Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Politics of News Personalization

We study how news personalization affects policy polarization. In a two-candidate electoral competition model, an attention-maximizing infomediary aggregates information about candidate valence into news, whereas voters decide whether to consume news, trading off the expected utility gain from improved expressive voting against the attention cost. Broadcast news attracts a broad audience by offering a symmetric signal. Personalized news serves extreme voters with skewed signals featuring own-party bias and occasional big surprise. Rational news aggregation yields policy polarization even if candidates are office-motivated. Personalization makes extreme voters the disciplining entity for equilibrium polarization and increases polarization through occasional big surprise.
Tanzania HIV/AIDS Indicator Survey 2003-04

The Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) authorised the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to conduct the THIS. The THIS is the first household survey of its kind to be conducted in Tanzania. The survey covered the Tanzania Mainland only.The main objective of the survey was to provide HIV/AIDS programme managers and policymakerswith information needed to guide planning and implementation of interventions, including resource mobilization and allocation, monitoring and evaluation of existing programmes, and designing new and effective strategies for combating the epidemic. Before this survey, national HIV prevalence estimates depended entirely on data derived from blood donors and pregnant women seeking antenatal care. Although this information from the surveillance system has been useful for monitoring the trends of HIV in Tanzania, the inclusion of HIV testingin the THIS offers the opportunity to better understand the magnitude and pattern of infection in the generalreproductive-age population in Tanzania. The THIS results are in turn expected to improve the calibrationof the annual sentinel surveillance data, so that trends in HIV infection can be more accurately measured in the intervals between household surveys. This report contains findings from the 2003-04 THIS collected from the households visited. The survey was designed to produce regional estimates. The tables and text cover the most important indicatorsrelated to HIV/AIDS and should be of use to policymakers and programme administrators who needup-to-date data for evaluating their activities and planning future directions.
Therapeutic Activities and Phytochemistry of Physalis Species Based on Traditional and Modern Medicine

Physalis, the fifth largest genus of the Solanaceae family, consists many species which are used as food and natural remedies. Phytochemical investigations on Physalis species have led to characterization of important secondary metabolites such as withaphysalins, physalins and phytosterols which are responsible for wide range of pharmacological effects such as potent cytotoxic activity against various type of human cancer cell lines, immunomodulatory and cancer chemopreventive effects. Theyare widely used in the indigenous system of medicine for treatment of kidney and urinary disorders, leishmaniasis, inflammations, skin infections and etc. Based on Iranian traditional medicine texts, Physalis is effective for treatment of several disorders such as asthma, liver, kidney and bladder dysfunctions, wounds, hemorrhoids, and helminthic diseases. Based on recent surveys, many of the above properties have not been investigated so far except the for the healing effects on liver dysfunction. This review might be a starting point for the development of the new therapeutic applications and more investigations on Physalis species in the future.
Moduli of framed formal curves

We introduce framed formal curves, which are formal algebraic curves with boundary components parametrized by the punctured formal disk. We study the moduli space of nodal framed formal curves, which we endow with a logarithmic structure. We show that this moduli space is a smooth formal logarithmic stack. The remarkable property of our construction is that framed formal curves admit a natural operation of "gluing along the boundary" which works well in families and preserves smoothness (both in a formal and in a logarithmic sense), and this induces gluing maps on the level of moduli. Using moduli spaces of framed formal curves we enhance the operad E2 of little disks (as well as its cousin, the framed little disks operad) to a fully log motivic operad. We use this structure to obtain a purely algebro-geometric proof of the formality of chains on these classical operads (initially proven for little disks by Tamarkin using analytic methods). We also recover and extend the known Galois action on the l-adic cohomology of framed and unframed little disks, and on Drinfeld associators, and extend it to the action on integral chains of a larger group scheme: the logarithmic motivic Galois group. Our methods generalize to a higher genus context, giving new "motivic" enrichments (for example, action by the absolute Galois group and by the log motivic Galois group) on the operad of chains in the oriented geometric bordism operad of Ayala and Lurie, which encodes the algebraic structure on the Hochschild cochains of any fully dualizable DG category.
Fast and High-Quality Singing Voice Synthesis System Based on Convolutional Neural Networks

The present paper describes singing voice synthesis based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Singing voice synthesis systems based on deep neural networks (DNNs) are currently being proposed and are improving the naturalness of synthesized singing voices. As singing voices represent a rich form of expression, a powerful technique to model them accurately is required. In the proposed technique, long-term dependencies of singing voices are modeled by CNNs. An acoustic feature sequence is generated for each segment that consists of long-term frames, and a natural trajectory is obtained without the parameter generation algorithm. Furthermore, a computational complexity reduction technique, which drives the DNNs in different time units depending on type of musical score features, is proposed. Experimental results show that the proposed method can synthesize natural sounding singing voices much faster than the conventional method.
A double peak in the seasonality of California's photosynthesis as observed from space

Abstract. Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) has been shown to be a powerful proxy for photosynthesis and gross primary productivity (GPP). The recently launched TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) features the required spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio to retrieve SIF from space. Here, we present a downscaling method to obtain 500 m spatial resolution SIF over California. We report daily values based on a 14 d window. TROPOMI SIF data show a strong correspondence with daily GPP estimates at AmeriFlux sites across multiple ecosystems in California. We find a linear relationship between SIF and GPP that is largely invariant across ecosystems with an intercept that is not significantly different from zero. Measurements of SIF from TROPOMI agree with MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation indices – the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), and near-infrared reflectance of vegetation index (NIRv) – at annual timescales but indicate different temporal dynamics at monthly and daily timescales. TROPOMI SIF data show a double peak in the seasonality of photosynthesis, a feature that is not present in the MODIS vegetation indices. The different seasonality in the vegetation indices may be due to a clear-sky bias in the vegetation indices, whereas previous work has shown SIF to have a low sensitivity to clouds and to detect the downregulation of photosynthesis even when plants appear green. We further decompose the spatiotemporal patterns in the SIF data based on land cover. The double peak in the seasonality of California's photosynthesis is due to two processes that are out of phase: grasses, chaparral, and oak savanna ecosystems show an April maximum, while evergreen forests peak in June. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis corroborates the phase offset and spatial patterns driving the double peak. The EOF analysis further indicates that two spatiotemporal patterns explain 84 % of the variability in the SIF data. Results shown here are promising for obtaining global GPP at sub-kilometer spatial scales and identifying the processes driving carbon uptake.
ALET (Automated Labeling of Equipment and Tools): A Dataset, a Baseline and a Usecase for Tool Detection in the Wild

Robots collaborating with humans in realistic environments will need to be able to detect the tools that can be used and manipulated. However, there is no available dataset or study that addresses this challenge in real settings. In this paper, we fill this gap by providing an extensive dataset (METU-ALET) for detecting farming, gardening, office, stonemasonry, vehicle, woodworking and workshop tools. The scenes correspond to sophisticated environments with or without humans using the tools. The scenes we consider introduce several challenges for object detection, including the small scale of the tools, their articulated nature, occlusion, inter-class invariance, etc. Moreover, we train and compare several state of the art deep object detectors (including Faster R-CNN, YOLO and RetinaNet) on our dataset. We observe that the detectors have difficulty in detecting especially small-scale tools or tools that are visually similar to parts of other tools. This in turn supports the importance of our dataset and paper. With the dataset, the code and the trained models, our work provides a basis for further research into tools and their use in robotics applications.
Beyond Time and Space: using AI to Solve Client Service Challenges Now and Into the Future

One of the biggest challenges for libraries today is fulfilling client service requests 24/7. We have skilled staff in the Library during the day and evening, and LiveChat for those not able to visit in person, but what happens after hours? Who is there to help those who work shifts, have children, live on the other side of the planet or just prefer studying at 2am? Artificial intelligence (AI) promises an affordable solution, but will it provide the quality, flexibility and authenticity needed to ensure client satisfaction? Importantly, can the accuracy and veracity of responses be assured? At the University of Wollongong, the Library has teamed up with Academic AI specialists, Engineering and Information Science Faculty and a team of exceptionally gifted students to solve this problem. Using a combination of Agile Scrum and design thinking methodology to ensure client satisfaction and service needs were met, the team commenced building a chatbot designed to converse, provide assistance, and refer clients when needed – in other words: to create, rather than recruit, a new Library staff member. This paper will explore the journey, noting the challenges, breakthroughs and methodologies used to create and evaluate the chatbot.
RUMINAL VOLATILE FATTY ACIDS, TOTAL SUGARS, MILK YIELD AND QUALITY OF DAIRY COWS FED WATER HYACINTH [Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms] and BANANA (Musa sp.) PSEUDOSTEM

Ruminally cannulated Holstein Friesian x Sahiwal dairy cows were fed diets containing Napier grass (NG), 40% water hyacinth (WH) and 40% banana pseudostem (BP) following a 3x3 Latin Square Design. Rumen fluid samples collected after feeding were analyzed for volatile fatty acids and total sugars using gas chromatography and phenol-sulfuric acid methods, respectively. Average daily milk yield and quality (crude fat, crude protein, total solids) were determined. Results showed that propionic acid (19.62-25.74 mmol/l) was significantly different (P 0.05) for cows fed with diets containing NG, WH and BP. These results suggest that WH and BP can be fed at 40% without any effect on rumen metabolism and milk yield and quality.
Survey on Energy Efficient Routing Issues in IOMT

IOT is going to offer large number of applications in various environments for improving the quality of our lives. Routing issues become more and more challenging for low-power and lossy radio-links, multi-hop mesh topologies, the battery supplied nodes and frequently changed network topologies. So that IOT routing protocols has some challenges like traffic Patterns, Energy efficiency, Scalability, Mobility Energy-aware metrics for routing protocol in IOT are node energy, throughput, latency, link quality. The multimedia transmission in IOT depends on a routing protocol to determine stable and resource efficient path, and to provide varying levels of QoS/QoE based on different requirements. The Quality- of-Service (QoS)/Quality-of- experience (QoE ) guarantee for multimedia in internet of things . The current research and development activities have been restricted to scalar sensor data based IOT systems and overlooked the challenges of provisioning multimedia devices over IOT.
Towards Robust and Stable Deep Learning Algorithms for Forward Backward Stochastic Differential Equations

Applications in quantitative finance such as optimal trade execution, risk management of options, and optimal asset allocation involve the solution of high dimensional and nonlinear Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). The connection between PDEs and systems of Forward-Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (FBSDEs) enables the use of advanced simulation techniques to be applied even in the high dimensional setting. Unfortunately, when the underlying application contains nonlinear terms, then classical methods both for simulation and numerical methods for PDEs suffer from the curse of dimensionality. Inspired by the success of deep learning, several researchers have recently proposed to address the solution of FBSDEs using deep learning. We discuss the dynamical systems point of view of deep learning and compare several architectures in terms of stability, generalization, and robustness. In order to speed up the computations, we propose to use a multilevel discretization technique. Our preliminary results suggest that the multilevel discretization method improves solutions times by an order of magnitude compared to existing methods without sacrificing stability or robustness.
Multivariate statistical air mass classification for the high-alpine observatory at the Zugspitze Mountain, Germany

Abstract. To assist atmospheric monitoring at high-alpine sites, a statistical approach for distinguishing between the dominant air masses was developed. This approach was based on a principal component analysis using five gas-phase and two meteorological variables. The analysis focused on the Schneefernerhaus site at Zugspitze Mountain, Germany. The investigated year was divided into 2-month periods, for which the analysis was repeated. Using the 33.3 % and 66.6 % percentiles of the first two principal components, nine air mass regimes were defined. These regimes were interpreted with respect to vertical transport and assigned to the BL (recent contact with the boundary layer), UFT/SIN (undisturbed free troposphere or stratospheric intrusion), and HYBRID (influences of both the boundary layer and the free troposphere or ambiguous) air mass classes. The input data were available for 78 % of the investigated year. BL accounted for 31 % of the cases with similar frequencies in all seasons. UFT/SIN comprised 14 % of the cases but was not found from April to July. HYBRID (55 %) mostly exhibited intermediate characteristics, whereby 17 % of the HYBRID class suggested an influence from the marine boundary layer or the lower free troposphere. The statistical approach was compared to a mechanistic approach using the ceilometer-based mixing layer height from a nearby valley site and a detection scheme for thermally induced mountain winds. Due to data gaps, only 25 % of the cases could be classified using the mechanistic approach. Both approaches agreed well, except in the rare cases of thermally induced uplift. The statistical approach is a promising step towards a real-time classification of air masses. Future work is necessary to assess the uncertainty arising from the standardization of real-time data.
Laughter as a Buffer for Negative Thoughts in Anxiety-Provoking Situations

Laughter is a phenomenon that occurs in a variety of contexts and has effects at social, cognitive, and physiological levels. Laughter is linked to positive emotions, which have been theorized to broaden thought-action repertoires and build social and psychological resources; however, few studies have examined the effects of laughter in an experimental manner. In times of anxiety, people could especially benefit from more flexible thoughts and increased social and psychological resources, and laughter may be a useful tool in the psychological arsenal. In this study, I attempt to use laughter as an intervention to reduce anxiety after the induction of an anxious state. I compare the effects of genuine laughter to the effects of another positive state, relaxation, as well as to a forced laughter condition and a control condition without an intervention, on subjective ratings of anxiety and cognitions. Although laughter was not found to affect self-reported ratings of anxiety, it did significantly lessen the degree of negative thoughts regarding the anxiety-provoking situation compared to the other three conditions. Genuine laughter also reduced implicit attentional bias toward social threat compared to the control condition, as measured by an emotional Stroop task. Future research could extend this finding by exploring the utility of laughter in a therapeutic setting with clinically anxious clients, as anxiety disorders are characterized by an attentional bias to perceived threat and inflexible, negative cognitions about situations or objects that are found threatening. Using laughter along with traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy might increase treatment success rates and overall client well-being.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Heterotheca inuloides and Its Antimicrobial Activity in Catgut Suture Threads

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized through a green method, using Heterotheca inuloides as a bioreducing agent. Moreover, catgut suture threads were decorated with those biogenic silver nanoparticles, and their antibacterial activity versus highly resistant pathogenic microorganisms was evaluated. The principles of green chemistry and nanotechnology allow us to obtain advanced materials, such as suture threads, which can reduce or avoid the prevalence of infectious processes in the medical field. Mexican medicinal plants, such as H. inuloides , represent an adequate alternative for biosynthesis; this plant species is known for its medicinal benefits and its antibacterial activity, and for that reason, it is being used in folk medicine.
Viaggiu entropy and the generalized second law in a flat FLRW universe

Our aim, in this paper, is to study the generalized second law by considering the dynamical apparent horizon to be endowed with the Hawking temperature and the Viaggiu entropy introduced in a pioneering work in 2014. We have devoted our attention to a flat FLRW universe filled with a perfect fluid having a constant equation of state [Formula: see text]. It is worthwhile to note that we have considered both forms of the Hawking temperature, the original one as well as the truncated version. The latter one is generally used during calculations, however, several arguments have been put forward against it. Our analysis yields a startling result. The Viaggiu entropy naturally forbids the phantom era. In other words, the Viaggiu entropy will never allow the EoS parameter to go beyond the Cosmological Constant. This result is in strong agreement with recent observations and we have deduced it purely by thermodynamic means. This is in striking contrast with the results obtained with the Bekenstein–Hawking formalism.
Decentralization and (De)Politization in Portugal Descentralização e (Des)Politização em Portugal

The decentralization is one of the most common features in the contemporary political world. It seems that the idea of centralizing the power in the state apparatus is out of fashion and the new idea is to transfer some competences of the state for the local power. In a globalized world where the state is losing its ground in the political arena, international organizations in the last decades are pushing towards a New Public Management where the state has delegated great part of his competences. Tactics like that are being analyzed by many scholars who give different responses to the matter. This paper develops an analysis of what is happening in Portugal since 2015 in terms of decentralization, adopting a government strategy position and Foucault’s theory of governmentality. Keywords—Decentralization, Portugal, Reform, Relations of Power. Resumo—A descentralização é uma das características mais comuns no mundo político contemporâneo. É aparente que a ideia de centralizar o poder no aparato estatal encontra-se fora de moda e a nova ideia é a transferência de algumas competências do Estado para o poder local. Num mundo globalizado em que o Estado perde terreno na arena política, as organizações internacionais nas últimas décadas estão a avançar em direção a uma nova gestão pública, na qual o Estado delegou grande parte de suas competências. Táticas como esta estão em análise por vários investigadores que dão respostas diferentes ao assunto. Este artigo desenvolve uma análise do que está a ocorrer em Portugal desde 2015 em termos de descentralização, adotando uma posição estratégica do governo e a teoria da governamentalidade de Foucault. Palavras-Chave—Descentralização, Portugal, Reforma, Relações de Poder. Submitted—12-02-2019. Accepted—03-06-2019.
Functional results and complications of tibial plateau fractures due to high-energy trauma

Rev Asoc Argent Ortop Traumatol 2018; 83 (4): XXX-XXX. Rev Asoc Argent Ortop Traumatol 2018; 83 (4): 256-267 • ISSN 1852-7434 (online version) Abstract Introduction: Tibial plateau fractures represent 1% of all fractures. Functional results depend mainly on the patient’s knee range of motion, joint stability and pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate functional results, range of motion, postoperative complications and pain in patients who suffered tibial plateau fracture following high-energy traumatism. Material and Methods: We evaluated a series of 51 patients (averaging 48 years of age) with average follow-up of 42 months. We evaluated range of motion, functional results with KOOS test and pain with visual analogue scale. Results: Twenty-five patients had Schatzker’s type V fractures and, 26, Schatzker’s type VI fractures. Patients’ average range of motion was 2.4°-120.68°in type V fractures and 1.5°-118.04°in type VI fractures. With respect to pain, there were significant differences (p=0.0403) between the patients with Schatzker’s type V and type VI fractures: 50% of the patients with type V fractures did not report pain, whereas 50% of those with type VI fractures reported >2 pain and, 25, >3 pain. Conclusions: Tibial plateau fractures are still conditions in which results modify patients’ life quality significantly. Therefore, they should be warned about the possibility of long-term poor results and the need for multiple surgeries. Moreover, they should be given information about the possibility of not recovering previous levels of sport and working activities.