examine age trajectories of body mass index (BMI) for 1694 subjects in China, who were aged 2–11 in 1993 and followed in four waves (1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006). Based on age- and sex-specific BMI cut-points recommended for international use, the prevalence rates of overweight and underweight in the transition from childhood to adulthood (age 6–18) were also predicted. Sex, family income, rural–urban residency and geographical location were found to be significantly associated with the onsets, slopes, and acceleration of age trajectories in BMI, overweight, and underweight (p < 0.01). Children who had lower prevalence of underweight in the transition from childhood to adulthood exhibited higher prevalence of overweight than their counterparts. Moreover, the age interval during which children were more vulnerable to an increase in underweight was different from that for overweight. There were substantial regional disparities in the age trajectories of childhood overweight and underweight. Whereas the analyses suggest that the dual burden of nutritional problems (the coexistence of overweight and underweight) in China, is more like two sides of a coin than two separate health issues; the critical age period for intervening in childhood overweight is different from that of childhood underweight. Geographical indicators of childhood obesity in China deserve further attention.
Partial Retirement as a Separate Mode of Retirement Behavior

Partial retirement is a quantitatively important retirement state that shows significant structural differences from behavioral functions of either full retirement or full-time work. Alternative models of the choice of retirement state are estimated on a sample of white married males from the Retirement History Survey, 1967-1973. Findings suggest that, while partial retirement appears to take several different forms, the critical choice for a large number of older workers appears to be that of labor force participation first, with either partial or full-time employment determined conditionally among participants. The model has good explanatory power and conforms to expectations of the effects of various relevant variables on labor supply decisions.
Birth Weight and Early Childhood Physical Health: Evidence from a Sample of Latin American Twins

This paper assesses the effect of birth weight on physical growth before age five. The identification strategy relies on within-twin estimation techniques using a sample of same-sex twins from the Demographic and Health Surveys for ten Latin American countries. Results suggest that increasing birth weight would augment height for age, reduce the probability of chronic malnourishment, and increase body mass of children from 0 to 59 months old. Results also show that post-natal health investments, such as vaccination and exclusive breastfeeding, do not mitigate the negative effects on physical growth of children caused by low birth weight. This would imply that is not possible to reassign resources aimed at young children’s health and nutrition from the pre- to the post-natal period without affecting physical development early in life. Overall, evidence suggests that programs aiming to enhance nutrition since the pre-natal period (arguably, in utero) in Latin America would lead to positive and permanent effects on children’s growth and successfully contribute to reducing malnourishment during the first years of life.
Serum influences the expression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum-sensing genes and QS-controlled virulence genes during early and late stages of growth

In response to diverse environmental stimuli at different infection sites, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a serious nosocomial pathogen, coordinates the production of different virulence factors through a complicated network of the hierarchical quorum‐sensing (QS) systems including the las, rhl, and the 2‐alkyl‐4‐quinolone‐related QS systems. We recently showed that at early stages of growth serum alters the expression of numerous P. aeruginosa genes. In this study, we utilized transcriptional analysis and enzyme assays to examine the effect of serum on the QS and QS‐controlled virulence factors during early and late phases of growth of the P. aeruginosa strain PAO1. At early phase, serum repressed the transcription of lasI, rhlI, and pqsA but not lasR or rhlR. However, at late phase, serum enhanced the expression of all QS genes. Serum produced a similar effect on the synthesis of the autoinducers 3OC12‐HSL, C4‐HSL, and HHQ/PQS. Additionally, serum repressed the expression of several QS‐controlled genes in the early phase, but enhanced them in the late phase. Furthermore, serum influenced the expression of different QS‐positive (vqsR, gacA, and vfr) as well as QS‐negative (rpoN, qscR, mvaT, and rsmA) regulatory genes at either early or late phases of growth. However, with the exception of PAOΔvfr, we detected comparable levels of lasI/lasR expression in PAO1 and PAO1 mutants defective in these regulatory genes. At late stationary phase, serum failed to enhance lasI/lasR expression in PAOΔvfr. These results suggest that depending on the phase of growth, serum differentially influenced the expression of P. aeruginosa QS and QS‐controlled virulence genes. In late phase, serum enhanced the expression of las genes through vfr.
Mechanism of Maxi-K Channel Activation by Dehydrosoyasaponin-I

Dehydrosoyasaponin-I (DHS-I) is a potent activator of high-conductance, calcium-activated potassium (maxi-K) channels. Interaction of DHS-I with maxi-K channels from bovine aortic smooth muscle was studied after incorporating single channels into planar lipid bilayers. Nanomolar amounts of intracellular DHS-I caused the appearance of discrete episodes of high channel open probability interrupted by periods of apparently normal activity. Statistical analysis of these periods revealed two clearly separable gating modes that likely reflect binding and unbinding of DHS-I. Kinetic analysis of durations of DHS-I-modified modes suggested DHS-I activates maxi-K channels through a high-order reaction. Average durations of DHS-I-modified modes increased with DHS-I concentration, and distributions of these mode durations contained two or more exponential components. In addition, dose-dependent increases in channel open probability from low initial values were high order with average Hill slopes of 2.4–2.9 under different conditions, suggesting at least three to four DHS-I molecules bind to maximally activate the channel. Changes in membrane potential over a 60-mV range appeared to have little effect on DHS-I binding. DHS-I modified calcium- and voltage-dependent channel gating. 100 nM DHS-I caused a threefold decrease in concentration of calcium required to half maximally open channels. DHS-I shifted the midpoint voltage for channel opening to more hyperpolarized potentials with a maximum shift of −105 mV. 100 nM DHS-I had a larger effect on voltage-dependent compared with calcium-dependent channel gating, suggesting DHS-I may differentiate these gating mechanisms. A model specifying four identical, noninteracting binding sites, where DHS-I binds to open conformations with 10–20-fold higher affinity than to closed conformations, explained changes in voltage-dependent gating and DHS-I-induced modes. This model of channel activation by DHS-I may provide a framework for understanding protein structures underlying maxi-K channel gating, and may provide a basis for understanding ligand activation of other ion channels.
Brand Extension Effects and Core Attributes of Experience Product Franchises: A Bayesian Approach

An experience product's quality is difficult to assess prior to purchase, largely due to the limited availability of information before consumption. In the absence of perfect information, firms routinely use certain market signals to provide product quality information to consumers. Accordingly, drawing from signaling theory, this research aims to identify a collection of product core attributes in the form of signals and brand extension features to successfully manage experience product franchises. In doing so, we make use of Bayesian models with both deterministic effects via the use of predictor variables and probabilistic effects via the use of brand extension properties. Such models allow us to explore specifically the relative performance effects of the parent product of a franchise and of its extensions given the same level of product core attributes. The results of this study, based on the motion picture franchise data, indicate that there are critical product core attributes such as continuity, timing, and prior perception that collectively lead to successful successive generations. Furthermore, our study shows that brand features measured by the relationships between the parent product and its subsequent extensions at the infancy of the franchise are essential for the continuation of experience products. Similarly, our results indicate that the parent product's success on later extensions' performance starts to diminish, implying that the established “brand name” is what carries the franchise forward
Stability and Guaranteed Cost Control for Quantized Feedback Networked Control System

The problem of quantization-dependent stability and guaranteed cost control for a class quantized feedback networked control systems(QFNCSs) with the bounded quantization errors are studied. By using the Lyapunov-Krasovskii function and Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) technique, a sufficient condition for stability and stabilization of QFNCSs is presented, the most signify-cant feature is to given a unified study of quantization and delay effects in QFNCSs. An illustrative example shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Goal-Oriented Service Selection in Business Processes

The web services paradigm enables the implementation of business processes by orchestrating one or more existing services. Service selection is the use of techniques to select services for business processes based on non-functional properties such as Quality-of-Service (QoS) metrics. Although goals are a central concept in business process management, existing service selection approaches are mainly activity-oriented and do not efficiently address cases where more than one activity is performed by the same service to achieve a particular goal in the process. This paper presents a goal-oriented approach to service selection, which uses goal-decomposition and capability selection contexts to overcome this limitation.
Graphics and Natural Language as Components of Automatic Explanation

An important component of adaptable interactive systems is the ability to model the system's users. Previous systems have relied on user models tailored to the particular needs of that system alone. This paper presents the notion of a general user model, and describes some of our research on building a general user modelling facility that could be used by a variety of applications. This work focuses on the representation, maintenance, and acquisition issues of modelling long-term beliefs of the user, and describes a general facility for accomplishing these tasks.
Educational Communities of Inquiry: Theoretical Framework, Research and Practice.

Zehra Akyol is a researcher and practitioner with interest in teaching and learning online and blended learning environments. She got her PhD degree in the field of Educational Technology. She conducted her doctoral research at University of Calgary focusing community development in online and blended learning environments and the factors affecting the development of communities of inquiry in these learning environments. Recently, she is studying metacognitive development in a community of inquiry environment in relation to learning and cognition. She is a member of the community of inquiry research group and on editorial review boards of several journals in the distance education and educational technology. Zehra Akyol (Canada) and D. Randy Garrison (University of Calgary, Canada)