Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WordFreak: An Open Tool for Linguistic Annotation

WordFreak is a natural language annotation tool that has been designed to be easy to extend to new domains and tasks. Specifically, a plug-in architecture has been developed which allows components to be added to WordFreak for customized visualization, annotation specification, and automatic annotation, without re-compilation. The APIs for these plug-ins provide mechanisms to allow automatic annotators or taggers to guide future annotation to supports active learning. At present WordFreak can be used to annotate a number of different types of annotation in English, Chinese, and Arabic including: constituent parse structure and dependent annotations, and ACE named-entity and coreference annotation. The Java source code for WordFreak is distributed under the Mozilla Public License 1.1 via SourceForge at: http://wordfreak.sourceforge. net. This site also provides screenshots, and a web deployable version of WordFreak.
A Multiple Perspective Product Modeling and Simulation Approach to Engineering Design Support

The competitive market requires better products designed and made in a shorter time with higher quality and lower cost. The speed of launching products onto the market and more importantly the quality of the products become increasingly important factors for a new product to become successful. With rapid advancement in computing power both in terms of hardware capability and software functionalities, product engineering designers are now better equipped to create and make new and novel products than ever before. Engineering designers have so far benefited from computer systems to aid their various design activities. Yet, at the same time, they still feel the inadequacy of these systems in coping with the increasing pressure for them to produce better products in a shorter time. Without committing further expense to develop super-computer design support systems, how the current systems are being best used becomes an important issue and research avenue for investigation. This paper describes an innovative design process model for computer based engineering design through an integrated and coherent use of these CAD systems. The design approach based on the computer multiperspective modeling and evaluation derived from the above design process model can provide comprehensive and integrated design support for various engineering design activities. The pragmatic approach derived in this research promotes the novel use of existing systems in an integrated yet manageable manner. Examples of how these systems have been used are described in the paper to illustrate the benefits.
A Perceptual Approach for Image Representation and Retrieval: The Case of Textures

Texture has been extensively studied and used in literature as it plays a very important role in human visual perception. Defining texture is not that easy; however some intuitive concepts can be defined about texture. Texture refers to the spatial distribution of grey-levels and can be defined as the repetition of one or several primitives in an image, in a deterministic or random way. Microtextures refer to textures with small primitives while macrotextures refer to textures with large primitives (Tomita & Tsuji, 1990; Tuceryan & Jain, 1993; Van Gool, Dewaele, & AbsTRACT
Characterization of Annexin V Fusion with the Superfolder GFP in Liposomes Binding and Apoptosis Detection

Programed cell death is a critical and unavoidable part of life. One of the most widely used markers for dying cells, by apoptosis or pyroptosis, is the redistribution of phosphatidylserine (PS) from the inner to the outer plasma membrane leaflet. Annexin V protein is a sensitive and specific probe to mark this event because of its high affinity to the exposed PS. Beyond that, annexin V can bind to any PS-containing phospholipid bilayer of almost all tiny forms of membranous vesicles like blood platelets, exosomes, or even nanostructured liposomes. In this work, recombinant human annexin V was produced as a fusion with a highly fluorescent superfolder derivative of the green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein(sfGFP-ANXV, 64 kDa), annexin V (ANXV, 40 kDa), and sfGFP (27 kDa) were separately produced after cloning their encoding genes in pRSET plasmid, and all proteins were expressed in a soluble form, then purified in high yields because of their N-terminal 6× His tag (~150 mg of pure protein per 1 L culture). Superiority of this fluorescent fusion protein over fluorescein-conjugated annexin V was demonstrated in binding to phospholipids (and their liposomes), prepared from natural sources (soya bean and egg yolk) that have different content of PS, by using different methods including ELISA, dot-blotting, surface plasmon resonance, and flow cytometry. We also applied fluorescent annexin V in the detection of apoptotic cells by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. Interestingly, sfGFP-ANXV fusion was more sensitive to early apoptotic stressed HeLa cells than fluorescein-conjugated-ANXV. This highly expressed and functional sfGFP-ANXV fusion protein provides a promising ready-to-use molecular tool for quantifying liposomes (or similarly exosomes) and detecting apoptosis in cells.
Key Role for Store-Operated Ca2+ Channels in Activating Gene Expression in Human Airway Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Ca2+ entry into airway epithelia is important for activation of the NFAT family of transcription factors and expression of genes including epidermal growth factor that help orchestrate local inflammatory responses. However, the identity of epithelial Ca2+ channel that activates these transcriptional responses is unclear. In many other non-excitable cells, store-operated Ca2+ entry is a major route for Ca2+ influx and is mediated by STIM1 and Orai1 proteins. This study was performed to determine if store-operated Ca2+ channels were expressed in human bronchial epithelial cells and, if so, whether they coupled Ca2+ entry to gene expression. Cytoplasmic Ca2+ measurements, patch clamp recordings, RNAi knockdown and functional assays were used to identify and then investigate the role of these Ca2+ channels in activating the NFAT and c-fos pathways and EGF expression. STIM1 and Orai1 mRNA transcripts as well as proteins were robustly in epithelial cells and formed functional Ca2+ channels. Ca2+ entry through the channels activated expression of c-fos and EGF as well as an NFAT-dependent reporter gene. Store-operated Ca2+ entry was also important for epithelial cell migration in a scrape wound assay. These findings indicate that store-operated Ca2+ channels play an important role in stimulating airway epithelial cell gene expression and therefore comprise a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of chronic asthma and related airway disorders.
Sphingosine Kinase 2 Is a Nuclear Protein and Inhibits DNA Synthesis*

Sphingosine kinase-1 (SPHK1) is a key enzyme catalyzing the formation of an important bioactive lipid messenger, sphingosine 1-phosphate, and is implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation and antiapoptotic processes. Biological features of another isozyme SPHK2, however, remain unclear. The present studies were undertaken to characterize SPHK2 by comparison with SPHK1. When SPHK2 was transiently expressed in various cell lines, it was localized in the nuclei as well as in the cytosol, whereas SPHK1 was distributed in the cytosol but not in the nucleus. We have mapped a functional nuclear localization signal (NLS) to the N-terminal region of SPHK2. We have observed that the expression of SPHK2 in various cell types causes inhibition of DNA synthesis, resulting in the cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase. We have also demonstrated that an NLS mutant of SPHK2, SPHK2R93E/R94E, failed to enter the nucleus and to inhibit DNA synthesis. Moreover, a fusion protein, NLS-SPHK1, where SPHK1 was fused to the NLS sequence of SPHK2 acquired the ability to enter nuclei and inhibited DNA synthesis. These results indicate that SPHK2 localizes in the nuclei and causes inhibition of DNA synthesis, and this may affect subsequent cellular events.
Lighting Rural and Peri-Urban Homes of the Gambia Using Solar Photovoltaics(PV)

The role of energy in development is crucial. Energy fuels economic growth and is therefore of paramount con- cern for all countries. This was one of the main themes at the world summit on sustainable development (WSSD) held in South Africa in 2002. The Johannesburg plan of implementation highlighted the role of energy service to promote sus- tainable development and to facilitate the achievement of the MDG's. One of the growing concerns is the persistent en- ergy poverty that is seriously impeding socio-economic development, particularly in sub-Saharan African and in countries of South Asia, but also in many other developing countries. Renewable energy is the solution to the growing energy chal- lenges of developing countries like the Gambia. The heavy reliance on imported fossil fuel coupled with the growing de- mand for electricity and declining wood fuel supplies call for alternative sources of energy. Finding ways to expand en- ergy services, while addressing the environmental impacts associated with energy use, represents a critical challenge for humanity. Recent developments in countries like China and India, where energy production has increased significantly, demonstrate how difficult it is. The decentralized approach based on power produced with locally available renewable en- ergy resources is, for various reasons, gradually being recognized as a viable alternative in remote places. This research attempts to initiate, from a broad-based socio-economic and environmental point of view, the feasibility of a decentralized solar photovoltaic (SPV) system as a source of power for rural and peri-urban communities of the Gambia.
The Evolution of Polymer Composition during PHA Accumulation: The Significance of Reducing Equivalents

This paper presents a systematic investigation into monomer development during mixed culture Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) accumulation involving concurrent active biomass growth and polymer storage. A series of mixed culture PHA accumulation experiments, using several different substrate-feeding strategies, was carried out. The feedstock comprised volatile fatty acids, which were applied as single carbon sources, as mixtures, or in series, using a fed-batch feed-on-demand controlled bioprocess. A dynamic trend in active biomass growth as well as polymer composition was observed. The observations were consistent over replicate accumulations. Metabolic flux analysis (MFA) was used to investigate metabolic activity through time. It was concluded that carbon flux, and consequently copolymer composition, could be linked with how reducing equivalents are generated.
Individual transnationalism, globalisation and euroscepticism: An empirical test of Deutsch's transactionalist theory

Recent trends of mass-level euroscepticism seriously challenge Deutsch's transactionalist theory that increased transnational interactions trigger support for further political integration. While transnational interactions have indeed proliferated, public support for European integration has diminished. This article aims to solve this puzzle by arguing that transnational interaction is highly stratified across society. Its impact on EU support therefore only applies to a small portion of the public. The rest of the population not only fails to be prompted to support the integration process, but may see it as a threat to their realm. This is even more the case as, parallel to European integration, global trends of integration create tensions in national societies. The following hypotheses are proposed: first, the more transnational an individual, the less she or he is prone to be eurosceptical; and second, this effect is more pronounced in countries that are more globalised. A multilevel ordinal logit analysis of survey data from the 2006 Eurobarometer wave 65.1 confirms these hypotheses.
A TDMA MAC protocol for underwater acoustic sensor networks

The hostile seawater channel condition poses research challenges of designing reliable and efficient communication protocols for underwater acoustic sensor networks. Especially, long propagation delay of acoustic waves in water makes networks poor performance. Due to low channel utilization of traditional TDMA protocol, in this paper, we present a new medium access control (MAC) protocol called I-TDMA, which interleaves data packets in empty time axis by taking advantage of long propagation delay in underwater channel. The proposed scheme improves channel utilization, and simulation tests on OPNET radio modeler show that I-TDMA has much higher throughput and lower delay than traditional TDMA protocol.
An insect-based method for learning landmark reliability using expectation reinforcement in dynamic environments

Navigation in unknown dynamic environments still remains a major challenge in robotics. Whereas insects like the desert ant with very limited computing and memory capacities solve this task with great efficiency. Thus, the understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms of insect navigation can inform us on how to build simpler yet robust autonomous robots. Based on recent developments in insect neuroethology and cognitive psychology, we propose a method for landmark navigation in dynamic environments. Our method enables the navigator to learn the reliability of landmarks using an expectation reinforcement method. For that end, we implemented a real-time neuronal model based on the Distributed Adaptive Control framework. The results demonstrate that our model is capable of learning the stability of landmarks by reinforcing its expectations. Also, the proposed mechanism allows the navigator to optimally restore its confidence when its expectations are violated. We also perform navigational experiments with real ants to compare with the results of our model. The behavior of the proposed autonomous navigator closely resembles real ant navigational behavior. Moreover, our model explains navigation in dynamic environments as a memory consolidation process, harnessing expectations and their violations.
Polymer-based board-level optical interconnects

This paper provides an overview of the rationale behind the significant interest in polymer-based on-board optical links together with a brief review of recently reported work addressing certain challenges in this field. Polymer-based optical links have garnered considerable research attention due to their important functional attributes and compelling cost-benefit advantages in on-board optoelectronic systems as they can be cost-effectively integrated on conventional printed circuit boards. To date, significant work on the polymer materials, their fabrication process and their integration on standard board substrates have enabled the demonstration of numerous high-speed on-board optical links. However, to be deployed in real-world systems, these optoelectronic printed circuit boards (OE PCBs) must also be cost-effective. Here, recent advances in the integration process focusing on simple direct end-fire coupling schemes and the use of low-cost FR4 PCB substrates are presented. Performance of two proof-of-principle 10 Gb/s systems based on this integration method are summarised while work in realising more complex yet compact planar optical components is outlined.
Using Quantum Computing to Learn Physics

Since its inception at the beginning of the twentieth century, quantum mechanics has challenged our conceptions of how the universe ought to work; however, the equations of quantum mechanics can be too computationally difficult to solve using existing computers for even modestly large systems. Here I will show that quantum computers can sometimes be used to address such problems and that quantum computer science can assign formal complexities to learning facts about nature. Hence, computer science should not only be regarded as an applied science; it is also of central importance to the foundations of science.
Bronchial responsiveness and lung function related to cigarette smoking and smoking cessation.

BACKGROUND The relationships between bronchial responsiveness and both cigarette smoking and smoking cessation are still controversial. METHODS To investigate the effects of cigarette smoking and smoking cessation on bronchial reactivity and the level of pulmonary function, bronchial responsiveness to methacholine using the forced oscillation method, the transfer factor, and spirometry were measured in 180 nonsmokers, 109 current smokers, and 82 ex-smokers. The following indices of bronchial responsiveness were used: (1) baseline respiratory resistance (Rrs); (2) the cumulative dose of methacholine (DA) causing an increase in Rrs by twice the baseline values (bronchial sensitivity); and (3) the slope of linearly decreased respiratory conductance (SGrs) representing bronchial reactivity. RESULTS Current smokers had significantly higher baseline Rrs (p<0.001) and bronchial responsiveness than did nonsmokers and ex-smokers. In 24.7% of smokers, Rrs increased by twice or more upon challenge with methacholine (responders), compared with 0% of nonsmokers (p<0.0001) and 19.5% of ex-smokers (p=0.28). SGrs for responders among ex-smokers was found not to differ from that for responders among smokers. However, smokers had a significantly lower DA of inhaled methacholine than did ex-smokers. Cigarette smoking was also associated with an appreciable reduction in FEV1/FVC (forced expiratory volume in 1s/forced vital capacity), DLCO (carbon monoxide diffusing capacity), and DLCO/VA (alveolar volume). CONCLUSION There seems to be a partially reversible phenomenon that leads to improvement in airway responsiveness and DLCO upon smoking cessation.
Sequential Monte Carlo simulation of dynamical models with slowly varying parameters: An extension

In this paper, we improve on the slow time-varying partial correlation (STV-PARCOR) model recently suggested by us [2] to include any deterministic interpolator. We then suggest a modification to the on-line filtering algorithm to accomodate the changes. It is believed that the modification will improve on the simulation results as it takes into account the underlying trend of the parameter evolution. The suggested algorithm is tested with real speech data and preliminary results are shown and compared with those generated using existing approaches.
PERFORMANCE RELATED RELIABILITY MEASURES FOR COMPUTING SYSTEMS

We have developed measures which combine b o t h t h e r e l i a b i l i t y and t h e performance c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f comp u t i n g systems. These measures a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y u s e f u l i n comparing t r a d i t i o n a l computer a r c h i t e c t u r e s , such as un ip rocessors and standby redundant systems, w i t h g r a c e f u l l y degrad ing systems. Mu1 t i p r o c e s s o r s and d i s tri buted systems a r e examples o f g r a c e f u l l y degrad ing systems which r e a c t t o a d e t e c t e d f a i l u r e by r e c o n f i g u r i n g t o a s t a t e w i t h a decreased l e v e l o f performance.
Power limits for microbial life

To better understand the origin, evolution, and extent of life, we seek to determine the minimum flux of energy needed for organisms to remain viable. Despite the difficulties associated with direct measurement of the power limits for life, it is possible to use existing data and models to constrain the minimum flux of energy required to sustain microorganisms. Here, a we apply a bioenergetic model to a well characterized marine sedimentary environment in order to quantify the amount of power organisms use in an ultralow-energy setting. In particular, we show a direct link between power consumption in this environment and the amount of biomass (cells cm-3) found in it. The power supply resulting from the aerobic degradation of particular organic carbon (POC) at IODP Site U1370 in the South Pacific Gyre is between ∼10-12 and 10-16 W cm-3. The rates of POC degradation are calculated using a continuum model while Gibbs energies have been computed using geochemical data describing the sediment as a function of depth. Although laboratory-determined values of maintenance power do a poor job of representing the amount of biomass in U1370 sediments, the number of cells per cm-3 can be well-captured using a maintenance power, 190 zW cell-1, two orders of magnitude lower than the lowest value reported in the literature. In addition, we have combined cell counts and calculated power supplies to determine that, on average, the microorganisms at Site U1370 require 50–3500 zW cell-1, with most values under ∼300 zW cell-1. Furthermore, we carried out an analysis of the absolute minimum power requirement for a single cell to remain viable to be on the order of 1 zW cell-1.
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM AND REMOTE MONITORING BASED IN CELLULAR NETWORK FOR MANAGMENT OF BRAKE PAD WASTE AND WIND POWER TOWER VIBRATION .

This abstract shows a low price data system acquisition developed at UFRGS and SATC faculty labs specially to monitor the waste of brake pads and the vibration sensor of small wind powers. The paper presents an acquisition data interface using cellular phone for transmission and reception of monitoring remote data. The objective of this paper develops a prototype of a data system transmission and reception for variable monitoring in wind power using the cellular network.
Has the Shift to Managed Care Reduced Medicaid Expenditures? Evidence from State and Local-Level Mandates

From 1991 to 2009, the fraction of Medicaid recipients enrolled in HMOs and other forms of Medicaid managed care (MMC) increased from 11 percent to 71 percent. This increase was largely driven by state and local mandates that required most Medicaid recipients to enroll in an MMC plan. Theoretically, it is ambiguous whether the shift from fee-for-service into managed care would lead to an increase or a reduction in Medicaid spending. This paper investigates this effect using a data set on state- and local-level MMC mandates and detailed data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on state Medicaid expenditures. The findings suggest that shifting Medicaid recipients from fee-for-service into MMC did not on average reduce Medicaid spending. If anything, our results suggest that the shift to MMC increased Medicaid spending and that this effect was especially present for risk-based HMOs. However, the effects of the shift to MMC on Medicaid spending varied significantly across states as a function of the generosity of the state's baseline Medicaid provider reimbursement rates.
Base station cooperative multiuser MIMO using block-diagonalized random beamforming with online update

This paper proposes applying random (opportunistic) beamforming to base station (BS) cooperative multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission. This proposal comprises two parts. First, we propose a block-diagonalized random unitary beamforming matrix. The proposed beamforming matrix achieves better throughput distribution compared to the purely random unitary beamforming matrix when the average path loss based on distance-dependent loss and shadowing loss is largely different among transmitter antennas, which is true in BS cooperative MIMO. Second, we propose an online update algorithm for a random beamforming matrix to improve the throughput compared to the purely random and channel-independent beamforming matrix generation, especially when the number of users is low. Different from conventional approaches, the proposed online update algorithm does not increase the overhead of the reference signal transmission and control delay. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method using a block-diagonalized random unitary beamforming matrix with online updates in a BS cooperative multiuser MIMO scenario.