Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a social science of language: papers in honour of William Labov

Labov's early formulation of the importance of evaluation in narrative (1972: 366-375) stimulated the investigation of evaluation in storytelling by a wide range of scholars, including folklorists (Bauman 1975:290-234; Robinson 1981), linguists (Polanyi 1979), and anthropologists (Watson 1973). Labov argued that evaluation, the means by which the narrator indicates "the point of the naITative, its raison d'etre: why it was told, and what the narrator is getting at" was perhaps "the most important element in addition to the basic narrative clause" (Labov'.1972:366) In this paper I want to explore the notion that evaluation is a critical component of a story's telling by not only investigating the procedures through which a narrator evaluates events she is recounting (cueing her recipients as to her alignment and affect towards these events), but also how recipients themselves may shape the evolving telling event by offering their own, sometimes competing, evaluations.
Leukocytosis as an independent risk factor for cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECT The identification of patients at an increased risk for cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may allow for more aggressive treatment and improved patient outcomes. Note, however, that blood clot size on admission remains the only factor consistently demonstrated to increase the risk of cerebral vasospasm after SAH. The goal of this study was to assess whether clinical, radiographic, or serological variables could be used to identify patients at an increased risk for cerebral vasospasm. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted in all patients with aneurysmal or spontaneous nonaneurysmal SAH who were admitted to the authors' institution between 1995 and 2001. Underlying vascular diseases (hypertension or chronic diabetes mellitus), Hunt and Hess and Fisher grades, patient age, aneurysm location, craniotomy compared with endovascular aneurysm stabilization, medications on admission, postoperative steroid agent use, and the occurrence of fever, hydrocephalus, or leukocytosis were assessed as predictors of vasospasm. Two hundred twenty-four patients were treated for SAH during the review period. One hundred one patients (45%) developed symptomatic vasospasm. Peak vasospasm occurred 5.8 +/- 3 days after SAH. There were four independent predictors of vasospasm: Fisher Grade 3 SAH (odds ratio [OR] 7.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.5-15.8), peak serum leukocyte count (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.16), rupture of a posterior cerebral artery (PCA) aneurysm (OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.01-0.41), and spontaneous nonaneurysmal SAH (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.04-0.45). A serum leukocyte count greater than 15 x 10(9)/L was independently associated with a 3.3-fold increase in the likelihood of developing vasospasm (OR 3.33, 95% CI 1.74-6.38). CONCLUSIONS During this 7-year period, spontaneous nonaneurysmal SAH and ruptured PCA aneurysms decreased the odds of developing vasospasm sevenfold and 20-fold, respectively. The presence of Fisher Grade 3 SAH on admission or a peak leukocyte count greater than 15 x 10(9)/L increased the odds of vasospasm sevenfold and threefold, respectively. Monitoring of the serum leukocyte count may allow for early diagnosis and treatment of vasospasm.
Molecular Genetic Perspectives on Avian Brood Parasitism1

Abstract Advances in molecular genetic techniques have provided new approaches for addressing evolutionary questions about brood parasitic birds. We review recent studies that apply genetic data to the systematics, population biology, and social systems of avian brood parasites and suggest directions for future research. Recent molecular systematics studies indicate that obligate brood parasitism has evolved independently in seven different avian lineages, a tally that has increased by one in cuckoos (Cuculiformes) and decreased by one in passeriforms (Passeriformes) as compared to conventional taxonomy. Genetic parentage analyses suggest that brood parasitic birds are less promiscuous than might be expected given their lack of nesting and parental care behavior. Host-specificity in brood parasites, which has important implications for host-parasite coevolution, has been evaluated using both population genetic and parentage analyses. Female lineages are faithful to particular host species over evolutionarily significant time scales in both common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) and indigobirds (Vidua spp.), but differences in the host-specificity of male parasites has resulted in different patterns of diversification in these two lineages. Future research on brood parasitism will benefit from the availability of comprehensive molecular phylogenies for brood parasites and their hosts and from advances in functional genomics.
Considering High School Students' Experience in Asynchronous and Synchronous Distance Learning Environments: QoE Prediction Model.

Early identification of relevant factors that influence students’ experiences is vitally important to the educational process since they play an important role in learning outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine underlying constructs that predict high school students’ subjective experience and quality expectations during asynchronous and synchronous distance education activities, in a form of quality of experience (QoE). One hundred and fifty-eight students from different high schools participated in several asynchronous and synchronous learning sessions and provided relevant feedback with comparable opinions regarding different conditions. Structural equation modeling was used as an analytical procedure during data analysis which led to a QoE prediction model that identified relevant factors influencing students’ subjective QoE. The results demonstrated no significant difference related to students’ behavior and expectations during both distance education methods. Additionally, this study revealed that students’ QoE in any situation was mainly determined by motivational factors (intrinsic and extrinsic) and moderately influenced by ease of use during synchronous or quality of content during asynchronous activities. We also found moderate support between technical performance and students’ QoE in both learning environments. However, opposed to existing technology acceptance models that stress the importance of attitude towards use, high school students’ attitude failed to predict their QoE.
Accurate 3D shape estimation based on combinatorial optimization

The problem of estimating the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of an object from a sequence of images obtained at different focus settings is called shape from focus (SFF). The conventional SFF methods apply focus measure operator at each pixel using neighboring pixels in the same image frame. However, for an object with complex geometry, such methods cannot compute accurate focus level of a pixel, since the neighboring pixels in an image, taken with small depth of field, do not have the same focus level. In this paper, a novel SFF algorithm based on combinatorial optimization is proposed. After the rough estimate of the shape, we refine the shape iteratively by searching the optimal focus measure of each pixel using neighboring pixels on various image frames. The proposed SFF algorithm shows improvements in both the accuracy of the shape and the computational complexity in comparison to the previous SFF methods.
A Survey On Interactivity in Topic Models

Trying to make sense and gain deeper insight from large sets of data is becoming a task very central to computer science in general. Topic models, capable of uncovering the semantic themes pervading through large collections of documents, have seen a surge in popularity in recent years. However, topic models are high level statistical tools; their output is given in terms of probability distributions, suited neither for simple interpretation nor deep analysis. Interpreting the fitted topic models in an intuitive manner requires visual and interactive tools. Additionally, some measure of human interaction is typically required for refining the output offered by such models. In the research, this area remains relatively unexplored – only recently has this aspect been receiving more attention. In this paper, the literature is surveyed as it pertains to interactivity and visualisation within the context of topic models, with the goal of finding current research trends in this area.
Effect of Shaddock Citrus Fruit Juice on the Lipid Profile, Fasting Blood Glucose Level and Kidney Function of Male Wistar Albino Rats

The effect of shaddock citrus fruit juice on the lipid profile, fasting blood glucose level and some kidney function markers were evaluated in 16 male Wistar albino rats. The rats were procured from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Animal House, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and were of average age of 12 weeks, weighing 130 – 170grams. The rats were acclimatized for 7days and randomly separated into 2 groups of eight rats each, kept in 2 different standard cages. The groups were as follows: A – rats fed with rat feed (Control), B – rats fed with rat feed and shaddock citrus fruit juice. At the end of 28days feeding experiment, the rats were bled and blood collected were used for lipid profile, fasting blood glucose level and kidney function assays using standard biochemical methods. The results of the study indicated a decrease in the blood glucose level of rats supplemented with shaddock citrus fruit juice (group B) when compared with those of the control (group A). Result of the study also showed significant reduction (p<0.05) in mean total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride concentrations of rats supplemented with shaddock citrus fruit juice when compared with those of the control. Moreover, the result revealed no significant difference (p>0.05) in mean urea and creatinine concentrations of rats supplemented with shaddock citrus fruit juice when compared with those of the control. The result of this study suggests that shaddock citrus fruit juice was not toxic to the kidney and could assist in reducing the blood glucose level and protect against cardiovascular diseases and related complications.
Systematic Treatment of Remote Attestation

Embedded computing devices (such as actuators, controllers and sensors of various sizes) increasingly permeate many aspects of modern life: from medical to automotive, from building and factory automation to weapons, from critical infrastructures to home entertainment. Despite their specialized nature as well as limited resources and connectivity, these devices are now becoming increasingly popular and attractive targets for various attacks, especially, remote malware infestations. There has been a number of research proposals to detect and/or mitigate such attacks. They vary greatly in terms of application generality and underlying assumptions. However, one common theme is the need for Remote Attestation, a distinct security service that allows a trusted party (verifier) to check the internal state of a remote untrusted embedded device (prover). This paper provides a systematic treatment of Remote Attestation, starting with a precise definition of the desired service and proceeding to its systematic deconstruction into necessary and sufficient properties. These properties are, in turn, mapped into a minimal collection of hardware and software components that results in secure Remote Attestation. One distinguishing feature of this line of research is the need to prove (or, at least argue) architectural minimality; this is rarely encountered in security research. This work also offers some insights into vulnerabilities of certain prior techniques and provides a promising platform for attaining more advanced security services and guarantees. Keywords-Remote Attestation, Embedded Device, Architectural Minimality.
High-Resolution Harmonics Ultrasound Imaging for Non-Invasive Characterization of Wound Healing in a Pre-Clinical Swine Model

This work represents the first study employing non-invasive high-resolution harmonic ultrasound imaging to longitudinally characterize skin wound healing. Burn wounds (day 0-42), on the dorsum of a domestic Yorkshire white pig were studied non-invasively using tandem digital planimetry, laser speckle imaging and dual mode (B and Doppler) ultrasound imaging. Wound depth, as measured by B-mode imaging, progressively increased until day 21 and decreased thereafter. Initially, blood flow at the wound edge increased up to day 14 and subsequently regressed to baseline levels by day 21, when the wound was more than 90% closed. Coinciding with regression of blood flow at the wound edge, there was an increase in blood flow in the wound bed. This was observed to regress by day 42. Such changes in wound angiogenesis were corroborated histologically. Gated Doppler imaging quantitated the pulse pressure of the primary feeder artery supplying the wound site. This pulse pressure markedly increased with a bimodal pattern following wounding connecting it to the induction of wound angiogenesis. Finally, ultrasound elastography measured tissue stiffness and visualized growth of new tissue over time. These studies have elegantly captured the physiological sequence of events during the process of wound healing, much of which is anticipated based on certain dynamics in play, to provide the framework for future studies on molecular mechanisms driving these processes. We conclude that the tandem use of non-invasive imaging technologies has the power to provide unprecedented insight into the dynamics of the healing skin tissue.
On Achievable Rates of MIMO Systems with Nonlinear Receivers

Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication systems are popular for achieving high rates, but at the same time they suffer from high implementation cost. Hence, their adoption to future distributed systems, e.g., sensor networks, is stalled due to the stringent cost and power constraints of the node design. One solution is the combination of MIMO systems with nonlinear detectors, i.e., amplitude or phase detectors, which are known for their cheap implementation cost and low power consumption. We provide semi-analytical results for achievable rates in MIMO systems that use nonlinear detectors for the fast fading channel, as well as outage probabilities for the same detectors in the slow fading case.
Constrictor prostanoids and uridine adenosine tetraphosphate: vascular mediators and therapeutic targets in hypertension and diabetes

Vascular dysfunction plays a pivotal role in the development of systemic complications associated with arterial hypertension and diabetes. The endothelium, or more specifically, various factors derived from endothelial cells tightly regulate vascular function, including vascular tone. In physiological conditions, there is a balance between endothelium‐derived factors, that is, relaxing factors (endothelium‐derived relaxing factors; EDRFs) and contracting factors (endothelium‐derived contracting factors; EDCFs), which mediate vascular homeostasis. However, in disease states, such as diabetes and arterial hypertension, there is an imbalance between EDRF and EDCF, with a reduction of EDRF signalling and an increase of EDCF signalling. Among EDCFs, COX‐derived vasoconstrictor prostanoids play an important role in the development of vascular dysfunction associated with hypertension and diabetes. Moreover, uridine adenosine tetraphosphate (Up4A), identified as an EDCF in 2005, also modulates vascular function. However, the role of Up4A in hypertension‐ and diabetes‐associated vascular dysfunction is unclear. In the present review, we focused on experimental and clinical evidence that implicate these two EDCFs (vasoconstrictor prostanoids and Up4A) in vascular dysfunction associated with hypertension and diabetes.
Unstandardized Responses to a “Standardized” Test

We examine edTPA (a teacher performance assessment) implementation at one private university during the first year that our state required this exam for initial teaching certification. Using data from semi-structured interviews with 19 teacher educators from 12 programs as well as public information on edTPA pass rates, we explore whether the edTPA served its intended roles as a gatekeeper to the teaching profession and a catalyst for curriculum change. Although the edTPA did not serve as gatekeeper in our context, we did find a wide variety of consequential program-level gatekeeping practices. To explore the test’s function as a curriculum improvement lever, we created weighted change scores to represent the range of edTPA-related curricular changes across 12 programs. We found a wide range of curricular responses to the edTPA, from marginalization of the assessment to deep edTPA integration in program coursework. Finally, we explore teacher educators’ analyses of the edTPA as an instructional tool.
Early Concerns of Parents of Children With Autistic and Nonautistic Disorders

The purpose of this study was to extend previous research on the early concerns of parents of children with autism by (a) obtaining information from parents of very young children who have not yet received a diagnosis; (b) including a developmentally matched comparison sample; and (c) querying about first concerns as well as current concerns and behaviors. During their child's initial diagnostic evaluation, parents of 44 two-year-old children (22 with autism, 22 with developmental delay) responded to open-ended questions regarding their early concerns about their child's development as well as specific questions about social-communicative behaviors. The age of children when parents first became concerned and the specific nature of first concerns were similar for both groups, with the most frequent concerns related to children's language development. When asked specific questions about current social and communicative behaviors, parents of children with autism reported more deficits in both areas than did parents in the comparison group. These results suggest that specific questions about children's social-communicative behaviors may have more utility than open-ended questions in identifying young children who are at risk for an autism diagnosis.
Redundancy Aware Clustering via Centroid Localization Technique

This paper investigates the energy-saving organization of sensor nodes in large wireless sensor networks. Due to a random deployment used in many application scenarios, much more nodes need to be deployed to achieve a complete sensor coverage than theoretically needed in case of an ideal deployment. Consequently, most of the deployed nodes are redundant and can be switched-off for a long time to save energy. A well-known principle to detect the redundancy of nodes is to divide sensor network into regular cells. Assuming a well chosen cell size, depending on transmission range and sensing range, it is possible to switch-off all nodes but one per cell. The challenge of this idea is the required exact position estimation of each node to assign its correct cell. This demands for the presence of location aware anchor node and consumes a lot of calculation and transmissions and may be even unachievable. Centroid localization is an already used approach which localizes an unknown position as the centroid of neighboring beacon nodes. Depending on several parameters, an area will be divided into subareas where all unknowns are neighbors of the same beacon nodes and are therefore located at the same point. The resulting subareas differ in shape and size. In the current work, we combine the centroid localization technique and the cell division idea. With regular arranged beacons, we utilize the emerging cells for the detection of redundant nodes. Thereby, our beacon based clustering guarantees connectivity, coverage and energy-aware network activity.
Are Work Intensity and Healthy Eating Substitutes? Field Evidence on Food Choices under Varying Workloads

The strength model proposes that self-control is a constrained resource whose effectiveness tends to dwindle when an individual attempts to resist multiple sources of temptation at a time. We develop an economic framework for the strength model, and test its consequences in the field by analyzing the appeal of various food types by university students who face time-varying academic self-control demands. Our study utilizes both empirical analysis of actual university-wide transactions data, and a field survey approach with a real snack choice task. Compared to cafeteria purchases, purchase of less healthy fast foods increases during the week of final exams when students’ workloads are most cognitively demanding, compared to the purchase ratio of food sources during other times of the year. Helping to rule out alternative explanations, in the field survey the main robust and significant predictor of choosing an unhealthy snack over a healthy snack is subjects’ self-reported time needed to complete their academic responsibilities during the upcoming week. As combined evidence, these findings are consistent with an economic model of limited self-control in which students choose how to allocate their self-control between academic activities and eating activities. Under such a framework, the overall effectiveness of policies designed to help individuals make beneficial choices in a specific domain could be in practice, adversely affected by limited self-control capacities.
A T-cell epitope determined with random peptide libraries and combinatorial peptide chemistry stimulates T cells specific for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND Mycosis fungoides is the most frequent T-cell lymphoma of the skin. Despite numerous attempts, no tumour antigens have yet been identified. Only in one case has an idiotype-derived peptide been found to trigger CTL of the respective patient. The identification of natural antigens requires the cultivation of large amounts of tumour cells in vitro, which has been possible in two exceptional cases. The identification of synthetic epitopes for tumour-specific CTL with random peptide libraries can overcome this limitation and is a powerful tool for application in the development of immune therapies for a wide range of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS The critical amino acids for the construction of epitopes for the CTCL-specific CTL clone My-La CTL were determined with synthetic peptide libraries in positional scanning OX8 format in a standard 61chromium release assay. Sixteen different peptides could be synthesized from the combinatoric of these amino acids with the canonical anchor amino acids for MHC binding. These peptides were tested for their capacity to stimulate My-La CTL and PBMC of an HLA-matched CTCL patient. RESULTS A synthetic epitope could be identified for My-La CTL, which was recognized in a HLA-restricted manner. The response towards this epitope was comparable to the response towards their natural target My-La. Using these synthetic epitopes, T cells of a HLA-matched patient could be induced in vitro and led to the establishment of different cell lines and clones. Some of these lines recognized the peptides as well as the allogenic but HLA-matched tumour cell line My-La, indicating that they are specific for a naturally expressed tumour antigen. CONCLUSIONS The identification of synthetic epitopes for tumour-specific CTL clones can be used for the development of vaccines for immune therapies of cancer; such peptides can be applied inter-individually. Synthetic epitopes must not correspond to the natural ones, but they can be even more potent as stimulation of specific T cells and can be fine-tuned to increase the success of the therapy.