Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rate it again: increasing recommendation accuracy by user re-rating

A common approach to designing Recommender Systems (RS) consists of asking users to explicitly rate items in order to collect feedback about their preferences. However, users have been shown to be inconsistent and to introduce a non-negligible amount of natural noise in their ratings that affects the accuracy of the predictions. In this paper, we present a novel approach to improve RS accuracy by reducing the natural noise in the input data via a preprocessing step. In order to quantitatively understand the impact of natural noise, we first analyze the response of common recommendation algorithms to this noise. Next, we propose a novel algorithm to denoise existing datasets by means of re-rating: i.e. by asking users to rate previously rated items again. This denoising step yields very significant accuracy improvements. However, re-rating all items in the original dataset is unpractical. Therefore, we study the accuracy gains obtained when re-rating only some of the ratings.In particular, we propose two partial denoising strategies: data and user-dependent denoising. Finally, we compare the value of adding a rating of an unseen item vs. re-rating an item. We conclude with a proposal for RS to improve the quality of their user data and hence their accuracy: asking users to re-rate items might, in some circumstances, be more beneficial than asking users to rate unseen items.
A Role for the Subthalamic Nucleus in Response Inhibition during Conflict

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is a key node in the network that supports response inhibition. It is suggested that the STN rapidly inhibits basal ganglia activity, to pause motor output during conflict until an appropriate motor plan is ready. Here, we recorded neural activity during a Stroop task from deep brain stimulation electrodes implanted in the human STN. We intended to determine whether cognitive psychological phenomena such as the Stroop effect can be explained via mechanisms of response inhibition involving the STN, or whether higher cognitive centers are alone responsible. We show stimulus-driven desychronization in the beta band (15–35 Hz) that lasts throughout the verbal response, in keeping with the idea that beta-band synchrony decreases to allow motor output to occur. During incongruent trials—in which response times were elongated due to the Stroop effect—a resynchronization was seen in the beta band before response. Crucially, in the incongruent trials during which the participant was unable to withhold the prepotent response, this resynchronization occurred after response onset. We suggest that this beta-band resynchronization pauses the motor system until conflict can be resolved.
A Content-Analytic Meta-Analysis of Gender Stereotyping in Screen Media

A Content-Analytic Meta-Analysis of Gender Stereotyping in Screen Media Lee Whitney Essig School of Family Life, BYU Master of Science Thousands of studies have investigated the gendered portrayals in various forms of media. Researchers believe that considering gendered media content is important, as gender stereotypes have been found to influence development, often with adverse outcomes. Although a vast body of research on gender stereotypes has accumulated, little effort has been made to synthesize this literature. The purpose of this paper is to collect and analyze the results of content-analytic studies of gender portrayals across several forms of media including television, television commercials, movies, video games, music videos, and various forms of print media into a comprehensive paper on gender stereotypes in the media. Results of the analyses indicated that gender stereotypes and roles are still reinforced in the media, particularly in American and Middle-Eastern media. Additionally, while gendered roles are still reinforced, there is evidence of some decrease in gender stereotyping over time. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.
Inverse Ising inference with correlated samples

Correlations between two variables of a high-dimensional system can be indicative of an underlying interaction, but can also result from indirect effects. Inverse Ising inference is a method to distinguish one from the other. Essentially, the parameters of the least constrained statistical model are learned from the observed correlations such that direct interactions can be separated from indirect correlations. Among many other applications, this approach has been helpful for protein structure prediction, because residues which interact in the 3D structure often show correlated substitutions in a multiple sequence alignment. In this context, samples used for inference are not independent but share an evolutionary history on a phylogenetic tree. Here, we discuss the effects of correlations between samples on global inference. Such correlations could arise due to phylogeny but also via other slow dynamical processes. We present a simple analytical model to address the resulting inference biases, and develop an exact method accounting for background correlations in alignment data by combining phylogenetic modeling with an adaptive cluster expansion algorithm. We find that popular reweighting schemes are only marginally effective at removing phylogenetic bias, suggest a rescaling strategy that yields better results, and provide evidence that our conclusions carry over to the frequently used mean-field approach to the inverse Ising problem.
On algebraic fiber spaces over varieties of maximal Albanese dimension

We study algebraic fiber spaces f : X ! Y where Y is of maximal Albanese dimension. In particular we give an effective version a theorem of Kawa- mata: If Pm(X) = 1 for some m � 2, then the Albanese map of X is surjective. Combining this with (CH) it follows that X is birational to an abelian variety if and only if P2(X) = 1 and q(X) = dim(X).
Statistical–Dynamical Typhoon Intensity Predictions in the Western North Pacific Using Track Pattern Clustering and Ocean Coupling Predictors

A statistical–dynamical model for predicting tropical cyclone (TC) intensity has been developed using a track-pattern clustering (TPC) method and ocean-coupled potential predictors. Based on the fuzzy c-means clustering method, TC tracks during 2004–12 in the western North Pacific were categorized into five clusters, and their unique characteristics were investigated. The predictive model uses multiple linear regressions, where the predictand or the dependent variable is the change in maximum wind speed relative to the initial time. To consider TC-ocean coupling effects due to TC-induced vertical mixing and resultant surface cooling, new potential predictors were also developed for maximum potential intensity (MPI) and intensification potential (POT) using depth-averaged temperature (DAT) instead of sea surface temperature (SST). Altogether, 6 static, 11 synoptic, and 3 DAT-based potential predictors were used. Results from a series of experiments for the training period of 2004–12 using TPC and DAT-based predictors showed remarkably improved TC intensity predictions. The model was tested on predictions of TC intensity for 2013 and 2014, which are not used in the training samples. Relative to the nonclustering approach, the TPC and DAT-based predictors reduced prediction errors about 12%–25% between 24and 96-h lead time. The present model is also compared with four operational dynamical forecast models. At short leads (up to 24 h) the present model has the smallest mean absolute errors. After a 24-h lead time, the present model still shows skill that is comparable with the best operational models.
CEO Interviews on CNBC

We investigate whether media attention systematically affects stock prices through the trading of individual investors by exploiting the substantial discrepancy between perceived and actual information content of 6,937 CEO interviews on CNBC. The average cumulative abnormal stock return over the [-2, 0] trading day window is 1.62%, followed by reversion of 1.08% over the following ten trading days. The magnitude of price response is positively correlated with the viewership as well as the language tone of the CEO. Individual investors and short sellers are key drivers of the pricing pattern. We document evidence of information cascade coming from CNBC interviews.
Age and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy increase the risk of atrial fibrillation following oesophagectomy.

OBJECTIVES Atrial tachyarrhythmias occur in up to 25% of patients after major thoracic surgery. We examined risk factors for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) following oesophagectomy in an attempt to guide prophylactic use of anti-arrhythmic strategies. METHODS Data were extracted from a database of patients who underwent oesophagectomy between 1991 and 2009. Patients with pre-operative arrhythmias were excluded leaving 997 patients for further analysis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors predicting AF, and receiver operating characteristic curves were generated from a model using these predictors. Statistical significance was reflected in a P-value of <0.05. RESULTS Patients who developed AF (n = 209; 20.96%) were older (median age 70.54 years vs. 66.9 years; P < 0.01) and included 141 males (67.4%) (P = 0.11). Patients with AF were noted to have a higher in-hospital mortality rate (n = 17; 8.1% vs. n = 34; 4.8%) (P = 0.04) and a longer stay in hospital (14 days vs. 12 days; P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis identified advanced age and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy to be independent predictors of the risk of developing AF. Assessment of discriminative ability of a predictive model revealed a c-statistic of just 0.62. CONCLUSIONS Despite the identification of age and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy as predictors of AF, the moderate discriminative ability of predictive modelling does not support the use of prophylactic anti-arrhythmic drugs. However, the high incidence of AF after major thoracic surgery makes it necessary to understand its underlying mechanisms better before prophylactic strategies are considered.
EFFECT OF CROPPING PATTERNS , FARM YARD MANURE , K AND ZN OF WHEAT GROWTH AND GRAIN YIELD

Field trials were conducted during 2001-02 and 2002-03 to investigate the effect of cropping patterns along with farm yard manure, potassium and zinc on the grain yield of wheat. The experiments were carried out at the Agricultural Research Farm, Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan. Two factors (cropping patterns and manures/fertilizers) were studied in the experiment. Randomized complete block design was used with split plot arrangements and four replications having net plot size of 12 m. Wheat variety Ghaznavi-98 was sown in November soon after ploughing when the soil moisture level was suitable for wheat seed germination. Five cropping patterns were allotted to main plots and the eight combinations of FYM, K and Zn to the sub-plots. Same plots were used for next year sowing. Effects of five cropping patterns (rice-wheat, maize-wheat, sunflower-wheat, sorghum-wheat & pigeon peawheat) and three organic and in-organic fertilizers (Farmyard Manure, Potassium and Zinc) on subsequent wheat crop were observed. Highest grain yield was obtained when wheat was planted after pigeon pea. Manures/fertilizer application (Farmyard Manure, Potassium and Zinc) also produced significantly higher grain yield than the control plots. The findings of the present study revealed that leguminous crops can significantly increase the yield of succeeding crops and therefore, should be included in the crop rotation. In addition, the use of Farmyard Manure, and commercial fertilizers (Potassium and Zinc) should also be included in integrated crop management approaches for sustainable agriculture.
Socio-demographic correlates of leisure time physical activity among Portuguese adults.

This study aimed to identify socio-demographic correlates of leisure time physical activity among Portuguese adults. Subjects aged 31-60 years (1,076 males, 1,383 females) were categorized into two groups according to recommended physical activities ranging from ≥ 10 or < 10 MET.hours. week-1. Leisure time physical activity data was self-reported, including activities, duration of each session and frequency. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were applied to the results. Among men, having a high socioeconomic status (OR = 1.89; 95%CI: 1.30-2.76; p = 0.001) was associated with attaining the recommended level of physical activity. For women, middle education levels were associated with physical activity (OR = 1.36; 95%CI: 1.01-1.85). Moreover, middle socioeconomic status (OR = 1.45; 95%CI: 0.80-1.91; p = 0.009) was also positively associated with meeting physical activities recommendations in the unadjusted analysis. Men and women had different patterns of socio-demographic correlates. An intervention designed to improve the levels of physical activity among Portuguese adults may take these correlates into account.
Seroprevalence of Leptospirosis in North of Iran During 2010

Leptospirosis is a globally important zoonotic disease, most commonly founded in tropical or sub-tropical countries. Leptospirosis is an acute febrile illness caused by pathogenic members of the genus Leptospira. The present study was done to evaluate the prevalence and other variables related to Leptospirosis in Mazandaran province (north of Iran) during 2010. Blood samples were collected from all suspected cases to measure anti-leptospira antibody by Immuno-Fluorescence Antibody (IFA) method (manufactured by Pasteur Institute, Iran). During this period, incidence in men was 27.29 % and in women was 28 %. Regarding location of residence, 135(71.42%) were in rural areas and 54 (28.58%) were in urban areas. Recent studies on Leptospirosis showed that the disease was highly endemic in the animal population. It is considered that the majority of leptospirosis cases in man were due to association of man with animals and disease-infected environment.
Opportunistic Spectrum Access with Two Channel Sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks

Efficient discovery and effective sharing of spectrum opportunities are the most challenging issues in a multi-channel cognitive radio network (CRN) with multiple secondary users (SUs). In this paper, we propose a novel spectrum sensing and access protocol in CRNs where SUs are allowed to sequentially sense two channels in a single time slot and are coordinated to access the potentially unused channels. The proposed protocol is formulated as a channel selection problem coupled with a channel assignment problem. We subsequently investigate the myopic sensing policy and propose a Markov chain-based greedy channel assignment scheme (MCGA) to maximize the expected total SU throughput. Moreover, we extend our proposal to the scenario with imperfect spectrum sensing and obtain the optimal sensing time to enhance the performance improvement by considering spectrum sensing and spectrum access in a joint manner. Finally, we evaluate the performance of our proposal in a saturated network. Numerical and simulation results demonstrate that compared to the existing work, our approach can achieve significant performance improvements in SU throughput.
The Genetic and Environmental Etiology of the Association between Vocabulary and Syntax in First Grade

ABSTRACT This twin study examined the genetic and environmental etiology of vocabulary, syntax, and their association in first graders. French-speaking same-sex twins (n = 555) completed two vocabulary tests, and two scores of syntax were calculated from their spontaneous speech at 7 years of age. Multivariate latent factor genetic analyses showed that lexical skills were influenced mainly by the environment shared between the twins, whereas syntactic skills were influenced exclusively by genes and unique environment. Moreover, the moderate association between vocabulary and syntax was mostly due to common genetic factors. These novel findings may be attributable to the use of latent factors and the population studied. More research is needed to determine the specific factors involved in lexical and syntactic skills at this developmental period.
Circulating monocyte subpopulations with high expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme predict mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease.

BACKGROUND Circulating monocytes can be divided into distinct populations according to their expression of surface markers CD14 and CD16. In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the cell fraction expressing high levels of CD14 and CD16 is expanded and the numbers of these cells are predictive for cardiovascular disease. The present pilot study describes the predictive role of a combined biomarker consisting of high numbers of CD14(++)CD16(+) cells together with high expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) on these cells for mortality in CKD Stage V(D) (dialysis) patients. METHODS In a prospective observational study, monocyte subpopulations were enumerated and ACE expression was quantified in 74 CKD patients by flow cytometry. Patients were assigned to one of four groups according to monocyte population numbers and ACE expression below and above the respective medians and observed for mortality and cardiovascular events for 46 months. RESULTS Patients stratified to the 'high CD14(++)CD16(+), high ACE' group (n = 22) had a dramatically enhanced mortality of 70% at 2 years compared to all other patient groups (mortality 14.8%, HR 4.86 [95% CI 2.17-10.86, P < 0.0001]). Atherosclerosis-associated events predominated among the causes of death. CONCLUSIONS This study describes a new combined biomarker of monocyte subpopulation numbers together with high expression of ACE that has a striking predictive value for mortality of CKD patients. Further research into the pathophysiologic background of this observation is warranted.
A performance evaluation of a local DNA sequence alignment algorithm on a cluster of workstations

Summary form only given. Biological inspired techniques have proven to be efficient in solving a variety of real problems using parallel and distributed processing. In this paper, we wish to study the DNA sequencing problem known for its computational requirements which far exceed the computing capabilities of the fastest available sequential machines. Sequence comparison is a basic operation of the DNA sequencing problem, mainly due to the large number of DNA sequences. While most of the methods used are based on heuristic paradigms and have relatively a fast execution time, they do not produce optimal alignments sought by most biologists. Recently, many organisms had their DNA entirely sequenced, and this reality presents the need for comparing long DNA sequences, which is a challenging task due to its high demands for computational requirements (power and memory). In this paper, we present an efficient parallel strategy for implementing a sequence alignment algorithm for long sequences, and evaluate its performance using a cluster of workstations. This strategy was implemented in JIAJIA, a scope consistent software DSM system. Our results indicate clearly that our scheme is feasible, achieve a good speedup and can help in obtaining a better solution to the DNA sequencing problem when compared to previous schemes.
Competitive Potential of Wheat Cultivars as Affected By Emergence Time RIGOLI

Morphophysiological characteristics of wheat cultivars define their capacity to compete naturally with weed plants. The objective of this study was to quantify variations in emergence time, growth and initial development of wheat cultivars with different cycles and plant heights. This greenhouse experiment was arranged in a completely randomized experimental design, with three replications at the Universidade Federal de Pelotas, in 2006. Treatments consisted of seven wheat cultivars; BRS Guatambu; BRS Tarumã; BRS Timbaúva; BRS Camboatá; BRS Buriti; CD 105; BRS Camboim, and two weed plants, turnip and Italian ryegrass. Emergence time of the cultivars and weed plants was evaluated up to 10 days after sowing. Plant height was determined at 10, 20 and 35 days after emergence (DAE) and development stage at 20 and 35 DAE. Leaf area was measured at 35 DAE as well as dry matter of the aerial parts and roots, with data being submitted to analysis of variance and means compared by the Duncan test. Among the characteristics of the wheat cultivars evaluated, cycle duration and plant height did not affect emergence time with cultivars BRS Guatambu, BRS Timbaúva and BRS Camboim, presenting the highest competitive potential at the beginning of the cycle and BRS Tarumãt showing the lowest means for the morphological variables.
Interest Rates and the Durability of Consumption Goods

In this article I study an economy with irreversible durable investment and investors who consume a durable and a nondurable good. In a general equilibrium setting, these assumptions lead to endogenous variation in the implied risk aversion of investors and in the term structure of interest rates. In the model, the magnitude of the intertemporal elasticity of substitution places certain restrictions on the joint dynamical behavior of durable consumption, nondurable consumption, and the yield curve. Tests of the model using postwar U.S. data are supportive of these restrictions. However, while the model is able to generate a relatively large term spr
Hematopoietic and endothelial progenitor cell trafficking in patients with myeloproliferative diseases.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The presence of circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells in patients with myeloproliferative diseases (MPD) has been described. However, the exact nature of such progenitor cells has not been specified until now. The aim of this work was to investigate the presence of endothelial precursor cells in the blood of patients with MPD and to assess the role of the endothelial cell lineage in the pathophysiology of this disease. DESIGN AND METHODS Endothelial progenitor cell marker expression (CD34, prominin (CD133), kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) or vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and von Willebrand factor) was assessed in the blood of 53 patients with MPD by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Clonogenic stem cell assays were performed with progenitor cells and monocytes to assess differentiation towards the endothelial cell lineage. The patients' were divided according to whether they had essential thrombocythemia (ET, n=17), polycythemia vera (PV, n=21) or chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis (CIMF, n=15) and their data compared with data from normal controls (n=16) and patients with secondary thrombo- or erythrocytosis (n=17). RESULTS Trafficking of CD34-positive cells was increased above the physiological level in 4/17 patients with ET, 5/21 patients with PV and 13/15 patients with CIMF. A subset of patients with CIMF co-expressed the markers CD34, prominin (CD133) and KDR, suggesting the presence of endothelial precursors among the circulating progenitor cells. Clonogenic stem cell assays confirmed differentiation towards both the hematopoietic and the endothelial cell lineage in 5/10 patients with CIMF. Furthermore, the molecular markers trisomy 8 and JAK2 V617F were found in the grown endothelial cells of patients positive for trisomy 8 or JAK2 V617F in the peripheral blood, confirming the common clonal origin of both hematopoietic and endothelial cell lineages. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS Endothelial precursor cells are increased in the blood of a subset of patients with CIMF, and peripheral endothelial cells bear the same molecular markers as hematopoietic cells, suggesting a primary role of pathological endothelial cells in this disease.