Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incorporating Word Correlation Knowledge into Topic Modeling

This paper studies how to incorporate the ex-ternal word correlation knowledge to improve the coherence of topic modeling. Existing topic models assume words are generated independently and lack the mechanism to utilize the rich similarity relationships among words to learn coherent topics. To solve this problem, we build a Markov Random Field (MRF) regularized Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model, which deﬁnes a MRF on the latent topic layer of LDA to encourage words labeled as similar to share the same topic label. Under our model, the topic assignment of each word is not independent, but rather affected by the topic labels of its correlated words. Similar words have better chance to be put into the same topic due to the regularization of MRF, hence the coherence of topics can be boosted. In addition, our model can accommodate the subtlety that whether two words are similar depends on which topic they appear in, which allows word with multiple senses to be put into different topics properly. We derive a variational inference method to infer the posterior probabilities and learn model parameters and present techniques to deal with the hard-to-compute partition function in MRF. Experiments on two datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our model.
Maternal Age: A Major Factor Affecting the Prospects and Outcome of Pregnancy a

Among physiological systems, that of reproduction in females probably shows greater variation in functional activity during life than any other. In our own species, the reproductive lifespan begins at menarche and ends at menopause, a span averaging 36 years in Western countries.1 Reproductive potential reaches a peak value after a short period of postpubertal maturation, but steadily declines during the fourth and fifth decades of life2,3 and is lost irretrievably when ovarian cycles cease at about age 50.4 The effects of maternal age on fecundity and fertility are complex and multifactorial, involving a progressive depletion of the ovarian follicular store, production of defective oocytes, and reduced competence of the organs and systems required to sustain gestation successfully. Inbred rodents have been studied extensively to assess the relative weight of these factors because they are inexpensive, have a lifespan of only 2–3.5 years, and offer opportunities to identify hierarchical responsibility in aging by heterochronic organ transplantation. In the following sections the effects of aging on three variables affecting reproduction at late ages are described. The CBA mouse has been chosen as the principal model since reproductive life in this animal is completed within a year of age.
Cell-Cell Connection Enhances Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation of Rat Embryonic Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells

Cell-cell interaction as one of the niche signals plays an important role in the balance of stem cell quiescence and proliferation or differentiation. In order to address the effect and the possible mechanisms of cell-cell connection on neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs) proliferation and differentiation, upon passaging, NSCs/NPCs were either dissociated into single cell as usual (named Group I) or mechanically triturated into a mixture of single cell and small cell clusters containing direct cell-cell connections (named Group II). Then the biological behaviors including proliferation and differentiation of NSCs/NPCs were observed. Moreover, the expression of gap junction channel, neurotrophic factors and the phosphorylation status of MAPK signals were compared to investigate the possible mechanisms. Our results showed that, in comparison to the counterparts in Group I, NSCs/NPCs in Group II survived well with preferable neuronal differentiation. In coincidence with this, the expression of connexin 45 (Cx45), as well as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin 3 (NT-3) in Group II were significantly higher than those in Group I. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK2 were significantly upregulated in Group II too, while no change was found about p38. Furthermore, the differences of NSCs/NPCs biological behaviors between Group I and II completely disappeared when ERK and JNK phosphorylation were inhibited. These results indicated that cell-cell connection in Group II enhanced NSCs/NPCs survival, proliferation and neuronal differentiation through upregulating the expression of gap junction and neurotrophic factors. MAPK signals- ERK and JNK might contribute to the enhancement. Efforts for maintaining the direct cell-cell connection are worth making to provide more favorable niches for NSCs/NPCs survival, proliferation and neuronal differentiation.
Statistical sources of variable selection bias in classification tree algorithms based on the Gini index

Evidence for variable selection bias in classification tree algorithms based on the Gini Index is reviewed from the literature and embedded into a broader explanatory scheme: Variable selection bias in classification tree algorithms based on the Gini Index can be caused not only by the statistical effect of multiple comparisons, but also by an increasing estimation bias and variance of the splitting criterion when plug-in estimates of entropy measures like the Gini Index are employed. The relevance of these sources of variable selection bias in the different simulation study designs is examined. Variable selection bias due to the explored sources applies to all classification tree algorithms based on empirical entropy measures like the Gini Index, Deviance and Information Gain, and to both binary and multiway splitting algorithms.
Leukoaraiosis and Carotid Artery Stenosis: Evaluation With CT Angiography

Objective We aim to determine the relationship between leukoaraiosis and carotid artery stenosis. Methods Carotid-cerebral multislice computed tomography angiographies of 194 patients (mean age, 63.5 years) were retrospectively evaluated. Presence and severity of leukoaraiosis and carotid artery stenosis were compared to each other. Carotid artery stenosis was defined by the criteria of the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial; leukoaraiosis was evaluated based on the European Task Force on Age-Related White Matter Changes criteria. Results The frequency of leukoaraiosis was 52%. The correlations between age and presence and severity of leukoaraiosis as well as the degree of carotid artery stenosis were significant. There was a significant relationship between the presence of leukoaraiosis and carotid artery stenosis; also, a positive correlation was found between the severity of the leukoaraiosis and the degree of carotid artery stenosis. Conclusions Leukoaraiosis is more common among the elderly. Significant relationship between the severity of leukoaraiosis and the degree of carotid artery stenosis points out that leukoaraiosis may be an advanced stage of atherosclerosis.
Feature subset selection in unsupervised learning via multiobjective optimization

In this paper, the problem of unsupervised feature selection and its formulation as a multiobjective optimization problem are investigated. Two existing multiobjective methods from the literature are revisited and used as the basis for an algorithmic framework, encompassing both wrapper and filter methodsoffeatureselection. Anumberofalternativealgorithms implemented within this framework are then evaluated using an extensive data test suite; the main effect investigated is that of thechoiceofaprimaryobjectivefunction(asecondaryobjective function is used only to militate against an inherent cardinality bias affecting all methods of feature subset evaluation). Partic- ular attention is paid in the study to high-dimensional data sets in which the numberof features is much largerthan the number
Effects of Lipoic Acid Supplementation on Activities of Cyclooxygenases and Levels of Prostaglandins E2 and F2 α Metabolites, in the Offspring of Rats with Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes

Background. Our aim was to evaluate the protective effect of lipoic acid (LA) on fetal outcome of diabetic mothers. Methods. Diabetes was induced in female rats using streptozotocin and rats were made pregnant. Pregnant control (group 1; n = 9; and group 2; n = 7) or pregnant diabetic (group 3; n = 10; and group 4; n = 8) rats were treated daily with either LA (groups 2 and 4) or vehicle (groups 1 and 3) between gestational days 0 and 15. On day 15 of gestation, the fetuses, placentas, and membranes were dissected, examined morphologically, and then homogenized, to measure cyclooxygenase (COX) activities and metabolisms of prostaglandin (PG) E2 (PGEM) and PGF2 α (PGFM) levels. The level of total glutathione was measured in the maternal liver and plasma and in all fetuses. Results. Supplementation of diabetic rats with LA was found to significantly (p < 0.05) reduce resorption rates in diabetic rats and led to a significant (p < 0.05) increase in liver, plasma, and fetuses total glutathione from LA-TD rats as compared to those from V-TD. Decreased levels of PGEM and elevated levels of PGFM in the fetuses, placentas, and membranes were characteristic of experimental diabetic gestation associated with malformation. The levels of PGEM in malformed fetuses from LA-TD mothers was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those in malformed fetuses from V-TD rats. Conclusions. LA treatment did not completely prevent the occurrence of malformations. Thus, other factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of the diabetes-induced congenital malformations.
Multiple antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: evidence for involvement of an efflux operon

An outer membrane protein of 50 kDa (OprK) was overproduced in a siderophore-deficient mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa capable of growth on iron-deficient minimal medium containing 2,2'-dipyridyl (0.5 mM). The expression of OprK in the mutant (strain K385) was associated with enhanced resistance to a number of antimicrobial agents, including ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and streptonigrin. OprK was inducible in the parent strain by growth under severe iron limitation, as provided, for example, by the addition of dipyridyl or ZnSO4 to the growth medium. The gene encoding OprK (previously identified as ORFC) forms part of an operon composed of three genes (ORFABC) implicated in the secretion of the siderophore pyoverdine. Mutants defective in ORFA, ORFB, or ORFC exhibited enhanced susceptibility to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, streptonigrin, and dipyridyl, consistent with a role for the ORFABC operon in multiple antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa. Sequence analysis of ORFC (oprK) revealed that its product is homologous to a class of outer membrane proteins involved in export. Similarly, the products of ORFA and ORFB exhibit homology to previously described bacterial export proteins located in the cytoplasmic membrane. These data suggest that ORFA-ORFB-oprK (ORFC)-dependent drug efflux contributes to multiple antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa. We propose, therefore, the designation mexAB (multiple efflux) for ORFAB.
Language learning in conflictual contexts: a study of Turkish Cypriot adolescents learning Greek in Cyprus

ABSTRACT The Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities in Cyprus have been divided for the last five decades. This study investigated whether the recent introduction of Greek language studies in Turkish Cypriot secondary schools affects students’ attitudes towards the language, its speakers and culture, and motivation to study the language. Findings revealed that students studying Greek (experimental group) report having more positive attitudes towards Greek, its culture, and speakers and are more motivated to study it. Findings confirm the important role the degree of satisfaction with language studies plays in students’ motivation to study a language.
Explorations in disambiguation using XML text representation

In SENSEVAL-3, CL Research participated in four tasks: English all-words, English lexical sample, disambiguation of WordNet glosses, and automatic labeling of semantic roles. This participation was performed within the development of CL Research’s Knowledge Management System, which massively tags texts with syntactic, semantic, and discourse characterizations and attributes. This System is fully integrated with CL Research’s DIMAP dictionary maintenance software, which provides access to one or more dictionaries for disambiguation and representation. Our core disambiguation functionality, unchanged since SENSEVAL-2, performed at a level comparable to our previous performance. Our participation in the SENSEVAL-3 tasks was concerned primarily with text processing and representation issues and did not advance our disambiguation capabilities.
Compensated Dyslexics Have a More Efficient Error Detection System Than Noncompensated Dyslexics

Error/correct-related negativities, response-locked components of the evoked response potential, and N100, a stimulus-locked component, were used to compare error detection monitoring in skilled readers and in compensated and noncompensated dyslexic adolescent readers during a lexical decision task. Results showed a general increase in N100 amplitudes prior to error commission in all groups; a significant decrease in error/correct-related negativity amplitudes in the noncompensated dyslexics compared with the other 2 groups; and smaller error-related negativity correlated with a higher number of decoding errors, lower working memory scores, and lower speed of processing in the neuropsychological battery. Based on the hypothesis in previous studies that the error detection mechanism is a subcomponent of executive functions, the possibility that poor executive ability underlies poor reading skills in the noncompensated dyslexic readers is discussed. These findings can be used as a platform for executive-based diagnosis and training for individuals with reading disabilities.
Towards a Redefinition of Quality Management in Accordance with Islam

This paper aims to discuss the need to redefine quality management in accordance with Islam by analysing the existing quality management definition from the Islamic philosophy perspective. The redefinition of quality management is an important contribution to the management of Islamic development institutions. Discussion towards the redefinition of quality management in this paper is based on theoretical analysis of the existing conventional quality management. This paper attempts to argue that the meaning of the existing conventional quality management is mainly limited to material and tangible aspects, such as commercialisation, increased revenues, competitiveness and meeting customer needs, whereas the philosophy and principles that underpin the development of Islamic institutions are unique and comprehensive compared to the limited material and tangible aspects. This paper proves there is a need to fill the gap in quality management of Islamic development institutions by coming up with a definition of quality management from the Islamic perspective.
A Neuroimaging Perspective of Schizotypy

Schizotypy is a useful construct for examining the developmental pathway(s) of schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology. It unifies a wide spectrum of behaviour, ranging from normal personality traits to full-blown psychosis, thereby offering a framework in which the aetiology, development, and expression of schizophrenia-related disorders may be studied in conjunction with typical behaviour. Furthermore, the dimensional nature of the construct allows for investigations into the possible endophenotypes of schizophrenia and other related disorders, which may be used to distinguish those at a high risk of developing psychopathology from the general population. Various behavioural, cognitive, and neuroimaging studies have investigated the role of schizotypy on perception and cognition, most of which have found subtle abnormalities that are qualitatively similar to the deficits observed in schizophrenia patients. However, there is a need for a clarification of the construct and a more defined placement of nonclinical schizotypy on the spectrum, as there is a lack of consistency in the measurement, definition, and effects of schizotypy on nonclinical populations. Towards this end, the overall aim of the current thesis was to investigate schizotypy using multiple behavioural and neuroimaging methods within the same sample of participants, in order to build a more comprehensive profile of a nonclinical individual with schizotypal personality. Study 1 revealed that early sensory gating abnormalities are present in those with high levels of schizotypy, establishing that lower sensory processes are affected in individuals who may be predisposed to psychopathology, and may contribute to higher-level cognitive deficits observed in those with schizophrenia. In Study 2, we examined the relationship between language laterality and schizotypy, and found that cerebral laterality in the current sample did not differ on the basis of levels of schizotypy. This suggests that reduced laterality is not an indication of schizotypal thinking, especially in high-functioning, young adults. Study 3 ii demonstrated that schizotypy may result in adaptive cognitive characteristics, as evidenced by the increased level of figural creativity seen in the schizotypal individuals. There were no group differences in the verbal creativity measure. Finally, Study 4 found neuroanatomical differences in high schizotypy, where grey matter volume reductions indicate that structural abnormalities are present even in the absence of high functional deficits. Broadly and taken together, these findings contribute to the evidence of a multidimensional construct of schizotypy. They further lend support to the body of work suggesting that the schizotypyschizophrenia spectrum shares similar functional processes, possibly arising from the same underlying structural deficits. Finally, schizotypy provides an integrative framework in which the complex interactions between the gene and environment should be studied in order to further characterise both the adaptive and maladaptive manifestations of schizotypal behaviour.
Adjuvant chemotherapy after potentially curative resection of metastases from colorectal cancer: a pooled analysis of two randomized trials.

PURPOSE Adjuvant systemic chemotherapy administered after surgical resection of colorectal cancer metastases may reduce the risk of recurrence and improve survival, but its benefit has never been demonstrated. Two phase III trials (Fédération Francophone de Cancérologie Digestive [FFCD] Trial 9002 and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer/National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group/Gruppo Italiano di Valutazione Interventi in Oncologia [ENG] trial) used a similar design and showed a trend favoring adjuvant chemotherapy, but both had to close prematurely because of slow accrual, thus lacking the statistical power to demonstrate the predefined difference in survival. We report here a pooled analysis based on individual data from these two trials. PATIENTS AND METHODS After complete resection of colorectal liver or lung metastases, patients were randomly assigned to chemotherapy (CT arm; fluorouracil [FU] 400 mg/m(2) administered intravenously [IV] once daily plus dl-leucovorin 200 mg/m(2) [FFCD] x 5 days or FU 370 mg/m(2) plus l-leucovorin 100 mg/m(2) IV x 5 days [ENG] for six cycles at 28-day intervals) or to surgery alone (S arm). RESULTS A total of 278 patients (CT, n = 138; S, n = 140) were included in the pooled analysis. Median progression-free survival was 27.9 months in the CT arm as compared with 18.8 months in the S arm (hazard ratio = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.76; P = .058). Median overall survival was 62.2 months in the CT arm compared with 47.3 months in the S arm (hazard ratio = 1.32; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.82; P = .095). Adjuvant chemotherapy was independently associated with both progression-free survival and overall survival in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION This pooled analysis shows a marginal statistical significance in favor of adjuvant chemotherapy with an FU bolus-based regimen after complete resection of colorectal cancer metastases.
What learning in day‐old chickens can teach a neurochemist: focus on astrocyte metabolism

The learning process sets in motion a prolonged, reproducible, and complicated pattern of brain activation, which provides information about biochemical reactions in activated brain. Study of this pattern during one‐trial aversive bead discrimination in day‐old chick is facilitated by precise timing of sequential metabolic events occurring between a 10‐s learning period, in which the chicks learn to associate a red bead with aversive taste, and memory consolidation, indicated by unwillingness to peck at untainted red beads while freely pecking at corresponding blue beads. Inhibition of learning by metabolic inhibitors and restoration of memory by specific substrates at specific times allow determination of specific metabolic events and their neuronal or astrocytic localization. Downstream metabolism of glycogen and of glucose to pyruvate/lactate is segregated into separate pools. Glucose metabolism via pyruvate dehydrogenation provides energy in both neurons and astrocytes and may include gap junction‐mediated lactate transport into astrocytes. A key role is played by glycogenolysis, stimulated by β2‐adrenergic and/or 5‐HT2‐receptor stimulation along with α2‐adrenergic stimulation of glycogen synthesis. The importance of glycogen reflects that it selectively supports de novo synthesis of transmitter glutamate by combined pyruvate dehydrogenation and carboxylation in astrocytes.
Benefits and Barriers to Disclosing Sexual Trauma: A Contextual Approach

Benefits and Barriers to Disclosing Sexual Trauma: A Contextual Approach Sarah E. Ullman PhD a , Melissa Ming Foynes MS b & Sharon Shin Shin Tang PhD c a Department of Criminology, Law, & Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA b Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA c VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Version of record first published: 06 Apr 2010.
Isoform‐Specific Up‐Regulation by Ouabain of Na+,K+‐ATPase in Cultured Rat Astrocytes

Abstract: There are two α‐subunit isoforms (α1 and α2) and two β‐subunit isoforms (β1 and β2) of Na+,K+‐ATPase in astrocytes, but the functional heterodimer composition is not known. Ouabain (0.5–1.0 mM) increased the levels of α1 and β1 mRNAs, whereas it decreased those of α2 and β2 mRNAs in cultured rat astrocytes. The increases in α1 and β1 mRNAs were observed at 6–48 h after addition of the inhibitor. Immunochemical analyses showed that ouabain increased α1 and β1, but not α2 and β2, proteins, and that the isoforms in control and ouabain‐treated cultures were of glial origin. Low extracellular K+ and monensin (20 µM) mimicked the effect of ouabain on α1 mRNA. The ouabain‐induced increase in α1 mRNA was blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (10 µM), the intracellular Ca2+ chelator 1,2‐bis(2‐aminophenoxy)ethane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid tetraacetoxymethyl ester (30 µM), and the calcineurin inhibitor FK506 (1 nM). These findings indicate that chronic inhibition of Na+,K+‐ATPase up‐regulates the α1 and β1, but not α2 and β2, isoforms in astrocytes, suggesting a functional coupling of α1β1 complex. They also suggest that intracellular Na+, Ca2+, and calcineurin may be involved in ouabain‐induced up‐regulation of the enzyme in astrocytes.