Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Max-Intensity: Detecting Competitive Advertiser Communities in Sponsored Search Market

In a sponsored search market, the problem of measuring the intensity of competition among advertisers is increasingly gaining prominence today. Usually, search providers want to monitor the advertiser communities that share common bidding keywords, so that they can intervene when competition slackens. However, to the best of our knowledge, not much research has been conducted in identifying advertiser communities and understanding competition within these communities. In this paper we introduce a novel approach to detect competitive communities in a weighted bi-partite network formed by advertisers and their bidding keywords. The proposed approach is based on an advertiser vertex metric called intensity score, which takes the following two factors into consideration: the competitors that bid on the same keywords, and the advertisers' consumption proportion within the community. Evidence shows that when market competition rises, the revenue for a search provider also increases. Our community detection algorithm Max-Intensity is designed to detect communities which have the maximum intensity score. In this paper, we conduct experiments and validate the performance of Max-Intensity on sponsored search advertising data. Compared to baseline methods, the communities detected by our algorithm have low Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI) and comprehensive concentration index (CCI), which demonstrates that the communities given by Max-Intensity can capture the structure of the competitive communities.
The detection of antibodies to cytomegalovirus in the sera of renal transplant patients by an igm antibody capture assay

An IgM antibody capture assay for detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgM antibody (MACRIA) was developed. It was shown to be of similar sensitivity to the indirect immunofluorescence test but has the advantage that rheumatoid factor does not react in it and pretest fractionation of serum is not required. It does, however, give false results with some Paul Bunnell‐positive sera.
Factory: Non-stop batch jobs without checkpointing

Nowadays many job schedulers rely on checkpoint mechanisms to make long-running batch jobs resilient to node failures. At large scale stopping a job and creating its image consumes considerable amount of time. The aim of this study is to propose a method that eliminates this overhead. For this purpose we decompose a problem being solved into computational microkernels which have strict hierarchical dependence on each other. When a kernel abruptly stops its execution due to a node failure, it is responsibility of its principal to restart computation on a healthy node. In the course of experiments we successfully applied this method to make hydrodynamics HPC application run on constantly changing number of nodes. We believe, that this technique can be generalised to other types of scientific applications as well.
Dramaturgical capitalization of positive emotions: the answer for Facebook success?

Although user behavior in the popular Facebook social network site has been intensely investigated since the site came live in 2004, we know little about users' emotions and values weaved in the fabric of their interactions. We report on a diary study for collecting daily accounts of users' most memorable Facebook experiences. Outcomes emphasize the distinction between public and private presentation together with user motivation for engaging in these roles. Findings outline the role of impression management in the capitalization of positive emotions: a process through which people derive associated benefits from sharing them. Outcomes also suggest that at their heart, people's most memorable experiences with Facebook are all about positive emotions, in particular those concerned with connectedness and entertainment. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for experience design and propose design tactics and guidelines integrated into a framework for designing for connectedness and entertainment.
Prevention of Hot Spot Development on Coarse-Grained Dynamically Reconfigurable Architectures

With the increasing power density of deep submicron technology, temperature becomes one of the dominating factors for the reliability of integrated circuits. Coarse-grained reconfigurable devices typically exhibit spatially nonuniform activity, which results in areas of localized heating, so called hot spots. In this work we investigate the effects of continuous activity migration in order to prevent hot spots. By applying activity migration we are able to reduce temporal and spatial variations of temperature by up to 87%.
Co-active coaching as an intervention for obesity among female university students

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of Co-active coaching on obese female university students’ body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), functional health status and self-esteem, and conjointly to identify the coaching skills and primary agenda topics that facilitate coaching’s efficacy as an intervention for obesity.Design:A multiple-baseline, single-subject research design was utilized.Methods:Two certified coaches provided an average of nine, 35-minute, one-on-one sessions with five students whose BMI≥30kg/m2(obesity threshold). Measures included BMI, WC, the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Visual inspection was used to analyze changes in BMI and WC. Statistical interpretations, supplemented with qualitative information from post-intervention interviews, were used to determine whether a clinically significant difference in health status and/or self-esteem was achieved. Inductive content analysis was conducted on the interview transcripts and on 50 per cent of each participant’s coaching session transcripts.Results:Visual inspection revealed no change in BMI for three, a decrease for one, and a slight increase for one participant. WC decreased for three participants and remained stable for two. Collectively, the effect sizes and qualitative statements indicated clinically significant improvements in participants’ self-esteem and physical, mental, and overall health statuses upon completion of the intervention. Powerful questions and acknowledgements were the most frequently used coaching skills.Conclusions:Coaching and particular coaching skills were associated with a trend towards a decrease in WC and clinically significant increases in participants’ self-esteem and their mental, physical, and overall health statuses.
Using an organic radical precursor as an electron injection material for efficient and stable organic light-emitting diodes

Materials with strong reducibility have been used as electron injection layers (EILs) to lower the work function of cathodes and reduce the driving voltage of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, the most prominent electron injection materials presented so far are high-temperature-evaporable inorganic salts based on alkaline metals, which suffer from a high tendency of metal diffusion throughout the organic layer and thus reduce the device efficiency and stability. Here, we introduce a new kind of EIL based on a stable precursor of a strongly reducing organic radical. By using an organic precursor, we are able to take the advantage of the low-evaporation-temperature and avoid the problem of metal diffusion, thus improving the device efficiency and stability. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) study indicates that inserting a thin layer of organic radical between the electron transport layer and cathode could greatly reduce the electron injection barrier due to the strong interaction of radical with cathode and the electron transporting material. As a result, OLEDs with an organic radical as the EIL showed a 25.2% higher efficiency and 2.2 times longer lifetime than the control device with conventional LiF as the EIL.
Energy efficient resource allocation for 5G Heterogeneous Networks

This paper investigates the downlink resource allocation problem in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) consisting of macrocells and small cells sharing the same frequency band. The focus of this study is to devise an energy efficient scheme that allows shared spectrum access to small cells, while ensuring a certain level of quality of service for the macro cell users. It further enable us to minimize the overall energy consumption by switching the underutilized small cells to sleep mode. To devise such a mechanism, we have used a combination of linear binary integer programming and progressive analysis based heuristic algorithm. We evaluated our proposed solution by comparing the macrocell served users performance against Reuse 1 case. Moreover, we provide an analytical comparison of the network power consumption with and without the sleep mode capabilities. It has been shown that our proposed algorithm not only reduces the overall network energy consumption but also minimizes the interference caused by smalls cells to macrocell served users.
Institutional Transformation: The Impact of Performance Measurement on Professional Practice in Social Work

Performance measurement represents one example of a range of processes operating within the discursive formation of New Public Management, all of which are destabilising (or at least have the potential to destabilise) modernist professional social work. In this article I argue that the changes represented by such processes operate in insidious yet powerful ways, with significant consequences for those professions drawn into the calculus of performativity (Lyotard, 1984). My primary thesis is that the use of performance measurement in the reconfiguration of service delivery systems provides a revealing example of mezzo and micro processes of institutional change. By this I mean that in drawing its rationality from the macro level of neo-liberal ideology and politics and implemented at the organisational (mezzo) level, performance measurement has the capacity to transform the way social workers undertake their work. In the process, the professional identity projected by social work may also be radically transformed. I suggest that this last claim is as yet just that – a claim - which awaits empirical investigation.
Muscle Mass and Functional Recovery in Men with Hip Fracture

Di Monaco M, Vallero F, Di Monaco R, Tappero R, Cavanna A: Muscle mass and functional recovery in men with hip fracture. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2007;86:818–825. Objective:To investigate the association between muscle mass and functional recovery in men after hip fracture. Design:We investigated 27 of 33 men admitted consecutively to a rehabilitation hospital after hip fracture. For each patient, we also studied two control women, matched for age and fracture type. Lean mass (LM) was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) 21.9 ± 7.5 (mean ± SD) days after fracture occurrence in the 27 men (22.8 ± 7.2 days in the 54 control women). Appendicular LM (aLM) was calculated as the sum of LM in arms and legs. Functional recovery was assessed using Barthel index scores. Barthel index efficiency was calculated as the change in the Barthel index score after rehabilitation divided by the length of stay in hospital. Results:After adjustment for age, height, fat mass, Barthel index scores at admission, and time between fracture occurrence and DXA assessment, aLM was significantly associated with Barthel index scores after rehabilitation (r = 0.480; P = 0.013) and Barthel index efficiency (r = 0.633; P = 0.001) in the 27 men. Conversely, in the 54 control women, no significant associations were found between aLM and the functional scores. Conclusions:LM assessed after hip fracture is significantly associated with the functional outcome in men.
Null steering based on space mapping method for large-scale arrays

In the paper, the technique for antenna array pattern beamforming with null steering is presented. This technique deals with the possibilities to cancel undesired interferences by steering nulls of the pattern in the direction of high interference without affecting the main beam. Based on the null steering technique, the sidelobe level of the array antenna pattern can be maintained. Furthermore, the domain decomposition method based on the equivalence principle algorithm and space mapping method is applied to analyze and optimize large scale array antennas. Numerical results show the efficiency of the proposed technique for array optimizations.
Multicore optical fibres for astrophotonics

We report progress towards multimode (MM) fibre filters for suppressing the OH emission that hinders ground-based observation of the early Universe. Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) can filter these narrow spectral lines in single-mode (SM) fibres [1]. Implementing them in MM fibres well-matched to astronomical instruments requires transitions between the MM fibre and several SM fibres [2]. Such hand-crafted “photonic lanterns” require many identical FBGs to be made and spliced in place. Instead we are pursuing the idea in multicore (MC) fibres, Fig. 1(a). The FBG is written at once in all the SM cores. The fibre is jacketed with low-index glass and tapered to form the core and cladding of a MM fibre, giving a monolithic FBG filter with conventional MM ports. Such a device can stand alone, or be incorporated into more elaborate instruments [3, 4].
Switched matrix accelerator

We describe a new concept for a microwave circuit functioning as a charged-particle accelerator at mm wavelengths, permitting an accelerating gradient higher than conventional passive circuits can withstand consistent with cyclic fatigue. The device provides acceleration for multiple bunches in parallel channels, and permits a short exposure time for the conducting surface of the accelerating cavities. Our analysis includes scalings based on a smooth transmission line model and a complementary treatment with a coupled-cavity simulation. We also provide an electromagnetic design for the accelerating structure, arriving at rough dimensions for a seven-cell accelerator matched to standard waveguide and suitable for bench tests at low power in air at 91.392 GHz. A critical element in the concept is a fast mm-wave switch suitable for operation at high power, and we present the considerations for implementation in an H-plane tee. We discuss the use of diamond as the photoconductor switch medium.
Comparing Pointwise and Listwise Objective Functions for Random-Forest-Based Learning-to-Rank

Current random-forest (RF)-based learning-to-rank (LtR) algorithms use a classification or regression framework to solve the ranking problem in a pointwise manner. The success of this simple yet effective approach coupled with the inherent parallelizability of the learning algorithm makes it a strong candidate for widespread adoption. In this article, we aim to better understand the effectiveness of RF-based rank-learning algorithms with a focus on the comparison between pointwise and listwise approaches. We introduce what we believe to be the first listwise version of an RF-based LtR algorithm. The algorithm directly optimizes an information retrieval metric of choice (in our case, NDCG) in a greedy manner. Direct optimization of the listwise objective functions is computationally prohibitive for most learning algorithms, but possible in RF since each tree maximizes the objective in a coordinate-wise fashion. Computational complexity of the listwise approach is higher than the pointwise counterpart; hence for larger datasets, we design a hybrid algorithm that combines a listwise objective in the early stages of tree construction and a pointwise objective in the latter stages. We also study the effect of the discount function of NDCG on the listwise algorithm. Experimental results on several publicly available LtR datasets reveal that the listwise/hybrid algorithm outperforms the pointwise approach on the majority (but not all) of the datasets. We then investigate several aspects of the two algorithms to better understand the inevitable performance tradeoffs. The aspects include examining an RF-based unsupervised LtR algorithm and comparing individual tree strength. Finally, we compare the the investigated RF-based algorithms with several other LtR algorithms.
A non-technical guide to instrumental variables and regressor-error dependencies (in Russian)

We provide a non-technical summary of most of the recent results that have appeared in the econometric literature on instrumental variables estimation for the linear regression model. Standard inferential methods, such as OLS, are biased and inconsistent when the regressors are correlated with the error term. Instrumental variables methods were developed to overcome this problem, but finding instruments of good quality is cumbersome in any given situation and empirical researchers are often confronted with weak instruments. We review most of the recent studies on weak instruments and point to several methods that have been proposed to deal with such instruments, including "frugal" IV alternatives that do not rely on observed instruments to identify the regression parameters in presence of regressor-error dependencies.
Probiotic-Derived Polyphosphate Enhances the Epithelial Barrier Function and Maintains Intestinal Homeostasis through Integrin–p38 MAPK Pathway

Probiotics exhibit beneficial effects on human health, particularly in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis in a complex manner notwithstanding the diversity of an intestinal flora between individuals. Thus, it is highly probable that some common molecules secreted by probiotic and/or commensal bacteria contribute to the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis and protect the intestinal epithelium from injurious stimuli. To address this question, we aimed to isolate the cytoprotective compound from a lactobacillus strain, Lactobacillus brevis SBC8803 which possess the ability to induce cytoprotective heat shock proteins in mouse small intestine. L. brevis was incubated in MRS broth and the supernatant was passed through with a 0.2-µm filter. Caco2/bbe cells were treated with the culture supernatant, and HSP27 expression was evaluated by Western blotting. HSP27-inducible components were separated by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE anion exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and HPLC. Finally, we identified that the HSP27-inducible fraction was polyphosphate (poly P), a simple repeated structure of phosphates, which is a common product of lactobacilli and other bacteria associated with intestinal microflora without any definitive physiological functions. Then, poly P was synthesized by poly P-synthesizing enzyme polyphosphate kinase. The synthesized poly P significantly induced HSP27 from Caco2/BBE cells. In addition, Poly P suppressed the oxidant-induced intestinal permeability in the mouse small intestine and pharmacological inhibitors of p38 MAPK and integrins counteract its protective effect. Daily intrarectal administration of poly P (10 µg) improved the inflammation grade and survival rate in 4% sodium dextran sulfate-administered mice. This study, for the first time, demonstrated that poly P is the molecule responsible for maintaining intestinal barrier actions which are mediated through the intestinal integrin β1-p38 MAPK.
Emotions in social life: critical themes and contemporary issues

The development of a sociology of emotions is crucial to our understanding of social life. Emotions are 'social things', they are controlled and managed in our everyday lives and transcend the divides between mind and body, nature and culture, structure and action. In this way, they hold a crucial key to our understanding of social processes and can push forward the boundaries of sociological investigation. Throughout Western social thought emotions are seen to be the very antithesis of the detached scientific mind and its quest for 'objectivity'. However, as the course of human history has testified, crucial implications stem from the separation of reason and feeling. Accordingly, emotions have a fundamental import for all pertinent sociological themes and issues, in particular, social action and social identity, gender, sexuality and intimacy, the embodiment of emotions across the lifecourse (from childhood to old age), health and illness, and the social organisation of emotions in the workplace. Unique and timely, Emotions in Social Life acts to consolidate the sociology of emotions as a legitimate and viable field of enquiry. It provides a comprehensive 'state of the art' assessment of the sociology of emotions drawing upon work from scholars of international stature, as well as newer writers in the field. It presents new empirical research in conjunction with innovative and challenging theoretical material, and will be essential reading for students of sociology, health psychology, anthropology as well as gender studies.
Key agreement over an interference channel with noiseless feedback: Achievable region & distributed allocation

Secret key establishment leveraging the physical layer as a source of common randomness has been investigated in a range of settings. We investigate the problem of establishing, in an information-theoretic sense, a secret key between a user and a base-station (BS) (more generally, part of a wireless infrastructure), but for two such user-BS pairs attempting the key establishment simultaneously. The challenge in this novel setting lies in that a user can eavesdrop another BS-user communications. It is thus paramount to ensure the two keys are established with no leakage to the other user, in spite the interference across neighboring cells. We model the system with BS-user communication through an interference channel and user-BS communication through a public channel. We find the region including achievable secret key rates for the general case that the interference channel (IC) is discrete and memoryless. Our results are examined for a Gaussian IC. In this setup, we investigate the performance of different transmission schemes for power allocation. The chosen transmission scheme by each BS essentially affects the secret key rate of the other BS-user. Assuming base stations are trustworthy but that they seek to maximize the corresponding secret key rate, a game-theoretic setting arises to analyze the interaction between the base stations. We model our key agreement scenario in normal form for different power allocation schemes to understand performance without cooperation. Numerical simulations illustrate the inefficiency of the Nash equilibrium outcome and motivate further research on cooperative or coordinated schemes.