Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aligning Opinions: Cross-Lingual Opinion Mining with Dependencies

We propose a cross-lingual framework for fine-grained opinion mining using bitext projection. The only requirements are a running system in a source language and word-aligned parallel data. Our method projects opinion frames from the source to the target language, and then trains a system on the target language using the automatic annotations. Key to our approach is a novel dependency-based model for opinion mining, which we show, as a byproduct, to be on par with the current state of the art for English, while avoiding the need for integer programming or reranking. In cross-lingual mode (English to Portuguese), our approach compares favorably to a supervised system (with scarce labeled data), and to a delexicalized model trained using universal tags and bilingual word embeddings.
Identifying Drug Effects via Pathway Alterations using an Integer Linear Programming Optimization Formulation on Phosphoproteomic Data

Understanding the mechanisms of cell function and drug action is a major endeavor in the pharmaceutical industry. Drug effects are governed by the intrinsic properties of the drug (i.e., selectivity and potency) and the specific signaling transduction network of the host (i.e., normal vs. diseased cells). Here, we describe an unbiased, phosphoproteomic-based approach to identify drug effects by monitoring drug-induced topology alterations. With our proposed method, drug effects are investigated under diverse stimulations of the signaling network. Starting with a generic pathway made of logical gates, we build a cell-type specific map by constraining it to fit 13 key phopshoprotein signals under 55 experimental conditions. Fitting is performed via an Integer Linear Program (ILP) formulation and solution by standard ILP solvers; a procedure that drastically outperforms previous fitting schemes. Then, knowing the cell's topology, we monitor the same key phosphoprotein signals under the presence of drug and we re-optimize the specific map to reveal drug-induced topology alterations. To prove our case, we make a topology for the hepatocytic cell-line HepG2 and we evaluate the effects of 4 drugs: 3 selective inhibitors for the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and a non-selective drug. We confirm effects easily predictable from the drugs' main target (i.e., EGFR inhibitors blocks the EGFR pathway) but we also uncover unanticipated effects due to either drug promiscuity or the cell's specific topology. An interesting finding is that the selective EGFR inhibitor Gefitinib inhibits signaling downstream the Interleukin-1alpha (IL1α) pathway; an effect that cannot be extracted from binding affinity-based approaches. Our method represents an unbiased approach to identify drug effects on small to medium size pathways which is scalable to larger topologies with any type of signaling interventions (small molecules, RNAi, etc). The method can reveal drug effects on pathways, the cornerstone for identifying mechanisms of drug's efficacy.
Distributed control of renewable generators with energy storage

With high penetration of renewables based distributed generation (DG) sources, several issues such as voltage instability and increased power losses arise. Such issues can be effectively mitigated with the usage of battery energy storage systems (BESSs) that act as buffer and absorb/inject necessary active power. Besides BESSs, reactive power availability of DG converters can also be utilized simultaneously, so as to reduce stress on the BESSs. In this paper, we propose a fully distributed strategy to minimize power losses in the grid and power losses while charging/discharging the BESSs, by optimizing active power from/to BESSs and reactive power from DG converters. A differential grid model is developed, using which the DGs and their corresponding BESSs perform a gradient based approach in a distributed manner to optimally change their outputs. Simulation studies performed on modified IEEE 30-bus test system show that the proposed algorithm effectively optimizes the grid under dynamic conditions.
Suboptimal receding horizon control for continuous-time systems

In this paper, a continuous-time optimal control problem is approached in a sub-optimal way by introducing the concept of suboptimal value function, which is any function satisfying the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman inequality. It is shown that as long as the Euler Approximating System (EAS) of a given continuous-time plant admits a positive definite convex suboptimal value function, it is possible to determine a stabilizing control for the continuous-time system whose cost not only converges to the optimal, but it is also upper bounded by the discrete-time cost no matter how the "discretization time parameter" is chosen.
Compiler-Assisted Loop Hardening Against Fault Attacks

Secure elements widely used in smartphones, digital consumer electronics, and payment systems are subject to fault attacks. To thwart such attacks, software protections are manually inserted requiring experts and time. The explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT) in home, business, and public spaces motivates the hardening of a wider class of applications and the need to offer security solutions to non-experts. This article addresses the automated protection of loops at compilation time, covering the widest range of control- and data-flow patterns, in both shape and complexity. The security property we consider is that a sensitive loop must always perform the expected number of iterations; otherwise, an attack must be reported. We propose a generic compile-time loop hardening scheme based on the duplication of termination conditions and of the computations involved in the evaluation of such conditions. We also investigate how to preserve the security property along the compilation flow while enabling aggressive optimizations. We implemented this algorithm in LLVM 4.0 at the Intermediate Representation (IR) level in the backend. On average, the compiler automatically hardens 95% of the sensitive loops of typical security benchmarks, and 98% of these loops are shown to be robust to simulated faults. Performance and code size overhead remain quite affordable, at 12.5% and 14%, respectively.
Analysis of factors affecting enrollment pattern in Indian universities using k-means clustering

The growth of the economy of a country is affected by several factors like economic system, natural resources, social organisation, literacy rate, skilled manpower, etc. Higher education also plays an important role in the economic growth of a country. The Indian education sector has a lot of data that can produce valuable information. In recent times data mining techniques have been widely used for educational data for discovering useful trends or patterns. It provides interesting patterns which can be used to improve the overall performance of the education sector. The main objective of this research work is to analyse enrollment patterns in Indian universities and the factors affecting these patterns with the help of k-means clustering technique. The obtained clusters are analysed for various case studies to provide a trend of enrollments.
Hormonal, experiential and neural regulation of ventromedial hypothalamic glutamate in the female rat

Previous experiments have shown that enhanced glutamate neurotransmission in the ventromedial hypothalamus by administration of glutamate or its selective receptor agonists kainate, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid or U-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA), results in a pronounced inhibition of proceptive and consummatory sexual behaviors. The five chapters encompassing this thesis were designed to expand our comprehension of the role that ventromedial hypothalamic glutamate plays in the control of sexual behavior in the female rat. The experiment presented in Chapter 1 shows that a substantial proportion of the neurons activated in the ventromedial hypothalamus by vaginocervical stimulation are glutamatergic, and that priming with estradiol benzoate and progesterone inhibits this activation. Chapter 2 investigated the effect of 6,7-Dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), a glutamate antagonist, on estrus termination, when infused in the ventromedial hypothalamus of female rats. DNQX effectively reversed the effect of vaginocervical stimulation on appetitive behaviors, lordosis quotient and lordosis magnitude, but had no effect on pacing, defensive behaviors, or male ejaculations. These results suggest that blocking glutamate transmission at the AMPA/kainate receptor delays onset of estrus termination. The experiment presented in Chapter 3 analyzed the pattern of glutamate release in the ventromedial hypothalamus during a 2-hour copulation session with a sexually vigorous male following priming with oil, estradiol benzoate or extradiol benzoate and progesterone. The results suggest that glutamate release patterns vary as a function of hormonal priming as well as stimulation received from being in proximity of a sexually mature male. Chapter 4 tested the hypothesis that glutamate release may be subject to regulation by Þ-aminobutryic acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter with cellular inhibitory properties and facilitative effects on lordosis upon infusion in the ventromedial hypothalamus. The results indicate that GABA A RU1 are upregulated by estradiol benzoate because the percentage of neurons that contained glutamate and expressed those receptors doubled when animals were primed with estradiol benzoate or estradiol benzoate and progesterone relative to oil. The experiment presented in Chapter 5 identified the medial preoptic area, anterior hypothalamic area, paraventricular nucleus, anterior hippocampus, and medial amygdala as the nuclei that send GABAergic projections to the ventromedial hypothalamus. These nuclei have previously been found to play important roles in the control of female sexual behavior. The function of ventromedial hypothalamic glutamate is explored in the general discussion.
Accuracy of adults’ recall of childhood social class: findings from the Aberdeen children of the 1950s study

Background: Although adult reported childhood socioeconomic position has been related to health outcomes in many studies, little is known about the validity of such distantly recalled information. This study evaluated the validity of adults’ reports of childhood paternal social class. Methods: Data are drawn from the Aberdeen children of the 1950s study, a cohort of 12 150 people born in Aberdeen (Scotland) who took part in a school based survey in 1962. In this survey, two indices of early life socioeconomic position were collected: occupational social class at birth (abstracted from maternity records) and occupational social class in childhood (reported during the 1962 survey by the study participants). Between 2000 and 2003, a questionnaire was mailed to traced middle aged cohort members in which inquiries were made about their fathers’ occupation when they were aged 12 years. The level of agreement between these reports and prospectively collected data on occupational social class was assessed. Results: In total, 7183 (63.7%) persons responded to the mid-life questionnaire. Agreement was moderate between social class of father recalled in adulthood and that measured in early life (κ statistics were 0.47 for social class measured at birth, and 0.56 for social class reported by the child). The relation of occupational social class to birth weight and childhood intelligence was in the expected directions, although weaker for adults’ reports in comparison with prospectively gathered data. Conclusions: In studies of adult disease aetiology, associations between childhood social class based on adult recall of parental occupation and health outcomes are likely to underestimate real effects.
Preparation, Characterization, and Analytical Application of Ramipril Membrane-Based Ion-Selective Electrode

The fabrication and electrochemical evaluation of two PVC membrane-based Ion-Selective electrodes responsive for ramipril drug have been proposed. The sensitive membranes were prepared using ramipril-phosphomolibdate and ramipril-tetraphenylborate ion-pair complexes as electroactive sensing materials in plasticized PVC support. The electrodes based on these materials provide near-Nernestian response (sensitivity of 53 ± 0.5–54 ± 0.5 mV/concentration decade) covering the concentration range of 1.0 × 10−2–1.0 × 10−5 mol L−1 with a detection limit of 3.0 × 10−6–4.0 × 10−6 mol L−1. The suggested electrodes have been successfully used in the determination of ramipril drug in some pharmaceutical formulations using direct potentiometry with average recovery of >96% and mean standard deviation of <3% (n = 5).
Cross-layer resource allocation of two-way relaying for statistical delay-QoS guarantees

In this paper, we consider the cross-layer design for delay quality-of-service (QoS) provisioning in two-way relay systems. We aim to find the optimal resource allocation policy to maximize the weighted sum-rate while guaranteeing the statistical delay-QoS requirements for both users. The delay requirement is characterized as the QoS exponent. With the integration of the concept of effective capacity, the cross-layer optimization problem is equivalent to a weighted sum effective capacity maximization problem. We derive the optimal joint power and rate adaptation policy for the two-phase two-way relaying. Numerical results show that the proposed policy can efficiently support diverse QoS requirements and significantly improve the performance compared with both the fixed power scheme and the weight-based method.
Hepatic Artery Microvascular Anastomosis in Pediatric Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Review of 35 Consecutive Cases by a Single Microvascular Surgeon

Early experience with living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) was often complicated by hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT), a devastating complication resulting in graft loss. Attempting to reduce the incidence of HAT, we undertook a retrospective review of all children at our institution undergoing LDLT between March 2000 and August 2007, with the hepatic artery anastomosis performed by a single microvascular surgeon. Transplant surgeons performed the remainder of the operation. Patient outcomes were evaluated, including 1-year arterial and biliary complications, as well as overall survival. End-to-end hepatic arterial anastomoses were performed in 35 patients (median age: 15 months). Median posttransplant follow-up was 39 months (range: 0 to 90 months). One patient with a diffuse coagulopathy was retransplanted for HAT; this patient also demonstrated portal and hepatic vein thromboses. Biliary complications occurred in seven patients: three leaks, one cholangitis, one nonspecific dilatation, and two strictures. The median posttransplant follow-up was 39 months (range: 0 to 90 months). One- and 5-year patient survival was 94% and 94%, respectively. Very low rates of HAT can be achieved with LDLT using microsurgical techniques for hepatic arterial anastomoses. Outstanding long-term liver graft function can be achieved after LDLT when plastic surgeons and transplant surgeons collaborate together to reduce technical complications.
Randomised controlled trials of attentional bias retraining in smokers

Smokers attend preferentially to smoking-related cues in the environment, known as attentional bias. Evidence suggests that attentional bias is related to craving and relapse. Attentional retraining (AR) procedures have been used in laboratory studies to modify attentional bias and processes related to drug use, but investigations on the clinical value of AR in addiction are scarce. This thesis reports on two randomised controlled trials investigating the efficacy of AR with modified visual probe tasks in smokers. The first study explored the effects of varying the length of AR on attentional bias, craving, mood and withdrawal in current smokers. No retraining effects were observed after either a short, medium or long block of AR. The second study explored the efficacy of AR on attentional bias and smoking cessation outcomes in treatment-seeking smokers. While AR procedures were feasible to deliver within smoking cessation clinics, the intervention did not significantly reduce attentional bias, craving, withdrawal symptoms or the likelihood of relapse. These results and the literature in general show that there is no clear association between attentional bias and craving and relapse. Current AR procedures are not effective in smokers and should not be used in smoking cessation treatments, as they currently stand.
Frontal object perception using radar and mono-vision

In this paper, we detail a complete software architecture of a key task that an intelligent vehicle has to deal with: frontal object perception. This task is solved by processing raw data of a radar and a mono-camera to detect and track moving objects. Data sets obtained from highways, country roads and urban areas were used to test the proposed method. Several experiments were conducted to show that the proposed method obtains a better environment representation, i.e., reduces the false alarms and missed detections from individual sensor evidence.
Spring-pen: reproduction of any softness with the 3D printed spring

In this paper, we present a stylus pen with a new tactile feedback in writing pictures and letters on smartphone and tablet terminal. The stylus pen uses a spring structure to reproduce the tactile sensation of the softness like the tip of a brush. In addition, the softness suitable for personal taste can be expressed because the user can adjust the thickness and the number of steps of spring coil with 3DCAD software. Moreover, it makes the feedback from the screen more realistic. It helps expression in our drawing pictures and letters.
The effect of anatomical noise on perception of low contrast in intra-oral radiographs: an in vitro study.

OBJECTIVES Radiographic images suffer from varying amounts of noise. The most studied and discussed of these is random noise. However, recent research has shown that the projected anatomy contributes substantially to noise, especially when detecting low-contrast objects in the images. Our aim, therefore, was to evaluate the extent to which overprojected anatomical noise affects the detection of low-contrast objects in intra-oral images. METHODS Our study used four common sensor models. With each sensor, we took four series of images, three series with and one series without an anatomical phantom present. In each series, we exposed a low-contrast phantom at 18 different exposure times using a standardized method. 4 observers evaluated all 288 images. RESULTS The low-contrast characteristics differed substantially when imaging low contrast on a homogeneous background compared with imaging low contrast when an anatomical phantom was present. For three of the sensors, optimal exposure times for low-contrast imaging were found, while the fourth sensor displayed a completely different behaviour. CONCLUSIONS Calibrating the low-contrast properties of an imaging system using low-contrast objects on a homogeneous background is not recommended. On an anatomical background, low-contrast properties are completely different, and these will mimic the clinical situation much more closely, directing the operator how to best use the system. There is a clear demand for further research on this subject.
An evaluation of the Myrinet/GM2 two-port networks

It is important to systematically assess the features and performance of the new interconnects for high performance clusters. This work presents the performance of the two-port Myrinet networks at the GM2 and MPI layers using a complete set of microbenchmarks. We also present the communication characteristics and the performance of the NAS multi-zone benchmarks and SMG2000 application under the MPI and MPI-OpenMP programming paradigms. We found that the host overhead is very small in our cluster, and the Myrinet is sensitive to the buffer reuse patterns. Our applications achieved a better performance for MPI than the mixed-mode. All the applications studied use only nonblocking communications, thus are able to overlap their communications with the computations. Our experiments show that the two-port communication at the GM and MPI levels (except for the RDMA read, and overlap) outperforms the one-port communication for the bandwidth. However, this did not translate into a considerable improvement at least for our applications.
CrystalGPU: Transparent and Efficient Utilization of GPU Power

General-purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU) has recently gained considerable attention in various domains such as bioinformatics, databases and distributed computing. GPGPU is based on using the GPU as a co-processor accelerator to offload computationally-intensive tasks from the CPU. This study starts from the observation that a number of GPU features (such as overlapping communication and computation, short lived buffer reuse, and harnessing multi-GPU systems) can be abstracted and reused across different GPGPU applications. This paper describes CrystalGPU, a modular framework that transparently enables applications to exploit a number of GPU optimizations. Our evaluation shows that CrystalGPU enables up to 16x speedup gains on synthetic benchmarks, while introducing negligible latency overhead.
Prophylactic use of yoghurt reduces antibiotic induced diarrhoea in children

Objective To assess whether locally manufactured yoghurt could be used prophylactically to reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children. Patients and Method Patients admitted to a general paediatric ward due to an illness other than diarrhoea and who were treated with amoxycillin or co-amoxyclav were recruited for the study. Patients were allocated randomly to the test and control groups. The test group was treated with a yoghurt (75ml) every morning for 3 consecutive days with the commencement of antibiotics. The stool consistency and frequency were recorded for 3 days following administration of antibiotics. Results All patients (76) were between 6 months and 5 years of age. There were 42 females and 34 males. In the test group 2/39 developed diarrhoea while in the control group 10/37 developed diarrhoea following antibiotic treatment. The data was analysed using Fisher’s Exact test. 27% in control group and 5.4% in treated group had developed diarrhoea. Two sided probability for the test is 0.0252. Conclusion Antibiotic induced diarrhoea could be minimized by the prophylactic administration of yoghurt with the commencement of antibiotic treatment.
Person identification based on the matching of foot strike timings obtained by LRFs and a smartphone

This paper describes a person identification method using a smartphone and laser range finders (LRFs) for a mobile service robot. The robot is equipped with LRFs and the target person holds a smartphone. The method first detects the foot strike timings of the target person using the smartphone and those of all people by using the LRFs. By finding the person whose foot strike timings captured by the LRFs are similar to those obtained by the smartphone, the robot can identify the target person. Person identification experiments and person following experiments are conducted in order to validate the method. Since the method only requires a person to simply hold a smartphone, it can be easily applied to daily situations.