Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fast Enhanced AdaBoost Algorithm Based on Dual-threshold

Aiming at some problems of too much training time and weight adjustment over fitting in face detection by using AdaBoost.This paper proposes enhanced dual-AdaBoost algorithm based on feature-value-division and dual-threshold,which makes training faster and better.It gives a method to get dual-threshold,and presents the improved mode of weight adjustment.Experimental results on MIT-CBCL training data set illustrate that the dual-AdaBoost makes training process converge quickly,and the training time is as 1/50 as before.Experimental results on MIT+CMU with the detectors show that the detection speed and precision under the dual-threshold are better than single-threshold method.
Recommendation for Block Cipher Modes of Operation: Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) and GMAC

This Recommendation specifies the Galois/Counter Mode (GCM), an algorithm for authenticated encryption with associated data, and its specialization, GMAC, for generating a message authentication code (MAC) on data that is not encrypted. GCM and GMAC are modes of operation for an underlying approved symmetric key block cipher.
Specific Face Feature Extraction for the Model of Facial Expression

The specific face features extraction method based on the cubic B-Spline control curve approach is proposed. It will provide to the three dimensional modeling and recognizing the facial expression. The outline curves of eyes, nose and mouth are extracted by the integration of the region segmentation with morphological image processing and canny edge detection approach. These outline curves are reproduced into B-Spline curves with the desired number of points. The matching of the curve of input image and the various expression curves in a predefined data set is operated. Through the experimental results with acceptable errors, the proposed method work adequately.
Full-Text Mining: Linking Practice, Protocols and Articles in Biological Research

Text mining has the potential of being of great utility to the lifesciences and particularly bioinformatics; it can support and inform studies with information that would otherwise be laborious to collect. The kind of information required is, however, often not found in article abstracts (the traditional source for text mining studies). This is fuelling the move to analysis of full-text articles, which have greater amounts of more detailed information. In this article we outline our approach to full-text mining of biological protocols and the subsequent linking of these with metrics of scientific quality. We also highlight the elements of full-text mining that we believe could benefit from the attention of the wider text mining community.
Expenditure Conditionality in IMF-Supported Programs

This paper studies the impact of expenditure conditionality in IMF programs on the composition of public spending. A granular dataset on different government expenditure conditions covering 115 countries for the 1992-2016 period is compiled. The results support the view that while conditionality on specific elements of spending could help achieve a program’s short-term objectives, it is structural conditionality which delivers lasting benefits. Structural public financial management conditionality (such as on budget execution and control) has proven to be effective in boosting the long-term level of education, health, and public investment expenditures. The results further indicate that conditionality on raising such spending may come at the expense of other expenditures. Finally, the successful implementation (and not mere existence) of the conditionality is crucial for improved outcomes. These findings are relevant for policy makers targeting achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
THE ROLE OF SERVICE QUALITY ON LOYALTY AMONG LOW COST CARRIER CONSUMER

<div class="WordSection1"><p><strong><em>ABSTRACT. </em></strong><em>As one of the peoples choice for traveling, "X" airline company </em><em>is </em><em>one of low cost carrier in Ind</em><em>o</em><em>nesia is considered to have poor service quality despite controlling nearly 60% of domestic market share. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is influence of service quality on customer loyalty among "X" airline company. The method used is </em><em>causal comparative </em><em>quantitative research. Data were collected through a questionnaire with a sample size of 250 people aboard with "X" airline company. Purposive sampling technique</em><em> </em><em>was used in this research. The results of this study indicate that there is a positive influence between service quality on customer loyalty with regression value of 0.802 (p = 0.000). Reliability, </em><em>a</em><em>ssurance and empathy </em><em>dimensions are the</em><em> three dimension that have</em><em> </em><em>the most impact on customer loyalty (p<0.</em><em>05). </em><em> </em><em>Based on the results, i</em><em>t is recommended that the "X" airline company continue to strive to improve the quality of services, especially in terms of safety and comfort to create a customer loyalty. </em></p><p><strong><em>Keywords:</em></strong><em> service quality, customer loyalty, low cost carrier, </em><em>passengers</em></p><p> </p><p><strong>ABSTRAK. </strong>Sebagai salah satu pilihan masyarakat untuk berpergian, perusahaan penerbangan “X” adalah salah satu maskapai berbiaya rendah di Indonesia yang dianggap memiliki kualitas layanan yang buruk meskipun menguasai hampir 60% pangsa pasar domestik. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui apakah ada pengaruh kualitas layanan terhadap loyalitas konsumen perusahaan penerbangan “X”. Metode yang digunakan adalah penelitian kuantitatif kausal komparatif. Data dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner kepada sampel berjumlah 250 orang yang pernah menggunakan penerbangan maskapai penerbangan “X”. Teknik sampling <em>purposive sampling</em> digunakan dalam penelitian ii. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ada pengaruh positif antara kualitas layanan terhadap loyalitas pelanggan dengan nilai regresi 0.802 (p=0.000). Dimensi reliabilitas, jaminan, dan empati adalah tiga dimensi yang paling berdampak terhadap loyalitas konsumen (p< 0.05). Berdasarkan hasil, direkomendasikan agar perusahaan penerbangan “X” terus berusaha untuk meningkatkan kualitas layanan, terutama dalam hal keselamatan dan untuk menciptakan loyalitas konsumen. </p><p><strong>Kata kunci:</strong> kualitas layanan, loyalitas konsumen, <em>low cost carrier</em>, penumpang</p></div>
Diaspora Ownership and Technological Licensing by Emerging Market Firms

Emerging market firms are at a disadvantage in the international markets for technology due to their liability of emergingness which reduces their attractiveness as contractual partners. We propose diaspora ownership as a credible and informative indicator of quality and trustworthiness which homeland firms leverage to license technology from abroad. We suggest also that this reputational effect depends on subnational firm location characteristics. We test our argument on a matched sample of 588 Indian manufacturing firms operating between 2006 and 2015. Our empirical results confirm our expectations in support of the value of ownership-based connections between diasporans and their homeland firms.
MMP 20 Expression in Chorionic Tissue and Decidua of Women with Early Pregnancy Loss

MMPs play an important role in human reproduction, because in the early stages of embryogenesis the degradation and remodeling of extracellular matrix are the key processes. Only known function for MMP20 is dental enamel formation. But the data about its role in spontaneous abortion is very poor. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of Val275Ala (rs1784423) and A320C (rs2245803) polymorphisms MMP20 gene with pregnancy loss in the first trimester in women, and MMP20 gene expression analysis in decidua and chorionic tissues. A total of 132 women with spontaneous abortion in the first trimester and 144 control patients were examined by a casecontrol methodology. Samples of chorionic tissue and decidua were taken after surgical termination of normally progressing pregnancies in 5-9 week of gestation (n=12) and spontaneous abortion in 5-9 week of gestation (n=12). Our investigation have not detected association of gene polymorphisms MMP20 Val275Ala (rs1784423) and A320C (rs2245803) with miscarriage in the first trimester. Compared with chorionic tissue, the MMP20 expression was increased in decidua in both groups (p = 0.0037, P = 0.014 respectively). The results demonstrated the tissue-specific MMP20 expression in normal pregnancy and spontaneous abortion.
Survey of bovine tuberculosis in Nigerian beef cattle

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) that primarily affects cattle, but also other domestic and wild mammals. In Nigeria, abattoir monitoring of gross bTB lesions is the only control method being applied in all animals. This study aims to investigate tubercle bacilli infection in slaughtered cattle found with visible tuberculosis-like lesions. Lesions suggesting bTB were detected in 226 cattle during abattoir monitoring in Zamfara State, Nigeria. Tissue samples collected from the affected carcasses were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen stain (ZN). Of the 226 carcasses with lesions, 37 (16.4%) were positive by the Ziehl-Neelsen stain (ZN), and MTBC was detected from 34 (91.9%) of the 37 ZN-positive samples. Molecular typing by region of difference (RD) deletion analysis revealed the genotype of Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium caprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Infection was most significantly associated with age of the animals (OR = 3.49; CI: 1.29-9.47 [p = 0.002]). The findings indicate a serious threat for health as well as for TB control in Nigeria.
Do Listed Clean Energy Infrastructure Shares Make Financial Sense for Investors?

Despite supportive government policies and rapid technological improvements, the participation of institutional investors in the clean energy sector remains relatively limited. One of the key challenges to increase capital flows to clean energy projects is a robust historical record of risk and financial return. Our paper helps to fill this knowledge gap by documenting the past financial performance of “Yieldcos,” publicly-listed equity vehicles holding multiple operational renewable energy projects. We document risk-adjusted returns for Yieldcos in North America and the United Kingdom. Over the period studied, a portfolio of UK Yieldcos generated risk-adjusted returns superior to the broad equity market and a range of sectoral indices. On the contrary, US Yieldco portfolio is characterized by high volatility and relatively poor financial returns. We provide evidence of diversification benefits from the UK Yieldco portfolio, indicating the potential for sustainable energy infrastructure to be characterized as a unique asset class whose risk/return characteristics cannot be replicated from within a diversified investment portfolio.
Teacher Reflection in Literacy Education- Borrowing from Bakhtin

In this article, we introduce Bakhtin’s (1981) idea of revoicing and situate our data drawn from a graduate literacy methods course for in-service teachers in the United States in this framework. This study is exploratory in nature. We use data from a single literacy methods class to explore and shed light on the “how-to” of teacher reflection using a Bakhtinian framework. As teacher educators, we believe that introducing new frameworks and perspectives that enable professionals to dismantle the binary of theory and practice by putting reflection into action is of high priority for the field. We discuss in detail an activity in a literacy methods class that requires the in-service teachers to put the idea of culturally relevant teaching (Ladson-Billings, 1994) into action by dramatizing a read-aloud in a childhood classroom, and to observe and analyze what happens when an idea from a class reading (culturally relevant teaching) takes a dimensional spin into practice (a dramatized classroom scenarios). In doing so, the in-service teachers were challenged to reinterpret and revoice the concept of “culturally relevant teaching” to meet the realities of their own classrooms and their own pedagogical tales (Dyson, 2002). The main purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on teacher reflection by shifting the focus from theorizing about teacher reflection to the enactment of teacher reflection.
An investigation of learning game design : scoring activity-goal alignment

This research aims to improve the practice of designing educational video games (“learning games”). This thesis aims to both validate and extend Shelton’s theory of activity-goal alignment, which focuses on the relationship between a player’s activity and the designer’s intended learning goal in any learning game. The thesis develops and evaluates two novel tools. First, an autoethnographic account of a recent learning game project confirms Shelton’s prior findings that activity-goal alignment theory meets an important need in learning game design practice and that Shelton’s theory might be made more accessible to practising designers. The AGA Scoring Tool is developed, and both it and Shelton’s theory are evaluated through analytic discussions of designs of several existing learning games: activity-goal alignment theory is found useful, and scoring activity-goal alignment is argued to be clearer than Shelton’s narrative-based approach. Secondly, this thesis argues that there is need for improved tools for assessment of learning games. A critical review of existing assessment tools yields a list of criteria for any learning game assessment tool. A basis for a new learning game assessment tool is developed from three theories: Higher Order Learning theory, Gee's principles of Deep Learning, and Shelton’s activity-goal alignment. These three theories are argued to comprise an important, prevailing position within the learning game design literature. A new tool, the AGA-Based Assessment Tool, is proposed and exercised in critical discussions of several learning games. Important gaps between learning game design practice and theory are revealed using the tool. The thesis concludes that scoring activity-goal alignment is useful to the learning game designer because it makes an important theoretical position from the learning game design literature clear and simpler to apply in practice. 5-Dec-13 Page 4 of 219
A Top-hat Based Calcilfications Detection Method in Mammograms

Microcalcifications are the primary radiological indicator of early breast cancers.A method for the automatic detection of microcalcifications in digital mammograms is presented in this paper.The algorithm based on top-hat morphologic operator is developed to restrain the background,then the features of single microcalcifications such as gray,texture,and contrast,etc.are extracted to detect the microcalcifications in mammograms.The proposed method is based on the Top-hat operator.Comparing to other approaches,this method can more efficiently detect weak microcalcifications in the high background,and the detected results are much close to the actual shapes of the calcifications.
Sustainable Competitive Advantage of SMEs through Resource and Institutional-Based Management: An Empirical Study of Batik SMEs in Central Java, Indonesia

Purpose – The aim of this study is to find out and to analyze the capacity for developing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of batik in Central Java, Indonesia. Batik is a traditional hand-crafted dye-resist textile, rich in intangible cultural values that has been passed down for generations. Batik refers to either a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth or cloth made using this technique originating from Indonesia. Design/Methodology/Approach – The primary data was collected by interview method with one hundred respondents who are batik entrepreneurs in Central Java, Indonesia. The data collection was carried out using the focus group discussion (FGD) method. Secondary data was used to enrich the analysis. A quantitative model was examined through empirical analysis to fulfill the proposed aim of the research. Findings and implications – The result of this research shows that business scale, market access capacity, and financial capacity all influence the competitiveness level of batik SMEs. Furthermore, cooperatives can strengthen the influences of market capacity and financial capacity on the competitiveness of SMEs although they are not effective in strengthening the technological and innovative capacities of SMEs. This study shows that SMEs in the form of batik industries can become a high-earning industry with high performance if they have the ability to compete. Limitations – This research is limited in scope with regard to its approach to resources. The institutional study is only viewed from the angle of cooperatives, which are one of various forms of non-market management. Originality – The novelty of this research lies in the discovery of the role of cooperatives in supporting the competitiveness of SMEs.
Discrete methods in statistics: Feature selection and fairness-aware data mining

This dissertation is a detailed investigation of issues that arise in models that change discretely. Models are often constructed by either including or excluding features based on some criteria. These discrete changes are challenging to analyze due to correlation between features. Feature selection is the problem of identifying an appropriate set of features to include in a model, while fairness-aware data mining is the problem of needing to remove the \emph{influence} of protected features from a model. This dissertation provides frameworks for understanding each problem and algorithms for accomplishing the desired goal. The feature selection problem is addressed through the framework of sequential hypothesis testing. We elucidate the statistical challenges in repeatedly using inference in this domain and demonstrate how current methods fail to address them. Our algorithms build on classically motivated, multiple testing procedures to control measures of false rejections when using hypothesis testing during forward stepwise regression. Furthermore, these methods have much higher power than recent proposals from the conditional inference literature. The fairness-aware data mining community is grappling with fundamental questions concerning fairness in statistical modeling. Tension exists between identifying explainable differences between groups and discriminatory ones. We provide a framework for understanding the connections between fairness and the use of protected information in modeling. With this discussion in hand, generating fair estimates is straight-forward. Degree Type Dissertation This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/edissertations/1788 Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Statistics First Advisor Robert A. Stine Second Advisor Dean P. Foster
Parental interest in parent-delivered online therapy for child anxiety in rural areas

Anxiety is the most common childhood onset psychological disorder worldwide. To date, treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (ICBT) have been found to be effective in alleviating children’s anxiety symptoms (Vigerland, Serlachius, Thulin, Andersson, Larsson, & Ljotsson, 2017). Recently, studies have found that CBT that is facilitated and delivered by parents can also be an effective treatment for child anxiety. There is reason to believe that developing interventions that can be delivered via the internet is a way to improve accessibility for children and families, particularly for families living in rural areas. However, we do not know whether or not parents living in rural areas are interested in accessing this type of treatment. This study looked at rural parents’ likelihood to participate in parent-delivered ICBT. We conducted telephone interviews with four parents from rural Saskatchewan and obtained information regarding their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived barriers in participating in this type of treatment. Using thematic analysis, we found that rural parents are indeed interested in participating in parent-delivered ICBT. Eight themes emerged from the study: minimization of child’s anxiety, stigma, convenience, access to information, parent involvement, lack of child’s compliance, program format, and uncertainty of anxiety. This study contributes to the extant, albeit limited, research on rural parents who have children with anxiety; it allows future researchers to determine essential factors in program recruitment, while giving a more detailed information on the target population for parent-
Unpacking the Formative Assessment Processes of Secondary Mathematics Teachers Who Use Wireless Networked Classroom Technology

ii Acknowledgments. iv Vita . vi List of Tables . xiii List of Figures . xvi Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Background of Study . 3 Problem Statement . 5 Significance of Research . 6 Methods Overview . 7 Limitations . 7 Definition of Terms . 8 Dissertation Outline. 11 Chapter 2: Literature Review . 12 Formative Assessment. 12
Branding in the age of social media firestorms: how to create brand value by fighting back online

ABSTRACT Leading research on social media firestorms typically advises managers to quickly quell the backlash by appeasing brand critics. Drawing on crisis communications and branding research, we offer a radically different perspective and argue that brands can benefit from fighting back online. Through a netnography of a moral-based firestorm, we contribute to the marketing and crisis communications literatures by identifying the escalation strategy as a way to build brand value; explaining how brands can activate supporters; and providing guidance on how to assess these morally steeped events. We advance branding research by identifying how managers can provoke consumer-generated brand stories; and uncovering the hidden benefits of negative consumer voices. Finally, we outline a new perspective on how brands are dialogically constructed through a process we call ‘flyting’.
The System Framework of Caches with Two Levels and Strong Consistency Based on GPRS Networks

The main purposes of cache are saving radio bandwidth and power energy consumption in mobile wireless en- vironments. However, the roaming and frequent disconnections of the mobile terminal bring a series of new problems to cache consistency. Aiming at the GPRS network running at present, we have proposed the system framework of caches with two levels and strong consistency scheme, one level is at mobile terminal, and another is at VS (Validation Server). The framework and scheme can simplify the complexity of maintaining cache consistency in mobile wireless environments, reduce the radio bandwidth consumption and the workload of database server efficiently, support the ar- bitrary disconnection intervals of mobile terminal and roaming in a Public Land Mobile Network, and have good practi- cability.