Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring patterns in dictionary definitions for synonym extraction

Abstract Automatic determination of synonyms and/or semantically related words has various applications in Natural Language Processing. Two mainstream paradigms to date, lexicon-based and distributional approaches, both exhibit pros and cons with regard to coverage, complexity, and quality. In this paper, we propose three novel methods—two rule-based methods and one machine learning approach—to identify synonyms from definition texts in a machine-readable dictionary. Extracted synonyms are evaluated in two extrinsic experiments and one intrinsic experiment. Evaluation results show that our pattern-based approach achieves best performance in one of the experiments and satisfactory results in the other, comparable to corpus-based state-of-the-art results.
Are Olfactory Cues Involved in Nest Recognition in Two Social Species of Estrildid Finches?

Reliably recognizing their own nest provides parents with a necessary skill to invest time and resources efficiently in raising their offspring and thereby maximising their own reproductive success. Studies investigating nest recognition in adult birds have focused mainly on visual cues of the nest or the nest site and acoustic cues of the nestlings. To determine whether adult songbirds also use olfaction for nest recognition, we investigated the use of olfactory nest cues for two estrildid finch species, zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica) during the nestling and fledgling phase of their offspring. We found similar behavioural responses to nest odours in both songbird species. Females preferred the odour of their own nest over a control and avoided the foreign conspecific nest scent over a control during the nestling phase of their offspring, but when given the own odour and the foreign conspecific odour simultaneously we did not find a preference for the own nest odour. Males of both species did not show any preferences at all. The behavioural reaction to any nest odour decreased after fledging of the offspring. Our results show that only females show a behavioural response to olfactory nest cues, indicating that the use of olfactory cues for nest recognition seems to be sex-specific and dependent on the developmental stage of the offspring. Although estrildid finches are known to use visual and acoustic cues for nest recognition, the similar behavioural pattern of both species indicates that at least females gain additional information by olfactory nest cues during the nestling phase of their offspring. Thus olfactory cues might be important in general, even in situations in which visual and acoustic cues are known to be sufficient.
Local mode dependent decentralized control of uncertain Markovian jump large-scale systems

This paper is concerned with the robust stabilization of a class of stochastic large-scale systems. The uncertainties satisfy integral quadratic constraints. The random parameter is a Markov process. A sufficient condition is developed to design stabilizing decentralized controllers which use local system states and local system operation modes to produce local control inputs. The sufficient condition is given in terms of a set of rank constrained linear matrix inequalities.
Addendum to “Prospective study of the G20210A polymorphism in the prothrombin gene, plasma prothrombin concentration, and incidence of venous thromboembolism”

DNA microarray studies identified two molecular categories as germinal center B-cell and activated B-cell types. Gene expression profiling has provided useful criteria for sub classification in an attempt to better identify groups of patients with different prognosis and responses to treatment regimens. If gene profiling becomes a rule in clinical trial, cancer patients may receive therapies that are optimally suited to the pathobiology of their tumors [5].
Changes in Emotional Responses to Aversive Pictures Across Periods Rich in Slow-Wave Sleep Versus Rapid Eye Movement Sleep

Objective Since Freud’s “Interpretation of Dreams,” sleep has been related to emotional functions, where dreams were assumed to play a cathartic role. In psychophysiological research, this role was attributed mainly to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The present study compared processing pictures with negative emotional impact over intervals covering either early sleep dominated by slow-wave sleep (SWS) or late REM sleep-dominated sleep. Method Emotional reactions were assessed by a nonverbal rating procedure along the two emotional dimensions valence (positive vs. negative) and arousal (low vs. high). Two groups of healthy men were tested across 3-hour periods of early and late nocturnal sleep (sleep group) or corresponding intervals filled with wakefulness (wake group). After the intervals, subjects rated new pictures together with old pictures already presented before the interval. Sleep was recorded polysomnographically. Results As expected, the amount of REM sleep was about three times greater during late than early nocturnal sleep, whereas a reversed distribution was observed for SWS (p < .001). Valence ratings indicated a shift toward enhanced negative ratings after late sleep (p < .05), contrasting with a trend toward more positive ratings after early sleep (p < .10). Arousal habituated slightly to repeated presentation of the same stimuli, but sleep generally enhanced subsequent arousal ratings (p < .05). Effects of sleep did not depend on whether pictures had low or high emotional impact. Conclusions Indicating a priming-like enhancement of emotional reactivity after periods rich in REM sleep, results do not confirm a cathartic function of REM sleep or sleep in general.
ARE EQUIVALENCE SCALES THE SAME FOR THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA?

This research uses microdata from the 1986 Statistics Canada Family Expenditure S u ~ e y and from the 1986-88 U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey to estimate equivalence scales using a methodology which is very similar to that employed by Statistics Canada for the estimation of Low-Income Cutoffs. Employing identical sample selection criteria and identically specified models, we find that equivalence scales for the two countries are not, in general, statistically different when estimated in the same way. The larger issue is then whether the two countries should choose the same methodology for the estimation of equivalence scales.
Strategies for Improving the Assessment of Dental Fluorosis: Focus on Optical Techniques

In its milder forms, enamel fluorosis is characterized clinically by diffuse opacities. The appearance is due to optical properties of a subsurface or surface porous layer with lower mineral content. These areas usually have texture and color similar to those of initial caries lesions but generally another shape and location. Therefore, several optical methods, previously used to diagnose initial caries lesions, were applied to fluoride-induced opacities on extracted premolars and on incisors of four subjects in vivo. These methods included light-scattering measurements, white light illumination, violet light illumination, ultraviolet illumination, and laser fluorescence. Video images were captured with a charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera, digitized, and computer-processed. It is concluded that the light-scattering monitor can be used for the determination of the local porosity of fluorotic enamel and that the laser fluorescence method might be developed into a method applicable for the assessment of the severity of enamel fluorosis.
A comprehensive study of bistable gated bipolar device

Bistable gated bipolar (BGB) devices, a novel negative differential resistance (NDR) device, is investigated in this paper. Experimental demonstration for both n-channel and p-channel devices is carried out in a partially depleted silicon-on-insulator technology. The temperature dependence of its NDR characteristics is measured and found to be in good agreement with analytical models. A feasible scheme is proposed to implement this device in scaled CMOS technologies. As the basic principle for applications, the measured hysteresis characteristic of a storage cell utilizing the BGB device is reported for the first time. Potential applications for logic and memory are also discussed
Regulation of Structural Dynamics within a Signal Recognition Particle Promotes Binding of Protein Targeting Substrates*

Background: Targeting of proteins requires a signal recognition particle (SRP) and multiple protein interactions. Results: We observed a decrease in the structural dynamics of cpSRP43 and an increase in substrate affinity upon its binding to cpSRP54. Conclusion: Changes in domain dynamics induced by cpSRP subunit interactions mediate substrate affinity. Significance: Relating structure and dynamics of SRP proteins allows for a better understanding of vectorial targeting within cells. Protein targeting is critical in all living organisms and involves a signal recognition particle (SRP), an SRP receptor, and a translocase. In co-translational targeting, interactions among these proteins are mediated by the ribosome. In chloroplasts, the light-harvesting chlorophyll-binding protein (LHCP) in the thylakoid membrane is targeted post-translationally without a ribosome. A multidomain chloroplast-specific subunit of the SRP, cpSRP43, is proposed to take on the role of coordinating the sequence of targeting events. Here, we demonstrate that cpSRP43 exhibits significant interdomain dynamics that are reduced upon binding its SRP binding partner, cpSRP54. We showed that the affinity of cpSRP43 for the binding motif of LHCP (L18) increases when cpSRP43 is complexed to the binding motif of cpSRP54 (cpSRP54pep). These results support the conclusion that substrate binding to the chloroplast SRP is modulated by protein structural dynamics in which a major role of cpSRP54 is to improve substrate binding efficiency to the cpSRP.
ProMiR II: a web server for the probabilistic prediction of clustered, nonclustered, conserved and nonconserved microRNAs

ProMiR is a web-based service for the prediction of potential microRNAs (miRNAs) in a query sequence of 60–150 nt, using a probabilistic colearning model. Identification of miRNAs requires a computational method to predict clustered and nonclustered, conserved and nonconserved miRNAs in various species. Here we present an improved version of ProMiR for identifying new clusters near known or unknown miRNAs. This new version, ProMiR II, integrates additional evidence, such as free energy data, G/C ratio, conservation score and entropy of candidate sequences, for more controllable prediction of miRNAs in mouse and human genomes. It also provides a wider range of services, e.g. the prediction of miRNA genes in long nonrelated sequences such as viral genomes. Importantly, we have validated this method using several case studies. All data used in ProMiR II are structured in the MySQL database for efficient analysis. The ProMiR II web server is available at .
Antioxidant activity in vitro and hepatoprotective effect of Phlomis maximowiczii in vivo.

BACKGROUND A number of medicinal plants and there compounds played a major role in the treatment of hepatic disorders. They were widely used for the treatment of these disorders, and oxidant stress injury was one of the liver injury mechanisms. The present study evaluated the antioxidant activity and the hepatoprotective effect of each extracts of Phlomis maximowiczii. MATERIALS AND METHODS The antioxidant activity was assayed by the methods of ABTS, FRAP and DPPH in vitro. Hepatoprotective effect of P. maximowiczii extracts was examined using carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in mice. RESULTS P. maximowiczii n-butanol (PMBU) extract, ABTS (IC50=18.96 µg/mL), DPPH (IC50=25.15 µg/mL), and FRAP (RACT50=2775.6±144.18 µmol/g), showed higher scavenging capacity than that of P. maximowiczii ethyl acetate (PMEA). The n-butanol extract could significantly reduce the level of GPT, GOT and MDA (P<0.05, P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively) and increase the level of SOD (P<0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION The antioxidant activity of n-butanol extract in vitro was related with the level of MDA and SOD in vivo, and hepatoprotective effect of n-butanol extract also had relationship with its antioxidant activity in vivo.
Boron-based drugs as antiprotozoals

Purpose of review Boron-based drugs represent a new class of molecules that have been found to exhibit attractive properties and activities against a number of protozoans causative of neglected tropical diseases. Recent findings This review highlights recent advances in discovery of potential treatments for human African trypanosomiasis, malaria and Chagas disease from a class of boron-containing drugs, the benzoxaboroles. Summary Research at several biotechnology companies, sponsored by product development partners (PDPs), has been successful in identifying a novel class of boron-based drugs, the benzoxaboroles, as potential treatments for neglected tropical diseases. This work was based, in part, on the earlier observation of antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of the benzoxaboroles. The unique properties of boron, namely its ability to reversibly interact with biochemical targets through an empty p-orbital, are important to the success of these new drug candidates. Physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of the boron-based compounds are consistent with features required for oral absorption, metabolic stability and low toxicity – all important for progression of this class to clinical trials.
Effect of Propofol on Cerebral Circulation and Autoregulation in the Baboon

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of propofol on cerebral blood flow, cerebral metabolism, and cerebrovascular autoregulatory capability. Seven anesthetized baboons were given propofol at three different infusion rates. An infusion of 3 mg·kg−1·h−1 caused minimal changes, but infusion rates of 6 and 12 mg·kg−1·h−1 decreased cerebral blood flow by 28% and 39%, respectively. The changes in cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen were not statistically significant. However, with the two higher infusion rates, there was a trend toward decrease, by 5% and 22%, respectively, for the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, and by 18% and 36% for the cerebral metabolic rate of glucose. A 25–30 mm Hg increase in arterial blood pressure had no influence on cerebral blood flow. Replacement of nitrous oxide by nitrogen had no significant influence on cerebral blood flow or metabolism.It is concluded that propofol causes a dose-dependent decrease in cerebral blood flow. However, the study does not prove that this decrease in cerebral blood flow is accompanied by the same degree of decrease in cerebral metabolism. Further studies are clearly needed to clarify propofol's influence on the coupling between cerebral metabolism and blood flow. The physiologic responsiveness of the cerebral circulation to alterations in arterial pressure is well preserved. Propofol appears to prevent the metabolic stimulation and increased cerebral blood flow that has been associated with the administration of nitrous oxide.
Toddlers’ emotional reactions to separation from their primary caregivers: successful home–school transition

The purpose of this study was to examine toddlers’ emotional reactions to separation from their primary caregivers through the observation on a group of toddlers (18–30 months old) at a university preschool classroom. Interactional ethnography with ethnographic perspective and sociolinguistic discourse analysis was used as the theoretical framework to investigate individual children’s behavioral patterns from an insider’s perspective. The focus was on the multiple interactions between and among the participants in this specific cultural setting. The observation on children and the interviews with the informants supported most previous studies on the interaction between children and parents and its impact on young children’s transition from home to school setting. Additionally, different perceptions from teachers, parents and grandparents were compared on how to help young children deal with the stress during transition time. The finding of this study contributes to the literature that younger children (infants and toddlers) are able to go through a smooth transition in a high‐quality early childhood program.
Research on the Purchase Behavior of Customer-to-customer Online Auction

Many Customer-to-Customer (C2C) online auction providers still do not have a good understanding of Customer-to-Customer trade in Taiwan. The Customer-to-Customer online auction providers still do not have a good understanding of Customer-to-Customer trade behavior and are unable to provide satisfied and effective outcomes for an online auction trade. It is difficult to propose a standard trade strategy without a basic understanding of current trade capacity and of the critical gaps in customer’s tradeevaluation. The purpose of this survey article is to address these behaviors in the literature and to provide an overview of the current state in Taiwan. Using qualitative data collected from customers, this study provides insight into what can be done to build effective Customer-to-Customer online auction trade in Taiwan.
Graph cut with ordering constraints on labels and its applications

In the last decade, graph-cut optimization has been popular for a variety of pixel labeling problems. Typically graph-cut methods are used to incorporate a smoothness prior on a labeling. Recently several methods incorporated ordering constraints on labels for the application of object segmentation. An example of an ordering constraint is prohibiting a pixel with a ldquocar wheelrdquo label to be above a pixel with a ldquocar roofrdquo label. We observe that the commonly used graph-cut based alpha-expansion is more likely to get stuck in a local minimum when ordering constraints are used. For certain models with ordering constraints, we develop new graph-cut moves which we call order-preserving moves. Order-preserving moves act on all labels, unlike alpha-expansion. Although the global minimum is still not guaranteed, optimization with order-preserving moves performs significantly better than alpha-expansion. We evaluate order-preserving moves for the geometric class scene labeling (introduced by Hoiem et al.) where the goal is to assign each pixel a label such as ldquoskyrdquo, ldquogrounrdquo, etc., so ordering constraints arise naturally. In addition, we use order-preserving moves for certain simple shape priors in graphcut segmentation, which is a novel contribution in itself.
From calculation to alienation: disentangling economic abstractions

This article uses a debate between Michel Callon and Daniel Miller to explore tensions within economic sociology and anthropology.The tension is between characterizations of markets and economic rationality that seem to dissolve them into a generalized notion of culture and those which seem to abstract them as specific social forms. The paper argues that markets are best defined in terms of a form of transaction rather than a specific mode of calculation: market transactions involve the alienation of goods in the form of property. Such transactions require the kinds of socio-technical apparatuses that Callon describes, in order to establish both alienability and its limits; on the other hand, and drawing on Callon's own concepts of framing and overflowing, such transactions allow for more diverse, ambiguous and contradictory forms of calculation than Callon seems to allow. The latter point is developed particularly in relation to cultural calculation, typified by marketing and advertising.
Churches as a stock of social capital for promoting social development in Western Cape communities

The aim of the article is to present a perspective on the manner and extent to which churches may be considered as an important stock of social capital for promoting social development outcomes in selected communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. Taking the recently presented policy outline on social capital formation in this province as the contextual framework for analysis and reflection, the results of recently executed demographic and socio-empirical research are utilised in particular to advance a perspective on churches. It is argued in conclusion that churches and other faith-based organisations in the researched communities have an important strategic significance for a social capital formation agenda, despite their apparent lack of progressive social praxis. Their comparative advantage over other institutions, the considerable levels of trust invested in them and the manner in which they inspire activities of voluntary outreach, caring and social service are highlighted as special features of the churches.
Plant Sterols the Better Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease? A Mechanistical Study

Amyloid-β (Aβ), major constituent of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), is generated by proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β- and γ-secretase. Several lipids, especially cholesterol, are associated with AD. Phytosterols are naturally occurring cholesterol plant equivalents, recently been shown to cross the blood–brain-barrier accumulating in brain. Here, we investigated the effect of the most nutritional prevalent phytosterols and cholesterol on APP processing. In general, phytosterols are less amyloidogenic than cholesterol. However, only one phytosterol, stigmasterol, reduced Aβ generation by (1) directly decreasing β-secretase activity, (2) reducing expression of all γ-secretase components, (3) reducing cholesterol and presenilin distribution in lipid rafts implicated in amyloidogenic APP cleavage, and by (4) decreasing BACE1 internalization to endosomal compartments, involved in APP β-secretase cleavage. Mice fed with stigmasterol-enriched diets confirmed protective effects in vivo, suggesting that dietary intake of phytosterol blends mainly containing stigmasterol might be beneficial in preventing AD.
DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Thyroglobulin measurement using highly sensitive assays in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: a clinical position paper

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is the most common endocrine cancer and its incidence has increased in recent decades. Initial treatment usually consists of total thyroidectomy followed by ablation of thyroid remnants by iodine-131. As thyroid cells are assumed to be the only source of thyroglobulin (Tg) in the human body, circulating Tg serves as a biochemical marker of persistent or recurrent disease in DTC follow-up. Currently, standard follow-up for DTC comprises Tg measurement and neck ultrasound combined, when indicated, with an additional radioiodine scan. Measurement of Tg after stimulation by endogenous or exogenous TSH is recommended by current clinical guidelines to detect occult disease with a maximum sensitivity due to the suboptimal sensitivity of older Tg assays. However, the development of new highly sensitive Tg assays with improved analytical sensitivity and precision at low concentrations now allows detection of very low Tg concentrations reflecting minimal amounts of thyroid tissue without the need for TSH stimulation. Use of these highly sensitive Tg assays has not yet been incorporated into clinical guidelines but they will, we believe, be used by physicians caring for patients with DTC. The aim of this clinical position paper is, therefore, to offer advice on the various aspects and implications of using these highly sensitive Tg assays in the clinical care of patients with DTC.