Text Coherence Analysis Based on Deep Neural Network

In this paper, we propose a novel deep coherence model (DCM) using a convolutional neural network architecture to capture the text coherence. The text coherence problem is investigated with a new perspective of learning sentence distributional representation and text coherence modeling simultaneously. In particular, the model captures the interactions between sentences by computing the similarities of their distributional representations. Further, it can be easily trained in an end-to-end fashion. The proposed model is evaluated on a standard Sentence Ordering task. The experimental results demonstrate its effectiveness and promise in coherence assessment showing a significant improvement over the state-of-the-art by a wide margin.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, CIKM 201

Pathways to sustainable grassland development in China: findings of three case studies

Grassland development serves as an important part of the national sustainable development strategy in China. This paper defines the strategic objectives of grassland development in China based on the national strategy, the current status of grassland development in China and the status of grassland development internationally. As China is at a transformational stage of implementing an ecological economic system in grassland development, top priorities should be given to enhance the values of grassland ecosystem services, reduce the pressures on the grasslands, and restructure the grassland industry. Case studies on three pasture areas in Sichuan and Inner Mongolia, which have distinct ecological and climatic features and are at different development stages, revealed that the core issue for sustainable development of grassland in China is in addressing the conflict between the people and grasslands. Improving the social security system and enhancing the capacity of the herders in implementing sustainable development are the recommended pathways for sustainable grassland development in China.Die Entwicklung von Steppengebieten ist ein wichtiges Element der Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie in der VR China. Dieses Papier erläutert die strategischen Ziele der Steppengebietsentwicklung im Rahmen der Strategie zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung in China und bettet diese in die internationalen Entwicklungen der Steppengebietspolitik ein. Zur Lösung der Armutsfalle der Herdenbesitzer in Steppengebieten wird eine Transformationsstrategie der integrierten ökologischen, ökonomischen und sozialen Nachhaltigkeit vorgeschlagen und programmatisch ausformuliert. Die Bewertung und Honorierung von Ökosystemdienstleistungen spielt darin eine zentrale Rolle wie auch die Verbesserung der Sozialversicherungssysteme für ländliche Räume. Drei Fallbeispiele aus Sichuan und der Inneren Mongolei zeigen die Machbarkeit und die verschiedenen Stufen dieser Strategie unter sehr unterschiedlichen klimatischen und sozioökonomischen Entwicklungsbedingungen

Increased serum lysyl oxidase-like 2 levels correlate with the degree of left atrial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) progression is generally accompanied by increased atrial fibrosis and atrial structural remodeling. Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) is known to play an important role in many fibrotic conditions, including cardiac fibrosis. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between serum LOXL2 levels and AF. Fifty-four AF patients and 32 control subjects were enrolled in the study. High-density three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping was performed, and mean bipolar voltage was assessed in AF patients. LOXL2 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All patients underwent echocardiography to assess left atrium size and left ventricle function. Serum LOXL2 levels were significantly elevated in AF patients compared with the control group (526.81 ± 316.82 vs 240.94 ± 92.51 pg/ml, P<0.01). In addition, serum LOXL2 level was significantly correlated with the size of the left atrium (LAD) (r2 = 0.38, P<0.01). Furthermore, the serum LOXL2 levels were significantly higher in AF patients with LAD ≥ 40 mm compared with those with LAD < 40 mm (664.34 ± 346.50 vs 354.90 ± 156.23 pg/ml, P<0.01). And the Spearman’s correlation analysis further revealed that the mean bipolar left atrial voltage was inversely correlated with the LOXL2 (r2 = −0.49, P<0.01) in AF patients. Multivariate regression analysis further demonstrated that serum LOXL2 [odds ratio (OR) 1.013, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.002–1.024, P<0.05] and LAD (OR 1.704, 95% CI 1.131–2.568, P<0.01) were independent predictors of AF. In conclusion, serum LOXL2 levels were significantly elevated and were correlated with the degree of left atrial fibrosis in AF patients