Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Electronic Dictionaries and Hypermedia Annotations on English Major Students' Reading Compression and Vocabulary Learning

This study explored the effect of using electronic dictionaries and hypermedia annotations on university students' receptive language skills, specifically reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. The subjects of the study consisted of 43 English major students who registered for the Reading One course at Taibah University in the second semester of the 2012-2013 academic year. The group was divided into two sections: section one was assigned as an experimental group, and section two was assigned as a control group. Data was collected over the course of twelve weeks via a pre/post test designed for an equivalent group. The results of the study indicated that students who were taught using electronic dictionaries and hypermedia annotation applications had better results than those who were taught using traditional methods. The researcher concluded that multimedia could facilitate students' learning of vocabulary and improve receptive language skills since they motivate and involve students in the teaching process. Accordingly, English departments at universities should accompany the main reading comprehension textbooks with instructions on how to utilize multimedia applications that render the teaching process more effective and successful. Specifically, this study demonstrates the benefits of multimedia instructional technology on students’ reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. The results suggest that teachers may want to consider the merits of multimedia as a means of enhancing students’ reading comprehension.
A Dissociation of Attention and Awareness in Phase-sensitive but Not Phase-insensitive Visual Channels

The elements most vivid in our conscious awareness are the ones to which we direct our attention. Scientific study confirms the impression of a close bond between selective attention and visual awareness, yet the nature of this association remains elusive. Using visual afterimages as an index, we investigate neural processing of stimuli as they enter awareness and as they become the object of attention. We find evidence of response enhancement accompanying both attention and awareness, both in the phase-sensitive neural channels characteristic of early processing stages and in the phase-insensitive channels typical of higher cortical areas. The effects of attention and awareness on phase-insensitive responses are positively correlated, but in the same experiments, we observe no correlation between the effects on phase-sensitive responses. This indicates independent signatures of attention and awareness in early visual areas yet a convergence of their effects at more advanced processing stages.
Discrimination of speech from nonspeech based on multiscale spectro-temporal Modulations

We describe a content-based audio classification algorithm based on novel multiscale spectro-temporal modulation features inspired by a model of auditory cortical processing. The task explored is to discriminate speech from nonspeech consisting of animal vocalizations, music, and environmental sounds. Although this is a relatively easy task for humans, it is still difficult to automate well, especially in noisy and reverberant environments. The auditory model captures basic processes occurring from the early cochlear stages to the central cortical areas. The model generates a multidimensional spectro-temporal representation of the sound, which is then analyzed by a multilinear dimensionality reduction technique and classified by a support vector machine (SVM). Generalization of the system to signals in high level of additive noise and reverberation is evaluated and compared to two existing approaches (Scheirer and Slaney, 2002 and Kingsbury et al., 2002). The results demonstrate the advantages of the auditory model over the other two systems, especially at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and high reverberation.
Think Fast! Mental-state Language is Related to the Speed of False-belief Reasoning in Adulthood

When tested appropriately, infants appear to demonstrate false-belief understanding in the first year of life. Some have argued that this is inconsistent with the well-established relationship between social experience and preschoolers’ false-belief performance. We argue that these two sets of findings are not inconsistent because the ability to attribute false beliefs to others is necessary but not sufficient for falsebelief performance, and we propose several ways that one social factor, hearing and using mental-state language, might relate to false-belief performance throughout the lifespan. We tested this account by examining the relationship between adults’ use of mental-state language and their false-belief understanding. Participants’ use of mental-state language was related to how quickly they could accurately predict the behavior of agents on the basis of desires and beliefs. These findings provide the first evidence that mental-state talk and false-belief performance are related into adulthood.
On performance limitation in tracking a sinusoid

This note studies the performance limitation of a feedback system with a given linear time-invariant (LTI) plant in tracking a sinusoidal signal. It continues and goes beyond some recent studies in the same topic in which it is assumed that the controller can access all the past and future values of the reference signal. In this note, we consider the more realistic (and more difficult) situation where the controller only accesses the current and past values of the reference. An explicit formula of the best attainable performance is obtained for a single-input-single-output (SISO) system which depends on the nonminimum phase zeros of the plant and the frequency of the reference sinusoid. Compared to the previously studied case when the future of the reference is available, this formula clearly shows the extra effort one has to pay due to the lack of the reference information. A partial result for a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) system is also given
Multi-armed Bandits: Competing with Optimal Sequences

We consider sequential decision making problem in the adversarial setting, where regret is measured with respect to the optimal sequence of actions and the feedback adheres the bandit setting. It is well-known that obtaining sublinear regret in this setting is impossible in general, which arises the question of when can we do better than linear regret? Previous works show that when the environment is guaranteed to vary slowly and furthermore we are given prior knowledge regarding its variation (i.e., a limit on the amount of changes suffered by the environment), then this task is feasible. The caveat however is that such prior knowledge is not likely to be available in practice, which causes the obtained regret bounds to be somewhat irrelevant. Our main result is a regret guarantee that scales with the variation parameter of the environment, without requiring any prior knowledge about it whatsoever. By that, we also resolve an open problem posted by [Gur, Zeevi and Besbes, NIPS' 14]. An important key component in our result is a statistical test for identifying non-stationarity in a sequence of independent random variables. This test either identifies non-stationarity or upper-bounds the absolute deviation of the corresponding sequence of mean values in terms of its total variation. This test is interesting on its own right and has the potential to be found useful in additional settings.
Barriers to and Suggestions on Improving Utilization of Eye Care in High-Risk Individuals: Focus Group Results

Purpose. To understand barriers facing high-risk individuals and to solicit the suggestions of these individuals, especially nonusers, on how to change the eye care delivery system to better meet their needs. Methods. Four focus groups were conducted. All discussion was audiotaped and transcribed. Content analysis was performed by the authors and with the assistance of qualitative software, NUD*IST Vivo. Results. The most frequently cited barriers include (1) cost, (2) trust, (3) communication, (4) clinic accessibility (transportation/distance), and (5) doctor-patient relationship. In underutilizers, trust was the most identified barrier to care. Suggestions on increasing educational opportunities/awareness of eye care and addressing cost and insurance issues as a means of improving trust and communications were most frequently offered, including using the Department of Social Services as a focal point for eye care education and assessment. Discussion. Trust is a major barrier to eye care, especially among underutilizers of disadvantaged populations. Increasing trust and eye care education at the community and individual levels is essential to increasing eye care utilization.
Model predictive control of a Doubly Fed Induction Generator with an Indirect Matrix Converter

A simple and intuitive Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) predictive rotor current control scheme is presented. Predictive control of an Indirect Matrix Converter (IMC) is combined with predictive rotor current control of a DFIG to achieve a very good dynamic response as the rotor currents smoothly follow the applied reference in a ±30% range of the generator nominal rpm. Simulation results are presented for constant torque and rotational speed, as well as for variable rotational speed corresponding to a 10 kW generator dynamic response. Derivation and conjunction of each model equations are also presented along with a delay error compensation strategy to counter the practical implementation issue implicit in discrete time control computation.
Toxicity of essential oil of Satureja khuzistanica: In vitro cytotoxicity and anti-microbial activity

Abstract In nature, essential oils play an important role in the protection of the plants by exerting anti-bacterial, -viral, -fungal, -oxidative, -genotoxic, and free radical scavenging properties, as well as in some cases acting as insecticides. Several Satureja species are used in traditional medicine due to recognized therapeutic properties, namely anti-microbial and cytotoxic activities. The purpose of the present work was to determine the biologic activity of the essential oil of S. khuzistanica Jamzad (Lamiaceae) against four human cancer cell lines, as well as its inhibitory effects against a wide array (i.e. n = 11) of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The essential oil was isolated by hydro-distillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Carvacrol (92.87%) and limonene (1.2%) were found to be the main components of the isolated oil. Anti-microbial activity of the essential oil was assessed using a disc diffusion method; an MTT cytotoxicity assay was employed to test effects of the oil on each cancer cell line. The oil exhibited considerable anti-microbial activity against the majority of the tested bacteria and fungi. The test oil also significantly reduced cell viability of Vero, SW480, MCF7, and JET 3 cells in a dose-dependent manner, with the IC50 values calculated for each cell type being, respectively, 31.2, 62.5, 125, and 125 μg/ml. Based on the findings, it is concluded that the essential oil of S. khuzistanica and its major constituents have a potential for further use in anti-bacterial and anti-cancer applications, pending far more extensive testing of toxicities in normal (i.e. primary) cells.
Urokinase-induced activation of the gp130/Tyk2/Stat3 pathway mediates a pro-inflammatory effect in human mesangial cells via expression of the anaphylatoxin C5a receptor

Glomerular mesangial cells (MCs) are central to the pathogenesis of progressive glomeruli-associated renal diseases. However, molecular mechanisms underlying changes in MC functions still remain poorly understood. Here, we show that in MCs, the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) induces, via its specific receptor (uPAR, CD87), upregulated expression of the complement anaphylatoxin C5a receptor (C5aR, CD88), and modulates C5a-dependent functional responses. This effect is mediated via the interaction of the uPA-specific receptor (uPAR, CD87) and gp130, a signal transducing subunit of the receptor complexes for the IL-6 cytokine family. The Janus kinase Tyk2 and the transcription factor Stat3 serve as downstream components in the signaling cascade resulting in upregulation of C5aR expression. In vivo, expression of C5aR and uPAR was increased in the mesangium of wild-type mice in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced model of inflammation, whereas in uPAR–/– animals C5aR expression remained unchanged. This is the first demonstration in vitro and in vivo that uPA acts in MCs as a modulator of immune responses via control of immune-competent receptors. The data suggest a novel role for uPA/uPAR in glomeruli-associated renal failure via a signaling cross-talk between the fibrinolytic and immune systems.
Automatic Variational Inference in Stan

Variational inference is a scalable technique for approximate Bayesian inference. Deriving variational inference algorithms requires tedious model-specific calculations; this makes it difficult for non-experts to use. We propose an automatic variational inference algorithm, automatic differentiation variational inference (ADVI); we implement it in Stan (code available), a probabilistic programming system. In ADVI the user provides a Bayesian model and a dataset, nothing else. We make no conjugacy assumptions and support a broad class of models. The algorithm automatically determines an appropriate variational family and optimizes the variational objective. We compare ADVI to MCMC sampling across hierarchical generalized linear models, nonconjugate matrix factorization, and a mixture model. We train the mixture model on a quarter million images. With ADVI we can use variational inference on any model we write in Stan.
An Investigation of an Arts Infusion Program on Creative Thinking, Academic Achievement, Affective Functioning, and Arts Appreciation of Children at Three Grade Levels

The effects of an arts infusion program (SPECTRA+) on the creative thinking, academic achievement, self-esteem, locus of control, and appreciation for the arts of school children were investigated. Participants were 615 children in four schools in two school districts, in either an arts infusion, modified control, or full control condition for one year in a pre-and post-test design. Children's scores were compared on standardized tests on the indices mentioned above. Children in the SPECTRA+ program scored significantly better than their control group peers in the areas of creativity, social and parental self-esteem, and appreciation for the arts. Data regarding academic achievement were mixed. SPECTRA+ boys scored higher in math than all other groups but SPECTRA+ girls scores lowest. In one of the school districts, the SPECTRA+ students achieved higher scores in reading than their control group counterparts. Results, implications, and cautions regarding the generalization of results are discussed, as are plans for future studies.
Effects of Exercise on Spinal Deformities and Quality of Life in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Objectives. This systematic review was conducted to examine the effects of exercise on spinal deformities and quality of life in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Data Sources. Electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, PEDro, and Web of Science, were searched for research articles published from the earliest available dates up to May 31, 2015, using the key words “exercise,” “postural correction,” “posture,” “postural curve,” “Cobb's angle,” “quality of life,” and “spinal deformities,” combined with the Medical Subject Heading “scoliosis. ” Study Selection. This systematic review was restricted to randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials on AIS published in English language. The quality of selected studies was assessed by the PEDro scale, the Cochrane Collaboration's tool, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation System (GRADE). Data Extraction. Descriptive data were collected from each study. The outcome measures of interest were Cobb angle, trunk rotation, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar kyphosis, vertebral rotation, and quality of life. Data Synthesis. A total of 30 studies were assessed for eligibility. Six of the 9 selected studies reached high methodological quality on the PEDro scale. Meta-analysis revealed moderate-quality evidence that exercise interventions reduce the Cobb angle, angle of trunk rotation, thoracic kyphosis, and lumbar lordosis and low-quality evidence that exercise interventions reduce average lateral deviation. Meta-analysis revealed moderate-quality evidence that exercise interventions improve the quality of life. Conclusions. A supervised exercise program was superior to controls in reducing spinal deformities and improving the quality of life in patients with AIS.
Umbilical cord prolapse in current obstetric practice.

OBJECTIVE To assess the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of umbilical cord prolapse in current obstetric practice. STUDY DESIGN This study was a retrospective chart review at both a community hospital and a tertiary referral center. RESULTS There were 52 cases of cord prolapse in our patient population, for an incidence of 3.0/1,000, similar to that in the literature. Of viable singleton pregnancies with frank prolapse, the rate was 1.6/1,000. In this series we found an approximately 40% higher rate of frank cord prolapse in induced patients at the community hospital than in the general population. Other than 2 fetal deaths related to extreme prematurity, all mothers and infants did well. CONCLUSION The higher incidence of cord prolapse among women with induction of labor in this population merits further study. The lack of significant morbidity and mortality in the study suggests that modern obstetric practices may influenced the natural history of umbilical cord prolapse.
Application of attenuated coxsackievirus B3 as a viral vector system for vaccines and gene therapy

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) contains a single-stranded plus-strand RNA genome and belongs to the genus Enterovirus in the family Picornaviridae. For decades, many studies have shown that enteroviruses are potential viral vectors. Of these viruses, polioviruses and coxsackieviruses have predominantly been investigated. Therefore, the molecular biology of these two viruses and the cellular receptors involved in their infection are relatively well known, and infectious cDNAs and proper animal models of their infection are available. CVB3, in particular, will become increasingly important in the development of an enteroviral vector because poliovirus is currently subject to the global poliovirus eradication program. This review highlights the potential use of CVB3 as a viral vector for vaccines and therapeutic gene delivery.
Detection of Brucella species in the milk of infected cattle, sheep, goats and camels by PCR.

One hundred and three milk samples were collected from 52 cows, 21 ewes, 18 goats and 12 camels. The animals tested positive to at least one of the following: (1) standard tube agglutination test (SAT); (2) Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT); (3) milk ring test (MRT). All milk samples were examined by culture and single-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques for detection of Brucella species. The PCR assay amplified Brucella-DNA from 29 bovine milk samples, 10 from sheep, 13 from goats and one from a camel. The direct culture method detected Brucella organisms from 24 samples of cows' milk, 12 from sheep, 10 from goats and failed to detect any Brucella organisms from camels' milk. PCR detected up to 100 colony forming units (CFU) of B. abortus per millilitre of milk in 100% of diluted milk samples, and 1000 CFU of B. melitensis from 70% of milk samples. Although the overall sensitivity of the PCR was higher than the culture method, it should be possible to increase the sensitivity to detect lower numbers of Brucella organisms in field samples. The speed and sensitivity of the PCR assay suggest that this technique could be useful for detection of Brucella organisms in bovine milk, as well as in sheep, goat, and camels milk.
Production of fruits and vegetables at the homestead is an important source of vitamin A among women in rural Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND Vitamin A deficiency is considered to be an important public health problem in Bangladesh. A universal biannual distribution of high-dose vitamin A capsules has been in place for over the past two decades. This supplementation has been beneficial for preschool children. Bangladesh has been exploring more sustainable approaches for all segments of the population. To support this initiative, Helen Keller International has implemented a homegardening promotion project since 1993. This project is executed on a large scale and currently reaches an estimated 244,000 families. METHODS This paper presents data from 7341 women of reproductive age which were collected as part of the baseline census of a community monitoring system whose objective is to track progress and measure the impact of home-gardening activities. RESULTS Vitamin A intake in this population derived almost entirely from the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Logistic regression analyses showed that maternal vitamin A intake was determined by qualitative indicators of homestead gardens (type of home garden, the total quantity of provitamin A-rich food produced and the number of fruits and vegetables varieties grown in the garden) after adjusting for socio-economic status. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that traditional production of provitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables in the homestead may provide a valuable contribution to vitamin A intake in communities where alternative dietary sources of vitamin A are scarce.
Epileptic Syndromes in Childhood: Clinical Features, Outcomes, and Treatment

Summary: We reviewed the clinical features, outcome, and treatment of many of the epileptic syndromes that begin in the childhood from 2 to 12 years of age, using a review of the literature and personal experience, with most references to authoritative texts. The developmental tasks of childhood are centered on refinement of motor skills and development of complex intellectual and social skills. The childhood onset epilepsies can be divided into benign, intermediate, and catastrophic based on their impact on childhood development. The clearest benign epilepsy is benign rolandic epilepsy, which often does not require medication treatment. The definition of benign occipital epilepsy is still often vague. In the intermediate category, childhood absence epilepsy often has associated learning disorders and a poor social outcome. About 50% of children with cryptogenic partial seizures have a very benign course, even though their epilepsy syndrome is not well defined. Generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) has a dominant inheritance with a defined defect in cerebral sodium channels, but varies considerably in severity within affected members of the same kindred. The catastrophic epilepsies in childhood all have an inconsistent response to AED treatment and include continuous spike‐wave in slow sleep (with variable severity), Landau‐Kleffner syndrome (with a confusing overlap with autistic regression), the Lennox Gastaut syndrome (with broad defining features), and myoclonic‐astatic epiplepsy (with important overlaps with Lennox‐Gastaut). Many of the epilepsies that begin in childhood are benign. Others interfere seriously with cognitive and social development.