Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Joint Modeling of User Check-in Behaviors for Real-time Point-of-Interest Recommendation

Point-of-Interest (POI) recommendation has become an important means to help people discover attractive and interesting places, especially when users travel out of town. However, extreme sparsity of user-POI matrix creates a severe challenge. To cope with this challenge, we propose a unified probabilistic generative model, Topic-Region Model (TRM), to simultaneously discover the semantic, temporal and spatial patterns of users’ check-in activities, and to model their joint effect on users’ decision-making for selection of POIs to visit. To demonstrate the applicability and flexibility of TRM, we investigate how it supports two recommendation scenarios in a unified way, i.e., home-town recommendation and out-of-town recommendation. TRM effectively overcomes the data sparsity by the complementarity and mutual enhancement of the diverse information associated with users’ check-in activities (e.g., check-in content, time and location) in the processes of discovering heterogeneous patterns and producing recommendation. To support real-time POI recommendation, we further extend the TRM model to an online learning model TRM-Online to track changing user interests and speed up the model training. Besides, based on the learnt model, we propose a clustering-based branch and bound algorithm (CBB) to prune the POI search space and facilitate fast retrieval of the top-k recommendations. We conduct extensive experiments to evaluate the performance of our proposals on two real-world datasets including recommendation effectiveness, overcoming cold-start problem, recommendation efficiency and model training efficiency. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our TRM models, especially the TRM-Online, compared with the state-of-the-art competitive methods, by making more effective and efficient mobile recommendations. Besides, we study the importance of each type of patterns in the two recommendation scenarios, respectively, and find that exploiting temporal patterns is most important for the home-town recommendation scenario, while the semantic patterns play a dominant role in improving the recommendation effectiveness for out-of-town users.
Actions and Beliefs: Estimating Distribution-Based Preferences Using a Large Scale Experiment with Probability Questions on Expectations

We combine the choice data of proposers and responders in the ultimatum game, their expectations elicited in the form of subjective probability questions, and the choice data of proposers ("dictator") in a dictator game to estimate a structural model of decision making under uncertainty.We use a large and representative sample of subjects drawn from the Dutch population.Our results indicate that there is considerable heterogeneity in preferences for equity in the population.Changes in preferences have an important impact on decisions of dictators in the dictator game and responders in the ultimatum game, but a smaller impact on decisions of proposer's in the ultimatum game, a result due to proposers subjective expectations about responders' decisions.The model which uses subjective data on expectations has better predictive power and lower noise level than a model which assumes that players have rational expectations.
Instance-based parameter tuning for evolutionary AI planning

Learn-and-Optimize (LaO) is a generic surrogate based method for parameter tuning combining learning and optimization. In this paper LaO is used to tune Divide-and-Evolve (DaE), an Evolutionary Algorithm for AI Planning. The LaO framework makes it possible to learn the relation between some features describing a given instance and the optimal parameters for this instance, thus it enables to extrapolate this knowledge to unknown instances in the same domain. Moreover, the learned relation is used as a surrogate-model to accelerate the search for the optimal parameters. It hence becomes possible to solve intra-domain and extra-domain generalization in a single framework. The proposed implementation of LaO uses an Artificial Neural Network for learning the mapping between features and optimal parameters, and the Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy for optimization. Results demonstrate that LaO is capable of improving the quality of the DaE results even with only a few iterations. The main limitation of the DaE case-study is the limited amount of meaningful features that are available to describe the instances. However, the learned model reaches almost the same performance on the test instances, which means that it is capable of generalization.
Expanding the Atlas of Functional Missense Variation for Human Genes―Appendix

Appendix Figures.2 Appendix Tables.13 Appendix Texts.14 Analysis of PopCode's mutational profile.14 Structural and biochemical observations from the UBE2I map.16 Intragenic epistasis and compensatory mutations.19 Structural and biochemical observations in the disease gene maps.21 Appendix Methods.25 UBE2I interface analysis.25 Detection of intragenic epistasis and compensatory mutations.25 Appendix References.26
Estimation of water quality of Sava River (Vojvodina, Serbia) in the period 2004-2011 using Serbian Water Quality Index (SWQI)

Introduction Water quality is one of the most significant factors that have to be taken into account in evaluation of sustainability of a particular region (Córdoba et al., 2010). The important aspects taken into consideration when examining the top-priority problems of water quality are the economic influence, the influence on human health, the influence on the ecosystem, the influence of the geographic area as well as the duration of the influence (Dalmacija, 2004). The quality of the watercourse at any of the points depends on several key influences: basin lithology, atmospheric influences, climatic conditions and anthropogenic influences (Shrestha, Kazama, 2007). River systems play an important role in the sustainable development of the entire environment, especially if they flow through inhabited areas (Kowalkowski et al., 2006). In order to provide the sustainability of ecological balance, the presence and quality of water are very important (Karadavut et al., 2011) and there have been more researches based upon water quality observing (Parvulescu, Hamchevici, 2010). Anthropogenic influences can cause negative consequencies in short period of time as far as water quality is concerned (Yunus, Nakagoshi, 2004), whereas waterbody pollution represents the result of human activities on one hand, and intensive urbanization development on the other hand (Dragićević et al., 2010). The organic solid load and the dynamics of its degradation are very good indicators of the anthropogenic imAbstract
The Relationships among Trust , E-satisfaction , E-loyalty , and Customer Online Behaviors

This paper develops a general model of customer online purchasing behavior using the technology acceptance model. One key contribution of this paper is to conceptualize and incorporate trust, customer e-satisfaction, and customer e-loyalty into an integrated technology acceptance model. In total, 1,258 valid questionnaires were gathered from online customers who engaged in e-shopping in Taiwan. The empirical analysis found that the integrated model was partially supported in online purchasing contexts. This study finds that trust is the major indicator of E-satisfaction and online purchasing attitudes; it appears to be more important than perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Interestingly, the empirical study indicates that a customer’s E-satisfaction has no significant effect on online purchasing intentions, and higher E-loyalty does not necessarily increase the amount or frequency of online purchasing.
Effects of Copy-on-Write Memory Management on the Response Time of UNIX Fork Operations.

We present techniques for analyzing the effect of "copy-on-write" page management stra- tegies on the performance of UNIX fork) opera- tions. The analysis techniques are applied on two workstations, the AT&T 3B2l3l0 and the Hewlett- Packard HP9000/350 in order to determine the rela- tionships between the amount of memory in the parent's data segment, the fraction of this memory which is written by the child, and the improvement in execution time due to "copy-on-write. " Since the implementation of "copy-on-write" is straightfor- ward with modern MMUs, our results for these workstations are readily generalized to other workstations. The results show that the size of the parent's allo- cated memory has little direct effect on perfor- mance, due to the fact that only page table entries are copied during the fork) operations. The execu- tion time is most influenced by the amount of
A late Wisconsin (32–10k cal a BP) history of pluvials, droughts and vegetation in the Pacific south‐west United States (Lake Elsinore, CA)

Continuous, sub‐centennially resolved, paleo terrestrial records are rare from arid environments such as the Pacific south‐west United States. Here, we present a multi‐decadal to centennial resolution sediment core (Lake Elsinore, CA) to reconstruct late Wisconsin pluvials, droughts and vegetation. In general, the late Wisconsin is characterized by a wetter and colder climate than during the Holocene. Specifically, conditions between 32.3 and 24.9k cal a BP are characterized by large‐amplitude hydrologic and ecologic variability. Highlighting this period is a ∼2000‐year glacial mega‐drought (27.6–25.7k cal a BP) during which the lake shallowed (3.2–4.5 m depth). This period is approximately coeval with a Lake Manix regression and an increase in xeric vegetation in the San Bernardino Mountains (Baldwin Lake). The Local Last Glacial Maximum (LLGM) is bracketed between 23.3 and 19.7k cal a BP − a ∼3000‐year interval characterized by reduced run‐off (relative to the glacial), colder conditions and vegetative stability. Maximum sustained wetness follows the LLGM, beginning at 19.7 and peaking by 14.4k cal a BP. A two‐step decrease in runoff characterizes the Lateglacial to Holocene transition; however, the vegetation change is more complex, particularly at the beginning of the Younger Dryas chronozone. By 12.6–12.4k cal a BP, the climate achieved near Holocene conditions.
Smith ScholarWorks Smith ScholarWorks

: Competitive interactions may affect distribution and abundance of mobile organisms, such as the intertidal herbivorous gastropods Littorina littorea and L. obtusata , in areas of resource overlap. We examined intra-and interspecific competition between US New England populations by measuring effects of snail density and food availability on growth rates and abundances. We investigated mechanisms of interference, including resistance (phlorotannin) induction of fucoid algae, and impacts of snail presence, waterborne cues, and mucus on herbivory. L. obtusata density increased significantly within fucoid canopies following repeated (every 12 h for 3 d) removal of L. littorea at both study sites. In the laboratory, L. obtusata growth rate was lower in the presence of L. littorea , but not in the presence of conspecifics. In contrast, L. littorea abundances were not strongly affected by its congener, and growth rates were similar under varying L. obtusata densities and food supply. Instead, L. littorea demonstrated intraspecific effects under limited food and higher snail densities. While herbivory by L. littorea was not diminished on Fucus vesiculosus grazed by L. obtusata , fronds of F. vesiculosus and Ascophyllum nodosum grazed by L. littorea were less palatable to L. obtusata , indicative of asymmetric competition. Reduced herbivory by L. obtusata in the presence of L. littorea or its waterborne cues indicate that these forms of interference negatively influence L. obtusata . Coexistence of these species may be due to re new ability of resources and the ability to change location, allowing the competitively inferior L. obtusata to maintain modest abundances within perennial fucoid canopies.
Onset of Stratospheric Ozone Recovery in the Antarctic Ozone Hole in Assimilated Daily Total Ozone Columns

In this paper we evaluate the long‐term changes in ozone depletion within the Antarctic ozone hole using a 37 years (1979–2015) of daily ozone mass deficits (OMDs) derived from assimilated total ozone column data. For each year an “average daily OMD” is calculated over a 60 day preferential time period (day of year 220–280). Excluding years with a reduced polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) volume (the so‐called PSC‐limited years), the 1979–2015 time series of spatially integrated average daily OMD correlates very well with long‐term changes in equivalent effective stratospheric chlorine (EESC; R2 = 0.89). We find a corresponding statistically highly significant post‐2000 decrease in OMD of −0.77 ± 0.17 megaton (trend significance of 9.8σ), with an associated post‐2000 change in OMD of approximately −30%, consistent with the post‐2000 change in EESC relative to 1980 EESC levels of approximately −30%. The post‐2000 trend significance is robust to the choice of start year. The spatial distribution of the average daily OMD trends reveals a vortex‐core region (approximately covering the region [90°W–0°–90°E/75°S–85°S]) largely unaffected by dynamics with a post‐2000 trend significance of >8σ, and a vortex‐edge region in which the trend is locally strongly affected by vortex dynamics though not spatially integrated over the whole vortex‐edge region (trend significance >9σ). For the trend significance we do not find consistent evidence for long‐term changes in wave driving, vortex mixing, preozone hole conditions, or the applied assimilation method, playing a role. Our observation/assimilation‐based analysis provides robust evidence of a post‐2000 statistically highly significant decrease in the average daily OMD that is consistent with the long‐term decrease in ozone‐depleting substances since 2000, following international emission regulations.
Information Systems Development Knowledge Management Figure 1: Research Focus at the Intersection of Km and Is Development

The majority of my research is field-based, and in the quantitative, positivist research tradition, complemented by some qualitative methods on the front end. The unit of analysis in my research has followed an intrafirm to interfirm ontological trajectory. The core contributions of my research so far have been in addressing questions about how knowledge integration is achieved across intra-firm and interfirm boundaries during the ISD process, and its antecedents and consequences. My research can be conceptualized as three interrelated sub-themes built around the core theme of knowledge integration: (1) knowledge integration in IS development (§1.1), (2) knowledge partitioning in IS development (§1.2), and (3) knowledge networks (§1.3) (Figure 2). The latter two build directly on my work on knowledge integration.
Methane Ebullition From Subtropical Peat: Testing an Ebullition Model Reveals the Importance of Pore Structure

The role of subtropical peatlands as a source for methane gas is not well understood, partly due to uncertainties surrounding environmental controls on gas ebullition patterns. Past studies have pointed to an array of environmental factors controlling ebullition, although we have found that ebullition patterns can be replicated by a model considering only physical parameters of the peat matrix. Here we tested a computer model for gas ebullition and storage against a natural system for the first time, using a suite of field measurements in the Florida Everglades. Modeled ebullition showed patterns similar to those observed in the field in terms of frequency distribution and magnitude, specifically from areas of higher density peat fabric. These results suggest that the internal structure of the peat soil is an important control on spatial and temporal patterns of ebullition in the Everglades and should be considered when investigating environmental controls on ebullition patterns.
Interacción plantas-aves dispersoras de semillas en un bosque chaqueño semiariado

El objetivo fue analizar la respuesta de las aves dispersoras de semillas a variaciones temporales y espaciales de la oferta de frutos nutritivos. Los frutos carnosos se concentraron en el sotobosque y maduraron en la estacion humeda (octubre-marzo). Tres especies de aves fueron las responsables de la mayor parte de la dispersion de frutos: la charata (Ortalis canicollis) residente permanente, y el zorzal blanco (Turdus amaurochalinus) y el fio pico corto (Elaenia parvirostris) . Las poblaciones de las dos ultimas especies residieron en el bosque solo en la estacion humeda coincidiendo con el pico de oferta de frutos carnosos. La charata, en la estacion seca consumio menor cantidad de frutos que en la humeda. Aves de mayor tamano en relacion a la longitud alar, con picos comprimidos, se alimentaron percheando y en grupos (charatas, y zorzales en menor grado) y aves mas livianas y solitarias, con picos deprimidos, tomaron los frutos en vuelo (fios). Los zorzales consumieron significativamente mas frutos de especies con grandes cosechas que los fios y esta tendencia fue similar entre bosques primarios y secundarios, y entre anos de muestreo. El sotobosque fue pobre en frutos y frugivoros en comparacion con pequenos claros dentro del bosque y ecotonos bosque-pastizal.
Wheel/rail materials fatigue crack propagation behaviour

The most crucial subject in railways’ components failure is rolling contact fatigue (RCF). Rolling contact fatigue appears in components subjected to variable contact stress. In this kind of fatigue loading, rupture is caused by cracks that appear not only at the surface but also in the interior of bodies in contact, depending on load magnitude. The most important defects caused by the wheel/rail interaction will be described. Although most of the failures caused by RCF degradation in railway transportation do not cause casualties involving loss of life, they are a matter of concern since they cause unplanned maintenance interventions, with decreased service availability and delays in train traffic. The experimental work began with the characterization of the wheel and rail materials to be tested. This material characterization includes chemical composition analysis, mechanical properties determination, microstructure and hardness measurements, performed on samples taken from a Spanish high speed AVE train wheel that reached the geometrical limits for continued usage and from a UIC60 section rail. An evaluation of the wear and of the rolling contact fatigue resistance of the wheel/rail contact materials, was performed using a twin-disc machine, where the most important dynamic conditions of a real contact can be simulated. Dry and lubricated tests were performed in order to obtain an extended characterization of the contact fatigue behavior of these two materials. Dry tests, performed on the twin-disc machine revealed that wear is the dominant phenomenon compared to fatigue crack initiation at the contact surface, which means that it could be more interesting to study crack propagation from the interior of the material. These cracks can be more dangerous, since when they appear at the contact surface their extension is unknown. Consequently, fatigue crack growth rate measurement tests according to the ASTM E647 standard were performed in specimens taken from a Spanish high speed AVE train wheel and from a UIC60 rail. Three different load ratios were used in order to obtain an extended range of crack propagation for different types of loading observed in real operation. Two different approaches were used to determine the fatigue crack growth threshold of these two materials: i) the K-decreasing test procedure described in the ASTM E647 and ii) the constant Kmax with increasing Kmin method.
MASSIVELY PARALLEL HYPERPARAMETER TUNING

Modern machine learning models are characterized by large hyperparameter search spaces and prohibitively expensive training costs. For such models, we cannot afford to train candidate models sequentially and wait months before finding a suitable hyperparameter configuration. Hence, we introduce the large-scale regime for parallel hyperparameter tuning, where we need to evaluate orders of magnitude more configurations than available parallel workers in a small multiple of the wall-clock time needed to train a single model. We propose a novel hyperparameter tuning algorithm for this setting that exploits both parallelism and aggressive earlystopping techniques, building on the insights of the Hyperband algorithm (Li et al., 2016). Finally, we conduct a thorough empirical study of our algorithm on several benchmarks, including large-scale experiments with up to 500 workers. Our results show that our proposed algorithm finds good hyperparameter settings nearly an order of magnitude faster than random search.
J OURNAL OF I NFORMATION T ECHNOLOGY T HEORY AND A PPLICATION

: As cloud computing has become a mature technology that companies across all industries have adopted, cloud service providers have increasingly begun to turn their attention to retaining their customers. However, little research has investigated the antecedents of service continuance in an organizational context. To address this gap in research, we carried out a quantitative empirical study. We developed a conceptual model that builds on previous research on organizational level continuance. We tested this model using survey data gathered from decision makers of companies that have adopted cloud enterprise systems. We analyzed the data using PLS. The results show that socio-organizational and technology-related factors can be used to predict continuance intention of cloud computing use. Besides cloud-specific findings, the study also enhances knowledge in organizational-level system continuance and its connection to IS success.
Examining instructors’ self-efficacy perceptions towards computers

In this study, instructors’ self-efficacy perceptions towards computers are examined, in terms of variables such as age, gender, employment status, teaching experience and computer skills. The current study employed a cross-sectional survey design. The data was gathered from 172 police instructors, who work in 28 Police Vocational Schools of Higher Education across Turkey. The data was collected by administering “The Computer Self-efficacy Perception Scale”. A significant difference was found between the self-efficacy perceptions of instructors and their computer skills. In addition, there were no significant differences between the instructors’ self-efficacy perceptions and their age, gender, employment status or teaching experience. This pioneering study was carried out to determine the self-efficacy perceptions of police instructors and has had some implications regarding the planning of police trainer development training.