Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Interplay of Incidental Exposure, Affect, and Individual Differences in L2 Acquisition

THE INTERPLAY OF INCIDENTAL EXPOSURE, AFFECT, AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN L2 ACQUISITION By Zachary Forrest Miller The role of hot cognition, or cognitive processing influenced by emotions, on second language (L2) learning is relatively understudied (Dörnyei, 2009; MacIntyre, 2002; Swain, 2013). The present research investigated how positive, negative, and neutral mood states influence aspects of second language acquisition (SLA), as well as potentially moderate the relationship between certain personality characteristics (i.e., openness, intuition, emotional intelligence, foreign language anxiety, and impulsivity) and L2 performance. After completing individual differences questionnaires, participants were divided into either a Comparison group or one of three emotionally induced treatment groups and subsequently exposed to a semiartificial language under incidental learning conditions. Immediate and two-week delayed testing measured grammatical accuracy of the target syntactic forms, while source attribution data and retrospective verbal reports gauged what types of knowledge (implicit, explicit, or a combination of both) were acquired by participants. Results suggest that positive emotions are the most beneficial to L2 learning. Although effects were small, negative mood states appeared to hinder the ability for long-term L2 retention. Findings also revealed that knowledge gains were chiefly guided by explicit means. Lastly, results demonstrated that the affective stimuli played a moderating role in the relationship between immediate L2 performance and the traits of intellect, stress management, premeditation, perseverance. This study contributes to SLA literature regarding emotions and their impact on L2 learning and individual differences. Copyright by ZACHARY FORREST MILLER 2017
Convergence of Corporate and Information Security

As physical and information security boundaries have become increasingly blurry many organizations are experiencing challenges with how to effectively and efficiently manage security within the corporate. There is no current standard or best practice offered by the security community regarding convergence; however many organizations such as the Alliance for Enterprise Security Risk Management (AESRM) offer some excellent suggestions for integrating a converged security program. This paper reports on how organizations have traditionally managed asset protection, why that is changing and how to establish convergence to optimize security value to the business within an enterprise.
Parallel Mining of Association Rules

We consider the problem of mining association rules on a shared nothing multiprocessor. We present three algorithms that explore a spectrum of trade-offs between computation, communication, memory usage, synchronization, and the use of problem specific information. The best algorithm exhibits near perfect scaleup behavior, yet requires only minimal overhead compared to the current best serial algorithm.
Information Extraction for Question Answering: Improving Recall Through Syntactic Patterns

We investigate the impact of the precision/recall trade-off of information extraction on the performance of an offline corpus-based question answering (QA) system. One of our findings is that, because of the robust final answer selection mechanism of the QA system, recall is more important. We show that the recall of the extraction component can be improved using syntactic parsing instead of more common surface text patterns, substantially increasing the number of factoid questions answered by the QA system.
Does the incremental shuttle walk test require maximal effort in young obese women?

Obesity is a chronic disease with a multifaceted treatment approach that includes nutritional counseling, structured exercise training, and increased daily physical activity. Increased body mass elicits higher cardiovascular, ventilatory and metabolic demands to varying degrees during exercise. With functional capacity assessment, this variability can be evaluated so individualized guidance for exercise training and daily physical activity can be provided. The aim of the present study was to compare cardiovascular, ventilatory and metabolic responses obtained during a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX) on a treadmill to responses obtained by the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) in obese women and to propose a peak oxygen consumption (VO2) prediction equation through variables obtained during the ISWT. Forty obese women (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) performed one treadmill CPX and two ISWTs. Heart rate (HR), arterial blood pressure (ABP) and perceived exertion by the Borg scale were measured at rest, during each stage of the exercise protocol, and throughout the recovery period. The predicted maximal heart rate (HRmax) was calculated (210 – age in years) (16) and compared to the HR response during the CPX. Peak VO2 obtained during CPX correlated significantly (P<0.05) with ISWT peak VO2 (r=0.79) as well as ISWT distance (r=0.65). The predictive model for CPX peak VO2, using age and ISWT distance explained 67% of the variability. The current study indicates the ISWT may be used to predict aerobic capacity in obese women when CPX is not a viable option.
Detection of Ancestry Informative HLA Alleles Confirms the Admixed Origins of Japanese Population

The polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region are powerful tool for studying human evolutionary processes. We investigated genetic structure of Japanese by using five-locus HLA genotypes (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DPB1) of 2,005 individuals from 10 regions of Japan. We found a significant level of population substructure in Japanese; particularly the differentiation between Okinawa Island and mainland Japanese. By using a plot of the principal component scores, we identified ancestry informative alleles associated with the underlying population substructure. We examined extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between pairs of HLA alleles on the haplotypes that were differentiated among regions. The LDs were strong and weak for pairs of HLA alleles characterized by low and high frequencies in Okinawa Island, respectively. The five-locus haplotypes whose alleles exhibit strong LD were unique to Japanese and South Korean, suggesting that these haplotypes had been recently derived from the Korean Peninsula. The alleles characterized by high frequency in Japanese compared to South Korean formed segmented three-locus haplotype that was commonly found in Aleuts, Eskimos, and North- and Meso-Americans but not observed in Korean and Chinese. The serologically equivalent haplotype was found in Orchid Island in Taiwan, Mongol, Siberia, and Arctic regions. It suggests that early Japanese who existed prior to the migration wave from the Korean Peninsula shared ancestry with northern Asian who moved to the New World via the Bering Strait land bridge. These results may support the admixture model for peopling of Japanese Archipelago.
EXAMINING THE FACTOR STRUCTURE OF AN EARLY CHILDHOOD SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SCREENING ASSESSMENT

Introduction The Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE) has been recommended for screening young children for social-emotional delays in pediatric practices and other early childhood settings. While many psychometric properties of the ASQ:SE have been examined, the factorial structure of the instrument has not as yet been compre­hensively investigated. This study examined the factorial structure of the ASQ:SE in order to establish its construct validity, including study of all eight age intervals. Method A total of 13,718 child/parent dyads participated in the study in the United States, completing one ASQ:SE test interval. ASQ:SE is a screening instrument exclusively focusing on social-emotional competence in 3-to-66 month old children. A series of eight questionnaires at different age intervals (i.e., 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, 30-, 36-, 48-, and 60-month) make up the content. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the number of factors that should be retained, factorial structures, and item loading on factors. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to further examine the goodness-of-fit of the fit model to data, based on the exploratory factor analysis result. Results One-factor and two-factor structure models were suggested by the exploratory factor analysis results depending on the age intervals. Confirmatory factor analysis indicted that a two-factor structure model was a better fit than a one-factor structure for all intervals. Conclusion The items representing social-emotional competence in the ASQ:SE can be classified in two highly correlated clusters, labeled as Emotion and Sociality. The findings supported the construct validity of the ASQ:SE, measured the intended underlying constructs.
A Case of Ascending Colonic Xanthoma Presenting as a Lateral Spreading Tumor

Gastrointestinal xanthomas are characterized by foamy cytoplasmic cells containing lipid in lamina propria, and occur almost in the gastric mucosa. Colonic xanthomas have been described in rare case. All reported colonic xanthomas were located in rectosigmoid. Rectosigmoid xanthomas have tended to exhibit small polypoid lesion, on the contrary flat in stomach. We report a case of xanthoma on ascending colon presenting as a laterally spreading tumor resected by endoscopic mucosal resection method.
Realtime Computer Vision with OpenCV

Computer vision is a rapidly growing field devoted to analyzing, modifying, and high-level understanding of images. Its objective is to determine what is happening in front of a camera and use that understanding to control a computer or robotic system, or to provide people with new images that are more informative or aesthetically pleasing than the original camera images. Application areas for computer-vision technology include video surveillance, biometrics, automotive, photography, movie production, Web search, medicine, augmented reality gaming, new user interfaces, and many more.
Comparing the Linkage Maps of the Close Relatives Arabidopsis lyrata and A. thaliana

We have constructed a genetic map of Arabidopsis lyrata, a self-incompatible relative of the plant model species A. thaliana. A. lyrata is a diploid (n = 8) species that diverged from A. thaliana (n = 5) ∼5 MYA. Mapping was conducted in a full-sib progeny of two unrelated F1 hybrids between two European populations of A. lyrata ssp. petraea. We used the least-squares method of the Joinmap program for map construction. The gross chromosomal differences between the two species were most parsimoniously explained with three fusions, two reciprocal translocations, and one inversion. The total map length was 515 cM, and the distances were 12% larger than those between corresponding markers in the linkage map of A. thaliana. The 72 markers, consisting of microsatellites and gene-based markers, were spaced on average every 8 cM. Transmission ratio distortion was extensive, and most distortions were specific to each reciprocal cross, suggesting cytoplasmic interactions. We estimate locations and most probable genotype frequencies of transmission ratio distorting loci (TRDL) with a Bayesian method and discuss the possible reasons for the observed distortions.
An efficient buffer insertion algorithm for large networks based on Lagrangian relaxation

We propose a novel buffer insertion algorithm for handling more general networks, whose underlying topology is a directed acyclic graph rather than just a RC tree. The algorithm finds a global buffering which minimizes buffer area while meeting the timing constraints. We use Lagrangian relaxation to translate the timing constraints to a cost in the objective function, and simplify the resulting objective function using the special structure of the problem we are solving. The core of the algorithm is a local refinement procedure, which iteratively computes the optimal buffering for each edge so as to minimize a weighted area and delay objective. The resulting procedure is fast, and takes full advantage of the slack available on noncritical paths.
Reuse Intention of Third-Party Online Payments: A Focus on the Sustainable Factors of Alipay

An anonymous transaction environment and the advantage of virtual property have resulted in trust playing an important role in the rapid growth of online shopping in China. To satisfy this trust issue, Alibaba (China) Co., Ltd. (Hangzhou, China) invented Alipay, the largest third-party online payment service. Using a structural equation model (SEM), this paper attempts to determine whether Alipay’s service quality factors are truly sustainable. The results indicate that only two of five factors—convenience and security—are significantly mediated by the sustainable performance of customer satisfaction as a mediator. The other three factors—usefulness, responsiveness and economy—were rejected for the role of customer satisfaction, even if they are accepted regarding the direct effect on reuse intention. This result implies that Chinese web companies need to make greater efforts not to ensure initial success, but instead to ensure sustainable performance.
Simulation methods for analysis of traffic processes in ATM networks

This paper presents efficient simulation methods for analyzing modern, large-scale networks and evaluating their performance attributes. Characterizing traffic flows from multiple sources and applications is key in assessing overall network performance measures. It is essential to have quantitative network cost and performance measures in order to plan, design, and implement modern, large-scale networks such as the Advanced Distributed Learning Network (ADLN). ADLN requires integrated, multimedia network services for distributed, collaborative processing among globally dispersed users. ADLN will interconnect multiple categories of users and provide integrated voice, video, and data services, which can be enabled through the use of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology (ATM Forum 1992). Through efficient multiplexing and networking, ATM can interconnect multiple classes of users and transport ADLN applications cost-effectively with guaranteed performance. A combined approach of simulation and analysis is used to assess the performance of the large-scale, distributed network such as ADLN. Topics include the multi-source traffic characterization, performance analysis of ATM networks, capacity sizing, and optimal allocation of network resources.
Throughput capacity of random ad hoc networks with infrastructure support

In this paper, we consider the transport capacity of ad hoc networks with a random flat topology under the present support of an infinite capacity infrastructure network. Such a network architecture allows ad hoc nodes to communicate with each other by purely using the remaining ad hoc nodes as their relays. In addition, ad hoc nodes can also utilize the existing infrastructure fully or partially by reaching any access point (or gateway) of the infrastructure network in a single or multi-hop fashion. Using the same tools as in [1], we show that the per source node capacity of T(W/log(N)) can be achieved in a random network scenario with the following assumptions: (i) The number of ad hoc nodes per access point is bounded above, (ii) each wireless node, including the access points, is able to transmit at W bits/sec using a fixed transmission range, and (iii) N ad hoc nodes, excluding the access points, constitute a connected topology graph. This is a significant improvement over the capacity of random ad hoc networks with no infrastructure support which is found as T(W/vN log(N)) in [1]. Although better capacity figures may be obtained by complex network coding or exploiting mobility in the network, infrastructure approach provides a simpler mechanism that has more practical aspects. We also show that even when less stringent requirements are imposed on topology connectivity, a per source node capacity figure that is arbitrarily close to T(1) cannot be obtained. Nevertheless, under these weak conditions, we can further improve per node throughput significantly.
Relationships between job characteristics, work engagement, conscientiousness and managers’ turnover intentions: A moderated-mediation analysis

Purpose Integrating the job demands-resources theory and the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to develop and test a moderated-mediation model examining the relationships between motivating job characteristics, work engagement, conscientiousness and managers’ turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a survey questionnaire from 1,302 managers working in eight Indian private sector organizations. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analysis were used to test the hypothesized relationships between the study variables. Findings The study found evidence of the mediating role of work engagement for the relationship between motivating job characteristics and managers’ turnover intentions. Conscientiousness moderated the relationship between work engagement and turnover intention. The total and indirect effects of motivating job characteristics on turnover intention were moderated by conscientiousness. Research limitations/implications The study was cross-sectional, so inferences about causality are limited. Practical implications The findings of this study reaffirm the crucial role of job characteristics in influencing work engagement and turnover intention. By examining work engagement as a mediator for the job characteristics-turnover intention relationship, this study explores the process through which job characteristics are associated with turnover intention. The findings of the moderating influence of contentiousness on the relationship of direct and indirect effects of job characteristics suggests that individual personality can influence social exchanges as well as managerial attitudes and behaviors in multiple ways. Originality/value The study provides an insight into the underlying process through which job characteristics are related to managers’ turnover intentions. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, such a study is the first of its kind.
16S Ribosomal DNA Terminal Restriction Fragment Pattern Analysis of Bacterial Communities in Feces of Rats Fed Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM

ABSTRACT 16S ribosomal DNA terminal restriction fragment patterns from rat fecal samples were analyzed to track the dynamics ofLactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and discern bacterial populations that changed during feeding with NCFM. Lactobacillus johnsonii and Ruminococcus flavefaciens were tentatively identified as such bacterial populations. The presence ofL. johnsonii was confirmed by isolation from feces.
Genomic evidence of pre-invasive clonal expansion, dispersal and progression in bronchial dysplasia

The term ‘field cancerization’ is used to describe an epithelial surface that has a propensity to develop cancerous lesions, and in the case of the aerodigestive tract this is often as a result of chronic exposure to carcinogens in cigarette smoke 1 , 2 . The clinical endpoint is the development of multiple tumours, either simultaneously or sequentially in the same epithelial surface. The mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear; one possible explanation is that the epithelium is colonized by a clonal population of cells that are at increased risk of progression to cancer. We now address this possibility in a short case series, using individual genomic events as molecular biomarkers of clonality. In squamous lung cancer the most common genomic aberration is 3q amplification. We use a digital PCR technique to assess the clonal relationships between multiple biopsies in a longitudinal bronchoscopic study, using amplicon boundaries as markers of clonality. We demonstrate that clonality can readily be defined by these analyses and confirm that field cancerization occurs at a pre‐invasive stage and that pre‐invasive lesions and subsequent cancers are clonally related. We show that while the amplicon boundaries can be shared between different biopsies, the degree of 3q amplification and the internal structure of the 3q amplicon varies from lesion to lesion. Finally, in this small cohort, the degree of 3q amplification corresponds to clinical progression. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Science and Religion: A Conflict of Methods

ii Acknowledgements . iii Dedication . iv Introduction . 1 1. Do Religions Make Knowledge Claims? 17 1.1 Realism and Antirealism . 17 1.2. Wittgensteinian Antirealism . 20 1.3 Different Meanings of “Truth” . 30 1.4 Religious Commitment as Propositional but Unjustifiable. 34 1.5 Religious Commitment as Non-Propositional . 40 1.6 NOMA . 44 1.7 Conclusion . 51 2. Are Supernatural Explanations Prohibited in Science? 54 2.
A distributed algorithm for delay-constrained unicast routing

We study the NP-hard delay-constrained least-cost path problem, and propose a simple, distributed heuristic solution: the delay-constrained unicast routing (DCUR) algorithm. The DCUR requires limited network state information to be kept at each node: a cost vector and a delay vector. We prove the DCUR's correctness by showing that it is always capable of constructing a loop-free delay-constrained path within finite time, if such a path exists. The worst case message complexity of the DCUR is O(|V|/sup 3/) messages, where |V| is the number of nodes. However simulation results show that, on average, the DCUR requires much fewer messages. Therefore, the DCUR scales well to large networks. We also use simulation to compare the DCUR to the optimal algorithm, and to the least-delay path algorithm. Our results show that the DCUR's path costs are within 10% from those of the optimal solution.
Attention control in adults with high autistic traits and attention training in children with autism

While attention is not a core component of the autism phenotype, attention atypicalities are often reported in research. However, contradicting findings in autism and the Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP) imply that the circumstances under which attentional selection is successful or impaired are not clear. Therefore, this thesis attempts to delineate more clearly the contexts under which attentional control is enhanced or impaired in the BAP. Specifically, I investigate whether differences in attentional control are driven by perceptual atypicalities in Chapters 2 & 3, where global/local stimuli and face/scene pairs are used while participants selected one aspect and suppressed the other. In Chapter 3, I investigate if attentional atypicalities in the BAP are linked to the mode of attentional control required, using experiments tapping separately proactive and reactive distractor suppression. In Chapter 4, I ask whether attentional atypicalities in the BAP translate to the motor domain, using a reaching task that may also tap proactive and reactive control processes and distractor suppression. In Chapter 5, I test whether attention training could prove beneficial for children with autism. The Computerized Progressive Attentional Training (CPAT) programme was utilized in schools with children with autism, while transfer effects were tested (in behaviour, cognitive and academic performance). Results suggest enhanced distractor suppression in adults with more autistic traits, when preparatory control is utilized, while the CPAT is shown to bring transfer effects from attention training to cognitive and academic skills of children with autism. Results are further discussed in Chapter 6.