Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stress-timed = word-based? Testing a hypothesis in prosodic typology

Abstract In recent research on cross-linguistic differences in linguistic rhythm, it has been hypothesized that the traditional dichotomy ‘stress-timed’ versus ‘syllable-timed’ might be recast with respect to which level of the Prosodic Hierarchy constitutes the most prominent domain for the organization of prosodic structure. In this paper, we test the prediction that ‘stress-timed’ languages are characterized by a dominance of the prosodic word against a typological sample of 58 languages. Although there is a slight cross-linguistic tendency in favor of the prediction, there is no statistical support for the proposed correlation. Since counterexamples include not only individual languages but also entire language families, we advocate a different view on prosodic word domain structure. The prosodic word profile of a given language is more reliably predicted by the family membership of that language than by universal correlations concerning its rhythm class membership. We substantiate this claim by a survey of Mon-Khmer’s family signature on prosodic word domain structure in Mon, where sound patterns target either the monosyllabic stem or the maximally inflected disyllabic word.
Thin-Film Single-Crystal Schottky Diodes for IR Detection and Beyond

Thin-film p-type Co-Si and n-type Cr-Si Schottky diodes have been fabricated, in which a thin silicon layer is sandwiched between the anode and the cathode of the diodes, in a vertical configuration. The thicknesses of the silicon are 70 and 40 nm, for Co-Si and Cr-Si diodes, respectively. The thin layer significantly reduces the series resistance and the vertical structure reduces the parasitic capacitances in the diode, resulting in a high cutoff frequency, 100 and 54 THz, for the Co-Si and Cr-Si diodes, respectively. The dc current-voltage measurements show that the ideality factor is ~ 1.25 . The small ideality factor is attributed to the use of crystalline silicon, enabled by the transfer method. This leads to a relatively high theoretical estimation of responsivity of the diodes in nonlinear detection/rectification. The high cutoff frequency and high responsivity make these diodes a suitable candidate for terahertz (THz) detection, in the range of infrared (IR) and beyond. Our fabrication method and device structure allow for a better integration of Schottky diodes with a strip antenna, which provides a better mechanical stability for practical THz and IR applications.
The Neural Bases of the Semantic Interference of Spatial Frequency-based Information in Scenes

Abstract Current models of visual perception suggest that during scene categorization, low spatial frequencies (LSF) are processed rapidly and activate plausible interpretations of visual input. This coarse analysis would then be used to guide subsequent processing of high spatial frequencies (HSF). The present fMRI study examined how processing of LSF may influence that of HSF by investigating the neural bases of the semantic interference effect. We used hybrid scenes as stimuli by combining LSF and HSF from two different scenes, and participants had to categorize the HSF scene. Categorization was impaired when LSF and HSF scenes were semantically dissimilar, suggesting that the LSF scene was processed automatically and interfered with categorization of the HSF scene. fMRI results revealed that this semantic interference effect was associated with increased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus, the superior parietal lobules, and the fusiform and parahippocampal gyri. Furthermore, a connectivity analysis (psychophysiological interaction) revealed that the semantic interference effect resulted in increasing connectivity between the right fusiform and the right inferior frontal gyri. Results support influential models suggesting that, during scene categorization, LSF information is processed rapidly in the pFC and activates plausible interpretations of the scene category. These coarse predictions would then initiate top–down influences on recognition-related areas of the inferotemporal cortex, and these could interfere with the categorization of HSF information in case of semantic dissimilarity to LSF.
An assessment of the impact of Bangalore citizen report cards on the performance of public agencies

The Bangalore Citizen Report Card (CRC), pioneered by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), provides an assessment of the satisfaction levels of citizens with regard to public services in Bangalore and ranks public service agencies (dealing with water, power, municipal services, transport, housing, telephones, banks and hospitals) in terms of their service performance. This review provides an independent assessment of the contribution of the first two CRCs (1994 and 1999) based on interviews with a sample of agency heads, senior state officials, citizen action groups and the media in Bangalore. Following the findings, many of the agencies initiated reform measures; some senior agency officials perceived, however, that the CRCs did not reflect their achievements and the constraints on their performance. On the whole, the impact of the CRCs has been positive. They helped to increase public awareness of the quality of services and stimulated citizen groups to demand better services. They influenced key officials in understanding the perceptions of ordinary citizens and the role of civil society in city governance.
Mechanism of bacteriophage conversion of lipase activity in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus PS54 harbors two temperate bacteriophages and manifests no lipase activity on egg yolk agar. Curing of one of the resident prophages (L54a) restores lipase activity. To study the mechanism of bacteriophage conversion, the prophage was cured, and the gene encoding lipase activity was cloned into pBR322 in Escherichia coli on a 2.9-kilobase DNA fragment of the chromosome. The fragment was subcloned into a shuttle vector and subsequently transformed into S. aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Lipase activity was expressed in all three genetic backgrounds. Transformation and transductional data indicated that conversion is due to insertional inactivation of the lipase gene. Hybridization analysis with probes made from converting-phage DNA and from the cloned fragment confirmed that the phage insertion site resides within the terminal 0.8 kilobase of the insert.
A Case Analysis on the Catch-up Strategy of Late-Comer Firms in the Social-Media Service Industry

Abstract 논문투고일：2012년 10월 25일 논문수정완료일：2012년 120월 03일 논문게재확정일：2012년 12월 10일* 가천대학교 경영학과 외래교수** 가천대학교 경영학과 교수, 교신저자 Recently, emergence of smart-phones and Social Networking Service(SNS) would offer the market environment changes and the opportunities for new business. For the case analysis comprehensive survey were implemented. And those data were analyzed along the research framework. The late -comer firms offered differential services, maintained creative and opened corporate culture, shoed learning capabilit ies which means absorption and organization of external knowledge, innovative efforts to control the insurgents than ea rly-mover firms. When we analyze these phenomena along the developmental stages of late-comer, we can perceive that the stage of late-comers firms were moving from the “tracing the path” st age to “jumping the path” stage which means the creating capabilities were more or less enhanced and the firms become more stable in terms of business operation. In business model, early-mover firms showed clear definition for each business element, especially the revenue structure, while late-mover firms seemed unstable or unclear re venue structure.
Homomorphic Encryption without Gaussian Noise

We propose a Somewhat Homomorphic Encryption (SHE) scheme based on the Learning With Rounding (LWR) problem. The LWR problem is somewhat similar to the more classical Learning With Errors (LWE) and was proposed as a deterministic variant of it and setting up an LWR instance does not require the generation of gaussian noise. Thus our SHE scheme can be instantiated without the need for expensive Gaussian noise sampling. Our initial scheme provides lower ciphertext sizes for small plaintext spaces than existing leading schemes such as BGV.
Coping with Fiscal Stress

The process by which large cities respond to fiscal stress is analyzed in light of the "garbage-can model" of organizational decision making. The model is informed by the assumption that choices are often ill-defined and ambiguous, resulting in a decision process that is poorly structured. When applied to the fiscal retrenchment process, the expectation is that the selection of various financial management strategies may be difficult to explain. To the extent that coherence exists, it is likely that the process will be executive-dominated. These expectations are generally confined when the retrenchment behavior of a large group of cities is tested within a multivariate framework.
Multiplierless Implementation of an Aliasing-Free Digital Pulsewidth Modulator

Digital pulsewidth modulators are used to transform nonconstant amplitude signals into pulsed signals, such that the information lying in the signal amplitude is encoded in the widths of pulses. Because of the inherent aliasing distortion in digital pulsewidth-modulated signals, additional signal processing steps are required to make pulsewidth modulation (PWM) suitable for applications like digital audio amplification or burst-mode radio-frequency transmitters. These processing steps, however, entail an undesirable increase in computational effort. This brief presents a multiplierless implementation of a digital aliasing-free pulsewidth modulator using lookup tables, adders, and arithmetic shifts only. Mathematical equations of asymmetric double-edge PWM are given, as well as a modified aliasing-free version of this PWM technique that directly integrates the distortion-avoiding signal processing steps into the pulsewidth modulator. Based on these equations, a multiplierless implementation of the aliasing-free PWM (AF-PWM) is developed. Simulation results obtained with a Simulink fixed-point model show that the proposed modulator implementation provides a feasible solution for realizing AF-PWM with low computational effort.
Diversity and biogeography of vascular epiphytes in Western Amazonia, Yasuní, Ecuador

Aim Although vascular epiphytes are important components of species richness and complexity of Neotropical forests, vascular epiphytes are under‐represented in large scale biogeographical analyses. We studied the diversity, biogeography and floristic relationships of the epiphytic flora of the Yasuní region (Western Amazonia) in a Neotropical context, with special emphasis on the influence of the Andean flora on floristic composition and diversity of surrounding lowland forests.
Development and Validation of an Indicator of Support for Community-Residing Older Canadians

Lack of social support is an important risk factor for disability, psychiatric illness, cognitive impairment, institutionalization, and mortality. Social networks are also important for the caregiving and emotional support that elderly people need to allow them to function well in the community. This article details the development and validation of an index of the instrumental support available to older community residents in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA). Preliminary item review, internal consistency, and exploratory factor analysis were carried out on a random half of the sample. The second half of the sample was used for cross validation; internal consistency, exploratory factor analysis, and item response theory analysis were carried out. The final scale had six items; alpha internal consistency was 0.76 and IRT reliability was 0.85. A one-factor solution was most easily interpretable. IRT analyses showed that the scale was homogeneous and that most items were highly discriminating. The instrumental support scale also had a high correlation with size of social network; it was related to marital status and gender, and predicted institutionalization between the two phases of the study.
Assessment of DNA Damage Induced by Broadband and Narrowband UVB in Cultured Lymphoblasts and Keratinocytes Using the Comet Assay

Phototherapy with broadband UVB is an effective treatment for inflammatory dermatoses. A newly developed fluorescent UVB lamp (Philips TL01) that emits a narrowband UVB around 311 nm was shown to be superior for the phototherapy of psoriasis. In order to contribute to the knowledge about the carcinogenic potential of this UVB source, we measured the DNA damage in lymphoblasts and keratinocytes induced by narrowband UVB and compared it with that by conventional broadband UVB using the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet as‐say). At equal doses, broadband UVB produced more DNA damage than narrowband UVB. However, in phototherapy of psoriasis, up to 10‐fold higher doses are used with TLO1. When therapeutically equivalent doses were compared (10‐fold correction for narrowband UVB), we found only slight differences in the amount of DNA damage produced by broadband and narrowband UVB. This supports the already existing evidence that for phototherapy narrowband UVB is not more carcinogenic than broadband UVB.
Catechol O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Polymorphism is Associated with Cognitive Performance in Nondemented Adults

The catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is essential in the metabolic degradation of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. In the present study, we examined the effect of a Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene on individual differences and changes in cognition (executive functions and visuospatial ability) in adulthood and old age. The participants were 292 nondemented men (initially aged 35-85 years) from a random sample of the population (i.e., the Betula study) tested at two occasions with a 5-year interval. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the underlying structure of three indicators of executive functions (verbal fluency, working memory, and Tower of Hanoi). Associations between COMT, age, executive functioning, and visuospatial (block design) tasks were examined using repeated-measures analyses of variance. Carriers of the Val allele (with higher enzyme activity) compared with carriers of the Met/Met genotype (with low enzyme activity) performed worse on executive functioning and visuo-spatial tasks. Individuals with the Val/Val genotype declined in executive functioning over the 5-year period, whereas carriers of the Met allele remained stable in performance. An Age COMT interaction for visuospatial ability located the effect for middle-aged men only. This COMT polymorphism is a plausible candidate gene for executive functioning and fluid intelligence in nondemented middle-aged and older adults.
Research on Auto-Tracking Algorithm for Power Line Inspection Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

As a new method for power line inspection, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based inspection is efficient and low-cost. Since the flight speed of UAV is fast, target auto-tracking and photographing of the airborne equipments including visual-light camera, infrared thermal imager and ultraviolet imager, is a very important and useful function. In this work, a power line inspection system suitable for UAV-based inspection is built, and based on this system, an auto-tracking algorithm used for UAV power line inspection is proposed. Theories including coordinate transformation of three coordinate systems (geodetic coordinate system, geocentric rectangular coordinate system and NEU coordinate system) and spherical approximation method of treating arc length as chord length are applied to this auto-tracking algorithm. Through this algorithm, airborne cameras' shooting angle can be automatically modified to keep tracking and photographing power line during the inspection, using the real-time captured GPS data of UAV. The requirements on GPS positioning accuracy for the algorithm are also discussed in this work.
Akt2 Modulates Glucose Availability and Downstream Apoptotic Pathways during Development*

Glucose is the primary energy substrate for eukaryotic cells and the predominant substrate for the brain. Studies suggest that glucose serves an additional role in the regulation of cellular functions, including viability. Zebrafish is a tractable system for defining the cellular and molecular mechanisms perturbed by impaired glucose transport and metabolism. Previously, we demonstrated a critical role for the facilitative glucose transporter, Glut1, in the regulation of embryonic brain development. In this study, we aim to identify mediators in this Glut1-sensitive process by investigating the role of the antiapoptotic kinase, Akt2. Results show that abrogating expression of akt2 causes a phenotype strikingly similar to that observed when glut1 expression is inhibited. akt2-deficient embryos exhibit increased neuronal apoptosis, impaired glucose uptake, and death by 72 h postfertilization. Similar to what was observed in the glut1 morphants, inhibiting the expression of the proapoptotic protein, bad, in the context of impaired akt2 expression results in the inhibition of apoptosis and rescue of the morphant embryos. Intriguingly, overexpression of glut1 in the akt2 morphants was also able to rescue these embryos. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis revealed decreased glut1 transcript expression in akt2 morphant embryos. Taken together, these data suggest that Akt2 modulates glucose availability by regulating Glut1 expression at the transcript level. These data support a role for akt2 in an integrative pathway directly linking glucose, Glut1 expression, and activation of apoptosis and demonstrate the dependence of akt2 on glucose availability for the maintenance of cellular viability, particularly in the central nervous system.
The Efficient-Market Hypothesis and Its Validity in the French Stock Exchange

The aims of the paper are to test the validity of the Efficient-Market Hypothesis in the French Stock Exchange and to show whether the findings are sensitive to the frequency of data and the choice of proxies for the market. A certain number of tests have been carried out such as unit root test, ARIMA model, autocorrelation and normality test. The results of the tests for most part support the validity of EMH in the French stock market. However, normality and autocorrelation test show inconsistencies with EMH. This difference of findings means that despite the fact that EMH seems to hold, the French stock market is not perfectly efficient and present some inconsistencies. Concerning the impact of the data frequency factor, the ARIMA model shows that there is a slight difference in the results. Indeed, daily data appears to be more consistent with EMH concept that weekly data. However, the differences are not substantial to lead to a global conclusion. In all other test, no significant differences have been found between daily and weekly data. On the other side, the choice of the proxy has been found to influence substantially the results; in most cases, CAC 40 index has shown more consistencies with EMH than broader indices.
109Cd K x ray fluorescence measurements of tibial lead content in young adults exposed to lead in early childhood

OBJECTIVES Tibia lead measurements were performed in a population of 19–29 year old people who had been highly exposed to lead in childhood to find whether lead had persisted in the bone matrix until adulthood. METHODS 109Cd K x ray fluorescence was used to measure the tibia lead concentrations of 262 exposed subjects and 268 age and sex matched controls. Questionnaire data allowed a years of residence index to be calculated for exposed subjects. A cumulative blood lead index was calculated from the time weighted integration of available data of blood lead. RESULTS The mean (SEM) difference between exposed and control men was 4.51 (0.35) μg Pb/g bone mineral, and between exposed and control women was 3.94 (0.61) μg Pb/g bone mineral. Grouped mean bone lead concentrations of exposed subjects were predicted best by age. When exposed and control subjects' data were combined, grouped mean bone lead concentrations were predicted best by cumulative blood lead index. The years of residence index was neither a good predictor of bone lead concentrations for exposed subjects nor for exposed and control subjects combined. Finally, exposed subjects had increased current blood lead concentrations that correlated significantly with bone lead values. CONCLUSION Bone lead concentrations of exposed subjects were significantly increased compared with those of control subjects. Lead from exposure in early childhood had persisted in the bone matrix until adulthood. Exposed subjects had increased blood lead concentrations compared with controls. Some of this exposure could be related to ongoing exposure. However, some of the increase in blood lead concentration in adult exposed subjects seemed to be a result of endogenous exposure from increased bone lead stores. The endogenous exposure relation found for men was consistent with reported data, but the relation found for women was significantly lower. Further research is needed to find whether the observed differences are due to sex, or pregnancy and lactation.
Impact of disseminating quality improvement programs for depression in managed primary care: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Care of patients with depression in managed primary care settings often fails to meet guideline standards, but the long-term impact of quality improvement (QI) programs for depression care in such settings is unknown. OBJECTIVE To determine if QI programs in managed care practices for depressed primary care patients improve quality of care, health outcomes, and employment. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial initiated from June 1996 to March 1997. SETTING Forty-six primary care clinics in 6 US managed care organizations. PARTICIPANTS Of 27332 consecutively screened patients, 1356 with current depressive symptoms and either 12-month, lifetime, or no depressive disorder were enrolled. INTERVENTIONS Matched clinics were randomized to usual care (mailing of practice guidelines) or to 1 of 2 QI programs that involved institutional commitment to QI, training local experts and nurse specialists to provide clinician and patient education, identification of a pool of potentially depressed patients, and either nurses for medication follow-up or access to trained psychotherapists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Process of care (use of antidepressant medication, mental health specialty counseling visits, medical visits for mental health problems, any medical visits), health outcomes (probable depression and health-related quality of life [HRQOL]), and employment at baseline and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. RESULTS Patients in QI (n = 913) and control (n = 443) clinics did not differ significantly at baseline in service use, HRQOL, or employment after nonresponse weighting. At 6 months, 50.9% of QI patients and 39.7% of controls had counseling or used antidepressant medication at an appropriate dosage (P<.001), with a similar pattern at 12 months (59.2% vs 50.1%; P = .006). There were no differences in probability of having any medical visit at any point (each P > or = .21). At 6 months, 47.5% of QI patients and 36.6% of controls had a medical visit for mental health problems (P = .001), and QI patients were more likely to see a mental health specialist at 6 months (39.8% vs 27.2%; P<.001) and at 12 months (29.1% vs 22.7%; P = .03). At 6 months, 39.9% of QI patients and 49.9% of controls still met criteria for probable depressive disorder (P = .001), with a similar pattern at 12 months (41.6% vs 51.2%; P = .005). Initially employed QI patients were more likely to be working at 12 months relative to controls (P = .05). CONCLUSIONS When these managed primary care practices implemented QI programs that improve opportunities for depression treatment without mandating it, quality of care, mental health outcomes, and retention of employment of depressed patients improved over a year, while medical visits did not increase overall.