Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intelligibility of temporally interrupted speech.

Previous experiments have demonstrated that intelligibility of interrupted speech is dependent upon several parameters including interruption rate, speech‐time fraction (STF), ON time, OFF time, and message rate. Our experiments suggest a more parsimonious model that incorporates only ON time and OFF time expressed relative to average word duration. Messages spoken at rates of 186 and 246 wpm were interrupted at rates ranging from 0.42 to 20.0 ips for STFs of 0.67, 0.50, and 0.33. At slow interruption rates, intelligibility was dependent primarily on STF. Intelligibility functions then passed through a minimum located in the vicinity of 1.0–2.5 ips, followed by rapid recovery to nearly 100% intelligibility at 10 ips. The exact location of minimum, however, varied with both message rate and STF. The data can be viewed more simply by a model that incorporates two switching parameters, ON time and OFF time, and temporal characteristics of the message. Equal‐intelligibility contours will be described that ill.
Is Purchasing Power Parity Overvalued

The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the hypothesis of long-run Purchasing Power Parity among industrial countries under the current float using the panel data approach. We propose a new finite-sample panel data unit-root test procedure that allows for a general serial correlation structure and arbitrary contemporaneous correlation in model innovations across countries. This procedure is then applied to the recently developed panel data unit-root tests of Im, Pesaran and Shin (1996) and of Maddala and Wu (1999). The test results show sufficient evidence against the unit-root null for most samples. By comparing our results with the existing ones in the literature, we found that the method of assuming a restrictive serial correlation structure tends to weaken evidence against the unit-root null.
Business Cycle Synchronization between the CEEC and the Euro-Area: Evidence from Threshold Seemingly Unrelated Regressions

This paper re-examines the issue of business cycle synchronization between the Central and East European countries (CEECs) and the Euro-area using threshold seemingly unrelated regressions. This new technique is useful in two ways. First, it takes into account contemporaneous linkages among the CEECs as well as between the CEECs and the Euro-area. Second, it captures business cycle regimes for the CEECs, which are driven by the Euro-area cycle. The methodology is applied to the three largest CEECs: Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. The results show that while Hungary has very similar business cycle regimes to the Euro-area, the Czech Republic and particularly Poland are less synchronized.
Transputers for Industrial Applications

The transputer is currently being used in more than 1,000 designs worldwide, which indicates its importance for industrial applications. In this paper we describe the philosophy behind the transputer and its language, occam; the most important features of transputers; and the impact they can have on parallel system design and development. A description is given of the available development systems and programming languages, as well as an overview of some of the more important application areas. We conclude with a number of remarks about the future and the usability of the transputer. For people who are building faster computer systems, the transputer is a dream come true: it is pleasant to design with, it is easy to program, and it has a very high performance.
Sources of Structural Change in Peripheral Rural Areas: The Case of the Western Isles, 1988/89 to 1997

ROBERTS D. and THOMSON K. J. (2003) Sources of structural change in peripheral rural areas: the case of the Western Isles, 1988/89 to 1997 , Reg. Studies 37 , 61-70. The paper considers the sources of structural change in peripheral rural areas, arguing that a greater understanding of sources of change would aid rural development policy makers. Adopting a demand-side perspective, changes in real output are decomposed to distinguish between those brought about by changes in technology, changes in local sourcing patterns and changes in final demand. Empirical analysis focuses on the economy of the Western Isles in Scotland. Results highlight the importance of export demand but also a wide variability between sectors in the direction and magnitude of the different drivers of change. A number of policy implications are drawn in the light of the findings. ROBERTS D. et THOMSON K. J. (2003) Les sources du développement structurel dans les zones rurales périphériques: étude de cas des îles Hébrides occidentales de 1988/89 à 1997, Reg. Studies 37 , 61-70. Cet article cherche à examiner les sources du dé veloppement structurel dans les zones rurales périphériques, affirmant qu'une meilleure compréhension des sources du développement aiderait les décideurs ruraux. A partir d'une approche portant sur la demande, les variations de la production réelle sont décomposées afin de déterminer celles qui s'expliquent par l' évolution technologique, celles qui remontent à la façon de s'approvisonner sur le plan local, et celles qui sont dues à l' évolution de la demande finale. L'analyse empirique porte sur l' économie des îles Hébrides occidentales, en Ecosse. Les résultats soulignent non seulement l'importance de la demande des exportations, mais aussi la variation importante intersectorielle quant à la direction et à l'ampleur des diverses forces motrices du dé veloppement. A la lumière de ces résultats, quelques implications pour la politique sont tirées. ROBERTS D. und THOMSON K. J. (2003) Ursachen strukturellen Wandels in entlegenen ländlichen Gebieten: der Fall der Hebriden in Zeitraum 1988/ 89-1997, Reg. Studies 37 , 61-70. Dieser Aufsatz zieht die Ursachen strukturellen Wandels in abgelegenen ländlichen Gebieten in Erwägung, wobei er den Standpunkt vertritt, daß besseres Verständnis der Ursachen des Wandels den für ländliche Entwicklung Verantwortlichen helfen würde. Veränderungen bei tatsächlichen Erträgen werden aus der Perspektive der Nachfrage zerlegt, um unterscheiden zu können, welche durch Wandel in Technologie, Wandel in Quellenmustern am Orte und Wandel in der Endnachfrage verursacht werden. Die empirische Analyse konzentriert sich auf die Wirtschaft der Hebrideninseln in Schottland. Die Ergebnisse heben die Bedeutung der Exportnachfrage hervor, aber auch eine beträchtliche Ungleichheit zwischen Sektoren in Richtung und Umfang verschiedener Antriebskräfte des Wandels. In Anbetracht dieser Befunde wird auf eine Anzahl grundsätzlicher Auswirkungen aufmerksam gemacht.
Modeling and predicting transcriptional units of Escherichia coli genes using hidden Markov models.

MOTIVATION The hidden Markov model (HMM) is a valuable technique for gene-finding, especially because its flexibility enables the inclusion of various sequence features. Recent programs for bacterial gene-finding include the information of ribosomal binding site (RBS) to improve the recognition accuracy of the start codon, using this feature. We report here our attempt to extend the model into the total transcriptional unit, enabling the prediction of operon structures. RESULTS First, we improved the prediction accuracy of coding sequences (CDSs) by employing the models of 'typical', 'atypical' and 'negative (false-positive)' classes as well as the models of RBS and its downstream spacer. The sensitivity of exactly predicting the 204 experimentally confirmed CDSs reached 90.2% in an objective test. Based on the prediction result of CDSs, the positions of the promoters and terminators were predicted. Our model could exactly recognize 60% of 390 known transcriptional units. Thus, the accuracy and significance of this prediction problem is far from trivial. We would like to propose this problem as an open theme in bioinformatics because the ongoing or planned post-sequencing projects will produce much data for future improvements.
The Labor Market Effects of Disability Discrimination Laws

We present new evidence on the effects of disability discrimination laws based on variation induced by state-level antidiscrimination measures passed prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The evidence expands upon other research that focuses solely on the impact of the ADA by using a “quasi-experimental” framework that generates treatment and comparison groups. We find that disability discrimination laws are associated with lower relative earnings of the disabled, with slightly lower disabled relative labor force participation rates, but are not associated with lower relative employment rates for the disabled once we control for preexisting employment trends among the disabled.
The Effect of Structural Breaks and Long Memory on Currency Hedging

Empirical evidence suggests that unconditional variance of exchange rate return series is subject to occasional structural breaks that may induce spurious phenomenon of high persistence and long memory of volatility processes. In this study, we investigate the effects of such breaks on estimated risk‐minimizing hedge strategies (ratios) and their performance in currency markets. Using bivariate GARCH (BGARCH) and fractionally integrated GARCH models, we estimate the hedge ratios for six foreign currencies in the full sample with and without controlling for breaks and each subsample of different unconditional variance regimes identified by a modified version of the Inclan C, and Tiao GC (1994) algorithm. Our findings suggest that daily currency risk can be better hedged with currency futures when controlling for unconditional variance breaks in the BGARCH model. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 30:607–632, 2010
An Experimental Study of Vertebrate Scavenging Behavior in a Northwest European Woodland Context

Vertebrate scavengers can modify surface deposited human remains which can hinder forensic investigations. The effects of such scavenging vary between species and regions. Published research into the effects of the scavenging of human remains is dominated by work from North America with few studies covering Northwestern Europe. Forensic scientists, investigators, and police search officers in Northwestern Europe are often left questioning on a basic level as to which scavengers are active and how they might affect human remains. This paper presents the results of a field study utilizing deer (Cervus nippon; Capreolus capreolus) as surface deposits observed by motion detection cameras in a British woodland. The most common avian and rodent scavenger species recorded included the buzzard (Buteo buteo), carrion crow (Corvus corone), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), and gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). The scavenging behaviors observed were affected by seasonality, rates of decomposition, and insect activity. Scavenging by buzzards, unlike carrion crows, was most frequent during fall to winter and prior to insect activity. Overall, avian scavengers modified and scavenged soft tissue. Rodents scavenged both fresh and skeletonized remains with gray squirrels only scavenging skeletal remains. Wood mice were most active in winter and scavenged both soft tissue and bone.
Do people understand IARC's 2B categorization of RF fields from cell phones?

In May 2011, the International Agency on Cancer in Research (IARC) issued an official statement concluding that cell phone usage was “possibly carcinogenic to humans. ” There have been considerable doubts that non‐experts and experts alike fully understood what IARC's categorization actually meant, as “possibly carcinogenic” can be interpreted in many ways. The present study is based on an online survey indicating that both the characterization of the probability of carcinogenicity, as well as the description of the risk increase given in the IARC press release, was mostly misunderstood by study participants. Respondents also greatly overestimated the magnitude of the potential risk. Our study results showed that IARC needs to improve their scientific communications. Bioelectromagnetics. 35:373–378, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Virtual currency, tangible return: Portfolio diversification with bitcoin

Bitcoin (BTC) is a major virtual currency. Using weekly data over the 2010–2013 period, we analyze a BTC investment from the standpoint of a US investor with a diversified portfolio including both traditional assets (worldwide stocks, bonds, hard currencies) and alternative investments (commodities, hedge funds, real estate). Over the period under consideration, BTC investment had highly distinctive features, including exceptionally high average return and volatility. Its correlation with other assets was remarkably low. Spanning tests confirm that BTC investment offers significant diversification benefits. We show that the inclusion of even a small proportion of BTCs may dramatically improve the risk-return trade-off of well-diversified portfolios. Results should however be taken with caution as the data may reflect early-stage behavior that may not last in the medium or long run.
Monitoring water and carbon fluxes at fine spatial scales using HyspIRI-like measurements

Remotely sensed observations in the visible to the shortwave infrared (VSWIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum can be used synergistically to provide valuable products of land surface properties for reliable assessments of carbon and water fluxes. The high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution VSWIR and TIR observations provided by the proposed Hyperspectral - InfraRed (HyspIRI) mission will enable a new era of global agricultural monitoring, critical for addressing growing issues of food insecurity. To enable predictions at fine spatial resolution (<;100m), modeling efforts must rely on a combination of high-frequency temporal and highresolution spatial information. In this study, spatialtemporal sampling frequency is improved by employing a multi-scale and multi-sensor data fusion approach, integrating spatial detail from Landsat (30m/16 day) with the high temporal frequency of MODIS (1km/daily).
Universities: public good or private profit

Funding higher education has increasingly become a paradox for many nation states. The paradox rests with the recognition that the nation state acknowledges that university education has long-term benefits for the state with a better educated society, an increased opportunity to provide an innovative, creative and high technology work force for economic growth. Against this foil is the global austerity facing many countries, challenging the state to reduce the fiscal debt. The article seeks a ‘third way’ through the paradox using a dialectic argument.
Causes and Consequences of Cash Flow Sensitivity: Empirical Tests of the U.S. Lodging Industry

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to investigate the causes and consequence of cash flow sensitivity. While cash flow has been regarded as an agency problem, empirical investigations in context of managerial conservatism or optimizing behavior are limited. In this paper, we investigate two key aspects of cash flow sensitivity: whether cash flow sensitivity causes variations in fixed asset investments and if cash flow variations are caused by managerial conservatism. Theoretical models are empirically tested in the U.S. lodging sector. This overall understanding of cash flow sensitivity in the lodging industry through our study contributes to the study of liquidity management practices, capital formation, and investment behavior, and how these are related to overall risk profile of the firm.
Effects of secreted oligomers of amyloid β‐protein on hippocampal synaptic plasticity: a potent role for trimers

The accumulation of amyloid β‐protein (Aβ) in brain regions serving memory and cognition is a central pathogenic feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have shown that small soluble oligomers of human Aβ that are naturally secreted by cultured cells inhibit hippocampal long‐term potentiation (LTP) in vitro and in vivo and transiently impair the recall of a complex learned behaviour in rats. These results support the hypothesis that diffusible oligomers of Aβ initiate a synaptic dysfunction that may be an early event in AD. We now report detailed electrophysiological analyses that define conditions under which acute application of soluble Aβ inhibits hippocampal synaptic plasticity in wild‐type mice. To ascertain which Aβ assemblies contribute to the impairment of LTP, we fractionated oligomers by size‐exclusion chromatography and found that Aβ trimers fully inhibit LTP, whereas dimers and tetramers have an intermediate potency. Natural Aβ oligomers are sensitive to heat denaturation, primarily inhibit the induction phase of LTP, and cause a sustained impairment of LTP even after extensive washout. We observed no effects of Aβ oligomers on presynaptic vesicle release. LTP in juvenile mice is resistant to the effects of Aβ oligomers, as is brain‐derived‐neurotrophic‐factor‐induced LTP in adult hippocampus. We conclude that specific assemblies, particularly timers, of naturally secreted Aβ oligomers are potent and selective inhibitors of certain forms of hippocampal LTP.
Enhanced classification for high-throughput data with an optimal projection and hybrid classifier

High-throughput screening technologies recently developed allow scientists to conduct millions of biological and medical tests simultaneously and rapidly. A major bottleneck for the analysis is to reduce the inherent high dimensionality for subsequent analysis. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a popular tool for dimensionality reduction by selecting typically a few Principal Components (PCs) ranked by their variances, eigenvalues. Since this selection approach is not always effective in reducing dimensionality, we consider a different ranking criterion, the canonical variate criterion. To further enhance the classification performance, we propose an integrated classification framework to combine the criterion and two hybrid classification methods and compare with several popular classification methods using leave-one-out cross-validation. For illustration, three real high-throughput data sets are considered and analysed to illustrate the methods.
The over-the-counter market for forest carbon offsets: an insight into pricing in a market without common price signals

Summary Carbon markets have been recognised as being one of the few financing mechanisms with the ability to quickly raise the capital required to finance an international mechanism to ‘reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation’ (REDD) in developing countries, as well as to support conservation and sustainable management of forests and to enhance forest carbon stocks (REDD+) under an international framework to mitigate climate change. Historically, however, climate change negotiations and outcomes have not supported the inclusion of forest carbon offsets or credits in a cap-and-trade carbon market. Consequently, the voluntary market has become an important market for the trading of forest carbon offsets. The ‘over-the-counter’ (OTC) market is the predominant market for forest carbon offsets, but pricing transparency is limited as transactions are done on a deal-to-deal basis. Large variations in the price of forest carbon offsets are evident in Australia and other countries. Common pricing strategies identified include pricing transactions based on the volume of offsets, and setting fixed or minimum prices for transactions. Data were collected from the Australian Carbon Offset Guide and Carbon Catalogue which provide regularly updated information on project developers, retailers and brokers selling carbon offsets from a variety of projects on the voluntary market. Most brokers in the sample also required a minimum volume for the transaction. It was concluded that current pricing on cap-and-trade schemes selling carbon commodities does not offer common pricing signals for the OTC market, and that prices for forest carbon offsets on the OTC market were much higher than prices in cap-and-trade schemes.
c-Kit modifies the inflammatory status of smooth muscle cells

Background c-Kit is a receptor tyrosine kinase present in multiple cell types, including vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). However, little is known about how c-Kit influences SMC biology and vascular pathogenesis. Methods High-throughput microarray assays and in silico pathway analysis were used to identify differentially expressed genes between primary c-Kit deficient (KitW/W–v) and control (Kit+/+) SMC. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and functional assays further confirmed the differences in gene expression and pro-inflammatory pathway regulation between both SMC populations. Results The microarray analysis revealed elevated NF-κB gene expression secondary to the loss of c-Kit that affects both the canonical and alternative NF-κB pathways. Upon stimulation with an oxidized phospholipid as pro-inflammatory agent, c-Kit deficient SMC displayed enhanced NF-κB transcriptional activity, higher phosphorylated/total p65 ratio, and increased protein expression of NF-κB regulated pro-inflammatory mediators with respect to cells from control mice. The pro-inflammatory phenotype of mutant cells was ameliorated after restoring c-Kit activity using lentiviral transduction. Functional assays further demonstrated that c-Kit suppresses NF-κB activity in SMC in a TGFβ-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and Nemo-like kinase (NLK) dependent manner. Discussion Our study suggests a novel mechanism by which c-Kit suppresses NF-κB regulated pathways in SMC to prevent their pro-inflammatory transformation.
What Is Policy Convergence and What Causes It?

Studies of policy convergence among advanced industrial states are often based on an overly deterministic logic, a static conception of convergence and an unclear specification of the aspects of policy that are supposed to be converging. This article reviews a body of recent comparative policy literature to identify a fourfold framework of processes through which convergence might arise: emulation, where state officials copy action taken elsewhere; elite networking, where convergence results from transnational policy communities; harmonization through international regimes; and penetration by external actors and interests. In drawing some conceptual, methodological and theoretical lessons about how to study this phenomenon in the future, the article concludes that policy convergence should not denote an absence of state autonomy. Rather, an application of state-centred theory suggests that, with the exception of penetration, the other processes may occur through the autonomous preferences of policy makers to fashion convergent policies.