Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Development, Achievement, and Parental Investments: Evidence from a Clean Water Reform in Mexico

Mexico implemented a massive clean water reform in 1991 which led to a sharp drop in diarrhea of close to 50%. Using cohort and state variation in diarrhea reduction, we identify significant causal effects of birth year exposure to diarrhea on cognitive test scores and school achievement tests of teenage and pre-teenage girls, the corresponding estimates for boys being smaller and statistically insignificant. The gains are in the region of 0.1 standard deviations for a one standard deviation reduction in childhood diarrheal mortality rates. We find that the reform also stimulates complementary investments in girls and primarily girls, including preschool attendance and a shift in time from chores to homework, and the evidence suggests that the test score gains we identify hinge upon these investments. Parental responses are consistent with a Roy model in which a positive shock to the health endowment intensifies investments in girls’ education given their comparative advantage over boys in brains relative to brawn. In support of this, we show evidence of differential sorting of women into brain-intensive occupations, and that this sorting is increasing in education and decreasing in the brawn base of the state economy.
Using Complex Systems Analysis to Advance Marketing Theory Development

Aggregate level simulation procedures have been used in many areas of marketing. In this paper we show how individual level simulations may be used support marketing theory development. More specifically, we show how a certain type of simulations that is based on complex systems studies (in this case Stochastic Cellular Automata) may be used to generalize diffusion theory one of the fundamental theories of new product marketing. Cellular Automata models are simulations of global consequences, based on local interactions between individual members of a population, that are widely used in complex system analysis across disciplines. In this study we demonstrate how the Cellular Automata approach can help untangle complex marketing research problems. Specifically, we address two major issues facing current theory of innovation diffusion: The first is general lack of data at the individual level, while the second is the resultant inability of marketing researchers to empirically validate the main assumptions used in the aggregate models of innovation diffusion. Using a computer-based Cellular Automata Diffusion Simulation, we demonstrate how such problems can be overcome. More specifically, we show that relaxing the commonly used assumption of homogeneity in the consumers’ communication behavior is not a barrier to aggregate modeling. Thus we show that notwithstanding some exceptions, the well-known Bass model performs well on aggregate data when the assumption that that all adopters have a possible equal effect on all other potential adopters is relaxed. Through Cellular Automata we are better able to understand how individual level assumptions influence aggregate level parameter values, and learn the strengths and limitations of the aggregate level analysis. We believe that this study can serve as a demonstration towards a much wider use of Cellular Automata models for complex marketing research phenomena.
Phonological and morphophonological effects on grammatical development in children with specific language impairment.

BACKGROUND Five-year-olds with specific language impairment (SLI) often struggle with mastering grammatical morphemes. It has been proposed that verbal morphology is particularly problematic in this respect. Previous research has also shown that in young typically developing children grammatical markers appear later in more phonologically challenging contexts. AIMS The main aim was to explore whether grammatical deficits in children with SLI are morphosyntactic in nature, or whether phonological factors also explain some of the variability in morpheme production. The analysis considered the effects of the same phonological factors on the production of three different morphemes: two verbal (past tense -ed; third-person singular -s) and one nominal morpheme (possessive -s). METHODS & PROCEDURES The participants were 30 children with SLI (21 boys) aged 4;6-5;11 years (mean = 5;1). The data were collected during grammar test sessions, which consisted of question/answer elicitations of target forms involving picture props. A total of 2301 items were analysed using binary logistic regression; the predictors included: (1) utterance position of the target word, (2) phonological complexity of its coda, (3) voicing of the final stem consonant, (4) syllabicity (allomorph type) and (5) participant accounting for the individual differences in the responses. OUTCOMES & RESULTS The results showed a robust effect of syllabicity on the correct morpheme production. Specifically, syllabic allomorphs (e.g., She dresses) were significantly more challenging than the segmental ones (e.g., He runs) for all three morphemes. The effects of other factors were observed only for a single morpheme: coda complexity and voicing helped explain variability in past tense production, and utterance position significantly affected children's performance with the possessive. The participant factor also had a significant effect, indicating high within-group variability--often observed in SLI population. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS The systematic effect of syllabicity across both verbal and nominal morphemes suggests morphophonological influences in the grammatical development of children with SLI that cannot be fully explained by syntactic deficits. Poorer performance in producing syllabic allomorphs can be accounted for by much lower overall frequency of these forms, and by the 'tongue-twisting' effect of producing similar segments in succession, as in added [aedəd], washes [wɒʃəz]. Interestingly, the greater acoustic salience of the syllabic allomorphs (an extra syllable) does not enhance children's abilities to produce them. These findings suggest that the interconnections between different levels of language have a stronger effect on the grammatical development of children with SLI than might be expected. Allomorphy should, therefore, be taken into account when designing language assessments and speech therapy, ensuring that children receive sufficient practice with the entire set of allomorphic variants.
The effect of harmonization on cortical magnetic responses evoked by music of rapidly changing tonalities

The act of shifting from one key to another is termed tonal modulation, which has been used to articulate emotion expressions and formal structures in Western music. The present study recorded cortical activity to examine how the auditory-evoked magnetic fields are affected by harmonizing music of rapidly changing tonalities. Participants were asked to covertly sing the pitch names of well-learned modulating melodies along with the harmonized or unharmonized melodies. In our musical stimuli, three flats were added to the key signature for every four beats. Such a rapid modulation is achieved by a chromatic inflection of the submediant tone between the third and fourth beats. Tonal modulations with such chromatic progressions are termed chromatic modulations. A major finding was that the amplitude of N1m (neuromagnetic response at approximately 110 ms after the onset of a stimulus) was significantly reduced by harmonization only when a modulation occurred. We also observed that harmonization enhanced the P2m (neuromagnetic response at approximately 200 ms after the onset of a stimulus) amplitude. The results provide evidence of the impacts of harmonization on attention efforts and pitch categorization.
Stability and change in the mental health of New Zealand secondary school students 2007–2012: Results from the national adolescent health surveys

Objective: To describe the self-reported mental health of New Zealand secondary school students in 2012 and to investigate changes between 2007 and 2012. Methods: Nationally representative health and wellbeing surveys of students were completed in 2007 (n=9107) and 2012 (n=8500). Logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between mental health and changes over time. Prevalence data and adjusted odds ratios are presented. Results: In 2012, approximately three-quarters (76.2%, 95% CI 74.8–77.5) of students reported good overall wellbeing. By contrast (also in 2012), some students reported self-harming (24.0%, 95% CI 22.7–25.4), depressive symptoms (12.8%, 95% CI 11.6–13.9), 2 weeks of low mood (31%, 95% CI 29.7–32.5), suicidal ideation (15.7%, 95% 14.5–17.0), and suicide attempts (4.5%, 95% CI 3.8–5.2). Between 2007 and 2012, there appeared to be slight increases in the proportions of students reporting an episode of low mood (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06–1.23, p=0.0009), depressive symptoms (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.03–1.30, p=0.011), and using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire - emotional symptoms (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.23–1.54, p<0.0001), hyperactivity (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05–1.29, p=0.0051), and peer problems (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09–1.49, p=0.0022). The proportion of students aged 16 years or older reporting self-harm increased slightly between surveys, but there was little change for students aged 15 years or less (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.15–1.44 and OR 1.10, 95% 0.98–1.23, respectively, p=0.0078). There were no changes in reported suicidal ideation and suicide attempts between 2007 and 2012. However, there has been an improvement in self-reported conduct problems since 2007 (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.70–0.87, p<0.0001). Conclusions: The findings suggest a slight decline in aspects of self-reported mental health amongst New Zealand secondary school students between 2007 and 2012. There is a need for ongoing monitoring and for evidence-based, accessible interventions that prevent mental ill health and promote psychological wellbeing.
O NT HEAPPLICATION OF PSYCHOACOUSTICALLY-MOTIVATED DEREVERBERATION FOR RECORDINGS TAKEN IN THE GERMAN PARLIAMENT

In this paper, we discuss the application of speech dereverberation tech- niques for post-processing of recordings taken in the German parliament. Based on a novel psychoacoustically-motivated dereverberation concept, a significant improve- ment in terms of the perceived quality is obtained in comparison to a conventional dereverberation approach. Since time-varying changes of the acoustical environment are negligible, all required acoustical parameters such as reverberation time (RT) and direct-to-reverberant-energy ratio (DRR), are determined in an off-line procedure. In this contribution, we show how such techniques can be used to enhance speech recordings taken in large conference halls or similar environments. For a case study, speech recordings from the German Bundestag, which is located in the Reichstag in Berlin, are investigated and suitable signal processing methods for a post-processing are proposed. Based on a conven- tional dereverberation algorithms, an improved concept which exploits masking properties of the human auditory system is developed. In the remainder of this paper, the acoustical environment is analyzed in the next section which includes the considered signal model, followed by a short discussion on the reverberation time (RT) and direct-to-reverberant energy ratio (DRR). In Section 3, a conventional dereverberation algorithm is introduced and a psychoacoustically-motivated modification is discussion. Finally, in Sections 4 and 5 we show simulation results and draw conclusions. 2 Analysis of the Acoustical Environment Room reverberation is usually caused by reflections of the emitted source, e.g., a speaker which stands far away from another speaker in an enclosure. In contrast to that, in a parliament dis- cussion, the speaker is located at a lectern and the speech is captured by microphones at a small distance. This speech signal is then processed and emitted by a loudspeaker system to the audience. In very large rooms, this signal is then reflected on the walls and fed back into the mi- crophones with a certain sound propagation delay. In order to avoid instability and overshoots, a feedback cancellation is employed which usually consists of a notch fi lter or an adaptivefilter
Analysis of Distributed Consensus Time Synchronization with Gaussian Delay over Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper presents theoretical results on the convergence of the distributed consensus timing synchronization (DCTS) algorithm for wireless sensor networks assuming general Gaussian delay between nodes. The asymptotic expectation and mean square of the global synchronization error are computed. The results lead to the definition of a time delay balanced network in which average timing consensus between nodes can be achieved despite random delays. Several structured network architectures are studied as examples, and their associated simulation results are used to validate analytical findings.
Organization of AMPA Receptor Subunits at a Glutamate Synapse: A Quantitative Immunogold Analysis of Hair Cell Synapses in the Rat Organ of Corti

Sensitive and high-resolution immunocytochemical procedures were used to investigate the spatial organization of AMPA receptor subunits (GluR1–4) at the synapse between the inner hair cells and the afferent dendrites in the rat organ of Corti. This is a synapse with special functional properties and with a presynaptic dense body that defines the center of the synapse and facilitates its morphometric analysis. A quantitative postembedding immunocytochemical analysis was performed on specimens that had been embedded in a metachrylate resin at low temperature after freeze substitution. Single- and double-labeling procedures indicated that GluR2/3 and GluR4 subunits were colocalized throughout the postsynaptic density, with a maximum distance of 300 nm from the presynaptic body and with higher concentrations peripherally than centrally. No receptor immunolabeling was found at extrasynaptic membranes, but some GluR4 subunits appeared to be expressed presynaptically. The synapses between outer hair cells and afferent dendrites were devoid of labeling. The present data indicate that AMPA receptor subunits are inserted into the postsynaptic membrane in a very precise manner and that their density increases on moving away from the center of the synapse.
The upper kHz QPO: a gravitationally lensed vertical oscillation

We show that a luminous torus in the Schwarzschild metric oscillating along its own axis gives rise to a periodically varying ﬂux of radiation, even though the source of radiation is steady and perfectly axisymmetric. This implies that the simplest oscillation mode in an accretion ﬂow, axisymmetric up-and-down motion at the meridional epicyclic frequency, may be directly observable when it occurs in the inner parts of accretion ﬂow around neutron stars and black holes. The high-frequency modulations of the X-ray ﬂux observed in low-mass X-ray binaries at two frequencies (twin kHz QPOs) could then be a signature of strong gravity both because radial and meridional oscillations have diﬀerent frequencies in non-Newtonian gravity, and because strong gravitational deﬂection of light rays causes the ﬂux of radiation to be modulated at the higher frequency.
EFL Learners Use of Formulaic Language in Oral Assessments: A Study on Fluency and Proficiency

Despite the recent, increasing interest in the research of formulaic language which constitutes a significant part of languages, there is little research on formulaic language use in registers such as classroom teaching and textbooks. Therefore, this article aims to investigate a) formulaic language use of EFL learners in multi-task oral proficiency exams consisting of an individual and a paired task, b) the task type in which these learners use more formulaic language, and c) whether the use of formulaic expressions is related to their fluency and overall proficiency scores. The data were gathered from the content analyses of video recordings of oral proficiency exam belonging to 190 EFL learners with different proficiency levels according to the description of CEFR and the course book used at School of Foreign Languages at a state university in Turkey. The findings indicate that EFL learners used formulaic language which they were exposed to through their course books in oral proficiency exams with different tasks; they used more formulaic language in the paired tasks in which they interact with another exam taker and their use was significantly related to their scores of fluency and language proficiency.
Neurocomputational Models of Face Processing

Until the day we can record from multiple neurons in undergraduates, understanding how humans process faces requires an interdisciplinary approach, including building computational models that mimic how the brain processes faces. Using machine learning techniques, we can often build models that perform the same tasks people do, in neurophysiologically plausible ways. These models can then be manipulated and analyzed in ways that people cannot, providing insights that are unavailable from behavioral experiments. For example, as we will see below, our model of perceptual expertise can be " raised " in an environment where its " parents " are cups or cans instead of faces, and the same kind of processing ensues. This demonstrates, at least from our point of view, that there is nothing special about faces as an object class per se; rather, it is what we have to do with them – fine level discrimination of a homogeneous class-that is special. In this chapter, we will delineate two dimensions along which computational models of face (and object) processing may vary, and briefly review three such models 1999). Subsequently, we will focus primarily on the model we are most familiar with (our own! ) and how this model has been used to reveal potential mechanisms underlying the neural processing of faces and objects – the development of a specialized face processor, how it could be recruited for other domains, hemispheric lateralization of face processing, facial expression processing, and the development of face discrimination. At the end, we return to the Riesenhuber and Poggio model to describe the elegant way it has been used to predict fMRI data on face processing. The overall strategy of these modeling efforts is
Understanding the dynamics of trends within evolving lineages

The study of evolutionary trends is one of the oldest and most intriguing topics in evolutionary biology and paleobiology (McNamara 1990). Workers since Cuvier, Lyell, and Owen have wanted to know if the fossil record demonstrates “progression” within temporal sequences of related organisms. Regardless of whether changes in the average values of morphological characters are progressive in any meaningful sense, these changes are still of great interest. In practice, questions about trends are most commonly framed by paleontologists in terms of “complexity” (however defined) or body size (McShea 1998a).
The Jet and Circumburst Stellar Wind of GRB 980519

We present extensive multicolor (UBVRCIC) photometry of the optical afterglow of GRB 980519. Upon discovery, 8.3 hr after the burst, the source was decaying as a power law, (t - tGRB)α, with a rapid decay rate α1 = -1.73 ± 0.04. About 13 hr after the burst a steepening of the light curve to α2 = -2.22 ± 0.04 was observed. Within the framework of current afterglow models, we argue that the rapid initial decline, the "break" in the light curve, and the spectral properties of the afterglow are best interpreted as being due to a collimated ultrarelativistic jet of fixed opening angle expanding into an inhomogeneous medium. In this scenario, we find that the circumburst medium has a density structure that goes as r-2.05±0.22. This is characteristic of a preexisting wind expelled from a massive star. A possible physical scenario is that the progenitor star collapsed to form a black hole (i.e., a "collapsar"), producing the observed burst and afterglow. However, the supernova signature expected in the light curve in such a scenario is not detected. This either implies that the redshift of GRB 980519 is greater than 1.5 or that supernovae accompanying GRBs are not standard candles.
In Utero Exposure to Dioxins and Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Its Relations to Thyroid Function and Growth Hormone in Newborns

The aim of this study is to examine the association between transplacental exposure to dioxins/polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and thyroid and growth hormones in newborns. We recruited 118 pregnant women, between 25 and 34 years of age, at the obstetric clinic. Personal data collected included reproductive and medical histories and physical factors. Clinicians gathered placental and umbilical cord serum upon delivery and carefully scored the 118 newborns, making both structural and functional assessments. We analyzed placentas for 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and 12 dioxin-like PCB congeners with the World Health Organization–defined toxic equivalent factors, and six indicator PCBs by high-resolution gas chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. We analyzed thyroid and growth hormones from cord serum using radioimmunoassay. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-binding globulin-3, and thyroxine × yroid-stimulating hormone (T4 × TSH) were significantly associated with increased placental weight and Quetelet index (in kilograms per square meter; correlation coefficient r = 0.2–0.3; p < 0.05). Multivariate analyses showed independently and significantly decreased free T4 (FT4) × TSH with increasing non-ortho PCBs (r = −0.2; p < 0.05). We suggest that significant FT4 feedback alterations to the hypothalamus result from in utero exposure to non-ortho PCBs. Considering the vast existence of bioaccumulated dioxins and PCBs and the resultant body burden in modern society, we suggest routine screening of both thyroid hormone levels and thyroid function in newborns.