Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Rule Deletion Scheme in XCS on Reinforcement Learning Problem

The XCS classifier system is an evolutionary rulebased learning technique powered by a Q-learning like learning mechanism. It employs a global deletion scheme to delete rules from all rules covering all stateaction pairs. However, the optimality of this scheme remains unclear owing to the lack of intensive analysis. We here introduce two deletion schemes: 1) local deletion, which can be applied to a subset of rules covering each state (a match set), and 2) stronger local deletion, which can be applied to a more specific subset covering each state-action pair (an action set). The aim of this paper is to reveal how the above three deletion schemes affect the performance of XCS. Our analysis shows that the local deletion schemes promote the elimination of inaccurate rules compared with the global deletion scheme. However, the stronger local deletion scheme occasionally deletes a good rule. We further show that the two local deletion schemes greatly improve the performance of XCS on a set of noisy maze problems. Although the localization strength of the proposed deletion schemes may require consideration, they can be adequate for XCS rather than the original global deletion scheme.
Meal-Generated Oxidative Stress in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

OBJECTIVE Free radical production has been reported to be increased in diabetic patients and to be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. In this study, a standardized meal was administered to 10 type 2 diabetic patients and 10 healthy matched normal subjects to evaluate its effects on plasma oxidative stress generation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In diabetic patients, at baseline and after the meal, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), vitamin C, protein SH groups, uric acid, vitamin E, and total plasma radical-trapping parameter, which evaluates plasma antioxidant capacity due to known and unknown antioxidants present in the plasma as well as their mutual cooperation, were measured. RESULTS After the meal, plasma MDA and vitamin C increased, while protein SH groups, uric acid, vitamin E, and total plasma radical-trapping parameter decreased more significantly in the diabetic subjects than in control subjects. CONCLUSIONS This finding shows that in the absorptive phase, free radicals are produced in diabetic patients. Since plasma glucose, but not insulin, rose significantly more in diabetic subjects than in control subjects, hyperglycemia may play an important role in the generation of postprandial oxidative stress in diabetic patients.
VLT/SINFONI Observations of Spitzer/MIPSGAL 24 μm Circumstellar Shells: Revealing the Natures of Their Central Sources

We present Very Large Telescope/Spectrograph for INtegral Field Observations in the Near Infrared H- and K-band spectra of potential central stars within the inner 8″-by-8″ regions of 55 MIPSGAL “bubbles” (MBs), sub-arcminute circumstellar shells discovered in the mid-IR survey of the Galactic plane with Spitzer/MIPS. At magnitudes brighter than 15, we detect a total of 230 stars in the K band and 179 stars in the H band. We spectrally identify 145 stars in all but three MBs, with average magnitudes of 13.8 and 12.7 respectively, using spectral libraries and previous studies of near-IR stellar spectra. We also use tabulated intrinsic stellar magnitudes and colors to derive distances and extinction values, and to better constrain the classifications of the stars. We reliably identify the central sources for 21 of the 55 MBs, which we classify as follows: one Wolf–Rayet, three luminous blue variable candidates, four early-type (O to F), and 15 late-type (G to M) stars. The 21 central sources are, on average, one magnitude fainter than these in the most recent study of MBs, and we notice a significant drop in the fraction of massive star candidates. For the 34 remaining MBs in our sample, we are unable to identify the central sources due to confusion, low spectroscopic signal-to-noise ratio, and/or lack of detections in the images near the centers of the bubbles. We discuss how our findings compare with previous studies and support the trend, for the most part, between the shells’ morphologies in the mid-IR and central sources spectral types.
CMY-16, a Novel Acquired AmpC-Type β-Lactamase of the CMY/LAT Lineage in Multifocal Monophyletic Isolates of Proteus mirabilis from Northern Italy

ABSTRACT We report multifocal detection (four different cities in northern Italy) of Proteus mirabilis isolates resistant to both oxyimino- and 7-α-methoxy-cephalosporins and producing a novel acquired AmpC-like β-lactamase. The enzyme, named CMY-16, is a variant of the CMY/LAT lineage, which differs from the closest homologues, CMY-4 and CMY-12, by a single amino acid substitution (A171S or N363S, respectively) and from CMY-2 by two substitutions (A171S and W221R). Expression of the cloned blaCMY-16 gene in Escherichia coli decreased susceptibility to penicillins, cephalosporins, and aztreonam. Tazobactam was more effective than clavulanate at antagonizing the enzyme activity. Genotyping, by random amplification of polymorphic DNA and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA digested with SfiI, showed that isolates were clonally related to each other, although not identical. The blaCMY-16 gene was not transferable to E. coli by conjugation or transformation. In all isolates, it was chromosomally located and inserted in a conserved genetic environment. PCR mapping experiments revealed that the blaCMY-16 was flanked by ISEcp1 and the blc gene, similar to other genes of this lineage from plasmids of Salmonella enterica, Klebsiella spp. , and E. coli. Overall, these results revealed multifocal spreading of a CMY-16-producing P. mirabilis clone in northern Italy. This finding represents the first report of an acquired AmpC-like β-lactamase in Proteus mirabilis from Italy and underscores the emergence of similar resistance determinants in the European setting.
A Functional Analysis of Finger Sucking in Children

In this investigation, the authors experimentally assessed the functions of finger sucking for 3 typically developing children ages 6, 7, and 14. In Experiment 1, a parent-conducted functional analysis, completed in each child’s natural environment, showed that each of the childrens finger sucking was most likely to occur when the child was alone, suggesting that the behaviors were maintained by automatic reinforcement. Experiment 2 involved assessing the nature of the sensory stimulation that maintained finger sucking by attenuating the sensory stimulation to the fingers via the use of Band-Aids and attenuating the sensory stimulation to the mouth with a mild numbing agent for 2 of the 3 children. For the 3rd child, mouthing objects were made available noncontingently to determine whether access to such items would result in low levels of finger sucking, suggesting reinforcer substitutability. Results of these analyses suggested that finger sucking was maintained by both oral and digital stimulation for 2 children and by oral stimulation for the 3rd.
FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG BERPENGARUH TERHADAP PENYALURAN KREDIT PERBANKAN (STUDI PADA BANK UMUM SWASTA NASIONAL DEVISA)

Problems in this study are based on the phenomenon of not optimal lending and Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Non Performing Loan (NPL), and the interest rate of Bank Indonesia Certificates (SBI) to the movement of credit. The population in this study is all Devisa National Private Commercial Bank (BUSND). The number of BUSND in 2012 is 34 banks. This study uses observations from January 2011 to February 2012. The method for data analysis method is factor and path analysis. T he factors being predicted to have influence to the ability of banks to credit lending is profit, CAR, KAP, ROA, ROA, Liquidity, LDR, NPL, Deposits, Credit and Interest. Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that the impact of independent variables to the amount of loans are: Profit 1.2%, KAP 0.3%, ROA 0.1%, LDR 30.9%, NPL 1.2%, deposits 72.4%, interest -2.1%, and all variables simultaneously 100%.
Mating aggregates in Escherichia coli conjugation

Mating mixtures of Escherichia coli cells were shown to contain mating aggregates of two to 20 cells each rather than only mating pairs of two cells each. The mating aggregate size distribution shows two broad peaks, at two to four cells and at eight to 13 cells. The quantitative mating aggregate size distribution and the proportion of male cells in mating aggregates are dependent on the input ratio of male to female cells. At an input ratio of one to one, the average mating aggregate contains equal proportions of male and female cells and most of the cells involved in mating are in large aggregates of seven or more cells each. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) transfer efficiency per mating aggregate cell was constant regardless of average aggregate size or of the ratio of male to female cells in the aggregate. Under optimal conditions essentially every male cell or every female cell in a mating aggregate can be involved in DNA transfer. A comparison of light microscopy, sucrose gradient centrifugation, and analysis with a modified Coulter counter indicated that the number of cells in mating aggregates is best equantitated using a modified Coulter counter.
Statistical Parsing by Machine Learning from a Classical Arabic Treebank

Research into statistical parsing for English has enjoyed over a decade of successful results. However, adapting these models to other languages has met with difficulties. Previous comparative work has shown that Modern Arabic is one of the most difficult languages to parse due to rich morphology and free word order. Classical Arabic is the ancient form of Arabic, and is understudied in computational linguistics, relative to its worldwide reach as the language of the Quran. The thesis is based on seven publications that make significant contributions to knowledge relating to annotating and parsing Classical Arabic. Classical Arabic has been studied in depth by grammarians for over a thousand years using a traditional grammar known as i’rāb (إعغاة ). Using this grammar to develop a representation for parsing is challenging, as it describes syntax using a hybrid of phrase-structure and dependency relations. This work aims to advance the state-of-the-art for hybrid parsing by introducing a formal representation for annotation and a resource for machine learning. The main contributions are the first treebank for Classical Arabic and the first statistical dependency-based parser in any language for ellipsis, dropped pronouns and hybrid representations. A central argument of this thesis is that using a hybrid representation closely aligned to traditional grammar leads to improved parsing for Arabic. To test this hypothesis, two approaches are compared. As a reference, a pure dependency parser is adapted using graph transformations, resulting in an 87.47% F1-score. This is compared to an integrated parsing model with an F1-score of 89.03%, demonstrating that joint dependency-constituency parsing is better suited to Classical Arabic. The Quran was chosen for annotation as a large body of work exists providing detailed syntactic analysis. Volunteer crowdsourcing is used for annotation in combination with expert supervision. A practical result of the annotation effort is the corpus website: http://corpus.quran. com, an educational resource with over two million users per year.
Haemodynamic changes and heart rate variability during midazolam‐propofol co‐induction *

In a prospective, blind, randomised study, we examined the effects of midazolam‐propofol co‐induction on haemodynamic (blood pressure, heart rate and stroke volume) and heart rate variability. The latter was measured by spectral analysis using the maximum‐entropy method to calculate the following: the low frequency component (LF), which reflects both the cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, the high frequency component (HF) and entropy, which reflects the cardiac parasympathetic activity, the total power (TP), calculated by the addition of LF and HF, and the LF/HF ratio, which reflects the balance between the cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous activity. Forty patients were randomly allocated to the propofol group and the midazolam‐propofol group, and the parameters described above were calculated at baseline (T1), post induction (T2), after tracheal intubation (T3), and 3 min (T4) and 5 min after intuba‐tion (T5). Propofol was administered at 2.5 mg.kg−1 in the propofol group and midazolam at 0.1 mg.kg−1 followed by propofol at 1.5 mg.kg−1 in the midazolam‐propofol group for anaesthesia induction. Then, propofol was administered at 4–6 mg.kg−1propofol for maintenance in both groups. The midazolam‐propofol group showed compensated haemodynamic changes, which were related to significant increases in the LF/HF ratio at T2, T4 and T5 (p = 0.011, 0.038 and 0.034). These results suggest that the midazolam‐propofol combination yielded compensated modulatory effects on the cardiovascular system, including preserved baroreflex activity.
The adoption of accrual accounting in the Indonesian public sector

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to examine the contextual variables that influence the pace of public sector reforms through the adoption of accrual accounting for the Indonesian public sector. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a historically informed study based on a modified version of the Luder's (1992) Contingency Model (LCM). The data are drawn from official documents issued by the Indonesian government about reporting system for the public sector in the country and interviews with the key figures involved in the public sector accounting reforms in Indonesia. The study also uses publicly available information addressing the recent progress in the implementation of the accrual accounting system in the Indonesian public sector. Key findings – The adoption of accrual accounting in the Indonesian public sector was stimulated by the economic crisis, prodemocratic movements, and international pressures for the reform of the public sector. However, the public sector accounting reforms in the country are confronted with significant implementation barriers which include legal issues, the lack of political supports, and skilled human resources. These barriers in turn threaten the intended purposes to be achieved through the greater economic and public sector reforms in the newly democratic Indonesia. Research limitations/implications – The arguments of the study should be understood in the context of the institutional setting of Indonesia as a developing country. Nonetheless, the findings of this study show an example of the complexity faced through the use of the private sector accounting practice in the public sector context. Originality/value – The findings of the study support the notion that the nature of legal system, political support, and human resource capacity influence the extent to which an accounting system is adopted in the public sector.
Social comparisons and chronic illness: research synthesis and clinical implications

The chronically ill patient must adjust to new life circumstances and manage ongoing threats to personal health. Patients often make comparisons with each other, which can have effects on their psychological and physical well-being. One question is whether health psychologists can develop interventions to strategically facilitate the use of such comparisons to optimise adjustment. This paper critically reviews evidence on patients' comparisons in studies using selection, narration and reaction methods. Discussion focuses on gaps in the empirical literature and describes some new basic concepts in social comparison, which may advance knowledge about the process in medical patients. Recommendations also are provided about the kinds of studies needed to inform the future design of effective social comparison interventions.
Service Quality: A Critical Literature Review

Service quality has been the subject of considerable interest by both practioners and researchers in recent years (Parasuraman et al 1985). An important reason for the interest in service quality by practitioners results from the belief that this has a beneficial effect on bottom-line performance for the firm. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the SERVQUAL research on service quality in the following areas: (1) definition and measurement of service quality, and (2) reliability and validity of SERVQUAL measures.
Biochemical Properties of Mammalian Neutral Sphingomyelinase2 and Its Role in Sphingolipid Metabolism*

Neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) is one of the key enzymes involved in the generation of ceramide; however, the gene(s) encoding for the mammalian N-SMase is still not well defined. Previous studies on the cloned nSMase1 had shown that the protein acts primarily as lyso-platelet-activating factor-phospholipase C. Recently the cloning of another putative N-SMase, nSMase2, was reported. In this study, biochemical characterization of the mouse nSMase2 was carried out using the overexpressed protein in yeast cells in which the inositol phosphosphingolipid phospholipase C (Isc1p) was deleted. N-SMase activity was dependent on Mg2+ and was activated by phosphatidylserine and inhibited by GW4869. The ability of nSMase2 to recognize endogenous sphingomyelin (SM) as substrate was investigated by overexpressing nSMase2 in MCF7 cells. Mass measurements showed a 40% decrease in the SM levels in the overexpressor cells, and labeling studies demonstrated that nSMase2 accelerated SM catabolism. Accordingly, ceramide measurement showed a 60 ± 15% increase in nSMase2-overexpressing cells compared with the vector-transfected MCF7. The role of nSMase2 in cell growth was next investigated. Stable overexpression of nSMase2 resulted in a 30–40% decrease in the rate of growth at the late exponential phase. Moreover, tumor necrosis factor induced ∼50% activation of nSMase2 in MCF7 cells overexpressing the enzyme, demonstrating that nSMase2 is a tumor necrosis factor-responsive enzyme. In conclusion, these results 1) show that nSMase2 is a structural gene for nSMase, 2) suggest that nSMase2 acts as a bona fide N-SMase in cells, and 3) implicate nSMase2 in the regulation of cell growth and cell signaling.
Assessing Complience With Corporate Governanceprinciples In Case Of Romanian Financial Investment Companies

Corporate governance includes structures that combine relationshipsbetween parties who invest resources and persons that monitor and manage businesses.These relationships are both formal, defined by rules and regulations and informal,materialized in business practices or ethical codes. The paper intends to assess thecompliance level with corporate governance principles in case of Financial InvestmentCompanies as institutional investors traded on Romanian capital market (BucharestStock Exchange). The research methodology mainly consists in processing data obtainedfrom questioners addressed to these investment companies as well as observingcorporate governance statements issued by each of these entities. As presented in theconclusion section, the authors reached valuable conclusions regarding a satisfactorycompliance level with corporate governance requirements that apply to FinancialInvestment Companies.
Chemical composition and nutritive value of kapok seed meal for broiler chickens

1. Mechanically extracted kapok (Ceiba pentandra) seed meal (KSM) contained 324 g crude protein, 97 g ether extract, 289 g fibre, 94 g ash, 128 g available carbohydrates, 3·8 g calcium, 11 g phosphorus, 10·4 g cyclopropenoid fatty acids and 15 g tannins per kg. 2. In a 4 × 2 factorial experiment, KSM was incorporated in broiler starter and finisher feeds at 0, 30, 60 and 90 g/kg, replacing sunflower meal (SFM) w/w; without and with multi-enzyme supplementation. 3. No significant differences were noticed between treatments in body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion efficiency, mortality or carcase yields. 4. Multi-enzyme (amylase, endoxylanase, hemicellulase, β-glucanase, pectinase, phytase and protease) supplementation did not improve the growth performance of broilers fed on the KSM diets.
Perspectives on the management of customer/supplier relationships in a business-to-business, capital goods environment

Mieczys#aw Paul Sudnik Perspectives on the Management of Customer/Supplier Relationships in a Business-toBusiness, Capital Goods Environment Set in the Greek subsidiary of a multinational company whose products are capital goods and consumables sold through business-to-business channels, this work addresses a noticeable fall in sales over recent years from the perspective of a practitioner-researcher. A participative approach to the research work was chosen by reference to the Action Inquiry paradigm and the thesis outlines the reasons for this choice. It goes on to trace how the problem of falling sales was first explored through the literatures of customer satisfaction and customer relationship management before finding expression in the Service-Profit Chain model. The application of this model to a business-to-business environment is carefully considered throughout. From a wide client base, not all customers could be accommodated in the research and so a method of customer selection is outlined. To enable an evaluation of the progress of the work, a non-positivist process for benchmarking customer sentiment towards the subsidiary has been developed by extensive use of the Repertory Grid Technique. The thesis reports on two applications of this method, each a year apart, and on the ameliorating interventions made in the intervening period. These interventions were facilitated by the application of a key account management system in the company where the work took place. Both practical and theoretical issues concerning the KAM approach are discussed at length. The work may be seen as pursuing a gap in the literature recognized by several writers and as such it contributes to knowledge by virtue of being a rare piece of pragmatic research into customer relationships and their management. It demonstrates a practical integration of the fields of theory covered by the Service-Profit Chain, Customer Relationship Management and Key Account Management, whilst reinforcing the ServiceProfit Chain model as an integrating theory within the business-to-business field. Finally, the research outlines a transferable process for the assessment of a company's standing with its customers in such an environment and for planning appropriate interventions with a view to influencing that standing on a cyclical basis.
Imaging of Small Hepatic Metastases of Colorectal Carcinoma: How to Use Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography Age?

Purpose: To compare the accuracy of dynamic contrast-enhanced multidetector-row computed tomography (CT) and superparamagnetic iron oxide-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of small hepatic metastases of colorectal carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Of 94 patients with colorectal carcinoma analyzed, 76 hepatic metastases (<2 cm) were diagnosed in 17 patients. Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-magnetic resonance (precontrast and postcontrast MRI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced multidetector-row CT (dynamic CT [precontrast, arterial, portal-venous, and delayed phase]) were evaluated. The alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed, and the sensitivities and positive predictive values were analyzed. Results: The Az values and sensitivities of portal-venous phase CT, dynamic CT, and SPIO-MRI (0.62/59%, 0.69/61%, and 0.67/61%) were identical. The mean positive predictive value of dynamic CT (82%) was inferior to that of SPIO-MRI (91%). Conclusions: The diagnostic ability of dynamic CT is identical to that of SPIO-MRI in Az value and sensitivity. Superparamagnetic iron oxide-MRI should be recommended only if an equivocal lesion is detected by dynamic CT.