Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An analysis of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms for training ensemble models based on different performance measures in software effort estimation

Background: Previous work showed that Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) can be used for training ensembles of learning machines for Software Effort Estimation (SEE) by optimising different performance measures concurrently. Optimisation based on three measures (LSD, MMRE and PRED(25)) was analysed and led to promising results in terms of performance on these and other measures. Aims: (a) It is not known how well ensembles trained on other measures would behave for SEE, and whether training on certain measures would improve performance particularly on these measures. (b) It is also not known whether it is best to include all SEE models created by the MOEA into the ensemble, or solely the models with the best training performance in terms of each measure being optimised. Investigating (a) and (b) is the aim of this work. Method: MOEAs were used to train ensembles by optimising four different sets of performance measures, involving a total of nine different measures. The performance of all ensembles was then compared based on all these nine performance measures. Ensembles composed of different sets of models generated by the MOEAs were also compared. Results: (a) Ensembles trained on LSD, MMRE and PRED (25) obtained the best results in terms of most performance measures, being considered more successful than the others. Optimising certain performance measures did not necessarily lead to the best test performance on these particular measures probably due to overfitting. (b) There was no inherent advantage in using ensembles composed of all the SEE models generated by the MOEA in comparison to using solely the best SEE model according to each measure separately. Conclusions: Care must be taken to prevent overfitting on the performance measures being optimised. Our results suggest that concurrently optimising LSD, MMRE and PRED (25) promoted more ensemble diversity than other combinations of measures, and hence performed best. Low diversity is more likely to lead to overfitting.
Clinical significance of heart rate turbulence assessment in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND Heart rate turbulence (HRT) is modulated by the baroreceptor reflex, and it has been suggested that it could be used as a measure of autonomic dysfunction. Impaired HRT has a significant prognostic value in patients after myocardial infarction. The usefulness of HRT parameters in CHF patients has not yet been well established. AIM To assess the relationship between HRT parameters, clinical course of CHF and selected biochemical markers with respect to their prognostic value in CHF patients. METHODS A 64 of 100 consecutive CHF patients, in whom it was possible to calculate HRT, were divided into four groups according to NYHA class. Uric acid (UA) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations were measured. Heart rate turbulence was analysed from 24-hour Holter ECG and characterised by two parameters: turbulence onset (TO) and turbulence slope (TS). The results of 20 healthy persons served as a control group. Follow-up examinations were performed after 6 and 12 months. RESULTS In patients with CHF both HRT parameters (TO and TS) were significantly impaired in comparison to TO and TS in healthy subjects. A negative correlation between these parameters was found. A strong positive correlation between TO and NYHA class and a significant negative correlation between TS and BNP and UA concentrations were observed. There were 11 deaths during one-year follow-up. Patients who died due to CHF had significantly lower TS and higher TO values in comparison to survivors. CONCLUSIONS Heart rate turbulence is impaired in CHF patients. HRT parameters show a significant correlation with some clinical factors: NYHA class, BNP and UA concentrations. Both HRT parameters, TO and TS, seem to be significant prognostic markers in patients with CHF.
Methodology for a Community-Based Stroke Preparedness Intervention: The Acute Stroke Program of Interventions Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities Study

Background and Purpose— Acute stroke education has focused on stroke symptom recognition. Lack of education about stroke preparedness and appropriate actions may prevent people from seeking immediate care. Few interventions have rigorously evaluated preparedness strategies in multiethnic community settings. Methods— The Acute Stroke Program of Interventions Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities (ASPIRE) project is a multilevel program using a community-engaged approach to stroke preparedness targeted to underserved black communities in the District of Columbia. This intervention aimed to decrease acute stroke presentation times and increase intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator utilization for acute ischemic stroke. Results— Phase 1 included (1) enhancement of focus of emergency medical services on acute stroke; (2) hospital collaborations to implement and enrich acute stroke protocols and transition District of Columbia hospitals toward primary stroke center certification; and (3) preintervention acute stroke patient data collection in all 7 acute care District of Columbia hospitals. A community advisory committee, focus groups, and surveys identified perceptions of barriers to emergency stroke care. Phase 2 included a pilot intervention and subsequent citywide intervention rollout. A total of 531 community interventions were conducted, reaching >10 256 participants; 3289 intervention evaluations were performed, and 19 000 preparedness bracelets and 14 000 stroke warning magnets were distributed. Phase 3 included an evaluation of emergency medical services and hospital processes for acute stroke care and a year-long postintervention acute stroke data collection period to assess changes in intravenous tissue-type plasminogen utilization. Conclusions— We report the methods, feasibility, and preintervention data collection efforts of the ASPIRE intervention. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT00724555.
'Dark Matter' as a Quantum Foam In-Flow Effect

The galactic `dark matter' effect is regarded as one of the major problems in fundamental physics. Here it is explained as a self-interaction dynamical effect of space itself, and so is not caused by an unknown form of matter. Because it was based on Kepler's Laws for the motion of the planets in the solar system the Newtonian theory of gravity was too restricted. A reformulation and generalisation of the Newtonian theory of gravity in terms of a velocity in-flow field, representing at a classical level the relative motion of a quantum-foam substructure to space, reveals a key dynamical feature of the phenomenon of gravity, namely the so called `dark matter' effect, which manifests not only in spiral galaxy rotation curves, but also in the borehole g anomaly, globular and galactic black holes, and in ongoing problems in improving the accuracy with which Newton's gravitational constant G is measured. The new theory of gravity involves an additional new dimensionless gravitational constant, and experimental data reveals this to be the fine structure constant. The new theory correctly predicts the globular cluster black hole masses, and that the `frame-dragging' effect is caused by vorticity in the in-flow. The relationship of the new theory of gravity to General Relativity which, like Newtonian gravity, does not have the `dark matter' dynamics, is explained.
Self-assembly and self-repair method for a distributed mechanical system

We propose a self-assembly and self-repair method for a homogeneous distributed mechanical system. We focus on a category of distributed systems composed of numbers of identical units which can dynamically change connections among themselves. Each unit has an onboard microprocessor, and local communication between neighboring units is possible. We discuss a distributed method for a group of such units to metamorphose from an arbitrary configuration into a desired configuration through cooperation by the units. This process, called self-assembly, is realized by identical software on each unit with local inter-unit communication. An extension of self-assembly, self-repair, is also examined. In this process, an occasional cut-off of an arbitrary part of the system is assumed. When some part of the system detects damage, the whole system degenerates and reconstructs itself. Computer simulations show the feasibility of self-assembly and self-repair.
Rate Distortion Optimization in H . 264

In this paper, we study the best rate distortion performance that an H.264 encoder can possibly achieve. Using soft decision quantization rather than the standard hard decision quantization, we first establish a general framework for jointly designing motion compensation, quantization, and entropy coding in the hybrid coding structure of H.264 to minimize a true rate distortion cost. We then propose three rate distortion optimization algorithms—a graph-based algorithm for optimal soft decision quantization in H.264 baseline profile encoding given motion compensation and quantization step sizes, an iterative algorithm for optimal residual coding in H.264 baseline profile encoding given motion compensation, and an iterative overall algorithm for optimal H.264 baseline profile encoding—with them embedded in the indicated order. The graph-based algorithm for optimal soft decision quantization is the core; given motion compensation and quantization step sizes, it is guaranteed to perform optimal soft decision quantization to certain degree. The proposed iterative overall algorithm has been implemented based on the reference encoder JM82 of H.264. Comparative studies show that it achieves a significant performance gain, which can be as high as 25% rate reduction at the same PSNR when compared to the reference encoder.
Which Type of High School Maximizes Students’ College Match? Unequal Pathways to Postsecondary Destinations for Students From Varying High School Settings

ABSTRACT Through multilevel analyses of Educational Longitudinal Study and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)-Barron’s data sets, this study examined unequal chances for college enrollment for students from different high school types and locations. The study shows that students from more privileged high school sectors are able to maximize attendance at better academically matched colleges and that the structural type and location of high school both as hierarchically ranked and as providing varied opportunities and norms are key factors in college matching. The problem of undermatching is more prevalent among students in urban public open schools, suburban disadvantaged public schools, and rural schools. In contrast, students in urban magnet test-in schools, suburban advantaged public schools, Catholic schools, and independent private schools exhibit markedly better patterns of college matching. Our findings reveal nuanced differences within each location and sector, and we explore mechanisms by which the diverse opportunity structure and culture of such varied high schools produce different college-matching results.
N ° 2012-08 Job Polarization in Aging Economies

This paper extends on French data the previous findings on US data: employment and wage growth have been more important in the lower and upper tail of the job quality distribution. The originality of the paper is to argue that the diffusion of ICT cannot explain alone the polarization at the lower tail of the distribution. However, when combined with population aging, our framework predicts a progressive concentration of employment in the service sector. These results are confirmed by French data. In addition, we develop an analytical framework to shed light on the economic mechanisms behind our empirical finding. We lay stress on the Balassa effect on the supply side and aging on the demand side. JEL Codes : J14, J21, J24, O33
Complete-Proteome Mapping of Human Influenza A Adaptive Mutations: Implications for Human Transmissibility of Zoonotic Strains

Background There is widespread concern that H5N1 avian influenza A viruses will emerge as a pandemic threat, if they become capable of human-to-human (H2H) transmission. Avian strains lack this capability, which suggests that it requires important adaptive mutations. We performed a large-scale comparative analysis of proteins from avian and human strains, to produce a catalogue of mutations associated with H2H transmissibility, and to detect their presence in avian isolates. Methodology/Principal Findings We constructed a dataset of influenza A protein sequences from 92,343 public database records. Human and avian sequence subsets were compared, using a method based on mutual information, to identify characteristic sites where human isolates present conserved mutations. The resulting catalogue comprises 68 characteristic sites in eight internal proteins. Subtype variability prevented the identification of adaptive mutations in the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase proteins. The high number of sites in the ribonucleoprotein complex suggests interdependence between mutations in multiple proteins. Characteristic sites are often clustered within known functional regions, suggesting their functional roles in cellular processes. By isolating and concatenating characteristic site residues, we defined adaptation signatures, which summarize the adaptive potential of specific isolates. Most adaptive mutations emerged within three decades after the 1918 pandemic, and have remained remarkably stable thereafter. Two lineages with stable internal protein constellations have circulated among humans without reassorting. On the contrary, H5N1 avian and swine viruses reassort frequently, causing both gains and losses of adaptive mutations. Conclusions Human host adaptation appears to be complex and systemic, involving nearly all influenza proteins. Adaptation signatures suggest that the ability of H5N1 strains to infect humans is related to the presence of an unusually high number of adaptive mutations. However, these mutations appear unstable, suggesting low pandemic potential of H5N1 in its current form. In addition, adaptation signatures indicate that pandemic H1N1/09 strain possesses multiple human-transmissibility mutations, though not an unusually high number with respect to swine strains that infected humans in the past. Adaptation signatures provide a novel tool for identifying zoonotic strains with the potential to infect humans.
An Analogue Investigation into the Effect of Trauma-related Rumination on Trauma Intrusions and the Moderating Role of Trait Rumination and Depression

Trauma-related rumination is considered one cognitive process that underlies the maintenance of posttraumatic stress. However experimental findings for the effect of trauma-related rumination have been inconclusive and a moderating role of trait rumination has been speculated. Further, existing depression may also interact with trauma-related rumination to increase posttraumatic stress symptoms. The roles of trauma-related rumination, trait rumination and existing depression were therefore investigated. Healthy female participants watched an analogue trauma film and completed either film-related rumination or control inductions involving a distraction and free-thinking task in the first and second experiments, respectively. Participants' frequency of film-related intrusions and associated distress levels were assessed within the initial experimental session, over 1-week after the film and at 1-week follow-up. Induced rumination resulted in greater intrusion-related distress in the second experiment. However no consistent moderations of trait rumination and existing depression were found. Theoretical and clinical implications of findings are discussed.
A simple control design for human-robot coordination based on the knowledge of dynamical role division

This paper discusses skillful role divisions of coordinated motion between two agents in a crank-rotation task. The roles for coordination, called “dynamical role division,” emerge from dynamic interaction between the agents, through which each agent comes to play a specialized role without conscious understanding. This paper also proposes a novel approach to apply this latent skill in coordinated motions to human-robot coordination, and showing the following advantages of this method: 1) controls of each agent's actions are simplified; 2) task performances are improved in a simple manner.
Comparison of Services of Public, Private and Foreign Hospitals from the Perspective of Bangladeshi Patients

Despite recent developments in the Bangladesh healthcare sector, there is still great concern about the quality of healthcare services in the country. This study compared the quality of healthcare services by different types of institutions, i.e. public and private hospitals, from the perspective of Bangladeshi patients to identify the relevant areas for development. A survey was conducted among Bangladeshi citizens who were in-patients in public or private hospitals in Dhaka city or in hospitals abroad within the last one year. About 400 exit-interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire that addressed the probable factors of the quality of healthcare services in 5-point interval scales. The results gave an overview of the perspectives of Bangladeshi patients on the quality of service in three types of hospitals. The quality of service in private hospitals scored higher than that in public hospitals for nursing care, tangible hospital matters, i.e. cleanliness, supply of utilities, and availability of drugs. The overall quality of service was better in the foreign hospitals compared to that in the private hospitals in Bangladesh in all factors, even the ‘perceived cost’ factor. This paper provides insights into the specific factors of the quality of hospital services that need to be addressed to meet the needs of Bangladeshi patients.
English Premier League, Spaińs La Liga and Italýs Seriés A – What’s Different?

Our study aimed to understand which aspects are most important by coaches in the characterization of the three best European Football Leagues (English Premier League, Spaińs La Liga and Italýs Seriés A). The sample included 8 expert high-performance Portuguese First League football coaches. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and data were analysed through Content Analysis. The interviewed coaches believe that what distinguished the style of play in the different leagues is due essentially to: cultural factors; strategictactical factors; and, specific players’ skills. They considered that: the English league is characterized by a direct style of play; the Italian league continues to be characterized by the defensive tactical rigor; and, the Spanish league favors the aesthetic side of the game and having greater control over throughout the game. Our coaches felt that what mostly differentiates these teams is culturally-influenced whereby distinct ways of playing have been created through history. In addition, they also referred to strategic and tactical aspects, players’ characteristics and the coach’s philosophy. Appreciating the cultural aspects that contribute to the creation of distinct playing styles may be useful for coaches who work in new clubs/cultures and want their players to adapt to his methods and improve performance.
The Chinese Australian Neuropsychological Normative Study: Neuropsychological Test Norms for Chinese Australians Aged 55–90 Years

Objective Given Australia's rapidly ageing population, demand for neuropsychological assessment to assist with the diagnosis and treatment/management of dementia and stroke will increase. Accurate and reliable neuropsychological assessment is dependent on the availability of appropriate normative data. Although more than a quarter of the Australian population comprises culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) individuals, there have been no CALD‐specific normative studies published in Australia to date. The primary purpose of the current study was to collect norms on Australia's largest and one of its fastest growing CALD groups, Chinese Australians. Other aims included delineation of the influence of demographic factors and assessment of reliability coefficients of neuropsychological test scores for Chinese Australians. Method A battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to N = 145 community dwelling Chinese Australians aged 55–87-years with the assistance of Chinese‐speaking interpreters. Results Multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant influence of demographic factors across most test scores and norms were provided by the relevant stratifications. The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Third Edition (WAIS‐III) Digit Symbol Coding (DSC) emerged as the most reliable tests for use with Chinese Australians. Conclusion The influence of demographic variables and reliability coefficients of neuropsychological tests developed for dominant western cultural groups cannot be assumed to be the same across CALD groups. Use of CALD‐specific norms is recommended to increase the reliability and validity of neuropsychological testing.
Remnant masses, spins and recoils from the merger of generic black hole binaries

We obtain empirical formulae for the final remnant black hole mass, spin, and recoil velocity from merging black hole binaries (BHBs) with arbitrary mass ratios and spins. Our formulae are based on the mass ratio and spin dependence of the post-Newtonian expressions for the instantaneous radiated energy, linear momentum, and angular momentum, as well as the ISCO binding energy and angular momentum. The relative weight between the different terms is fixed by amplitude parameters chosen through a least-squares fit of recently available fully nonlinear numerical simulations. These formulae can be used for statistical studies of N-body simulations of galaxy cores and clusters, and the cosmological growth of supermassive black holes. As an example, we use these formulae to obtain a universal spin magnitude distribution of merged black holes and recoil velocity distributions for dry and hot/cold wet mergers. We also revisit the long-term orbital precession and resonances and discuss how they affect spin distributions before the merging regime.
A Search for a Structural Phillips Curve

The foundation of the New Keynesian Phillips curve (NKPC) is a model of price setting with nominal rigidities that implies that the dynamics of inflation are well explained by the evolution of real marginal costs. In this paper, we analyze whether this is a structurally invariant relationship. We first estimate an unrestricted time-series model for inflation, unit labor costs, and other variables, and present evidence that their joint dynamics are well represented by a vector autoregression (VAR) with drifting coefficients and volatilities. We then apply a two-step minimum distance estimator to estimate deep parameters of the NKPC. Given estimates of the unrestricted VAR, we estimate parameters of the NKPC by minimizing a quadratic function of the restrictions that this theoretical model imposes on the reduced form. Our results suggest that it is possible to reconcile a constant-parameter NKPC with the drifting-parameter VAR; therefore, we argue that the price-setting model is structurally invariant.