Merlin-models

What's Changed
* Fix sok import error in ut by EmmaQiaoCh in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1232
* fix dependencies in docs build by edknv in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1236
* move merlin dependecy install in horovod-cpu tests by edknv in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1235

New Contributors
* EmmaQiaoCh made their first contribution in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1232

**Full Changelog**: https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/compare/v23.08.01...v23.12.00

🐜 Bug Fixes

* Change model call default arg values to None instead of bool vals by oliverholworthy in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1218
* Handle ColumnSchema `target` in serialization of `SequenceTransform` by oliverholworthy in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1214
* Ensure TopKEncoder has correct outputs when model is saved by oliverholworthy in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1225


🔧 Maintenance

* Use `copy-pr-bot` by ajschmidt8 in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1209
* use rapids infra to run testing by jperez999 in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1216
* improve hpo test by radekosmulski in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1222

New Contributors

* ajschmidt8 made their first contribution in https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/pull/1209

**Full Changelog**: https://github.com/NVIDIA-Merlin/models/compare/v23.08.00...v23.08.01

What’s Changed

⚠ Breaking Changes

- Update minimum version of TensorFlow from 2.8 to 2.9 oliverholworthy (1084)

🐜 Bug Fixes

- Extend ContrastiveOutput to support sequential encoders sararb (1086)

🚀 Features

- Adding ParallelBlock marcromeyn (1088)
- Add dataloader pre-trained embeddings support to Merlin Models gabrielspmoreira (1083)
- Introducing Block marcromeyn (1087)
- Creates LogLossMetric and generalizes WandbLogger and ExamplesPerSecondCallback gabrielspmoreira (1085)

📄 Documentation

- update pretrained embs example radekosmulski (1100)
- Change tf.keras.optimizers.Adagrad() to tf.keras.optimizers.legacy.Adagrad() rnyak (1098)
- implement review suggestions radekosmulski (1062)

🔧 Maintenance

- Skip installing dependencies in tox gpu test edknv (1105)
- Change tf.keras.optimizers.Adagrad() to tf.keras.optimizers.legacy.Adagrad() rnyak (1098)
- Add Workflows to check base branch and set stable branch oliverholworthy (1080)
- Update tag pattern in GitHub Workflows oliverholworthy (1081)
- Update minimum version of TensorFlow from 2.8 to 2.9 oliverholworthy (1084)
- Remove use of deprecated numpy aliases of builtin types oliverholworthy (1082)
- Add publish step for conda package oliverholworthy (1075)
- Skip gpu tests on PR closed event edknv (1067)
- Update requirements for Merlin packages to minimum version of 23.04 oliverholworthy (1069)
- remove blossom-ci nv-alaiacano (1074)

What’s Changed

⚠ Breaking Changes

- New design of the transformer API sararb (1022)
- Updates Models to support new dataloader format for lists (__values and __offsets in dict) and scalar (1D) gabrielspmoreira (999)

🐜 Bug Fixes

- Refactory/fix of sampled softmax to add logQ correction gabrielspmoreira (1051)
- Fixes model.batch_predict() which was not working with ModelOuput gabrielspmoreira (1052)
- Test Model Reloading - Fixing some layers oliverholworthy (1044)
- Adds Support to embedding sequence_combiner for dense tensors gabrielspmoreira (1029)
- Fixed DLRModel / DLRMBlock to accept bottom_block with dropout on top of MLPs gabrielspmoreira (1018)

🚀 Features

- Refactory/fix of sampled softmax to add logQ correction gabrielspmoreira (1051)
- Add Transformers4Rec repo test edknv (1049)
- Fix import gpu without support jperez999 (1053)
- Tensorflow 2.11 support edknv (1016)
- New design of the transformer API sararb (1022)
- Introduce SOKEmbedding using Sparse Operation Kit WonderingWJ (863)
- Updates Models to support new dataloader format for lists (__values and __offsets in dict) and scalar (1D) gabrielspmoreira (999)
- Save and load Implicit model and schemas edknv (1014)
- Updates on MTL example text and illustration gabrielspmoreira (1003)

📄 Documentation

- MM transformer training and serving example radekosmulski (1045)
- Updates on MTL example text and illustration gabrielspmoreira (1003)

🔧 Maintenance

- Add Transformers4Rec repo test edknv (1049)
- Install `wheel` package to enable legacy install method of LightFM package oliverholworthy (1060)
- Fix import gpu without support jperez999 (1053)
- Update dataset test to expect schema.pbtxt in output edknv (1057)
- Update `test_synthetic_aliccp_raw_data` to check subset of outputs oliverholworthy (1056)
- add concurrency param to kill Github Action jobs when new commits come in nv-alaiacano (1055)
- Set batch sizes in unit tests to powers of 2 at least 16 edknv (1054)
- Enable pickle of model with TensorFlow 2.11 oliverholworthy (1040)
- set random seed in implicit tests edknv (1031)
- Skip SOK tests if SOK is not installed edknv (1030)
- Restoring tox.ini and .github/workflows/tensorflow.yml gabrielspmoreira (1023)
- Convert Tensor to RaggedTensor in PrepareFeatures for list features oliverholworthy (1028)
- Fix dataset test due to metadata location change edknv (1021)
- Updates Models to support new dataloader format for lists (__values and __offsets in dict) and scalar (1D) gabrielspmoreira (999)
- Add a `pytest.ini` file to register custom markers (e.g. `notebook`) karlhigley (1017)
- Add multi-gpu github action tests using horovod edknv (1009)
- Set random seed in each lightfm test edknv (1012)
- Use globally insatlled installed packages for GPU tests edknv (1011)