Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vocalic activation width decreases across childhood: Evidence from carryover coarticulation

This study is the first to use kinematic data to assess lingual carryover coarticulation in children. We investigated whether the developmental decrease previously attested in anticipatory coarticulation, as well as the relation between coarticulatory degree and the consonantal context, also characterize carryover coarticulation. Sixty-two children and 13 adults, all native speakers of German, were recruited according to five age cohorts: three-year-olds, four-year-olds, five-year-olds, seven-year-olds, and adults. Tongue movements during the production of ə. CV. Cə utterances (C = /b, d, g/, V = /i, y, e, a, o, u/) were recorded with ultrasound. We measured vowel-induced horizontal displacement of the tongue dorsum within the last syllable and compared the resulting coarticulatory patterns between age cohorts and consonantal contexts. Results indicate that the degree of vocalic carryover coarticulation decreases with age. Vocalic prominence within an utterance as well as its change across childhood depended on the postvocalic consonant’s articulatory demands for the tongue dorsum (i.e., its coarticulatory resistance): Low resistant /b/ and /g/ allowed for more vocalic perseveration and a continuous decrease, while the highly resistant /d/ displayed lower coarticulation degrees and discontinuous effects. These findings parallel those in anticipation suggesting a similar organization of anticipatory and carryover coarticulation. Implications for theories of speech production are discussed.
Trapping methodologies for functional canopy arthropod diversity in olive agroecosystem

The value of a diverse and balanced community of canopy arthropods is undeniable in terms of pest management and overall agroecosystem functionality. However, a suitable monitoring methodology for them has not been well defined, especially in perennial crops. Field sampling conducted in Crete, Greece during autumn and spring was done in order to look into two types of trapping methodologies, yellow sticky traps (YST) and transparent sticky traps (TST) in organically managed olive orchard. The caught arthropods were organized in functional groups and compared on this basis. Although the differences between the diversity indices were not statistically significant, some differences came up between the total abundance and abundance of certain orders. The YSТ had a much higher abundance of arthropods while in absolute numbers, the TST present a more diverse and even canopy arthropod community. The agroecological approach seems to be useful and practical in terms of characterization of the properties of the YSТ and TST. Using the TST as a low cost, less labour demanding, replicable and easily set trapping methodology is suitable for estimation of the biodiversity of the canopy arthropods. This suggested that further research set on this approach can help in assessment and recommendation for further practices in perennial crops in order to reach a more stable and productive agroecosystem from ecological, social and economical aspect.
Biological activities of extract of Anthemis aetnensis Schouw: In vitro evaluation

Although Anthemis spp. are commonly used as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial agents, the exact mechanism of action is still unknown. We evaluated the antioxidant effect of Anthemis aetnensis by testing the free radical scavenging capacity and its effect on xanthine oxidase (XO) activity. In addition, the effect of the same extract on human leukocyte elastase activity was also evaluated. Flowers of A. aetnensis Schouw were collected on the slopes of the volcano Mount Etna. Antioxidant activity was assessed using a method that excludes the Fenton-type reaction. Since xanthine (X)/XO system represents a source of free radicals, we also tested the hypothesis that the study’s extract might inhibit the enzymatic activity of XO. In addition, the same extract of A. aetnensis was used to test its activity on human leukocyte elastase. Extract of A. aetnensis showed antioxidant activity, which was not due to inhibition of XO activity. In addition, extract of A. aetnensis showed a significant elastase inhibitory activity. Our data suggest that antioxidant capacity and inhibitor activity on elastase may explain the protective effects on inflammation, ulcers, irradiated skin injuries and cystitis afflictions.
Modeling and Analysis of Cloud Computing Network using M/G/k/PS Queues

: The cloud computing are gaining more and more popularity in business, enterprises and research areas. Flexible and transparent provision of services on-demand, height virtualization level, seamless interconnection between different network nodes are the reasons of good performance and scalability of cloud computing network. However cloud computing technology has not universal requirements and solutions for network deployment and implementation. The lack of standards leads to performance and functionality reduction. The analysis of functionality and performance of cloud computing solutions give ability find “bottlenecks” and improve services provision processes. The difference types of cloud computing architecture are analyzed in the paper. The different approaches to the performance and functionality analysis, such as real measurements, imitation and analytical modeling are observed. The analytical model of cloud network based on queuing theory is proposed. The selecting of queuing model parameters depended on the technology platform, the model of cloud services (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS), the type of applications. Proposed queuing model allows analyzing the main network characteristics affected on performance and services provision effectiveness.
AutoSWIR: A SPECTRAL UNMIXING ALGORITHM USING 2000-2400 nm ENDMEMBERS AND MONTE CARLO ANALYSIS

Dynamic climate and land use in arid and semi-arid systems result in complex spatial and temporal variation of vegetation properties. Large-scale monitoring is critical for assessments of ecological change in these regions (UNEP, 1992). The tight coupling of vegetation cover to important hydrological and biogeochemical processes (Schlesinger et al, 1996, Schlesinger and Pilmanus, 1998) emphasizes the paramount importance of resolving vegetation and bare soil extent for functional analyses of these environments. However, the spatial extent of vegetation and bare soils is notoriously difficult to measure in arid and semi-arid ecosystems using satellite imagery because variation occurs on the scale of a few meters or less.
How many species of Paradoxurus civets are there? New insights from India and Sri Lanka

Using molecular data and morphological features, we investigated the species limits and genetic diversity among populations of the Asian palm civets of the genus Paradoxurus. Our main objectives were to determine the number of species within Paradoxurus hermaphroditus and to test the validity of the newly proposed species within Paradoxurus zeylonensis. Fragments of two mitochondrial (Cytochrome b, Control Region) and one nuclear (intron 7 of the beta fibrinogen) markers were sequenced from 128 individuals of P. hermaphroditus, P. zeylonensis and Paradoxurus jerdoni. DNA sequences were analysed using phylogenetic and haplotype network methods. Our analyses confirmed that P. hermaphroditus comprises three major clades, which should be recognized as separate species: P. hermaphroditus (Indian and Indochinese regions), Paradoxurus musangus (mainland Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java and other small Indonesian islands) and Paradoxurus philippinensis (Mentawai Islands, Borneo and the Philippines). Furthermore, we have proposed that there are two subspecies within both P. musangus and P. philippinensis, and there might be at least two or three subspecies within P. hermaphroditus. We found a very low genetic diversity and no geographical structure within P. zeylonensis and did not find any support for splitting P. zeylonensis into several species nor subspecies. Finally, we confirmed that P. jerdoni and P. zeylonensis are sister species.
Improving Path Accuracy for Autonomous Parking Systems: An Optimal Control Approach

Kinodynamic planning explores the collision-free configuration space by constructing a tree on-the-fly. The process terminates when the tree expands into a specified neighborhood of the goal configuration. Often, the resultant path does not reach the goal accurately enough, which raises the question: how does one make an accurate, kinematically feasible connection between the tree and the goal. This is the non-trivial steering problem. Aiming to balance computational efficiency and position accuracy, this work solves an approximate steering problem through applying Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle (PMP). The main contributions of this work are: establishment of an exhaustive set of possible structures of optimal control solutions; and development of a custom solver based on the these structures. Simulations demonstrate the PMP-based custom solver achieves better accuracy than a PID feedback control-based approach, and is more computationally efficient than a gradient descent-based numerical optimization approach.
Influence of Fruit on Habitat Selection of Asian Bears in a Tropical Forest

ABSTRACT Wild bear populations in Southeast Asia are threatened with extinction, but the ecology and distribution of the 2 species occurring in the region's protected areas is poorly known, so there is little scientific basis underlying conservation strategies. We used bear signs, primarily claw marks on climbed trees, to study habitat selection and distribution of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) across Khao Yai National Park, Thailand from March to December 2008. We found black bear claw marks in 24 of 30 random sample blocks (80%), indicating that this species was widely distributed across Khao Yai. Sun bear signs were much scarcer: their claw marks occurred in 11 blocks (37%); data were too sparse for sun bear so we limited our focus to Asiatic black bear. Using logistic regression, we found that fruit abundance best explained variation in presence of black bear, whereas human disturbance, distance to park edge, elevation, and ground cover had little influence. Fruits appear to be a key resource for Asiatic black bears, and factors affecting fruit abundance or shifts in seasonality (e.g., climate change) will impact bear populations. Knowledge of this relationship will allow managers to be more proactive in managing bears. We recommend using sign surveys for monitoring changes in black bear occupancy as they are inexpensive, efficient, and can be conducted by trained park rangers.
Reproductive and nutritional periodicities in the starfish, Marthasterias glacialis, from Plymouth Sound

The gonadial, pyloric caecal and somatic cycles over three consecutive years in a subtidal population of the starfish Marthasterias glacialis from Plymouth Sound are described. The study area lies towards the eastern limit of the up-Channel range of this species, and this is reflected in only partial reciprocity between gonadial and pyloric indices, and also by the apparent utilisation of somatic material during the build-up of gametes. The sequence of events at the cytological level during gonadial build-up is described.
SURVIVAL OF BROWN BOOBIES (SULA LEUCOGASTER) AT JOHNSTON ATOLL: A LONG-TERM STUDY

Abstract Survival of Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) at Johnston Atoll was examined over a 17-year period using capture-mark-recapture analysis. Annual adult survival was estimated to be 0.90 ± 0.01 (SE). Variation in survival did not correspond to either local environmental fluctuation or more widespread disturbances associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation events, and a time-invariant model of survival was best supported by our data. Absence of major oceanographic anomalies in the immediate vicinity of Johnston Atoll may contribute to relatively high and invariant survival in Brown Boobies.
Micro-morphological and molecular study of four species of Lonicera (Caprifoliaceae) in Iran

Lonicera is one of the genera of Caprifoliaceae presented with nine species in Iran. In this study, the micromorphological and molecular characters of 12 populations from four species of Lonicera (L. bracteolaris, L. hypoleuca, L. iberica and L. korolkowii) have been analyzed so as to evaluate their diagnostic value. Seven quantitative and qualitative characters of pollen were selected and measured. The most important characters include: shape, ornamentation of tectum, exine thickness, and P/E ratio of the pollen. On the basis of this study, the seed shape and surface contribute at least to differentiation of these species. Using nuclear (nrDNA ITS) markers, phylogenetic relationships within the four species of Lonicera have been reconstructed. Then the data set was analyzed by phylogenetic methods including Bayesian, Maximum Likelihood, and Maximum Parsimony methods. In phylogenetic analyses, all members of the four species formed a well-supported clade (PP=1, ML/BS=100/100) and divided into three major clades (I, II and III). The Neighbor Net Diagram supported the phylogenetic results. The results showed that micro-morphological and molecular data provide reliable evidence for differentiation of some populations from others.
Development of a Rapid First-Order Differential Equation Solver for Stiff Systems

—Large stiff ordinary differential equation systems often require a signiﬁcant amount of computation time due to numerical instabilities. It is the goal of this work to develop a fast solver which will enable the user to achieve quick results without having to leave the MATLAB environment. Two ﬁrst order differential equation solvers are developed and compared with MATLAB’s ode15s solver. The CODES solver is an abbreviated version of ode15s modiﬁed to address the constant coefﬁcient problems of interest. The RODES solver implements the CODES algorithm in C interfaced with MATLAB. The solvers are employed on four test problems: three ordinary differential equation models and one partial differential equation model. Numerical simulations are provided and the results are analyzed with respect to error, time, and space. All three solvers provide accurate approximations to the test problems. CODES and RODES outperform ode15s in speed. RODES signiﬁcantly
Developing Validation Instrument for Virtual Fairy Tale Products as an Alternative to Character Building in Elementary Schools

— This research aims to develop instruments to validate virtual fairytale products as an alternative to character building in elementary schools. The research method used was a quantitative descriptive. The data were collected using questionnaires distributed to validators according to their respective fields. The experts involved in developing this instrument were a Javanese linguist, a multimedia expert, an educational technology expert, and education practitioners. The data analysis technique used was the Likert Scale. To assess the validity and reliability of the product using the SPSS 16.0 program. It is concluded that 17 items in the instrument validation for virtual fairy tale products are valid. This is evidenced by the results of the F XY > F table at a significance value of 5%. The reliability test resulted in the value of the instrument reliability coefficient of 0.994. Thus, it can be concluded that the validation instrument for virtual fairy tale products as an alternative to character building in elementary schools is valid and reliable. It is recommended that further research presents expert judgment results for virtual fairytale products as an alternative to character building in primary schools.
Splicing Community Patterns and Smells: A Preliminary Study

Software engineering projects are now more than ever a community effort. In the recent past, researchers have shown that their success may not only depend on source code quality, but also on other aspects like the balance of distance, culture, global engineering practices, and more. In such a scenario, understanding the characteristics of the community around a project and foresee possible problems may be the key to develop successful systems. In this paper, we focus on this research problem and propose an exploratory study on the relation between community patterns, i.e., recurrent mixes of organizational or social structure types, and smells, i.e., sub-optimal patterns across the organizational structure of a software development community that may be precursors of some sort of social debt. We exploit association rule mining to discover frequent relations between them. Our findings show that different organizational patterns are connected to different forms of socio-technical problems, possibly suggesting that practitioners should put in place specific preventive actions aimed at avoiding the emergence of community smells depending on the organization of the project.
Improving BGP Convergence with Fed4FIRE+ Experiments

The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is the single routing protocol that glues the Internet together. Its performance, especially the convergence speed after path changes, is key to global efficiency, also in light of the fact that the number of Autonomous Systems (ASes) and Subnets has reached a level that makes path changes a frequent event. This work presents a testbed-based experimental analysis of BGP convergence time under different hypothesis of Minimum Route Advertisement Interval (MRAI) setting and a proposal to improve it by setting MRAI based on the topological position of the ASes. MRAI is a timer that regulates the frequency of successive UPDATE messages sent by a BGPs router for a given route and destination. The work is based on the modifications of the BIRD BGP daemon and shows that it is possible to execute experiments on testbeds with topologies that have Internet-like characteristics scaling up to thousands of ASes.
The Antecedes of Service Quality and Patients’ Satisfaction Equally Drive Patients’ Loyalty in Private Healthcare Delivery: Thinking the Future

The healthcare industry in developing nations has recorded high progress rate in recent years, leading an initiative varied studies into the examination of patients’ comparative and varied views with regards to private healthcare providers service delivery. This study objectively focused on the hospital’s service quality, and patients’ satisfaction as a predictor and collective impact or on patient’s loyalty; it attempted to draw a distinctive border amongst quality of service and satisfaction of the patient, one with more effect size and predictive relevance to drive greater loyalty amongst the patients in a private healthcare delivery setting. A total of 562 patients recruited, participated in a cross-sectional survey with a questionnaire as the main and only data collection tool from four major private hospitals in Ghana. A path and linear regression analysis of the data was performed through SPSS 23 and Smart PLS version 3 in order to compute path coefficients, direct and indirect impacts of the factors; service quality and patient's satisfaction on patient’s loyalty to the hospital. The study suggested that both clientele perceived service quality and patient satisfaction significantly influence patient loyalty. However, patient satisfaction with service delivery had a better predictive relevance and effect size than the quality of the service on patient loyalty in this study.
Fault Diagnosis in Stationary Rotor Systems through Correlation Analysis and Artificial Neural Network

This work presents a methodology of parameters fault diagnosis in rotating mechanical systems excited by unbalance and coloured stochastic noise, through the correlation analysis based on the Ljapunov Matrix and the Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The procedure of parameter fault diagnosis described uses only measured state variables. The direct measurement of the stochastic excitation is not necessary. Coloured noise stochastic excitation is modeled using a dynamical system excited by white noise. The proposed method avoids the necessity of measuring the excitation forces and works on the displacement and velocity signals obtained form different points of the rotor system. Using correlation the output variables, it is possible to derive specific relations involving the physical parameters of the system and the correlation matrices of the measured variables. Faults in the rotor can be detected by monitoring the variation of the physical parameters through a comparison of theoretical and estimated correlation functions. Some variables are difficult to be measured and the correlation functions involving such variables cannot be directly estimated. Artificial Neural Network is used as a tool to map such correlations. The analysis of the results is made with the application of the method to a rotor system modeled with six degrees of freedom. The good results of these examples show the viability of further studies in this area .
DEEPLEX: A GNN FOR LINK PREDICTION IN MULTIPLEX NETWORKS

Graph neural networks have recently gained attention due to their performance in many classiﬁcation and prediction tasks. In particular, they are used for node classiﬁcation and link prediction with a wide range of applications in social networks, biomedical datasets and ﬁnancial transaction graphs. Most existing work is primarly focused on the monoplex setting where we have access to a network with only a single type of connection between entities. However, in the multiplex setting, where there are multiple types of connections between entities, tasks such as link prediction have been shown to have stronger performance when information from other connection types is taken into account. We notice a critical issue with a previous approach, MNE, based on embedding models related to the way information is aggregated across layers and propose a novel method DeePlex which aggregates layer information using a neural network. Experimental results on real-world multiplex networks show that our approach outperforms and overcomes the limitations of state of the art approaches.