Question-Context Alignment and Answer-Context Dependencies for Effective Answer Sentence Selection

Answer sentence selection (AS2) in open-domain question answering finds answer for a question by ranking candidate sentences extracted from web documents. Recent work exploits answer context, i.e., sentences around a candidate, by incorporating them as additional input string to the Transformer models to improve the correctness scoring. In this paper, we propose to improve the candidate scoring by explicitly incorporating the dependencies between question-context and answer-context into the final representation of a candidate. Specifically, we use Optimal Transport to compute the question-based dependencies among sentences in the passage where the answer is extracted from. We then represent these dependencies as edges in a graph and use Graph Convolutional Network to derive the representation of a candidate, a node in the graph. Our proposed model achieves significant improvements on popular AS2 benchmarks, i.e., WikiQA and WDRASS, obtaining new state-of-the-art on all benchmarks.Comment: final copy for INTERSPEECH 202

Deep Learning-Aided Multicarrier Systems

This paper proposes a deep learning (DL)-aided multicarrier (MC) system operating on fading channels, where both modulation and demodulation blocks are modeled by deep neural networks (DNNs), regarded as the encoder and decoder of an autoencoder (AE) architecture, respectively. Unlike existing AE-based systems, which incorporate domain knowledge of a channel equalizer to suppress the effects of wireless channels, the proposed scheme, termed as MC-AE, directly feeds the decoder with the channel state information and received signal, which are then processed in a fully data-driven manner. This new approach enables MC-AE to jointly learn the encoder and decoder to optimize the diversity and coding gains over fading channels. In particular, the block error rate of MC-AE is analyzed to show its higher performance gains than existing hand-crafted baselines, such as various recent index modulation-based MC schemes. We then extend MC-AE to multiuser scenarios, wherein the resultant system is termed as MU-MC-AE. Accordingly, two novel DNN structures for uplink and downlink MU-MC-AE transmissions are proposed, along with a novel cost function that ensures a fast training convergence and fairness among users. Finally, simulation results are provided to show the superiority of the proposed DL-based schemes over current baselines, in terms of both the error performance and receiver complexity

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from bovine mastitis samples in Nghe An province, Vietnam

Background and Aim: Vietnam’s dairy sector is in its early phase of large-scale farming development. Therefore, mastitis in cows is always a concern to farm owners. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility, resistance, and virulence-related genes of Escherichia coli isolated from bovine mastitis in Nghe An province of Vietnam. Materials and Methods: Fifty E. coli strains were isolated from the clinical cases and subjected to this study. All isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by the disk-diffusion method, as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Antimicrobial and virulence genes were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction with specific primers. Results: All isolates were resistant to lincomycin and sulfamethoxazole and sensitive to gentamicin, while other antimicrobials showed resistance from 2% to 90%. Multidrug resistance was confirmed in 46% of isolates, and none of them were identified as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers. From fifty strains tested for antimicrobial and virulence genes, six isolates harbored tetA, 6 tetB, 13 sul1, 15 sul2, 2 Intimin (eae), 1 iutA, and 3 stx2. Conclusion: Antimicrobial and multidrug resistances are the main virulence factors of E. coli isolated from bovine mastitis in Vietnam. The virulence genes encoding adhesion, siderophore, Shiga-toxin-producing, and antimicrobials resistant were first reported in Vietnam with low prevalence and contributed to the pathogenesis

Exploring Italian Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Fashion: The Roles of Eco-Consciousness and Vintage Preference

Studying the psychology behind the purchase of eco-friendly products and second-hand items can offer valuable insights to promote sustainable consumer behavior. This paper examines factors influencing Italian consumers’ willingness to pay regarding bio-based clothing and second-hand items. Drawing from data collected from 402 Italian participants, we examine how motivations and socio-demographic factors are associated with willingness to pay in the context of sustainable fashion. Our findings reveal that motivations related to environmental concerns are positively associated with consumers’ willingness to pay higher premiums for bio-based clothing. Higher income and education levels are also associated with the willingness to pay higher premiums. Meanwhile, motivation related to vintage appeal is associated with lower desired discounts for second-hand items, particularly among older consumers. Gender differences also influence discount preferences, with men seeking larger discounts on second-hand clothing compared to women. By providing insights into Italian consumers’ sustainable fashion choices, this study offers implications for businesses, policymakers, and researchers aiming to promote eco-conscious consumption and sustainability in the fashion industry

Effects of Dance/Movement Training vs. Aerobic Exercise Training on cognition, physical fitness and quality of life in older adults: A randomized controlled trial

It is generally accepted that physical activity promotes healthy aging. Recent studies suggest dance could also benefit cognition and physical health in seniors, but many styles and approaches of dance exist and rigorous designs for intervention studies are still scarce. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of Dance/Movement Training (DMT) to Aerobic Exercise Training (AET) on cognition, physical fitness and health-related quality of life in healthy inactive elderly. Results suggest that DMT may have a positive impact on cognition and physical functioning in older adults however further research is needed. This study could serve as a model for designing future RCTs with dance-related interventions

TextANIMAR: Text-based 3D Animal Fine-Grained Retrieval

3D object retrieval is an important yet challenging task, which has drawn more and more attention in recent years. While existing approaches have made strides in addressing this issue, they are often limited to restricted settings such as image and sketch queries, which are often unfriendly interactions for common users. In order to overcome these limitations, this paper presents a novel SHREC challenge track focusing on text-based fine-grained retrieval of 3D animal models. Unlike previous SHREC challenge tracks, the proposed task is considerably more challenging, requiring participants to develop innovative approaches to tackle the problem of text-based retrieval. Despite the increased difficulty, we believe that this task has the potential to drive useful applications in practice and facilitate more intuitive interactions with 3D objects. Five groups participated in our competition, submitting a total of 114 runs. While the results obtained in our competition are satisfactory, we note that the challenges presented by this task are far from being fully solved. As such, we provide insights into potential areas for future research and improvements. We believe that we can help push the boundaries of 3D object retrieval and facilitate more user-friendly interactions via vision-language technologies.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2304.0573

Evaluating the initial result of transanal and transvaginal NOTES for colorectal cancer

Objective: Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) is an important evolution in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) nowaday. This paper presents the techniques and early results of the pure transanal and transvaginal laparoscopies (NOTES) used for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Material and method: Prospective studies were conducted at Hue Central Hospital, Vietnam. Patients: From December 2013 to September 2015, 22 cololorectal cancer patients (18 rectum, 3 sigmoid tumors and 1 descending colon), adenocarcinoma, T≤ T3N1M0. Methods: The patients were placed in lithotomy and Trendelenburg positions, and the lone-star retractor was placed in the anus (rectum cancer) or vagina (sigmoid cancer). The surgical cavity was then inflated with CO 2 and set at 12 mm/Hg. Dissection was continued until inside of the abdominal cavity (transanal technique). After that, the rectum was pushed into the abdominal cavity. The IMA and IMV were divided (TME included) in both techniques. After finishing dissection, the specimens were pulled out through the anus or vagina to prepare anastomosis. Coloanal and colorectal anastomosis were either hand-sewn (6 cases) or sealed with EEA staplers (16 cases). Results: 2 patients needed one more 5 mm umbilical port in RLQ, 2 patients needed two 5 mm trocars (post radiation hemorrhage, and urethral perforation). One patient converted to open and 1 patient converted to the HYBRID-NOTES procedure. The operation time was 258±40 (190-300) minutes. All patients required minimal analgesia. Bowel movement returned on the first day to 16 patients (average: two days, maximum: three days). The hospital stay was 7±2.8 (4-14) days. Kirwan classification (sphincter function) was very good (stage I: 18). Conclusions: Pure transanal and transvaginal laparoscopies for the treatment of colorectal cancer are feasible and safe. We believe that this is the first pure transvaginal laparoscopy (NOTES) for human in the world. A multicentric study in a large numbers of patients and a long follow-up is necessary