Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Individual Variation in the Choice of Referential Form

This study aims to measure the variation between writers in their choices of referential form by collecting and analysing a new and publicly available corpus of referring expressions. The corpus is composed of referring expressions produced by different participants in identical situations. Results, measured in terms of normalized entropy, reveal substantial individual variation. We discuss the problems and prospects of this finding for automatic text generation applications.
Fundamental Planes and the Barless MBH-σ Relation for Supermassive Black Holes

The residuals about the standard Mbh-σ relation correlate with the effective radius, absolute magnitude, and Sérsic index of the host bulge, giving rise to an apparent black hole “fundamental plane. ” However, we show that the elliptical galaxies do not define such a plane. Instead, it is a handful of barred galaxies, which are shown to systematically deviate from the Mbh-σ relation by δ log Mbh ≈ − 0.5 to –1.0 dex (their σ-values are too large) and generate much of the aforementioned three-parameter correlations. Removal of the seven barred galaxies from the Tremaine et al. set of 31 galaxies gives a “barless” Mbh-σ relation with an intrinsic scatter of 0.17 dex (vs. 0.27 dex for the 31 galaxies) and a total scatter of 0.25 dex (vs. 0.34 dex for the 31 galaxies). Furthermore, removal of the barred galaxies, or all the disk galaxies, from an expanded and updated set of 40 galaxies with direct black hole mass measurements gives a consistent result, such that log (Mbh/M☉) = (8.25 ± 0.05) + (3.68 ± 0.25) log (σ/200 km s−1) . In addition, the barless σ-L relation for galaxies with direct black hole mass measurements is found to be consistent with that from the SDSS sample of early-type galaxies, and the barless Mbh-σ relation, the Mbh-n relation, and the K-band Mbh-L relation are all shown to yield SMBH masses less than 2–4 × 109 M☉.
Cooperation in Experimental Games of Strategic Complements and Substitutes

We conduct a laboratory experiment aimed at examining whether strategic substitutability and strategic complementarity have an impact on the tendency to cooperate in finitely repeated two-player games with a Pareto-inefficient Nash equilibrium. We find that there is significantly more cooperation when actions exhibit strategic complementarities than in the case of strategic substitutes. The difference is to some extent driven by a difference in the speed with which some pairs reach stable full cooperation, but mainly by differences in choices of pairs that do not succeed in reaching full cooperation. Copyright , Wiley-Blackwell.
A Brain-like Cognitive Process with Shared Methods

This paper describes a new entropy-style of equation that may be useful in a general sense, but can be applied to a cognitive model with related processes. The model is based on the human brain, with automatic and distributed pattern activity. Methods for carrying out the different processes are suggested. The main purpose of this paper is to reaffirm earlier research on different knowledge-based and experience-based clustering techniques. The overall architecture has stayed essentially the same and so it is the localised processes or smaller details that have been updated. For example, a counting mechanism is used slightly differently, to measure a level of 'cohesion' instead of a 'correct' classification, over pattern instances. The introduction of features has further enhanced the architecture and the new entropy-style equation is proposed. While an earlier paper defined three levels of functional requirement, this paper re-defines the levels in a more human vernacular, with higher-level goals described in terms of action-result pairs.
Opportunistic spectrum sharing in cognitive MIMO wireless networks

Cognitive radio has been recently proposed as a promising technology to improve the spectrum utilization. In this paper, we consider the spectrum sharing between a large number of cognitive radio users and a licensed user in order to enhance the spectrum efficiency. With the deployment of M antennas at the cognitive base station, an opportunistic spectrum sharing approach is proposed to maximize the downlink throughput of the cognitive radio system and limit the interference to the primary user. In the proposed approach, cognitive users whose channels are nearly orthogonal to the primary user channel are pre-selected so as to minimize the interference to the primary user. Then, M best cognitive users, whose channels are mutually near orthogonal to each other, are scheduled from the preselected cognitive users. A lower bound of the proposed cognitive system capacity is derived. It is then shown that opportunistic spectrum sharing approach can be extended to the multiple input/ multiple-output (MIMO) case, where a receive antenna selection is utilized in order to further reduce the computational and feedback complexity. Simulation results show that our proposed approach is able to achieve a high sum-rate throughput, with affordable complexity, when considering either single or multiple antennas at the cognitive mobile terminals.
Congenital syphilis: refining newborn evaluation and management in Shenzhen, southern China

Introduction Consistent definitions of congenital syphilis are critical for determining true incidences and setting up targets of elimination. This study aimed to assess the evaluation and management of infants at high risk of congenital syphilis with an antenatal syphilis-screening programme in the Shenzhen SEZ and to develop feasible definitions for the detection of congenital syphilis in China. Methods A retrospective study was conducted of all standardised records of pregnant women with positive syphilis between 2003 and 2007. Infants at high risk of congenital syphilis were evaluated by laboratory tests at birth and longitudinal follow-up. A screening test-positive congenital syphilis case was defined based on a positive 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS result at birth. Assuming that 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS was the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the ascertainment methods were calculated. Results During the study period, 1010 live infants were born to women with active syphilis during pregnancy. 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS detected 42 screening-positive congenital syphilis cases and another nine cases were identified by longitudinal follow-up only. Using 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS as the gold standard, ‘fourfold rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titres’ had the highest sensitivity and specificity compared with the other two follow-up methods. Discussion 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS makes congenital syphilis case classification simpler and faster for newborns. In areas where 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS is not available, comparing newborn RPR titres with maternal titres can be an alternative method. Meanwhile, positive follow-up results act as treatment indicators for older infants. As congenital syphilis definitions vary over the country, the Shenzhen programme suggested a practical model for surveillance and treatment in areas with or without available 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS testing.
Time domain reconstruction of spatial sound fields using compressed sensing

A novel technique for time domain spatial sound reproduction using compressed sensing is presented. The presented technique is based on the application of compressed sensing theory, which is used to improve the accuracy of the reconstructed sound field. In addition, singular value decomposition is also applied, which acts to significantly reduce the size of the data set to process, thus making it efficient and realisable for real-time applications. Results are presented from the preliminary performance evaluation of the compressed sensing technique in comparison to the Higher Order Ambisonic reconstruction technique.
A Compare-Aggregate Model for Matching Text Sequences

Many NLP tasks including machine comprehension, answer selection and text entailment require the comparison between sequences. Matching the important units between sequences is a key to solve these problems. In this paper, we present a general "compare-aggregate" framework that performs word-level matching followed by aggregation using Convolutional Neural Networks. We particularly focus on the different comparison functions we can use to match two vectors. We use four different datasets to evaluate the model. We find that some simple comparison functions based on element-wise operations can work better than standard neural network and neural tensor network.
Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features of gastointestinal stromal tumors.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological features and immunohistochemical features of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), and specifically the expressions of platelet derived growth factor receptor A (PDGFRA), protein kinase C theta (PKC theta), discovered on GIST-1 (DOG-1), p16 and p27. MATERIALS AND METHODS Total 118 patients who underwent surgical resection for GIST at our institution between Jan 1997 and Dec 2007 were retrospectively studied. Immunohistochemical staining for c-kit, PDGFRA, PKC-theta, DOG-1, p16 and p27 was performed on a tissue microarray of the 118 GIST. The clinicopathologic parameters, the disease-free survival (DFS) and the overall survival rate were analyzed along with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The immunohistochemical stains for c-kit, CD34, PKC-theta, PDGFRA, DOG-1, p16 and p27 were positive in 89.8%, 72.0%, 56.8%, 94.9%, 90.7%, 69.5% and 44.1% of the tumor samples, respectively. The immunohistochemical expression of c-kit was strongly correlated with PKC-theta (p=0.000), DOG-1 (p=0.000) and CD34 (p=0.002). The DFS rate was significantly decreased for the patients with peritoneal GIST, high risk GIST, ≥10 cm-sized GIST, ≥10 mitoses/50 high power fields (HPFs) and p16 positivity (p=0.001, p=0.004, p=0.001, p=0.003 and p=0.028). GISTs ≥10 cm, epithelioid tumor cell type, and c-kit, and DOG-1 negativity were significantly associated with shorter period of overall survival (p=0.048, p=0.006, p=0.000 and p=0.000). CONCLUSION The expression of p16 and no expression of c-kit and DOG-1 in GISTs, as well as peritoneal tumor site, high risk group, large tumor size, epithelioid tumor cell type and numerous mitoses, may be potentially prognostic factors for predicting worse outcome for patients who suffer from GIST.
LEACHING AND SORPTION OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS BY CROP RESIDUE

Overland flow from cropland areas often contains nutrients and residue materials can either contribute to runoff nutrient load through leaching or remove nutrients by sorption. Measurements were made of leaching and sorption of nitrogen and phosphorus from corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. ) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Pastiche) residues placed in solutions containing inorganic nutrients. Variables used were type of residue material, nutrient constituent, solution concentration, and residue / solution contact time. For a given residue material and nutrient constituent, four different solution concentrations were used (PO4 -P: 0 to 16 g mL -1 ; NO3 -N and NH4 -N: 0 to 24 g mL -1 ), and changes in solution concentration over five selected residue / solution contact times (25 to 86400 sec) were measured. Soybean and wheat residue contained relatively small amounts of NO3 -N and therefore had minimal impact on the NO3 -N content of the solutions. An increase in initial solution concentration did not substantially affect PO4 -P leaching from corn and soybean residue but caused the amount of NH4 -N removed to decrease. As residue solution / contact time increased from 25 to 86400 s (1 day), the amount of PO4 -P leached from corn and soybean residue consistently increased. Wheat residue sorbed PO4 -P with an increase in sorption generally resulting from greater residue solution / contact time. Thus, crop residue materials appear to have the potential to influence the N and P content of runoff through leaching and sorption.
High delinquency, disability and mortality — a register study of former adolescent psychiatric in‐patients

A Norwegian population of 1276 former adolescent psychiatric in‐patients was followed up 15 to 33 years after hospitalization by record linkage to the national registers of criminality, disability benefits and causes of death. In total 1095 patients (53.7% males), representing 85.8% of the original sample, could be traced. On the basis of the hospital records all patients were rediagnosed according to DSM‐IV. At follow‐up, 52.0% of those investigated had engaged in criminal activity, 38.5% had received disability benefits, and 13.6% had died. The delinquency, disability and mortality rates were significantly increased compared to those for the general population. In total, 22.9% of the population were not found in any of the above registers and were considered to have a good outcome.
Systems thinking in quality management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the ongoing developments of quality management systems theories and to summarize results of experiments that the author has been conducting since 2003 on convergence of quality thinking and systems thinking and the value generation process in the systems perspective.Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses the ongoing developments of quality management systems theories and summarizes results of experiments on convergence of quality thinking and systems thinking and the value generation process in the systems perspective.Findings – The first finding is the real incorporation of the modern systems view into quality management; the second is the key role of joint quality and systems thinking in value generation. Techniques and technology are absolutely necessary, but they will not produce the necessary changes. Among the competitive factors, they are no longer the most critical. The fragmented view of management is not just a quality management probl.
Microalbuminuria Is Associated With All-Cause and AIDS Mortality in Women With HIV Infection

Objectives:Prevalence of microalbuminuria is increased in patients with HIV. Microalbuminuria is associated with increased mortality in other populations, including diabetics, for whom microalbuminuria testing is standard of care. We investigated whether microalbuminuria is associated with mortality in HIV-infected women not receiving antiretroviral therapy. Methods:Urinalysis for proteinuria and semiquantitative testing for microalbuminuria were performed in specimens from 2 consecutive visits in 1547 HIV-infected women enrolled in the Women's Interagency HIV Study in 1994-1995. Time to death was modeled using proportional hazards analysis. Results:Compared with women without albuminuria, the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality was increased in women with 1 (HR: 3.4; 95% CI: 2.2 to 5.2) or 2 specimens positive for either proteinuria or microalbuminuria (HR: 3.9; 95% CI: 2.1 to 7.0). The highest risk was observed in women with both specimens positive for proteinuria (HR: 5.8; 95% CI: 3.4 to 9.8). The association between albuminuria and all-cause mortality risk remained significant after adjustment for demographics, HIV disease severity, and related comorbidities. Similar results were obtained for AIDS death. Conclusions:We identified a graded relationship between albuminuria and the risk of all-cause and AIDS mortality.
Examining learning in relation to the contexts of use of ICT

Although ICT resources are commonly expected to produce uniform benefits, they are necessarily employed within pre-existing contexts of educational and social activity, and the outcome in terms of both pattern of use and learning depends on how they fit in with these. As a result, the same technology or software may have unexpectedly diverse effects, according to specific setting. If the object is to exercise control over outcome, then the conditions of use need to be planned for within the design and implementation of the technology. In order to do this, it is crucial that research gathers data on how outcomes are affected by the interplay between technology and context. This raises questions about the methods that would be appropriate for the conduct and dissemination of such research. These points are discussed in relation to three studies, one each at primary, secondary and university levels of education.
Mice Lacking Pten in Osteoblasts Have Improved Intramembranous and Late Endochondral Fracture Healing

The failure of an osseous fracture to heal (development of a non-union) is a common and debilitating clinical problem. Mice lacking the tumor suppressor Pten in osteoblasts have dramatic and progressive increases in bone volume and density throughout life. Since fracture healing is a recapitulation of bone development, we investigated the process of fracture healing in mice lacking Pten in osteoblasts (Ocn-cretg/+;Ptenflox/flox). Mid-diaphyseal femoral fractures induced in wild-type and Ocn-cretg/+;Ptenflox/flox mice were studied via micro-computed tomography (µCT) scans, biomechanical testing, histological and histomorphometric analysis, and protein expression analysis. Ocn-cretg/+;Ptenflox/flox mice had significantly stiffer and stronger intact bones relative to controls in all cohorts. They also had significantly stiffer healing bones at day 28 post-fracture (PF) and significantly stronger healing bones at days 14, 21, and 28 PF. At day 7 PF, the proximal and distal ends of the Pten mutant calluses were more ossified. By day 28 PF, Pten mutants had larger and more mineralized calluses. Pten mutants had improved intramembranous bone formation during healing originating from the periosteum. They also had improved endochondral bone formation later in the healing process, after mature osteoblasts are present in the callus. Our results indicate that the inhibition of Pten can improve fracture healing and that the local or short-term use of commercially available Pten-inhibiting agents may have clinical application for enhancing fracture healing.
Identification and phylogeny of putative PEPC genes in three toxin‐producing Karenia (Dinophyta) species

Dense blooms of toxin‐producing Karenia brevis increase local surface ocean pH through CO2 uptake. To identify genes that may contribute to bloom‐related environmental pH and pCO2 changes, transcriptomes with RNA from K. brevis Wilson cultures that had been acclimated to low CO2 (250 ppm) or recent CO2 (350 ppm) pCO2 levels were assembled. Among the annotated transcripts were PEPC, PPDK, and PEPCK enzymes found in the model C4 carbon fixation pathway. Previous studies have demonstrated that the enzymatic activity of PEPC, PPDK, and/or PEPCK in some algae species, including marine diatoms, is influenced by variations in dissolved inorganic carbon. We found significantly similar PEPC, PPDK, and PEPCK enzymes in the transcriptomes of K. brevis and two sister species Karenia papilionacea, and Karenia mikimotoi. One or more isoforms of PEPC were also identified in the transcriptomes of thirty additional photosynthetic phytoplankton species from nine phyla. Phylogenetic trees were constructed with neighbor joining and maximum likelihood techniques to characterize the evolutionary relationship among phytoplankton, terrestrial plant C4, and terrestrial plant C3 PEPC sequences. Based on the nucleotide trees constructed during this study, the Karenia PEPC transcripts were more closely related to the terrestrial C4 genes than the terrestrial C3 genes. Furthermore, PEPC phylogeny among phytoplankton closely resembles phylogenetic trees constructed with ribosomal RNA. This study confirmed that the toxin‐producing dinoflagellates K. brevis, K. mikimotoi, and K. papilionacea express putative PEPC, PEPCK, and PPDK transcripts.
Highly Accurate Facial Nerve Segmentation Refinement From CBCT/CT Imaging Using a Super-Resolution Classification Approach

Facial nerve segmentation is of considerable importance for preoperative planning of cochlear implantation. However, it is strongly influenced by the relatively low resolution of the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images used in clinical practice. In this paper, we propose a super-resolution classification method, which refines a given initial segmentation of the facial nerve to a subvoxel classification level from CBCT/CT images. The super-resolution classification method learns the mapping from low-resolution CBCT/CT images to high-resolution facial nerve label images, obtained from manual segmentation on micro-CT images. We present preliminary results on dataset, 15 <italic>ex vivo</italic> samples scanned including pairs of CBCT/CT scans and high-resolution micro-CT scans, with a leave-one-out evaluation, and manual segmentations on micro-CT images as ground truth. Our experiments achieved a segmentation accuracy with a Dice coefficient of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$ {\text{0.818}} \pm {\text{0.052}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, surface-to-surface distance of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> ${\text{0.121}} \pm {\text{0.030}} \,{\text{mm}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, and Hausdorff distance of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$ {\text{0.715}} \pm {\text{0.169}} \,{\text{mm}}$</tex-math> </inline-formula>. We compared the proposed technique to two other semi-automated segmentation software tools, ITK-SNAP and GeoS, and show the ability of the proposed approach to yield subvoxel levels of accuracy in delineating the facial nerve.
Semi-Continuous HMMs with Explicit State Duration Applied to Arabic Handwritten Word Recognition

The goal of this paper is to describe an off-line segmentation-free Arabic handwritten words recognition system. This system is based on a semi-continuous 1- dimensionnal hidden Markov models (SCHMMs) with explicit state duration of different kinds (Gauss, Poisson and Gamma). First preprocessing is applied to simplify the feature extraction process, then the word image is analyzed from right-to-left, by using a sliding window approach, in order to extract from it a vectors sequence of statistical and structural features. The extracted sequence is submitted to a SCHMMs classifier based on a likelihood criterion for identifying the word using a modified version of the Viterbi algorithm. Several experiments were performed using the IFN/ENIT benchmark database, they showed, on the one hand, a considerable improvement in the recognition rate when SCHMMs with explicit state duration of either discrete or continuous distribution are used instead of standard SCHMMs (i.e. with implicit state duration), on the other hand, the Gamma distribution for the state duration, that have given the best recognition rate (90.89 % in top 1), seems more suitable for the SCHMMs based modeling of Arabic handwriting.