Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of a concomitant distractor on word reading aloud and picture naming tasks

The aim of this thesis was to investigate features of the human reading and speech production system through the picture naming or word reading latencies in four paradigms: l) PNWI, Picture - Nonword Interference 2) PWl, Picture - Word Interference 3) WWI, Word - Word Interference 4) WNWI, Word - Nonword lnterference. The dual route theory of reading was the theoretical framework for discussing the results. Human data and DRC simulations, using a new Semantic version of the DRC model, are reported. Paper 1 of the thesis investigated the effects of nonword distactor length, target length and initial and final target - distractor phonological relatedness on the PNWI effect. Paper 2 explored the role of target picture frequency on the PNWI and PWI effects. Comparisons between human data and simulations led to the suggestion that the Phoneme Level of the human system possesses a relative-position coding scheme rather than the absolute-position coding scheme postulated by the DRC model. Paper 3 used the WWI and WNWI paradigms to investigate the interplay between the lexical and nonlexical routes by varying nonword distractor length nonword distractor pronounceability and word target frequency. Overall the results reported in the thesis emphasise the interplay between the lexical, nonlexical and semantic routes together with the inability of the human speech production and reading system to ignore the distractors in these four paradigms.
Including Human Behavior in Stackelberg Game for Security

Recently, Stackelberg games have garnered significant attention given their deployment for real world security. However, a fundamental challenge of applying game-theoretic techniques to real-world security problem is the standard assumption that the adversary is perfectly rational in responding to security force’s strategy, which can be unrealistic for human adversaries. Previous work has presented COBRA as a leading contender for accounting for the bounded rationality of human adversaries in security games. This paper presents an advance over this previous work by providing new algorithms based on two human behavior theories: Prospect Theory (PT) and Quantal Response Equilibrium (QRE). The paper’s key contributions include: (i) efficient algorithms for computing optimal strategic solutions using PT and QRE; (ii) most comprehensive experiment to date on effectiveness of different models against human subjects; (iii) new techniques for generating representative payoff structures for behavioral experiments in generic classes of games. Our results with human subjects show that our new strategies significantly outperform COBRA.
Joint Precoding and Multivariate Backhaul Compression for the Downlink of Cloud Radio Access Networks

This work studies the joint design of precoding and backhaul compression strategies for the downlink of cloud radio access networks. In these systems, a central encoder is connected to multiple multi-antenna base stations (BSs) via finite-capacity backhaul links. At the central encoder, precoding is followed by compression in order to produce the rate-limited bit streams delivered to each BS over the corresponding backhaul link. In current state-of-the-art approaches, the signals intended for different BSs are compressed independently. In contrast, this work proposes to leverage joint compression, also referred to as multivariate compression, of the signals of different BSs in order to better control the effect of the additive quantization noises at the mobile stations (MSs). The problem of maximizing the weighted sum-rate with respect to both the precoding matrix and the joint correlation matrix of the quantization noises is formulated subject to power and backhaul capacity constraints. An iterative algorithm is proposed that achieves a stationary point of the problem. Moreover, in order to enable the practical implementation of multivariate compression across BSs, a novel architecture is proposed based on successive steps of minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) estimation and per-BS compression. Robust design with respect to imperfect channel state information is also discussed. From numerical results, it is confirmed that the proposed joint precoding and compression strategy outperforms conventional approaches based on the separate design of precoding and compression or independent compression across the BSs.
The Importance of Cognitive Errors in Diagnosis and Strategies to Minimize Them

In the area of patient safety, recent attention has focused on diagnostic error. The reduction of diagnostic error is an important goal because of its associated morbidity and potential preventability. A critical subset of diagnostic errors arises through cognitive errors, especially those associated with failures in perception, failed heuristics, and biases; collectively, these have been referred to as cognitive dispositions to respond (CDRs). Historically, models of decision-making have given insufficient attention to the contribution of such biases, and there has been a prevailing pessimism against improving cognitive performance through debiasing techniques. Recent work has catalogued the major cognitive biases in medicine; the author lists these and describes a number of strategies for reducing them (“cognitive debiasing”). Principle among them is metacognition, a reflective approach to problem solving that involves stepping back from the immediate problem to examine and reflect on the thinking process. Further research effort should be directed at a full and complete description and analysis of CDRs in the context of medicine and the development of techniques for avoiding their associated adverse outcomes. Considerable potential exists for reducing cognitive diagnostic errors with this approach. The author provides an extensive list of CDRs and a list of strategies to reduce diagnostic errors.
An outer membrane protease of the omptin family prevents activation of the Citrobacter rodentium PhoPQ two‐component system by antimicrobial peptides

The PhoPQ two‐component system of the intracellular pathogen Salmonella enterica senses and controls resistance to α‐helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) by regulating covalent modifications of lipid A. A homologue of the phoPQ operon was found in the genome of the murine enteric extracellular pathogen, Citrobacter rodentium. Here we report that C. rodentium PhoPQ was apparently unable to mediate activation of target genes in the presence of α‐helical AMPs. However, these AMPs activated C. rodentium PhoPQ expressed in a S. entericaΔphoPQ mutant. Analysis of the outer membrane (OM) fractions of the C. rodentium wild‐type and ΔphoPQ strains led to the identification of an omptin family protease (CroP) that was absent in ΔphoPQ. Deletion of croP in C. rodentium resulted in higher susceptibility to α‐helical AMPs, indicating a direct role of CroP in AMP resistance. CroP greatly contributed to the protection of the OM from AMP damage by actively degrading α‐helical AMPs before they reach the periplasmic space. Accordingly, transcriptional activation of PhoP‐regulated genes by α‐helical AMPs was restored in the ΔcroP mutant. This study shows that resistance to α‐helical AMPs by the extracellular pathogen C. rodentium relies primarily on the CroP OM protease.
Die Forschungsdatenzentren der Statistischen Ämter des Bundes und der Länder

Die Komplexität des wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Wandels sowie die Fortschritte in Wissenschaft und Informationstechnik haben den Datenbedarf moderner Gesellschaften grundlegend verändert. Die zur Analyse und Gestaltung moderner Gesellschaften erforderlichen Daten müssen insbesondere Informationen über Teilgruppen der Gesellschaft liefern sowie die Analysen des wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Wandels auf der Basis von Längsschnittdaten erlauben. Aufgrund des geänderten Informationsbedarfs ist die Veröffentlichung von Ergebnissen in Form von Tabellen heute nicht mehr ausreichend. Vielmehr entspricht es den methodischen und inhaltlichen Erfordernissen, statistische Daten entsprechend dem wissenschaftlichen Datenbedarf bereitzustellen. Dazu gehört es, Zugangsmöglichkeiten zu anonymisierten und nicht anonymisierten Mikrodaten zu schaffen, mit denen differenziertere Analysen durchgeführt werden können.
PROSODY MODELS FOR CONVERSATIONAL SPEECH RECOGNITION

This paper describes a formal model for incorporating prosody in the speech recognition process, both for improving word recognition directly and for jointly recognizing words and underlying structure. The model includes the possibility of using an intermediate symbolic representation as well as direct conditioning on acoustic correlates. Alternatives for feature extraction are described, together with implications for statistical modeling. Examples of prosody conditioning in spontaneous speech recognition include acoustic model clustering and dynamic pronunciation modeling.
Cerebral Interneurones Controlling Feeding Motor Output In The Snail Lymnaea Stagnalis

1. The cerebral ventral 1 (CV1) interneurones of Lymnaea occurred as a population of at least three in each ganglion, all with similar morphologies. Steady depolarization of a CV1 cell led to initiation and maintenance of rhythmic feeding motor output from the buccal ganglia. 2. CV1 interneurones produced facilitating excitatory postsynaptic potentials in Nl interneurones of the buccal central pattern generator for feeding. Connections with N2 interneurones were not found. 3. The CV1 population could be separated into two subgroups. CVl a received strong synaptic feedback in phase with the buccal rhythm, leading to strong bursting during generation of feeding motor output. CVl b received only weak feedback, and often fired continuously when depolarized. 4. Unitary inhibitory postsynaptic potentials were characteristic of all CV1 neurones, but were only visible in CVlb when it was depolarized. These inputs are thought to arise indirectly from the buccal central pattern generator. 5. The CV1 population is probably homologous with similar neurones in other gastropod species.
Reactant and Waste Minimization in Multitarget Sample Preparation on Digital Microfluidic Biochips

Sample preparation is one of essential processes in biochemical reactions. Raw reactants are diluted in this process to achieve given target concentrations. A bioassay may require several different target concentrations of a reactant. Both the dilution operation count and the reactant usage can be minimized if multiple target concentrations are considered simultaneously during sample preparation. Hence, in this paper, we propose a multitarget sample preparation algorithm that extensively exploits the ideas of waste recycling and intermediate droplet sharing to reduce both reactant usage and waste amount for digital microfluidic biochips. Experimental results show that our waste recycling algorithm can reduce the waste and operation count by 48% and 37%, respectively, as compared to an existing state-of-the-art multitarget sample preparation method if the number of target concentrations is ten. The reduction can be up to 97% and 73% when the number of target concentrations goes even higher.
The relation between 3- and 15-month olds' cry vocalizations and their mothers' affective involvement during inoculation

This study examined if infant immunization distress is related to their mothers' affective involvement prior to the injection. The duration of infant cry vocalizations and the amount of maternal behaviour before and after the syringe injection were observed in 18 mother–infant dyads, of whom nine comprised 3-month-old and nine 15-month-old infants. The maternal behaviour was scored in terms of various soothing strategies used to calm infants in distress. Infant cry duration, in both the 3- and the 15-month olds, was associated with amount of maternal eye-gaze before the injection. For the 15-month olds, also face-to-face contact and rocking the infant was associated with more crying. Even though the small scale of the study warrants some caution in the interpretation, the overall findings suggest that young infants have a referential understanding of caregiver affective involvement prior to a stressor. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the Dynamic Qualitative Behavior of Universal Computation

We explore the possible connections between the dynamic behaviour of a system and Turing universality in terms of the system’s ability to (effectively) transmit and manipulate information. Some arguments will be provided using a defined compression-based transition coefficient which quantifies the sensitivity of a system to being programmed. In the same spirit, a list of conjectures concerning the ability of Busy Beaver Turing machines to perform universal computation will be formulated. The main working hypothesis is that universality is deeply connected to the qualitative behaviour of a system, particularly to its ability to react to external stimulus–as it needs to be programmed–and to its capacity for transmitting this information.
An Algebraic Approach to Multi-Valued Model Checking

In this abstract, we consider the multi-valued model checking process from an algebra point of view. We propose a general polynomial form of multi-valued logics, and then present a framework to apply Wu's method (1986) to multi-valued model checking based on the algebraic representations of mv-Kripke structures as well as mv-CTL formulas.
Inhibition of Phenylephrine-Induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy by Activation of Multiple Adenosine Receptor Subtypes

Plasma adenosine levels are elevated in cardiovascular disease including hypertension and heart failure, and the nucleoside has been proposed to serve as an endogenous antimyocardial remodeling factor. We studied the modulation of phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy by adenosine receptor activation in isolated neonatal cultured ventricular myocytes. Phenylephrine (10 μM) increased cell size by 35% and significantly increased expression of atrial natriuretic peptide. These effects were reduced by the stable adenosine analog 2-chloroadenosine and were completely blocked by the adenosine A1 receptor agonist N6-cyclopentyladenosine (1 μM), the A2A receptor agonist 2-p-(2-carboxyethyl)-phenethylamino-5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (100 nM), and the A3 receptor agonist N6-(3-iodobenzyl)adenosine-5′–methyluronamide (100 nM). The antihypertrophic effects of all three agonists were completely reversed by their respective antagonists. Phenylephrine significantly up-regulated expression of the immediate early gene c-fos especially within the first 30 min of phenylephrine treatment. These effects were almost completely inhibited by all adenosine receptor agonists. Although phenylephrine also induced early stimulation of both p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, these responses were unaffected by adenosine agonists. The expression of the G-protein regulatory factors RGS2 and RGS4 were increased by nearly 3-fold by phenylephrine treatment although this was completely prevented by adenosine receptor agonists. These agents also blocked the ability of phenylephrine to up-regulate Na/H exchange isoform 1 (NHE1) expression in hypertrophied myocytes. Thus, our results demonstrate an antihypertrophic effect of adenosine acting via multiple receptor subtypes through a mechanism involving down-regulation of NHE1 expression. The ability to prevent regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) up-regulation further suggests that adenosine receptor activation minimizes signaling which leads to hypertrophic responses.
Connectedness Preserving Distributed Swarm Aggregation for Multiple Kinematic Robots

A distributed swarm aggregation algorithm is developed for a team of multiple kinematic agents. Specifically, each agent is assigned a control law, which is the sum of two elements: a repulsive potential field, which is responsible for the collision avoidance objective, and an attractive potential field, which forces the agents to converge to a configuration where they are close to each other. Furthermore, the attractive potential field forces the agents that are initially located within the sensing radius of an agent to remain within this area for all time. In this way, the connectivity properties of the initially formed communication graph are rendered invariant for the trajectories of the closed-loop system. It is shown that under the proposed control law, agents converge to a configuration where each agent is located at a bounded distance from each of its neighbors. The results are also extended to the case of nonholonomic kinematic unicycle-type agents and to the case of dynamic edge addition. In the latter case, we derive a smaller bound in the swarm size than in the static case.
Cognitive resource-aware web service selection in mobile computing environments

The proactive and spontaneous delivery of services for mobile users on the move can lead to the depletion of users' mental resources, affecting the normal processes of their physical activities. This is due to the competition for limited mental resources between the human-computer interactions required by services and the users' physical activities. To deal with this problem we propose a service selection method based on two theories from cognitive psychology. This mechanism assesses the degree of demand for mental resources by both the physical activities and the services. Additionally, a service binding and scheduling algorithm ensures less cognitively-taxing mobile service compositions.
Synchronizing Video Cameras with Non-overlapping Fields of View

This paper describes a method to estimate the temporal alignment between N unsynchronized video sequences captured by cameras with non-overlapping fields of view. The sequences are recorded by stationary video cameras, with fixed intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. The proposed approach reduces the problem of synchronizing N non-overlapping sequences to the robust estimation of a single line in RN+1. This line captures all temporal relations between the sequences and a moving sensor in the scene, whose locations in the world coordinate system may be estimated at a constant sampling rate. Experimental results with real-world sequences show that our method can accurately align the videos.
Technical Briefing: Control Theory for Software Engineering

Pervasiveness and complexity of modern software are challenging engineers to design applications able to guarantee the desired quality of service despite unpredictable runtime variations in their execution environment. A variety of techniques have been proposed in the last year for the design of self-adaptive applications; however, most of them is tailored to specific applications or can provide limited guarantees of effectiveness and dependability. Control theory has, on the other hand, developed a wide set of mathematically grounded methods for many engineering domains that interact with the physical world. However, applying these methods to software systems is not straightforward. Software is rarely designed to be controllable and its behavior is hard to model in formalisms amenable to control. In this technical briefing we will recall a set of foundational concepts of control theory, explain how they can be transposed in the software engineering domain, and discuss some insights into the design of controllable software.
SPECIAL ISSUE COMMENTARY DIGITAL GAME AND PLAY ACTIVITY IN L2 TEACHING AND LEARNING

Jonathon Reinhardt, University of Arizona Julie M. Sykes, CASLS, University of Oregon Games and play dynamics are proliferating in social, professional, and educational domains. This special issue brings together a collection of articles examining game and play activity in second language teaching and learning. Each addresses the topic from a unique perspective and represents game and play as part of complex ecologies of practice. The approaches include observation of out-of-school L2 gaming practices, adaptation of commercial, off-the-shelf games in the classroom, application of a game-based L2 learning environment, and the study of ‘gameful’ learning through play in social networks.
Disturbed Blood Flow Induces RelA Expression via c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase 1: A Novel Mode of NF-&kgr;B Regulation That Promotes Arterial Inflammation

Rationale: The nuclear factor (NF)-&kgr;B pathway is involved in arterial inflammation. Although the signaling pathways that regulate transcriptional activation of NF-&kgr;B are defined, the mechanisms that regulate the expression levels of NF-&kgr;B transcription factors are uncertain. Objective: We studied the signaling mechanisms that regulate RelA NF-&kgr;B subunit expression in endothelial cells (ECs) and their role in arterial inflammation. Methods and Results: Gene silencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that RelA expression was positively regulated by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and the downstream transcription factor ATF2 in ECs. We concluded that this pathway promotes focal arterial inflammation as genetic deletion of JNK1 reduced NF-&kgr;B expression and macrophage accumulation at an atherosusceptible site. We hypothesized that JNK signaling to NF-&kgr;B may be controlled by mechanical forces because atherosusceptibility is associated with exposure to disturbed blood flow. This was assessed by positron emission tomography imaging of carotid arteries modified with a constrictive cuff, a method that was developed to study the effects of disturbed flow on vascular physiology in vivo. This approach coupled to en face staining revealed that disturbed flow elevates NF-&kgr;B expression and inflammation in murine carotid arteries via JNK1. Conclusions: We demonstrate that disturbed blood flow promotes arterial inflammation by inducing NF-&kgr;B expression in endothelial cells via JNK-ATF2 signaling. Thus, our findings illuminate a novel form of JNK–NF-&kgr;B crosstalk that may determine the focal nature of arterial inflammation and atherosclerosis.
Sex and Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Physiology – Back to Basics Sex differences in the mechanisms underlying long QT syndrome

Guy Salama and Glenna C. L. Bett Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Cellular and Systems Electrophysiology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York; and Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York
Reflecting on Ethics, Power, and Privilege

It is clear that immediate and deliberate actions must be taken to respond to the issues facing African American children and youth in school settings. Teachers, administrators, and teacher educators are called upon to examine school practices and subsequent outcomes experienced by African American learners and their families. To evenly distribute power and privileges in school and university settings, we must engage in self-reflection and critique processes, and understand more about African American culture and incorporate that understanding in interactions with those learners and families. Strategies presented by the authors in this special issue are logical and can be implemented independent of financial resources. What are needed are more "human" resources—the continual willingness and commitment to critique self, other professionals, and school practices and to seek understandings of African American culture that will alter teacher, administrator, and counselor practices.