Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Delayed Language Exposure Has a Negative Impact on Receptive Vocabulary Skills in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children despite Early Use of Hearing Technology

Early childhood is a critical period for language acquisition (Johnson & Newport, 1989; Newport 1990), thus, access to fluent language from birth is paramount for language development (e.g., Levine et al., 2016). However, most deaf and hard of hearing children are born to hearing, non-signing parents (Mitchell & Karchmer, 2004), and as a result do not have full, immediate access to their linguistic environment. When parents first discover their child’s deafness, many are encouraged by clinicians toward a language acquisition path focused on listening and spoken language via the use of assistive technologies like hearing aids and cochlear implants, and are even sometimes told to abdicate the use of any signed language (see, e.g. Humphries et al., 2012, Humphries et al., 2016, Mauldin, 2012). The recommendations that parents of deaf children choose solely spoken language acquisition paths rather than opting for bilingual-bimodal language acquisition (that is, spoken and signed language) have been driven by a variety of factors. Mauldin (2016) argues that the medicalized view of deafness as a ‘condition to be fixed’ often influences clinical/professional recommendations made to parents (i.e. so that a deaf child can grow up like ‘typical’ hearing children, learning spoken language). These recommendations are fueled, additionally, by misunderstandings of how language acquisition and neural plasticity work, and by poorly designed research with deaf and hard of hearing children with cochlear implants that makes alarmist and unsupported claims related to the use of signed languages with this population (see Hall et al., 2019, for a thorough rebuttal to one such study). However, even with assistive devices like hearing aids and cochlear implants, most deaf and hard of hearing individuals do not have typical hearing levels. As a result, deaf and hard of hearing children likely have less access to language than do typically hearing children; for example, Caldwell & Nittrouer (2013) found that 5-year-old deaf and hard of hearing children with cochlear implants, despite having undergone significant speech therapy and having used their devices for at
Security Evaluation on Amazon Web Services’ REST API Authentication Protocol Signature Version 4

—The Signature Version 4 protocol is used in Amazon Web Services to sign API requests, providing data integrity, veriﬁcation of the requesting user, and protection against reuse of the signed portions of requests. In this research we evaluated the security of this protocol by ﬁrst understanding the protocol workings to choose known attacks that undermine one or more of the three aforementioned features that the Signature Version 4 protocol should provide. We have performed and analyzed a replay attack, modiﬁed requests, probed for the possibility of performing an HTTP smuggling attack, and analyzed the possibility for a timing attack. From our research we have found that replay attacks are possible if requests are replayed within a limited time window, modifying signed portions of requests is not possible, HTTP smuggling attacks are prevented, and we have found an indication that timing attacks might be possible. We conclude that, in practice, the Signature Version 4 protocol can be considered secure.
Sociospatial structuration of alternative breeding strategies in a color polymorphic raptor

It has been proposed that niche and behavioral processes may promote the coexistence of alternative color morphs in discrete areas. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that alternative melanin-based phenotypes perform differently when co-occurring in breeding areas. We assessed the influence of microhabitat and social drivers on both the resulting nest-site distribution and the variation in reproductive success of interacting phenotypes of the colonial, color polymorphic Eleonora’s falcon (Falco eleonorae). We combined measures of social, behavioral, and breeding performance, as well as environmental variables under a spatially explicit approach. We found that alternative morphs were segregated over suitable habitats by forming permanent same-color clusters. This pattern was mainly due to social dominance relationships; the pale morph, which was less dominant but more aggressive than the dark morph, settled close to pale conspecifics but far from dark ones. This segregation was also influenced by the settling of dark morph males in less dense areas and at higher altitudes than pale ones. Although the timing of reproduction did not differ between morphs, the dark morph attained higher reproductive output during the study years. The evidence suggests that pale and dark falcons adopt different breeding strategies, with pale morphs behaving highly colonially and dark morphs being more territorial, yet their relative advantages depend on the environmental conditions. We suggest that balancing selection may act on such competitive asymmetries, likely contributing to the evolutionary stability and long-term maintenance of color polymorphism in wild populations.
Foliar application of abscisic acid improves drought tolerance of sugarcane plant under severe water stress.

An experiment was set up to investigate the interrelationship between drought induced abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and antioxidative defense system, and to confer the role of foliar application of ABA in imparting drought tolerance to the sugarcane plant. A drought tolerant variety ROC22 was treated with T1 (drought-water withholding), T2 (drought + foliar application of 15 μM ABA) and C (control, normal irrigation). Drought treatment (T1) enhanced the ABA concentration in leaves but it was significantly higher in combined treatment (T2), suggesting its biosynthesis was triggered in leaves by the ABA application. Both T1 and T2 resulted in an increase in proline, H2O2 and MDA content but the plants applied with ABA were found to resist the increase in MDA content. Overproduction of H2O2 in plants treated with T1 was followed by higher activities of CAT, GPX, GR and APX enzymes. A decrease in H2O2 level with increasing stress in T2 treated plant showed effectiveness of ABA induced highly expressed antioxidative defense system which was found to be vanished progressively, in the plants treated with the drought only. The results clearly suggests that though the tolerant variety showed an enhanced protective system against drought conditions, the foliar application of ABA further improved its tolerance by continuously triggering the over expression of antioxidative defense
“The Canary in the Coal Mine…” A cautionary tale from the decline of SourceForge

Forges are online collaborative platforms to support the development of distributed open source software. While once mighty keepers of open source vitality, software forges are rapidly becoming less and less relevant. For example, of the top 10 forges in 2011, only one survives today—SourceForge—the biggest of them all, but its numbers are dropping and its community is tenuous at best. Through mixed‐methods research, this article chronicles and analyze the software practice and experiences of the project's history—in particular its architectural and community/organizational decisions. We discovered a number of suboptimal social and architectural decisions and circumstances that, may have led to SourceForge's demise. In addition, we found evidence suggesting that the impact of such decisions could have been monitored, reduced, and possibly avoided altogether. The use of sociotechnical insights needs to become a basic set of design and software/organization monitoring principles that tell a cautionary tale on what to measure and what not to do in the context of large‐scale software forge and community design and management.
Assessment of Interrater and Intrarater Reliability of Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) Goniometer

Purpose The current study was designed to assess interrater and intrarater validity of cervical range of motion measurements performed with a CROM goniometer. Material and Methods. The study involved 95 healthy university students (31 males and 64 females) aged 20-24 years. Two examiners performed measurements of cervical range of motion using a CROM goniometer. The same subjects were examined again after two weeks, in the same conditions. The results acquired by one rater during the first and the second examination were compared for reproducibility, while the results obtained by the two examiners were compared to assess validity and reliability of the tool. Cronbach's alpha was applied to determine intrarater reliability, and the values of correlations were used to assess the interrater agreement. Results Analysis of the results showed both intrarater and interrater agreement in all the measures of cervical range of motion. The highest intrarater and interrater concordance was observed in the measure of extension. Intrarater agreement for Examiner 1 was reflected by Cronbach's alpha = 0.85, and for Examiner 2 by Cronbach's alpha = 0.89. As for the interrater agreement in the measure of extension, the value of correlation in both the first and the second measurement amounted to r = 0.89. Conclusions Measurements performed with the CROM goniometer show interrater and intrarater agreement in assessments of cervical range of motion. The CROM goniometer can be recommended for use in daily clinical practice.
Selenium Level in Patients with Vitiligo: A Meta-Analysis

Background It has been reported that deficiency of selenium can cause autoimmune disease. This meta-analysis was aimed at evaluating whether there exits an association between selenium level and vitiligo. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Med Online, and China VIP databases from the inception to February 12, 2019. The main outcome was the standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) in serum selenium level between vitiligo patients and healthy controls. Results A total of 8 studies with 305 vitiligo patients and 6156 healthy controls were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that there was no significant difference in selenium level between vitiligo patients and healthy controls (SMD = 0.481, 95%CI = −0.642 to 1.604, Z = 0.840, P > 0.05). Further subgroup analysis stratified by area revealed that Asian vitiligo patients had decreased selenium level, while that finding was not observed in Caucasian patients (Asian: SMD = −0.303, 95%CI = −0.603 to −0.004, P < 0.05; Caucasian: SMD = 0.957, 95%CI = −0.752 to 2.665, P > 0.05). Conclusions Although overall selenium level was similar between vitiligo patients and health controls, subgroup analysis showed decreased levels of selenium in Asian vitiligo patients. It may suggest a clinical tailored administration of selenium supplementation in Asian vitiligo patients.
Let-7c-5p Is Involved in Chronic Kidney Disease by Targeting TGF-β Signaling

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expressions of hsa-let-7c-5p and TGF-β signaling-related molecules and their correlations with clinical characteristics in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Twenty-three biopsy specimens of CKD patients and 20 negative control tissues were selected. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used for the detection of hsa-let-7c-5p, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and TGF-β receptor type 1 (TGF-βR1) expression levels. Target gene of hsa-let-7c-5p was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. A significant decrease of hsa-let-7c-5p expression in CKD tissue was found, compared with that of normal renal tissues (p < 0.01). Expression levels of TGF-β in CKD were increased, compared with that of normal kidney tissue (p < 0.001). The difference in the expression of TGF-β R1 between CKD tissues and normal renal tissues was not significant (p > 0.05). A negative correlation was found between the expression of TGF-β and renal tissue hsa-let-7c-5p levels. Furthermore, hsa-let-7c-5p was identified to regulate TGF- β1 by directly binding with the 167-173 site in the 3′ untranslated region. Decreased hsa-let-7c-5p levels in CKD patients was found to be associated with disease severity, which shows a negative correlation with proteinuria and creatinine levels, and a positive correlation with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), while relative TGF-β1 expression had a positive correlation with creatinine level. In summary, changes in hsa-let-7c-5p expression and its target gene TGF-β are associated with the disease status of CKD. Let-7c-5p may contribute to the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis through TGF-β signaling, a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target of the disease.
Insulation Value Optimization for Low-Slope Roofs

Low-slope roofing assemblies include a wide range of insulation and single-ply membrane attachment methods. Often ignored is the effect of fasteners on the overall R-value of the system. This presentation will discuss R-value differences based on fastener densities and their location within the system. The analysis shows the often-significant reduction in R-value due to thermal short-circuiting and the economic cost of that due to unrealized R-value. This economic cost is contrasted with the costs of fasteners and adhesives for a range of possible attachment scenarios. Finally, the cost of reduced energy efficiency for a number of different locations is factored into the analysis. The study shows that when the costs of long-term energy efficiency and lost R-value are included in the cost/benefit analysis of various roofing assemblies, then simple mechanical attachment is not necessarily the lowest-cost long-term approach. The study has implications for future codes development because insulation is often considered to be continuous. However, this study suggests that there can be a significant difference between a designed insulation value and the effective value due to attachment method.
Silver Ion: A Potent Antiethylene Agent in Cucumber and Tomato1

Ag+, applied foliarly as AgNO3 to intact cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Wisconsin SMR-18 and GY3) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Homestead) plants, was a potent inhibitor of ethylene action. In tomatoes, AgNO3 concentrations of 250 and 500 mg/liter counteracted ethylene-induced epinasty, senescence, and abscission during a continuous 6-day-exposure to 1.5 μl/liter of ethylene. In cucumber, 50 and 100 mg/liter treatments of AgNO3 provided outstanding protection against ethylene-induced growth inhibition and senescence during a similar ethylene exposure. AgNO3 applied to ‘GY3’ gynoecious cucumbers at 500 mg/liter effectively shifted sex expression from female to male. Of over 20 other metal ions tested, only Pd and Hg were found to possess antiethylene properties, but their effect was marginal.
Contact without Contact: English Digital Language Input and Its Effects on L1 Icelandic

Icelandic is one of the smallest independent languages in Europe. According to traditional measures of language vitality such as the EGIDS (Lewis & Simons 2010) and the UNESCO vitality scale (2013), Icelandic fulfills the highest criteria for a national language and thus appears to have a strong status. This categorization is based on the fact that Icelandic is the only official language of a nation-state (apart from Icelandic sign language), has an established literary tradition, and is almost the sole language in government, public administration, workplaces, education at lower levels, and most domains of society. Iceland additionally has a strong tradition for language planning, preservation, and prescriptivism (Ottósson 1990) and the country has long been largely monolingual, although in recent years immigration has increased and the tourism industry has grown exponentially (Hagstofan 2017). However, language vitality scales typically do not consider the technological and sociological changes which in recent years have brought Icelandic into digital language contact with English. With this term, we refer to the situation in which speakers come in contact with another language in the digital domain as opposed to eye to eye contact in more traditional domains. Recipients of English digital contact in Iceland now increasingly include young children and teenagers, who are still in the acquisition stage and hence are more receptive to English exposure, e.g. through playing interactive computer games. Today, the globally dominant English is often perceived as a threat to Icelandic in public discourse (Kristinsson 2019). A growing body of recent studies shows that children in traditionally nonEnglish-speaking language communities acquire some of their English skills before the language is introduced in formal education, and continue learning extramurally through contextual learning (Lindgren & Muñoz 2012; Sylvén &
Study on Genotyping Polymorphism and Sequencing of N-Acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) among Al-Ahsa Population

One of the well-studied phase II drug metabolizing enzymes is N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) which has an essential role in the detoxification and metabolism of several environmental toxicants and many therapeutic drugs like isoniazid (antituberculosis, TB) and antimicrobial sulfonamides. According to the variability in the acetylation rate among different ethnic groups, individuals could be classified into slow, intermediate, and fast acetylators; these variabilities in the acetylation rate are a result of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the coding sequence of NAT2. The variety of NAT2 acetylation status is associated with some diseases such as bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes mellitus. The main objectives of this research are to describe the genetic profile of NAT2 gene among the people of the Al-Ahsa region, to detect the significant SNPs of this gene, to determine the frequency of major NAT2 alleles and genotypes, and then categorize them into fast, intermediate, and slow acetylators. Blood samples were randomly collected from 96 unrelated people from Al-Ahsa population, followed by DNA extraction then amplifying the NAT2 gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR); finally, functional NAT2 gene (exon 2) was sequenced using the Sanger sequencing method. The well-known seven genetic variants of NAT2 gene are 191G>A, 282C>T, 341T>C, 481C>T, 590G>A, 803A>G, and 857G>A were detected with allele frequencies 1%, 35.4%, 42.7%, 41.1%, 29.2%, 51%, and 5.7%, respectively. The most common NAT2 genetic variant among Al-Ahsa population was 803A>G with a high frequency 0.510 (95% confidence interval 0.44-0.581) followed by 341T>C 0.427 (95% confidence interval 0.357-0.497). The most frequent two haplotypes of NAT2 were NAT2∗6C (25.00%) and NAT2∗5A (22.92%) which were classified as a slow acetylators. According to trimodal distribution of acetylation activity, the predicted phenotype of Al-Ahsa population was found to be 5.21% rapid acetylators, 34.38% intermediate acetylators, and 60.42% were slow acetylators. In addition, this study found four novel haplotypes NAT2∗5TB, NAT2∗5AB, NAT2∗5ZA, and NAT2∗6W which were slow acetylators. This study revealed a high frequency of the NAT2 gene with slow acetylators (60.42%) in Al-Ahsa population, which might alter the drug's efficacy and vulnerability to some diseases.
Effects of Stem Cell Therapy on 6-Minute Walk Test Distance and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Patients with Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy

Objective To assess the efficacy of stem cells in the improvement of functional capacity and quality of life in the setting of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Design Systematic literature review Methods A literature search of PubMed was conducted utilizing the following search terms: “stem,” “cell,” “nonischemic,” and “cardiomyopathy. ” The following limits were used: “2015-2018,” nonischemic cardiomyopathy, results of LVEF and 6MWT, randomized controlled trials, pilot studies, and sample size >22. Results Butler et al. found that within the itMSC group, 6MWD increased by an average of 27.40 m (95% CI 0.28–54.52; P=0.05), but it decreased by an average of 10.83 m (95% CI −38.66 to 17.00, P=0.45) among control patients. The authors used exploratory analyses to examine changes from baseline after initial randomization and found significant increases in LVEF in the itMSC group (estimated mean difference was +2.31; P=0.02) with no significant changes in control group (+1.62; P=0.13.). Vrtovec et al. revealed improvement in LVEF and 6MWT in both single and repetitive dose groups (group A and group B), when comparing each group separately from baseline to 6 months (LVEF: +6.9±3.3% in group A, P=0.001 and +7.1±3.5% in group B, P=0.001; 6MWT: +87±21 m, P=0.03 and +92±25 m, P=0.02). Hare et al. found that at 12 months post-treatment, LVEF increased in the allo-hMSC group by 8.0% (CI: 2.8% to 13.2%, p = 0.004) compared to baseline which was found to be statistically significant, but the LVEF increase of 5.4% in the auto-hMSC group was not statistically significant (CI: -1.4% to 12.1%; p = 0.116). At 12 months post-treatment, the 6MWT distance significantly increased in the allohMSC treatment group by 37.0 meters (CI: 2.0m to 72.0m, p = 0.04) compared to baseline. At 12 months post-treatment, the auto-hMSC treatment group 6MWT distance increased 7.3 meters compared to baseline and was not statistically significant (CI: -47.8m to 33.3m, p =
Collaborative Agent Gameplay in the Pandemic Board Game

While artificial intelligence has been applied to control players’ decisions in board games for over half a century, little attention is given to games with no player competition. Pandemic is an exemplar collaborative board game where all players coordinate to overcome challenges posed by events occurring during the game’s progression. This paper proposes an artificial agent which controls all players’ actions and balances chances of winning versus risk of losing in this highly stochastic environment. The agent applies a Rolling Horizon Evolutionary Algorithm on an abstraction of the game-state that lowers the branching factor and simulates the game’s stochasticity. Results show that the proposed algorithm can find winning strategies more consistently in different games of varying difficulty. The impact of a number of state evaluation metrics is explored, balancing between optimistic strategies that favor winning and pessimistic strategies that guard against losing.