Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An improved textual storyline generating framework for disaster information management

Analyzing and understanding disaster-related sit­uation updates from a large number of disaster-related docu­ments plays an important role in disaster management and has attracted a lot of research attention. Recently several methods have been developed to generate textual storylines from disaster-related documents to help people understand the overall trend and evolution of a disaster event as well as how the disaster affects different areas. These methods are able to help people improve their situation awareness by generating informative summarizes to present the global pictures of disaster events. However, these methods suffer from several limitations including text representation, repre­sentative document selection, and summary generation that may affect the quality of the summarized results. To address these limitations, in this paper, we propose an improved two-layer storyline generating framework which generates a global storyline of the disaster events in the first layer, and provides condensed information about specific regions affected by the disaster in the second layer. The proposed framework utilizes the word embedding for text similarity measurement, considers both uniqueness and relevance for representative document selection, and uses Maximal Marginal Relevance to generate summaries from each local document set. The experimental results on four typhoons related events demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed framework on capturing the status information and understanding the situation from a large of documents.
Antioxidant properties of Ferulago angulata and its hepatoprotective effect against N-nitrosodimethylamine-induced oxidative stress in rats

Abstract Context: Ferulago angulata (Schlecht.) Boiss. (Apiaceae) (FASB) is used to treat liver diseases and has been used both as food and therapeutics by many cultures for thousands of years because of the natural antioxidant compounds. Objective: This study determines antioxidant properties of FASB flowers, the levels of minerals and vitamins, and also, evaluates the hepatoprotective effect of flowers against N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) induced on liver tissue by assessing antioxidant enzymes and histopathological parameters in Wistar albino rats. Materials and methods: In the study, the rats were divided into six groups of ten. Control, untreated animals were given 0.9% NaCl. Rats were intraperitoneally given NDMA (10 mg/kg) for the first 7 days. FASB methanol extract (150 and 300 mg/kg) was administered orally for 21 days. Results: α-Tocopherol, retinol, ascorbic acid, total antioxidant activity, phenolic and flavonoid contents of FASB were 0.70 ± 0.13, 0.29 ± 0.03 μg/g, 139.32 ± 7.06 μg/100 g, 171.61 ± 6.05 mM ascorbic acid/g, 90.47 ± 4.11 mg GA/g and 37.39 ± 2.85 mg QE/g. DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was obtained IC50 67.34 ± 4.14 and 64.87 ± 4.68 μg/mL, respectively. Discussion and conclusion: The results of the study indicated that FASB flowers contain high levels of vitamins, minerals, total antioxidant activity, phenolics and flavonoids. Due to the positive effect on significant changes in antioxidant enzymes of liver tissue and histopathological examination, it is thought that the plant could be used as a hepatoprotective.
Decentralization in Africa and the Resilience of Traditional Authorities: Evaluating Zimbabwe's Track Record

Abstract This paper looks at one of the most important endogenous factors influencing the workings of decentralization in Zimbabwe. Successive waves of formal institutional change that took place during Zimbabwe's colonial and post-colonial history have been unable able to uproot the influence of traditional leaders. Due to their home-grown legitimacy, various traditional authorities continue to play an ever-present role in the lives of people in rural areas. But, as it is the case throughout most of Africa, the powers of traditional leaders have mostly been uncodified under modern law and these power relations tend to be rather informal and culturally inaccessible to most outsiders. Consequently, the scholarly literature has not been able to systematically acknowledge their pervasive influence. The article concludes with a reflection on how the influence of traditional authorities can be translated into the democratic and progressive empowerment of rural populations in the developing world.
Intensity versus task-specificity after stroke: how important is intensity?

Recent evidence suggests that intense training regimens can increase the use and function of the more affected limbs of stroke patients. The efficacy of these intense regimens has led some to conclude that intense training regimens should be more widely applied clinically and has caused some physicians to attempt implementation of more intense training regimens with stroke patients. However, intense protocols may not be needed to produce positive motor changes in some patients and may not be plausible in some environments or with some patients. In this commentary, we review the evidence supporting the efficacy of less intense, task-specific training regimens emphasizing the use of the more affected limb. We submit that intensity does not need to be altered to induce substantial clinical improvements, as some have suggested. Rather, the results of the studies suggest that the nature of stroke motor therapy itself can be altered to be more task-specific while remaining within the typical contact time parameters (i.e., 30-45 min/session), yet can be more efficacious than more traditional motor rehabilitative approaches.
Research on low-cost technology of hand capture applicable to GCS human factors engineering assessment

In order to achieve unmanned aerial vehicle operation control “human — machine — environment” coherence as a typical example of the application of loop control, the design and development of the modern unmanned aerial vehicle ground control station (GCS) is widely use human engineering. However, due to the extreme lack of human data in the actual environment, GCS human reliability analysis and evaluation work is seriously limited. Thus, with the CGS human engineering evaluation background, this paper relies on low-cost hardware equipment Leap Motion to carry out human data capture technology. First of all, the feasibility of GCS manpower data acquisition on Leap Motion was proofed by analyzing the space adaptability, capture speed accuracy adaptability and secondary development ability etc. Then those key technologies including action capturing, action modeling and information processing were studied and specific work processes and application opportunities were discussed. From the final results, gestures and motions of virtual hands were same as real ones. The building processing speed was far from minimum demand of 15 frames per second. The accuracy and real-time performance of analysis demonstrated the movements accurately capture and data processing ability on the whole, which satisfied real time and accuracy requirements for the manpower data capturing.
A M ODEL BASED ON SENTIMENTS ANALYSIS FOR STOCK EXCHANGE PREDICTION - CASE STUDY OF PETR4, PETROBRAS , B RAZIL

Predicting the behavior of shares in the stock market is a complex problem, that involves variables not always known and can undergo various influences, from the collective emotion to high-profile news. Such volatility, can represent considerable financial losses for investors. In order to anticipate such changes in the market, it has been proposed various mechanisms to try to predict the behavior of an asset in the stock market, based on previously existing information. Such mechanisms include statistical data only, without considering the collective feeling. This article, is going to use natural language processing algorithms (LPN) to determine the collective mood on assets and later with the help of the SVM algorithm to extract patterns in an attempt to predict the active behavior. Nevertheless it is important to note that such approach is not intended to be the main factor in the decision making process, but rather an aid tool, which combined with other information, can provide higher accuracy for the solution of this problem.
Trans‐sodium crocetinate provides neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in obese mice

Trans‐sodium crocetinate (TSC) is a novel synthetic carotenoid compound that improves diffusion of small molecules, including oxygen, in solutions. TSC provides neuroprotection in healthy rats and rabbits. This study seeks to determine whether TSC is neuroprotective in obese mice. Sixteen‐week‐old CD‐1 male mice that had been fed a high‐fat diet for 10 weeks were subjected to a 90‐min middle cerebral arterial occlusion (MCAO). They received TSC by two boluses through a tail vein 10 min after the onset of MCAO and reperfusion, respectively, with doses of 0.14, 0.28, and 0.7 mg/kg or by a bolus–infusion–bolus strategy with a dose of 0.14 mg/kg during MCAO. The neurological outcome was evaluated 72 hr after MCAO. Brain tissues were harvested 24 hr after MCAO to measure nitrotyrosine‐containing proteins, 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 and ‐9 activity and expression, and inflammatory cytokines. TSC given in the two‐bolus strategy did not improve the neurological outcome. The bolus–infusion–bolus strategy significantly reduced brain edema, infarct volume, and hemorrhagic transformation and improved neurological functions. TSC reduced nitrotyrosine‐containing proteins, MMP‐9 activity and expression, and inflammatory cytokines in ischemic brain tissues. Our results indicate that TSC delivered by the bolus–infusion–bolus strategy provides neuroprotection in obese mice. This protection may occur through reduction of oxidative stress, MMP‐9 activity, or inflammatory cytokines in the ischemic brain tissues. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Abusive Experiences and Young Women's Sexual Health Outcomes: Is Condom Negotiation Self-Efficacy a Mediator?

CONTEXT Intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion are associated with unintended pregnancies and STDs. Greater condom negotiation self-efficacy among young women may mediate these associations. METHODS A sample of 841 female adolescents (aged 16-19) and 1,387 young adult women (aged 20-24) recruited from 24 family planning clinics in western Pennsylvania in 2011-2012 reported on intimate partner violence, reproductive coercion, condom negotiation self-efficacy and sexual health outcomes at baseline and four- and 12-month follow-ups. Mixed models were used to test associations of intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion with unintended pregnancy and STD diagnosis. The Sobel test of mediation was used to measure indirect effects of condom negotiation self-efficacy. RESULTS At baseline, 15% of adolescents and 11% of young adults reported recent intimate partner violence victimization; 7% and 6%, respectively, reported recent reproductive coercion. For both age-groups, intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion were associated with a reduced level of condom negotiation self-efficacy (coefficients, -0.27 to -0.13) and increased odds of STD diagnosis (odds ratios, 1.03-1.1). However, only reproductive coercion was associated with unintended pregnancy (odds ratios, 1.1 for each group). The only association that condom negotiation self-efficacy mediated was between reproductive coercion and unintended pregnancy among young adults (17% of total effect). CONCLUSIONS Targeting condom negotiation self-efficacy alone in abusive relationships would likely not translate into improved sexual health outcomes in this population. Other strategies are needed to prevent unintended pregnancy and STDs.
Contributions of intrinsic and synaptic activities to the generation of neuronal discharges in in vitro hippocampus

1 Extracellular and intracellular records were made from guinea‐pig hippocampal slices to examine the contributions of intrinsic cellular properties and synaptic events to the generation of neuronal activity. Extracellular signals were filtered to pass action potentials, which could be detected within a distance of about 80 μm from a discharging cell. 2 Spontaneous action potentials were invariably detected in records from the stratum pyramidale of CA3 region. Blocking excitatory synaptic transmission with NBQX and APV reduced their frequency by 23 ± 35 %. Suppressing synaptic inhibition, while excitation was already blocked, increased the rate of spike discharge to 177 ± 71 % of its control value. 3 Most action potentials recorded intracellularly from CA3 pyramidal cells were initiated in the absence of a detectable synaptic event. In contrast, most action potentials generated by inhibitory cells located close to stratum pyramidale were preceded by an EPSP. 4 In 31 simultaneous recordings, intracellular pyramidal cell action potentials appeared consistently to initiate extracellular spikes with a mean latency of 2·2 ± 1·0 ms. Single inhibitory cell action potentials could initiate a reduction in the frequency of extracellular spikes of duration 10–30 ms. 5 Some identified extracellular spikes (n= 9) consistently preceded intracellularly recorded IPSPs. IPSPs were initiated monosynaptically with latencies of 0·9‐1·5 ms. In reciprocal interactions, single pyramidal cell action potentials could trigger the discharge of an identified unit that in turn appeared to initiate an IPSP in the same pyramidal cell. 6 These data suggest that intrinsic cellular mechanisms underly much of the spontaneous activity of pyramidal cells of the CA3 region of the hippocampus in vitro. Both synaptic inhibition and a strong excitation of inhibitory cells by pyramidal cells act to reduce population activity.
Cloning, sequencing and characterization of a gene encoding dihydroxyacetone kinase from Zygosaccharomyces rouxii NRRL2547

The dihydroxyacetone pathway, an alternative pathway for the dissimilation of glycerol via reduction by glycerol dehydrogenase and subsequent phosphorylation by dihydroxyacetone (DHA) kinase, is activated in the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii during osmotic stress. In experiments aimed at investigating the physiological function of the DHA pathway in Z. rouxii, a typical osmotolerant yeast, we cloned and characterized a DAK gene encoding dihydroxyacetone kinase from Z. rouxii NRRL 2547. Sequence analysis revealed a 1761 bp open reading frame, encoding a peptide composed of 587 deduced amino acids with the predicted molecular weight of 61 664 Da. As the amino acid sequence was most closely homologous (68% identity) to the S. cerevisiae Dak1p, we named the gene and protein ZrDAK1 and ZrDak1p, respectively. A putative ATP binding site was also found but no consensus element associated with osmoregulation was found in the upstream region of the ZrDAK1 gene. The ZrDAK1 gene complemented a S. cerevisiae W303‐1A dak1Δdak2Δ strain by improving the growth of the mutant on 50 mmol/l dihydroxyacetone and by increasing the tolerance to dihydroxyacetone in a medium containing 5% sodium chloride, suggesting that it is a functional homologue of the S. cerevisiae DAK1. However, expression of the ZrDAK1 gene in the S. cerevisiae dak1Δdak2Δ strain had no significant effect on glycerol levels during osmotic stress. The ZrDAK1 sequence has been deposited in the public data bases under Accession No. AJ294719; regions upstream and downstream of ZrDAK1are deposited as Accession Nos AJ294739 and AJ294720, respectively. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling and Optimization of Multiground TSVs for Signals Shield in 3-D ICs

This paper presents an effective loop impedance extraction method and a model of a signal through-silicon via (TSV) surrounded by multiground TSVs. According to this method, the effective coupling substrate capacitances of multiground TSVs with different numbers and placements are calculated. Based on the calculated values of the resistance-inductance-capacitance-conductance (RLCG) parameters, the equivalent circuit and a two-port network model are established. The S-parameters of the model are validated by the simulated and measured results. Then, the effect of different patterns of ground TSVs on the central signal and coupling capacitance are discussed. Note that the hexagon pattern proposed in this paper can save the occupied area prominently without damaging the signal integrity.
The Effects of Alternative Regulatory Policies on Utility Investment Strategies

The environment for planning and constructing power plants has undergone substantial changes since the early 1970s. After this decade of change, many utilities are completing costly plants that are larger than necessary to satisfy current demand and requesting that the plants be added to the rate base. The Used and Useful (UU) and the Prudent Investor (PI) criteria have been applied by increasing numbers of regulatory commissions to determine whether excess capacity plants should be included in the rate base. This paper considers whether these criteria will induce firms to invest efficiently. Much of the discussion of these criteria has focused on developing an appropriate method for allocating excess capacity costs between consumers and investors. ' It is widely recognized that allocating some of the excess capacity costs to investors increases the risk faced by utilities.2 This increased risk both increases the market cost of capital and reduces the utility's incentive to invest efficiently in new plants in the future. Consumers therefore trade lower current expenses for higher capital and operating costs in the future. The importance of these concerns depends on the answers to two questions: (1) how soon will new capacity be needed and (2) to what extent will the current policy affect future allowed rates of return and capital investment? In response to the first question, some analysts indicate that the situation of current excess capacity will be reversed in the early 1990s.3 This paper explores the second question by developing a simple model to consider the relation between the UU or PI policies, the allowed rate of return, and the level of future investment. This important relationship is complex. Some writers have emphasized capital market con-
F pocket flexibility influences the tapasin dependence of two differentially disease‐associated MHC Class I proteins

The human MHC class I protein HLA‐B*27:05 is statistically associated with ankylosing spondylitis, unlike HLA‐B*27:09, which differs in a single amino acid in the F pocket of the peptide‐binding groove. To understand how this unique amino acid difference leads to a different behavior of the proteins in the cell, we have investigated the conformational stability of both proteins using a combination of in silico and experimental approaches. Here, we show that the binding site of B*27:05 is conformationally disordered in the absence of peptide due to a charge repulsion at the bottom of the F pocket. In agreement with this, B*27:05 requires the chaperone protein tapasin to a greater extent than the conformationally stable B*27:09 in order to remain structured and to bind peptide. Taken together, our data demonstrate a method to predict tapasin dependence and physiological behavior from the sequence and crystal structure of a particular class I allotype.
Evidence for a major gene for rapid postweaning growth in mice.

Mice gaining 3 or more standard deviations above the mean were noted beginning in generation 25 in a line selected for high 21–42 day weight gain. The exceptional growth rate appears to be due to an autosomal recessive gene, based on the following: (1) the exceptional individuals appeared suddenly, in only one of 2 closely related sublines; (2) mating high growth individuals to unrelated, normal size strains produces relatively uniform F1's with mean gains below the mid-parent average; (3) F2's have a distribution markedly skewed towards high gain and a coefficient of variation approximately double that of F1's; (4) true breeding high growth strains can be established in one generation by intermating the largest F2's; (5) intermating normal F2's produces progenies with a distribution similar to the F1 except for a few large segregates; (6) high growth segregates have been obtained in F2's from each of 4 successive backcrosses to the C57BL/6 inbred line. The symbol hg (high growth) is proposed for the postulated gene, which appears to be completely recessive. Frequency of positively identified segregates in F2's and backcrosses is on average less than 25 and 50%, due probably to some overlap of Hg- and hghg distributions. Gain of hghg individuals from 21–42 days is 30–50% higher than of Hg- contemporaries; mature weight is also much higher, while 21-day weight of hghg individuals in segregating litters is slightly lower. Fertility of homozygotes ranges from normal to as much as 40% lower than for comparable Hg- mice; hghg mice are not obese. The gene may provide a useful model for study of regulation of mammalian growth.
Regional relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and corresponding visual field sensitivity in glaucomatous eyes.

OBJECTIVE To establish the structure-function relationship between peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and visual field (VF) test points in standard automated perimetry. METHODS We included 213 eyes with open-angle glaucoma and VF loss in this cross-sectional study. Correlations between individual VF sensitivity at 52 test points and peripapillary RNFL thickness divided into 16 sectors were calculated. The RNFL thickness was measured by Stratus optical coherence tomography. A new VF cluster map corresponding to RNFL sectors was generated by grouping the VF test points with the highest relation to each RNFL sector. RESULTS The VF sensitivity at each test point was significantly correlated with the sectoral RNFL thickness. The highest coefficient of determination (R(2)) for a superotemporal RNFL sector and VF sensitivity at an inferotemporal test point (9 degrees temporal and 15 degrees inferior from the center) in standard automated perimetry was 0.500 (P < .001). Clustered VF test points most highly related to the RNFL sectors were asymmetrically located between the upper and lower hemifields. A newly developed map revealed significant structure-function relationships. CONCLUSIONS We describe an association between VF sensitivity at test points and sectoral RNFL thickness. Nine clustered VF test points corresponding to 9 RNFL regions were demonstrated from the structure-function relationships.
A front end switched rectifier DC source for neutral point balancing of a NPC three-level inverter for the full modulation range

A switched DC voltage three level NPC is proposed in this paper to eliminate capacitor balancing problems in conventional three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) inverter. The proposed configuration requires only one DC link with a voltage Vdc/2, where Vdc is the DC link voltage in a conventional NPC inverter. To get rated DC link voltage (Vdc), the voltage source is alternately connected in parallel to one of the two series capacitors using two switches and two diodes with device voltage rating of Vdc/2. The frequency at which the voltage source is switched is independent and will not affect the operation of NPC inverter. The switched voltage source in this configuration balances the capacitors automatically. The proposed configuration can also be used as a conventional two level inverter in lower modulation range, thereby increases the reliability of the drive system. A space vector based PWM scheme is used to verify this proposed topology.