Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Palatal vowels, glides and obstruents in Argentinian Spanish

The goal of this article is to contribute to our understanding of glides – their properties and distribution in underlying and surface representations, the range and the features of their various phonetic manifestations, and their role in the assignment of syllable structure and stress. Spanish provides a rich opportunity for carrying out this study because of the special properties of high vocoids in this language, which are systematically realised as glides in particular contexts: they can function as both onsets and rhymes; they can occur in prepeak, peak and postpeak position; up to four can occur in a row; and they take on a wide range of surface realisations. In the pursuit of our goal, we confront a problem in Spanish phonology that has tantalised investigators for the better part of this century, and rightly continues to do so. The conundrum involves the two sets of phonetic segments we transcribe as [i j y [barred dotless j] ž jˇ] and [u w γw gw] (articulatory descriptions and feature characterisations are given below). Classical structuralist studies, and some current analyses as well, see the problem as the taxonomic exercise of assigning each of these segments to a particular ‘phoneme’ or ‘underlying segment’. Our study includes the notion of phonemic inventory, but considers it as only one of many intersecting issues involved in the attempt to elucidate aspects of the mental representations that native Spanish speakers employ in their phonological computations. We undertake to raise the level of discourse concerning the problem at hand not only by redefining it but also by enlarging the set of data and descriptive issues brought to bear on it and by situating the discussion in a rich theoretical context.
Resource presence and operational sex ratio as determinants of copulation duration in the flyRhagoletis juglandis


The effects of the interaction between the operational sex ratio (OSR) and a resource (i.e. oviposition site) on mating dynamics have rarely been considered. We examined the effect of the resource presence and its interaction, with the effect of OSR on copulation duration in Rhagoletis juglandis, a tephritid fly species characterized by a resource-defence mating system in which males defend territories on walnut fruit. In this species, copulation duration varies from 30 s to over 1 h and was shown previously to respond strongly to changes in OSR. In the field, short copulations tended to begin and end on fruit, whereas most long copulations generally began on fruit but ended in the foliage, suggesting a possible effect of resource presence on the copulation duration. In laboratory assays of isolated pairs, copulations were significantly shorter in the presence of a surrogate fruit, confirming the effect of resource presence. In another laboratory assay, in which we manipulated OSR independently of resource presence, resource presence and OSR were additive in their effects. Results are discussed in the context of sperm competition theory. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Symmetry-Breaking Bifurcation in Series-Parallel Load Resonant DC-DC Converters

This paper reports the occurrence of symmetry-breaking bifurcation in the series-parallel load-resonant dc-dc converter with L-C output filter. The constant frequency phase shift modulation technique is employed with proportional-integral controller in the output voltage regulation. The complexity of the system is contributed by the fact that a six dimensional state space is divided into twelve subsystems by six switching surfaces. It is shown that the dynamics are not only related to the resonant components but are also heavily dependent on the output filter design. The understanding of the dynamics resulting from the interaction between the resonant tank and the filter circuit helps in designing more reliable converters. We show that the first instability can be caused by Neimark-Sacker as well as symmetry-breaking bifurcations. Stable as well as unstable periodic orbits are identified, and their characteristic multipliers are computed by a newly developed algorithm based on a combination of Filippov's theory and shooting method with Newton-Raphson algorithm.
Genetic Prediction of Quantitative Lipid Traits: Comparing Shrinkage Models to Gene Scores

Accurate genetic prediction of quantitative traits related to complex disease risk would have potential clinical impact, so investigation of statistical methodology to improve predictive performance is important. We compare a simple approach of polygenic scores using top ranking single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to a set of shrinkage models, namely Ridge Regression, Lasso and Hyper‐Lasso. These penalised regression methods analyse all genotyped SNPs simultaneously, potentially including much larger sets of SNPs in the models, not only those with the smallest P values. We compare the accuracy of these models for predicting low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) and high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, two lipid traits of clinical relevance, in the Whitehall II and British Women's Health and Heart Study cohorts, using SNPs from the HumanCVD BeadChip. For gene scores, the most accurate predictions arise from multivariate weighted scores and include only a small number of SNPs, identified as top hits by the HumanCVD BeadChip. Furthermore, there was little benefit from including external results from published sets of SNPs. We found that shrinkage approaches rarely improved significantly on gene score results. Genetic predictive performance is trait specific, depending on the heritability and genetic architecture of the trait, and is limited by the training data sample size. Our results for lipid traits suggest no current benefit of more complex methods over existing gene score methods. Instead, the most important choice for the prediction model is the number of SNPs and selection of the most predictive SNPs to include. However further comparisons, in larger samples and for other phenotypes, would still be of interest.
Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II: A Revision of the Original ARSMA Scale

The Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans (ARSMA) was revised for the purpose of developing an instrument that assessed acculturation processes through an orthogonal, multidimensional approach by measuring cultural orientation toward the Mexican culture and the Anglo culture independently. Two subscales, Anglo Orientation Subcale (AOS) and Mexican Orientation Subscale (MOS), were developed from items from the original ARSMA scale. The two cultural orientation subscales were found to have good internal reliabilities (Cronbach's Alpha = .86 and .88 for the AOS and the MOS, respectively. The revised scale (ARSMA-JJ) yielded a high Pearson correlation coefficient (r = .89) with the original scale. Strong construct validity of ARSMA -II was demonstrated using a sample of 379 individuals representing generations I to 5. ARSMA-II is multifactorial and capable of generating multidimensional acculturative types, for example, integrated, separated, assimilated and marginalized.
An Evaluation of the Practicum Course of Pre-School Teacher Education Program in North Cyprus

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the practicum course of the pre-school teacher education programs across Ataturk Teacher Training Academy (ATTA) and Girne American University (GAU). The participants of this study were composed of senior level fourth grader pre-service teachers who were enrolled in the pre-school teacher education programs of ATTA and GAU during the 2012-2013 academic years. In the research, a curriculum assessment approach was implemented. This approach is based on pre- service teachers' beliefs regarding the extents to which they actualize the objectives of the practice teaching course in a real classroom setting, and on their opinions as to how this course could be improved. Data were collected from "teaching skill scale" and an open-ended question. The results of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis revealed that pre-service teachers displayed high teaching competency level across ATTA and GAU with no statistically significant difference between. In addition, the analysis of the results derived from content analysis yielded some considerable suggestions such as extending the duration of the practicum course with richer content, enhancing the faculty-school collaboration, and reducing the theory- practice dilemma to an extent where pre-service teachers find better opportunities to practice what they have learnt in theory.
Changes in Plasma Progesterone Concentrations in Mares Treated

SHIDELER RK, McCHESNEY AE, VOSS JL, SQUIRES EL. Relationship of endometrial biopsy and other management factors on fertility of broodmares. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 1982; 2: 5-10. (Coll. Vet. Med., State Univ., Fort Collins 80523). Uterine biopsy samples were taken from 324 mares on two breeding farms and were classified as either grade I (normal endometrium), grade II (mild to moderately severe uterine changes that were potentially reversible, mostly associated with inflammation), or grade III (severe endoemtrial changes). 200 were grade I, 87 grade II and 37 grade III. Respective pregnancy rates for the three groups were 81%, 74.7% and 70.3%. Foaling rates were 61.1%, 48.3% and 35.1%. Interpreting endometrium histology was less reliable during anoestrus. Of mares classified as grade I while cyclic, 72.8% produced a live foal, compared with 57.5% of those classified as grade I during anoestrous periods. Abortion rate was 18.1% on one farm compared with 33.8 and 47.9% (figures for two years) on the second farm, which suggested that differences in management factors affected fertility. Pregnancy rate was lower and abortion rate was higher in mares yielding pathogenic organisms. Pregnancy rate was lower in mares in training (55.2%) than in mares not training (83.3%). However, training did not affect abortion rate. Managing mares under artifical lighting had little effect on pregnancy rate, although mares kept under lights in January, February and March produced more foals than those not kept under lights. Lighting did not affect abortion rate. Reprintedfrom the " Veterinary Bulletin", Volume 53, No. 2, February 1983.
Cord Blood Karyotyping: A Safe and Non-Invasive Method for Postnatal Testing of Assisted Reproductive Technology Children

Background: To verify the hypothesis that the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities increases in babies conceived by different assisted reproduction procedures. The availability of the umbilical cord blood encouraged us to study this hypothesis via this method. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive study, umbilical cord blood samples of assisted reproductive technology (ART) children were analyzed with standard cytogenetic techniques (G banding). Karyotyping was possible in 109 cases. Results: The number of abnormal cases was four (3.7%), among which, three cases (2.8%) were inherited and only 1 case (0.9%) was a de novo translocation. In total, the incidence of de novo chromosomal abnormalities was in the range observed in all live births in the general population (0.7-1%). Conclusion: No significant difference in the incidence of chromosomal abnormality was found between ART and naturally conceived babies. To date, several studies have examined the medical and developmental outcome of ART children and still have not reached a definite conclusion. Genetic counseling is recommended as an integral part of planning of treatment strategies for couples wishing to undergo ART.
Dialectics of Mind, Body, and Place

This article presents results from an exploratory study of what college students from northern Ontario think about and do to manage their mental health. Data gathered in semistructured interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The purpose of the study is to advance our understanding of the ontogeny, substantive nature and deployment of mental health literacy (MHL). MHL has hitherto been defined as “knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders that aid their recognition, management or prevention. ”. This definition effectively translates to knowledge of the contents of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, currently in its fifth edition. Results of the study suggest that the current definition of MHL is overly narrow, that individuals use knowledge of various types from various sources to manage their mental health, and that the literacies that inform mental health management practices are developed through iterative engagement in autologous knowledge-translation, at the core of which are cultured resonance, meaning-making, metacognitive evaluation, and heuristic experimentation. MHL is redefined as the self-generated and acquired knowledge with which people negotiate their mental health. Broadening the definition of MHL has potential to enhance the capacity of individuals and communities to manage mental health effectively.
Prevalence of Malnutrition Among the Mising Children of Northeast India: A Comparison Between Four Different Sets of Criteria

Background: Prevalence of malnutrition among the children from developing countries has reached unprecedented level which can be evaluated by body mass index. Aim: This study was designed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition among the Mising children of Northeast India using four different sets of Body Mass Index references. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on a population representative sample of 511 Mising children. Four different sets of Body Mass Index reference were used to define thinness as well as overweight cases. Results: With the use of different references the prevalence of thinness varies from 17.18% to 27.73% among the boys and from 19.21% to 28.23% among the girls. On the other hand the prevalence of overweight varies from 1.95% to 7.81% among the boys and 1.96% to 9.41% among the girls. Reference based on United States (1971-74) survey detects sex difference in overweight. The calculated kappa values indicated a fair to almost perfect agreement between various references. Conclusion: Considerable prevalence of overweight despite a persistently high burden of thinness suggests existence of nutrition transition among the Mising population. Prevalence of malnutrition differs with the application of different references which warrants application of international references carefully for any potential misclassification of children.
Healing Rates in a Multicenter Assessment of a Sterile, Room Temperature, Acellular Dermal Matrix Versus Conventional Care Wound Management and an Active Comparator in the Treatment of Full-Thickness Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Objective: The purpose of this 16-week, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial was to assess the healed ulcer rate of a human acellular dermal matrix, DermACELL, compared with conventional care and a second acellular dermal matrix, Graftjacket, in the treatment of full-thickness diabetic foot ulcers. Methods: One hundred sixty-eight patients were randomized into DermACELL, conventional care, and Graftjacket treatment arms in a 2:2:1 ratio. Patients in the acellular dermal matrix groups received either 1 or 2 applications of the graft at the discretion of the investigator. Weekly follow-up visits were conducted until the ulcer healed or the endpoint was reached. Results: At 16 weeks, the DermACELL arm had a significantly higher proportion of completely healed ulcers than the conventional care arm (67.9% vs 48.1%; P = .0385) and a nonsignificantly higher proportion than the Graftjacket arm (67.9% vs 47.8%; P = .1149). The DermACELL arm also exhibited a greater average percent reduction in wound area than the conventional care arm (91.4% vs 80.3%; P = .0791) and the Graftjacket arm (91.4% vs 73.5%; P = .0762). The proportion of severe adverse events and the proportion of overall early withdrawals were similar among the 3 groups based on relative population size (P ≥ .05). Conclusions: The results presented here indicate that DermACELL is an appropriate clinical option in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, with significant increases in healing rates and rate of percentage wound closure as compared with conventional care options.
Consumer Evaluation of Reference Price Advertisements: Effects of Other Brands’ Prices and Semantic Cues

Although consumer behavior and policy researchers have contributed to legislation and legal decisions for reference price advertising, there is hardly any research on how “other” external price information may influence the effects of reference prices and associated semantic cues. The authors study these issues with two 3 × 2 × 2 experiments. Results of the first study indicate that consumer evaluations are influenced by other external price information within a plausible reference price range. In addition, presence of other external price information results in more positive perceptions of the offer when respondents are exposed to an abstract semantic cue. The results of the second study show that other external price information has no effect when the respondents are exposed to implausible or highly implausible prices, but the reference price level affects consumers’ perceptions of value, attitude toward the deal, and search intentions. The authors discuss the possible public policy and managerial implications.
Study on the influence of connection strength on the pacemaker in coupled neurons

The most important part of the neural network research is the learning. The process of learning in our brain is essentially several adjustment processes of connection strength between neurons. It is very difficult to figure out how this mechanism works in the complex network and how the connection strength influences brain functions. In this research, we study the minimal elements block of a learning system. We made a model with only two coupled neurons and studied the influence of connection strength between them. In particular, we found that if the post-synaptic neuron has no external stimuli, correlation remains low until a threshold that occurs about w = 0.15 or w = 0.4 depending on the neuron type testes. Varying types of neurons we find that spike bursts favours synchronization. In fact in all our tests, a pre-synaptic bursting neuron promote faster correlation against the other type of non-bursting neurons tested (regular and fast spiking). The presence of a threshold of connection strength w is a very interesting and previously unknown phenomenon that has implications of the fundamental process in learning and plasticity.
Prediction of excessive weight gain in insulin treated patients with type 2 diabetes

Weight gain is an ongoing challenge when initiating insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, if prediction of insulin‐associated weight gain was possible on an individual level, targeted initiatives could be implemented to reduce weight gain. The aim of the present study was to identify predictors of weight gain in insulin‐treated patients with T2DM.
Assessing Website quality in context: retrieving information about genetically modified food on the Web

Introduction. Knowing the credibility of information about genetically modified food on the Internet is critical to the everyday life information seeking of consumers as they form opinions about this nascent agricultural technology. The Website Quality Evaluation Tool (WQET) is a valuable instrument that can be used to determine the credibility of Websites on any topic. Method. This study sought to use the WQET to determine the quality of Websites in the context of biotechnology or genetically modified food and to seek one or more easily identified characteristics, such as bias, commitment, use of meta-tags and site update-access interval (length of time between last update of the site and the date reviewed) that might be used as a quick discriminator of a Website's quality. Analysis. Using SPSS, analysis of variance and regression analyses were performed with the website variables of a population of one hundred Websites about genetically modified food. Results. Only the site update-access interval was found to be a shortcut quality indicator with an inverse relationship. The longer the interval the lower the quality score. Conclusion. The study established a model for Website quality evaluation. The update-access interval proved to be the single clear-cut indicator to judge Website quality in everyday information seeking.
Using Web-Based Quizzing to Improve Exam Performance: Lessons Learned

This study examined the utility of Web-based quizzing. We assigned 3 classes to a no-quiz, in-class quiz, or Web-based quiz condition. Midsemester results demonstrated a positive effect for in-class quizzing but not Web-based quizzing. After several adjustments in quiz presentation and duration, the Web-based group increased exam performance to a level equivalent to the in-class quiz group for the second half of the semester. These results illustrate that online quizzing can be as effective as in-class quizzing, but only under specific conditions.
Optimum Particle Size of Treated Calcites for CO2 Capture in a Power Plant

This work has analyzed the influence of the particle size of a calcite from a quarry, whether original, calcined, or rehydrated, on the efficiency of CO2 capture of the gases emitted in a coal-fired power plant. Three different particle sizes 0.5 mm, 0.1 mm, and 0.045 mm have been studied. The calcination had a minimal effect on the particle size of the smaller samples A1045 and A1M1 (<30 μm). The N2 isotherms and the CO2 adsorption isotherms at 0 °C showed a very significant increase in the surface of the calcined and rehydrated samples (A15CH, A1045CH, and A1M1CH) with respect to the calcined or original samples. The results obtained showed that the capture of CO2 for the sample A1M1, with a smaller average particle size (<30 μm, is the most effective. For the sample A1M1 calcined and completely rehydrated (Ca(OH)2), the chemical adsorption of CO2 to form CaCO3 is practically total, under the experimental conditions used (550 °C and CO2 flow of 20 mL min−1). The weight increase was 34.11% and the adsorption capacity was 577.00 mg g−1. The experiment was repeated 10 times with the same sample A1M1 calcined and rehydrated. No appreciable loss of adsorption capacity was observed.
Autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy: a possible postganglionic neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate postganglionic autonomic and somatic nerve fiber involvement in a patient with chronic autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy. DESIGN Case report. SETTING Department of Neurological Sciences, University Federico II of Naples. PATIENT A patient with a 16-year history of severe autonomic failure and a high nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antibody titer underwent an extensive laboratory evaluation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Evaluation of sympathetic and parasympathetic functions and sural nerve and skin biopsies. RESULTS Clinical and laboratory evaluations showed the involvement of cardiovascular, pupillary, sudomotor, gastrointestinal, and bladder functions. Sudomotor function study and skin biopsy findings revealed postganglionic autonomic damage. Moreover, sural nerve and skin biopsy specimens provided clear evidence of somatic nerve fiber involvement. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated postganglionic autonomic damage that could be related to a prolonged and severe impaired synaptic transmission and we report, for the first time to our knowledge, a somatic nerve fiber involvement in autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy.