Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring Bandit Algorithms for Automatic Content Selection

Multi-armed bandit (MAB) problem is derived from slot machines in the casino. It is about how a gambler could pull the arms in order to maximize total reward. In this sense, the gambler needs to decide which arm to explore in order to gain more knowledge, and which arm to exploit in order to guarantee the total payoff. This problem is also very common in real world, such as automatic content selection. The website is like a gambler. It needs to select proper content to recommend to the visitors, trying to maximize click through rate (CTR). Bandit algorithms are very suitable for this kind of issue. Because they are able to deal with exploration and exploitation trade-off with high churning data. When context is considered during content selection, we model it as contextual bandit problems. In this thesis, we evaluate several popular bandit algorithms in different bandit settings. And we propose our own approach to solve a real world automatic content selection case. Our experiments demonstrate that bandit algorithms are efficient in automatic content selection. But we have to customize the solution in each different case.
Operational Diversification and Stability of Financial Performance in Indian Banking Sector: A Panel Data Investigation

Reforms in Indian banking sector and subsequent entry of domestic and foreign private banks have enhanced competition in the sector significantly raisings the possibility of fluctuations in financial performance of the banks. As a strategic response to these changing market conditions, many of the banks have followed the route of diversifying their operations to reduce the instabilities in their financial performance. In this perspective, the present paper is an attempt to examine the impact of the strategy of operational diversification on stability in financial performance of the banks. The paper uses panel data regression techniques for a set of 59 banks over the period from 1995-96 to 2007-08. It is found that the banks with greater extent diversification of operations suffer from the problem of larger fluctuations in financial performance possibly due to their failure in deciding the right areas of diversification and its optimum extent. Future research should aim at addressing these issues as over-diversification of operations or diversification into areas of noncore competencies may affect stability of financial performance adversely as well as may create conflicts across the regulators in defining their jurisdiction, particularly when the areas of operations overlap. Keywords: Operational diversification, financial performance, stability, banks, India
Testing the Excess Return Hypothesis: The Canadian Case Web Appendix

This study examines the relationship between stock returns and the term structure of interest rates in a Canadian setting. Following 132 The BRC Academy Journal of Business Vol. 6, No. 1 Zhou’s study of the US market (Federal Reserve Board, 1996), the hypothesis tested is the excess return hypothesis, which states that expected returns move one-for-one with interest rates. This relationship is explored using nominal and real return data for Canadian stocks and bonds. In addition, given the close relationship between the Canadian and US economies, the study examines the ability of US interest rates to predict Canadian stock returns. Using first differenced returns, the study finds that nominal Canadian interest rates have predictive power vis-à-vis nominal Canadian stock returns, but, unlike Zhou’s (1996) results for the US, the relationship is negative. This is also true when real returns are used. As for US interest rates and Canadian stock returns, the relationship is of mixed sign and mainly insignificant for both nominal and real stock returns and interest rates. The only evidence supporting the excess return hypothesis occurs when two-stage least squares, using the short-term interest rate as an instrumental variable, are used to regress real Canadian stock returns on real US interest rates. Finally, tests to determine whether the results are dependent on the period studied indicate that they are not sample-dependent. JEL Classification: G10
Fundamental parameters of the highly reddened young open clusters Westerlund 1 and 2

We study the compact open clus- ters Westerlund 1 (BH 197) and Westerlund 2. We present CCD integrated spectroscopy for both clusters, and CCD imaging in the V and I bands for the former one. So far, Westerlund 1 is possibly the most reddened open cluster studied in detail (Av 13:0). It has an age of 8 3M yr and a distance from the Sun of d 1:0 0: 4k pc. For Westerlund 2 we derive a visual absorptionAV 5:0 mag, an age of 2 3M yr, and d =5 : 7 0 :3 kpc. From luminosity and structural arguments we conclude that Westerlund 1, although young and compact, it is a massive cluster, in contrast to Westerlund 2.
MANAGING PRICE RISK USING FUTURES: CASE OF OIL COMPANIES IN KENYA ~ BY: NZUKI VUNGA GIDE?N DS3/13213/0S A RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (FINANCE) SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Disruptions and supply insecurity in the world oil markets as a result of growth in demand, shrinking buffers, speculation and underinvestment in exploration and refining have important implications in the use of financial tools in the management of oil price risk in Kenya. The study surveyed the use of futures contracts as means to mitigate price volatility by oil companies registered in Kenya. Daily data on the WTI crude oil futures and spot prices were used to work out the hedge ratios and the measures of hedging effectiveness resulting from using the six-month contract for the period 1997-2006. The study also sought to establish the derivatives used by Kenyan registered oil companies and the extent to which the oil companies in Kenya apply Futures to hedge price volatility and the ratio they hedge when they use the futures as a return balancing portfolio. Exploratory survey design involving both descriptive qualitative and quantitative analysis was adopted in conducting the study. The target population for this study was all the 364 registered oil companies in Kenya. A representative sample of 36 cases was selected using systematic sampling method. Semi-structured questionnaires were utilized to collect primary data while secondary data was sourced from the U.S. official energy website. The descriptive and OLS methods were used to analyses the data. Statistical data analysis was done using excel, SPSS and STA TA. The results show that oil companies in Kenya seem to give due consideration to crude oil price volatility and as a consequence, they use a hybrid of derivatives, mainly futures market and forward contracts. Further, oil spot and futures prices don't seem to vary significantly as the two prices move together. The results also indicate that majority of the oil companies in Kenya hedge about thirty one to sixty percent of their oil volumes using futures market and this compares unfavorably to the optimal hedge ratio of 93%. The results imply that oil companies in Kenya are currently under-hedging their futures markets and are therefore exposed to high price risks resulting from the underlying price volatility. The companies are therefore recommended to scale up the value of the hedged oil volumes in line with optimal hedge ratio. Majority of the oil companies indicated that
The Sensitivity of Hopping Transport in Dipolar Glasses and Molecularly Doped Polymers to Localised Dipole Ordering

The influence of ordered dipole regions upon hopping transport through dipolar glasses and molecularly doped polymers has been evaluated via Monte Carlo simulation. Ordered dipole regions were introduced as a set of randomly dis- tributed cubes throughout disordered dipolar lattices where the number and size of the cubes could be independently varied. Within each cube neighbouring dipoles were anti-aligned to minimise the local energetic disorder but the specific dipole orientation for each inserted cube was randomly selected. Whilst the underlying density of states appears to become ener- getically narrower as the overall proportion of disordered dipole sites is diluted by inserted ordered cubes this is not generally reflected in the associated transport properties. It is demonstrated that the lattice potential that is associated with background non-aligned dipoles in dipolar glasses have a controlling influence upon the observed macroscopic mobility. Confirmation of the importance of such non-aligned dipoles is provided by complimentary simulations using molecularly doped polymers where the dopant dipoles are agglomerated and ordered into cubic regions. The implication of the simulation results for the interpretation of experimental transport data in dipolar glasses and molecularly doped polymers is evaluated.
Pediatric Residents Knowledge of Evidence Based Medicine: A Pilot Study

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the baseline knowledge and skills of pediatric residents in Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). Methods: participants were pediatric residents in postgraduate years (PGY) 1-4 in, a residency training program within a university setting. They were asked to complete the previously validated Results: A total of 10 pediatric residents completed the test with a mean of (PGY 2.5) for the residency year. The scores achieved were highly variable with a mean of 46%. Results showed a decline in the mean score to 32% for questions related to critical appraisal of the evidence compared to the mean of 60% for conversion of information to an answerable question and tracking down the best evidence to answer the question. Conclusion: r esidents showed some knowledge and expertise about formulating a clinical question and searching for evidence-based answers. However, they lack the skill of how to critically appraise the scientific literature and how to incorporate a new management strategy into clinical practice. A properly structured EBM educational prescription is necessary for trainees to improve their status as informed bedside clinicians Fresno test to assess their knowledge in the four domains of EBM.
2D SIMULATIONS OF LIQUID PERCOLATION THROUGH MODEL POROUS MEDIA: PRELIMINARY MD AND DPD RESULTS

In the paper we make a short overview of computer models based on particle approach, which can be suitable for the simulation of fluid flow through porous media. We concentrate on Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) methods. We describe main features of our simulation programs, and present and discuss preliminary results of MD and DPD simulations of 2D fluid flow through a simple model rigid porous media. The paper aims at the evaluation of the applicability of MD and DPD methods for simulations of liquid flows in media of complicated geometry.
Quantitative assessment of indica rice germination to hydropriming, hormonal priming and polyethylene glycol priming

Seed priming is a useful technique which improves seed germination parameters. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate some of the most important germination parameters such as total germination, germination rate, mean germination time, average speed, germination percentage (GP), germination vigor index (GVI), relative frequency, plumule fresh and dry weight, radical fresh and dry weight, plumule and radical length, leaf and root proline content of six indica rice ( Oryza sativa L.) varieties, including MR219, MR219-4, MR219-9, MR220, MR159, and MR 211 under hydro-, hormonal- and polyethylen glycol (PEG)- priming conditions. The highest germination parameters were achieved under the hydro-priming treatment, at 18 h (100%), 6 h (100%), 18 h (90.3%), 12 h (91.6%), 18 h (86.6%), and 18 h (78.3%) for the genotypes MR219, MR219-4, MR219-9, MR220, MR159, and MR211, respectively. The best germination feedback of the rice varieties under the hormonal priming were observed in 50 mg L -1 abscisic acid (ABA), 10 mg L -1 gibberellic acid-3 (GA 3 ), 50 mg L -1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 50 mg L -1 GA 3 , 100 mg L -1 ABA, and 10 mg L -1 GA 3 for the genotypes MR219, MR219-4, MR219-9, MR220, MR159 and MR211, respectively. The rice varieties showed different responses to various levels of PEG in which MR219, MR219-4 and MR219-9 responded positively to higher PEG levels, while MR220, MR159 and MR211 showed better feedback under lower PEG concentrations. These outcomes comply with the higher tolerance of
Intracellular delivery of baculovirus and streptavidin-based vectors in vitro : towards novel therapeutic applications

Laakkonen, Johanna Intracellular Delivery of Baculovirus and Streptavidin-based Vectors in vitro – Towards Novel Therapeutic Applications Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2008, 81 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Biological and Environmental Science ISSN 1456-9701; 191) ISBN 978-951-39-3356-2 (PDF), 978-951-39-3326-5 (nid.) Yhteenveto: Bakulovirus ja streptavidiini geeninsiirtovektoreina ihmisen soluissa To achieve cell-specific delivery, gene therapy vectors must be able to internalize and express transgenes in their target cells. Despite of the high transduction efficiency of the viral vectors, their natural tropism rarely matches to required therapeutical needs. This thesis was focused on the development of two potential gene therapy vectors, the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) and a novel, non-viral vector TATstreptavidin, by characterizing their underlying intracellular mechanisms in human cells. Baculovirus was shown to utilize a RhoA and Arf6-regulated phagocytosis-like mechanism for their cellular uptake. After endosomal release, the virus accumulated into nuclei near promyelocytic leukaemia nuclear bodies (PML NBs), a nuclear substructure involved in transcription and replication of viruses. Non-replicative baculovirus was also found to be capable of producing its immediate early proteins in human cells. In addition, virus transduction altered the size of PML NBs and the localization of the host chromatin. Non-viral vector TAT-streptavidin was shown to internalize into all tested human cell lines. The vector was, however, unable to mediate efficient endosomal release and underwent lysosomal degradation. Co-treatment with the endosomal releasing agent (poly)propylacrylicacid significantly increased the nuclear delivery of the TAT-streptavidin and its cargo, indicating the potentiality of the vector to mediate efficient cellular delivery of biotinylated molecules. To conclude, the defining of the gene therapy vectors at the cellular level enables their more accurate developing towards targeting of specific cells and delivering of functional therapeutic macromolecules into human cells.
Soil properties impacting denitrifier community size, structure, and activity in New Zealand dairy-grazed pasture

Abstract. Denitrification is an anaerobic respiration process that is the primary contributor of the nitrous oxide (N2O) produced from grassland soils. Our objective was to gain insight into the relationships between denitrifier community size, structure, and activity for a range of pasture soils. We collected 10 dairy pasture soils with contrasting soil textures, drainage classes, management strategies (effluent irrigation or non-irrigation), and geographic locations in New Zealand, and measured their physicochemical characteristics. We measured denitrifier abundance by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and assessed denitrifier diversity and community structure by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of the nitrite reductase (nirS, nirK) and N2O reductase (nosZ) genes. We quantified denitrifier enzyme activity (DEA) using an acetylene inhibition technique. We investigated whether varied soil conditions lead to different denitrifier communities in soils, and if so, whether they are associated with different denitrification activities and are likely to generate different N2O emissions. Differences in the physicochemical characteristics of the soils were driven mainly by soil mineralogy and the management practices of the farms. We found that nirS and nirK communities were strongly structured along gradients of soil water and phosphorus (P) contents. By contrast, the size and structure of the nosZ community was unrelated to any of the measured soil characteristics. In soils with high water content, the richnesses and abundances of nirS, nirK, and nosZ genes were all significantly positively correlated with DEA. Our data suggest that management strategies to limit N2O emissions through denitrification are likely to be most important for dairy farms on fertile or allophanic soils during wetter periods. Finally, our data suggest that new techniques that would selectively target nirS denitrifiers may be the most effective for limiting N2O emissions through denitrification across a wide range of soil types.
Assessment of Bioaccessibility: A Vital Aspect for Determining the Efficacy of Superfoods

Bioaccessibility is a vital aspect when qualifying food products to be superfoods. It could be defined as the amount of a food constituent which is present in the gut, as a consequence of its release from the solid food matrix. This chapter highlights the evaluation of the bioaccessibility of three studies using an in vitro model of digestion, involving potential superfoods which are as follows: (1) Five Sri Lankan endemic fruits (2) ten spices which are commonly used in culinary preparations in Sri Lanka as well as throughout the world, and (3) three Kombucha ‘tea fungus’ fermented beverages obtained through different microbial cultures. In all three studies, the antioxidant and starch hydrolase activities of the food products were evaluated, given the therapeutic importance of these characteristics. In the first study, it was observed that the antioxidant and activities had decreased, although the starch hydrolase inhibitory activities had been sustained. The remaining two studies demonstrated that both these functional properties had statistically significantly increased (P < 0.05), or sustained. Overall, the studies emphasise the need for evaluating the bioaccessibility of functional properties of potential superfoods before they can be properly advocated for consumption to the general public.
Mercury distribution and transport in the North Atlantic Ocean along the GEOTRACES-GA01 transect

Abstract. We report here the results of total mercury (HgT) determinations along the 2014 G eotraces Geovide cruise (GA01 transect) in the North Atlantic Ocean (NA) from Lisbon (Portugal) to the coast of Labrador (Canada). HgT concentrations in unfiltered samples (HgTUNF) were log-normally distributed and ranged between 0.16 and 1.54 pmol L−1, with a geometric mean of 0.51 pmol L−1 for the 535 samples analysed. The dissolved fraction (
Differed Self within Collectivist Culture: Introducing an Alternative Self-Construal Theory

Markus and Kitayama's theory of independent and interdependent self has been a powerful framework that unravelsthe relations between culture and human behavior. However, its dichotomous approach has faced some theoreticallimitations in explaining the differences among the countries within the same culture. We suggest an alternativetheory with new types of self-construal: subjective self, objective self, and autonomous self. In the present article, thecharacteristics of the three self-construal types and the measurement scales are introduced as well as the results fromthe comparative study conducted in Korea, Japan, and China. Moreover, the developmental processes that couldcause the disparities in self-construal among these nations are discussed.
Testing the Criterion Validity of the CAAPE for Screening Co-Occurring Disorders among Jail Inmates

A growing body of research indicates that the reentry of prisoners back into society is among the most pressing issues facing the criminal justice system. Likewise, research indicates that significant proportions of justiceinvolved individuals are characterized by a much higher prevalence of substance abuse, mental health disorders, and more importantly, the co-occurrence of these phenomena. Individuals with co-occurring disorders have long criminal histories and may even be under the influence of the disorders as criminogenic factors at the time of the commission of a crime. Thus, the effective screening of co-occurring disorders is a necessary prerequisite for both treatments while incarcerated and the development of community-based treatment as part of the reentry process. The present study uses 170 inmates from a county jail that are participating in a focused reentry program to test the criterion validity of the Comprehensive Addictions and Psychological Evaluation (CAAPE) instrument. The results of this study show that there are particular drugs of abuse and specific mental health disorders that are associated with criminal history. More importantly, the results suggest that the subscales of the CAAPE establish a strong connection between the co-occurring disorders and criminal behavior.
A NOVEL INTEGRON IN THE GENOME OF ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATED FROM INDONESIAN MONITOR LIZARD (VARANUS SPP).

The genotype of antibiotic resistance in natural isolates of Escherichia coli was determined through integron detection and characterization of the associated antibiotic resistance. E. coli SG2 isolated from Varanus salvator of Java demonstrated resistance to spectinomycin (50ng/ml) and streptomycin (SOng/ml). Integron detection indicated that eight isolates out of nine E. coli isolates possessed a conserved segment of the integron. Amplification of the inserted cassette of the integron in this SG2 isolate yielded a 1-kb DNA fragment. Sequence analyses indicated that this fragment was homologous with aad gene, which confirmed the resistance to spectinomycin/streptomycin. This is the first report on the presence of integron in the E. coli isolated from the environment. Key words: Integron / antibiotic resistance / Escherichia coli
Presence of Abyssoanthus sp. (Anthozoa: Zoantharia) in the Mediterranean Sea: an indication of non-dependence of Abyssoanthus to chemosynthetic-based ecosystems?

Zoanthids are present in most marine environments, especially where there are hard substrates available. A new species, genus and family ( Abyssoanthus nankainensis Reimer and Fujiwara 2007, family Abyssoanthidae) have been recently described from a cold seep setting at a depth > 3000 m in the Nankai Trench, Pacific Ocean off Japan. A molecularly and morphologically similar zoanthid was also found in the Japan Trench and morphologically similar zoanthids were found associated with cold seep environments in the Gulf of Mexico (Atlantic Ocean). Some minute zoanthid polyps and tissues fragments were collected in 2004 in the bathyal plain of the western Mediterranean Sea, in an environment not known to be chemosynthetically active. Their minute size (< 2 mm in diameter) and sand coating made it impossible to identify these specimens morphologically so they were submitted to biomolecular analyses. DNA was extracted and the large mitochondrial ribosomal subunit gene (mt 16S rDNA) was amplified and sequenced. Surprisingly, the sequences obtained showed clear similarities between the deep Mediterranean sea zoanthid and the putative cold-seep zoanthid A. nankaiensis . Beside documenting an almost cosmopolitan distribution of Abyssoanthus these results could indicate (1) the previously uncharted presence of a bathyal cold seep site in the western Mediterranean Sea or (2) alternatively that this genus is not strictly dependent upon chemosynthetic environments. We favour the second hypothesis because the possibility of a cold seep setting at this specific Mediterranean site does not seem substantiated by any morphological, physical or biological evidence.