Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Word-level asymmetries in consonant articulation ( version of January 2001 )

A variety of studies have shown articulatory asymmetries between consonants which are initial vs. final in their syllable and/or word; however, the asymmetry is not always found and its nature is not clear. In this paper we investigate some factors that might seem to make the asymmetry less than universal, using dynamic electropalatography. First, we considered a range of consonants, to see whether only some classes of consonants show the asymmetry, and found it for the non-sibilant non-continuants /t/ /d/ /k/ /n/ and /l/, but not for sibilant fricatives, though all consonants showed an asymmetry in acoustic duration. Second, we considered how the wordlevel asymmetry interacts with phrase-level effects on articulation, and found that it can be countered by an independent effect of final position in utterance. Third, a pilot study considered whether a word-level asymmetry can be distinguished from a syllable-level asymmetry, but no systematic or consistent differences were found.
BLEUÂTRE: flattening syntactic dependencies for MT evaluation

This paper describes a novel approach to syntactically-informed evaluation of machine translation (MT). Using a statistical, treebanktrained parser, we extract word-word dependencies from reference translations and then compile these dependencies into a representation that allows candidate translations to be evaluated by string comparisons, as is done in n-gram approaches to MT evaluation. This approach gains the benefit of syntactic analysis of the reference translations, but avoids the need to parse potentially noisy candidate translations. Preliminary experiments using 15,242 judgments of reference-candidate pairs from translations of Chinese newswire text show that the correlation of our approach with human judgments is only slightly lower than other reported results. With the addition of multiple reference translations, however, performance improves markedly. These results are encouraging, especially given that our system is a prototype and makes no essential use of synonymy, paraphrasing or inflectional morphological information, all of which would be easy to add.
Licensing with free entry

ABSTRACT We introduce a fairly general licensing model with an endogenous industry structure – in terms of number of active firms – and general licensing contracts. We show that when the innovator can employ contracts that can condition on licensee quantity and revenue, it can implement an outcome that yields monopoly profits by awarding the license to a single firm. Commonly assumed two-part tariff contracts cannot replicate this outcome, but still perform better than fixed-fee or proportional fee contracts. The key to the effectiveness of licensing contracts lies in their ability to deter the entry of non-licensees who use the old technology while keeping the number of licenses low. We discuss the welfare implications of various contractual schemes.
The aromatic residues Trp and Phe have different effects on the positioning of a transmembrane helix in the microsomal membrane.

We have examined the effect of Trp and Phe residues on the positioning of a poly-Leu transmembrane helix relative to the microsomal membrane by employing a previously described "glycosylation mapping" technique [Nilsson, I. M. , Sääf, A. , Whitley, P., Gafvelin, G. , Waller, C. , and von Heijne, G. (1998) J. Mol. Biol. 284, 1165-1175]. Both Trp and Phe tend to push the transmembrane helix into the membrane when inserted in positions flanking the poly-Leu stretch, and Trp (but not Phe) pulls the transmembrane helix toward the lipid-water interface when inserted inside the poly-Leu segment. Thus, the preference of Trp for the lipid-water interface previously suggested on the basis of biophysical studies of model peptides can also be observed for a bona fide transmembrane helix in a biological membrane. We further show that a sufficiently long poly-Trp segment functions as an efficient stop-transfer sequence during protein translocation across the microsomal membrane, despite the preference of Trp residues for the lipid-water interface region.
A S I Htroduction

We propose a natural model of abduction based on the revision of the epistemic state of an agent. We require that explanations be sufficient to induce belief in an observation in a manner that adequately accounts for factual and hypothetical observations. Our model will generate explanations that nonmonotonically predict an observation, thus generalizing most current accounts, which require some deductive relationship between explanation and observation. It also provides a natural preference ordering on explanations, defined in terms of normality or plausibility. We reconstruct the Theorist system in our framework, and show how it can be extended to accommodate our predictive explanations and semantic preferences on explanations. A number of different approaches to abduction have been proposed in the AI literature that model the concept of abduction as some sort of deductive relation between an explanation and the explanandum, the " observation " it purports to explain (e.g., Hemp&s (1966) deductive-nomological explanations). Theories of this type are, unfortunately, bound to the unrelenting nature of deductive inference. There are two directions in which such theories must be generalized. Fist, we should not require that an explanation deductively entail its observation (even relative to some background theory). There are very few explanations that do not admit exceptions. Second, while there may be many competing explanations for a particular observation, certain of these may be relatively implausible. Thus we require some notion of preference to chose among these potential explanations. Both of these problems can be addressed using, for example , probabilistic information (Hempel 1966; de KIeer and Williams 1987; Poole 1991; Pearl 1988): we might simply require that an explanation render the observation sufficiently probably and that most likely explanations be preferred. Explanations might thus nonmonotonic in the sense that Q may explain p, but cvAymay not (e.g., P(/? Icr) may be sufficiently high while P (p 1 cy A y) may not). There have been proposals to address these issues in a more qualitative manner using " logic-based " frameworks also. Peirce (see Rescher (1978)) discusses the " plausibility " of explanations, as do Quine and Ullian (1970). Consistency-based diagnosis (Reiter 1987; de Kleer, Mackworth and Reiter 1990) uses abnormality assumptions to capture the context dependence of explanations ; and preferred explanations are those that minimize abnormalities. Poole's (1989) assumption-based framework captures some of these ideas by explicitly introducing a set of default assumptions to account for the nonmonotonicity of explanations. We propose …
Unsupervised Classification of Student Dialogue Acts with Query-Likelihood Clustering

Dialogue acts model the intent underlying dialogue moves. In natural language tutorial dialogue, student dialogue moves hold important information about knowledge and goals, and are therefore an integral part of providing adaptive tutoring. Automatically classifying these dialogue acts is a challenging task, traditionally addressed with supervised classification techniques requiring substantial manual time and effort. There is growing interest in unsupervised dialogue act classification to address this limitation. This paper presents a novel unsupervised framework, query-likelihood clustering, for classifying student dialogue acts. This framework combines automated natural language processing with clustering and a novel adaptation of an information retrieval technique. Evaluation against manually labeled dialogue acts on a tutorial dialogue corpus in the domain of introductory computer science demonstrates that the proposed technique outperforms existing approaches. The results indicate that this technique holds promise for automatically understanding corpora of tutorial dialogue and for building adaptive dialogue systems.
3D Lyα radiation transfer III. Constraints on gas and stellar properties of z ∼ 3 Lyman break galaxies (LBG) and implications for high-z LBGs and Lyα emitters

Aims. The aim of our study is to understand the variety of observed Lyα line profiles and strengths in Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) and Lyα emitters (LAEs), the physical parameters governing them, and hence derive constraints on the gas and dust content and stellar populations of these objects. Methods. Using our 3D Lyα radiation transfer code including gas and dust, MCLya, we fit 11 LBGs from the FORS Deep Field with redshifts between 2.8 and 5. A simple geometry of a spherically expanding shell of H i is adopted. Results. The variety of observed Lyα profiles is successfully reproduced. Most objects show outflow velocities of Vexp ∼ 150−200 km s −1 ; two objects are most likely quasi-static. The radial H i column density ranges from NHI ∼ 2 × 10 19 to 7 × 10 20 cm −2 . Our Lyα profile fits yield values of E(B − V) ∼ 0.05−0.2 for the gas extinction. We find indications for a dust-to-gas ratio higher than the Galactic value, and for a substantial scatter. The escape fraction of Lyα photons is found to be determined primarily by the extinction, and a simple fit formula is proposed. In this case a measurement of EW(Lyα)obs can yield E(B − V), if the intrinsic Lyα equivalent width is known (or assumed). Intrinsic EW(Lyα)int ∼ 50−100 A are found for 8/11 objects, as expected for stellar populations forming constantly over long periods (>10−100 Myr). In three cases we found indications of younger populations. Our model results also allow us to understand observed correlations between EW(Lyα)obs and other observables such as FWHM(Lyα), E(B − V), SFR(UV) etc. We suggest that most observed trends of Lyα, both in LBGs and LAEs, are driven by variations of NHI and the accompanying variation of the dust content. Ultimately, the main parameter responsible for these variations may be the galaxy mass. We also show that there is a clear overlap between LBGs and LAEs: at z ∼ 3 approximately 20−25% of the LBGs of Shapley et al. (2003, ApJ, 588, 65) overlap with ∼23% of the LAEs of Gronwal et al. (2007, ApJ, 667, 79). Radiation transfer and dust effects explain the increase of the LAE/LBG ratio, and a higher percentage of LBGs with strong Lyα emission with increasing redshift.
Improvement of phosphorus availability by microbial phytase in broilers and pigs

Techniques have been developed to produce microbial phytase for addition to diets for simple-stomached animals, with the aim to improve phosphorus availability from phytate-P in plant sources. The activity of the crude microbial phytase showed pH optima at pH 5.5 and 2.5. The enzyme was able to degrade phytate in vitro in soya-bean meal, maize and a liquid compound feed for pigs. When microbial phytase was added to low-P diets for broilers the availability of P increased to over 60% and the amount of P in the droppings decreased by 50%. The growth rate and feed conversion ratio on the low-P diets containing microbial phytase were comparable to or even better than those obtained on control diets. Addition of microbial phytase to diets for growing pigs increased the apparent absorbability of P by 24%. The amount of P in the faeces was 35% lower.
Effect of Various Polymers Concentrations on Physicochemical Properties of Floating Microspheres

Floating microspheres have emerged as a potential candidate for gastroretentive drug delivery system. For developing a desired intragastric floatation system employing these microspheres, it is necessary to select an appropriate balance between buoyancy and drug releasing rate. These properties mainly depend on the polymers used in the formulation of the microspheres. Hence it is necessory to study the effect of these polymer concentrations on the various physicochemical properties of the microspheres. Floating microspheres were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation technique utilising different polymers such as ethyl cellulose, Eudragit® RS and Eudragit® RL by dissolving them in a mixture of dichloromethane and methanol. Release modifiers studied were hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K4M, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E50 LV and Eudragit® EPO. Prepared microspheres were analysed for particle size, surface morphology, entrapment efficiency, buoyancy, differential scanning calorimetry and in-vitro drug release. Ethyl cellulose and Eudragit® EPO resulted microspheres with high percentage yield, excellent spherical shape but had very less buoyancies with a high cumulative drug release. Ethyl cellulose microspheres prepared using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K4M showed more sustained drug release and high buoyancies than that of the microspheres formulated with the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E50 LV. Amongst these hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E50 LV showed good balance between buoyancy and the drug release.
Shareholder Incentives for Utility-Based Energy Efficiency Programs in California

Energy efficiency is increasingly being recognized as a resource warranting aggressive public investment. The State of California has committed an unprecedented sum of $2.2 billion in ratepayer funds to utility-based energy efficiency programs from 2006 through 2008; the State finalized in 2007 the determination of the shared-savings incentive mechanism for the 2006-2008 programs and beyond. This study seeks to examine whether the adopted incentive mechanism would ensure an efficient delivery of the programs, and what reforms, if any, could be proposed to meet this end. I develop a game theory model for the implementation of the programs, in which a regulator adopts an energy savings target and a shared-savings incentive mechanism before a utility firm proposes program funding, gets the proposal authorized, and begins to manage the programs. The study reveals that each utility firm requires a certain minimum level of incentive rate, in order for the mechanism to encourage the firm to achieve the adopted energy savings target, eventually bringing non-negative bill savings to its customers. It also reveals that a higher-than-minimum incentive rate can achieve not only a greater net social benefit but also greater bill savings for customers. Model-based analysis of California energy efficiency programs suggests that a higher-than-adopted incentive rate is warranted and that social efficiency would be improved by customizing incentive mechanisms for individual utilities and updating them on a regular basis.
Religious Coping and Christ-Centered Recovery for Women with Substance Use Disorders

Women have unique risk factors for the development of substance use disorder (SUD), barriers to SUD treatment, and risk factors for SUD relapse that require holistic care models and provide trauma-informed care approaches that address effective coping strategies. The use of religion and spirituality has been commonplace in many SUD programs to inspire the use of positive religious coping; however, negative religious coping may also be drawn on which poses a potential harm for women with SUD. The aim of this project was to assess for a correlation in positive and negative religious coping scores and program completion rates in a sample of women presenting for 30-day residential SUD treatment. This was a retrospective chart review that reviewed 100 charts of women who presented for SUD treatment between August 1, 2018 and December 17, 2018. Information gathered was relevant demographic and medical history, program completion status, and religious coping scores via the Brief RCOPE. All women had a history of trauma and approximately half of the woman completed the program. The women used positive religious coping at a higher rate than negative religious coping and there was no significant correlation between Brief RCOPE scores and program completion rates. While this is one of the only studies that have assessed religious coping scores and program completion rates, the other findings describing the sample correlate with relevant studies. More research is needed to deepen the understanding of how women with SUD use religious coping in the course of treatment.
Gas6 Deficiency Increases Oligodendrocyte Loss and Microglial Activation in Response to Cuprizone-Induced Demyelination

The TAM family of receptor protein tyrosine kinases comprises three known members, namely Tyro3, Axl, and Mer. These receptors are widely expressed in the nervous system, including by oligodendrocytes, the cell type responsible for myelinating the CNS. We examined the potential role of the TAM family and of their principle cognate ligand, Gas6 (growth arrest gene 6), in modulating the phenotype of the cuprizone model of demyelination. We found that the expression profiles of Axl, Mer, and Gas6 mRNA were increased in the corpus callosum in a temporal profile correlating with the increased migration and proliferation of microglia/macrophages in this model. In contrast, expression of Tyro3 decreased, correlating with the loss of oligodendrocytes. Gas6 both promoted in vitro survival of oligodendrocytes (39.3 ± 3.1 vs 11.8 ± 2.4%) and modulated markers of activation in purified cultures of microglia (tumor necrosis factor α mRNA expression was reduced ∼48%). In Gas6−/− mice subjected to cuprizone-challenge, demyelination was greater than in control mice, within the rostral region of the corpus callosum, as assessed by luxol fast blue staining (myelination reduced by 36%) and by ultrastructural analysis. An increased loss of Gst-π (glutathione S-transferase-π)-positive oligodendrocytes was also identified throughout the corpus callosum of Gas6−/− mice. Microglial marker expression (ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1) was increased in Gas6−/− mice but was restricted to the rostral corpus callosum. Therefore, TAM receptor activation and regulation can independently influence both oligodendrocyte survival and the microglial response after CNS damage.
Inference based on the EM algorithm for the competing risks model with masked causes of failure

In this paper we propose inference methods based on the EM algorithm for estimating the parameters of a weakly parameterised competing risks model with masked causes of failure and second-stage data. With a carefully chosen definition of complete data, the maximum likelihood estimation of the cause-specific hazard functions and of the masking probabilities is performed via an EM algorithm. Both the E- and M-steps can be solved in closed form under the full model and under some restricted models of interest. We illustrate the flexibility of the method by showing how grouped data and tests of common hypotheses in the literature on missing cause of death can be handled. The method is applied to a real dataset and the asymptotic and robustness properties of the estimators are investigated through simulation. Copyright Biometrika Trust 2004, Oxford University Press.
Not All Errors Are Alike: Theta and Alpha EEG Dynamics Relate to Differences in Error-Processing Dynamics

Performance errors in conflict tasks often result from inappropriate action impulses, and are thought to signal the need for increased control over the motor system. However, errors may also result from lapses in sustained attention, which may require different monitoring and adaptation mechanisms. Distinguishing between the mechanisms of adaptation is important as both error types may occur intermixed. To this end, we measured EEG of healthy human subjects while they performed three variants of the Simon task in which errors were more likely to occur due to attentional lapses, failures of motor control, or both. Behavioral results showed that subjects exhibited less conflict effects and less impulsive errors in sustained attention compared with the other Simon conditions. Time-frequency analyses of EEG data showed that the sustained attention Simon condition, compared with the motor control Simon condition, was characterized by: (1) less error-related MFC theta (4–8 Hz) power and an absence of error-related MFC–DLPFC theta phase synchronization; (2) stronger error-related suppression of parieto-occipital alpha (8–12 Hz) power and stronger parieto-occipital–frontal alpha synchronization. A control experiment, using SART (the Sustained Attention to Response Test), confirmed that adaptation after attentional lapses involved posterior alpha power suppression, in addition to inter-regional frontal theta activity. Together, these results suggest that at least two cortical mechanisms exist for performance monitoring, and that different tasks and task-settings can recruit these mechanisms in a different way. Post-error brain dynamics thus consist of heterogeneous activity from multiple neurocognitive processes.
Synchronization in Random Geometric Graphs

In this paper, we study the synchronization properties of random geometric graphs. We show that the onset of synchronization takes place roughly at the same value of the order parameter as a random graph with the same size and average connectivity. However, the dependence of the order parameter on the coupling strength indicates that the fully synchronized state is more easily attained in random graphs. We next focus on the complete synchronized state and show that this state is less stable for random geometric graphs than for other kinds of complex networks. Finally, a rewiring mechanism is proposed as a way to improve the stability of the fully synchronized state as well as to lower the value of the coupling strength at which it is achieved. Our work has important implications for the synchronization of wireless networks, and should provide valuable insights for the development and deployment of more efficient and robust distributed synchronization protocols for these systems.
Storage Balancing in Self-organizing Multimedia Delivery Systems

Many of the current bio-inspired delivery networks set their focus on search, e.g., by using artificial ants. If the network size and, therefore, the search space gets too large, the users experience high delays until the requested content can be consumed. In previous work, we proposed different replication strategies to reduce the search space. In this report we further evaluate measures for storage load balancing, because peers are most likely limited in space. We periodically apply clean-ups if a certain storage level is reached. For our evaluations we combine the already introduced replication measures with least recently used (LRU), least frequently used (LFU) and a hormone-based clean-up. The goal is to elaborate a combination that leads to low delays while the replica utilization is high.