Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Form of Dyslexia?

The aim of this study was to look at the relationship between language and reading in pupils with and without expressive/receptive language difficulties. The rationale is that the development of reading and language skills is intertwined and therefore cannot be separated in a meaningful way. Two groups were formed, based on scores obtained from administering standardised language tests. The first group consisted of pupils with expressive/receptive language difficulties (E/RLD) and the second group included pupils with normally developing language skills (Non‐E/RLD). Neither group had a diagnosis of dyslexia. It was found that pupils with E/RLD performed poorly on reading comprehension tasks compared with peers who do not experience language difficulties. Evidence from this study stresses the importance of the role of speech and language therapy with pupils with language and reading difficulties.
A Survey of Middleware Paradigms for Mobile Computing

Current advances in portable devices, wireless technologies, and distributed systems have created a mobile computing environment that is characterized by a large scale of dynamism. Diversities in network connectivity, platform capability, and resource availability can significantly affect the application performance. Traditional middleware systems, like CORBA and DCOM, have achieved great success in dealing with the heterogeneity in the underlying hardware and software platforms, offering portability, and facilitating development of distributed applications. However, they are not prepared to offer proper support for addressing the dynamic aspects of mobile systems. Modern distributed applications need a middleware that is capable of adapting to environment changes and that supports the required level of quality of service. This paper represents the experience of several research projects related to next generation middleware systems. We first define middleware and indicate the major challenges in mobile computing systems. We then take a broader perspective and try to identify the main requirements for mobile middleware systems. Following this, we review the different categories of mobile middleware technologies and show their strength and weakness. We finally present a simples discussion on the surveyed work and provide a number of observations about the remaining issues.
Biphasic nature of the effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on body temperature and brain amines of the rat.

The effects of i.v. injected delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC) on behaviour, body temperature and levels of brain monoamines, measured spectrophotofluorimetrically, of the rat were determined. Doses of delta9-THC in the range of 0.05--5.0 mg/kg produced biphasic changes in behaviour, body temperature and levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). The whole brain levels of dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were not altered by delta9-THC. The subjective behavioural biphasic responses did not appear to be dose related, whereas the biphasic changes in body temperature and brain levels of 5-HIAA were dose-related. Low doses of delta9-THC (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg) caused hyperthermia, while doses of 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0 mg/kg induced hypothermia. On the other hand, 0.05 mg/kg delta9-THC significantly reduced, whereas doses of 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0 mg/kg significantly increased the 5-HIAA levels in a dose-related manner. It is concluded that an inverse relationship exists between delta9-THC-induced changes in body temperature and alterations in brain 5-HIAA levels.
Hybrid Clutter Rejection Technique for Improved Microwave Head Imaging

The accuracy of microwave head imaging is adversely affected by strong clutters that can completely mask the target response. To that end, different clutter removal techniques are modified for multistatic frequency-based imaging. It is shown that some deficiencies of those methods in time domain, such as time overlapping, can be alleviated when they are modified for use in frequency domain. Based on the explored performance of different methods in the frequency domain, a hybrid technique, which combines the benefits of average subtraction and entropy-based filtering methods, is proposed. In this method, the average value of the multistatic scattered signals is subtracted from them at each frequency sample to remove late-stage clutters, whereas an entropy-based method is applied to mitigate early-stage strong clutters. The proposed technique is verified in realistic environments using simulations and experiments. The utilized system for verification is 1.1-3.2 GHz frequency-domain multistatic with an eight-element antenna array, and compact microwave transceiver. The simulations are performed on MRI-derived head model, whereas the experiments are done on realistic artificial head phantom. The obtained results from different locations and sizes of emulated brain injuries confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method in producing high quality images of the head after mitigating the clutter.
STATISTICAL STUDY OF VIDEO GAME EFFECTS ON CHILDREN'S

Objective Video game violence has become a highly politicized issue for scientists and the general public. There is continuing concern that playing violent video games may increase the risk of aggression in players. Less often discussed is the possibility that playing violent video games may promote certain positive developments, particularly related to visuospatial cognition. The objective of the current article was to conduct a meta- analytic review of studies that examine the impact of violent video games on both aggressive behaviour and visuospatial cognition in order to understand the full impact of such games. Methods A detailed literature search was used to identify peer-reviewed articles addressing violent video game effects. Effect sizes 'r' (a common measure of effect size based on the co relational coefficient) were calculated for all included studies. Effect sizes were adjusted for observed publication bias. Results indicated that publication bias was a problem for studies of both aggressive behaviour and visuospatial cognition. Once corrected for publication bias, studies of video game violence provided no support for the hypothesis that violent video game playing is associated with higher aggression. However playing violent video games remained related to higher visuospatial cognition (rx = 0.36). Conclusions Results from the current analysis did not support the conclusion that violent video game playing leads to aggressive behaviour. However, violent video game playing was associated with higher visuospatial cognition. It may be advisable to reframe the violent video game debate in reference to potential costs and benefits of this medium. Keywords: Video games, Aggression, Cognition, Visual perception.
Topic modeling for spoken documents using only phonetic information

This paper explores both supervised and unsupervised topic modeling for spoken audio documents using only phonetic information. In cases where word-based recognition is unavailable or infeasible, phonetic information can be used to indirectly learn and capture information provided by topically relevant lexical items. In some situations, a lack of transcribed data can prevent supervised training of a same-language phonetic recognition system. In these cases, phonetic recognition can use cross-language models or self-organizing units (SOUs) learned in a completely unsupervised fashion. This paper presents recent improvements in topic modeling using only phonetic information. We present new results using recently developed techniques for discriminative training for topic identification used in conjunction with recent improvements in SOU learning. A preliminary examination of the use of unsupervised latent topic modeling for unsupervised discovery of topics and topically relevant lexical items from phonetic information is also presented.
Domain-specific knowledge and conceptual change

Overview We argue that human reasoning is guided by a collection of innate domain-specific systems of knowledge. Each system is characterized by a set of core principles that define the entities covered by the domain and support reasoning about those entities. Learning, on this view, consists of an enrichment of the core principles, plus their entrenchment, along with the entrenchment of the ontology they determine. In these domains, then, we would expect cross-cultural universality: cognitive universals akin to language universals. However, there is one crucial disanalogy to language. The history of science and mathematics demonstrates that conceptual change in cognitive domains is both possible and actual. Conceptual change involves overriding core principles, creating new principles, and creating new ontological types. We sketch one potential mechanism underlying conceptual change and motivate a central empirical problem for cognitive anthropology: To what extent is there cross-cultural universality in the domains covered by innate systems of knowledge? Domain-specific cognition The notion of domain-specific cognition to be pursued here is articulated most clearly by Chomsky (1980a). Humans are endowed with domainspecific systems of knowledge such as knowledge of language, knowledge of physical objects, and knowledge of number. Each system of knowledge applies to a distinct set of entities and phenomena. For example, knowledge of language applies to sentences and their constituents; knowledge of physical objects applies to macroscopic material bodies and their behavior; knowledge of number applies to sets and to mathematical operations such as addition. More deeply, each system of knowledge is organized around a distinct body of core principles.
A State of the Art Report on CSCW Technologies

This report provides a description of the state of the art with regard to Computer Supported Co-operative Work (CSCW) technologies as they relate to the DTI/EPSRC funded Integrated Co-operative Workspace project. A taxonomy of functions common to CSCW systems is presented and some exemplars of current commercial systems are described. The core functionalities of the ICW system are also explained and reference is made briefly to related research projects. A brief glossary of CSCW terminology is presented.
Non-Coherent Wideband Capacity of Sparse Multipath Channels with Limited Feedback

This paper investigates the ergodic capacity of multipath channels in the wideband regime with limited feedback. Our work builds on recent results that have established significant capacity gains achievable in the wideband/low-SNR regime, when there is perfect channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter. Furthermore, this benchmark gain can be obtained with just 1-bit of CSI at the transmitter about each channel coefficient. However, the capacity achieving signals are peaky; they have large instantaneous transmit power, especially in the non-coherent scenario. Signal peakiness is related to channel coherence and, in contrast to the prevalent assumption of rich multipath, we investigate the capacity of sparse multipath channels, motivated by recent experimental results. Sparsity naturally leads to coherence in time and frequency. With perfect receiver CSI, it is shown that limited feedback, even with an instantaneous power constraint, is sufficient to achieve the benchmark capacity. Our analysis reveals the benefits of channel sparsity in the non-coherent scenario, where we employ a training-based communication scheme. With an average power constraint, it is shown that the benchmark is achievable, provided the channel coherence scales at a sufficiently fast rate with signal space dimension. Furthermore, in contrast to peaky signaling schemes that violate instantaneous power constraints, we show that the benchmark is attainable in sparse channels with finite instantaneous transmit power. We present rules of thumb on choosing the signaling parameters as a function of the channel parameters so that the full benefits of sparsity can be realized.
Controlled generation for speech-to-speech MT systems

In spoken dialog systems, a wellcrafted prompt is important in order to get the user to respond with an expected type of utterance. We identify a new, important area for research in speechto-speech translation, which focuses on the fact that the output of the MT system serves as the prompt for the user on each end. The MT engine used in speech-to-speech translation must pay special attention to its generation component, to such an extent that it makes sense to talk about controlled generation. Some rules for controlled generation are given.
From information theoretic dualities to Path Integral and Kullback Leibler control : Continuous and Discrete Time formulations

This paper presents a unified view of stochastic optimal control theory as developed within the machine learning and control theory communities. In particular we show the mathematical connection between recent work on Path Integral (PI) and Kullback Leibler (KL) divergence stochastic optimal control theory with earlier work on risk sensitivity and the fundamental dualities between free energy and relative entropy. We discuss the applications of the relationship between free energy and relative entropy to nonlinear stochastic dynamical systems affine in noise and nonlinear stochastic dynamics affine in control and noise. For this last class of systems, we provide the PI optimal control and its iterative formulation. In addition, we present the connection of PI control derived based on Dynamic Programming with the information theoretic dualities. Finally, we provide links to KL stochastic optimal control and discuss generalizations and future work.
Interestingness measure on privacy preserved data with horizontal partitioning

Association rule mining is a process of finding the frequent item sets based on the interestingness measure. The major challenge exists when performing the association of the data where privacy preservation is emphasized. The actual transaction data provides the evident to calculate the parameters for defining the association rules. In this paper, a solution is proposed to find one such parameter i.e. support count for item sets on the non transparent data, in other words the transaction data is not disclosed. The privacy preservation is ensured by transferring the x-anonymous records for every transaction record. All the anonymous set of actual transaction record perceives high generalized values. The clients process the anonymous set of every transaction record to arrive at high abstract values and these generalized values are used for support calculation. More the number of anonymous records, more the privacy of data is amplified. In experimental results it is shown that privacy is ensured with more number of formatted transactions.
Completed suicide, depression, and RELN polymorphisms

Objective Suicidal behavior is a complex phenomenon, an outcome of both environmental and genetic factors. In the present study, we looked for a potential association between suicide and the reelin gene as reelin has been associated previously with several psychiatric disorders, including depression. Materials and methods We analyzed three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the reelin gene, rs2965087, rs7341475, and rs362691, in a population of 483 suicide victims and 332 healthy controls, all Caucasians. An analysis was carried out according to sex and the method of suicide. In a group of 77 suicide victims with psychological autopsy data, suicide threats, suicide in the family, and number of depression symptoms were also considered. Results Analysis of all three polymorphisms did not confirm an association with suicide in general. However, for subjects included in psychological autopsy study, association with previous announcement of suicide in the group of subjects with TT genotype for polymorphism rs2965087 was determined. Furthermore, the results pointed to an association with reported suicide in the family of suicide victims in case of the TT genotype. In contrast, the number of depressive symptoms, besides suicidal threats, was lower in the group with the TT genotype. Limitations Psychological autopsies can be associated with recall bias and the sample was rather small and therefore underpowered. Conclusion The present investigation, performed on a study sample from a population with one of the highest suicide rates in the world, indicated an association between rs2965087 in the reelin gene and the expression of suicidal threats a month before suicide in contrast to other symptoms of depression.
Hydration strategies of professional elite rugby league referees during super league matches

Due to the focus of research within athletic populations, little is known about the hydration strategies of rugby league referees. We observed all eight full-time professional referees, during 31 Super League matches to investigate the drinking strategies and magnitude of dehydration (body mass loss) experienced by referees during match play. Referees arrived and remained euhydrated (urine osmolality; pre and post-match 558 ± 310 and 466 ± 283 mOsmol·kg−1). Mean body mass change was −0.7 ± 0.8%, fluid loss was 890 ± 435 g and fluid intake was 444 ± 167, 438 ± 190, 254 ± 108 and 471 ± 221 g during pre-match, first half, half-time and second half. This study suggests that elite referees adopt appropriate hydration strategies during match-play to prevent large reductions in body mass, although individual variability was observed. Future research should investigate dehydration in referees from other sports and the effects on refereeing performance.
Sustained seismic tremors and icequakes detected in the ablation zone of the Greenland ice sheet

During summer 2011, seismic activity in the ablation zone of the western Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) was monitored using a network of three-component seismometers. The seismic record includes a large variety of icequakes and seismic tremors that demonstrate a clear correlation with subglacial water flow. We verified the existence of well-known shallow icequakes (related to surface crevasse formation), deep icequakes (located at 100-160 m depth) and narrow-banded short-term seismic tremors (tens of seconds in duration). In addition, we present previously unreported long-term tremors lasting several hours. Using attenuation of the measured tremor amplitude, we locate the epicentre of this long-term tremor to a large moulin within our study area. Between 3 and 11 Hz, our continuous seismic record is dominated by this 'moulin tremor' and shows strong correlation with the water level of the generating moulin. We argue that monitoring of icequake and glacial tremor sources bears high potential for investigating glacier hydraulics and dynamics, and is thus an ideal supplement to traditional glaciological measurements.
Manifestations of Fasting-Induced Fatty Liver and Rapid Recovery from Steatosis in Voles Fed Lard or Flaxseed Oil Lipids

Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can have beneficial effects against fat deposition, cardiovascular diseases, and liver steatosis. We investigated how diets based on lard (predominantly saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids) or flaxseed oil (rich in 18:3n-3) affect liver fat-% and fatty acid profiles of tundra voles (Microtus oeconomus). We also studied potential participation of hyaluronan (HA) in the pathology of fatty liver and whether the development and recovery of fasting-induced steatosis are influenced by n-3 PUFA. The dietary fatty acid composition was manifested in the liver fatty acid signatures. Fasting for 18 h induced macrovesicular steatosis and the liver fat-% increased to 22% independent of the preceding diet. Fasting-induced steatosis did not involve inflammation or connective tissue activation indicated by the absence of both leukocyte accumulation and increased HA. Food deprivation modified the liver fatty acid signatures to resemble more closely the diets. Fasting reduced the proportions of long-chain n-3 PUFA in both dietary regimes and n-3/n-6 PUFA ratios in the lard-fed voles. Decreases in long-chain n-3 PUFA may promote lipid accumulation by modulating the expression of lipid-metabolizing genes. Dietary 18:3n-3 did not prevent the development or attenuate the manifestation of steatosis in the fasted voles or promote the recovery.
Practice-based research--"Blue Highways" on the NIH roadmap.

On the old highway maps of America, the main routes were red and the back roads blue. Now even the colors are changing. But in those brevities just before dawn and a little after dusk—times neither day nor night—the old roads return to the sky some of its color. Then, in truth, they carry a mysterious cast of blue, and it’s that time when the pull of the blue highway is strongest, when the open road is a beckoning, a strangeness, a place where a man can lose himself. William Least Heat-Moon, Blue Highways
Effects of Mood States on Variety Seeking: The Moderating Roles of Personality

Building upon previous research and in an attempt to better understand the influence of mood states on variety-seeking (VS) tendency, two specific emotional states (sadness and happiness) are discussed. Furthermore, this article proposes that the effects of mood states on VS are moderated by individuals’ differences. In this article, optimum stimulation level, self-monitoring, and need for cognition are used to examine the moderating effects of this relationship. Consistent with the proposed hypotheses, the results indicate that sad individuals tend to incorporate more VS than happy ones. In addition, the three personality types tested in this article moderate the effects of mood on VS. Finally, suggestions for future research are discussed.
Improved Prediction of Sudden Cardiac Death Risk: Staying Within the Echocardiogram but Extending Beyond the Ejection Fraction.

Risk stratification of patients to identify those who will benefit most from the primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) remains a challenge.1 For the last decade, measurement of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as a clinical risk predictor is recognized to be inadequate.2–6 In fact, contemporary real world data indicate that of the patients identified using this methodology, the proportion of patients who benefit from the ICD at the end of a year may be as low as 1.1%. 4 It is also accepted, however, that novel noninvasive imaging techniques will make major strides toward this goal in the near future.7 In this context, the low-hanging fruit is the potential role of risk markers measured from the same echocardiogram that would provide the LVEF. In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging , Konety et al report their results regarding the association between multiple echocardiographic predictors and risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a meta-analysis performed from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) and CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study) cohorts.8 It is worth deliberating on their findings …
Dissonance in Students' Perceptions of Sustainable Development and Sustainability: Implications for Curriculum Change.

Purpose – An online questionnaire survey was conducted to explore University of Plymouth students' perceptions and understandings of, and attitudes towards, sustainable development and related concepts and issues. In general, student perceptions of sustainable development have been under‐researched. This research sought to go some way towards filling the gap by providing insights for those working in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD) in higher education.Design/methodology/approach – The survey was administrated in autumn 2005 by the Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Plymouth. The closed‐category statements were analyzed in terms of frequencies and percentages. A comprehensive set of cross tabulations and χ2 tests were also conducted using SPSS. Responses to open‐ended questions were coded and categorized according to emerging themes.Findings – Key findings include, first, that a majority of student respondents think sustainability is “a good thing” their positive r.