Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Yardstick and Tool for Personalized Vocabulary Building

The goal of this research is to increase the value of each individual student's vocabulary by finding words that the student doesn't know, needs to, and is ready to learn. To help identify such words, a better model of how well any given word is expected to be known was created. This is accomplished by using a semantic language model, LSA, to track how every word changes with the addition of more and more text from an appropriate corpus. We define the "maturity" of a word as the degree to which it has become similar to that after training on the entire corpus. An individual student's average vocabulary level can then be placed on the word-maturity scale by an adaptive test. Finally, the words that the student did or did not know on the test can be used to predict what other words the same student knows by using multiple maturity models trained on random samples of typical educational readings. This detailed information can be used to generate highly customized vocabulary teaching and testing exercises, such as Cloze tests.
Inhibition of the Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Pathway Induces a Senescence-like Arrest Mediated by p27Kip1 *

A senescence-like growth arrest is induced in mouse primary embryo fibroblasts by inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). We observed that senescence-like growth arrest is correlated with an increase in p27Kip1 but that down-regulation of other cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, including p15INK4b, p16INK4a, p19 INK4d, and p21Cip1 as well as other negative cell cycle regulators such as p53 and p19ARF, implies that this senescence-related growth arrest is independent of the activity of p53, p19ARF, p16INK4a, and p21Cip1, which are associated with replicative senescence. The p27Kip1 binds to the cyclin/CDK2 complexes and causes a decrease in CDK2 kinase activity. We demonstrated that ectopic expression of p27Kip1 can induce permanent cell cycle arrest and a senescence-like phenotype in wild-type mouse embryo fibroblasts. We also obtained results suggesting that the kinase inhibitors LY294002 and Wortmannin arrest cell growth and induce a senescence-like phenotype, at least partially, through inhibition of PI3K and protein kinase B/Akt, activation of the forkhead protein AFX, and up-regulation of p27Kip1expression. In summary, these observations taken together suggest that p27Kip1 is an important mediator of the permanent cell cycle arrest induced by PI3K inhibitors. Our data suggest that repression of CDK2 activity by p27Kip1 is required for the PI3K-induced senescence, yet mouse embryo fibroblasts derived fromp27 Kip1−/− mice entered cell cycle arrest after treatment with LY294002. We show that this is due to a compensatory mechanism by which p130 functionally substitutes for the loss of p27Kip1. This is the first description that p130 may have a role in inhibiting CDK activity during senescence.
Automatic Extraction of Arabic Multiword Expressions

In this paper we investigate the automatic acquisition of Arabic Multiword Expressions (MWE). We propose three complementary approaches to extract MWEs from available data resources. The rst approach relies on the correspondence asymmetries between Arabic Wikipedia titles and titles in 21 different languages. The second approach collects English MWEs from Princeton WordNet 3.0, translates the collection into Arabic using Google Translate, and utilizes different search engines to validate the output. The third uses lexical association measures to extract MWEs from a large unannotated corpus. We experimentally explore the feasibility of each approach and measure the quality and coverage of the output against gold standards.
Deciding fate in adverse times: Sporulation and competence in Bacillus subtilis

Bacteria serve as the central arena for understanding how gene networks and proteins process information and control cellular behaviors. Recently, much effort has been devoted to the investigation of specific bacteria gene circuits as functioning modules. The next challenge is the integrative modeling of complex cellular networks composed of many such modules. A tractable integrative model of the sophisticated decision-making signal transduction system that determines the fate between sporulation and competence is presented. This model provides an understanding of how information is sensed and processed to reach an “informative” decision in the context of cell state and signals from other cells. The competence module (ComK dynamics) is modeled as a stochastic switch whose transition rate is controlled by a quorum-sensing unit. The sporulation module (Spo0A dynamics) is modeled as a timer whose clock rate is adjusted by a stress-sensing unit. The interplay between these modules is mediated via the Rap assessment system, which gates the sensing units, and the AbrB–Rok decision module, which creates an opportunity for competence within a specific window of the sporulation timer. The timer is regulated via a special repressilator-like inhibition of Spo0A* by Spo0E, which is itself inhibited by AbrB. For some stress and input signals, this repressilator can generate a frustration state with large variations (fluctuations or oscillations) in Spo0A* and AbrB concentrations, which might serve an important role in generating cell variability. This integrative framework is a starting point that can be extended to include transition into cannibalism and the role of colony organization.
Voltage transient propagation in AC and DC datacenter distribution architectures

Global industries, governments, organizations, and institutions rely on the operation of datacenters in order to successfully meet their day-to-day objectives. The increased reliance on datacenters combined with the growth of the industry sector has led to more careful considerations for datacenter design. Stakeholders in the datacenter industry have begun to consider alternative electrical distribution systems that provide greater reliability and operating efficiency, as well as lower capital costs and ease-of-installation. Among the many alternatives proposed, facility-level DC distribution has emerged as the option providing the highest operating efficiency. A number of studies have shown that DC distribution provides savings, in terms of energy efficiency, space utilization, and required cooling within a datacenter. However, the propagation of transient and their impact on equipment protection have not been fully quantified [2]. This study compares voltage transients, originating from the utility distribution grid and propagating throughout the datacenter facility, using both an AC and DC distribution architecture. The goal is to identify future requirements for protection in DC datacenter facilities. As an initial study in this subject area, the analysis is performed via simulation. Each distribution architecture has been modeled using PSCAD/EMTDC. A voltage transient is generated from a capacitor bank switching event. The transient is analyzed as it propagates through both the AC and DC architectures. It is shown that the AC architecture provides inherent protection against transients, at the cost of low efficiency, a high parts count, and poor space utilization. The DC system is vulnerable to transients. More research is required in order to fully characterize the protection needs for DC distribution systems.
Overexpression of IRM1 Enhances Resistance to Aphids in Arabidopsis thaliana

Aphids are insects that cause direct damage to crops by the removal of phloem sap, but more importantly they spread devastating viruses. Aphids use their sophisticated mouthpart (i.e. stylet) to feed from the phloem sieve elements of the host plant. To identify genes that affect host plant resistance to aphids, we previously screened an Arabidopsis thaliana activation tag mutant collection. In such mutants, tagged genes are overexpressed by a strong 35S enhancer adjacent to the natural promoter, resulting in a dominant gain-of-function phenotype. We previously identified several of these mutants on which the aphid Myzus persicae showed a reduced population development compared with wild type. In the present study we show that the gene responsible for the phenotype of one of the mutants is At5g65040 and named this gene Increased Resistance to Myzus persicae 1 (IRM1). Overexpression of the cloned IRM1 gene conferred a phenotype identical to that of the original mutant. Conversely, an IRM1 knockout mutant promoted aphid population development compared to the wild type. We performed Electrical Penetration Graph analysis to investigate how probing and feeding behaviour of aphids was affected on plants that either overexpressed IRM1 or contained a knockout mutation in this gene. The EPG results indicated that the aphids encounter resistance factors while reaching for the phloem on the overexpressing line. This resistance mechanism also affected other aphid species and is suggested to be of mechanical nature. Interestingly, genetic variation for IRM1 expression in response to aphid attack was observed. Upon aphid attack the expression of IRM1 was initially (after 6 hours) induced in ecotype Wassilewskija followed by suppression. In Columbia-0, IRM1 expression was already suppressed six hours after the start of the infestation. The resistance conferred by the overexpression of IRM1 in A. thaliana trades off with plant growth.
Reduced Complexity HMM Filtering With Stochastic Dominance Bounds: A Convex Optimization Approach

This paper uses stochastic dominance principles to construct upper and lower sample path bounds for Hidden Markov Model (HMM) filters. We consider an HMM consisting of an X-state Markov chain with transition matrix P. By using convex optimization methods for nuclear norm minimization with copositive constraints, we construct low rank stochastic matrices P and P̅ so that the optimal filters using P,P̅ provably lower and upper bound (with respect to a partially ordered set) the true filtered distribution at each time instant. Since P and P̅ are low rank (say R), the computational cost of evaluating the filtering bounds is O(X R) instead of O(X2). A Monte-Carlo importance sampling filter is presented that exploits these upper and lower bounds to estimate the optimal posterior. Finally, explicit bounds are given on the variational norm between the true posterior and the upper and lower bounds in terms of the Dobrushin coefficient.
Genetic analysis of two weak dormancy mutants derived from strong seed dormancy wild type rice N22 (Oryza sativa).

Two weak dormancy mutants, designated Q4359 and Q4646, were obtained from the rice cultivar N22 after treatment with 400 Gy (60) Co gamma-radiation. Compared to the N22 cultivar, the dormancy of the mutant seeds was more readily broken when exposed to a period of room temperature storage. The mutants also showed a reduced level of sensitivity to abscisic acid compared to the N22 cultivar, although Q4359 was more insensitive than Q4646. A genetic analysis indicated that in both mutants, the reduced dormancy trait was caused by a single recessive allele of a nuclear gene, but that the mutated locus was different in each case. The results of quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, based on the F(2) population from Q4359 x Nanjing35, suggested that Q4359 lacks the QTL qSdn-1 and carries a novel allele at QTL qSdn-9, while a similar analysis of the Q4646 x Nanjing35 F(2) population suggested that Q4646 lacks QTL qSdn-5, both qSdn-1 and qSdn-5 are major effect seed dormancy QTL in N22. Therefore, these two mutants were helpful to understand the mechanism of seed dormancy in N22.
Antigen-specific T lymphocyte clones. I. Characterization of a T lymphocyte clone expressing antigen-specific suppressive activity

We have generated continuously propagatable T lymphocyte clones to study antigen-specific T cell functions. All Ly-2+ clones mediate suppressive activity and secrete a characteristic pattern of polypeptides that differs from Ly-2- T cell clones. Cells of one clone, Cl.Ly23/4, specifically bind glycophorin from sheep erythrocytes (SRBC). After incubation with [35S]methionine, supernate material from this clone also contains biosynthetically labeled 70,000-mol wt proteins that specifically bind to SRBC and this binding is inhibited by glycophorin from sheep but not other erythrocytes. These antigen- binding 70,000-mol wt peptides specifically and completely suppress primary anti-SRBC responses generated by mixtures of primed Ly-1+2- cells and B cells. Suppression by these antigen-binding peptides reflects direct inhibition of T-helper activity.
Trichostatin A accentuates doxorubicin-induced hypertrophy in cardiac myocytes

Histone deacetylase inhibitors represent a new class of anticancer therapeutics and the expectation is that they will be most effective when used in combination with conventional cancer therapies, such as the anthracycline, doxorubicin. The dose-limiting side effect of doxorubicin is severe cardiotoxicity and evaluation of the effects of combinations of the anthracycline with histone deacetylase inhibitors in relevant models is important. We used a well-established in vitro model of doxorubicin-induced hypertrophy to examine the effects of the prototypical histone deacetylase inhibitor, Trichostatin A. Our findings indicate that doxorubicin modulates the expression of the hypertrophy-associated genes, ventricular myosin light chain-2, the alpha isoform of myosin heavy chain and atrial natriuretic peptide, an effect which is augmented by Trichostatin A. Furthermore, we show that Trichostatin A amplifies doxorubicin-induced DNA double strand breaks, as assessed by γH2AX formation. More generally, our findings highlight the importance of investigating potential side effects that may be associated with emerging combination therapies for cancer.
Combined 5x2cv F Test for Comparing Supervised Classification Learning Algorithms Combined 5x2cv F Test for Comparing Supervised Classification Learning Algorithms

Dietterich 1] reviews ve statistical tests proposing the 5x2cv t test for determining whether there is a signiicant diierence between the error rates of two classiiers. In our experiments , we noticed that the 5x2cv t test result may vary depending on factors that should not aaect the test and we propose a variant, the combined 5x2cv F test, that combines multiple statistics to get a more robust test. Simulation results show that this combined version of the test has lower Type I error and higher power than 5x2cv proper.
Optimization scheme for mobile users performing vertical handoffs between IEEE 802.11 and GPRS/EDGE networks

The next generation wireless networks are characterised by anywhere, anytime connectivity, enhanced data services and higher data rates to enduser. New technologies such as IEEE 802.11 WLAN, Bluetooth, HIPERLAN/2, GPRS/EDGE, cdma2000 and WCDMA aim to achieve this. To facilitate new services, and make them flexible and bandwidth efficient, vertical roaming of mobile nodes is a tempting possibility for operators. Benchmarks and metrics are needed to assess these issues. The need for qualitative and quantitative results for these parameters in a real time situation is critical. One such scenario is the effect on the network performance by means of effective throughput and handoff latency perceived by the mobile user, with increasing number of active users or network load. This paper presents simulation results for mean throughput and handoff delay obtained in vertical handoff and horizontal handoff in IEEE 802.11 and GPRS/EDGE networks. An optimization scheme for mobile users performing vertical handoffs is presented with analysis.
A Comparison of Mixed and Ridge Estimators of Linear Models

The presence of autocorrelation in errors and multicollinearity among the regressors has undesirable effects on the least squares regression. There are a wide range of methods, such as the mixed estimator or the ridge estimator, for estimating regression equations, which are aimed to overcome the usefulness of the ordinary least squares estimator or the generalized least squares estimator. The purpose of this article is to examine multicollinearity and autocorrelation problems simultaneously and, to compare the mixed estimator to the ridge regression estimator (RRE) by the dispersion and mse matrix criterions in the linear regression model with correlated or heteroscedastic errors.
An efficient clustering approach using ant colony algorithm in mutidimensional search space

Clustering is an important data analysis technique and it widely used in many field such as data mining, machine learning and pattern recognition. Ant colony optimization clustering is one of the popular partition algorithm. However, in mutidimensional search space, its results is usually ordinary as the disturbing of redundant information. To address the problem, this paper presents MD-ACO clustering algorithm which improves the ant structure to implement attribute reduction. Four real data sets from UCI machine learning repository are used to evaluate MD-ACO with ACO. The results show that MD-ACO is more competitive.
Descendents for stable pairs on
 3-folds

We survey here the construction and the basic properties of descendent invariants in the theory of stable pairs on nonsingular projective 3-folds. The main topics covered are the rationality of the generating series, the functional equation, the Gromov-Witten/Pairs correspondence for descendents, the Virasoro constraints, and the connection to the virtual fundamental class of the stable pairs moduli space in algebraic cobordism. In all of these directions, the proven results constitute only a small part of the conjectural framework. A central goal of the article is to introduce the open questions as simply and directly as possible.
Bottlenecks, usability issues and development needs in creating and delivering news videos with smart phones

We conducted five user studies on using smart phones with multimedia capabilities for creating and delivering news content. We present here findings on bottlenecks, usability issues and development needs related to mobile news video capture, editing and uplink delivery. The identified bottlenecks for fast and reliable news video publishing are the uplink delivery of videos from mobile context due to the network limitations and throughput of the mobile system. To enhance the technical quality of the created videos, participants wished for high quality lenses, optical zoom, manual adjustments and a possibility to use an external microphone for audio recording. In addition, the form factor of the device should support the capturing by providing a firm grip and enabling moving of the display. For video editing, more functionalities were wished for, which sets a challenge to designing for small screen devices. Furthermore, the battery life-time was found to be too short especially for video editing. Implications for design and development are presented based on the practical development needs and challenges related to the usage of smart phones for news video capture, editing and uplink delivery.
Molecular Characterization of Genome Sequences of Beak and Feather Disease Virus from the Australian Twenty-Eight Parrot (Barnardius zonarius semitorquatus)

ABSTRACT Three complete genomes of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) were recovered from wild twenty-eight parrots (Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides). The genomes consisted of 1,996 bp with 1,934 identical sites and a typically content stem-loop structure between ORF1 and ORF2. This is the first report of BFDV infection as well as the complete genome sequences for this host species globally.
Inhibition of Intestinal Cholesterol Absorption by Ezetimibe in Humans

Background—Ezetimibe has been shown to inhibit cholesterol absorption in animal models, but studies on cholesterol absorption in humans have not been performed thus far. Methods and Results—The effect of ezetimibe (10 mg/d) on cholesterol absorption and synthesis, sterol excretion, and plasma concentrations of cholesterol and noncholesterol sterols was investigated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study in 18 patients with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia. Treatment periods lasted 2 weeks with an intervening 2-week washout period. Fractional cholesterol absorption rates averaged 49.8±13.8% on placebo and 22.7±25.8% on ezetimibe, indicating a reduction of 54% (geometric mean ratio;P < 0.001). Cholesterol synthesis increased by 89% from 931±1027 mg/d on placebo to 1763±1098 mg/d on ezetimibe (P <0.001), while the ratio of lathosterol-to-cholesterol, an indirect marker of cholesterol synthesis, was increased by 72% (P <0.001). Bile acid synthesis was insignificantly increased (placebo: 264±209 mg/d, ezetimibe: 308±184 mg/d;P =0.068). Mean percent changes from baseline for LDL and total cholesterol after ezetimibe treatment were −20.4% and −15.1%, respectively (P <0.001 for both), whereas campesterol and sitosterol were decreased by −48% and − 41%, respectively. Conclusion—In humans, ezetimibe inhibits cholesterol absorption and promotes a compensatory increase of cholesterol synthesis, followed by clinically relevant reductions in LDL and total cholesterol concentrations. Ezetimibe also reduces plasma concentrations of the noncholesterol sterols sitosterol and campesterol, suggesting an effect on the absorption of these compounds as well.
The quality of life in individuals with eating disorders

Quality of life is an important aspect of the assessment of medical and psychiatric disorders, such as eating disorders. Eating disorders affect both the emotional and physical wellbeing of individuals who suffer from them and presumably impact quality of life. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of life of individuals seeking inpatient treatment for an eating disorder using the Quality of Life Inventory. This assessment is unique because it considers both the importance and satisfaction of life domains and it is also very comprehensive, assessing 16 life domains both quantitatively and qualitatively. This is the first study to report on the use of the Quality of Life Inventory in an eating disorder sample. It was hypothesized that patients with eating disorders would have significantly worse quality of life than non-clinical groups and similar quality of life compared to other clinically impaired groups. This hypothesis was confirmed. It was also predicted that individuals with anorexia and bulimia nervosa would have statistically equivalent quality of life global scores but differences on domain scores, and this was confirmed as well. Finally, it was hypothesized that treatment history, number of co-morbid disorders, body mass index, and eating disorder symptoms would be related to quality of life, which was not supported. These results contribute to the literature about quality of life of individuals with eating disorders by supporting existing findings based on other quality of life measures and add information about life domains not previously assessed by other measures.
Development of an alternate arm converter benchmark model for HVDC applications

This paper develops an alternate arm converter (AAC) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) terminal model that is compatible with the existing benchmark models of modular multilevel converter (MMC) based HVDC and dc-grid benchmark models. The developed model is a first step towards an AAC-based point-to-point transmission system and the future development of multi-converter, multiterminal benchmark models that facilitate system level studies with multiple topologies. The topology, configuration, design considerations and parameters of the model are derived in order to provide a direct equivalence with the MMC-based system. Detailed simulation studies of the multilevel converter demonstrate the operation and performance of the AAC-based benchmark model and the associated control functions.