Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NERA 2.0: Improving coverage and performance of rule-based named entity recognition for Arabic*

Abstract Named Entity Recognition (NER) is an essential task for many natural language processing systems, which makes use of various linguistic resources. NER becomes more complicated when the language in use is morphologically rich and structurally complex, such as Arabic. This language has a set of characteristics that makes it particularly challenging to handle. In a previous work, we have proposed an Arabic NER system that follows the hybrid approach, i.e. integrates both rule-based and machine learning-based NER approaches. Our hybrid NER system is the state-of-the-art in Arabic NER according to its performance on standard evaluation datasets. In this article, we discuss a novel methodology for overcoming the coverage drawback of rule-based NER systems in order to improve their performance and allow for automated rule update. The presented mechanism utilizes the recognition decisions made by the hybrid NER system in order to identify the weaknesses of the rule-based component and derive new linguistic rules aiming at enhancing the rule base, which will help in achieving more reliable and accurate results. We used ACE 2004 Newswire standard dataset as a resource for extracting and analyzing new linguistic rules for person, location and organization names recognition. We formulate each new rule based on two distinctive feature groups, i.e. Gazetteers of each type of named entities and Part-of-Speech tags, in particular noun and proper noun. Fourteen new patterns are derived, formulated as grammar rules, and evaluated in terms of coverage. The conducted experiments exploit a POS tagged version of the ACE 2004 NW dataset. The empirical results show that the performance of the enhanced rule-based system, i.e. NERA 2.0, improves the coverage of the previously misclassified person, location and organization named entities types by 69.93 per cent, 57.09 per cent and 54.28 per cent, respectively.
BrailleSketch: A Gesture-based Text Input Method for People with Visual Impairments

In this paper, we present BrailleSketch, a gesture-based text input method on touchscreen smartphones for people with visual impairments. To input a letter with BrailleSketch, a user simply sketches a gesture that passes through all dots in the corresponding Braille code for that letter. BrailleSketch allows users to place their fingers anywhere on the screen to begin a gesture and draw the Braille code in many ways. To encourage users to type faster, BrailleSketch does not provide immediate letter-level audio feedback but instead provides word-level audio feedback. It uses an auto-correction algorithm to correct typing errors. Our evaluation of the method with ten participants with visual impairments who each completed five typing sessions shows that BrailleSketch supports a text entry speed of 14.53 word per min (wpm) with 10.6% error. Moreover, our data suggest that the speed had not begun to plateau yet by the last typing session and can continue to improve. Our evaluation also demonstrates the positive effect of the reduced audio feedback and the auto-correction algorithm.
A Single-Switch AC–DC LED Driver Based on a Boost-Flyback PFC Converter With Lossless Snubber

A single-switch ac-dc light-emitting-diode (LED) driver based on boost-flyback power factor correction (PFC) converter with a lossless snubber is proposed. In the proposed LED driver, the boost PFC module is designed to be operated in the discontinuous-conduction mode to achieve a high power factor. The dc-dc flyback module is designed to provide input-output electrical isolation to improve safety. The lossless snubber circuit clamps the peak voltage spike of switch to a low voltage and the leakage inductor energy is recycled via the dc-dc flyback module. Additionally, a low-voltage-rating capacitor can be used as the dc-bus capacitor because some of the input power is directly conducted to the output; the remaining power is stored in the dc-bus capacitor. Therefore, the proposed LED driver can provide a high power factor and a high power conversion efficiency. These results are verified for an output of 48 V and 2 A for the experimental prototype.
Migration and tourism entrepreneurship: North-European immigrants in Cataluna and Languedoc.

This paper examines new North European immigration into two Mediterranean regions and identifies the characteristics of North European entrepreneurs who work in small tourist businesses. Data used for analyses were gathered from 169 questionnaires addressed to small tourism firms and other tourism-related businesses in Cataluna (Spain) and Languedo (France). Also, the North European entrepreneurs are examined within the context of new migration flows into South European regions from the north of the continent. As for the reasons for moving to these South European regions, company formation and the style of running the businesses are found to be less motivated by the need for work than by lifestyle considerations. The results suggest that international migration theory offers little to explain these new migratory flows.
Evolutionary Computation: A New Transactions

Evolutionary Computation: A New Transactions EVOLUTION is the primary unifying principle of modern biological thought. Classic Darwinian evolutionary theory, combined with the selectionism of Weismann and the genetics of Mendel, has now become a rather universally accepted set of arguments known as the neo-Darwinian paradigm [1]–[9]. Neo-Darwinism asserts that the history of the vast majority of life is fully accounted for by only a very few statistical processes acting on and within populations and species [10, p. 39]. These processes are reproduction, mutation, competition, and selection. Reproduction is an obvious behavioral property of all life. But similarly as obvious, mutation (i.e., genetic change) is guaranteed in any system that continuously reproduces itself in a positively entropic universe. Competition and selection become the inescapable consequence of any expanding population constrained to a finite arena. Evolution is then the result of these fundamental interacting stochastic processes as they act on populations, generation after generation [11], [12]. The impact of evolutionary thinking on biology cannot be understated: “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” [13, frontispiece]. Evolutionary thought, however, extends beyond the study of life. Evolution is an optimization process that can be simulated using a computer or other device and put to good engineering purpose. The interest in such simulations has increased dramatically in recent years as applications of this technology have been developed to supplant conventional technologies in power systems, pattern recognition, control systems, factory scheduling, pharmaceutical design, and diverse other areas. There are three broadly similar avenues of investigation in simulated evolution: evolution strategies, evolutionary programming, and genetic algorithms (with related efforts in genetic programming and classifier systems). When applied for practical problem solving, each begins with a population of contending trial solutions brought to the task at hand. New solutions are created by randomly altering the existing solutions. An objective measure of performance is used to assess the “fitness” or “error” of each trial solution, and a selection mechanism determines which solutions should be maintained as “parents” for the subsequent generation. The differences between the procedures are characterized by the types of alterations that are imposed on solutions to create offspring, the methods employed for selecting new parents, and the data structures that are used to represent solutions. But these differences are minor in comparison to the similarities in approach. Evolutionary computationhas become the standard term that encompasses all of these techniques. The term is still relatively new and represents an effort to bring together researchers who
Cerebellar and Afferent Ataxias

Purpose of ReviewAtaxia is the predominant manifestation of many acquired and inherited neurologic disorders affecting the cerebellum, its connections, and the afferent proprioceptive pathways. This article reviews the phenomenology and etiologies of cerebellar and afferent ataxias and provides indications for a rational approach to diagnosis and management. Recent FindingsThe pathophysiology of ataxia is being progressively understood and linked to the functional organization of the cerebellum. The impact of cerebellar diseases on different neurologic functions has been better defined and shown not to be limited to loss of motor coordination. The role of autoimmunity is increasingly recognized as a cause of sporadic cases of ataxia. Large collaborative studies of long duration are providing crucial information on the clinical spectrum and natural history of both sporadic ataxias (such as the cerebellar form of multiple system atrophy) and inherited ataxias. New dominant and recessive ataxia genes have been identified. On the therapeutic front, progress mostly concerns the development of treatments for Friedreich ataxia. SummaryAtaxia is the clinical manifestation of a wide range of disorders. In addition to accurate clinical assessment, MRI plays a major role in the diagnostic workup, allowing us to distinguish degenerative conditions from those due to other types of structural damage to the cerebellar or proprioceptive systems. Diagnostic algorithms based on clinical features, imaging, and neurophysiologic and biochemical parameters can be used to guide genetic testing for hereditary ataxias, the diagnosis of which is likely to be greatly improved by the introduction of new-generation DNA-sequencing approaches. Some rare forms of ataxia can be treated, so their diagnosis should not be missed. Proven symptomatic treatments for ataxia are still lacking, but intensive physical therapy appears to be helpful.
Nitric Oxide Metabolites Before and After Spinal Anesthesia with Lidocaine

Background and objectives: The molecular mechanism of hypotension post spinal anesthesia is unknown. This study hypothesized that the sympathectomy from spinal anesthesia would cause an increase in nitric oxide (NO) levels. Methods: 36 ASA 1 or 2 patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy were prospectively enrolled. Plasma levels of NO reaction products were measured pre and post spinal anesthesia. Results: The mean NO metabolite level significantly decreased (15.9 +/10 vs. 13.9 +/8.7 μM, P < 0.0001) after spinal anesthesia. There was no correlation between NO and MAP. Conclusions: Contrary to our hypothesis, plasma NO levels significantly decreased after the administration of intrathecal lidocaine. Vasodilatation produced by intrathecal lidocaine does not appear to be mediated by NO.
Conscious Sedation with Midazolam or Propofol Does Not Alter Left Ventricular Diastolic Performance in Patients with Preexisting Diastolic Dysfunction: A Transmitral and Tissue Doppler Transthoracic Echocardiography Study

The effects of midazolam and propofol on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function have not been evaluated in humans. We tested the hypothesis that midazolam and propofol alter LV diastolic function evaluated with transmitral and tissue Doppler transthoracic echocardiography in patients with normal LV systolic function in the presence and absence of preexisting diastolic dysfunction. After IRB approval and informed consent, patients (n = 34) with normal or reversed transmitral blood flow velocity E-to-A ratios received 3 escalating doses of midazolam (0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/kg) or propofol (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg) over 10 s at 5-min intervals. Hemodynamic variables and indices of diastolic function were recorded 3 min after each dose of midazolam and propofol. Patients with diastolic dysfunction demonstrated decreased ratios of peak transmitral E-to-A wave velocity and their corresponding time-velocity integrals as compared with normal patients. Reductions in anterior and posterior mitral annulus E/A ratios were also present. Midazolam and propofol did not further alter indices of LV diastolic function in patients with impaired early LV filling. The results indicate that sedation with midazolam or propofol does not affect indices of LV diastolic performance in healthy patients and those with preexisting diastolic dysfunction.
Micro-analytical Determination of pH, Calcium, and Phosphate in Plaque Fluid

Micro-analytical techniques for the determination of calcium, phosphate, and pH in a small volume (<0.25 μl) of plaque fluid are described and evaluated. The accuracy and the precision of the techniques were compared with those for standard macrotechniques applied to a large pooled plaque fluid sample. The results obtained for the micro-analysis of pooled plaque fluid were in excellent agreement with those obtained by macromethods. The described techniques were also used to analyze plaque fluid obtained from single quadrants of the oral cavities of five individuals. In this fashion, it was determined that, although a significant variation in plaque fluid composition exists between the quadrants, a greater variation exists between subjects. Analyses of plaque fluid obtained from six individuals, following sucrose exposure, were also conducted. The pH value of the fluid changed with time, following a typical Stephan curve, with a minimum value occurring between 15 and 30 minutes;following this, the pH increased to a value near that for resting plaque. An inverse relationship between pH and calcium and phosphorus concentrations was observed. It is noted that the described techniques are sensitive enough to carry out the above analyses both accurately and precisely using plaque obtained from a single quadrant.
Estimating Cash Flows for Project Appraisal and Firm Valuation

This teaching note is devoted to the definition and calculation of cash flows, namely, cash flow to debt, (CFD), cash flow to equity, (CFE), capital cash flow, (CCF), tax savings, (TS) and free cash flow, (FCF). We use the direct and the indirect methods to derive the relevant cash flow profiles for the different stakeholders. These cash flows are the basis for the valuation of a firm or project.
Can mutual fund managers pick stocks

Can mutual fund managers pick stocks that “beat the market”? This question has long interested economists because of its practical importance to millions of investors, who currently hold over $3 trillion in U.S. corporate equities through mutual funds, as well as for the light it sheds on the efficiency of securities markets. But despite many attempts to answer the question, no consensus has emerged. One problem is statistical power: a large fraction of the return on any fund manager’s portfolio reflects luck, not skill. Isolating the component of returns that reflects skill is difficult. A second problem is defining risk-adjusted returns: portfolio performance must be adjusted for risk and, to date, the proper adjustment has eluded researchers. These problems cloud the interpretation of most studies of fund manager performance and have led to prolonged debate about whether fund managers can truly discern among winning and losing stocks. In Can Mutual Fund Managers Pick Stocks? Evidence from the Trades Prior to Earnings Announcements (NBER Working Paper No. 10685), authors Malcolm Baker, Lubomir Litov, Jessica Wachter, and Jeffrey Wurgler introduce a new method to measure the stock-selection ability of fund managers based on returns around the time of earnings announcements. Their basic idea is to determine whether skill is associated with the tendency to hold stocks that are about to enjoy high earnings announcements and likewise to avoid stocks that are about to suffer low earnings announcements. Their approach uses the segment of returns data — returns at earnings announcements — that contains the most concentrated information about whether a manager held a correct view on the stock’s fundamentals. The dataset merges mutual funds’ portfolio holdings with the respective returns that each holding realized at its next quarterly earnings announcement. The portfolio holdings are drawn from mandatory, periodic SEC filings that have been tabulated by Thompson Financial. For each fund-date-holding observation, the authors merge in the return that that stock earned in the 3-day window around its next earnings announcement. The sample covers 1980 through 2002 and contains 6.3 million fund report date-holding observations with associated earnings announcement returns. For each fund in this dataset, the authors track the subsequent earnings announcement returns for the stocks on which the fund increases portfolio weight over the prior period and the stocks on which it decreases portfolio weight. They find that the average mutual fund managers show stockpicking skill, in the sense that the subsequent earnings announcement returns on their weight-increasing stocks are sig-
Mitigating Human Enhanced Water Emission Impacts on Climate Change

Water is the most significant GHG, yet climate modelers appear to have ignored human activities that directly add to the concentration of water vapour in the atmosphere. Concentrated water emissions from irrigation, industrial cooling, power generation and hydroelectric reservoirs, add large amounts of water and energy to the atmosphere in dry, and/or heavily populated regions, and this water must come out as precipitation in cooler regions. The magnitude of these emissions is significant, and is estimated to be 4-5 Tt/yr, which is a 4-5% increase in land/atmosphere water flux, over the last century. Evaporating this volume of water requires an incremental 9,000+ ExaJoules/yr, and is all emitted from less than 1% of the earth's surface, mainly in the northern hemisphere. Reduced river flows, and reduced fresh water flow to ocean areas, should be a factor in warming of southern ocean areas, while also causing increased precipitation in cold northern areas. Engineers should be working to mitigate the potential climate impacts of water emissions through increased energy efficiency, and avoiding water emissions from industrial and agricultural operations.
Critical role of ADAM15 in tumor progression: targeting multiple factors for metastasis promotion.

Evaluation of: Najy AJ, Day KC, Day ML: ADAM15 supports prostate cancer metastasis by modulating tumor cell–endothelial cell interaction. Cancer Res. 68, 1092–1099 (2008). Products of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) gene family are multifunctional proteins and have activities of metalloproteinase, integrin-binding, cell adhesion and intracellular signaling. ADAMs play important roles in many biological processes, such as neurogenesis, myogenesis, fertilization and growth factor shedding. Several ADAM genes are also implicated in various types of cancers; however, the exact function of ADAMs in tumorigenesis and tumor progression has not been well understood. In this report, Najy and colleagues have shown that ADAM15 plays a critical role in tumor growth and metastasis in human prostate cancer. Their results indicate that ADAM15 promotes the binding to extracellular matrix proteins, expression of metastatic-associated cell surface proteins, cleavage of N-cadherin and activation of matrix metallo.
Epithelium‐dependent potentiation of anaphylactic contractions by β‐endorphin in tracheae isolated from actively sensitized guinea‐pigs

1 It has been shown that opioid peptides modulate airway function. In the present study, the effect of β‐endorphin on antigen‐induced contractions of isolated tracheal rings from actively sensitized guinea‐pigs has been studied. 2 β‐Endorphin had a concentration‐dependent bimodal effect on anaphylactic contractions of the trachea. Low concentrations of β‐endorphin (10−10 and 10−8 m) significantly potentiated anaphylactic contractions, whereas higher concentrations (10−7 and 10−6 m) significantly suppressed anaphylactic contractions of guinea‐pig trachea. 3 β‐Endorphin in concentrations of 10−8 m and 10−7 m did not affect the responsiveness of the tracheal rings to histamine or leukotriene D4. This indicates that β‐endorphin does not influence the responsiveness of tracheal smooth muscle to anaphylactic mediators. 4 In the presence of the non‐selective opioid receptor antagonist naloxone, 10−8 m β‐endorphin still potentiated the anaphylactic contractions of the trachea. In addition, an equimolar concentration of des‐Tyr1‐β‐endorphin, a fragment of β‐endorphin without opioid‐like activity, also potentiated anaphylactic contractions. The potentiation of anaphylactic contraction by 10−8 m β‐endorphin is not therefore mediated by classical opioid‐receptors. 5 In the presence of naloxone, 10−7 m, β‐endorphin did not suppress anaphylactic contractions of the trachea. Thus, the suppression of anaphylactic contraction is mediated via a classical opioid‐receptor. 6 In epithelium‐denuded tracheae, both 10−8 and 10−7 m β‐endorphin suppressed the anaphylactic contractions, whereas 10−8 and 10−7 m des‐Tyr1‐β‐endorphin did not affect anaphylactic contractions. It is concluded that the potentiation of the anaphylactic contraction in intact trachea is epithelium‐dependent whereas the suppression of the anaphylactic contraction is epithelium‐independent.
Quality childcare: improving early years childcare

According to the authors, childcare policy in the UK has developed dramatically in the UK in the past fifteen years, but in a number of ways remains confused. The UK has a range of different funding systems, run by different departments, and at times there can be tensions between what different policies are trying to achieve. In this report they consider the two major issues that childcare policies are trying to address: increasing maternal employment and closing the development gap in children from different backgrounds.
Informal investors and value added: What do we know and where do we go?

Informal investors have been highlighted as important stakeholders for potential highgrowth ventures. Extant empirical research provides evidence that they contribute not only with money but also bring added value in terms of providing their skills and experience to support the continued development and growth of the ventures in which they have invested. However, despite the reported benefits of the value added provided by informal investors there are very few studies that explicitly address the issue of informal investors and value added. The present paper seeks to meet this shortcoming by presenting a review of state-of-the-art literature and research on informal venture capital and value added. The objective is to summarize what we know as a basis for where research should go in the future. The literature review identifies four main core functions provided by informal investors. The identification of different core functions is then used to guide future studies of informal investors and value added. The paper ends with a concluding summary.
Generation of facial expression map based on topological characteristics of face images

This paper proposes a generation method of a facial expression map (FEMap) using a self-organizing maps (SOM) of unsupervised learning and counter propagation networks (CPN) of supervised learning. First, the topological change of a face pattern in the expressional process of facial expression is learned hierarchically using the SOM of a narrow mapping space. The number of subject-specific facial expression categories and the representative images of each category are generated. Next, these images are learned using the CPN of a large mapping space. A category map that expresses the topological characteristics of facial expression is generated. Finally, psychological significance based on a neutral expression and six basic emotions is assigned to each category. This paper defines this category map as an FEMap. Experimental results for six subjects show that the proposed method can generate a subject-specific FEMap based on the topological characteristics of facial expression appearing on face images.