Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Shaping of Meaning: Options in Writing the Comparison.

When composing, writers give shape to the meaning they construct, and they signal a possible configuration for meaning through the organizational patterns they supply for their readers. This study examined writers' options in organizing comparisons texts that are often considered to have a canonical pattern. Thirty college students wrote their comparisons through discourse synthesis, integrating content cued by two informative texts, each text dealing with one of the two topics to be compared. Analyses focused on the organizational patterns the writers generated and on the content they included. Of the two major ways of organizing comparisons organization by aspect and organization by object organizing by aspect was the format used by most writers in this study. However, there was much variability within this format in how writers combined material for the comparison. Writers could focus on specific aspects, could separate aspects into those that were similarities and those that were differences, or could generate macro-aspects to subsume several related aspects. In selecting source material the writers preferentially included content that was symmetrical, in that it related information that was available for both objects being compared. And almost half of their additions also contributed to symmetry by balancing their treatments of the two objects. Chunking of content in a systematic way, especially by generating macro-aspects for topical focus, was a strong predictor of holistic quality ratings, stronger than measures for the nature of the content that was included. These higherrated papers providing readers with macro-aspects tended to be written by students with higher verbal ability and more extensive topic knowledge. The study points out the variability within comparison discourse and demonstrates the complexity of the choices writers must make in structuring comparison texts. In composing, writers give shape to meaning as they create texts to meet their discourse goals. One configuration writers may choose to use and to signal in their texts is the comparison pattern, by which they classify material Data collection for this research was supported by a faculty development grant awarded to the author when she was on the faculty of Texas Woman's University. Data analysis was supported, in part, by a faculty development grant awarded to the author after she joined the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University and also, in part, by a grant from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement for the Center for the Study of Writing. Appreciation goes to Lloyd Bennett, James R. King, Ruth Caswell, Roslynn Seidenstein, David Kaufer, Larry Wasserman, Cynthia Cochran, Maureen Goggin, Stuart Greene, Rebecca Burnett, David Wallace, Lorraine Higgins, Amy Dorman, and Kathy R. Meinzer for their assistance in the project. Research in the Teaching of English, Vol. 25, No. 4, December 1991
FreeLing: An Open-Source Suite of Language Analyzers

Basic language processing such as tokenizing, morphological analyzers, lemmatizing, PoS tagging, chunking, etc. is a need for most NL applications such as Machine Translation, Summarization, Dialogue systems, etc. A large part of the effort required to develop such applications is devoted to the adaptation of existing software resources to the platform, programming language, format or API of the nal system. In LREC’02, we presented the object architecture that we are currently using (Carreras and Padr· o, 2002), which enables the quick and easy integration of basic language analyzers in any NLP application. Now we present a suite of analysis tools based on that architecture, which is distributed under Lesser General Public License (LGPL) (Free Software Foundation, 1999). The rst release of the suite will include morphological analyzer and Part-of-Speech tagger for English, Spanish, and Catalan.
The Role of Vitamin C in Prevention of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes

Background Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is one of the most important complications of the pregnancy and cause perinatal morbidity and mortality. History of PPROM is a risk factor of recurrent PPROM. Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen metabolism and increases resistance maintenance of the chorioamniotic membranes. Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of vitamin C supplementation in prevention of PPROM in women with a positive history of PPROM. Patients and Methods This clinical trial study was performed on 170 pregnant women with the history of PPROM, with singleton pregnancy and gestational age 14 weeks in Imam-Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences during 2008 to 2010. They were randomly divided into two groups. The case patients received 100 mg vitamin C daily from 14th weeks of gestation. PPROM occurrence was compared between two groups as an indicator of the protective effect of vitamin C supplements. Results PPROM occurred in 44.7% of controls and 31.8% of cases (P < 0.05). PROM occurred in 34.1% of controls and 18.8% of cases (P < 0.05). Pregnancy was terminated at term gestation in 21.2% of controls and 49.4% of cases (P < 0.05). Rupture of membranes was significantly decreased in the case group. Conclusions Vitamin C supplementations after 14th weeks of gestation can prevent from PPROM in women with the history of PPROM.
PERSPECTIVE: SIGN EPISTASIS AND GENETIC COSTRAINT ON EVOLUTIONARY TRAJECTORIES

Abstract Epistasis for fitness means that the selective effect of a mutation is conditional on the genetic background in which it appears. Although epistasis is widely observed in nature, our understanding of its consequences for evolution by natural selection remains incomplete. In particular, much attention focuses only on its influence on the instantaneous rate of changes in frequency of selected alleles via epistatic contribution to the additive genetic variance for fitness. Thus, in this framework epistasis only has evolutionary importance if the interacting loci are simultaneously segregating in the population. However, the selective accessibility of mutational trajectories to high fitness genotypes may depend on the genetic background in which novel mutations appear, and this effect is independent of population polymorphism at other loci. Here we explore this second influence of epistasis on evolution by natural selection. We show that it is the consequence of a particular form of epistasis, which we designate sign epistasis. Sign epistasis means that the sign of the fitness effect of a mutation is under epistatic control; thus, such a mutation is beneficial on some genetic backgrounds and deleterious on others. Recent experimental innovations in microbial systems now permit assessment of the fitness effects of individual mutations on multiple genetic backgrounds. We review this literature and identify many examples of sign epistasis, and we suggest that the implications of these results may generalize to other organisms. These theoretical and empirical considerations imply that strong genetic constraint on the selective accessibility of trajectories to high fitness genotypes may exist and suggest specific areas of investigation for future research.
A consensus model for multiperson decision making with different preference structures

In this paper, we present a consensus model for multiperson decision making (MPDM) problems with different preference structures based on two consensus criteria: 1) a consensus measure which indicates the agreement between experts' opinions and 2) a measure of proximity to find out how far the individual opinions are from the group opinion. These measures are calculated by comparing the positions of the alternatives between the individual solutions and collective solution. In such a way, the consensus situation is evaluated in each moment in a more realistic way. With these measures, we design a consensus support system that is able to substitute the actions of the moderator. In this system, the consensus measure is used to guide the consensus process until the final solution is achieved while the proximity measure is used to guide the discussion phases of the consensus process. The consensus support system has a feedback mechanism to guide the discussion phases based on the proximity measure. This feedback mechanism is based on simple and easy rules to help experts change their opinions in order to obtain a degree of consensus as high as possible. The main improvement of this consensus model is that it supports consensus process automatically, without moderator, and, in such a way, the possible subjectivity that the moderator can introduce in the consensus process is avoided.
Ultratrace and isotope analysis of long-lived radionuclides by inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry using a direct injection high efficiency nebulizer.

The direct injection high efficiency nebulizer (DIHEN) was explored for the ultrasensitive determination of long-lived radionuclides ((226)Ra, (230)Th, (237)Np, (238)U, (239)Pu, and (241)Am) and for precise isotope analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The DIHEN was used at low solution uptake rates (1-100 μL/min) without a spray chamber. Optimal sensitivity (e.g., (238)U, 230 MHz/ppm; (230)Th, 190 MHz/ppm; and (239)Pu, 184 MHz/ppm) was achieved at low nebulizer gas flow rates (0.16 L/min), high rf power (1450 W), and low solution uptake rates (100 μL/min). The optimum parameters varied slightly for the two DIHENs tested. The detection limits of long-lived radionuclides in aqueous solutions varied from 0.012 to 0.11 ng/L. The sensitivity of the DIHEN was improved by a factor of 3 to 5 compared with that of a microconcentric nebulizer (MicroMist used with a minicyclonic spray chamber at a solution uptake rate of 85 μL/min) and a factor of 1.5 to 4 compared with that of a conventional nebulizer (cross-flow used with a Scott type spray chamber at a solution uptake rate of 1 mL/min). The precision of the DIHEN ranged from 0.5 to 1.7% RSD (N = 3) for all measurements at the 10 ng/L concentration level (∼3 pg sample size). The sensitivity decreased to 10 MHz/ppm at a solution uptake rate of 1 μL/min. The precision was about 5% RSD at a sample size of 30 fg for each long-lived radionuclide by the DIHEN-ICPMS method. The oxide to atom ratios were less than 0.05 (except ThO(+)/Th(+) ) and decreased under the optimum conditions in the following sequence: ThO(+)/Th(+) > UO(+)/U(+) > NpO(+)/Np(+) > PuO(+)/Pu(+) > AmO(+)/Am(+) > RaO(+)/Ra(+). Atomic and oxide ions were used as analyte ions for ultratrace and isotope analyses of long-lived radionuclides in environmental and radioactive waste samples. The analytical methods developed were applied to the determination of long-lived radionuclides and isotope ratio measurements in different radioactive waste and environmental samples using the DIHEN in combination with quadrupole ICPMS. For instance, the (240)Pu/(239)Pu isotope ratio was measured in a radioactive waste sample at a plutonium concentration of 12 ng/L. This demonstrates a main advantage of DIHEN-ICPMS compared with α-spectrometry, which cannot be used to selectively determine (239)Pu and (240)Pu because of similar α energies (5.244 and 5.255 MeV, respectively).
Filter calculation for x-ray tomosynthesis reconstruction

Filtered backprojection reconstruction is an efficient image reconstruction method which is widely used in CT and 3D x-ray imaging. The way data have to be filtered depends on the acquisition geometry and the number of projections (views) which were acquired. For standard geometries like circle or helix it is known how to effectively filter the data. But there are acquisition geometries for which the application of standard filters yields poor results, e.g. in situations where the number of views is very small or for a limited angular range. In tomosynthesis, both conditions apply, i.e. the number of projections is typically very small and, moreover, the angular coverage is much less than 180°. This paper proposes a new method to design effective filters which are specific for the acquisition geometry. Examples from x-ray tomosynthesis are utilized to demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed method.
Divergence of Quaternary Structures Among Bacterial Flagellar Filaments

It has been widely assumed that the atomic structure of the flagellar filament from Salmonella typhimurium serves as a model for all bacterial flagellar filaments given the sequence conservation in the coiled-coil regions responsible for polymerization. On the basis of electron microscopic images, we show that the flagellar filaments from Campylobacter jejuni have seven protofilaments rather than the 11 in S. typhimurium. The vertebrate Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) recognizes a region of bacterial flagellin that is involved in subunit-subunit assembly in Salmonella and many other pathogenic bacteria, and this short region has diverged in Campylobacter and related bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori, which are not recognized by TLR5. The driving force in the change of quaternary structure between Salmonella and Campylobacter may have been the evasion of TLR5.
Expression of RAC 3, a steroid hormone receptor co-activator in prostate cancer

RAC 3, one of the p160 family of co-activators is known to enhance the transcriptional activity of a number of steroid receptors. As co-activators are also known to enhance androgen receptor (AR) activity, we investigated the role of RAC 3 in the context of prostate cancer. In prostate cancer cell lines, we found variable levels of the RAC 3 protein with highest expression seen in AR-positive LNCaP cells, moderate expression in AR-negative PC 3 cells and low-level expression in AR-negative DU 145 cells. Immuno-precipitation studies showed that endogenous RAC 3 interacted with the AR in vivo and transfection assays confirmed that RAC 3 enhanced AR transcriptional activity. In clinical prostate tissue, we found strong RAC 3 mRNA expression and immuno-histochemistry demonstrated that in benign tissue, the protein was expressed predominantly in luminal cells, while in primary malignant epithelium it was more homogeneously expressed. In a series of 37 patients, the levels of RAC 3 expression correlated significantly with tumour grade (P = 0.01) and stage of disease (P = 0.03) but not with serum PSA levels. In addition moderate or high RAC 3 expression was associated with poorer disease-specific survival (P = 0.03). We conclude that RAC 3 is an important co-activator of the AR in the prostate and may have an important role in the progression of prostate cancer. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer. com
Demonstrating the Feasibility of Automatic Game Balancing

Game balancing is an important part of the (computer) game design process, in which designers adapt a game prototype so that the resulting gameplay is as entertaining as possible. In industry, the evaluation of a game is often based on costly playtests with human players. It suggests itself to automate this process using artificial players for the prediction of gameplay and outcome. In this paper, the feasibility of automatic balancing is investigated for the card game top trumps using simulation- and deck-based objectives. Additionally, the necessity of a multi-objective approach is asserted by assessing the only published (single-objective) method. We apply a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm to obtain decks that optimise objectives developed to express the fairness and the excitement of a game of top trumps, e.g. win rate and average number of tricks. The results are compared with decks from published top trumps games using the aforementioned objectives. The possibility to generate decks better or at least as good as decks from published top trumps decks in terms of these objectives is demonstrated. Our results indicate that automatic balancing with the presented approach is feasible even for more complex games such as real-time strategy games.
Experts' annotation behavior in relation to audiovisual content: a case study of the film domain

In this paper we describe a proposal for researching the annotation behavior of experts in the audiovisual domain, more specifically in relation to cinema. It gives particular focus to tagging behavior, but explores also other film annotation practices used by scholars in their own research, as well as standards and behavior adopted by indexing experts. The main research problem that this thesis addresses is developing an understanding of the role of social annotations for film content in relation to those other indexing and annotation perspectives, in order to look into how film archives can support different user communities and facilitate both experts and novices’ annotation interaction with film heritage. Experts include “indexing” experts, such as archivists or cataloguers, and “domain” experts, in this case film specialists. The proposal describes the research question, the theoretical framework, the main background research, the methodology and method, as well as the data collection techniques. Finally, the current status and the expected outcomes are discussed.
Sexual fantasy in gay men in India: a comparison with heterosexual men

Abstract Sexual fantasy can be a part of sexual behaviour. Understanding sexual fantasies enables clinicians to understand the needs and barriers in individuals' sexual functioning. Sexual functioning in marriage and relationships is in turn influenced by sexual fantasies. In this first ever study of sexual fantasy from India, we report on 30 homosexual men and 30 heterosexual men who were given Wilson's Sexual Fantasy Questionnaire (SFQ). Homosexual men in this sample scored high on exploratory (trying out new techniques), intimate and interpersonal (fantasies about places, objects and times) as well as for overall libido. Heterosexual men acknowledged levels of external sexual restrictiveness, which were associated with sexual inhibition in real life. These findings from an urban sample reflect cultural and social factors, which can influence sexual fantasy and sexual functioning.
The clinical experience of robot-assisted surgery in gynecologic cancer

Abstract The comparison of robotic and conventional laparoscopic hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy in gynecologic cancer still needs to be studied. In all, 98 consecutive cases of patients with gynecologic cancer undergoing robot-assisted hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, and another 98 consecutive cases of conventional laparoscopic hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy during the same period in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University were included. The duration of the operation, blood loss, drainage during the first 24 h after the operation, total hospital stay, hospital stay after the operation, lymph nodes collected, perioperative complications, and the cost of each operation for both procedures were recorded. The duration of the operation was longer, and the cost of each operation was almost seven times higher in the robot group than that in the conventional laparoscopy group. But the differences with regard to blood loss, drainage during the first 24 h after the operation, total hospital stay, hospital stay after operation, the lymph nodes collected, and the rate of perioperative complications were not statistically significant. Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) in gynecologic cancer is as feasible as conventional laparoscopic surgery. We recommend further studies about the cost and effect of RAS in gynecologic cancer.
The IADL Profile: Development, Content Validity, Intra- and Interrater Agreement

Background. Occupational therapists are frequently asked to document the interplay between individuals' neuropsychological deficits and the requirements of their daily lives. Purpose. The present study was designed to develop and validate a measure of independence in everyday functioning that considers recent advances in research regarding the ecological assessment of executive functions. Method. Experts (n=8) judged the IADL Profile's content validity and the tool was pilot tested with the target population (n=8). To document the tool's reliability, 30 patients aged 16 to 65 with moderate or severe TBI were recruited. A trained examiner administered the IADL Profile, and three trained judges rated video recordings on two occasions. Results. An eight-task (29-item) test was developed. Comparing ratings of four raters, 95 percent of kappa coefficients indicated moderate to almost perfect agreement, and 94% showed almost perfect intrarater agreement. Implications. The IADL Profile provides occupational therapists with a set of measures of IADL independence with strong preliminary evidence of reliability.
Ristretto: Hardware-Oriented Approximation of Convolutional Neural Networks

Convolutional neural networks (CNN) have achieved major breakthroughs in recent years. Their performance in computer vision have matched and in some areas even surpassed human capabilities. Deep neural networks can capture complex non-linear features; however this ability comes at the cost of high computational and memory requirements. State-of-art networks require billions of arithmetic operations and millions of parameters. To enable embedded devices such as smartphones, Google glasses and monitoring cameras with the astonishing power of deep learning, dedicated hardware accelerators can be used to decrease both execution time and power consumption. In applications where fast connection to the cloud is not guaranteed or where privacy is important, computation needs to be done locally. Many hardware accelerators for deep neural networks have been proposed recently. A first important step of accelerator design is hardware-oriented approximation of deep networks, which enables energy-efficient inference. We present Ristretto, a fast and automated framework for CNN approximation. Ristretto simulates the hardware arithmetic of a custom hardware accelerator. The framework reduces the bit-width of network parameters and outputs of resource-intense layers, which reduces the chip area for multiplication units significantly. Alternatively, Ristretto can remove the need for multipliers altogether, resulting in an adder-only arithmetic. The tool fine-tunes trimmed networks to achieve high classification accuracy. Since training of deep neural networks can be time-consuming, Ristretto uses highly optimized routines which run on the GPU. This enables fast compression of any given network. Given a maximum tolerance of 1%, Ristretto can successfully condense CaffeNet and SqueezeNet to 8-bit. The code for Ristretto is available.