InDEX: Indonesian Idiom and Expression Dataset for Cloze Test

We propose InDEX, an Indonesian Idiom and Expression dataset for cloze test. The dataset contains 10438 unique sentences for 289 idioms and expressions for which we generate 15 different types of distractors, resulting in a large cloze-style corpus. Many baseline models of cloze test reading comprehension apply BERT with random initialization to learn embedding representation. But idioms and fixed expressions are different such that the literal meaning of the phrases may or may not be consistent with their contextual meaning. Therefore, we explore different ways to combine static and contextual representations for a stronger baseline model. Experimentations show that combining definition and random initialization will better support cloze test model performance for idioms whether independently or mixed with fixed expressions. While for fixed expressions with no special meaning, static embedding with random initialization is sufficient for cloze test model.Comment: Accepted to "2022 International Conference on Asian Language Processing (IALP)

Boosting Fronthaul Capacity: Global Optimization of Power Sharing for Centralized Radio Access Network

The limited fronthaul capacity imposes a challenge on the uplink of centralized radio access network (C-RAN). We propose to boost the fronthaul capacity of massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) aided C-RAN by globally optimizing the power sharing between channel estimation and data transmission both for the user devices (UDs) and the remote radio units (RRUs). Intuitively, allocating more power to the channel estimation will result in more accurate channel estimates, which increases the achievable throughput. However, increasing the power allocated to the pilot training will reduce the power assigned to data transmission, which reduces the achievable throughput. In order to optimize the powers allocated to the pilot training and to the data transmission of both the UDs and the RRUs, we assign an individual power sharing factor to each of them and derive an asymptotic closed-form expression of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise for the massive MIMO aided C-RAN consisting of both the UD-to-RRU links and the RRU-to-baseband unit (BBU) links. We then exploit the C-RAN architecture's central computing and control capability for jointly optimizing the UDs' power sharing factors and the RRUs' power sharing factors aiming for maximizing the fronthaul capacity. Our simulation results show that the fronthaul capacity is significantly boosted by the proposed global optimization of the power allocation between channel estimation and data transmission both for the UDs and for their host RRUs. As a specific example of 32 receive antennas (RAs) deployed by RRU and 128 RAs deployed by BBU, the sum-rate of 10 UDs achieved with the optimal power sharing factors improves 33\% compared with the one attained without optimizing power sharing factors

Optimization of ClpXP activity and protein synthesis in an E. coli extract-based cell-free expression system.

Protein degradation is a fundamental process in all living cells and is essential to remove both damaged proteins and intact proteins that are no longer needed by the cell. We are interested in creating synthetic genetic circuits that function in a cell-free expression system. This will require not only an efficient protein expression platform but also a robust protein degradation system in cell extract. Therefore, we purified and tested the activity of E. coli ClpXP protease in cell-free transcription-translation (TX-TL) systems that used E. coli S30 cell extract. Surprisingly, our studies showed that purified ClpXP added to the TX-TL system has very low proteolytic activity. The low activity of ClpXP was correlated with the rapid consumption of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in cell extract. We improved the activity of ClpXP in cell extract by adding exogenous ATP and an energy regeneration system. We then established conditions for both protein synthesis, and protein degradation by ClpXP to occur simultaneously in the TX-TL systems. The optimized conditions for ClpXP activity will be useful for creating tunable synthetic genetic circuits and in vitro synthetic biology

Atomic mutagenesis of stop codon nucleotides reveals the chemical prerequisites for release factor-mediated peptide release.

Termination of protein synthesis is triggered by the recognition of a stop codon at the ribosomal A site and is mediated by class I release factors (RFs). Whereas in bacteria, RF1 and RF2 promote termination at UAA/UAG and UAA/UGA stop codons, respectively, eukaryotes only depend on one RF (eRF1) to initiate peptide release at all three stop codons. Based on several structural as well as biochemical studies, interactions between mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA have been proposed to be required for stop codon recognition. In this study, the influence of these interactions was investigated by using chemically modified stop codons. Single functional groups within stop codon nucleotides were substituted to weaken or completely eliminate specific interactions between the respective mRNA and RFs. Our findings provide detailed insight into the recognition mode of bacterial and eukaryotic RFs, thereby revealing the chemical groups of nucleotides that define the identity of stop codons and provide the means to discriminate against noncognate stop codons or UGG sense codons

Land use regulations, transit investment, and commuting preferences

In the U.S., various anti-sprawl land use regulations have been implemented for over two decades. Previous studies primarily investigate the impacts of local land use regulations or neighborhood-level built environment attributes on travel behaviors within a narrow time frame. Through a different lens, this paper examines how various local land use regulations and transit investment, both measured at the aggregated metropolitan level, have affected people’s long-term travel behaviors over a 15-year period, and how these impacts differ between younger and older age groups. This study combines a set of land use regulation indices measured at the metropolitan level in 2003 with 15 years of travel data (2005–2019) from a pooled representative sample of over 8 million workers in the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Results show several local anti-sprawl land use regulations (e.g., growth containment, adequate public facilities, and moratoria), when combined at the metropolitan level, effectively reduced driving notwithstanding their marginal effects. Government investment in public transit also significantly increased commuters’ likelihood of using public transit and, carpooling, as well as increased carpool group size. Moreover, the commuting mode choices of younger workers are more responsive to transit improvements and land use regulations. Urban planners should commit to regional cooperative planning to promote effective land use regulations at the metropolitan level. Regional collaborative entities, such as metropolitan planning organizations should play a larger role in coordinating local land use planning and regulations. To reduce automobile dependency, planners should commit to improving public transit through enhanced financial assistance, harnessing land use regulations in a more targeted way, and accommodating the needs of different age cohorts

The impact of mass gatherings on the local transmission of COVID-19 and the implications for social distancing policies: Evidence from Hong Kong

Mass gatherings provide conditions for the transmission of infectious diseases and pose complex challenges to public health. Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, governments and health experts called for suspension of gatherings in order to reduce social contact via which virus is transmitted. However, few studies have investigated the contribution of mass gatherings to COVID-19 transmission in local communities. In Hong Kong, the coincidence of the relaxation of group gathering restrictions with demonstrations against the National Security Law in mid-2020 raised concerns about the safety of mass gatherings under the pandemic. Therefore, this study examines the impacts of mass gatherings on the local transmission of COVID-19 and evaluates the importance of social distancing policies. With an aggregated dataset of epidemiological, city-level meteorological and socioeconomic data, a Synthetic Control Method (SCM) is used for constructing a ‘synthetic Hong Kong’ from over 200 Chinese cities. This counterfactual control unit is used to simulate COVID-19 infection patterns (i.e., the number of total cases and daily new cases) in the absence of mass gatherings. Comparing the hypothetical trends and the actual ones, our results indicate that the infection rate observed in Hong Kong is substantially higher than that in the counterfactual control unit (2.63% vs. 0.07%). As estimated, mass gatherings increased the number of new infections by 62 cases (or 87.58% of total new cases) over the 10–day period and by 737 cases (or 97.23%) over the 30-day period. These findings suggest the necessity of tightening social distancing policies, especially the prohibition on group gathering regulation (POGGR), to prevent and control COVID-19 outbreaks

Preventing HIV Transmission in Chinese Internal Migrants: A Behavioral Approach

This study is a step towards a behavioral intervention to prevent HIV transmission among Chinese internal migrants. To explore important and changeable determinants of condom use and inspect effective and feasible methods to increase condom use for the target population, we conducted a three-round web-based Delphi study among a panel of 62 experts between October 2012 and March 2013. The panelists were purposely selected using a stepwise procedure to represent topic-related areas of expertise. The response rate per round ranges from 21% to 81%. The panelists identified 19 possible determinants of condom use and reported 16 intervention methods they considered successful. They agreed that attitude towards condom use was the most important and changeable determinant, while applying behavioral theory, increasing sexual education and condom access, performing worksite health promotion, detecting risk factors, and working closely with relevant organizations and the government were effective and feasible methods to increase condom use among internal migrants in China. In conclusion, results of this study highlight the importance of attitude in changing condom use and underscore the need to apply behavior theory and integrate multiple educational approaches for developing behavioral HIV prevention interventions targeting internal migrants in China

Changes of placental three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography in third trimester among hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy

Hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy (HDCP) represent a systemic condition specific to pregnant women. Three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasonography is a technique that utilizes erythrocyte density, scattered intensity, or energy distribution in the bloodstream for imaging purposes. This study aimed to compare the changes in 3D power Doppler ultrasonography parameters in late pregnancy between patients with HDCP and those without HDCP, and to evaluate the predictive value of these parameters for pregnancy outcomes in patients with HDCP. The study included 160 pregnant women diagnosed with HDCP and 100 pregnant women without HDCP, who served as the control group. 3D power Doppler ultrasonography was performed, and the values of the vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), and vascularization flow index (VFI) were measured. In the HDCP group, the VI, FI, and VFI were all lower than those observed in patients without HDCP. In HDCP patients with positive outcomes, these three parameters were higher than those recorded in patients with negative outcomes. The area under the predicted curve (AUC) for VI, FI, VFI, and the combination of these three parameters were 0.69, 0.63, 0.66, and 0.75, respectively. The parameters of 3D power Doppler ultrasonography can reflect the perfusion status of the placenta and predict the outcome of pregnancy in patients with HDCP. By monitoring these relevant hemodynamic parameters, valuable information can be provided for the clinical diagnosis, objective evaluation, and treatment of HDCP