Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Memory Augmented Policy Optimization for Program Synthesis and Semantic Parsing

We present Memory Augmented Policy Optimization (MAPO), a simple and novel way to leverage a memory buffer of promising trajectories to reduce the variance of policy gradient estimate. MAPO is applicable to deterministic environments with discrete actions, such as structured prediction and combinatorial optimization tasks. We express the expected return objective as a weighted sum of two terms: an expectation over the high-reward trajectories inside the memory buffer, and a separate expectation over trajectories outside the buffer. To make an efficient algorithm of MAPO, we propose: (1) memory weight clipping to accelerate and stabilize training; (2) systematic exploration to discover high-reward trajectories; (3) distributed sampling from inside and outside of the memory buffer to scale up training. MAPO improves the sample efficiency and robustness of policy gradient, especially on tasks with sparse rewards. We evaluate MAPO on weakly supervised program synthesis from natural language (semantic parsing). On the WikiTableQuestions benchmark, we improve the state-of-the-art by 2.6%, achieving an accuracy of 46.3%. On the WikiSQL benchmark, MAPO achieves an accuracy of 74.9% with only weak supervision, outperforming several strong baselines with full supervision. Our source code is available at https://goo.gl/TXBp4e
Desiccation- and Saline-Tolerant Bacteria and Archaea in Kalahari Pan Sediments

More than 41% of the Earth’s land area is covered by permanent or seasonally arid dryland ecosystems. Global development and human activity have led to an increase in aridity, resulting in ecosystem degradation and desertification around the world. The objective of the present work was to investigate and compare the microbial community structure and geochemical characteristics of two geographically distinct saline pan sediments in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. Our data suggest that these microbial communities have been shaped by geochemical drivers, including water content, salinity, and the supply of organic matter. Using Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing, this study provides new insights into the diversity of bacteria and archaea in semi-arid, saline, and low-carbon environments. Many of the observed taxa are halophilic and adapted to water-limiting conditions. The analysis reveals a high relative abundance of halophilic archaea (primarily Halobacteria), and the bacterial diversity is marked by an abundance of Gemmatimonadetes and spore-forming Firmicutes. In the deeper, anoxic layers, candidate division MSBL1, and acetogenic bacteria (Acetothermia) are abundant. Together, the taxonomic information and geochemical data suggest that acetogenesis could be a prevalent form of metabolism in the deep layers of a saline pan.
Analyzing Behavioral Trends in Community Driven Discussion Platforms Like Reddit

The aim of this paper is to present methods to systematically analyze individual and group behavioral patterns observed in community driven discussion platforms like Reddit where users exchange information and views on various topics of current interest. We conduct this study by analyzing the statistical behavior of posts and modeling user interactions around them. We have chosen Reddit as an example, since it has grown exponentially from a small community to one of the biggest social network platforms in the recent times. Due to its large user base and popularity, a variety of behavior is present among users in terms of their activity. Our study provides interesting insights about a large number of inactive posts which fail to gather attention despite their authors exhibiting Cyborg-like behavior to draw attention. We also present interesting insights about short-lived but extremely active posts emulating a phenomenon like Mayfly Buzz. Further, we present methods to find the nature of activity around highly active posts to determine the presence of Limelight hogging activity, if any. We analyzed over 2 million posts and more than 7 million user responses to them during entire 2008 and over 63 million posts and over 608 million user responses to them from August 2014 to July 2015 amounting to two one-year periods, in order to understand how social media space has evolved over the years.
Mixed Noise Removal via Robust Constrained Sparse Representation

In recent years, the sparse coding-based techniques have been widely used for image denoising. However, most of the sparse coding-based mixed noise reduction methods fail to take full advantage of the geometric structure of data samples. In other words, they neglect the common information shared by the similar patches in sparse coding. To address this concern, in this paper, we propose a robust constrained sparse representation (RCSR) method to remove mixed noise. By using the center coefficient of similar patches as the guider which is approximated by the coefficient of query patch in sparse coding, the geometric structure of data can be well preserved. Moreover, different from most existing two-stage mixed noise reduction methods that use explicit detectors to restrain impulse noise, the proposed RCSR adaptively adjusts the contribution of each pixel in the loss function to eliminate the influences of outliers. Experiments on the reconstruction of synthetic data and the removal of mixed noise in real images demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Generalized Multifrequency Current Controller for Grid-Connected Converters With LCL Filter

This paper presents a grid-side current controller for grid-tied inverters with LCL filter, including harmonic current elimination. The proposed controller only measures the grid current and voltage and it combines excellent dynamic characteristics with good robustness. Contrarily to previously proposed harmonic-current controllers, the presented solution offers a generalized method that gives a consistent (with minimal variation in the reference-tracking dynamics) and stable performance irrespectively of the number of current harmonics to be canceled and of the resonant frequency of the LCL filter (provided that it is lower than the Nyquist frequency). The response to reference commands is completely damped and fast. The response speed is set in accordance with the low-pass characteristic of the LCL filter so as to limit the control effort. Concerning the disturbance rejection, the controller offers an infinite impedance to any disturbances (such as grid voltage harmonics) at a set of arbitrarily specified frequencies. This allows the designer to eliminate all the undesired current harmonics with a simple design process. In addition, the performance of the presented controller is evaluated in terms of a fundamental tradeoff that exists between robustness to variations in the grid impedance and the number of frequency components rejected. Finally, simulation and experimental results that validate the proposal are presented.
TMED: A Spider-Web-Like Transmission Mechanism for Emergency Data in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

The vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is an emerging mobile ad hoc network, which is an important component of the Internet of Things and has been widely applied in intelligent transportation systems in recent years. For large-scale VANETs, it is important to design efficient transmission schemes for time critical emergency data. Greedy perimeter stateless routing protocol is a typical geographic-based routing protocol and greedy perimeter coordinator routing protocol is typical for map-based but they do not consider the QoS of the transmission link and hence are not suitable for emergency data transmissions. Some bioinspired protocols and situation-aware protocols are more suitable for emergency situations. However, they have some limitations in terms of the computational complexity and convergence rate which can cause large time delays. In this paper, we propose a novel spider-web-like transmission mechanism for emergency data (TMED) in vehicular ad hoc networks, in which a spider-web-like transmission model combining geographic information system and electronic maps is established. In this mechanism, the request-spiders and confirmed-spiders are sent out to obtain the transmission path from a source vehicle to a destination vehicle to improve the packet delivery ratio and average transmission delay of emergency data. TMED combines a dynamic multipriority message queue management method with a restricted greedy forwarding strategy based on position prediction to significantly reduce the end-to-end delay of packets. We use SUMO and NS2 to simulate TMED in a city scenario and compare its performance with GPSR, GPCR, and ACAR based on the packet delivery ratio, average transmission delay, and routing overhead. The simulation results show that TMED outperforms these previously proposed protocols.
Polydimethylsiloxane-Embedded Conductive Fabric: Characterization and Application for Realization of Robust Passive and Active Flexible Wearable Antennas

We present our study on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-embedded conductive fabric, which we propose as a simple yet effective solution to the challenging issue of poor PDMS-metal adhesion, allowing for a relatively easy realization of robust flexible antennas for wearable applications. The method combines the use of conductive fabric as a radiator with PDMS, which acts as the substrate and a protective encapsulation simultaneously. For the first time, a holistic study on the mechanical and electrical properties of the proposed combination of materials is presented thoroughly using a number of fabricated samples. As concept demonstrations, a microstrip patch and a reconfigurable patch antenna are fabricated using the proposed technique to validate the idea. The inclusion of a PDMS-ceramic composite as part of the antenna’s substrate, which leads to over 50% reduction in the size compared with a pure PDMS, is also demonstrated to showcase further the versatility of the proposed technique. The fabricated antennas are tested in several wearable scenarios and consistent performance including reconfigurability is obtained even after the antennas are exposed to harsh environments, i.e., extreme bending and machine-washing.
Effect of patient-controlled epidural analgesia versus patient-controlled intravenous analgesia on postoperative pain management and short-term outcomes after gastric cancer resection: a retrospective analysis of 3,042 consecutive patients between 2010 and 2015

Background Effective postoperative analgesia is essential for rehabilitation after surgery. Many studies have compared different methods of postoperative pain management for open abdominal surgery. However, the conclusions were inconsistent and controversial. In addition, few studies have focused on gastric cancer (GC) resection. This study aimed to determine the effects of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) on postoperative pain management and short-term recovery after GC resection compared with those of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA). Methods We analyzed retrospectively collected data on patients with non-metastatic GC diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 who underwent resection in a university hospital. PCIA and PCEA documented by the acute pain service team were retrospectively analyzed. A propensity score-matched analysis that incorporated preoperative variables was used to compare the short-term outcomes between the PCIA and PCEA groups. Results In total, 3,042 patients were identified for analysis. Propensity score matching resulted in 917 patients in each group. The PCEA group exhibited lower pain scores in the recovery room and on the first and second postoperative days (P=0.0005, P=0.0065, and P=0.0034 respectively). The time to the first passage of flatus after surgery was shorter in the PCEA group than in the PCIA group (P=0.032). The length of the hospital stay was 12.6±7.2 and 11.8±6.6 days in the PCEA and PCIA groups, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the length of hospital stay or the incidence of complications after surgery. Conclusion PCEA provided more effective postoperative pain management and a shorter time to the first passage of flatus than PCIA after GC resection. However, it did not have an effect on the length of hospital stay or the incidence of postoperative complications.
The addition of capnography to standard monitoring reduces hypoxemic events during gastrointestinal endoscopic sedation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The use of capnography monitoring devices has been shown to lower the rates of hypoxemia via early detection of respiratory depression, and facilitate more accurate titration of sedatives during procedures. The aim of the current meta-analysis was to compare the incidence of hypoxemia associated with standard monitoring alone during gastrointestinal endoscopy to that associated with standard monitoring with the addition of capnography. Methods The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials scientific databases were searched to identify relevant studies. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials undertaken up to January 2018 that met our predefined inclusion criteria. The study outcome measures were incidence of hypoxemia, severe hypoxemia, apnea, the use of assisted ventilation, the use of supplemental oxygen, and change in vital signs. Results We included nine trials assessing a total of 3,088 patients who underwent gastrointestinal procedural sedation. Meta-analysis of study outcome revealed that capnography significantly reduced the incidence of hypoxemia (odds ratio 0.61, 95% CI 0.49–0.77) and severe hypoxemia (odds ratio 0.53, 95% CI 0.35–0.81). However, there were no significant differences in other outcomes including incidence of apnea, assisted ventilation, supplemental oxygen, and changes in vital signs. Early procedure termination and patient satisfaction-related outcomes did not differ significantly in the capnography group and the standard monitoring group. Conclusion This study indicates that capnography monitoring is an important addition with regard to the detection of hypoxemia during gastrointestinal procedural sedation, and should be considered in routine monitoring during gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Incidence and Prevalence of Delirium Subtypes in an Adult ICU: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis*

Objectives: Use systematic review and meta-analytic methodology to estimate the pooled incidence, prevalence, and proportion of delirium cases for each delirium subtype (hypoactive, hyperactive, and mixed) in an adult ICU population. Data Sources: We conducted a search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards from database inception until October 22, 2017, with no restrictions. Study Selection: We included original research conducted in adults admitted to any medical, surgical, or speciality ICU that reported incidence or prevalence estimates of delirium according to delirium subtype. Data Extraction: Data were extracted on sample size, population demographics, condition information, and reported delirium estimates. Data Synthesis: Forty-eight studies (27,342 patients; 4,550 with delirium) with an overall pooled prevalence of 31% (95% CI, 24–41; I2 = 99%) met inclusion criteria. The pooled incidence (n = 18 studies) of delirium subtypes were hyperactive (4% [95% CI, 2–6]; I2 = 92%]), hypoactive (11% [95% CI, 8–17; I2 = 97%]), and mixed (7% [95% CI, 4–11; I2 = 97%]). The pooled prevalence (n = 31 studies) of delirium subtypes were hyperactive (4% [95% CI, 3–6; I2 = 94%]), hypoactive (17% [95% CI, 13–22; I2 = 97%]), and mixed (10% [95% CI, 6–16; I2 = 99%]). The pooled prevalence of hypoactive delirium in study populations with a similarly high severity of illness or mechanically ventilated was higher (severity of illness: 29% [95% CI, 18–46%; I2 = 95%], 100% mechanically ventilated: 35% [95% CI, 23–55%; I2 = 93%]) compared with the pooled prevalence of hypoactive delirium. Conclusions: Despite significant heterogeneity between studies, these data show the majority of delirious ICU patients to have hypoactive delirium, a finding with potential monitoring, management, and prognostic implications. The prevalence of hypoactive delirium varies between-study populations and is higher in patients with greater severity of illness.
Benefit-risk assessment of erenumab and current migraine prophylactic treatments using the likelihood of being helped or harmed

Objective This study evaluated the benefit-risk profile of erenumab relative to other therapies approved for migraine prophylaxis and available in the majority of European countries. Methods Trials were identified via a published systematic literature review updated to December 2017 using MEDLINE. Erenumab’s pivotal trials study reports were also included (NCT02066415, NCT02456740). From these sources, ≥ 50% responder rates and discontinuations due to adverse events were extracted to generate numbers needed to treat and harm and likelihood of being helped or harmed, a quantitative benefit-risk measure. Results Eleven articles (nine randomized clinical trials) met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Low numbers needed to treat (range: 4–13) were observed for most treatments, while numbers needed to harm showed substantial differences (erenumab’s higher numbers needed to harm indicating better tolerability). In chronic and episodic migraine, likelihoods of being helped or harmed for erenumab 70 mg were 143 and 167, and 42 and 167 for erenumab 140 mg. Likelihoods of being helped or harmed in chronic migraine were 2 and 3 for topiramate (two studies) and 4 for onabotulinumtoxinA. In episodic migraine, likelihoods of being helped or harmed were 2 for topiramate and 2 for propranolol. Conclusions While all prophylactic treatments were more likely to help than harm (likelihood of being helped or harmed > 1), erenumab showed a likelihood of being helped or harmed of high magnitude, supporting its favorable benefit-risk profile across the entire migraine frequency spectrum, in contrast with other prophylactic treatments.
Parental Acceptance–Rejection and Child Prosocial Behavior: Developmental Transactions Across the Transition to Adolescence in Nine Countries, Mothers and Fathers, and Girls and Boys

Promoting children’s prosocial behavior is a goal for parents, healthcare professionals, and nations. Does positive parenting promote later child prosocial behavior, or do children who are more prosocial elicit more positive parenting later, or both? Relations between parenting and prosocial behavior have to date been studied only in a narrow band of countries, mostly with mothers and not fathers, and child gender has infrequently been explored as a moderator of parenting–prosocial relations. This cross-national study uses 1,178 families (mothers, fathers, and children) from 9 countries to explore developmental transactions between parental acceptance–rejection and girls’ and boys’ prosocial behavior across 3 waves (child ages 9 to 12). Controlling for stability across waves, within-wave relations, and parental age and education, higher parental acceptance predicted increased child prosocial behavior from age 9 to 10 and from age 10 to 12. Higher age 9 child prosocial behavior also predicted increased parental acceptance from age 9 to 10. These transactional paths were invariant across 9 countries, mothers and fathers, and girls and boys. Parental acceptance increases child prosocial behaviors later, but child prosocial behaviors are not effective at increasing parental acceptance in the transition to adolescence. This study identifies widely applicable socialization processes across countries, mothers and fathers, and girls and boys.
CD38 Antibodies in Multiple Myeloma: Mechanisms of Action and Modes of Resistance

MM cells express high levels of CD38, while CD38 is expressed at relatively low levels on normal lymphoid and myeloid cells, and in some non-hematopoietic tissues. This expression profile, together with the role of CD38 in adhesion and as ectoenzyme, resulted in the development of CD38 antibodies for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). At this moment several CD38 antibodies are at different phases of clinical testing, with daratumumab already approved for various indications both as monotherapy and in combination with standards of care in MM. CD38 antibodies have Fc-dependent immune effector mechanisms, such as complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). Inhibition of ectoenzymatic function and direct apoptosis induction may also contribute to the efficacy of the antibodies to kill MM cells. The CD38 antibodies also improve host-anti-tumor immunity by the elimination of regulatory T cells, regulatory B cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Mechanisms of primary and/or acquired resistance include tumor-related factors, such as reduced cell surface expression levels of the target antigen and high levels of complement inhibitors (CD55 and CD59). Differences in frequency or activity of effector cells may also contribute to differences in outcome. Furthermore, the microenvironment protects MM cells to CD38 antibody-induced ADCC by upregulation of anti-apoptotic molecules, such as survivin. Improved understanding of modes of action and mechanisms of resistance has resulted in rationally designed CD38-based combination therapies, which will contribute to further improvement in outcome of MM patients.
Seeing the world. How U.S. Universities make knowledge in a global era

this book adds to our understanding by providing more empirical examples showing the complexity of these phenomena in contemporary HEIs. Earlier studies have mainly focused on the question whether HEIs differentiate from each other (or not) and some have pointed at increasing evidence of isomorphism (e.g. Huisman and Mampaey 2018; Wæraas and Solbakk 2009). One of the major lessons in this book is that the level of isomorphism might strongly depend on the national context. In strongly marketized systems, institutional pressures are weaker, leaving more room for HEIs to differentiate from one another and engage with reputation management. Echoing earlier studies, this book also draws attention to differentiation between groups of HEIs, which confirms the emerging competitive group perspective on reputation management and branding in higher education (see also Mampaey and Huisman 2016; Mampaey, Huisman, and Seeber 2015). That is, the brands of individual HEIs might not be unique, but groups of HEIs do project distinguished images via symbolic and substantive reputation management, especially in strongly marketized systems.