Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Boosting Dynamic Programming with Neural Networks for Solving NP-hard Problems

Dynamic programming is a powerful method for solving combinatorial optimization problems. However, it does not always work well, particularly for some NP-hard problems having extremely large state spaces. In this paper, we propose an approach to boost the capability of dynamic programming with neural networks. First, we replace the conventional tabular method with neural networks of polynomial sizes to approximately represent dynamic programming functions. And then we design an iterative algorithm to train the neural network with data generated from a solution reconstruction process. Our method combines the approximating ability and flexibility of neural networks and the advantage of dynamic programming in utilizing intrinsic properties of a problem. This approach can significantly reduce the space complexity and it is flexible in balancing space, running time, and accuracy. We apply the method to the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP). The experimental results show that our approach can solve larger problems that are intractable for conventional dynamic programming and the performances are near optimal, outperforming the well-known approximation algorithms.
Space‐time NURBS‐enhanced finite elements for free‐surface flows in 2D

The accuracy of numerical simulations of free‐surface flows depends strongly on the computation of geometric quantities like normal vectors and curvatures. This geometrical information is additional to the actual degrees of freedom and usually requires a much finer discretization of the computational domain than the flow solution itself. Therefore, the utilization of a numerical method, which uses standard functions to discretize the unknown function in combination with an enhanced geometry representation is a natural step to improve the simulation efficiency. An example of such method is the NURBS‐enhanced finite element method (NEFEM), recently proposed by Sevilla et al. The current paper discusses the extension of the spatial NEFEM to space‐time methods and investigates the application of space‐time NURBS‐enhanced elements to free‐surface flows. Derived is also a kinematic rule for the NURBS motion in time, which is able to preserve mass conservation over time. Numerical examples show the ability of the space‐time NEFEM to account for both pressure discontinuities and surface tension effects and compute smooth free‐surface forms. For these examples, the advantages of the NEFEM compared with the classical FEM are shown. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Challenges of Youth Unemployment in Nigeria: Effective Career Guidance as a Panacea

Unemployment has become a major problem bedeviling the lives of Nigerian youth, causing increased militancy, violent crimes, kidnappings, restiveness and socially delinquent behaviour. Youth unemployment is devastating to both the individual and the society as a whole both psychologically and economically. The paper examines the issue of youth unemployment and looks at potential interventions such as effective career guidance, technical and vocational education as well entrepreneurship education. A number of recommendations were made which include that youths should be trained to possess skills which are congruent with real labour market demand, developing a special focus on career guidance and counselling support in schools and introduction of entrepreneurship education into the school curriculum.
Lipoprotein metabolism in APOB L343V familial hypobetalipoproteinemia Abbreviated title: Lipoprotein metabolism in APOB L343V FHBL

Context: Familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL) is a co-dominant disorder of lipoprotein metabolism characterized by decreased plasma concentrations of low density lipoprotein (LDL)cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo) B. Objective: To examine the effect of heterozygous APOB L343V FHBL on postprandial triglyceriderich lipoprotein (TRL) and fasting lipoprotein metabolism. Methods: Plasma incremental area under the curve (iAUC) apoB-48 and apoB-48 kinetics were determined after ingestion of a standardized oral fat load using compartmental modeling. Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-, intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL)-, and LDL-apoB kinetics were determined in the fasting state using stable isotope methods and compartmental modeling. Results: The postprandial iAUC (0-10 h) in FHBL subjects (n=3) was lower for large TRLtriglyceride (-77%; P<0.0001), small TRL-cholesterol (-83%; P<0.001), small TRLtriglyceride (88%; P<0.001), and plasma triglyceride (-70%; P<0.01) and apoB (-63%, P<0.0001) compared with controls. Compartmental analysis showed that apoB-48 production was lower (-91%; P<0.05) compared with controls. VLDL-apoB concentrations in FHBL subjects (n=2) were lower by more than 75% compared with healthy, normolipidemic control subjects (P<0.01). VLDL-apoB fractional catabolic rate (FCR) was more than 5-fold higher in the FHBL subjects (P=0.07). ApoB production rates and IDLand LDL-apoB FCRs were not different between FHBL subjects and controls. Conclusions: We conclude that when compared to controls, APOB L343V FHBL heterozygotes show lower TRL production with normal postprandial TRL particle clearance. In contrast, VLDL-apoB production was normal, while the FCR was higher in heterozygotes compared with lean control subjects. These mechanisms account for the marked hypolipidemic state observed in these FHBL subjects.
Prevalence of gastrointestinal helminthes of donkeys and mules in and around Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

This study was conducted from October, 2010 to April, 2011 in and around Bahir Dar to identify the major gastrointestinal helminthes of donkeys and mules, to estimate prevalence of these parasites and their burden on equines. A total of 384 faecal samples (212 donkeys and 172 mules) were collected randomly for qualitative and quantitative faecal analyses. The overall prevalence of different parasites was found to be 88.21% in donkeys and 77.91% in mules. In the study area, 94.1% of donkeys and 84.33% of mules harbored two or more types of parasites (mixed infection). The parasites encountered in both donkeys and mules in the study period were strongyles species (65.09% and 66.28%), Trichostrongylus axei (42.45% and 31.97%), Triodontophorus spp. (36.32% and 33.72%), Trichonema spp. (34.91% and 37.79%), Parascaris equorum (13.68% and 10.46%), Dictyocaulus arnfieldi (22.17% and 8.14%), Anoplocephala (23.12% and 16.86%) and Fasciola spp. (17.92% and 13.95%), respectively. The prevalence of all identified parasites were statistically significant (p<0.05) between female and male donkeys. The prevalence of strongyles, T. axei, Triodontophorus, Trichonema , and P. equorum was statistically significant (p<0.05) among age groups of donkeys, but Anoplocephala and Fasciola was not. In mules, the prevalence of strongyles, Triodontophorus and Trichonema was statistically significant (p<0.05), but the prevalence of T. axei, P. equorum, D. arnfieldi, Anoplocephala, and Fasciola was not. The body condition score was negatively correlated (r=-0.664 for donkeys and r=-0.637 for mules, respectively) with total eggs per gram of faeces (EPG). The findings of the present study indicated a high prevalence of helminthic parasites compromising the health and welfare of equines. Sustainable prevention and control methods should be developed to prevent the burden of gastrointestinal helminthes of equines in and around Bahir Dar. Key words : Bahir Dar, donkeys, Ethiopia, gastrointestinal helminthes, mules, prevalence
( 243 ) STUDY ON FATAL HEPATIC COCCIDIOSIS IN RABBITS OF KASHMIR VALLEY

Hepatic coccidiosis occurred in rabbits belonging to different ages, sexes and breeds during the years from March -2004 to February2006. The clinical signs were anorexia, loss of weight, pallor of mucous membrane, debilitation, list-diarrhoea, icterus and rough hair coat. Impression smears from the liver nodules revealed the presence of numerous developmental stages of Eimeria stiedai. At necropsy, an enlarged liver with multifocal whitish nodules of 1 mm to 1cm size on the surface and throughout the parenchyma was seen. The epithelia of the bile ducts were also hyperplastic. Histopathology of the liver showed periportal fibrosis with marked thickening of the bile ductules and infiltration of their walls by mononuclear cells mainly lymphocytes and plasma cells.
ORTAOKUL VE LİSE DÜZEYİNDE ÖĞRENİM GÖREN KONSERVATUVAR ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN MÜZİK PERFORMANS KAYGILARININ ÇEŞİTLİ DEĞİŞKENLERE GÖRE İNCELENMESİ

Performans, profesyonel bir muzisyenin aktif muzik hayati devam ettigi surece kariyerinin onemli bir parcasidir. Profesyonel bir muzisyen ogrenciliginden itibaren calgisi ya da sesi ile ilgili teknik duzeyinin gelismesi icin yogun bir calisma sureci gecirmektedir. Teknik duzeyini sergileme asamasina geldiginde ise bir baska faktor ortaya cikmaktadir. O da performans kaygisi ve onun kontroludur. Bu calismada, ortaokul ve lise duzeyinde ogrenim goren konservatuvar muzik ogrencilerinin muzik performans kaygilari (MPK) cesitli degiskenlere gore incelenmistir. Arastirmanin sonuclarina gore, kiz ogrencilerin MPK duzeylerinin, erkek ogrencilere gore yuksek oldugu, yayli calgi calan ogrencilerin daha yuksek MPK duzeyine sahip olduklari, calisma suresi yukseldikce basariya iliskin alginin da arttigi, sinif duzeyi yukseldikce MPK’nin arttigi, ilk sahne deneyimi yasi kuculdukce MPK’nin azaldigi gorulmustur. Bununla beraber ogrencilerin anne-baba egitim durumunun ve mezun olduklari okul turunun MPK acisindan anlamli bir fark olusturmadigi tespit edilmistir.
Distant galaxy clusters in the XMM large scale structure survey

Distant galaxy clusters provide important tests of the growth of large-scale structure in addition to highlighting the process of galaxy evolution in a consistently defined environment at large look-back time. We present a sample of 22 distant (z \textgreater 0.8) galaxy clusters and cluster candidates selected from the 9 deg(2) footprint of the overlapping X-ray Multi Mirror (XMM) Large Scale Structure (LSS), CFHTLS-Wide and Spitzer-SWIRE surveys. Clusters are selected as extended X-ray sources with an accompanying overdensity of galaxies displaying optical to mid-infrared photometry consistent with z \textgreater 0.8. Nine clusters have confirmed spectroscopic redshifts in the interval 0.8 \textless z \textless 1.2, four of which are presented here for the first time. A further 11 candidate clusters have between 8 and 10 band photometric redshifts in the interval 0.8 \textless z \textless 2.2, while the remaining two candidates do not have information in sufficient wavebands to generate a reliable photometric redshift. All of the candidate clusters reported in this paper are presented for the first time. Those confirmed and candidate clusters with available near-infrared photometry display evidence for a red sequence galaxy population, determined either individually or via a stacking analysis, whose colour is consistent with the expectation of an old, coeval stellar population observed at the cluster redshift. We further note that the sample displays a large range of red fraction values indicating that the clusters may be at different stages of red sequence assembly. We compare the observed X-ray emission to the flux expected from a suite of model clusters and find that the sample displays an effective mass limit M-200 similar to 1 x 10(14) M-circle dot with all clusters displaying masses consistent with M-200 \textless 5 x 10(14) M-circle dot. This XMM distant cluster study represents a complete sample of X-ray-selected z \textgreater 0.8 clusters. We discuss the importance of this sample to investigate the abundance of high-redshift clusters and to provide a relatively unbiased view of distant cluster galaxy populations.
Early Childhood Caries and a Community Trial of its Prevention in Tehran, Iran

Mohebbi SZ. Early Childhood Caries and a Community Trial of its Prevention in Tehran, Iran. Department of Oral Public Health, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Finland, 2008. 92 pp. ISBN 978-952-10-4679-7. The present study assessed the prevalence of and risk factors for Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in children 12to 36month-old and evaluated the impacts of an educational intervention on ECC prevention in the 12to 15-month-old cohort. The target population included 12to 36-month-olds (n = 504) and their mothers attending the vaccination offices of 18 randomly selected public health centers of Tehran city. The mother was first interviewed by a structured questionnaire covering background factors, feeding habits, daytime sugar intake, mother’s and child’s oral cleaning habits, and mother’s perception toward her ability to maintain the child’s oral hygiene; then the child’s clinical dental examination was carried out covering caries experience and dental plaque status. In addition, the 12to 15-month-olds (n = 242) were assigned to a six-month interventional study. The 18 health centers were randomly allocated into two groups for intervention and one for control. The mothers in the intervention groups received education on caries prevention from the vaccination staff with extra motivation as reminder phone calls in one of the intervention groups. The outcome was measured as differences in increments of enamel and dentinal caries and as mothers’ perceptions about the usefulness of intervention. The results showed that the prevalence of ECC was rather high (3%-26%) in the three age groups, and almost all dmft was due to untreated caries. The majority of the children showed visible plaque on central upper incisors. Oral cleaning on a daily basis was reported for just 68% of mothers and 39% of children. The frequency of oral cleaning and good oral hygiene of the child were directly proportional to the mother’s own toothbrushing frequency. Of the children, 98% were solely or partly breastfed. ECC was more likely to occur among those for whom the burden of milk-bottle feeding at night existed (OR = 4.9), while breastfeeding per se, its duration, and its nighttime burden were not related to ECC. The indicator of daytime sugar intake also did not show a clear relationship with ECC. The educational intervention applying a pamphlet with some extra motivation and implemented by non-dental staff of public health centers appeared to be successful in preventing caries increments and mothers
Professional Success among Iranian University Professors of TEFL: A study on the Basis of Goffman's Footing Theory

This study aimed at exploring the influence of the role that a teacher employs on his/her professional success. The teacher role was investigated from a new outlook, Goffman's footing theory. According to Goffman (1981), a speaker's role can be classified into three categories of animator, author, and principal, characterized as the repeater of the ideas made by the others, the paraphraser of concepts, and the creator of original ideas, respectively. Applying this theory in the educational context, the researchers selected 36 university professors of TEFL in the MA level and asked their students (N=118) to identify their professors' dominant role as animator, author, or principal, both generally and individually, via a metaphor checklist and their professional success via the Characteristic of Successful Iranian EFL Teacher Questionnaire. The results of Chi-square analysis indicated that the professors dominantly take on the author and animator roles respectively. One-way Anova results also demonstrated that the professors taking on the principal role enjoy higher professional success than those adopting the animator and author roles. The results offer implications and suggestions for pedagogical consideration within the Iranian university context.
A longitudinal study of stress‐buffering effects for urban African‐American male adolescent problem behaviors and mental health

The stress-buffering hypothesis was explored longitudinally in a sample of 173 urban, male, African-American adolescents. Data on parental and friend support, stressful life events, alcohol and substance use, delinquency, and psychological symptoms were collected twice, six months apart. No support for the stress-buffering hypothesis was found for any of the dependent variables. Friend support also was unrelated to the dependent variables longitudinally. Parental support predicted less anxiety and depression longitudinally, but psychological symptoms did not predict increased parental support over time. The findings suggest that parental support may help insulate these African-American youths from anxiety and depression, but that the youths' symptoms do not necessarily activate increased levels of parental support. The results of this study add to the growing body of research that indicates the positive role parental support plays in the healthy development of African-American adolescents. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Evolution of Oxygen Isotopic Composition in the Inner Solar Nebula

Changes in the chemical and isotopic composition of the solar nebula with time are reflected in the properties of different constituents that are preserved in chondritic meteorites. CR-group carbonaceous chondrites are among the most primitive of all chondrite types and must have preserved solar nebula records largely unchanged. We have analyzed the oxygen and magnesium isotopes in a range of the CR constituents of different formation temperatures and ages, including refractory inclusions and chondrules of various types. The results provide new constraints on the time variation of the oxygen isotopic composition of the inner (<5 AU) solar nebula—the region where refractory inclusions and chondrules most likely formed. A chronology based on the decay of short-lived 26Al (t1/2 ~ 0.73 Myr) indicates that the inner solar nebula gas was 16O-rich when refractory inclusions formed, but less than 0.8 Myr later, gas in the inner solar nebula became 16O-poor, and this state persisted at least until CR chondrules formed ~1-2 Myr later. We suggest that the inner solar nebula became 16O-poor because meter-sized icy bodies, which were enriched in 17O and 18O as a result of isotopic self-shielding during the ultraviolet photodissociation of CO in the protosolar molecular cloud or protoplanetary disk, agglomerated outside the snow line, drifted rapidly toward the Sun, and evaporated at the snow line. This led to significant enrichment in 16O-depleted water, which then spread through the inner solar system. Astronomical studies of the spatial and temporal variations of water abundance in protoplanetary disks may clarify these processes.
Update on Envisat/SCIAMACHY Validation with Balloon-Borne DOAS Instruments: Comparison of O 3 , NO 2 and BrO Profiles

Here the level 2 product validation (profiles of O3, NO2 and BrO inferred by the IUP Bremen) from the Envisat/SCIAMACHY instrument is updated with spectroscopic balloon-borne measurements of the same quantities during 2003 2009. Generally, the satellite and the balloon-borne O3 retrievals agree within 15 to 20 % above 15 km. For NO2, a good agreement of < 20% is found for altitude > 18 km. For lower altitudes the relative differences increase, reaching about 40% at 15 km. For BrO we extend earlier validation studies of the BrO profile inter-comparison [1, 15]. A fair agreement of typical 20% discrepancies is found for BrO profile measurements between 15 and 25 km at mid and high-latitudes. For inter-comparisons of tropical measurements the discrepancy ranges between 20-50% above 20 km.
Coexisting shear‐ and compressional‐wave seismic velocity discontinuities beneath the central Pacific

Stacking of broadband shear waves (S) and short‐period compressional waves (P) provides compelling evidence for the existence of a localized discontinuous increase in both S and P wave velocity 230 km above the core‐mantle boundary (CMB) beneath the central Pacific. Modelling indicates a 1.7% increase in S velocity (VS) and a 0.75% increase in P velocity (VP). Similar features have been detected intermittently on a global basis, but seldom with S and P structure being resolved in the same location. Previous evidence for anisotropy near the CMB beneath the central Pacific suggests that the discontinuity may be related to anisotropic fabrics induced by flow in the thermal boundary layer above the core.
The Decline in Household Saving and the Wealth Effect

Using a unique set of household-level panel data, we estimate the effect of capital gains on saving by asset type, controlling for observable and unobservable household-specific fixed effects. The results suggest that the decline in the personal saving rate since 1984 is largely due to the significant capital gains in corporate equities experienced over this period. Over 5-year periods, the effect of capital gains in corporate equities on saving is substantially larger than the effect of capital gains in housing or other assets. Failure to differentiate wealth effects across asset types results in a significant understatement of their size.
Structural Equation Modeling

nondeterministic methods are probabilistic methods “that replace traditional deterministic approaches for making design decisions with a new risk-based approach that uses rigorous models to quantify uncertainty and assess safety” (Preface, p. ix). Applications in Part 3 of the handbook are limited to the first three industries listed above. Participants as authors include engineers and scientists, as well as statisticians, from industry and from government agencies such as NASA, plus the usual coterie of academic participants. Altogether 76 authors and co-authors have assembled 45 different chapters. The first seven chapters constitute Part 1, “Status and Future of Nondeterministic Approaches” (NDA’s). These chapters focus on methods for product design and the research that supports the creation and development of new reliability methodologies. The next 20 chapters have been gathered under the heading for Part 2, “Nondeterministic Modeling: Critical Issues and Recent Advances. ” Some of the statistical topics that can be found here are uncertainty, information theory, evidence theory, interval methods, expert knowledge, reliability models, system reliability, probability models, response surfaces, Bayesian modeling and updating, accelerated life testing, and variance-reduction techniques, where the foregoing laundry list follows the order of the chapters. The mathematical level of a number of these chapters is at or above the content of Meeker and Escobar (1998), the most comprehensive statistical reliability textbook. This is certainly not the technical level of a book for reliability engineers, such as O’Connor (2002). I did not expect to find a lot of interesting chapters among the applications in Part III, since BP does not design and deliver products in very many of its businesses. There are a number of chapters that relate to design in aerospace or machinery. There are also chapters on reliability assessment, such as corrosionfatigue damage, a common problem in refineries, and analysis for composite structures, which are everywhere in oil and gas production. There is a chapter on reliability assessment for ships, a big issue for a company like BP that owns a fleet of ships that transport liquefied natural gas. There is another chapter on reliability assessment and maintenance for large pipelines. BP owns a few thousand miles of those, whose reliability is critical to the operation of the entire business. Some of these chapters have some mathematical content, but generally they are more typical of the engineering reliability textbook genre. This is probably not a book that should be on every reliability engineer’s desktop. Too many papers have a research orientation to their content. However, any organization in industry, government, or academia that has an interest in reliability technology should make sure to acquire copies for their associated libraries. Every scientist or engineer with an interest in reliability should be able to find something of interest in this handbook.