scholarly journals Location-Centered House Price Prediction: A Multi-Task Learning Approach

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Guangliang Gao ◽  
Zhifeng Bao ◽  
Jie Cao ◽  
A. K. Qin ◽  
Timos Sellis

Accurate house prediction is of great significance to various real estate stakeholders such as house owners, buyers, and investors. We propose a location-centered prediction framework that differs from existing work in terms of data profiling and prediction model. Regarding data profiling, we make an important observation as follows – besides the in-house features such as floor area, the location plays a critical role in house price prediction. Unfortunately, existing work either overlooked it or had a coarse grained measurement of locations. Thereby, we define and capture a fine-grained location profile powered by a diverse range of location data sources, including transportation profile, education profile, suburb profile based on census data, and facility profile. Regarding the choice of prediction model, we observe that a variety of approaches either consider the entire data for modeling, or split the entire house data and model each partition independently. However, such modeling ignores the relatedness among partitions, and for all prediction scenarios, there may not be sufficient training samples per partition for the latter approach. We address this problem by conducting a careful study of exploiting the Multi-Task Learning (MTL) model. Specifically, we map the strategies for splitting the entire house data to the ways the tasks are defined in MTL, and select specific MTL-based methods with different regularization terms to capture and exploit the relatedness among tasks. Based on real-world house transaction data collected in Melbourne, Australia, we design extensive experimental evaluations, and the results indicate a significant superiority of MTL-based methods over state-of-the-art approaches. Meanwhile, we conduct an in-depth analysis on the impact of task definitions and method selections in MTL on the prediction performance, and demonstrate that the impact of task definitions on prediction performance far exceeds that of method selections.

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 663
Author(s):  
Zheng Liu ◽  
Mian Zhang ◽  
Xusheng Zhang ◽  
Yun Li

Modern cloud computing relies heavily on data centers, which usually host tens of thousands of servers. Predicting the power consumption accurately in data center operations is crucial for energy optimization. In this paper, we formulate the power consumption prediction at both the fine-grained and coarse-grained level. We carefully discuss the desired properties of an applicable prediction model and propose a non-intrusive, traffic-aware prediction framework for power consumption. We design a character-level encoding strategy for URIs and employ both convolutional and recurrent neural networks to develop a unified prediction model. We use real datasets to simulate requests and analyze the characteristics of the collected power consumption series. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our proposed framework can achieve superior prediction performance compared to other popular leading prediction methods.


Author(s):  
Sureyya Akyuz ◽  
Birsen Eygi Erdogan ◽  
Ozlem Yildiz

This book opens a cross-regional dialogue and shifts the Eurocentric discussion on diversity and integration to a more inclusive engagement with South America in private international law issues. It promotes a contemporary vision of private international law as a discipline enabling legal interconnectivity, with the potential to transcend its disciplinary boundaries to further promote the reality of cross-border integration, with its focus on the ever-increasing cross-border mobility of individuals. Private international law embraces legal diversity and pluralism. Different legal traditions continue to meet, interact and integrate in different forms, at the national, regional and international levels. Different systems of substantive law couple with divergent systems of private international law (designed to accommodate the former in cross-border situations). This complex legal landscape impacts individuals and families in cross-border scenarios, and international commerce broadly conceived. Private international law methodologies and techniques offer means for the coordination of this constellation of legal orders and value systems in cross-border situations. Bringing together world-renowned academics and experienced private international lawyers from a wide range of jurisdictions in Europe and South America, this edited collection focuses on the connective capabilities of private international law in bridging and balancing legal diversity as a corollary for the development of integration. The book provides in-depth analysis of the role of private international law in dealing with legal diversity across a diverse range of topics and jurisdictions.


Author(s):  
InSeok Park ◽  
◽  
ZhengXun Jin ◽  
HyunBin Kim ◽  
JongHyeob Kim ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Thomas Brodie

This chapter analyses the impact exerted on the Catholic Church’s pastoral networks in Germany by the mass evacuation of laypeople from bombed urban areas as of 1941. Drawing on the voluminous correspondence of priests and curates despatched from the Rhineland and Westphalia to Saxony, Thuringia, Silesia, Austria, and elsewhere to minister to Catholic evacuees, this chapter provides in-depth analysis of the social and cultural histories of religious practice in wartime Germany. It demonstrates that the evacuation of laypeople—a topic long neglected within histories of wartime religious practice—exerted a profound influence on pastoral practice by the years 1943–5, placing unprecedented pressures on the Catholic clergy of the dioceses central to this study (Aachen, Cologne and Münster). This chapter therefore also casts new light on regionalism in Germany during the Nazi era.


The prevalence of cognitive impairment caused by neurodegenerative diseases and other neurologic disorders associated with aging is expected to rise dramatically between now and year 2050, when the population of Americans aged 65 or older will nearly double. Cognitive impairment also commonly occurs in other neurologic conditions, as well as in non-neurologic medical disorders (and their treatments), idiopathic psychiatric illnesses, and adult neurodevelopmental disorders. Cognitive impairment can thus infiltrate all aspects of healthcare, making it necessary for clinicians and clinical researchers to have an integrated knowledge of the spectrum of adult cognitive disorders. The Oxford Handbook of Adult Cognitive Disorders is meant to serve as an up-to-date, scholarly, and comprehensive volume covering most diseases, conditions, and injuries resulting in impairments in cognitive function in adults. Topics covered include normal cognitive and brain aging, the impact of medical disorders (e.g., cardiovascular, liver, pulmonary) and psychiatric illnesses (e.g., depression and bipolar disorder) on cognitive function, adult neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., Down Syndrome, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), as well as the various neurological conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, concussion). A section of the Handbook is also dedicated to unique perspectives and special considerations for the clinicians and clinical researchers, covering topics such as cognitive reserve, genetics, diversity, and neuroethics. The target audience of this Handbook includes: (1) clinicians, particularly psychologists, neuropsychologists, neurologists (including behavioral and cognitive neurologists), geriatricians, and psychiatrists (including neuropsychiatrists), who provide clinical care and management for adults with a diverse range of cognitive disorders; (2) clinical researchers who investigate cognitive outcomes and functioning in adult populations; and (3) graduate level students and post-doctoral trainees studying psychology, clinical neuroscience, and various medical specialties.


Author(s):  
Annette Aigner ◽  
Bernd Hamm ◽  
Florian Nima Fleckenstein ◽  
Tazio Maleitzke ◽  
Georg Böning ◽  
...  

Objectives As a cross-section discipline within the hospital infrastructure, radiological departments might be able to provide important information regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare. The goal of this study was to quantify changes in medical care during the first wave of the pandemic using radiological examinations as a comprehensive surrogate marker and to determine potential future workload. Methods A retrospective analysis of all radiological examinations during the first wave of the pandemic was performed. The number of examinations was compared to time-matched control periods. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of radiological examinations attributed to various medical specialties was conducted and postponed examinations were extrapolated to calculate additional workload in the near future. Results A total of 596,760 examinations were analyzed. Overall case volumes decreased by an average of 41 % during the shutdown compared to the control period. The most affected radiological modalities were sonography (–54 %), X-ray (–47 %) followed by MRI (–42 %). The most affected medical specialty was trauma and orthopedics (–60 % case volume) followed by general surgery (–49 %). Examination numbers increased during the post-shutdown period leading to a predicted additional workload of up to 22 %. Conclusion This study shows a marked decrease in radiological examinations in total and among several core medical specialties, indicating a significant reduction in medical care during the first COVID-19 shutdown. Key Points: Citation Format


Author(s):  
Francesco Mancini ◽  
Raffaele De Giorgi ◽  
Alessandro Ludovisi ◽  
Salvatrice Vizzini ◽  
Giorgio Mancinelli

AbstractThe introduction of the amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus in European fresh waters is to date recognized as a threat to the integrity of invaded communities. Predation by D. villosus on native benthic invertebrates is assumed as the key determinant of its ecological impact, yet available information describe the species as a primary consumer as well as a carnivore depending on local conditions. Here, we assessed the trophic position (TP) of D. villosus in Lake Trasimeno, a recently invaded lentic system in central Italy, using the CN isotopic signatures of individuals captured in winter spanning two orders of magnitude in body size. TP estimations were compared with those characterizing the native amphipod Echinogammarus veneris and other representative invertebrate predators. On average, D. villosus showed a trophic position higher than E. veneris, and comparable with that of odonate nymphs. An in-depth analysis revealed that large-sized individuals had a trophic position of 3.07, higher than odonates and close to that of the hirudinean predator Erpobdella octoculata, while small-sized specimens had a trophic position of 2.57, similar to that of E. veneris (2.41). These findings indicate that size-related ontogenetic shifts in dietary habits may per se vary the nature of the interaction between Dikerogammarus villosus and native invertebrates from competition to predation. Information collated from published isotopic studies corroborated the generality of our results. We conclude that intra-specific trophic flexibility may potentially amplify and make more multifaceted the impact of the species on other invertebrate species in invaded food webs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 1963-1980
Author(s):  
Solomon Adomako ◽  
Christian John Engelsen ◽  
Rein Terje Thorstensen ◽  
Diego Maria Barbieri

AbstractRock aggregates constitute the enormous volume of inert construction material used around the globe. The petrologic description as igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types establishes the intrinsic formation pattern of the parent rock. The engineering properties of these rocks vary due to the differences in the transformation process (e.g. hydrothermal deposits) and weathering effect. The two most common mechanical tests used to investigate the performance of aggregates are the Los Angeles (LA) and micro-Deval (MD) tests. This study reviewed the geological parameters (including mineralogy, grain and crystal size, grain shape, and porosity) and the relationship to Los Angeles and micro-Deval tests. It was found that high content of primary minerals in rocks (e.g. quartz and feldspar) is a significant parameter for performance evaluation. Traces of secondary and accessory minerals also affect the performance of rocks, although in many cases it is based on the percentage. Furthermore, some studies showed that the effect of mineralogic composition on mechanical strength is not sufficient to draw final conclusions of mechanical performance; therefore, the impact of other textural characteristics should be considered. The disposition of grain size and crystal size (e.g. as result of lithification) showed that rocks composed of fine-grain textural composition of ≤ 1 mm enhanced fragmentation and wear resistance than medium and coarse grained (≥ 1 mm). The effect of grain shape was based on convex and concave shapes and flat and elongated apexes of tested samples. The equidimensional form descriptor of rocks somehow improved resistance to impact from LA than highly flat and elongated particles. Lastly, the distribution of pore space investigated by means of the saturation method mostly showed moderate (R = 0.50) to strong (R = 0.90) and positive correlations to LA and MD tests.


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