Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statistical testing of the functional load hypothesis and implications for phonological theory

The idea that phonological neutralization is constr ained by the communicative function of lexical cont ras has a long history (e.g., Trubetzkoy 1939, Martinet 1955, Hockett 1967). A few case-studies have asked whether occurring neutralizations have a lower impa ct on lexical contrast than non-occurring ones, eit her by creating fewer homophones (e.g., Silverman 2010, Kaplan in press) or by incurring a relatively smal l drop in lexical-level entropy (Surendran and Niyogi 2006). Results have been mixed: some case-studies are consistent with the functional load account (Si lverman 2010, Kaplan in press) while others contrad ict it (e.g., King 1967) or are judged inconclusive (e. g. Surendran & Niyogi 2006). However, if functional load is just one of many influences on sound change we would expect to find many individual ‘counterexamples’ to the functional load hypothesis. Conseq uently, we need a set of case-studies that can be assessed jointly using statistical methods. As part of an ongoing investigation of relationships betwe en functional load and contrast neutralization, we are building a database of diachronically recent merge rs in languages for which there exist frequency-coded pho nemic word lists. The database currently includes data related to forty distinct mergers occurring in German, French, Korean, and several varieties of English. This data reveals a statistically signifi cant difference between the distributions of these mergers versus comparable non-occurring mergers, in three m asures of the functional load for phonemic oppositions: changes in homophony, lexical entropy and segmental entropy.
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, TAXES DRIVE THE JANUARY EFFECT

The multitude of explanations for the January effect leaves the reader confused about its primary cause(s): is it tax-loss selling, window dressing, information, bid-ask bounce, or a combination of these causes? The confusion arises, in part, because evidence has generally been presented in support of a particular hypothesis though the same evidence may be consistent with another hypothesis. Furthermore, prior work does not adequately control for the bid-ask bounce. In this article we try to disentangle different explanations of the January effect and identify its primary cause. We find that tax-related selling is the most important cause, overshadowing other explanations. 2004 The Southern Finance Association and the Southwestern Finance Association.
BEYOND RECOVERY: HEALING AND CANADA’S TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv LIST OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS . vi CHAPTER 1: . 1 STARTING WITH THE SPIRIT . 1 LOCALIZING THE TRC . 4 METHODOLOGY – RESEARCHER AS WITNESS . 7 HEALING TENSIONS . 15 CHAPTER 2: . 24 THE LANDSCAPE OF ABORIGINAL HEALING . 24 ON VIOLENCE: WEAPONS AND WOUNDS . 25 THE POLITICS AND POETICS OF HEALING . 34 CONCEPTUALIZING TRAUMA . 38 INTERGENERATIONAL ‘TRAUMA’ AND ABORIGINAL PEOPLES . 41 SUMMARY . 44 CHAPTER 3: . 46 THE HEALING MANDATE OF THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION . 46 THE THERAPEUTIC METAPHOR . 47 AN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION . 50 CANADA’S MANDATE FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION . 55 CHAPTER 4: . 62 HEALING STORIES AND THE LIMITS OF SOLICITING TRUTH . 62 THE BURDEN OF MEMORY . 63 TRAUMATIC STORIES IN CIRCULATION . 72 SILENCES AND SILENCING . 80 POWER OF VOICE OR THE MYTH OF EMPOWERMENT . 89 SUMMARY . 94 CHAPTER 5: . 96 WITNESSING TRUTHS: BEYOND RECOVERY, TOWARD JUSTICE . 96 LEARNING TO LISTEN: NARRATIVES OF SURVIVAL . 97 THE ETHICS OF RECOGNITION AND REDRESS . 108 MY STORY IS A GIFT . 116 CHAPTER 6: . 120 FINAL THOUGHTS: CLOSURE? 120 WORKS CITED . 127
Cancer Cell Expression of Autotaxin Controls Bone Metastasis Formation in Mouse through Lysophosphatidic Acid-Dependent Activation of Osteoclasts

Background Bone metastases are highly frequent complications of breast cancers. Current bone metastasis treatments using powerful anti-resorbtive agents are only palliative indicating that factors independent of bone resorption control bone metastasis progression. Autotaxin (ATX/NPP2) is a secreted protein with both oncogenic and pro-metastatic properties. Through its lysosphospholipase D (lysoPLD) activity, ATX controls the level of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in the blood. Platelet-derived LPA promotes the progression of osteolytic bone metastases of breast cancer cells. We asked whether ATX was involved in the bone metastasis process. We characterized the role of ATX in osteolytic bone metastasis formation by using genetically modified breast cancer cells exploited on different osteolytic bone metastasis mouse models. Methodology/Principal Findings Intravenous injection of human breast cancer MDA-B02 cells with forced expression of ATX (MDA-B02/ATX) to inmmunodeficiency BALB/C nude mice enhanced osteolytic bone metastasis formation, as judged by increased bone loss, tumor burden, and a higher number of active osteoclasts at the metastatic site. Mouse breast cancer 4T1 cells induced the formation of osteolytic bone metastases after intracardiac injection in immunocompetent BALB/C mice. These cells expressed active ATX and silencing ATX expression inhibited the extent of osteolytic bone lesions and decreased the number of active osteoclasts at the bone metastatic site. In vitro, osteoclast differentiation was enhanced in presence of MDA-B02/ATX cell conditioned media or recombinant autotaxin that was blocked by the autotaxin inhibitor vpc8a202. In vitro, addition of LPA to active charcoal-treated serum restored the capacity of the serum to support RANK-L/MCSF-induced osteoclastogenesis. Conclusion/Significance Expression of autotaxin by cancer cells controls osteolytic bone metastasis formation. This work demonstrates a new role for LPA as a factor that stimulates directly cancer growth and metastasis, and osteoclast differentiation. Therefore, targeting the autotaxin/LPA track emerges as a potential new therapeutic approach to improve the outcome of patients with bone metastases.
Static and dynamic balance control in older golfers.

PURPOSE To determine whether older golfers have better static and dynamic balance control than older but nongolfing healthy adults. METHODS Eleven golfers and 12 control participants (all male; 66.2 +/- 6.8 and 71.3 +/- 6.6 yr old, respectively) were recruited. Duration of static single-leg stance was timed. Control of body sway was assessed in single-leg stance during forward and backward platform perturbations. The lunge distance normalized with respect to each participant's height was used to compare the 2 groups in a forward-lunge test. RESULTS Golfers maintained significantly longer duration in static single-leg stance. They achieved less anteroposterior body sway in perturbed single-leg stance and lunged significantly farther than did control participants. CONCLUSIONS The better static and dynamic balance control exhibited by older golfers possibly reflects the effects of weight transfers from repeated golf swings during weight shift from 2-leg to predominantly 1-leg stance and from walking on uneven fairways.
A Near-Optimal Planarization Algorithm

The problem of testing whether a graph is planar has been studied for over half a century, and is known to be solvable in O(n) time using a myriad of different approaches and techniques. Robertson and Seymour established the existence of a cubic algorithm for the more general problem of deciding whether an n-vertex graph can be made planar by at most k vertex deletions, for every fixed k. Of the known algorithms for k-Vertex Planarization, the algorithm of Marx and Schlotter (WG 2007, Algorithmica 2012) running in time 2kO(k3·n2 achieves the best running time dependence on k. The algorithm of Kawarabayashi (FOCS 2009), running in time f(k)n for some f(k) e Ω(2kΩ(k3)) that is not stated explicitly, achieves the best dependence on n. In this paper we present an algorithm for k-Vertex Planarization with running time 2O(k log k) · n, significantly improving the running time dependence on k without compromising the linear dependence on n. Our main technical contribution is a novel scheme to reduce the treewidth of the input graph to O(k) in time 2O(k log k) · n. It combines new insights into the structure of graphs that become planar after contracting a matching, with a Baker-type subroutine that reduces the number of disjoint paths through planar parts of the graph that are not affected by the sought solution. To solve the reduced instances we formulate a dynamic programming algorithm for Weighted Vertex Planarization on graphs of treewidth w with running time 2O(w log w) · n, thereby improving over previous double-exponential algorithms. While Kawarabayashi's planarization algorithm relies heavily on deep results from the graph minors project, our techniques are elementary and practically self-contained. We expect them to be applicable to related edge-deletion and contraction variants of planarization problems.
When Action Meets Emotions: How Facial Displays of Emotion Influence Goal-Related Behavior

Many authors have proposed that facial expressions, by conveying emotional states of the person we are interacting with, influence the interaction behavior. We aimed at verifying how specific the effect is of the facial expressions of emotions of an individual (both their valence and relevance/specificity for the purpose of the action) with respect to how the action aimed at the same individual is executed. In addition, we investigated whether and how the effects of emotions on action execution are modulated by participants' empathic attitudes. We used a kinematic approach to analyze the simulation of feeding others, which consisted of recording the “feeding trajectory” by using a computer mouse. Actors could express different highly arousing emotions, namely happiness, disgust, anger, or a neutral expression. Response time was sensitive to the interaction between valence and relevance/specificity of emotion: disgust caused faster response. In addition, happiness induced slower feeding time and longer time to peak velocity, but only in blocks where it alternated with expressions of disgust. The kinematic profiles described how the effect of the specificity of the emotional context for feeding, namely a modulation of accuracy requirements, occurs. An early acceleration in kinematic relative-to-neutral feeding profiles occurred when actors expressed positive emotions (happiness) in blocks with specific-to-feeding negative emotions (disgust). On the other hand, the end-part of the action was slower when feeding happy with respect to neutral faces, confirming the increase of accuracy requirements and motor control. These kinematic effects were modulated by participants' empathic attitudes. In conclusion, the social dimension of emotions, that is, their ability to modulate others' action planning/execution, strictly depends on their relevance and specificity to the purpose of the action. This finding argues against a strict distinction between social and nonsocial emotions.
The effect of using state-based priority information in a shared-memory multiprocessor cache replacement policy

The cache replacement policy is one of the factors that determines the effectiveness of cache memories. We study the impact of incorporating the cache block coherence state information in the random replacement policy in a shared memory multiprocessor. We assign replacement priority to each cache block within a set based on its state. To reduce the probability of replacing a recently accessed block and to adapt to the program's access patterns, we also associate with each set an MRU (Most Recently Used) state. The MRU state causes the lowest replacement priority to be assigned to the blocks in the same state as the MRU state. Our evaluations indicate that, with the appropriate priority assignment and a set associativity size less than 16, the proposed policy can outperform the Random and Random & Invalid policies and, in some cases, can even outperform the LRU policy.
0 41 01 03 v 1 2 1 O ct 2 00 4 Symmetries at stationary Killing horizons

It has often been suggested (especially by Carlip) that spacetime symmetries in the neighborhood of a black hole horizon may be relevant to a statistical understanding of the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy. A prime candidate for this type of symmetry is that which is exhibited by the Einstein tensor. More precisely, it is now known that this tensor takes on a strongly constrained (block-diagonal) form as it approaches any stationary, non-extremal Killing horizon. Presently, exploiting the geometrical properties of such horizons, we provide a particularly elegant argument that substantiates this highly symmetric form for the Einstein tensor. It is, however, duly noted that, on account of a " loophole " , the argument does fall just short of attaining the status of a rigorous proof. No one seriously disputes the notion of black holes as thermodynamic entities; nevertheless , the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy [1,2] remains as enigmatic as ever from a statistical viewpoint. The " company line " has been, more often than not, to hope that quantum gravity will eventually provide the resolution; but this could require, cynically speaking, a rather long wait. A more pragmatic expectation might be to hope for a statistical explanation that interpolates between the quantum-gravitational and semi-classical regimes, and that is not particularly sensitive to the fundamental micro-constituents. Such a perspective appears to be in compliance with the general stance of S. Carlip — who has long advocated for horizon boundary conditions as a means of altering the physical content of the theory, thereby inducing new degrees freedom that can account for the black hole entropy [3]. One might then query as to what physical principle determines the correct choice of boundary conditions. On this point, Carlip has stressed the importance of asymptotic symmetries 1 in the neighborhood of the horizon [4]. Ideally, these symmetries should be based on semi-classical concepts that can be enhanced into a quantum environment 1 Asymptotic in the sense that such symmetries need only be exact at the horizon itself.
TRIP CHAINING : WHO WINS WHO LOSES ? 1

This paper studies how trip chaining (combining commuting and shopping or commuting and child care) affects market competition: in particular, pricing and the equilibrium number of firms as well as welfare. We use a monopolistic competition framework, where firms sell differentiated products as well as offering differentiated jobs to households, who are all located at some distance from the firms. The symmetric equilibria with and without the option of trip chaining are compared. We show analytically that introducing the trip chaining option reduces the profit margin of the firms in the short run, but increases welfare. The welfare gains are, however, smaller than the transport cost savings. In the free-entry long run equilibrium, the number of firms decreases but welfare is higher. A numerical illustration gives orders of magnitude of the different effects.
The use of teaching portfolios by secondary school teachers in Thailand

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of portfolios as a part of the mandated quality assurance requirements by teachers in secondary schools in Thailand and their impact on the teachers’ beliefs about their practices in teaching and learning. The study was guided by the following questions: 1. In what ways do the teachers use and develop their portfolios? 2. How do the teachers perceive the use of portfolios? 3. What is the impact of the portfolio development process on the teachers’ beliefs about their practices in relation to teaching and learning? A mixed research method was employed to answer these questions. As a result of two pilot studies, a survey was conducted in ten public secondary schools in nine educational service areas in the Central District of Thailand (Bangkok). The sample size of the study was 485 teachers, recruited according to a purposeful sampling technique on a voluntary basis with the condition that they must have at least completed their first teaching portfolios by the academic year 2002. To complement the survey, qualitative methods, which included in-depth interviews and portfolio analysis, were conducted with a group of 9 teachers from 3 schools with either high, moderate and low average scores on perceptions of portfolios as tools and portfolio impacts. After the interviews, their teaching portfolios were analyzed as evidence of their beliefs about their practices in relation to teaching and learning. Responses from the survey, interviews and review of documents were analyzed and processed and the results were presented in both quantitative and qualitative forms which include tables of statistical analysis results, narrative and descriptive texts and quotations. Findings from the study revealed that the majority of participants developed their portfolios to fulfill the quality assurance requirements by the Ministry of Education and the performance assessment requirements of their schools. Though the portfolio formats varied, the contents of most portfolio included personal data and work-related
Negative Correlation between Brain Glutathione Level and Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A 3T 1H-MRS Study

Background Glutathione (GSH), a major intracellular antioxidant, plays a role in NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission, which is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether GSH levels are altered in the posterior medial frontal cortex of schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, we examined correlations between GSH levels and clinical variables in patients. Methods and Findings Twenty schizophrenia patients and 16 age- and gender-matched normal controls were enrolled to examine the levels of GSH in the posterior medial frontal cortex by using 3T SIGNA EXCITE 1H-MRS with the spectral editing technique, MEGA-PRESS. Clinical variables of patients were assessed by the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Drug-Induced Extra-Pyramidal Symptoms Scale (DIEPSS), and five cognitive performance tests (Word Fluency Test, Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Digit Span Distractibility Test). Levels of GSH in the posterior medial frontal cortex of schizophrenic patients were not different from those of normal controls. However, we found a significant negative correlation between GSH levels and the severity of negative symptoms (SANS total score and negative symptom subscore on BPRS) in patients. There were no correlations between brain GSH levels and scores on any cognitive performance test except Trail Making Test part A. Conclusion These results suggest that GSH levels in the posterior medial frontal cortex may be related to negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients. Therefore, agents that increase GSH levels in the brain could be potential therapeutic drugs for negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
The role of the free-energy landscape in the dynamics of mean-field glassy systems

In this paper we give the results of our recent work on the dynamical TAP (Thouless-Anderson-Palmer) approach to mean-field glassy systems. Our aim is to clarify the connection between the free-energy landscape and the out-of-equilibrium dynamics in solvable models. Frequently, qualitative explanations of glassy behaviour are based on the `free-energy landscape paradigm'. While its relevance for equilibrium properties may be clear, the relationship between the free-energy landscape and out-of-equilibrium dynamics is not well understood yet. In this paper we clarify this relationship for the class of spin-glass models which reproduce phenomenologically some features of structural glasses. The method that we use is a generalization of the dynamics of the Thouless, Anderson and Palmer approach to the thermodynamics of mean-field spin glasses. Within this framework, we show to what extent the dynamics can be represented as an evolution in the free-energy landscape. In particular, the relationship between the long-time dynamics and the local properties of the free-energy landscape is explicitly apparent using this approach.
Kinematics of Soft-bodied, Legged Locomotion in Manduca sexta Larvae

Caterpillar crawling is distinct from that of worms and molluscs; it consists of a series of steps in different body segments that can be compared to walking and running in animals with stiff skeletons. Using a three-dimensional kinematic analysis of horizontal crawling in Manduca sexta, the tobacco hornworm, we found that the phase of vertical displacement in the posterior segments substantially led changes in horizontal velocity and the segments appeared to pivot around the attached claspers. Both of the motions occur during vertebrate walking. In contrast, vertical displacement and horizontal velocity in the anterior proleg-bearing segments were in phase, as expected for running gaits coupled by elastic storage. We propose that this kinematic similarity to running results from the muscular compression and release of elastic tissues. As evidence in support of this proposal, the compression and extension of each segment were similar to harmonic oscillations in a spring, although changes in velocity were 70° out of phase with displacement, suggesting that the spring was damped. Measurements of segment length within, and across, intersegmental boundaries show that some of these movements were caused by folding of the body wall between segments. These findings demonstrate that caterpillar crawling is not simply the forward progression of a peristaltic wave but has kinetic components that vary between segments. Although these movements can be compared to legged locomotion in animals with stiff skeletons, the underlying mechanisms of caterpillar propulsion, and in particular the contribution of elastic tissues, remain to be discovered.
Risk sensitive nonlinear optimal control with measurement uncertainty

We present an algorithm to synthesize locally-optimal feedback controllers that take into account additive process and measurement noise for nonlinear stochastic optimal control problems. The algorithm is based on an exponential performance criteria which allows to optimize not only the expected value of the cost, but also a linear combination of its higher order moments; thereby, the cost of uncertainty can be taken into account for synthesis of robust or risk-sensitive policies. The method constructs an affine feedback control law, whose gains explicitly depend upon the covariance of the estimation errors and process noise. Despite the fact that controller and observer are designed separately, the measurement noise variance enters the optimal control, therefore generating feedback laws that do not rely on the Certainty Equivalence Principle. The capabilities of the approach are illustrated in simulation on a two degree of freedom (DOF) manipulator, first in a waypoint task and then in a task where the manipulator goes in contact with its environment.