Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Indexing density models for incremental learning and anytime classification on data streams

Classification of streaming data faces three basic challenges: it has to deal with huge amounts of data, the varying time between two stream data items must be used best possible (anytime classification) and additional training data must be incrementally learned (anytime learning) for applying the classifier consistently to fast data streams. In this work, we propose a novel index-based technique that can handle all three of the above challenges using the established Bayes classifier on effective kernel density estimators. Our novel Bayes tree automatically generates (adapted efficiently to the individual object to be classified) a hierarchy of mixture densities that represent kernel density estimators at successively coarser levels. Our probability density queries together with novel classification improvement strategies provide the necessary information for very effective classification at any point of interruption. Moreover, we propose a novel evaluation method for anytime classification using Poisson streams and demonstrate the anytime learning performance of the Bayes tree.
On the sphericity of scaling limits of random planar quadrangulations

We give a new proof of a theorem by Le Gall and Paulin, showing that scaling limits of random planar quadrangulations are homeomorphic to the 2-sphere. The main geometric tool is a reinforcement of the notion of Gromov-Hausdorff convergence, called 1-regular convergence, that preserves topological properties of metric surfaces.
The Gold Standard and the Great Depression

This paper considers why political leaders and central bankers continued to adhere to the gold standard as the Great Depression intensified. We do not focus on the effects of the gold standard on the Depression, which have been documented elsewhere, but on the reasons why policy makers chose the policies they did. We argue that the mentality of the gold standard was pervasive and compelling to the leaders of the interwar economy. It was expressed and reinforced by the discourse among these leaders. It was opposed and finally defeated by mass politics, but only after the interaction of national policies had drawn the world into the Great Depression.
Differences between Male and Female Consumers of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in a National US Population: A Secondary Analysis of 2012 NIHS Data

We examined the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2012 to explore how US adult consumers of CAM differ by gender in terms of their sociodemographic characteristics, current health conditions, and perceived benefits of CAM. All individuals who completed the adults core interviews (N = 34,525) were included. CAM use, major sociodemographic variables, perceived benefits of using CAM, and top ten reported health conditions for which CAM was used were selected and analyzed by Stata. Findings revealed that 29.6% (n = 10,181) reported having used at least one form of CAM in the previous 12 months. Compared to male CAM users, female CAM users were more likely to have a bachelor degree, to be divorced/separated or widowed, and less likely to earn $75,000 or more. Back pain/problem was the most common problem reported by both male and female CAM users (32.2% and 22.6%, resp.). A higher proportion of female CAM users reported using CAM for perceived benefits such as general wellness or general disease prevention. This paper provides foundation information regarding gender differences in CAM use and is a platform for further in-depth examination into how and why males and females differ in their reasons for CAM use.
Assessment of Quality of Life of People Living With HIV/AIDS In Karnataka State

HIV not only affects the physical well being of an individual but also the overall Quality of life (QOL) . The assessment of QOL is more important to understanding how the people's lives are affected by HIV infection. It helps to evaluate the financial costs, benefits of new programmes to health care providers and policymakers. The objective of present study is to determine the impact of human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and HAART treatment on PLHIV. A total of 800 HIV positive patients above 18 years of age adults, who are on HA ART and newly enrolled for HIV care in different ART centers of Bangalore city were recruited after obtaining informed consent . ART and pre ART eligible patients were interviewed at different intervals by using WHO-brief scale. Each client participated in three in-depth interviews (IID's). QOL-assessment was done across a range of different socioeconomic, physical, psychological and clinical parameters. Factorial and principle component methods were employed to find out the significant difference between the various QOL domains. The mean age of the male and female patients was 32.14±6.30 and 32.50±6.23 years respectively. The overall mean score on a scale of 0-100 was found to be 19.50 in pre ART, and one year after completion of HAART, the mean score was119.20. A statistically significant QOL scores between psychological, physical and social relation domain is compared with educational status (P≤0.05). The present study is to quantify QOL -with regard to educational status, family income, occupation, family support, immunological and clinical factors. HAART treatment, educational status, and also good social relationships can improve the QOL.The living environment of PLHIVS is one of the most important determinants of overall QOL, it has been suggested that QOL may be uniquely affected by specific disease process such as AIDS. Factorial analysis and principle component- user friendly model is helpful for physicians, researchers and policymakers for taking clinical decisions and for implementation of new programmes.
Inequality and Turnout in Europe

Turnout research in Europe has for a long time neglected social structural inequalities as an important source of the individual willingness to participate in elections. This is mainly due to the fact that attitudinal characteristics proved to be much more important predictors of individual turnout in multivariate analyses. In addition, the seminal studies of Verba and his colleagues (1978) as well as of Barnes and Kaase (1979) pointed out that socio-economic biases for turnout are very limited in European countries. However, recent research has shown that turnout is related to socio-economic inequalities and that the decline in turnout rates witnessed by many European countries has partly been caused by lower electoral activity of citizens of lower socio-economic status (Anderson and Beramendi 2008; Gallego 2007; Schafer 2010; Solt 2008). This result has been linked to the fact that socio-economic inequalities have drastically increased in many European countries since the 1970ies (Brandolini and Smeeding 2008; OECD 2008). This paper’s focus is on the impact of socio-economic inequalities on participation at national parliamentary elections in European countries. By drawing on data from round 4 of the European Social Survey we link macro- and micro-level characteristics using a hierarchical modelling approach. Our main findings show that income has a strong positive effect on turnout in a large majority of European countries. However, there is a decisive difference between post-communist and the other countries. At the macro-level higher levels of inequality lead to lower turnout. Contexts with higher levels of inequality show smaller participation gaps between the rich and the poor.
Radio emission regions in pulsars

We study the concept of radius-to-frequency mapping using a geometrical method for the estimation of pulsar emission altitudes. The semi-empirical relationship proposed by Kijak &38; Gil is examined over three decades of radio frequency. It is argued that the emission region in a millisecond pulsar occupies the magnetosphere over a distance of up to about 30 per cent of the light-cylinder radius, and that in a normal pulsar occupies up to approximately 10 per cent of the light-cylinder radius.
The Impact of State Appropriations and Grants on Access to Higher Education and Outmigration

The question of how states can best use financial policy to achieve their goals is very important for many higher education stakeholders. In this study, the authors use panel data for all 50 states over a 20-year period to examine how state appropriations, need-based grants, and merit-based grants affect student enrollment in college and whether students migrate to other states for their postsecondary education. We find that increases within states in both appropriations and merit-based grants, but not need-based grants, lead to gains in postsecondary enrollment rates, and that merit-based grants are most effective at reducing outmigration for postsecondary education.
Shear‐wave splitting beneath the Galápagos archipelago

Shear‐wave splitting measurements in the Galápagos archipelago show a rapid change from consistently oriented anisotropy to no measurable anisotropy. At the western edge of the archipelago delay times are 0.4–0.9 s and fast polarization directions are 81–109°E. These directions are consistent with anisotropy resulting from shear of the asthenosphere by the overlying plate; there is no indication of fossil lithospheric anisotropy in the plate spreading direction. In contrast, beneath the center of the archipelago the upper mantle is isotropic or weakly anisotropic. The isotropic region coincides approximately with a volume of anomalously low upper mantle velocities, suggesting that the presence of melt may weaken the effects of fabric on anisotropy or that melt preferred orientation generates a vertical fast polarization direction. Alternatively, the complex flow field associated with a near‐ridge hotspot may result in apparent isotropy.
Audiovisual integration of emotional signals from others' social interactions

Audiovisual perception of emotions has been typically examined using displays of a solitary character (e.g., the face-voice and/or body-sound of one actor). However, in real life humans often face more complex multisensory social situations, involving more than one person. Here we ask if the audiovisual facilitation in emotion recognition previously found in simpler social situations extends to more complex and ecological situations. Stimuli consisting of the biological motion and voice of two interacting agents were used in two experiments. In Experiment 1, participants were presented with visual, auditory, auditory filtered/noisy, and audiovisual congruent and incongruent clips. We asked participants to judge whether the two agents were interacting happily or angrily. In Experiment 2, another group of participants repeated the same task, as in Experiment 1, while trying to ignore either the visual or the auditory information. The findings from both experiments indicate that when the reliability of the auditory cue was decreased participants weighted more the visual cue in their emotional judgments. This in turn translated in increased emotion recognition accuracy for the multisensory condition. Our findings thus point to a common mechanism of multisensory integration of emotional signals irrespective of social stimulus complexity.
Investigation of Dual-Mode Microstrip Bandpass Filter Based on SIR Technique

In this paper, a new bandpass filter design has been presented using simple topology of stepped impedance square loop resonator. The proposed bandpass filter has been simulated and fabricated using a substrate with an insulation constant of 10.8, thickness of 1.27mm and loss tangent of 0.0023 at center frequency of 5.8 GHz. The simulation results have been evaluated using Sonnet simulator that is extensively adopted in microwave analysis and implementation. The output frequency results demonstrated that the proposed filter has high-quality frequency responses in addition to isolated second harmonic frequency. Besides, this filter has very small surface area and perceptible narrow band response features that represent the conditions of recent wireless communication systems. Various filter specifications have been compared with different magnitudes of perturbation element dimension. Furthermore, phase scattering response and current intensity distribution of the proposed filter have been discussed. The simulated and experimental results are well-matched. Lastly, the features of the proposed filter have been compared with other designed microstrip filters in the literature.
The impact of social media use on academic performance among university students: a pilot study

There is no doubt that Social media has gained wider acceptability and usability and is also becoming probably the most important communication tools among students especially at the higher level of educational pursuit. As much as social media is viewed as having bridged the gap in communication that existed. Within the social media Facebook, Twitter and others are now gaining more and more patronage. These websites and social forums are way of communicating directly with other people socially. Social media has the potentials of influencing decision-making in a very short time regardless of the distance. On the bases of its influence, benefits and demerits this study is carried out in order to highlight the potentials of social media in the academic setting by collaborative learning and improve the students' academic performance. The results show that collaborative learning positively and significantly with interactive with peers, interactive with teachers and engagement which impact the students’ academic performance.
Sakai-Sugimoto Brane System at High Density

The D4-D8 brane system of Sakai-Sugimoto model at high quark density is studied in the weak coupling regime. We show that the color superconducting phase (for Nc~3) or the chiral density wave (for Nc->infinity) disappears at very large chemical potential, or equivalently at very large compactified dimension that the model possesses. We also comment on the prospects in the strong coupling regime along with the QCD phase diagram.
Learning Shared Representations in Multi-task Reinforcement Learning

We investigate a paradigm in multi-task reinforcement learning (MT-RL) in which an agent is placed in an environment and needs to learn to perform a series of tasks, within this space. Since the environment does not change, there is potentially a lot of common ground amongst tasks and learning to solve them individually seems extremely wasteful. In this paper, we explicitly model and learn this shared structure as it arises in the state-action value space. We will show how one can jointly learn optimal value-functions by modifying the popular Value-Iteration and Policy-Iteration procedures to accommodate this shared representation assumption and leverage the power of multi-task supervised learning. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed model and training procedures, are able to infer good value functions, even under low samples regimes. In addition to data efficiency, we will show in our analysis, that learning abstractions of the state space jointly across tasks leads to more robust, transferable representations with the potential for better generalization. this shared representation assumption and leverage the power of multi-task supervised learning. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed model and training procedures, are able to infer good value functions, even under low samples regimes. In addition to data efficiency, we will show in our analysis, that learning abstractions of the state space jointly across tasks leads to more robust, transferable representations with the potential for better generalization.
Analysis of the association between adiponectin, adiponectin receptor 1 and diabetic cardiomyopathy

The aim of this study was to explore the association between adiponectin (APN), APN receptors and insulin resistance (IR) using rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as a model of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). Serum and cardiac APN levels were assessed using a double-antibody sandwich ELISA. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression of the myocardial APN receptor 1 (AdipoR1) was determined using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining. The results showed that the heart weight/body weight ratio, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and lipid levels, and the homeostasis model assessment-estimated IR (HOMA-IR) index were elevated in the T2DM group compared with the control group. Cardiac function was significantly lower in the T2DM group compared with the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, serum and cardiac APN levels were significantly reduced in the T2DM group compared with the control group, and mRNA and protein expression of AdipoR1 was lower in the T2DM group compared with the control group (P<0.05). Changes in the morphology of myocardial cells were observed under the light microscope using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Myocardial cell hypertrophy, a disordered cell arrangement and irregular nuclear size were observed in the T2DM group. By contrast, myocardial cells in the control group were arranged in neat rows with uniform cytoplasmic and nuclear staining. According to the correlation analyses, serum APN levels in the T2DM group were negatively correlated with FPG, triglyceride, total cholesterol and fasting insulin (FINS) levels, as well as with the HOMA-IR index. Myocardial AdipoR1 protein expression was positively correlated with myocardial APN levels, and negatively correlated with FINS and HOMA-IR. It may be concluded that myocardial and serum levels of APN are reduced in rats with DC. Metabolic disorders of blood glucose and lipid levels, as well as IR, are associated with low APN levels. Furthermore, low levels of myocardial Adipo1R mRNA and protein expression correlate with reduced insulin sensitivity.
Autochthonous Infections with Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 4, France

During January–March 2011, diagnoses of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection increased in Marseille University hospitals in southeastern France. HEV genotype 4, which is described almost exclusively in Asia, was recovered from 2 persons who ate uncooked pork liver sausage. Genetic sequences were 96.7% identical to those recently described in swine in Europe.
Soft-copy mammographic readings with different computer-assisted detection cuing environments: preliminary findings.

PURPOSE To assess the performance of radiologists in the detection of masses and microcalcification clusters on digitized mammograms by using different computer-assisted detection (CAD) cuing environments. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two hundred nine digitized mammograms depicting 57 verified masses and 38 microcalcification clusters in 85 positive and 35 negative cases were interpreted independently by seven radiologists using five display modes. Except for the first mode, for which no CAD results were provided, suspicious regions identified with a CAD scheme were cued in all the other modes by using a combination of two cuing sensitivities (90% and 50%) and two false-positive rates (0.5 and 2.0 per image). A receiver operating characteristic study was performed by using soft-copy images. RESULTS CAD cuing at 90% sensitivity and a rate of 0.5 false-positive region per image improved observer performance levels significantly (P < .01). As accuracy of CAD cuing decreased so did observer performances (P < .01). Cuing specificity affected mass detection more significantly, while cuing sensitivity affected detection of microcalcification clusters more significantly (P < .01). Reduction of cuing sensitivity and specificity significantly increased false-negative rates in noncued areas (P < .05). Trends were consistent for all observers. CONCLUSION CAD systems have the potential to significantly improve diagnostic performance in mammography. However, poorly performing schemes could adversely affect observer performance in both cued and noncued areas.
Current Issues Involving Affirmative Action and Higher Education.

This article examines current issues regarding affirmative action in today’s institutions of higher learning. It addresses the two recent cases decided before the U.S. Supreme Court concerning the University of Michigan’s policy. Two other recent and related issues, the Hopwood case and California’s Proposition 209 approach, are also examined. Then, an examination of related policies, such as state budget issues and faculty hiring, are examined in light of recent developments. While much has indeed been written on the history, politics and practices of affirmative action, this paper seeks to provide and illuminate a survey of current issues regarding affirmative action in today’s institutions of higher learning.
The Influence of Locality, Training and Teaching Experience on the Approaches to Teaching Literature

Teaching and learning literature could be a daunting task for both instructors and learners. It requires teachers to employ suitable approaches and methodologies to ensure the effectiveness of the lesson. This serves as the main purpose of this study which is to discover the approaches employed by literature teachers. In addition, three significant dimensions will also be scrutinised which are locality, literature training and teaching experience. Utilizing questionnaire as the research instrument, this study involved 271 teachers as the respondents. Comparisons pertaining to the approaches employed based on locality, training and teaching experience were shown in the findings. To note, the majority of the respondents were found to be in favor of using simple terminologies as the most preferred approach. Meanwhile, the least favored approach was eliciting information from students. In addition, out of the three main variables, only teaching experience was found to show no significant difference. To summarise, locality, training and teaching experience may have significantly impacted teachers in selecting the approaches to be employed in a literature lesson. This may also assist in ensuring that the teaching and learning of literature reach its visions.
Multi-Faceted Proteomic Characterization of Host Protein Complement of Rift Valley Fever Virus Virions and Identification of Specific Heat Shock Proteins, Including HSP90, as Important Viral Host Factors

Rift Valley fever is a potentially fatal disease of humans and domestic animals caused by Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). Infection with RVFV in ruminants can cause near 100% abortion rates and recent outbreaks in naïve human populations have suggested case fatality rates of greater than thirty percent. To elucidate the roles that host proteins play during RVFV infection, proteomic analysis of RVFV virions was conducted using complementary analytical approaches, followed by functional validation studies of select identified host factors. Coupling the more traditional Gel LC/MS/MS approach (SDS PAGE followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry) with an alternative technique that preserves protein complexes allowed the protein complement of these viral particles to be thoroughly examined. In addition to viral proteins present within the virions and virion-associated host proteins, multiple macromolecular complexes were identified. Bioinformatic analysis showed that host chaperones were among over-represented protein families associated with virions, and functional experiments using siRNA gene silencing and small molecule inhibitors identified several of these heat shock proteins, including heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), as important viral host factors. Further analysis indicated that HSP inhibition effects occur during the replication/transcription phase of the virus life cycle, leading to significant lowering of viral titers without compromising the functional capacity of released virions. Overall, these studies provide much needed further insight into interactions between RVFV and host cells, increasing our understanding of the infection process and suggesting novel strategies for anti-viral development. In particular, considering that several HSP90 inhibitors have been advancing through clinical trials for cancer treatment, these results also highlight the exciting potential of repurposing HSP90 inhibitors to treat RVF.