Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
QASSIT at SemEval-2016 Task 13: On the integration of Semantic Vectors in Pretopological Spaces for Lexical Taxonomy Acquisition

This paper presents our participation to the SemEval “Task 13: Taxonomy Extraction Evaluation (TExEval-2)” (Bordea et al., 2016). This year, we propose the combination of recent semantic vectors representation into a methodology for semisupervised and auto-supervised acquisition of lexical taxonomies from raw texts. In our proposal, first similarities between concepts are calculated using semantic vectors, then a pretopological space is defined from which a preliminary structure is constructed. Finally, a genetic algorithm is used to optimize two different functions, the quality of the added relationships in the taxonomy and the quality of the structure. Experiments show that our proposal has a competitive performance when compared with the other participants achieving the second position in the general rank.
Multiple Cancer/Testis Antigens Are Preferentially Expressed in Hormone-Receptor Negative and High-Grade Breast Cancers

Background Cancer/testis (CT) antigens are protein antigens normally expressed only in germ cells of testis, and yet are expressed in a proportion of a wide variety of human cancers. CT antigens can elicit spontaneous immune responses in cancer patients with CT-positive cancers, and CT antigen-based therapeutic cancer vaccine trials are ongoing for “CT-rich” tumors. Although some previous studies found breast cancer to be “CT-poor”, our recent analysis identified increased CT mRNA transcripts in the ER-negative subset of breast cancer. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, we performed a comprehensive immunohistochemical study to investigate the protein expression of eight CT genes in 454 invasive ductal carcinomas, including 225 ER/PR/HER2-negative (triple-negative) carcinomas. We found significantly more frequent expression of all eight CT antigens in ER-negative cancers, and five of them—MAGEA, CT7, NY-ESO-1, CT10 and CT45, were expressed in 12–24% of ER-negative cancers, versus 2–6% of ER-positive cancers (p<0.001 to 0.003). In comparison, GAGE, SAGE1 and NXF2 were only expressed in 3–5% of ER-negative and 0–2% of ER-positive cancers. ER-negative cancers were also more likely to simultaneously co-express multiple CT antigens, with 27% (34/125) of ER-negative, CT-positive tumors expressing three or more CT antigens. HER2 status had no consistent effect on CT expression, and triple-negative carcinomas showed similar frequencies of MAGEA and NY-ESO-1 expression as ER-negative/HER2-positive carcinomas. More frequent CT expression was also found in tumors with higher nuclear grade (p<0.001 to p = 0.01) and larger in size (>2 cm). Conclusions/Significance CT antigens are preferentially expressed in hormone receptor-negative and high-grade breast cancer. Considering the limited treatment options for ER/PR/HER2 triple-negative breast cancer, the potential of CT-based immunotherapy should be explored.
Direct annotation: a drag-and-drop strategy for labeling photos

Annotating photographs is such a time-consuming, tedious and error-prone data entry task that it discourages most owners of personal photo libraries. By allowing the user to drag labels, such as personal names, from a scrolling list and drop them onto a photo, we believe we can make the task faster, easier and more appealing. Since the names are entered in a database, searching for all photos of a friend or family member is dramatically simplified. We describe the user interface design and the database schema to support direct annotation, as implemented in our PhotoFinder prototype.
Identification of acquired coagulation disorders and effects of target-controlled coagulation factor substitution on the incidence and severity of spontaneous intracranial bleeding during veno-venous ECMO therapy

Introduction: Intracranial haemorrhage is a redoubtable complication during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. The underlying mechanisms of haemorrhagic diathesis are still not completely understood. This study was performed to evaluate a coagulation protocol for the regular analysis of acquired coagulation disorders and the systematic substitution of coagulation factors to reach predefined target values. We hypothesised that using this strategy would lead to the identification of acquired bleeding disorders which cannot be monitored with standard coagulation tests and that substitution of the respective factors in a target-controlled approach could have an impact on the incidence and severity of intracranial haemorrhage. Methods: A protocol for the analysis of acquired coagulation disorders and the subsequent administration of associated factor concentrates was introduced. Previously, coagulation management was mainly based on clinical bleeding signs as the trigger for the administration of blood products. In this investigation, nineteen consecutive patients before (control group) and twenty consecutive patients after the implementation of the protocol (intervention group) have been included in the study. Results: Eighty-eight percent of the patients developed factor XIII deficiency, 79% acquired von Willebrand syndrome, 40% fibrinogen deficiency and 54% of the patients showed a decline in platelet count >20% within the first 24 hours of ECMO therapy. In 6 out of 19 (31%) patients in the control group and in 2 patients out of 20 (10%) in the intervention group, intracranial haemorrhage was detected. Whilst 5 of 6 patients in the control group died because of fatal bleeding, both of the patients in the intervention group recovered with a favourable neurologic outcome. Conclusions: Veno-venous ECMO therapy leads to thrombocytopenia, factor XIII and fibrinogen deficiency as well as acquired von Willebrand syndrome. The implementation of a coagulation protocol including a standardized determination and target-controlled substitution of coagulation factors may have a beneficial impact on the incidence and severity of intracranial haemorrhage.
Emotional Expression in Music Performance: Between the Performer's Intention and the Listener's Experience

Nine professional musicians were instructed to perform short melodies using various instruments - the violin, electric guitar, flute, and singing voice - so as to communicate specific emotional characters to listeners. The performances were first validated by having listeners rating the emotional expression and then analysed with regard to their physical characteristics, e.g. tempo, dynamics, timing, and spectrum. The main findings were that (a) the performer's expressive intention had a marked effect on all analysed variables; (b) the performers showed many similarities as well as individual differences in emotion encoding; (c) listeners were generally successful in decoding the intended expression; and (d) some emotional characters seemed easier to communicate than others. The reported results imply that we are unlikely to find performance rules independent of instrument, musical style, performer, or listener.
The absence of a gender congruency effect in romance languages: a matter of stimulus onset asynchrony?

Using the picture-word interference paradigm, H. Schriefers and E. Teruel (2000) found that in German the grammatical gender of the distractor word affects the production of phrases composed of article+picture name: Latencies were longer for picture-word pairs of different genders. However, the effect was found only at positive stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs; i.e., when pictures were presented 75 or 150 ms earlier than word distractors). This gender congruency effect is not obtained in Romance languages. The present article examines whether in these languages, as in German, the effect appears at positive SOAs. No effect was observed in Italian and Spanish at positive SOAs. An account is proposed to explain why the gender congruency effect is obtained in Germanic (Dutch and German) but not in Romance languages.
Evaluation of Immunoglobulins from Plant Cells

Expression of cDNA constructs encoding full‐length mouse immunoglobulin chains with their native leader sequences or fusion constructs substituting the native leader with a pre‐pro sequence derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae yielded blocked N‐termini on the γ chain or the correct amino terminal sequence on the mature k chain. Lectin binding assays revealed that assembled immunoglobulin complexes contained a glycosylated heavy chain. The attached glycan was resistant to digestion by endoglycosidase H and its lectin binding pattern was distinguishable from that of the mammalian glycan. The results indicated processing of the immunoglobulin carbohydrate in the tobacco Golgi to yield a complex oligosaccharide. Secretion of antibody by protoplasts isolated from regenerated transgenic plants or from suspension callus cells was demonstrated by pulse‐chase labeling experiments. When purified, the tobacco‐produced antibody was found to possess the antigen binding and catalytic properties of the murine monoclonal antibody. Kinetic parameters (Km, Ki, Vmax, and kcat) of the tobacco‐derived antibody were comparable to those of the mouse‐derived antibody. The results in general show that the endomembrane system of tobacco cells possesses cognate mechanisms for the recognition of diverse leader sequences. These signals can be used to initiate the assembly, processing, and secretion by plant cells of complex foreign proteins.
Analgesia Synergism of Essential Oil from Pericarp of Zanthoxylum schinifolium and Verapamil

Objective. To evaluate the synergistic analgesic effect of essential oil of Zanthoxylum schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc. (EOZ) and verapamil (Ver). Method. The qualitative and quantitative composition of EOZ were determined with gas chromatography/Mass spectrometer. The interaction between EOZ and Ver in antinociceptive activity was evaluated by using acetic acid-induced writhing, hot plate, and tail flick tests in mice and in isolated toad sciatic nerve test. Results. Linalool, limonene, and sabinene are the major components of EOZ. EOZ (middle-dose: 40 mg·kg−1, high-dose: 80 mg·kg−1) and EOZ + Ver (Each dose group) have remarkable analgesic effects on pain in mice induced by acetic acid-induced writhing, hot plate, and tail flick tests. Low-dose EOZ (20 mg·kg−1) had no analgesic action, but when it is combined with Ver it has shown significant antinociception. Verapamil has a faint analgesic effect but was not able to inhibit action potential transmission in toad sciatic nerve. EOZ (0.2%) and EOZ + Ver (0.2% + 0.05%) also inhibited action potential transmission in toad sciatic nerve. Combination of EOZ with Ver had a greater analgesic effect and inhibition of nerve action potential transmission compared to its components EOZ and Ver. Conclusion. The combination of EOZ with Ver produces a synergistic analgesic effect.
Student perceptions of the benefits of drama projects in university EFL

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to address the situation that although the theoretical benefits of using drama projects in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) have been described in a number of studies, researchers have identified a lack of literature on their practical use, particularly in terms of different institutional settings, teaching styles, learning styles and proficiency levels. This paper therefore describes three case studies in universities in Korea, showing that the use of drama projects can be successfully used in different teaching situations and is an effective means of promoting meaningful language learning in students often demotivated by traditional methods and the test-driven classroom. Design/methodology/approach – In these adult-learner EFL settings, a process approach to drama projects aimed to promote meaningful language acquisition and holistic learning in students of different proficiencies and majors. Drama projects were used as: syllabus supplementation.
The psychological interaction between the stockman and his animals and its influence on performance of pigs and dairy cows

The interaction between animals of economic importance and man, though considered important by many people, has been the subject of only limited investigation. Research on pigs and dairy cows is reported here. The research methodology for pigs is essentially one of controlled experiments, that for dairy cows one of field observations and participant action. The psychological traits of high achievement dairy cow stockmen are shown and discussed. The general conclusions from research with different species, indicate that pleasant, consistent and confident handling leads to a good relationship. There is evidence that this relationship can be correlated with higher performance of animals. The implications for the welfare of animals are considered.
Please Scroll down for Article the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Variations in Selective and Nonselective Prediction Error with the Negative Dimension of Schizotypy

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Histone Deacetylase 1 Depletion Activates Human Cardiac Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Proangiogenic Paracrine Signaling Through a Mechanism Requiring Enhanced Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Synthesis and Secretion

Background Cardiac mesenchymal cell (CMC) administration improves cardiac function in animal models of heart failure. Although the precise mechanisms remain unclear, transdifferentiation and paracrine signaling are suggested to underlie their cardiac reparative effects. We have shown that histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) inhibition enhances CMC cardiomyogenic lineage commitment. Here, we investigated the impact of HDAC1 on CMC cytokine secretion and associated paracrine‐mediated activities on endothelial cell function. Methods and Results CMCs were transduced with shRNA constructs targeting HDAC1 (shHDAC1) or nontarget (shNT) control. Cytokine arrays were used to assess the expression of secreted proteins in conditioned medium (CM) from shHDAC1 or shNT‐transduced CMCs. In vitro functional assays for cell proliferation, protection from oxidative stress, cell migration, and tube formation were performed on human endothelial cells incubated with CM from the various treatment conditions. CM from shHDAC1‐transduced CMCs contained more cytokines involved in cell growth/differentiation and more efficiently promoted endothelial cell proliferation and tube formation compared with CM from shNT. After evaluating key cytokines previously implicated in cell‐therapy–mediated cardiac repair, we found that basic fibroblast growth factor was significantly upregulated in shHDAC1‐transduced CMCs. Furthermore, shRNA‐mediated knockdown of basic fibroblast growth factor in HDAC1‐depleted CMCs inhibited the effects of shHDAC1 CM in promoting endothelial proliferation and tube formation—indicating that HDAC1 depletion activates CMC proangiogenic paracrine signaling in a basic fibroblast growth factor–dependent manner. Conclusions These results reveal a hitherto unknown role for HDAC1 in the modulation of CMC cytokine secretion and implicate the targeted inhibition of HDAC1 in CMCs as a means to enhance paracrine‐mediated neovascularization in cardiac cell therapy applications.
Change and Adaptation in Families with Young Carers

Using grounded theory methodology, members of nine families with 'young carers' were interviewed to explore their experiences of caring. A dynamic theory of change and adaptation emerged in relation to changes in who cares within families, in external support and in the attitudes of young carers towards caring. Adaptations included becoming used to the way life is, knowing how to care, balancing and trading off, rewarding care, and anticipating future adaptations. A model has been developed to offer an explanation of factors which influence young caring in families. These include family expectations about caring; who is available to care; the willingness and capability of young carers to help; and the degree of choice or obligation they experience. Formal and informal support services from outside the family, and environmental adaptations, can reduce the amount of family caregiving required, increase choice and contribute to balancing life for carers.
Here’s My Point: Joint Pointer Architecture for Argument Mining

In order to determine argument structure in text, one must understand how individual components of the overall argument are linked. This work presents the first neural network-based approach to link extraction in argument mining. Specifically, we propose a novel architecture that applies Pointer Network sequence-to-sequence attention modeling to structural prediction in discourse parsing tasks. We then develop a joint model that extends this architecture to simultaneously address the link extraction task and the classification of argument components. The proposed joint model achieves state-of-the-art results on two separate evaluation corpora, showing far superior performance than the previously proposed corpus-specific and heavily feature-engineered models. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that jointly optimizing for both tasks is crucial for high performance.
Coffee extract inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocyes by interrupting insulin signaling through the downregulation of IRS1

Although epidemiological data have indicated that a strong negative association exists between coffee consumption and the prevalence of obesity-associated diseases, the molecular mechanisms by which coffee intake prevents obesity-associated diseases has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we found that coffee intake significantly suppressed high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic alternations such as increases in body weight and the accumulation of adipose tissue, and up-regulation of glucose, free fatty acid, total cholesterol and insulin levels in the blood. We also found that coffee extract significantly inhibited adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. In the early phase of adipogenesis, 3T3-L1 cells treated with coffee extract displayed the retardation of cell cycle entry into the G2/M phase called as mitotic clonal expansion (MCE). Coffee extract also inhibited the activation of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) by preventing its phosphorylation by ERK. Furthermore, the coffee extract suppressed the adipogenesis-related events such as MCE and C/EBPβ activation through the down-regulation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1). The stability of the IRS1 protein was markedly decreased by the treatment with coffee extract due to proteasomal degradation. These results have revealed an anti-adipogenic function for coffee intake and identified IRS1 as a novel target for coffee extract in adipogenesis.
Seismological and gravimetric surveys in Italian active tectonic areas

In this thesis, I present a new multiparametric method aimed at investigating the neotectonic activity of three areas of the Apennines characterized by different Quaternary tectonic environments: the Thyrrhenian inner margin of the Southern Apennines, the backbone of the Central Apennines, and the foredeep-foreland at the transition zone between the Southern and Central Apennine belts. The method consists in a multiparametric data analysis in GIS (Geographic Information System) environment which integrates faults, earthquakes and gravimetric lineaments. This is for characterizing the geometry (strike, dip direction, angle and depth) and activity of buried/silent active faults (Massico and San Giuliano di Puglia areas). We used the Monte Bove, Vettore and Paganica capable faults for calibration as they are located along the epicentral areas of the recent seismic sequences of 2009 and 2016, where an outstanding geological and geophysical database is available. The structural setting of the study areas was investigated by performing Multiscale Derivative Analysis (MDA; Fedi, 2002), a valuable tool for identification and interpretation of complex geologic structures (such as faults) with density contrast. This method is especially suitable for detecting and characterizing faults not directly visible at the surface and that were not described before. I analysed the correlation between the earthquakes location and the MDA maxima of the Bouguer anomaly field. To infer the characteristics of active fault planes in the areas with good correlation between the MDA signals and the epicentres, I performed a combined interpretation of 2D re-localized hypocentral sections and the images resulting from the Depth from Extreme Points method (DEXP; Fedi, 2007). So, the chosen study areas are: i) the Paganica and the Mt. Vettore-Mt. Bove areas (central Apennines), hit by 2009 and the 2016 seismic sequences, respectively; ii) the Mt. Massico horst characterized by lower energy seismicity, but clear gravimetric signatures; iii) the San Giuliano di Puglia area (southern Apennines), hit by 2002–2003 seismic sequences. This choice was based either on the areas’ high seismic hazard (for the Paganica and the Mt. Vettore-Mt. Bove areas), and/or on the presence of clear gravimetric signatures, combined with a good knowledge of quaternary geological structures in the complex geodynamic environment of the Apennine chain. In all the cases, both the gravimetric and seismological analyses yielded clear information about the geometry of the fault plains. These good results show the effectiveness of this new multiparametric approach to identify and characterize active (capable or not) structures, known or un-known in literature. In addition, this approach allows revealing if the structure is active along all the fault plain or only partially, and detecting its direction and dip angle. So, it can be successfully employed in areas of the Apennine chain with a high potential hazard with buried and/or silent faults.
Clinical characteristics of pleomorphic adenoma of salivary glands among Jordanian patients.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the incidence of salivary gland pleomorphic adenoma in Jordanian patients. METHODS The retrospective study involved histopathological reports of 62 patients diagnosed to have pleomorphic adenoma from salivary glands between 2000 and 2008 at King Hussein Medical Centre and the peripheral military hospitals of the Royal Medical Services, Jordan. The files were evaluated. Special attention was given to the distribution of the tumour to major and minor categories. Age, gender and treatment pattern were also noted. Quantitative and categorical variables were worked out for statistical analysis. RESULTS Out of the 62 cases, 32 (51.6%) occurred in men, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.06:1. The mean age was 40.4 +/- 12 years (range: 8 to 80 years) with peak incidence in the 4th decade of life. The primary tumours were predominantly located in the parotid gland (n=40; 64%), followed by pleomorphic adenoma of the minor salivary glands (n=11; 17%), the submandibular gland (n=10; 16.12%) and the sublingual gland (n=1; 1.6%). Painless swelling was the first finding in 49 (79%), followed by pressure sensation in 10 (16%) and pain in 3 (5%) patients. CONCLUSION Pleomorphic adenoma of salivary glands had similar characteristics with patients of most previously published research studies in other countries except that there was no significant difference regarding gender distribution in Jordanian patients.