Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preference-Like Score to Cope with Cold-Start User in Recommender Systems

In recent years, there has been an explosion of social recommender systems (SRS) research. However, the dominant trend of these studies has been towards designing new prediction models. The typical approach is to use social information to build those models for each new user. Due to the inherent complexity of this prediction process, for full cold-start user in particular, the performance of most SRS fall a great deal. We, rather, propose that new users are best served by models already built in system. Selecting a prediction model from a set of strong linked users might offer better results than building a personalized model for full cold-start users. We contribute to this line of work comparing several matrix factorization based SRS under full cold-start user scenario, and proposing a general model selection approach, called ToSocialRec, that leverages existing recommendation models to offer items for new users. Our framework is not only able to handle several social network connection weight metrics, but any metric that can be correlated with preference similarity among users, named here as Preference-like score. We perform experiments on real life datasets that show this technique is as efficient or more than current state-of-the-art techniques for cold-start user. Our framework has also been designed to be easily deployed and leveraged by developers to help create a new wave of SRS.
Mild cognitive impairments predict dementia in nondemented elderly patients with memory loss.

BACKGROUND Some elderly individuals exhibit significant memory deficits but do not have dementia because their general intellect is preserved and they have no impairments in everyday activities. These symptoms are often a precursor to Alzheimer disease (AD), but sometimes dementia does not occur, even after many years of observation. There is currently no reliable way to distinguish between these 2 possible outcomes in an individual patient. We hypothesized that clear impairments in at least 1 cognitive domain in addition to memory would help identify those who will progress to AD. OBJECTIVE To determine whether nondemented patients with impairments in memory and other domains are more likely than those with memory impairment alone to develop AD. DESIGN AND METHODS In a retrospective study, we evaluated 48 nondemented, nondepressed patients with clinical and psychometric evidence of memory impairment who were followed up for 2 or more years. Age-adjusted normative criteria were used to identify whether additional impairments were present in language, attention, motor visuospatial function, and verbal fluency at this initial evaluation. The presence or absence of dementia after 2 years and at the most recent neurological evaluation was compared in subjects with normal scores in all 4 of these cognitive areas apart from memory (M-) and those with impairment in 1 or more of these areas (M+). Outcomes were adjusted for age, intelligence at initial evaluation, and years of education. RESULTS Of the 48 nondemented patients with memory loss, 17 met M- criteria, leaving 31 in the M+ group. Deficits in block design were the most frequent abnormality other than memory loss. At the 2-year follow-up, 1 M- subject (6%) had progressed to AD, whereas 15 (48%) of the M+ group had progressed to AD (P =.003). At the most recent follow-up (mean +/- SD, 4.0 +/- 2.0 years), 4 (24%) of the M- patients progressed to AD compared with 24 (77%) of the M+ patients (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Among nondemented elderly patients, memory loss alone rarely progresses to dementia in the subsequent 2 years. However, the risk of dementia is significantly increased among patients with clear cognitive impairments beyond memory loss. Further study is needed to determine whether patients with impairments limited to memory loss have a distinctive clinical course or pathophysiology.
Loop pipelining with resource and timing constraints

Developing efficient programs for many of the current parallel computers is not easy due to the architectural complexity of those machines. The wide variety of machine organizations often makes it more difficult to port an existing program than to reprogram it completely. Therefore, powerful translators are necessary to generate effective code and free the programmer from concerns about the specific characteristics of the target machine. This work focuses on techniques to be used by an important class of translators, whose objective is to transform sequential programs into equivalent more parallel programs. The transformations are performed at instruction level in order to exploit low level parallelism and increase memory locality. Most of the current applications are programmed in languages which do not allow us to express parallelism between high-level sentences (as Pascal, C or Fortran). Furthermore, a lot of applications written ten or more years ago are still used today, and it is not feasible to rewrite such applications for many reasons (not only technical reasons, but also economic ones). Translators enable programmers to write the application in a familiar sequential programming language, without concerning their selves with the architecture of the target machine. Current compilers for parallel architectures not only translate a program written on a high-level language to the appropriate machine language, but also perform some transformations in the final code in order to execute the program in a more parallel way. The transformations improve the performance in the execution of the program by making use of the knowledge that the compiler has about the machine architecture. The semantics of the program remain intact after any transformation. Experiments show that limiting parallelization to basic blocks not included in loops limits maximum speedup. This is because loops often comprise a large portion of the parallelism available to be exploited in a program. For this reason, a lot of effort has been devoted in the recent years to parallelize loop execution. Several parallel computer architectures and compilation techniques have been proposed to exploit such a parallelism at different granularities. Multiprocessors exploit coarse grained parallelism by distributing entire loop iterations to different processors. Systems oriented to the high-level synthesis (HLS) of VLSI circuits, superscalar processors and very long instruction word (VLIW) processors exploit fine-grained parallelism at instruction level. This work addresses fine-grained parallelization of loops addressed to the HLS of VLSI circuits. Two algorithms are proposed for resource constraints and for timing constraints. An algorithm to reduce the number of registers required to execute a loop in a given architecture is also proposed.
MIMO capacity through correlated channels in the presence of correlated interferers and noise: a (not so) large N analysis

The use of multiple-antenna arrays in both transmission and reception promises huge increases in the throughput of wireless communication systems. It is therefore important to analyze the capacities of such systems in realistic situations, which may include spatially correlated channels and correlated noise, as well as correlated interferers with known channel at the receiver. Here, we present an approach that provides analytic expressions for the statistics, i.e., the moments of the distribution, of the mutual information of multiple-antenna systems with arbitrary correlations, interferers, and noise. We assume that the channels of the signal and the interference are Gaussian with arbitrary covariance. Although this method is valid formally for large antenna numbers, it produces extremely accurate results even for arrays with as few as two or three antennas. We also develop a method to analytically optimize over the input signal covariance, which enables us to calculate analytic capacities when the transmitter has knowledge of the statistics of the channel (i.e., the channel covariance). In many cases of interest, this capacity is very close to the full closed-loop capacity, in which the transmitter has instantaneous channel knowledge. We apply this analytic approach to a number of examples and we compare our results with simulations to establish the validity of this approach. This method provides a simple tool to analyze the statistics of throughput for arrays of any size. The emphasis of this paper is on elucidating the novel mathematical methods used.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF MAGNETIZED WINDS OF SOLAR-LIKE STARS

By means of self-consistent three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) numerical simulations, we analyze magnetized solar-like stellar winds and their dependence on the plasma-β parameter (the ratio between thermal and magnetic energy densities). This is the first study to perform such analysis solving the fully ideal three-dimensional MHD equations. We adopt in our simulations a heating parameter described by γ, which is responsible for the thermal acceleration of the wind. We analyze winds with polar magnetic field intensities ranging from 1 to 20 G. We show that the wind structure presents characteristics that are similar to the solar coronal wind. The steady-state magnetic field topology for all cases is similar, presenting a configuration of helmet streamer-type, with zones of closed field lines and open field lines coexisting. Higher magnetic field intensities lead to faster and hotter winds. For the maximum magnetic intensity simulated of 20 G and solar coronal base density, the wind velocity reaches values of ∼1000 km s−1 at r ∼ 20r0 and a maximum temperature of ∼6 × 106 K at r ∼ 6r0. The increase of the field intensity generates a larger “dead zone” in the wind, i.e., the closed loops that inhibit matter to escape from latitudes lower than ∼45° extend farther away from the star. The Lorentz force leads naturally to a latitude-dependent wind. We show that by increasing the density and maintaining B0 = 20 G the system recover back to slower and cooler winds. For a fixed γ, we show that the key parameter in determining the wind velocity profile is the β-parameter at the coronal base. Therefore, there is a group of magnetized flows that would present the same terminal velocity despite its thermal and magnetic energy densities, as long as the plasma-β parameter is the same. This degeneracy, however, can be removed if we compare other physical parameters of the wind, such as the mass-loss rate. We analyze the influence of γ in our results and we show that it is also important in determining the wind structure.
ICD-10 codes used to identify adverse drug events in administrative data: a systematic review

Background Adverse drug events, the unintended and harmful effects of medications, are important outcome measures in health services research. Yet no universally accepted set of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) revision 10 codes or coding algorithms exists to ensure their consistent identification in administrative data. Our objective was to synthesize a comprehensive set of ICD-10 codes used to identify adverse drug events. Methods We developed a systematic search strategy and applied it to five electronic reference databases. We searched relevant medical journals, conference proceedings, electronic grey literature and bibliographies of relevant studies, and contacted content experts for unpublished studies. One author reviewed the titles and abstracts for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two authors reviewed eligible full-text articles and abstracted data in duplicate. Data were synthesized in a qualitative manner. Results Of 4241 titles identified, 41 were included. We found a total of 827 ICD-10 codes that have been used in the medical literature to identify adverse drug events. The median number of codes used to search for adverse drug events was 190 (IQR 156–289) with a large degree of variability between studies in the numbers and types of codes used. Authors commonly used external injury (Y40.0–59.9) and disease manifestation codes. Only two papers reported on the sensitivity of their code set. Conclusions Substantial variability exists in the methods used to identify adverse drug events in administrative data. Our work may serve as a point of reference for future research and consensus building in this area.
Impact of aciclovir on genital and plasma HIV-1 RNA in HSV-2/HIV-1 co-infected women: a randomized placebo-controlled trial in South Africa

Background:Several studies suggest that herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) may enhance HIV-1 transmission and disease progression. Methods:We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of aciclovir 400 mg twice daily for 3 months in 300 HSV-2/HIV-1 co-infected women not yet on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Participants were evaluated prerandomization and at monthly visits for 3 months. Primary outcomes were the detection and quantity of genital HIV-1 RNA at the month 3 (M3) visit. Analyses were also undertaken using data from all visits. The treatment effects on plasma HIV-1 RNA, CD4+ cell count and genital HSV-2 DNA were also assessed. Results:At M3 fewer women had detectable genital HIV in the aciclovir group compared to placebo, but this was not significant [61/132 (46%) vs. 71/137 (52%), risk ratio (RR) 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70–1.14; P = 0.36]. There was also little difference in quantity of HIV-1 RNA among shedders (+0.13 log10 copies/ml, 95% CI −0.14 to 0.39) at M3. However, aciclovir significantly decreased the frequency of HIV-1 shedding over all visits [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.57, 95% CI 0.36–0.89]. Significant reductions in M3 plasma HIV-1 RNA (−0.34 log10 copies/ml, 95% CI 0.15–0.54), genital HSV-2 DNA (8 vs. 20%, RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.19–0.73) and genital ulceration (8 vs. 18%, RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.22–0.84) were observed in the aciclovir group. Conclusion:HSV-2 suppressive therapy, by reducing HIV-1 plasma viral load and altering the pattern of genital HIV-1 shedding, may contribute to the reduction in sexual transmission of HIV-1 and may delay the requirement for HAART initiation.
Multi-scale geometric analysis of Lagrangian structures in isotropic turbulence

We report the multi-scale geometric analysis of Lagrangian structures in forced isotropic turbulence and also with a frozen turbulent field. A particle backward-tracking method, which is stable and topology preserving, was applied to obtain the Lagrangian scalar field φ governed by the pure advection equation in the Eulerian form ∂tφ + u · ∇φ = 0. The temporal evolution of Lagrangian structures was first obtained by extracting iso-surfaces of φ with resolution 10243 at different times, from t = 0 to t = Te, where Te is the eddy turnover time. The surface area growth rate of the Lagrangian structure was quantified and the formation of stretched and rolled-up structures was observed in straining regions and stretched vortex tubes, respectively. The multi-scale geometric analysis of Bermejo-Moreno & Pullin (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 603, 2008, p. 101) has been applied to the evolution of φ to extract structures at different length scales and to characterize their non-local geometry in a space of reduced geometrical parameters. In this multi-scale sense, we observe, for the evolving turbulent velocity field, an evolutionary breakdown of initially large-scale Lagrangian structures that first distort and then either themselves are broken down or stretched laterally into sheets. Moreover, after a finite time, this progression appears to be insensible to the form of the initially smooth Lagrangian field. In comparison with the statistical geometry of instantaneous passive scalar and enstrophy fields in turbulence obtained by Bermejo-Moreno & Pullin (2008) and Bermejo-Moreno et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 620, 2009, p. 121), Lagrangian structures tend to exhibit more prevalent sheet-like shapes at intermediate and small scales. For the frozen flow, the Lagrangian field appears to be attracted onto a stream-surface field and it develops less complex multi-scale geometry than found for the turbulent velocity field. In the latter case, there appears to be a tendency for the Lagrangian field to move towards a vortex-surface field of the evolving turbulent flow but this is mitigated by cumulative viscous effects.
Building Optical Constructions with Minimum Complexity

It is often claimed that future systems will necessarily be all-optical, because electronic devices are not fast enough to keep up with the increase in fiber capacity. However, two objections are commonly raised: first, optical systems need many basic optical components, which are typically very expensive; and second, optical systems need many switch reconfigurations, which are typically very slow. In this paper, we examine whether these two costs can be fundamentally bounded. First, we develop the equivalence between coding theory and optical system design by introducing the concept of super switches. Then, we show how the minimal expected number of switch reconfigurations is almost equal to the state space entropy of the optical system. Finally, we point out the trade-off between the two types of costs.
USER-SPECIFIC AUDIO RENDERING AND STEERABLE SOUND FOR DISTRIBUTED VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

We present a method for user-specific audio rendering of a virtual environment that is shared by multiple participants. The technique differs from methods such as amplitude differencing, HRTF filtering, and wave field synthesis. Instead we model virtual microphones within the 3-D scene, each of which captures audio to be rendered to a loudspeaker. Spatialization of sound sources is accomplished via acoustic physical modelling, yet our approach also allows for localized signal processing within the scene. In order to control the flow of sound within the scene, the user has the ability to steer audio in specific directions. This paradigm leads to many novel applications where groups of individuals can share one continuous interactive sonic space. [
Doxels in context for retrieval: from structure to neighbours

We propose in this paper a new way of considering retrieval of structured documents, by exploiting non-structural relations between structured document elements (doxels). These relations may be defined by human beings (e.g. by the authors of the documents for navigation or reference purposes), but may also be created by the information retrieval system (e.g. using kNN). Unlike Pagerank or HITS that separate features link and content features, we integrate these two aspects by defining a relative specificity and a relative exhaustivity between doxels. We use these features, as well as the doxel content, in a comprehensive matching process. One concern here is to facilitate the exploration of the result space by selecting the relevant doxels, and by indicating potential good neighbours to access from one doxel. Results of experiments on the INEX2005 test collection are presented.
Three-dimensional face recognition based on Dual-tree Complex Wavelet Transform and weighted spherical face representation

A fully automatic framework is proposed for 3D face recognition and its performance is justified by the FRGC database. 3D facial representation extracted by the Dual-tree Complex Wavelet Transform (DT-CWT) is introduced to reflect the facial geometry properties. Low redundancy makes it more effective and efficient to describe the discriminant feature in 2.5D range data. In this paper, DT-CWT is used in conjunction with Weighted Spherical Face Representation to form a rejection classifier, which quickly eliminates a large number of candidate gallery faces. The remaining faces are then verified utilizing sparse representation based classification. Our method achieves the verification rate of 98.86% on All vs. All experiment at an FAR of 0.1%.
Fault-Tolerant Scheduling of Fine-Grained Tasks in Grid Environments

Divide-and-conquer is a well-suited programming paradigm for parallel Grid applications. Our Satin system efficiently schedules the fine-grained tasks of a divide-andconquer application across multiple clusters in a grid. To accommodate long-running applications, we present a fault-tolerance mechanism for Satin that has negligible overhead during normal execution, while minimizing the amount of redundant work done after a crash of one or more nodes. We study the impact of our fault-tolerance mechanism on application efficiency, both on the Dutch DAS-2 system and using the European testbed of the ECfunded project GridLab.
Restriction site-specific methylation studies of imprinted genes with quantitative real-time PCR.

BACKGROUND Epigenetic studies, such as the measurement of DNA methylation, are important in the investigation of syndromes influenced by imprinted genes. Quick and accurate quantification of methylation at such genes can be of appreciable diagnostic aid. METHODS We first digested genomic DNA with methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes and used DNA without digestion as a control and nonmethylated lambda DNA as an internal control for digestion efficiency. We then performed quantitative real-time PCR analyses with 6 unique PCR assays to investigate 4 imprinting control regions on chromosomes 7 and 11 in individuals with uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 (UPD7) and in control individuals. RESULTS Our validation of the method demonstrated both quantitative recovery and low methodologic imprecision. The imprinted loci on chromosome 7 behaved as expected in maternal UPD7 (100% methylation) and paternal UPD7 (<10% methylation). In controls, the mean (SD) for percent methylation at 2 previously well-studied restriction sites were 46% (6%) for both H19 and KCNQ1OT1, a result consistent with the previously observed methylation rate of approximately 50%. The methylation percentages of all investigated imprinted loci were normally distributed, implying that the mean and SD can be used as a reference for screening methylation loss or gain. CONCLUSION The investigated loci are of particular importance for investigating the congenital Silver-Russell and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndromes; however, the method can also be applied to other imprinted regions. This method is easy to set up, has no PCR bias, requires small amounts of DNA, and can easily be applied to large patient populations for screening the loss or gain of methylation.
Fracture strength of roots instrumented with three different single file systems in curved root canals

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the fracture strength of roots instrumented with three different single file rotary systems in curved mesial root canals of maxillary molars. Materials and Methods: Curvatures of 25°-35° on mesial roots of 60 maxillary molar teeth were sectioned below the cementoenamel junction to obtain roots 11 mm in length. The roots were balanced with respect to buccolingual and mesiodistal diameter and weight. They were distributed into three experimental groups and one control group (no instrumentation) (n = 15): Reciproc rotary file (R25, VDW, Munich, Germany), WaveOne Primary rotary file (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties, Tulsa, UK) and OneShape (Micro-Mega, Besancon, France) rotary file. Vertical load was applied until fracture occurred. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance test (P < 0.05). Results: The mean fracture load was 412 ± 72 Newton (N) for the control group, 395 ± 69 N for the Reciproc group, 373 ± 63 N for the WaveOne group and 332 ± 68 N for the OneShape group. The fracture load differences among three experimental groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05.) Whereas, the fracture loads of control and OneShape groups were significantly different (P = 0.012). Conclusions: Fracture resistance of the roots instrumented with WaveOne and Reciproc file systems were similar to the control group whereas it was observed that OneShape rotary file systems enhance the fracture strength of standardized curved roots when compared with the control group.