Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A semantic-based conversational agent framework

This paper focuses on the implementation of a novel semantic-based Conversational Agent (CA) framework. Traditional CA frameworks interpret scripts consisting of structural patterns of sentences. User input is matched against such patterns and an associated response is sent as output. This technique, which takes into account solely surface information, that is, the structural form of a sentence, requires the scripter to anticipate the inordinate ways that a user may send input. This is a tiresome and time-consuming process. As such, a semantic-based CA that interprets scripts consisting of natural language sentences will alleviate such burden. Using a pre-determined, domain-specific scenario, the CA was evaluated by participants indicating promising results.
Primary neuroendocrine (Merkel cell) carcinoma of the skin: morphologic diversity and implications thereof.

A significant proportion of primary neuroendocrine cell carcinomas of the skin (Merkel cell carcinomas [MCCs]) have been reported to occur in intimate association with malignant epithelial neoplasms, mainly squamous cell carcinomas. In addition, divergent differentiation within these tumors, particularly of squamous and eccrine types, is not infrequent. This expanded morphologic spectrum of MCC calls for evaluation of potential biologic implications of the phenotypic diversity and begs reconsideration of the histogenesis of the lesion. The current retrospective review of 29 cases of primary cutaneous neuroendocrine cell carcinoma aims to address these issues by integrating new information with that which is extant. Eleven tumors were associated with evolving or established cutaneous carcinomas: 2 actinic keratoses, 5 Bowen's disease, 3 superficial squamous cell carcinomas, and 1 basal cell carcinoma. Two combined squamous-neuroendocrine tumors occurred in recipients of solid organ transplants, and another developed in a Marjolin's ulcer at the site of a previous burn. Squamous and/or adnexal differentiation within the dermal component of the tumor was observed in 4 instances and was significantly associated with MCCs in intimate association with another cutaneous carcinoma. The outcome of the group as a whole is similar to that recorded in previous series of MCC, with local recurrence in 32% of cases and death caused by the neoplasm in 28%. Only 52% of the patients were alive with no history of metastasis at follow-up. No significant difference in outcome was observed between the patients with pure MCCs and those with MCCs in combination with another cutaneous carcinoma.
EQUIVALENCE OF CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH LINEAR SYSTEMS ON LIE GROUPS AND HOMOGENEOUS SPACES

The aim of this paper is to prove that a control affine system on a manifold is equivalent by diffeomorphism to a linear system on a Lie group or a homogeneous space if and only if the vector fields of the system are complete and generate a finite dimensional Lie algebra. A vector field on a connected Lie group is linear if its flow is a one parameter group of automorphisms. An affine vector field is obtained by adding a left invariant one. Its projection on a homogeneous space, whenever it exists, is still called affine. Affine vector fields on homogeneous spaces can be characterized by their Lie brackets with the projections of right invariant vector fields. A linear system on a homogeneous space is a system whose drift part is affine and whose controlled part is invariant. The main result is based on a general theorem on finite dimensional algebras generated by complete vector fields, closely related to a theorem of Palais, and which has its own interest. The present proof makes use of geometric control theory arguments.
Olmsted syndrome in an Iranian boy with a new de novo mutation in TRPV3

Olmsted syndrome (OS) is a rare congenital skin disorder characterized by palmoplantar keratoderma, periorificial hyperkeratotic lesions and alopecia. Constriction of digits, onychodystrophy and pruritus may also occur. Recently, pathogenic heterozygous mutations in TRPV3 were identified, with most cases showing de novo dominant inheritance. We present the clinical and molecular features of OS in a 10‐year‐old Iranian boy. He had mutilating palmoplantar keratoderma, periorificial keratotic plaques, diffuse alopecia and constriction bands (pseudoainhum), which led to autoamputation of two digits. TRPV3 was sequenced and a new de novo heterozygous missense mutation, c.2076G>C (p.Trp692Cys), was identified. This case illustrates the characteristic clinical features and complications that can present in OS, and further expands the molecular basis of this genodermatosis.
Nonlinear PD 2 i heart rate complexity algorithm detects autonomic neuropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Please cite this article in press as: Skinner JE et diabetes mellitus. Clin Neurophysiol (2011), do Objective: The aim of this study was to test whether a new heart rate variability (HRV) complexity measure, the Point Correlation Dimension (PD2i), provides diagnostic information regarding early subclinical autonomic dysfunction in diabetes mellitus (DM). We tested the ability of PD2i to detect diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) in asymptomatic young DM patients without overt neuropathy and compared them to ageand gender-matched controls. Methods: HRV in DM type 1 patients (n = 17, 10 female, 7 male) aged 12.9–31.5 years (duration of DM 12.4 ± 1.2 years) was compared to that in a control group of 17 healthy matched probands. The R–R intervals were measured over 1 h using a telemetric ECG system. Results: PD2i was able to detect ANS dysfunction with p = 0.0006, similar to the best discriminating MSE scale, with p = 0.0002. Discussion: The performance of PD2i to detect DAN in asymptomatic DM patients is similar to the best discriminative power of previously published complexity measures. Conclusions: The PD2i algorithm may prove to be an easy to perform and clinically useful tool for the early detection of autonomic neuropathy in DM type 1 patients, especially given its minimal data requirements. 2010 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
On Learning Prediction Models for Tourists Paths

In this article, we tackle the problem of predicting the “next” geographical position of a tourist, given her history (i.e., the prediction is done accordingly to the tourist’s current trail) by means of supervised learning techniques, namely Gradient Boosted Regression Trees and Ranking SVM. The learning is done on the basis of an object space represented by a 68-dimension feature vector specifically designed for tourism-related data. Furthermore, we propose a thorough comparison of several methods that are considered state-of-the-art in recommender and trail prediction systems for tourism, as well as a popularity baseline. Experiments show that the methods we propose consistently outperform the baselines and provide strong evidence of the performance and robustness of our solutions.
The CO2 system in the Mediterranean Sea: a basin wide perspective.

The Mediterranean Sea (MedSea) is considered a "laboratory basin" being an ocean in miniature, suffering dramatic changes in its oceanographic and biogeochemical conditions derived from natural and anthropogenic forces. Moreover, the MedSea is prone to absorb and store anthro- pogenic carbon due to the particular CO2 chemistry and the active overturning circulation. Despite this, water column CO2 measurements covering the whole basin are scarce. This work aims to be a base-line for future studies about the CO2 system space-time variability in the MedSea combining his- toric and modern CO2 cruises in the whole area. Here we provide an extensive vertical and longitudinal description of the CO2 system variables (total alkalinity - TA, dissolved inorganic carbon - DIC and pH) along an East-West tran- sect and across the Sardinia-Sicily passage in the MedSea from two oceanographic cruises conducted in 2011 measur- ing CO2 variables in a coordinated fashion, the RV Meteor M84/3 and the RV Urania EuroFleets 11, respectively. In this sense, we provide full-depth and length CO2 distributions across the MedSea, and property-property plots showing in each sub-basin post-Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT) situation with regard to TA, DIC and pH. The over-determined CO2 system in 2011 allowed per- forming the first internal consistency analysis for the particu- larly warm, high salinity and alkalinity MedSea waters. The CO2 constants by Mehrbach et al. (1973) refitted by Dick- son and Millero (1987) are recommended. The sensitivity of the CO2 system to the atmospheric CO2 increase, DIC and/or TA changes is evaluated by means of the Revelle and buffer factors.
Believe it or not? Analyzing information credibility in microblogs

This paper identifies and evaluates key factors that influence credibility perception in microblogs. Specifically, we report on a demographic survey (N=81) followed by a user experiment (N=102) in order to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the important cues that contribute to information being perceived as credible? and (2) To what extent is such a quantification portable across different microblogging platforms? To answer the second question, we study two popular microblogs, Reddit and Twitter. Key results include that significant effects of individual factors can be isolated, are portable, and that metadata and image type elements are, in general, the strongest influencing factors in credibility assessments.
Cannabinoid abuse and addiction: Clinical and preclinical findings

Cannabinoid abuse disorders represent a widespread public health issue, but there are no approved medications for their treatment. This review describes efforts to understand the mechanisms of cannabinoid abuse and its adverse effects, to identify molecular targets for pharmacotherapy, and to evaluate potential treatments in human volunteers and animal models of cannabinoid reward, withdrawal, and relapse.
Classwide Efficacy of INSIGHTS

We investigate the classwide efficacy of INSIGHTS, a universal social-emotional learning intervention for early elementary grades, on observed teacher practices and student behaviors. Twenty-two elementary schools (87% free/reduced lunch) were randomly assigned to INSIGHTS or an attention-control condition. Kindergarten and first-grade classrooms (n = 120) were observed in the fall prior to the intervention and in the spring following the intervention. Multilevel random effects regression models showed an INSIGHTS main effect on observed teacher practices of emotional support from fall to spring. This effect was magnified in first grade. First-grade INSIGHTS classrooms also had higher teacher practices of classroom organization and lower classwide off-task behaviors over the school year compared to first-grade attention-control classrooms. Kindergarten INSIGHTS classrooms improved classwide student engagement from fall to spring compared to kindergarten attention-control classrooms. Grade-level variations are discussed along with implications for future research and practice.
An empirically derived inorganic sea spray source function incorporating sea surface temperature

Abstract. We have developed an inorganic sea spray source function that is based upon state-of-the-art measurements of sea spray aerosol production using a temperature-controlled plunging jet sea spray aerosol chamber. The size-resolved particle production was measured between 0.01 and 10 μm dry diameter. Particle production decreased non-linearly with increasing seawater temperature (between −1 and 30 °C) similar to previous findings. In addition, we observed that the particle effective radius, as well as the particle surface, particle volume and particle mass, increased with increasing seawater temperature due to increased production of particles with dry diameters greater than 1 μm. By combining these measurements with the volume of air entrained by the plunging jet we have determined the size-resolved particle flux as a function of air entrainment. Through the use of existing parameterisations of air entrainment as a function of wind speed, we were subsequently able to scale our laboratory measurements of particle production to wind speed. By scaling in this way we avoid some of the difficulties associated with defining the "white area" of the laboratory whitecap – a contentious issue when relating laboratory measurements of particle production to oceanic whitecaps using the more frequently applied whitecap method. The here-derived inorganic sea spray source function was implemented in a Lagrangian particle dispersion model (FLEXPART – FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model). An estimated annual global flux of inorganic sea spray aerosol of 5.9 ± 0.2 Pg yr−1 was derived that is close to the median of estimates from the same model using a wide range of existing sea spray source functions. When using the source function derived here, the model also showed good skill in predicting measurements of Na+ concentration at a number of field sites further underlining the validity of our source function. In a final step, the sensitivity of a large-scale model (NorESM – the Norwegian Earth System Model) to our new source function was tested. Compared to the previously implemented parameterisation, a clear decrease of sea spray aerosol number flux and increase in aerosol residence time was observed, especially over the Southern Ocean. At the same time an increase in aerosol optical depth due to an increase in the number of particles with optically relevant sizes was found. That there were noticeable regional differences may have important implications for aerosol optical properties and number concentrations, subsequently also affecting the indirect radiative forcing by non-sea spray anthropogenic aerosols.
Dental and alveolar arch asymmetries in normal occlusion and Class II Division 1 and Class II subdivision malocclusions.

AIM To compare the degree of intra- and interarch dentoalveolar asymmetry among patients with a normal occlusion, Class II Division 1 malocclusion, and Class II subdivision malocclusion. METHODS The sample comprised dental casts of 150 (72 males [ages 22. 1 +/- 3.11 and 78 females [ages 21.1 +/- 2.1]) normal occlusion subjects, 106 (45 males [ages 17.8 +/- 1.8] and 61 females [ages 16.5 +/- 2.91) Class II Division 1 patients, and 40 (18 males [ages 15.8 +/- 2.8] and 22 females [ages 15.2 +/- 3.3]) Class II subdivision malocclusions. Maxillary and mandibular reference lines were constructed and used for the intraarch asymmetry measurements. Thirty-six width measurements were performed on the dental casts of each subject. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for comparisons of the groups, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were computed to determine the interarch associations. RESULTS No statistically significant intra-arch asymmetry was found for maxillary and mandibular dental arch and alveolar width in any of the three groups. All variables were larger on the right side in the normal occlusion subjects. Further, the left side maxillary dental and alveolar arch width measurements were larger in the Class II Division 1 group. None of these differences, however, were statistically significant. In the Class II subdivision group, only the Class II sides' mandibular dental arch measurements were larger (P < .05). Maxillary and mandibular total dental arch and alveolar width dimensions differed among the groups (P < .001). Except for maxillary and mandibular canine alveolar width, opposing interarch dental and alveolar landmarks were significantly correlated with the transverse dimensions. CONCLUSION Although some landmarks in the current study showed statistically significant and insignificant differences, the mean arithmetic differences were small, inconsistent, and not likely clinically important.
Parental Influence on Children's Achievement from Korea: Types of Involvement, Attributions, Education, and Income

Korean middle school students have shown outstanding performance in various international assessments since a decade ago. The current study focused on parental variables and their relations to their children‟s achievement. In this study, the researcher sought to explore how parental variables such as parental involvement, attributions, education, and income influence performance of Korean youths. Completed questionnaires from 138 Korean parents whose children are middle school students were analyzed to answer the research questions. The analyses of data in this study confirmed that parents‟ educational level, private tutoring expenditure, satisfaction with private tutoring, parents‟ home and school based involvement, parents‟ perception of their children‟s GPA, parents‟ attribution of luck, effort, and strategy to their children‟s academic success were associated with children‟s achievement in Korean families. The results of this study indicated that not only parental involvement in home based and school based activities, but also private tutoring based activities, were positively associated with Korean middle school students‟ achievement. In particular, parents‟ involvement in private tutoring based activities was a strong factor to enhance children‟s achievement in core academic subjects (math, Korean, English). The findings of this study suggested that Korean parents‟ involvement includes the private tutoring system as well as home and school involvement, and this unique aspect of parental involvement is used as an important strategy to promote children‟s academic achievement by current Korean parents.
Responses of equatorial anomaly to the October-November 2003 superstorms

The responses of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) to the superstorms of October- November 2003 were investigated using the total electron content (TEC) measured with global positioning system (GPS) receivers in China, Southeast Asia, Australian (CSAA), and the American regions. Enhanced EIA was seen to be correlated with the southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field B, In both the CSAA and American regions, EIA was intensified, corresponding to a large increase in the F-layer peak height (hmF2) measured by ionosonde and digisonde at middle and equatorial latitudes. However, the enhanced EIA was shown to be more significant during the daytime in the American region, which was associated with a series of large substorms when B, was stable southward. The prompt penetration electric field and the wind disturbances dynamo electric field are suggested to be responsible for this observation according to current theory, although some features cannot be totally decipherable. Both the ionogram and magnetometer data show the existence of a weak shielding effect whose effect still needs further study. A clear asymmetric ionospheric response was shown in our TEC observations, even though it was only one month after autumnal equinox. The southern EIA crest was totally obliterated on 29 and 30 October in the CSAA region and on 31 October in the American region. Ion temperatures from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft revealed that the unequal energy injection at the polar region might be the reason for this effect. It is concluded that different physical processes have varying degrees of importance on the evolution of EIA in the CSAA and American regions.
Oestrogen attenuates tumour progression in hepatocellular carcinoma

The precise mechanisms underlying gender disparity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and prognosis are not understood. We demonstrate that oestrogen attenuates HCC progression in vitro and in vivo, and this may contribute to the gender differences in HCC behaviour. To investigate the role of oestrogen in HCC progression, we developed an orthotopic homograft tumour model by liver implantation of H22 cells. In combination with male castration, female ovariectomy, and oestrogen treatment, we tested the hypothesis that oestrogen contributes to gender disparity in this model. Pathological analyses were performed to examine the changes in biological behaviour of liver cancer cells, and two cell lines were used to investigate possible molecular mechanisms of the suppressive effect of oestrogen. Our data showed that oestrogen modulates HCC malignancy in vivo by reducing tumour cell invasion, arresting cell cycle progression, and promoting apoptosis, characterized by decreased expression of MMP‐2, MMP‐9, PCNA, cyclin A, cyclin D1, and Bcl‐2, and increased expression in cleaved caspase 3. Through in vitro assays, we further confirmed the changes in expression levels of these related proteins, gained insights into the molecular cascades of oestrogen‐induced HCC suppression, and indicated the oestrogen receptor α‐mediated inhibition of NF‐κB binding activity as a pivotal event in this process. This study represents a novel description of the mechanisms regarding the suppressive effects of oestrogen on HCC, adding a new understanding to the gender disparity in HCC progression. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social Phobia and Personality Disorder: Severity of Complaint and Treatment Effectiveness

Thirty-four patients meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for social phobia participated in a study on the relationship between personality disorder, symptom pattern, and treatment outcome. Eight patients (23.5%) were diagnosed with a personality disorder; 26 patients did not receive an Axis II diagnosis. Half of both groups received either an integrated treatment (rational emotive therapy, social skills training, and exposure in vivo) or exposure in vivo alone. Conclusions are that patients with a personality disorder have more serious symptoms compared to patients without a personality disorder, but benefit equally from the treatments offered.
“Journalism as Process”: The Organizational Implications of Participatory Online News

This Monograph will explore the empirical and theoretical ramifications of journalism as social media, specifically “journalism as process. ” The piece calls for an end to thinking about news as a discrete product and the beginning of considering news production as a shared, distributed action with multiple authors, shifting institution-audience relationships and altered labor dynamics for everyone involved. Using the exemplar of one Midwestern city - Madison, WI - and its information-production/consumption community, this research stems from a newsroom ethnography and 100 interviews with journalists, bloggers, and members of the socially mediating public. It puts forward the idea that news has become a transportive, transactional object of professional, social and civic work for both journalists and audience members.
Are Some DSM5 Diagnosis Complications of Other Psychiatric Disorders

This article offers evidence supported by clinical observations to propose that many DSM 5 psychiatric disorders may represent complications of other psychiatric disorders. Evidence is presented to suggest that DSM 5’s linear architecture is inadequate to measure the dynamic complexity of brain function. Of significance is the butterfly effect of sensitive dependence on initial errors to trigger major delayed complications that may render DSM 5 a potentially harmful diagnostic tool. It seems that DSM’s inherent deficit not to distinguish a disease from a disease complication is a major handicap for psychiatry.