Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Graph Collaborative Signals Denoising and Augmentation for Recommendation

Graph collaborative filtering (GCF) is a popular technique for capturing high-order collaborative signals in recommendation systems. However, GCF's bipartite adjacency matrix, which defines the neighbors being aggregated based on user-item interactions, can be noisy for users/items with abundant interactions and insufficient for users/items with scarce interactions. Additionally, the adjacency matrix ignores user-user and item-item correlations, which can limit the scope of beneficial neighbors being aggregated. In this work, we propose a new graph adjacency matrix that incorporates user-user and item-item correlations, as well as a properly designed user-item interaction matrix that balances the number of interactions across all users. To achieve this, we pre-train a graph-based recommendation method to obtain users/items embeddings, and then enhance the user-item interaction matrix via top-K sampling. We also augment the symmetric user-user and item-item correlation components to the adjacency matrix. Our experiments demonstrate that the enhanced user-item interaction matrix with improved neighbors and lower density leads to significant benefits in graph-based recommendation. Moreover, we show that the inclusion of user-user and item-item correlations can improve recommendations for users with both abundant and insufficient interactions.
Formulation of tridiagonal folmat enhanced multivariance products representation (TFEMPR)

The goal of this presentation is to give the formulation of the Tridiagonal Folmat Enhanced Multivariance Products Representation (TFEMPR) which is in fact the folmat counterpart of the recently developed Tridiagonal Matrix Enhanced Multivariance Products Representation (TMEMPR). We have restricted our analysis only to folmats (folded matrices) which are specific matrix like form of multiway arrays.
Self-Supervised Video Similarity Learning

We introduce S2VS, a video similarity learning approach with self-supervision. Self-Supervised Learning (SSL) is typically used to train deep models on a proxy task so as to have strong transferability on target tasks after fine-tuning. Here, in contrast to prior work, SSL is used to perform video similarity learning and address multiple retrieval and detection tasks at once with no use of labeled data. This is achieved by learning via instance-discrimination with task-tailored augmentations and the widely used InfoNCE loss together with an additional loss operating jointly on self-similarity and hard-negative similarity. We benchmark our method on tasks where video relevance is defined with varying granularity, ranging from video copies to videos depicting the same incident or event. We learn a single universal model that achieves state-of-the-art performance on all tasks, surpassing previously proposed methods that use labeled data. The code and pretrained models are publicly available at: https://github.com/gkordo/s2vs
CRISP: Curriculum inducing Primitive Informed Subgoal Prediction for Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning

Hierarchical reinforcement learning is a promising approach that uses temporal abstraction to solve complex long horizon problems. However, simultaneously learning a hierarchy of policies is unstable as it is challenging to train higher-level policy when the lower-level primitive is non-stationary. In this paper, we propose a novel hierarchical algorithm CRISP to generate a curriculum of achievable subgoals for evolving lower-level primitives using reinforcement learning and imitation learning. The lower level primitive periodically performs data relabeling on a handful of expert demonstrations using our primitive informed parsing approach to handle non-stationarity. Since our approach uses a handful of expert demonstrations, it is suitable for most robotic control tasks. Experimental evaluations on complex robotic maze navigation and robotic manipulation environments show that inducing hierarchical curriculum learning significantly improves sample efficiency, and results in efficient goal conditioned policies for solving temporally extended tasks. We perform real world robotic experiments on complex manipulation tasks and demonstrate that CRISP consistently outperforms the baselines.
Adaptive Decision-Making with Constraints and Dependent Losses: Performance Guarantees and Applications to Online and Nonlinear Identification

We consider adaptive decision-making problems where an agent optimizes a cumulative performance objective by repeatedly choosing among a finite set of options. Compared to the classical prediction-with-expert-advice set-up, we consider situations where losses are constrained and derive algorithms that exploit the additional structure in optimal and computationally efficient ways. Our algorithm and our analysis is instance dependent, that is, suboptimal choices of the environment are exploited and reflected in our regret bounds. The constraints handle general dependencies between losses (even across time), and are flexible enough to also account for a loss budget, which the environment is not allowed to exceed. The performance of the resulting algorithms is highlighted in two numerical examples, which include a nonlinear and online system identification task.
Genetic diversity and population structure among native, naturalized, and invasive populations of the common yellow monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus (Phrymaceae)

Abstract An ongoing controversy in invasion biology is the prevalence of colonizing plant populations that are able to establish and spread, while maintaining limited amounts of genetic variation. Invasive populations can be established through several routes including from a single source or from multiple introductions. The aim of this study was to examine genetic diversity in populations of Mimulus guttatus in the United Kingdom, where the species is considered invasive, and compare this diversity to that in native populations on the west coast of North America. Additionally, we looked at diversity in non‐native populations that have not yet become invasive (naturalized populations) in eastern North America. We investigated population structure among populations in these three regions and attempted to uncover the sources for populations that have established in the naturalized and invasive regions. We found that genetic diversity was, on average, relatively high in populations from the invasive UK region and comparable to native populations. Contrastingly, two naturalized M. guttatus populations were low in both genetic and genotypic diversity, indicating a history of asexual reproduction and self‐fertilization. A third naturalized population was found to be a polyploid Mimulus hybrid of unknown origin. Our results demonstrate that M. guttatus has likely achieved colonization success outside of its native western North America distribution by a variety of establishment pathways, including those with genetic and demographic benefits resulting from multiple introductions in the UK, reproductive assurance through selfing, and asexual reproduction in eastern North America, and possible polyploidization in one Canadian population.
Does the insulin pump improve satisfaction and glycaemic control in Moroccan patients with type 1 diabetes?

Introduction Insulin pump therapy is recommended more and more to achieve and maintain optimal glycaemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The objective of our study was to evaluate the satisfaction of patients using insulin pump therapy and to determine its effectiveness in improving metabolic control in type 1 diabetic patients. Patients-Methods This is a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study including 20 type 1 diabetic patients treated by insulin pump, between 2017 and 2021. All patients received a clinical evaluation, analysis of capillary blood glucose monitoring and a dosage of HbA1c at the time of the start of insulin pump and during the evolution. Insulin pump satisfaction was assessed using the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ). Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version-21. Results The mean age of the patients was 16,8 ± 8,1 years with a sex ratio (M/F) of 0,42. Thirty per-cent were children. The mean duration of diabetes was 5,8 ± 4,8 years. Seventy-five per-cent of patients practiced functional insulin therapy. The indications for insulin pump treatment were mainly hypoglycaemia and instable diabetes. During follow-up, we found a statistically significant decrease in insulin requirements, improvement in mean HbA1c and maintenance of glycaemic control during follow-up, with a marked reduction in the number of hypoglycaemia events per week. The overall satisfaction score was calculated at 34,6 ± 2,5 out of 36 with a decrease in the score for perception of hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia. Conclusion Insulin pump therapy appears to be reliable and effective when used appropriately, combined with appropriate therapeutic education and glycaemic monitoring to maintain long-term glycaemic control and improved quality of life.
Random quantum satisfiabiilty

Alongside the effort underway to build quantum computers, it is important to betterunderstand which classes of problems they will find easy and which others even theywill find intractable. We study random ensembles of the QMA1-complete quantum sat-isfiability (QSAT) problem introduced by Bravyi [1]. QSAT appropriately generalizesthe NP-complete classical satisfiability (SAT) problem. We show that, as the density ofclauses/projectors is varied, the ensembles exhibit quantum phase transitions betweenphases that are satisfiable and unsatisfiable. Remarkably, almost all instances of QSATfor any hypergraph exhibit the same dimension of the satisfying manifold. This estab-lishes the QSAT decision problem as equivalent to a, potentially new, graph theoreticproblem and that the hardest typical instances are likely to be localized in a boundedrange of clause density.
Evidence of Uranotaenia sapphirina (Diptera: Culicidae) feeding on annelid worms in the Northeastern United States

Mosquito host-feeding behavior is an important parameter for determining the vector potential of mosquito species in a given locale. Despite the recent discovery of Uranotaenia sapphirina Osten Sacken feeding on annelid hosts in Florida, host association studies for this mosquito species in the United States remain limited. To investigate the blood-feeding pattern of Ur. sapphirina in the northeastern United States, mosquitoes were collected from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey using CDC miniature light traps, peat fiber resting boxes, gravid traps, and backpack aspirators. Vertebrate and invertebrate hosts of this mosquito species were identified through PCR amplification and nucleotide sequencing of portions of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and the 28S ribosomal RNA gene, respectively. Of 21 (24.7%) specimens successfully identified to host species, 47.6% contained solely annelid blood, 14.3% mammalian blood, 14.3% avian blood, and 23.8% with mixed blood of annelid and avian origin. The mud earthworm, Sparganophilus tennesseensis Reynolds (Haplotaxida: Sparganophilidae), was identified as the most common host (n = 14, including mixed bloods), followed by American robin, Turdus migratorius (n = 7, including mixed bloods). Testing of these blood engorged mosquitoes for West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis virus did not result in any positive specimens. This is the first report of Ur. sapphirina feeding on annelids and on both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts in mixed bloodmeals in the northeastern United States. Our findings support the recent report of Ur. sapphirina feeding on invertebrates and further emphasizes the inclination of some mosquito species to feed on a wider range of hosts spanning nontraditional taxonomic groups.
Adapting to a new environment: postnatal maturation of the human cardiomyocyte

The postnatal mammalian heart undergoes remarkable developmental changes, which are stimulated by the transition from the intrauterine to extrauterine environment. With birth, increased oxygen levels promote metabolic, structural and biophysical maturation of cardiomyocytes, resulting in mature muscle with increased efficiency, contractility and electrical conduction. In this Topical Review article, we highlight key studies that inform our current understanding of human cardiomyocyte maturation. Collectively, these studies suggest that human atrial and ventricular myocytes evolve quickly within the first year but might not reach a fully mature adult phenotype until nearly the first decade of life. However, it is important to note that fetal, neonatal and paediatric cardiac physiology studies are hindered by a number of limitations, including the scarcity of human tissue, small sample size and a heavy reliance on diseased tissue samples, often without age‐matched healthy controls. Future developmental studies are warranted to expand our understanding of normal cardiac physiology/pathophysiology and inform age‐appropriate treatment strategies for cardiac disease.
Perception and kairomonal response of the coccinellid predator (Harmonia axyridis) to the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) sex pheromone

Pheromone cues released from hosts or prey are of crucial importance to natural enemies for prey and habitat location. The use of herbivorous insect sex pheromones has long been considered as a potential pest control alternative that is non-toxic and harmless to beneficials. We hypothesized that Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a major predatory coccinellid beetle of the devastating migratory pest Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), could perceive and use the sex pheromone of S. frugiperda to locate its habitat. Here we tested the electrophysiological and behavioral responses of H. axyridis to the two components Z7-12:Ac and Z9-14:Ac of S. frugiperda sex pheromone by using electroantennography (EAG) and Y-tube bioassay. The 3D modeling of H. axyridis odorant-binding proteins (HaxyOBPs) and molecular docking were also performed. The results showed that both female and male H. axyridis exhibited significantly higher electrophysiological and behavioral responses to Z9-14:Ac at the concentrations of 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 μg/μL, while no significant electrophysiological and behavioral responses of H. axyridis were observed to Z7-12:Ac. The blend of Z7-12:Ac and Z9-14:Ac at the ratio of 1:100 had a significant attraction to both male and female H. axyridis at the concentrations of 0.01 and 0.1 μg/μL based on electrophysiological and behavioral assays, but no significant behavioral responses were observed at the ratios of 1:9. According to the 3D modeling of HaxyOBPs and molecular docking, HaxyOBP12 has a good affinity with Z9-14:Ac. Z9-14:Ac is bound to the HaxyOBP12 by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. However, there were no credible docking results between HaxyOBPs and Z7-12:Ac. Our findings revealed that H. axyridis can perceive Z9-14:Ac and could use it as a chemical cue to locate prey habitat. We speculated that Z7-12:Ac, which showed some antagonistic effect toward the response of H. axyridis to Z9-14:Ac, could improve the adaptability of S. frugiperda in the presence of predators. This study provides new insights into the application of pheromones to manipulate natural enemy behavior for pest control.
Revising the effectiveness of municipal waste management in Hong Kong

Although there have been many studies related to the municipal solid waste (MSW) problem in Hong Kong, only limited research has recently discussed the spatial variation of citizens’ environmental awareness in different geographical constituencies. Also, the relationship between environmental awareness of citizens and the effectiveness of waste management has been poorly understood. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of three proposed approaches; investigate whether the environmental awareness of citizens will affect the effectiveness of current waste management strategies; and examine the differences in the level of environmental awareness of residents in different geographical constituencies, so we can provide suggestions to help mitigate the solid waste problem. In addition, the hypothesis is that there is a relationship between environmental awareness of citizens and its effectiveness. This research adopted quantitative observations and questionnaires as well as qualitative interviews to understand the public perception about the proposed MSW charging, plastic shopping bag charging and recycling in Hong Kong. This research confirmed that the environmental awareness of Hong Kong citizens varies among various geographical constituencies. Residents in Kowloon West have comparatively lower environmental awareness may due largely to the socio-economic background of residents and comparatively unhygienic environment, and they often do not support plastic shopping bag charging and recycling. In addition, males have a lower environmental awareness than females as their attitude towards charging policy may not have much impact on their lifestyle. It is not surprising that low environmental awareness of citizens will reduce the effectiveness of current environmental policies. MSW charging tends to be effective and should be implemented in Hong Kong. Furthermore, plastic shopping bag charging can be effective in the short term but ineffective in the long term, and recycling tends to be invalid as Hong Kong has not developed a circular economy. The limitations of each policy should be considered, and more studies are needed to improve the existing policies as well as exploring novel ways to solve the MSW problem.
RSim: A reference-based normalization method via rank similarity

Microbiome sequencing data normalization is crucial for eliminating technical bias and ensuring accurate downstream analysis. However, this process can be challenging due to the high frequency of zero counts in microbiome data. We propose a novel reference-based normalization method called normalization via rank similarity (RSim) that corrects sample-specific biases, even in the presence of many zero counts. Unlike other normalization methods, RSim does not require additional assumptions or treatments for the high prevalence of zero counts. This makes it robust and minimizes potential bias resulting from procedures that address zero counts, such as pseudo-counts. Our numerical experiments demonstrate that RSim reduces false discoveries, improves detection power, and reveals true biological signals in downstream tasks such as PCoA plotting, association analysis, and differential abundance analysis.
An improved mouse model of sepsis based on intraperitoneal injections of the enriched culture of cecum slurry

Sepsis is a life-threatening clinical syndrome comprising multiorgan dysfunction caused by a disproportionate body immune response to infection that can lead to septic shock and death. The current sepsis model has certain limitations. The gold standard Cecal Ligation and Puncture (CLP) model is known for its high variability owing to the undefined extent of cecum ligation, unstandardized cecal content, and degree of puncture that may vary in different laboratories. Here, we present an improved, efficient intraperitoneal (i.p) injection-based cecal slurry culture method of sepsis. Using this novel approach, we determined the optimal polymicrobial concentration that is sufficient to cause sepsis in mice. We also proposed the enrichment of bacterial culture, allowing the development of either gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria-induced sepsis models. Since those enriched bacterial cultures can be stored in glycerol at −80°C, it gives the ethical advantage of avoiding animal sacrifice for each experiment and experimental reproducibility.
Rotating Radio Transients: new discoveries, timing solutions and musings

We describe observations of Rotating Radio Transients (RRATs) that were discovered in a re-analysis of the Parkes Multibeam Pulsar Survey (PMPS). The sources have now been monitored for sufficiently long to obtain seven new coherent timing solutions to make a total of 14 now known. Furthermore, we announce the discovery of seven new transient sources, one of which may be extragalactic in origin (with z ∼ 0.1) and would then be a second example of the so-called ‘Lorimer burst’. The timing solutions allow us to infer neutron star characteristics such as energy-loss rate, magnetic field strength and evolutionary time-scales, as well as facilitating multiwavelength followup by providing accurate astrometry. All of this enables us to consider the question of whether or not RRATs are in any way special, i.e. a distinct and separate population of neutron stars, as has been previously suggested. We see no reason to consider ‘RRAT’ as anything other than a detection label, the subject of a selection effect in the parameter space searched. However, single-pulse searches can be utilized to great effect to identify pulsars difficult, or impossible, to find by other means, in particular those with long periods (half of the PMPS RRATs have periods greater than 4 s), high magnetic field strengths (B 10 13 G) and pulsars approaching the ‘death valley’. The detailed nulling properties of such pulsars are unknown but the mounting evidence suggests a broad range of behaviour in the pulsar population. The group of RRATs fits in to the picture where pulsar magnetospheres switch between stable configurations.
The Cauchy Process on Phylogenies: a Tractable Model for Pulsed Evolution

Phylogenetic comparative methods use random processes, such as the Brownian Motion, to model the evolution of continuous traits on phylogenetic trees. Growing evidence for non-gradual evolution motivated the development of complex models, often based on Lévy processes. However, their statistical inference is computationally intensive, and currently relies on approximations, high dimensional sampling, or numerical integration. We consider here the Cauchy Process (CP), a particular pure-jump Lévy process in which the trait increment along each branch follows a centered Cauchy distribution with a dispersion proportional to its length. In this work, we derive an exact algorithm to compute both the joint probability density of the tip trait values of a phylogeny under a CP, and the ancestral trait values and branch increments posterior densities in quadratic time. A simulation study shows that the CP generates patterns in comparative data that are distinct from any Gaussian process, and that Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) parameter estimates and root trait reconstruction are unbiased and accurate for trees with 200 tips or less. The CP has only two parameters but is rich enough to capture complex pulsed evolution. It can reconstruct posterior ancestral trait distributions that are multimodal, reflecting the uncertainty associated with the inference of the evolutionary history of a trait from extant taxa only. Applied on empirical datasets taken from the Evolutionary Ecology and Virology literature, the CP suggests nuanced scenarios for the body size evolution of Greater Antilles Lizards and for the geographical spread of the West Nile Virus epidemics in North America, both consistent with previous studies using more complex models. The method is efficiently implemented in C with an R interface in package cauphy, that is open source and freely available online. Cauchy process, Phylogenetic Comparative Methods, Evolutionary jumps, Quantitative traits, Phylogeography