Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developing dynamic capabilities in Chinese Hi-Tech companies a case study of Huawei

How firms achieves and sustains competitive advantage is critical to strategic management. While some emphasize the significance of industry structure and core competencies, there is an increasingly attention to how firms create and improve their competences to match the changing environment in recent years. In this paper based on the dynamic capabilities perspective, we conduct a case study to explore how Huawei, a Chinese Hi-Tech company, developed and regenerated its resources and capability to adapt to the changing technological environment. We conclude by discussing implications for theory, practice and future research direction.
Feign: In-Silico Laboratory for Researching I/O Strategies

Evaluating I/O performance of an application across different systems is a daunting task because it requires preparation of the software dependencies and required input data. Feign aims to be an extensible trace replay solution for parallel applications that supports arbitrary software and library layers. The tool abstracts and streamlines the replay process while allowing plug-ins to provide, manipulate and interpret trace data. Therewith, the application's behavior can be evaluated without potentially proprietary or confidential software and input data.Even more interesting is the potential of Feign as a virtual laboratory for I/O research: by manipulating trace data, experiments can be conducted; for example, it becomes possible to evaluate the benefit of optimization strategies. Since a plug-in could determine "future" activities, this enables us to develop optimal strategies as baselines for any run-time heuristics, but also eases testing of a developed strategy on many applications without modifying them.The paper proposes and evaluates a workflow to automatically apply optimization candidates to application traces and approximate potential performance gains. By using Feign's reporting facilities, an automatic optimization engine can then independently conduct experiments by feeding traces and strategies to compare the results.
Temporally Coherent 4D Reconstruction of Complex Dynamic Scenes

This paper presents an approach for reconstruction of 4D temporally coherent models of complex dynamic scenes. No prior knowledge is required of scene structure or camera calibration allowing reconstruction from multiple moving cameras. Sparse-to-dense temporal correspondence is integrated with joint multi-view segmentation and reconstruction to obtain a complete 4D representation of static and dynamic objects. Temporal coherence is exploited to overcome visual ambiguities resulting in improved reconstruction of complex scenes. Robust joint segmentation and reconstruction of dynamic objects is achieved by introducing a geodesic star convexity constraint. Comparative evaluation is performed on a variety of unstructured indoor and outdoor dynamic scenes with hand-held cameras and multiple people. This demonstrates reconstruction of complete temporally coherent 4D scene models with improved nonrigid object segmentation and shape reconstruction.
Block of current through single calcium channels by Fe, Co, and Ni. Location of the transition metal binding site in the pore

The blocking actions of Fe2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ on unitary currents carried by Ba2+ through single dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels were recorded from cell-attached patches on myotubes from the mouse C2 cell line. Adding millimolar concentrations of blocker to patch electrodes containing 110 mM BaCl2 produced discrete excursions to the closed channel level. The kinetics of blocking and unblocking were well described with a simple model of open channel block. Hyperpolarization speeded the exit of all of the blockers from the channel, as expected if the blocking site resides within the pore. The block by Ni2+ differs from that produced by Fe2+ and Co2+ because Ni2+ enters the channel approximately 20 times more slowly and exits approximately 50 times more slowly. Ni2+ also differs from the other transition metals because at millimolar concentrations it reduces the amplitude of the unitary current in a concentration-dependent manner. The results are consistent with the idea that the rate-limiting step for ion entry into the channel is water loss at its inner coordination sphere; unblocking, on the other hand, cannot be explained in terms of simple coulombic interactions arising from differences in ion size.
A STUDY ON AIRCRAFT TAXI PERFORMANCE USING NONLINEAR FEEDBACK CONTROL

Whenever traffic density becomes so critically high that it begins to jeopardize efficiency and safety, the answer lies in the ability to improve traffic coordination and movement precision. This study considers the surface-traffic problem at major airports, and establishes the possibility of highprecision taxi operations by applying state-of-the-art automatic control technologies. Due to the highspeed environment, high-precision taxi is most difficult on or across the runway, where such ability is also potentially most beneficial. In this study, a nonlinear guidance and control system is synthesized and its potential performance in high-precision taxi control is verified, including the ability to taxi continuously immediately after landing to cross an adjacent runway with the tightest of time margin.
Adaptations to Climate-Mediated Selective Pressures in Humans

Humans inhabit a remarkably diverse range of environments, and adaptation through natural selection has likely played a central role in the capacity to survive and thrive in extreme climates. Unlike numerous studies that used only population genetic data to search for evidence of selection, here we scan the human genome for selection signals by identifying the SNPs with the strongest correlations between allele frequencies and climate across 61 worldwide populations. We find a striking enrichment of genic and nonsynonymous SNPs relative to non-genic SNPs among those that are strongly correlated with these climate variables. Among the most extreme signals, several overlap with those from GWAS, including SNPs associated with pigmentation and autoimmune diseases. Further, we find an enrichment of strong signals in gene sets related to UV radiation, infection and immunity, and cancer. Our results imply that adaptations to climate shaped the spatial distribution of variation in humans.
Does HAART Efficacy Translate to Effectiveness? Evidence for a Trial Effect

Background Patients who participate in clinical trials may experience better clinical outcomes than patients who initiate similar therapy within clinical care (trial effect), but no published studies have evaluated a trial effect in HIV clinical trials. Methods To examine a trial effect we compared virologic suppression (VS) among patients who initiated HAART in a clinical trial versus in routine clinical care. VS was defined as a plasma HIV RNA ≤400 copies/ml at six months after HAART initiation and was assessed within strata of early (1996–99) or current (2000–06) HAART periods. Risk ratios (RR) were estimated using binomial models. Results Of 738 persons initiating HAART, 30.6% were women, 61.7% were black, 30% initiated therapy in a clinical trial and 67% (n = 496) had an evaluable six month HIV RNA result. HAART regimens differed between the early and current periods (p<0.001); unboosted PI regimens (55.6%) were more common in the early and NNRTI regimens (46.4%) were more common in the current period. Overall, 78% (95%CI 74, 82%) of patients achieved VS and trial participants were 16% more likely to achieve VS (unadjusted RR 1.16, 95%CI 1.06, 1.27). Comparing trial to non-trial participants, VS differed by study period. In the early period, trial participants initiating HAART were significantly more likely to achieve VS than non-trial participants (adjusted RR 1.33; 95%CI 1.15, 1.54), but not in the current period (adjusted RR 0.98; 95%CI 0.87, 1.11). Conclusions A clear clinical trial effect on suppression of HIV replication was observed in the early HAART period but not in the current period.
Old foods and new consumers in Mexico under economic reforms

The previous Presidential Addresses at the AAAE (Oluoch-Kosura 2007; Adesina 2010) both set out to tell a story about African agricultural development at large, rather than about one particular aspect of the sector, or one particular part of Africa. Both, in other words, tried to give a birdâ€™s-eye view without generalising to the point where it becomes meaningless. In this address, I try to follow in their footsteps. I start with a note on nomenclature: Africa is a large continent that is easily recognisable on maps. Sub-Saharan Africa is only a part of Africa, and we should stop outsiders using this as a descriptor of our continent. Furthermore, Africa is not a continent of HIV/AIDS, coups dâ€™A©tat, weak states and corrupt governments. It has all of these, but is a big place that has a lot of other, more positive, features. In this address I discuss elements of two issues that are important to the future of agriculture across the continent: the ways in which the structure of farming is expected to change over time, and the future shape of food retail. Section 3 concludes.
Multi-Layered Interfaces to Improve Older Adults’ Initial Learnability of Mobile Applications

Mobile computing devices can offer older adults (ages 65+) support in their daily lives, but older adults often find such devices difficult to learn and use. One potential design approach to improve the learnability of mobile devices is a Multi-Layered (ML) interface, where novice users start with a reduced-functionality interface layer that only allows them to perform basic tasks, before progressing to a more complex interface layer when they are comfortable. We studied the effects of a ML interface on older adults’ performance in learning tasks on a mobile device. We conducted a controlled experiment with 16 older (ages 65--81) and 16 younger participants (age 21--36), who performed tasks on either a 2-layer or a nonlayered (control) address book application, implemented on a commercial smart phone. We found that the ML interface’s Reduced-Functionality layer, compared to the control’s Full-Functionality layer, better helped users to master a set of basic tasks and to retain that ability 30 minutes later. When users transitioned from the Reduced-Functionality to the Full-Functionality interface layer, their performance on the previously learned tasks was negatively affected, but no negative impact was found on learning new, advanced tasks. Overall, the ML interface provided greater benefit for older participants than for younger participants in terms of task completion time during initial learning, perceived complexity, and preference. We discuss how the ML interface approach is suitable for improving the learnability of mobile applications, particularly for older adults.
On testing the hypothesis that the real rate of interest is constant

In an innovative and provocative paper in this Review, Eugene Fama presents evidence which appears to be consistent with the joint hypothesis that the real rate of interest, ignoring taxes, is a constant and that the market for U.S. Treasury Bills is efficient in the sense of embodying rational expectations. ' Those findings are strikingly at variance with a long list of previous studies which seemed to support the view that the real rate of interest varies over time and can be related to economic variables such as real output, monetary policy, and so forth.2 The methodologies which lead to these contradictory conclusions are quite different. Previous studies had followed the lead of Irving Fisher by relating nominal interest rates to distributed lags on past rates of inflation.3 These distributed lags are generally interpreted as approximations to the market's expected rate of inflation and thus any remaining variation is attributed to variation in the real rate.4 Fama's methodology, on the other hand, draws on the fact that the difference between the market interest rate and the subsequently observed rate of inflation, the ex post real interest rate, consists by definition of the ex ante real interest rate plus a pure forecasting error.5 The hypothesis of market efficiency implies that these forecasting errors must be serially random. Thus, observing ex post real rates is equivalent to observing ex ante real rates with random measurement error. These errors of course confound the problem of identifying variation in the ex ante real rate. In this paper, we will argue that the relative magnitude of these measurement errors is such that the tests carried out by Fama were not powerful enough to reject the joint hypothesis that the ex ante real rate is a constant and expectations are rational. More powerful tests which are presented in this paper using the same data do lead to rejection of that hypothesis. Of course, rejection
Lead Exposure and Cardiovascular Disease—A Systematic Review

Objective This systematic review evaluates the evidence on the association between lead exposure and cardiovascular end points in human populations. Methods We reviewed all observational studies from database searches and citations regarding lead and cardiovascular end points. Results A positive association of lead exposure with blood pressure has been identified in numerous studies in different settings, including prospective studies and in relatively homogeneous socioeconomic status groups. Several studies have identified a dose–response relationship. Although the magnitude of this association is modest, it may be underestimated by measurement error. The hypertensive effects of lead have been confirmed in experimental models. Beyond hypertension, studies in general populations have identified a positive association of lead exposure with clinical cardiovascular outcomes (cardiovascular, coronary heart disease, and stroke mortality; and peripheral arterial disease), but the number of studies is small. In some studies these associations were observed at blood lead levels < 5 μg/dL. Conclusions We conclude that the evidence is sufficient to infer a causal relationship of lead exposure with hypertension. We conclude that the evidence is suggestive but not sufficient to infer a causal relationship of lead exposure with clinical cardiovascular outcomes. There is also suggestive but insufficient evidence to infer a causal relationship of lead exposure with heart rate variability. Public Health Implications These findings have immediate public health implications. Current occupational safety standards for blood lead must be lowered and a criterion for screening elevated lead exposure needs to be established in adults. Risk assessment and economic analyses of lead exposure impact must include the cardiovascular effects of lead. Finally, regulatory and public health interventions must be developed and implemented to further prevent and reduce lead exposure.
Foreword - 10-Year Anniversary of RJEA

This paper** highlights the main consequences that the crisis has put on the European Union, regarding four major areas: financial, macroeconomic, social and mental-ideological. Also, it aims to tackle some key challenges for the European Union: the revival of international trade; the prevention of the rise of protectionism on the global scale; the need to find a solution to the dilemma between continued stimulus and financial consolidation in general, and between the ambitious goals of the Europe 2020 project and the current fiscal restrictions; the growth of public support across Europe for a financial consolidation strategy based on cutting spending; the impact of the financial and macroeconomic crisis on several sectors; and the deficiencies of the „European construction” indicated by the global crisis. Furthermore, it proposes four main questions for which EU has to provide clear answers in order to become a real global player. The questions concern the „European identity”, the „European values”, the EU strategy paper establishing its mission for the next period and the importance of a strong leadership implementing the strategy. In the end, the most important challenge seems to be how the EU can remain a global economic actor and become a more influential political player in the network of rapidly changing international power relations.
What do Sketches Say about Thinking

Sketches are produced in many domains to communicate with self or others. They are a kind of external representation serving as a cognitive tool to augment memory and information processing by relieving the mind of some of those burdens. Sketches schematize. They do not portray reality; rather they convey conceptions of reality. Sketches use elements and spatial relations on paper to represent elements and spatial or abstract relations in the domain of interest. They incorporate relevant information and omit irrelevant. As such, they reveal people’s conceptions of domains. An analysis of sketches of routes, for example, reveals that they segment routes around action points, typically turns. Order of drawing reflects mental organization of the domain. From sketches, novices extract structural information about the spatial relations among elements. Experts are also able to extract functional information, information that must be inferred from rather than directly extracted from sketches.
Reversible Information Hiding Considering Hierarchical Access Control

This paper proposes a reversible information hiding for supporting hierarchical control of access to embedded data. The proposed method firstly hides the most important information to an image by the reversible manner in which information is enciphered. To a stego image to which once information is hidden, this method embeds different information that is enciphered with a different key. In the proposed method, only one key corresponding to the most important data is managed, and other keys are generated from the managed key through a one-way hash function. The privileged user receives the managed key and he/she extracts and deciphers all hidden data, whereas the unprivileged user receives a key that for the least important data. The proposed method also has tamper detection ability. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Semantics modeling based image retrieval system using neural networks

Semantics based image retrieval techniques show a promising direction to the development of CBIR systems. To design such systems, semantics modeling is one of the most difficult tasks. This paper aims to develop a semantics modeling approach using neural networks. In our work, a neural network is utilized to memorize the semantic patterns within the images. An intelligent image retrieval system is designed based on this model. User's relevance feedback is used for enhancing the retrieval performance. Experimental results from the prototype system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Leveraging hierarchy in medical codes for predictive modeling

ICD-9 codes are among the most important patient information recorded in electronic health records. They have been shown to be useful for predictive modeling of different adverse outcomes in patients, including diabetes and heart failure. An important characteristic of ICD-9 codes is the hierarchical relationships among different codes. Nevertheless, the most common feature representation used to incorporate ICD-9 codes in predictive models disregards the structural relationships. In this paper, we explore different methods to leverage the hierarchical structure in ICD-9 codes with the goal of improving performance of predictive models. We compare methods that leverage hierarchy by 1) incorporating the information during feature construction, 2) using a learning algorithm that addresses the structure in the ICD-9 codes when building a model, or 3) doing both. We propose and evaluate a novel feature engineering approach to leverage hierarchy, while simultaneously reducing feature dimensionality. Our experiments indicate that significant improvement in predictive performance can be achieved by properly exploiting ICD-9 hierarchy. Using two clinical tasks: predicting chronic kidney disease progression (Task-CKD), and predicting incident heart failure (Task-HF), we show that methods that use hierarchy outperform the conventional approach in F-score (0.44 vs 0.36 for Task-HF and 0.40 vs 0.37 for Task-CKD) and relative risk (4.6 vs 3.3 for Task-HF and 5.9 vs 3.8 for Task-CKD).
Cloning and expression of multiple metallothioneins from hybrid poplar.

• In an effort to understand processes that are related to heavy metal sequestration, we characterized six metallothionein genes (PtdMTs) in the hybrid cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa × deltoides. • cDNA microarrays and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction were used to examine PtdMT expression in poplar tissues. They displayed differential gene expression patterns, which may be associated with the diverse roles and functions PtdMTs have in coping with particular developmental (e.g. root development and leaf senescence) and environmental cues. • The heterologous expression in a cadmium (Cd)-hypersensitive yeast mutant showed the ability of PtdMT cDNAs to confer Cd tolerance. The concentration of PtdMT mRNAs were increased by zinc, but not by copper and Cd. • Further studies will help to clarify the role of metallothionein genes in metal homeostasis and poplar development, and help to isolate poplar genotypes particularly tolerant to stress for use in experiments of phytoremediation.
Population and Family Planning in Bangladesh: A Survey of the Research

That Bangladesh has a serious population problem is universally recognized. One of the poorest countries in the world, it also has one of the highest densities of rural population. This study was undertaken with the following objectives: 1) to prepare an inventory and provide a general critique of all studies on family planning and on fertility trends, profiles, and determinants; 2) to analyze and assess the results of these studies with a special focus on their operational significance for population control and family planning in Bangladesh; 3) to provide a critique of the design, data, methods, dissemination, and use of completed studies; and 4) to suggest priority areas for future operational research in Bangladesh, with a view to its coordination, its requirements for resources, and its desirable phasing. Part I presents the main results and their implications. Part II provides the detailed findings including: fertility; mortality; migration; spatial distribution; households--growth and composition; direct determinants of fertility; socioeconomic correlates of fertility; and determinants of contraceptive behavior.
The role of mass media in modern democracy

Based on reviews of communication literature, the present paper intends to analyze the functions of mass media from the theoretical points of view. It is established through the findings that mass media plays a significant role in modern society. They bring about a general diffusion of knowledge about life in the world today, thus influencing many aspects of our social, political and economic patterns. Mass media has certain important functions to perform which include influencing public opinion, determining the political agenda, providing a link between the government and the people, acting as a government watchdog, and affecting socialization, entertainment, educating the masses, and mobilization as well.