Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Syntactic and Semantic Factors in Processing Gender Agreement in Hebrew: Evidence from ERPs and Eye Movements ☆

The interrelation between syntactic analysis of agreement and semantic processing was examined by recording eye movements and event-related potentials. Subject-predicate gender agreement was manipulated within Hebrew sentences. The subject was either animate or inanimate, with conceptual gender denoted by the subject's morphological structure. First-pass reading time was found to be longer for incongruent predicates than of congruent predicates but only if the predicate's gender was morphologically marked. Furthermore, this effect was larger in the animate than in the inanimate condition. Second-pass reading time was also prolonged by gender incongruity but this effect was not affected by either markedness or animacy. Gender incongruity enhanced the amplitude of an early negative potential (ostensibly ELAN), of a later negative potential (N400), and of a positive potential (P600). Like first-pass reading time, the congruity effect on the syntactically modulated P600 was significant only for marked predicates, but it did not interact with animacy. In contrast, the congruity effect on the semantically modulated N400 was significant only in the animate condition. The N400 was not affected by markedness. The congruity effect on the early negativity did not interact with either animacy or markedness. The interaction between semantic and syntactic processing and its time course are discussed within the framework set by interactive, constraint-based models for online sentence processing.
Malaria in pregnancy: A community-based study on the knowledge, perception, and prevention among Nigerian women

Background: Malaria accounts for approximately 1 million deaths annually and about 300,000 deaths in Nigeria alone. Pregnant women and their unborn babies are particularly vulnerable to the adverse consequences of malaria. This study assessed the knowledge, perception, and preventive practices for malaria in pregnancy (MiP) among women in Lagos, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study design was adopted. A total of 422 respondents were selected using multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire in the first quarter of 2016. Analysis was done with Epi Info™ 7 software with level of significance set at P < 0.05. Results: All respondents were aware of MiP, and almost all the respondents (96.2%) were aware that malaria is caused by infected mosquito bite. Majority (89.3%) of the respondents registered for antenatal care in their last pregnancy, but 56.6% did so in the second trimester. A little over half (55.5%) had good knowledge of MiP. There was poor knowledge of the complications of MiP in mothers, with 27% unaware of any complications. Majority (51.6%) of them did not know the complications of malaria in the fetus. Better educated respondents had statistically significant better knowledge of MiP (P = 0.001). Only two-fifths of the respondents (39.8%) agreed that MiP can lead to death of the fetus. Most (41.9%) used insecticide spray and coils in the prevention of MiP, whereas only 36.9% used intermittent preventive treatment. Only 24.1% used insecticide-treated nets and almost 20% used no form of prevention. Conclusion: Respondents’ knowledge, perception, and preventive practices for MiP were not satisfactory. Public health education on MiP should be intensified at the community level in order to improve knowledge and prevention and also to correct misconceptions.
Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice Shedding Light on Students' Technology Preferences: Implications for Academic Development Shedding Light on Students' Technology Preferences: Implications for Academic Development

This study built on previous research in 2010 to determine changes to students' current use of and expectations for future integration of technologies in their learning experience. The findings reveal a continued trend of conservative technology use amongst students but with a growing demand for more integration of technologies for assessment and administrative purposes, podcasts or lecture recordings in flexible and blended course designs. While academic practice has been slow to change, this study reveals a continued need for academic development to focus on strategies that enhance technology adoption amongst academic staff. Students' preferences from this and the earlier study suggest that they would like more use of technologies, especially mobile technologies for efficient and convenient access to content, communication and assessment that can not only inform academic development and course design for fully online and blended learning courses, but also for the growing number of massive open and online courses (MOOCs) in the education landscape. Cover Page Footnote We would like to acknowledge Dr. Margot McNeill for initiating this study and her support and guidance through its implementation.
Discriminative power of online handwritten words for writer recognition

This paper is aimed at exploring the potential of online words to perform biometric writer recognition. Most of the scientific literature dealing with online writer recognition has focused on signature and somehow disregarded handwritten text. Using a novel recognition system based on stroke categorization and dynamic time warping, it is shown that short sequences of online text (words and combinations of a small number of words) perform remarkably well not only in identification but also in verification. Experimentation is performed with a dataset comprising 320 writers who donated 4 repetitions of 16 different Spanish words. With a single word, identification rate ranges from 80.6% to 95.6% and verification error from 1.57% to 5.55%. When two words are combined, the best identification rate increases up to 99.7% and the best verification error decreases until 0.63%
SOCCP: Self Organize Coverage and Connectivity Protocol

Recent developments in wireless communication and embedded computing technologies have led to the advent of wireless sensor network technology. Hundreds of thousands of these micro sensors can be deployed in many areas including health, environment and battlefield in order to monitor the domain with desired level of accuracy. When wireless sensors are deployed in an area, the lifetime of the network should last as long as possible according to the original amount of energy. Therefore, reducing energy consumption in WSNs is of primary concern. In this work, we have presented a protocol to maintain coverage and connectivity in wireless sensor networks, while switching off sensing or communication subsystem of some nodes to increase the network lifetime. The protocol presented here is a type of cluster based approach in which only a special set of nodes -- coordinators -- participate in packet routing but still each node decide independently to remain sensor, goes to sleep or become a coordinator. All nodes of the network generate a local coverage bitmap and based on this bitmap they decide to remain sensor or go to sleep. Using this local bitmap, the network will be capable of producing desired percentage of coverage. By using a local asynchronous scheduling, we have devised a mechanism to reduce interference between coordinator message broadcasts.
Restricted Duplication Based MILP Formulation for Scheduling Task Graphs on Unrelated Parallel Machines

Duplication has proved to be a vital technique for scheduling task graphs on a network of unrelated parallel machines. Few attempts have been made to model duplication in a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP) to reduce schedule length. Other known optimal MILPs duplicate a job on all the available processing elements and this increases their complexities. This paper proposes a new REStricted Duplication (RESDMILP) approach to model duplication in a MILP. The complexity of this model increases with the increase in the amount of duplication. Experiments conducted have revealed that RESDMILP achieves better runtimes when the problem instance is solved optimally and provides better lower bound and percentage gap if it is run for a fixed amount of time. The percentage gap is defined as (U B - LB)/U B where U B and LB are the upper and lower bounds achieved by the MILPs respectively.
The Influence of Direct and Indirect Speech on Mental Representations

Language can be viewed as a set of cues that modulate the comprehender’s thought processes. It is a very subtle instrument. For example, the literature suggests that people perceive direct speech (e.g., Joanne said: ‘I went out for dinner last night’) as more vivid and perceptually engaging than indirect speech (e.g., Joanne said that she went out for dinner last night). But how is this alleged vividness evident in comprehenders’ mental representations? We sought to address this question in a series of experiments. Our results do not support the idea that, compared to indirect speech, direct speech enhances the accessibility of information from the communicative or the referential situation during comprehension. Neither do our results support the idea that the hypothesized more vivid experience of direct speech is caused by a switch from the visual to the auditory modality. However, our results do show that direct speech leads to a stronger mental representation of the exact wording of a sentence than does indirect speech. These results show that language has a more subtle influence on memory representations than was previously suggested.
Local and Distributed Effects of Apomorphine on Fronto-Temporal Function in Acute Unmedicated Schizophrenia

We used positron emission tomography (PET) to measure brain activity in healthy control subjects and unmedicated patients with schizophrenia. Subjects were scanned in the context of a combined psychological and pharmacological challenge, and we examined the effects of apomorphine, a drug acting on dopamine receptors, on brain systems engaged by a paced verbal fluency task. This factorial design enabled comparison of control subjects and schizophrenics in terms of the activations engendered by the cognitive task and the pharmacological challenge and the interaction of the two. We report a failure of cognitive task-related activation in anterior cingulate cortex and of task-related deactivation in the left superior temporal gyrus in the schizophrenic subjects. Compared with controls, the impaired cingulate activation was significantly reversed by apomorphine. Additionally, there was a trend for the abnormal fronto-temporal pattern of activation in schizophrenic subjects to be normalized by the drug. Overall, in schizophrenic subjects the effect of apomorphine, which we interpret in terms of a net dopaminergic antagonism, was to modify the brain activity, making the pattern more akin to that seen in control subjects. The results indicate both a regionally specific abnormality of brain function in schizophrenia and an abnormal pattern of fronto-temporal interactions.
Joint Inventory Replenishment and Component Allocation Optimization in an Assemble-to-Order System

This paper considers a multicomponent, multiproduct periodic-review assemble-to-order (ATO) system that uses an independent base-stock policy for inventory replenishment. Product demands in each period are integer-valued correlated random variables, with each product being assembled from multiple units of a subset of components. The system quotes a prespecified response time window for each product and receives a reward if the demand for that product is filled within its response time window. We formulate a two-stage stochastic integer program with recourse to determine the optimal base-stock policy and the optimal component allocation policy for the ATO system. We show that the component allocation problem is a general multidimensional knapsack problem (MDKP) and is NP-hard. We propose a simple, order-based component allocation rule and show that it can be solved in either polynomial or pseudopolynomial time. We also use the sample average approximation method to determine the optimal base-stock levels and compare it with two variations of the equal fractile heuristic. Intensive testing indicates that our solution method for each stage of the stochastic program is robust, effective, and that it significantly outperforms existing methods. Finally, we discuss several managerial implications of our findings.
The Prognostic Impact of NK/NKT Cell Density in Periampullary Adenocarcinoma Differs by Morphological Type and Adjuvant Treatment

Background Natural killer (NK) cells and NK T cells (NKT) are vital parts of tumour immunosurveillance. However, their impact on prognosis and chemotherapy response in periampullary adenocarcinoma, including pancreatic cancer, has not yet been described. Methods Immune cell-specific expression of CD56, CD3, CD68 and CD1a was analysed by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays with tumours from 175 consecutive cases of periampullary adenocarcinoma, 110 of pancreatobiliary type (PB-type) and 65 of intestinal type (I-type) morphology. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis were applied to determine the impact of CD56+ NK/NKT cells on 5-year overall survival (OS). Results High density of CD56+ NK/NKT cells correlated with low N-stage and lack of perineural, lymphatic vessel and peripancreatic fat invasion. High density of CD56+ NK/NKT cells was associated with prolonged OS in Kaplan-Meier analysis (p = 0.003), and in adjusted Cox regression analysis (HR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.29–0.86). The prognostic effect of high CD56+ NK/NKT cell infiltration was only evident in cases not receiving adjuvant chemotherapy in PB-type tumours (p for interaction = 0.014). Conclusion This study demonstrates that abundant infiltration of CD56+ NK/NKT cells is associated with a prolonged survival in periampullary adenocarcinoma. However, the negative interaction with adjuvant treatment is noteworthy. NK cell enhancing strategies may prove to be successful in the management of these cancers.
Over-reported peripheral neuropathy symptoms in a cohort of HIV infected and uninfected Rwandan women: the need for validated locally appropriate questionnaires.

BACKGROUND Peripheral neuropathy symptoms (PNS) are commonly manifested in HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals, although data are limited on the prevalence and predictors of PNS in HIV+ patients from sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and predictors of PNS in HIV+ and HIV-uninfected (HIV-) Rwandan women. METHODS Data were analysed from 936 (710 HIV+ and 226 HIV-) women from the Rwanda Women Interassociation Study and Assessment (RWISA), an observational prospective cohort study investigating the effectiveness and toxicity of ART in HIV+ women. RESULTS Of 936 enrolled, 920 (98.3%) were included in this analysis with 44% of HIV- and 52% of the HIV+ women reporting PNS (p=0.06). CD4+ count was not associated with PNS, although there was a non-significant trend towards higher prevalence in those with lower CD4+ counts. For the HIV- women, only alcohol and co-trimoxazole use were independently associated with PNS. WHO HIV stage IV illness and albumin ≤ 3.5 were associated with PNS in HIV+ women. CONCLUSIONS The rate of peripheral neuropathy symptoms reported in this cohort of HIV-infected African women seems implausible, and rather suggests that the screening tool for peripheral neuropathy in culturally diverse African settings be locally validated.
Modeling, Analysis and Design for Carrier Aggregation in Heterogeneous Cellular Networks

Carrier aggregation (CA) and small cells are two distinct features of next-generation cellular networks. Cellular networks with different types of small cells are often referred to as HetNets. In this paper, we introduce a load-aware model for CA-enabled multi-band HetNets. Under this model, the impact of biasing can be more appropriately characterized; for example, it is observed that with large enough biasing, the spectral efficiency of small cells may increase while its counterpart in a fully-loaded model always decreases. Further, our analysis reveals that the peak data rate does not depend on the base station density and transmit powers; this strongly motivates other approaches e.g. CA to increase the peak data rate. Last but not least, different band deployment configurations are studied and compared. We find that with large enough small cell density, spatial reuse with small cells outperforms adding more spectrum for increasing user rate. More generally, universal cochannel deployment typically yields the largest rate; and thus a capacity loss exists in orthogonal deployment. This performance gap can be reduced by appropriately tuning the HetNet coverage distribution (e.g. by optimizing biasing factors).
Acute effects of triterpene compounds on locomotor performance andMorris water maze tasks in Spraque-Dawley rats.

Centella asiatica has been recognized as one of the plants that can be used to surge cognitive function in animals and humans. Currently, several compounds isolated from C. asiatica have been proven to enhance cognitive function via learning and memory properties. The present study investigated the acute effects of administration of triterpene compounds isolated from C. asiatica on memory and learning in male Spraque-Dawley rats via Morris water maze and their influences on motor activity in locomotor performance. The five-week old Spraque-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally administered with 10 mg/kg concentration of triterpene compounds; asiatic acid, madecassic acid, madecassoside and the control groups with scopolamine and saline. The rats were then evaluated via Morris water maze tasks and locomotor activity. The administration of 10 mg/kg of asiatic acid resulted in significantly improved memory (p<0.5) with increased escaped latency compared to saline and scopolamine. Furthermore, the administration of 10 mg/kg of madecassic acid and madecassoside significantly induced higher escape latency compared to scopolamine (p<0.5) but there was no significant difference compared to saline (p<0.5). For spontaneous locomotor activity, the three triterpene compounds showed no effect on locomotor activity as compared to saline group. However, the triterpene compounds had significant effect on locomotor activity as compared to scopolamine group (p<0.5). The administration of acute asiatic acid facilitated escaped latency which can be translated as having the properties of enhancement on memory and learning. Hence, it may serve to be useful on improving memory and learning with no sedative effect on the locomotor performance.
Identification of corporate distress in UK industrials: a conditional probability analysis approach

Multivariate discriminant analysis (MDA) has long been used to classify failing and non-failing firms with high accuracy rates, although a number of methodological flaws are well known. The alternative approach based on conditional probability analysis (CPA) models have been applied to forecast mergers and acquisitions and extended to the prediction of corporate failure. This is used here to distinguish between distressed and non-distressed companies in the UK industrial sector for the period 1985–1994. Results show that the CPA model is both efficient and consistent, has high accuracy levels and avoids the biased sampling problems that have been identified in MDA studies.
Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Training: A Contrastive Analysis of Trainers and Trainees' Perspectives

Abstract:This study explores current practices of teaching assistant (TA) training in doctoral-granting institutions and expands on previous studies by exploring the views of both faculty and graduate students involved in the process. Our overall goal is to determine whether training practices and goals have changed and, if so, to what extent, in order to reflect the changing objectives of the foreign language (FL) field in the last decades—objectives that involve the development of translingual and transcultural competence and the integration of twenty-first-century skills. We conducted a nationwide survey of Spanish departments that focused on three main areas: language, culture, and technology. Results indicate that TA training is based on immediate teaching needs and lacks long-term goals of professionalization and that there are substantial differences in opinion between TAs and faculty in charge of the training regarding its effectiveness. We argue that our findings have direct implications for the revitalization of TA education since only when TAs are trained to fully integrate culture and language and incorporate technology in meaningful ways in lower-level courses will FL departments be able to strive for the desired integrated curriculum.
How to Model Implicit Knowledge? Similarity Learning Methods to Assess Perceptions of Visual Representations

To succeed in STEM, students need to learn to use visual representations. Most prior research has focused on conceptual knowledge about visual representations that is acquired via verbally mediated forms of learning. However, students also need perceptual fluency: the ability to rapidly and effortlessly translate among representations. Perceptual fluency is acquired via nonverbal, implicit learning processes. A challenge for instructional interventions that focus on implicit learning is to model students’ knowledge acquisition. Because implicit learning is non-verbal, we cannot rely on traditional methods, such as expert interviews or student think-alouds. This paper uses similarity learning, a machine learning method that can assess how people perceive similarity between visual representations. We used this approach to model how undergraduate students perceive similarity between visual representations of chemical molecules. The approach achieved good accuracy in predicting students’ similarity judgments and expands expert predictions of how students might perceive visual representations of molecules.
MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION FOR A GROUP OF PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATIONS

The maximum likelihood strategy for the estimation of group parameters allows one to derive in a general fashion optimal measurements, optimal signal states, and their relations with other information theoretical quantities. These results provide deep insight into the general structure underlying optimal quantum estimation strategies. The entanglement between representation spaces and multiplicity spaces of the group action appears to be the unique kind of entanglement which is really useful for the optimal estimation of group parameters.
Desferrioxamine Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Acute Cardiotoxicity through TFG-β/Smad p53 Pathway in Rat Model

Interaction of doxorubicin DOX with iron and the consequent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a major player in DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. Accordingly, this study has been initiated to investigate the preventive effect of the iron chelator, desferrioxamine (DFX), against DOX-induced acute cardiotoxicity in rats. Male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups and were injected intraperitoneally (I.P.) with normal saline, a single dose of DOX (15 mg/kg), a single dose of DFX (250 mg/kg) and a combined treatment with DFX (250 mg/kg) 30 min prior to a single dose of DOX, (15 mg/kg). A single dose of DOX significantly increased mRNA expression of TGF-β, Smad2, Smad4, CDKN2A and p53 and significantly decreased Samd7 and Mdm2 mRNA expression levels. Administration of DFX prior to DOX resulted in a complete reversal of DOX-induced alteration in cardiac enzymes and gene expression to normal levels. Data from this study suggest that (1) DOX induces its acute cardiotoxicity secondary to increasing genes expression of TGF-β/Smad pathway. (2) DOX increases apoptosis through upregulation of CDKN2A and p53 and downregulation of Mdm2 gene expression. (3) The preventive effect of DFX against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity is mediated via the TGF-β1/Smad pathway.