Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pareto-efficient hybridization for multi-objective recommender systems

Performing accurate suggestions is an objective of paramount importance for effective recommender systems. Other important and increasingly evident objectives are novelty and diversity, which are achieved by recommender systems that are able to suggest diversified items not easily discovered by the users. Different recommendation algorithms have particular strengths and weaknesses when it comes to each of these objectives, motivating the construction of hybrid approaches. However, most of these approaches only focus on optimizing accuracy, with no regard for novelty and diversity. The problem of combining recommendation algorithms grows significantly harder when multiple objectives are considered simultaneously. For instance, devising multi-objective recommender systems that suggest items that are simultaneously accurate, novel and diversified may lead to a conflicting-objective problem, where the attempt to improve an objective further may result in worsening other competing objectives. In this paper we propose a hybrid recommendation approach that combines existing algorithms which differ in their level of accuracy, novelty and diversity. We employ an evolutionary search for hybrids following the Strength Pareto approach, which isolates hybrids that are not dominated by others (i.e., the so called Pareto frontier). Experimental results on two recommendation scenarios show that: (i) we can combine recommendation algorithms in order to improve an objective without significantly hurting other objectives, and (ii) we allow for adjusting the compromise between accuracy, diversity and novelty, so that the recommendation emphasis can be adjusted dynamically according to the needs of different users.
Analysis and synthesis of point distributions based on pair correlation

Analyzing and synthesizing point distributions are of central importance for a wide range of problems in computer graphics. Existing synthesis algorithms can only generate white or blue-noise distributions with characteristics dictated by the underlying processes used, and analysis tools have not been focused on exploring relations among distributions. We propose a unified analysis and general synthesis algorithms for point distributions. We employ the pair correlation function as the basis of our methods and design synthesis algorithms that can generate distributions with given target characteristics, possibly extracted from an example point set, and introduce a unified characterization of distributions by mapping them to a space implied by pair correlations. The algorithms accept example and output point sets of different sizes and dimensions, are applicable to multi-class distributions and non-Euclidean domains, simple to implement and run in O(n) time. We illustrate applications of our method to real world distributions.
Do users of the intrauterine system (Mirena) have different genital symptoms and vaginal flora than users of the intrauterine contraceptive device?

The copper intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) is strongly associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV). Hormonal influences may play a role in the control of vaginal flora. It is unclear whether use of the progesterone-incorporated intrauterine system (IUS; Mirena) is associated with abnormal vaginal flora or genital symptoms. One hundred and seventy-two women were assessed for symptoms and abnormal vaginal flora prior to and at intervals after insertion of either a copper IUCD or an IUS. Women were significantly more likely to have developed an abnormal vaginal discharge 4–6 weeks after insertion of an IUCD compared with an IUS (27% cf. 14%, P = 0.04), although this trend was not significant six months postinsertion. More women with an IUCD developed BV compared with an IUS at 4–6 weeks and six months. However, there were insufficient numbers of women with BV to demonstrate any significant difference between the vaginal flora of the two groups.
Epigenetic regulation and heart failure

Heart failure has become a huge public health problem. The treatment options for heart failure, however, are considerably limited. The significant disparity between the scope of a prominent health problem and the restricted means of therapy propagates heart failure epidemics. Delineating novel mechanisms of heart failure is imperative. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic regulation may take part in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Epigenetic regulation involves DNA and histone modifications that lead to changes in DNA-based transcriptional programs without altering the DNA sequence. Although more and more mechanisms are being discovered, the best understood epigenetic modifications are achieved through covalent biochemical reactions including histone acetylation, histone methylation and DNA methylation. Connecting environmental stimuli with genomic programs, epigenetic regulation remains important in maintaining homeostases and the pathogeneses of diseases. This review summarizes the most recent developments regarding individual epigenetic modifications and their implications in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Understanding this strategically important mechanism is potentially the key for developing powerful interventions in the future.
Inflammation and arrhythmias: potential mechanisms and clinical implications

Inflammation is a pathological condition known since ancient times. Recent discoveries of inflammatory markers have given new insights into the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of arrhythmias. This article reviews global data on possible correlations between inflammation – acute or chronic – and cardiac arrhythmias. The authors discuss the role of inflammation in patients with supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. Collected data support the hypothesis that the inflammatory process may be an important factor in cardiac rhythm disturbances.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and Borderline Personality Disorder: Effects on Service Utilisation and Self-Reported Symptoms

Abstract In a pilot evaluation study, effectiveness of a 20-week dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) skills training group program was explored for adult clients with borderline personality disorder (BPD; N = 140). Subjective ratings of depression, anxiety and BPD symptomatology were obtained pre and post group therapy. Objective measures of service utilisation levels were obtained for the 6 months prior to group therapy, the duration of therapy, and the 6 months following therapy. Group completers (n = 68) showed reductions in depression, anxiety and BPD symptomatology, as well as in the number of emergency department attendances. Completers with previous high service utilisation had decreases in telephone counselling calls and inpatient days during therapy, and fewer emergency department attendances post therapy. Completers had larger decreases in service utilisation than noncompleters (n = 72). Simultaneous engagement in individual DBT was related to higher group completion than was individual therapy as usual, but it did not impact on level of service utilisation or psychological functioning. This quasi-experimental pilot study suggests that DBT groups may improve psychological functioning and decrease service utilisation for BPD clients, particularly those with high service utilisation. The treatment warrants systematic evaluation.
T1 mapping in myocarditis – headway to a new era for cardiovascular magnetic resonance

Myocarditis is a major cause of cardiac morbidity and mortality, particularly in young patients. A spectrum of challenges besets this condition, from establishing the diagnosis to effective treatment. Endomyocardial biopsy remains the diagnostic gold standard, despite its invasiveness, low diagnostic yield and a paucity of consequential management pathways. Cardiac magnetic resonance by Lake Louise criteria has contested to become the non-invasive diagnostic alternative by providing confirmation of disease. The advent of T1 mapping now allows a high diagnostic accuracy in confirmation and exclusion of disease, discrimination of stages and activity of disease. Alongside the research into the mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets, cardiac magnetic resonance confidently claims a prime role within a modern diagnostic pathway in clinically stable patients with suspected myocarditis.
Self-indexing inverted files for fast text retrieval

Query-processing costs on large text databases are dominated by the need to retrieve and scan the inverted list of each query term. Retrieval time for inverted lists can be greatly reduced by the use of compression, but this adds to the CPU time required. Here we show that the CPU component of query response time for conjunctive Boolean queries and for informal ranked queries can be similarly reduced, at little cost in terms of storage, by the inclusion of an internal index in each compressed inverted list. This method has been applied in a retrieval system for a collection of nearly two million short documents. Our experimental results show that the self-indexing strategy adds less than 20% to the size of the compressed inverted file, which itself occupies less than 10% of the indexed text, yet can reduce processing time for Boolean queries of 5-10 terms to under one fifth of the previous cost. Similarly, ranked queries of 40-50 terms can be evaluated in as little as 25% of the previous time, with little or no loss of retrieval effectiveness.
Candida Infections: Outcome and Attributable ICU Costs in Critically Ill Patients

Candida species are an increasingly common cause of nosocomial infections. Candida infections have been associated with significant attributable morbidity and mortality, especially among critically ill patients. However, little is known about the cost implications of these increasingly common infections. In order to evaluate the costs associated with Candida infections in the critically ill, we report the findings of a 3–month prospective cohort study of Candida infections in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) and the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Infections were diagnosed according to prospectively established definitions. Cost data were extracted from the computerized billing database and used to estimate the ICU costs associated with nosocomial Candida infection. Using multiple linear regression, the effect of Candida infections on cost was adjusted for clinical variables in order to estimate the cost of ICU care attributable to Candida infection. Of 117 ICU patients enrolled in the study, 14 developed Candida infections. In a stepwise linear regression model adjusting for multiple clinical variables including APACHE II score, infection with Candida species was associated with an attributable ICU cost of $21,590. Over the cohort, the increased cost associated with Candida infections translates into a cost of $230/ICU patient-day. In addition, Candida infections were associated with an increased length of hospital stay of 17 days and an increased length of ICU stay of 8 days. In this small, prospective, cohort study, nosocomial Candida infections are independently associated with an increase in the cost of ICU care and an increased length of stay. No increase in mortality was noted, though it is possible a difference in mortality was missed due to the study's small sample size.
A Double-blinded, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Study of the Effect a Small Dose of Ketamine has on Postoperative Pain of Sevoflurane-remifentanil Anesthesia

Background: Remifentanil is a useful and relatively safe opioid, but acute tolerance to it frequently develops, as patients who have received remifentanil based anesthesia often suffer postoperative hyperalgesia. This study investigated whether a small dose of ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, can attenuate postoperative pain suffered with remifentanil anesthesia. Methods: 32 patients who were scheduled to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly assigned to two groups: a ketamine group (group K) and a control group (group C). All patients were given remifentanil by target controlled infusion (TCI) to the effect site (concentrations: 4.0−6.0 ng/ml). Just before incision patients in group K received 0.15 mg/kg ketamine intravenously and patients in group C received the same volume, but only of normal saline. Pain scores measured by Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and additional use of analgesics were immediately recorded by a blinded investigator at the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and general ward up to 24 hours after surgery. Results: The average NRS scores upon arrival to PACU, 5, 10, 15 and 30 min in PACU, and 5 hours after discharge from PACU were significantly lower in group K than group C. The frequency of additional analgesics use was also significantly lower in group K. Conclusions: It is suggested that a small dose of ketamine attenuates the postoperative pain felt with remifentanil anesthesia. This finding also suggests that ketamine may decrease the possible acute tolerance developed with remifentanil anesthesia. (Korean J Anesthesiol 2008; 54: 146∼51)
A fast quantum mechanical algorithm for database search

were proposed in the early 1980’s [Benioff80] and shown to be at least as powerful as classical computers an important but not surprising result, since classical computers, at the deepest level, ultimately follow the laws of quantum mechanics. The description of quantum mechanical computers was formalized in the late 80’s and early 90’s [Deutsch85][BB92] [BV93] [Yao93] and they were shown to be more powerful than classical computers on various specialized problems. In early 1994, [Shor94] demonstrated that a quantum mechanical computer could efficiently solve a well-known problem for which there was no known efficient algorithm using classical computers. This is the problem of integer factorization, i.e. testing whether or not a given integer, N, is prime, in a time which is a finite power of o (logN) . ----------------------------------------------
Prevention of Progression of Kidney Disease

SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE In summary, there is no convincing or conclusive evidencethat long-term protein restriction delays the progression ofCKD. The longest lasting, largest and best-designed RCT(MDRD study) argues against an important beneﬁt. Fourmeta-analyses have demonstrated either a modest or sub-stantial beneﬁt of protein-restricted diets, but three of theseused an inappropriate outcome measure (renal survival),which does not allow distinction between delay of dialysisdue to suppression of uraemic symptoms vs. slowing renalfailure progression. The only meta-analysis which used esti-mated GFR as an outcome measure found only a very weakbeneﬁt of dietary protein restriction. It also found evidenceof possible publication bias favouring a beneﬁcial effect oflow protein diets. The trials showed some heterogeneity andcannot substitute for properly conducted RCTs. Moreover,the possibility of a modest beneﬁt of low-protein diets onrenal failure progression must be weighed against the risk ofa concomitant decline in nutritional parameters. Only threeof the 11 RCTs in non-diabetics have addressed the effect ofrestricted protein diets on nutrition
A comparison of computed tomography and magnetic resonance brain imaging in HIV-positive patients with neurological symptoms

We reviewed our practice in order to determine the optimum neuroimaging strategy for HIV-infected patients with acute neurological presentations between April 2007 and August 2008. Overall magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected cranial abnormalities in more than twice as many patients as did computed tomography (CT) (74% and 32%, n = 54 and 38, respectively). Replacement of CT by first-line MRI for all patients would have required an additional 16 MRI scans, although at a saving of 38 CT scans. Our study highlights the importance of first-line MRI brain imaging in HIV patients with neurological symptoms and reinforces the need for early transfer of patients from centres that do not have rapid access to (or expert interpretation of) MRI scanning, to an appropriate HIV specialist centre.
Disclosure of HIV-positive serostatus to sexual partners and associated factors in southern China

In light of an increased push for disclosure of HIV-positive serostatus to sexual partners (partner disclosure, PD) in China as reflected by national and local policies, the objective of this study was to determine the proportion and evaluate associated factors of PD among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in HIV/AIDS high-risk areas in southern China. Of the 946 HIV-positive individuals, the proportion of those who disclosed positive serostatus results to their sexual partners was 90.2% (625/693). Variables independently associated with non-disclosure included testing in Guangxi province (adjusted relative ratio [ARR] = 0.33), becoming infected with HIV via injecting drug use (IDU) transmission (ARR = 0.32), having not reported discussing disclosure with health department staff during post-test counselling (ARR = 0.41) and having a sexual relationship of ≤2 years' duration (ARR = 0.31). This study also identified a relatively larger differential between the proportion of disclosure to regular partners and the proportion of disclosure to casual partners (94.8% versus 13.0%) in comparison with other studies. Findings from this study may aid policies for future consideration.
Familial hypercholesterolemia: current treatment and advances in management

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is associated with elevated levels of LDL-cholesterol and the development of premature cardiovascular disease. The condition is considerably under-diagnosed and under-treated. Statins are the first choice treatment for all patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. For those patients who do not reach their treatment target or who are unable to use adequate statin dose, several alternative treatment modalities can be used, either as add-on therapy or as monotherapy. In this review the various treatment options are discussed.
Development of cadaver renal transplantation in India

SUMMARY: We have established a successful cadaver transplant programme in Chennai that could serve as a model for any developing country. A survey of public opinion showed that the higher the educational level, the more willing was the subject to donate. This was because of greater awareness of the possibility of successful transplantation, and indicated the need for education of the public on this aspect. the first step is to enact suitable legislation. Families of potential donors might hesitate to consent to donation if they doubt the legality of the procedure. In India, the doctor commands respect and is more likely to be able to obtain consent than a coordinator. the patient is permitted to stay on dialysis at any convenient city, so long as he or she can reach Chennai within 24h of being called. to improve the yield, we accept kidneys from donors in acute renal failure, if we know renal function was normal at the time of entry to the hospital. We also accept non‐heart beating donors. Marginal kidneys are accepted and both kidneys are transplanted to one recipient. the success with all these procedures is as good as with the others. We were able to perform 88 renal transplants in 4.5 years with a 1 year graft survival of 72%, and a 4 year survival of 63%. Ten donors were in acute renal failure and the 1 year graft survival was 70%. Nine dual transplants were performed with 75% 1 year graft survival.
Herbal medicine use in a group Taif children, Saudi Arabia -

SUMMARY AIM: In fact, herbs can be particularly safe and effective for children because herbs tend to be so much gentler than pharmaceutical alternatives. The present study aims to assess the therapeutic use and the prevalence of herbal remedy in Taif children, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Cross-sectional, qualitative survey and a questionnaire of 15 close-ended questions written carefully and directly were used for this study. 300 parents completed the questionnaire who attended the general pediatric out-patient clinics of 3 central hospitals in Taif. Data were collected daily from 8 am to 4 pm for 2 months period from 15 October to 15 December 2012. RESULTS: The present study revealed a reasonable proportion of the respondents used herbs for their children. About (58.0%) of parents used herbs for their children for the past four months earlier and about (70.3%) used herbs for their children in the past. The most commonly used herbs were; anise (24.7%) and fenugreek (14.7%). CONCLUSION: Herbal remedy is used in mid-range in Taif during childhood. To achieve high therapeutic safety, it is important to ask parents explicitly about such use and using natural medicines under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
The most dangerous code in the world: validating SSL certificates in non-browser software

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the de facto standard for secure Internet communications. Security of SSL connections against an active network attacker depends on correctly validating public-key certificates presented when the connection is established. We demonstrate that SSL certificate validation is completely broken in many security-critical applications and libraries. Vulnerable software includes Amazon's EC2 Java library and all cloud clients based on it; Amazon's and PayPal's merchant SDKs responsible for transmitting payment details from e-commerce sites to payment gateways; integrated shopping carts such as osCommerce, ZenCart, Ubercart, and PrestaShop; AdMob code used by mobile websites; Chase mobile banking and several other Android apps and libraries; Java Web-services middleware including Apache Axis, Axis 2, Codehaus XFire, and Pusher library for Android and all applications employing this middleware. Any SSL connection from any of these programs is insecure against a man-in-the-middle attack. The root causes of these vulnerabilities are badly designed APIs of SSL implementations (such as JSSE, OpenSSL, and GnuTLS) and data-transport libraries (such as cURL) which present developers with a confusing array of settings and options. We analyze perils and pitfalls of SSL certificate validation in software based on these APIs and present our recommendations.
Why eve and mallory love android: an analysis of android SSL (in)security

Many Android apps have a legitimate need to communicate over the Internet and are then responsible for protecting potentially sensitive data during transit. This paper seeks to better understand the potential security threats posed by benign Android apps that use the SSL/TLS protocols to protect data they transmit. Since the lack of visual security indicators for SSL/TLS usage and the inadequate use of SSL/TLS can be exploited to launch Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, an analysis of 13,500 popular free apps downloaded from Google's Play Market is presented. We introduce MalloDroid, a tool to detect potential vulnerability against MITM attacks. Our analysis revealed that 1,074 (8.0%) of the apps examined contain SSL/TLS code that is potentially vulnerable to MITM attacks. Various forms of SSL/TLS misuse were discovered during a further manual audit of 100 selected apps that allowed us to successfully launch MITM attacks against 41 apps and gather a large variety of sensitive data. Furthermore, an online survey was conducted to evaluate users' perceptions of certificate warnings and HTTPS visual security indicators in Android's browser, showing that half of the 754 participating users were not able to correctly judge whether their browser session was protected by SSL/TLS or not. We conclude by considering the implications of these findings and discuss several countermeasures with which these problems could be alleviated.