Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The acquisition of lexical semantics for spatial terms: a connectionist model of perceptual categorization

This thesis describes a connectionist model which learns to perceive spatial events and relations in simple movies of 2-dimensional objects, so as to name the events and relations as a speaker of a particular natural language would. Thus, the model learns perceptually grounded semantics for natural language spatial terms. Natural languages differ--sometimes dramatically--in the ways in which they structure space. The aim here has been to have the model be able to perform this learning task for terms from any natural language, and to have learning take place in the absence of explicit negative evidence, in order to rule out ad hoc solutions and to approximate the conditions under which children learn. The central focus of this thesis is a connectionist system which has succeeded in learning spatial terms from a number of different languages. The design and construction of this system have resulted in several technical contributions. The first is a very simple but effective means of learning without explicit negative evidence, taking positive instances of other concepts as implicit negative instances of the concept being learned, and deliberately weakening the evidence from these implicit negatives so as to reduce the effect of false implicit negatives in cases where concepts overlap. This method is shown to be effective even in situations involving a high degree of overlap among concepts. In addition, this thesis presents the notion of partially-structured connectionism, a marriage of structured and unstructured network design techniques capturing the flexibility afforded by unstructured networks, and the tractability in learning and improved generalization ability that result from highly structured network design. Finally, the idea of learning within highly specialized structural devices is introduced, with the purpose of restricting the search during learning to a set of options known in advance to be of possible relevance. Scientifically, the primary result of the work described here is a computational model of the acquisition of visually grounded semantics. This model is shown to successfully learn terms for spatial events and relations from a range of languages with widely differing spatial systems, including English, Mixtec (a Mexican Indian language), German, Bengali, and Russian. The model exhibits prototype effects which roughly match human intuitions, and extensions to the core system model the linguistic phenomena of polysemy and deixis. While no claims are made regarding structure-to-structure correspondences between architectural elements of the model and structures in the brain, the model is informed by a number of neuroscientific results. And perhaps most importantly, the model does more than just recapitulate the data; it also generates a number of falsifiable linguistic predictions regarding the sorts of semantic features, and combinations of features, one might expect to find in lexemes for spatial events and relations in the world's natural languages.
Web-based Cooperative Learning, Learning Styles, And Student's Learning Outcomes

Abstract: This study was aimed to examine the effect of the instructional learning strategy (webbased STAD-type cooperative and text-based STAD-type cooperative learning strategies) and learning styles towards student learning achievement. This quasi-experimental study used a non-equivalent control group version of the factorial design. The subjects were the first-semester undergraduate students of Information Systems at STIKOM Surabaya. Sixty-nine (69) students were involved, 34 of whom were the subjects of the experimental group and 35 were the subjects of the control group. The collected data were statistically analyzed by using the two-way analysis of variance technique (ANOVA) with the significance level of 0.05. The findings of this research indicate that there was a significant difference in learning achievement, for the General Management course, between groups of students taught with the web-based STAD-type cooperative learning strategies and those taught with the text-based STAD-type cooperative learning strategies. Based on the findings, the researcher suggests lecturers to implement the STAD-type cooperative learning strategies, and use the web-based and text-based strategies simultaneously (complementarily) in the form of blended learning. Keywords: learning strategy, STAD type cooperative, web based learning, learning styles, learning outcomes PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF BERBASIS WEB, GAYA BELAJAR, DAN HASIL BELAJAR MAHASISWA Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh strategi pembelajaran (kooperatif tipe STAD berbasis web vs kooperatif tipe STAD berbasis teks) dan gaya belajar terhadap hasil belajar mahasiswa. Penelitian kuasi eksperimen ini menggunakan desain faktorial versi nonequivalen control group design. Subjek penelitian ini adalah mahasiswa program studi Sistem Informasi semester I di STIKOM Surabaya yang berjumlah 69 mahasiswa, terdiri dari 34 mahasiswa untuk kelas eksperimen dan 35 mahasiswa untuk kelas kontrol. Data yang terkumpul diolah secara statistik dengan menggunakan teknik analisis varian dua jalur dengan menggunakan taraf signifikansi 0,05. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan hasil belajar mata kuliah Manajemen Umum yang signifikan antara kelompok mahasiswa yang dibelajarkan dengan strategi kooperatif tipe STAD berbasis web dan strategi kooperatif tipe STAD berbasis teks. Berdasarkan temuan penelitian ini disarankan untuk menerapkan strategi pembelajaran kooperatif tipe STAD dan menggunakannya secara bersamaan (saling melengkapi) antara yang berbasis web dengan yang berbasis teks dalam bentuk blended learning. Kata Kunci: strategi pembelajaran, kooperatif tipe STAD, web base learning, gaya belajar, hasil belajar
Intradermal versus Staple Cutaneous Closure of Sternum after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Retrospective Comparison

Background: Cardiac surgery infections are infrequent but cause important complications. Predicting their occurrence is essential for future prevention. Objectives: This study aims at determining the difference in wound complication and infection rates between suture and staple cutaneous closure techniques applied to clean sternal incisions in coronary bypass patients at King Abdullah University Hospital, Jordan. Methods and Results: In a retrospective study, 1,338 coronary artery bypass grafting cases have been analyzed from May 5, 2002, to December 31, 2007. A sternal wound was studied retrospectively. 572 patients had wound closed with intradermal (subcuticular) sutures, 766 patients had wound closed with staples. Wounds were categorized as complicated (greater than normal erythema). A complicated wound was identified as infected if the patient had purulent discharge, if antibiotics had been prescribed for cellulites, or drainage procedure had been performed. Wounds were examined at discharge, after discharge at one week in the clinic, and at 3 to 4 weeks after surgery. Results: Significantly lower incidence of total wound complications with intradermal suture closure than with staple closure. Conclusions: Subcuticular suture closure of sternal skin incision is more cosmetic and has a lower infection rate
Finally a breakthrough? The recent rise in the size of the estimates of aid effectiveness

The authors have previously surveyed the AEL, aid (empirical) effectiveness literature, using the technique of meta-analysis. We reached the result that the small positive effect of aid on growth found in the average study is mostly a publication selection bias. This present study concentrates on the new literature from 2007 onward which is divided into: Period (A) 2007-08: where the AEL showed aid ineffectiveness. Period (B) 2009-12: where the results are better. Three hypotheses may explain the upward kink in the results: (i) Aid effectiveness has increased. (ii) A breakthrough has occurred in the models and estimators. (iii) The improvement is an artifact. Unfortunately the data support the third hypothesis only.
Essays on Quantitative Marketing Models and Monte Carlo Integration Methods

textabstractThe last few decades have led to an enormous increase in the availability of large detailed data sets and in the computing power needed to analyze such data. Furthermore, new models and new computing techniques have been developed to exploit both sources. All of this has allowed for addressing research questions via analyses which were infeasible to carry out previously. This thesis builds on both the modeling and the computing developments. The first part contains three quantitative marketing models. These models can be applied to scanner data to get a better understanding of purchase behavior of households and to infer the effectiveness of promotions on brand performance. The second part of the thesis provides an overview of several Monte Carlo techniques which can be used in Bayesian analyses to get insight into the posterior density of model parameters. Additionally, it describes a new methodology which extends current methods.
Adaptive Fuzzy Prescribed Performance Control of Nonlinear Systems With Hysteretic Actuator Nonlinearity and Faults

An adaptive prescribed performance control method is presented through the use of command filter theory for a class of uncertain systems with actuator hysteretic nonlinearity and unknown failures. The maximum overshoot and convergence rate of the tracking error can be guaranteed by the prescribed performance theory, especially when the unknown actuator failures and backlash nonlinearity occur at the same time. In addition, command filters are introduced to the backstepping design to address a modification that obviates the requirement to compute virtual control derivatives, meanwhile the errors caused by dynamic surface control technique can be compensated. From the Lyapunov stability analysis, it turns out that the proposed control method can guarantee all the signals of the resulting closed-loop system are bounded and better tracking performance can be obtained by adjusting design parameters of prescribed performance in the presence of unknown actuator hysteresis and failures. The simulation results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A study on puerperal events and postpartum reproductive performance in Kankrej cows.

A study was carried out on 42 normal parturient Kankrej cows of 2nd to 4th parity on an organized farm during the period from 2010–12 to evaluate the puerperal events and postpartum fertility with and without use of oestrus induction/synchronization protocols (viz., Ovsynch, CIDR, Ovsynch+CIDR, Cosynch and PGF2α) around day 90–95 postpartum in anoestrus/suboestrus cows. Palpation per rectum was carried out at five days interval from day 10 to 40 postpartum, to monitor ovarian changes and uterine involution, and around day 70–90 at 10 days intervals to confirm anoestrus/suboestrus condition. The plasma progesterone levels were estimated by RIA at 10 days interval from calving till 140 days postpartum. The birth weight of calf, time required for expulsion of fetal membranes and weight of expelled fetal membranes were 24.29 ± 1.54 kg, 5.04 ± 2.01 hrs and 2.84 ± 0.76 kg, respectively. Complete uterine involution was noted in Kankrej cows by mean interval of 36.80 ± 1.21 (range 32–45) days postpartum. The interval for occurrence of first oestrus postpartum clinically and through plasma progesterone profile was 105.49 ± 1.66 (range 86–106) and 56.42 ± 3.88 (range 30–80) days, respectively (P<0.05). The first service and overall conception rates of three consecutive cycles obtained were 30.95 (13/42) and 40.47 (17/42) per cent, respectively, within 150 days postpartum. The fertility response to all the five oestrus synchronization treatments used in anoestrus/suboestrus cows was at par with that of the normal cyclic cows in the same herd. However, the animals of the mega mineral bolus group showed significantly lower fertility response in stipulated time as compared to the control group.
The Association between Astigmatism and Spherical Refractive Error in A Clinical Population

Purpose: To determine the association between astigmatism and spherical refractive error in a clinical population Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 2,000 patients who presented to our optometry clinic were enrolled. All were tested for objective refraction with a Nidek AR-310A auto refractometer, and non-cycloplegic refraction. For those under 15 years of age, cycloplegic refraction was measured as well. Myopia and hyperopia were defined as a spherical power of -0.5 Diopter (D) or less and +0.5 D or greater, respectively. Astigmatism was defined as a cylinder power of ≥-0.5 D; with-the-rule (WTR) astigmatism if the steep axis was 0±20°, against-the-rule (ATR) astigmatism if the steep 90±20°, and oblique if the axis was in between. Results: The mean age of the participants in this study was 31.52±18.39 years, and 910 (45.5%) were male. The Mean cylinder power of the subjects with high myopia and high hyperopia was 1.92±0.25 and 1.48±0.19 D, respectively. The lowest prevalence of astigmatism was found in subjects with emmetropia (P<0.001). There was an age-related decrease in the prevalence of WTR astigmatism, and an increase in ATR and oblique astigmatism (P<0.001). Mean cylinder error in WTR, ATR, and oblique astigmatism groups was 1.59±1.24, 1.10±0.76, and 1.16±0.04 D, respectively (P<0.001), and absolute mean spherical error was 1.97±2.03, 1.49±1.54, and 1.68±1.71 D, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated an association between astigmatism and spherical refractive error. Higher amounts of astigmatism were seen in subjects with high spherical ametropia. Astigmatism axis was related to the cylinder and spherical powers which were both higher in subjects with WTR than those with ATR and oblique astigmatisms. In those with ATR astigmatism with the refractive status was close to emmetropia.
Clinical Screening May be a Cost-Effective Way to Screen for Severe Anaemia

Clinical screening for pallor is one of the most common methods of screening for anaemia. Health workers examine the face, inner lower eyelids or conjunctiva, palms, nail beds, and other body parts for paleness or pallor that may be a sign of anaemia. MotherCare found 17 studies that evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of using pallor to identify individuals with anaemia. the focus was to review the sensitivity of pallor screening to detect individuals with severe anaemia and to make recommendations to improve the sensitivity of screening for pallor. the studies confirmed that sensitivities increased as the haemoglobin level decreased.
Assessing IT usage: the role of prior experience

A variety of models that incorporate attitudinal, social, and control factor have been advanced to explain IT usage, of which the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is the most well know. One goal of such models is to develop diagnostic tools to predict information systems acceptance and facilitate design changes before users have experience with a system. However, empirical tests of these models have generally focused on either systems that were already in use by the study participants, or systems that the participants were familiar with, such as word processing packages and spreadsheets. Given this, it is unclear (1) whether models such as TAM are predictive of behavior for inexperienced users and, more importantly, (2) whether the determinants of IT usage are the same for experienced and inexperiened users of a system.
The supervision of research for dissertations and theses

South African higher institutions of learning are engaged in rapid transformation processes. Some of the consequences are that an increasing proportion of the postgraduate student body is from previously disadvantaged backgrounds and that the body of academic staff has also been transformed. In general, students have limited experience of independent research work as well as using library and other research facilities. However, quality research needs to be maintained. It is of great importance that academics should have the knowledge and skills to supervise research. However, preliminary research indicates that very little is done to equip academic staff in the skills of supervising research. A literature study is done to determine the nature of postgraduate supervision as well as the role of the supervisor and the student. From this investigation an interview schedule, consisting of open-ended questions, was composed to use in focus group interviews with academics from various local and international universities. The interviews revealed that seasoned supervisors experience the guidance of postgraduate students as quite satisfactory although a number of pitfalls were raised by supervisors with less experience in the field. None of the interviewees indicated that they have been formally trained to act as a supervisor. It was also indicated that students need much support and training in scientific formulation and writing. It seems that a definite need exists for newer academic staff to be schooled in research supervision.
Resource Use Efficiency in Milk Production and Milk Utilization Pattern of Milk Producers in Hilly Areas of Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand

The present study was conducted in hilly areas of two districts, viz. Nainital and Almora of Kumaon region of Uttarakhand to estimate the resource use efficiency in milk production and to study the milk utilization pattern of milk producers. A sample of 120 farmers was drawn. CobbDouglas production function was employed to estimate the resource use efficiency, simple statistical tools to examine utilization pattern of milk producer. The magnitude of coefficients of multiple determination (R 2 ) indicate that the explanatory variables included in the model was responsible for 85 per cent, 91 per cent and 88 per cent variation in milk production in case of cows, buffaloes and at aggregate level, respectively. The regression coefficients of green fodder, dry fodder and veterinary expenses were found to be positive and significant in all cases, while the same of human labour was found to be positive and significant in case of buffaloes. More than two-third (66.78 per cent) quantity of milk produced by the milk producers was marketedand only about one-third portion (33.22) was utilized at farm level.
3D conformal radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma: focus on toxicity

textabstractProstate carcinoma is the most common malignancy in men. Due to (un)controlled screening and patient awareness the incidence seems to be increasing with years. Many (treatment) options are available, that can be roughly divided in surgery ([laparoscopic] prostatectomy [including lymphadenectomy]), radiotherapy (brachytherapy [iodine125 seeds / palladium seeds / HDR Ir 192 afterloading] and / or external beam [+/- androgen ablation]) and for some patients even watchful waiting is advocated. The combination of prognostic factors like stage, Gleason score (differentiation grade), PSA and others e.g. the percentage of positive prostate biopsies, will give an indicate the chances for organ confined disease, seminal vesicle infiltration, lymph nodes metastases and ultimately for tumor control.
Adolescents' exposure to sexually explicit internet material and sexual satisfaction: A Longitudinal study

The aim of this study was to investigate, within a social comparison framework, the causal relationship between adolescents’ use of sexually explicit Internet material (SEIM) and their sexual satisfaction. In addition, we tested which adolescents were most susceptible to a potential influence of SEIM on sexual satisfaction. Between May 2006 and May 2007, we conducted a three-wave panel survey among 1,052 Dutch adolescents aged 13–20. Structural equation modeling revealed that exposure to SEIM consistently reduced adolescents’ sexual satisfaction. Lower sexual satisfaction (in Wave 2) also increased the use of SEIM (in Wave 3). Moderator analyses showed that the negative effect of SEIM on sexual satisfaction was stronger for adolescents who had no or limited sexual experience as well as for adolescents who perceived the majority of their peers to be sexually inexperienced. The effect of exposure to SEIM on sexual satisfaction did not differ among male and female adolescents.
Planning for requests against web-services

One of the most serious challenges that web service enabled e-marketplaces face is the lack of formal support for expressing service requests against UDDI-resident web services in order to solve a complex business problem. We present a framework in which such a formalization is possible by integrating AI planning and constraint satisfaction techniques with web service technology. This framework is designed to handle and execute requests performing planning under uncertainty on the basis of refinement and revision as new service-related information is accumulated (via interaction with the user and UDDI) and as execution circumstances necessitate change.
Using Raphael's QARs as Differentiated Instruction with Picture Books.

In Taiwan, economic, social, and cultural differences within the population are associated with great disparities in English proficiency among students in elementary schools. As a result, some teachers confront a two-peak phenomenon in their classes, where one third of the students have never studied English, while another third may already have read Harry Potter. This phenomenon requires a way to plan and implement differentiated instruction methods in the curriculum to reflect the reality that learners differ in important ways. When teachers differentiate instruction, they consciously and conscientiously make the content, processes, and learning outcomes of instruction accessible to all students, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, language, or differing abilities (Tomlinson 2001). One technique for differentiated instruction that I employ in my classes is the strategy to improve reading comprehension known as Question Answer Relationships (QARs) (Raphael 1982, 1986). QARs are extremely effective in enhancing learners’ reading comprehension and questioning skills at different levels. In this article, I will briefly describe the four types of Raphael’s QARs and their demonstrated beneficial effect on learner engagement and reading ability. Utilizing Krauss’s (1945) The Carrot Seed, I will illustrate one way to use QARs with reading comprehension tasks and associated writing exercises for elementary school learners with different levels of English proficiency.