Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of the internal orthographic connectivity of written Arabic words on the process of the visual recognition: A comparison between skilled and dyslexic readers

Previous research has suggested that reading Arabic is more challenging than reading Hebrew or English, even among native Arabic readers due to the visual complexity of the Arabic orthography. In particular, the fact that most of the Arabic letters connect to each other and change their basic form according to their place in the written word (beginning, middle or end) has been hypothesised to constitute a visual load affecting reading efficiency. Here, we tested this visual complexity hypothesis by manipulating word-internal orthographic connectivity during visual word recognition. Fifty-eight adult skilled readers and 20 disabled readers of Arabic performed a lexical-decision task using words (and nonwords) whose letters were naturally fully connected (Cw), partially connected (PCw) and nonconnected (NCw). Behavioural measures for words as a function of word connectivity (and word frequency) were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance. The results revealed that within both groups of readers, higher accuracy rates were measured for the Cw rather than for the NCw, with PCw falling in between. The analysis of the individual standard deviations of the response times within each word condition revealed that Cw yielded a response variance lower than NCw, again with PCw in between. These results indicate that Cw tend to be processed more efficiently and accurately than NCw, in both reader groups. The results presented here extend recent findings in normal readers and indicate that word connectivity does not negatively impact word recognition processes among adults. The psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic implications of these findings are discussed.
Using Coreference Links to Improve Spanish-to-English Machine Translation

In this paper, we present a proof-of-concept implementation of a coreference-aware decoder for document-level machine translation. We consider that better translations should have coreference links that are closer to those in the source text, and implement this criterion in two ways. First, we define a similarity measure between source and target coreference structures, by projecting the target ones onto the source and reusing existing coreference metrics. Based on this similarity measure, we re-rank the translation hypotheses of a baseline system for each sentence. Alternatively, to address the lack of diversity of mentions in the MT hypotheses, we focus on mention pairs and integrate their coreference scores with MT ones, resulting in post-editing decisions for mentions. The experimental results for Spanish to English MT on the AnCora-ES corpus show that the second approach yields a substantial increase in the accuracy of pronoun translation, with BLEU scores remaining constant.
Error in Self-Stabilizing Spanning-Tree Estimation of Collective State

Estimating collective state is an important component of many distributed systems, but has inherent challenges in balancing the availability of estimates against their accuracy. In this paper, we analyze the error bounds and dynamics of a commonly used family of self-stabilizing state estimation algorithms based on spanning trees. We find that in the worst case transients can duplicate values leading to exponential overestimates or can drop values leading to near total loss of information. The same analysis, however, also suggests that these problems can be mitigated by prioritizing smoothness in the adaptation of distance estimates used to maintain the spanning tree, and this mitigating effect is supported by results in simulation.
Fluency and structural complexity as predictors of L2 oral proficiency

Automaticity and real-time aspects of performance are directly relevant to L2 spoken language proﬁciency. This paper analyzes data from L2 speakers of English and Spanish spread over a range of proﬁciency levels as identiﬁed by traditional holistic, rubric-based human ratings. In spontaneous speech samples from these L2 populations, we studied timed measures of spoken ﬂuency (linguistic units per time) that co-vary with proﬁciency level and compared the timed measures to indices of the linguistic complexity of the same spoken material. Results indicate that duration-based ﬂuency measures yield as much or more information about proﬁciency as do structural complexity measures. These empirical ﬁndings suggest that expert perception of oral proﬁciency relate to automatic, real-time aspects of speaking and that the oral proﬁciency construct may be enriched by adding timing to its communicative/functional framework.
Reconstitution of body reserves in multiparous sows during pregnancy: effect of energy intake during pregnancy and mobilization during the previous lactation.

Multiparous Large White sows were used in two experiments to determine the effects of energy intake on the reconstitution of body reserves during pregnancy. In Exp. 1, 21 sows received one of three different energy levels during pregnancy: 7.4, 8.8, or 10.4 Mcal DE/d. In Exp. 2, two energy levels (7.9 and 9.2 Mcal DE/d) were fed to 36 sows that mobilized low or high amounts of body reserves during the previous lactation (6 or 12 pigs per litter, respectively). Nitrogen balances were conducted during five 7-d periods at 11, 32, 53, 82, and 104 d of gestation. All the experimental sows were slaughtered and dissected at the end of pregnancy; 24 control sows were similarly slaughtered at mating in order to estimate composition of BW gain, according to the comparative slaughter technique. In the two experiments, average nitrogen (N) retention increased linearly with energy supply from 9.9 to 14.5 g/d in Exp. 1 (P < .001) and from 10.2 to 12.5 g/d in Exp. 2 (P < .05). Nitrogen retention was not affected by the extent of mobilization of body reserves during the previous lactation in Exp. 2. In both experiments, carcass weight (P < .001), muscle weight (P < .01), and dissectable fat weight (P < .001, Exp. 1; P < .01, Exp. 2) increased with energy supply. We conclude that in high-producing modern multiparous sows, energy supply during gestation is a limiting factor for N retention and muscle weight gain and should be approximately 8,500 kcal DE/d to ensure adequate restoration of body reserves.
United Arab Emirates female entrepreneurs: motivations and frustrations

Purpose – This paper seeks to summarize the results of a study assessing the status of United Arab Emirates (UAE) female entrepreneurs and attempts to sketch the pattern of the UAE female entrepreneur. It aims to draw a profile of typical UAE women entrepreneurs and their characteristics, outline the makeup of their entrepreneurial businesses, identify some barriers that women face at the startup stage, and in addition – their entrepreneurial motivations and driving forces, satisfactions and frustrations.Design/methodology/approach – An interview‐based qualitative method was used. Structured interviews were conducted with 16 women entrepreneurs over a two‐month period. The contents of the interviews were analyzed and recurring themes were identified and highlighted.Findings – The interviewed women seem to experience no conflicts between their entrepreneurial life and their personal, family, social, leisure, and friendship lives. However, although satisfied from being in business, they face some barriers a.
Spanwise structure of wall pressure on a cylinder in axial flow

The spanwise structure of wall pressure fluctuations was measured in an axisymmetric turbulent boundary layer on a cylinder parallel to the mean flow at a momentum thickness Reynolds number of 2530 and a boundary layer thickness to cylinder radius ratio of 4.81. The measurements were made using miniature hearing aid type condenser microphones with spanwise separations of 0°, 10°, 20°, 30°, 60°, and 90°. An improved wall pressure power spectrum was obtained at low frequencies by utilizing a two-point subtraction method to remove low frequency acoustic background noise of the wind tunnel. The spanwise correlations indicate that the spanwise coherent length of the wall pressure is 30° (78ν/uτ or 0.11δ). The spanwise coherence is weak and concentrated in a frequency band that is substantially lower than the most energetic frequency band of the wall pressure spectrum. A mode number–frequency decomposition of the wall pressure spectrum indicates that the greatest quantity of energy is in the circumferential mod.
Effects of Authenticity Perception, Hedonics, and Perceived Value on Ceramic Souvenir-Repurchasing Intention

ABSTRACT This study examines a ceramic souvenir-repurchasing model for understanding the effects of authenticity perception, hedonics, and perceived value on the souvenir-repurchasing intentions of tourists. A total of 419 tourists at the Yingge Ceramics Area in Taiwan were administered an on-site questionnaire. The sample was divided into two data sets. Analyses of structural equations and competing models were employed to test hypothesized relationships and determine the best fitting model. The results indicate that authenticity perception and hedonics are important determinants of perceived value, which in turn influences souvenir-repurchasing intention. The findings suggest that in addition to further strengthening the value of souvenirs, the future efforts of destination marketing organizations to understand tourists' souvenir-repurchasing behaviors should consider the authenticity and hedonic needs of repeat tourists.
Neurosteroid‐mediated regulation of brain innate immunity in HIV/AIDS: DHEA‐S suppresses neurovirulence

Neurosteroids are cholesterol‐derived molecules synthesized within the brain, which exert trophic and protective actions. Infection by human and feline immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and FIV, respectively) causes neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, leading to neurological deficits. Secretion of neuroinflammatory host and viral factors by glia and infiltrating leukocytes mediates the principal neuropathogenic mechanisms during lentivirus infections, although the effect of neurosteroids on these processes is unknown. We investigated the interactions between neurosteroid‐mediated effects and lentivirus infection outcomes. Analyses of HIV‐infected (HIV+) and uninfected human brains disclosed a reduction in neurosteroid synthesis enzyme expression. Human neurons exposed to supernatants from HIV+ macrophages exhibited suppressed enzyme expression without reduced cellular viability. HIV+ human macrophages treated with sulfated dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA‐S) showed suppression of inflammatory gene (IL‐1β, IL‐6, TNF‐α) expression. FIV‐infected (FIV+) animals treated daily with 15 mg/kg body weight. DHEA‐S treatment reduced inflammatory gene transcripts (IL‐1β, TNF‐α, CD3ε, GFAP) in brain compared to vehicle‐(β‐cyclodextrin)‐treated FIV+ animals similar to levels found in vehicle‐treated FIV– animals. DHEA‐S treatment also increased CD4+ T‐cell levels and prevented neurobehavioral deficits and neuronal loss among FIV+ animals, compared to vehicle‐treated FIV+ animals. Reduced neuronal neurosteroid synthesis was evident in lentivirus infections, but treatment with DHEA‐S limited neuroinflammation and prevented neurobehavioral deficits. Neurosteroid‐derived therapies could be effective in the treatment of virus‐ or inflammation‐mediated neurodegeneration. —Maingat, F. G. , Polyak, M. J., Paul, A. M. , Vivithanaporn, P., Noorbakhsh, F. , Ahboucha S. , Baker, G. B. , Pearson, K. , Power, C. Neurosteroid‐mediated regulation of brain innate immunity in HIV/AIDS: DHEA‐S suppresses neurovirulence. FASEB J. 27, 725–737 (2013). www.fasebj. org
Improving Stability and Performance of Multihop 802 . 11 Networks ‡

Most of previous research on the transport design for 802.11 multi-hop ad hoc networks has a common ground. That is, the transport mechanism is affected by routing dynamics. Recently, we examined this problem from another angle; namely, the routing dynamics is affected by the transport mechanism [1], [2]. In this study, we continue to investigate the impact of the interaction between transport and ondemand routing protocols on the performance and stability of 802.11 multihop networks. We evaluate the important wireless networking events based on the tolerability to routing and transport protocols, and propose a simple reaction policy of DSR protocol to the events in order to suppress the inefficiency involved with the interaction between transport and routing protocols. Our proposal is applicable to the plain 802.11 networking environment, and our simulation shows over 100% improvement of TCP throughput in some chain-like topologies without any modification on TCP and 802.11 MAC.
60 nm self-aligned-gate InGaAs HEMTs with record high-frequency characteristics

We have developed a new self-aligned gate technology for InGaAs High Electron Mobility Transistors with non-alloyed Mo-based ohmic contacts and a very low parasitic capacitance gate design. The new process delivers a contact resistance of 7 Ohm-µm and a source resistance of 147 Ohm-µm. The non-alloyed Mo-based ohmic contacts show excellent thermal stability up to 600 °C. Using this technology, we have demonstrated a 60 nm gate length self-aligned InGaAs HEMT with g<inf>m</inf> = 2.1 mS/µm at V<inf>DS</inf> = 0.5 V, and f<inf>T</inf> = 580 GHz and f<inf>max</inf> = 675 GHz at V<inf>DS</inf> = 0.6 V. These are all record or near record values for this gate length.
Social capital in contemporary Europe: Evidence from the European Social Survey

capital is an increasingly popular concept among scientists, politicians and the media. It is regarded as a remedy for many of the failures of modern society and seen as wonder glue conducive to feelings of happiness and to better performing economies and democracies. In this article we are not so much concerned with the consequences of social capital for society, but we focus on why some people have higher levels of social capital than others. We argue that this is not only due to a number of personal characteristics but also to contextual or country features. We therefore formulate hypotheses about the effects of individual and macro or country characteristics that were tested using the survey data from the European Social Survey (2002). The results demonstrate that the impact of macro characteristics is rather modest com- pared to the effects of individual attributes. It also seems that social capital is a multifaceted phenomenon that cannot be captured by one single measure.
A Cell Line-Based Neutralization Assay for Primary Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Isolates That Use either the CCR5 or the CXCR4 Coreceptor

ABSTRACT We describe here a cell line-based assay for the evaluation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) neutralization. The assay is based on CEM.NKR cells, transfected to express the HIV-1 coreceptor CCR5 to supplement the endogenous expression of CD4 and the CXCR4 coreceptor. The resulting CEM.NKR-CCR5 cells efficiently replicate primary HIV-1 isolates of both R5 and X4 phenotypes. A comparison of the CEM.NKR-CCR5 cells with mitogen-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in neutralization assays with sera from HIV-1-infected individuals or specific anti-HIV-1 monoclonal antibodies shows that the sensitivity of HIV-1 neutralization is similar in the two cell types. The CEM.NKR-CCR5 cell assay, however, is more convenient to perform and eliminates the donor-to-donor variation in HIV-1 replication efficiency, which is one of the principal drawbacks of the PBMC-based neutralization assay. We suggest that this new assay is suitable for the general measurement of HIV-1 neutralization by antibodies.
Fostering students' knowledge and argumentation skills through dilemmas in human genetics

This study examined the outcomes of a unit that integrates explicit teaching of general reasoning patterns into the teaching of a specific science content. Specifically, this article examined the teaching of argumentation skills in the context of dilemmas in human genetics. Before instruction only a minority (16.2%) of the students referred to correct, specific biological knowledge in constructing arguments in the context of dilemmas in genetics. Approximately 90% of the students were successful in formulating simple arguments. An assessment that took place following instruction supported the conclusion that integrating explicit teaching of argumentation into the teaching of dilemmas in human genetics enhances performance in both biological knowledge and argumentation. An increase was found in the frequency of students who referred to correct, specific biological knowledge in constructing arguments. Students in the experimental group scored significantly higher than students in the comparison group in a test of genetics knowledge. An increase was also found in the quality of students' argumentation. Students were able to transfer the reasoning abilities taught in the context of genetics to the context of dilemmas taken from everyday life. The effects of metacognitive thinking and of changing students' thinking dispositions by modifying what is considered valuable in the class culture are discussed. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 35–62, 2002
Chemokine Receptor CCR7 Expression Correlates with Lymph Node Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer

Aims: The clinical significance of chemokine receptor CCR7 expression in pancreatic ductal cancer was investigated. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining of 89 pancreatic cancers treated macroscopically with curative resection without hematogenous metastases or peritoneal dissemination were analyzed in association with clinicopathological data. Results: The positivity of CCR7 in pancreatic cancer was 32.6% (29/89). A significant correlation was detected between CCR7-positive expression and lymph node metastasis. Patients with CCR7-positive tumors had significantly shorter survival times than those with CCR7-negative tumors (median, 12.8 vs. 21.9 months, respectively; p = 0.0039). CCR7 expression was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 1.949; p = 0.0364) by multivariate survival analysis; however, it was not an indicator for any particular site of recurrence. Conclusion: The survival impact of CCR7 expression on resectable pancreatic cancer may be associated with lymphatic spread. The results from the present study should foster further investigation of treatments using an inhibitor for the CCR7 protein to improve the survival of pancreatic cancer.
End-of-Life Concerns and Care Preferences: Congruence among Terminally Ill Elders and Their Family Caregivers

This study examined the end-of-life challenges, concerns, and care preferences of terminally ill elders and their family caregivers, with a focus on areas of congruence and incongruence. Ten elders and 10 family caregivers participated in separate, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Data analysis included team coding and thematic analysis, guided by an a priori set of categories based on the study questions. Shared challenges and concerns included experiencing decline, managing pain and discomfort, and living with uncertainty. There was also congruence regarding end-of-life care preferences, specifically the importance of quality care, treatment with dignity and respect, and avoiding unnecessary life-sustaining treatment. Areas of incongruence included the elders' difficulties in accepting dependence, their fears of becoming a burden, and desire to be prepared for death. Family caregivers were most concerned with providing adequate care to meet the elders' physical and spiritual care needs. Open family communication was associated with greater congruence. The authors discuss implications of these findings for research and intervention.
Mechanochemical model for myosin V

A rigorous numerical test of a hypothetical mechanism of a molecular motor should model explicitly the diffusive motion of the motor's degrees of freedom as well as the transition rates between the motor's chemical states. We present such a Brownian dynamics, mechanochemcial model of the coarse-grain structure of the dimeric, linear motor myosin V. Compared with run-length data, our model provides strong support for a proposed strain-controlled gating mechanism that enhances processivity. We demonstrate that the diffusion rate of a detached motor head during motor stepping is self-consistent with known kinetic rate constants and can explain the motor's key performance features, such as speed and stall force. We present illustrative and realistic animations of motor stepping in the presence of thermal noise. The quantitative success and illustrative power of this type of model suggest that it will be useful in testing our understanding of a range of biological and synthetic motors.
The Relation Between Servant Leadership, Organizational Performance, and the High-Performance Organization Framework

Many authors on servant leadership (SL) claim that there exists a direct positive relationship between SL and organizational performance, but empirical evidence for this has thus far been lacking. There are indications, however, that introducing SL in an organization has a positive influence on mediating factors of performance, which in turn lead to better organizational performance. There is empirical evidence that applying the high-performance organization (HPO) framework does lead to increased organizational performance. As SL deals with behaviors and attitudes of managers, it is a reasonable assumption that SL has a certain influence on management quality, one of the factors of high performance included in the HPO framework. In this respect, one or more HPO factors might be mediating factors between SL and organizational performance. This article evaluates empirically the relation between SL, organizational performance, and the HPO framework. A theoretical proposition of these relations was made and, based on a sample of 116 managers and employees of Vrije Universiteit medical center, the levels of SL, HPO, and performance in Vrije Universiteit medical center were measured. This case study showed no evidence of a direct positive relation between SL and organizational performance. There was evidence of SL having an influence on the factors in the HPO framework but this influence was different on various organizational levels. It was concluded that the role of SL in the case organization was inconsistent.
Instructional Adaptation for Students at Risk

Abstract The focus of this study was instructional adaptation for low-achieving students who receive instruction within general education settings. Two types of adaptation were explored: (a) routine adaptation, or the extent to which teachers establish initial routines to facilitate ongoing adaptation, and (b) specialized adaptation, or how teachers modify instructional plans in light of student difficulty. Participants were 110 general educators, each of whom taught reading or mathematics to at least one student with a learning disability. Measures of school achievement were obtained for learning-disabled students, low-achieving nonhandicapped students, and average-achieving students from each class. In addition, teachers reported information about their routines and specialized adaptation and about the characteristics of themselves, their students, and their schools. Results indicated greater routine and specialized adaptation in reading than in mathematics. A regression analysis indicated that students.