Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantifying the dynamics of topical fluctuations in language

The availability of large diachronic corpora has provided the impetus for a growing body of quantitative research on language evolution and meaning change. The central quantities in this research are token frequencies of linguistic elements in texts, with changes in frequency taken to reflect the popularity or selective fitness of an element. However, corpus frequencies may change for a wide variety of reasons, including purely random sampling effects, or because corpora are composed of contemporary media and fiction texts within which the underlying topics ebb and flow with cultural and socio-political trends. In this work, we introduce a simple model for controlling for topical fluctuations in corpora—the topical-cultural advection model—and demonstrate how it provides a robust baseline of variability in word frequency changes over time. We validate the model on a diachronic corpus spanning two centuries, and a carefully-controlled artificial language change scenario, and then use it to correct for topical fluctuations in historical time series. Finally, we use the model to show that the emergence of new words typically corresponds with the rise of a trending topic. This suggests that some lexical innovations occur due to growing communicative need in a subspace of the lexicon, and that the topical-cultural advection model can be used to quantify this.
Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Augment Allergic Airway Eosinophilic Inflammation by Promoting Cysteinyl Leukotriene Production

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have been reported to promote lung inflammation and fibrosis. The commercial demand for nanoparticle-based materials has expanded rapidly and as demand for nanomaterials grows, so does the urgency of establishing an appreciation of the degree of health risk associated with their increased production and exposure. In this study, we examined whether MWCNT inhalation elicited pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation and influenced the development of allergic airway inflammatory responses. Our data revealed that instillation of FA21 MWCNT into the airways of mice resulted in a rapid increase, within 24 h, in the number of eosinophils present in the lungs. The inflammatory response elicited was also associated with an increase in the level of cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs) present in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. CysLTs were implicated in the airway inflammatory response since pharmacological inhibition of their biosynthesis using the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor Zileuton resulted in a marked reduction in the severity of inflammation observed. Moreover, FA21 MWCNT entering the airways of mice suffering from house dust mite (HDM)-elicited allergic lung inflammation markedly exacerbated the intensity of the airway inflammation. This response was characterized by a pulmonary eosinophilia, lymphocyte infiltration, and raised cysLT levels. The severity of pulmonary inflammation caused by either inhalation of MWCNT alone or in conjunction with HDM allergen correlated with the level of nickel present in the material, since preparations that contained higher levels of nickel (FA21, 5.54% Ni by weight) were extremely effective at eliciting or exacerbating inflammatory or allergic responses while preparations containing lower amounts of nickel (FA04, 2.54% Ni by weight) failed to initiate or exacerbate pulmonary inflammation. In summary, instillation of high nickel MWCNT into the lungs promoted eosinophilic inflammation and caused an intense exacerbation of pre-existing allergic airway inflammation by facilitating cysLT biosynthesis. These findings suggest that exposure to airborne MWCNT is likely to have adverse inflammatory effects in individuals suffering from atopic asthma and, in this context, further investigation of the therapeutic effects of pharmacological agents that block leukotriene synthesis is warranted.
La Revolución Ciudadana and social medicine: Undermining community in the state provision of health care in Ecuador

ABSTRACT Under President Rafael Correa (2007–2017), Ecuador’s Ministry of Health established a state-centred health care regime that incorporates elements of Latin American social medicine into post-neoliberalism. These initiatives – which are part of ‘The National Plan for Good Living (Buen Vivir)’ – include free healthcare, greater attention to social determinants of health, a focus on equity and inclusion, and increased coordination across welfare, health, and development sectors. However, the reforms also use health services to build a sense of inclusive, participatory citizenship, with the Ecuadorean state as the central figure in service provision. In this paper, we demonstrate that state-centred health care reforms have paradoxically weakened community organising for collective health. Drawing on seventeen years of ethnographic research and health solidarity work in rural Northwest Ecuador, we illustrate how Ecuador’s health reforms have reconfigured relations among local civil society, transnational NGOs, and the state. Established modes of community participation and international collaboration have been undermined largely because these reforms ignore community sovereignty and self-organisation and overemphasise the threat of neoliberalism. The lessons about balancing the state-based fulfilment of rights with community power are relevant to social medicine advocates, particularly those working in rural communities that are already organising creatively for their own health and well-being.
The XXL survey: First results and future

The XXL survey currently covers two 25 deg2 patches with XMM observations of ? 10 ks. We summarize the scientific results associated with the first release of the XXL dataset, which occurred in mid-2016. We review several arguments for increasing the survey depth to 40 ks during the next decade of XMM operations. X-ray (z 1 cluster density. It will eventually constitute a reference study and an ideal calibration field for the upcoming eROSITA and Euclid missions.
Alteration of macrophage viability, differentiation, and function by bisphosphonates.

BACKGROUND A serious adverse effect of long-term bisphosphonate (BP) administration is bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). Among different proposed pathogenesis, suppression of immune cells is gaining interest. Because monocytes/macrophages could get access to BP since residing in the blood and bone microenvironment, the aim of this study was to analyze the behaviors of macrophages after BP treatments in vitro. METHODS THP-1 cell, an established human monocytic cell model, was used in this study. The effects of BPs, alendronate (ALN) and zoledronic acid (ZA), on macrophage viability, differentiation, and function were investigated. MTT, morphological analysis, flow cytometry, quantitative PCR, and gelatin zymography assay were performed. RESULTS BPs impaired macrophage viability at almost all concentration tested (1-100 μM). Cell morphology was altered in the presence of 100 μM BPs. Furthermore, differentiating macrophage viability was also affected by both ALN and ZA at 100 and 10-100 μM, respectively. At high concentration (100 μM), ZA caused a reduction in cell differentiation. On the contrary, ALN and ZA increased matrix metalloproteinase mRNA expressions and activities at low doses (1-10 μM). CONCLUSION BPs directly acted on macrophage by reducing macrophage survival, inducing morphological alterations, impairing differentiation from monocytes to macrophages, and affecting macrophage function at both mRNA and activity levels.
Propulsive action of a snake pushing against a single site: Its combined analysis

The simultaneous use of electromyography (EMG), strain gauges, and cinematography show that the capacity of continuous displacement from a single peg is based on the following: sequential activity of the tested muscles from front to rear; activity restricted to the short portion of the body in contact with the peg; alternate action of the muscle longissimus dorsi on the two sides, the transition between one side to the other occurring at the site of contact with the peg; unilateral activity of the muscle supracostalis ventralis responsible for a bulging against the peg; a great stability in the direction of the resultant force, which makes only a small angle with the directio of the motion.
The intriguing role of Rifaximin in gut barrier chronic inflammation and in the treatment of Crohn’s disease

ABSTRACT Introduction: The gastrointestinal tract acts as a functional unit organized as a semipermeable multilayer system, in which commensal gut microbiota represents the anatomical barrier. Recently, several studies have highlighted the involvement of gut microbiota in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) pathogenesis, in sustaining gut barrier chronic inflammation, and in conditioning disease course and therapeutical response. This evidence provides a rationale for treating patients with gut microbiota modifiers. Among these, Rifaximin represents a non-traditional antibiotic able to act as a ‘eubiotic’ on intestinal barrier. Area covered: The purpose of this narrative review is to explore the impact of Rifaximin on gut barrier and gut microbiota in IBD, in particular in Crohn’s disease (CD), and to analyze its potential therapeutic applications. Expert opinion: The possibility of a beneficial activity of Rifaximin in chronic intestinal inflammation and CD has been debated and evaluated with different studies having obtained promising but still preliminary data. Larger trials are therefore needed. This gut-specific antibiotic could represent an alternative to systemic antibiotics thanks to its favorable safety profile and promising efficacy data. Rifaximin could exert, when appropriate, a synergic effect with immunomodulators in IBD, acting on both the microbial and the immunological sides of gut barrier impairment.
Functional morphology of the pharyngeal jaw apparatus in perciform fishes: An experimental analysis of the haemulidae

A new mechanical model for function of the pharyngeal jaw apparatus in generalized perciform fishes is developed from work with the family Haemulidae. The model is based on anatomical observations, patterns of muscle activity during feeding (electromyography), and the actions of directly stimulated muscles. The primary working stroke of the pharyngeal apparatus involves simultaneous upper jaw depression and retraction against a stabilized and elevating lower jaw. The working stroke is characterized by overlapping activity in most branchial muscles and is resolved into three phases. Four muscles (obliquus dorsalis 3, levator posterior, levator externus 3/4, and obliquus posterior) that act to depress the upper jaws become active in the first phase. Next, the retractor dorsalis, the only upper jaw retracting muscle, becomes active. Finally, there is activity in several muscles (transversus ventrales, pharyngocleithralis externus, pharyngohyoideus, and protractor pectoralis) that attach to the lower jaws. The combined effect of these muscles is to elevate and stabilize the lower jaws against the depressing and retracting upper jaws.
Fuzzing: a survey

Security vulnerability is one of the root causes of cyber-security threats. To discover vulnerabilities and fix them in advance, researchers have proposed several techniques, among which fuzzing is the most widely used one. In recent years, fuzzing solutions, like AFL, have made great improvements in vulnerability discovery. This paper presents a summary of the recent advances, analyzes how they improve the fuzzing process, and sheds light on future work in fuzzing. Firstly, we discuss the reason why fuzzing is popular, by comparing different commonly used vulnerability discovery techniques. Then we present an overview of fuzzing solutions, and discuss in detail one of the most popular type of fuzzing, i.e., coverage-based fuzzing. Then we present other techniques that could make fuzzing process smarter and more efficient. Finally, we show some applications of fuzzing, and discuss new trends of fuzzing and potential future directions.
The Externalities of Exploration and How Data Diversity Helps Exploitation

Online learning algorithms, widely used to power search and content optimization on the web, must balance exploration and exploitation, potentially sacrificing the experience of current users for information that will lead to better decisions in the future. Recently, concerns have been raised about whether the process of exploration could be viewed as unfair, placing too much burden on certain individuals or groups. Motivated by these concerns, we initiate the study of the externalities of exploration - the undesirable side effects that the presence of one party may impose on another - under the linear contextual bandits model. We introduce the notion of a group externality, measuring the extent to which the presence of one population of users impacts the rewards of another. We show that this impact can in some cases be negative, and that, in a certain sense, no algorithm can avoid it. We then study externalities at the individual level, interpreting the act of exploration as an externality imposed on the current user of a system by future users. This drives us to ask under what conditions inherent diversity in the data makes explicit exploration unnecessary. We build on a recent line of work on the smoothed analysis of the greedy algorithm that always chooses the action that currently looks optimal, improving on prior results to show that a greedy approach almost matches the best possible Bayesian regret rate of any other algorithm on the same problem instance whenever the diversity conditions hold, and that this regret is at most $\tilde{O}(T^{1/3})$. Returning to group-level effects, we show that under the same conditions, negative group externalities essentially vanish under the greedy algorithm. Together, our results uncover a sharp contrast between the high externalities that exist in the worst case, and the ability to remove all externalities if the data is sufficiently diverse.
Dissolved organic carbon uptake in streams: A review and assessment of reach‐scale measurements

Quantifying the role that freshwater ecosystems play in the global carbon cycle requires accurate measurement and scaling of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal in river networks. We reviewed reach‐scale measurements of DOC uptake from experimental additions of simple organic compounds or leachates to inform development of aquatic DOC models that operate at the river network, regional, or continental scale. Median DOC uptake velocity (vf) across all measurements was 2.28 mm min−1. Measurements using simple compound additions resulted in faster vf (2.94 mm min−1) than additions of leachates (1.11 mm min−1). We also reviewed published data of DOC bioavailability for ambient stream water and leaf leachate DOC from laboratory experiments. We used these data to calculate and apply a correction factor to leaf leachate uptake velocity to estimate ambient stream water DOC uptake rates at the reach scale. Using this approach, we estimated a median ambient stream DOC vf of 0.26 mm min−1. Applying these DOC vf values (0.26, 1.11, 2.28, and 2.94 mm min−1) in a river network inverse model in seven watersheds revealed that our estimated ambient DOC vf value is plausible at the network scale and 27 to 45% of DOC input was removed. Applying the median measured simple compound or leachate vf in whole river networks would require unjustifiably high terrestrial DOC inputs to match observed DOC concentrations at the basin mouth. To improve the understanding and importance of DOC uptake in fluvial systems, we recommend using a multiscale approach coupling laboratory assays, with reach‐scale measurements, and modeling.
Transfer learning for biomedical named entity recognition with neural networks

Motivation The explosive increase of biomedical literature has made information extraction an increasingly important tool for biomedical research. A fundamental task is the recognition of biomedical named entities in text (BNER) such as genes/proteins, diseases, and species. Recently, a domain-independent method based on deep learning and statistical word embeddings, called long short-term memory network-conditional random field (LSTM-CRF), has been shown to outperform state-of-the-art entity-specific BNER tools. However, this method is dependent on gold-standard corpora (GSCs) consisting of hand-labeled entities, which tend to be small but highly reliable. An alternative to GSCs are silver-standard corpora (SSCs), which are generated by harmonizing the annotations made by several automatic annotation systems. SSCs typically contain more noise than GSCs but have the advantage of containing many more training examples. Ideally, these corpora could be combined to achieve the benefits of both, which is an opportunity for transfer learning. In this work, we analyze to what extent transfer learning improves upon state-of-the-art results for BNER. Results We demonstrate that transferring a deep neural network (DNN) trained on a large, noisy SSC to a smaller, but more reliable GSC significantly improves upon state-of-the-art results for BNER. Compared to a state-of-the-art baseline evaluated on 23 GSCs covering four different entity classes, transfer learning results in an average reduction in error of approximately 11%. We found transfer learning to be especially beneficial for target data sets with a small number of labels (approximately 6000 or less). Availability and implementation Source code for the LSTM-CRF is available at https://github.com/Franck-Dernoncourt/NeuroNER/ and links to the corpora are available at https://github.com/BaderLab/Transfer-Learning-BNER-Bioinformatics-2018/. Contact john.giorgi@utoronto.ca Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Identity and markers of adulthood: the relationship between two constructs

: The article presents both the classical and contemporary approaches to the analysis of identity formation. Special emphasis has been placed on the processual approach, in which identity is regarded as a dynamic construct that remains in constant, mutual relations with personal and contextual factors. Since research on identity has been predominantly based on studies conducted on individuals in adolescence and early adulthood, i.e. in the time of transition to adulthood, the article focuses on adulthood markers that may be found in this particular phase of human development. The authors have distinguished different markers of adulthood (transitions to adult roles, psychosocial maturity, sense of adulthood) and have described their links to identity. In the conclusion of the present paper, it has been stressed that future research on identity should to a large extent include factors originating from these different categories of conditions, and that researchers ought to consider the interactions of these factors as predictors of identity formation
Aberrant Neural Activity in Patients With Bipolar Depressive Disorder Distinguishing to the Unipolar Depressive Disorder: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

This study aims to explore the intrinsic patterns of spontaneous activity of bipolar depression (BD) patients by analyzing the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) that help differentiate BD from unipolar depressive disorder(UD). Twenty eight patients with BD, 47 patients with UD and 29 healthy controls were enrolled to receive the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans. The group differences of fALFF values were calculated among three groups. In addition, the correlations between the clinical variables and mfALFF values were estimated. The brain regions with activation discrepancies among three groups are located in precuneus, the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and left inferior parietal lobe (IPL) and lingual gyrus. Compared with HC group, BD group shows decreased fALFF in precuneus, the left IPL and increased fALFF in lingual gyrus remarkably; UD group shows significantly decreased fALFF in precuneus, the left MTG and the left IPL. On the contrast of patients with UD, patients with BD have significantly increased fALFF value in the left precuneus, the left MGT and lingual gyrus. Furthermore, a negative correlation is found between the mfALFF values in precuneus and the scores of cognitive impairment factor in the UD group. The similar pattern of intrinsic activity in PCC suggests depressive state-dependent change. The aberrant patterns of intrinsic activity in precuneus, the IPL and lingual gyrus might be provide quantitative nodes that help to conduct further study for better distinguishing between BD and UD.
Impact of Early Salvage Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Localized Prostate Cancer after Radical Prostatectomy: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis

Purpose Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is used as a salvage treatment for men with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa) following initial radical prostatectomy (RP). The optimal time at which to begin salvage ADT (sADT) remains controversial. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the efficacy of initiating sADT in patients before prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values met the clinical definition of BCR. Materials and Methods We identified 484 PCa patients who received sADT for BCR after RP. Median follow-up was 82 months. Propensity score matching was performed based on preoperative PSA level, pathologic T stage, and Gleason score. Patients were assigned to two groups of 169 patients each, based on PSA levels at the time of sADT: Group A (without meeting of the definition of BCR) and Group B (after BCR). Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox regression analyses were performed. Results The median PSA level at sADT initiation was 0.12 ng/mL in group A and 0.42 ng/mL in group B. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that group A had favorable disease progression-free survival (DPFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), but did not have better cancer-specific survival (CSS) than group B. In subgroup analyses, group A showed better CSS rates in the non-organ confined PCa group. In Cox regression analyses, early sADT was associated significantly with DPFS and DMFS rates, however, did not correlate with CSS (p=0.107). Conclusion Early sADT after RP improved DPFS and DMFS. Furthermore, early sADT patients demonstrated better CSS in non-organ confined PCa.
How Does Consecutive Interpreting Training Influence Working Memory: A Longitudinal Study of Potential Links Between the Two

With an intention to contribute to the issue of how language experience may influence working memory (WM), we focused on consecutive interpreting (CI), analyzed its potential links with WM functions and tested these links in a longitudinal experiment, trying to answer the specific question of how CI training may influence WM. Two comparable groups of Chinese learners of English received either CI or general second language (L2) training for one semester, and were tested before and after the training with the tasks of n-back (non-verbal updating), L2 listening span, and letter running span (verbal spans). CI performance was tested in the posttest. The results showed that (1) updating efficiency in both the pretest and posttest predicted CI performance, and CI training enhanced updating efficiency while general L2 training did not; (2) the relationship between verbal spans and CI performance was weaker (i.e., only pretest L2 listening span correlated with CI performance and predicted CI performance with marginal significance), and CI training did not make a unique contribution to these spans (i.e., no group differences). The results indicated an “interpreter advantage” in updating, which was probably due to that updating was more central in the CI task than WM spans. Theoretically, we believe that updating and CI are closely related because they share the same underlying mechanism, or more specifically updating and the recalling process in the CI task share the same attentional control process, a unique link between updating and the CI task. Methodological implications are discussed.