Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Semantic Role Labeling with the Swedish FrameNet

We present the first results on semantic role labeling using the Swedish FrameNet, which is a lexical resource currently in development. Several aspects of the task are investigated, including the %design and selection of machine learning features, the effect of choice of syntactic parser, and the ability of the system to generalize to new frames and new genres. In addition, we evaluate two methods to make the role label classifier more robust: cross-frame generalization and cluster-based features. Although the small amount of training data limits the performance achievable at the moment, we reach promising results. In particular, the classifier that extracts the boundaries of arguments works well for new frames, which suggests that it already at this stage can be useful in a semi-automatic setting.
PAINT: a promoter analysis and interaction network generation tool for gene regulatory network identification.

We have developed a bioinformatics tool named PAINT that automates the promoter analysis of a given set of genes for the presence of transcription factor binding sites. Based on coincidence of regulatory sites, this tool produces an interaction matrix that represents a candidate transcriptional regulatory network. This tool currently consists of (1) a database of promoter sequences of known or predicted genes in the Ensembl annotated mouse genome database, (2) various modules that can retrieve and process the promoter sequences for binding sites of known transcription factors, and (3) modules for visualization and analysis of the resulting set of candidate network connections. This information provides a substantially pruned list of genes and transcription factors that can be examined in detail in further experimental studies on gene regulation. Also, the candidate network can be incorporated into network identification methods in the form of constraints on feasible structures in order to render the algorithms tractable for large-scale systems. The tool can also produce output in various formats suitable for use in external visualization and analysis software. In this manuscript, PAINT is demonstrated in two case studies involving analysis of differentially regulated genes chosen from two microarray data sets. The first set is from a neuroblastoma N1E-115 cell differentiation experiment, and the second set is from neuroblastoma N1E-115 cells at different time intervals following exposure to neuropeptide angiotensin II. PAINT is available for use as an agent in BioSPICE simulation and analysis framework (www.biospice.org), and can also be accessed via a WWW interface at www.dbi. tju.edu/dbi/tools/paint/.
Website Evaluation Using Interval Type-2 Fuzzy-Number-Based TOPSIS Approach

In recent years, with the development of the internet, there has been an increase in interest in the internet thanks to other technological developments. In the face of increased user demand, educational institution websites have to maintain high quality of service for a sustainable success. The authors present the possibility degree based TOPSIS method with IT2F numbers as an extension of TOPSIS method to evaluate the educational institution websites. In contrast to precise numbers in TOPSIS method, the merit of fuzzy TOPSIS method is to handle the fuzzy numbers to evaluate the alternatives. Type-1 fuzzy numbers consider crisp membership degrees to express fuzzy numbers but IT2F numbers handle more uncertainties than type-1 fuzzy numbers. The subjective judgments of the decision makers are aggregated by using the IT2F number operations to determine the weights of these criteria. IT2TrF numbers-based TOPSIS phase is employed to rank alternatives based on criteria so that assessment process is completed. The proposed method is applied to evaluate the educational institution websites.
Convergence bounds for discrete-time second-order multi-agent-systems

This paper presents convergence bounds for discrete-time second-order multi-agent systems with undirected or directed communication graphs. As has been shown before, the convergence depends on the eigenvalues of the Laplace matrix of the communication graph. For each eigenvalue (or eigenvalue pair) analytic bounds for the parameter set are given to render the protocol for that eigenvalue pair stable. In addition it is shown examplarily, that for the case of normalized Laplacian, the stabilizing solution set for the whole topology is non-empty.
Interactive Digital Mapping as a Park-Planning Tool in the Creation of the Boucher-Forest Park in Gatineau, Quebec

The study presents a design of an Interactive Digital Map with 360-video capability as a planning tool in the park-planning for the Boucher-Forest Park in Gatineau, Quebec. This thesis tested it's use with an interactive digital map in the context of planning for a park. The study describes a usability testing method to improve the design of the map and its use by public and the park planners. The findings include an empirical analysis and demonstrates that users could learn and use the park-planning tool easily. The results show that it is an efficient and effective park-planning tool.
A M55V Polymorphism in a Novel SUMO Gene (SUMO-4) Differentially Activates Heat Shock Transcription Factors and Is Associated with Susceptibility to Type I Diabetes Mellitus*

Three SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) genes have been identified in humans, which tag proteins to modulate subcellular localization and/or enhance protein stability and activity. We report the identification of a novel intronless SUMO gene, SUMO-4, that encodes a 95-amino acid protein having an 86% amino acid homology with SUMO-2. In contrast to SUMO-2, which is highly expressed in all of the tissues examined, SUMO-4 mRNA was detected mainly in the kidney. A single nucleotide polymorphism was detected in SUMO-4, substituting a highly conserved methionine with a valine residue (M55V). In HepG2 (liver carcinoma) cells transiently transfected with SUMO-4 expression vectors, Met-55 was associated with the elevated levels of activated heat shock factor transcription factors as compared with Val-55, whereas the levels of NF-κB were suppressed to an identical degree. The SUMO-4M (Met) variant is associated with type I diabetes mellitus susceptibility in families (p = 4.0 × 10-4), suggesting that it may be involved in the pathogenesis of type I diabetes.
A taxonomy of applying filter techniques to improve the available bandwidth estimations

End-to-end available bandwidth is very meaningful for network applications that require quality-of-service, network management tools, and network security like DOS detection. In the last decade, although many techniques and tools have been developed, the accuracy of these tools still remains challenging [25]. Many researchers are trying to improve the results by handling noise. This paper creates a taxonomy of applying filter techniques to the available bandwidth estimation tools. We independently experimented to compare these filter techniques. Our results again show that filter techniques can improve the accuracy of estimation tools, in general. However, some filters are better than others', according to the particular network scenarios. This paper also gives a guideline on how to use the filters effectively.
Type and Leak Your Ethnicity on Smartphones

This paper provides some preliminary results for a possible novel side channel attack on Android smart phones. This attack collects accelerometer readings when users type on soft keyboards. The work has the following two parts: 1) differentiate users based on sensor readings and 2) identify whether the user belongs to a particular nationality i.e., Chinese in this work. This work uses a novel signal processing technique along with random forest machine learning algorithm to extract unique features belong to Chinese nationalities. We collected more than 2000 keystrokes data from six users where three of them are Chinese nationals. Our model has correctly identified 86% of the sensor data to classify Chinese nationality. Since any apps installed on Android device can listen to the accelerometer sensor data, the side channel attack presented in this work demonstrates another potential privacy vulnerability which could be exploited by malicious apps for targeted activities such as advertisements.
Identifying the maximum DoF region in the three-cell compounded MIMO network

Interference alignment is an effective capacity achieving technique in wireless networks. We propose a method of achieving maximum degrees of freedom for a considered three-cell compounded MIMO network. We first define the compounded MIMO network as a combination of IC and X-channel, and then design transmit beamforming matrices to mitigate interference under the considered MIMO network scenario. Finally, we analyse the degrees of freedom region of the proposed interference alignment scheme and present results derived for the three-cell MIMO network scenario.
Evaluation of sound classification algorithms for hearing aid applications

Automatic program switching has been shown to be greatly beneficial for hearing aid users. This feature is mediated by a sound classification system, which is traditionally implemented using simple features and heuristic classification schemes, resulting in an unsatisfactory performance in complex auditory scenarios. In this study, a number of experiments are conducted to systematically assess the impact of more sophisticated classifiers and features on automatic acoustic environment classification performance. The results show that advanced classifiers, such as Hidden Markov Model (HMM) or Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), greatly improve classification performance over simple classifiers. This change does not require a great increase of computational complexity, provided that a suitable number (5 to 7) of low-level features are carefully chosen. These findings indicate that advanced classifiers can be feasible in hearing aid applications.
Releases of the Learning Analytics, Scaffolding Services, and Add-on Services – initial

This deliverable describes and demonstrates the initial release of learning analytics, scaffolding, and add-on services of Go-Lab. However, the main product of this deliverable are the software prototypes of the learning analytics, scaffolding, and add-on services, many of which are accessible online. Currently, we have realised the first prototypes specified in the initial specification of D4.2. It serves as a documentation of the development progress of the first prototypes. It also reports early evaluation results of the first prototypes. This deliverable consists of two major parts: (i) the learning analytics and scaffolding services and (ii) the add-on services including a booking system and a tutoring platform (which was called the Bartering Platform in D4.2). The initial release of the learning analytics and scaffolding services comprise of the prototypical implementation of the action logging, back-end services and guidance mechanisms that have been specified in D4.2. The add-on services prototype of the booking system includes a set of mock-up components, while the first prototype of the tutoring platform is accessible at http://tutoring.golabz. eu. The prototypes show that they are able to support the federation of online labs via the booking mechanism and to motivate the user community to interact on the portal actively via skills bartering. Based on the experiences and prototypes described in this deliverable and our future work, the specifications of the learning analytics, scaffolding, and add-on services will be updated and finalised in D4.6 (M33). Furthermore, the evaluation of the first prototypes will contribute to the development improvement of the final release in D4.8 (M36).
Gaussian Mixture Modeling Using Short Time Fourier Transform Features for Audio Fingerprinting

In audio fingerprinting, an audio clip must be recognized by matching an extracted fingerprint to a database of previously computed fingerprints. The fingerprints should reduce the dimensionality of the input significantly, provide discrimination among different audio clips, and at the same time, invariant to the distorted versions of the same audio clip. In this paper, we design fingerprints addressing the above issues by modeling an audio clip by Gaussian mixture models (GMM) using a wide range of easy-to-compute short time Fourier transform features such as Shannon entropy, Renyi entropy, spectral centroid, spectral bandwidth, spectral flatness measure, spectral crest factor, and Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients. We test the robustness of the fingerprints under a large number of distortions. To make the system robust, we use some of the distorted versions of the audio for training. However, we show that the audio fingerprints modeled using GMM are not only robust to the distortions used in training but also to distortions not used in training. Using spectral centroid as feature, we obtain the highest identification rate of 99.1% with a false positive rate of 10 -4
Semantic and Phonemic Verbal Fluency Performance in Patients with General Anxiety Disorders and Allostatic Load under Alprazolam Treatment

Purpose: Anxiety disorders are frequently associated with chronic stress with possible cognitive consequences. The aim of this study was to determine the verbal fluency performance in a cohort of patients with anxiety disorders and allostatic load, treated with alprazolam during 12 weeks. Methods: Patients with GAD (general anxiety disorders, DSM IV), with >6 in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), neuroticism > 18 (NEO-FFI inventory), and normal Mini-Mental State Examination were included. Clinical and Psychiatric examination, Allostatic Load Index and cognitive assessment were analyzed before and after 12 weeks of treatment. The phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tests were determined in all patients. The scoring for each fluency task was determined by counting the number of correct words. The total score from each semantic and phonemic verbal task was analyzed comparing the individual score with normal data controlled by age and sex. Patients with scores > ? 2 standard deviation (SD) from normative data were considered impaired. Results: Fifty-four patients completed the semantic verbal fluency test before treatment and fifty patients completed after treatment. According to the z-scores before treatment 7 patients of 54 (12.9%) had verbal fluency impairments. After treatment none patients showed semantic verbal fluency deficits but 3 patients of 50 (6%) showed phonemic impairments. Impaired group was significantly associated with an older age before treatment (p = 0.033) and with a similar tendency but not significant (p = 0.09) after treatment (Student t test). Conclusion: In this study older age factor was associated with verbal fluency impairment in GAD patients. Stratified treatments analyzing age and sex factors, including allostatic load measurements and cognitive assessments may be useful tools to determine the effectiveness and the safety of psychopharmacological treatments.
Detection of the early decrease in fMRI signal in the motor area

The initial decrease in BOLD signal at stimulus onset (i.e., the initial dip) has generated a great deal of interest because of its potential for providing more spatially specific mapping. Despite a number of experimental fMRI studies demonstrating its existence in the visual cortex, the initial dip has not been reported in other areas. The present work examined the initial dip in the motor area. Using a visually‐guided finger‐tapping paradigm, the dip was detected in both motor and visual areas simultaneously. The dip in the motor area was found to exhibit characteristics similar to those revealed by visual stimulation studies. The motor dip peaked approximately 2 sec after stimulus onset and reached an amplitude that was roughly 0.3 times of the positive amplitude. Furthermore, the dip in the motor area was more localized and less sensitive to large vessels, indicating an improvement in spatial specificity despite the relatively low spatial resolution used in this study. These data indicate that the initial dip is a general phenomenon that can be employed for more spatially specific functional mapping, although its full utility in humans remains to be further demonstrated. Magn Reson Med 45:184–190, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dual Blockade of HER2 in HER2-Overexpressing Tumor Cells Does Not Completely Eliminate HER3 Function

Purpose: Dual blockade of HER2 with trastuzumab and lapatinib or with pertuzumab is a superior treatment approach compared with single-agent HER2 inhibitors. However, many HER2-overexpressing breast cancers still escape from this combinatorial approach. Inhibition of HER2 and downstream phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT causes a transcriptional and posttranslational upregulation of HER3 which, in turn, counteracts the antitumor action of the HER2-directed therapies. We hypothesized that suppression of HER3 would synergize with dual blockade of HER2 in breast cancer cells sensitive and refractory to HER2 antagonists. Experimental Design: Inhibition of HER2/HER3 in HER2+ breast cancer cell lines was evaluated by Western blotting. We analyzed drug-induced apoptosis and two- and three-dimensional growth in vitro. Growth inhibition of PI3K was examined in vivo in xenografts treated with combinations of trastuzumab, lapatinib, and the HER3-neutralizing monoclonal antibody U3-1287. Results: Treatment with U3-1287 blocked the upregulation of total and phosphorylated HER3 that followed treatment with lapatinib and trastuzumab and, in turn, enhanced the antitumor action of the combination against trastuzumab-sensitive and -resistant cells. Mice bearing HER2+ xenografts treated with lapatinib, trastuzumab, and U3-1287 exhibited fewer recurrences and better survival than mice treated with lapatinib and trastuzumab. Conclusions: Dual blockade of HER2 with trastuzumab and lapatinib does not eliminate the compensatory upregulation of HER3. Therapeutic inhibitors of HER3 should be considered as part of multidrug combinations aimed at completely and rapidly disabling the HER2 network in HER2-overexpressing breast cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 19(3); 610–9. ©2012 AACR.
Amino-terminal regions of polyomavirus middle T antigen are required for interactions with protein phosphatase 2A

Polyomavirus middle T antigen (MT) is the major transforming protein of the virus. It functions through interactions with a number of cellular proteins involved in cell proliferation. MT forms complexes with protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), pp60c-src, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and Shc. We introduced both deletion and point mutations into three regions of MT and examined their ability to associate with PP2A and pp60c-src. The first 25 amino acid residues of MT are required for association with PP2A and pp60c-src. Amino acids 105 to 111, comprising the sequence Cys-Arg-Met-Pro-Leu-Thr-Cys, is also required for complex formation between MT and PP2A. However, the sequence Asp-Lys-Gly-Gly (amino acids 44 to 47), also found in the B subunit of PP2A, is dispensable for complex formation between MT and PP2A. We find a strict correlation between the ability of MT to associate with PP2A and the ability of MT to associate with pp60c-src. One mutant, L5E, associates with a phosphatase other than PP2A, pp60c-src, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in a manner similar to that of wild-type MT yet is reduced in its transforming ability on NIH 3T3 cells.
Avoiding the Deconvolution: Framework Oriented Color Transfer for Enhancing Low-Light Images

In this paper we introduce a novel color transfer method to address the underexposed image amplification problem. Targeted scenario implies a dual acquisition, containing a normally exposed, possibly blurred, image and an underexposed/low-light but sharp one. The problem of enhancing the low-light image is addressed as a color transfer problem. To properly solve the color transfer, the scene is split into perceptual frameworks and we propose a novel piece-wise approximation. The proposed method is shown to lead to robust results from both an objective and a subjective point of view.
Probiotic Viability, Qualitative Characteristics, and Sensory Acceptability of Vegetable Juice Mixture Fermented with Lactobacillus Strains

The aim of the study was to consider the suitability of a mixture of juices from jicama, winter melon, and carrot as a raw medium for producing probiotic juice by Lactobacillus strains (Lactobacillus plantarum CICC22696 and Lactobacillus acidophilus CICC20710), as well as evaluate changes of physicochemical and microbiological characteristics during fermentation and cold storage (4°C, 28 days). Both strains grew well in juice mixtures after 24 h of fermentation at 37°C, reaching nearly 9 and 8 log CFU/mL when inoculated with L. plantarum and L. acidophilus respectively. The viability of L. plantarum was near 8 log CFU/mL at the end of storage whereas viability of L. acidophilus only remained 4.57 log CFU/mL. Degradation of total carotenoids was in the range of 12% - 23% in fermentation periods and 16% - 23% during cold storage depending on the strain used. The values of lightness, redness, and yellowness increased during fermentation. However, this tendency was variable during cold storage when the values of redness and yellowness decreased. Sensory acceptability of the products was enhanced by adding sucrose or multi fruit juice (containing mainly tropical fruit juices). The fermented juice with L. plantarum is efficient to produce a functional probiotic beverage.
Lifting-Based View Compensated Compression of Volume Rendered Images for Efficient Remote Visualization

Remote visualization of volumetric images has gained importance over the past few years in medical and industrial applications. Volume visualization is a computationally intensive process, often requiring hardware acceleration to achieve a real time viewing experience. One remote visualization model that can accomplish this would transmit rendered images (with dedicated hardware) from the server based on view-point requests from a client. For a given server-client bandwidth, an efficient compression scheme is vital for transmitting high quality rendered images. In this paper, we present a new compression scheme that utilizes the geometric relationship between view-points to exploit the correlation between successive rendered images. The proposed method performs better than AVC, the state of the art video compression standard. Additionally, our scheme obviates motion estimation between rendered images, enabling significant reduction to the complexity of the encoder.
Objective assessment of psoriasis erythema for PASI scoring

Skin colour is vital information in dermatological diagnosis. It reflects pathological condition beneath the skin and commonly being used to indicate the extent of a disease. Psoriasis is a skin disease which is indicated by the appearance of red plaques. Although there is no cure for psoriasis, there are many treatment modalities to help control the disease. To evaluate treatment efficacy, PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) which is the current gold standard method is used to determine severity of psoriasis lesion. Erythema (redness) is one parameter in PASI. Commonly, the erythema is assessed visually, thus leading to subjective and inconsistent result. In this work, we proposed an objective assessment of psoriasis erythema for PASI scoring. The colour of psoriasis lesion is analyzed by ΔL*, Δhue, and Δchroma of CIELAB colour space. References of lesion with different scores are obtained from the selected lesions by two dermatologists. Results based on 38 lesions from 22 patients with various level of skin pigmentation show that PASI erythema score can be determined objectively and consistent with dermatology scoring.