Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using convex optimization to compute channel capacity in a channel model of cochlear implant stimulation

The goal of cochlear implants is to restore hearing by replacing the function of missing inner hair cells using an array of electrodes to directly stimulate auditory nerves. Previous studies have already established an information theoretic modeling framework for the electrode-neural interface, which enables prediction of the optimal number of electrodes by calculating mutual information between channel input (choice of electrodes) and channel output (defined as a function of the active nerve fibers in response to an electrode choice). In order to estimate whether the positions or usage probabilities of electrodes could impact on the performance of cochlear implants from an information theoretic perspective, a convex optimization method is adapted to compute channel capacity and capacity-achieving input distribution of the cochlear implant model in this paper. We relate the capacity-achieving input distribution to the optimal locations and usage probabilities of electrodes. The result shows that the optimized distribution of electrodes increases the maximum mutual information and predicts the best performance of cochlear implants.
Analogy in morphology: modeling the choice of linking morphemes in Dutch

This study argues that a productive but not fully regular morphological phenomenon, the choice of linking morphemes in Dutch nominal compounds, is based on analogy. In Dutch, a linking -s- or -en- can appear between the constituents of a nominal compound. We present production experiments that reveal strong evidence that the choice of linking morphemes in novel compounds is analogically determined by the distribution of linking morphemes in what we call the constituent families. A constituent family is the set of existing compounds that share the first (or second) constituent with the novel compound. A further experiment shows that in the case of derived pseudo-words as first constituents, it is the family of the suffix that influences the choice of the following linking morpheme. In addition to these experiments, we present computational simulation studies in which the choices made by participants in our experiments are predicted with a high degree of accuracy using a machine-learning algorithm for analogy. These studies support the status of the constituent family as the primary basis for analogical prediction. Finally, we outline a psycholinguistic model for analogy in the mental lexicon that does not give up symbolic representations and, at the same time, captures nondeterministic variation.
Tadalafil Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Background— Treatment options for pulmonary arterial hypertension target the prostacyclin, endothelin, or nitric oxide pathways. Tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor, increases cGMP, the final mediator in the nitric oxide pathway. Methods and Results— In this 16-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 405 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (idiopathic or associated), either treatment-naive or on background therapy with the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan, were randomized to placebo or tadalafil 2.5, 10, 20, or 40 mg orally once daily. The primary end point was the change from baseline to week 16 in the distance walked in 6 minutes. Changes in World Health Organization functional class, clinical worsening, and health-related quality of life were also assessed. Patients completing the 16-week study could enter a long-term extension study. Tadalafil increased the distance walked in 6 minutes in a dose-dependent manner; only the 40-mg dose met the prespecified level of statistical significance (P<0.01). Overall, the mean placebo-corrected treatment effect was 33 m (95% confidence interval, 15 to 50 m). In the bosentan-naive group, the treatment effect was 44 m (95% confidence interval, 20 to 69 m) compared with 23 m (95% confidence interval, −2 to 48 m) in patients on background bosentan therapy. Tadalafil 40 mg improved the time to clinical worsening (P=0.041), incidence of clinical worsening (68% relative risk reduction; P=0.038), and health-related quality of life. The changes in World Health Organization functional class were not statistically significant. The most common treatment-related adverse events reported with tadalafil were headache, myalgia, and flushing. Conclusions— In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, tadalafil 40 mg was well tolerated and improved exercise capacity and quality of life measures and reduced clinical worsening.
Reactivities of Quinone Methides versus o-Quinones in Catecholamine Metabolism and Eumelanin Biosynthesis

Melanin is an important biopolymeric pigment produced in a vast majority of organisms. Tyrosine and its hydroxylated product, dopa, form the starting material for melanin biosynthesis. Earlier studies by Raper and Mason resulted in the identification of dopachrome and dihydroxyindoles as important intermediates and paved way for the establishment of well-known Raper–Mason pathway for the biogenesis of brown to black eumelanins. Tyrosinase catalyzes the oxidation of tyrosine as well as dopa to dopaquinone. Dopaquinone thus formed, undergoes intramolecular cyclization to form leucochrome, which is further oxidized to dopachrome. Dopachrome is either converted into 5,6-dihydroxyindole by decarboxylative aromatization or isomerized into 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid. Oxidative polymerization of these two dihydroxyindoles eventually produces eumelanin pigments via melanochrome. While the role of quinones in the biosynthetic pathway is very well acknowledged, that of isomeric quinone methides, however, remained marginalized. This review article summarizes the key role of quinone methides during the oxidative transformation of a vast array of catecholamine derivatives and brings out the importance of these transient reactive species during the melanogenic process. In addition, possible reactions of quinone methides at various stages of melanogenesis are discussed.
Computing Folklore Studies: Mapping over a Century of Scholarly Production through Topics

Folklorists, like most practitioners in a field, understand the history of their discipline through a combination of their own reading and the consensus inherited from their graduate training and professional interactions. Disciplinary history, an effectively oral form of communication, codifies quickly. Highly contingent and random processes become widely understood as historically inevitable. In this preliminary report on a larger project examining the application of computational methodologies in the service of intellectual history, we explore the use of topic modeling as a way to understand the ebb and flow of topics and paradigms within a domain. Using JSTOR’s Data for Research application programming interface to access the contents of 6,778 articles from three folklore studies journals (Journal of American Folklore, Western Folklore, Journal of Folklore Research), we used one form of topic modeling, Latent Dirichlet Allocation, to delineate 50 distinct topics drawn from 125 years of research publication. Of particular interest here was the legendary “turn toward performance” in our field.
Cell-to-cell Transmission of Polyglutamine Aggregates in C. elegans

Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and cognitive dysfunction caused by expansion of polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat in exon 1 of huntingtin (HTT). In patients, the number of glutamine residues in polyQ tracts are over 35, and it is correlated with age of onset, severity, and disease progression. Expansion of polyQ increases the propensity for HTT protein aggregation, process known to be implicated in neurodegeneration. These pathological aggregates can be transmitted from neuron to another neuron, and this process may explain the pathological spreading of polyQ aggregates. Here, we developed an in vivo model for studying transmission of polyQ aggregates in a highly quantitative manner in real time. HTT exon 1 with expanded polyQ was fused with either N-terminal or C-terminal fragments of Venus fluorescence protein and expressed in pharyngeal muscles and associated neurons, respectively, of C. elegans. Transmission of polyQ proteins was detected using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC). Mutant polyQ (Q97) was transmitted much more efficiently than wild type polyQ (Q25) and forms numerous inclusion bodies as well. The transmission of Q97 was gradually increased with aging of animal. The animals with polyQ transmission exhibited degenerative phenotypes, such as nerve degeneration, impaired pharyngeal pumping behavior, and reduced life span. The C. elegans model presented here would be a useful in vivo model system for the study of polyQ aggregate propagation and might be applied to the screening of genetic and chemical modifiers of the propagation.
Experiences from implementing a face-to-face educational game for iPhone/iPod Touch

This paper presents a location-aware educational game for the iPhone/iPod Touch platform. The game, KnowledgeWar, is a quiz game where students can challenge each other in face-to-face or remote knowledge battles. The game contains a game lobby where players can see all who are connected, and the physical distance to them. The paper describes our experiences from developing KnowledgeWar and results from a user test followed by a questionnaire. The user test focused on usability, and how well the game was suited for learning. The results showed among other things that the game had high usability, it is helpful for summarizing topics, it can stimulate involvement and social interaction, and that smartphones are well suited for such games. The results also revealed that our game did not to stimulate students to attend more lectures or pay more attention during lectures.
An Organizational Learning Perspective on Proactive vs. Reactive investment in Information Security

We present an empirical analysis of security investment in the healthcare sector to explore the impact of learning effects on breach performance. Employing organizational learning theory, we seek to identify how different types of security investment affect subsequent security failures. Our analysis is based on data from 2,386 healthcare organizations and benefits from data that have been gathered in a comparable manner across organizations and time. Using a Cox proportional hazard model for survival analysis, we find that proactive security investments are associated with longer intervals before subsequent breaches than reactive investments. Further, we find that external regulatory pressure can stimulate organizational learning and change. However, the interaction between external pressure and proactive investment reduces the positive effects of the investment. This implies that proactive investments, voluntarily made, have the greatest impact on security performance. Our findings suggest that security managers and policy makers should pay attention to the strategic and regulatory factors influencing security investment decisions. The implications for proactive and reactive learning with external regulatory pressure can be generalized to other industries.
Incidence of Myocardial Infarction and Death in Relation to Walking-Induced Calf Pain and Plasma Levels of Inflammation-Sensitive Proteins

Walking-induced calf pain as well as levels of different inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins (ISPs) are related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). This prospective cohort study explored the relationship between ISPs and walking-related calf pain and the interrelationships between ISPs and calf pain in the prediction of death and incidence of coronary events (CE). In 5,725 apparently healthy men, 46 ±3.0 years old, plasma concentrations of orosomucoid (a1-acid glycoprotein), a1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, fibrinogen, and ceruloplasmin were measured. Walking-induced calf pain was assessed by questionnaire. Mortality and incidence of CE were monitored over a mean follow-up of 18 years in subjects defined by the presence of calf pain and ISP level (0 to 1 or 2 to 5 ISP(s) in the top quartile). The prevalence of calf pain (7.3%) was significantly related to age, lifestyle, and traditional risk factors of CVD and ISP levels. The risk factor-adjusted relative risks for CE, CVD- and all-cause mortality were 1.89 (CI: 1.27 to 2.82), 2.90 (CI: 1.82 to 4.62), and 2.67 (CI: 1.97 to 3.57), respectively, for men with calf pain and high ISP levels (reference: no calf pain and low ISP levels). The corresponding risk for those with calf pain and low ISP levels were 1.34 (CI: 0.91 to 1.97), 1.47 (CI: 0.90 to 2.41), and 1.31 (CI: 0.95 to 1.81), respectively. These results indicate, on the one hand, that walking-induced calf pain is associated with high ISP levels and, on the other, that the risk of CVD in men with calf pain is substantially higher in those with high ISP levels than in those with low levels.
Control of a Pneumatic Orthosis for Upper Extremity Stroke Rehabilitation

A key challenge in rehabilitation robotics is the development of a lightweight, large force, high degrees-of-freedom device that can assist in functional rehabilitation of the arm. Pneumatic actuators can potentially help meet this challenge because of their high power-to-weight ratio. They are currently not widely used for rehabilitation robotics because they are difficult to control. This paper describes the control development of a pneumatically actuated, upper extremity orthosis for rehabilitation after stroke. To provide the sensing needed for good pneumatic control, position and velocity of the robot are estimated by a unique implementation of a Kalman filter using MEMS accelerometers. To compensate for the nonlinear behavior of the pneumatic servovalves, force control is achieved using a new method for air flow mapping using experimentally measured data in a least-squares regression. To help patients move with an inherently compliant robot, a high level controller that assists only as needed in reaching exercises is developed. This high level controller differs from traditional trajectory-based, position controllers, allowing free voluntary movements toward a target while resisting movements away from the target. When the target cannot be reached voluntarily, the controller slowly builds up force, pushing the arm toward the target. As each target position is reached, the controller builds an internal model of the subject's capability, learning the forces necessary to complete movements. Preliminary testing performed on a non-disabled subject demonstrated the ability of the orthosis to complete reaching movements with graded assistance and to adapt to the effort level of the subject. Thus, the orthosis is a promising tool for upper extremity rehabilitation after stroke
The Hare PCL‐R: Some issues concerning its use and misuse

The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and its screening version, the Hare PCL:SV, provide reliable and valid assessments of the traditional clinical construct of psychopathy. They are used widely for research purposes and for making decisions in the mental health and criminal justice systems. They are strong predictors of recidivism and violence in offenders and psychiatric patients, form a key part of current risk assessment procedures, and play an important role in many judicial decisions. However, problems arise when the PCL-R and PCL:SV are used improperly. In this article I briefly describe these instruments, with emphasis on their use in the criminal justice system. I then discuss some of the concerns I have about their misuse.
Modeling and optimization of a multiresolution remote image retrieval system

We study the tradeoffs involved in choosing the bit allocation in a multiresolution remote image retrieval system. Such a system uses a multiresolution image coding scheme so that a user accessing the database will first see a coarse version of the images and will be able to accept or discard a given image faster, without needing to receive all the image data. We formalize the problem of choosing the bit allocation (e.g., in the two resolution case, how many bits should be given to the coarse image and the additional information, respectively? ) so that the overall delay in the query is minimized. We provide analytical methods to find the optimal solution under different configurations and show how a good choice of the bit allocation results in a reduction of the overall delay in the query.
The Other “Child Study”: Figuring Children as Consumers in Market Research, 1910s–1990s

This article examines how notions of “the child” were constructed in marketing research literature from the 1910s through the 1990s. Drawing on children's industry trade literature, market reports and books, I argue that children have become increasingly portrayed as individualized, autonomous consumers. Over this time period, the desire for consumer products becomes figured by industry observers and researchers as a mode of children's “self expression. ” The analytic isolation of “the child” in the persona of a “consumer” authorizes a new morality for consumption by construing children's desire for goods as preexistent and thus natural.
Psychosocial coping resources and health among Germans and Poles

Culture has a substantial impact on mechanism of coping with stress and related health outcomes. We proposed a model emphasizing the mediating role of coping resources and competences in the relationship between controllability of demands in professional/educational life and health in the cross-cultural context. The model is based on the transactional model of stress. 595 participants from East Germany, West Germany and Poland completed: Sense of Coherence Scale SOC-9, Self-Esteem Scale, Social Support Scale, Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, Proactive Coping Inventory, Scale of Demands in Professional Life, Brief Stress Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale and Mental Health Questionnaire. The results have shown the general cross-cultural validity of the proposed mediational model but also indicated some cultural differences in the determinants of health. Germans had higher self-esteem and social support. Poles had higher selfefficacy and used proactive coping strategies more often. Self-esteem was the strongest predictor of mental health in both nations. We discussed the results within a broad interpretive framework of social transitions.
The pre-entry guidance experiences of students undertaking an ‘access to health and professions allied to medicine’ (PAMs) programme

Abstract This research project explores the pre-entry guidance experiences of adult learners undertaking an ‘Access to Health and Professions Allied to Medicine’ (PAMs) course offered by Darlington College of Technology (DCT), a Further Education (FE) college in the north-east of England. The study generates qualitative data on the sources of guidance accessed by these students, the types of guidance they have received and their reasons for accessing this guidance. Results support both Social Learning Theory and the Social Learning Theory of Career Decision-Making. They also highlight the key role of FE admissions tutors as a source of guidance and raise concerns about the quality of formal guidance received by some respondents.
School staff’s reflections on truant students: a positioning analysis

The aim of this paper is to explore how school staff members involved in Student Health and Welfare conferences reflect on individual students with high levels of truancy based on their personal relationships. Using positioning analysis, the transcriptions of 15 interviews with staff were analysed. The school staff’s reflections on the individual students covered three areas: health, social well-being and education. The results show the ways in which positions were shaped and illustrate a reflexive process that developed continually throughout the staff’s relationships with the students. The staff positioned the students and indicated attributions of the students; however, the attributions were predominately negative. With each position, the staff’s view of students as subjects or objects and their relationships to the students are described in terms of mutual or one-way dialogue.
The Nature and Extent of Substance Use Education in Qualifying Social Work Programmes in England

Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is a common feature of modern social work practice. Concerns about the problematic use of such substances cross all areas of social work practice, including adults' and children's social care. In England, surveys have highlighted social workers' experiences of AOD education during their qualifying social work training. However, this study sought the perspectives of the social work educators. Its primary aim was to explore the nature and extent of education on AODs on the qualifying social work programmes in England. Using an online survey tool, all qualifying social work programme leads were invited to take part (n = 157). Fewer than half responded (40%, n = 63). Initial findings appeared positive suggesting that 94% of responding qualifying programmes provided some teaching and learning on AODs. Further analysis revealed significant variation in what is taught and the depth of coverage. It highlighted a lack of consistency across programmes and possible over-reporting. However, the majority of respondents felt that teaching and learning on AOD use should be a higher priority for their qualifying social work programmes.
The Second Marriage of Justice and Efficiency

ABSTRACT No major reform of the welfare state has a chance of going through unless one can make a plausible case as to both its ‘ethical value’ and its ‘economic.value’, that is, that it would have a positive effect in terms of both justice and efficiency. In this essay, this rough conjecture is first presented, and its plausibility probed, on the background of some stylised facts about the rise of modern welfare states in the postwar period. Next, the focus is shifted to the current debate on the introduction of a basic income, a completely unconditional grant paid ex ante to all citizens. It is argued that if basic income is to have a chance of meeting the strong twofold condition stipulated in the conjecture, some major changes are required in the way one usually thinks about justice and efficiency in connection with social policy. But once these changes are made, as they arguably must be, the chance that basic income may be able to meet the challenge is greatly enhanced.
INVESTIGATION OF NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES OF STANDARDIZED WATTAKAKA VOLUBILIS LINN

Wattakaka volubilis Linn. F Stapf (Family: Asclapadaceae) is a leafy vegetable and a medicinal plant in Asian countries. In the present study, an attempt was made to (a) standardize and (b) investigate nutritional properties of W. volubilis grown in Sri Lanka. W. volubilis leaves were standardized by (a) determination of physicochemical parameters, (b) screening for phytochemicals and (c) development of TLC fingerprint. Nutritional properties were investigated in terms of protein, crude fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, magnesium, iron and calcium percentage. Antioxidant potential was investigated by (a) DPPH assay and (b) estimation of total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents. Results revealed that W. volubilis leaves consist of 16.5% of total ash, 0.8% of acid insoluble ash, 6.1% of water soluble ash, 32.6% of protein, 3.3% of crude fat, 17.8% of carbohydrates, 24.8% of dietary fiber, 0.5% of magnesium, 0.4% of iron and 1.0% of calcium. Antioxidant potential of W. volubilis leaves (IC50: 7.06 ± 0. 40 μg/mL) was comparable to that of L -ascorbic acid (IC50: 6.40 ±0.21 μg/mL) and found high amounts of falvonoids and phenols. In conclusion, nutritional properties of W. volubilis leaves was established for the first time and observed physicochemical and phytochemical parameters may be used as tools to standardize W. volubilis grown in Sri Lanka.