Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immediate memory for pseudowords and phonological awareness are associated in adults and pre-reading children

This study investigated phonological components of reading skill at two ages, using a novel pseudoword repetition task for assessing phonological memory (PM). Pseudowords were designed to incorporate control over segmental, prosodic and lexical features. In Experiment 1, the materials were administered to 3- and 4-year-old children together with a standardized test of phonological awareness (PA). PA and pseudoword repetition showed a moderate positive correlation, independent of age. Experiment 2, which targeted young adults, employed the same pseudoword materials, with a different administration protocol, together with standardized indices of PA, other memory measures and decoding skill. The results showed moderate to strong positive correlations among our novel pseudoword repetition task, measures of PM and PA and decoding. Together, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of assessing PM with the same carefully controlled materials at widely spaced points in age, adding to present resources for assessing PM and better enabling future studies to map the development of relationships among phonological capabilities in both typically developing children and those with language-related impairments.
Retinal O-linked N-acetylglucosamine protein modifications: implications for postnatal retinal vascularization and the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy

Purpose Hyperglycemia activates several metabolic pathways, including the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. Uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is the product of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway and the substrate for O-linked GlcNAc (O-GlcNAc) modification. This modification affects a wide range of proteins by altering their activity, cellular localization, and/or protein interactions. However, the role O-GlcNAcylation may play in normal postnatal retinal vascular development and in the ocular complications of diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy, requires further investigation. Methods The total levels of O-GlcNAc-modified proteins were evaluated by western blot analysis of lysates prepared from retinas obtained at different days during postnatal retinal vascularization and oxygen-induced ischemic retinopathy. Similar experiments were performed with retinal lysate prepared from diabetic Ins2Akita/+ mice with different durations of diabetes and retinal vascular cells cultured under various glucose conditions. The localization of O-GlcNAc-modified proteins in the retinal vasculature was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining. The impact of altered O-GlcNAcylation on the migration of retinal vascular cells was determined using scratch wound and transwell migration assays. Results We detected an increase in protein O-GlcNAcylation during mouse postnatal retinal vascularization and aging, in part through the regulation of the enzymes that control this modification. The study of the diabetic Ins2Akita/+ mouse retina showed an increase in the O-GlcNAc modification of retinal proteins. We also observed an increase in retinal O-GlcNAcylated protein levels during the neovascularization phase of oxygen-induced ischemic retinopathy. Our fluorescence microscopy data confirmed that the alterations in retinal O-GlcNAcylation are similarly represented in the retinal vasculature and in retinal pericytes and endothelial cells. Particularly, the migration of retinal pericytes, but not retinal endothelial cells, was attenuated by increased O-GlcNAc modification. Conclusions The O-GlcNAc modification pattern changes during postnatal retinal vascular development and neovascularization, and its dysregulation under hyperglycemia and/or ischemia may contribute to the pathogenesis of the diabetic retinopathy and retinal neovascularization.
The +299(G>A) Resistin Gene Polymorphism and Susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes in Thais

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has been increased in Thais. Resistin is an adipokine that involve in glucose homeostasis and is a candidate gene for type 2 diabetes. We performed a case-control study in representative sample of 200 Thai volunteers, 105 controls and 95 type 2 diabetes subjects. The purposes of the present study were to investigate the association between two SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) in the resistin gene, at positions +299(G>A) and −420(C>G), and biochemical parameters; to determine whether these polymorphisms are linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes. At position +299(G>A) of the resistin gene, the resistin concentration among type 2 diabetes subjects was significantly higher in GA/AA genotypes (3.40 ng/ml) than the GG genotype (1.99 ng/ml). Resistin gene polymorphism at position +299(G>A) in type 2 diabetes patients was significantly more frequent than in the control group (p = 0.004). Polymorphism at position −420(C>G) showed no significant relationship with type 2 diabetes (p = 0.095). Logistic regression analysis was shown that +299(G>A) gene polymorphism was increased risk factors for type 2 diabetes (p = 0.013). In conclusion, these finding suggest that resistin gene polymorphism at position +299(G>A) has impact on the increased resistin concentrations and may influence susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in Thais.
Cosmic Acceleration and M-Theory

The status of accelerating four-dimensional universes obtained by time-dependent compactifications of 10 or 11 dimensional supergravity is reviewed, as is the `no-go' theorem that they evade. All flat cosmologies for a simple exponential potential are found explicitly. It is noted that transient acceleration is generic, and unavoidable for `flux' compactifications. Included is an eternally accelerating flat cosmology without a future event horizon.
Nonparametric multivariate rank tests and their unbiasedness

Although unbiasedness is a basic property of a good test, many tests on vector parameters or scalar parameters against two-sided alternatives are not finite-sample unbiased. This was already noticed by Sugiura [Ann. Inst. Statist. Math. 17 (1965) 261--263]; he found an alternative against which the Wilcoxon test is not unbiased. The problem is even more serious in multivariate models. When testing the hypothesis against an alternative which fits well with the experiment, it should be verified whether the power of the test under this alternative cannot be smaller than the significance level. Surprisingly, this serious problem is not frequently considered in the literature. The present paper considers the two-sample multivariate testing problem. We construct several rank tests which are finite-sample unbiased against a broad class of location/scale alternatives and are finite-sample distribution-free under the hypothesis and alternatives. Each of them is locally most powerful against a specific alternative of the Lehmann type. Their powers against some alternatives are numerically compared with each other and with other rank and classical tests. The question of affine invariance of two-sample multivariate tests is also discussed.
Do LEGO® Mindstorms® motivate students in CS1?

The purpose of the research study described in this paper was to investigate the effectiveness of using LEGO Mindstorms robotic activities to influence student motivation in an introductory university computer programming course. Various aspects relating to student motivation were measured using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Tests revealed no statistically significant differences between groups in relation to intrinsic goal orientation, task value, control of learning beliefs, self-efficacy, and test anxiety at the alpha = . 05 level. The experiment did detect a statistically significant difference between groups in relation to extrinsic goal orientation. The LEGO group, however, showed a larger decrease in levels of extrinsic goal orientation, suggesting they were less motivated in learning the material for rewards such as grades. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, ideally a decline in extrinsic goal orientation would be accompanied by a statistically significant increase in intrinsic goal orientation suggesting students were instead motivated because they were interested in the content of the material. This was not the case in this study. Despite the lack of positive quantitative results, responses to student follow-up questions suggest that at least some of the students enjoyed the LEGO Mindstorms activities. A discussion of possible factors influencing these results is provided.
On the Heritability of Choice, Judgment, and 'Irrationality': Genetic Effects on Prudence and Constructive Predispositions

Despite the very long history of research on heritable traits, we still know very little about genetic effects on judgment and choice, including consumer decision making. Building on recent advances in epigenetics, we hypothesize that people inherit a general prudence tendency, which affects their predisposition to choose options that vary on the prudence dimension. We use a classic twins study design whereby greater similarity between monozygotic twins than between dizygotic twins indicates a heritable trait. Unlike most prior studies that have focused on one or few characteristics, our study examines a broad range of judgment and choice phenomena simultaneously in order to gain insights into heritable tendencies (representing individual differences) and nonheritable tendencies. Consistent with our "prudence hypothesis," we find a significant heritable effect on (a) preferences for compromise (but not perceptually dominating) options, (b) choosing a sure gain over a gamble, (c) preferences for a feasible though dull assignment (in the near distance), (d) maximizing (versus satisficing), and (e) preferences for utilitarian (versus hedonic) options. Conversely, non-prudence problems (e.g., relating to discounting, highlighting, variety) as well as judgment heuristics (availability, representativeness, anchoring) do not appear to reflect heritable individual differences. We discuss the implications of our research with respect to the determinants of preferences, the interpretation of rationality and of BDT effects, the notion of constructive predispositions, and directions for future research regarding the role of genetics in decision making.
Molecular and Cellular Pathobiology The Transcriptional Regulatory Network of Proneural Glioma Determines the Genetic Alterations Selected during Tumor Progression

Proneural glioblastoma is defined by an expression pattern resembling that of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and carries a distinctive set of genetic alterations. Whether there is a functional relationship between the proneural phenotype and the associated genetic alterations is unknown. To evaluate this possible relationship, we performed a longitudinalmolecular characterization of tumor progression in amousemodel of proneural glioma. In this setting, the tumors acquired remarkably consistent genetic deletions at late stages of progression, similar to those deleted in human proneural glioblastoma. Further investigations revealed that p53 is a master regulator of the transcriptional network underlying the proneural phenotype. This p53-centric transcriptional network and its associated phenotype were observed at both the early and late stages of progression, and preceded the proneural-specific deletions. Remarkably, deletion of p53 at the time of tumor initiation obviated the acquisition of later deletions, establishing a link between the proneural transcriptional network and the subtype-specific deletions selected during glioma progression. Cancer Res; 74(5); 1440–51. 2014 AACR.
Star Formation and the Growth of Stellar Mass

Recent observations have demonstrated a significant growth in the integrated stellar mass of the red sequence since z = 1, dominated by a steadily increasing number of galaxies with stellar masses M* < 1011 M☉. In this paper, we use the COMBO-17 photometric redshift survey in conjunction with deep Spitzer 24 μm data to explore the relationship between star formation and the growth of stellar mass. We calculate star formation rate functions in four different redshift slices, also splitting them into contributions from the red sequence and blue cloud for the first time. We find that the growth of stellar mass since z = 1 is consistent with the integrated star formation rate. Yet, most of the stars formed are in blue cloud galaxies. If the stellar mass already in, and formed in, z < 1 blue cloud galaxies were to stay in the blue cloud, the total stellar mass in blue galaxies would be dramatically overproduced. We explore the expected evolution of stellar mass functions, finding that in this picture the number of massive M* > 3 × 1010 M☉ blue galaxies would also be overproduced; i.e., most of the new stars formed in blue cloud galaxies are in the massive galaxies. We explore a simple truncation scenario in which these "extra" blue galaxies have their star formation suppressed by an unspecified mechanism or mechanisms; simple cessation of star formation in these extra blue galaxies is approximately sufficient to build up the red sequence at M* ≲ 1011 M☉.
Allodynia and descending pain modulation in migraine: a resting state functional connectivity analysis.

OBJECTIVE Most migraineurs develop cutaneous allodynia during migraines, and many have cutaneous sensitization between attacks. Atypical pain modulation via the descending pain system may contribute to this sensitization and allodynia. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that compared with non-allodynic migraineurs, allodynic migraineurs have atypical periaqueductal gray (PAG) and nucleus cuneiformis (NCF) resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fc) with other pain processing regions. DESIGN Ten minutes resting-state blood-oxygen-level-dependent data were collected from 38 adult migraineurs and 20 controls. Seed-based analyses compared whole-brain rs-fc with PAG and with NCF in migraineurs with severe ictal allodynia (N = 8) to migraineurs with no ictal allodynia (N = 8). Correlations between the strength of functional connections that differed between severely allodynic and non-allodynic migraineurs with allodynia severity were determined for all migraineurs (N = 38). PAG and NCF rs-fc in all migraineurs was compared with rs-fc in controls. RESULTS Migraineurs with severe allodynia had stronger PAG and NCF rs-fc to other brainstem, thalamic, insula and cerebellar regions that participate in discriminative pain processing, as well as to frontal and temporal regions implicated in higher order pain modulation. Evidence that these rs-fc differences were specific for allodynia included: 1) strong correlations between some rs-fc strengths and allodynia severity among all migraineurs; and 2) absence of overlap when comparing rs-fc differences in severely allodynic vs non-allodynic migraineurs with those in all migraineurs vs controls. CONCLUSION Atypical rs-fc of brainstem descending modulatory pain regions with other brainstem and higher order pain-modulating regions is associated with migraine-related allodynia.
Assessment of endothelial function in complex regional pain syndrome type I using iontophoresis and laser Doppler imaging.

OBJECTIVES To assess microvascular endothelial function in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS) compared with healthy controls, as measured by iontophoresis of vasoactive chemicals and laser Doppler imaging. METHODS Microvascular blood flow was stimulated locally in affected and contralateral limbs of patients with CRPS (n = 17) and in control subjects (n = 16) using iontophoresis of the endothelial-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (ACh) and the endothelial-independent vasodilator sodium nitroprusside (NaNP). Changes in blood flow were measured using laser Doppler imaging. Comparisons were made between right and left limbs and between patients and controls. RESULTS No significant differences in blood flow [expressed as a median percentage increase from baseline (interquartile range)] were detected between affected and contralateral limbs in patients with CRPS for ACh [affected 237 (95-344); unaffected 251 (152-273)] or for NaNP [affected 102 (49-300); unaffected 190 (53-218)]. In addition, there were no significant differences between patients and healthy controls [controls, ACh 216 (119-316); controls, NaNP: 122 (48-249)]. CONCLUSIONS In this pilot study, CRPS was not associated with impairment of microvascular endothelial function. This may be a true result or may reflect the diversity of the CRPS disease process.
The Moderating Effect of CEO Power on the Board Compositionfirm Performance Relationship*

Prior studies of the relationship between the composition of boards of directors and firm performance offer equivocal results. Drawing on agency and power circulation theories, we attempt to reduce this equivocality by asserting that CEO power moderates the relationship. Specifically, an outside director dominated board is needed to check a powerful CEO, but monitoring by other executives provides sufficient constraints on CEOs with low power. We used event study methodology to test the effects of the interaction between board composition and CEO power on stock market reaction to 73 unexpected CEO deaths. We found support for our theorizing among two of three sources of CEO power. Thus, although regulatory trends increasingly support outside director dominated boards, our findings indicate that this may not always benefit shareholders and that CEO power should be considered when constructing boards.
Iranian EFL teachers’ attitudes towards use of first language in EFL classes

English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ use of first language—known as code-switching (CS)—has long been incorporated in EFL learning classes in which teachers and learners share the same first language (L1). This study explored Iranian EFL teachers’ attitudes and strategies corresponding to the use of CS at universities and private language institutions, and the frequency with which CS occurs. Participants comprised 85 female and male EFL teachers aged 20-50 with different education background and years of EFL teaching experience. Data were collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured follow-up interviews. Quantitative results indicate some significant differences among Iranian EFL teachers’ use of CS in relation to education degrees and teaching EFL locations. Analysis of interviews also reveals that Iranian EFL teachers used CS strategically as a last resort to some extent in order to enhance pedagogical functions, manage their classrooms, and establish interpersonal relationships with their learners.
A Dual-Method Model for Copy Detection

Web technological advances have rendered readily accessible resources making the task of plagiarizing research work of others easier. A dual-method model for copy detection of copyrights violation is presented. One method is ranking while the other is fingerprinting. A prototype system was developed to test the applicability of the model for detecting duplicates on a collection of technical articles and research papers. Experiments were run to determine the effects of combining the two methods in various detecting strategies. Results reveal that combination of the two methods yields better results than employing each method individually
A Qualitative Comparison of NCAA Coach Intended and Athlete Perception of Motivational Behavior

vii Chapter I . 1 Self-Determination Theory . 2 NCAA Background . 4 Significance . 7 Gaps in the Literature . 9 Chapter II . 11 Self-Determination Theory . 11 Coach–Athlete Relationship Model . 15 The Coach-Athlete Relationship . 19 Coaching Behavior . 23 The Coaching Environment . 32 Summary . 36 Chapter III . 37 Research Questions . 37 Purpose . 39 Methodology . 43
The relation of input factors to lexical learning by bilingual infants

ABSTRACT The bilingual child is seen as a unique source of information about the relation between input and intake. The strength of the association between language exposure estimates and vocabulary learning was examined for 25 simultaneous bilingual infants (ages 8 to 30 months) with differing patterns of exposure to the languages being learned. Using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories, standardized parent report forms in English and Spanish, the percentage of all words that were known in each language was calculated and then plotted against the estimates of language input (also in percentages). A significant correlation was found, r(25)= . 82, p < . 001. The correlation was also strong when examined point-by-point, even for children whose language environments changed by more than 20%; between observations, although it was not reliable at lower levels of exposure to Spanish. Especially for children with less input in the minority language, the factors which appeared to affect the strength of the association between input and amount learned in a language are discussed.
The Association between Total Protein and Vegetable Protein Intake and Low Muscle Mass among the Community-Dwelling Elderly Population in Northern Taiwan

Sarcopenia, highly linked with fall, frailty, and disease burden, is an emerging problem in aging society. Higher protein intake has been suggested to maintain nitrogen balance. Our objective was to investigate whether pre-sarcopenia status was associated with lower protein intake. A total of 327 community-dwelling elderly people were recruited for a cross-sectional study. We adopted the multivariate nutrient density model to identify associations between low muscle mass and dietary protein intake. The general linear regression models were applied to estimate skeletal muscle mass index across the quartiles of total protein and vegetable protein density. Participants with diets in the lowest quartile of total protein density (<13.2%) were at a higher risk for low muscle mass (odds ratio (OR) 3.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37–6.72) than those with diets in the highest quartile (≥17.2%). Similarly, participants with diets in the lowest quartile of vegetable protein density (<5.8%) were at a higher risk for low muscle mass (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.14–4.83) than those with diets in the highest quartile (≥9.4%). Furthermore, the estimated skeletal muscle mass index increased significantly across the quartiles of total protein density (p = 0.023) and vegetable protein density (p = 0.025). Increasing daily intakes of total protein and vegetable protein densities appears to confer protection against pre-sarcopenia status.