Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cycle therapy: a prescription for fold and unfold on regular trees

Cyclic data structures can be tricky to create and manipulate in declarative programming languages. In a declarative setting, a natural way to view cyclic structures is as denoting regular trees, those trees which may be infinite but have only a finite number of distinct subtrees. This paper shows how to implement the unfold (anamorphism) operator in both eager and lazy languages so as to create cyclic structures when the result is a regular tree as opposed to merely infinite lazy structures. The usual fold (catamorphism) operator when used with a strict combining function on any infinite tree yields an undefined result. As an alternative, this paper defines and show how to implement a cycfold operator with more useful semantics when used with a strict function on cyclic structures representing regular trees. This paper also introduces an abstract data type (cycamores) to simplify the use of cyclic structures representing regular trees in both eager and lazy languages. Implementions of cycamores in both SML and Haskell are presented.
Production and perception of tones by Dutch learners of Mandarin

The function of pitch movements varies across languages. Tone languages, such as Mandarin Chinese, use pitch configurations to differentiate between word forms. For non-tone languages (such as Dutch and English), pitch information is mainly used at the post-lexical level, e.g., to signal sentential prominence or delimit prosodic constituents. Therefore, learning to use lexical tones is always difficult for non-tone second language learners of Mandarin who are not familiar with using pitch information in a lexically contrastive way. This thesis investigates various aspects of production and perception of tones by beginning and advanced Dutch learners of Mandarin. Through a series of four experiments, this thesis examines the developmental path of Dutch learners of Mandarin at the university level in their acquisition of fine-grained tonal coarticulation patterns, distribution of attention between segments and tones, phonological processing of tones and using tonal information in spoken word recognition. The mechanisms underlying the learners’ tone acquisition are discussed with reference to current theories and models of second language acquisition and spoken word recognition.
Reducing False Arrhythmia Alarms in the Intensive Care Unit

—Due to entrenched methodology and a tendency towards deep focus in domain-specific knowledge, health care operations is a field with open problems, yet relatively little previous work in applying modern machine learning methods. In particular, alarm fatigue in hospital intensive care units is a major issue that could greatly benefit from the application of even relatively simple and standard learning techniques. Previous work explores only very specific instances of and solutions to this problem. This paper explores the application of several standard methods to the problem of reducing false alarm rates in the ICU and discusses the relative advantages and drawbacks to each model. We present promising results in false alarm suppression, and identify possible extensions that could lead to further improvement in this application. Future work will include fine tuning the models, and combining our methods with more domain-specific medical knowledge.
The Possible Hull of Imprecise Points

We pose the problem of constructing the possible hull of a set of n imprecise points: the union of convex hulls of all sets of n points, where each point is constrained to lie within a particular region of the plane. We give an optimal algorithm for the case when n = 2, and the regions are a point and a simple (possibly nonconvex) polygon. We then describe how the algorithm leads to an optimal algorithm for the case when n 2, and each region is a simple polygon. 1
Hyperexpression of the X Chromosome in Both Sexes Results in Extensive Female Bias of X-Linked Genes in the Flour Beetle

A genome's ability to produce two separate sexually dimorphic phenotypes is an intriguing biological mystery. Microarray-based studies of a handful of model systems suggest that much of the mystery can be explained by sex-biased gene expression evolved in response to sexually antagonistic selection. We present the first whole-genome study of sex-biased expression in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Tribolium is a model for the largest eukaryotic order, Coleoptera, and we show that in whole-body adults, ∼20% of the transcriptome is differentially regulated between the sexes. Among T. castaneum, Drosophila melanogaster, and Anopheles gambiae, we identify 416 1:1:1 orthologs with conserved sex-biased expression. Overrepresented functional categories among sex-biased genes are primarily those involved in gamete production and development. The genomic distribution of sex-biased genes in T. castaneum is distinctly nonrandom, with the strongest deficit of male-biased genes on the X chromosome (9 of 793) of any species studied to date. Tribolium also shows a significant enrichment of X-linked female-biased genes (408 of 793). Our analyses suggest that the extensive female bias of Tribolium X chromosome gene expression is due to hyperexpression of X-linked genes in both males and females. We propose that the overexpression of X chromosomes in females is an evolutionary side effect of the need to dosage compensate in males and that mechanisms to reduce female X chromosome gene expression to autosomal levels are sufficient but imperfect.
Score Following: State of the Art and New Developments

Score following is the synchronisation of a computer with a performer playing a known musical score. It now has a history of about twenty years as a research and musical topic, and is an ongoing project at Ircam. We present an overview of existing and historical score following systems, followed by fundamental definitions and terminology, and considerations about score formats, evaluation of score followers, and training. The score follower that we developed at Ircam is based on a Hidden Markov Model and on the modeling of the expected signal received from the performer. The model has been implemented in an audio and a Midi version, and is now being used in production. We report here our first experiences and our first steps towards a complete evaluation of system performances. Finally, we indicate directions how score following can go beyond the artistic applications known today.
The Effects of the Listening and Communication Enhancement¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Program on Communicative Function in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients: A Pilot Study

ii Acknowledgments. iii Vita . iv List of Tables . vii List of Figures . viii Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Cochlear Implants . 1 Perceptual Learning Relative to Auditory Training . 3 Aural Rehabilitation and Auditory Training . 5 Auditory Training for the Hearing Impaired . 10 Auditory Training for Cochlear Implant Users . 12 Listening and Communication Enhancement (LACETM) . 18 Purpose . 21 Chapter 2: Methods . 22
Through the Looking Glass: Analysis of Factors Influencing Iranian Student’s Study Abroad Motivations and Destination Choice

This study seeks to investigate and understand why and how Iranian higher education students choose to study overseas. After critically analyzing the international student mobility literature, the important factors are distilled. Then, by using Fuzzy-Delphi Method (FDM), 15 factors are selected from the 21 factors initially selected by reviewing the literature. This study utilizes a novel Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach, based on Best-Worst Method (BWM), to prioritize the factors influencing the choice of Iranian students regarding international higher education. Therefore, by using BWM, the most and the least important factors and subfactors were identified and prioritized based on the experts’ opinions. The findings of this quantitative research reveal that Iranian students identify “Aids and Scholarships,” “Cost Issues,” and “Environment of the Home Country” as the most important factors, respectively. Finally, a discussion is generated regarding the results and their implications.
How active are children in Toronto? A comparison with accelerometry data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey.

INTRODUCTION The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) is the most comprehensive direct health measures survey ever conducted in Canada. Results show that the majority of children and youth (93%) do not meet current physical activity recommendations for health. CHMS data have not yet been considered alongside an independent sample of Canadian youth; such a Canadian-context examination could support CHMS results and contribute to discussions regarding accelerometry data reduction protocols. METHODS From 2010 to 2011, valid accelerometry data were collected on 856 children living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Where possible, data presentation and analyses were aligned with the CHMS protocol such that physical activity outcomes could be compared. RESULTS Overall, trends were similar, with some deviations likely due to contextual and sampling differences and differences in data collection/reduction protocols regarding accelerometer model selection, wear time, activity intensity thresholds and epoch. CONCLUSION The similar trends support the notion that physical inactivity is an ongoing problem in communities across Canada.
Journeys in non-classical computation I: A grand challenge for computing research

1. The challengeA gateway event [35] is a change to a system that leads to the possibility of huge increases inkinds and levels of complexity. It opens up a whole new kind of phase space to the system’sdynamics.Gatewayeventsduringevolutionoflifeonearthincludetheappearanceofeukaryotes(organisms with a cell nucleus), an oxygen atmosphere, multi-cellular organisms and grass.Gatewayeventsduringthedevelopmentofmathematicsincludeeachinventionofanewclassofnumbers (negative, irrational, imaginary, .), and dropping Euclid’s parallel postulate.A gateway event produces a profound and fundamental change to the system: Oncethrough the gateway, life is never the same again. We are currently poised on the threshold ofa signiﬁcant gateway event in computation: That of breaking free from many of our current“classical computational” assumptions. Our Grand Challenge for computer science isto journey through the gateway event obtained by breaking our current classicalcomputational assumptions, and thereby develop a mature science of Non-ClassicalComputation2. Journeys versus goals
You da Man: Narrating the Racial Other in the Linguistic Production of White Masculinity

d:/3socio/3-4/buch.3d — 22/9/99 — 9:45 — disk/mp Iournal of S0c1'0l1'ngu1'stics 3/4, 1999: 443—460 You da man: Narrating the racial other in the production of white masculinityl Mary Bucholtz Texas AM indeed, their very supposed ‘naturalness’ insulates them from study as con- structed and contingent dimensions of identity rather than as unexamined norms or baselines against which to compare purportedly ‘deviant’ others. This article considers the intersection of two such categories — whiteness and masculinity — and their construction in the linguistic practice of crossing (QT. Published by Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 1999 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1]F, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden MA 02148, USA.
Ion temperature anisotropy across a magnetotail reconnection jet

A significant fraction of the energy released by magnetotail reconnection appears to go into ion heating, but this heating is generally anisotropic. We examine ARTEMIS dual‐spacecraft observations of a long‐duration magnetotail exhaust generated by antiparallel reconnection in conjunction with particle‐in‐cell simulations, showing spatial variations in the anisotropy across the outflow far (>100di) downstream of the X line. A consistent pattern is found in both the spacecraft data and the simulations: While the total temperature across the exhaust is rather constant, near the boundaries Ti,|| dominates. The plasma is well above the firehose threshold within patchy spatial regions at |BX|∈[0.1,0.5]B0, suggesting that the drive for the instability is strong and the instability is too weak to relax the anisotropy. At the midplane ( |BX|≲0.1B0 ), Ti,⊥>Ti,|| and ions undergo Speiser‐like motion despite the large distance from the X line.
Emergency contraception: Knowledge and perceptions in a university population

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding emergency contraception (EC) in university men and women aged 18–21. Data sources: Data sources included responses to a 25‐item questionnaire and an 8‐item demographic survey completed anonymously at a public site on campus. Ninety‐seven university students participated in the study. Participants were asked to respond to questions relating to knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding EC, perceived worthiness, objections, sources of information about EC, preferred birth‐control method and usage, and perceptions of their personal risk of unintended pregnancy. Conclusions: Many respondents considered unintended pregnancy to be a major problem and considered EC a worthy option in the event of method failure or unprotected intercourse. While most participants were aware that there was a postcoital method of contraception, confusion existed between EC and RU‐486 (the abortion pill). Almost half (49.5%) believed that EC was the same as RU‐486. There was an association between advanced prescription for EC and its likelihood of use. Most women would be significantly more likely to use EC if they had a prescription on hand. Of the women who were less likely to choose EC, 100% indicated they would feel embarrassed or judged when asking for it. Only 34% of those women who have had a gynecological exam in the past 12 months had discussed EC with their provider. Implications for practice: Advanced practice nurses need to incorporate EC into preventive health counseling for both men and women. Providing women with an advanced prescription increases the likelihood that women will use EC.
Clinical Applications of End-to-Side Neurorrhaphy: An Update

End-to-side neurorrhaphy constitutes an interesting option to regain nerve function after damage in selected cases, in which conventional techniques are not feasible. In the last twenty years, many experimental and clinical studies have been conducted in order to understand the biological mechanisms and to test the effectiveness of this technique, with contrasting results. In this updated review, we consider the state of the art about end-to-side coaptation, focusing on all the current clinical applications, such as sensory and mixed nerve repair, treatment of facial palsy, and brachial plexus injuries and painful neuromas management.
Semantic Guidance and Feedback for the Construction of Specifications and Implementations

The problem of writing a specification which accurately reflects the intent of the developer has long been recognized as fundamental. We propose a method and a supporting tool to write and check a specification and an implementation using a set of use cases, \ie input-output pairs that the developer supplies. These are instances of both good (correct) and bad (incorrect) behavior. We assume that the use cases are accurate, as it is easier to generate use cases than to write an accurate specification. We incrementally construct a specification (precondition and postcondition) based on semantic feedback generated from these use cases. We check the accuracy of the constructed specification using two proposed algorithms. The first algorithm checks the accuracy of the specification against an automatically generated specification from a supplied finite domain of use cases. The second checks the accuracy of the specification via reducing its domain to a finite yet equally satisfiable domain if possible. When the specification is mature, we start to also construct a program that satisfies the specification. However, our method makes provision for the continued modification of the specification, if needed. We illustrate our method with two examples; linear search and text justify.
Exponential or Power Distance-Decay for Commuting? An Alternative Specification

In this paper we investigate the functional form of distance decay for commuting flows between municipalities in Denmark. Our inference is based on a single equation that includes variables to capture the effect of spatial structure. Special attention is given to a proper estimation method: we estimate the distance-decay parameters by nonlinear weighted least-squares with balancing factors. It appears that neither an exponential nor a power distance-decay function fits the data well. Using a spline regression we find a cost elasticity of – 4 for distances around 20 km and a much smaller value for shorter and longer distances. It appears that the logarithm of distance decay can be described adequately as a (downward) logistic function of log cost.
Effects of Momordica charantia (Bitter Melon) on Ischemic Diabetic Myocardium

Objective: A rat model is here used to test a hypothesis that Momordica charantia (Bitter melon (BM)) extract favorably alters processes in cardiovascular tissue and is systemically relevant to the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and related cardiovascular disease. Methods: Male Lean and Zucker Obese (ZO) rats were gavage-treated for six weeks with 400 mg/kg body weight bitter melon (BM) extract suspended in mucin–water vehicle, or with vehicle (Control). Animals were segregated into four treatment groups, 10 animals in each group, according to strain (Lean or ZO) and treatment (Control or BM). Following six-week treatment periods, peripheral blood was collected from selected animals, followed by sacrifice, thoracotomy and mounting of isolated working heart setup. Results: Body mass of both Lean and ZO rats was unaffected by treatment, likewise, peripheral blood fasting glucose levels showed no significant treatment-related effects. However, some BM treatment-related improvement was noted in postischemic cardiac functions when Lean, BM-treated animals were compared to vehicle treated Lean control rats. Treatment of Lean, but not ZO, rats significantly reduced the magnitude of infarcted zone in isolated hearts subjected to 30 min of ischemia followed by 2 h of working mode reperfusion. Immunohistochemical demonstration of caspase-3 expression by isolated heart tissues subjected to 30 min of ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion, revealed significant correlation between BM treatment and reduced expression of this enzyme in hearts obtained from both Lean and ZO animals. The hierarchy and order of caspase-3 expression from highest to lowest was as follows: ZO rats receiving vehicle > ZO rats receiving BM extract > Lean rats treated receiving vehicle > Lean rats administered BM extract. Outcomes of analyses of peripheral blood content of cardiac-related analytics: with particular relevance to clinical application was a significant elevation in blood of ZO and ZO BM-treated, versus Lean rats of total cholesterol (high density lipoprotein HDL-c + low density lipoprotein LDL-c), with an inferred increase in HDL-c/LDL-c ratio—an outcome associated with decreased risk of atherosclerotic disease. Conclusions: BM extract failed to positively affect T2DM- and cardiovascular-related outcomes at a level suggesting use as a standalone treatment. Nevertheless, the encouraging effects of BM in enhancement of cardiac function, suppression of post-ischemic/reperfused infarct size extent and capacity to modulate serum cholesterol, will likely make it useful as an adjuvant therapy for the management of T2DM and related cardiovascular diseases.
Typing as a means for validating feature structures

We present a method for validating the consistency of feature structure speci cations by imposing a type discipline. A typed system facilitates a great number of compile-time checks: many possible errors can be detected before the grammar is used for parsing. We have constructed a type signature for an existing broad-coverage grammar of English, and implemented a type inference algorithm that operates on the feature structure speci cations in the grammar. The algorithm reports occurrences of incompatibility with the type signature. We have detected a large number of errors in the grammar; four types of errors are described in the paper.
Heap Taichi: exploiting memory allocation granularity in heap-spraying attacks

Heap spraying is an attack technique commonly used in hijacking browsers to download and execute malicious code. In this attack, attackers first fill a large portion of the victim process's heap with malicious code. Then they exploit a vulnerability to redirect the victim process's control to attackers' code on the heap. Because the location of the injected code is not exactly predictable, traditional heap-spraying attacks need to inject a huge amount of executable code to increase the chance of success. Injected executable code usually includes lots of NOP-like instructions leading to attackers' shellcode. Targeting this attack characteristic, previous solutions detect heap-spraying attacks by searching for the existence of such large amount of NOP sled and other shellcode. In this paper, we analyze the implication of modern operating systems' memory allocation granularity and present Heap Taichi, a new heap spraying technique exploiting the weakness in memory alignment. We describe four new heap object structures that can evade existing detection tools, as well as proof-of-concept heap-spraying code implementing our technique. Our research reveals that a large amount of NOP sleds is not necessary for a reliable heap-spraying attack. In our experiments, we showed that our heap-spraying attacks are a realistic threat by evading existing detection mechanisms. To detect and prevent the new heap-spraying attacks, we propose enhancement to existing approaches and propose to use finer memory allocation granularity at memory managers of all levels. We also studied the impact of our solution on system performance.
ICT Challenges in Developing Countries: Botswana’s Perspective

— Despite the availability of information and communication technologies (ICT’s) infrastructure in central government in Botswana, there is evidence of lack of exploitation of the technology. There are several factors that hinder exploitation of information technology in Botswana. Botswana is classified as an upper medium income country because of the country’s high GDP. However, such wealth is derived from diamond mining which has few manufacturing activities. A new social divide is emerging between those who have access and those without access to ICT’s. This is a new social discourse that has a negative effect on the groups which are already disadvantaged, such as rural communities and the unemployed. With the massive investments that Botswana government has made towards ICT, it should now be getting some rewards. Lack of ICT infrastructure is often cited as a problem limiting ICT use in developing countries. Botswana’s situation shows that infrastructure does not necessarily leads to high levels of use.