On the evaluation and improvement of arabic wordnet coverage and usability

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10579-013-9237-0[EN] Built on the basis of the methods developed for Princeton WordNet and EuroWordNet, Arabic WordNet (AWN) has been an interesting project which combines WordNet structure compliance with Arabic particularities. In this paper, some AWN shortcomings related to coverage and usability are addressed. The use of AWN in question/answering (Q/A) helped us to deeply evaluate the resource from an experience-based perspective. Accordingly, an enrichment of AWN was built by semi-automatically extending its content. Indeed, existing approaches and/or resources developed for other languages were adapted and used for AWN. The experiments conducted in Arabic Q/A have shown an improvement of both AWN coverage as well as usability. Concerning coverage, a great amount of named entities extracted from YAGO were connected with corresponding AWN synsets. Also, a significant number of new verbs and nouns (including Broken Plural forms) were added. In terms of usability, thanks to the use of AWN, the performance for the AWN-based Q/A application registered an overall improvement with respect to the following three measures: accuracy (+9.27 % improvement), mean reciprocal rank (+3.6 improvement) and number of answered questions (+12.79 % improvement).The work presented in Sect. 2.2 was done in the framework of the bilateral Spain-Morocco AECID-PCI C/026728/09 research project. The research of the two first authors is done in the framework of the PROGRAMME D'URGENCE project (grant no. 03/2010). The research of the third author is done in the framework of WIQEI IRSES project (grant no. 269180) within the FP 7 Marie Curie People, DIANA-APPLICATIONS-Finding Hidden Knowledge in Texts: Applications (TIN2012-38603-C02-01) research project and VLC/CAMPUS Microcluster on Multimodal Interaction in Intelligent Systems. We would like to thank Manuel Montes-y-Gomez (INAOE-Puebla, Mexico) and Sandra Garcia-Blasco (Bitsnbrain, Spain) for their feedback on the work presented in Sect. 2.4. We would like finally to thank Violetta Cavalli-Sforza (Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco) for having reviewed the linguistic level of the entire document.Abouenour, L.; Bouzoubaa, K.; Rosso, P. (2013). On the evaluation and improvement of arabic wordnet coverage and usability. Language Resources and Evaluation. 47(3):891-917. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10579-013-9237-0S891917473Abbès, R., Dichy, J., & Hassoun, M. (2004). The architecture of a standard Arabic lexical database: Some figures, ratios and categories from the DIINAR.1 source program. In Workshop on computational approaches to Arabic script-based languages, Coling 2004. Geneva, Switzerland.Abouenour, L., Bouzoubaa, K., & Rosso, P. (2009a). Structure-based evaluation of an Arabic semantic query expansion using the JIRS passage retrieval system. 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Diferencia en las variables asociadas a la potencia entre jugadores universitarios de fútbol soccer y fútbol rápido

The aim of this study was to compare the power values of university indoor soccer and field soccer players. For the purpose of the study, 10 soccer players (22 ± 2.89years) FUTSOCC group, and 10 fast soccer players (21.1 ± 1.6 years) FUTRAP group, were recruited. The protocol was based on the execution of the exercise of half squat increasing the weight in each series. The following variables were assessed: 1RM, percentage of 1RM with better average power, average power obtained and the time it took to reach the peak power. A level of significance of p≤0.05 was established. The results showed that the FUTSOCC group had higher 1RM, while the FUTRAP group reached higher 1RM percentages at their best average power value and their peak power expression times were lower. In the mean power values there were no significant differences. The results make us conclude that field soccer players have higher levels of maximum strength, but, indoor soccer players are faster in the execution of the movement.En el presente estudio, se pretendió comparar los valores de potencia de jugadores de fútbol rápido y fútbol soccer de categoría universitaria. Se reclutó a 10 jugadores de fútbol soccer (22 ± 2.89 años) grupo FUTSOCC y 10 jugadores de fútbol rápido (21.1 ± 1.6 años) grupo FUTRAP. Se ejecutó el ejercicio de media sentadilla cargada incrementando el peso en cada serie, se evaluaron las siguientes variables: 1RM, porcentaje de RM con mejor potencia media, potencia media obtenida y el tiempo que tardaban en alcanzar la potencia pico. Se estableció un nivel de significación de p≤0.05. Los resultados mostraron que el grupo FUTSOCC tuvo mayor 1RM, mientras que el grupo FUTRAP obtuvo su mejor valor de potencia media con porcentajes de 1RM mayores al igual que sus tiempos de expresión de potencia pico fueron menores en comparación con el FUTSOCC. En los valores de potencia media no hubo diferencias significativas. Los resultados nos hacen concluir que los jugadores de fútbol soccer tienen niveles más elevados de fuerza máxima, pero, los jugadores de fútbol rápido aplican su fuerza en menor tiempo lo que lleva a ser más veloces en la ejecución del movimiento

Controlling the polarization and vortex charge of attosecond high-harmonic beams via simultaneous spin–orbit momentum conservation

[EN]Optical interactions are governed by both spin and angular momentum conservation laws, which serve as a tool for controlling light–matter interactions or elucidating electron dynamics and structure of complex systems. Here, we uncover a form of simultaneous spin and orbital angular momentum conservation and show, theoretically and experimentally, that this phenomenon allows for unprecedented control over the divergence and polarization of extreme-ultraviolet vortex beams. High harmonics with spin and orbital angular momenta are produced, opening a novel regime of angular momentum conservation that allows for manipulation of the polarization of attosecond pulses—from linear to circular—and for the generation of circularly polarized vortices with tailored orbital angular momentum, including harmonic vortices with the same topological charge as the driving laser beam. Our work paves the way to ultrafast studies of chiral systems using high-harmonic beams with designer spin and orbital angular momentum.The authors are thankful for useful and productive conversations with E. Pisanty, C. Durfee, D. Hickstein, S. Alperin and M. Siemens. H.C.K. and M.M.M. graciously acknowledge support from the Department of Energy BES Award No. DE-FG02–99ER14982 for the experimental implementation, as well as a MURI grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Award No. FA9550–16–1–0121 for the theory. J.L.E., N.J.B. and Q.L.N. acknowledge support from National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (Grant No. DGE-1144083). C.H.-G., J.S.R. and L.P. acknowledge support from Junta de Castilla y León (SA046U16) and Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (FIS2013–44174-P, FIS2016–75652-P). C.H.-G. acknowledges support from a 2017 Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators, BBVA Foundation. L.R. acknowledges support from Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (FPU16/02591). A.P. acknowledges support from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant, Agreement No. 702565. We thankfully acknowledge the computer resources at MareNostrum and the technical support provided by Barcelona Supercomputing Center (RES-AECT-2014–2–0085). This research made use of the high-performance computingresources of the Castilla y León Supercomputing Center (SCAYLE, www.scayle.es),financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Certain commercial instruments are identified to specify the experimental study adequately. This does not imply endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or that the instruments are the best available for the purpose

A xandarellid artiopodan from Morocco – a middle Cambrian link between soft-bodied euarthropod communities in North Africa and South China

NB. A corrigendum [correction] for this article was published online on 09 May 2017; this has been attached to this article as an additional file. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ © The Author(s) 2017. The attached file is the published version of the article

Effect of Biodiversity Changes in Disease Risk: Exploring Disease Emergence in a Plant-Virus System

The effect of biodiversity on the ability of parasites to infect their host and cause disease (i.e. disease risk) is a major question in pathology, which is central to understand the emergence of infectious diseases, and to develop strategies for their management. Two hypotheses, which can be considered as extremes of a continuum, relate biodiversity to disease risk: One states that biodiversity is positively correlated with disease risk (Amplification Effect), and the second predicts a negative correlation between biodiversity and disease risk (Dilution Effect). Which of them applies better to different host-parasite systems is still a source of debate, due to limited experimental or empirical data. This is especially the case for viral diseases of plants. To address this subject, we have monitored for three years the prevalence of several viruses, and virus-associated symptoms, in populations of wild pepper (chiltepin) under different levels of human management. For each population, we also measured the habitat species diversity, host plant genetic diversity and host plant density. Results indicate that disease and infection risk increased with the level of human management, which was associated with decreased species diversity and host genetic diversity, and with increased host plant density. Importantly, species diversity of the habitat was the primary predictor of disease risk for wild chiltepin populations. This changed in managed populations where host genetic diversity was the primary predictor. Host density was generally a poorer predictor of disease and infection risk. These results support the dilution effect hypothesis, and underline the relevance of different ecological factors in determining disease/infection risk in host plant populations under different levels of anthropic influence. These results are relevant for managing plant diseases and for establishing conservation policies for endangered plant species

Shrike predation on the lizard Mesalina adramitana in Qatar; a review of reported reptile and amphibian prey

We report, for the first time, evidence of predation by a shrike (Lanius sp.) on the lizard Mesalina adramitana. This is the first record of predation by shrikes on lizards in Qatar. Whilst we did not directly observe the event, the presence of shrikes in the area and the method of impalement indicate shrikes as the predator. The lizard was found freshly impaled on a palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera), at 150 cm above ground. Bird species of the genus Lanius are well-known predators of lizards, and in arid environments reptiles are likely common prey for these birds. We provide a review of literature concerning predatory events by shrikes on reptiles and amphibians. We suggest inspection of shrubs for animals impaled by shrikes can improve biodiversity inventories, complementing other commonly used methods

Nitrogen uptake and internal recycling in Zostera marina exposed to oyster farming: eelgrass potential as a natural biofilter

Oyster farming in estuaries and coastal lagoons frequently overlaps with the distribution of seagrass meadows, yet there are few studies on how this aquaculture practice affects seagrass physiology. We compared in situ nitrogen uptake and the productivity of Zostera marina shoots growing near off-bottom longlines and at a site not affected by oyster farming in San Quintin Bay, a coastal lagoon in Baja California, Mexico. We used benthic chambers to measure leaf NH4 (+) uptake capacities by pulse labeling with (NH4)-N-15 (+) and plant photosynthesis and respiration. The internal N-15 resorption/recycling was measured in shoots 2 weeks after incubations. The natural isotopic composition of eelgrass tissues and vegetative descriptors were also examined. Plants growing at the oyster farming site showed a higher leaf NH4 (+) uptake rate (33.1 mmol NH4 (+) m(-2) day(-1)) relative to those not exposed to oyster cultures (25.6 mmol NH4 (+) m(-2) day(-1)). We calculated that an eelgrass meadow of 15-16 ha (which represents only about 3-4 % of the subtidal eelgrass meadow cover in the western arm of the lagoon) can potentially incorporate the total amount of NH4 (+) excreted by oysters (similar to 5.2 x 10(6) mmol NH4 (+) day(-1)). This highlights the potential of eelgrass to act as a natural biofilter for the NH4 (+) produced by oyster farming. Shoots exposed to oysters were more efficient in re-utilizing the internal N-15 into the growth of new leaf tissues or to translocate it to belowground tissues. Photosynthetic rates were greater in shoots exposed to oysters, which is consistent with higher NH4 (+) uptake and less negative delta C-13 values. Vegetative production (shoot size, leaf growth) was also higher in these shoots. Aboveground/belowground biomass ratio was lower in eelgrass beds not directly influenced by oyster farms, likely related to the higher investment in belowground biomass to incorporate sedimentary nutrients

Training for innovation in Spain

The capacity for innovation of an organisation largely depends on its ability to acquire and develop new knowledge. Training is particularly important in this process, as it allows employees to constantly acquire new competences. This study provides a preliminary picture of the situation of training for innovation in Spain, and identifies the characteristics of companies offering training for innovation. Results show that 35.3% of Spanish companies undertake innovation processes and 22.3% offer training related to these innovation processes. For the 82% of these companies training helped the innovation process, so training is an important tool for innovative change

Genomic and biological characterization of chiltepin yellow mosaic virus, a new tymovirus infecting Capsicum annuum var. aviculare in Mexico.

The characterization of viruses infecting wild plants is a key step towards understanding the ecology of plant viruses. In this work, the complete genomic nucleotide sequence of a new tymovirus species infecting chiltepin, the wild ancestor of Capsicum annuum pepper crops, in Mexico was determined, and its host range has been explored. The genome of 6,517 nucleotides has the three open reading frames described for tymoviruses, putatively encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, a movement protein and a coat protein. The 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions have structures with typical signatures of the tymoviruses. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that this new virus is closely related to the other tymoviruses isolated from solanaceous plants. Its host range is mainly limited to solanaceous species, which notably include cultivated Capsicum species. In the latter, infection resulted in a severe reduction of growth, indicating the potential of this virus to be a significant crop pathogen. The name of chiltepin yellow mosaic virus (ChiYMV) is proposed for this new tymovirus

Peripheral T-lymphocytes express WNT7A and its restoration in leukemia-derived lymphoblasts inhibits cell proliferation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>WNT7a, a member of the Wnt ligand family implicated in several developmental processes, has also been reported to be dysregulated in some types of tumors; however, its function and implication in oncogenesis is poorly understood. Moreover, the expression of this gene and the role that it plays in the biology of blood cells remains unclear. In addition to determining the expression of the <it>WNT7A </it>gene in blood cells, in leukemia-derived cell lines, and in samples of patients with leukemia, the aim of this study was to seek the effect of this gene in proliferation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells, sorted CD3 and CD19 cells, four leukemia-derived cell lines, and blood samples from 14 patients with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and 19 clinically healthy subjects. Reverse transcription followed by quantitative Real-time Polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis were performed to determine relative <it>WNT7A </it>expression. Restoration of WNT7a was done employing a lentiviral system and by using a recombinant human protein. Cell proliferation was measured by addition of WST-1 to cell cultures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>WNT7a is mainly produced by CD3 T-lymphocytes, its expression decreases upon activation, and it is severely reduced in leukemia-derived cell lines, as well as in the blood samples of patients with ALL when compared with healthy controls (<it>p </it>≤0.001). By restoring <it>WNT7A </it>expression in leukemia-derived cells, we were able to demonstrate that WNT7a inhibits cell growth. A similar effect was observed when a recombinant human WNT7a protein was used. Interestingly, restoration of <it>WNT7A </it>expression in Jurkat cells did not activate the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To our knowledge, this is the first report evidencing quantitatively decreased <it>WNT7A </it>levels in leukemia-derived cells and that <it>WNT7A </it>restoration in T-lymphocytes inhibits cell proliferation. In addition, our results also support the possible function of <it>WNT7A </it>as a tumor suppressor gene as well as a therapeutic tool.</p