Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vocabulary acquisition: acquiring depth of knowledge through network building

Lexical progression involves a process of network building whereby learners acquire depth of lexical knowledge. This includes the knowledge of a word's different sense relations, paradigmatic as well as syntagmatic, to other words. The focus of this article is a longitudinal study of young foreign language learners’acquisition of English adjectives. A series of tasks were developed to tap lexical relations between adjectives of emotion, e.g. the paradigmatic relations of synonymy and gradation, in order to study how a particular adjective such as thrilled finds its place among other near-synonymous expressions in the subfield HAPPY. Data were collected over a three-year period, so it was possible to study learner performance over time as well as across tasks. Findings revealed that network building is an extremely slow process and that some subfields are much more difficult than others. With the help of qualitative analyses, an account is given of the way in which particular adjectives become enmeshed – or fail to become enmeshed – in the meaning network of related words in the lexical field.
Cardiac disease following treatment of Hodgkin's disease in children and adolescents.

PURPOSE Cardiac disease is second only to neoplastic disease as a cause of death after treatment for Hodgkin's disease. This study evaluates the risks of cardiac disease following treatment of Hodgkin's disease during childhood and adolescence. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed records of 635 patients treated for Hodgkin's disease before 21 years of age at Stanford University between 1961 and 1991. Mean age was 15.4 years; mean follow-up duration was 10.3 years, representing 6,564 person-years of observation. Relative risks (RRs) of death from cardiac diseases were calculated by comparison with age-, sex-, and race-matched general population rates from United States decennial life-tables. RESULTS Twelve patients have died of cardiac disease (RR, 29.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 16.0 to 49.3), including seven deaths from acute myocardial infarction ([AMI] RR, 41.5; 95% CI, 18.1 to 82.1), three from valvular heart disease, and two from radiation pericarditis/pancarditis. Thus far, the risk of AMI death was comparable after radiation alone (RO) or after chemotherapy and radiation (CM) (RO-AMI RR, 52.2; 95% CI, 21.1 to 108.7; CM-AMI RR, 21.1; 95% CI, 0.0 to 104.4; P = .6). The risk for other cardiac death (CD) tended to be higher after combined treatment (RO-non-AMI RR, 7.4; 95% CI, 0.0 to 36.5; CM-non-AMI RR, 45.8; 95% CI, 14.4 to 110.6; P = .1). Deaths occurred 3 to 22 years after patients received 42 to 45 Gy to the mediastinum between 9 and 20 years of age. There have been no deaths among patients treated to lower mediastinal radiation doses or without mediastinal radiation. There are no clear trends in the latency of risk. One hundred six nonfatal abnormalities have also been diagnosed. CONCLUSION Mediastinal radiation of 40 to 45 Gy increases the risk of death from coronary artery and other cardiac diseases. The risk increases within 5 years of irradiation. These observations support combined-modality, low-dose irradiation regimens in children and adolescents and suggest the need for careful cardiac screening of treated patients.
These Boots Are Made for Walking...: Mundane Technology, the Body and Human-Environment Relations

This article begins with a consideration of the `pure' unmediated relation between the human body and nature, exemplified, in different ways, by environmental expressivism, and Ingold's subtle analysis of affordance and the taskscape. It is argued that perspectives fail properly to incorporate the role of mundane technology in the mediation of human-nature relations. Drawing upon the work of Michael Serres, and, in particular, his concept of the parasite, I explore how these mundane technological artefacts - specifically, walking boots - intervene in the circuits of communication between humans and the natural environment. This re-orientation traces how the local relation between bodies and environments is a complex movement between the material and semiotic, the local and the global. In the process, I draw upon four aspects of walking boots: first, there is the role of boots as mechanical technologies that can cause pain, dissolving identity and the relation between humans and nature; second, there is the role of boots as signifying style and identity; third, there is the role of boots as embodiments of procedures of standardization and objectification; and fourth, there is the role of boots as technological means of damage to nature. Finally, in concluding, I tentatively consider some of the political implications of this way of theorizing the relation between bodies and environments.
Records of alien marine species of Indo-Pacific origin at Sigri Bay (Lesvos Island, north-eastern Aegean Sea)

a. evagelopoulos, d. poursanidis, e. papazisi, v. gerovasileiou, n. katsiaras and d. koutsoubas Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean 81100 Mytilene, Greece, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece, Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics, N. Plastira 100, Vassilika Vouton, 70013 Heraklion, Greece, Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave, 19013 Anavissos, Greece
Tubal ligation and risk of ovarian cancer subtypes: a pooled analysis of case-control studies.

BACKGROUND Tubal ligation is a protective factor for ovarian cancer, but it is unknown whether this protection extends to all invasive histological subtypes or borderline tumors. We undertook an international collaborative study to examine the association between tubal ligation and ovarian cancer subtypes. METHODS We pooled primary data from 13 population-based case-control studies, including 10,157 patients with ovarian cancer (7942 invasive; 2215 borderline) and 13,904 control women. Invasive cases were analysed by histological type, grade and stage, and borderline cases were analysed by histological type. Pooled odds ratios were estimated using conditional logistic regression to match on site, race/ethnicity and age categories, and to adjust for age, oral contraceptive use duration and number of full-term births. RESULTS Tubal ligation was associated with significantly reduced risks of invasive serous (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.74-0.89; P < 0.001), endometrioid (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.40-0.59; P < 0.001), clear cell (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.40-0.67; P < 0.001) and mucinous (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52-0.89; P = 0.005) cancers. The magnitude of risk reduction was significantly greater for invasive endometrioid (P < 0.0001) and clear cell (P = 0.0018) than for serous cancer. No significant associations were found with borderline serous or mucinous tumours. CONCLUSIONS We found that the protective effects of tubal ligation on ovarian cancer risk were subtype-specific. These findings provide insights into distinct aetiologies of ovarian cancer subtypes and mechanisms underlying the protective effects of tubal ligation.
APOBEC proteins and intrinsic resistance to HIV-1 infection

Members of the APOBEC family of cellular polynucleotide cytidine deaminases, most notably APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F, are potent inhibitors of HIV-1 infection. Wild type HIV-1 infections are largely spared from APOBEC3G/F function through the action of the essential viral protein, Vif. In the absence of Vif, APOBEC3G/F are encapsidated by budding virus particles leading to excessive cytidine (C) to uridine (U) editing of negative sense reverse transcripts in newly infected cells. This registers as guanosine (G) to adenosine (A) hypermutations in plus-stranded cDNA. In addition to this profoundly debilitating effect on genetic integrity, APOBEC3G/F also appear to inhibit viral DNA synthesis by impeding the translocation of reverse transcriptase along template RNA. Because the functions of Vif and APOBEC3G/F proteins oppose each other, it is likely that fluctuations in the Vif–APOBEC balance may influence the natural history of HIV-1 infection, as well as viral sequence diversification and evolution. Given Vif's critical role in suppressing APOBEC3G/F function, it can be argued that pharmacologic strategies aimed at restoring the activity of these intrinsic anti-viral factors in the context of infected cells in vivo have clear therapeutic merit, and therefore deserve aggressive pursuit.
Relationship between quality improvement implementation and accreditation seeking in local health departments.

OBJECTIVES We examined the relationship between quality improvement (QI) maturity and accreditation attributes of US local health departments (LHDs), specifically those in Nebraska. METHODS Using 2011 Nebraska LHD QI survey data, we conducted Spearman correlation analyses between QI maturity domains and accreditation attributes. Using the 2010 National Association of County and City Health Officials' National Profile of LHDs, we conducted logistic regression analyses to examine the relationships between specific QI strategies and attitude toward seeking accreditation. RESULTS Leaders' commitment to and length of time engaged in QI were positively associated with LHDs' general attitude toward seeking accreditation. Use of QI strategies and integration of QI policies and practices were positively associated with LHDs' confidence in their capacity to obtain accreditation. LHDs that had used at least 1 QI framework and at least 1 QI technique in the past year were more likely to agree that they would seek accreditation within 2 years of the national accreditation program. CONCLUSIONS Experience with and expertise in QI implementation play an important role in LHDs' decision to seek accreditation, and their accreditation-seeking efforts may benefit from prior implementation of systematic QI strategies.
Conversations About Creativity and Chronic Illness I: Textile Artists Coping With Long-Term Health Problems Reflect on the Origins of Their Interest in Art

This qualitative study explored the origins of interest in textile arts among a group of women living with long-term health problems. The part that illness played in motivating engagement in creative arts was of particular concern. Twenty-four women, between 29-72 years old, were interviewed. Most were hobbyists, but the sample included some publicly acclaimed textile artists. A minority had engaged in art continuously since their earlier years. Most of the women had discovered (or rediscovered) textile arts in middle and later life. Several factors facilitated this. The narratives indicated that the women's preexisting resilient personality, as well as extensive support structures, may have encouraged a reflective attitude and a problem-solving approach to living with illness. The experience of biographical disruption, stemming from the crisis of illness, dissatisfaction with unproductive time, and a growing need for self-fulfillment, appeared to create a search for a meaningful occupation. The discovery of textile art as a meaningful occupation (as opposed to other ways of living with illness) appeared to be encouraged by early role models, enjoyment of art at school, the discovery that adult personal and professional interests could be expressed through artwork, and chance events. Textile art at school appeared to provide a form of "cultural capital" for these women, who returned to this art medium and the skills learned earlier when crisis occurred. The findings indicate that a negative event such as illness may have life-enhancing effects. Rehabilitation specialists might focus more on the arts as a resource for adults living with illness.
Learning Photography Aesthetics with Deep CNNs

Automatic photo aesthetic assessment is a challenging artificial intelligence task. Existing computational approaches have focused on modeling a single aesthetic score or a class (good or bad), however these do not provide any details on why the photograph is good or bad, or which attributes contribute to the quality of the photograph. To obtain both accuracy and human interpretation of the score, we advocate learning the aesthetic attributes along with the prediction of the overall score. For this purpose, we propose a novel multitask deep convolution neural network, which jointly learns eight aesthetic attributes along with the overall aesthetic score. We report near human performance in the prediction of the overall aesthetic score. To understand the internal representation of these attributes in the learned model, we also develop the visualization technique using back propagation of gradients. These visualizations highlight the important image regions for the corresponding attributes, thus providing insights about model's representation of these attributes. We showcase the diversity and complexity associated with different attributes through a qualitative analysis of the activation maps.
Comparison of QT Interval Readings in Normal Sinus Rhythm Between a Smartphone Heart Monitor and a 12‐Lead ECG for Healthy Volunteers and Inpatients Receiving Sotalol or Dofetilide

A variety of medications ranging from antiarrhythmics to psychotropics, as well as conditions such as bradycardia, can prolong the QT interval, increasing the risk for life‐threatening arrhythmias. Monitoring the corrected QT interval (QTc) is therefore critical for patient safety. The recent development of smart phone heart monitors (SHM) may allow for easier QTc monitoring. We sought to evaluate the accuracy of an SHM for assessing the QTc, as compared to the standard 12‐lead ECG.
Validation of the Celebrity Endorsers’ Credibility Scale: Evidence From Asians

Using four Chinese celebrities as stimuli and 880 Singaporean undergraduates as respondents, this research verifies the factor structure of the celebrity endorsers’ credibility scale, which Ohanian (1990) developed from American samples. The results show that the original scale’s factor structure fits the Singaporean data well. All indicators are significantly related to their specified factor, and the inter-factor correlation coefficients are moderate and significant. The composite factor reliability, the Cronbach’s α, and the variance extracted measures are satisfactory.
Multivariate Response Patterning of Fear and Anger

This study examined whether differential response patterns are associated with the emotions of fear and anger as compared to neutral and physical action imagery conditions in 27 right-handed male volunteers screened for imagery ability and alexithymia. Fear, anger, neutral, and action states were significantly differentiated on the basis of autonomic measures and facial electromyographic (EMG) responses. Discriminant function analyses (DFAs) using autonomic and facial EMG measures conducted separately on data from two experimental sessions revealed 78% and 72% correct classification of fear and anger, and neutral conditions, respectively. Cross-validation of the DFA using discriminant weights of the first session to classify the second session data led to a 66.5% correct classification of the fear and anger, and neutral imagery conditions. The combined average of both sessions revealed an 84% correct classification rate. Further, when subjective ratings were added to the discriminant function as a manipul.
Quantifying the deficit-imaging neurobehavioural impairment in childhood epilepsy.

BACKGROUND Neurobehavioral impairments such as learning difficulty, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and mood or behavioural problems are known to be increased in children with epilepsy; however, they remain under-recognised and often cause considerable morbidity. Quantitative neuroimaging techniques offer a potential avenue to improving our understanding of the underlying pathological basis for these disorders, aiding with diagnosis and risk stratification. METHODS A systematic review was undertaken for original research articles involving magnetic resonance imaging in children with epilepsy and one or more neurobehavioural impairments. Studies were reviewed with respect to patient population, methodology and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. RESULTS A total of 25 studies were identified and included in this review. The majority of studies looked at single impairments, commonly cognitive impairment or ADHD, with few studies reporting on other impairments. Reductions in cortical grey matter and disruptions of functional and structural brain networks were associated with poorer cognitive performance and disruptions of grey and white matter within a fronto-striatal-cerebellar network associated with ADHD. Insufficient studies were available to report on other impairments. CONCLUSIONS Relatively few studies exist in this field and those that do are methodologically diverse. Further investigation is required to determine if the changes reported to date are epilepsy syndrome specific or have broader applicability.
Planning for Marijuana: The Cannabis Conundrum

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Twenty-three states and Washington, DC, have legalized medical marijuana, raising difficult land use questions for planners regarding allowable locations, buffering from sensitive uses, and distribution of facilities. We know little about how local jurisdictions regulate medical marijuana dispensary (MMD) location and operation and how equitably different regulatory models distribute these facilities. We begin with an overview of MMD impacts related to crime, property values, and quality of life. We then review emerging local regulation of MMDs with a particular emphasis on land use controls, and find that most authorities regulate MMD location like they do other locally unwanted land uses (LULUs) such as sex-oriented businesses and liquor stores. Given a history of siting LULUs in less-affluent neighborhoods and communities of color, we conduct a case study of Denver and show that four common regulatory models concentrate land that permits MMDs in socioeconomically disadvantaged tracts and areas with high proportions of persons of color. Takeaway for practice: Local planners are often caught unprepared for the land use implications of medical marijuana legalization. This outline of common land use regulatory models and a replicable analytical model help practitioners develop ordinances that square with their own communities’ goals, values, and attributes.
Bibliometrics: tracking research impact by selecting the appropriate metrics

Traditionally, the success of a researcher is assessed by the number of publications he or she publishes in peer-reviewed, indexed, high impact journals. This essential yardstick, often referred to as the impact of a specific researcher, is assessed through the use of various metrics. While researchers may be acquainted with such matrices, many do not know how to use them to enhance their careers. In addition to these metrics, a number of other factors should be taken into consideration to objectively evaluate a scientist′s profile as a researcher and academician. Moreover, each metric has its own limitations that need to be considered when selecting an appropriate metric for evaluation. This paper provides a broad overview of the wide array of metrics currently in use in academia and research. Popular metrics are discussed and defined, including traditional metrics and article-level metrics, some of which are applied to researchers for a greater understanding of a particular concept, including varicocele that is the thematic area of this Special Issue of Asian Journal of Andrology. We recommend the combined use of quantitative and qualitative evaluation using judiciously selected metrics for a more objective assessment of scholarly output and research impact.
Maximally permissive controller synthesis for time Petri nets

This article proposes a fully forward on-the-fly algorithm to synthesise safety/reachability controllers for real time systems. Given a time Petri net (TPN) with controllable and uncontrollable transitions and a safety/reachability property, the control consists of limiting the firing intervals of controllable transitions to satisfy the property of interest. This algorithm, based on the state class graph method, computes on-the-fly the reachable state classes of the TPN while collecting progressively firing subintervals to be avoided so that to satisfy the property. It does not need to compute controllable predecessors and then split state classes as it is the case for other approaches based on exploration of state space of the system (backward and forward approaches). Moreover, in the category of state-dependent controllers based on the restriction of firing intervals, the algorithm, proposed here, synthesises maximally permissive controllers.
Procuring Firm Growth: The Effects of Government Purchases on Firm Dynamics

This paper tests whether demand shocks affect firm dynamics. We examine whether firms that win government procurement contracts grow more compared to firms that compete for these contracts but do not win. We assemble a comprehensive data set combining matched employer-employee data for the universe of formal firms in Brazil with the universe of federal government procurement contracts over the period of 2004 to 2010. Exploiting a quasi-experimental design, we find that winning at least one contract in a given quarter increases firm growth by 2.2 percentage points over that quarter, with 93% of the new hires coming from either unemployment or the informal sector. These effects also persist well beyond the length of the contracts. Part of this persistence comes from firms participating and wining more future auctions, as well as penetrating other markets.
Assessment of sensory substitution prosthesis potentialities in minimalist conditions of learning

Pattern recognition with a prosthesis substituting vision by audition was investigated. During 15 1-hour sessions, nine blindfolded sighted subjects were trained to recognise 2D patterns by trial and error. In addition to a global assessment, recognition of pattern element nature (vertical bars, horizontal bars.), element size and element spatial arrangement were independently assessed for each pattern. Influence of experimental parameters (complexity level of patterns, exploration number of a pattern) on recognition was studied. Performances improved over sessions. As a rule, patterns element nature was less well recognised than element size and spatial arrangement. Experimental parameters influenced pattern recognition performance. Results are discussed in relation with auditory and visual perception as well as in the perspective to implement a learning protocol for future users of prosthesis. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performing Research Capability Building in New Zealand's Social Sciences: Capacity–Capability Insights from Exploring the Work of BRCSS's ‘sustainability’ Theme, 2004–09

Many governments are seeking to ‘mature’ social science through research capability. The Building Research Capability in the Social Sciences (BRCSS) experiment gave New Zealand's social science community a chance to mature itself through capability building. We examine the emergence of BRCSS's ‘sustainability’ research theme. Selected as one of five key research themes because of its public good investment priority and the level of social science interest, the meanings and purpose of the theme emerged in practice. We present the theme as a series of performances through the life of BRCSS, itself an emergent assemblage of changing theoretical projects, research and policy priorities, and research capability. Reading the experiment reflexively from the inside, we consolidate the experience of performing new research practices into existence to reconceptualise and theorise research capability. We conclude that any fresh engagement in substantive issues must confront how knowledge production might be done differently, and that experimentation around capacities and capabilities for knowledge production begins to open up substantive concerns in fresh and generative ways.