Benefits of data augmentation for NMT-based text normalization of user-generated content

One of the most persistent characteristics of written user-generated content (UGC) is the use of non-standard words. This characteristic contributes to an increased difficulty to automatically process and analyze UGC. Text normalization is the task of transforming lexical variants to their canonical forms and is often used as a pre-processing step for conventional NLP tasks in order to overcome the performance drop that NLP systems experience when applied to UGC. In this work, we follow a Neural Machine Translation approach to text normalization. To train such an encoder-decoder model, large parallel training corpora of sentence pairs are required. However, obtaining large data sets with UGC and their normalized version is not trivial, especially for languages other than English. In this paper, we explore how to overcome this data bottleneck for Dutch, a low-resource language. We start off with a publicly available tiny parallel Dutch data set comprising three UGC genres and compare two different approaches. The first is to manually normalize and add training data, a money and time-consuming task. The second approach is a set of data augmentation techniques which increase data size by converting existing resources into synthesized non-standard forms. Our results reveal that a combination of both approaches leads to the best results

Self accelerating solutions in a DGP brane with a scalar field trapped on it: the dynamical systems perspective

We apply the dynamical systems tools to study the linear dynamics of a self-interacting scalar field trapped on a DGP brane. The simplest kinds of self-interaction potentials are investigated: a) constant potential, and b) exponential potential. It is shown that the dynamics of DGP models can be very rich and complex. One of the most interesting results of this study shows that dynamical screening of the scalar field self-interaction potential, occuring within the Minkowski cosmological phase of the DGP model and mimetizing 4D phantom behaviour, is an attractor solution for a constant self-interaction potential but not for the exponential one. In the latter case gravitational screening is not even a critical point of the corresponding autonomous system of ordinary differential equations.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Version that matches the one published by PL

BUBBLE-NET : system to catch fish and the respective method of use

Fishing is a socio-economic activity of great relevance worldwide. However the environmental sustainability of the fishing gears is far from being effective. It is necessary to find more selective types of fishing to ensure sustainable catches of target species and also to protect other organisms accidentally caught with no commercial value. The answer to these problems arises, often, from the nature itself, as in the case of bubble net feeding, the feeding behavior of the humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae). These whales trap the school of fish surrounding them with a wall of bubbles they send by the blowhole (Leighton et al, 2004) (Johson et al, 1984), (fig. 1). Thus, we are developing a device that mimics the whale behavior. This device presents large environmental benefits such as the reduction of bycatch, the absence of ghost fishing, clean capture, that is the absence of human handling, and sustainable yield by allowing the capture of the legal quantities and sizes. There are also economic advantages, such as the reduction of fishing gear, increased device lifetime and reduction of maintenance cost associated

Tyrosine phosphorylation modulates cell surface expression of chloride cotransporters NKCC2 and KCC3

Introduction: Cellular chloride transport has a fundamental role in cell volume regulation and membrane potential, both in normal and tumour cells (1,2). Cellular chloride entry or exit are mediated at the plasma membrane by cotransporter proteins of the solute carrier 12 family. For example, NKCC2 resorbs chloride with sodium and potassium ions at the apical membrane of epithelial cells in the kidney, whereas KCC3 releases chloride with potassium ions at the basolateral membrane. Their ion transport activity is regulated by protein phosphorylation in response to signaling pathways. An additional regulatory mechanism concerns the amount of cotransporter molecules inserted into the plasma membrane. Experimental: Co-transporter constructs were transfected into HEK293 cells and the activity of SYK kinase modulated by incubation with SYK inhibitors or by co-transfection with siRNAs, kinase-dead, or constitutively active SYK mutants. Co-transporter abundance in the plasma membrane was analyzed by biotinylation of cell surface proteins. Results: Here we describe that tyrosine phosphorylation of NKCC2 and KCC3 regulates their plasma membrane expression levels. We identified that spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) phosphorylates a specific N-terminal tyrosine residue in each cotransporter. Experimental depletion of endogenous SYK or pharmacological inhibition of its kinase activity increased the abundance of NKCC2 at the plasma membrane of human embryonic kidney cells. In contrast, overexpression of a constitutively active SYK mutant decreased NKCC2 membrane abundance. Intriguingly, the same experimental approaches revealed the opposite effect on KCC3 abundance at the plasma membrane, compatible with the known antagonistic roles of NKCC and KCC cotransporters in cell volume regulation. Conclusions: We identified a novel pathway modulating the cell surface expression of NKCC2 and KCC3 and show that this same pathway has opposite functional outcomes for these two cotransporters. The findings have several biomedical implications considering the role of these cotransporters in regulating blood pressure and cell volume.Funding: UID/MULTI/04046/2019 (BioISI); PTDC/BIA-CEL/28408/2017; Fellowship SFRH/BD/52488/2014 to CAL.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Economic and Natural Effects of Nitrate Pollution of Agricultural Origin, in particular the Aquatic Environment

The whole area of Hungary is the gathering ground of our principal rivers (Duna, Tisza) and some bigger lakes, like Balaton, Fertő lake and Velencei lake. The water isn’t only staff of life; it is one of the most sensitive biotope of world. We suppose to protect our aquatic environment from environmental pollution as such nitrate pollution or eutrophication. Trough agricultural production the nutrient rate increases in water. The weeds begin to pullulate, they are taking up more oxygen from the water, they are necrosis, the depth of warp increases faster so the eutrophication drowns on, and the nitrate rate of rivers increases

Styles of leadership, fears of compassion, and competing to avoid inferiority.

There is general agreement that styles of leadership evolved from mammalian group living strategies that form social ranks. In both non-human primates and humans, different styles of hierarchical dominant-subordinate and leader-follower behavior can be observed. These can be described in terms of dimensions of antisocial (relatively self-focused, aggressive and threat-based) and prosocial (relatively empathic, caring, and supportive) interpersonal styles. The aim of this study was to explore how a set of established self-report questionnaires might relate to these two dimensions. Two hundred and nineteen students completed questionnaires assessing ruthless self-advancement, coalition building, and dominant leadership styles, as well as hypercompetitiveness, narcissism, striving to avoid inferiority, compassion focused and ego focused goals, fears of compassion, social safeness and attachment (in)security. A principal component analysis supported an antisocial leadership style factor which comprised of ruthless self-advancement, narcissism and hypercompetitiveness. This was significantly correlated with fears of compassion, ego focused goals, insecure striving (striving to avoid inferiority), fears of losing out, fears of being overlooked, fears of being rejected, and avoidant relating in close relationships. It was significantly negatively correlated with compassionate goals. As the results did not reveal a clear factor solution for a prosocial leadership style, we chose to use the coalition building leadership style variable. This showed the opposite pattern, being significantly negatively correlated with narcissism, hypercompetitiveness, fears of compassion, fears of active rejection, and avoidance in close relationships. It was significantly positively correlated with secure striving, compassionate goals, and social safeness. We also found that fears of compassion for others was a partial mediator of the relationship between insecure striving with antisocial leadership style. Moreover, lower fears of compassion for the self emerged as a key mediator for the relationship between non-avoidant attachment with coalition building leadership style and, secure non-striving with coalition building leadership style. While the motive to accumulate social power, resources and dominance may be linked to antisocial forms of leadership, the intensity of the drive may also be linked to unaddressed threats and fears of rejection and fears of compassion. Efforts to promote more ethical, moral and prosocial forms of leadership may falter if such fears are left unaddressed.This research was supported by a donation received by the Compassionate Mind Foundation charity (https://compassionatemind.co.uk/) from Slimming World

Propiedades psicométricas del inventario de actitudes hacia la vida en estudiantes del VII ciclo en cuatro instituciones nacionales, Comas, 2019

La presente investigación psicométrica de tipo tecnológica, propuso como objetivo determinar las Propiedades psicométricas del Inventario de Actitudes hacia la vida en estudiantes del VII ciclo en cuatro instituciones nacionales de Comas, teniendo una muestra de 585 estudiantes, tanto del sexo masculino, como del femenino. Se realizó la evidencia de validez basada en el contenido de la prueba original, por medio del criterio de 6 jueces expertos en el tema (V de Aiken > .80), llegando a la conclusión de que ningún ítem sea descartado. Se ejecutó el estudio de los ítems, mediante el análisis descriptivo, obteniendo como resultado que los ítems 4, 7, 10, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25 y 28 no son considerados como aceptables. Se procedió a evaluar la evidencia de validez basada en la estructura interna, a través del Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (AFC) que permitió constatar que el modelo original presenta valores aceptables (CFI = .932; TLI = .923; RMSEA = .029; SRMR = .074), dichos valores fueron mejorados en el segundo AFC, llegándose a eliminar 4 ítems. Se empleó para el modelo original y el modelo propuesto, el análisis de confiabilidad por el método de Kuder y Richardson (KR20, 1937), obteniendo el valor de .60 y .665 respectivamente, siendo considerado como aceptable, de igual forma se utilizó el coeficiente Omega de McDonald´s, para ambos modelos, en el cual se alcanzó un valor de .619 y .668 respectivamente. Se llevó a cabo la realización de los percentiles teniendo como base el puntaje directo total, bajo el modelo propuesto. Finalmente se llegó a la conclusión que el instrumento evidencia validez basada en el contenido, además presenta una buena confiabilidad mediante el método por consistencia interna. Sin embargo, no cuenta con una buena evidencia de validez basada en la estructura interna, puesto que, se puede decir que en conjunto la prueba original funciona de manera adecuada, pero a nivel individual, cuatro ítems (4, 7, 18 y 28) presentan cargas factoriales poco convincentes

Gestión gerencial en la ejecución contractual de obras públicas en tiempos de pandemia COVID-19 de una municipalidad distrital, 2021

La presente investigación fue realizada con objetivo de explicar la influencia de la gestión gerencial en la ejecución contractual de obras públicas en tiempos de pandemia COVID-19 de una Municipalidad Distrital, 2021, tipo de estudio no experimental de diseño no experimental correlacional causal. La población y la muestra fueron de 38 trabajadores. Se utilizó como técnica la encuesta, aplicándose el cuestionario como instrumento de recolección de datos, validada por el juicio de expertos y su confiabilidad fue calculada con el coeficiente de Alfa de Cronbach. Los resultados fueron analizados con el software SPSS V.26. Se determinó que la gestión gerencial influye muy significativamente en la ejecución contractual de obras públicas. Con valor de Tau-b de Kendall de 0.563 con una significancia de 0.000 menor al 1% (P<0,01) con coeficiente Rho de Spearman = 0.570 (positiva moderada). Se aceptó la hipótesis de investigación y se rechazó la hipótesis nula. Se identificó que el nivel de gestión gerencial es regular con el 55.26% y el nivel de la ejecución contractual de obras públicas, regular con 66.67%. Es importante porque funcionarios y futuros estudiantes emplearán la metodología aplicada para solucionar problemáticas similares

O ESTADO DE COISAS INCOSTITUCIONAL COMO UM PROCESSO COOPERATIVO-ESTRUTURAL

OBJETIVOS DO TRABALHO Este trabalho visa à compreensão do que é uma questão estrutural de violação de direitos e qual a sua relação com a tese do Estado de Coisas Inconstitucional. Após esta investigação inicial, busca-se analisar como este instituto, oriundo do Direito Colombiano, deve ser aplicado no Brasil a fim de não se tornar uma nova forma de ativismo judicial, mas sim um meio adequado para se tratar problemas policêntricos. Por fim, pretende-se construir um novo modus operandi tanto do magistrado quanto das partes1, pautado na cooperação, não na procura de culpados para posterior punição. Uma atuação com foco no futuro, na busca de soluções concretas que possam, de modo efetivo, modificar a situação objeto da sua discussão