Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental Determinants of Lexical Processing Effort

A central concern of psycholinguistic research is explaining the relative ease or difficulty involved in processing words. In this thesis, we explore the connection between lexical processing effort and measurable properties of the linguistic environment. Distributional information (information about a word’s contexts of use) is easily extracted from large language corpora in the form of co-occurrence statistics. We claim that such simple distributional statistics can form the basis of a parsimonious model of lexical processing effort. Adopting the purposive style of explanation advocated by the recent rational analysis approach to understanding cognition, we propose that the primary function of the human language processor is to recover meaning from an utterance. We assume that for this task to be efficient, a useful processing strategy is to use prior knowledge in order to build expectations about the meaning of upcoming words. Processing effort can then be seen as reflecting the difference between ‘expected’ meaning and ‘actual’ meaning. Applying the tools of information theory to lexical representations constructed from simple distributional statistics, we show how this quantity can be estimated as the amount of information conveyed by a word about its contexts of use. The hypothesis that properties of the linguistic environment are relevant to lexical processing effort is evaluated against a wide range of empirical data, including both new experimental studies and computational reanalyses of published behavioural data. Phenomena accounted for using the current approach include: both singleword and multiple-word lexical priming, isolated word recognition, the effect of contextual constraint on eye movements during reading, sentence and ‘feature’ priming, and picture naming performance by Alzheimer’s patients. Besides explaining a broad range of empirical findings, our model provides an integrated account of both context-dependent and context-independent processing behaviour, offers an objective alternative to the influential spreading activation model of contextual facilitation, and invites reinterpretation of a number of controversial issues in the literature, such as the word frequency effect and the need for distinct mechanisms to explain semantic and associative priming. We conclude by emphasising the important role of distributional information in explanations of lexical processing effort, and suggest that environmental factors in general should given a more prominent place in theories of human language processing.
Soft forwarding technique for unitary space-time modulation

The authors propose two soft forwarding schemes for unitary space-time modulation, namely estimate-and-forward (EF) and mutual information-based forwarding (MIF), which are ideally suited for rapid piecewise-constant fading scenarios with no channel state information both at transmitters and receivers. In the EF scheme, the relay regenerates signal via the conditional expectation of the source unitary space-time (UST) signal given the received matrix at the relay node instead of hard decisions. The MIF scheme employs the instantaneous mutual information between the source UST signal and received matrix at the relay node as a measurement for maximum-likelihood detection. The authors provide the relay forwarding functions, the normalisation factors, and the detection methods at the destination firstly. Above all, the generalised signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the destination for our unitary space-time modulated relaying system is analysed and simulated firstly. Simulation results reveal that the proposed EF and MIF schemes can outperform the existing amplify-and-forward (AF) and detect-and-forward (DF) schemes in terms of bit-error-rate performances in most scenarios. For a parallel relay network with two relays, the proposed EF scheme achieves 2 and 3 dB SNR gain over AF and DF schemes, respectively. Moreover, the MIF scheme can further give about 1.5 dB SNR gain.
Selection and Characterization of a Gibberellin-Deficient Mutant of Thiaspi arvense L.'

Field pennycress (Thiaspi arvense L.) is a winter annual weed with a cold requirement for reproductive development. Previous work in this laboratory has demonstrated that the bolting aspect (rapid stem growth) of reproductive development is mediated by gibberellins (GA). The present paper describes the selection and characterization of a mutant lacking the capacity for thermoinduced stem growth. Seeds of an inbred field pennycress line (CR,) were treated with the chemical mutagen ethyl methane sulfonate, germinated, and allowed to produce seed. Plants de- rived from these seeds were screened for reduced stem growth. A mutant line, EMS-141, in which the lack of stem growth can be fully overcome with exogenous GA3, was selected for further analysis. Other phenotypic abnormalities exhibited by the mutant line include reduced petiole growth, slightly delayed floral initiation, and failure of flowers to develop fully. These are also reversed with exogenous GA3. Evidence is presented indicating that all of the alterations in growth and development exhibited by EMS-141 are conferred by a recessive mutation of a single nuclear gene. Through quantitative analysis of endogenous GA and GA precursors and a comparison of the abilities of various compounds to restore normal growth when applied to plants of EMS-141, the physiological basis for the mutant phenotype was determined to be the result of highly reduced endogenous GA levels. Moreover, the affected site in GA biosynthesis appears to be the accumulation of ent-kaurene, probably at the level of ent- kaurene synthase. The relative abilities of exogenous GA and GA precursors to restore normal growth of petioles and stems are compared, and the results are used to make inferences on the functions of the two different pathways of GA metabolism that exist in field pennycress.
Gradual Evolution from Fluvial Dominated to Tide Dominated Deltas and Channel Type Transformation: A Case Study of MPE3 Block in the Orinoco Heavy Oil Belt of the Eastern Venezuelan Basin

Based on the data of core description and sporopollen analysis, the gradual evolution of deltas in vertical direction and transition of channel types in the MPE3 block of the eastern Venezuela Basin have been surveyed by seismic phase and well logging facies interpretation. The results show that due to the great sea level rise, the sedimentary system of the Miocene Oficina Formation in the MPE3 block shifted from the distal‐source sandy braided river delta to tide‐affected delta, and eventually to tide‐dominated delta. Vertically, during the early stage of sedimentation of Oficina Formation, the distributary channels of the delta were dominated by braided river channels. While in the later stage, as the tidal effect was gradually intensified, the channel changed from braided channel to meandering channel. On plane, as a result of differential transgression, sedimentary framework and distribution of sand bodies vary across the study area. Compared with the eastern part, the western part has more braided channels, larger channel bars, less developments of distributary bay and higher ratio of sand to mud. Whereas the braided channels in the south are larger than those in the north. It is the first time we pointed out the impact of marine transgression differences on the sedimentary facies distribution and river type transition in the study area. Factors like the structural and paleogeomorphological change, sea level variation, supply of sediments have strong influence on the evolution of sedimentary system and distribution of sandbodies. It is predicted that the major sandbody is more developed in the central south, which can guide the subsequent horizontal well development.
Modulation of energy balance by fibroblast growth factor 21

Abstract Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a superfamily of 22 proteins related to cell proliferation and tissue repair after injury. A subgroup of three proteins, FGF19, FGF21, and FGF23, are major endocrine mediators. These three FGFs have low affinity to heparin sulfate during receptor binding; in contrast they have a strong interaction with the cofactor Klotho/β-Klotho. FGF21 has received particular attention because of its key role in carbohydrate, lipids, and energy balance regulation. FGF21 improves glucose and lipids metabolism as well as increasing energy expenditure in animal models and humans. Conditions that induce human physical stress such as exercise, lactation, obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes influence FGF21 circulating levels. FGF21 also has an anti-oxidant function in human metabolic diseases which contribute to understanding the FGF21 compensatory increment in obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, energy expenditure and weight loss is induced by FGF21. The mechanism involved is through “browning” of white adipose tissue, increasing brown adipose tissue activity and heat production. Therefore, clinical evaluation of therapeutic action of exogenous FGF21 administration is warranted, particularly to treat diabetes and obesity.
Quantification surfacique et localisation des défauts de structure des incisives permanentes dans un contexte d'hypominéralisation molaires-incisives (MIH)

La surface moyenne ainsi que la localisation des defauts amelaires, au sein de la face vestibulaire des incisives permanentes dans le contexte MIH, n'ont jamais ete determinees avec precision. Nous avons elabore un protocole base sur un traitement informatique de cliches d'incisives permanentes presentant des lesions MIH, afin de calculer, dans un premier temps, la taille moyenne de ces lesions, puis dans un second temps, d'etablir une cartographie representant leur localisation moyenne. La fiabilite de notre protocole a ete confirmee a l'aide d'un test statistique intra-observateur.
Design oriented analysis of two types of three phase high frequency forward SMR topologies

Two forward switch mode rectifier (SMR) topologies utilizing a high-frequency, three-phase transformer core are proposed. These topologies are suitable for high-power (above 10 kW), high-frequency (above 20 kHz) applications where small volume and quiet operation are of critical importance. In addition to the detailed analysis, key design information and a significant amount of simulated data are included. <<ETX>>
Regulation of mitochondrial morphology by lipids

Although great progress has been made in identifying key protein factors that regulate mitochondrial morphology through mediating fission and fusion, signaling lipids are increasingly being recognized as important in the process as well. We review here roles that have been proposed for the signaling and bulk lipids cardiolipin, phosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidic acid, diacylglycerol, and phosphatidylethanolamine and the enzymes that generate or catabolize them in the regulation of mitochondrial morphology in yeast and mammals. Mutations in some of these enzymes are causal in a number of disease settings, highlighting the significance of controlling the lipid environment in this setting. © 2014 BioFactors, 40(4):419–424, 2014
The accuracy of self-reported smoking: a systematic review of the relationship between self-reported and cotinine-assessed smoking status.

INTRODUCTION Smoking is a leading cause of premature mortality and preventable morbidity. Surveillance is most often based on self-reported data, but studies have shown that self-reports tend to underestimate smoking status. METHODS This study systematically reviewed the literature to measure the concordance between self-reported smoking status and smoking status determined through measures of cotinine in biological fluids. Four electronic databases were searched to identify observational and experimental studies on adult populations over the age of 18 years. RESULTS Searching identified 67 studies that met the eligibility criteria and examined the relationship between self-reported smoking and smoking confirmed by cotinine measurement. Overall, the data show trends of underestimation when smoking prevalence is based on self-report and varying sensitivity levels for self-reported estimates depending on the population studied and the medium in which the biological sample is measured. Sensitivity values were consistently higher when cotinine was measured in saliva instead of urine or blood. Meta-analysis was not appropriate because of the substantial heterogeneity among the cutpoints used to define smokers and the poor reporting on outcomes of interest. DISCUSSION Further research in this field would benefit from the standardization of cutpoints to define current smokers and the implementation of standard reporting guidelines to enhance comparability across studies. Accurate estimation of smoking status is important as data from population studies such as those included in this review are used to generate regional and national estimates of smoking status and in turn are used to allocate resources and set health priorities.
InSAR monitoring of landslides using RADARSAT

In this study we used both differential and corner reflector InSAR techniques to monitor landslides at different geological sites in Canada and China. Our results show the differential InSAR maps are necessary and simple first steps in understanding regional landslide motion at these sites. In the case of our Canadian site the corner reflector results compares well with our D InSAR results.
Heritable variation in resistance to gastro-intestinal nematodes in an unmanaged mammal population

The impact of parasites on natural populations has received considerable attention from evolutionary biologists in recent years. Central to a number of theoretical developments during this period is the assumption of additive genetic variation in resistance to parasites. However, very few studies have estimated the heritability of parasite resistance under field conditions, and those that have are mainly restricted to birds and their ectoparasites. In this paper, to our knowledge, we show for the first time in a free–ranging mammal population, Soay sheep (Ovis aries) living on the islands of St Kilda, that there is significant heritable variation in resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes. This result is consistent with earlier studies on this population which have indicated locus–specific associations with parasite resistance. We discuss our results in the context of current studies examining heritable resistance to parasites in domestic sheep and the possible mechanisms of selective maintenance of genetic variation for resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in the St Kilda Soay sheep population.
Effect of Nigella sativa (black seed) on subjective feeling in patients with allergic diseases

Nigella sativa (black seed) is an important medicinal herb. In many Arabian, Asian and African countries, black seed oil is used as a natural remedy for a wide range of diseases, including various allergies. The plant's mechanism of action is still largely unknown. Due to the lack of study data on its efﬁcacy in allergies, four studies on the clinical efﬁcacy of Nigella sativa in allergic diseases are presented. In these studies, a total of 152 patients with allergic diseases (allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, atopic eczema) were treated with Nigella sativa oil, given in capsules at a dose of 40 to 80 mg/kg/day. The patients scored the subjective severity of target symptoms using a predeﬁned scale. The following laboratory parameters were investigated: IgE, eosinophil count, endogenous cortisol in plasma and urine, ACTH, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol and lymphocyte subpopulations.
Towards mitigating Link Flooding Attack via incremental SDN deployment

Link flooding attack (LFA), as a new type of DDoS attack, can degrade or even cut off network connectivity of a target area. This attack employs legitimate, low-density flows to flood a group of selected links. Therefore, these malicious flows can hardly be distinguished by traditional schemes. In this paper, we propose a scheme called Woodpecker, which makes the LFA more difficult to take effect. First, we select M routers and upgrade them into SDN switches that can maximize the network connectivity. Second, we propose a proactive probe approach to quickly locate the congested links and judge whether LFA occurs. Finally, Woodpecker employs centralized traffic engineering based on the upgraded nodes, which can make the traffic balanced enough to eliminate the routing bottlenecks likely to be utilized by the adversary. We evaluate our scheme by comprehensive experiments. The results show that: 1) the bandwidth utilization of LFA-attacked links can be reduced by around 50%; 2) the average packet loss rate and jitter can be effectively mitigated under LFA attacks.
The Neural Stem Cell Line CTX0E03 Promotes Behavioral Recovery and Endogenous Neurogenesis After Experimental Stroke in a Dose-Dependent Fashion

Background. This study investigated behavioral recovery in rats following implanting increasing doses of CTX0E03 cells into the putamen ipsilateral to the stroke damage. Postmortem histological analysis investigated possible mechanisms of behavioral recovery. Methods. At 4 weeks after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), rats were treated with 4500, 45 000, or 450 000 CTX0E03 cells or vehicle implanted into the putamen with testing on a battery of tasks preocclusion and postocclusion. Histological examination of brains included assessment of lesion volumes, implant cell survival and differentiation, changes to host brain matrix, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis using immunohistochemical methods. Results. Statistically significant dose-related recovery in sensorimotor function deficits (bilateral asymmetry test [BAT; P < .0002] in the mid- and high-dose groups and rotameter test after amphetamine exposure [P < .05] in the high-dose group) was found in the CTX0E03 cell implanted groups compared to the vehicle group. In-life functional improvements correlated with cell dose, though did not correlate with survival of CTX0E03 cells measured at postmortem. Surviving CTX0E03 cells differentiated into oligodendroglial and endothelial phenotypes. MCAO-induced reduction of neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) was partially restored to that observed in sham operated controls. No adverse CTX0E03 cell-related effects were observed during in-life observations or on tissue histology. Conclusions. This study found that the implantation of CTX0E03 human neural stem cells in rats after MCAO stroke promoted significant behavioral recovery depending on cell dose. The authors propose a paracrine trophic mechanism, which is triggered early after CTX0E03 cell implantation, and which in turn targets restoration of neurogenesis in the SVZ of MCAO rats.
An efficient clustering algorithm for mixed type attributes in large dataset

Clustering is a widely used technique in data mining, at present there exists many clustering algorithms, but most existing clustering algorithms either are limited to handle the single attribute or can handle both data types but are not efficient when clustering large data sets. Few algorithms can do both well. In this article, we propose a clustering algorithm that can handle large datasets with mixed type of attributes. We first use CF*tree (just like CF-tree in BIRCH) to pre-cluster datasets. After that the dense regions are stored in leaf nodes, then we look every dense region as a single point and use the ameliorated k-prototype to cluster such dense regions. Experiment shows that this algorithm is very efficient in clustering large datasets with mixed type of attributes.
Link Adaptation for Unicast Device-to-Device Communication

Device-to-Device (D2D) communication underlaying cellular network enables local services that can enhance energy efficiency and provide new business opportunities for wireless network operators. In this paper, the study is focused on link adaptation mechanisms for unicast D2D. In particular, we first investigate the benefits of having hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) and channel state information (CSI) feedback for unicast D2D and discuss implementation of link adaptation based on these conventional feedback mechanisms. Next, we propose a new joint feedback-based link adaptation scheme called soft HARQ feedback which provides a good solution for high reliable and low latency feedback for unicast D2D applications. This scheme has potential to simplify the implementation of fast link adaptation for unicast D2D compared to conventional HARQ and CSI feedback enabled link adaptation. With lower overhead and complexity, our evaluation shows that this scheme provides comparable performance compared to conventional CSI feedback scheme.
Predictive efficacy of 11C‐PD153035 PET imaging for EGFR–tyrosine kinase inhibitor sensitivity in non‐small cell lung cancer patients

To determine the correlation of 11C‐PD153035 uptake with epidermal growth factor receptor‐tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR‐TKI) sensitivity and phosphorylated EGFR (pEGFR) expression in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines with different EGFR‐TKI sensitivities and in their corresponding xenografts. Four human NSCLC cell lines (HCC827, PC9, A549, and H1975) in the logarithmic phase were co‐incubated with 11C‐PD153035 to analyze the correlation of 11C‐PD153035 uptake with EGFR‐TKI sensitivity, and EGFR/pEGFR expression. Nude mice xenograft models bearing the four NSCLCs were prepared. 11C‐PD153035 positron‐emission tomography (PET)‐computed tomography (CT) was used to image the xenografts and observe radioactive uptakes. Correlation of the in vivo uptakes with EGFR‐TKI sensitivity, and EGFR/pEGFR expression was analyzed. HCC827 and PC9 cells, which were highly sensitive to EGFR‐TKIs, exhibited higher 11C‐PD153035 uptakes than the other cells. A549 cells, which were moderately sensitive to EGFR‐TKIs, showed higher uptake than the EGFR‐TKI–resistant H1975 cells, which showed little or no uptake. Radioactive uptakes were positively correlated with pEGFR expression in all cells. PET‐CT showed that radioactivity was highest in HCC827 xenografts. The radioactivity in PC9 xenografts was higher than that in A549 and H1975 xenografts. Tumor vs. non‐tumor tissue ratio values were positively correlated with pEGFR expression in HCC827 and PC9 xenografts, but not in A549 and H1975 xenografts. In conclusion, 11C‐PD153035 can serve as an EGFR imaging agent in vitro and in vivo, and predicts sensitivity to EGFR‐TKIs. This will provide an experimental basis for clinical applications of 11C‐PD153035 and individualized NSCLC therapy.