6,033 research outputs found

    Designing similarity functions

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    The concept of similarity is important in many areas of cognitive science, computer science, and statistics. In machine learning, functions that measure similarity between two instances form the core of instance-based classifiers. Past similarity measures have been primarily based on simple Euclidean distance. As machine learning has matured, it has become obvious that a simple numeric instance representation is insufficient for most domains. Similarity functions for symbolic attributes have been developed, and simple methods for combining these functions with numeric similarity functions were devised. This sequence of events has revealed three important issues, which this thesis addresses. The first issue is concerned with combining multiple measures of similarity. There is no equivalence between units of numeric similarity and units of symbolic similarity. Existing similarity functions for numeric and symbolic attributes have no common foundation, and so various schemes have been devised to avoid biasing the overall similarity towards one type of attribute. The similarity function design framework proposed by this thesis produces probability distributions that describe the likelihood of transforming between two attribute values. Because common units of probability are employed, similarities may be combined using standard methods. It is empirically shown that the resulting similarity functions treat different attribute types coherently. The second issue relates to the instance representation itself. The current choice of numeric and symbolic attribute types is insufficient for many domains, in which more complicated representations are required. For example, a domain may require varying numbers of features, or features with structural information. The framework proposed by this thesis is sufficiently general to permit virtually any type of instance representation-all that is required is that a set of basic transformations that operate on the instances be defined. To illustrate the framework’s applicability to different instance representations, several example similarity functions are developed. The third, and perhaps most important, issue concerns the ability to incorporate domain knowledge within similarity functions. Domain information plays an important part in choosing an instance representation. However, even given an adequate instance representation, domain information is often lost. For example, numeric features that are modulo (such as the time of day) can be perfectly represented as a numeric attribute, but simple linear similarity functions ignore the modulo nature of the attribute. Similarly, symbolic attributes may have inter-symbol relationships that should be captured in the similarity function. The design framework proposed by this thesis allows domain information to be captured in the similarity function, both in the transformation model and in the probability assigned to basic transformations. Empirical results indicate that such domain information improves classifier performance, particularly when training data is limited

    University of Memphis Magazine, 15:2, 1996 Summer

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    Cover Story, The Devolution Revolution During this year\u27s Faculty Convocation panel discussion, three experts debated the effects of the devolution revolution, which is shifting the responsibility for federal programs to the states. Management of many federal programs is being returned to the states. This shift-or devolution-in power is prompting government redesign, says Dr. Richard P. Nathan of the State University of New York at Albany. Nathan spoke on campus during the 1996 Faculty Convocation panel discussion. Dr. John Gnuschke, director of The U of M\u27s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, and Dr. David Ciscel, the bureau\u27s senior economic researcher, joined Nathan in addressing The Role of the University in the New Urban Society. Also featured, Tiger Juice In the name of science, the Tiger basketball team participated in a study that involved a secret formula described by one player as tasting like chocolate orange juice. What is Formula TTQ? It\u27s part of a project that may have widespread applications for the nutrition of competitive athletes.https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/speccoll-ua-alumni3/1008/thumbnail.jp

    Imagining Consumers

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    Winner of the Hagley Prize in Business History from The Hagley Museum and Library and the Business History ConferenceSelected by Choice Magazine as an Outstanding Academic TitleOriginally published in 1999. Imagining Consumers tells for the first time the story of American consumer society from the perspective of mass-market manufacturers and retailers. It relates the trials and tribulations of china and glassware producers in their contest for the hearts of the working- and middle-class women who made up more than eighty percent of those buying mass-manufactured goods by the 1920s. Based on extensive research in untapped corporate archives, Imagining Consumers supplies a fresh appraisal of the history of American business, culture, and consumerism. Case studies illuminate decision making in key firms—including the Homer Laughlin China Company, the Kohler Company, and Corning Glass Works—and consider the design and development of ubiquitous lines such as Fiesta tableware and Pyrex Ovenware

    Working in ministries or public organizations in Saudi Arabia : A study of career development and job satisfaction of the Saudi Arabian middle managers

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    Career development and job satisfaction studies carried out in developing countries are very limited in number. Saudi Arabia is one of those developing countries which appeared on the political scene quite recently, but striving hard to develop its human resources due to its heavy dependence on expatriate labour to initiate and execute its development plans. The genesis of the study began when General Civil Service Bureau officials noticed a large movement of employees from ministries to other sectors (i.e. public organizations and the private sector). The purpose of this dissertation is to examine and analyze the factors behind this movement and relate this to the studies of career development and job satisfaction. The position of government organizations in Saudi Arabia is rather unique. Most of their employees are drawn from Universities due to the regulations of the GCSB of compelling them to work in ministries for a period equivalent to that spent in their University education until graduation. This situation has prevented such graduates from choosing their own occupations and seem to hinder their career development. As a consequence, this study, not only analyzes career development and job satisfaction in Saudi Arabia, but (v) job satisfaction in Saudi Arabia, but also makes a comprehensive evaluation of economic, social and organisational environments which seem to have an effect of the occupational choice of the Saudis. We take the assumption that the ideology of free occupational choice is not properly applied in Saudi Arabia due to some cultural variables (e.g. nepotism and strong family ties). Hence, this thesis will develop a definition of the concept of occupational choice and career development and the process of personnel flow and the ways in which such movement can be influenced within the Saudi context. The study will be primarily concerned with middle managers in two types of organization - government ministries and public organizations. This will hopefully give a profile of the Saudi situation as far as occupational choice, career development and job satisfaction are concerned

    Workscoreport

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    "W.O.R.K.S.C.O.R.E.P.O.R.T., assembled by the Canadian-based group W.O.R.K.S., is a complete anthology of their activities, 1971-73. The book is a group report, intertwining personal projects as articles, scores, photodocumentation of environments, concerts, events, videowork. It examines artqueztions which require social answers, and artanswers that require further social questioning. As its authors say, 'We use documentation to socialize our personal experience, the book further socializes the documentation ..." -- p. [4] of cover

    2002 Spring, University of Memphis schedule of classes

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    University of Memphis schedule of classes for spring semester 2002.https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/speccoll-ua-pub-bulletins/1418/thumbnail.jp

    Maine State Government Administrative Report 2003-2004

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    https://digitalmaine.com/me_annual_reports/1030/thumbnail.jp

    1977 December, Memphis State University bulletin

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    Vol. 66, No. 6 of the Memphis State University bulletin containing the schedule of classes for spring semester 1978, 1977 December.https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/speccoll-ua-pub-bulletins/1343/thumbnail.jp

    Maine State Government Administrative Report 1978-1979

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    https://digitalmaine.com/me_annual_reports/1005/thumbnail.jp

    Maine State Government Administrative Report 1996-1997

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    https://digitalmaine.com/me_annual_reports/1023/thumbnail.jp
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