Easy over Hard: A Case Study on Deep Learning

While deep learning is an exciting new technique, the benefits of this method need to be assessed with respect to its computational cost. This is particularly important for deep learning since these learners need hours (to weeks) to train the model. Such long training time limits the ability of (a)~a researcher to test the stability of their conclusion via repeated runs with different random seeds; and (b)~other researchers to repeat, improve, or even refute that original work. For example, recently, deep learning was used to find which questions in the Stack Overflow programmer discussion forum can be linked together. That deep learning system took 14 hours to execute. We show here that applying a very simple optimizer called DE to fine tune SVM, it can achieve similar (and sometimes better) results. The DE approach terminated in 10 minutes; i.e. 84 times faster hours than deep learning method. We offer these results as a cautionary tale to the software analytics community and suggest that not every new innovation should be applied without critical analysis. If researchers deploy some new and expensive process, that work should be baselined against some simpler and faster alternatives.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, accepted at FSE201

Toward an international consensus-Integrating lipoprotein apheresis and new lipid-lowering drugs

Background: Despite advances in pharmacotherapy of lipid disorders, many dyslipidemic patients do not attain sufficient lipid lowering to mitigate risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Several classes of novel lipid-lowering agents are being evaluated to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. Lipoprotein apheresis (LA) is effective in acutely lowering the plasma concentrations of atherogenic lipoproteins including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lipoprotein(a), and novel lipid-lowering drugs may dampen the lipid rebound effect of LA, with the possibility that LA frequency may be decreased, in some cases even be discontinued. Sources of material: This document builds on current American Society for Apheresis guidelines and, for the first time, makes recommendations from summarized data of the emerging lipid-lowering drug classes (inhibitors of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 or microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, high-density lipoprotein mimetic), including the available evidence on combination therapy with LA with respect to the management of patients with dyslipidemia. Abstract of findings: Recommendations for different indications are given based on the latest evidence. However, except for lomitapide in homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and alirocumab/evolocumab in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia subjects, limited data are available on the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy. More studies on combining LA with novel lipid-lowering drugs are needed. Conclusion: Novel lipid-lowering agents have potential to improve the performance of LA, but more evidence is needed. The Multidisciplinary International Group for Hemapheresis TherapY and Metabolic DIsturbances Contrast scientific society aims to establish an international registry of clinical experience on LA combination therapy to expand the evidence on this treatment in individuals at high cardiovascular disease risk

VIII Concurso Internacional de Canto Francisco Viñas : concierto final

Programa de la vuitena edició del Concurs Internacional de Cant Francesc Viñas, que va tenir lloc a Barcelona entre el 14 i el 22 de novembre de 1970. Hi va participar l'Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu sota la direcció de R. Bottino. Hi van participar J. Thomas, J. R. Puigbó, M. Romero Sangalli, G. Kershhakl, I. Rocha, G. Savova, G. Takova. U. Withen, I. Aragón, I. Burgos, M. E. Guarro, O. Gutiérrez, M. Hernández, M. C. Herrera, J. Poch, A. Barasorda, J. Barry, M. Canning, A. Peters, L. Smart, R. Turner, A. Valentín, L-V. Williams, C. Duprat, R. Franc, Y. Perrin, M. Solari, R. Van der Meer, R. Ferguson, P. Taylor, A. Murray, R. Bruni, L. Canepa, F. Piantanida, M. V. Romano, A. M. Viglione, M. Ara, S. Minemura, H. Ochiai, M. Saito, Y. Sue, S. Tahara, T. Tsunemori, T. Sunemori, U. Borzdynska, M. Cononovici G. Crasnaru, E. Duma, A. Farcas, D. Musetescu, V. Pop-Ivan, G. Radler Spireanu, R. Vlad, E. Zarnescu, E. Obrastsova, S. Sotkilava, C. Báez-Finol, R. Reyna, Y. RuizEl jurat estava compost per R. Vuataz, C. A. Pizzini, C. Badia, K. Borg, J. M. Colomer Pujol, Y. Le Marc-Hadour, J. Micheau, G. Moore, E. Nuñez, J. Pich Santasusana, L. Prats. S'hi van interpretar fragments de "Les Noces de Figaro" de W. A. Mozart, "Andrea Chénier" de M. Gioradno, "Don Carlo" de G. Verdi, "La Bohème" de G. Puccini, "La Profetisa" d'H. Purcell, "La vague et la cloche" d'H. Duparc, "Tannhäuser" de R. Wagner, "Faust" de C. Gounod, "Samson i Dalila" de C. Saint-Saens i de "Carmen" de G. Bizet. També s'hi va sentir "Mai" de Fauré, "Kennst du das Land?" d'H. Wolf, "Liebesbotschaft" de F. SchubertOrquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu dirigida per Riccardo BottinoDe cada obra s'ha digitalitzat un programa sencer. De la resta s'han digitalitzat les parts que són diferents

Examining the issues surrounding violating the assumption of independent observations in reliability generalization studies: A simulation study

Because both validity and reliability indices are a function of the scores on a given administration of a measure, their values can often vary across samples. It is a common mistake to say that a test is reliable when in fact it is not the test that is reliable but the scores on the test that are reliable. In 1998, vacha-haase proposed a fixed-effects meta-analytic method for evaluating reliability that is similar to validity generalization studies called reliability generalization (rg). This study was conducted to evaluate alternative analysis strategies for the meta-analysis method of reliability generalization when the reliability estimates are not statistically independent. Five approaches for handling the violation of independence were implemented: ignoring the violation and treating each observation as independent, calculating one mean or median from each study, randomly selecting only one observation per study, or using a mixed effects model. This Monte Carlo study included five factors in the method. These factors were (a) the coefficient alpha, (b) sample size in the primary studies, (c) number of primary studies in the rg study, (d) number of reliability estimates from each, and (e) the degree of violation of independence where the strength of the dependence is related to the number of reliability indices (i.e. coefficient alpha) derived from a simulated set of examines and the magnitude of the correlation between the journal studies (with intra-class correlation icc = 0, .0l , .30, and .90). These factors were used to simulate samples under known and controlled population conditions. In general, the results suggested that the type of treatment does not have a noticeable impact on the accuracy of the reliability results but that researchers should be cautious when the intra-class correlation is relatively large. In addition, the simulations in this study resulted in very poor confidence band coverage. This research suggested that RG meta-analysis methods are appropriate for describing the overall average reliability of a measure or construct but the RG researcher should be careful in regards to the construction of confidence intervals

Examining the issues surrounding violating the assumption of independent observations in reliability generalization studies: A simulation study

Because both validity and reliability indices are a function of the scores on a given administration of a measure, their values can often vary across samples. It is a common mistake to say that a test is reliable when in fact it is not the test that is reliable but the scores on the test that are reliable. In 1998, vacha-haase proposed a fixed-effects meta-analytic method for evaluating reliability that is similar to validity generalization studies called reliability generalization (rg). This study was conducted to evaluate alternative analysis strategies for the meta-analysis method of reliability generalization when the reliability estimates are not statistically independent. Five approaches for handling the violation of independence were implemented: ignoring the violation and treating each observation as independent, calculating one mean or median from each study, randomly selecting only one observation per study, or using a mixed effects model. This Monte Carlo study included five factors in the method. These factors were (a) the coefficient alpha, (b) sample size in the primary studies, (c) number of primary studies in the rg study, (d) number of reliability estimates from each, and (e) the degree of violation of independence where the strength of the dependence is related to the number of reliability indices (i.e. coefficient alpha) derived from a simulated set of examines and the magnitude of the correlation between the journal studies (with intra-class correlation icc = 0, .0l , .30, and .90). These factors were used to simulate samples under known and controlled population conditions. In general, the results suggested that the type of treatment does not have a noticeable impact on the accuracy of the reliability results but that researchers should be cautious when the intra-class correlation is relatively large. In addition, the simulations in this study resulted in very poor confidence band coverage. This research suggested that RG meta-analysis methods are appropriate for describing the overall average reliability of a measure or construct but the RG researcher should be careful in regards to the construction of confidence intervals

Study Procrastination, Achievement, And Academic Motivation In Web-Based And Blended Distance Learning

Growth in distance education is increasing the need to examine students\u27 learning strategies in distance and blended learning environments. Students\u27 cramming or spaced-review behaviors were measured and compared across delivery formats as well as examined related to course achievement and attitudes across a term. Although theory would predict that spaced study rather than last minute cramming would yield higher achievement, researchers report mixed findings in both areas. One hundred fifty-seven students in distance and blended course formats were blocked into 5 groups based on their cramming/spaced-review patterns a week prior to each of 3 posttests. Significant differences were observed in cramming/spaced-review behaviors between delivery formats and for achievement and attitudes. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Past, Present, and Future of Assessment in Schools: A Thematic Narrative Analysis

As a diverse group of educationalists, we worry about the role of assessment in K-12 schools and current neoliberal education policies. In this paper, we aim to highlight some of the unintended or often overlooked consequences of these policies by taking an arts-based approach to our research. We interviewed various educational stakeholders about their past and present experiences with assessment, as well as their imagined futures. By creating poetic representations to present the results, we aim to shed a new light on the otherwise familiar contexts of assessment in the schools. Many are afraid of a future where neoliberal policies continue to determine the nature and role of assessment in schools, but want to believe that things will get better