Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ALTERNATIVES TO SYLLABLE-BASED ACCOUNTS OF CONSONANTAL PHONOTACTICS

PHONOTACTICS Donca Steriade, UCLA Abstract Phonotactic statements characterize contextual restrictions on the occurrence of segments or feature values. This study argues that consonantal phonotactics are best understood as syllable-independent, string-based conditions reflecting positional differences in the perceptibility of contrasts. The analyses proposed here have better empirical coverage compared to syllable-based analyses that link a consonant's feature realization to its syllabic position. Syllable-based analyses require identification of word-medial syllabic divisions; the account proposed here does not and this may be a significant advantage. Word-medial syllableedges are, under specific conditions, not uniformly identified by speakers; but comparable variability does not exist for phonotactic knowledge. The paper suggests that syllableindependent conditions define segmental phonotactics, and that word-edge phonotactics, in turn, are among the guidelines used by speakers to infer word-internal syllable divisions.
Draft Genome Sequence of Halomonas sp. HG01, a Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Accumulating Strain Isolated from Peru

ABSTRACT Halomonas sp. strain HG01, isolated from a salt mine in Peru, is a halophilic aerobic heterotrophic bacterium accumulating poly-3-hydroxybutyrate and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) from different carbon sources. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this isolate, which was found to be 3,665,487 bp long, with a G+C content of 68%.
Risk bounds in isotonic regression

Nonasymptotic risk bounds are provided for maximum likelihood-type isotonic estimators of an unknown nondecreasing regression function, with general average loss at design points. These bounds are optimal up to scale constants, and they imply uniform n -1/3 -consistency of the p risk for unknown regression functions of uniformly bounded variation, under mild assumptions on the joint probability distribution of the data, with possibly dependent observations.
Sedentary behaviour in young people: assessment methods and predictors

HILDEBRAND, M. , V. T. VAN HEES, B. H. HANSEN, and U. EKELUND. Age Group Comparability of Raw Accelerometer Output from Wristand Hip-Worn Monitors. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. , Vol. 46, No. 9, pp. 1816–1824, 2014. Purpose: The study aims were to compare raw triaxial accelerometer output from ActiGraph GT3X+ (AG) and GENEActiv (GA) placed on the hip and the wrist and to develop regression equations for estimating energy expenditure. Methods: Thirty children (7–11 yr) and 30 adults (18–65 yr) completed eight activities (ranging from lying to running) while wearing one AG and one GA on the hip and the wrist. Oxygen consumption (V̇O2) was measured with indirect calorimetry. Analysis involved the use of ANOVA to examine the effect of activity, brand, and placement on the acceleration values, intraclass correlation coefficient to evaluate the agreement between the two brands and placements, and linear regression to establish intensity thresholds. Results: A significant difference in acceleration values between the hip and the wrist placement was found (P G 0.001). The output from the wrist placement was, in general, higher compared with that from the hip. There was no main effect of monitor brand in adults (P G 0.12) and children (P G 0.73), and the intraclass correlation coefficient showed a strong agreement (0.96–0.99). However, a three-way interaction and systematic error between the brands was found in children. Acceleration from both brands and placements showed a strong correlation with V̇O2. The intensity classification accuracy of the developed thresholds for both brands and placements was, in general, higher for adults compared with that for children and was greater for sedentary/light (93%–97%), and vigorous activities (68%–92%) than that for moderate activities (33%–59%). Conclusions: Accelerometer outputs from AG and GA seem comparable when attached to the same body location in adults, whereas inconsistent differences are apparent between the two brands and placements in children, hence limiting the comparability between brands in this age group.
Determinants for Heart Rate Variability in a Normal Korean Population

This study examined the normal ranges and the determinants for various parameters of the short-term heart rate variability (HRV) measurements in a large Korean sample of healthy people. HRV measurements were obtained in 2,748 healthy men and 735 healthy women 18-65 yr of age. The mean total power (TP), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and LF/HF ratio were 1,358.9 ± 1,840.8 ms2, 417.3 ± 807.6 ms2, 254.1 ± 414.1 ms2, and 2.4 ± 20.9 ms2 in the frequency-domain spectral analysis. The mean standard deviation of the normal-to-normal (NN) interval (SDNN) and the square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD) were 39.6 ± 22.1 ms and 29.7 ± 18.1 ms in the time-domain analysis. The female subjects had significantly higher SDNN, RMSSD, and HF values than the male subjects. After controlling for age, there was no statistically significant difference in the SDNN. Quantile regression analysis showed that age and mean heart rate had a significant impact on short-term HRV measurement. Given that both clinicians and researchers are increasingly relying on short-term HRV assessment in measuring stress, our work suggests that age and gender should be considered as independent determinants for HRV.
Glucose, insulin and potassium applied as perioperative hyperinsulinaemic normoglycaemic clamp: effects on inflammatory response during coronary artery surgery.

BACKGROUND The clinical benefits of glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) and tight glycaemic control in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) may be partly explained by an anti-inflammatory effect. We applied GIK as a hyperinsulinaemic normoglycaemic clamp for >25 h and quantified its effect on systemic inflammation in patients undergoing CABG. METHODS Data obtained in 21 non-diabetic patients with normal left ventricular function scheduled for elective coronary artery surgery, who were randomly allocated to a control or GIK group, were analysed. In GIK patients, regular insulin was infused at a fixed rate of 0.1 IU kg(-1) h(-1). The infusion rate of glucose (30%) was adjusted to maintain blood glucose levels within a target range of 4.0-5.5 mmol litre(-1). Plasma concentrations of interleukins 6, 8 and 10, C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) were measured on the day of surgery and on the first and second postoperative days (POD1 and POD2). RESULTS In the GIK group hypoglycaemia (glucose <2.2 mmol litre(-1)) did not occur, whereas hyperglycemia (glucose >6.1 mmol litre(-1)) developed in 15% of all measurements. In control patients, hyperglycaemia developed in >80% of all measurements in the presence of low endogenous insulin levels. CRP and SAA levels increased in both groups, with maximum levels measured on POD2. GIK treatment significantly reduced CRP and SAA levels. Interleukin levels increased significantly in both groups following cardiopulmonary bypass, but no differences were found between the groups. CONCLUSION Hyperinsulinaemic normoglycaemic clamp is an effective method of maintaining tight glycaemic control in patients undergoing CABG and it attenuates the systemic inflammatory response in these patients. This effect may partly contribute to the reported beneficial effect of glycaemic control in patients undergoing CABG.
A multilevel study of self-beliefs and student behaviors in a group problem-solving task

ABSTRACT Relationships among self-construal, self-efficacy, and group behaviors during a group problem-solving task with friends and acquaintances were hypothesized. The sample comprised 126 students in Grades 8–11, from 5 randomly selected government high schools, organized into 42 groups. Data collection involved self-reports and observations. Self-report data measured self-construal, self-efficacy for working with friends, and self-efficacy for working with acquaintances, and the observational data captured salient student behaviors. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and multilevel modeling. Self-efficacy for working with acquaintances was related to the development of ideas and also the critical review of ideas in groups. This study provides insights into the relatively underexplored phenomena of group work with friends and acquaintances.
The “I – Thou” Relationship, Place-Based Education, and Aldo Leopold

This article describes a new educational field labeled “place-based education ” and relates it to experiential learning. This term has appeared in the educational literature over the last 10 years and illustrates a concern for providing participants with quality experiences in local settings. After defining and describing the term, one aspect of Aldo Leopold's life is examined through selected quotations. His pedagogy of place and how he related to the outdoors is explained. Leopold was a philosopher, writer, ecologist, and educator who died in 1948. This article explores some ways that he established an I – Thou relationship with nature at his Wisconsin shack. The story of his meanderings on the land is graphically told in the collection of essays titled, A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There (Leopold, 1949). To find out how Leopold related to the land, 10 of his discovery techniques were identified from the text. If experiential educators want to deepen their interaction with the natural and cultural environment, Aldo Leopold's field techniques and the writings of other naturalists may offer some clues for establishing a richer I – Thou relationship with places.
Masculinities in Transition? Exclusion, Ethnosocial Power, and Contradictions in Excombatant Community-based Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland

This study critically examines how masculinities and intersecting ethnonational and social class identities underscore the social and political agencies of excombatants in Northern Ireland and in the specific context of community-based peacebuilding. The authors draw on interviews with female and male leaders in grassroots and governmental organizations, which illustrate how state-led practices of exclusion reshape such intersectional identities and increase the instrumentality of hypermasculinist, pseudo-paramilitary practices in maintaining excombatants’ status and control on neighborhood levels. The research documents how structural dynamics of excombatants’ social class locations and political disaffection help shape their social agencies of “resistance,” underscored by desires for autonomy and recognition, and channeled by ethnogendered scripts rooted in both violent cultures of paramilitarism and nonviolent peacebuilding masculinities. The implications on women of male excombatants’ takeover of leadership roles in the community sector are also discussed.
Transcription of the murine iNOS gene is inhibited by docosahexaenoic acid, a major constituent of fetal and neonatal sera as well as fish oils

Macrophage activation is deficient in the fetus and neonate when the serum concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are 150 microM, or 10-50-fold higher than in the adult. We now show that DHA inhibits production of nitric oxide (NO) by macrophages stimulated in vitro by IFNgamma plus LPS, or by IFNgamma plus TNFalpha. The half-maximal inhibitory activity of DHA was approximately 25 microM. There were strict biochemical requirements of the fatty acid for inhibition. Polyenoic fatty acids with 22 carbons were more inhibitory than those with 20 carbons. Among 22-carbon fatty acids, those with a greater number of double bonds and a double bond in the n-3 position were more inhibitory. DHA was the most inhibitory of the polyenoic acids we tested. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is the enzyme responsible for the production of NO by macrophages. NO production is initiated after new iNOS enzyme is synthesized following transcription of the iNOS gene. In macrophages stimulated by IFNgamma plus LPS, DHA inhibited accumulation of iNOS mRNA, as measured by Northern blotting, and iNOS transcription, as measured by nuclear run-on assays. We transfected RAW 264.7 macrophages with a construct containing the iNOS promoter fused to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene. DHA inhibited activation of this promoter by IFN gamma plus LPS. By inhibiting iNOS transcription in the fetus and neonate, DHA may contribute to their increased susceptibility to infection.
Intracellular Calcium Regulation by Burst Discharge Determines Bidirectional Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity at the Cerebellum Input Stage

Variations in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) provide a critical signal for synaptic plasticity. In accordance with Hebb's postulate (Hebb, 1949), an increase in postsynaptic [Ca2+]i can induce bidirectional changes in synaptic strength depending on activation of specific biochemical pathways (Bienenstock et al., 1982; Lisman, 1989; Stanton and Sejnowski, 1989). Despite its strategic location for signal processing, spatiotemporal dynamics of [Ca2+]i changes and their relationship with synaptic plasticity at the cerebellar mossy fiber (mf)-granule cell (GrC) relay were unknown. In this paper, we report the plasticity/[Ca2+]i relationship for GrCs, which are typically activated by mf bursts (Chadderton et al., 2004). Mf bursts caused a remarkable [Ca2+]i increase in GrC dendritic terminals through the activation of NMDA receptors, metabotropic glutamate receptors (probably acting through IP3-sensitive stores), voltage-dependent calcium channels, and Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. Although [Ca2+]i increased with the duration of mf bursts, long-term depression was found with a small [Ca2+]i increase (bursts <250 ms), and long-term potentiation (LTP) was found with a large [Ca2+]i increase (bursts >250 ms). LTP and [Ca2+]i saturated for bursts >500 ms and with theta-burst stimulation. Thus, bursting enabled a Ca2+-dependent bidirectional Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro-like learning mechanism providing the cellular basis for effective learning of burst patterns at the input stage of the cerebellum.
Work-family balance: A case analysis of coping strategies adopted by Nigerian and British working mothers

Purpose Given the reality that working mothers experience difficulties in achieving work-family balance because of the social restrictions that arise from parenting combined with career goals, this paper aims to explore the various coping strategies that are used by working mothers in the cities of London (Great Britain) and Lagos (Nigeria). Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 72 mothers who worked in banks in London (Great Britain) and Lagos (Nigeria). Thematic analysis and investigator triangulation are used. Findings The findings reveal various coping strategies used by working mothers in the cities of Lagos and London. The paper also unearths the efficiency and the shortcomings of the use of au pairs among British working mothers and the similarities and disparities in terms of such use compared to the traditional use of housekeepers in Nigeria. Originality/value This paper contributes to the existing work–family balance literature by exploring the coping strategies of working mothers because of sociocultural and institutional differences in Great Britain and Nigeria.
Quantification of circulating DNA: in the preparation lies the rub.

Although cell-free nucleic acids were first described in the 1940s (1), it was not until tumor-specific DNA sequences were detected in the plasma of cancer patients (2) that they started to attract the interest of the wider scientific community. Because the placenta shares numerous features with malignant tissues, such as a high rate of cell turnover and the expression of certain protooncogenes, these seminal reports prompted Lo and colleagues to examine whether fetal DNA could be detected in an analogous manner in the plasma of pregnant women. This hypothesis indeed proved to be true, and in 1997 Lo et al. (3) described the presence of fetal DNA circulating in maternal plasma and serum. This observation has been one of the most important for those attempting to develop safe and efficacious methods for prenatal diagnosis of fetal genetic traits. The reason for this interest is that current methods of obtaining fetal material for prenatal diagnosis rely on invasive procedures such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, both of which are associated with a procedure-related fetal loss rate of almost 1% (4). Although concerted efforts had been made to develop noninvasive, and hence risk-free, alternative prenatal diagnostic methods using fetal cells enriched from the blood of pregnant women, …
Improved muscle function and quality after diet intervention with leucine-enriched whey and antioxidants in antioxidant deficient aged mice

Antioxidant (AOX) deficiencies are commonly observed in older adults and oxidative stress has been suggested to contribute to sarcopenia. Here we investigate if 1) low levels of dietary antioxidants had a negative impact on parameters of muscle mass, function and quality, and 2) to study if nutritional interventions with AOX and/or leucine-enriched whey protein could improve these muscle parameters in aged mice. 18-months-old mice were fed a casein-based antioxidant-deficient (lowox) diet or a casein-based control-diet (CTRL) for 7 months. During the last 3 months, lowox-mice were subjected to either: a) continued lowox, b) supplementation with vitamin A/E, Selenium and Zinc (AOX), c) substitution of casein with leucine-enriched whey protein (PROT) or d) a combination of both AOX and PROT (TOTAL). After 7 months lowox-mice displayed lower muscle strength and more muscle fatigue compared to CTRL. Compared to lowox-mice, PROT-mice showed improved muscle power, grip strength and less muscle fatigue. AOX-mice showed improved oxidative status, less muscle fatigue, improved grip strength and mitochondrial dynamics compared to lowox-mice. The TOTAL-mice showed the combined effects of both interventions compared to lowox-mice. In conclusion, nutritional intervention with AOX and/or leucine-enriched whey protein can play a role in improving muscle health in a AOX-deficient mouse model.
Stastistical distributions in mobile communications using multiple scattering

A new model utilizing multiple scattering replaces the traditional subdivision of the total fading into a slow lognormal and a fast Rayleigh component. The distribution agrees well with experimental results from a forest and an urban environment. It is shown that part of the slow fading in general may not be due to shadowing, but rather the slow variation of the coupling between scatterers, when the mobile is moving. This means that this slow fading is just as unpredictable as the fast fading, since it originates from the same scatterers. Shadowing will still exist behind major changes in the environment, like street corners.
Decrease in heart rate variability with overtraining: assessment by the Poincaré plot analysis

Numerous symptoms have been associated with the overtraining syndrome (OT), including changes in autonomic function. Heart rate variability (HRV) provides non‐invasive data about the autonomic regulation of heart rate in real‐life conditions. The aims of the study were to: (i) characterize the HRV profile of seven athletes (OA) diagnosed as suffering of OT, compared with eight healthy sedentary (C) and eight trained (T) subjects during supine rest and 60° upright, and (ii) compare the traditional time‐ and frequency‐domain analysis assessment of HRV with the non‐linear Poincaré plot analysis. In the latter each R‐R interval is plotted as a function of the previous one, and the standard deviations of the instantaneous (SD1) and long‐term R‐R interval variability are calculated. Total power was higher in T than in C and OA both in supine (1158 ± 1137, 6092 ± 3554 and 2970 ± 2947 ms2 for C, T and OA, respectively) and in upright (640 ± 499, 1814 ± 806 and 1092 ± 712 ms2 for C, T and OA, respectively; P<0·05) positions. In supine position, indicators of parasympathetic activity to the sinus node were higher in T compared with C and OA (high‐frequency power: 419·1 ± 381·2, 1105·3 ± 781·4 and 463·7 ± 715·8 ms2 for C, T and OA, respectively; P<0·05; SD1: 29·5 ± 18·5, 75·2 ± 17·2 and 37·6 ± 27·5 for C, T and OA, respectively; P<0·05). OA had a marked predominance of sympathetic activity regardless of the position (LF/HF were 0·47 ± 0·35, 0·47 ± 0·50 and 3·96 ± 5·71 in supine position for C, T and OA, respectively, and 2·09 ± 2·17, 7·22 ± 6·82 and 12·04 ± 10·36 in upright position for C, T and OA, respectively). The changes in HRV indexes induced by the upright posture were greater in T than in OA. The shape of the Poincaré plots allowed the distinction between the three groups, with wide and narrow shapes in T and OA, respectively, compared with C. As Poincaré plot parameters are easy to compute and associated with the ‘width’ of the scatter gram, they corroborate the traditional time‐ and frequency‐domain analysis. We suggest that they could be used to indicate fatigue and/or prevent OT.
Viseme definitions comparison for visual-only speech recognition

Audio-visual speech recognition (AVSR) involves recognising of what a speaker is uttering using both audio and visual cues. While phonemes, the units of speech in the audio domain, are well documented, this is not equally true for the speech units in the visual domain: visemes. In the literature, only a generic viseme definition is recognised. There is no agreement on what visemes practically imply, and if they are just related to mouth position or mouth movement. In this paper a visual-only speech recognition system is presented, trained using either PCA or optical flow visual features. Recognition rate changes depending on which practical viseme definition has been used. Four viseme definitions were tested and results are analyzed in order to establish which is, within the 4 candidates, the best performing viseme definition.
Correction: The Effect on Mortality of Fluconazole or Echinocandins Treatment in Candidemia in Internal Medicine Wards

The incidence of candidemia has increased over the past two decades, with an increased number of cases in Internal Medicine and a prevalence ranging from 24% to 57%. This single-center retrospective study was performed to evaluate the epidemiology and the risk factors associated with mortality of candidemia in patients admitted to Internal Medicine wards (IMWs) of the City of Health and Sciences, Molinette Hospital, Turin, from January 2004 to December 2012. For each patient, demographic, clinical and microbiological data were collected. A case of candidemia was defined as a patient with at least one blood culture positive for Candida spp. Amongst 670 episodes of candidemia, 274 (41%) episodes occurred in IMWs. The mortality was 39% and was associated at multivariate analysis with sepsis, cirrhosis and neurologic diseases, whilst removal of central venous catheter 48h was significantly associated with survival. In the 77 patients treated with early antifungal therapy the mortality was 29% and was not significantly different with caspofungin or fluconazole, whilst in patients with definitive therapy the mortality was significantly lower with echinocandins compared to fluconazole (11.7% Vs. 39%; p=0.0289), a finding confirmed by multivariate analysis. The mortality was significantly associated with sepsis, cirrhosis and neurologic diseases, whilst CVC removal 48h was associated with survival. In patients with early therapy, fluconazole or caspofungin were equally effective. However, echinocandins were significantly more effective as definitive treatment, a finding not explained by differences in treatment delays. Further studies are needed to understand the full potential of these different therapeutic strategies in IMWs. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone. 0125149 May 4, 2015 1 / 9 a11111