Named Entity Recognition in Twitter using Images and Text

Named Entity Recognition (NER) is an important subtask of information extraction that seeks to locate and recognise named entities. Despite recent achievements, we still face limitations with correctly detecting and classifying entities, prominently in short and noisy text, such as Twitter. An important negative aspect in most of NER approaches is the high dependency on hand-crafted features and domain-specific knowledge, necessary to achieve state-of-the-art results. Thus, devising models to deal with such linguistically complex contexts is still challenging. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-level architecture that does not rely on any specific linguistic resource or encoded rule. Unlike traditional approaches, we use features extracted from images and text to classify named entities. Experimental tests against state-of-the-art NER for Twitter on the Ritter dataset present competitive results (0.59 F-measure), indicating that this approach may lead towards better NER models.Comment: The 3rd International Workshop on Natural Language Processing for Informal Text (NLPIT 2017), 8 page

Geography of science: competitiveness and inequality

We characterize the temporal dynamics of Scientific Fitness, as defined by the Economic Fitness and Complexity (EFC) framework, and R&D expenditures at the geographic scale of nations. Our analysis highlights common patterns across similar research systems, and shows how develop-ing nations (China in particular) are quickly catching up with the developed world. This paints the picture of a general growth of scientific and technical capabilities of nations induced by the spreading of information typical of the scientific environment. Shifting the focus of the analysis to the regional level, we find that even developed nations display a considerable level of inequal-ity in the Scientific Fitness of their internal regions. Further, we assess comparatively how the competitiveness of each geographic region is distributed over the spectrum of research sectors. Overall, the Scientific Fitness represents the first high quality estimation of the scientific strength of nations and regions, opening new policy-making applications for better allocating resources, filling inequality gaps and ultimately promoting innovation

Fracking and Metaphor: Analysing Newspaper Discourse in the USA, Australia and the United Kingdom

We apply a mixed-method design centred on the deployment of metaphors to explore the role that language plays in the structuring of the public discourses of unconventional hydrocarbon development (UHD) across three major developed economies. We analyse UHD-related metaphorical devices deployed in broadsheet newspapers in Australia, the UK and the USA between January 2006 and May 2018. We develop an innovative Type Hierarchy Approach to metaphors by mapping through directed graph hierarchies. These allow concept-mapping analysis in terms of supertypes and subtypes, i.e. concepts ordered in terms of generality and inclusion as in “rapid expansion” → “explosion”. We find two broad discourses, each containing metaphorical constructions: economic gain across temporal horizons (incorporating boom, bonanza, revolution and death metaphors); and risk tolerance and decision-making (incorporating gamble and insanity metaphors). At the level of individual metaphors, deployment trends and patterns can be mapped along country borders rather than for example political alignment. Boom and bonanza appear most widespread in the USA, whereas UHD as a revolution is more closely associated with UK newspapers. Over time, UHD-related metaphor use decreases in all three countries, potentially reflecting an increasing public acceptance of UHD and moving shale gas from unconventional to conventional hydrocarbon development

“Serial Classic. Moltiplicare l’arte tra Grecia e Roma”. Mostra a cura di S. Settis e A. Anguissola, Milano, Fondazione Prada, 9 maggio – 24 agosto 2015,

As a journey that crosses the boundaries of time and material, color and originality, archaeology and art history, the exhibition Serial Classic, co-curated by S. Settis and A. Anguissola, has dealt with new and corageous vitality the notion of ‘classic’, through the comparison between originals, copies and reproductions of the greatest examples of Greek sculpture, suggesting the modern world how much their inner messages are alive, powerful and contemporary.Alla stregua di un viaggio che valica i confini di tempo e materia, colore e originalità, archeologia e storia dell’arte, la mostra Serial Classic, curata da S. Settis e A. Anguissola ed allestita dal 9 maggio al 24 agosto 2015 presso le sale del Podium della Fondazione Prada di Milano, ha affrontato con rinnovata e audace vitalità il concetto di ‘classico’ attraverso il rapporto tra originali, copie e riproduzioni delle grandi manifestazioni statuarie greche, svelando al mondo moderno quanto i valori di classicità in essi insiti siano vivi, energici e attuali.

Circulating Endothelial Cell Levels Correlate with Treatment Outcomes of Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis in Patients with Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are viable, apoptotic or necrotic cells, identified by CD 146 surface antigen expression, considered a biomarker of thrombotic risk, given their active role in inflammatory, procoagulant and immune processes of the vascular compartment. Growing evidence establishes that CECs are also involved in the pathogenesis of several hematological and solid malignancies. The primary aim of this study was to verify if CEC levels could predict both the course and treatment responses of splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT), either in patients affected by myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) or liver disease. Thus, a retrospective multicenter study was performed; fifteen patients receiving anticoagulant oral treatment with vitamin k antagonists (VKA) for SVT were evaluated. Nine patients were affected by MPN, and all of them received cytoreduction in addition to anticoagulant therapy; four of these patients had primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and were treated with ruxolitinib (RUX), and one patient with primary myelofibrosis, two patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), and two patients with polycythemia vera (PV) were treated with hydroxyurea (HU). Six patients affected by liver diseases (three with liver cirrhosis and three with hepatocellular carcinoma) were included as the control group. CECs were assayed by flow cytometry on peripheral blood at specific time points, for up to six months after enrollment. The CEC levels were related to C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, splenic volume reduction, and thrombus recanalization, mainly in MPN patients. In patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), for which the mechanism of SVT development is quite different, the relationship between CEC and SV reduction was absent. In conclusion, the CEC levels showed a significant correlation with the extent of venous thrombosis and endothelial cell damage in myeloproliferative neoplasm patients with splanchnic vein thrombosis. Although preliminary, these results show how monitoring CEC levels during cytoreductive and anticoagulant treatments may be useful to improve SVT outcome in MPN patients

Concomitant Intubation with Minimal Cuffed Tube and Rigid Bronchoscopy for Severe Tracheo-Carinal Obstruction

Background: Our aim was to report on the use of an innovative technique for airway management utilizing a small diameter, short-cuffed, long orotracheal tube for assisting operative rigid bronchoscopy in critical airway obstruction. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 36 patients with life-threatening critical airway stenosis submitted for rigid bronchoscopy between January 2008 and July 2021. The supporting ventilatory tube, part of the Translaryngeal Tracheostomy KIT (Fantoni method), was utilized in tandem with the rigid bronchoscope during endoscopic airway reopening. Results: Indications for collateral intubation were either tumors of the trachea with near-total airway obstruction (13), or tumors of the main carina with total obstruction of one main bronchus and possible contralateral involvement (23). Preliminary dilation was necessary before tube placement in only 2/13 patients with tracheal-obstructing tumors (15.4%). No postoperative complications were reported. There was one case of an intraoperative cuff tear, with no further technical problems. Conclusions: In our experience, this innovative method proved to be safe, allowing for continuous airway control. It enabled anesthesia inhalation, use of neuromuscular blockage and reliable end-tidal CO2 monitoring, along with protection of the distal airway from blood flooding. The shorter time of the procedure was due to the lack of need for pauses to ventilate the patient

Cyclophilin A modulates bone marrow-derived CD117+ cells and enhances ischemia-induced angiogenesis via the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis

Abstract Background Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a major health problem with no adequate treatment. Since CLI is characterized by insufficient tissue vascularization, efforts have focused on the discovery of novel angiogenic factors. Cyclophilin A (CyPA) is an immunophilin that has been shown to promote angiogenesis in vitro and to enhance bone marrow (BM) cell mobilization in vivo . However, its potential as an angiogenic factor in CLI is still unknown. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate whether CyPA might induce neo-angiogenesis in ischemic tissues. Methods and results Wild-type C57Bl/6j mice underwent acute hind-limb ischemia (HLI) and received a single intramuscular administration of recombinant CyPA or saline. Limb perfusion, capillary density and arteriole number in adductor muscles were significantly increased after CyPA treatment. Interestingly, BM-derived CD117 + cell recruitment was significantly higher in ischemic adductor tissue of mice treated with CyPA versus saline. Therefore, the effect of CyPA on isolated BM-derived CD117 + cells in vitro was evaluated. Low concentrations of CyPA stimulated CD117 + cell proliferation while high concentrations promoted cell death. Moreover, CyPA enhanced CD117 + cell adhesion and migration in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistic studies revealed that CyPA up-regulated CXCR4 in CD117 + cells and in adductor muscles after ischemia. Additionally, SDF-1/CXCR4 axis inhibition by the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 decreased CyPA-mediated CD117 + cell recruitment in the ischemic limb. Conclusion CyPA induces neo-angiogenesis by recruiting BM-derived CD117 + cell into ischemic tissues, at least in part, through SDF-1/CXCR4 axis

Interaction with a Virtual Coach for Active and Healthy Ageing

International audienceSince life expectancy has increased significantly over the past century, society is being forced to discover innovative ways to support active aging and elderly care. The e-VITA project, which receives funding from both the European Union and Japan, is built on a cutting edge method of virtual coaching that focuses on the key areas of active and healthy aging. The requirements for the virtual coach were ascertained through a process of participatory design in workshops, focus groups, and living laboratories in Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. Several use cases were then chosen for development utilising the open-source Rasa framework. The system uses common representations such as Knowledge Bases and Knowledge Graphs to enable the integration of context, subject expertise, and multimodal data, and is available in English, German, French, Italian, and Japanese