Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When Pro-Drop Languages Don't: Overt Pronominal Subjects and Pragmatic Inference

In a language that allows null pronouns, why would a speaker bother to use an overt pronoun at all? A traditional answer is that an overt pronoun contains agreement information necessary for the identificationof its antecedent. But this cannot possibly be the answer in languages like Turkish, which has subject-verb agreement, but no gender; since the verb already indicates the person and number of the subject, overt pronominal subjects contain no more agreement information than null subjects; yet overt subject pronouns are common in Turkish. Even in languages where the overt pronoun does carry additional agreement features, it is frequently used in situations where the potential antecedents cannot be differentiated through agreement features. Nevertheless, overt pronouns are far from redundant or “optional,” as traditional grammar would have it. Even in the absence of any contrast in agreement features, an overt pronoun can be interpreted differently from a null pronoun. In the following example from Greek, both of the possible antecedents are singular, masculine, and in the third-person. But the null pronoun in (c) must pick out the subject of the previous sentence, Aris , while the overt pronoun in ( ) must pick out the object, Gianis .
SPECT/multislice low-dose CT: a clinically relevant constituent in the imaging algorithm of nononcologic patients referred for bone scintigraphy.

UNLABELLED The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the role of SPECT/multislice low-dose (Msl) CT as a constituent in the imaging algorithm of nononcologic patients referred for 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy (BS). METHODS SPECT/CT was performed using a novel hybrid system, which incorporates a gamma-camera and a multislice low-dose CT, on 76 consecutive nononcologic patients with nonspecific scintigraphic findings, which required further correlation with morphologic data. RESULTS SPECT/MslCT was of added clinical value in 89% of the patients. Characterizing scintigraphic lesions by their morphologic appearance, SPECT/MslCT reached a final diagnosis in 49 of 85 (58%) nonspecific scintigraphic bone lesions found in 59% (45/76) of patients, obviating the need to perform additional imaging. In another 30% of patients (23/76), SPECT/MslCT data optimized the patients' imaging algorithm as the performance of a full-dose CT, MRI, or labeled-leukocyte scintigraphy as the next imaging was based on its findings combined with the patient's clinical presentation. CONCLUSION SPECT/MslCT is a clinically relevant constituent in the imaging algorithm of nononcologic patients referred for BS.
ARIX: a randomised trial of acupuncture v oral care sessions in patients with chronic xerostomia following treatment of head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND Radiation treatment of head and neck cancer can cause chronic xerostomia which impairs patients' quality of life. The study reported here examined the efficacy of acupuncture in alleviating xerostomia symptoms especially dry mouth. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 145 patients with chronic radiation-induced xerostomia >18 months after treatments were recruited from seven UK cancer centres. The study employed a randomised crossover design with participants receiving two group sessions of oral care education and eight of acupuncture using standardised methods. Patient-reported outcome (PROs) measures were completed at baseline and weeks 5, 9, 13, 17, and 21. The primary outcome was improvement in dry mouth. OBJECTIVE saliva measurements were also carried out. RESULTS Acupuncture compared with oral care, produced significant reductions in patient reports of severe dry mouth (OR = 2.01, P = 0.031) sticky saliva (OR = 1.67, P = 0.048), needing to sip fluids to swallow food (OR = 2.08, P = 0.011) and in waking up at night to drink (OR = 1.71, P = 0.013). There were no significant changes in either stimulated or unstimulated saliva measurements over time. CONCLUSION Eight sessions of weekly group acupuncture compared with group oral care education provide significantly better relief of symptoms in patients suffering from chronic radiation-induced xerostomia.
Why Are Homeownership Rates So Different Across Europe

Homeownership rates vary considerable across Europe; both across and within countries. Homeownership propensities are high in Southern Europe, in the UK and in Ireland and comparably low in the Alpine countries. Within each country households are much more likely to own outside of large cities. Given the political importance of housing (cost) and homeownership, it is perhaps surprising that to date there is virtually no empirical evidence that sheds light on the puzzle why homeownership rates differ so vastly across Europe. In this paper I exploit the restricted version of the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) to explain household- and regional differences in homeownership propensities and changes over time. I find that the housing stock (i.e., the housing type), which determines the relative landlord production efficiency, is the most important driver of the spatial differences. Differences in tax policies matter as well. The non-taxation of imputed rents for principally owner-occupied dwellings (POOD) has the strongest positive effect on homeownership rates (+3.9%), while the deductibility of mortgage interest for POOD and capital gains taxes that favour POOD have a more moderate impact (+1.9% and +0.5% respectively). Consistent with theory, country differences in housing transaction costs and the expected duration in the property increase homeownership propensities but the effects are rather small quantitatively. While individual socio-economic characteristics are important determinants of individual housing tenure choices, regional differences in the socio-economic composition cannot explain much of the spatial variation in homeownership across Europe.
"Untraceability" Analysis of Two ID-Based Proxy Blind Signature from Bilinear Pairings

Untraceability" is an important property of Proxy blind signature. Zhang proposed some new untraceable blind signatures in order to enhance the security of Cai et al. (2007) and Hu et al. (2007)'s schemes. However, this study shows there are three important conclusions: 1. By reduction, we prove that the cryptanalysis method proposed by Zhang is improper and Cai et al. (2007)'s schemes does satisfy the property of untraceability; 2. On that basis, we pinpoints a new analysis method of untraceability which has effectively proved that Hu et al. (2007)'s scheme doesn't satisfy the property of untraceability. Furthermore, the method can be used as a standard method which could analyze other schemes related with blind signature; 3. Zhang's scheme is unpractical since the cost of the scheme is higher compared with Cai et al. (2007)'s scheme.
The emergence of adaptive eye movements in reading

Simulations were completed using artificial reading “agents” that are subject to known physiological (e.g., limited visual acuity) and psychological (e.g., limited attention) constraints and capable of learning to move their eyes and allocate attention to read as efficiently as possible. These simulations indicate that agents learn when and where to move their eyes to attain maximal reading efficiency, generalize this behavior from training sentences to novel test sentences, and use word length to predict word-identification times and thereby make optimal decisions about when to initiate saccadic programming—even if word length is only moderately predictive of word-identification times. These results suggest that humans may exploit even modestly informative cues in learning to decide when to move their eyes during reading.
Guidelines On The Investigation and Management Of The Antiphospholipid Syndrome

In 1991, the Haemostasis and Thrombosis Task Force of the British Society for Haematology published guidelines on testing for the lupus anticoagulant (LA) (Machin et al, 1991). Since then there have been major developments in our understanding of the nature of `antiphospholipid antibodies' (aPLs) and improvements in our knowledge of the clinical course of the antiphospholipid syndrome. These revised guidelines have been prepared against this background. They cover both clinical and laboratory aspects.
Ancillary Studies in Determining Human Papillomavirus Status of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx: A Review

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity and pharynx represents the sixth most common form of malignancy worldwide. A significant proportion of these cases are related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. In general, HPV-associated SCC is more commonly nonkeratinizing and poorly differentiated, whereas non-HPV-associated SCC is typically keratinizing and moderately differentiated. Nevertheless, significant overlap in morphology is seen between these two forms of SCC. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the utility of ancillary studies in the establishment of HPV status of oropharyngeal SCC, including p16 immunohistochemistry, high-risk HPV in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and newer HPV detection modalities.
Body Awareness as an Important Target in Multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Treatment: Mediation and Subgroup Analyses

Background:The results of a recently performed randomized clinical trial showed that the effect of a multidisciplinary treatment of chronic pain patients on body awareness (BA), catastrophizing, and depression was improved by adding psychomotor therapy (PMT), an intervention targeting BA. No significant effects were found on quality of life and disability. The present follow-up study aimed to explore the relationship between improvements in BA and multidisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation treatment outcome across treatment conditions and the possible mediating effect of BA between treatment conditions. Furthermore, the hypothesis that patients with low BA benefit more from PMT was investigated. Methods:In total, 94 patients with chronic pain participated in a randomized clinical trial comparing multidisciplinary treatment as usual (TAU) with TAU plus PMT. Outcome variables were health-related quality of life, disability, and depression. Self-efficacy and catastrophizing were the process variables of treatment and the potential mediating factors in the relationship between BA and the outcome variables. The data were analyzed by linear mixed-model analysis. Results:Improvements in BA were related to improvements in all outcome variables across treatment conditions. The relationships were partly mediated by self-efficacy, catastrophizing, or both. In the regression model with depression as the outcome variable, the regression coefficient of treatment (ie, PMT vs. TAU) decreased by 34% and became nonsignificant when BA was added as a potential mediator. Patients with low BA seemed to benefit more from PMT than patients with high BA, especially on depression, BA, and catastrophizing. Conclusions:BA might be an important target of treatment to improve the multidisciplinary treatment outcome in chronic pain patients. Furthermore, PMT is an intervention that seems to provide its benefits through improving BA and may be especially beneficial for patients with low BA.
Solving period problems for minimal surfaces with the support function

In this paper we show how to bypass the usual difficulties in the analysis of elliptic integrals that arise when solving period problems for minimal surfaces. The method consists of replacing period problems with ordinary Sturm-Liouville problems involving the support function. We give a practical application by proving existence of the sheared Scherk-Karcher family of surfaces numerically described by Wei. Moreover, we show that this family is continuous, and both of its limit-members are the singly periodic genus-one helicoid.
Spectral analysis of metric graphs and related spaces

The aim of the present article is to give an overview of spectral theory on metric graphs guided by spectral geometry on discrete graphs and manifolds. We present the basic concept of metric graphs and natural Laplacians acting on it and explicitly allow infinite graphs. Motivated by the general form of a Laplacian on a metric graph, we define a new type of combinatorial Laplacian. With this generalised discrete Laplacian, it is possible to relate the spectral theory on discrete and metric graphs. Moreover, we describe a connection of metric graphs with manifolds. Finally, we comment on Cheeger's inequality and trace formulas for metric and discrete (generalised) Laplacians.
Percutaneous laser disc decompression for thoracic disc disease: report of 10 cases

Background: Discogenic pain or herniation causing neural impingement of the thoracic vertebrae is less common than that in the cervical or lumbar regions. Treatment of thoracic discogenic pain usually involves conservative measures. If this fails, conventional fusion or discectomy can be considered, but these procedures carry significant risk. Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) for the treatment of thoracic disc disease. Methods: Ten patients with thoracic discogenic pain who were unresponsive to conservative intervention underwent the PLDD procedure. Thoracic pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores preoperatively and at 6-month intervals with a minimum of 18-months follow-up. Patients were diagnosed and chosen for enrollment based on abnormal MRI findings and positive provocative discograms. Patients with gross herniations were not included. Results: Length of follow-up ranged from 18 to 31 months (mean: 24.2 mo). Median pretreatment thoracic VAS score was 8.5 (range: 5-10) and median VAS score at final follow-up was 3.8 (range: 0-9). Postoperative improvement was significant with a 99% confidence interval. Of interest, patients generally fell into two groups, those with significant pain reduction and those with little to no improvement. Although complications such as pneumothorax, discitis, or nerve damage were possible, no adverse events occurred during the procedures. Limitations: The study is limited by its small size and lack of a sham group. Larger controlled studies are warranted. Conclusions: With further clinical evidence, PLDD could be considered a viable option with a low risk of complication for the treatment of thoracic discogenic pain that does not resolve with conservative treatment.
Does genotype and equol-production status affect response to isoflavones? Data from a pan-European study on the effects of isoflavones on cardiovascular risk markers in post-menopausal women

The increase in CVD incidence following the menopause is associated with oestrogen loss. Dietary isoflavones are thought to be cardioprotective via their oestrogenic and oestrogen receptor-independent effects, but evidence to support this role is scarce. Individual variation in response to diet may be considerable and can obscure potential beneficial effects in a sample population; in particular, the response to isoflavone treatment may vary according to genotype and equol-production status. The effects of isoflavone supplementation (50 mg/d) on a range of established and novel biomarkers of CVD, including markers of lipid and glucose metabolism and inflammatory biomarkers, have been investigated in a placebo-controlled 2×8-week randomised cross-over study in 117 healthy post-menopausal women. Responsiveness to isoflavone supplementation according to (1) single nucleotide polymorphisms in a range of key CVD genes, including oestrogen receptor (ER) α and β and (2) equol-production status has been examined. Isoflavones supplementation was found to have no effect on markers of lipids and glucose metabolism. Isoflavones improve C-reactive protein concentrations but do not affect other plasma inflammatory markers. There are no differences in response to isoflavones according to equol-production status. However, differences in HDL-cholesterol and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 response to isoflavones v. placebo are evident with specific ERβ genotypes. In conclusion, isoflavones have beneficial effects on C-reactive protein, but not other cardiovascular risk markers. However, specific ERβ gene polymorphic subgroups may benefit from isoflavone supplementation.
DescriptIve StatistIcs for BaselIne Plasma Taurlne ConcentratIons and Urinary Taurlne Outputs for EpIleptics and Controls

A previous study showed that significantly less taurine is excreted in the urine by epileptics than by control subjects. The difference is ascribed to genetic variation in taunne transport governed by a pair of codominant polymorphic alleles. The present study of plasma taunne concentrations and urinary taurine output confirms previous findings among epilepticsand provides evidence that some anticonvulsant medications may affect taunne transport. The posited codominant alleles represent the first single-locus component in the polygenic complexes creating susceptibility to seizures and epitomizesthe small additiveeffectsclassicallyattributed to such genes.
Symmetric random walk

Let Xk, k= 1, 2, 3, • • -, be a sequence of mutually independent random variables on an appropriate probability space which have a given common distribution function F. Let Sn = Xi+ • • • +Xn, then the event lim inf | S„\ = 0 has probability either zero or one. If this event has zero chance, we say F is transient; in the other case, | 5„| tends to infinity almost surely, and F is called recurrent. The proofs of these assertions are in [l]. If F is symmetric, then transiency depends only on the tail of F. Theorem 1 gives a condition on the tail of the d.f. F which is necessary and sufficient for transiency. Let F and G be symmetric and F be less peaked than G, in the terminology introduced by Birnbaum. Theorem 4 shows that, if F is unimodal, then the recurrence of F implies the recurrence of G. The unimodality condition cannot be entirely removed as an illuminating example shows. Unimodal distribution functions play a central role and Theorem 4 shows the connection between this class and the uniform distributions via the representation of Khinchin. The condition in Theorem 1 can be very much simplified in case F is unimodal, this is done in §5. Finally the results are shown to extend to the higher dimensional case. 1. Preliminaries. It is well known that a distribution function (d.f.) F is transient if and only if (1.1) is finite.
Realized Volatility Risk

In this paper we document that realized variation measures constructed from high-frequency returns reveal a large degree of volatility risk in stock and index returns, where we characterize volatility risk by the extent to which forecasting errors in realized volatility are substantive. Even though returns standardized by ex post quadratic variation measures are nearly gaussian, this unpredictability brings considerably more uncertainty to the empirically relevant ex ante distribution of returns. Carefully modeling this volatility risk is fundamental. We propose a dually asymmetric realized volatility (DARV) model, which incorporates the important fact that realized volatility series are systematically more volatile in high volatility periods. Returns in this framework display time varying volatility, skewness and kurtosis. We provide a detailed account of the empirical advantages of the model using data on the S&P 500 index and eight other indexes and stocks.
Recent Update on Radiation Dose Assessment for the State-of-the-Art Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography Protocols

Objectives This study aimed to measure the absorbed doses in selected organs for prospectively ECG-triggered coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) using five different generations CT scanners in a female adult anthropomorphic phantom and to estimate the effective dose (HE). Materials and Methods Prospectively ECG-triggered CCTA was performed using five commercially available CT scanners: 64-detector-row single source CT (SSCT), 2 × 32-detector-row-dual source CT (DSCT), 2 × 64-detector-row DSCT and 320-detector-row SSCT scanners. Absorbed doses were measured in 34 organs using pre-calibrated optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) placed inside a standard female adult anthropomorphic phantom. HE was calculated from the measured organ doses and compared to the HE derived from the air kerma-length product (PKL) using the conversion coefficient of 0.014 mSv∙mGy-1∙cm-1 for the chest region. Results Both breasts and lungs received the highest radiation dose during CCTA examination. The highest HE was received from 2 × 32-detector-row DSCT scanner (6.06 ± 0.72 mSv), followed by 64-detector-row SSCT (5.60 ± 0.68 and 5.02 ± 0.73 mSv), 2 × 64-detector-row DSCT (1.88 ± 0.25 mSv) and 320-detector-row SSCT (1.34 ± 0.48 mSv) scanners. HE calculated from the measured organ doses were about 38 to 53% higher than the HE derived from the PKL-to-HE conversion factor. Conclusion The radiation doses received from a prospectively ECG-triggered CCTA are relatively small and are depending on the scanner technology and imaging protocols. HE as low as 1.34 and 1.88 mSv can be achieved in prospectively ECG-triggered CCTA using 320-detector-row SSCT and 2 × 64-detector-row DSCT scanners.
Origin of Climbing Fiber Neurons and Their Developmental Dependence on Ptf1a

Climbing fiber (CF) neurons in the inferior olivary nucleus (ION) extend their axons to Purkinje cells, playing a crucial role in regulating cerebellar function. However, little is known about their precise place of birth and developmental molecular machinery. Here, we describe the origin of the CF neuron lineage and the involvement of Ptf1a (pancreatic transcription factor 1a) in CF neuron development. Ptf1a protein was found to be expressed in a discrete dorsolateral region of the embryonic caudal hindbrain neuroepithelium. Because expression of Ptf1a is not overlapping other transcription factors such as Math1 (mouse atonal homolog 1) and Neurogenin1, which are suggested to define domains within caudal hindbrain neuroepithelium (Landsberg et al., 2005), we named the neuroepithelial region the Ptf1a domain. Analysis of mice that express β-galactosidase from the Ptf1a locus revealed that CF neurons are derived from the Ptf1a domain. In contrast, retrograde labeling of precerebellar neurons indicated that mossy fiber neurons are not derived from Ptf1a-expressing progenitors. We could observe a detailed migratory path of CF neurons from the Ptf1a domain to the ION during embryogenesis. In Ptf1a null mutants, putative immature CF neurons produced from this domain were unable to migrate or differentiate appropriately, resulting in a failure of ION formation. Apoptotic cells were observed in the mutant hindbrain. Furthermore, the fate of some cells in the Ptf1a lineage were changed to mossy fiber neurons in Ptf1a null mutants. These findings clarify the precise origin of CF neurons and suggest that Ptf1a controls their fate, survival, differentiation, and migration during development.