Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical concept learning based on functional similarity of actions

Imitation is different from other similar social learning techniques such as mimicking. True imitation is goal-directed and involves abstraction. This paper presents a hierarchical concept learning scheme, which uses imitation to learn new actions based on perceived observations. Presented demonstrations are composed of a spatio-temporal signal and a feature vector. In this paper a probabilistic model is provided in order to represent these hybrid demonstrations. These models have been used in an autonomous concept learning algorithm which uses effects of actions as a measure of functional similarity. Also a functional space is defined to determine concepts similarity. An algorithm for high-level concept formation in this space is provided. The proposed methods are used and evaluated in an air hockey simulation environment. Simulation results show efficiency of the proposed methods in recognition and reproduction of air hockey basic shots and their ability for hierarchical concept learning.
Receiver operating characteristic analysis of the performance of basal serum hormone profiles for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome in epidemiological studies.

OBJECTIVE We have used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine the diagnostic performance of several serum parameters, in order to evaluate their potential usefulness in establishing the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in epidemiological studies. DESIGN Prospective study. METHODS One hundred and fourteen women reporting spontaneously for blood donation were included in the study. Menopausal and oral contraceptive-treated women were excluded. Serum samples were obtained at the moment of donation, independently of fasting, time of day or day of menstrual cycle. Measurements included total testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), LH, FSH and estradiol. The free testosterone (FT) concentration and the free androgen index (FAI) were calculated from testosterone and SHBG levels. ROC curves were calculated for all these serum determinations. RESULTS Eight patients were diagnosed with PCOS, according to the presence of oligomenorrhea, hirsutism, acne and/or hyperandrogenemia, and exclusion of non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hypothyroidism and hyperprolactinemia. Of the parameters studied SHBG, FAI, FT and DHEAS were considered adequate measures for the diagnosis of PCOS. For example, serum SHBG levels showed an area under the ROC curve of 0.875+/-(S.E.(w))0.045 (95% confidence interval 0.800-0.929). A SHBG decision threshold <37 nmol/l had a sensitivity of 87.5%, a specificity of 86.8%, a positive likelihood ratio of 6.63, and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.14, for the diagnosis of PCOS. CONCLUSIONS Our present results strongly suggest that decreased SHBG levels, and increased FAI, free testosterone concentration and DHEAS concentrations, are highly effective as single analytical procedures in epidemiological studies for the detection of PCOS in women of reproductive age.
Comparison of Vitek and Cobas Micro systems with a semiautomated conventional microsystem for identification and susceptibility testing of gram negative bacilli.

AIMS--To compare the sensitivity and specificity of two semiautomated systems against a conventional (MIC 2000) test system for the identification and antibiotic susceptibility of Gram negative bacteria. METHODS--Clinical isolates of Gram negative bacilli (188 urinary and 229 non-urinary strains) were identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility in the Cobas Micro and MIC 2000 systems. Of these, 359 strains were then tested in the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems. Two hundred and forty three strains were tested in all three systems immediately after isolation. Forty three were also tested only in the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems immediately after isolation. The remaining 174 strains were tested after storage at -20 degrees C for several months. RESULTS--The Cobas Micro and MIC 2000 systems agreed on the identification of 310 of the 417 (74.3%) strains; the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems agreed on 338 of the 359 (94.2%) strains. The Cobas Micro system correctly identified 86.8% of strains tested after storage and 65.4% of those immediately after isolation. Organism-antibiotic combinations (non-urinary isolates) were tested in the Cobas Micro and MIC 2000 systems (n = 2335), in the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems (n = 999). Essential correlation (complete agreement plus minor errors) was observed in 98% (with 90% complete agreement) in the former and in 97% (with 86% complete agreement) in the latter. For the urinary isolates, 1949 organism-antibiotic combinations were analysed in the Cobas Micro and MIC 2000 systems where complete agreement was observed in 92% (with 3% very major discrepancies), for 1382 urinary organism-antibiotic combinations tested in the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems, the figures were 95% and 2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS--The Vitek system is highly accurate in the identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of Gram negative bacteria. The Cobas Micro system has many shortcomings in its identification of Gram negative rods, especially freshly isolated strains, but it is comparable with the Vitek system in antibiotic susceptibility testing.
Did the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement Really Improve Team Efficiency in the NHL

After the lockout season in 2004, the 2005 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) introduced salary regulations, as well as revenue sharing, to the teams of the National Hockey League (NHL) with the aim to restore financial competitiveness. Given these objectives, the question arises if efficiencies improved under the new CBA. Using team values as the dependent variable, we performed a stochastic frontier analysis. Our paper suggests that efficiencies immediately improved after the agreement, in particular for low performing teams.
Protecting User Privacy By Using Decentralized Key-Policy Attribute-Based Encryption

Decentralized key policy ABE where each authority can issue the secret key to user independently without any cooperation of a central authority. It means that that there is no need to trust on to the central authority due to this even if multiple authorities are corrupted they can’t collect the users attributes by tracing users GID. In decentralized key-attribute based encryption both the user secret key and the ciphertext are label with set of different attribute. Message can be encrypt under set of attribute so if anyone want the decrypt the ciphertext the receiver must obtain data only when there is match between his secret key and attribute listed in the ciphertext. In multi authority ABE secret key of different users from different authorities must be tied to his global identifier (GID). To avoid collagen attack this is not efficient to protect the users privacy. So we propose Decentralized key policy ABE scheme to protect the users privacy in this scheme each authority can issue secrete key to users separately without having any idea of his GID. This scheme required standard complexity assumption e.g. (Decisional by linear deffie-Hellman) dbdh instead of non standard complexity assumption (e.g., qdecisional Diffie-Hellman inversion) which is used in previous scheme. KeywordsAttribute based encryption multi authority, privacy.
Variations in the Origin of Inferior Phrenic Arteries and Their Relationship to Celiac Axis Variations on CT Angiography

Objective Knowing the origin of the inferior phrenic artery (IPA) is important prior to surgical interventions and interventional radiological procedures related to IPA. We aimed to identify variations in the origin of IPA and to investigate the relationship between the origin of IPA and celiac axis variations using computed tomography angiography (CTA). Materials and Methods The CTA images of 1000 patients (737 male and 263 female, the mean age 60, range 18–94 years) were reviewed in an analysis of IPA and celiac axis variations. The origin of IPA was divided into two groups, those originating as a common trunk and those originating independently without a truncus. The relationship between the origin of IPA and celiac axis variation was analyzed using Pearson's chi-square test. Results Both IPAs originated from a common trunk in 295 (29.5%) patients. From which the majority of the common trunk originated from the aorta. Contrastingly, the inferior phrenic arteries originated from different origins in 705 (70.5%) patients. The majority of the right inferior phrenic artery (RIPA) and the left inferior phrenic artery (LIPA) originated independently from the celiac axis. Variation in the celiac axis were detected in 110 (11%) patients. The origin of IPA was found to be significantly different in the presence of celiac axis variation. Conclusion The majority of IPA originated from the aorta in patients with a common IPA trunk, while the majority of RIPA and LIPA originating from the celiac axis in patients without a common IPA trunk. Thus, the origin of IPA may widely differ in the presence of celiac axis variation.
A Case Study of the Transfer Process of a Selected Group of Students from a Community College to a Four-Year Teacher Education Program.

This dissertation examined the transfer experiences of students who exited the Community College of Baltimore County (Maryland) and transferred to Towson University during 1999. The research questions addressed the issues of the role of the community college in teacher preparation and how the institutions help or hinder the transfer of prospective teacher education majors who begin their pre-service training at the community college. The researcher interviewed 14 transfer students and six higher education professionals from both the twoand four-year institutions. The study traced the history of the community college movement nationwide and in the state of Maryland, and cited efforts to improve transfer conditions for community college students who express an interest in majoring in teacher education at the baccalaureate level. The findings revealed five dominant themes: transfer tension; the ambiguous role of the community college in teacher preparation; the role of the students in the management of his/her transfer; the erection and maintenance of institutional barriers; and feelings of alienation, especially for non-traditional students. Recommendations included encouraging the college teacher education professionals to conduct substantive dialog about their respective philosophies of preparing teachers, and clarification of the role of the community college in teacher education. Appendices include surveys, consent forms, and interview protocols. (Contains 145 references.) (JA) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. A CASE STUDY OF THE TRANSFER PROCESS OF A SELECTED GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO A FOUR-YEAR TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM
Prevalence of Bifid Mandibular Condyle in a Selected Population in South of Iran

Statement of the Problem: Bifid mandibular condyle (BMC) is a rare anomaly of uncertain origin which may play a role in some defects in temporomandibular joints. Since it may be misinterpreted as fractures or tumors in condylar area, proper diagnosis will help to prevent unnecessary treatments. A comprehensive knowledge about BMC may help to understand the developmental course of condyle and temporomandibular joints more clearly. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of bifidity of condyle in a selected population in Iran by employing dental panoramic view. Materials and Method: Panoramic views of 1000 individuals (767 female, 233 male individuals) were assessed for bifidity. The patients were over 18 years old and had attended the radiology department of Shiraz dental school from September 2012 to March 2013. Results: A total of 35(3.5%) case of bifidity was detected. Unilateral form was much more prevalent (32 unilateral cases versus 3 bilateral). The left-side bifidity was 3 times more prevalent than the right side. A large number of bifid condyles (63%) have shown symptoms of temporomandibular joint pain or click or both. Conclusion: The prevalence of bifidity in our population was about 3.5%, which was significantly high compared to the other published reports. Symptoms (click and pain) were also much more detected in our study.
Estimating the Amount of Estimation in Accruals

This paper examines the link between the amount of estimation needed during the accrual generating process and the persistence of the accruals portion of earnings. We measure the amount of estimation needed during the accrual generating process using the number of estimation-related linguistic cues in the notes to the financial statements and the critical accounting policies section of the management discussion and analysis. Consistent with the conjecture in Sloan [1996], we find that accruals that need more estimation are less predictive of future earnings. We also find that such accruals map less into the past, current, or future cash flows in the spirit of Dechow and Dichev [2002]. When we decompose the number of estimation linguistic cues into a component that is due to the existence of specific accruals accounts and a component that is due to the within-accounts variations, we find that our results are driven by both components. Lastly, we find mixed evidence as to whether the amount of estimation in accruals is systematically associated with the accrual anomaly. Overall, our results suggest that the estimation needed during the accrual generating process plays an important role in understanding the persistence of accruals.
Rescaling the Governance of Renewable Energy: Lessons from the UK Devolution Experience

Abstract Efforts to rescale governance arrangements to foster sustainable development are rarely simple in their consequences, an out-turn examined in this paper through an analysis of how the governance of renewable energy in the UK has been impacted by the devolution of power to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Theoretically, attention is given to the ways in which multiple modes of governing renewable energy, and the interactions between modes and objects of governance, together configure the scalar organization of renewable energy governance. Our findings show how the devolved governments have created new, sub-national renewable energy strategies and targets, yet their effectiveness largely depends on UK-wide systems of subsidy. Moreover, shared support for particular objects of governance—large-scale, commercial electricity generation facilities—has driven all the devolved government to centralize and expedite the issuing of consents. This leads to a wider conclusion. While the level at which environmental problems are addressed can affect how they are governed, what key actors believe about the objects of governance can mediate the effects of any rescaling processes.
Duopoly Competition, Escape Dynamics and Non-Cooperative Collusion

In this paper, we study an imperfect monitoring model of duopoly under similar settings as in Green and Porter (1984), but here firms do not know the demand parameters and learn about them over time though the price signals. We investigate how a deviation from rational expectations affects the decision making process and what kind of behavior is sustainable in equilibrium. We find that the more common information firms analyze to update their beliefs, the more room is for implicit coordination. This might propagate escapes from the Cournot- Nash Equilibrium and the formation of cartels without explicit cooperative motives. In contrast to Green and Porter (1984), our results show that in a model with learning, breakdown of a cartel happens even without a demand shock. Moreover, in this model an expected price serves as an endogenous price threshold, which triggers a price war. Finally, by investigating the durations of the cooperative and price war phases, we find that in industries with a higher Nash equilibrium output and a lower volatility of firm-specific shocks, it is easier to maintain a cartel and harder to break it down.
Immigration to Scotland and the constitutional change debate: geography, difference and the question of scale

This paper seeks to extend understanding of how geographies of scale can contribute to the discussion surrounding migration and constitutional change. It asks the question, is immigration to Scotland distinctive? The 2011 Census is used to explore whether there are other scales at which Scotland’s possible claims to distinctiveness in terms of migration ‘experience’ and ‘needs’ can be assessed. The detailed and comprehensive perspective provided by the 2011 Census highlights the heterogeneous national immigration picture. The authors demonstrate the economic and policy evidence for developing a more nuanced approach to immigration policy. The implications of these findings are significant given the prospect of constitutional change in Scotland.
Dichotomous Distribution of Putative Cholinergic Interneurons in Mouse Accessory Olfactory Bulb

Sensory information processing in the olfactory bulb (OB) relies on diverse populations of bulbar interneurons. In rodents, the accessory OB (AOB) is divided into two bulbar regions, the anterior (aAOB) and posterior (pAOB), which differ substantially in their circuitry connections and associated behaviors. We previously identified and characterized a large number of morphologically diverse cholinergic interneurons in the main OB (MOB) using transgenic mice to visualize the cell bodies of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT-expressing neurons and immunolabeling (Krosnowski et al., 2012)). However, whether there are cholinergic neurons in the AOB is controversial and there is no detailed characterization of such neurons. Using the same line of ChAT(bacterial artificial chromosome, BAC)-enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) transgenic mice, we investigated cholinergic neurons in the AOB. We found significant differences in the number and location of GFP-expressing (GFP+), putative cholinergic interneurons between the aAOB and pAOB. The highest numbers of GFP+ interneurons were found in the aAOB glomerular layer (aGL) and pAOB mitral/tufted cell layer (pMCL). We also noted a high density of GFP+ interneurons encircling the border region of the pMCL. Interestingly, a small subset of glomeruli in the middle of the GL receives strong MCL GFP+ nerve processes. These local putative cholinergic-innervated glomeruli are situated just outside the aGL, setting the boundary between the pGL and aGL. Many but not all GFP+ neurons in the AOB were weakly labeled with antibodies against ChAT and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). We further determined if these GFP+ interneurons differ from other previously characterized interneuron populations in the AOB and found that AOB GFP+ interneurons express neither GABAergic nor dopaminergic markers and most also do not express the glutamatergic marker. Similar to the cholinergic interneurons of the MOB, some AOB GFP+ interneurons express the calcium binding protein, calbindin-D28K. Moreover, exposure to either a male intruder or soiled bedding from a mating cage leads to an increase in the number of c-Fos-expressing MCL GFP+ neurons. Taken together, our data reveal a population of largely unidentified putative cholinergic neurons in the AOB. Their dichotomous distribution in the aAOB and pAOB suggests region-specific cholinergic involvement in olfactory information processing.
Joint Crowdout: an Empirical Study of the Impact of Federal Grants on State Government Expenditures and Charitable Donations

We estimate the effect of exogenous federal expenditure cutbacks on state social service expenditures and on charitable donations. In the process, we also estimate tax and income effects and explore the impact of community environment and "need" variables. Data consist of a unique three-year panel of aggregate itemized giving by state and income class and government expenditures by state. Our results confirm the 'flypaper effect' of federal grants on state spending and show statistically significant but partial crowdout of charitable donations. The flypaper effects appears to dominate the crowdout of donations, so that federal grants are especially productive of overall social service expenditures. Finally, we find that the state's poverty rate is a particularly strong and positive determinant of charitable giving.
Effect of exogenous enzymes on the sugar content of wort of different sorghum varieties.

Four different sorghum varieties "Moskwar" MSK, "Yellow short kaura" YSK, "Jigari" JGR and "Kilburi" KLB were malted at room temperature. They had different malting losses, ranging from 5.4% to 10.6%, `moisture content of malt varies from 5.2% to 11.1%. The values of hot water extractable was from 4.0g/l to 6.7g/l. Similar values of cold water extractables of 2.0g/100g was observed in all the varieties. The diastatic power (dp) ranged between 13°L to 18°L. The mashing of four sorghum varieties with exogenous enzymes sources, sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) and yellow yam (Discorea cayenesis) showed an increase in the amounts of reducing sugar compared with the untreated malt. The disastatic power of sweet potato was 99°L and that of yellow yam was 69°L.
A GENERALIZED FRAMEWORK FOR CREDIT RISK PORTFOLIO MODELS

Sophisticated new credit risk portfolio modeling techniques have been developed recently, holding the potential for substantial reform of credit risk management techniques and regulatory capital guidelines. This paper examines three such credit risk portfolio models, placing them within a single general framework and demonstrating that they are little different in either theory or results, provided that input parameters are harmonized. This result, that a strong consensus has emerged in the approach to modeling default risk, has significant implications for the acceptance of these new techniques amongst both end-users and regulators.
An Efficient Anonymous Group Identification Scheme with Short Secret Keys Toshiyuki

We suggest to use short secret keys in the anonymous group identification scheme proposed by Lee, Deng, and Zhu [7] and prove that this scheme is secure under the discrete logarithm with short exponents assumption that solving the discrete logarithm problem modulo an n-bit prime p is hard even when the exponent is a small c-bit number. We show that the communication and the computation costs are lower than those of the Lee-Deng-Zhu scheme.