Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How do I sound to me? Perceived changes in communication in Parkinson's disease

Objective: To examine self and carer perceived changes in communication associated with Parkinson's disease and relate these to speech intelligibility, gender, age and other disease measures. Design: Cross-sectional survey of a hospital- and community-based sample of 176 people with Parkinson's disease and their carers using a questionnaire based on semantic differential techniques. Participants: One hundred and four people with Parkinson's disease with no history of communication difficulties prior to onset of their Parkinson's disease and 45 primary carers who returned completed questionnaires. Main outcome measures: Differences in ratings for `before' the onset of Parkinson's disease versus present status. Results: There was a strong perception of negative impact on communication between `before' and `now', irrespective of age and gender and largely independent of disease severity and duration, intelligibility and cognitive status. Activities of daily living (assessed by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) II) and depression rating scale scores had the strongest association with change (adjusted R 2 0.27). There was a significant correlation between the rank order of perceived change in features examined in people with Parkinson's disease versus their carers, though in general carers rated change as having less impact. Conclusions: Parkinson's disease exercises a strong influence on communication even before apparent alterations to intelligibility or motor status (UPDRS).
Enhancer Blocking and Transvection at the Drosophila apterous Locus

Intra- and interchromosomal interactions have been implicated in a number of genetic phenomena in diverse organisms, suggesting that the higher-order structural organization of chromosomes in the nucleus can have a profound impact on gene regulation. In Drosophila, homologous chromosomes remain paired in somatic tissues, allowing for trans interactions between genes and regulatory elements on the two homologs. One consequence of homolog pairing is the phenomenon of transvection, in which regulatory elements on one homolog can affect the expression of a gene in trans. We report a new instance of transvection at the Drosophila apterous (ap) locus. Two different insertions of boundary elements in the ap regulatory region were identified. The boundaries are inserted between the ap wing enhancer and the ap promoter and have highly penetrant wing defects typical of mutants in ap. When crossed to an ap promoter deletion, both boundary inserts exhibit the interallelic complementation characteristic of transvection. To confirm that transvection occurs at ap, we generated a deletion of the ap wing enhancer by FRT-mediated recombination. When the wing-enhancer deletion is crossed to the ap promoter deletion, strong transvection is observed. Interestingly, the two boundary elements, which are inserted ∼10 kb apart, fail to block enhancer action when they are present in trans to one another. We demonstrate that this is unlikely to be due to insulator bypass. The transvection effects described here may provide insight into the role that boundary element pairing plays in enhancer blocking both in cis and in trans.
Through a trauma-based lens: A qualitative analysis of the experience of parenting a child with an autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT Background Although parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit high levels of parenting stress, minimal research has examined the type of stress they experience. Understanding parenting stress is critical as the effects are not limited to the parent. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of conceptualising parenting stress within a traumatic stress framework. Method Twelve mothers participated in focus groups, which were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used, then researchers examined for spontaneous reporting of DSM-5-defined traumatic stressors and trauma symptomatology. Results Forty percent of mothers experienced traumatic stressors and trauma-related symptomatology. Sixty percent of mothers did not report traumatic stressors but reported trauma-related symptomatology regardless. Conclusions The use of a traumatic stress framework to conceptualise some parenting experiences was supported. This finding has important implications for the development of interventions to prevent or reduce stress.
Over-the-Counter Markets with Bargaining Delays: The Role of Public Information in Market Liquidity

In many over-the-counter asset markets, prices are negotiated bilaterally and bargaining over prices takes time. We show that bargaining delays arise when investors have precise private information about the asset quality, but the public information (e.g. credit ratings, benchmarks, past quotes) is coarse. We incorporate this type of bargaining delays into the standard dynamic equilibrium model of over-the-counter markets with search delays a la Duffie, Garleanu and Pedersen (2005) and derive implications of both delays for prices and liquidity. Search and bargaining delays have opposite effects on the range of traded assets showing that the current approach that views search delays as a proxy for all types of delays is with a loss. Conditional on the public information, the liquidity is U-shaped in the quality and assets in the middle of the quality range may not be traded, which contrasts with the descreasing liquidity in asymmetric-information models.
Effect of prolonged nitrate therapy on left ventricular remodeling after canine acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Prolonged nitrate therapy during healing between 2 days and 6 weeks after anterior myocardial infarction has the potential for limiting further left ventricular remodeling (or changes in topography) and preserving function. Longterm therapy throughout healing over 6 weeks might be more beneficial than short-term therapy over the first 2 weeks after infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS The effect of prolonged nitrate therapy between 2 days and 6 weeks during healing after infarction on serial parameters of ventricular remodeling (scar expansion, scar thinning, ventricular dilation, and hypertrophy) and function (asynergy or akinesis plus dyskinesis and ejection fraction) by serial two-dimensional echocardiography, hemodynamics, postmortem topography (computerized planimetry, geometric maps, and radiographs), and collagen content (hydroxyproline) was studied in 64 instrumented dogs randomized 2 days after left anterior descending coronary artery ligation to various nitrate regimens (n = 32) over the first 2 weeks (subgroup 1: 2% transdermal nitroglycerin at 8 AM and 4 PM, n = 6; subgroup 2: 2% transdermal nitroglycerin plus 2.6 mg of sustained-release oral nitroglycerin at 8 AM, 3 PM, and 10 PM, n = 5; subgroup 3: oral isosorbide dinitrate, 30 mg at 8 AM and 4 PM, n = 11) or 6 weeks (subgroup 4: isosorbide dinitrate, n = 10) and in matching controls (n = 32). Nitrate therapy reduced left atrial pressure, mean arterial pressure, and the rate-pressure product compared with controls over the 6 weeks. Postmortem scar mass and hydroxyproline were similar in control and nitrate groups. However, scar stretching and thinning, cavity dilation, noninfarct wall hypertrophy, and apical bulging were less with nitrates, especially in the long-term subgroup 4. In vivo remodeling parameters between 2 days and 6 weeks after ligation showed that, compared with controls, nitrate therapy prevented further stretching of the asynergic segment, decreased the expansion index, decreased further scar thinning, prevented the increase in ventricular volumes, reduced the frequency of ventricular aneurysm, prevented the increase in ventricular mass, reduced the extent of asynergy, and improved ejection fraction. Although the beneficial effect on topography and function was seen in all nitrate subgroups, the overall benefit was greater with long-term therapy over 6 weeks (subgroup 4) than short-term therapy confined to the first 2 weeks (subgroups 1, 2, and 3). CONCLUSIONS Prolonged nitrate therapy, in various regimens during healing after infarction, effectively reduced left ventricular loading and prevented infarct thinning, further infarct expansion, progressive ventricular dilation, and the increase in mass. These effects were associated with decreased asynergy and improved ejection fraction. The beneficial effects were greater with long-term therapy over 6 weeks than short-term therapy over the first 2 weeks.
Turbulence Model Sensitivity and Scour Gap Effect of Unsteady Flow around Pipe: A CFD Study

A numerical investigation of incompressible and transient flow around circular pipe has been carried out at different five gap phases. Flow equations such as Navier-Stokes and continuity equations have been solved using finite volume method. Unsteady horizontal velocity and kinetic energy square root profiles are plotted using different turbulence models and their sensitivity is checked against published experimental results. Flow parameters such as horizontal velocity under pipe, pressure coefficient, wall shear stress, drag coefficient, and lift coefficient are studied and presented graphically to investigate the flow behavior around an immovable pipe and scoured bed.
Vietnamese cultural conceptualisations in the locally developed English textbook: a case study of ‘Lunar New Year’/‘Tet’

Abstract Culture representation in English language teaching (ELT) materials has grown as one of the prominent areas of research. This study employed Cultural Linguistics to analyse a reading section – both text and visual – in unit 8 of English 11 that is locally developed for Vietnamese high school students of grade 11 for analysis. The study shows that the unit captures the Vietnamese cultural conceptualizations of Lunar New Year/ Tet as an event for reunion, joy, hopes and rebirth of plants, animals and relationships, correspondent with what has been described in Vietnamese cultural studies. With the evidence of the Lunar New Year depicted in the local textbook connected to the notion of Tet in Vietnam, it lays the first foundation for Vietnamese English with its cultural conceptualizations reflected in the local ELT material. As for implications, the authors would like to propose the effectiveness of Cultural Linguistics in ELT and Vietnamese English.
MOTIVATION, CULTURAL VALUES, LEARNING PROCESSES, AND LEARNING IN CHINESE STUDENTS

i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. iii LIST OF TABLES. xi LIST OF FIGURES . xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. 1 Purpose . 1 Definition of Terms . 1 Organization of the Thesis. 3 Theoretical Frameworks . 3 Goal Orientation Theory. 3 Dichotomous Framework. 4 Trichotomous Framework . 5 2 x 2 Framework . 7 SAL Theory . 8 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW. 12 Confucian-heritage Culture Values . 12 Achievement Goal Orientation, Cultural Values, and Chinese Students . 13 Applicability of Achievement Goal Theory to Chinese Students . 13 Empirical Work with Western Students. 13 Empirical Research with Chinese Students. 16 2 x 2 Conceptualization and Chinese Students . 19 Summary . 20 Goal Orientations, Cultural Values, and Chinese Students’ Learning Processes and Academic Achievement. 21 Confucian-heritage Cultural Values, Goal Orientations, and Learning Strategies . 24 Confucian-heritage Cultural Values, Goal Orientations, and School Wellbeing . 26 Confucian-heritage Cultural Values, Goal Orientations, and Academic Performance . 26 Summary . 27 Multiple Goals and Chinese Students. 28 vi Summary. 29 SAL, Cultural Values, and Chinese Students . 29 Applicability of SAL Theory to Chinese Students. 29 Empirical Work with Western Students. 30 Empirical Research with Chinese Students. 34 SAL, Cultural Values, and Chinese Students’ Motivational and Cognitive Processes and Outcomes. 35 Confucian-heritage Cultural Values, SAL, and Use of Metacognitive Strategies . 37 Confucian-heritage Cultural Values, SAL, and School Well-being . 38 Confucian-heritage Cultural Values, SAL, and Academic Performance. 38 Summary . 39 Summary. 39 CHAPTER 3: METHOD, HYPOTHESES, AND ANALYSES. 41 Participants . 41 Measures . 41 Procedures. 43 Statistical Analyses. 44 Descriptive Statistics . 45 Reliability Testing . 45 Hypotheses and Major Statistical Analyses . 46 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS. 50 Data Screening. 50 Accuracy of Data File. 50 Missing Data. 51 Normality and Linearity . 51 Univariate and Multivariate Outliers among Cases. 53 Exploratory Factor Analysis . 55 Factor Analyses of Cultural Value, Achievement Goal, and SAL Items. 55 Cultural Values. 58 Goal Orientations in College English Classes. 61 Goal Orientations in Advanced Mathematics Classes . 62 SAL in College English Classes. 63 SAL in Advanced Mathematics Classes . 63
LIMITS OF MINDREADINGYour Head or Mine ? 19 Is How Much You Understand Me in Your Head or Mine ?

Despite most people’s acknowledgment that the subjective border surrounding another person’s mind can only be crossed in science fiction, it is a common belief that if two minds have independently experienced similar events, the “mental landscapes” of those two minds may also resemble each other more. This may in turn allow the two minds to know each other better. Perceivers assume they’ll understand another person better if they’ve had similar experiences, saying things like “I’ve been in your shoes and know just how you feel”; and the targets of their understanding also express wishes that make the same assumption, such as “I wish I could talk to someone who’s been through it. ” Given the widespread assumption that having had a similar experience will help one person to understand another, embarking on a program of research that aims to investigate this correlation may seem ill advised: the findings would be replications at best, or potentially dismissed as obvious. However, it turns out that there aren’t many studies showing that similar experience really does make people more understanding or empathic. Rarer still is work that examines how that similar experience helps, if it does indeed make a difference. When others have investigated this question, the studies are often in the clinical realm, and they examine similarities between clients and
Evidence from V1 connections for both dorsal and ventral subdivisions of V3 in three species of new world monkeys

We used patterns of connections of primary visual cortex (V1) to reevaluate differing proposals on the organization of extrastriate cortex in three species of New World monkeys. Several fluorescent tracers and the bidirectional tracer cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) were injected into dorsal V1 (representing the lower visual quadrant) and ventral V1 (representing the upper visual quadrant) of titi, squirrel, and owl monkeys. Labeled cells and terminals were plotted on brain sections cut parallel to the surface of flattened cortex and were related to architectonic boundaries. The results provided compelling evidence for both dorsal V3 with dorsal V1 connections and ventral V3 with ventral V1 connections. The connection pattern indicated that V3 represents the visual hemifield as a mirror image of V2. In addition, V3 could be recognized by a weak banding pattern in brain sections processed for cytochrome oxidase. V1 has connections with at least 12 subdivisions of visual cortex, with half of the connections involving V2 and 20% V3. Comparable results were obtained from all three species, suggesting that visual cortex is similarly organized. J. Comp. Neurol. 449:281–297, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Testing for intraspecific postzygotic isolation between cryptic lineages of Pseudacris crucifer

Phenotypically cryptic lineages appear common in nature, yet little is known about the mechanisms that initiate and/or maintain barriers to gene flow, or how secondary contact between them might influence evolutionary trajectories. The consequences of such contact between diverging lineages depend on hybrid fitness, highlighting the potential for postzygotic isolating barriers to play a role in the origins of biological species. Previous research shows that two cryptic, deeply diverged intraspecific mitochondrial lineages of a North American chorus frog, the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer), meet in secondary contact in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Our study quantified hatching success, tadpole survival, size at metamorphosis, and development time for experimentally generated pure lineage and hybrid tadpoles. Results suggest that lineages differ in tadpole survival and that F1 hybrids may have equal fitness and higher than average mass at metamorphosis compared with pure parental crosses. These findings imply hybrid early life viability may not be the pivotal reproductive isolation barrier helping to maintain lineage boundaries. However, we observed instances of tadpole gigantism, failure to metamorphose, and bent tails in some tadpoles from hybrid families. We also speculate and provide some evidence that apparent advantages or similarities of hybrids compared with pure lineage tadpoles may disappear when tadpoles are raised with competitors of different genetic makeup. This pilot study implies that ecological context and consideration of extrinsic factors may be a key to revealing mechanisms causing negative hybrid fitness during early life stages, a provocative avenue for future investigations on barriers to gene flow among these intraspecific lineages.
The Adaptive Lasso Method for Instrumental Variable Selection

Adaptive lasso is a weighted `1 penalization method for simultaneous estimation and model selection. It has oracle properties of asymptotic normality with optimal convergence rate and model selection consistency. Instrumental variable selection has become the focus of much research in areas of application for which datasets with both strong and weak instruments are available. This paper develops an adaptive lasso method to select instrumental variables. We suggest standard two-stage least squares (TSLS) regression after the selection. Adaptive lasso is continuous and convex so that it can avoid the local optimization trap. In this paper we extend the technique of adaptive lasso to multivariate linear model framework and the situation in which we have weak instruments. Adaptive lasso estimates irrelevant instruments as 0 asymptotically as if it were known. In simulations we show adaptive lasso can select the strong instrumental variable consistently therefore improve the accuracy of the inference of TSLS.
The Effective and Ineffective Iranian EFL Learners in Employing Listening Strategies

This study was conducted to investigate the performance of effective and ineffective listeners and the possibility of teaching the listening strategies to the learners. A group of 103 Iranian EFL learners participated in this study and answered a general proficiency test of Nelson and 81 students responded to the listening section of TOEFL. Students were classified into effective and ineffective listeners by application of O'Malley et al's subjective criteria and the scores of students in TOEFL. To elicit the listening strategies of each group, listening strategy questionnaire was developed. T-test analysis of the questionnaires (P < .05) showed a meaningful difference between effective and ineffective listeners. The subjects were divided on the basis of their pre listening scores into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received the instruction of listening strategies and control group received the placebo treatment. The treatment included introduction, modelling and practicing the listening strategies. A posttest of listening section of TOFEL was administered to both groups. The results imply that listening strategies can be taught and be useful for students. The study’s findings also confirmed that teaching listening strategies is pedagogically effective, that interactional strategies are more effectively and extensively used, that communication strategies are conducive to language learning, and that language teaching materials with listening strategies are more effective than those without them. Thus, the findings suggest that listening strategies can facilitate the process of learning.
A Hypothesis about the Biological Basis of Expert Intuition

It is well established that intuition plays an important role in experts’ decision making and thinking generally. However, the theories that have been developed at the cognitive level have limits in their explanatory power and lack detailed explanation of the underlying biological mechanisms. In this paper, we bridge this gap by proposing that Hebb's (1949) concept of cell assembly is the biological realization of Simon's (1974) concept of chunking. This view provides mechanisms at the biological level that are consistent with both biological and psychological findings. To further address the limits of previous theories, we introduce emotions as a component of intuition by showing how they modulate the perception-memory interaction. The idea that intuition lies at the crossroads between perception, knowledge, and emotional modulation sheds new light on the phenomena of expertise and intuition.
What Counts in After School? Findings from the Massachusetts Afterschool Research Study (MARS)

This article discusses the Massachusetts Afterschool Research Study (MARS). Conducted during 2003-2005, MARS took an in-depth look at program structure and quality in 78 varied programs across Massachusetts, using data sources that included interviews with program directors, afterschool program site observations, school district student data, attendance data, and surveys with afterschool program staff, day school teachers, and afterschool program youth. The MARS study offers many useful insights into what afterschool programs look like, approaches to providing high quality experiences for youth, and the connections between high quality and improved outcomes for the young people attending these programs. The results may be useful to programs, policy makers, and others in the field by deepening our understanding of how youth participation leads to a variety of youth outcomes.
Adaptive kernel ridge regression for image denoising

The standard (Bayesian) methods for image denoising involve explicit (analytic) models of signal and noise. The performance of these parametric approaches critically depend on using realistic models, but accurate models may ruin analytical tractability. Recently, an alternative nonparametric method was successfully proposed in [1]. The method was based on developing stationary support vector regression (SVR) models in the wavelet domain according to prior knowledge about signal and noise features. Nevertheless, off-line analysis of the particular signal and noise statistics is required to apply it to different problems. In this work, we take a similar non-parametric approach, but we explore the ability of kernel ridge regression (KRR) to locally follow image and noise characteristics, thus trivially obtaining adaptive (non-stationary) description of the image. Making KRR adaptive alleviates the strong assumption of Gaussianity of the noise. The method is embedded in the iterative restoration framework that allows consistent parameter tuning. Promising results are obtained with a model straightforwardly formulated in the spatial domain for different noise sources.