Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Practical Value of N-Grams Is in Generation

We examine the practical s~'nergy between symbolic and statistical language processing in a generator called Nitrogen. The analysis provides insight into the kinds of linguistic decisions that bigram frequency statistics can make, and how it improves scalability. We also discuss the limits of bigram statistical knowledge. We focus on specific examples of Nitrogen's output. 1 I n t r o d u c t i o n Langkilde and Knight (1998) introduced Nitrogen, a system that implements a new style of generation in which corpus-based ngram statistics are used in place of deep, extensive symbolic knowledge to provide Very large-scale generation (lexicons and knowledge bases on the order of 200,000 entities), and simultaneously simplify the input and improve robustness for sentence generation. Nitrogen's generation occurs in two stages, as shown in Figure 1. First the input is mapped tO a word lattice, a compact representation of multiple generation possibilities. Then, a statistical extractor selects the most fluent path through the lattice. The word lattice encodes alternative English expressions for the input when the symbolic knowledge is unavailable (whether from the input, or from the knowledge bases) for making realization decisions. The Nitrogen statistical extractor ranks these alternative s using bigram (adjacent word pairs) and unigram (single word) statistics Collected from two years of the Wall Street Journal. The extraction algorithm is presented in (Knight and Hatzivassiloglou, 1995). meaning symbolic generator • [ <--lexicon ~-gralnmar $ word lattice of possible renderings I statistical extractor [ 4 English string I--corpus Figure h Combining Symbolic and Statistical Knowledge in a Natural Language Generator (Knight and Hatzivassil0glou, 1995). In essence, Nitrogen uses ngram statistics to robustly make a wide variety of decisions, from tense to word choice• to syntactic subcategorization, that traditionally are handled either with defaults (e.g., assume present tense, use the alphabetically-first synonyms, use nominal arguments), explicit input specification, or by using deep, detailed knowledge bases. However, in scaling up a generator system, these methods become unsatisfactory. Defaults are too rigid and limit quality; detailed input specs are difficult or complex to construct, or m~' be unavailable; and
Improved collision detection algorithm for soft tissue deformable models

The virtual 3D models of human organs in surgery simulation must reproduce the complex viscoelastic deformable behavior of living soft tissue during interaction with virtual surgical tools. Collision detection is a crucial task for modelling and real-time simulation of surgical interactions. Few techniques for collision detection between moving bodies that involve tissue cutting and deformations have been reported. In this paper, we present an improved Quinlan algorithm for collision detection suitable for real-time tissue cutting and deformation simulation. We also present an example of the use of the algorithm in a prostate surgery simulation system.
Genome-Wide Analysis of Codon Usage and Influencing Factors in Chikungunya Viruses

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus of the family Togaviridae that is transmitted to humans by Aedes spp. mosquitoes. Its genome comprises a 12 kb single-strand positive-sense RNA. In the present study, we report the patterns of synonymous codon usage in 141 CHIKV genomes by calculating several codon usage indices and applying multivariate statistical methods. Relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) analysis showed that the preferred synonymous codons were G/C and A-ended. A comparative analysis of RSCU between CHIKV and its hosts showed that codon usage patterns of CHIKV are a mixture of coincidence and antagonism. Similarity index analysis showed that the overall codon usage patterns of CHIKV have been strongly influenced by Pan troglodytes and Aedes albopictus during evolution. The overall codon usage bias was low in CHIKV genomes, as inferred from the analysis of effective number of codons (ENC) and codon adaptation index (CAI). Our data suggested that although mutation pressure dominates codon usage in CHIKV, patterns of codon usage in CHIKV are also under the influence of natural selection from its hosts and geography. To the best of our knowledge, this is first report describing codon usage analysis in CHIKV genomes. The findings from this study are expected to increase our understanding of factors involved in viral evolution, and fitness towards hosts and the environment.
Expanding the CRISPR imaging toolset with Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 for simultaneous imaging of multiple genomic loci

In order to elucidate the functional organization of the genome, it is vital to directly visualize the interactions between genomic elements in living cells. For this purpose, we engineered the Cas9 protein from Staphylococcus aureus (SaCas9) for the imaging of endogenous genomic loci, which showed a similar robustness and efficiency as previously reported for Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9). Imaging readouts allowed us to characterize the DNA-binding activity of SaCas9 and to optimize its sgRNA scaffold. Combining SaCas9 and SpCas9, we demonstrated two-color CRISPR imaging with the capability to resolve genomic loci spaced by <300 kb. Combinatorial color-mixing further enabled us to code multiple genomic elements in the same cell. Our results highlight the potential of combining SpCas9 and SaCas9 for multiplexed CRISPR-Cas9 applications, such as imaging and genome engineering.
Online Assessment of Human-Robot Interaction for Hybrid Control of Walking

Restoration of walking ability of Spinal Cord Injury subjects can be achieved by different approaches, as the use of robotic exoskeletons or electrical stimulation of the user’s muscles. The combined (hybrid) approach has the potential to provide a solution to the drawback of each approach. Specific challenges must be addressed with specific sensory systems and control strategies. In this paper we present a system and a procedure to estimate muscle fatigue from online physical interaction assessment to provide hybrid control of walking, regarding the performances of the muscles under stimulation.
State estimation and fault diagnosis of industrial process by using of particle filters

It is no surprise that the general problem of fault detection has received considerable attention in a wide variety of industrial systems such as chemical and petrochemical industries, autonomous underwater vessels, robots, and even space vehicles. We have presented a probabilistic approach to state estimation and fault diagnosis in complex industrial processes. In particular, we adapted a Jump Markov Linear Gaussian (JMLG) model to describe a continuous stirred tank reactor. Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm identifies the parameters of this process. After identification, real-time particle filtering algorithms were adapted to diagnosis of the state of operation of continuous stirred tank reactor. For this application, we compared two particle-filtering variants: standard particle filtering and Rao-Blackwellised particle filtering. The particle filtering estimates were then used to drive an automatic control system.
The Evolution of Parental Care

Our understanding of parental care behavior can be significantly advanced through the application of Williams’s Principle, which states that reproduction has not only a benefit but also a cost to lifetime fitness. My laboratory has formalized Williams’s Principle into the relative value theorem and found that its application to fishes, the taxa with the most diverse patterns of parental care, can help to explain which sex provides care and how much. In fishes, it is often the male that provides parental care, not because the male obtains greater benefits from this care, but probably because he pays fewer costs. Fish dynamically adjust their investment into parental care according to the number of offspring in their brood, past investment, genetic relatedness, and alternative mating opportunities, all of which affect the value of current offspring relative to potential future offspring. These results may also help us understand the joy and the challenges of parental care in humans.
D-Macs: building multi-device user interfaces by demonstrating, sharing and replaying design actions

Multi-device user interface design mostly implies creating suitable interface for each targeted device, using a diverse set of design tools and toolkits. This is a time consuming activity, concerning a lot of repetitive design actions without support for reusing this effort in later designs. In this paper, we propose D-Macs: a design tool that allows designers to record their design actions across devices, to share these actions with other designers and to replay their own design actions and those of others. D-Macs lowers the burden in multi-device user interface design and can reduce the necessity for manually repeating design actions.
Survey of Big Data Information Security

Today the information security (IS) of data mining is the crucial and comprehensive issue for organizations of the different spheres and size. The main challenges of Big Data IT are management of large amounts of heterogeneous information and providing its availability. Big Data protection against unauthorized access and corruption (keeping its confidentiality and integrity) as well as availability maintenance form the key research priorities in this field. The issues related to providing these Big Data features are considered in the paper. The existing approaches to their solution are analyzed. Some concepts for their improvement while designing the secure Big Data mining algorithm are formulated in accordance to IS properties.
Identifying nutritional, functional, and quality of life correlates with male hypogonadism in advanced cancer patients

With the availability of a potential treatment to reverse male hypogonadism (MH), the primary aim of this case series study was to determine independent relationships between this condition and the nutritional, functional, and quality of life characteristics of advanced cancer patients (ACP). Free testosterone levels were measured in 100 male patients with advanced lung and gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. Routine blood markers of nutrition and inflammation, self-reporting questionnaires for symptom, nutrition, and functional status along with handgrip dynamometry were assessed for all patients at bedside. Almost half of this cohort underwent further assessments (body composition, lower body strength, in depth quality of life and fatigue questionnaires) at the McGill Nutrition and Performance Laboratory (mnupal.mcgill.ca). Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify independent correlations between free testosterone and the above measures. Seventy-six percent of patients were diagnosed with MH. Using multiple linear regression, low free testosterone (31.2 pmol/L) was independently associated with lower albumin (B = –3.8 g/L; 95% confidence interval CI –6.8:–0.8), muscle strength (–11.7 lbs; –20.4: –3.0) and mass in upper limbs (–0.8 kg; –1.4: –0.1), overall performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Scale, ECOG PS 0.6; 0.1:1.1), cancer-related fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory, BFI 16.7; 2.0: 31.3), and overall quality of life (MQoL total score –1.42; –2.5: –0.3). Thus MH seems to be highly prevalent in ACP, and it is independently associated with important nutritional, functional, and quality of life characteristics in this patient population.
Presence of Multiple Mycotoxins and Other Fungal Metabolites in Native Grasses from a Wetland Ecosystem in Argentina Intended for Grazing Cattle

The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of several fungal metabolites, including mycotoxins in natural grasses (Poaceae) intended for grazing cattle. A total number of 72 and 77 different metabolites were detected on 106 and 69 grass samples collected during 2011 and 2014, respectively. A total of 60 metabolites were found across both years. Among the few mycotoxins considered toxic for ruminants, no samples of natural grasses were contaminated with aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, ergot alkaloids, and gliotoxin, among others. However, we were able to detect important metabolites (toxic to ruminants) such as type A trichothecenes, mainly T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin (up to 5000 µg/kg each), and zearalenone (up to 2000 µg/kg), all at very high frequencies and levels. Other fungal metabolites that were found to be prevalent were other Fusarium metabolites like beauvericin, equisetin and aurofusarin, metabolites produced by Alternaria spp. , sterigmatocystin and its precursors and anthrachinone derivatives. It is important to point out that the profile of common metabolites was shared during both years of sampling, and also that the occurrence of important metabolites is not a sporadic event. Considering that this area of temperate grassland is used for grazing cattle all year long due to the richness in palatable grasses (Poaceae), the present work represents a starting point for further studies on the occurrence of multi-mycotoxins in natural grasses in order to have a complete picture of the extent of cattle exposure. Also, the present study shows that the presence of zeranol in urine of beef cattle may not be a consequence of illegal use of this banned substance, but the product of the natural occurrence of zearalenone and α-zearalenol in natural grasses intended for cattle feeding.
Burnout among nursing staff and intention to leave the profession: Validation of the job demands-resource model in hospitals in Québec

This study examines the role of burnout in the relationship between stress factors related to work and the social environment and intention to leave the profession. Based on a sample of 1,636 nurses, the results suggest that demands indirectly induce depersonalization via emotional exhaustion, whereas resources are associated with a more humane treatment of patients. In addition, psychosomatic complaints and affective professional commitment partly mediate the impact of burnout on intention to leave the profession.
A Nationwide Survey of Inhalant Allergens Sensitization and Levels of Indoor Major Allergens in Korea

Purpose The higher prevalence of respiratory allergic disease may be due to increased exposure to inhalation allergens. We conducted a survey of allergic diseases in autumn and winter with detection of major indoor allergens in major cities in Korea. Methods We enrolled 110 subjects from the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with stratified, cluster, and systematic sampling procedures. All participants answered a health questionnaire as well as underwent a skin prick test (SPT) and ImmunoCAP for 11 indoor major allergens. We also measured the levels of 5 major allergens (Der f 1, Der p 1, Can f 1, Bla g 1, and Asp f 1) in fine indoor dust from the houses of 60 subjects with a 2-site ELISA. Results The prevalence of allergic rhinitis and asthma were 25.5% and 7.3%, respectively. The most common sensitized allergens identified by SPT and ImmunoCAP were Dermatophagoides farinae (40.9%, 36.8%), followed by cockroach (23.6%, 19.5%), mugwort (13.6%, 22.9%), oak (9.1%, 22.9%), Japanese hop (9.1%, 8.6%), and dog dander (8.2%, 6.9%). There was a modest discrepancy between SPT and ImmunoCAP. Der f 1 and Der p 1 were detected in 91.7% and 45.0% of the enrolled houses, respectively. Der f 1 indicated high concentrations in all specific provinces in Korea; however, Der p 1 measured high only in the south. Dog dander allergens were present in 71.7% of houses; however, Bla g 1 was present in only 11.7% of houses and Asp f 1 was not detected in any houses. Conclusions The most important inhalant allergens in Korea are house dust mites followed by cockroach, mugwort, oak, Japanese hop, and dog dander in indoor environment, in which The dominant species of house dust mites were different according to region.
Creation of Lexical Resources for a Characterisation of Multiword Expressions in Italian

The theoretical characterisation of multiword expressions (MWEs) is tightly connected to their actual occurrences in data and to their representation in lexical resources. We present three lexical resources for Italian MWEs, namely an electronic lexicon, a series of example corpora and a database of MWEs represented around morphosyntactic patterns. These resources are matched against, and created from, a very large web-derived corpus for Italian that spans across registers and domains. We can thus test expressions coded by lexicographers in a dictionary, thereby discarding unattested expressions, revisiting lexicographers's choices on the basis of frequency information, and at the same time creating an example sub-corpus for each entry. We organise MWEs on the basis of the morphosyntactic information obtained from the data in an electronic, flexible knowledge-base containing structured annotation exploitable for multiple purposes. We also suggest further work directions towards characterising MWEs by analysing the data organised in our database through lexico-semantic information available in WordNet or MultiWordNet-like resources, also in the perspective of expanding their set through the extraction of other similar compact expressions.
Gravitational collapse in an expanding background and the role of substructure – I. Planar collapse

We study the interplay of clumping at small scales with the collapse and relaxation of perturbations at much larger scales. We present results of our analysis when the large-scale perturbation is modelled as a plane wave. We find that in the absence of substructure, collapse leads to formation of a pancake with multistream regions. Dynamical relaxation of the plane wave is faster in the presence of substructure. Scattering of substructures and the resulting enhancement of transverse motions of haloes in the multistream region lead to a thinner pancake. In turn, collapse of the plane wave leads to formation of more massive collapsed haloes as compared to the collapse of substructure in the absence of the plane wave. The formation of more massive haloes happens without any increase in the total mass in collapsed haloes. A comparison with the Burgers equation approach in the absence of any substructure suggests that the preferred value of effective viscosity depends primarily on the number of streams in a region.
A Syntactical Approach to Revision

The aim of this article is to revisit Dalal's operator for belief revision. Dalal has proposed a technique for revising belief bases based on the minimization of a distance between interpretations. The result is a concrete operator that can be considered either from a semantical point of view (distance between interpretations) or from a syntactical point of view (number of atoms that have their truth values changed). Dalal has shown that the so-called Alchourron, Gardenfors and Makinson (AGM) postulates are satisfied by its operator. The AGM postulates constrain the revision process so that minimal changes occur in the belief set. In this article, our contribution is twofold: first, we improve Dalal's algorithm by avoiding multiple satisfiability checking, which are NP-complete tasks. Our algorithm requires only one NP-stage if beliefs are expressed in a specific syntax, namely the prime implicates and prime implicants. Second, we propose a new distance based on the number of prime implicates in contradiction with the incoming new information. We argue that in some cases changing a minimal set of propositional symbols do not necessarily entail minimal changes.
Systematic analysis of enzymatic DNA polymerization using oligo-DNA templates and triphosphate analogs involving 2′,4′-bridged nucleosides

In order to systematically analyze the effects of nucleoside modification of sugar moieties in DNA polymerase reactions, we synthesized 16 modified templates containing 2′,4′-bridged nucleotides and three types of 2′,4′-bridged nucleoside-5′-triphospates with different bridging structures. Among the five types of thermostable DNA polymerases used, Taq, Phusion HF, Vent(exo-), KOD Dash and KOD(exo-), the KOD Dash and KOD(exo-) DNA polymerases could smoothly read through the modified templates containing 2′-O,4′-C-methylene-linked nucleotides at intervals of a few nucleotides, even at standard enzyme concentrations for 5 min. Although the Vent(exo-) DNA polymerase also read through these modified templates, kinetic study indicates that the KOD(exo-) DNA polymerase was found to be far superior to the Vent(exo-) DNA polymerase in accurate incorporation of nucleotides. When either of the DNA polymerase was used, the presence of 2′,4′-bridged nucleotides on a template strand substantially decreased the reaction rates of nucleotide incorporations. The modified templates containing sequences of seven successive 2′,4′-bridged nucleotides could not be completely transcribed by any of the DNA polymerases used; yields of longer elongated products decreased in the order of steric bulkiness of the modified sugars. Successive incorporation of 2′,4′-bridged nucleotides into extending strands using 2′,4′-bridged nucleoside-5′-triphospates was much more difficult. These data indicate that the sugar modification would have a greater effect on the polymerase reaction when it is adjacent to the elongation terminus than when it is on the template as well, as in base modification.
Quantifying MultiProcessor Overheads

As a general rule, most performance analysts are confident in fundamental relationships like one plus one equals two. Unfortunately, this time proven relationship is a gross over estimation of the actual capacity delivered by a dual or multiprocessor configurations. In this paper, we will present a simple conceptual model of multiprocessor performance and provide a generalized first order result for evaluating the capabilities of alternative multiprocessor designs.
A protocol for disaster data evacuation

Data is the basis of the modern information society. However, recent natural catastrophes have shown that it is not possible to definitively secure a data storage location. Even if the storage location is not destroyed itself the access may quickly become impossible, due to the breakdown of connections or power supply. However, this rarely happens without any warning. While floods have hours or days of warning time, tsunamis usually leave only minutes for reaction and for earthquakes there are only seconds. In such situations, timely evacuation of important data is the key challenge. Consequently, the focus lies on minimizing the time to move away all data from the storage location whereas the actual time to arrival remains less (but still) important. This demonstration presents the dynamic fast send protocol (DFSP), a new bulk data transfer protocol. It employs striping to dynamic intermediate nodes in order to minimize sending time and to utilize the sender's resources to a high extent.
Using humans as sensors in robotic search

The human role in sophisticated information gathering systems is usually conceived to be that of the consumer. Human sensory and perceptual capabilities, however, outstrip our abilities to process information by a substantial amount. The use of human operators as “perceptual sensors” is standard practice for both UAVs and ground robotics where humans are called upon to “process” camera video to find targets and assist in navigation. In this paper we illustrate the human role as sensor referencing results of an earlier experiment investigating human performance of operator, navigator, or “perceptual sensor” tasks for teams of 4, 8, and 12 simulated pioneer P3AT robots. The experiment shows humans to be resource limited for the navigation/control task as the number of robots increases while the perceptual sensor function was less affected. We discuss the implications of using humans in a “perceptual sensor” role for information gathering from robotic teams and some of the difficulties including shifts in context and difficulties in developing situation awareness that are likely to arise.