Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic extraction of facts, relations, and entities for web-scale knowledge base population

Equipping machines with knowledge, through the construction of machinereadable knowledge bases, presents a key asset for semantic search, machine translation, question answering, and other formidable challenges in artificial intelligence. However, human knowledge predominantly resides in books and other natural language text forms. This means that knowledge bases must be extracted and synthesized from natural language text. When the source of text is the Web, extraction methods must cope with ambiguity, noise, scale, and updates. The goal of this dissertation is to develop knowledge base population methods that address the afore mentioned characteristics of Web text. The dissertation makes three contributions. The first contribution is a method for mining high-quality facts at scale, through distributed constraint reasoning and a pattern representation model that is robust against noisy patterns. The second contribution is a method for mining a large comprehensive collection of relation types beyond those commonly found in existing knowledge bases. The third contribution is a method for extracting facts from dynamic Web sources such as news articles and social media where one of the key challenges is the constant emergence of new entities. All methods have been evaluated through experiments involving Web-scale text collections.
Myocardial Infarction Causes Increased Expression But Decreased Activity of the Myocardial Na+—Ca2+ Exchanger in the Rabbit

Na+—Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) protein levels and activity were measured in myocardium from the basal region of the left ventricle of rabbit hearts with significant left ventricular dysfunction (LVD), 8‐9 weeks after an apical infarction. NCX protein abundance was higher in the tissue homogenates (121 ± 11 %) and purified membrane fractions (143 ± 12 %) in the LVD compared to the sham‐operated (sham) group. NCX mRNA was also higher in the LVD group (126 %). Lower NCX protein expression was observed in the membrane fractions from the epicardium compared to the endocardium in both the sham and LVD groups. Transmembrane currents were recorded in isolated cardiomyocytes by single‐electrode voltage clamp; [Ca2+]i was measured using Fura‐2. Rapid application of 10 mmol l−1 caffeine was used to induce Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The subsequent NCX‐mediated Ca2+ efflux rate constant was lower (70 % of sham) in the LVD group. NCX currents were measured in cardiomyocytes dialysed with 250 nm Ca2+ (50 mmol l−1 EGTA). A lower NCX current (75 % of sham) was observed in the LVD group. Lower NCX activity was also observed in cardiomyocytes isolated from the epicardium compared to the endocardium; a transmural difference that was also seen in the LVD group. Reduced activity despite increased protein expression may result from reduced Ca2+ sensitivity of the allosteric regulation of NCX. However, measurements indicated increased Ca2+ sensitivity in the LVD group. Cardiomyocytes from LVD hearts displayed a marked reduction in the transverse tubule area (59 % of sham) and the surface area/volume ratio (80 % of sham). Disrupted transverse tubule structure may contribute to the decrease in NCX activity despite increased protein expression in LVD.
Association of Vascular Access Type with Mortality, Hospitalization, and Transfer to In-Center Hemodialysis in Patients Undergoing Home Hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES In individuals undergoing in-center hemodialysis (HD), use of central venous catheters (CVCs) is associated with worse clinical outcomes compared with use of arteriovenous access. However, it is unclear whether a similar difference in risk by vascular access type is present in patients undergoing home HD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Our study examined the associations of vascular access type with all-cause mortality, hospitalization, and transfer to in-center HD in patients who initiated home HD from 2007 to 2011 in 464 facilities in 43 states in the United States. Patients were followed through December 31, 2011. Data were analyzed using competing risks hazards regression, with vascular access type at the start of home HD as the primary exposure in a propensity score-matched cohort (1052 patients; 526 with CVC and 526 with arteriovenous access). RESULTS Over a median follow-up of 312 days, 110 patients died, 604 had at least one hospitalization, and 202 transferred to in-center hemodialysis. Compared with arteriovenous access use, CVC use was associated with higher risk for mortality (hazard ratio, 1.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.18 to 2.54) and hospitalization (hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 1.39). CVC use was not associated with increased risk for transfer to in-center HD. The results of analyses in the entire unmatched cohort (2481 patients), with vascular access type modeled as a baseline exposure at start of home HD or a time-varying exposure, were similar. Analyses among a propensity score-matched cohort of patients undergoing in-center HD also showed similar risks for death and hospitalization with use of CVCs. CONCLUSIONS In a large cohort of patients on home HD, CVC use was associated with higher risk for mortality and hospitalization. Additional studies are needed to identify interventions which may reduce risk associated with use of CVCs among patients undergoing home HD.
Fact, Fiction, and Forecast

liELsoN Goodman's second book,1 which represents? excepting the first chapter, a reprint of the well-known paper, "The Prob lem of Counterfactual Conditionals"? the "Special Lectures in Philosophy" he delivered at the University of London in 1953, is small in volume but rich in content. There is a clear thread run ning through its four chapters: counterf actual conditionals (which in recent years have given such headaches to several ana lytic philosophers) speak about possible non-actual 2 events. But Goodman cannot accept talk about possible events or entities in good philosophical conscience; according to his "actualist" onto logy, as we might call it, there are no possibilities, just as for a nominalist there are no classes and other abstract entities. To put it in the formal mode of speech: he wants to find a way of trans lating all modal talk into a non-modal language. Guided by this motivation, he proceeds to examine the distinction between "law like" and "accidental" statements and, after an impressive display of analytical acumen, comes to the conclusion that the solution of this problem of explication is one with the solution of the problem of induction: what is the criterion of reasonableness of an inductive inference? How are warranted predictions to be dis tinguished from unwarranted ones? There seem to me, however, to be serious flaws in Goodman's intricate chain of argument, which I wish to examine in some detail.
The resistance of Sciara (Diptera) to the mutagenic effects of irradiation.

Several facts have been discussed which may contribute to the apparent resistance of Sciara to the mutagenic effects of irradiation. New data are presented which (1) support the view that the visible mutation rate induced in this genus is lower than that found in Drosophila or Habrobracon; and (2) reveal a high dominant lethal mutation rate in this genus.
Workplace programmes for HIV and tuberculosis: A systematic review to support development of international guidelines for the health workforce

Abstract The health service sector has a vital role to play in delivering human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) prevention, treatment and care, yet evidence indicates that healthcare workers (HCWs) themselves lack adequate access to HIV and TB services. HCWs are also at increased risk from TB and other infectious diseases at work, and therefore accessing HIV services is particularly important. A systematic review was therefore conducted to inform the development of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to improve access to HIV and TB services, and specifically, to assess the evidence regarding providing such services through workplace-based programmes. We identified any study published since 1984 that addressed outcomes of interest as defined through multi-stakeholder consultations, and were related to workplace interventions in (1) the healthcare workplace and (2) any workplace that included HIV and/or TB diagnosis and/or treatment. Interventions focusing solely on primary prevention with no diagnostic or treatment services were excluded, as they were the subject of other guidelines. A minimum of two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the articles against pre-set selection criteria; studies were also profiled and quality assessed by a minimum of two reviewers. Three studies met these criteria specifically for HCWs; all showed a preponderance of positive benefits, with minimal negative outcome. Seven studies met these criteria regarding workplace HIV and/or TB diagnosis and/or treatment from other sectors, public or private. Again, all showed positive results. The paucity of high-quality evidence in this field of research was itself an important finding, beckoning further research on workplace-based programmes for health workers. Nonetheless, while more well-designed intervention studies are definitely desirable, providing programmes for HCWs to obtain HIV and TB diagnosis and treatment at the workplace is supported by the literature and is consistent with the values of the stakeholders, justifying the WHO–International Labour Organization–UNAIDS guidelines that emerged.
Bilateral Trade Agreements and the Feasibility of Multilateral Free Trade

We studied how the pursuit of bilateral free-trade agreements (FTAs) affects the likelihood of achieving multilateral free trade. We derive and compare the stable Nash equilibria of two games of trade liberalization: in the FTA game, each country can either form an FTA with one of its trading partners or both of them or none of them, whereas in the (restricted) No FTA game, purely bilateral FTAs are not permitted. The major result is that there exist circumstances under which the freedom to pursue (discriminatory) bilateral FTAs is necessary for achieving multilateral free trade.
Binding Properties of Human Anti‐DNA Antibodies to Cloned Human DNA Fragments

The DNA–anti‐DNA antibody immune complexes were isolated from plasma of systemic lupus crythematosus (SLE) patients and DNA fragments separated from immune complexes were subjected to molecular cloning. The resulting recombinant DNA clones showed a molecular size of 37–79 base pairs, a high guanine and cytosine content, high frequencies of CpG dinucleotides, and palindromic sequences, and also clusters of G+C‐ and A+T‐rich segments. These clones hybridized randomly to total human DNA. The reactivity of dsDNA antibodies, both monoclonal and polyclonal, from SLE was examined with a cloned SLE antigen DNA. A competitive inhibition assay showed that human monoclonal antibodies had at least one magnitude higher affinity to the cloned DNA than to the native DNA fragments. In order to characterize the factors that were recognized by antibodies, human G+C‐rich and also A+T‐rich 100 bp DNA fragments were cloned, and their base sequences determined. The antibody showed a higher affinity to the G+C‐rich DNA fragment (71% G+C) than to the A+T‐rich DNA fragment (46% G+C). When cytosines in CpG doublets in G+C‐rich fragments were methylated (mCpG), the reactivity increased up to 100‐fold. The native anti‐DNA antibodies from SLE patients also showed preferential binding to G+C‐rich fragments. These observations suggested that human anti‐dsDNA antibodies may recognize some unique structures around the G+C regions or G+C clusters of DNA.
Fundamental Errors in the Voting Booth

Psychologists have long documented that we over-attribute people's actions to innate characteristics, rather than to luck or circumstances. Similarly, economists have found that both politicians and businessmen are rewarded for luck. In this paper, we introduce this "Fundamental Attribution Error" into two benchmark political economy models. In both models, voter irrationality can improve politicians' behavior, because voters attribute good behavior to fixed attributes that merit reelection. This upside of irrationality is countered by suboptimal leader selection, including electing leaders who emphasize objectives that are beyond their control. The error has particularly adverse consequences for institutional choice, where it generates too little demand for a free press, too much demand for dictatorship, and responding to endemic corruption by electing new supposedly honest leaders, instead of investing in institutional reform.
State of Globe: Biofilm Formation in Staphylococcus aureus Isolates

Biofilms and their ability to stick to surfaces, in particular, pathogenic organisms that use this property for the onset of the disease are known as an important phenomenon. Biofilm formation by many bacteria gives the ability to cause severe infections. [1,2] Biofilm formation is a main virulence determinant in infection by Staphylococcus aureus isolates. [3] S. aureus is a commensal that colonizes the skin, and mucous membranes of the human body and biofilm formation by S. aureus isolates have been found in human skin lesions. [4,5]
Further psychometric assessment of the TOP‐8: A brief interview‐based measure of PTSD

The TOP‐8 scale was developed as a brief, clinician‐administered scale for use in assessing responses to treatment in patients with post‐traumatic stress disorder. Further psychometric evaluation of the scale has now been undertaken and is reported and discussed here. Depression and Anxiety 9:135–137, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Kinetics of pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproduct repair in Escherichia coli

We compared the removal of pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproducts [(6-4) photoproducts] and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) from the genome of repair-proficient Escherichia coli, using monoclonal antibodies specific for each type of lesion. We found that (6-4) photoproducts were removed at a higher rate than CPDs in the first 30 min following a moderate UV dose (40 J/m2). The difference in rates was less than that typically reported for cultured mammalian cells, in which the removal of (6-4) photoproducts is far more rapid than that of CPDs.
Patient-Reported Missed Nursing Care Correlated With Adverse Events

The aim of this study was to determine the extent and type of missed nursing care as reported by patients and the association with patient-reported adverse outcomes. A total of 729 inpatients on 20 units in 2 acute care hospitals were surveyed. The MISSCARE Survey–Patient was used to collect patient reports of missed care. Patients reported more missed nursing care in the domain of basic care (2.29 ± 1.06) than in communication (1.69 ± 0.71) and in time to respond (1.52 ± 0.64). The 5 most frequently reported elements of missed nursing care were the following: (a) mouth care (50.3%), (b) ambulation (41.3%), (c) getting out of bed into a chair (38.8%), (d) providing information about tests/procedures (27%), and (e) bathing (26.4%). Patients who reported skin breakdown/pressure ulcers, medication errors, new infections, IVs running dry, IVs infiltrating, and other problems during the current hospitalization reported significantly more overall missed nursing care.
Intermediate Layer Development for Laser-Crystallized Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Glass

The intermediate layer (IL) between the glass and silicon plays an important role in laser-crystallized thin-film silicon solar cells. SiO<sub>X</sub>, SiN<sub>X</sub>, and SiC<sub>X</sub> deposited by RF sputtering or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, either as single layers or in stacks, have been tested as ILs with regard to silicon wettability and silicon crystal quality and the effect of hydrogen passivation. SiC<sub>X</sub> is the best wetting layer, allowing a larger laser crystallization process window than SiO<sub>X</sub> or SiN<sub>X</sub>. SiN<sub>X</sub> layers are limited by pinholing, which increases in severity with laser fluence. SiO<sub>X</sub> ILs result in lower silicon grain-boundary density compared with SiC<sub>x</sub>-based layers and to SiN<sub>X</sub>-based layers. Hydrogen passivation of laser-crystallized silicon on single layer SiO<sub>X</sub> has no impact on V<sub>OC</sub>, while an improvement of around 60 mV is found for samples on SiO<sub>x</sub>/SiN<sub>x</sub>/SiO<sub>x</sub> stacks. Diffusion of dopants from the IL are found to create a uniformly doped absorber with no evidence of a front-surface field.
Impact of Body Habitus on Operative Difficulties during Extraperitoneal Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy.

PURPOSE The aim of the present study was to investigate whether patients' body habitus affects the operative difficulties associated with extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). Therefore, the associations between body habitus and perioperative outcomes of surgery, including bleeding, operative time, and resection margins, were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between August 2010 and July 2012, 40 consecutive patients with preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and abdominal X-ray examinations underwent extraperitoneal LRP for localized prostate cancer at our institution. The associations between anthropometric measurements and demographics of patients, operation duration, estimated blood loss (EBL), and resection margins were analyzed retrospectively. Multivariate analyses were performed, and P < . 05 was considered significant. RESULTS On multiple regression analysis, the view of the prostatic apex (VPA) was significantly associated with EBL (P = .02), and body mass index (BMI) was significantly associated with operative time (P = .02). On multiple logistic regression analysis, protrusion of the prostate into the bladder was significantly associated with positive resection margins (P = .04). CONCLUSION The findings of the present study suggest that poor VPA, protrusion of the prostate into the bladder, and high BMI were related to operative difficulties in extraperitoneal LRP. If operative difficulty is predicted preoperatively, it would be better to prepare blood for transfusion and/or special instruments (e.g. flexible scope), or switch to other therapeutic procedures.
NADPH Oxidase–Derived Superoxide Augments Endothelin-1–Induced Venoconstriction in Mineralocorticoid Hypertension

Abstract—Deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)–salt hypertension is characterized by low renin/angiotensin but increased arterial superoxide levels. We have recently reported that the arterial endothelin-1 (ET-1) level is increased, resulting in NADPH oxidase activation and superoxide generation. However, the effect of ET-1 on venous superoxide production and its relation to venoconstriction are unknown. The present study tested the hypotheses that ET-1 stimulates venous NADPH oxidase and superoxide via its ETA receptors, resulting in enhanced venoconstriction in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Treatment with ET-1 (0.01 to 1 nmol/L), but not the selective ETB receptor agonist sarafotoxin s6c, of vena cavas of normal rats concentration-dependently increased superoxide levels, an effect that was abolished by the selective ETA receptor antagonist ABT-627. Although the ET-1 level was not increased in the vena cava and plasma, both venous NADPH oxidase activity and superoxide levels were significantly higher in DOCA-salt compared with sham rats. Moreover, ET-1 treatment (10−9 mol/L, 10 minutes) of isolated vena cavas further elevated superoxide levels in DOCA-salt rats only but not sham rats, an effect that was abrogated by the superoxide scavenger tempol. Similarly, ET-1–induced contractions of isolated vena cavas of DOCA-salt but not sham rats were significantly inhibited by tempol. The NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin significantly reduced superoxide levels in vena cavas of DOCA-salt rats and in ET-1–treated vena cavas of normal rats. Finally, in vivo ETA receptor blockade by ABT-627 significantly lowered venous superoxide levels and blood pressure in DOCA-salt but not sham rats. These results suggest that superoxide contributes to ET-1–induced venoconstriction through an elevated venous NADPH oxidase activity in mineralocorticoid hypertension.
Selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor induces gastric mucosal damage in adrenalectomized rats

We investigated gastric ulcerogenic properties of the selective COX-2 inhibitor in adrenalectomized rats. SC-560 (selective COX-1 inhibitor) or celecoxib (selective COX-2 inhibitor) was given to sham-operated and adrenalectomized rats, with or without corticosterone replacement 11 days after the surgery, and gastric lesions were estimated 8 h later. Neither SC-560 nor celecoxib alone induced any gross damage in the gastric mucosa in sham-operated rats. In adrenalectomized rats, however, celecoxib did provoke gross damage that was prevented by corticosterone pellets. Mucosal PGE2 content was increased 3-fold after adrenalectomy, and this response was prevented by both celecoxib and corticosterone pellets. The COX-2 mRNA was up-regulated in the stomach of adrenalectomized rats, but this expression was suppressed by corticosterone replacement. These results support our hypothesis that adrenalectomy increases gastric mucosal PGE2 due to COX-2 expression, and the selective COX-2 inhibitor produces gastric lesions by inhibiting the additional PGE2 production in adrenalectomized rats.
Competency approach to accounting education : A global view

Competency-based education is a norm in several disciplines. Prior research on competency-based accounting education has adopted a national view. Rapid changes in environment of accounting pose a critical need for a global approach to accounting education. This article takes a global perspective on competency-based accounting education and reviews and evaluates the positions and pronouncements on accounting education of two key global playersAICPA and IAESB-and also provides a review of contemporary accounting education and competency development. The article also proposes and illustrates a systems-based competency model of accounting education that has a global view and comprises three stages of curriculum management based on systems lifecycle: planning and design, implementation, and outcomes assessment. The first phase involves establishment of what (competencies), why (learning goals/objectives), who (learner, facilitator, and other stakeholders), with (learning/facilitation methods and strategies), where (targeted placement in courses), and when (delivery modes). The paper posits that curriculum implementation phase should employ an inputs-transformationoutputs-feedback systems model. Outcomes assessment phase entails assurance of studentlearning outcomes (formative assessment) and achievement of program performance goals (summative assessment) through a two-step process: learning measurement and feedback for closing the loop. Further research is needed to extend and support/refute the propositions of this model; for instance, testing of the model using case studies of actual programs implementing this model may provide some empirical evidence relating to the model.