Vec2Gloss: definition modeling leveraging contextualized vectors with Wordnet gloss

Contextualized embeddings are proven to be powerful tools in multiple NLP tasks. Nonetheless, challenges regarding their interpretability and capability to represent lexical semantics still remain. In this paper, we propose that the task of definition modeling, which aims to generate the human-readable definition of the word, provides a route to evaluate or understand the high dimensional semantic vectors. We propose a `Vec2Gloss' model, which produces the gloss from the target word's contextualized embeddings. The generated glosses of this study are made possible by the systematic gloss patterns provided by Chinese Wordnet. We devise two dependency indices to measure the semantic and contextual dependency, which are used to analyze the generated texts in gloss and token levels. Our results indicate that the proposed `Vec2Gloss' model opens a new perspective to the lexical-semantic applications of contextualized embeddings

Lexical Retrieval Hypothesis in Multimodal Context

Multimodal corpora have become an essential language resource for language science and grounded natural language processing (NLP) systems due to the growing need to understand and interpret human communication across various channels. In this paper, we first present our efforts in building the first Multimodal Corpus for Languages in Taiwan (MultiMoco). Based on the corpus, we conduct a case study investigating the Lexical Retrieval Hypothesis (LRH), specifically examining whether the hand gestures co-occurring with speech constants facilitate lexical retrieval or serve other discourse functions. With detailed annotations on eight parliamentary interpellations in Taiwan Mandarin, we explore the co-occurrence between speech constants and non-verbal features (i.e., head movement, face movement, hand gesture, and function of hand gesture). Our findings suggest that while hand gestures do serve as facilitators for lexical retrieval in some cases, they also serve the purpose of information emphasis. This study highlights the potential of the MultiMoco Corpus to provide an important resource for in-depth analysis and further research in multimodal communication studies

Exploring Affordance and Situated Meaning in Image Captions: A Multimodal Analysis

This paper explores the grounding issue regarding multimodal semantic representation from a computational cognitive-linguistic view. We annotate images from the Flickr30k dataset with five perceptual properties: Affordance, Perceptual Salience, Object Number, Gaze Cueing, and Ecological Niche Association (ENA), and examine their association with textual elements in the image captions. Our findings reveal that images with Gibsonian affordance show a higher frequency of captions containing 'holding-verbs' and 'container-nouns' compared to images displaying telic affordance. Perceptual Salience, Object Number, and ENA are also associated with the choice of linguistic expressions. Our study demonstrates that comprehensive understanding of objects or events requires cognitive attention, semantic nuances in language, and integration across multiple modalities. We highlight the vital importance of situated meaning and affordance grounding in natural language understanding, with the potential to advance human-like interpretation in various scenarios.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure

AMiBA Wideband Analog Correlator

A wideband analog correlator has been constructed for the Yuan-Tseh Lee Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy. Lag correlators using analog multipliers provide large bandwidth and moderate frequency resolution. Broadband IF distribution, backend signal processing and control are described. Operating conditions for optimum sensitivity and linearity are discussed. From observations, a large effective bandwidth of around 10 GHz has been shown to provide sufficient sensitivity for detecting cosmic microwave background variations.Comment: 28 pages, 23 figures, ApJ in press

Alternative Complement Pathway Is Activated and Associated with Galactose-Deficient IgA1 Antibody in IgA Nephropathy Patients

BackgroundGalactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) and alternative complement pathway activation are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Nevertheless, the relationships between alternative pathway activation and disease activity or Gd-IgA1 level remains unclear.MethodsNinety-eight biopsy-diagnosed IgAN, twenty-five primary focal segmental sclerosis (FSGS) patients and forty-two healthy individuals were recruited in this study. Among them, fifty IgAN patients received immunosuppression. Follow-up blood samples at 1 and 3~6 months after immunosuppression were collected. Plasma levels of complement C5a, factor Ba and Gd-IgA1 were measured and analyzed. Immunostaining for complement was performed in twenty-five IgAN and FSGS patients.ResultsAt baseline, IgAN patients had higher levels of plasma C5a, factor Ba and Gd-IgA1 than control subjects. Gd-IgA1 levels positively correlated with plasma C5a and factor Ba. In addition, levels of factor Ba and Gd-IgA1 were positively associated with proteinuria and negatively associated with renal function. Immunostaining revealed positive staining for factor Bb and C3c in glomeruli in IgAN patients, but not in FSGS patients. At baseline, patients receiving immunosuppression had more severe proteinuria and higher factor Ba. After 6 months, eGFR declined and proteinuria persisted in patients without immunosuppression. In contrast, patients who received immunosuppression exhibited decreased plasma levels of C5a, factor Ba, and Gd-IgA1 as early as 1 month after treatment. Proteinuria decreased and renal function also remained stable 6 months after immunosuppression.ConclusionsOur results indicate a close relationship between alternative complement pathway activation, Gd-IgA1 concentration and clinical severity of IgAN. Level of complement factor B may be a potential marker for disease activity and therapeutic target in IgAN patients

Serologic and Molecular Biologic Methods for SARS-associated Coronavirus Infection, Taiwan

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has raised a global alert since March 2003. After its causative agent, SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), was confirmed, laboratory methods, including virus isolation, reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and serologic methods, have been quickly developed. In this study, we evaluated four serologic tests ( neutralization test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA], immunofluorescent assay [IFA], and immunochromatographic test [ICT]) for detecting antibodies to SARS-CoV in sera of 537 probable SARS case-patients with correlation to the RT-PCR . With the neutralization test as a reference method, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 98.2%, 98.7%, 98.7%, and 98.4% for ELISA; 99.1%, 87.8%, 88.1% and 99.1% for IFA; 33.6%, 98.2%, 95.7%, and 56.1% for ICT, respectively. We also compared the recombinant-based western blot with the whole virus–based IFA and ELISA; the data showed a high correlation between these methods, with an overall agreement of >90%. Our results provide a systematic analysis of serologic and molecular methods for evaluating SARS-CoV infection

The Yuan-Tseh Lee Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy

The Yuan-Tseh Lee Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy (AMiBA) is the first interferometer dedicated to studying the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation at 3mm wavelength. The choice of 3mm was made to minimize the contributions from foreground synchrotron radiation and Galactic dust emission. The initial configuration of seven 0.6m telescopes mounted on a 6-m hexapod platform was dedicated in October 2006 on Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Scientific operations began with the detection of a number of clusters of galaxies via the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. We compare our data with Subaru weak lensing data in order to study the structure of dark matter. We also compare our data with X-ray data in order to derive the Hubble constant.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ (13 pages, 7 figures); a version with high resolution figures available at http://www.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/~keiichi/upfiles/AMiBA7/pho_highreso.pd

A comprehensive characterization of aggravated aging-related changes in T lymphocytes and monocytes in end-stage renal disease: The iESRD study

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) exhibit a premature aging phenotype of the immune system. Nevertheless, the etiology and impact of these changes in ESRD patients remain unknown. Results: Compared to healthy individuals, ESRD patients exhibit accelerated immunosenescence in both T cell and monocyte compartments, characterized by a dramatic reduction in naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cell numbers but increase in CD8+ TEMRA cell and proinflammatory monocyte numbers. Notably, within ESRD patients, aging-related immune changes positively correlated not only with increasing age but also with longer dialysis vintage. In multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models, the combination of high terminally differentiated CD8+ T cell level and high intermediate monocyte level, as a composite predictive immunophenotype, was independently associated with prevalent coronary artery disease as well as cardiovascular disease, after adjustment for age, sex, systemic inflammation and presence of diabetes. Levels of terminally differentiated CD8+ T cells also positively correlated with the level of uremic toxin p-cresyl sulfate. Conclusions: Aging-associated adaptive and innate immune changes are aggravated in ESRD and are associated with cardiovascular diseases. For the first time, our study demonstrates the potential link between immunosenescence in ESRD and duration of exposure to the uremic milieu