Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correction of multi-spectral MRI intensity non-uniformity via spatially regularized feature condensing

In MRI, image intensity non-uniformity is an adverse phenomenon that increases inter-tissue overlapping. The aim of this study was to provide a novel general framework, named regularized feature condensing (RFC), for condensing the distribution of image features and apply it to correct intensity non-uniformity via spatial regularization. The proposed RCF method is an iterative procedure, which consists of four basic steps. First, creation of a feature space, which consists of multi-spectral image intensities and corresponding second derivatives. Second, estimation of the intensity condensing map in feature space, i.e. the estimation of the increase of feature probability densities by a well-established mean shift procedure. Third, regularization of intensity condensing map in image space, which yields the estimation of intensity non-uniformity. Fourth, applying the estimation of non-uniformity correction to the input image. In this way, the intensity distributions of distinct tissues are gradually condensed via spatial regularization. The method was tested on simulated and real MR brain images for which gold standard segmentations were available. The results showed that the method did not induce additional intensity variations in simulated uniform images and efficiently removed intensity non-uniformity in real MR brain images. The proposed RCF method is a powerful fully automated intensity non-uniformity correction method that makes no a prior assumptions on the image intensity distribution and provides non-parametric non-uniformity correction.
Orientation of multivalent ions near charged planar surfaces

A solution of large multivalent ions in contact with a planar charged surface is considered theoretically. Using a simple three-state model for the orientation of the multivalent ions in the gradient of an electric field and applying the methods of statistical physics, we show that the internal charge distribution within a single multivalent ion with the charges located at well-separated positions may lead to the orientational ordering of multivalent ions near the charged planar surface.
Achievable Sum-Rate Analysis of Massive MIMO Full-Duplex Wireless Backhaul Links in Heterogeneous Cellular Networks

This paper proposes a heterogeneous network topology, where the backhaul links are supported by massive multiple-input multiple-output systems with full-duplex (FD) modes. Communication is achieved in two phases. In the first phase, we equip macro cell (MC) base station (BS) with massive receive antennas and few transmit antennas and all small cell (SC) BSs with massive receive antennas and a single transmit antenna. In the second phase, a circulator switches the massive receive antennas into transmit antennas and transmit antennas into receive antennas. Under the assumption of imperfect channel state information and large antenna regime, closed-form expressions have been derived for the uplink/downlink achievable sum-rate. From the results, we check that the strength of self-interference (SI) and SC-to-SC interference which occur due to FD operation depends largely on the number of SCs. By increasing the number of SCs, achievable sum-rates also increase but require more antennas to overcome the deleterious effects of the SI and SC-to-SC interference. Based on our analytical results, a hybrid FD/half-duplex system is proposed according to the interferences and the number of antennas. Furthermore, using our system model, it is shown that the transmit power of the MC BS and the SC BSs can be scaled down proportionally to the massive number of receive antennas (first phase) and the massive number of transmit antennas (second phase) and still achieve a required rate.
Test Sets for Chinese Nonlocal Dependency Parsing

Chinese is a language rich in nonlocal dependencies. Correctly resolving these dependencies is crucial in understanding the predicate-argument structure of a sentence. Making full use of the trace annotations in the Penn Chinese Treebank (Xue et al., 2005), this research contributes several test sets of Chinese nonlocal dependencies which occur in different grammatical constructions. These datasets can be used by an automatic dependency parser to evaluate its performance on nonlocal dependency resolution in various syntactic constructions in Chinese.
Multilingual Dependency Parsing for Low-Resource Languages: Case Studies on North Saami and Komi-Zyrian

The paper presents a method for parsing low-resource languages with very small training corpora using multilingual word embeddings and annotated corpora of larger languages. The study demonstrates that speciﬁc language combinations enable improved dependency parsing when compared to previous work, allowing for wider reuse of pre-existing resources when parsing low-resource languages. The study also explores the question of whether contemporary contact languages or genetically related languages would be the most fruitful starting point for multilingual parsing scenarios
Improving domain-specific SMT for low-resourced languages using data from different domains

This paper evaluates the impact of different types of data sources in developing a domain-specific statistical machine translation (SMT) system for the domain of official government letters, between the low-resourced language pair Sinhala and Tamil. The baseline was built with a small in-domain parallel dataset containing official government letters. The translation system was evaluated with two different test data sets. Test data from the same sources as training and tuning gave a higher score due to over-fitting, while the test data from a different source resulted in a considerably lower score. With the motive to improve translation, more data was collected from, (a) different government sources other than official letters (pseudo in-domain), and (b) online sources such as blogs, news and wiki dumps (out-domain). Use of pseudo in-domain data showed an improvement for both the test sets as the language is formal and context was similar to that of the in-domain though the writing style varies. Out-domain data, however, did not give a positive impact, either in filtered or unfiltered forms, as the writing style was different and the context was much more general than that of the official government documents.
An Empirical Investigation of the Concept of Materiality in Accounting

Materiality is a vital concept, one of the cornerstones of accountancy. The assumption that the item in question is in some sense material is implicit in every decision to render some event into a financial datum, to classify a transaction, to dispute some controversial accounting treatment. Thus, for every decision made in accounting there is a prior, if often subconscious, decision that the item in question is material. Else, why bother about it? Let us define materiality in accounting thus: the relative, quantitative importance of some piece of financial information, to a user, in the context of a decision to be made. A survey of widely quoted definitions' suggests that the matter, while somewhat ineffable, has been settled to everyone's satisfaction. Yet if one but reread them, it is evident that problems certainly do exist. Not one of these definitions is by itself operational. The implications of all these statements are that accountants can identify those who have a legitimate interest in a company; that they can select some representative individual from this motley group, and that they can understand and satisfy the informational needs of this idealized user. Now we all know that this is just not so. Identification of what has been
Andecaliximab [Anti-matrix Metalloproteinase-9] Induction Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 2/3 Study in Patients With Moderate to Severe Disease

Abstract Background and Aims Matrix metalloproteinase-9 [MMP9] is implicated in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis [UC] via disruption of intestinal barrier integrity and function. A phase 2/3 combined trial was designed to examine the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of the anti-MMP9 antibody, andecaliximab [formerly GS-5745], in patients with moderately to severely active UC. Methods Patients were randomised [1:1:1] to receive placebo, 150 mg andecaliximab every 2 weeks [Q2W], or 150 mg andecaliximab weekly [QW], via subcutaneous administration. The primary endpoint was endoscopy/bleeding/stool [EBS]-defined clinical remission [endoscopic subscore of 0 or 1, rectal bleeding subscore of 0, and at least a 1-point decrease from baseline in stool frequency to achieve a subscore of 0 or 1] at Week 8. The phase 2/3 trial met prespecified futility criteria and was terminated before completion. This study describes results from the 8-week induction phase. Results Neither 150 mg andecaliximab Q2W or QW resulted in a significant increase vs placebo in the proportion of patients achieving EBS clinical remission at Week 8. Remission rates [95% confidence intervals] were 7.3% [2.0%–17.6%], 7.4% [2.1%–17.9%], and 1.8% [0.0%–9.6%] in the placebo, andecaliximab Q2W, and andecaliximab QW groups, respectively. Similarly, Mayo Clinic Score response, endoscopic response, and mucosal [histological] healing did not differ among groups. Rates of adverse events were comparable among andecaliximab and placebo. Conclusions Eight weeks of induction treatment with 150 mg andecaliximab in patients with UC did not induce clinical remission or response. Andecaliximab was well tolerated and pharmacokinetic properties were consistent with those previously reported.
Calculation of UV attenuation and colored dissolved organic matter absorption spectra from measurements of ocean color

[1] The absorption of ultraviolet and visible radiation by colored or chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) drives much of marine photochemistry. It also affects the penetration of ultraviolet radiation (UV) into the water column and can confound remote estimates of chlorophyll concentration. Measurements of ocean color from satellites can be used to predict UV attenuation and CDOM absorption spectra from relationships between visible reflectance, UV attenuation, and absorption by CDOM. Samples were taken from the Bering Sea and from the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and water types ranged from turbid, inshore waters to the Gulf Stream. We determined the following relationships between in situ visible radiance reflectance, Lu/Ed (λ) (sr−1), and diffuse attenuation of UV, Kd(λ) (m−1): Kd(323nm) = 0.781[Lu/Ed(412)/Lu/Ed(555)]−1.07; Kd(338nm) = 0.604[Lu/Ed(412)/Lu/Ed(555)]−1.12; Kd(380 nm) = 0.302[Lu/Ed(412)/Lu/Ed(555)]−1.24. Consistent with published observations, these empirical relationships predict that the spectral slope coefficient of CDOM absorption increases as diffuse attenuation of UV decreases. Excluding samples from turbid bays, the ratio of the CDOM absorption coefficient to Kd is 0.90 at 323 nm, 0.86 at 338 nm, and 0.97 at 380 nm. We applied these relationships to SeaWiFS images of normalized water-leaving radiance to calculate the CDOM absorption and UV attenuation in the Mid-Atlantic Bight in May, July, and August 1998. The images showed a decrease in UV attenuation from May to August of approximately 50%. We also produced images of the areal distribution of the spectral slope coefficient of CDOM absorption in the Georgia Bight. The spectral slope coefficient increased offshore and changed with season.
Characterizing Psychopathy Using DSM-5 Personality Traits

Despite its importance historically and contemporarily, psychopathy is not recognized in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revised (DSM-IV-TR). Its closest counterpart, antisocial personality disorder, includes strong representation of behavioral deviance symptoms but weak representation of affective-interpersonal features considered central to psychopathy. The current study evaluated the extent to which psychopathy and its distinctive facets, indexed by the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, can be assessed effectively using traits from the dimensional model of personality pathology developed for DSM-5, operationalized by the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5). Results indicate that (a) facets of psychopathy entailing impulsive externalization and callous aggression are well-represented by traits from the PID-5 considered relevant to antisocial personality disorder, and (b) the boldness facet of psychopathy can be effectively captured using additional PID-5 traits. These findings provide evidence that the dimensional model of personality pathology embodied in the PID-5 provides effective trait-based coverage of psychopathy and its facets.
The MADAR Arabic Dialect Corpus and Lexicon

In this paper, we present two resources that were created as part of the Multi Arabic Dialect Applications and Resources (MADAR) project. The ﬁrst is a large parallel corpus of 25 Arabic city dialects in the travel domain. The second is a lexicon of 1,045 concepts with an average of 45 words from 25 cities per concept. These resources are the ﬁrst of their kind in terms of the breadth of their coverage and the ﬁne location granularity. The focus on cities, as opposed to regions in studying Arabic dialects, opens new avenues to many areas of research from dialectology to dialect identiﬁcation and machine translation.
Acheilognathus majusculus, a new bitterling (Pisces, Cyprinidae) from Korea, with revised key to species of the genus Acheilognathus of Korea

A new bitterling, Acheilognathus majusculus is described from 20 specimens collected from the Somjin and Nakdong River, Korea. The new species is similar to Acheilognathus yamatsutae, but distinguished from the latter and congeners by the combination of the following characteristics: 15-21 gill rakers, 37-40 vertebrae, longer barbel, greenish body coloration, nuptial color of males and slightly protrusive snout. A key to species of Acheilognathus from Korea is included.
Out of Africa ? Phylogenetic relationships between Falco biarmicus and the other hierofalcons ( Aves : Falconidae )

The phylogeographic history of the lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus) and the phylogenetic relationships among hierofalcons (F. biarmicus, Falco cherrug, Falco jugger and Falco rusticolus) were investigated using mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences. Of the two non-coding mt sections tested, the control region (CR) appeared more suitable as phylogenetic marker sequence compared with the pseudo control region (WCR). For the comprehensive analysis samples from a broad geographic range representing all four hierofalcon species and their currently recognized subspecies were included. Moreover, samples of Falco mexicanus were analysed to elucidate its phylogenetic relationships to the hierofalcons. The sequence data indicate that this species is more closely related to Falco peregrinus than to the hierofalcons. In the DNA-based trees and in the maximum parsimony network all hierofalcons appear closely related and none of the species represents a monophyletic group. The close relationships among haplotypes suggest that the hierofalcon complex is an assemblage of morphospecies not yet differentiated in the genetic markers used in the present study and that the radiation of the four hierofalcon species took place rather recently. Based on the high intraspecific diversity found within F. biarmicus we assume an African origin of the hierofalcon complex. The observed pattern of haplotype distribution in the extant species may be due to incomplete lineage sorting of ancestral polymorphisms, and interspecific gene flow through hybridization.
Czech Legal Text Treebank 1.0

We introduce a new member of the family of Prague dependency treebanks. The Czech Legal Text Treebank 1.0 is a morphologically and syntactically annotated corpus of 1,128 sentences. The treebank contains texts from the legal domain, namely the documents from the Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Legal texts differ from other domains in several language phenomena influenced by rather high frequency of very long sentences. A manual annotation of such sentences presents a new challenge. We describe a strategy and tools for this task. The resulting treebank can be explored in various ways. It can be downloaded from the LINDAT/CLARIN repository and viewed locally using the TrEd editor or it can be accessed on-line using the KonText and TreeQuery tools.
Cost-effective fault-tolerant scheduling algorithm for real-time tasks in cloud systems

Scheduling tasks in distributed systems is a classic optimization problem. Cloud computing brings new challenges for traditional scheduling methods due to its characteristics of elasticity. Although the task scheduling problem has been widely studied, there are few heuristics suitable for the cloud environment. In this paper, we propose a cost-effective fault-tolerant scheduling algorithm (CEFT) for real-time tasks in cloud systems. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is tailored to address the task assignment issue. Primary/backup (P/B) approach is applied to provide fault tolerance for tasks in case of permanent or transient hardware failure. In addition, rescheduling mechanism is put forward to meet the deadline constraints of real-time tasks. Simulation experiments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of our algorithm. The results show that CEFT makes good balance between low cost and high deadline guarantee ratio.
Matching and portfolio selection: Part 1

1.1 My paper entitled ‘The Matching of Assets to Liabilities’ described a new study of the subject of matching. The paper outlined the mathematical framework, showed some calculations, and suggested various applications in the field of actuarial valuation. 1.2 Subsequently A. D. Wilkie published a note entitled ‘Portfolio Selection in the Presence of Fixed Liabilities: a Comment on “The Matching of Assets to Liabilities”’. Wilkie's note appears to represent a new extension of portfolio selection theory which enables him to encompass the conventional portfolio theory and to show where my approach to matching fits into the picture. 1.3 This paper is in the nature of a reply to that of Wilkie. My objective at the stage of the first draft was to re-examine the matching portfolio, as defined in relation to specified liabilities, in view of the wide range of alternative portfolios which Wilkie has described. The scope of this work progressed well beyond my original plans when I found a most interesting mathematical relationship between the ‘matching portfolios’ described in my earlier paper and the ‘efficient portfolios’ described in Wilkie's.
Crosslinguistic transfer as category adjustment: Modeling conceptual color shift in bilingualism

We present a general framework for capturing categorical cross-linguistic transfer effects – the inﬂuences of linguistic and conceptual categories in a bilingual speaker’s languages on each other. By formulating the phenomenon as an instance of cognitive category shift, we achieve a general method for investigating the extent and causes of crosslinguistic transfer in terms of a category similarity space and a set of weighting factors. We apply the model to the well-understood domain of color, formulating transfer as the modulation of conceptual color categories in one language on those of the other language. We analyze the components of the model that predict salient aspects of human data on an observed transfer effect in a range of languages.
Temperature-induced physiological stress and reproductive characteristics of the migratory seahorse Hippocampus erectus during a thermal stress simulation

ABSTRACT Inshore-offshore migration occurs frequently in seahorse species, either because of prey opportunities or because they are driven by reproduction, and variations in water temperature may dramatically change migratory seahorse behavior and physiology. The present study investigated the behavioral and physiological responses of the lined seahorse Hippocampus erectus under thermal stress and evaluated the potential effects of different temperatures on its reproduction. The results showed that the thermal tolerance of the seahorses was time dependent. Acute thermal stress (30°C, 2–10 h) increased the basal metabolic rate (breathing rate) and the expression of stress response genes (Hsp genes) significantly and further stimulated seahorse appetite. Chronic thermal treatment (30°C, 4 weeks) led to a persistently higher basal metabolic rate, higher stress response gene expression and higher mortality rates, indicating that the seahorses could not acclimate to chronic thermal stress and might experience massive mortality rates due to excessively high basal metabolic rates and stress damage. Additionally, no significant negative effects on gonad development or reproductive endocrine regulation genes were observed in response to chronic thermal stress, suggesting that seahorse reproductive behavior could adapt to higher-temperature conditions during migration and within seahorse breeding grounds. In conclusion, this simulation experiment indicates that temperature variations during inshore-offshore migration have no effect on reproduction, but promote significantly high basal metabolic rates and stress responses. Therefore, we suggest that the observed high tolerance of seahorse reproduction is in line with the inshore-offshore reproductive migration pattern of lined seahorses. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: We found that seahorse reproduction could adapt to higher-temperature conditions, but seahorses might experience massive mortality rates due to high basal metabolic rates and stress damage under chronic thermal stress.
Low Magnitude of Compression Enhances Biosynthesis of Mesenchymal Stem Cells towards Nucleus Pulposus Cells via the TRPV4-Dependent Pathway

Mesenchymal stem cell- (MSC-) based therapy is regarded as a promising tissue engineering strategy to achieve nucleus pulposus (NP) regeneration for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, it is still a challenge to promote the biosynthesis of MSC to meet the requirement of NP regeneration. The purpose of this study was to optimize the compressive magnitude to enhance the extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition towards discogenesis of MSCs. Thus, we constructed a 3D culture model for MSCs to bear different magnitudes of compression for 7 days (5%, 10%, and 20% at the frequency of 1.0 Hz for 8 hours/day) using an intelligent and mechanically active bioreactor. Then, the underlying mechanotransduction mechanism of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) was further explored. The MSC-encapsulated hybrids were evaluated by Live/Dead staining, biochemical content assay, real-time PCR, Western blot, histological, and immunohistochemical analysis. The results showed that low-magnitude compression promoted anabolic response where high-magnitude compression induced the catabolic response for the 3D-cultured MSCs. The anabolic effect of low-magnitude compression could be inhibited by inhibiting TRPV4. Meanwhile, the activation of TRPV4 enhanced the biosynthesis analogous to low-magnitude compression. These findings demonstrate that low-magnitude compression promoted the anabolic response of ECM deposition towards discogenesis for the 3D-cultured MSCs and the TRPV4 channel plays a key role on mechanical signal transduction for low-magnitude compressive loading. Further understanding of this mechanism may provide insights into the development of new therapies for MSC-based NP regeneration.