Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The generation of textual entailment with NLML in an intelligent dialogue system for language learning CSIEC

This paper introduces the generation of textual entailment within the project CSIEC (computer simulation in educational communication), an interactive Web-based human-computer dialogue system with natural language for English instruction. The generation of textual entailment (GTE) is critical to the further improvement of CSIEC project and other natural language generation program. Up to now we have found few literatures on the general algorithm for GTE. Simulating the process that a human being learns English as a foreign language, we explore our naive approach to tackle the GTE problem and its algorithm within the framework of CSIEC, i.e. rule annotation in NLML, pattern recognition and entailment transformation. The time and space complexity of our algorithm is tested with some entailment examples. An interactive command line textual entailment editor is created to generalize an entailment rule from a case pair of text and entailment. The test version of this innovative GTE approach can be accessed in the CSIEC website. Further works include the rules annotation based on the English textbooks and a GUI interface for normal users to edit the entailment rules.
Requirements analysis and theory for statistical learning approaches in automaton-based dialogue management

Project ref. no. 216594Project acronym CLASSiCProject full title Computational Learning in Adaptive Systems for SpokenConversationInstrument STREPThematic Priority Cognitive Systems, Interaction, and RoboticsStart date / duration 01 March 2008 / 36 MonthsSecurity PublicContractual date of delivery M06 = 09 2008Actual date of delivery October 24, 2008Deliverable number 1.1. 1Deliverable title Requirements Analysis and Theory for Statistical LearningApproaches in Automaton-Based Dialogue ManagementType ReportStatus & version Final 1.0Number of pages 32 (excluding front matter)Contributing WP 1WP/Task responsible WP 1Other contributors Florence Duclaye,Author(s) Romain Laroche,Ghislain Putois, Philippe Bretier, SteveYoung, Oliver LemonEC Project Ofﬁcer Xavier GrosKeywords Requirements, Dialogue Management, Machine Learning,EBRL, MVDP, POMDP, SDS, MDP
Matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and -2 in sera and urine of patients with renal carcinoma

The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family has been shown to play a critical role in tissue remodeling and tumor infiltration. Their activity is normally strictly controlled by tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). However, TIMPs act indirectly through modulation of protease activity or directly through cell surface receptors to direct cell fate. These molecules have been proposed as markers of malignant cancer. Previous studies on MMP and TIMP expression in kidney carcinoma have been limited and have reported variable observations. The current study measured the content of MMP-2 and -9 and TIMP-1 and -2 in the sera and urine of patients with kidney carcinoma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of these patients, 16 exhibited clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and 4 exhibited oncocytoma. Sera and urine samples of 53 healthy subjects were used as controls. In the sera of the control group, MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were detectable in all samples, while MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were below the sensitivity of the assay. In the pathological specimens, the mean serum values of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 and -2 were similar in the ccRCC and oncocytoma patients, whereas the value for MMP-9 was 2-fold higher in the ccRCC patients compared with the oncocytoma patients. With regard to the urine specimens, all four molecules were undetectable in the normal healthy samples and in a few pathological samples. The mean values for MMP-2 and -9 and TIMP-2 in the positive urine specimens were similar in the ccRCC and oncocytoma patients, whereas the mean value of TIMP-1 was higher in the ccRCC patients compared with that of the oncocytoma patients. The mean urinary levels of the four molecules were less than those of the sera. Statistical analysis of the data did not reveal any correlation between the tumor grades and expression levels of the molecules examined.
Contingent Valuation of Organic Cotton: An Empirical Investigation into the WTA-WTP Disparity

Contingent valuation is a non-market valuation technique which elicits preference data from participants by asking them to value a change in the provision of a specific good or service, contingent on the specifications outlined in a hypothetical market scenario. A commonly observed feature of CV results is a significant and pervasive disparity that develops between willingness to accept and willingness to pay measures of value. While these two measures should theoretically produce the same value estimate for a particular good, with the exception of a small difference due to the income effect, this is not the case in a majority of the experimental CV literature. This WTA-WTP disparity is the focus of this thesis’ investigation, which aims to offer a more accurate understanding of the phenomenon. This thesis provides a detailed review of past research experiments investigating the WTA-WTP gap, identifying two main alternate explanations for the disparity: one which explains the discrepancy as resulting from flaws in the methodological design of the CV experiments (weak experimental design) and one which suggests the gap is caused the fact that people place a higher value on a good they own than an identical good they do not own (endowment effect theory). To assess the legitimacy of each of these two explanations, this thesis presents an experimental investigation into the WTA-WTP gap, where a basic CV survey is design and then used to elicit preference data from participants for organic cotton. The experimental design includes six CV surveys, all of which are fundamentally identical except for small specific alterations, which will allow valuation results to be compared across survey groups in an attempt to isolate the effect that the specified survey design features have on valuation estimates. Two of the surveys collect WTP and WTA data from participants under a binding condition where the average valuation stated by the group would determine a binding monetary outcome for all of the participants. Two further surveys collect WTP and WTA data from participants where no binding monetary outcome is specified (i.e. purely hypothetical), and the final two treatment groups are asked to estimate the WTP and WTA of the binding groups, rather than provide their own personal value estimates. The core comparisons possible between these survey designs include: assessing whether a WTA-WTP gap is observed even when controlling for features of weak experimental design, assessing how the hypothetical nature of a CV experiment impacts on the valuation results, and whether participants are able to provide an unbiased estimate of others’ preferences. Data was collected from 178 participants with between 27 and 31 respondents involved in each of the six survey groups. The data was then analysed using SPSS to test whether there were significant differences between the valuation estimates collected from the different participant groups. The results of the experiment found that the WTA-WTP gap is caused by the endowment effect rather than…
A 1.6–2.3-GHz RF MEMS Reconfigurable Quadrature Coupler and Its Application to a 360$^{\circ } $ Reflective-Type Phase Shifter

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and measurement of a reconfigurable quadrature hybrid coupler and a tunable low-loss reflective-type phase shifter built using the Cavendish Kinetics RF microelectromechanical systems switched capacitor devices. The quadrature coupler tunes from 1.5 to 2.2 GHz with 20-50-MHz steps, and reflection and isolation. The phase shifter covers 360 ° at 2.0 GHz with an insertion loss of 2.0 ±0.5 dB at different phase states. The linearity measurements show that these devices can handle up to 5 W of input power at 1.8-2.2 GHz with an input third-order intercept point over all phase states. The measured second and third harmonic components are at 30 dBm of RF input power. The application areas are in-phase shifters for micro and pico base-stations in the 1.7-2.3-GHz range.
Efficient isolation and propagation of human immunodeficiency virus on recombinant colony-stimulating factor 1-treated monocytes

Monocytes were maintained in tissue culture for greater than 3 mo in media supplemented with rCSF-1. These cultures provided susceptible target cells for isolation and propagation of virus from PBMC of HIV- infected patients. HIV isolated into monocytes readily infected other rCSF-1-treated monocytes but only inefficiently infected PHA-stimulated lymphoblasts. Similarly, laboratory HIV strains passaged in T cell lines or virus isolated from patients' leukocytes into PHA-stimulated lymphoblasts inefficiently infected rCSF-1-treated monocytes. Persistent, low-level virion production was detected in macrophage culture fluids by reverse transcriptase activity or HIV antigen capture through 6-7 wk. Marked changes in cell morphology with cell death, syncytia, and giant cell formation were observed in monocyte cultures 2 wk after infection, but at 4-6 wk, all cells appeared morphologically normal. However, the frequency of infected cells in these cultures at 6 wk was 60-90% as quantified by in situ hybridization with HIV RNA probes or by immunofluorescence with AIDS patients' sera. Ultrastructural analysis by EM also showed a high frequency of infected cells; virtually all HIV budded into and accumulated within cytoplasmic vacuoles and virus particles were only infrequently associated with the plasma membrane. Retention of virus within macrophages and the macrophage tropism of HIV variants may explain mechanisms of both virus persistence and dissemination during disease.
Tahap pengetahuan, penerimaan dan penguasaan pelajar etnik Bidayuh Bukar Sadung dalam pembelajaran bahasa Melayu melalui peta pemikiran I-Think

Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti tahap pengetahuan, penerimaan dan penguasaan penggunaan peta pemikiran i-Think sebagai alat berfikir untuk menguasai Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa kedua. Kajian tinjauan ini melibatkan 234 orang pelajar tingkatan empat etnik Bidayuh Bukar Sadung (BBS) daripada empat buah sekolah menengah di Daerah Serian, Sarawak. Instrumen soal selidik digunakan untuk mengumpul data. Data dianalisis menggunakan program SPSS (Statistical Package For Social Sciences Version 22.0). Statistik deskriptif seperti frekuensi, peratusan, min dan sisihan piawai digunakan untuk menjawab soalan kajian. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa pengetahuan responden tentang nama dan proses pemikiran peta pemikiran i-Think berada pada peratusan yang rendah. Sebaliknya, tahap pengetahuan tentang penggunaan peta pemikiran i-Think dalam PdPc Bahasa Melayu adalah sederhana, manakala tahap penerimaan terhadap peta pemikiran i-Think pelajar pula berada pada tahap tinggi. Implikasi kajian ini ialah pembelajaran Bahasa Melayu membantu pelajar etnik Bidayuh menguasai dan mempelajari Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa kedua mereka dengan baik.
Sinai–Ruelle–Bowen measures for weakly expanding maps

We construct Sinai–Ruelle–Bowen measures for endomorphisms satisfying conditions far weaker than the usual non-uniform expansion. As a consequence, the definition of a non-uniformly expanding map can be weakened. We also prove the existence of an absolutely continuous invariant measure for local diffeomorphisms, only assuming the existence of hyperbolic times for Lebesgue at almost every point in the manifold.
Comparison of pulpotomy with formocresol and MTA in primary molars: a systematic review and meta- analysis

Introduction: There are various studies looking at the effects of formocresol (FC) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) on pulpotomy of primary molars. This is a systematic review of literature comparing the success rates of MTA and FC in pulpotomy of primary molars. Materials and Methods: The study list was obtained using PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Science Citation Index, Iran Medex, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library, and also some hand searches contains through dental journals approved by the Iranian Ministry of Health. Papers which met the inclusion were accepted. The quality of studies for the meta-analysis was assessed by a series of validity criteria according to Jadad's scale. Eight qualified studies met the criteria. Terms of clinical outcomes and radiographic findings were evaluated in all studies to assess clinical success and root resorption. Fixed model was applied to aggregate the data of homogenous studies. A random effect model was carried out for measuring the effect size of heterogeneous studies. Results: The overall clinical and radiographic success rates based on the data suggested that MTA was superior to FC (P=0.004) with the Odds Ratio=3.535 and 95% confidence interval (1.494-8.369). Conclusion: Primary molars pulpotomy with MTA have better clinical and radiographic success rates than FC. (Iranian Endodontic Journal 2008;3:45-9)
Comparative Pharmacokinetics, Tissue Distributions, and Effects on Renal Function of Novel Polymeric Formulations of Amphotericin B and Amphotericin B-Deoxycholate in Rats

ABSTRACT The pharmacokinetic profiles of a traditional formulation of amphotericin B (Fungizone) and novel nanosphere and mixed micelle delivery systems developed for amphotericin B were compared and described. Six groups of male Wistar rats received intravenous injections of the different formulations. Plasma and tissue samples were obtained at 11 different times after dosing, with three animals used each time. The amphotericin B concentrations in plasma and tissues were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The plasma drug concentration-time profiles were best described by a two-compartment model. Models that described the observed single or double peak disposition kinetics in kidney, liver, and spleen were also developed. Parameter estimates from those models show that components of the formulation such as poloxamer 188, which is present in all new formulations, seem to play an important role in the rate of drug uptake by the tissues; in general, the levels of amphotericin B in tissues were increased after the administration of the new formulations compared with those after the administration of Fungizone. The increment in the baseline plasma creatinine level was used as an index of renal function. All formulations increased this baseline value, but the novel formulations exhibited fewer renal effects than Fungizone did. However, a direct relationship between drug exposure in the kidneys and development of renal damage could not be found.
The difficulty of translating collocations from Arabic into English encountered by a sample of Arab students

The present study aimed at exploring the difficulty that was encountered by a sample of Saudi undergraduate students when they translated collocations from Arabic into English. The researchers attempted to identify the reasons behind such a difficulty and find practical solutions to this difficulty. They followed an experimental descriptive method in the study. They also designed a quiz on collocations and administered it to the students as part of the requirements of a course the students were taking at that time. The quiz was given to 50 Saudi undergraduate students at the Department of English at Teachers College of King Saud University in the second semester of the academic year 20015. The quiz consisted of 15 Arabic sentences which apparently included collocations. The research data and findings revealed that the majority of the students could not translate collocations correctly because they adopted literal translation, used bilingual dictionaries and had very little knowledge of the concept of collocations in both languages. To help Arab students overcome this enormous difficulty, the researchers offered some recommendations and suggestions at the end of their study.
Cooperative diversity for wireless ad hoc networks

Cooperative diversity is a novel technique proposed for conveying information in wireless ad hoc networks, where closely located single-antenna network nodes cooperatively transmit and/or receive by forming virtual antenna arrays. For its building blocks, the relay channel and the two-transmitter, two-receiver cooperative channel, we survey the latest advances made in determining the theoretical capacity bounds and describe the best practical code designs reported so far. Both theory and practice predict that cooperative communication can provide increased capacity and power savings in ad hoc networks.
A multi-factorial perspective on ADHD and ODD in school-aged children: What is the role of cognitive regulation, temperament, and parental support?

ABSTRACT Introduction: It is well established that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder of self-regulation. As such, ADHD is associated with disturbed cognitive regulation, extreme temperament traits, and deficient extrinsic regulation such as parenting. Despite these associations, cognitive regulation, temperament, and parenting have not previously been examined simultaneously in relation to ADHD symptoms in school-aged children. To bridge this gap of knowledge, we examined effects of these important aspects of self-regulation on symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and comorbid symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in children with and without a diagnosis of ADHD. Method: The sample consisted of 77 children aged 8 to 12 years (~40% had a diagnosis of ADHD). We assessed cognitive regulation (i.e., complex inhibition and working memory) during a lab visit and parents rated child temperament (negative affect, surgency, and effortful control) and parental support. Parents and teachers rated ADHD and ODD symptoms in the child. We performed continuous analyses, informed by a dimensional perspective on ADHD. Results: Working memory contributed independently to inattention (β = −.19, p < .05). Effortful control contributed independently to inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity (βs = −.50 and −.49, ps < .01). Negative affect contributed to ODD symptoms as moderated by parental support (β = .58, p < .01). Specifically, for children who received lower levels of parental support there was a significant positive association between negative affect and ODD symptoms. Conclusions: The results propose that both cognitive regulation and effortful control influence ADHD symptoms. Moreover, different factors seem to be involved in ADHD and ODD, with regulatory deficits specifically related to ADHD symptoms, and elevated negative affect specifically related to ODD symptoms. Interestingly, parenting moderated the relationship between negative affect and ODD symptoms, with a suggested protective effect of high parental support for children with high levels of negative affect.
Infant HIV type 1 gp120 vaccination elicits robust and durable anti-V1V2 immunoglobulin G responses and only rare envelope-specific immunoglobulin A responses.

BACKGROUND Infant responses to vaccines can be impeded by maternal antibodies and immune system immaturity. It is therefore unclear whether human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccination would elicit similar responses in adults and infants. METHOD HIV-1 Env-specific antibody responses were evaluated in 2 completed pediatric vaccine trials. In the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) 230 protocol, infants were vaccinated with 4 doses of Chiron rgp120 with MF59 (n=48), VaxGen rgp120 with aluminum hydroxide (alum; n=49), or placebo (n=19) between 0 and 20 weeks of age. In PACTG 326, infants received 4 doses of ALVAC-HIV-1/AIDSVAX B/B with alum (n=9) or placebo (n=13) between 0 and 12 weeks of age. RESULTS By 52 weeks of age, the majority of maternally acquired antibodies had waned and vaccine Env-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses in vaccinees were higher than in placebo recipients. Chiron vaccine recipients had higher and more-durable IgG responses than VaxGen vaccine recipients or ALVAC/AIDSVAX vaccinees, with vaccine-elicited IgG responses still detectable in 56% of recipients at 2 years of age. Remarkably, at peak immunogenicity, the concentration of anti-V1V2 IgG, a response associated with a reduced risk of HIV-1 acquisition in the RV144 adult vaccine trial, was 22-fold higher in Chiron vaccine recipients, compared with RV144 vaccinees. CONCLUSION As exemplified by the Chiron vaccine regimen, vaccination of infants against HIV-1 can induce robust, durable Env-specific IgG responses, including anti-V1V2 IgG.
Decision Support Systems in Fisheries and Aquaculture: A systematic review

Decision support systems help decision makers make better decisions in the face of complex decision problems (e.g. investment or policy decisions). Fisheries and Aquaculture is a domain where decision makers face such decisions since they involve factors from many different scientific fields. No systematic overview of literature describing decision support systems and their application in fisheries and aquaculture has been conducted. This paper summarizes scientific literature that describes decision support systems applied to the domain of Fisheries and Aquaculture. We use an established systematic mapping survey method to conduct our literature mapping. Our research questions are: What decision support systems for fisheries and aquaculture exists? What are the most investigated fishery and aquaculture decision support systems topics and how have these changed over time? Do any current DSS for fisheries provide real- time analytics? Do DSSes in Fisheries and Aquaculture build their models using machine learning done on captured and grounded data? The paper then detail how we employ the systematic mapping method in answering these questions. This results in 27 papers being identified as relevant and gives an exposition on the primary methods concluded in the study for designing a decision support system. We provide an analysis of the research done in the studies collected. We discovered that most literature does not consider multiple aspects for multiple stakeholders in their work. In addition we observed that little or no work has been done with real-time analysis in these decision support systems.
Knowledge Acquisition Method Based on Singular Value Decomposition for Human Motion Analysis

The knowledge remembered by the human body and reflected by the dexterity of body motion is called embodied knowledge. In this paper, we propose a new method using singular value decomposition for extracting embodied knowledge from the time-series data of the motion. We compose a matrix from the time-series data and use the left singular vectors of the matrix as the patterns of the motion and the singular values as a scalar, by which each corresponding left singular vector affects the matrix. Two experiments were conducted to validate the method. One is a gesture recognition experiment in which we categorize gesture motions by two kinds of models with indexes of similarity and estimation that use left singular vectors. The proposed method obtained a higher correct categorization ratio than principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation efficiency (CE). The other is an ambulation evaluation experiment in which we distinguished the levels of walking disability. The first singular values derived from the walking acceleration were suggested to be a reliable criterion to evaluate walking disability. Finally we discuss the characteristic and significance of the embodied knowledge extraction using the singular value decomposition proposed in this paper.