Interpreting and Answering Keyword Queries using Web Knowledge Bases

Many keyword queries issued to Web search engines target information about real world entities, and interpreting these queries over Web knowledge bases can allow a search system to provide exact answers to keyword queries. Such an ability provides a useful service to end users, as their information need can be directly addressed and they need not scour textual results for the desired information. However, not all keyword queries can be addressed by even the most comprehensive knowledge base, and therefore equally important is the problem of recognizing when a reference knowledge base is not capable of modelling the keyword query's intention. This may be due to lack of coverage of the knowledge base or lack of expressiveness in the underlying query representation formalism. This thesis presents an approach to computing structured representations of keyword queries over a reference knowledge base. Keyword queries are annotated with occurrences of semantic constructs by learning a sequential labelling model from an annotated Web query log. Frequent query structures are then mined from the query log and are used along with the annotations to map keyword queries into a structured representation over the vocabulary of a reference knowledge base. The proposed approach exploits coarse linguistic structure in keyword queries, and combines it with rich structured query representations of information needs. As an intermediate representation formalism, a novel query language is proposed that blends keyword search with structured query processing over large Web knowledge bases. The formalism for structured keyword queries combines the flexibility of keyword search with the expressiveness of structures queries. A solution to the resulting disambiguation problem caused by introducing keywords as primitives in a structured query language is presented. Expressions in our proposed language are rewritten using the vocabulary of the knowledge base, and different possible rewritings are ranked based on their syntactic relationship to the keywords in the query as well as their semantic coherence in the underlying knowledge base. The problem of ranking knowledge base entities returned as a query result is also explored from the perspective of personalized result ranking. User interest models based on entity types are learned from a Web search session by cross referencing clicks on URLs with known entity homepages. The user interest model is then used to effectively rerank answer lists for a given user. A methodology for evaluating entity-based search engines is also proposed and empirically evaluated

Ordering, Indexing, and Searching Semantic Data: A Terminology Aware Index Structure

Indexing data for efficient search capabilities is a core problem in many domains of computer science. As applications centered around semantic data sources become more common, the need for more sophisticated indexing and querying capabilities arises. In particular, the need to search for specific information in the presence of a terminology or ontology (i.e. a set of logic based rules that describe concepts and their relations) becomes of particular importance, as the information a user seeks may exists as an entailment of the explicit data by means of the terminology. This variant on traditional indexing and search problems forms the foundation of a range of possible technologies for semantic data. In this work, we propose an ordering language for specifying partial orders over semantic data items modeled as descriptions in a description logic. We then show how these orderings can be used as the basis of a search tree index for processing \emph{concept searches} in the presence of a terminology. We study in detail the properties of the orderings and the associated index structure, and also explore a relationship between ordering descriptions called \emph{order refinement}. A sound and complete procedure for deciding refinement is given. We also empirically evaluate a prototype implementation of our index structure, validating its potential efficacy in semantic query problems

Towards Scalable Real-time Analytics:: An Architecture for Scale-out of OLxP Workloads

We present an overview of our work on the SAP HANA Scale-out Extension, a novel distributed database architecture designed to support large scale analytics over real-time data. This platform permits high performance OLAP with massive scale-out capabilities, while concurrently allowing OLTP workloads. This dual capability enables analytics over real-time changing data and allows fine grained user-specified service level agreements (SLAs) on data freshness. We advocate the decoupling of core database components such as query processing, concurrency control, and persistence, a design choice made possible by advances in high-throughput low-latency networks and storage devices. We provide full ACID guarantees and build on a logical timestamp mechanism to provide MVCC-based snapshot isolation, while not requiring synchronous updates of replicas. Instead, we use asynchronous update propagation guaranteeing consistency with timestamp validation. We provide a view into the design and development of a large scale data management platform for real-time analytics, driven by the needs of modern enterprise customers

Identification of plasma lipid biomarkers for prostate cancer by lipidomics and bioinformatics

Background: Lipids have critical functions in cellular energy storage, structure and signaling. Many individual lipid molecules have been associated with the evolution of prostate cancer; however, none of them has been approved to be used as a biomarker. The aim of this study is to identify lipid molecules from hundreds plasma apparent lipid species as biomarkers for diagnosis of prostate cancer. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using lipidomics, lipid profiling of 390 individual apparent lipid species was performed on 141 plasma samples from 105 patients with prostate cancer and 36 male controls. High throughput data generated from lipidomics were analyzed using bioinformatic and statistical methods. From 390 apparent lipid species, 35 species were demonstrated to have potential in differentiation of prostate cancer. Within the 35 species, 12 were identified as individual plasma lipid biomarkers for diagnosis of prostate cancer with a sensitivity above 80%, specificity above 50% and accuracy above 80%. Using top 15 of 35 potential biomarkers together increased predictive power dramatically in diagnosis of prostate cancer with a sensitivity of 93.6%, specificity of 90.1% and accuracy of 97.3%. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) demonstrated that patient and control populations were visually separated by identified lipid biomarkers. RandomForest and 10-fold cross validation analyses demonstrated that the identified lipid biomarkers were able to predict unknown populations accurately, and this was not influenced by patient's age and race. Three out of 13 lipid classes, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), ether-linked phosphatidylethanolamine (ePE) and ether-linked phosphatidylcholine (ePC) could be considered as biomarkers in diagnosis of prostate cancer. Conclusions/Significance: Using lipidomics and bioinformatic and statistical methods, we have identified a few out of hundreds plasma apparent lipid molecular species as biomarkers for diagnosis of prostate cancer with a high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy

Exile Vol. XL No. 2

38th Year Title Page by Carrie Horner \u2797 i Epigraph by Ezra Pound ii Table of Contents iii-iv Remembering Sundays by Allison Lemieux \u2795 1 Untitled by James Oliver \u2794 2 \u2778 Beige Chevy Malibu by Craig J. McDonough \u2794 3-4 Brushtown Road by Lelei Jennings \u2795 5 In Memoriam: River Phoenix, 1970-93 by Kirstin Rogers \u2794 6 Untitled by Kira Pollack \u2794 7 Checkmate by Kevin Nix \u2794 8 Anywhere in Ohio by Jen Hanysh \u2795 9 Untitled by Nicky Taylor \u2794 10 Under Your Influence by Katherine Anne Campo \u2794 11 Tulips by Tricia B. Swearingen \u2794 12 Untitled by Keith Chapman \u2795 12 December Storm by Erin Lott \u2796 13-19 On Meeting Phil Levine After a Reading at Denison University April 6, 1993 by Christopher Harnish \u2794 20 The 422 Bypass by Joel Husenits \u2795 21 Untitled by Ken Tyburski \u2794 22 Shakespeare\u27s Foreskin by Carey Christie \u2795 23 The Thaw by Chris Iven \u2794 24 The Rockbridge County Fair by Morgan Roper \u2794 25 Let it Drop Through by Carey Christie \u2795 26-27 Aladdin\u27s by Paul Rinkes \u2794 28-29 Untitled by Aileen Jones \u2794 30 The Tango by Hope Layne Morgan \u2794 31 Icarus by Carey Christine \u2795 32-33 fad by Jeremy Aufrance \u2795 34 Untitled by James Oliver \u2794 35 Desert Villanelle by Christopher Harnish \u2794 36 The Skull by Nicky Taylor \u2794 37 Rodeo Bar by Carl Jeffrey Boon \u2796 38 I, Mordred by Carey Christie \u2795 39-43 Between Centuries by Leslie Dana Wells \u2794 44-45 Untitled by Carrie Horner \u2797 45 Untitled by Alex Emmons \u2796 46 Coleridge\u27s Curse by Allison Lemieux \u2795 47 Untitled by Jenny Baker \u2794 48 five by Jeremy Aufrance \u2795 49 Untitled by James Oliver \u2794 50 Lobster Boy by Kirstin Rogers \u2794 51 Fire on the Mountain by Christopher Harnish \u2794 52-53 Yosemite by Morgan Roper \u2794 54 Untitled by Carrie Horner \u2797 54 Untitled by Ken Tyburski \u2794 55 Sleepless Nights Fades to Credits by Allison Lemieux \u2794 56 Dancing Days by Julie McDonald \u2794 57 Immobile by Adrienne Fair \u2796 58-59 Untitled by Kira Pollack \u2794 60 Dorm Fire by Lisa Marie Antonille \u2795 Untitled by Carrie Horner \u2797 61 The Book by Matt Wanat \u2795 62-63 Distance by Carl Jeffrey Boon \u2796 64 Untitled by Jenny Baker \u2794 65 Cover by Ken Tyburski \u2794 Editorial decision is shared equally among the Editorial Board. -6

Obeticholic acid for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: interim analysis from a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial

Background Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common type of chronic liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis. Obeticholic acid, a farnesoid X receptor agonist, has been shown to improve the histological features of NASH. Here we report results from a planned interim analysis of an ongoing, phase 3 study of obeticholic acid for NASH. Methods In this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, adult patients with definite NASH,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score of at least 4, and fibrosis stages F2–F3, or F1 with at least oneaccompanying comorbidity, were randomly assigned using an interactive web response system in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive oral placebo, obeticholic acid 10 mg, or obeticholic acid 25 mg daily. Patients were excluded if cirrhosis, other chronic liver disease, elevated alcohol consumption, or confounding conditions were present. The primary endpointsfor the month-18 interim analysis were fibrosis improvement (≥1 stage) with no worsening of NASH, or NASH resolution with no worsening of fibrosis, with the study considered successful if either primary endpoint was met. Primary analyses were done by intention to treat, in patients with fibrosis stage F2–F3 who received at least one dose of treatment and reached, or would have reached, the month 18 visit by the prespecified interim analysis cutoff date. The study also evaluated other histological and biochemical markers of NASH and fibrosis, and safety. This study is ongoing, and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02548351, and EudraCT, 20150-025601-6. Findings Between Dec 9, 2015, and Oct 26, 2018, 1968 patients with stage F1–F3 fibrosis were enrolled and received at least one dose of study treatment; 931 patients with stage F2–F3 fibrosis were included in the primary analysis (311 in the placebo group, 312 in the obeticholic acid 10 mg group, and 308 in the obeticholic acid 25 mg group). The fibrosis improvement endpoint was achieved by 37 (12%) patients in the placebo group, 55 (18%) in the obeticholic acid 10 mg group (p=0·045), and 71 (23%) in the obeticholic acid 25 mg group (p=0·0002). The NASH resolution endpoint was not met (25 [8%] patients in the placebo group, 35 [11%] in the obeticholic acid 10 mg group [p=0·18], and 36 [12%] in the obeticholic acid 25 mg group [p=0·13]). In the safety population (1968 patients with fibrosis stages F1–F3), the most common adverse event was pruritus (123 [19%] in the placebo group, 183 [28%] in the obeticholic acid 10 mg group, and 336 [51%] in the obeticholic acid 25 mg group); incidence was generally mild to moderate in severity. The overall safety profile was similar to that in previous studies, and incidence of serious adverse events was similar across treatment groups (75 [11%] patients in the placebo group, 72 [11%] in the obeticholic acid 10 mg group, and 93 [14%] in the obeticholic acid 25 mg group). Interpretation Obeticholic acid 25 mg significantly improved fibrosis and key components of NASH disease activity among patients with NASH. The results from this planned interim analysis show clinically significant histological improvement that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. This study is ongoing to assess clinical outcomes