Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HMMs, GRs, and N-Grams as Lexical Substitution Techniques – Are They Portable to Other Languages?

We introduce a number of novel techniques to lexical substitution, including an application of the Forward-Backward algorithm, a grammatical relation based similarity measure, and a modified form of n-gram matching. We test these techniques on the Semeval-2007 lexical substitution data [McCarthy and Navigli, 2007], to demonstrate their competitive performance. We create a similar (small scale) dataset for Czech, and our evaluation demonstrates language independence of the techniques.
Monoamine Oxidase A is Required for Rapid Dendritic Remodeling in Response to Stress

Background: Acute stress triggers transient alterations in the synaptic release and metabolism of brain monoamine neurotransmitters. These rapid changes are essential to activate neuroplastic processes aimed at the appraisal of the stressor and enactment of commensurate defensive behaviors. Threat evaluation has been recently associated with the dendritic morphology of pyramidal cells in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA); thus, we examined the rapid effects of restraint stress on anxiety-like behavior and dendritic morphology in the BLA and OFC of mice. Furthermore, we tested whether these processes may be affected by deficiency of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), the primary enzyme catalyzing monoamine metabolism. Methods: Following a short-term (1–4h) restraint schedule, MAO-A knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were sacrificed, and histological analyses of dendrites in pyramidal neurons of the BLA and OFC of the animals were performed. Anxiety-like behaviors were examined in a separate cohort of animals subjected to the same experimental conditions. Results: In WT mice, short-term restraint stress significantly enhanced anxiety-like responses, as well as a time-dependent proliferation of apical (but not basilar) dendrites of the OFC neurons; conversely, a retraction in BLA dendrites was observed. None of these behavioral and morphological changes were observed in MAO-A KO mice. Conclusions: These findings suggest that acute stress induces anxiety-like responses by affecting rapid dendritic remodeling in the pyramidal cells of OFC and BLA; furthermore, our data show that MAO-A and monoamine metabolism are required for these phenomena.
On the p-Ranks and Characteristic Polynomials of Cyclic Difference Sets

In this paper, the p-ranks and characteristic polynomials of cyclic difference sets are derived by expanding the trace expressions of their characteristic sequences. Using this method, it is shown that the 3-ranks and characteristic polynomials of the Helleseth–Kumar–Martinsen (HKM) difference set and the Lin difference set can be easily obtained. Also, the p-rank of a Singer difference set is reviewed and the characteristic polynomial is calculated using our approach.
Building trust and collaboration in a virtual team

Organizations are increasing their reliance on virtual relationships in structuring operations for a global environment. Like all teams, virtual teams require a solid foundation of mutual trust and collaboration, if they are to function effectively. Identifying and applying appropriate team building strategies for a virtual environment will not only enhance organizational effectiveness but will also impact positively on the quality of working life for virtual team members.
Autoantibodies against oxidized low density lipoprotein in patients with angiographically verified coronary artery disease.

Oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL) obviously plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The purpose of the study was to determine whether antibodies against oxidized LDL are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). We determined the serum levels of antibodies against copper-oxidized LDL by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 58 patients with angiographically verified CAD and 34 controls without CAD. The mean antibody level, expressed in optical density units, was significantly higher in patients than in controls (0.150+/-0.088 versus 0.094+/-0.054, respectively; P=0.00089). In logistic regression analysis, high antibody level against oxidized LDL was associated significantly with CAD (P=0.0114), independent of age (P=0.00137), gender (P=0.0021), body mass index (P=0.5947), triglyceride concentration (P=0.9813), and total cholesterol-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (P=0.0080) group. Similar analysis in nondiabetic subjects (n=79) and in men only (n=75) showed analogous results, with only minor changes in P values. The antibody level against oxidized LDL differed significantly between nonsmokers and smokers in CAD patients (P<0.00197) but not in controls (P=NS). In addition, the antibody level against oxidized LDL differed significantly between nonsmokers and smokers in subjects with low HDL cholesterol (</=0.9 mmol/L) but not in subjects with high HDL cholesterol (>0.9 mmol/L). In conclusion, elevated levels of antibodies against oxidized LDL were associated with CAD. The data suggest that oxidized LDL plays a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and suggest a protective function for HDL against LDL oxidation.
Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins Ameliorate Diabetic Nephropathy via Modulation of Levels of AGE, RAGE and CTGF

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end-stage renal failure. Grape seed proanthocyanidin extracts (GSPE) are powerful antioxidants. However, the role of GSPE on advanced glycation end products (AGEs), receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in DN has not been elucidated. Using streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, we evaluated the effects of GSPE in DN. Methods: Wistar rats were induced into diabetes using streptozotocin injections and diabetic rats were treated with GSPE (dosage: 500 mg·kg–1·day–1) for 24 weeks. The renal pathological changes were examined with PAS staining and electron microscope. The mRNA and protein expression of RAGE and CTGF in kidney were detected by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemical staining. Results: Treated animals showed reduction in serum AGEs (p < 0.01), proteinuria (p < 0.01) and systolic blood pressure (p < 0.01). GSPE reduced the expression of RAGE (p < 0.01) and CTGF (p < 0.01) in the kidney, which were contributing to reversal of extracellular matrix accumulation in DN. Conclusion: Our results suggest that GSPE hold substantial promise for the treatment of DN. GSPE can decrease proteinuria, attenuating the progression of nephropathy in diabetic rats. Renoprotective effects of GSPE are correlated with suppression on AGEs/RAGE axis, downregulating expression of CTGF.
Asset-based Contagion Models for Systemic Risk ∗

We develop a structural model for the analysis of systemic risk in financial markets based on asset price contagion. Specifically, we describe a mechanism of contagion where exogenous random shocks to individual agents in an economy force portfolio rebalancing and endogenously impact asset prices. This, in turn, creates a chain reaction as downstream agents trade in reaction to price changes. In our setting, this contagion is modulated through a bipartite financial holding network, which describes the relationships between agents and a universe of tradable assets through their portfolio holdings. Out approach quantifies the robustness of different financial holding networks to shocks propagated by asset price contagion by measuring the sensitivity of asset prices to exogenous shocks. We illustrate that leverage plays a critical role in asset price contagion. In particular, in low-leverage economies, “mutual fund” networks (where agents hold a common, diversified portfolio of risky assets) are desirable to mitigate contagion. On the hand, in high-leverage economies, “isolated” networks (where agents hold maximally diverse, unrelated portfolios) become beneficial.
An Exploration of User Interface Designs for Real-Time Panoramic

Image stitching allows users to combine multiple regular-sized photographs into a single wide-angle picture, often referred to as a panoramic picture. To create such a panoramic picture, users traditionally first take all the photographs, then upload them to a PC and stitch. During stitching, however, users often discover that the produced panorama contains artifacts or is incomplete. Fixing these flaws requires retaking individual images, which is often difficult by this time. In this paper, we present Panoramic Viewfinder, an interactive system for panorama construction that offers a real-time preview of the panorama while shooting. As the user swipes the camera across the scene, each photo is immediately added to the preview. By making ghosting and stitching failures apparent, the system allows users to immediately retake necessary images. The system also provides a preview of the cropped panorama. When this preview includes all desired scene elements, users know that the panorama will be complete. Unlike earlier work in the field of real-time stitching, this paper focuses on the user interface aspects of real-time stitching. We describe our prototype, individual shooting modes, and provide an overview of our implementation. Building on our experiences with Panoramic Viewfinder, we discuss a separate design that relaxes the level of synchrony between user and camera required by the current system and provide usage flexibility that we believe might further improve the user experience.
The myotonic dystrophies: diagnosis and management

There are currently two clinically and molecularly defined forms of myotonic dystrophy: (1) myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), also known as ‘Steinert’s disease'; and (2) myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2), also known as proximal myotonic myopathy. DM1 and DM2 are progressive multisystem genetic disorders with several clinical and genetic features in common. DM1 is the most common form of adult onset muscular dystrophy whereas DM2 tends to have a milder phenotype with later onset of symptoms and is rarer than DM1. This review will focus on the clinical features, diagnosis and management of DM1 and DM2 and will briefly discuss the recent advances in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of these diseases with particular reference to new treatments using gene therapy.
Association Between Force-Time Curve Characteristics and Vertical Jump Performance in Trained Athletes

Abstract Marques, MC, Izquierdo, M, Marinho, DA, Barbosa, TM, Ferraz, R, and González-Badillo, JJ. Association between force-time curve characteristics and vertical jump performance in trained athletes. J Strength Cond Res 29(7): 2045–2049, 2015—Countermovement jump (CMJ) has been extensively used in training; yet, limited and contradictory kinematic data are available for trained subjects. To our best knowledge, no other studies have evaluated the associations between force-time curve characteristics and CMJ in a large sample of trained athletes using a linear transducer. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the association between force-time measures and CMJ performance collected with a linear transducer. Thirty-five trained athletes were asked to perform 3 maximal weighted CMJ using a linear transducer attached to a barbell (17 kg). The data indicated that the maximal rate of force development (RFDmax) was strongly related to CMJ displacement (r = 0.809/0.807, p < 0.001) and also to the percentage of peak force (r = −0.823/−0.809, p < 0.001) at RFDmax. Velocity and displacement at RFDmax were not correlated to CMJ height. It was therefore concluded that the percentage of PF applied at RFDmax and RFDmax were the best predictive variables for CMJ performance in this study.
Dendritic eIF4E-binding Protein 1 (eIF4E-BP1) mRNA Is Upregulated by Neuronal Activation

Long-term synaptic plasticity requires addition of new proteins at the synaptic site. The local protein synthesis at subsynaptic sites confers advantageous mechanisms that would regulate the protein composition in local domains on a moment-by-moment basis. However, our information on the identities of 'dendritic' mRNAs is very limited. In this study we investigated the expression of the protein and mRNA for eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E)-binding protein 1 (4EBP1) in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) showed that 4EBP1 protein is highly localized to the nucleus. In dendrites most 4EBP1 punctae were not colocalized with those of eIF4E. In situ hybridization (ISH) and Fluorescence ISH (FISH) revealed that 4EBP1 mRNA was present in dendrites. The FISH signals formed clusters along dendrites that colocalized with ICC signals for Staufen, a marker for RNA granules. The neuronal activation by KCl (60 mM, 10 min) significantly increased the density of 4EBP1 FISH signals in the nucleus after 2 hr, and both in the nucleus and dendrites after 6 hr. Our results indicate that 4EBP1 and its mRNA are present in dendrites, and the mRNA is upregulated and transported to dendritic domains in RNA granules upon neuronal activation.
Density of alcohol outlets and teenage drinking: living in an alcogenic environment is associated with higher consumption in a metropolitan setting.

AIM This study examines the relationship between physical, socio-economic and social environments and alcohol consumption and drunkenness among a general population sample of drinkers aged 12-17 years. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASURES: The study was conducted in Auckland, New Zealand. The design comprised two components: (i) environmental measures including alcohol outlet density, locality-based measure of willingness to sell alcohol (derived from purchase surveys of outlets) and a locality-based neighbourhood deprivation measure calculated routinely in New Zealand (known as NZDEP); and (ii) the second component was a random telephone survey to collect individual-level information from respondents aged 12-17 years including ethnicity, frequency of alcohol supplied socially (by parents, friends and others), young person's income; frequency of exposure to alcohol advertising; recall of brands of alcohol and self-reported purchase from alcohol outlets. A multi-level model was fitted to predict typical-occasion quantity, frequency of drinking and drunkenness in drinkers aged 12-17 years. FINDINGS Typical-occasion quantity was predicted by: frequency of social supply (by parents, friends and others); ethnicity and outlet density; and self-reported purchasing approached significance. NZDEP was correlated highly with outlet density so could not be analysed in the same model. In a separate model, NZDEP was associated with quantity consumed on a typical drinking occasion. Annual frequency was predicted by: frequency of social supply of alcohol, self-reported purchasing from alcohol outlets and ethnicity. Feeling drunk was predicted by frequency of social supply of alcohol, self-reported purchasing from alcohol outlets and ethnicity; outlet density approached significance. Age and gender also had effects in the models, but retailers' willingness to sell to underage patrons had no effects on consumption, nor did the advertising measures. The young person's income was influential on typical-occasion quantity once deprivation was taken into account. CONCLUSION Alcohol outlet density was associated with quantities consumed among teenage drinkers in this study, as was neighbourhood deprivation. Supply by family, friends and others also predicted quantities consumed among underage drinkers and both social supply and self-reported purchase were associated with frequency of drinking and drunkenness. The ethnic status of young people also had an effect on consumption.
Learning-Based Approach for Semantic Image Retrieval by Using a Dynamic Semantic Network

Nowadays, image retrieval systems, emphasize the combining of high level semantics and low level visual features in the image indexing process and of course the performance of such systems for image retrieval is increased with perfect semantic network. In this research, a dynamic high level semantic network in synonym sets of keywords is used and a dynamic approach is presented for updating the semantic network and semantic contents of the images in an interactive way. The proposed approach, certainly, executes a novel kind of long term learning-based on user's opinion in the several interactions with system, and relates the behavior of system to the behavior of users in the recognition process of semantic similarity between the images. The evaluating results of system's performance show improving the accuracy of semantic network and semantic contents related to the images after applying the long term learning process.
Usability engineering: domain analysis activities for augmented-reality systems

This paper discusses our usability engineering process for the Battlefield Augmented Reality System (BARS). Usability engineering is a structured, iterative, stepwise development process. Like the related disciplines of software and systems engineering, usability engineering is a combination of management principals and techniques, formal and semi- formal evaluation techniques, and computerized tools. BARS is an outdoor augmented reality system that displays heads- up battlefield intelligence information to a dismounted warrior. The paper discusses our general usability engineering process. We originally developed the process in the context of virtual reality applications, but in this work we are adapting the procedures to an augmented reality system. The focus of this paper is our work on domain analysis, the first activity of the usability engineering process. We describe our plans for and our progress to date on our domain analysis for BARS. We give results in terms of a specific urban battlefield use case we have designed.
Secondary Stroke Prevention with Drugs: Single or Combined Therapy?

Accessible online at: http://BioMedNet.com/karger The annual combined risk of death from all vascular causes, nonfatal stroke, or nonfatal myocardial infarction in patients suffering a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or nondisabling ischaemic stroke of presumed arterial origin ranges mostly between 4 and 11% in clinical trials [1, 2]. The corresponding estimate for population-based studies is 9% per year [3]. The neurologists’ task is to try and reduce this proportion as much as possible. Here we shall consider only medical (not surgical) treatment, and only patients in sinus rhythm (not with atrial fibrillation or with other sources of embolism in the heart).
Three to six-phase direct matrix converters

This paper proposes a control technique for a matrix converter topology with three phase fixed grid input and six-phase variable voltage variable frequency output. This proposed technique is based on low frequency Venturini method. A theoretical introduction of the direct matrix converter is presented followed a detailed explanation of the Venturini method and the six-phase matrix converter topology. Finally, a detailed discussion of results is presented (showing the attractive characteristics of the matrix converter), obtained from different simulations using MATLAB/SIMPOWERSYSTEM environment.
rbcL sequences reveal multiple cryptic introductions of the Japanese red alga Polysiphonia harveyi

In Europe, the last 20 years have seen a spectacular increase in accidental introductions of marine species, but it has recently been suggested that both the actual number of invaders and their impacts have been seriously underestimated because of the prevalence of sibling species in marine habitats. The red alga Polysiphoniaharveyi is regarded as an alien in the British Isles and Atlantic Europe, having appeared in various locations there during the past 170 years. Similar or conspecific populations are known from Atlantic North America and Japan. To choose between three competing hypotheses concerning the origin of P. harveyi in Europe, we employed rbcL sequence analysis in conjunction with karyological and interbreeding data for samples and isolates of P. harveyi and various congeners from the Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. All cultured isolates of P. harveyi were completely interfertile, and there was no evidence of polyploidy or aneuploidy. Thus, this biological species is both morphologically and genetically variable: intraspecific rbcL divergences of up to 2.1% are high even for red algae. Seven rbcL haplotypes were identified. The four most divergent haplotypes were observed in Japanese samples from Hokkaido and south‐central Honshu, which are linked by hypothetical ‘missing’ haplotypes that may be located in northern Honshu. These data are consistent with Japan being the centre of diversity and origin for P. harveyi. Two non‐Japanese lineages were linked to Hokkaido and Honshu, respectively. A single haplotype was found in all North Atlantic and Mediterranean accessions, except for North Carolina, where the haplotype found was the same as that invading in New Zealand and California. The introduction of P. harveyi into New Zealand has gone unnoticed because P. strictissima is a morphologically indistinguishable native sibling species. The sequence divergence between them is 4–5%, greater than between some morphologically distinct red algal species. Two different types of cryptic invasions of P. harveyi have therefore occurred. In addition to its introduction as a cryptic sibling species in New Zealand, P. harveyi has been introduced at least twice into the North Atlantic from presumed different source populations. These two introductions are genetically and probably also physiologically divergent but completely interfertile.
SDN and NFV integration in generalized mobile network architecture

The main drivers for the mobile core network evolution is to serve the future challenges and set the way to 5G networks with need for high capacity and low latency. Different technologies such as Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) are being considered to address the future needs of 5G networks. However, future applications such as Internet of Things (IoT), video services and others still unveiled will have different requirements, which emphasize the need for the dynamic scalability of the network functionality. The means for efficient network resource operability seems to be even more important than the future network element costs. This paper provides the analysis of different technologies such as SDN and NFV that offer different architectural options to address the needs of 5G networks. The options under consideration in this paper may differ mainly in the extent of what SDN principles are applied to mobile specific functions or to transport network functions only.
Performance analysis of a mobile receiver in a field of poisson interferers

Many wireless networks operate in the presence of distance-dependent path–loss in a fading environment with a Poisson interference field. In these networks, the aggregate interference can be modeled as an α-stable process with a known characteristic function. In this study, the authors revisit performance analysis of wireless systems operating in a Nakagamim fading channel. In particular, our emphasis is on emerging mobile technologies that offer numerous benefits, but their performance is not quite well explored. We investigate a mobile receiver operating in an interference-limited network with α- stable interference, and derive closed-form exact expressions for signal-to-interference (SIR) statistics in 1D, 2D, and 3D network topologies. Consequently, in contrast to studies that are mainly based on the characteristic function of the α-stable distribution to evaluate system performance, we use the traditional probability distribution technique to derive exact expressions for outage probability and average symbol error probability (ASEP) that are useful in quantifying the effect of interference on the performance of a mobile receiver.