Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Language Resources for Arabic: Corpus Containing More Than Two Million Words and a Corpus Processing Tool

Arabic is a resource-poor language relative to other languages with a similar number of speakers. This situation negatively affects corpus-based linguistic studies in Arabic and, to a lesser extent, Arabic language processing. This paper presents a brief overview of recent freely available Arabic corpora and corpora processing tools, and it examines some of the issues that may be preventing Arabic linguists from using the same. These issues reveal the need for new language resources to enrich and foster Arabic corpus-based studies. Accordingly, this paper introduces the design of a new Arabic corpus that includes modern standard Arabic varieties based on newspapers from all Arab countries and that comprises more than two million words, it also describes the main features of a corpus processing tool specifically designed for Arabic, called "Khawas ÛæÇÕ" ("diver" in English). Khawas provides more features than any other freely available corpus processing tool for Arabic, including n-gram frequency and concordance, collocations, and statistical comparison of two corpora. Finally, we outline modifications and improvements that could be made in future works.
SVMHC: a server for prediction of MHC-binding peptides

Identification of MHC-binding peptides is a prerequisite in rational design of T-cell based peptide vaccines. During the past decade a number of computational approaches have been introduced for the prediction of MHC-binding peptides, efficiently reducing the number of candidate binders that need to be experimentally verified. Here the SVMHC server for prediction of both MHC class I and class II binding peptides is presented. SVMHC offers fast analysis of a wide range of alleles and prediction results are given in several comprehensive formats. The server can be used to find the most likely binders in a protein sequence and to investigate the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms in terms of MHC-peptide binding. The SVMHC server is accessible at .
Tractography of Multiple Fibre Orientation in Diffusion Tensor Imaging using Automatic Relevance Determination

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has become an indispensable tool for studying white matter both in normal populations and in populations with brain disorders. This paper describes a direct extension of diffusion spectrum magnetic resonance image tractography of multiple fibre orientation. Using this data the on line selection of number of fibre orientations supported by the data at each voxel are performed, simplifying the problem of tracking in a multi- orientation field. The multi fiber approach has a direct equivalent in the single fiber case, but it can be able to assess the advantages of increasing the local model complexity, while other factors remain constant. The dominant pathway from a region remains the same between single- and multi-fibre approaches, but the multi-fibre approach is more sensitive to secondary or subordinate pathways.
Smart grid research infrastructures in Austria: Examples of available laboratories and their possibilities

The large-scale roll out of renewables in several regions in the world has led to changes in the planning and operation of the power systems. They are becoming visible nowadays on all voltage levels in distribution and partly also in transmission grids. This creates additional challenges to energy utilities due to their stochastic generation behavior. Sophisticated component design methods, intelligent information and communication architectures, control concepts as well as proper standards are necessary in order to manage the higher complexity of future intelligent power systems. Due to the considerable higher complexity of such Smart Grids powerful research infrastructures are necessary to design and validate future developments. The main aim of this paper therefore is to provide an overview of available Austrian laboratories, their possibilities as well as various scenarios on the example of the SmartEST lab from the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology as well as the Hybrid Energy Lab from the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Vienna.
The Influence of Variable Rainfall Frequency on Germination and Early Growth of Shade-Tolerant Dipterocarp Seedlings in Borneo

Climate change induced alterations to rainfall patterns have the potential to affect the regeneration dynamics of plant species, especially in historically everwet tropical rainforest. Differential species response to infrequent rainfall may influence seed germination and seedling establishment in turn affecting species distributions. We tested the role of watering frequency intervals (from daily to six-day watering) on the germination and the early growth of Dipterocarpaceae seedlings in Borneo. We used seeds that ranged in size from 500 to 20,000 mg in order to test the role of seed mass in mediating the effects of infrequent watering. With frequent rainfall, germination and seedling development traits bore no relationship to seed mass, but all metrics of seedling growth increased with increasing seed mass. Cumulative germination declined by 39.4% on average for all species when plants were watered at six-day intervals, and days to germination increased by 76.5% on average for all species from daily to six-day intervals. Final height and biomass declined on average in the six-day interval by 16% and 30%, respectively, but the percentage decrease in final size was greater for large-seeded species. Rooting depth per leaf area also significantly declined with seed mass indicating large-seeded species allocate relatively more biomass for leaf production. This difference in allocation provided an establishment advantage to large-seeded species when water was non-limiting but inhibited their growth under infrequent rainfall. The observed reduction in the growth of large-seeded species under infrequent rainfall would likely restrict their establishment in drier microsites associated with coarse sandy soils and ridge tops. In total, these species differences in germination and initial seedling growth indicates a possible niche axis that may help explain both current species distributions and future responses to climate change.
Links Interfacing Demonstration of LTE-Advanced Networks Using NS-2 Modeller

Society of 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is presently evolving Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-Advanced) as a development of the standard of LTE. This generation aims to produce specifications for a new radio-access technology geared to higher data rates, low latency and greater spectral efficiency. LTE-Advanced is an evolutionary step in the continuing development of LTE where the description in this article is based on LTE release 10. This paper provides detailed interfacing parameters and factors, which effect to implement the traffics and links of the transport layer for LTE-Advanced networks using the network simulator NS-2. Furthermore, it provides a deeper insight for the interface of protocol stacks, user plane, and control plane of protocol stack with the investigation to the links between the main parts LTE-Advanced structure in terms of events, activities, organizations and other factors that have played an important role over transport layer.
Palimpsest characters in transfictional storytelling: on migrating Penny Dreadful characters from television to comic books

ABSTRACT Transmedia characters are fictional figures whose adventures are told in different media platforms, each one adding details to their story, as they are rewritten, altered or extended, varying the degree of continuity with the original. This discussion will focus on the identity of transmedia and transtexual female characters in television series Penny Dreadful (Showtime 2014–16) that exist in several gothic literary pretexts to the TV series as well as the series itself, also Titan’s prequel and sequel comic book series published after the series ended. Drawing on cognitive, narrative and transmedia theory, this discussion seeks to determine the essential criteria for establishing the persistence of individual identity of characters across texts and media. A central claim of this article is that the cognitive processes by which we as reader-viewers identify an agent as a character are cross-medial. Yet, there are important differences between media in how they represent a character. Of particular importance to this discussion are the power dynamics of transmedia entertainment, including the conflict and congruency between the way old and new media represent character through verbal and visual narrative devices.
Energy-E cient Design ofBattery-Powered Embedded

| Energy-eecient design of battery-powered systems demands optimizations in both hardware and software. We present a modular approach for enhancing instruction level sim-ulators with cycle-accurate simulation of energy dissipation in embedded systems. Our methodology has tightly coupled component models thus making our approach more accurate. Performance and energy computed by our simulator are within a 5% tolerance of hardware measurements on the SmartBadge 2]. We show how the simulation methodology can be used for hardware design exploration aimed at enhancing the SmartBadge with real-time MPEG video feature. In addition, we present a prooler that relates energy consumption to the source code. Using the prooler we can quickly and easily redesign the MP3 audio decoder software to run in real time on the SmartBadge with low energy consumption. Performance increase of 92% and energy consumption decrease of 77% over the original executable speciication have been achieved.
Personalization in Social Networks: Modeling the Underlying Social Processes

What is the connection between our online social ties and preferences in music, movies and other domains? Theories from sociology such as homophily and influence and recent empirical studies on the web suggest a locality in preference, that is, people close to each other socially are likely to have similar preferences. However, we find that the locality in preference varies from person to person and community to community­­­which is perhaps the reason why social recommendation has led to mixed results. A fruitful direction of research can be to understand the underlying social processes that likely affect user preferences in online social networks. A deeper understanding of these social processes around user preference can help in creating better models of preference and lead to more effective personalization strategies. Introduction In recent years, online platforms have emerged which thrive on the activity of their users who share some social connections. For example, users share updates with their followers on Twitter, rate and discover music on Grooveshark or Spotify, edit articles on Wikipedia and post text, pictures and comments on social networks like Facebook and Google+. In each of these domains, people interact and form social connections with other users. At the same time they also express their preferences towards items through their rating, sharing, editing, or consuming activities. Availability of this additional social context has opened up new avenues for personalization­­­closeness in a social network likely implies similar preferences (locality of preference) [11, 12, 16], an ability to influence those preferences [9] and greater chances of group consumption [18].
Imaging , Diagnosis , Prognosis Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsies for Gene Expression Ratio-Based Diagnostic and Prognostic Tests in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Purpose: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive disease associated with median survival between 9 and 12 months. The correct diagnosis of MPM is sometimes challenging and usually requires solid tissue biopsies rather than fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNA). We postulated that the accuracy of FNA-based diagnosis might be improved by the addition of molecular tests using a gene expression ratio-based algorithm and that prognostic tests could be similarly performed. Experimental Design: Two MPM and 2 lung cancer cell lines were used to establish the minimal quantity of RNA required to perform the gene ratio test. On the basis of these results, 276 ex vivo FNA biopsies from 63 MPM patients and 250 ex vivo FNA samples from 92 lung cancer patients were analyzed using previously described diagnostic and prognostic tests based on gene expression ratios. Results:We found that the sensitivity of the diagnostic test forMPMwas 100% [95% confidence interval (CI): 95%–100%] and the specificity in primary lung adenocarcinoma was 90% (95%CI: 81%–95%). The FNA-based prognostic classification was concordant among 76% (95%CI: 65%–87%) of patients with the risk assignment in a subset of the matched surgical specimens previously analyzed by the prognostic test. Conclusions: Sufficient RNA can be extracted from most FNA biopsies to perform gene expression molecular tests. In particular, we show that the gene expression ratio algorithms performed well when applied to diagnosis and prognosis inMPM. This study provides support for the development of additional RNA molecular tests that may enhance the utility of FNA in the management of other solid cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 17(2); 310–16. 2010 AACR.
Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of fetal trisomy 21 using cell-free fetal DNA in maternal blood

Since the existence of cell-free fetal DNA (cff-DNA) in maternal circulation was discovered, it has been identified as a promising source of fetal genetic material in the development of reliable methods for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) of fetal trisomy 21 (T21). Currently, a prenatal diagnosis of fetal T21 is achieved through invasive techniques, such as chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. However, such invasive diagnostic tests are expensive, require expert technicians, and have a miscarriage risk approximately 1%. Therefore, NIPD using cff-DNA in the detection of fetal T21 is significant in prenatal care. Recently, the application of new techniques using single-molecular counting methods and the development of fetal-specific epigenetic markers has opened up new possibilities in the NIPD of fetal T21 using cff-DNA. These new technologies will facilitate safer, more sensitive and accurate prenatal tests in the near future. In this review, we investigate the recent methods for the NIPD of fetal T21 and discuss their implications in future clinical practice.
Bombyx mori Transcription Factors: Genome-Wide Identification, Expression Profiles and Response to Pathogens by Microarray Analysis

Abstract Transcription factors are present in all living organisms, and play vital roles in a wide range of biological processes. Studies of transcription factors will help reveal the complex regulation mechanism of organisms. So far, hundreds of domains have been identified that show transcription factor activity. Here, 281 reported transcription factor domains were used as seeds to search the transcription factors in genomes of Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) and four other model insects. Overall, 666 transcription factors including 36 basal factors and 630 other factors were identified in B. mori genome, which accounted for 4.56% of its genome. The silkworm transcription factors' expression profiles were investigated in relation to multiple tissues, developmental stages, sexual dimorphism, and responses to oral infection by pathogens and direct bacterial injection. These all provided rich clues for revealing the transcriptional regulation mechanism of silkworm organ differentiation, growth and development, sexual dimorphism, and response to pathogen infection.
Herpes simplex type 2 virus deleted in glycoprotein D protects against vaginal, skin and neural disease

Subunit vaccines comprised of glycoprotein D (gD-2) failed to prevent HSV-2 highlighting need for novel strategies. To test the hypothesis that deletion of gD-2 unmasks protective antigens, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of an HSV-2 virus deleted in gD-2 and complemented allowing a single round of replication on cells expressing HSV-1 gD (ΔgD−/+gD−1). Subcutaneous immunization of C57BL/6 or BALB/c mice with ΔgD−/+gD1 provided 100% protection against lethal intravaginal or skin challenges and prevented latency. ΔgD−/+gD1 elicited no disease in SCID mice, whereas 1000-fold lower doses of wild-type virus were lethal. HSV-specific antibodies were detected in serum (titer 1:800,000) following immunization and in vaginal washes after intravaginal challenge. The antibodies elicited cell-mediated cytotoxicity, but little neutralizing activity. Passive transfer of immune serum completely protected wild-type, but not Fcγ-receptor or neonatal Fc-receptor knock-out mice. These studies demonstrate that non-neutralizing Fc-mediated humoral responses confer protection and support advancement of this attenuated vaccine. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.06054. 001
Rehabilitación de los miembros inferiores tras un ictus: intervención desde terapia ocupacional en caso único

espanolUna de las principales manifestaciones tras sufrir dano cerebral es una disfuncion en la deambulacion, por ello la rehabilitacion de la misma es una de las demandas primordiales de las personas que han sufrido una lesion cerebral. Este estudio pretende constatar la eficacia de la combinacion de los metodos Bobath y Perfetti en el tratamiento de la marcha y su inclusion en las actividades de la vida diaria (AVD) en un adulto tras sufrir un ictus, con el objetivo de demostrar la cabida de la Terapia Ocupacional en la rehabilitacion de los miembros inferiores (MMII). El estudio muestra la intervencion en un varon con hemiparesia y patologia de pie equino durante tres meses, con 5 sesiones semanales. Se evaluo con Escala Tinetti (marcha), Escala Daniels (fuerza), Indice de Barthel, Escala de Lawton y Brody (AVD) y una escala de sensibilidad creada ad hoc. Los resultados muestran mejora en equilibrio, distribucion de peso en MMII y en las AVD tras la intervencion. En conclusion, la aplicacion de dichos metodos sobre el pie equino, favorecen la adquisicion de una marcha mas estable y funcional que influye directamente en una realizacion mas independiente de las AVD. EnglishOne of the main signs after having suffered brain damage is an ambulation dysfunction and one of primordial demands in people who have suffered this lesion is the rehabilitation of this dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to show the efficiency of Bobath and Perfetti methods along the treatment of gait and its inclusion in the activities of daily living (ADL) of an adult after suffering a stroke, showing the role of Occupational Therapy (OT) in the lower limbs rehabilitation. The study consisted in a three months intervention with a periodicity of five weekly sessions in a man with hemiparesis and equinus foot. The assessment was carried out with Tinetti Scale (gait), Daniels Scale (strenght), Barthel Index and Lawton and Brody Scale (ADL) and a sensitivity scale specifically created for this study. The results show improvements in balance, weigh distribution in lower limbs and in activities of daily living. In conclusion, these methods on the equinus foot is advantageous in the acquisition of a more stable and functional gait and it influences directly in a more independent execution in the ADL.
Cross-Cultural Patterns in College Student Drinking and its Consequences—A Comparison between the USA and Sweden

Aims: The aim of the study was to compare alcohol use, consequences and common risk factors between American and Swedish college students. Methods: A secondary comparative analysis from one American and two Swedish studies in college settings. Results: Swedish freshmen report higher alcohol use than US freshmen students. Swedish residence hall students report higher alcohol use than US residence hall students, but lower than American fraternity/sorority members. US students were less likely to be drinkers. Controlling for age, country moderated the relationship between family history and harmful drinking scores for women (stronger in the USA), and between expectancies and harmful drinking scores for men (stronger in Sweden), though in both cases this represented a small effect and patterns were similar overall. Conclusions: Swedish students are at higher risk for alcohol use than US students, but similar patterns between aetiological predictors and outcomes in both countries suggest that research from the USA is generalizable to Swedish students and vice versa. More research is needed to better understand unique relationships associated with age and family history.
On applying DTNs to a delay constrained scenario in wired networks

The Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) architecture has been successful in addressing communication issues such as disruption, variable delay, and network partitioning. DTN uses intermittently available links to communicate opportunistically regardless of delivery delay. In the literature, much work has been done mainly to improve the rate of message delivery and routing algorithms. However, previous work has not focused on guaranteeing the message delivery delay in a DTN scenario. In addition, real deployments of DTN systems have so far been mostly proof-of-concepts in research projects. We address the problem of delivery delay in a wired DTN scenario where messages are moved across a time-varying graph topology whose dynamics are known in advance and can be modified. We propose a framework that guarantees bounded delivery delay of users' data. To demonstrate the feasibility of our network management approach, we evaluate our framework on a 10-node wired DTN topology deployed on the Grid5000 platform1.
How people should respond when encountering a large carnivore: opinions of wildlife professionals

Abstract : We conducted telephone surveys of wildlife professionals who work with large carnivores to ask their opinions about how people should respond to avoid being injured when confronted by a black bear (Ursus americana), grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), mountain lion (Puma concolor), or gray wolf (Canis lupus). The respondents agreed that the most appropriate response was to try to increase the distance between a person and the carnivore. In the event of an attack by a black bear, mountain lion, or wolf, most respondents said to fight back. Opinion was divided over the best response for an individual who was being attacked by a grizzly bear, but a slight majority of professionals said to fight back if the attack was predatory and be passive if the attack was defensive; however, respondents also noted that many victims would be unable to identify the bear’s motive. If a black bear came into camp, most respondents said that a person should aggressively encourage the bear to leave and to fight back against a bear that enters a tent at night, regardless of species. Respondents unanimously agreed that bear pepper-spray is effective in defending against an attack. While any encounter with a large carnivore can be fatal to the person involved, we believe that selecting the right course of action increases the odds that the victim can escape without injury.