Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extracting Political Events from Text Using Syntax and Semantics

Many questions in empirical political science concern the relations between political actors. Researchers have long used text as a source of data on political actors behaviors and relationships. Manually extracting this information from text is slow and expensive, while existing automatedmethods are inaccurate or limited to a small set of pre-defined actors and actions. This paper formalizes the process of event extraction and introduces a method for identifying the words in text that report who is doing what to whom, along with where, when, why, and as reported by whom. To do so, it draws on natural language processing tools that provide information about the syntactic information of a sentence and neural networks trained on a diverse set of hand-labeled text. The extracted actors and events can be analyzed with hand-constructed dictionaries or classifiers, or can be clustered to inductively find types of actors or behaviors. I compare the performance of the model with existing techniques on a corpus of text from the Times of India. I then apply it to State Department reporting on human rights, extracting 1 million events from the corpus and apply a clustering algorithm to learn categories of human rights abuses.
An Efficient Method for Biomedical Word Sense Disambiguation Based on Web-Kernel Similarity

Searching for the best sense for a polysemous word remains one of the greatest challenges in the representation of biomedical text. To this end, word sense disambiguation (WSD) algorithms mostly rely on an external source of knowledge, like a thesaurus or ontology, for automatically selecting the proper concept of an ambiguous term in a given window of context using semantic similarity and relatedness measures. In this paper, the authors propose a web-based kernel function for measuring the semantic relatedness between concepts to disambiguate an expression versus multiple possible concepts. This measure uses the large volume of documents returned by PubMed search engine to determine the greater context for a biomedical short text through a new term weighting scheme based on rough set theory (RST). To illustrate the efficiency of our proposed method, they evaluate a WSD algorithm based on this measure on a biomedical dataset (MSH-WSD) that contains 203 ambiguous terms and acronyms. The obtained results demonstrate promising improvements.
Bernoulli Meets PBFT: Modeling BFT Protocols in the Presence of Dynamic Failures

The publication of the pivotal state machine replication protocol PBFT laid the foundation for a body of BFT protocols. We introduce a probabilistic model for evaluating BFT protocols in the presence of dynamic link and crash failures. The model is derived from the communication pattern, facilitating an adaptation to other protocols. The state of replicas is captured and used to derive the success probability of the protocol execution. To this end, we examine the influence of link and crash failure rates as well as the number of replicas. A comparison in protocol behavior of PBFT, Zyzzyva and SBFT is performed.
Critical race theory, race and gender microaggressions, and the experience of Chicana and Chicano sc

Critical race theory, race and gender microaggressions, and the experience of Chicana and Chicano scholars Daniel G. Solorzano To cite this article: Daniel G. Solorzano (1998) Critical race theory, race and gender microaggressions, and the experience of Chicana and Chicano scholars, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 11:1, 121-136, DOI: 10.1080/095183998236926 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/095183998236926
Aggressively Regressive: The 'Sin Taxes' that Make the Poor Poorer

Poorest hit hardest by consumption taxes, new research shows Summary The poorest twenty per cent of households in Britain spend an average of £1,286 per year on ‘sin taxes’, including betting taxes, vehicle excise duty, air passenger duty, ‘green taxes’ and duty on tobacco, alcohol and motor fuels. In addition, they also spend £1,165 on VAT. The £1,286 spent on sin taxes represents 11.4 per cent of the disposable income of Britain’s poorest fifth of households. For every eight pounds spent by the poorest fifth of households, one pound is taken from them in sin taxes. Despite significantly lower rates of alcohol consumption and car ownership, the poorest income group spends twice as much on sin taxes and VAT than the wealthiest income group as a proportion of their income. Tax is the single biggest source of expenditure for those who live in poverty and indirect taxes are a major cause of Britain’s cost of living crisis. The average smoker from the poorest fifth of households spends between 18 and 22 per cent of their disposable income on cigarettes. The tax on these cigarettes consumes 15 to 17 per cent of their income. Motoring taxes absorb eight per cent of the income of a typical driver from the bottom fifth of households. Alcohol taxes consume 2 to 4 per cent of the income of moderate drinkers in the bottom fifth of households. People in the bottom fifth of the income stream who drink moderately, smoke and drive a car spend 37 per cent of their disposable household income on sin taxes and VAT. The comparable figure for people in the top fifth of the income stream is 15 per cent. Halving ‘sin taxes’ on fuel, tobacco and alcohol, scrapping green energy subsidies and returning the rate of VAT to 15 per cent would reduce tax evasion, reduce black market activity, improve labour market flexibility and stimulate the economy. Above all, it would put money back in the pockets of those who are in greatest need of it.
Aprotinin Inhibits Thrombin Generation by Inhibition of the Intrinsic Pathway, but is not a Direct Thrombin Inhibitor

Abstract Background Aprotinin is a broad-acting serine protease inhibitor that has been clinically used to prevent blood loss during major surgical procedures including cardiac surgery and liver transplantation. The prohemostatic properties of aprotinin likely are related to its antifibrinolytic effects, but other mechanisms including preservation of platelet function have been proposed. Aim Here we assessed effects of aprotinin on various hemostatic pathways in vitro, and compared effects to tranexamic acid(TXA), which is an antifibrinolytic but not a serine protease inhibitor. Methods We used plasma-based clot lysis assays, clotting assays in whole blood, plasma, and using purified proteins, and platelet activation assays to which aprotinin or TXA were added in pharmacological concentrations. Results Aprotinin and TXA dose-dependently inhibited fibrinolysis in plasma. Aprotinin inhibited clot formation and thrombin generation initiated via the intrinsic pathway, but had no effect on reactions initiated by tissue factor. However, in the presence of thrombomodulin, aprotinin enhanced thrombin generation in reactions started by tissue factor. TXA had no effect on coagulation. Aprotinin did not inhibit thrombin, only weakly inhibited the TF-VIIa complex and had no effect on platelet activation and aggregation by various agonists including thrombin. Aprotinin and TXA inhibited plasmin-induced platelet activation. Conclusion Pharmacologically relevant concentrations of aprotinin inhibit coagulation initiated via the intrinsic pathway. The antifibrinolytic activity of aprotinin likely explains the prohemostatic effects of aprotinin during surgical procedures. The anticoagulant properties may be beneficial during surgical procedures in which pathological activation of the intrinsic pathway, for example by extracorporeal circuits, occurs.
Effect of Baseline Mental Health on 1-Year Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopy: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Patient factors, including mental health, sex, and smoking, have been found to be more predictive of preoperative hip pain and function than intra-articular findings during hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI); however, little is known about how these factors may influence patients’ postoperative outcomes. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that lower patient-reported mental health scores would be significant risk factors for worse patient-reported outcomes (PROs) 1 year after arthroscopic hip surgery for FAI and that baseline intra-articular pathology would fail to demonstrate an association with outcomes 1 year after FAI surgery. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A prospective cohort of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI were electronically enrolled. Baseline and 1-year follow-up PROs were collected, including Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for pain (HOOS-Pain), HOOS–Physical Function Short Form (HOOS-PS), and Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey–Mental Component Score (VR-12 MCS). Intra-articular operative findings and treatment were documented at the time of surgery. Proportional odds logistic regression models were built for 1-year outcomes (HOOS-Pain, HOOS-PS, and VR-12 MCS). Risk factors included patient characteristics and intraoperative anatomic and pathologic findings. Results: Overall, 494 patients underwent hip arthroscopy for FAI, and 385 (78%) were evaluated at 1 year with at least 1 PRO. The median patient age was 33 years, mean body mass index was 25.5 kg/m2, and 72% were female. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that better baseline HOOS-Pain, HOOS-PS, and VR-12 MCS were significantly associated with improvement in the 1-year scores for each PRO. Higher VR-12 MCS was significantly associated with better 1-year HOOS-Pain and HOOS-PS, while current and former smokers had worse 1-year outcomes than those who never smoked. In ranking each variable’s relative importance, baseline HOOS-Pain and HOOS-PS and baseline VR-12 MCS were identified as the strongest predictors of 1-year HOOS-Pain and HOOS-PS in our multivariable model. Conclusion: During hip arthroscopy for FAI, patient factors, including baseline hip pain and function, mental health, and smoking, were independently associated with 1-year PROs of hip pain and function, while intra-articular pathology such as the presence of labral tear and its treatment, tear size, tear location, and anchors placed were not independently associated.
Intra‐amniotic levothyroxine infusions in a case of fetal goiter due to novel Thyroglobulin gene variants

Indications and administration of intra‐amniotic infusions of L‐thyroxine in the context of non‐immune fetal hypothyroidism with goiter lack of standardization. Systematic follow‐up of clinical features related to thyroid hormonal homeostasis may be useful to evaluate their efficiency and develop standardized management guidelines.
The effect of sodium carboxymethyl starch with high degree of substitution on defecation

Sodium carboxymethyl starch (CMS-Na), a kind of food additive with high degree of substitution, is also known as a prebiotic. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of CMS-Na on defecation. Constipated mouse model was prepared by loperamide. Normal rats were also used in the study. Short-chain fatty acids in rat feces were detected by gas chromatography. The bacterial communities in rat feces were identified by 16S rDNA gene sequencing. 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (Tph1) were measured by ELISA. The results showed that CMS-Na increased the fecal granule counts and intestinal propulsion rate in constipated mice. The contents of water, acetic acid, propionic acid and n-butyrate in feces, Tph1 in colon and 5-HT in serum of rats were increased. In addition, CMS-Na shortened the colonic transport time in rats. The 16S rDNA gene sequencing results indicated that CMS-Na increased the relative abundance of Alloprevotella and decreased the proportion of Lactobacillus. However, the biodiversity of the normal intestinal flora was not altered. In conclusion, CMS-Na can promote defecation in constipated mice. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of Alloprevotella and Lactobacillus in colon, the increase of short-chain fatty acids, and the promotion of the synthesis of Tph1 and 5-HT.
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease among Adult Hypertensive Patients at Northwest Amhara Referral Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive loss of the kidney function which leads to a decreased kidneys' ability to process waste in the blood and it affects the other important functions of the kidney. The disease has different stages that can alter the health status of individuals. During the early stages, patients may present with a normal or slight decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and albuminuria. Later, it progresses and leads to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure. Hypertension is considered as the major contributing risk factor of CKD. Objective This study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of chronic kidney disease among adult hypertensive patients in referral hospitals of the Northwest Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 581 adult hypertensive patients in a chronic follow-up clinic in referral hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, from July to August 2020. Systematic random sampling was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using the interviewer-administered questionnaire and participants medical records. Both bivariable and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Model fitness was assessed using a Hosmer—Lemeshow test. Result The total prevalence of CKD among adult hypertensive patients was 17.6% (95% CI: 14.7–20.8). Diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg (AOR = 8.65; 95% CI: 4.77–15.68), duration of hypertension ≥10 years (AOR = 8.81; 95% CI: 2.47–31.45), stage II HTN (AOR = 2.61; 95% CI: 1.04–6.50), comorbid disease (AOR = 7.0; 95% CI: 2.20–22.21), proteinuria (AOR = 4.59; 95% CI: 2.08–10.12), dyslipidemia (AOR = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.56–7.24), and serum creatinine ≥1 mg/dl (AOR = 8.88; 95% CI: 4.40–17.91) were associated with chronic kidney disease among adult hypertensive patients. Conclusion In this study, the prevalence of CKD among hypertensive patients found was 17.6%. Regarding associated factors, dyslipidemia, proteinuria, comorbid disease, serum creatinine greater than 0.9 mg/dl, duration of hypertension greater than 10 years, and diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg are factors associated with the occurrence of chronic kidney disease among hypertensive patients.
Emergency Medical Service Providers' Perception of Health-Threatening Stressors in Emergency Missions: A qualitative Study

Background Unknown and unpredictable situations cause emergency medical service (EMS) providers to experience various stressful factors. These factors are affected by sociocultural conditions and expectations of the casualty and affect EMS providers' performance and health at the incident scene. The present study was conducted to explore EMS providers' perception of stressful and health-threatening factors in emergency missions. Method This qualitative conventional content analysis was conducted in 2020. The participants included 16 EMS providers working at the Emergency Medical Services Department in Hamadan Province, Iran. The participants were selected using purposive sampling and underwent semi-structured interviews until data saturation. Data were analyzed using the Graneheim and Lundman method. Results Analysis of the interview data yielded six subcategories (i.e., incident scene hazards, violence-related injuries, physical injuries caused by patient care/handling, ambulance crash-related injuries, emotional impact of patients' suffering and ailments, and highly stressful missions), two main categories (i.e., physical injuries and psychological tensions), and a theme of occupational injuries. Conclusions According to the results, in addition to having concerns about caring for patients and saving the injured, EMS providers also worry about potential threats to their own health. The present study identified and described some major stressors in emergency missions. Thus, for a better and more effective efficiency, the present study results can be used to reduce or modify stressors in EMS providers.
Research_9754083 1..9

Key Laboratory of Light Field Manipulation and Information Acquisition, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and School of Physical Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710129, China Research & Development Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China Institute of Radio Astronomy, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv 61002, Ukraine Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv 61077, Ukraine
Fuscoside Attenuates Bone Loss in Bone Defects by Regulating The Rankl/Nlrp3/Opg Pathway in Rats

Objective This study evaluated the beneficial effect of fuscoside in the repair of bone defects (BDs) and the possible molecular mechanism thereof. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, a BD was induced by drilling the rat tibia. The rats were then administered oral fuscoside, at 200 or 300 mg/kg, for 2 weeks. The effect of treatment was assessed based on the bone formation score and on the levels of cytokines and biochemical markers in serum. Tibial expression of the proteins involved in the Rankl/Nlrp3/Opg pathway was determined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot assay, and histopathological changes by haematoxylin and eosin and TRAP staining. Results In the fuscoside-treated BD rats, the bone formation score improved and inflammatory cytokine levels were reduced. The levels of biochemical markers improved as well, as did the expression of apoptosis proteins. Fuscoside also attenuated the expression of Rankl, Opg, Nlrp3, Runx2, Osterix, and Osteocalcin (Oc) proteins in the tibial tissue of the BD rats and reversed the abnormal histopathological changes. Conclusion These results suggest that fuscoside improves BD repair by reducing the differentiation of osteoclasts and by regulating the Rankl/Nlrp3/Opg pathway.
A new role for SR1 from Bacillus subtilis: regulation of sporulation by inhibition of kinA translation

Abstract SR1 is a dual-function sRNA from Bacillus subtilis. It inhibits translation initiation of ahrC mRNA encoding the transcription activator of the arginine catabolic operons. Base-pairing is promoted by the RNA chaperone CsrA, which induces a slight structural change in the ahrC mRNA to facilitate SR1 binding. Additionally, SR1 encodes the small protein SR1P that interacts with glyceraldehyde-3P dehydrogenase A to promote binding to RNase J1 and enhancing J1 activity. Here, we describe a new target of SR1, kinA mRNA encoding the major histidine kinase of the sporulation phosphorelay. SR1 and kinA mRNA share 7 complementary regions. Base-pairing between SR1 and kinA mRNA decreases kinA translation without affecting kinA mRNA stability and represses transcription of the KinA/Spo0A downstream targets spoIIE, spoIIGA and cotA. The initial interaction between SR1 and kinA mRNA occurs 10 nt downstream of the kinA start codon and is decisive for inhibition. The sr1 encoded peptide SR1P is dispensable for kinA regulation. Deletion of sr1 accelerates sporulation resulting in low quality spores with reduced stress resistance and altered coat protein composition which can be compensated by sr1 overexpression. Neither CsrA nor Hfq influence sporulation or spore properties.
The EFSUMB Guidelines and Recommendations for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound – Part I: Extraarticular Pathologies

Abstract The first part of the guidelines and recommendations for musculoskeletal ultrasound, produced under the auspices of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB), provides information about the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound for assessing extraarticular structures (muscles, tendons, entheses, ligaments, bones, bursae, fasciae, nerves, skin, subcutaneous tissues, and nails) and their pathologies. Clinical applications, practical points, limitations, and artifacts are described and discussed for every structure. After an extensive literature review, the recommendations have been developed according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine and GRADE criteria and the consensus level was established through a Delphi process. The document is intended to guide clinical users in their daily practice.
Input-to-State Stability for Time-Delay Systems With Large Delays

In this article, we consider the input-to-state stability (ISS) problem for a class of time-delay systems with intermittent large delays, which may cause the invalidation of traditional delay-dependent stability criteria. The topic of this article features that it proposes a novel kind of stability criterion for time-delay systems, which is delay dependent if the time delay is smaller than a prescribed allowable size. While if the time delay is larger than the allowable size, the ISS can be preserved as well provided that the large-delay periods satisfy the kind of duration condition. Different from existing results on similar topics, we present the main result based on a unified Lyapunov–Krasovskii function (LKF). In this way, the frequency restriction can be removed and the analysis complexity can be simplified. A numerical example is provided to verify the proposed results.
Voices of Those Who Bear the Brunt – Experiences of Programme Personnel Concerning Private Sector Tuberculosis Notifications in Bengaluru City, India

ABSTRACT This study aims to assess private and public sector contributions to Tuberculosis (TB) notification in Bengaluru city (2011 to 2016) and identify challenges of program personnel in their interaction with private practitioners and procedural barriers for TB notification from the private sector as perceived by them. A mixed methods study was carried out in Bengaluru city, India with TB notification data obtained from TB Units in addition to in-depth interviews with key program implementers. Results showed the contribution of private practitioners to TB notification to be about 20%. Barriers and challenges were: the private practitioners’ hesitancy to refer the patients to public sector due to their fear of losing patients and dishonoring of diagnosis from private practitioners, lack of awareness about TB notification, lack of legal punitive measures and constant glitches on the notification website. These need to be resolved on priority to achieve the national target of TB elimination by 2025.