Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knowledge-Based Textual Inference via Parse-Tree Transformations

Textual inference is an important component in many applications for understanding natural language. Classical approaches to textual inference rely on logical representations for meaning, which may be regarded as "external" to the natural language itself. However, practical applications usually adopt shallower lexical or lexical-syntactic representations, which correspond closely to language structure. In many cases, such approaches lack a principled meaning representation and inference framework. We describe an inference formalism that operates directly on language-based structures, particularly syntactic parse trees. New trees are generated by applying inference rules, which provide a unified representation for varying types of inferences. We use manual and automatic methods to generate these rules, which cover generic linguistic structures as well as specific lexical-based inferences. We also present a novel packed data-structure and a corresponding inference algorithm that allows efficient implementation of this formalism. We proved the correctness of the new algorithm and established its efficiency analytically and empirically. The utility of our approach was illustrated on two tasks: unsupervised relation extraction from a large corpus, and the Recognizing Textual Entailment (RTE) benchmarks.
D-dimer testing in suspected venous thromboembolism: an update.

Fibrin is the main thrombus component. Its production being definitely lower in in-patients than in outpatients. is followed by activation of the fibrinolytic system, resulting in plasmin generation and subsequent fibrin lysis (Figure 1). Dissolution of crosslinked fibrin leads to formation of specific degradation products, includMethods for measuring DD in blood ing D-dimer (DD),1 which can be easily detected and The advantages and disadvantages of the various measured in both whole blood and plasma using methods that measure DD in blood are displayed in monoclonal antibodies directed against epitopes Table 1. For clinical use in emergency situations, located in the DD fragment. In the past decade, DD rapid tests are mandatory. Among them, a whole testing has been established as a useful aid in the blood latex test (Simplired, Agen) that gives a diagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE). 2 The present review updates experience on the use of DD testing for diagnosis of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs and pulmonary embolism (PE). Briefly, DD was found in the late 1980s and early 1990s to be highly sensitive (but non-specific) to the presence of VTE where clinically suspected in outpatients. In this population, the negative predictive value of a plasma DD concentration below a certain cutoff (usually about 500 mg/l) was more than 95%, thereby allowing one to rule out the disease in a substantial proportion (about one third) of patients. However, the diagnostic performances were strongly Figure 1. Generation of D-dimer (DD) fragments. Activation of blood coagulation leads to thrombin generadependent upon the assay used, latex tests being tion. Thrombin binds to the fibrinogen central domain definitely less sensitive than the more cumbersome and liberates fibrinopeptides A and B, resulting in fibrin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), which monomers and polymer formation. The fibrin network is in turn were not suited for emergency use.2 Moreover, subsequently stabilized (‘cross-linked’) under the effect of this heterogeneity of tests raised uncertainty among activated coagulation factor XIII. Plasmin induces lysis of clinicians, who called for rigorous evaluation and cross-linked (X-linked) fibrin, resulting in formation of standardization of the various assays.3 Lastly, the various X-linked fibrin degradation products (FDPs) includutility of the measurement was dependent on the ing D-dimer (DD) and fragments containing the DD epitope. population to which it was applied, the specificity
Affective Learning Enhances Visual Detection and Responses in Primary Visual Cortex

The affective significance of a visual item is thought to lead to enhanced visual processing. However, the precise link between enhanced visual perception of emotion-laden items and increased visual responses remains poorly understood. To investigate this link, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data while participants performed a challenging visual detection task. Grating stimuli were physically identical and differed only as a function of their previous exposure history; CS+ stimuli were initially paired with shock, whereas CS− stimuli were not. Behaviorally, subjects were both faster and more accurate during CS+ relative to CS− target detection. These behavioral results were paralleled by increases in fMRI responses across early, retinotopically organized visual cortex, which was mapped in a separate fMRI session. Logistic regression analyses revealed that trial-by-trial fluctuations in fMRI responses were closely linked to trial type, such that fMRI signal strength reliably predicted the probability of a hit trial across retinotopically organized visual cortex, including area V1. For instance, during the CS+ condition, a 0.5% signal change increased the probability of a hit from chance to 67.3–73.5% in V1–V4 (the highest increase was observed in area V1). Furthermore, across participants, differential fMRI responses to hits versus correct rejects were correlated with behavioral performance. Our findings provide a close link between increased activation in early visual cortex and improved behavioral performance as a function of the affective significance of an item.
Regional Income Convergence in Appalachia: Exploring the Factors of Regional Economic Growth in a Transitioning Economy

Coming out of neo-classical growth theory, convergence theory suggests that regional differences in income will decrease over time. Studied in a variety of frameworks, there is evidence that convergence occurs, though conditioned upon regional economic capacities and participation in the larger neo-classical economy. Within the United States, convergence evidence is present at the national and sub-national levels. Of particular interest in this process is Appalachia, a region understood to have taken a peripheral role to the larger neo-classical economy, and not subject to convergence. Recent work suggests the possibility of convergence and movement towards a neo-classical growth process, though the evidence is mixed and indirect. This paper tests for convergence in Appalachia and the influence of neo-classical and Appalachian-specific growth factors. Results indicate convergence and a movement of the Appalachian economy away from a core-periphery structure to a more neo-classical process largely driven by industrial structure and human capital.
Cytomegalovirus replication is not a cause of instability in unstable angina.

BACKGROUND Unstable angina is most frequently caused by coronary thrombosis, with or without plaque fissure, but the mechanisms underlying these events are still speculative. Since cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigens and DNA encoding CMV major immediate-early (MIE) gene have been detected in atherosclerotic arterial walls, the active replication of CMV may be responsible for plaque instability. Therefore the expression of CMV MIE gene mRNA, an early marker of viral replication, was assessed in coronary atherectomy specimens from patients with stable or unstable angina. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty patients with unstable angina (12 men and 8 women; mean age, 62 years; range, 44 to 89 years) and 20 patients with stable angina (16 men and 4 women; mean age, 62 years; range, 43 to 81 years) who underwent successful directional coronary atherectomy were enrolled in the study. The efficiency of mRNA extraction, transcription, and amplification from each coronary atherectomy specimen was assessed by performance of reverse transcription and thermal cycling amplification of a 548-bp human beta-actin cDNA segment. After Southern blotting and hybridization with a specific probe, all specimens but one showed a positive hybridization signal. The negative sample was excluded from the study. Reverse transcription and thermal cycling amplification of a 145-bp CMV cDNA segment of the MIE gene were then carried out. After Southern blotting and hybridization with a specific probe, none of the specimens showed a positive hybridization signal. Plasmid pACYC 184 containing the Xba I-inserted MIE gene cDNA was used as a positive control: as few as 10 molecules of the plasmid per reaction were detectable after amplification. CONCLUSIONS Our results do not support the hypothesis that, in patients with unstable angina, replication of CMV in coronary atherosclerotic plaques is a major cause of plaque instability. These findings suggest that the research for the causes of unstable angina should be directed toward processes other than CMV replication.
Change in direction of the Pelorus River, Marlborough, New Zealand: Evidence from composition of Quaternary gravels

Abstract Clasts in greenish subsurface gravels of presumed Quaternary age in the Kaituna valley comprise mainly metamorphosed and variably foliated volcanic litharenite of the Pelorus Group, but also contain some Dun Mountain Ophiolite Belt lithologies. These clast compositions are inconsistent with the gravel source being either the surrounding schist basement or the nearby Wairau River, but instead strongly suggest a source in the Pelorus River catchment. Thus, at some time in the Quaternary, the Pelorus River flowed south into the Wairau River instead of east and north into Pelorus Sound as it does now. The change in drainage direction since then was due either to non‐tectonic river capture and/or northward regional tilting.
Feasibility and acceptability of ambulatory glucose profile in children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus: A pilot study

Background: Insulin administration and self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) are pillars in the management of diabetes in children. Introduction of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has made it possible to understand the glycemic profiles which are not picked up by SMBG. Recent advent of flash glucose monitoring with inbuilt software to obtain ambulatory glucose profile (AGP) has emerged as a novel method to study glycemic patterns in adults with Type I diabetes. However, the use of AGP in children is yet to be explored. Methods: AGP was used in 46 children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Feasibility was measured regarding data and sensor failure. Acceptability was measured using a questionnaire. Results: Forty-six children (22 girls and 24 boys) with a mean age of 10.07 years and mean diabetes duration of 3.4 years were included in the study. In this cohort, for 30 (65.21%) subjects, the sensor remained in situ for a complete duration of 14 days. Except for minor discomfort, AGP was well accepted by most of the children and their parents. Conclusion: AGP is a feasible option for monitoring glycemic status in children with diabetes with a high rate of acceptance.
Magnetically aligned single wall carbon nanotube films: preferred orientation and anisotropic transport properties

Thick films of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) exhibiting in-plane preferred orientation have been produced by filter deposition from suspension in strong magnetic fields. We characterize the field-induced alignment with x-ray fiber diagrams and polarized Raman scattering, using a model which includes a completely unaligned fraction. We correlate the texture parameters with resistivity and thermal conductivity measured parallel and perpendicular to the alignment direction. Results obtained with 7 and 26 T fields are compared. We find no significant field dependence of the distribution width, while the aligned fraction is slightly greater at the higher field. Anisotropy in both transport properties is modest, with ratios in the range 5–9, consistent with the measured texture parameters assuming a simple model of rigid rod conductors. We suggest that further enhancements in anisotropic properties will require optimizing the filter deposition process rather than larger magnetic fields. We show that both .
Origin of the island arc Moho transition zone via melt-rock reaction and its implications for intracrustal differentiation of island arcs: Evidence from the Jijal complex (Kohistan complex, northern Pakistan)

If the net fl ux to the island arc crust is primitive arc basalt, the evolved composition of most arc magmas entails the formation of complementary thick ultramafi c keels at the root of the island arc crust. Dunite, wehrlite, and Cr-rich pyroxenite from the Jijal complex, constituting the Moho transition zone of the Kohistan paleo‐island arc (northern Pakistan), are often mentioned as an example of high-pressure cumulates formed by intracrustal fractionation of mantle-derived melts, which were later extracted to form the overlying mafi c crust. Here we show that calculated liquids for Jijal pyroxenites-wehrlites are strongly rare earth element (REE) depleted and display fl at or convex-upward REE patterns. These patterns are typical of boninites and are therefore unlike those of the overlying mafi c crust that have higher REE concentrations and are derived from light rare earth element (LREE)‐enriched melts similar to island arc basalt. This observation, along with the lower 208 Pb/ 204 Pb and 206 Pb/ 204 Pb ratios of Jijal pyroxenites-wehrlites relative to gabbros, rejects the hypothesis that gabbros and ultramafi c rocks derive from a common melt via crystal fractionation. In the 208 Pb/ 204 Pb versus 206 Pb/ 204 Pb diagram, ultramafi c rocks and gabbros lie on the same positive correlation, suggesting that their sources share a common enriched mantle 2 (EM2) signature but with a major depleted component contribution for the ultramafi c rocks. These data are consistent with a scenario whereby the Jijal ultramafi c section represents a Moho transition zone formed via melt-rock reaction between subarc mantle and incoming melt isotopically akin to Jijal gabbroic rocks. The lack in the Kohistan arc of cogenetic ultramafi c cumulates complementary to the evolved mafi c plutonic rocks implies either (1) that a substantial volume of such ultramafi c cumulates was delaminated or torn out by subcrustal mantle fl ow from the base of the arc crust in extraordinarily short time scales (0.10‐0.35 cm/yr), or (2) that the net fl ux to the Kohistan arc crust was more evolved than primitive arc basalt.
Meteorological trends (1991–2004) at Arctic Station, Central West Greenland (69°15'N) in a 130 years perspective

Abstract Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 106(1):45–55, 2006 Meteorological data from Arctic Station (69°15'N, 53°31'W) located on Disko Island (West Greenland) has been analysed for the period 1991–2004 and used to describe the general climate at Disko and to evaluate meteorological trends. Parameters include daily observations of snow cover, sea ice cover and bihourly logged air and ground temperatures, wind regime, pressure, precipitation and solar radiation. Markedly changes can be noted for the study period, including increasing mean annual air temperatures on the order of 0.4° C per year and 50% decrease in sea ice cover. Changes are mainly noted for the winter period and correlate significantly with the NAO-index. But also the summer period has been affected shown as increasing thawing depths and an increase in the growing season. In addition, data has been correlated to the longest record available from Greenland at Ilulissat/Jakobshavn (since 1873). Due to a high correlation between mean monthly air temperatures at the two stations (1991–2004) trends in air temperatures observed at Disko are evaluated in a 130 years perspective. It is concluded that climate changes the last decade are dramatic but that similar changes in air temperatures have occurred previous within the last 130 years.
A Latent Class Extension of Signal Detection Theory, with Applications

A latent class extension of signal detection theory is presented and applications are illustrated. The approach is useful for situations where observers attempt to detect latent categorical events or where the goal of the analysis is to select or classify cases. Signal detection theory is shown to offer a simple summary of the observers' performance in terms of detection and response criteria. Implications of the view via signal detection for the training of raters are noted, as are approaches to validating the parameters and classifications. An extension of the signal detection model to more than two latent classes, with a simple restriction on the detection parameters, is introduced. Sample programs to fit the models using software for latent class analysis or software for second generation structural equation modeling are provided.
Using watershed‐scale hydrological models to predict the impacts of increasing urbanization on freshwater fish assemblages

Natural flow regimes are important predictors of variation in freshwater biodiversity, yet urbanization can significantly impact the volume and variability of water moving through a watershed. Moreover, there is limited quantitative understanding of spatial variation in the effects of urbanization on watershed hydrology and the impacts of this variation on aquatic species distributions and assemblage composition. We used a physically based watershed model (MIKE‐SHE), a hydrodynamic river model (MIKE‐11), and current landcover classifications to characterize flows at sites across the Big River watershed in eastern Missouri. Estimates of streamflow from the MIKE‐SHE model based on current landcover classifications were then used to predict variation in fish species richness at 44 sites across the watershed. We also quantified the potential effects of five urbanization scenarios on streamflows throughout the watershed and used flow estimates from the urbanization hydrological models to predict changes in fish species richness as urban areas increase. Responses varied among sites, with some sites predicted to increase in species richness whereas others are predicted to decrease in species richness. This mosaic of responses is likely due to the inconsistent impact of urbanization on streamflows throughout the watershed. Results also differed among taxonomic groups. The number of species of Cyprinidae (minnows) is generally expected to increase within sites across the watershed, whereas the number of species of Centrachidae (bass and sunfish) is expected to decrease. This differential shift in cyprinid and centrarchid richness is predicted to have a compensatory effect, with overall richness remaining, on average, relatively constant among sites. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hybrid differential evolution - Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm for solving global optimization problems

This paper presents a simple, hybrid two phase global optimization algorithm called DE-PSO for solving global optimization problems. DE-PSO consists of alternating phases of differential evolution (DE) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The algorithm is designed so as to preserve the strengths of both the algorithms. Empirical results show that the proposed DE-PSO is quite competent for solving the considered test functions as well as real life problems.
RESPONSE OF SOIL MINERAL WEATHERING TO ELEVATED CARBON DIOXIDE

Understanding the rates of weathering of soil minerals and the factors that may either enhance or inhibit these rates is a crucial part of understanding many processes from the watershed to the global scale. One potentially important factor in mineral weathering that is not yet well understood is the effect of elevated CO2 concentrations on weathering rates. Here, the direct and indirect effects of elevated soil CO2 are examined in field and laboratory-based studies, and the incorporation of the relationship between CO2 and mineral weathering in soil chemistry models is critically evaluated. At Mammoth Mountain, California, volcanic ash soil is exposed to naturally occurring high levels of CO2 from a magmatic source. Comparative analyses of chemical and mineralogical characteristics of exposed and control soils suggest that decade-long exposure to elevated CO2 concentrations has altered soil dissolution rates. Indirect effects of elevated soil CO2 at this site, including vegetation mortality and a decrease in pH, have significant potential to alter weathering rates. Laboratory dissolution studies on whole soils under varying conditions of pH, PCO2, and concentrations of oxalate (chosen as a proxy for low-molecular-weight organic acids associated with vegetation in soils) were designed to assess both the direct and indirect effects of CO2. The results of these experiments provide confirming evidence that CO2 does not directly influence soil dissolution rates under acidic conditions. However, soil dissolution rates are sensitive to indirect effects of elevated CO2, including changes in pH and organic acid concentration. The inclusion of a direct CO2 dependence in a widely used soil chemistry model, PROFILE, may be perpetuating confusion on this issue. Erroneous conclusions in future model applications could result if this relationship is not removed from the PROFILE model. A significant and striking decrease in the specific surface area of the soil material was observed during all soil dissolution experiments. These observations call into question the informal convention of normalizing reported dissolution rates to the initial surface area. For effective comparison of weathering rates and identification of the factors influencing them, changes in surface area must be accounted for in reporting dissolution rates.
Soil fertility in South Africa: the last twenty five years

Introduction In attempting an overview of developments in a subject such as soil fertility over the past twenty five years, it is inevitable that there will be some overlap with other topics, especially soil chemistry, degradation, biology and the environment. Soil fertility is not only at the interface of these soil-related topics, but it is also at the interface of disciplines such as soil microbiology, plant physiology and other plant sciences. It is an extremely important subject, dictating the growth and quality of plants in a direct link to human health and welfare. Its key role in the global food chain is being increasingly realized and appreciated.
Primary care practice coordination versus physician continuity.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study assesses the influence of primary care continuity--both clinician and system--on patient outcomes. We consider the presumed benefits of physician continuity and practice coordination within a multi-specialty group. METHODS The practices of 194 family physicians and general internists caring for 320000 adult members of a health maintenance organization were evaluated using four aggregate measures of outcomes--cancer screening in women, diabetic management examinations, patient satisfaction ratings, and ambulatory costs. Physician continuity and practice coordination were assessed using sequential sets of multiple regression models while controlling for patient panel and physician characteristics. RESULTS Physician continuity, defined as seeing the same designated physician during 1 year, was not associated with any patient outcome. Practice coordination, measured by shared practice, team tenure, and medical clinic size, was significantly associated with three of the outcomes. Both medical clinic size and shared practice were associated with higher rates of cancer screening and diabetic management examinations. Team tenure exhibited a significant positive association with cancer screening, diabetic management, and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS While physician continuity was not associated with patient outcomes, primary care practice structure was. Practice coordination should be assessed to identify mechanisms to support improved care.