Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Addressing cold-start in app recommendation: latent user models constructed from twitter followers

As a tremendous number of mobile applications (apps) are readily available, users have difficulty in identifying apps that are relevant to their interests. Recommender systems that depend on previous user ratings (i.e., collaborative filtering, or CF) can address this problem for apps that have sufficient ratings from past users. But for apps that are newly released, CF does not have any user ratings to base recommendations on, which leads to the cold-start problem. In this paper, we describe a method that accounts for nascent information culled from Twitter to provide relevant recommendation in such cold-start situations. We use Twitter handles to access an app's Twitter account and extract the IDs of their Twitter-followers. We create pseudo-documents that contain the IDs of Twitter users interested in an app and then apply latent Dirichlet allocation to generate latent groups. At test time, a target user seeking recommendations is mapped to these latent groups. By using the transitive relationship of latent groups to apps, we estimate the probability of the user liking the app. We show that by incorporating information from Twitter, our approach overcomes the difficulty of cold-start app recommendation and significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art recommendation techniques by up to 33%.
Mechanical and Durability Properties of Self Compacting Concrete Containing Fly Ash and Steel Fibers

Self compacting concrete (SCC) is relatively a recent development in the construction world. SCC is defined basically by two properties: Deformability and segregation resistance. It flows under its own weight while remaining homogeneous in composition. This research is aimed at examining the feasibility of using steel fibers and fly ash as supplementary cementitious material. In this research, the main variables are the proportion of steel fibers by volume (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%). Parameters kept constant are the amount of cement, fly ash, fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, water, SP content, w/b ratio. The primary aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of using steel fibers in SCC by examining its fresh properties, mechanical properties (compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural tensile strength) and durability properties (porosity, rapid chloride permeability and ultra sonic pulse velocity). The test results revealed that the fresh properties were significantly influenced by steel fiber content. All the results were in range as per code specified. Mix SCC4 showed minimum workability. The increase of compressive strength of about 12% was observed from control mix (SCC1) to SCC3.The increase of about 44% tensile strength at 7 days, 39% tensile strength at 28 days was observed with increase of steel fiber content from control mix (SCC1) to SCC4. The increase of flexural tensile strength of about 24% at 7 days, 33% at 28 days was observed with increase of steel fiber content from control mix (SCC1) to SCC4. Maximum splitting and flexural tensile strength was also obtained by the mix SCC4. Greatest increase in mechanical properties was observed for the mix containing 1.5% steel fibers i.e. SCC4. The inclusion of fly ash as replacement of cement and steel fibers improved strength properties for all the SCC mixes. The inclusion of 10% fly ash as replacement of cement and steel fibers (0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%) does not affect the durability properties negatively as they showed low chloride penetration range for all mixes and maximum increase in porosity is 6% for SCC4 mix. The decrease in ultra sonic pulse velocity was about 17% from control mix (SCC1) to SCC4.
ECG Arrhythmia Classification Using Mahalanobis-Taguchi System in a Body Area Network Environment

Arrhythmia is caused by improper and irregular sinus rhythm or heartbeats. In order to diagnose cardiac arrhyth- mia, electrocardiogram (ECG) beat classification and analysis is very necessary. The efficiency and accuracy of any classification model highly depends on selecting the most relevant features. The aim of this study is to classify different arrhythmic beats with a reduced set of relevant-only ECG features. To optimize the ECG feature selection process and increase the classification accuracy, a Mahalanobis-Taguchi System (MTS) based classifica- tion and analysis scheme is proposed. MTS is a multi-dimensional pattern recognition system which dynamically selects important features for further analysis. Arrhythmia can occur at any time and thus requires proper and continuous monitoring of the patient to reduce sudden heart attacks. The proposed MTS- based classification scheme is integrated with a Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) for pervasive monitoring. The proposed scheme is analyzed and compared with a state-of-the-art scheme in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. The results show that the proposed scheme performs significantly better than the other scheme by achieving high sensitivity, specificity, and classification accuracy for different arrhythmic heartbeats i.e., Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB), Premature Ventricular Contraction (PVC), Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB), and Atrial Premature Contraction (APC).
Role-Based Access Control Models

Security administration of large systems is complex, but it can be simplified by a role-based access control approach. This article explains why RBAC is receiving renewed attention as a method of security administration and review, describes a framework of four reference models developed to better understand RBAC and categorizes different implementations, and discusses the use of RBAC to manage itself.
STUDIES ON THE EXTRACELLULAR CULTIVATION OF AN INTRACELLULAR PARASITE (AVIAN MALARIA)

The extracellular survival and development in vitro of the erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium lophurae were favored by the addition to the culture medium of l-malic acid and concentrates rich in coenzyme A. In a concentrated extract of duck erythrocytes supplemented with these two substances in addition to adenosinetriphosphate, sodium pyruvate, and certain other materials of like nature, only 5 to 10 per cent of the extracellular parasites had become abnormal after 3 days of cultivation.
JPEG Adaptive Chromatic Post-Processing

In last years, different types of colour artifacts, overall blocking and ringing, have been deeply investigated. In this paper we focus the attention on chromatic color bleeding effects. This phenomenon is evident in DCT based compression engines. In our work we investigate the possibility to implement a color bleeding removal by means of adaptive filtering. Simulation results and visual impacts show the improvement of color fidelity of the proposed post- processing scheme.
Epitaxial growth of HfS2 on sapphire by chemical vapor deposition and application for photodetectors

Group IVB transition metal (Zr and Hf) dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been attracting intensive attention as promising candidates in the modern electronic and/or optoelectronic fields. However, the controllable growth of HfS2 monolayers or few layers still remains a great challenge, thus hindering their further applications so far. Here, for the first time we demonstrate the epitaxial growth of high-quality HfS2 with a controlled number of layers on c-plane sapphire substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The HfS2 layers exhibit an atomically sharp interface with the sapphire substrate, followed by flat, 2D layers with octahedral coordination. The epitaxial relationship between HfS2 and substrate was determined by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements to be: HfS2 (0 0 0 1) [10-10]||sapphire (0 0 0 1)[1-100]. Moreover, a high-performance photodetector with a high on/off ratio of more than 103 and an ultrafast response rate of 130 µs for the rise and 155 µs for the decay times were fabricated based on the CVD-grown HfS2 layers on sapphire substrates. This simple and controllable approach opens up a new way to produce highly crystalline HfS2 atomic layers, which are promising materials for nanoelectronics.
High dictionary compression for proactive password checking

The important problem of user password selection is addressed and a new proactive password-checking technique is presented. In a training phase, a decision tree is generated based on a given dictionary of weak passwords. Then, the decision tree is used to determine whether a user password should be accepted. Experimental results described here show that the method leads to a very high dictionary compression (up to 1000 to 1) with low error rates (of the order of 1%). A prototype implementation, called ProCheck, is made available online. We survey previous approaches to proactive password checking, and provide an in-depth comparison.
Localization in sensor networks based on log range observations

This contribution presents a unified framework for localization and tracking in sensor networks based on fusing a variety of signal energy measurements as provided by for instance acoustic, seismic, magnetic, radio, microwave and infrared sensors. The received energy from such sensors generally decays exponentially, and a log range model is introduced for the sensor observations in logarithmic scale, which is linear in transmitted power and the path loss exponent. Field trial sensor data confirms the validity of the log range model. The novelty in this contribution lies in a systematic least squares approach to eliminate these nuisance parameters and also the sensor noise variances. Details on how to solve the resulting low-dimensional non-linear least squares criterion are given, and how to extend the algorithms to target tracking. Explicit formulas for the Cramer-Rao lower bound are given for both localization and tracking.
Targeting Heterogeneous Architectures via Macro Data Flow

We propose a data flow based run time system as an efficient tool for supporting execution of parallel code on heterogeneous architectures hosting both multicore CPUs and GPUs. We discuss how the proposed run time system may be the target of both structured parallel applications developed using algorithmic skeletons/parallel design patterns and also more "domain specific" programming models. Experimental results demonstrating the feasibility of the approach are presented.
Barrier Coverage in Mobile Camera Sensor Networks with Grid-Based Deployment

Barrier coverage is a critical issue in wireless sensor networks for many practical applications,e.g., national border monitoring, security surveillance and intruder detection, etc. Its aim is to detect intruders that attempt to cross the protected region. In this paper, we study how to efficiently improve barrier coverage using mobile camera sensors, where camera sensors are deployed by a grid-based strategy.
Flow banding in volcanic rocks: a record of multiplicative magma deformation

Banding in obsidian from Big Glass Mountain (BGM), Medicine Lake volcano, California, and Mayor Island (MI), New Zealand, provides a record with a 1/wavenumber power-spectral density and multifractal characteristics. The samples are compositionally homogeneous, with banding defined by variable microlite content (BGM) or vesicularity (MI). In both samples, banding formation is well explained by a continuous deformational reworking of magma and by a concurrent change in crystallinity (vesicularity) that is a small, random multiple of the total amount already present. Banding formation, therefore, represents a multiplicative process. We complement our spectral and multifractal analysis with several null-hypothesis tests and propose repeated brittle deformation, concurrent development of textural heterogeneity (microlite content or vesicularity), reannealing, and viscous deformation as a viable process for the formation of flow banding in these samples. A brittle deformational component in a simple flow geometry, for example during magma ascent in the volcanic conduit, provides a suitable mechanism for the spatial redistribution of textural heterogeneity over a broad range of length scales, enhanced open-system magma degassing via a temporary network of highly permeable cracks and fractures, and the development of spatially variable microlite content (vesicularity) through variable degassing of magma located at dierent proximities to cracks and fractures.
Bootstrapping an animated sketchbook

This paper describes initial steps towards a system for intuitively sketching animations in the context of a digital sketchbook for developing ideas and recording thoughts. Following a user-centric approach, the initial version of the system is designed as an interviewing tool to gather user feedback that would guide further UI development. To facilitate review of user interviews, we have implemented a history mechanism that works with arbitrarily nested 'worlds'. The history of the entire complex of worlds can be traversed, or sub-worlds can be traversed individually, or even be embedded in completely different worlds. We describe a novel approach to fitting, storing, and rendering strokes drawn by the user, which is designed for low storage overhead and efficient traversal by our history mechanism, and which supports expressively animated rendering styles using GPU shaders.
DRIVEN GROUPWISE REGISTRATION OF DIFFUSION WEIGHTED IMAGES

The acquisition of Diffusion Weighted MR images may be confounded by both patient motion and machine eddy currents, these may potentially be corrected by image registration. Two non-rigid registration schemes are compared to the result of an affine registration: a single fluid registration of the individual diffusion directions and a Progressive Principal Component Registration. All registrations are full 3D. 12 DW-MRI datasets consisting of 128x128x64 volumes from 15 diffusion directions are registered by each method and the results combined to produce fractional anisotropy maps. These maps are then inspected for improved feature appearance and fractional anisotropy variability. The affine registration demonstrates a modest improvement; image alignment by single fluid registration causes lateral brain features to appear sharper at the expense of poor deformations of the medial brain; registration by PPCR demonstrates improved contrast of lateral brain features and lower fractional anisotropy variability.
Innovative Technique of Transbronchial Radiofrequency Ablation for Intrapulmonary Tumors: A Preliminary Study in a Rabbit Model

Background:Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has emerged as a potential alternative for surgery in clinical oncology. This animal experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of transbronchial RFA in the treatment of lung tumor. Methods:VX2 lung cancer model was established in Japanese white rabbits by transbronchial injection of tissue clot suspension. After waiting for tumor growth to approximately 10 to 20 mm in diameter, transbronchial RFA was performed on VX2 tumors using the Celon-ProCurve microprobe with a 12 mm active tip, a diameter of 1.3 mm, without cooled-tip electrode under the guidance of biplane x-ray scanning. At first, the power of delivery of RFA was increased in a stepwise manner beginning at 1 W/min up to a maximum of 4 W/min, to seek appropriate power deposition. Next, the extent of ablation under determined power deposition was examined for various time periods. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by grossly and pathologically 1 week after transbronchial RFA. Results:All rabbits tolerated the experimental procedures well. Transbronchial RFA at 2 W/min for 20 minute was the most effective setting in this study. Application of more than 2 W/min was not technically feasible using this equipment, leading to destruction of the probe due to high resistance. In transbronchial RFA at 2 W/min condition, the extent of ablation depended on the duration of ablation. Conclusions:This study demonstrates the potential of transbronchial RFA therapy for treatment of lung tumors. Probe improvement and additional study will be required for further progress.
High-Density Polyethylene-Based Ternary Blends Toughened by PA6/PBT Core–Shell Particles

ABSTRACT Toughening of high-density polyethylene with core–shell polyamide-6/polybutylene terephthalate was studied in this work. It is found that the toughness of the sample high-density polyethylene/polyamide-6/polybutylene terephthalate (80/10/10) ternary blend is 43.87 kJ/m2, which is 2–3 times higher than pure high-density polyethylene. Morphology observations revealed that the addition of polybutylene terephthalate and polyamide-6 leads to the appearance of core–shell-dispersed particles in high-density polyethylene matrix, which was the main reason of toughening high-density polyethylene. And all samples are prepared by melt blending. Furthermore, the rheological behavior, crystallization, and thermal deformation properties of ternary blend was also discussed. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Epitaxial lift-off technology of GaAs multijunction solar cells

Epitaxial lift-off (ELO) is a process which enables the removal of solar cell structures (one junction GaAs, two junction GaAs/InGaP or three junction GaAs/InGaAs/InGaP) from the substrate on which they are grown and their transfer onto lightweight carriers such as metal or polymeric insulator films. The said solar cells exhibit superior power conversion efficiency compared with alternative single-junction photovoltaic cell designs such as those based on crystalline Si, copper indium gallium sulfide (CIGS) or CdTe. The major advantage of ELO solar cells is the potential for wafer reuse, which can enable significant manufacturing cost reduction by minimizing the consumption of expensive wafers. Here in this work we have grown one junction GaAs solar cells on GaAs (100) substrates. A 10 nm thick AlAs layer has been used as a release layer, which has been selectively etched in HF solution. We have investigated different methods of transferring thin films onto polymer and copper foils, including the usage of temporary mounting adhesives and electro-conductive pastes. Lift-off has been demonstrated to be a very promising technique for producing affordable solar cells with a very high efficiency of up to 30%.
Types of dietary fat and breast cancer: A pooled analysis of cohort studies

Recently, there has been interest in whether intakes of specific types of fat are associated with breast cancer risk independently of other types of fat, but results have been inconsistent. We identified 8 prospective studies that met predefined criteria and analyzed their primary data using a standardized approach. Holding total energy intake constant, we calculated relative risks for increments of 5% of energy for each type of fat compared with an equivalent amount of energy from carbohydrates or from other types of fat. We combined study‐specific relative risks using a random effects model. In the pooled database, 7,329 incident invasive breast cancer cases occurred among 351,821 women. The pooled relative risks (95% confidence intervals [CI]) for an increment of 5% of energy were 1.09 (1.00–1.19) for saturated, 0.93 (0.84–1.03) for monounsaturated and 1.05 (0.96–1.16) for polyunsaturated fat compared with equivalent energy intake from carbohydrates. For a 5% of energy increment, the relative risks were 1.18 (95% CI 0.99–1.42) for substituting saturated for monounsaturated fat, 0.98 (95% CI 0.85–1.12) for substituting saturated for polyunsaturated fat and 0.87 (95% CI 0.73–1.02) for substituting monounsaturated for polyunsaturated fat. No associations were observed for animal or vegetable fat intakes. These associations were not modified by menopausal status. These data are suggestive of only a weak positive association with substitution of saturated fat for carbohydrate consumption; none of the other types of fat examined was significantly associated with breast cancer risk relative to an equivalent reduction in carbohydrate consumption. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effect of temperature on times to hatching of eggs of the nematode Ostertagia circumcincta

SUMMARY A delayed gamma distribution satisfactorily described the distribution of times to hatching of Ostertagia circumcincta eggs incubated in 0·1% saline at temperatures between 6 and 20 °C. Below 6 °C hatching of eggs was extremely variable. The relationship between rates of development and temperature within the range 10 to 20 °C was more closely described by a non-linear function than a linear one. The non-linear function was incorporated into a temperature summation equation which satisfactorily predicted the hatching of eggs incubated under conditions of alternating temperatures.
Can Patients Be Anticoagulated After Intracerebral Hemorrhage?: A Decision Analysis

Background and Purpose— Warfarin increases both the likelihood and the mortality of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), particularly in patients with a history of prior ICH. In light of this consideration, should a patient with both a history of ICH and a clear indication for anticoagulation such as nonvalvular atrial fibrillation be anticoagulated? In the absence of data from a clinical trial, we used a decision-analysis model to compare the expected values of 2 treatment strategies—warfarin and no anticoagulation—for such patients. Methods— We used a Markov state transition decision model stratified by location of hemorrhage (lobar or deep hemispheric). Effectiveness was measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Data sources included English language literature identified through MEDLINE searches and bibliographies from selected articles, along with empirical data from our own institution. The base case focused on a 69-year-old man with a history of ICH and newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Results— For patients with prior lobar ICH, withholding anticoagulation therapy was strongly preferred, improving quality-adjusted life expectancy by 1.9 QALYs. For patients with prior deep hemispheric ICH, withholding anticoagulation resulted in a smaller gain of 0.3 QALYs. In sensitivity analyses for patients with deep ICH, anticoagulation could be preferred if the risk of thromboembolic stroke is particularly high. Conclusions— Survivors of lobar ICH with atrial fibrillation should not be offered long-term anticoagulation. Similarly, most patients with deep hemispheric ICH and atrial fibrillation should not receive anticoagulant therapy. However, patients with deep hemispheric ICH at particularly high risk for thromboembolic stroke or low risk of ICH recurrence might benefit from long-term anticoagulation.