Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Studies in abstract phonology

The issue of abstractness is currently one of the central questions in the ongoing research into the theoretical foundations of modern phonology. Linguists are divided on the degree of abstractness admissible in phonological representation. While some would impose far-reaching restrictions on admissible abstractness, others have felt that such restrictions are unrealistic. This monograph offers extensive arguments for admitting a high degree of abstractness in phonology.The empirical material on which the monograph is based is the phonology of modern Polish. A substantial portion of the phonological rules of the language are studied and their theoretical implications are investigated in detail. Although there exists a rich literature on Polish phonology, very little of it has been written with clear theoretical issues in mind, and practically none of it is in English. The results obtained in the monograph, especially with regard to the vowel-zero alternations hold not only for Polish, but with some straightforward modifications can be shown to hold for all other Slavic languages as well.The book consists of four chapters. The first chapter examines critically and rejects the restrictions on abstractness in phonology that have been advanced by proponents of Natural Generative Phonology, in particular Hooper's "true generalization condition. " The second chapter considers the vowel-zero alternations in Polish and shows that the facts require an abstract analysis including the postulation of two abstract vowels that do not appear directly in phonetic forms of the language. The proposed vowel inventory is exploited in the third chapter which deals with one of the most complex problems of Polish phonology, the alternations of the nasal vowels. The proposed vowel inventory also plays a central role in the final chapter, which deals with the [o-u] alternations.
A Reconstruction Method of Blood Flow Velocity in Left Ventricle Using Color Flow Ultrasound

Vortex flow imaging is a relatively new medical imaging method for the dynamic visualization of intracardiac blood flow, a potentially useful index of cardiac dysfunction. A reconstruction method is proposed here to quantify the distribution of blood flow velocity fields inside the left ventricle from color flow images compiled from ultrasound measurements. In this paper, a 2D incompressible Navier-Stokes equation with a mass source term is proposed to utilize the measurable color flow ultrasound data in a plane along with the moving boundary condition. The proposed model reflects out-of-plane blood flows on the imaging plane through the mass source term. The boundary conditions to solve the system of equations are derived from the dimensions of the ventricle extracted from 2D echocardiography data. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated numerically using synthetic flow data acquired from simulating left ventricle flows. The numerical simulations show the feasibility and potential usefulness of the proposed method of reconstructing the intracardiac flow fields. Of particular note is the finding that the mass source term in the proposed model improves the reconstruction performance.
An outbreak of Serratia liquefaciens at a rural health center in The Gambia.

INTRODUCTION Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are better documented in developed than in developing countries. There are emerging reports regarding the high frequency of HAIs in developing countries. We aimed to report an outbreak of an HAI caused by Serratia liquefaciens at a rural health center in The Gambia. METHODOLOGY Following an abrupt increase in the isolation of S. liquefaciens in clinical samples, laboratory and clinical consumables, as well as staff, were screened for contamination with S. liquefaciens. Conventional microbiological techniques and biochemical identification tests were used. A phenotypic typing was achieved using the Kirby-Bauer antibiotic susceptibility method. Strategies to control the outbreak were implemented. RESULTS A total of 794 samples were processed during the outbreak; 44 (6%) grew S. liquefaciens. Five (25%) of the 20 suspected contaminated materials (hospital consumables and equipment) screened yielded growth of the organism. The primary source of the outbreak was hospital consumables. Three (7%) of the 44 infected children died with no other known cause than S. liquefaciens infection. Ninety-nine percent similarity of the antibiogram phenotypic typing suggests the isolates were from the same clonal origin. The outbreak was successfully controlled after the removal and sterilization of the respective contaminated fluids and equipment. CONCLUSIONS This HAI was caused by poor practice in the preparation of medications for nebulization and intravenous infusion, hygiene practices, and a lack of awareness among staff about infection control. We recommend further studies to delineate the role played by HAIs in the developing world.
Forbidden Zone Data Hiding

A new blind data hiding method is proposed based on a novel concept of forbidden zone, where no alteration is allowed in a host signal during message embedding step. Depending on the desired probability of error, the range of the forbidden zone varies, as a compromise between robustness and embedding distortion. Hence, the proposed method makes use of this zone through a single control parameter in conjunction with modulating quantizers for message embedding. The superiority of the proposed scheme over QIM is presented theoretically, as well empirically via simulations. The method is further compared with DC-QIM and its weaknesses and strengths are stated.
Bone Grafts Using Autogenous Tooth Blocks: A Case Series

Objective: A case study was conducted to examine the clinical results and histologic healing of bone grafts performed using an autogenous tooth block (AutoBT block), which was developed recently and proprietary. Study Design: Guided bone regeneration, extraction socket graft, sinus bone graft, and ridge augmentation were performed using autogenous tooth block graft material in 12 patients from March 2009 to June 2010. The clinical outcomes of each case were examined, and tissue specimens were collected from 1 case 2.5 months after the bone graft for histopathological analysis. Results: All of the cases had successful bone graft results. One patient developed wound dehiscence after surgery, although favorable secondary healing was achieved. One implant resulted in osseointegration failure. A histopathologic examination was performed after 2.5 months and showed excellent bone healing due to osteoconduction. The AutoBT block was incorporated into the upper soft tissue, aponeurosis, and lower recipient bone. Conclusion: There were no notable complications associated with the bone transplant materials. The AutoBT block is clinically useful for a variety of bone grafts.
Single‐dose inhaled budesonide in subjects with chronic asthma

In 30 stable asthmatics, a comparison was made between the changes in pulmonary function (FEV1, FVC, PEF, MEF75, MEF50 and MEF25) hourly for 9 h after a single dose of inhaled budesonide 1,600 μg, and placebo. All subjects used inhaled steroids daily; this medication was, however, withheld 8 days prior to the study. For all parameters of pulmonary function, a significant difference in favour of budesonide was demonstrated. The effect tended to decrease after 9 h, and had abated within 24 h. FEV1 age, sex, smoking habits, or results of an inhaled β2‐agonist reversibility test could not be demonstrated as predictors of those subjects to react with the most pronounced responses to budesonide. In conclusion, our results demonstrate an effect 3 h after administration of an inhaled glucocorticosteroid in adult outpatients with chronic asthma. These results parallel previous findings in highly selected asthmatics and after systemic administration of glucocorticosteroids. Single‐dose administration and subsequent monitoring for 8‐9 h may therefore prove valuable in evaluating new prophylactic agents for the treatment of asthma.
Saliva and dental erosion

Dental erosion is a multifactorial condition. The consideration of chemical, biological and behavioral factors is fundamental for its prevention and therapy. Among the biological factors, saliva is one of the most important parameters in the protection against erosive wear. Objective This review discusses the role of salivary factors on the development of dental erosion. Material and Methods A search was undertaken on MEDLINE website for papers from 1969 to 2010. The keywords used in the research were "saliva", "acquired pellicle", "salivary flow", "salivary buffering capacity" and "dental erosion". Inclusion of studies, data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken independently and in duplicate by two members of the review team. Disagreements were solved by discussion and consensus or by a third party. Results Several characteristics and properties of saliva play an important role in dental erosion. Salivary clearance gradually eliminates the acids through swallowing and saliva presents buffering capacity causing neutralization and buffering of dietary acids. Salivary flow allows dilution of the acids. In addition, saliva is supersaturated with respect to tooth mineral, providing calcium, phosphate and fluoride necessary for remineralization after an erosive challenge. Furthermore, many proteins present in saliva and acquired pellicle play an important role in dental erosion. Conclusions Saliva is the most important biological factor affecting the progression of dental erosion. Knowledge of its components and properties involved in this protective role can drive the development of preventive measures targeting to enhance its known beneficial effects.
Cycle-logical treatment for "Cyclopathic" networks

This correspondence addresses the problem of finding the network encoding equations for error-free networks with multiple sources and sinks. Previous algorithms could not cope with cyclic networks. Networks that are cyclic in three different senses are considered in this correspondence, and two extensions of the polynomial time Linear Information Flow (LIF) algorithm are presented. The first algorithm will produce the network encoding equations for a network which can be cyclic, unless the actual flow paths form cycles. The second algorithm will work also when the flow paths form simple cycles. Finally an example of a third kind of cyclic network, where the previous algorithms will fail, is given. However, a binary encoding is provided also in this case.
What do young people think about their school-based sex and relationship education? A qualitative synthesis of young people's views and experiences

Objectives Although sex and relationship education (SRE) represents a key strand in policies to safeguard young people and improve their sexual health, it currently lacks statutory status, government guidance is outdated and a third of UK schools has poor-quality SRE. We aimed to investigate whether current provision meets young people's needs. Design Synthesis of qualitative studies of young people's views of their school-based SRE. Setting Eligible studies originated from the UK, Ireland, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Iran, Brazil and Sweden. Participants Studies of students aged 4–19 in full-time education, young adults ≤19 (not necessarily in full-time education) or adults ≤25 if recalling their experiences of school-based SRE. Results –69 publications were identified, with 55 remaining after quality appraisal (representing 48 studies). The synthesis found that although sex is a potent and potentially embarrassing topic, schools appear reluctant to acknowledge this and attempt to teach SRE in the same way as other subjects. Young people report feeling vulnerable in SRE, with young men anxious to conceal sexual ignorance and young women risking sexual harassment if they participate. Schools appear to have difficulty accepting that some young people are sexually active, leading to SRE that is out of touch with many young people's lives. Young people report that SRE can be negative, gendered and heterosexist. They expressed dislike of their own teachers delivering SRE due to blurred boundaries, lack of anonymity, embarrassment and poor training. Conclusions SRE should be ‘sex-positive’ and delivered by experts who maintain clear boundaries with students. Schools should acknowledge that sex is a special subject with unique challenges, as well as the fact and range of young people's sexual activity, otherwise young people will continue to disengage from SRE and opportunities for safeguarding and improving their sexual health will be reduced.
Kinase Activity of ArcB from Escherichia coli Is Subject to Regulation by Both Ubiquinone and Demethylmenaquinone

Expression of the catabolic network in Escherichia coli is predominantly regulated, via oxygen availability, by the two-component system ArcBA. It has been shown that the kinase activity of ArcB is controlled by the redox state of two critical pairs of cysteines in dimers of the ArcB sensory kinase. Among the cellular components that control the redox state of these cysteines of ArcB are the quinones from the cytoplasmic membrane of the cell, which function in ‘respiratory’ electron transfer. This study is an effort to understand how the redox state of the quinone pool(s) is sensed by the cell via the ArcB kinase. We report the relationship between growth, quinone content, ubiquinone redox state, the level of ArcA phosphorylation, and the level of ArcA-dependent gene expression, in a number of mutants of E. coli with specific alterations in their set of quinones, under a range of physiological conditions. Our results provide experimental evidence for a previously formulated hypothesis that not only ubiquinone, but also demethylmenaquinone, can inactivate kinase activity of ArcB. Also, in a mutant strain that only contains demethylmenaquinone, the extent of ArcA phosphorylation can be modulated by the oxygen supply rate, which shows that demethylmenaquinone can also inactivate ArcB in its oxidized form. Furthermore, in batch cultures of a strain that contains ubiquinone as its only quinone species, we observed that the ArcA phosphorylation level closely followed the redox state of the ubiquinone/ubiquinol pool, much more strictly than it does in the wild type strain. Therefore, at low rates of oxygen supply in the wild type strain, the activity of ArcB may be inhibited by demethylmenaquinone, in spite of the fact that the ubiquinones are present in the ubiquinol form.
Alveolar Ridge Reconstruction with Titanium Meshes and Simultaneous Implant Placement: A Retrospective, Multicenter Clinical Study

Objective. To evaluate horizontal bone gain and implant survival and complication rates in patients treated with titanium meshes placed simultaneously with dental implants and fixed over them. Methods. Twenty-five patients treated with 40 implants and simultaneous guided bone regeneration with titanium meshes (i–Gen®, MegaGen, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea) were selected for inclusion in the present retrospective multicenter study. Primary outcomes were horizontal bone gain and implant survival; secondary outcomes were biological and prosthetic complications. Results. After the removal of titanium meshes, the CBCT evaluation revealed a mean horizontal bone gain of 3.67 mm (±0.89). The most frequent complications were mild postoperative edema (12/25 patients: 48%) and discomfort after surgery (10/25 patients: 40%); these complications were resolved within one week. Titanium mesh exposure occurred in 6 patients (6/25 : 24%): one of these suffered partial loss of the graft and another experienced complete graft loss and implant failure. An implant survival rate of 97.5% (implant-based) and a peri-implant marginal bone loss of 0.43 mm (±0.15) were recorded after 1 year. Conclusions. The horizontal ridge reconstruction with titanium meshes placed simultaneously with dental implants achieved predictable satisfactory results. Prospective randomized controlled trials on a larger sample of patients are required to validate these positive outcomes.
Rating Effects on Social News Posts and Comments

At a time when information seekers first turn to digital sources for news and opinion, it is critical that we understand the role that social media plays in human behavior. This is especially true when information consumers also act as information producers and editors through their online activity. In order to better understand the effects that editorial ratings have on online human behavior, we report the results of a two large-scale in vivo experiments in social media. We find that small, random rating manipulations on social media posts and comments created significant changes in downstream ratings, resulting in significantly different final outcomes. We found positive herding effects for positive treatments on posts, increasing the final rating by 11.02% on average, but not for positive treatments on comments. Contrary to the results of related work, we found negative herding effects for negative treatments on posts and comments, decreasing the final ratings, on average, of posts by 5.15% and of comments by 37.4%. Compared to the control group, the probability of reaching a high rating ( ⩾ 2,000) for posts is increased by 24.6% when posts receive the positive treatment and for comments it is decreased by 46.6% when comments receive the negative treatment.
Roll-Over Shapes of Musculoskeletal Biped Walker

Abstract In this paper, we investigate how the roll-over characteristic of a passivity-based walking robot with flat feet is created and affected by its musculoskeletal structure, which is easily modeled by an agonistic and antagonistic pair of muscles. We hypothesize that the curvature radius and the center position of the roll-over shape (ROS), defined as the centers of pressures transformed into a shank coordinate, is strongly related to the stiffness and the equilibrium posture of the ankle joint, which are determined by the tonuses of the agonistic and the antagonistic muscles. We built a new musculoskeletal biped walking robot driven by pneumatic actuators and conducted exhaustive walking experiment with various ankle conditions. The hypothesis is verified experimentally by analyzing the ROSs of the walking robot. Zusammenfassung In this paper, we investigate how the roll-over characteristic of a passivity-based walking robot with flat feet is created and affected by its musculoskeletal structure, which is easily modeled by an agonistic and antagonistic pair of muscles. We hypothesize that the curvature radius and the center position of the roll-over shape (ROS), defined as the centers of pressures transformed into a shank coordinate, is strongly related to the stiffness and the equilibrium posture of the ankle joint, which are determined by the tonuses of the agonistic and the antagonistic muscles. We built a new musculoskeletal biped walking robot driven by pneumatic actuators and conducted exhaustive walking experiment with various ankle conditions. The hypothesis is verified experimentally by analyzing the ROSs of the walking robot. In diesem Paper studieren wir das Abrollverhalten passiver Laufroboter und zeigen, wie dieses von muskuloskelettalen Eigenschaften abhängt. Das zugrunde liegende muskuloskelettale Modell besteht lediglich aus einem agonistisch-antagonistisches Muskelpaar. Wir stellten dabei die Hypothese auf, dass der Krümmungsradius und das Rotationszentrum der Abrollform — welche wir als Druckzentrum im Unterschenkelkoordinatensystem definieren — besonders von Steifigkeit und Gleichgewichtszustand im Fussgelenk abhängt. Letzere werden wiederum vom Tonus des agonistischen und des antagonistischen Muskels bestimmt. Wir bauten einen neuartigen muskuloskelettalen Laufroboter mit pneumatischen Aktuatoren und führten aufwändige Laufexperimente unter verschiedenen Fussgelenkbedingungen durch. Anhand der Analyse der Abrollformen des Laufroboters konnte die Hypothese schliesslich bestätigt werden.
Software dataplane verification

The industry is in the mood for programmable networks, where an operator can dynamically deploy network functions on network devices, akin to how one deploys virtual machines on physical machines in a cloud environment. Such flexibility brings along the threat of unpredictable behavior and performance. What are the minimum restrictions that we need to impose on network functionality such that we are able to verify that a network device behaves and performs as expected, for example, does not crash or enter an infinite loop? We present the result of working iteratively on two tasks: designing a domain-specific verification tool for packet-processing software, while trying to identify a minimal set of restrictions that packet-processing software must satisfy in order to be verification-friendly. Our main insight is that packet-processing software is a good candidate for domain-specific verification, for example, because it typically consists of distinct pieces of code that share limited mutable state; we can leverage this and other properties to sidestep fundamental verification challenges. We apply our ideas on Click packet-processing software; we perform complete and sound verification of an IP router and two simple middleboxes within tens of minutes, whereas a state-of-the-art general-purpose tool fails to complete the same task within several hours.
De zes belangrijkste persoonlijkheidsdimensies en de HEXACO Persoonlijkheidsvragenlijst.

Recent lexicaal onderzoek naar de structuur van persoonlijkheid heeft zes onafhankelijke en crosscultureel overeenkomstige persoonlijkheidsdimensies blootgelegd in dezelfde datasets die aan de basis hebben gestaan van het Big Five model. Deze zes dimensies, te weten Integriteit, Emotionaliteit, Extraversie, Verdraagzaamheid, Consciëntieusheid en Openheid voor Ervaringen, vormen samen het HEXACO model. In twee studies zijn de psychometrische eigenschappen van de Nederlandse HEXACO Persoonlijkheidsvragenlijst (HEXACO-PI) en de Nederlandse gereviseerde HEXACO Persoonlijkheidsvragenlijst (HEXACO-PI-R) en de relaties van diens factoren facetschalen met achtergrondvariabelen, de NEO-PI-R, de Nederlandse Persoonlijkheids Vragenlijst (NPV) en de SpanningsBehoefteLijst (SBL) onderzocht. De resultaten laten zien dat de HEXACO-PI(-R) goede psychometrische eigenschappen bezit en op een inhoudelijk betekenisvolle manier gerelateerd is aan bovenstaande vragenlijsten. De implicaties voor persoonlijkheidsonderzoek en assessment worden bediscussieerd.
The role of tense and aspect in the acquisition of factivity: children's interpretation of factive complements in English, German and Spanish1

Previous studies on the acquisition of factivity have shown partial understanding of factive complements, as well as problems with their syntactic structure. These studies fail to consider language variation and the possible role of tense and aspect as morphological markers of factivity. An experiment tested comprehension of factive complements in English, German and Spanish (67 children aged 3 to 6 years). A follow-up study (40 English children aged 3 to 6 years) replicated the first study with additional questions to assess story comprehension, and tested the understanding of the presuppositions of factive and non-factive complements in isolation. Our results indicate a general difficulty with understanding factive complements in contexts which contradict the presuppositions, as well as crosslinguistic variation in the understanding of presuppositions in the different syntactic conditions. The identified crosslinguistic differences in acquisition are attributed to language variation with respect to tense and aspect.