Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vowel acoustic space development in children: a synthesis of acoustic and anatomic data.

PURPOSE This article integrates published acoustic data on the development of vowel production. Age specific data on formant frequencies are considered in the light of information on the development of the vocal tract (VT) to create an anatomic-acoustic description of the maturation of the vowel acoustic space for English. METHOD Literature searches identified 14 studies reporting data on vowel formant frequencies. Data on corner vowels are summarized graphically to show age- and sex- related changes in the area and shape of the traditional vowel quadrilateral. CONCLUSIONS Vowel development is expressed as follows: (a) establishment of a language-appropriate acoustic representation (e.g., F1-F2 quadrilateral or F1-F2-F3 space), (b) gradual reduction in formant frequencies and F1-F2 area with age, (c) reduction in formant-frequency variability, (d) emergence of male-female differences in formant frequency by age 4 years with more apparent differences by 8 years, (e) jumps in formant frequency at ages corresponding to growth spurts of the VT, and (f) a decline of f0 after age 1 year, with the decline being more rapid during early childhood and adolescence. Questions remain about optimal procedures for VT normalization and the exact relationship between VT growth and formant frequencies. Comments are included on nasalization and vocal fundamental frequency as they relate to the development of vowel production.
How open are journalists on Twitter? Trends towards the end-user journalism

The many activities of journalists on Twitter should be analyzed. Are they doing a different kind of journalism? With a content analysis of 1125 tweets, this study reveals trends of some Spanish journalists using Twitter. A traditional role like gatekeeping can be highly amplified in terms of transparency and accountability with actions as retweeting or linking. The landscape offered by this platform is framed with the "ambient journalism", which will help to understand the proposal of this study: the end-user journalism. The findings will show the level of opening with the audience in aspects about replies, requests and linking.
Actin from Thyone sperm assembles on only one end of an actin filament: a behavior regulated by profilin

Thyone sperm were demembranated with Triton X-100 and, after washing, extracted with 30 mM Tris at pH 8.0 and 1 mM MgCl2. After the insoluble contaminants were removed by centrifugation, the sperm extract was warmed to 22 degrees C. Actin filaments rapidly assembled and aggregated into bundles when KCl was added to the extract. When we added preformed actin filaments, i.e., the acrosomal filament bundles of Limulus sperm, to the extract, the actin monomers rapidly assembled on these filaments. What was unexpected was that assembly took place on only one end of the bundle--the end corresponding to the preferred end for monomer addition. We showed that the absence of growth on the nonpreferred end was not due to the presence of a capper because exogenously added actin readily assembled on both ends. We also analyzed the sperm extract by SDS gel electrophoresis. Two major proteins were present in a 1:1 molar ratio: actin and a 12,500-dalton protein whose apparent isoelectric point was 8.4. The 12,500-dalton protein was purified by DEAE chromatography. We concluded that it is profilin because of its size, isoelectric point, molar ratio to actin, inability to bind to DEAE, and its effect on actin assembly. When profilin was added to actin in the presence of Limulus bundles, addition of monomers on the nonpreferred end of the bundle was inhibited, even though actin by itself assembled on both ends. Using the Limulus bundles as nuclei, we determined the critical concentration for assembly off each end of the filament and estimated the Kd for the profilin-actin complex (approximately 10 microM). We present a model to explain how profilin may regulate the extension of the Thyone acrosomal process in vivo: The profilin-actin complex can add to only the preferred end of the filament bundle. Once the actin monomer is bound to the filament, the profilin is released, and is available to bind to additional actin monomers. This mechanism accounts for the rapid rate of filament elongation in the acrosomal process in vivo.
Dynamical-friction galaxy-gas coupling and cluster cooling flows

We revisit the notion that galaxy motions can efficiently heat intergalactic gas in the central regions of clusters through dynamical friction. For plausible values of the galaxy mass-to-light ratio, the heating rate is comparable with the cooling rate due to X-ray emission. Heating occurs only for supersonic galaxy motions, so the mechanism is self-regulating: it becomes efficient only when the gas sound speed is smaller than the galaxy velocity dispersion. We illustrate with the Perseus cluster, assuming a stellar mass-to-light ratio for galaxies in the very central region with the dark matter contribution becoming comparable with this at some radius r s . For r s ≤ 400 kpc ∼ 3r cool - corresponding to an average mass-to-light ratio of ∼10 inside that radius - the dynamical-friction coupling is strong enough to provide the required rate of gas heating. Such values of r s are associated with total mass attached to galaxies that is about 10 per cent of the mass of the cluster - consistent with values inferred from numerical simulations and observations. The measured sound speed is smaller than the galaxy velocity dispersion, as required by this mechanism. With this smaller gas temperature and the observed distribution of galaxies and gas, the energy reservoir in galactic motions is sufficient to sustain the required heating rate for the lifetime of the cluster. The galaxies also lose a smaller amount of energy through dynamical friction to the dark matter implying that non-cooling-flow clusters should have flat-cored dark matter density distributions.
Propofol sedation for flexible bronchoscopy: a randomised, noninferiority trial

Propofol has been established as a reliable method for sedation in flexible bronchoscopy. There are no data comparing propofol administered as intravenous boluses versus continuous infusion. 702 consecutive patients undergoing flexible bronchoscopy were randomly allocated to receive intravenous propofol using either an intermittent bolus technique or a continuous infusion. The primary end-point was the number of adverse events assessed at the end of flexible bronchoscopy and at 24 h. The number of any adverse event was similar in both randomised groups (219 versus 211, p=0.810). There were complications in eight cases (seven major bleedings, one respiratory failure). As compared with the bolus group, the amount of propofol required was significantly higher in the infusion group (226 ±147 mg versus 308±204.8 mg, p<0.0001). In a multivariate regression model, this difference remained significant independent of the duration and the interventions performed during the procedure. The duration of bronchoscopy was significantly longer in the infusion group (median 14 (interquartile range 9–24) versus 17 (12–27) min, p<0.0001). Propofol continuous infusion is as safe as bolus administration; however, it is associated with higher propofol requirements and a longer duration of the bronchoscopy. Propofol continuous infusion is as safe as bolus administration, but has higher requirements and longer bronchoscopy http://ow.ly/r4Uas
THE LICK AGN MONITORING PROJECT: REVERBERATION MAPPING OF OPTICAL HYDROGEN AND HELIUM RECOMBINATION LINES

We have recently completed a 64-night spectroscopic monitoring campaign at the Lick Observatory 3 m Shane telescope with the aim of measuring the masses of the black holes in 12 nearby (z < 0.05) Seyfert 1 galaxies with expected masses in the range ∼106–107 M☉ and also the well-studied nearby active galactic nucleus (AGN) NGC 5548. Nine of the objects in the sample (including NGC 5548) showed optical variability of sufficient strength during the monitoring campaign to allow for a time lag to be measured between the continuum fluctuations and the response to these fluctuations in the broad Hβ emission, which we have previously reported. We present here the light curves for the Hα, Hγ, He ii λ4686, and He i λ5876 emission lines and the time lags for the emission-line responses relative to changes in the continuum flux. Combining each emission-line time lag with the measured width of the line in the variable part of the spectrum, we determine a virial mass of the central supermassive black hole from several independent emission lines. We find that the masses are generally consistent within the uncertainties. The time-lag response as a function of velocity across the Balmer line profiles is examined for six of the AGNs. We find similar responses across all three Balmer lines for Arp 151, which shows a strongly asymmetric profile, and for SBS 1116+583A and NGC 6814, which show a symmetric response about zero velocity. For the other three AGNs, the data quality is somewhat lower and the velocity-resolved time-lag response is less clear. Finally, we compare several trends seen in the data set against the predictions from photoionization calculations as presented by Korista & Goad. We confirm several of their predictions, including an increase in responsivity and a decrease in the mean time lag as the excitation and ionization level for the species increases. Specifically, we find the time lags of the optical recombination lines to have weighted mean ratios of τ(Hα):τ(Hβ):τ(Hγ):τ(He i):τ(He ii) = 1.54:1.00:0.61:0.36:0.25. Further confirmation of photoionization predictions for broad-line gas behavior will require additional monitoring programs for these AGNs while they are in different luminosity states.
Mutation survey of candidate genes in 40 Chinese patients with congenital ectopia lentis

Purpose To identify the spectrum and frequency of five candidate genes in Chinese patients with congenital ectopia lentis (EL). Methods Forty consecutive and unrelated congenital probands with EL were collected and underwent ocular, skeletal, and cardiovascular examinations. Sanger sequencing was used to analyze all of the coding and adjacent regions of five candidate genes: FBN1, ADAMTS10, ADAMTSL4, TGFBR2, and CBS. Mutation analysis was performed to evaluate the pathogenic variants and to identify the cause of congenital EL. Results The FBN1 gene screen revealed 25 pathogenic variants in 34 of the 40 families with congenital EL, including three novel (c.1955G>T, c.2222delA, and c.4381T>C) and 22 known mutations. The ADAMTSL10 gene screen revealed a compound heterozygous variant (c.1586G>A and c.2485T>A) in a family with Weill-Marchesani syndrome (WMS). In the remaining five probands, no pathogenic variant was detected in any of the five screened genes. Conclusions In this study, we identified three novel and 22 known mutations in FBN1 in 34 of 40 EL families. The results expand the mutation spectrum of the FBN1 gene and suggest that FBN1 mutations may be the major cause of congenital EL in Chinese patients.
Increased Risk of Peripheral Arterial Disease After Hip Replacement: An 11-Year Retrospective Population-Based Cohort Study

AbstractThe correlation between hip replacement (Hip-Rep) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) remains uncertain. Thus, we investigated the relationship between Hip-Rep and risk of developing PAD in a nationwide retrospective cohort study.National Health Insurance data were used to assemble a cohort of patients who were diagnosed from 2000 to 2011. Patients with a history of PAD were excluded. A total of 5284 patients who received a Hip-Rep and 21,124 matched controls were enrolled. We used Cox proportional hazards regression model to analyze the adjusted risk of developing PAD.The risk of developing PAD in the Hip-Rep group was 1.24-fold higher (95% CI = 1.05–1.48) than that in the control group. The adjusted risk of developing PAD increased with patient age; compared with patients aged 50 years or younger, the risk among those ages at least 80 years was 4.87-fold higher. Patients with diabetes exhibited the highest risk of developing PAD (HR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.34–1.86). Compared with patients who had not received a Hip-Rep or reported any comorbidity, patients who received a Hip-Rep were 2.45-fold more likely to develop PAD (95% CI = 1.54–3.89); the risk increased with the number of comorbidities.Hip-Reps might be independently linked with an increased risk of developing PAD. The impact of Hip-Reps on this risk was greater in women and patients ages 65 years and younger and within the first year of follow-up.
Conservative Matrices in Summability of Series

Das \cite{d} introduced the class of absolute $k$th-power conserviative matrices for $k\geq1$, denoted by $B\left( A_{k}\right) . $ In the present paper, we generalize the class $B\left( A_{k}\right) $ to a general one named $B\left( \alpha_{n}, \beta_{n}, \gamma_{n},\delta_{n},\varphi\right) $ and give some sufficient conditions for a matrix belongs to the new class $B\left( \alpha_{n}, \beta_{n}; \gamma_{n}, \delta_{n};\varphi\right) $ when $\varphi$ is convex$. $ As applications of the general result, we investigate the conservativties of Ces\'{a}ro matrices and Riesz matrices.
Religion und ethnische Bildungsungleichheiten

Zusammenfassung Die Bedeutung von Religion und individueller Religiosität für die Integration von Migranten ist Gegenstand kontroverser öffentlicher Debatten. Inwieweit jedoch zum Beispiel geringere Bildungserfolge muslimischer Schüler mit Migrationshintergrund tatsächlich auf ihre Konfessionszugehörigkeit und individuelle Religiosität zurückzuführen sind, ist bislang wenig untersucht worden. Der Beitrag geht dieser Frage auf Grundlage von Befragungsdaten aus der internationalen CILS4EU-Studie nach. Insgesamt finden sich für Einflüsse der Konfession oder der Religiosität auf den Bildungserfolg kaum Belege. Auch eine systematische Diskriminierung von nicht-christlichen Schülern ist nicht zu beobachten. Die Bildungsbenachteiligung muslimischer Kinder ist danach in erster Linie mit der geringeren bildungsbezogenen Ressourcenausstattung ihrer Eltern zu erklären.
Instrumental conditioning theory and the impact of biological constraints on learning

Volume I: Contents: R.R. Mowrer, S.B. Klein, Traditional Learning Theory and the Transition to Contemporary Learning Theory. Part I:Theories of Pavlovian Conditioning. P.J. Durlach, Learning and Performance in Pavlovian Conditioning: Are Failures of Contiguity Failures of Learning or Performance? R.R. Miller, L.D. Matzel, Contingency and Relative Associative Strength. A.G. Baker, P. Mercier, Attention, Retrospective Processing and Cognitive Representations. G. Hall, R. Honey, Perceptual and Associative Learning. A.R. Wagner, S.E. Brandon, Evolution of a Structured Connectionist Model of Pavlovian Conditioning (AESOP). A. Tomie, W. Brooks, Sign-Tracking: The Search for Reward. Part II:Current Status of Traditional Learning Theory. D.J. Levis, The Case for a Return to a Two-Factor Theory of Avoidance: The Failure of Non-Fear Interpretations. A. Dickinson, The Expectancy Theory of Animal Conditioning. Volume II: Contents: R.R. Mowrer, S.B. Klein. Part I:Introduction: A Contrast Between Traditional and Contemporary Learning Theory. Part II:Theories of Instrumental Conditioning. J. Allison, The Nature of Reinforcement. R.M. Church, Theories of Timing Behavior. S.F. Maier, Learned Helplessness: Event Co-Variation and Cognitive Changes. F. Vaccarino, B.B. Schiff, S.E. Glickman, A Biological View of Reinforcement. Part III:Biological Constraints in Learning. V.M. LoLordo, A. Droungas, Selective Associations and Adaptive Specializations: Food Aversion and Phobias. J. Garcia, L. Brett, K. Rusiniak, Limits of Darwinian Conditioning. A.L. Riley, C.L. Wetherington, Schedule-Induced Polydipsia: Is the Rat a Small Furry Human? W. Timberlake, G.A. Lucas, Behavior Systems and Learning: From Misbehavior to General Principles.
Exposure to Emotional Violence: Relationship between University Students according to their Demographic Characteristics

The aim of this study is to determine the level of exposure to emotional violence of university students. In addition, it was also tried to identify the relationship between the emotional violence exposure level and the variables of university students’ age, gender, whether they get psychological support before and after the university or not, and the school they attend. This research is a survey model research using quantitative data. The participants of this study are 701 (415 females and 286 males) university students who are studying in various departments in the academic year 2017-2018. The data of the study were collected with the “Emotional Violence Scale” developed within the scope of the research. SPSS 17 was used to analyze the quantitative data obtained. In order to analyze the data, Arithmetic Mean, Standard Deviation, t-Test, and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used. According to the results of the analysis, it was found that the level of exposure to emotional violence of university students was low. In addition, it was concluded that male students’ exposure to emotional violence was significantly higher than that of female students. It is also concluded that the students who have been exposed to emotional violence have significant differences according to the variables; age, gender, whether they get psychological support before and after the university or not.
Analysis of Regularized Linear Functions for Classification Problems

Recently, sample complexity bounds have been derived for problems involving linear functions such as neural networks and support vector machines. In this paper, we extend some theoretical results in this area by providing convergence analysis for regularized linear functions with an emphasis on classi cation problems. The class of methods we study in this paper generalize support vector machines and are conceptually very simple. To analyze these methods within the traditional PAC learning framework, we derive dimensional independent covering number bounds for linear systems under certain regularization conditions, and obtain relevant generalization bounds. We also present an analysis for these methods from the asymptotic statistical point of view. We show that this technique provides better description for large sample behaviors of these algorithms. Furthermore, we shall investigate numerical aspects of the proposed methods, and establish their relationship with ill-posed problems studied in numerical mathematics.
Search for radio pulsations in four anomalous X-ray pulsars and discovery of two new pulsars

Abstract We have performed deep searches for radio pulsations from four southern anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) to investigate their physical nature in comparison with the rotation powered pulsars. The data were acquired using the Parkes radio telescope with the 1.4 GHz multibeam receiver. No pulsed emission with periodicity matching the X-ray ephemeris have been found in the observed targets down to a limit of ∼0.1 mJy. A blind search has also been performed on all the 13 beams of the multibeam receiver (the central beam being pointed on the target AXP), leading to the serendipitous discovery of two new radio pulsars and to the further detection of 18 pulsars. Also a search for single dispersed pulses has been performed in the aim to detect signals similar to those of the recently discovered rotating radio transients.
A Framework for Human Factors in Information Security

– Any security system, no matter how well designed and implemented, will have to rely on people. The fact that human factors play a crucial part in the majority of accidents is a troubling feature of modern “security know-how”: We can implement appropriate technical solutions, but we still fail to handle the human factor. Our research project aims at understanding better the role of human factors in information security systems. We develop a system dynamical simulation model to explore the complex security problem. We use a simple, fictitious case to illustrate how system dynamics may deliver insights into the “people security problem” and help in designing robust security policies. For further progress, collaboration with companies or organizations to the effect of collecting case studies is necessary. Key-Words: – Security, instrumental conditioning, risk perception, system dynamics, policy design
ENHANCING LIBYAN STUDENTS’ ENGLISH SPEAKING PERFORMANCE THROUGH LANGUAGE GAME AND INFORMATION GAP ACTIVITIES

The importance of English as a foreign language EFL in Libya has increased significantly throughout the years and the language has become essential in all disciplines. However, one of the essential challenges that needs to be explored is the lack of speaking competence of the Libyan students. There has been little research, which adopts an experimental design to determine the causal effects of certain teaching methods, particularly the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach on Libyan students’ English speaking performance. Against this backdrop, this research sets out to assess the effects of selected Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) activities (i.e., Information gap and Language games) on Libyan first-year secondary school students’ English speaking performance. Using a sample of 124 students from a public secondary school in Sabratha, Libya, and adopting the quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test non-equivalent groups design (NEGD), first year classes were randomly assigned as three experimental groups (i.e., Experimental Language Game group (G1), Experimental Language Game and Information Gap group (G2), and Experimental Information Gap group (G3)) and one Control group (G4). Treatments were given to the experimental groups and paired sample t-test results reveal significant differences between the groups’ in the post-test English language speaking scores. While an ANOVA test, comparing the scores between the four groups reveals a substantial difference between Information Gap group and the control group through a post-hoc test. It is therefore concluded that implementing communicative activities based on the principles of CLT in the Libyan English language classroom helps to enhance students’ English speaking performance. Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), English as a foreign language (EFL); information gap and language games activities; quasi-experiment speaking performance.
Simultaneous acquisition of gradient‐echo and asymmetric spin‐echo for single‐shot z‐shim: Z‐SAGA

This article describes the Z‐SAGA pulse sequence, a technique for recovering susceptibility losses in EPI images for neuroimaging applications. The pulse sequence is based on an asymmetric spin echo EPI sequence and acquires a gradient echo image and an asymmetric spin echo image in a single shot. For one of the images, a z‐shim gradient pulse is applied to compensate for susceptibility‐related field distortions. The two images are combined to form an image with reduced signal loss. This sequence is simple to implement and experimentally demonstrated to be effective for BOLD imaging. Magn Reson Med 51:212–216, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Approximate Private Quantum Channels

This thesis includes a survey of the results known for private and approximate private quantum channels. We develop the best known upper bound for $\epsilon$-randomizing maps, $n+2\log(1/\epsilon)+c$ bits required to $\epsilon$-randomize an arbitrary $n$-qubit state by improving a scheme of Ambainis and Smith \cite{AS04} based on small bias spaces \cite{NN90, AGHP92}. We show by a probabilistic argument that in fact the great majority of random schemes using slightly more than this many bits of key are also $\epsilon$-randomizing. We provide the first known non-trivial lower bound for $\epsilon$-randomizing maps, and develop several conditions on them which we hope may be useful in proving stronger lower bounds in the future.