Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Building an annotated corpus for Amazighe

This paper gives an overview of the morpho-syntactic features of the Amazighe language and corpus encoding, afterwards we present our experience of constructing an annotated corpus with part-of-speech (POS) information. The annotated corpora consist of 20,667 Moroccan Amazighe tokens chosen from different materials; it is to our knowledge the first one dealing with Amazighe language. The experience is also meant to give a handle on the encoding and tagging processes of the aforementioned corpus.
A Blind Indic Script Recognizer for Multi-script Documents

We report a hierarchical blind script identifier for 11 different Indian scripts. An initial grouping of the 11 scripts is accomplished at the first level of this hierarchy. At the subsequent level, we recognize the script in each group. The various nodes of this tree use different feature-classifier combinations. A database of 20,000 words of different font styles and sizes is collected and used for each script. Effectiveness of Gabor and Discrete Cosine Transform features has been independently evaluated using nearest neighbor, linear discriminant and support vector machine classifiers. The minimum and maximum accuracies obtained, using this hierarchical mechanism, are 92.2% and 97.6%, respectively.
The Ion-Matter Interaction with Swift Heavy Ions in the Light of Inelastic Thermal Spike Model

A description of the inelastic thermal spike model is presented in order to correlate the energy deposited by swift heavy ions to the nanometric matter transformation induced in inorganic metallic and insulating materials. Knowing that insulator is more sensitive than metallic material and that amorphous material is in general more sensitive than a crystalline one, it appears evident that the electron–phonon coupling constant g plays a key role. It will be shown that in metallic material we are able to describe different phenomena with the same value of g: for example, track formation with defect annealing or sputtering of atoms. In insulators the emphasis is made on results obtained for amorphizable materials like SiO2 quartz and for non-amorphizable ionic crystals like CaF2. Assuming that tracks result from a transient thermal process, a quantitative development of the model is proposed using the electron–atom mean free path λ (inversely proportional to the square root of g) as a free parameter. With this parameter it is possible to quantitatively describe track radii in a wide range of ion velocities — whatever the bonding character of the crystal is — assuming specific criteria: tracks may result from a rapid quenching of a cylinder of matter in which the energy deposited on the lattice has overcome either the energy necessary to reach a quasi-molten phase in the case of amorphizable materials or the vaporization energy in the case of non-amorphizable materials. The evolution of the λ parameter of the considered insulator decreases versus the band gap energy. In this model, velocity effect, and a link between track formation and sputtering of atoms is established for amorphizable insulators while open questions appear for ionic crystals.
A multimodal stroke-based predictive input for efficient Chinese text entry on mobile devices

Handwriting input method is particularly useful for languages with a logographic writing system. This paper introduces a multimodal stroked-based predictive input for the Chinese language. The proposed method requires users to write only the first few strokes of each character and the system will intelligently infer the intended characters by making use of contextual information. Specifically, a statistical n-gram language model is used. Motivated by the work on Haptic Voice Recognition, this paper also incorporates voice input as an additional modality to further enhance the prediction accuracy. Empirical simulation results show that the predictive handwriting input method with 3 initial strokes outperforms the predictive Pinyin input method. Further improvements can be obtained by considering both the initial stroke order and the corresponding stroke layout. Finally, with voice overlay, the proposed multimodal stroke-based predictive input method achieved more than 85% and 95% 1-best prediction accuracies with 2 and 3 initial strokes respectively.
A lightweight mobile quiz application with support for multimedia content

In this paper, we present a lightweight, media-supporting quiz application for mobile devices. The idea is to use the students' own smartphones as voting devices and provide a quiz administration module which is integrated into the existing university's e-learning platform. For establishing the link between the devices and the platform we use dynamically generated Quick Response (QR) codes. The quiz is implemented as a web application, also providing the use of media content such as pictures and videos. We briefly evaluate our approach with respect to usability for students and lecturers, limits of the mobile browser technology and the QR code, and the impact on the university's network infrastructure.
Analysis of islet inflammation in human type 1 diabetes

The immunopathology of type 1 diabetes (T1D) has proved difficult to study in man because of the limited availability of appropriate samples, but we now report a detailed study charting the evolution of insulitis in human T1D. Pancreas samples removed post‐mortem from 29 patients (mean age 11·7 years) with recent‐onset T1D were analysed by immunohistochemistry. The cell types constituting the inflammatory infiltrate within islets (insulitis) were determined in parallel with islet insulin content. CD8+ cytotoxic T cells were the most abundant population during insulitis. Macrophages (CD68+) were also present during both early and later insulitis, although in fewer numbers. CD20+ cells were present in only small numbers in early insulitis but were recruited to islets as beta cell death progressed. CD138+ plasma cells were infrequent at all stages of insulitis. CD4+ cells were present in the islet infiltrate in all patients but were less abundant than CD8+ or CD68+ cells. Forkhead box protein P3+ regulatory T cells were detected in the islets of only a single patient. Natural killer cells were detected rarely, even in heavily inflamed islets. The results suggest a defined sequence of immune cell recruitment in human T1D. They imply that both CD8+ cytotoxic cells and macrophages may contribute to beta cell death during early insulitis. CD20+ cells are recruited in greatest numbers during late insulitis, suggesting an increasing role for these cells as insulitis develops. Natural killer cells and forkhead box protein P3+ T cells do not appear to be required for beta cell death.
Eddy–Zonal Flow Feedback in the Southern Hemisphere

Abstract The variability of the zonal-mean zonal wind in the Southern Hemisphere is studied using EOF analysis and momentum budget diagnostics of NCEP reanalysis data (1978–97). The leading EOF of the zonal-mean zonal wind is well separated from the remaining EOFs and represents the north–south movement of the midlatitude jet. Analysis of the momentum budget shows that a positive feedback between the zonal-mean wind anomalies and the eddy momentum fluxes accounts for the unusual persistence of EOF1 and plays an important role in the selection of the leading EOF of midlatitude variability. Further analysis also shows a propagating feedback, common to both EOF1 and EOF2, which is responsible for the poleward drift of wind anomalies with time. The observations support the following feedback mechanism. Anomalous baroclinic wave activity is generated at the latitude of anomalous temperature gradient that, by thermal wind, coincides with the latitude of the anomalous zonal jet. The net propagation of baroclinic.
Transient overexpression of the Microphthalmia gene in the eyes of Microphthalmia vitiligo mutant mice

The murine microphthalmia gene (Mitf) encodes a basic helix‐loop‐helix transcription factor thought to regulate transcription of genes encoding proteins of the pigmentation pathway. It may promote pigment cell survival and development. The protein encoded by Mitf appears to be critical for eye development, because mutant alleles demonstrate varying degrees of ocular malformation. One of the mildest of these is the Mitf vitiligo (Mitfvit) mutant allele, which exhibits uneven pigmentation of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and slow, progressive photoreceptor cell loss, eventually leading to blindness. In the present study, the expression of Mitf during early eye development in the Mitfvit mutant was compared with that of pigmented wild type mice. Mitf expression quantified by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction amplification demonstrated a transient elevation of Mitf between embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5) and E13.5 in the Mitfvit mutant compared with wild type mice. In situ hybridization analysis confirmed this elevation and localized Mitf expression to the neuroepithelium during onset of optic vesicle formation (E9.0–E9.5) and, subsequently, to the RPE during optic cup formation (E10–E11.5) in both mutant and wild type eyes. This is the first report of transient elevation of Mitf in any of the Mitf mutants, and the elevation may be relevant to altered levels of pigmentation proteins as well as to the RPE abnormalities observed in the Mitfvit mutant. Dev. Dyn. 1998;213:283–292. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Does host plant influence parasitism and parasitoid species composition in Lygus rugulipennis? A molecular approach

Abstract Lygus Hahn plant bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae) are serious pests of a wide variety of economically important crops in North America. European Peristenus digoneutis Loan and P. relictus Ruthe (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are being considered for release in Canada as part of a classical biological control program for Lygus. The attractiveness of different host plants to European Peristenus has not been addressed, but may be an important consideration prior to parasitoid release. Lygus rugulipennis Poppius nymphs were collected in the Northern Temperate Atlantic (NTA) ecoregion on red clover (Trifolium pratense L.; Fabaceae) and chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.; Asteraceae), and in the Western European Broadleaf Forest (WEBF) ecoregion on red clover and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.; Fabaceae). Parasitism levels and parasitoid species were determined using a multiplex PCR assay for P. digoneutis, P. relictus, and P. pallipes Curtis. Mean parasitism levels in L. rugulipennis were 45–49% in the NTA ecoregion and 25–32% in the WEBF ecoregion. However, in neither ecoregion were parasitism levels and parasitoid species compositions significantly different in nymphs from different host plant species. Furthermore, multiparasitism was low despite the fact that P. digoneutis and P. relictus share the same host species.
Effect of a surface shear layer on gravity and gravity-capillary waves of permanent form

Calculations are carried out of the shape of gravity and gravity-capillary waves on deep water in the presence of a thin sheet of uniform vorticity which models the effect of a wind drift layer. The dependence of the fluid speed a t the wave crest is determined and compared for gravity waves with the theory of Banner & Phillips (1974). It is found that this theory underestimates the retardation due to drift and tendency to break. The retardation disappears when capillary forces are significant, but in this case it is found that there can be a significant alteration of the wave shape.
The effect of 10 days of heat acclimation on exercise performance in acute hypobaric hypoxia (4350 m)

ABSTRACT To examine the effect (“cross-tolerance”) of heat acclimation (HA) on exercise performance upon exposure to acute hypobaric hypoxia (4350 m). Eight male cyclists residing at 1600 m performed tests of maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) at 1600 m and 4350 m, a 16 km time-trial at 4350 m, and a heat tolerance test at 1600 m before and after 10 d HA at 40°C, 20% RH. Resting blood samples were obtained pre-and post- HA to estimate changes in plasma volume (ΔPV). Successful HA was indicated by significantly lower exercise heart rate and rectal temperature on day 10 vs. day 1 of HA and during the heat tolerance tests. Heat acclimation caused a 1.9% ΔPV, however VO2max was not significantly different at 1600 m or 4350 m. Time-trial cycling performance improved 28 sec after HA (p = 0.07), suggesting a possible benefit for exercise performance at acute altitude and that cross-tolerance between these variables may exist in humans. These findings do not clearly support the use of HA to improve exercise capacity and performance upon acute hypobaric hypoxia, however they do indicate that HA is not detrimental to either exercise capacity or performance.
The echinoderm larval skeleton as a possible model system for experimental evolutionary biology

The evolution of various body plans results from the acquisition of novel structures as well as the loss of existing structures. Some novel structures necessitate multiple evolutionary steps, requiring organisms to overcome the intermediate steps, which might be less adaptive or neutral. To examine this issue, echinoderms might provide an ideal experimental system. A larval skeleton is acquired in some echinoderm lineages, such as sea urchins, probably via the co‐option of the skeletogenic machinery that was already established to produce the adult skeleton. The acquisition of a larval skeleton was found to require multiple steps and so provides a model experimental system for reproducing intermediate evolutionary stages. The fact that echinoderm embryology has been studied with various natural populations also presents an advantage. genesis 52:186–192. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Highly linear and transparent 3-18 GHz optical microwave link

A highly linear optical microwave link transmitter based on heterodyne phase-locked DFB lasers is presented. The transmitter is transparent for FM and PM input signals with carrier frequencies ranging from 3-18 GHz. Distortion-free transmission of a 7.6 GHz FM PAL video signal over 25 km of optical fibre is demonstrated. <<ETX>>
Robust activation of the human but not mouse telomerase gene during the induction of pluripotency

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) express telomerase and have unlimited proliferative potential. To study telomerase activation during reprogramming, 3 classes of embryonic stem cell (ESC)‐like clones were isolated from mouse fibroblasts containing a transgenic hTERT reporter. Class I expressed few pluripotency markers, whereas class II contained many, but not Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2. Neither class of cells differentiated efficiently. Class III cells, the fully reprogrammed induced PSCs (iPSCs), expressed all pluripotency markers, formed teratomas indistinguishable from those of mESCs, and underwent efficient osteogenic differentiation in vitro. Interestingly, whereas the endogenous mTERT gene expression was only moderately increased during reprogramming, the hTERT promoter was strongly activated in class II cells and was further elevated in class III cells. Treatment of class II cells with chemical inhibitors of MEKs and glycogen synthase kinase 3 resulted in their further reprogramming into class III cells, accompanied by a strong activation of hTERT promoter. In reprogrammed human cells, the endogenous telomerase level, although variable among different clones, was dramatically elevated. Only in cells with the highest telomerase were telomeres restored to the lengths in hESCs. Our data, for the first time, demonstrated that the hTERT promoter was strongly activated in discrete steps, revealing a critical difference in human and mouse cell reprogramming. Because telomere elongation is crucial for self‐renewal of hPSCs and replicative aging of their differentiated progeny, these findings have important implications in the generation and applications of iPSCs. —Mathew, R. , Jia, W. , Sharma, A. , Zhao, Y. , Clarke, L. E. , Cheng, X. , Wang, H. , Salli, U. , Vrana, K. E. , Robertson, G. P., Zhu, J., Wang, S. Robust activation of the human but not mouse telomerase gene during the induction of pluripotency. FASEB J. 24, 2702–2715 (2010). www.fasebj. org
Sarcomere length and fibre diameter distributions in four different mouse skeletal muscles.

Measurements of the diameter of muscle fibres are frequently used as a parameter of growth in skeletal muscles in many species. When plotted in histogram form the results from such investigations give a representation of the distribution of muscle fibre diameters within a particular age or weight group. A theory of skeletal muscle growth has been proposed on the basis of fibre diameter histograms for some muscles in the mouse (Goldspink, 1962; Rowe & Goldspink, 1969) and the rat (Goldspink & Rowe, 1968). These workers found that there is a basic level of normal fibre development consisting of 'small phase' fibres. Histograms of fibre diameter distribution for muscles at this stage of development are monophasic. As the body weight of the mouse or rat increases it is suggested that the work load per fibre increases, causing some of the 'small' phase fibres to hypertrophy to 'large phase' fibres in some muscles. The fibre diameter histograms for thesemusclesinmiceandrats arebiphasic or triphasic. Recent evidence indicates that the biphasic distribution of fibre diameters in mouse muscle may be the result of using fixed pre-rigor muscle because the distributions of fibre diameters of corresponding muscles fixed in the rigor state were monophasic (Hegarty, 1970). Fibre diameter distributions in different muscles in cattle (Everitt & Carter, 1961; Bendall & Voyle, 1967), pigs (Staun, 1968), sheep (Joubert, 1956), chickens (Farrell & Fedde, 1969), hedgehog (Garven, 1925), mice (Shafiq, Gorycki & Milhorat, 1969), and an Australian marsupial (Setonix brachyurus) (Bridge & Allbrook, 1970) are monophasic rather than biphasic. Sissons (1963) and Brooke (1966) reported monophasic fibre distributions for normal human muscle. Goldspink (1962) found a biphasic fibre diameter distribution in pre-rigor fixed m. biceps brachii and m. gastrocnemius from adult mice. In a similar investigation Rowe & Goldspink (1969) reported a biphasic fibre diameter distribution in m. tibialis anterior and a triphasic distribution in m. stemomastoideus in adult mice. It was decided, therefore, to study fibre diameter and sarcomere length in four adult mouse muscles using unfixed, unembedded fibre fragments from rigor muscles.
Characterization of 43 Non-Protein-Coding mRNA Genes in Arabidopsis, Including the MIR162a-Derived Transcripts1[W]

Messenger RNAs that do not contain a long open reading frame (ORF) or non-protein-coding RNAs (npcRNAs) are an emerging novel class of transcripts. Their functions may involve the RNA molecule itself and/or short ORF-encoded peptides. npcRNA genes are difficult to identify using standard gene prediction programs that rely on the presence of relatively long ORFs. Here, we used detailed bioinformatic analyses of expressed sequence tag/cDNA databases to detect a restricted set of npcRNAs in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome and further characterized these transcripts using a combination of bioinformatic and molecular approaches. Compositional analyses revealed strong nucleotide strand asymmetries in the npcRNAs, as well as a biased GC content, suggesting the existence of functional constraints on these RNAs. Thirteen of these transcripts display tissue-specific expression patterns, and three are regulated in conditions affecting root architecture. The npcRNA 78 gene contains the miR162 sequence in an alternative intron and corresponds to the MIR162a locus. Although DICER-LIKE 1 (DCL1) mRNA is known to be regulated by miR162-guided cleavage, its level does not change in a mir162a mutant. Alternative splicing of npcRNA 78 leads to several transcript isoforms, which all accumulate in a dcl1 mutant. This suggests that npcRNA 78 is a genuine substrate of DCL1 and that splicing of this microRNA primary transcript and miR162 processing are competitive nuclear events. Our results provide new insights into Arabidopsis npcRNA biology and the potential roles of these genes.
Sense of coherence and depressive symptoms among low-income Bedouin women in the Negev Israel

Abstract Background: Higher sense of coherence (SOC) has been associated with lower depression in Western societies; however, it is not clear whether this association manifests similarly in non-Western cultural contexts. Aims: To examine the associations between different levels of SOC and depressive symptoms (DS) among indigenous-minority Arab Bedouin women in Israel and explore possible explanatory variables for this association. Methods: We conducted face-to-face interviews with 464 women (aged 18–49 years). DS was measured based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. We used the SOC-13 questionnaire and conducted path analysis using Structural Equation Modeling to examine the contribution of two levels of SOC (low/high) to predict DS beyond psychological resources and socioeconomic position. Results: The mean score of SOC was 3.42, standard deviation (SD) = 1.15. While high SOC (mean = 4.38, SD = 0.66, range = 3.5–6.38) was positively and significantly associated with DS (r = 0.46), SOC was not associated (r = 0.02) with DS in the low SOC group (mean = 2.4, SD = 0.56, range = 1–3.42). Conclusions: Relationships between high versus low SOC and DS among Bedouin women differ from those found in Western societies. This raises questions about the use of SOC as a universal tool in different cultural contexts.
Applications of 256-Slice, Spiral Computed Tomography Perfusion Scanning in Limb Salvage After High-Voltage Electrical Injury

Abstract Objective This study aimed to investigate the applications of intelligent 256-slice computed tomography (iCT) perfusion imaging in high-voltage electrical injuries (HVEIs). Methods 256-slice iCT was used to perform perfusion scanning for 48 patients with HVEI to detect the perfusion parameters. Results The blood flow (BF) and peak enhancement intensity (PEI) values of the plane lower than the amputation level of the diseased side (ALD) were smaller than those of the corresponding healthy side (P<0.05); therefore, the differences were statistically significant. The BF value of the plane beyond the ALD was bigger than that of the ALD (t=2.99 and P=0.042); therefore, the difference was statistically significant. The BF, PEI, and blood volume values of the plane below the ALD were smaller than those of the ALD (P<0.05); therefore, the differences were statistically significant. Conclusions The technique of 256-slice iCT perfusion imaging could provide richer and more comprehensive imaging data for the clinical treatment of HVEIs, thus exhibiting its benefit in reducing the disability of patients with HVEIs. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:478–485)
The Roles of Social Bonds, Personality, and Perceived Costs

Hirschi’s reconceptualized control theory suggests that social bonds serve as the primary inhibitors to delinquency and that personality-based self-control (PBSC) is not relevant. He also indicates that the number of inhibitors, multiplied by their salience, influences the perceived costs of delinquency. These claims have not been widely tested. Using a large, school-based sample of adolescents, the authors test Hirschi’s reconceptualization and find that certain inhibitors (e.g., parental monitoring) are more important than others (e.g., maternal attachment). There are also unique types of costs (e.g., parental costs, peer costs) with differential impacts. Salience exerts a main effect, but there was little evidence to suggest it interacts with costs. Finally, PBSC has the strongest effect. These findings not only offer support for some of Hirschi’s claims but also provide directions to better formulate a more comprehensive and empirically supported control theory.