Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling Taiwanese POS Tagging Using Statistical Methods and Mandarin Training Data

In this paper, we introduce a POS tagging method for Taiwan Southern Min. We use the more than 62,000 entries of the Taiwanese-Mandarin dictionary and 10 million words of Mandarin training data to tag Taiwanese. The literary written Taiwanese corpora have both Romanized script and Han-Romanization mixed script, and include prose, novels, and dramas. We follow the tagset drawn up by CKIP. We developed a word alignment checker to assist with the word alignment for the two scripts. It searches the Taiwanese-Mandarin dictionary to find corresponding Mandarin candidate words, selects the most suitable Mandarin word using an HMM probabilistic model from the Mandarin training data, and tags the word using an MEMM classifier. We achieve an accuracy rate of 91.6% on Taiwanese POS tagging work, and we analyze the errors. We also discover some preliminary Taiwanese training data.
Proteomics of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice, affecting 1.5% to 2.0% of the population in the developed world. The lifetime risk for the development of AF is ≈1 in 4 men and women aged ≥40 years.1,2 A 2.5- to 3.0-fold increase in the incidence of AF has been projected during the next 50 years,3 and with the aging population, both the prevalence and economic impact of AF are increasing progressively.4 In addition, current therapeutic options are suboptimal, some even proarrhythmic. For these reasons, it is of clinical importance to identify and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this arrhythmia for the identification of new therapeutic targets. The notion that AF begets AF was first described by Wijffels et al5 in 1995. They demonstrated that electrically induced AF for different lengths of time resulted in prolongation of the duration of AF. This observation, taken together with the clinical experience of paroxysmal AF in humans often progressing with time to the persistent form and of AF becoming more difficult to reverse when present for a period of time, generated great interest in the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for maintaining AF. Although extensive basic research has been performed and the role of electric, structural, and contractile remodeling identified, the underlying mechanisms still require further exploration. The development of numerous animal models of AF, with clinically relevant disease paradigms, has been a major advance during the past 12 years, and these have played a crucial role in the development of our understanding of this resilient arrhythmia.6 Ideally, identification of early markers would be favorable to prevent or diminish the progression of this arrhythmia. Proteomics is the large-scale study of gene expression at the protein level. It enables the investigator to identify protein …
Two‐step estimation of functional linear models with applications to longitudinal data

Functional linear models are useful in longitudinal data analysis. They include many classical and recently proposed statistical models for longitudinal data and other functional data. Recently, smoothing spline and kernel methods have been proposed for estimating their coefficient functions nonparametrically but these methods are either intensive in computation or inefficient in performance. To overcome these drawbacks, in this paper, a simple and powerful two‐step alternative is proposed. In particular, the implementation of the proposed approach via local polynomial smoothing is discussed. Methods for estimating standard deviations of estimated coefficient functions are also proposed. Some asymptotic results for the local polynomial estimators are established. Two longitudinal data sets, one of which involves time‐dependent covariates, are used to demonstrate the approach proposed. Simulation studies show that our two‐step approach improves the kernel method proposed by Hoover and co‐workers in several aspects such as accuracy, computational time and visual appeal of the estimators.
N-(4-Chloro-3-methylphenyl)succinamic acid

The title compound, C11H12ClNO3, crystallizes with two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit in which the dihedral angles between the benzene ring and the amide group are 55.0 (2) and 28.2 (3)°. The two independent molecules are linked by an N—H⋯O hydrogen bond. In the crystal, molecules form inversion dimers via pairs of O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. These dimers are linked into sheets parallel to (11-3) via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.
Observing the user experience, 2nd edition: a practitioner's guide to user research by Elizabeth Goodman, Mike Kuniavsky, and Andrea Moed

Observing the User Experience is a book which would seem to serve as a great textbook for a user design course where the focus is primarily on examining user's interaction with a particular system/product. The textbook is organized into three main sections, namely Why Research is Good and How it Fits Ito Product Development, User Experience Research Techniques and lastly Communicating Results. The first section focuses on introducing the UI design concept, and explaining the usability tests to the reader as well as going over the notion of iterative development and where the user research properly fits in. Second section, and at the same time the largest one deals with different research techniques of user experience. The importance of focus groups as well as field visits is greatly discussed as well as their major benefit which is the influx of new information by observing their interactions. The author also attempts to explain how surveying a particular group of users benefits the product design. The section features the description and analysis of cross-cultural and in general global research and its importance as well as some of the key points which make it unique. Discussion of the qualitative data and feedback analysis as well as the interpretation of test results concludes the second portion. Finally in the third and last section of the book, authors fully concentrate on how one should communicate the result set through establishment of publishable reports as well as workshop sessions and presentations of the research studies. In other words different methods on presenting one's research are significantly covered. Anyone even remotely interested in involving participants and observing their reaction and interaction with the product in order to enhance the overall user acceptance should deeply benefit from this book. I very much liked the practical examples, tables, and diagrams which have given this book a more vibrant feel and allowed the reader to feel like he can use this textbook directly in the practice of establishing some user experience tests. I think the textbook is profoundly informational and was a joy to read.
Hilar GABAergic Interneuron Activity Controls Spatial Learning and Memory Retrieval

Background Although extensive research has demonstrated the importance of excitatory granule neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in normal learning and memory and in the pathogenesis of amnesia in Alzheimer's disease (AD), the role of hilar GABAergic inhibitory interneurons, which control the granule neuron activity, remains unclear. Methodology and Principal Findings We explored the function of hilar GABAergic interneurons in spatial learning and memory by inhibiting their activity through Cre-dependent viral expression of enhanced halorhodopsin (eNpHR3.0)—a light-driven chloride pump. Hilar GABAergic interneuron-specific expression of eNpHR3.0 was achieved by bilaterally injecting adeno-associated virus containing a double-floxed inverted open-reading frame encoding eNpHR3.0 into the hilus of the dentate gyrus of mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of an enhancer specific for GABAergic interneurons. In vitro and in vivo illumination with a yellow laser elicited inhibition of hilar GABAergic interneurons and consequent activation of dentate granule neurons, without affecting pyramidal neurons in the CA3 and CA1 regions of the hippocampus. We found that optogenetic inhibition of hilar GABAergic interneuron activity impaired spatial learning and memory retrieval, without affecting memory retention, as determined in the Morris water maze test. Importantly, optogenetic inhibition of hilar GABAergic interneuron activity did not alter short-term working memory, motor coordination, or exploratory activity. Conclusions and Significance Our findings establish a critical role for hilar GABAergic interneuron activity in controlling spatial learning and memory retrieval and provide evidence for the potential contribution of GABAergic interneuron impairment to the pathogenesis of amnesia in AD.
Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection

The study of Helicobacter pylori genetic variability brought us interesting data on the history of mankind. Based on multilocus sequence typing and more recently on whole‐genome sequencing, paleomicrobiology still attracts the attention of global researchers in relation to its ancestor roots and coexistence with humans. Three studies determining the prevalence of virulence factors illustrates the controversial results obtained since 30 years by studies trying to associate prevalence of different virulence markers and clinical outcomes of H. pylori infection. Three articles analyzed the prevalence and risk of multiple (genetically distinct isolates) and mixed (susceptible and resistant isolates) infections. A number of studies confirm that H. pylori prevalence is falling worldwide especially in the developed world and in children but that the level of infection is higher in certain ethnic minorities and in Migrants. There is little new in identifying the mode of H. pylori transmission though intrafamilial spread appears to be important. There have, however, been some interesting papers on the presence of the organism in food, water, and the oral cavity.
Young's equilibrium contact angle on rough solid surfaces. Part I. An empirical determination

—The influence of the roughness of solid surfaces on the contact angle hysteresis, Δ, was studied for low-energy solids (paraffin, PTFE, PMMA) using pure liquids. Taking Δ as dependent on the roughness, the contact angle data can be linearly approximated. The value of Δ = 0 is considered as the equilibrium contact angle e known from thermodynamic considerations. The slopes of these straight lines form another linear function of the corresponding e. Hence e can be calculated from a single measurement of a,e and r,e for the systems under consideration.
Multiple light sources and reflectance property estimation based on a mixture of spherical distributions

In tins paper we propose a new method for simultaneously estimating the illumination of the scene and the reflectance property of an object from a single image. We assume that the illumination consists of multiple point sources and the shape of the object is known. Unlike previous methods, we will recover not only the direction and intensity of the light sources, but also the number of light sources and the specular reflection parameter of the object. First, we represent the illumination on the surface of a unit sphere as a finite mixture of von Mises-Fisher distributions by deriving a spherical specular reflection model. Next, we estimate this mixture and the number of distributions. Finally, using this result as initial estimates, we refine the estimates using the original specular reflection model. We can use the results to render the object under novel lighting conditions
Stiffness Improvement of Stamping Die by Means of Topology Optimization

Stiffness improvement of stamping die without weight increase 780MPa grade high strength steel sheet was achieved by using Finite Element (FE) simulation combined with topology optimization. In the first step of the procedure, FE simulation of a stamping process was conducted in order to evaluate the contact force on a die surface at the end of stamping. Subsequently, topology optimization was carried out subject to the prescribed weight constraint, in which the stiffest die structure for the given force and displacement boundary conditions was obtained. Maximum displacements during stamping between thus optimized die and the one designed by the experienced engineer were compared. It was found that the optimized die showed less deformation than the other even if the total weights of both dies were almost the same.
Governance of Public Pension Funds: Lessons from Corporate Governance and International Evidence

An understanding of corporate governance theory can promote the adoption of appropriate governance tools to limit agency problems in public pension fund management. The absence of a market for corporate control hinders the translation of lessons from the private sector corporate world to public pension governance. The establishment of a fit, and proper governing body for public pension funds, thus may be even more important than the maintenance of a comparable body for private sector corporations. In particular, behavioral controls should be carefully designed.
Using software architecture techniques to support the modular certification of safety-critical systems

In software engineering the role of software architecture as a means of managing complexity and achieving emergent qualities such as modifiability is increasingly well understood. In this paper we demonstrate how many principles from the field of software architecture can be brought across to the field of safety case management in order to help manage complex safety cases. Traditional approaches to certification of modular systems as a statically defined configuration of components can result in a large certification overhead being associated with any module update or addition. A more promising approach is to attempt to establish a modular, compositional, approach to constructing safety cases that has a correspondence with the modular structure of the underlying architecture. This paper establishes the mechanisms for managing and representing safety cases as a composition of safety case 'modules'. Having defined the concept of a modular safety case, the paper also describes principles for their definition and evaluation. An example generic modular safety case architecture for Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) based systems is presented as a means of illustrating the concepts defined.
Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation: 5 Years of Follow-Up Does Age Influence Outcomes?

Background—Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is a safe, less invasive alternative to surgical valve replacement for the congenital heart disease patient with right ventricular (RV) outflow tract dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine whether reverse RV remodeling after PPVI was persistent in the longer term and whether timing of PPVI influenced outcomes. Methods and Results—Consecutive patients from the pediatric and adult congenital heart disease programs were enrolled. Cardiac MRI, echocardiography, metabolic exercise testing, chest radiography, and hemodynamics before intervention were compared with repeated follow-up measurements to assess changes over time. Fifty-one patients (including 23 patients <16 years old) were followed for a mean 4.5±1.9 (0.9–6.9) years after implantation, 59% of patients having available comparative cardiac MRI data. Freedom from any reintervention was 87% and 68% at 3 and 5 years, and freedom from surgery was 90% at 5 years. For every decade younger at implantation, there was an increase of 3.9%±1.0% in cardiac MRI left ventricular ejection fraction (P<0.001) and 2.4±0.9 mL/kg/min in maxVO2 (P=0.005) and a decrease of 0.7±0.2 cm in RV end-diastolic dimension (P<0.001) after intervention. Younger patients displayed an additional decline in the RV/left ventricular end-diastolic volume ratio (P=0.05) and trended toward improved RV ejection fraction in late follow-up (50%±7% versus 41%±12%, P=0.07). Conclusions—This is the largest series to show that PPVI at a younger age yields incremental improvements in RV size and maximum oxygen consumption. Early valve implantation is associated with better RV function and should be considered in management planning for this population.
Conductivité hydraulique non saturée de l'argile de Mers El Kébir (Algérie)

ABSTRACT This paper presents hydraulic conductivity measurements carried out on unsaturated Mers El Kebir clay, from Algeria, using the vapour equilibrium technique. The principle is to measure the water exchanges between the sample and the environment under a relative humidity imposed by saturated salt solutions, to establish the relationships between hydraulic conductivity, water content (w), degree of saturation (Sr) and suction (uc). Samples are initially compacted to the standard Proctor optimum water content and maximum density and used as such and after saturation or drying. Drying-wetting paths were also performed in order to compare the direct hydraulic conductivity measurements to the values derived from Fredlund et al. (1994) and Mualem (1976)-van Genuchten (1980) models.
Reporting of standard cell placement results

VLSI fabrication technology has advanced rapidly, bringing with it a strong demand for faster and better design automation tools. Accurate reporting of results for placement approaches is crucial to the development of improved automation tools; unfortunately, publicly available placement benchmarks are outdated, and there are wide variations in their interpretation. At best, poor benchmarks and differences in interpretation result in misunderstandings of the effectiveness of some approaches. At worst, they can motivate research in areas of very little promise, while other areas which have true potential are ignored. In this paper, we describe current standard cell placement benchmarks and illustrate common differences in their interpretation, in the hope that a clear understanding of these issues will allow research to be directed and evaluated more efficiently.
Sparse two-dimensional FIR digital filters design using FISTA

An efficient algorithm described in this brief is proposed for designing two-dimensional (2D) linear-phase finite impulse response (FIR) digital filters. This algorithm is inspired by the methods described in [11], [14]. The proposed algorithm handles the problem on L1-L2 formula directly and does not recast the problem to Quadratic Programming (QP) shown in [11]. Moreover, the choice of trade-off parameter arises in L1-L2 is studied in this paper. Two examples are presented to illustrate our new algorithm.
Effects of Psychotherapy on DNA Strand Break Accumulation Originating from Traumatic Stress

Background: Previous research reveals an association between traumatic stress and an increased risk for numerous diseases, including cancer. At the molecular level, stress may increase carcinogenesis via increased DNA damage and impaired DNA repair mechanisms. We assessed DNA breakage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and measured the cellular capacity to repair single-strand breaks after exposure to ionizing X-radiation. We also investigated the effect of psychotherapy on both DNA breakage and DNA repair. Methods: In a first study we investigated DNA breakage and repair in 34 individuals with PTSD and 31 controls. Controls were subdivided into 11 trauma-exposed subjects and 20 individuals without trauma exposure. In a second study, we analysed the effect of psychotherapy (Narrative Exposure Therapy) on DNA breakage and repair. Thirty-eight individuals with PTSD were randomly assigned to either a treatment or a waitlist control condition. Follow-up was performed 4 months and 1 year after therapy. Results: In study 1 we found higher levels of basal DNA breakage in individuals with PTSD and trauma-exposed subjects than in controls, indicating that traumatic stress is associated with DNA breakage. However, single-strand break repair was unimpaired in individuals with PTSD. In study 2, we found that psychotherapy reversed not only PTSD symptoms, but also DNA strand break accumulation. Conclusion: Our results show - for the first time in vivo - an association between traumatic stress and DNA breakage; they also demonstrate changes at the molecular level, i.e., the integrity of DNA, after psychotherapeutic interventions.
Association between Retinal Arteriolar and Venule Calibre with Prevalent Heart Failure: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background There is evidence to suggest that microvascular disease, particularly diabetic retinopathy, plays a role in the pathogenesis of HF. However, whether changes in retinal vessel calibre predicts HF is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of retinal microvascular structure with prevalent heart failure (HF). Methods The Australian Heart Eye Study (AHES) is a cross-sectional study that surveyed 1680 participants who presented to a tertiary referral hospital for the evaluation of potential coronary artery disease by coronary angiography. Retinal vessel calibre was graded using retinal photography and participants’ self-reported echocardiography-confirmed HF was obtained via an extensive medical questionnaire. Results There were 107 participants (8.1%) with prevalent self-reported HF. Persons with wider retinal arteriolar calibre (comparing highest versus lowest tertile or reference) were more likely to have prevalent HF (OR 3.5; 95% CI, 1.7–7.2) when adjusted for age and sex. After further adjustment for body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, triglycerides and estimated glomerular filtration rate, this association remained significant (OR 4.5; 95% CI, 2.0–9.8). After further stratification, this association remained significant among participants with diabetes (OR 10.3; 95% CI, 2.7–39.3) but not in those without diabetes (OR 2.7; 95% CI, 0.9–7.5). The strength of this association was not dependent on the length of history of diabetes, or retinopathy status. There was no significant association between retinal venular calibre and prevalence of HF. Conclusions Wider retinal arteriolar diameter was significantly and independently associated with prevalent HF in participants of a cross-sectional study. This association was significant stronger among participants with diabetes compared to without diabetes. No association was found between retinal venule calibre with prevalent HF.
Fused Multi‐Volume DVR using Binary Space Partitioning

Multiple‐volume visualization is a growing field in medical imaging providing simultaneous exploration of volumes acquired from varying modalities. However, high complexity results in an increased strain on performance compared to single volume rendering as scenes may consist of volumes with arbitrary orientations and rendering is performed with varying sample densities. Expensive image order techniques such as depth peeling have previously been used to perform the necessary calculations. In this work we present a view‐independent region based scene description for multi‐volume pipelines. Using Binary Space Partitioning we are able to create a simple interface providing all required information for advanced multi‐volume renderings while introducing a minimal overhead for scenes with few volumes. The modularity of our solution is demonstrated by the use of visual development and performance is documented with benchmarks and real‐time simulations.
Diagnosing Performance Problems by Visualizing and Comparing System Behaviours

Abstract : Spectroscope is a new toolset aimed at assisting developers with the long-standing challenge of performance debugging in distributed systems. To do so, it mines end-to-end traces of request processing within and across components. Using Spectroscope, developers can visualize and compare system behaviours between two periods or system versions, identifying and ranking various changes in the flow or timing of request processing. Examples of how Spectroscope has been used to diagnose real performance problems seen in a distributed storage system are presented, and Spectroscope's primary assumptions and algorithms are evaluated.