Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Semantic Labeling of Data by Using the Web

This paper proposes a system for automatically categorizing terms or lexical entities into a predefined set of semantic domains. We present an approach that exploits the knowledge available in the Web to create a model of each term or entity (entity context lexicons - ECLs). Each profile is simply a list of terms (similar to the bag-of-words representation in text categorization) and it is composed primarily by the words often appearing in the same contexts of the entity. These profiles model the contexts in which the entity usually appears and they can be subsequently processed by an automatic classifier. Moreover, we propose and validate a profile-based categorization model developed for this particular task which uses the ECLs of the training entities to build a profile for each class (class context lexicon - CCL). Finally, we propose a technique for dealing with multi-label classification based on a decision module that exploits a neural network. We show the effectiveness of the proposed approach on a term categorization task using a standard benchmark composed of a set of domain-specific lexicons (WordNetDomains)
Use of MR venography for characterization of the extracranial venous system in patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy control subjects.

PURPOSE To investigate the differences in the extracranial venous system in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy control (HC) subjects by using magnetic resonance (MR) venography. MATERIALS AND METHODS This HIPAA-compliant, prospective study was approved by the local institutional review board, and all participants gave informed consent. Fifty-seven patients, 41 (72%) with relapsing-remitting MS and 16 (28%) with secondary-progressive MS, and 21 HC subjects were imaged with a 3-T MR unit by using two-dimensional (2D) time-of-flight (TOF) and three-dimensional (3D) time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (TRICKS) sequences. In addition, six MS patients and six HC subjects underwent two sequential MR venographic examinations during 1 week to test image-reimage reproducibility. The morphologic features of internal jugular vein flow were classified as absent, pinpoint, flattened, crescentic, or ellipsoidal flow. Only absent and pinpoint flow were considered abnormal. The flow of the vertebral veins was classified as absent or present. The prominence of collateral neck veins and venous asymmetries between the left and right sides were assessed. Differences among groups were tested with a two-tailed Mann-Whitney two-sample rank-sum test. RESULTS No significant differences in morphologic features of flow in the internal jugular veins and vertebral veins were found between MS patients and HC subjects in any of the examined MR venographic parameters. No differences in asymmetry or prominence were found between MS patients and HC subjects. There was modest agreement (κ = 0.67) between 2D TOF and 3D TRICKS sequences. Image-reimage reproducibility showed modest agreement (κ = 0.66) for 2D TOF and low agreement for 3D TRICKS (κ = 0.33). CONCLUSION No significant differences in the extracranial venous systems between MS patients and HC subjects were detected by using MR venography. Standardized guidelines are needed to define parameters for the presence of venous anomalies.
Duality for Mixed-Integer Linear Programs

The theory of duality for linear programs is well-developed and has been successful in advancing both the theory and practice of linear programming. In principle, much of this broad framework can be extended to mixed-integer linear programs, but this has proven difficult, in part because duality theory does not integrate well with current computational practice. This paper surveys what is known about duality for integer programs and offers some minor extensions, with an eye towards developing a more practical
Nonpeptide endothelin receptor antagonists. X. Inhibition of endothelin-1- and hypoxia-induced pulmonary pressor responses in the guinea pig by the endothelin receptor antagonist, SB 217242.

This study investigated the effects of the nonpeptide endothelin (ET) receptor antagonist, SB 217242, against ET-1-induced pulmonary pressor responses and in a model of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in the guinea pig. In guinea pig isolated pulmonary artery rings, SB 217242 (3-300 nM) produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of ET-1-induced contractions, with a pA2 of 8.1. SB 217242 (1 or 3 mg/kg i.v.) elicited a dose-related inhibition of ET-1-induced increases in pulmonary artery and airway insufflation pressure responses in anesthetized guinea pigs. Chronic exposure to hypoxia (9% O2 for 0-14 days) produced a time-dependent increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure. After a 10-day exposure to hypoxia there was about a 100% elevation in pulmonary artery pressure, and right ventricular mass and plasma irET levels increased 3-fold compared with normoxic animals. SB 217242, administered by continuous intraperitoneal infusion via mini osmotic pump (0.36, 3.6 or 10.8 mg/day), significantly reduced (by about 50%) hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery pressure increases at all three doses used. The hypoxia-induced right ventricular hypertrophy was significantly attenuated by the 3.6 and 10.8 mg/day doses. Based on hematocrit, hemoglobin and red blood cell counts, SB 217242 did not affect the normal physiological erythropoietic response to hypoxia. There were no appreciable differences in the maximum contractile effects of ET-1 or the potency of SB 217242 (pKB values, 8.3 and 8.0, respectively) versus ET-1-induced responses in isolated pulmonary arteries from hypoxic versus normoxic guinea pigs. However, there was a marked reduction in endothelium-dependent relaxation of precontracted pulmonary artery isolated from hypoxic compared with normoxic animals. The results of the present study provide further preclinical evidence for a pathophysiological role of ET-1 and the potential therapeutic utility of ET receptor antagonists, such as SB 217242, in pulmonary hypertension.
Ab initio lattice stability of fcc and hcp Fe–Mn random alloys

We have studied the lattice stability of face centred cubic (fcc) versus hexagonal close packed (hcp) Fe–Mn random alloys using ab initio calculations. In the calculations we considered the antiferromagnetic order of local moments, which for fcc alloys models the magnetic configuration of this phase at room temperature (below its Néel temperature) as well as their complete disorder, corresponding to paramagnetic fcc and hcp alloys. For both cases, the results are consistent with our thermodynamic calculations, obtained within the Calphad approach. For the room temperature magnetic configuration, the cross-over of the total energies of the hcp phase and the fcc phase of Fe–Mn alloys is at the expected Mn content, whereas for the magnetic configuration above the fcc Néel temperature, the hcp lattice is more stable within the whole composition range studied. The increase of the total energy difference between hcp and antiferromagnetic fcc due to additions of Mn as well as the stabilizing effect of antiferromagnetic ordering on the fcc phase are well displayed. These results are of relevance for understanding the deformation mechanisms of these random alloys.
Recommendations with Optimal Combination of Feature-Based and Item-Based Preferences

Many recommender systems rely on item ratings to predict users' preferences and generate recommendations. However, users often express preferences by referring to features of the items, e.g., "I like Tarantino's movies". But, it has been shown that user models based on feature preferences may lead to wrong recommendations. In this paper we cope with this issue and we introduce a novel prediction model that generate better item recommendations, especially in cold-start situations, by exploiting both item-based and feature-based preferences. We also show that it is possible to optimize the combination of the two types of preferences when actively requesting them to users.
Tuning and spontaneous spike time synchrony share a common structure in macaque inferior temporal cortex.

Investigating the relationship between tuning and spike timing is necessary to understand how neuronal populations in anterior visual cortex process complex stimuli. Are tuning and spontaneous spike time synchrony linked by a common spatial structure (do some cells covary more strongly, even in the absence of visual stimulation? ), and what is the object coding capability of this structure? Here, we recorded from spiking populations in macaque inferior temporal (IT) cortex under neurolept anesthesia. We report that, although most nearby IT neurons are weakly correlated, neurons with more similar tuning are also more synchronized during spontaneous activity. This link between tuning and synchrony was not simply due to cell separation distance. Instead, it expands on previous reports that neurons along an IT penetration are tuned to similar but slightly different features. This constraint on possible population firing rate patterns was consistent across stimulus sets, including animate vs. inanimate object categories. A classifier trained on this structure was able to generalize category "read-out" to untrained objects using only a few dimensions (a few patterns of site weightings per electrode array). We suggest that tuning and spike synchrony are linked by a common spatial structure that is highly efficient for object representation.
An Empirical Pilot Study of CAPTCHA Complexity Using Eye Tracking

A "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart" (CAPTCHA) is a widely used technique in many websites for protecting their online services from malicious users. Yet, end-user perceptions related to the complexity of CAPTCHA varies based on the visual properties of a CAPTCHA. In this paper we present an empirical pilot study that employs eye tracking to measure the complexity of CAPTCHA with different properties using three metrics: fixation count, fixation duration and task completion. Our initial results reveal that with high CAPTCHA complexity, the fixation count and fixation duration increase, on the other hand, the task completion decrease. The approach we used can be incorporated with other metrics for providing an additional technique to measure the usability of CAPTCHAs.
MIXING MANUAL AND COMPUTER-SUPPORTED INITIATIVE FOR SCHEDULING AND NEGOTIATION ACROSS DISTRIBUTED ORGANIZATIONS

Several user studies have shown that in many cases electronic planning and scheduling tools are percei ved by the users as disruptive with respect to their actual wo rk practices often based on physical tools. This can result in r ejecting such electronic tools without fully appreciating th e long-term benefits of their adoption. As a part of a larger e ffort for providing support along scheduling and negotiation processes across distributed organizations, we have designed a solution to allow manual and computer-supported mixed initiative that aims at letting the users continue working according to their work practices leveraging the be nefit of an automated support. In this paper, we describe our solution also motiva ting the design choises we made. We show how our solution allows users interact with a manual editing facility to sc hedule and manage their work activities and, when appropriate, to select and publish scheduling information for triggering negotiations on services with other, possibly remot e, users. We illustrate our approach in the context of a busi ness-tobusiness scenario where users are decision-makers i n print centers scheduling and negotiating print jobs.
Picking a (Poor) Partner

Using comprehensive data from the global advertising industry from 1995 to 2003, we examined the effects of indirect ties (common clients) on acquirers’ choices of partners for mergers and acquisitions and on the performance of the combined organizations. We found that the probability of being acquired rose but the performance of merged entities declined—both by losing clients and by selling less to the clients retained—with the number of common clients connecting the target to the acquirer. Two potential mechanisms could account for this pattern of results: either managers hold positively biased beliefs about those connected to them through common clients, or they restrict their searches for potential acquisition partners to those they already know, despite the disadvantages of doing so, ignoring targets that may have more potential but with whom they have no indirect ties.
Music listening preferences of Macau students

This is a pioneer study of Macau's music education focusing on music listening preference. Adopting models from Western cultures, the study, launched in 2006, aimed to explore the factors of age and gender in regard to music preference. The subjects ranged from fourth-graders to university students (N=2495) (15 missing). Participants rated their degree of preference on a five-point Likert scale after listening to each of the 20 music excerpts representing five selected genres including: Western Pop/Rock, Western Classical, non-Western, traditional Chinese and Cantopop (Hong Kong pop music sung in Cantonese). Results indicated that the most preferred genre was Cantopop, followed by Western Pop/Rock, Western Classical, non-Western and the most disliked was traditional Chinese music. Age was a significant factor for all genres in Macau students’ listening preference and genre differences, though small, were found in three genres, namely, Cantopop, non-Western and traditional Chinese music. Overall, male students expressed more interest in music listening than female counterparts.
The Practical Application of Body-Mind Centering® (BMC) in Dance Pedagogy

Summary Based in bodily awareness, somatic education has many points of relationship with dance education. Body-Mind Centering® (BMC), with some of its roots in Laban Movement Analysis/Bartenieff Fundamentals (LMA/BF), has a particularly easy link to dance. When studying Body-Mind Centering, the theoretical components are often taught through dance improvisation and visualization with applications frequently made to movement and dance. Dancers benefit from the precision and embodied practice of its experiential anatomy. Dance educators can strengthen their organization of dance classes using the neuro-developmental foundations of Body-Mind Centering.
Die Instabilität wortfinaler Alveolarpiosive im Deutschen: eine elektropalatographische Untersuchung

Abstract Descriptive autority analyses of continuous texts in German have shown that word-final alveolar plosives are frequently assimilated to following labials and velars. On the basis of illustrative data this experimental investigation deals with the question of whether the alveolar movement is completely eliminated by articulatory control or whether coarticulation arises which involves the preservation of the articulatory gesture without a perceptual consequence. As regards the experimental procedure, a method of dynamic palatography is used and described here, also in respect of its limitations. Material from one subject is then discussed and the direction of future research in this area outlined with regard to new experiments and the necessary instrumental facilities. Finally, the special articulatory and physiological status of alveolar consonants in general is considered as well as ensuing consequences for sound change.
Cold start link prediction

In the traditional link prediction problem, a snapshot of a social network is used as a starting point to predict, by means of graph-theoretic measures, the links that are likely to appear in the future. In this paper, we introduce cold start link prediction as the problem of predicting the structure of a social network when the network itself is totally missing while some other information regarding the nodes is available. We propose a two-phase method based on the bootstrap probabilistic graph. The first phase generates an implicit social network under the form of a probabilistic graph. The second phase applies probabilistic graph-based measures to produce the final prediction. We assess our method empirically over a large data collection obtained from Flickr, using interest groups as the initial information. The experiments confirm the effectiveness of our approach.
Clinical outcomes of bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia in the era of antibiotic resistance.

Limited data are available about the impact of antimicrobial resistance on clinical outcomes in cases of pneumococcal pneumonia. This was studied in 146 persons hospitalized with invasive pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae (minimum inhibitory concentration of cefotaxime, > or = .25 microg/mL) who were identified through population-based active surveillance for the period of November 1994 through April 1996. Compared with matched control subjects who had infection with more-susceptible S. pneumoniae, the proportion of subjects who died or who were admitted to an intensive care unit did not differ significantly. Multivariable analysis showed no significant contribution of antimicrobial resistance to mortality or the requirement for care in an intensive care unit. The ability to detect an effect of antimicrobial resistance on these important outcome measures may have been influenced by aggressive multidrug empirical therapy in this group of hospitalized patients. Factors other than resistance, such as severity of illness at presentation and advance directive status ("do not resuscitate" orders), appear to have a stronger influence on pneumococcal pneumonia outcomes.
Tier 2 Reading Interventions: Comparison of Reading Mastery and Fundations Double Dose

With the emergence of response to intervention as a key element for supporting school success for all students, there is a need for teachers to know which interventions have been found to be effective. Some interventions have been validated with a number of research studies, but new interventions also need such validation. This study was a program evaluation that compared a well-known and scientifically validated reading program, Reading Mastery, with a new program called Fundations. The study used single-subject case study methods with 6 matched dyads of first-grade students at risk for reading problems. The efficacy of each program for individual students was evaluated by evaluating the students’ progress monitoring scores on the Nonsense Word Fluency test of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. Results showed that all the students made progress toward winter benchmarks of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills; however, the amount of growth varied across the students. Outcomes for each student, as well as implications for teaching practices, are discussed.
The Use of Modal Expressions in English by Native Speakers of Russian

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Lowbush Wild Blueberries have the Potential to Modify Gut Microbiota and Xenobiotic Metabolism in the Rat Colon

The gastrointestinal tract is populated by an array of microbial species that play an important role in metabolic and immune functions. The composition of microorganisms is influenced by the components of the host’s diet and can impact health. In the present study, dietary enrichment of lowbush wild blueberries (LWB) was examined to determine their effect on colon microbial composition and their potential in promoting gut health. The microbial composition and functional potential of the colon microbiota from Sprague Dawley rats fed control diets (AIN93) and LWB-enriched diets (AIN93+8% LWB powder substituting for dextrose) for 6 weeks were assessed using Illumina shotgun sequencing and bioinformatics tools. Our analysis revealed an alteration in the relative abundance of 3 phyla and 22 genera as representing approximately 14 and 8% of all phyla and genera identified, respectively. The LWB-enriched diet resulted in a significant reduction in the relative abundance of the genera Lactobacillus and Enterococcus. In addition, hierarchal analysis revealed a significant increase in the relative abundance of the phylum Actinobacteria, the order Actinomycetales, and several novel genera under the family Bifidobacteriaceae and Coriobacteriaceae, in the LWB group. Functional annotation of the shotgun sequences suggested that approximately 9% of the 4709 Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) hits identified were impacted by the LWB-diet. Open Reading Frames (ORFs) assigned to KEGG category xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism were significantly greater in the LWB-enriched diet compared to the control and included the pathway for benzoate degradation [PATH:ko00362] and glycosaminoglycan degradation [PATH:ko00531]. Moreover, the number of ORFs assigned to the bacterial invasion of epithelial cells [PATH:ko05100] pathway was approximately 8 fold lower in the LWB group compared to controls. This study demonstrated that LWBs have the potential to promote gut health and can aid in the development of optimal diets.
Introduction to synthesized magnetic field focusing technology

A synthesized magnetic field focusing (SMF) technology is firstly proposed in this paper. Once the magnetic field can be focused like beamforming, many related studies such as inductive power transfer system (IPTS) and the magnetic induction tomography (MIT) will be applicable. Using the SMF technology, high electromagnetic field (EMF) problem of the IPTS can be solved, and much higher resolution for the conventional MIT can be achieved. In this paper, one dimensional SMF was verified theoretically, and with simulations and experiments using 10 coils and core structure. Near 10 cm resolution for 90 cm core structure was achieved with magnetic field density of 15 mG for 10 cm distance apart.
Characterization of Late Acyltransferase Genes of Yersinia pestis and Their Role in Temperature-Dependent Lipid A Variation

ABSTRACT Yersinia pestis is an important human pathogen that is maintained in flea-rodent enzootic cycles in many parts of the world. During its life cycle, Y. pestis senses host-specific environmental cues such as temperature and regulates gene expression appropriately to adapt to the insect or mammalian host. For example, Y. pestis synthesizes different forms of lipid A when grown at temperatures corresponding to the in vivo environments of the mammalian host and the flea vector. At 37°C, tetra-acylated lipid A is the major form; but at 26°C or below, hexa-acylated lipid A predominates. In this study, we show that the Y. pestis msbB (lpxM) and lpxP homologs encode the acyltransferases that add C12 and C16:1 groups, respectively, to lipid IVA to generate the hexa-acylated form, and that their expression is upregulated at 21°C in vitro and in the flea midgut. A Y. pestis ΔmsbB ΔlpxP double mutant that did not produce hexa-acylated lipid A was more sensitive to cecropin A, but not to polymyxin B. This mutant was able to infect and block fleas as well as the parental wild-type strain, indicating that the low-temperature-dependent change to hexa-acylated lipid A synthesis is not required for survival in the flea gut.