Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phonological category resolution: A study of handshapes in younger and older sign languages*

The existence of a phonological system – a system of meaningless building blocks that make up meaningful words – is often considered a prerequisite for language, and the discovery that sign languages used by deaf people have a meaningless level of structure convinced linguists that they are real languages. But the question of how a phonological system arises has not previously been addressed, since all spoken languages are old or descended from old languages, and most sign languages that have been studied have also been around for some time. The present study is a step toward documentation of the formation of phonological categories in a new sign language, Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language (ABSL),
The Impact of Ethical Rating on Canadian Security Performance: Portfolio Management and Corporate Governance Implications

Abstract One approach that is gaining in popularity among portfolio managers uses ethical ratings, published by specialized research organizations, to screen securities for portfolio selection. Portfolio managers can thus gain a better understanding of the phenomenon and adopt a better and more consistent approach to ethical investment. By the same token, board of directors can measure the impact of their ethical policies on the market performance of the stock of their company. This paper provides new evidence about the impact of ethical ratings published in Canada on the risk-adjusted returns of the securities concerned, within the framework of a multi-factor Capital Asset Pricing Model, and gives an interpretation of the results from the perspective of portfolio composition and of corporate governance.
Transformation Box-Cox for Stabilisation of Diversity in Group Random Design

In the field of research, there are a variety of statistical methods used. Hypothesis testing is one test that is often used to obtain the conclusions of the research conducted. One hypothesis testing that is often used is the testing of hypotheses through ANOVA (Box et al., 1978). However, in determining the validity of a hypothesis is obtained, there are assumptions that must be met, namely the assumption of homogeneity range between treatments (Box et al., 1978; Box and Cox, 1964; Gomez and Gomez, 1984; Guerrero, 1993; Mattjik and Made, 2006). Examination of a wide homogeneity assumption has been made in research involving plants, which use a randomized block design. Wide homogeneity assumption was tested using Bartlett test, but from the tests that have been done show no results were less consistent (Box et al., 1978; Box and Cox, 1964; Gomez and Gomez, 1984; Guerrero, 1993; Mattjik and Made, 2006). Transformation Box-Cox used to transform data that is not homogeneous (Box et al., 1978; Box and Cox, 1964). Calculation of the variance range and test computer-based transformation has been compiled using C # programming language.
The pulmonary vascular sequestration of neutrophils in endotoxemia is initiated by an effect of endotoxin on the neutrophil in the rabbit.

Endotoxemia causes neutrophil sequestration in the pulmonary vascular bed. Such sequestration may be a critical initiating event in the generation of microvascular injury, although the mechanisms that lead to this localization are not understood. To investigate these phenomena, the following study employed intravenous pulses of 111Indium-tropolonate-labeled neutrophils (111In-neutrophils), which circulated in the rabbit with normal kinetics and responded in a manner indistinguishable from unlabeled, circulating neutrophils in response to an intravenous injection of purified endotoxic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or epinephrine. Pulmonary sequestration of 111In-neutrophils was assessed by quantitative external gamma camera scintigraphy of a lung suprahilar region of interest. Noninvasive assessment of radioactivity by this method accurately reflected total lung radioactivity, which was shown by autoradiography to be confined to the injected 111In-neutrophils. Intravenously administered LPS caused a marked, dose-dependent sequestration of 111In-neutrophils in the pulmonary vasculature, and exhaustive ultrastructural autoradiography showed discretely radiolabeled neutrophils located within pulmonary capillaries. A distinct effect was seen with an intravenous injection of as little as 100 ng per rabbit (i.e., 500 pg/ml blood). A 5-min ex vivo pretreatment of 111In-neutrophils with 10 ng to 10 micrograms/ml LPS in heat-inactivated plasma (which resulted in retention of as little as 500 pg LPS per 10(7) neutrophils) also caused dose-dependent pulmonary sequestration of the pretreated 111In-neutrophils but did not cause generalized neutropenia in recipient rabbits. There was no evidence of complement activation on the surface of pretreated neutrophils. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Data Compression With Low Distortion and Finite Blocklength

This paper considers lossy source coding of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-dimensional memoryless sources and shows an explicit approximation to the minimum source coding rate required to sustain the probability of exceeding distortion <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$d$ </tex-math></inline-formula> no greater than <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\epsilon $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, which is simpler than known dispersion-based approximations. Our approach takes inspiration in the celebrated classical result stating that the Shannon lower bound to rate-distortion function becomes tight in the limit <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$d \to 0$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. We formulate an abstract version of the Shannon lower bound that recovers both the classical Shannon lower bound and the rate-distortion function itself as special cases. Likewise, we show that a nonasymptotic version of the abstract Shannon lower bound recovers all previously known nonasymptotic converses. A necessary and sufficient condition for the Shannon lower bound to be attained exactly is presented. It is demonstrated that whenever that condition is met, the rate-dispersion function is given simply by the varentropy of the source. Remarkably, all finite alphabet sources with balanced distortion measures satisfy that condition in the range of low distortions. Most continuous sources violate that condition. Still, we show that lattice quantizers closely approach the nonasymptotic Shannon lower bound, provided that the source density is smooth enough and the distortion is low. This implies that fine multidimensional lattice coverings are nearly optimal in the rate-distortion sense even at finite <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The achievability proof technique is based on a new bound on the output entropy of lattice quantizers in terms of the differential entropy of the source, the lattice cell size, and a smoothness parameter of the source density. The technique avoids both the usual random coding argument and the simplifying assumption of the presence of a dither signal.
FIVE AXIOMS FOR CORPORATE REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT: A POLEMICAL REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

This paper argues from a review of the literature that five key roles for CRE and its management are such foundation concepts that they constitute axioms for the field from which current theorisation is derived. The roles are demonstrably long-standing in CREM but the treatment as axioms constitutes a new interpretation of this existing material. This interpretation is undertaken with the aim of adopting a more philosophical approach that represents an expansion in the field’s knowledge production beyond a reliance on empirical studies or experienced practitioners’ encapsulation of that experience. Two recent key works that represent a theory of CREM theories are analysed using thematic content analysis together with a selection of illustrative literature across the history of CREM that display the theorisation that is based on the suggested five axioms. This analysis supports claims that the five axioms exist in the field. Furthermore, because such philosophical thinking is so rare in the field the paper then considers why this might be the case in its science-making.
Trellis-based iterative decoding of block codes for satellite ATM

In this paper, block turbo codes (BTCs) with trellis-based decoding are proposed for use in digital video broadcasting-return channel via satellite (DVB-RCS) for ATM transmission. Reed-Muller (RM) codes are used as the component codes. The BTCs are shortened in order to accommodate a satellite ATM cell. It is shown that different shortening patterns can be used. In some cases, the codes have unequal error protection (UEP) property. In order to test the suitability of the proposed coding scheme from a practical point of view, the effect of channel impairment, channel signal to noise ratio (SNR) mismatch, is investigated. Simulation results for RM-turbo codes and shortened turbo codes are presented over AWGN and Rayleigh-fading channels. The performance of the shortened codes with different shortening patterns and with the effect of channel SNR mismatch are shown.
Use of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 and Dentin Matrix Protein-1 to Enhance the Osteointegration of the Onplant System

Onplants™ are known to provide absolute anchorage for orthodontic tooth movement in humans if loaded after 3 to 4 months, and can be removed after use. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the speed and effectiveness of osteointegration of onplants treated with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) and/or dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1) in rabbits. Fifty-four onplants were placed on the calvaria of 9 rabbits. Onplants were divided into four groups: rBMP-2, rDMP-1, BMP-2+DMP-1 (B+D), and controls. The hydroxyapatite surface of each onplant was soaked in a solution of the assigned protein in each of the study groups or a phosphate buffer solution in the control group. Onplants were inserted into subperiosteal tunnels and allowed to heal for 6 weeks. After euthanizing the animals, bone blocks, each containing an onplant, were prepared for either histological examination or biomechanical characterization. Histological and histomorphometric results demonstrated significant bone formation at the bone-onplant interface in the BMP-2 and B+D groups when compared with DMP1 and the controls. Mechanically, onplants treated with BMP-2 withstood tensile forces between 3.4 and 5.0 kg. Onplants treated with BMP-2 and DMP1 (B+D) withstood an average of 3 kg of pulling forces. On the other hand, onplants in the DMP1 and control groups withstood forces ranging between 0 kg to 1.3 kg. These results indicate a potential of enhancing the osteointegration of onplants for early loading.
The interaction of methoctramine and himbacine at atrial, smooth muscle and endothelial muscarinic receptors in vitro

1 The action of methoctramine and himbacine at muscarinic receptors has been studied using guinea‐pig isolated trachea, oesophageal muscularis mucosae, paced left atria, and rat aortic preparations. 2 Methoctramine (1 × 10−6‐3.2 × 10−4 m), but not himbacine, elicited positive inotropic responses. These responses were enhanced by pretreating the animals with reserpine. The responses in reserpine‐treated animals were not antagonized by phentolamine (1 × 10−6 m) but were antagonized by propranolol (1 × 10−6 m). 3 Methoctramine, but not himbacine, exhibited allosteric inhibitory effects at cardiac muscarinic receptors, resulting in a curvilinear Schild plot. Deviations from competitive antagonism were also observed in combination dose‐ratio experiments using atropine and methoctramine. At 1 × 10−6 m, the pKB value for methoctramine was 7.88 ±0.15 (mean ± s.e.mean, n = 5). The pA2 value for himbacine at cardiac muscarinic receptors was 8.52 ± 0.06 (n = 3). 4 At tracheal and oesophageal muscularis mucosal smooth muscle receptors, the Schild plots for both antagonists were linear. The pA2 values for methoctramine at receptors in these two preparations were similar (6.08 ± 0.05 and 6.03 ± 0.09 respectively, n= 4) and were approximately 60 fold less than those values observed at atrial receptors. Himbacine, also exhibited similar values at muscarinic receptors in the trachea and oesophageal muscularis mucosae (7.61 ± 0.05 and 7.57 ± 0.04 respectively, n= 4). 5 Muscarinic receptors mediating relaxation of the rat aortic endothelium exhibited pA2 values for methoctramine (5.87 ± 0.12, n= 6) which were similar to those observed in the smooth muscle, but not the atria. The pA2 values for himbacine at endothelial muscarinic receptors were approximately 0.5 pA2 units lower than those observed at muscarinic receptors in smooth muscle (6.92 ± 0.80, n= 6). In addition, the Schild slopes for methoctramine and himbacine at these receptors were significantly (P < 0.05) less than unity. 6 Methoctramine, and to a lesser extent himbacine, are potent and selective antagonists for cardiac muscarinic receptors. However, caution should be used in interpretation of the data with methoctramine in view of the inhibitory allosteric properties and direct inotropic actions of this compound.
Life Satisfaction among Elderly Households in Public Rental Housing in Singapore

We set out to investigate how satisfied the poor elderly Singaporean households in social housing are with their lives, especially in relation to their housing, in an attempt to find measures to improve, where possible, the life satisfaction of this group of elderly Singaporeans. We use archival and empirical research for our investigation. The results from 403 respondents to our survey are analyzed through logistic regression and factor analysis. We find that the life satisfaction of the elderly residents of social housing is very low. Furthermore we find that home modification that meets the requirements of the respondents will substantially improve their life satisfaction. Given that these elderly households neither have the right nor financial means to modify their housing units and precincts, it is incumbent upon the government, through the relevant authorities such as HDB, Town Councils and BCA to effect the necessary home modifications to create a more elderly-friendly physical environment to improve the life satisfaction of the elderly households in social housing in Singapore. This arguably is a social imperative which should not be subjugated to economic niceties as social housing is not a luxurious housing choice but the last safety net for basic shelter.
Exploring Tacit and Tangible Interaction Design: Towards an Intuitive Design Tool

Our [re]search is aiming at the identification of essential voids in the support of design processes offered by commonly available methods and tools. Some remarkable results were obtained during design sessions with novices and experts by engaging them in tangible experiments that were designed to stimulate and enhance their skills, tacit knowing and creativity that enable them to represent their ideas and concepts in an intuitive way. We explored and captured the differences in designer's behavior during use of "analogue" and digital representation tools. We will explain our laboratory experiments, test results, educational embedding and creative opportunities that emerge from hybrid design tools. Furthermore we propose an exciting hybrid design tool to bring the tacit and tangible elements of design back into CAD systems. We follow two different routes in our attempt to identify and fill the voids. In the first procedure is a set of observations to measure the effectiveness, various shaping and representation techniques. Knowledge about learning curves, time constraints, idiosyncrasy, quality of design results and focus of particular design methods gives insight in peoples abilities to improve and support decisions about the structure and content of the "best" curriculum for industrial design engineering students. The second procedure is the creation of a prototype of a hybrid design tool to stimulate intuitive and imaginative skills. For the experiments, we used nine (9) haptic representational configurations and set-ups, and involved over 95 participants per experiment. In these configurations the participant's performance of form giving and shaping techniques were captured, observed and rated. Keywords-intuitive product design; design work bench; hybrid design tools; virtual design assistant
Somatic embryogenesis in Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.

SummaryRegeneration of plants via somatic embryogenesis was achieved from zygotic embryo explants isolated from mature seeds of Schisandra chinensis. Merkle and Sommer's medium, fortified with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D; 9.04 μM) and zeatin (0.09 μM), was effective for induction of embryogenic callus. The development of a proembryogenic mass and somatic embryos occurred on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) free of plant growth regulators. The embryogenic callus induced on Merkle and Sommer's medium supplemented with 2,4-D (9.04 μM) and zeatin (0.09 μM) showed development of the maximum number of somatic embryos when transferred to MS medium free of plant growth regulators. The maximum maturation and germination of cotyledonary somatic embryos (46.3%) occurred on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D (0.45 μM) and N6-benzyladenine (1.11 μM). The somatic embryo-derived plants were successfully hardned, with a survival rate of approximately 67%, and established in the field.
A Biomechanical Comparison of the Long Snap in Football Between High School and University Football Players

Abstract Chizewski, MG and Alexander, MJL. A biomechanical comparison of the long snap in football between high school and university football players. J Strength Cond Res 29(8): 2148–2166, 2015—Limited previous research was located that examined the technique of the long snap in football. The purpose of the study was to compare the joint movements, joint velocities, and body positions used to perform fast and accurate long snaps in high school (HS) and university (UNI) athletes. Ten HS and 10 UNI subjects were recruited for filming, each performing 10 snaps at a target with the fastest and most accurate trial being selected for subject analysis. Eighty-three variables were measured using Dartfish Team Pro 4.5. 2 video analysis software, with statistical analysis performed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS 16.0. Several significant comparisons to long snapping technique between groups were noted during analysis; however, the body position and movement variables at release showed the greatest number of significant differences. The UNI athletes demonstrated significantly higher release velocity and left elbow extension velocity, with significantly lower release height and release angle than the HS group. Total snap time (release time + total flight time) was determined to have the strongest correlation to release velocity for the HS group (r = −0.915) and UNI group (r = −0.918). The study suggests HS long snappers may benefit from less elbow flexion and more knee flexion in the backswing (set position) to increase release velocity. University long snappers may benefit from increased left elbow extension range of motion during force production and decreased shoulder flexion at critical instant to increase long snap release velocity.
Impaired Intracellular Energetic Communication in Muscles from Creatine Kinase and Adenylate Kinase (M-CK/AK1) Double Knock-out Mice*

Previously we demonstrated that efficient coupling between cellular sites of ATP production and ATP utilization, required for optimal muscle performance, is mainly mediated by the combined activities of creatine kinase (CK)- and adenylate kinase (AK)-catalyzed phosphotransfer reactions. Herein, we show that simultaneous disruption of the genes for the cytosolic M-CK- and AK1 isoenzymes compromises intracellular energetic communication and severely reduces the cellular capability to maintain total ATP turnover under muscle functional load. M-CK/AK1 (MAK=/=) mutant skeletal muscle displayed aberrant ATP/ADP, ADP/AMP and ATP/GTP ratios, reduced intracellular phosphotransfer communication, and increased ATP supply capacity as assessed by 18O labeling of [Pi] and [ATP]. An analysis of actomyosin complexes in vitro demonstrated that one of the consequences of M-CK and AK1 deficiency is hampered phosphoryl delivery to the actomyosin ATPase, resulting in a loss of contractile performance. These results suggest that MAK=/= muscles are energetically less efficient than wild-type muscles, but an apparent compensatory redistribution of high-energy phosphoryl flux through glycolytic and guanylate phosphotransfer pathways limited the overall energetic deficit. Thus, this study suggests a coordinated network of complementary enzymatic pathways that serve in the maintenance of energetic homeostasis and physiological efficiency.
Footstep adaptation strategy for reactive omnidirectional walking in humanoid robots

SUMMARY Stability, high response quality and rapidity are required for reactive omnidirectional walking in humanoids. Early schemes focused on generating gaits for predefined footstep locations and suffered from the risk of falling over because they lacked the ability to suitably adapt foot placement. Later methods combining stride adaptation and center of mass (COM) trajectory modification experienced difficulties related to increasing computing loads and an unwanted bias from the desired commands. In this paper, a hierarchical planning framework is proposed in which the footstep adaption task is separated from that of COM trajectory generation. A novel omnidirectional vehicle model and the inequalities deduced therefrom are adopted to describe the inter-pace connection relationship. A constrained nonlinear optimization problem is formulated and solved based on these inequalities to generate the optimal strides. A black-box optimization problem is then constructed and solved to determine the model constants using a surrogate-model-based approach. A simulation-based verification of the method and its implementation on a physical robot with a strictly limited computing capacity are reported. The proposed method is found to offer improved response quality while maintaining rapidity and stability, to reduce the online computing load required for reactive walking and to eliminate unnecessary bias from walking intentions.
Soil Lead and Children’s Blood Lead Disparities in Pre- and Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans (USA)

This study appraises New Orleans soil lead and children’s lead exposure before and ten years after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city. Introduction: Early childhood exposure to lead is associated with lifelong and multiple health, learning, and behavioral disorders. Lead exposure is an important factor hindering the long-term resilience and sustainability of communities. Lead exposure disproportionately affects low socioeconomic status of communities. No safe lead exposure is known and the common intervention is not effective. An essential responsibility of health practitioners is to develop an effective primary intervention. Methods: Pre- and post-Hurricane soil lead and children’s blood lead data were matched by census tract communities. Soil lead and blood lead data were described, mapped, blood lead graphed as a function of soil lead, and Multi-Response Permutation Procedures statistics established disparities. Results: Simultaneous decreases occurred in soil lead accompanied by an especially large decline in children’s blood lead 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. Exposure disparities still exist between children living in the interior and outer areas of the city. Conclusions: At the scale of a city, this study demonstrates that decreasing soil lead effectively reduces children’s blood lead. Primary prevention of lead exposure can be accomplished by reducing soil lead in the urban environment.