Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Efficacy and Safety of Nucleos(t)ide Analogues in Patients with Spontaneous Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Hepatitis B: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Spontaneous acute exacerbation (AE) of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is often detrimental but sometimes leads to sustained immune control and disease remission. The efficacy and safety of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) in patients with spontaneous AE of CHB remains unclear. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of NAs in patients with spontaneous AE of CHB. We calculated pooled effects of NAs in these patients of each study and conducted quantitative meta-analysis, displaying results using Forest plots. Results 15 studies were included and substantial heterogeneity was noted in the inclusion/exclusion criteria and controls. Pooled data showed no benefit of lamivudine (LAM) vs. untreated controls for transplant-free survival in patients with spontaneous AE of CHB (OR = 0.98 (95% CI, 0.50–1.92; P = 0.956)), hepatic decompensation (OR = 0.94 (95% CI, 0.47–1.88; P = 0.862)) and liver failure owing to AE (OR = 2.30 (95% CI, 0.35–15.37; P = 0.387)) at 3 months. Entecavir achieved even higher short-term mortality than LAM. NAs led to rates of ALT normalization, undetectable HBV DNA, HBeAg loss, HBeAg seroconversion and drug resistance at 1 year in 88%, 61%, 46%, 35% and 5%. Pooled data also showed benefit favoring LAM vs. untreated controls for ALT normalization (OR = 1.98 (95% CI, 1.03–3.80; P = 0.039)) and undetectable HBV DNA (OR = 38.50 (95% CI, 7.68–192.99; P<0.001)) at 3 months. All NAs were relatively safe and well tolerated. Conclusion NAs had no obvious impact on short-term survival in patients with AE of CHB, despite of possible better antiviral responses. We suggest additional studies to evaluate the efficacy of other NAs and early introduction of immunosuppressant in combination with NAs. We highlight developing prognostic models to identify predictors of mortality and disease progression for AE of CHB.
ReCon - Aspect oriented remotely reconfigurable error logging framework for web applications

Web applications need an error logging framework as they can adequately record and store the errors that are encountered either in the web applications or in the usage of them. In the existing MVC(Model-View-Controller) based frameworks, the log settings such as log location, mechanism and logging level are specified for all the modules in a single file which cannot be changed dynamically. Further, for individual modules, the log settings have to be hard coded into application code, confusing the role of the application developers and log administrators. A remotely configurable error logging framework has been proposed in this paper. This paper proposes to use the aspect oriented programming paradigm to weave the code for error logging into the legacy web application. The proposed configurable error logging framework has been tested on an e-Shopping web application built based on the `Ruby on Rails' framework.
Genome-Scale Detection of Tandemly-Duplicated Gene Structures

Genomic sequences of several animals were almost completely sequenced, and it was shown that human genome has relatively small numbers of genes. This suggests that not mere gene number but proteomic and/or interactomic combination is more crucial for phenotypic complexity. Recently, a Drosophila gene, DSCAM, was reported to have surprising genomic structure that can generate more than 30,000 isoforms potentially by alternative splicing [1]. Though our genome has its putative ortholog on chromosome 21 and other homologs, they do not have such cassette exons as Drosophila [3]. These facts prompted us to investigate unknown genes that have cassette exons in the human genome. If human has no such genes, there may be some alternative genomic structures with regard to locallyduplicated structures. Therefore, we scanned human and Drosophila genomes using dotplot. Dotplot is a very useful tool to detect tandemly-duplicated structures even when there are no homology with known genes. When interspersed repetitive elements are effectively masked, we can identify such structures very accurately with a very low background regardless of protein-coding or non-coding. By this method, we extracted many known genomic structures such as gene clusters and domain clusters, and other unknown tandemly-duplicated structures from human and Drosophila genomes.
Reciprocal actions of REST and a microRNA promote neuronal identity

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in both tissue differentiation and maintenance of tissue identity. In most cases, however, the mechanisms underlying their regulation are not known. One brain-specific miRNA, miR-124a, decreases the levels of hundreds of nonneuronal transcripts, such that its introduction into HeLa cells promotes a neuronal-like mRNA profile. The transcriptional repressor, RE1 silencing transcription factor (REST), has a reciprocal activity, inhibiting the expression of neuronal genes in nonneuronal cells. Here, we show that REST regulates the expression of a family of miRNAs, including brain-specific miR-124a. In nonneuronal cells and neural progenitors, REST inhibits miR-124a expression, allowing the persistence of nonneuronal transcripts. As progenitors differentiate into mature neurons, REST leaves miR-124a gene loci, and nonneuronal transcripts are degraded selectively. Thus, the combined transcriptional and posttranscriptional consequences of REST action maximize the contrast between neuronal and nonneuronal cell phenotypes.
Distance Difference Algorithm Based on RSSI for Highway Vehicle Localization

Localization based on RSSI technology has been widely used because of low peripherals requirements, less cost and easy-to-use. With the rapid development of intelligent transportation, how to provide more efficient and safer driving environment has become the most important issue. The highway localization system is an important part of the entire intelligent traffic system. According to the characteristics of the high way environment localization, RSSI algorithm suits the best. However, the RSSI algorithm has some shortcomings inherently; therefore, in order to improve localization accuracy, this paper introduced the real-time environment factor and the distance-difference weighted centroid localization algorithm into the traditional weighted centroid algorithm. The simulation has proven that localization accuracy is enhanced by the distance- difference weighted centroid localization algorithm. Copyright © 2014 IFSA Publishing, S. L.
Goal Priming and the Affective-Motivational Route to Nonconscious Goal Pursuit

Recent work has discovered that human goal pursuit can emerge in the absence of conscious awareness. Whereas the evidence of these goal priming effects is mounting, it remains a mystery how the mental apparatus informs people to pursue a primed goal in the absence of conscious will. This paper addresses this issue by proposing an affective-motivational route to nonconscious goal pursuit. Specifically, it is suggested that positive affect associated or coactivated with the cognitive representation of a goal triggers the motivation to pursue the given goal, while negative affect ceases it to the extent that the goal is already positive and thus carries potential motivation to pursue the goal when being primed. The paper discusses recent findings speaking to this conceptualization of nonconscious goal pursuit and presents two new experiments that examined the role of positive affect in rendering people ready for goal pursuit by testing effects on functional size perception. A substantial share of research in social cognition centers on the question of how people set and pursue their goals. In the search for the mental faculties that make us uniquely human, people’s goal pursuit is assumed to be governed by a kind of “self” or some other inner agent such as “consciousness” or “the will. ” This assumption is reflected in several theories and models of goal-directed behavior, such as the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975), goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham, 1990), self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) and selfefficacy theory (Bandura, 1986). They all share the view that goal setting is accompanied by a conscious reflection process, and that goal pursuit is associated with conscious intent. However, it may be questioned whether goal pursuit should be always characterized by a conscious and willful process. As our thinking and doing are produced by mental processes that are not always open to introspection,
Assessing the Usability of Augmented Reality Systems

Rapid technological progress in all aspects of human everyday life defines our current era. A specific area that has met with significant growth in our times is that of Augmented Reality. In this paper we present the field of Augmented Reality, we make a reference to the ways that it is implemented and present the main sectors in which it is applied. Furthermore, we discuss the issue of Usability Evaluation of Augmented Reality interfaces commenting on the use of the methods currently employed for traditional systems.
Word-level Language Identification using CRF: Code-switching Shared Task Report of MSR India System

We describe a CRF based system for word-level language identification of code-mixed text. Our method uses lexical, contextual, character n-gram, and special character features, and therefore, can easily be replicated across languages. Its performance is benchmarked against the test sets provided by the shared task on code-mixing (Solorio et al., 2014) for four language pairs, namely, EnglishSpanish (En-Es), English-Nepali (En-Ne), English-Mandarin (En-Cn), and Standard Arabic-Arabic (Ar-Ar) Dialects. The experimental results show a consistent performance across the language pairs.
SVM Classification Method Based Marginal Points of Representative Sample Sets

For the sake of getting the training data from the data itself without other previous knowledge, we present a method to calculate the representative sample sets of each cluster only based on the intrinsic character of high dimensional data, according to different objects influencing the assembling state in some dimensions of high dimensional data set. In order to classify the other samples of the data set, we adopt Support Vector Machine (SVM) as the classifier for its ability to analyze the small sample sets. During the SVM’s training course, we put forward a method to select the marginal points of the representative sample sets as the different clusters’ approximate support vectors to train the SVM to boost the machine’s classification capability. Lastly, we analyzed the hyperspectral data to detect red tide by this method, which proved the method could classify the data effectively and the selecting method of the SVM’s training samples could quickly and efficaciously boost the machine’s training course.
Design and implementation of games based on existing graphics engines

Creating computer games using already made engines has become very common practise. It is very difficult to create a technologically up to date and interesting game. It requires a large budget and a lot of time to catch up with the development of constantly new technologies. The solution to this problem is using a non commercial game engine license. Creating a game based on an existing engine saves us the trouble of implementing the basic functionality. We can then focus on expanding such an engine with additional modules and capabilities to create a new and technologically innovative implementation. This article describes the process of creating a game based on the Source Engine [20]. The D.I.P.R. I.P. Modification (www.diprip.com), developed by students of the Szczecin University of Technology, is shown as an example of this process.
A Biosemiotic Framework for Artificial Autonomous Sign Users

In this paper we critically analyse fundamental assumptions underlying approaches to symbol anchoring and symbol grounding. A conceptual framework inspired by biosemiotics is developed for the study of signs in autonomous artificial sign users. Our theory of reference uses an ethological analysis of animal-environment interaction. We first discuss semiotics with respect to the meaning of signals taken up from the environment of an autonomous agent. We then show how semantic issues arise in a similar way in the study of adaptive artificial sign users. Anticipation and adaptation play the important role of defining purpose which is a neces-sary concept in the semiotics of learning robots. The proposed focus on sign acts leads to a se-mantics in which meaning and reference are based on the anticipated outcome of sign-based interaction. It is argued that such a novel account of semantics based on indicative acts of refer-ence is compatible with merely indicative approaches in more conventional semiotic frame-works such as symbol anchoring approaches in
A matrix operator approach to the analysis of ruin-related quantities in the phase-type renewal risk model

It is well-known in ruin theory that the expected present value of penalty at ruin satisfies a defective renewal equation in the Erlang-n renewal risk model. This paper presents a new matrix operator approach to derive a parallel defective renewal equation for the expected present value of total operating costs in a phase-type renewal risk model and hence provides explicit matrix analytic solutions to a variety of ruin-related quantities.
PHYSICAL MODELING AND SYSTEM LEVEL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERIZATION OF A PROTOCOL PROCESSOR ARCHITECTURE

This article presents a method for estimating and optimizing a customizable system level architecture in the early phase of design. The model has been implemented in MATLAB. The methodology is interconnect centric and the worst case wire path has been used for calculating the overall delay of the logic. The system has been divided into different architectural blocks and the modeling method of each block depends on their primary function in the physical system performance. The developed model has been tested on a TTA protocol processor architecture designed for processing ATM AIS cells. The results have been presented for two different architectures and the effect of technology scaling on the system performance has also been examined.
A Generalized Criterion for Signature-based Algorithms to Compute Gröbner Bases

A generalized criterion for signature-based algorithms to compute Gr\"obner bases is proposed in this paper. This criterion is named by "generalized criterion", because it can be specialized to almost all existing criteria for signature-based algorithms which include the famous F5 algorithm, F5C, extended F5, G$^2$V and the GVW algorithm. The main purpose of current paper is to study in theory which kind of criteria is correct in signature-based algorithms and provide a generalized method to develop new criteria. For this purpose, by studying some key facts and observations of signature-based algorithms, a generalized criterion is proposed. The generalized criterion only relies on a partial order defined on a set of polynomials. When specializing the partial order to appropriate specific orders, the generalized criterion can specialize to almost all existing criteria of signature-based algorithms. For {\em admissible} partial orders, a proof is presented for the correctness of the algorithm that is based on this generalized criterion. And the partial orders implied by the criteria of F5 and GVW are also shown to be admissible. More importantly, the generalized criterion provides an effective method to check whether a new criterion is correct as well as to develop new criteria for signature-based algorithms.
Active Measurement on P2P Swarm Based on Coupon Collector Model

Detecting the P2P swarm, analyzing their distribution is a challenging task, which has not received the deserved attention. In this paper, we demonstrate an active measurement methodology to continuously trace the real-world Bit Torrent and eMule/eDonkey swarms over the Internet from a stub network and for a long period of time. Our measurements achieve the ability of real-time scanning the online peers, avoiding the potential copyright infringement and heavy traffic on Internet. During the over eight-month measurements, from July 15 2010 to March 31 2011, we crawled 33,008 torrents for Bit Torrent and 19,840 meta-info for eMule/eDonkey, collected 8,963,776 and 1,538,408 distinct peers separately. And we thoroughly analyzed some distributions and preferences of peers, such as the geographical position, client, type of IP address and the most used port, etc.
You Can't Go Home Again - or Can you? 'Replication' Indeterminacy and 'Location' Incommensurability in Three Biological Re-Surveys

Reproducing empirical results and repeating experimental processes is fundamental to science, but is of grave concern to scientists. Revisiting the same location is necessary for tracking biological processes, yet I argue that ‘location’ and ‘replication’ contain a basic ambiguity. The analysis of the practical meanings of ‘replication’ and ‘location’ will strip of incommensurability from its common conflation with empirical equivalence, underdetermination and indeterminacy of reference. In particular, I argue that three biodiversity re-surveys, conducted by the research institutions of Harvard, Berkeley, and Hamaarag, all reveal incommensurability without indeterminacy in the smallest spatial scale, and indeterminacy without incommensurability in higher scales.
A Nation by Design: Immigration Policy in the Fashioning of America

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. From Empire to Republic 3. An Acquisitive Upstart 4. The American System 5. Tocqueville's Footnote 6. Seward's Other Follies 7. "An Intelligent and Effective Restriction" 8. A Nation Like the Others 9. The Ambiguitites of Reform 10. The Elusive Quest of Coherence 11. Why the Gates Were not Shut Conclusion: Natural Design in a Globalizing World Appendix: Immigration Graphs Notes Index
Push or pull? Grants, prizes and information

In the funding of RD it is the aim of this paper to critically assess this hypothesis. I analyze a principal-agent model in which a funder encourages RD R&D input consists of both an observable and non observable component. In contrast to the stated hypothesis, it is shown that a grant may emerge as an optimal means of funding as a result of the interaction between adverse selection and moral hazard. The model also helps to explain the use of matching grants, it is shown that such grants serve as an effective sorting device in the presence of adverse selection.
The Role of an Entrepreneurial Learning Team in Creating an Enterprise Culture in a University

Objectives: The ‘entrepreneurial university’ is cited as a desirable and achievable goal: but it raises the question of how universities become entrepreneurial? The role of the enterprising academic in stimulating cultural change is often overlooked. This article presents as a case study the teaching team at the University of Derby who ‘acted as entrepreneurs’ over a five year period to stimulate enterprising learning across the university, and it promotes insights on cultural change within a modern regional university. It explores three questions: 1. How can a university develop an entrepreneurial culture? 2. How can entrepreneurial teachers stimulate cultural change? 3. Are there general learning points from the experience of the University of Derby? Prior Work: There has been extensive writing on enterprise education, with more limited examination of the ‘entrepreneurial university’. This prior work is advanced by exploring the roles of entrepreneurship teachers as change agents in the university. Approach: The process of developing an enterprising culture within a university is examined by tracing the organisational, pedagogical, systemic and behavioural changes and conflicts which arose in the case of the University of Derby. The learning experiences of the teaching team as reflective practitioners are shown using narrative accounts together with feedback from internal and external actors. The case uses action learning, featuring ‘critical incidents’, and ‘practical theories’ from the change process. Data from Science Enterprise Challenge (SEC) and Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) activities illustrate the growth in enterprise activity. Results: The case traces the impact on an HE institution of five years of significant growth in enterprise learning from a zero base. This includes the development of an enterprise curriculum; innovative learning methods; funded projects for student and community entrepreneurship; practice-based research; and the formation of networks of educators, practitioners and influencers. It concludes with the landmark achievement of the ‘Energising Enterprise Education’ (3Es) staff development event for the team and the university. Implications: The practice-based approaches illustrate for educators the development of an entrepreneurial teaching team and its values, skills and methods as crucial factors in the cultural change process which made a significant impact on the university in which conflict with the ‘base culture’ is inevitable but can provide useful insights. Value: The paper contributes new insights on the ‘entrepreneurial university’ and examines issues of sponsorship, leadership, followership, timescales, sustainability, limitations and constraints for entrepreneurial teams within enterprising universities.
Incremental Modelling of the Posterior Distribution of Objects for Inter and Intra Camera Tracking

This paper presents a scalable solution to the problem of tracking objects across spatially separated, uncalibrated, non-overlapping cameras. Unlike other approaches this technique uses an incremental learning method to create the spatio-temporal links between cameras, and thus model the posterior probability distribution of these links. This can then be used with an appearance model of the object to track across cameras. It requires no calibration or batch preprocessing and becomes more accurate over time as evidence is accumulated.
Equity ownership in IPO issuers by brokerage firms and affiliated research coverage

We examine the relation between brokerage firms research coverage and their equity ownership in IPO issuers due to earlier venture investments. Equity ownership aligns the interest of brokerage firms and IPO issuers by inducing affiliates to provide research coverage, especially by Institutional Investor all star analysts. Equity ownership also enhances the credibility of affiliated analysts with investors and does not encourage affiliated analysts to provide booster shots to issuers’ stock prices. The recommendations of affiliated analysts are less overly optimistic and produce larger abnormal announcement returns, especially for issuers with greater information asymmetry. Our results indicate that offering venture investment and analyst research under one roof benefits both issuers and IPO investors and does not create serious conflicts of interest between affiliated firms and investors. Our results also yield several implications for the recent NASD and NYSE rules changes regarding equity ownership of IPO firms and affiliated analysts.
Chandra and HST Study of a New Transient X-Ray Source in M31

We present X-ray and optical observations of a new transient X-ray source in M31 first detected 2004 May 23 at R.A. = 00h43m09. ˢ940 ± 0. ″65, decl. = 41°23′32. ″49 ± 0. ″66. The X-ray light curve shows two peaks separated by several months, reminiscent of many Galactic X-ray novae. The location and X-ray spectrum of the source suggest it is a low-mass X-ray binary. Follow-up HST ACS observations of the location both during and after the outburst provide a high-confidence detection of variability for one star within the X-ray position error ellipse. This star has ΔB ≈ 1 mag, and there is only a ≈1% chance of finding such a variable in the error ellipse. We consider this star a good candidate for the optical counterpart of the X-ray source. The luminosity of this candidate provides a prediction for the orbital period of the system of 2.3 days.