Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aspects of Speech Act Categorisation: Towards Generating Teachers' Language

In this paper we examine a possible method for classifying speech acts produced by human teachers, with a view of informing the designs of intelligent natural language tutors and of providing the basis for a formal analysis of the effects that teachers' language has on students' learning. We argue that traditional means as initiated by the Ordinary Language Philosophers such as Austin (1962), Grice (1975) and Searle (1979) are not sufficient to account for all types of linguistic phenomena occurring in educational dialogues. Two such phenomena are of particular interest to us: (1) speech acts which combine the qualities of several other - less complex - types of speech acts, and (2) the existence of many different speech act forms which can be used by a teacher to fulfil similar communicative functions in identical educational circumstances. We present our analysis of two sets of dialogues which shows that the main difficulty with using the traditional approaches is that they treat speech acts in discrete terms. We argue that categorising speech acts in such a way is not useful in modelling teachers' language in that it does not explain the mechanisms involved in teachers' linguistic choices. Following Givon (1989), we suggest that rather than being classified in a discrete manner, all speech acts should be explained in terms of how close they are with respect to one another on speech act continua derived from an interaction of many different communicative factors. We explain Givon's proposal for an alternative, more flexible, approach and we take the first steps towards extending this approach to account for the linguistic phenomena of interest.
Streets and Schools: How Educators Can Help Chicano Marginalized Gang Youth.

The relationship between streets and schools for Chicano gang youth is at the heart of this article. Author Diego Vigil argues that understanding how streets and schools intersect in ways that interfere with the learning and school performance of Chicano gang youth may be the key to offering them a more positive schooling experience. Using his multiple marginality framework, Vigil examines how gangs socialize Chicano youth to be gang members. He also examines how home and school are complicit in that socialization. Typically, street children exhibit behaviors in classrooms that interfere with their academic learning. In turn, educators are not well enough informed about gang culture to foster behaviors that result in successful academic performance. Vigil issues a call to parents and teachers to actively participate in the prevention, intervention, and suppression of gang activity. The author presents three Los Angeles–based programs as examples of how schools can successfully serve gang children. While V.
Permutation Numbers

This paper investigates some series of integers which are derived from a recursively defined sequence of permutations of words. Such a recursion can be interpreted as a dynamic system. Geometrical representations of these series appear to be self-similar, symmetrical, and factorizable. The paper also shows how some bidimensional images may be decomposed into images corresponding to permutations of fewer symbols.
Liquid Crystalline Network Composites Reinforced by Silica Nanoparticles

Liquid crystalline networks (LCNs) are a class of polymers, which are able to produce mechanical actuation in response to external stimuli. Recent creation of LCNs with exchangeable links (xLCNs) makes LCNs easy moldable. As the xLCNs need to be shaped at a high temperature, it is important to enhance their thermal and mechanical properties. In this paper, a series of xLCNs/SiO2 composites containing 1%–7% SiO2 nanoparitcles (SNP) were prepared and their thermal and mechanical properties were examined. The results show that xLCNs/SNP composites have lower liquid crystalline-isotropic phase transition temperature and higher decomposition temperature than pure LCN. The tensile strength and the elongation at break of xLCNs at high temperatures were also enhanced due to the addition of SNPs.
White Shark Offshore Habitat: A Behavioral and Environmental Characterization of the Eastern Pacific Shared Offshore Foraging Area

Background Although much is known about the behavior of white sharks in coastal regions, very little is known about their vertical movements offshore in the eastern Pacific where they spend up to five months. We provide the first detailed description of the offshore habitat use of white sharks in the eastern North Pacific. Methodology/Principal Findings This study uses 2-min data from four recovered pop-up satellite archival tags deployed at Guadalupe Island (2002 and 2005). Deployments ranged from 5.4 to 8.2 months. Two predominant vertical patterns were described. The first was a bimodal vertical pattern with time spent at the surface and at depth, which was observed while traveling. The second was a repetitive oscillatory diving mode displayed by sharks in the Shared Offshore Foraging Area (SOFA). For all four datasets the average maximum daily dive depths ranged from 442.5 to 492.8 m and were typically associated with dissolved oxygen concentrations of above 1.7 ml L−1. Although infrequent, occasional dives to near 1000 m with a minimum temperature of 3.9°C and a minimum O2 level of 0.3 ml L−1 were observed. Conclusions/Significance Recovered pop-up satellite tags from Guadalupe Island white sharks advance our understanding of the vertical habitat use of white sharks while offshore. The bimodal vertical pattern during traveling is most likely related to geolocation. The oscillatory dive pattern is likely associated with foraging. While feeding is not documented, foraging is likely occurring in association with the deep scattering layer. Diving depths were not limited by temperature but were constrained by O2 levels below approximately 1.5 ml L−1. While oxygen may limit the extent of sharks' vertical movements, it will also impact prey distribution. Consequently, the shallow oxygen minimum zone in the SOFA may act to concentrate prey, thus enhancing foraging opportunities in these oligotrophic waters.
Immediate Biomechanical Effects of Lumbar Posterior Dynamic Stabilization Above a Circumferential Fusion

Study Design. Biomechanical in vitro human cadaveric lumbar flexibility testing with 6 sequential treatments. Objective. To compare the range of motion (ROM) of dynamic one-level posterior stabilization constructs to one-level rigid rod fixation constructs and to study the effects of extending the posterior construct to the adjacent superior level. Summary of Background Data. Patients experiencing pain and biomechanical instability at one level may also present with radiographic or other indicators of early degeneration at an adjacent level. Clearly, fusion would be warranted at the symptomatic level, but the treatment plan for the adjacent level remains controversial. Additionally, the effects on adjacent motion segments above a fusion level are currently not well understood. Methods. Thirteen fresh frozen human cadaveric lumbar spines (L1–L5) were tested in 6 modes of loading: 3 were randomized to dynamic posterior stabilization constructs and 7 to a rigid rod pedicle screw system. Each group was subjected to 6 treatments. Results. When comparing the instrumented treatments, only Treatment 6, two-level hybrid constructs, exhibited a statistically significant effect in flexion-extension bending at L2–L3 between the posterior dynamic system and rigid rod fixation (P = 0.014). Conclusion. ROM at the superior adjacent level (L2–L3) demonstrated no significant difference between intact, destabilized, one-level posterior fixation, and one-level circumferential fusion at the index level (L3–L4) when comparing posterior dynamic stabilization to rigid rod fixation. However, ROM at the superior adjacent level (L2–L3) was significantly greater for lateral bending and axial rotation when both levels (L2–L3 and L3–L4) were stabilized with a dynamic stabilization system. When thefunctional spinal units were instrumented with a two-level hybrid construct, two-level posterior instrumentation (L2–L3 and L3–L4) with a cage at the index level (L3–L4), all bending modes generated significantly greater ROM for the dynamic stabilization group at L2–L3 compared with rigid rod fixation.
Regulation of Uterine Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and the Role of MicroRNAs

Controlled expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) is vital for normal uterine physiology, whereas abnormal expression of MMP9 is associated with uterine disease. Despite the importance of MMP9 within the uterus, its regulation is poorly understood. In this review, the complex regulation of MMP9 within the uterus is highlighted, and the potential novel role of microRNAs in the regulation of this protease is discussed. Emphasis is placed on the necessity to enhance our understanding of the regulation of MMP9 expression, which may lead to the establishment of novel approaches to counteract misexpression of this protease and the diseases associated with it.
Frequency-domain source identification and manipulation in stereo mixes for enhancement, suppression and re-panning applications

We describe a frequency-domain framework for source identification, separation and manipulation in stereo music recordings. Based on a simplified model of the stereo mix, we describe how a similarity measure between the short-time Fourier transforms (STFT) of the input signals is used to identify time-frequency regions occupied by each source based on the panning coefficient assigned to it during the mix. Individual sources are identified and manipulated by clustering the time-frequency components with a given panning coefficient. After modification, an inverse STFT is used to synthesize a time-domain processed signal. We describe applications of the technique in source suppression, enhancement and re-panning.
Electromagnetic Tagging for Electronic Music Interfaces

This paper describes the development of a musical interface based on electromagnetic tagging technology, where an ensemble of passively tagged objects is identified and tracked in real time when placed in the vicinity of a reader. As the system is able to identify and update the state of many (30 or more) tags simultaneously, they can be used together in any combination – e.g., several can sit on a surface at fixed distances from the reader while others can be handheld or worn by a single user or multiple performers. This interface is able to detect both free gesture (position and orientation of the objects) as well as local or tactile variables (e.g., pressure). We describe a series of controllers that exploit the musical possibilities of this architecture – the somewhat constrained Musical Trinkets, where objects were tied to simple notes and musical effects, and its successor, the Musical Navigatrics, which enabled dynamic overdubbing and control of complex musical sequences and sonic textures. We close with a description of a very simple and inexpensive actively tagged tracking system capable of much wider range.
On the Self-Similar Solutions of Generalized Hydrodynamics Equations and Nonlinear Wave Patterns

Abstract Solutions of the system of dynamical equations of state and equations of the balance of mass and momentum are studied. The system possesses families of periodic, quasiperiodic and soliton-like invariant solutions. Self-similar solutions of this generalized hydrodynamic system are studied. Various complicated regimes, arising as a result with terms desribing relaxing and dissipative properties of the medium are described.
Effects Of Parents' Work Conditions On Children's School Achievement: A Study of Dual-Earner Families

The purpose of this study is to analyse direct and indirect relationships between parental (dual-earner families) work conditions ( work conditions, work hours, work tempo), parenting styles (parenting styles and parental involvement), children’s task engagement behaviour and school achievement. This study takes account the demographic changes in Malaysian families as result of urbanization and industrialeconomic based. The study was conducted using survey method approach based on human ecology theory and 200 dual-earner families as sample. Using path model analysis, for both models, the study indicates number of consistent relationships between demographic variables, parenting styles, children’s task engagement behaviour and school achievement. Overall, parental work conditions, parental authoritarianism, parental authoritativeness, parental involvement, socioeconomic status and children’s task engagement behaviour had strong effects on children’s school achievement.
Japanese Dependency Analysis using a Deterministic Finite State Transducer

A deterministic finite state transducer is a fast device for analyzing strings. It takes O(n) time to analyze a string of length n. In this paper, an application of this technique to Japanese dependency analysis will be described. We achieved the speed at a small cost in accuracy. It takes about 0.17 millisecond to analyze one sentence (average length is 10 bunsetsu, based on PentiumIII 650MHz PC, Linux) and we actually observed the analysis time to be proportional to the sentence length. The accuracy is about 81% even though very little lexical information is used. This is about 17% and 9% better than the default and a simple system, respectively. We believe the gap between our performance and the best current performance on the same task, about 7%, can be filled by introducing lexical or semantic information.
Interleukin-6 Induces DEC1, Promotes DEC1 Interaction with RXRα and Suppresses the Expression of PXR, CAR and Their Target Genes

Inflammatory burden is a primary cellular event in many liver diseases, and the overall capacity of drug elimination is decreased. PXR (pregnane X receptor) and CAR (constitutive androstane receptor) are two master regulators of genes encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters. DEC1 (differentiated embryonic chondrocyte-expressed gene 1) is a ligand-independent transcription factor and reportedly is induced by many inflammatory cytokines including IL-6. In this study, we used primary hepatocytes (human and mouse) as well as HepG2 cell line and demonstrated that IL-6 increased DEC1 expression and decreased the expressions of PXR, CAR, and their target genes. Overexpression of DEC1 had similar effect as IL-6 on the expression of these genes, and knockdown of DEC1 reversed their downregulation by IL-6. Interestingly, neither IL-6 nor DEC1 altered the expression of RXRα, a common dimerization partner for many nuclear receptors including PXR and CAR. Instead, DEC1 was found to interact with RXRα and IL-6 enhanced the interaction. These results conclude that DEC1 uses diverse mechanisms of action and supports IL-6 downregulation of drug-elimination genes and their regulators.
Performance of synchrophasor measurements provided by the Weighted Least Squares approach

In this paper the performances of the synchrophasor estimators provided by the Weighted Least Squares (WLS) algorithm based on the cosine windows are analyzed under steady-state, dynamic, and transient conditions. Two-, three-, and four-cycle observation interval lengths are considered. Specifically, steady-state accuracy is assessed by considering the effect of both off-nominal frequency offsets and harmonics. Conversely, dynamic conditions are modeled as sinusoidal amplitude and/or phase modulations, or linear frequency ramps. According to the IEEE Standard C37.118. 1-2011 about synchrophasors for power systems, the Total Vector Error (TVE) is employed as accuracy parameter and the achieved results are compared with the maximum allowed values specified in the Standard for P- or M-class compliance. Finally, estimator response time to amplitude or phase steps is analyzed. The achieved results allow an overall assessment of the WLS synchrophasor estimator performances.
The Place of Forgetting in Memory Functioning

HOUCH WIDELY USED, forgetting is a poorly understood process. The psychoanalytic method has led to the amassing of a great T deal of information about the working of memory, particularly as it is disrupted by repression and restored by analyzing. Psychoanalysts are accustomed to think, following Freud, that repression is a special form of forgetting. But the application of the psychoanalytic method itself sheds no light on the question oE whether there are forms of forgetting other than repression or indeed if repression should be thought of as a form of forgetting at all. To sharpen the issues for purposes of discussion I shall state some ideas in the form of paradoxes: 1. Repression is as much a form of memory as it is a form of forgetting. It implies a form of memory storage that violates all the logical principles of ordinary memory organization. Like the “hell room” of a sacred library, it keeps forbidden material safely out of reach without even a record in the general card
Fast Rhythmic Bursting Cells : The Horizontal Fiber System in the Cat ’ s Primary Visual Cortex

One of the cellular mechanisms underlying the generation of gamma oscillations is a type of cortical pyramidal neuron named fast rhythmic bursting (FRB) cells. After 58 cells from 21 cats' primary visual cortices were filled with Neurobiotin, the brains were cut, and the cells were photographed. From all cells, 1 non-pyramidal and 4 pyramidal cell (3 regular spiking (RS) cells & 1 FRB cell) were confocaled, reconstructed with Neurolucida, and analyzed with NeuroExplorer. All 5 cells showed a linear correlation (>0.94) between length and number of intersections. Their polar histograms indicated that the FRB cell has triple dendritic length, twice the number of dendritic tree orders and mean length compared to the 4 other cells. We propose that FRB cells are key elements of the horizontal fiber system that links cell populations with similar feature selections throughout the primary visual cortex. Cover Page Footnote I am grateful to Dr. Diego Contreras, Dr. Larry Palmer, and Dr. Esther Garcia De Yebenes for all their guidance and assistance. Without their constant support, this project would not be possible. This journal article is available in Penn McNair Research Journal: http://repository.upenn. edu/mcnair_scholars/vol1/iss1/1
Active soft pinnae for robots

Sound localization is one of fundamental abilities of auditory robots that is necessary for human-machine communication. Especially for autonomous robots, it is also necessary to make the system as simple as possible, and binaural configuration is thought to be the minimum setup for auditory systems as animals achieve practical hearing with two ears. However, the limitation of the number of ears leads insufficient performance such as accuracy in sound localization, or sound source separation. In order to overcome those difficulties, this paper proposes a novel artificial soft pinna that can move, or deform its shape actively. The developed pinna has deformable skin of silicon rubber with wires controlled by motors, and it is covered by a fur cover. Considering applications of the proposed device for auditory robots, fundamental characteristics such as accuracy of motion and auditory characteristics were investigated through experiments, which is the main contribution of the paper.
Error Correcting Codes : Combinatorics , Algorithms and Applications ( Fall 2007 ) Lecture 25 : Justesen Codes

In the last lecture, we introduced code concatenation, where we compose an outer code Cout with an inner code Cin. We derived the Zyablov bound by picking Cout on the Singleton bound and Cin on the GV bound. We also presented a polynomial time construction of a code that achieves the Zyablov bound (and hence, an asymptotically good code). A somewhat unsatisfactory aspect of this construction was the brute force search for a suitable inner code (which lead to the polynomial construction time). In today’s lecture, we will study a strongly explicit construction of an asymptotically good code.
Maternal exposure to fish oil primes offspring to harbor intestinal pathobionts associated with altered immune cell balance

Our previous studies revealed that offspring from rat dams fed fish oil (at 8% and 18% energy), developed impaired intestinal barriers sensitizing the colon to exacerbated injury later in life. To discern the mechanism, we hypothesized that in utero exposure to fish oil, rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), caused abnormal intestinal reparative responses to mucosal injury through differences in intestinal microbiota and the presence of naïve immune cells. To identify such mechanisms, gut microbes and naïve immune cells were compared between rat pups born to dams fed either n-6 PUFA, n-3 PUFA or breeder chow. Maternal exposure to either of the PUFA rich diets altered the development of the intestinal microbiota with an overall reduction in microbial density. Using qPCR, we found that each type of PUFA differentially altered the major gut phyla; fish oil increased Bacteroidetes and safflower oil increased Firmicutes. Both PUFA diets reduced microbes known to dominate the infant gut like Enterobacteriaceae and Bifidobacteria spp. when compared to the chow group. Uniquely, maternal fish oil diets resulted in offspring showing blooms of opportunistic pathogens like Bilophila wadsworthia, Enterococcus faecium and Bacteroides fragilis in their gut microbiota. As well, fish oil groups showed a reduction in colonic CD8+ T cells, CD4+ Foxp3+ T cells and arginase+ M2 macrophages. In conclusion, fish oil supplementation in pharmacological excess, at 18% by energy as shown in this study, provides an example where excess dosing in utero can prime offspring to harbor intestinal pathobionts and alter immune cell homeostasis.
Familial Parkinson’s point mutation abolishes multiple system atrophy prion replication

Significance In Parkinson’s disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), the accumulation and spread of α-synuclein prions leads to the progressive degeneration seen in patients. These diseases are thought to arise from unique conformations of α-synuclein prions—or strains. To investigate this hypothesis, we infected cell lines expressing PD-causing point mutations in α-synuclein with MSA patient samples. Unexpectedly, the E46K mutation inhibited MSA prion replication. This observation indicates that the α-synuclein prion conformation found in PD is different from the strain found in MSA, providing biological evidence that these diseases arise from distinct prion strains. The ability of α-synuclein recombinant fibrils to infect all cell lines tested argues that synthetic α-synuclein prions are not predictive of the disease-causing strains in human patients. In the neurodegenerative disease multiple system atrophy (MSA), α-synuclein misfolds into a self-templating conformation to become a prion. To compare the biological activity of α-synuclein prions in MSA and Parkinson’s disease (PD), we developed nine α-synuclein−YFP cell lines expressing point mutations responsible for inherited PD. MSA prions robustly infected wild-type, A30P, and A53T α-synuclein–YFP cells, but they were unable to replicate in cells expressing the E46K mutation. Coexpression of the A53T and E46K mutations was unable to rescue MSA prion infection in vitro, establishing that MSA α-synuclein prions are conformationally distinct from the misfolded α-synuclein in PD patients. This observation may have profound implications for developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.