Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of tone on the three-way laryngeal distinction in Korean: An acoustic and aerodynamic comparison of the Seoul and South Kyungsang dialects.

The three‐way laryngeal distinction among voiceless Korean stops has been well documented for the Seoul dialect. The present study compares the acoustic and aerodynamic properties of this stop series between two dialects, non‐tonal Seoul and tonal South Kyungsang Korean. Sixteen male Korean speakers (eight from Seoul and eight from Kyungsang) participated. Measures collected included VOT, f0 at vowel onset and midpoint, H1‐H2, and air pressure and airflow. The presence versus absence of tone affects both the acoustic and aerodynamic properties. First, Seoul speakers primarily use f0 to distinguish the three laryngeal gestures of Korean stops, while Kyungsang speakers mainly use VOT. Second, the high versus low tonal contrast for Kyungsang speakers makes f0 an unreliable acoustic cue for the three Korean stops. Third, dialectal differences in VOT to mark the three‐way distinction support the notion of a diachronic transition whereby VOT differences between the lenis and aspirated stops in Seoul Korean have.
Designs from Paley graphs and Peisert graphs

Fix positive integers $p,q,$ and $r$ so that $p$ is prime, $q=p^r$, and $q\equiv 1$ (mod $4$). Fix a graph $G$ as follows: If $r$ is odd or $p\not\equiv 3$ (mod $4$), let $G$ be the $q$-vertex Paley graph; if $r$ is even and $p\equiv 3$ (mod $4$), let $G$ be either the $q$-vertex Paley graph or the $q$-vertex Peisert graph. We use the subgraph structure of $G$ to construct four sequences of $2$-designs, and we compute their parameters. Letting $k_4$ denote the number of $4$-vertex cliques in $G$, we create $62$ additional sequences of $2$-designs from $G$, and show how to express their parameters in terms of only $q$ and $k_4$. We find estimates and precise asymptotics for $k_4$ in the case that $G$ is a Paley graph. We also explain how the presented techniques can be used to find many additional $2$-designs in $G$. All constructed designs contain no repeated blocks.
Familial amyloid polyneuropathy in Korea: The first case report with a proven ATTR Lys35Asn gene

A 39-year-old man with progressive peripheral neuropathy and autonomic failure showed amyloid deposition on sural nerve biopsy. Direct DNA sequencing of the TTR gene revealed a G to T mutation, causing a Lys to Asn substitution at position 35. This is the first FAP case in Korea which was diagnosed by a DNA test.
The FARE Probation Experiment: Implementation and Outcomes of Day Fines for Felony Offenders in Maricopa County

Day fines-fines that are proportionate to the seriousness of the offense and the offend er's financial resources-have been popular for decades in Europe as a sanction for a wide range of criminal offenses. This article reports on the implementation and out comes of a day fine program in Maricopa County (Phoenix), Arizona, involving felony offenders with low need for supervision and treatment. Findings show that the day fine program was successful in diverting offenders from routine supervision probation and in encouraging greater financial payments while maintaining public safety, as measured by arrests and technical violations.
A Sparse Structured Shrinkage Estimator for Nonparametric Varying-Coefficient Model With an Application in Genomics

Many problems in genomics are related to variable selection where high-dimensional genomic data are treated as covariates. Such genomic covariates often have certain structures and can be represented as vertices of an undirected graph. Biological processes also vary as functions depending upon some biological state, such as time. High-dimensional variable selection where covariates are graph-structured and underlying model is nonparametric presents an important but largely unaddressed statistical challenge. Motivated by the problem of regression-based motif discovery, we consider the problem of variable selection for high-dimensional nonparametric varying-coefficient models and introduce a sparse structured shrinkage (SSS) estimator based on basis function expansions and a novel smoothed penalty function. We present an efficient algorithm for computing the SSS estimator. Results on model selection consistency and estimation bounds are derived. Moreover, finite-sample performances are studied via simulations, and the effects of high-dimensionality and structural information of the covariates are especially highlighted. We apply our method to motif finding problem using a yeast cell-cycle gene expression dataset and word counts in genes’ promoter sequences. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method can result in better variable selection and prediction for high-dimensional regression when the underlying model is nonparametric and covariates are structured. Supplemental materials for the article are available online.
An SNF2 Protein Associated with Nuclear RNA Silencing and the Spread of a Silencing Signal between Cells in Arabidopsis[W][OA]

The silencing phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana lines with an inverted repeat transgene under the control of a phloem-specific promoter was manifested in regions around veins due to a mobile signal of silencing. Genetic analysis implicates RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE2 (RDR2) and an RNA polymerase IVa subunit gene (NRPD1a) in the signaling mechanism. We also identified an SNF2 domain–containing protein (CLASSY1) that acts together with RDR2 and NRPD1a in the spread of transgene silencing and in the production of endogenous 24-nucleotide short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Cytochemical analysis indicates that CLASSY1 may act in the nucleus with NRPD1a and RDR2 in the upstream part of RNA silencing pathways that generate a double-stranded RNA substrate for Dicer-like (DCL) nucleases. DCL3 and ARGONAUTE4 act in a downstream part of the pathway, leading to endogenous 24-nucleotide siRNA production, but are not required for intercellular signaling. From genetic analysis, we conclude that another downstream part of the pathway associated with intercellular signaling requires DCL4 and at least one other protein required for 21-nucleotide trans-acting siRNAs. We interpret the effect of polymerase IVa and trans-acting siRNA pathway mutations in terms of a modular property of RNA silencing pathways.
PIPES : A Multi-Threaded Publish-Subscribe Architecture for Continuous Queries over Streaming Data Sources

In contrast to traditional query processing based on persistent data, new application scenarios arise that heavily rely on the continuous evaluation of data streams. These streams often emerge from autonomous data sources. In this paper, we present the novel publish-subscribe architecture PIPES (Public Infrastructure for Processing and Exploring Streams), which easily allows the composition of complex query graphs with an inherently dynamic resource sharing, even during runtime. We sketch essential design and implementation considerations of PIPES, which contains a generic operator framework for streaming data. PIPES is completely implemented and integrated in XXL, a flexible and extensible Java library for data processing. In contrast to related system prototypes, whose communication between operators solely depends on queues, we permit direct interoperability. In our new hybrid scheduling approach for PIPES, we intend to dynamically vary the number of concurrently running lightweight processes, called threads. First experimental studies show its advantages of neither being restricted to a single thread nor assigning a separate thread per operator.
Elements of Human Performance: Reaction Processes and Attention in Human Skill

Reaction Processes: General Properties and Models Stage Analysis Effects of Specific Variables Beyond Traditional Choice Reaction Time Attention: Focused Attention and Search Automaticity and Divided Attention Energetics, Stress and Sustained Attention. Epilogue: Stages vs. Capacity - a Final Verdict The Total Task - Reversal of the Perspective.
Genetic Causes of Clopidogrel Nonresponsiveness: Which Ones Really Count?

Clopidogrel decreases the morbidity and mortality associated with several cardiovascular diseases. However, clopidogrel is a prodrug that needs to be metabolized to the active thiol metabolite by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system. This activation is a source of significant interindividual variability in clopidogrel responsiveness. Drug interactions with and genetic variation in CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and CYP2C19 enzymes have been implicated in decreasing active metabolite production. In addition, polymorphisms in the genes encoding P‐glycoprotein (an efflux transporter) and purinergic receptor P2Y12 (the active site for clopidogrel) have been studied for their role in clopidogrel responsiveness. Several large studies have recently assessed the role of genetic variation in clopidogrel responsiveness as characterized by clinical outcomes. In this review, we summarize the genetic causes of clopidogrel nonresponsiveness, with a focus on larger outcomes‐based studies. A MEDLINE search of the English‐language literature (1990–2008) was conducted to identify studies that examined these relationships; additional citations were obtained from the articles retrieved from the literature search. Polymorphisms in CYP2C19 and, to a lesser extent, the adenosine 5`‐triphosphate‐binding cassette gene, ABCB1, contribute to variability in clopidogrel responsiveness. Specifically patients possessing at least one variant CYP2C19 allele (CYP2C19* 2,* 3) have impaired clopidogrel responsiveness due to decreased formation of the active metabolite. In addition, one study found that considering ABCB1 genotype in addition to CYP2C19 allowed better prediction of clopidogrel nonresponsiveness. However, routine genotyping for CYP2C19 or ABCB1 polymorphisms in order to predict clopidogrel responsiveness cannot be recommended at this time because of logistic and cost considerations.
Determinants of Handicap After Stroke: The North East Melbourne Stroke Incidence Study (NEMESIS)

Background and Purpose— Handicap, although more relevant to the patient than impairment or disability, has received little attention in people with stroke. The aim of this study was to identify, in an unselected population, factors determining handicap at 2 years after stroke. Methods— All first-ever cases of stroke in a population of 306 631 over a 1-year period were assessed. Stroke severity, comorbidity, and demographic information was recorded. Among survivors, 2-year poststroke handicap was assessed with the London Handicap Scale. Disability, physical impairment, depression, anxiety, living arrangements, and recurrent stroke at 2 years were documented. If necessary, proxy assessments were obtained, except for mood. Linear regression analyses were performed to identify factors independently associated with handicap. First, all assessments (proxy and nonproxy) were examined; then, the nonproxy assessments were used to examine the effects of mood. Results— Of 266 patients with incident stroke who were alive at 2 years, 226 (85%) were assessed. Significant determinants of handicap on univariable analysis were age, female sex, socioeconomic status, alcohol intake, stroke subtype, initial stroke severity; 2-year physical impairment, disability, depression and anxiety scores; institutionalization; and recurrent stroke. On multivariable analysis, the independent determinants of handicap were age and 2-year physical impairment and disability. In analysis restricted to nonproxy data, depression and anxiety were also independently associated with handicap. Conclusions— Age, concurrent disability, and physical impairment were more important determinants of handicap than other demographic factors or initial stroke severity. Because depression and anxiety were independently associated with handicap, their treatment may potentially reduce handicap in stroke patients.
Examining the Role of Prediction in Infants' Physical Knowledge

The violation-of-expectation paradigm investigates infants' physical knowledge by exploiting their tendency to look longer at events that are surprising, unexpected, or physically impossible. The current simulation study examines the role of prediction as a fundamental component of infants' expectations in physical-knowledge studies. A recurrent network is presented with a computer-animated version of Baillargeon’s “car study” (1986; Baillargeon & DeVos, 1991), in which a car rolls down a ramp and behind a screen. After learning to predict the outcome of a training event, the model is then tested on possible and impossible events from the same study. During testing, the model successfully predicts only superficial features of the test events. These results are used to argue for the necessity of prior physical knowledge, and perhaps also a built-in capacity for mental representation, in order for a prediction system to work.
Genetic and molecular identification of three human TPP1 functions in telomerase action: recruitment, activation, and homeostasis set point regulation

Telomere length homeostasis is essential for the long-term survival of stem cells, and its set point determines the proliferative capacity of differentiated cell lineages by restricting the reservoir of telomeric repeats. The shelterin subunit TPP1 recruits telomerase to telomeres through a region termed the TEL patch. Sexton et al. used human embryonic stem cells to show that the TPP1 TEL patch is genetically essential for telomere elongation and thus long-term cell viability. They also demonstrate that TPP1 provides an essential step of telomerase activation as well as feedback regulation of telomerase by telomere length.
Health behaviour procrastination: a novel reasoned route towards self-regulatory failure

ABSTRACT In this paper, we highlight a novel perspective on health behaviour failure by considering reasoned procrastination as a contributing factor. We argue that the failure to enact intentions does not necessarily occur because people are victims of their strong impulses, but that people may also knowingly and wilfully postpone their intended actions. While procrastination is acknowledged as a factor associated with intention-behaviour gaps in other domains, it has surprisingly received only very little attention in the domain of health behaviour. We argue that it is particularly important to recognise the waxing and waning of intentions: rather than being truly abandoned, intentions may sometimes be temporarily put aside. This paper describes how the procrastination account relates to the intention-behaviour gap as we know it, what is known about procrastination and health behaviour, and what theoretical and practical implications can be derived from the addition of this novel perspective to our understanding of health behaviour change.
Applications of α-Strongly Regular Distributions to Bayesian Auctions

Two classes of distributions that are widely used in the analysis of Bayesian auctions are the monotone hazard rate (MHR) and regular distributions. They can both be characterized in terms of the rate of change of the associated virtual value functions: for MHR distributions, the condition is that for values v < v′, φ (v′) - φ (v) ≥ v′ - v, and for regular distributions, φ (v′) - φ (v) ≥ 0. Cole and Roughgarden introduced the interpolating class of α-strongly regular distributions (α-SR distributions for short), for which φ (v′) - φ (v) ≥ α (v′ - v), for 0 ≤ α ≤ 1. In this article, we investigate five distinct auction settings for which good expected revenue bounds are known when the bidders’ valuations are given by MHR distributions. In every case, we show that these bounds degrade gracefully when extended to α-SR distributions. For four of these settings, the auction mechanism requires knowledge of these distributions (in the remaining setting, the distributions are needed only to ensure good bounds on the expected revenue). In these cases, we also investigate what happens when the distributions are known only approximately via samples, specifically how to modify the mechanisms so that they remain effective and how the expected revenue depends on the number of samples.
Testing the Usability of Interactive Maps in CommonGIS

The paper reports on an experimental study aimed at assessing the usability of five different interactive tools for exploratory analysis of geographically referenced data implemented in CommonGIS. Usability was assessed in terms of tool learnability, memorability, and user satisfaction. The study provided valuable data concerning the usability of each individual tool; we also derived some conclusions relevant to geovisualization techniques in general. We found that users were, in principle, able to understand and adopt the new ideas of map interactivity and manipulability. However, these ideas needed to be appropriately introduced; people could hardly grasp them just from the appearance of the maps and controls. An introductory demonstration was sufficient to understand the purposes of the interactive tools, and a short training session enabled people to use them. The importance of educating users is a particular challenge for geovisualization tools that are intended to be accessed over the Internet.
Fair play: Ethics in sport and education

Based on the author's personal experience and observation of lessons, this analysis of classroom technique advises teachers on maintaining sound discipline, working out an effective learning procedure, and establishing good relationships with the pupils. Its topics include presentation and questioning techniques, shaping a lesson effectively, classroom layout and displays, establishing good working procedures and conventions and routines, report writing, relationships with parents, and handling the pressures of the teaching year.
Quantifying Fungal Infection of Plant Leaves by Digital Image Analysis Using Scion Image Software

A digital image analysis method previously used to evaluate leaf color changes due to nutritional changes was modified to measure the severity of several foliar fungal diseases. Images captured with a flatbed scanner or digital camera were analyzed with a freely available software package, Scion Image, to measure changes in leaf color caused by fungal sporulation or tissue damage. High correlations were observed between the percent diseased leaf area estimated by Scion Image analysis and the percent diseased leaf area from leaf drawings. These drawings of various foliar diseases came from a disease key previously developed to aid in visual estimation of disease severity. For leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana inoculated with different spore concentrations of the anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum destructivum, a high correlation was found between the percent diseased tissue measured by Scion Image analysis and the number of leaf spots. The method was adapted to quantify percent diseased leaf area ranging from 0 to 90% for anthracnose of lily-of-the-valley, apple scab, powdery mildew of phlox and rust of golden rod. In some cases, the brightness and contrast of the images were adjusted and other modifications were made, but these were standardized for each disease. Detached leaves were used with the flatbed scanner, but a method using attached leaves with a digital camera was also developed to make serial measurements of individual leaves to quantify symptom progression. This was successfully applied to monitor anthracnose on N. benthamiana leaves. Digital image analysis using Scion Image software is a useful tool for quantifying a wide variety of fungal interactions with plant leaves. Disease severity has often been quantified by visual estimation aided by illustrated diagrammatic scales, such as the drawings of various foliar diseases by James (1971), but visual estimates may be subjective and have limitations in accuracy. Disease severity has also been quantified with leaf area meters (Sutton, 1985) or percent sunlight reflectance and infrared radiation (Nutter et al., 1993). More recently, digital photography has been used to assess fungal infection of fruit (Corkidi et al. developed a method for leaf color analysis using the Scion Image software package (Scion Corporation, Frederick, MD) on images of leaves captured with a flatbed scanner. They measured the percentage of green or red in leaves of sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and used these as indicators of plant nutrition and health. Their digital analyses of hundreds of scanned images compared favorably with concurrent spectrophotometric measures …
Exocrine pancreatic function during the early recovery phase of acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND Exocrine pancreatic dysfunction has been reported in humans in the convalescent period after acute pancreatitis, but the data are scarce and conflicting. This study aimed to prospectively assess the exocrine pancreatic function in patients with acute pancreatitis at the time of their refeeding. METHODS Fecal elastase-1 was determined on the day of refeeding in all consecutive acute pancreatitis patients with their first episode of the disease. They were 75 patients including 60 (80.0%) patients with mild acute pancreatitis and 15 (20.0%) patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Etiologically 61 patients (81.3%) had biliary disease, 1 (1.3%) had alcoholic disease and 3 (4.0%) had hypertriglyceridemia. No causes of acute pancreatitis were found in the remaining 10 patients (13.3%). The mean (+/-SD) refeeding time after the attack of acute pancreatitis was 11.2+/-10.2 days. RESULTS Pathological values of fecal elastase-1 were found in 9 of the 75 patients (12.0%): 7 (9.3%) patients with mild pancreatitis and 2 (2.7%) patients with severe pancreatitis (P=1.000). The frequency of the pathological values of fecal elastase-1 was significantly different from that of various etiologies of the disease (P=0.030). It was significantly lower in patients with biliary pancreatitis (9.8%; P=0.035) than in one patient with alcoholic pancreatitis (P=0.126), one patient with hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis (33.3%; P=0.708), and one patient with idiopathic pancreatitis (10.0%; P=0.227). Pathological fecal elastase-1 was not significantly related to sex, age or day of refeeding. CONCLUSION Exocrine pancreatic function should be routinely assessed in patients with acute pancreatitis at the time of refeeding in order to supplement their diet with pancreatic extracts.
Catechol estrogens induce oxidative DNA damage and estradiol enhances cell proliferation

Estrogen‐induced carcinogenesis involves enhanced cell proliferation (promotion) and genotoxic effects (initiation). To investigate the contribution of estrogens and their metabolites to tumor initiation, we examined DNA damage induced by estradiol and its metabolites, the catechol estrogens 2‐hydroxyestradiol (2‐OHE2) and 4‐hydroxyestradiol (4‐OHE2). In the presence of Cu(II), catechol estrogens formed piperidine‐labile sites at thymine and cytosine residues in 32P 5′‐end‐labeled DNA fragments and induced the formation of 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydro‐2′‐deoxyguanosine. NADH markedly enhanced Cu(II)‐dependent DNA damage mediated by nanomolar concentrations of catechol estrogens. Catalase and bathocuproine inhibited the DNA damage, suggesting the involvement of H2O2 and Cu(I). These results suggest that H2O2, generated during Cu(II)‐catalyzed autoxidation of catechol estrogens, reacts with Cu(I) to form the Cu(I)–peroxide complex, leading to oxidative DNA damage, and that NADH enhanced DNA damage through the formation of redox cycle. To investigate the role of estrogens and their metabolites in tumor promotion, we examined their effects on proliferation of estrogen‐dependent MCF‐7 cells. Estradiol enhanced the proliferation of MCF‐7 cells at much lower concentrations than catechol estrogens. These findings indicate that catechol estrogens play a role in tumor initiation through oxidative DNA damage, whereas estrogens themselves induce tumor promotion and/or progression by enhancing cell proliferation in estrogen‐induced carcinogenesis. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.