Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vizier: a generic and multidimensional agent-based recommendation framework

Recommender Systems have emerged to help support, augment and systematize the everyday natural social process of creating and sharing recommendations by developing tools that can be used to quickly identify interesting products, and therefore, reduce a search space of alternatives. This paper aims to present a framework, constructed under a generic approach, which provides services to Information Retrieval applications so these may offer product recommendations that consider several Adaptation/Personalization dimensions (e.g., user dimension, context, among others). With this purpose, the Multi-Agent Vizier Recommendation Framework (Vizier) is proposed; on the one hand, to assist those entities that currently develop Information Retrieval applications and wish to add recommendations to their services (e.g., E-Commerce applications); on the other hand, in order to offer a solution that hopefully provides better adapted/personalized results than current solutions by considering the multidimensionality of users, items and context. In order to validate Vizier, ZoundBeat was implemented. ZoundBeat is a functional application of a music player that is capable of invoking the proposed framework to offer its users song recommendations.
Upper urinary tract disease: what we know today and unmet needs

Purpose Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare and poorly investigated disease. Intense collaborative efforts have increased our knowledge and improved the management of the disease. The objective of this review was to discuss recent advances and unmet needs in UTUC. Methods A non-systematic Medline/PubMed literature search was performed on UTUC using the terms “upper tract urothelial carcinoma” with different combinations of keywords. Original articles, reviews and editorials in English language were selected based on their clinical relevance. Results UTUC is a disease with specific epidemiologic and risk factors different to urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). Similarly to UCB, smoking increases the risk of UTUC and worsens its prognosis, whereas aristolochic acid (AA) exposure and mismatch repair genes abnormality are UTUC specific risk factors. A growing understanding of biological pathways involved in the tumorigenesis of UTUC has led to the identification of promising prognostic/predictive biomarkers. Risk stratification of UTUC is difficult due to limitations in staging and grading. Modern imaging and endoscopy have improved clinical decision-making, and allowed kidney-sparing management and surveillance in favorable-risk tumors. In high-risk tumors, radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) remains the standard. Complete removal of the intramural ureter is necessary with inferiority of endoscopic management. Post-RNU intravesical instillation has been shown to decrease bladder cancer recurrence rates. While the role of neoadjuvant cisplatin based combination chemotherapy and lymphadenectomy are not clearly established, the body of evidence suggests a survival benefit to these. There is currently no evidence for adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in UTUC. Conclusions Despite growing interest and understanding of UTUC, its management remains challenging, requiring further high quality multicenter collaborations. Accurate risk estimation is necessary to avoid unnecessary RNUs while advances in technology are still required for optimal kidney-sparing approaches.
Wireless Networks for Manufacturing Urban

Wireless technology’s like Bluetooth and W-LAN has reached a tremendous attention the last years. The manufacturing industry could probably make large benefits from using these technologies. In this paper we propose new definitions of QoS parameters to be able to handle real-time traffic in wireless networks. Initial assumptions regarding media access in a multihop network is presented. Finally simulations showing that it is possible to map the new QoS parameters on a routing
POLICIES TOWARDS FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: EMERGING BEST-PRACTICES AND OUTSTANDING ISSUES by

Governments in developing countries are increasingly looking for best-practice policies towards inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). FDI can bring positive effects (market access, technology, finance, skills), but also negative effects and hence a substantial quantity of FDI alone is not sufficient to generate economic growth and poverty reduction. The positive effects are not automatic for host countries and depend on policies in place and other factors. The policy factors can be divided into 1) specific industrial policies and 2) macro-economic policies and into whether they are used to 1) attract FDI 2) upgrade FDI or 3) enhance linkages and spillovers to domestic firms. Which policies are important in which country depends on how they fit in with the development strategy to achieve predefined objectives taking into account specific country characteristics. However, they are likely to be some combination of policies in each of the above categories. Whilst many of the richer countries with more public resources and local capabilities can employ a risky and costly pro-active stance towards FDI (e.g. Singapore and Ireland), poorer countries are left behind with relatively fewer local capabilities. This is particularly worrying since local capabilities play a dual role of attracting FDI and absorbing positive spillovers associated with FDI. 1 I am grateful to ODI colleagues Simon Maxwell and Sheila Page, to John Fitz Gerald, Khalil Hamdani, Sanjaya Lall, Frances Ruane, Henry Wai-Chung Yeung, Ganeshan Wignaraja and other academics and officials during my visits to Ireland, Singapore, and UNCTAD, and to participants at the conference “Policies towards Foreign Direct Investment in developing countries. Emerging bestpractices and outstanding issues”, held at ODI, London, 16 March 2000, see http: /www.odi. org.uk/. The UK Department for International Development supports policies, programmes and projects to promote international development. DFID provided funds for this study as part of that objective but the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone.
AIS Electronic Library (AISeL)

Digital innovation contests emerge as important intermediaries in open data markets. However the understanding of how contests affect innovation value chains is low and there is a lack of innovation measurement frameworks to support the management of digital innovation contests. Therefore, in this paper we apply design science to design a measurement model for digital innovation contests from the organizer’s perspective that adds to the available knowledge of innovation measurement. We use a recent case of digital innovation contests to motivate the model and discuss its implications on the innovation value chain. The measurement model contributes with new knowledge in the area of open data innovation and provides support for practice in managing innovation through digital innovation contests. For future research we intend to enhance the model to also measure the effects on innovation ecosystems, to operationalize the measures and to evaluate the model in several digital innovation contests as well as to include the perspective of the participants.
A web based Multi-Modal Interface for elderly users of the Robot-Era multi-robot services

In this paper we present the design and technical implementation of a web based Multi-Modal User Interface (MMUI) tailored for elderly users of the robotic services developed by the EU FP7 Large-Scale Integration Project Robot-Era. The project partners are working to significantly enhance the performance and acceptability of technological services for ageing well by delivering a fully realized system based on the cooperation of multiple heterogeneous robots and with the support of an Ambient Assisted Living environment. To this end, elderly users were involved in the definition of the services and in the design of the hardware and software of the robotic platforms from the first stages of the development process and in real experimentation in two test sites. In particular, here we detail the interface software system for multi-modal elderly-robot interaction. The MMUI is designed to run on any device including touch-screen mobiles and tablets that are preferred by the elderly. This is obtained by integrating web based solutions with the Robot-Era middlewares and planner. Finally we present some preliminary results of ongoing experiments to show the successful evaluation of usability by potential users and to discuss the future directions to improve the proposed MMUI software system.
A Limited Information Bayesian Forecasting Model of the Cattle SubSector

The first step towards forecasting the price and output of the cattle industry is understanding the dynamics of the livestock production process. This study follows up on the Weimar and Stillman (1990) paper by using data from 1970 to 2005 to estimate the parameters that characterizes the cattle output supply. The model is then used to estimate forecast values for the periods 2006 and 2007. Bayesian limited information likelihood method is used to estimate the parameters when endogeneity exists between these variables. The forecasting ability of the model for a two-step ahead forecast for majority of the variables are relatively good and test statistic of the forecast are reported.
Voltage Control Techniques in Uninterruptible Power Supply Inverters: a Review

Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems are required for supplying sinusoidal output voltage for linear and nonlinear loads. They must be highly reliable and fast in dynamic response. Many control strategies have been applied to UPS inverters. The basic objectives of UPS control systems are tracking ability and robustness. Generally, the tasks of output voltage control for UPS inverters are providing fast dynamic responses and maintaining a perfect sinuso- idal voltage waveform even with nonlinear or changing loads. To achieve these aims, many controllers have been proposed in the literature. In this paper a comprehensive review of the control techniques of UPS systems with advantages and disadvantages of each is carried out. Copyright © 2011 Praise Worthy Prize S.r. l. - All rights reserved.
Self reported cannabis use as a risk factor for schizophrenia in Swedish conscripts of 1969: historical cohort study

Abstract Objectives: An association between use of cannabis in adolescence and subsequent risk of schizophrenia was previously reported in a follow up of Swedish conscripts. Arguments were raised that this association may be due to use of drugs other than cannabis and that personality traits may have confounded results. We performed a further analysis of this cohort to address these uncertainties while extending the follow up period to identify additional cases. Design: Historical cohort study. Setting: 1969-70 survey of Swedish conscripts (>97% of the country's male population aged 18-20). Participants: 50 087 subjects: data were available on self reported use of cannabis and other drugs, and on several social and psychological characteristics. Main outcome measures: Admissions to hospital for ICD-8/9 schizophrenia and other psychoses, as determined by record linkage. Results:Cannabis was associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia in a dose dependent fashion both for subjects who had ever used cannabis (adjusted odds ratio for linear trend of increasing frequency 1.2, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 1.4, P<0.001), and for subjects who had used only cannabis and no other drugs (adjusted odds ratio for linear trend 1.3, 1.1 to 1.5, P<0.015). The adjusted odds ratio for using cannabis >50 times was 6.7 (2.1 to 21.7) in the cannabis only group. Similar results were obtained when analysis was restricted to subjects developing schizophrenia after five years after conscription, to exclude prodromal cases. Conclusions: Cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, consistent with a causal relation. This association is not explained by use of other psychoactive drugs or personality traits relating to social integration. What is already known about this topic Use of cannabis has been associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia Alternative explanations for this association include confounding by personality or by use of other drugs such as amphetamines, and use of cannabis as a form of self medication secondary to the disorder What this study adds Self reported cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of subsequently developing schizophrenia, consistent with a causal relation This association is not explained by sociability personality traits, or by use of amphetamines or other drugs Self medication with cannabis is an unlikely explanation for the association observed
Angiotensin II receptor blocker pretreatment of rats undergoing sudden renal ablation.

BACKGROUND Subtotal nephrectomy (N) in rats results in progressive hypertension, proteinuria and renal lesions. Renin-angiotensin system blockade initiated at N prevents these changes; treatments failing to reduce hypertension and proteinuria do not. METHODS Ten Munich-Wistar rats underwent 1½ surgical N; eight littermates were pretreated with losartan (L) only for 6 weeks prior to 1½ N (N + L). Pretreated (n = 8; C + L) and untreated controls (C; n = 8) had sham operations. RESULTS Over 6 months, N and N + L rats developed ∼80% increase in glomerular filtration rate per nephron over C and C + L, P < 0.001). Hypertension (intra-arterial mean blood pressure 116 ± 6.8 mmHg in N rats versus 102 ± 3.2 in C, 104 ± 8.4 in C + L, and 104 ± 8.4 in N + L rats, P < 0.001 for all) and proteinuria (120 ± 20 mg/day in N versus 39 ± 10 in C, 34 ± 8 in C + L and 35 ± 8 in N + L, P < 0.001 for all) developed only in N. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (%) at 6 months was 20 ± 8 in N and 17.5 ± 8 in N + L (ns) and <1 in C and C + L (P < 0.001 versus N and N + L). Interstitial fractional volume (Vv), 4.0 ± 1.7% in C and 4.4 ± 1.6% in C + L (ns), was similarly increased to 7.5 ± 2.5% in N and 9.0 ± 3.9% in N+L (P < 0.04 versus C and C + L). Atrophic tubule Vv was increased by >300% in N and N + L over C and C + L (P < 0.02 for all). Glomerular volume doubled in N and N + L (P < 0.001). Podocyte foot process effacement was greater in N and NL than in C or C + L (P ≤ 0.02 for all). Thus, L given for 6 weeks prior to 1½ N prevented hypertension and proteinuria over the subsequent 6 months without reducing glomerular hypertrophy, hyperfiltration or interstitial, tubular or FSGS lesions or foot process effacement. CONCLUSIONS These studies dissociated systemic hypertension and proteinuria from the renal lesions in this model. Durable effects of losartan on blood pressure and proteinuria likely represent epigenetic processes.
A Hybrid Importance Sampling Algorithm for Estimating VaR under the Jump Diffusion Model

Value at Risk (VaR) is an important tool for estimating the risk of a financial portfolio under significant loss. Although Monte Carlo simulation is a powerful tool for estimating VaR, it is quite inefficient since the event of significant loss is usually rare. Previous studies suggest that the performance of the Monte Carlo simulation can be improved by impor-tance sampling if the market returns follow the normality or the distributions. The first contribution of our paper is to extend the importance sampling method for dealing with jump-diffusion market returns, which can more precisely model the phenomenon of high peaks, heavy tails, and jumps of market returns mentioned in numerous empirical study papers. This paper also points out that for portfolios of which the huge loss is triggered by significantly distinct events, naively applying importance sampling method can result in poor performance. The second contribution of our paper is to develop the hybrid importance sampling method for the aforementioned problem. Our method decomposes a Monte Carlo simulation into sub simulations, and each sub simulation focuses only on one huge loss event. Thus the perform-ance for each sub simulation is improved by importance sampling method, and overall performance is optimized by determining the allotment of samples to each sub simulation by Lagrange’s multiplier. Numerical experiments are given to verify the superiority of our method.
A CMOS chopper opamp with integrated low-pass filter

A CMOS chopper opamp has been realized. The low-pass filter, which is necessary to remove modulated offset and noise components, is implemented as a sample-and-hold filter, which has the advantages of not limiting the band width and easy integration. The opamp features an offset of 30 µV, noise of 300nV/√Hz, 120dB gain and 75 µW power consumption. The opamp has better trade-offs for offset, noise, chip area and power consumption than traditional auto-zeroed opamps.
Comparative effectiveness of intervention components for producing long-term abstinence from smoking: a factorial screening experiment.

AIMS To identify promising intervention components that help smokers attain and maintain abstinence during a quit attempt. DESIGN A 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 randomized factorial experiment. SETTING Eleven primary care clinics in Wisconsin, USA. PARTICIPANTS A total of 544 smokers (59% women, 86% white) recruited during primary care visits and motivated to quit. INTERVENTIONS Five intervention components designed to help smokers attain and maintain abstinence: (1) extended medication (26 versus 8 weeks of nicotine patch + nicotine gum); (2) maintenance (phone) counseling versus none; (3) medication adherence counseling versus none; (4) automated (medication) adherence calls versus none; and (5) electronic medication monitoring with feedback and counseling versus electronic medication monitoring alone. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was 7-day self-reported point-prevalence abstinence 1 year after the target quit day. FINDINGS Only extended medication produced a main effect. Twenty-six versus 8 weeks of medication improved point-prevalence abstinence rates (43 versus 34% at 6 months; 34 versus 27% at 1 year; P = 0.01 for both). There were four interaction effects at 1 year, showing that an intervention component's effectiveness depended upon the components with which it was combined. CONCLUSIONS Twenty-six weeks of nicotine patch + nicotine gum (versus 8 weeks) and maintenance counseling provided by phone are promising intervention components for the cessation and maintenance phases of smoking treatment.
Moving Every Child Ahead: From NCLB Hype to Meaningful Educational Opportunity

Here, for the first time, is the essential volume on NCLB. In "Moving Every Child Ahead", Michael Rebell - education law scholar and foremost authority on the educational rights of children who led the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) in its constitutional challenge to New York's education finance system - and his colleague Jessica Wolff examine the federal No Child Left Behind Act through the lens of educational equity. In compelling and readable fashion, they make specific recommendations for revisions to the law.Acting as a counterbalance to the current unworkable law, this book proposes a more realistic way to achieve NCLB's inspiring vision by ensuring the right to "meaningful educational opportunity" for all students.A "must-read" during the debate about the reauthorization of NCLB, this timely volume: advances a practical and visionary benchmark for measuring and ensuring the quality of public education; recommends ways that NCLB might be reauthorized with more meaningful provisions to serve students in poverty, in and out of schools; tackles specific provisions in NCLB head-on, such as the popular, but impossible, goal of 100 per cent student proficiency by 2014; and, provides a credible alternative vision to ensure that all children will learn in accordance with challenging academic standards.
Equilibrium strategies for multi-unit sealed-bid auctions with multi-unit demand bidders

In most of the existing literature on multi-unit auctions, i.e. auctions selling several identical goods together, it is assumed that bidders demand a single item. Yet this assumption is not valid in most practical auction settings, as often bidders wish to purchase multiple goods. Computing equilibrium strategies in multi-unit uniform-price auctions for bidders with multi-unit demand is an open problem for almost two decades. It is known that they exist in pure strategies, but not how to compute them. Our work addresses this key open problem, when there are no complementarities. More specifically, we examine a model where each bidder's value for the units beyond the first are computed by multiplying the value for the first unit of the good (the most desired one) by preset weights, and then generalize this model by allowing these weights to be different for each participating bidder. We characterize the equilibria and compute equilibrium strategies for both mth and (m+1)th price sealed-bid auctions; then we give some examples examining the properties of these strategies in the process. We conduct experiments that show up to 25% improvement in the performance of trading agents using these strategies as opposed to some heuristic strategies previously used.
Fiscal Adjustments and the Short-Term Trade-Off between economic growth and equality

This article examines the short-term economic impact of alternative fiscal adjustment strategies, with an especial focus on their effect on economic growth and income distribution. Based on a sample of 53 adjustment episodes occurred in the fifteen EU Member States between 1960-2000, this article shows that different strategies of fiscal adjustment bring about different economic consequences. Expenditure-based adjustments that are preceded by bad economic and fiscal initial conditions, that are accompanied by a devaluation, and that succeed in cutting the least productive expenditures of the budget, are likely to have anti-Keynesian effects and to be expansionary. Nevertheless, they do so at the expense of increasing income inequality. The opposite is true for revenue-based consolidations. The nineties epitomize the story of expansionary fiscal consolidations via strong wealth and credibility effects, but also the rebirth of the trade-off between growth and equality, mediated by fiscal policy.