Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Orthography-Induced Length Contrasts in the Second Language Phonological Systems of L2 Speakers of English: Evidence from Minimal Pairs

Research shows that the orthographic forms (“spellings”) of second language (L2) words affect speech production in L2 speakers. This study investigated whether English orthographic forms lead L2 speakers to produce English homophonic word pairs as phonological minimal pairs. Targets were 33 orthographic minimal pairs, that is to say homophonic words that would be pronounced as phonological minimal pairs if orthography affects pronunciation. Word pairs contained the same target sound spelled with one letter or two, such as the /n/ in finish and Finnish (both /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ in Standard British English). To test for effects of length and type of L2 exposure, we compared Italian instructed learners of English, Italian-English late bilinguals with lengthy naturalistic exposure, and English natives. A reading-aloud task revealed that Italian speakers of EnglishL2 produce two English homophonic words as a minimal pair distinguished by different consonant or vowel length, for instance producing the target /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ with a short [n] or a long [nː] to reflect the number of consonant letters in the spelling of the words finish and Finnish. Similar effects were found on the pronunciation of vowels, for instance in the orthographic pair scene-seen (both /siːn/). Naturalistic exposure did not reduce orthographic effects, as effects were found both in learners and in late bilinguals living in an English-speaking environment. It appears that the orthographic form of L2 words can result in the establishment of a phonological contrast that does not exist in the target language. Results have implications for models of L2 phonological development.
Social motivation in children with autism: Support from attachment research

Abstract We provide support from attachment research to the argument that children with autism only appear to lack social motivation. This research has shown that the attachment system of children with autism is intact, and one-half form secure attachments. This is illustrated with an observation of a young child with autism during a separation and reunion observation with his mother.
Positive airway pressure devices for the management of breathlessness

Purpose of review Breathlessness is a common symptom in many chronic diseases and may be refractory to pharmacotherapy. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology of breathlessness and the role of positive airway pressure (PAP) devices to ameliorate it. Recent findings Breathlessness is directly related to neural respiratory drive, which can be modified by addressing the imbalance between respiratory muscle load and capacity. Noninvasive PAP devices have been applied to patients limited by exertional breathless and, as the disease progresses, breathlessness at rest. The application of PAP is focussed on addressing the imbalance in load and capacity, aiming to reduce neural respiratory drive and breathlessness. Indeed, noninvasive bi-level PAP devices have been employed to enhance exercise capacity by enhancing pulmonary mechanics and reduce neural drive in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, and reduce breathlessness for patients with progressive neuromuscular disease (NMD) by enhancing respiratory muscle capacity. Novel continuous PAP devices have been used to maintain central airways patency in patients with excessive dynamic airway collapse (EDAC) and target expiratory flow limitation in severe COPD. Summary PAP devices can reduce exertional and resting breathlessness by reducing the load on the system and enhancing capacity to reduce neural respiratory drive.
Optimal display processing for digital radiography

Display processing is used to transform digital radiography raw data in log-signal units to display values for presentation using a workstation or film printer. Radiographic appearance with respect to subject latitude and detail contrast varies significantly depending on the signal equalization and grayscale rendition used for processing. A human observer study was conducted to define the latitude and detail contrast that is judged optimal for a broad spectrum of chest radiographs. Raw data for 12 chest radiographs acquired with storage phosphor digital radiography systems were transformed using 52 different combinations of latitude and detail contrast. For specific latitude values, contrast was adjusted by varying the equalization gain. Three radiologists at three different medical centers evaluated the images. Each image was compared to a reference image using a calibrated display on a computer workstation. For PA views, processing that produced a detail contrast of 3.14 ((Delta) D/(Delta) logE) and latitude of 1.47 ((Delta) logE for (Delta) D = 1.75) was determined to be best for all cases and was achieved with an equalization gain of 2.64. For lateral views, a detail contrast of 3.42 and latitude of 1.17 was best for all cases (gain = 2.29). For individual cases, the preferred processing varied from the global average primarily with respect to latitude.
Electrical Neuromodulation

Direct electrical neuromodulation is one of the oldest diagnostic and therapeutic methods used in Neuroscience. Cerebral electrostimulation is useful not only to define cortical functions and functional connectivity but also to treat several severe neurological and psychiatric diseases. Concerning functional mapping, electrical neuromodulation is still considered as the “gold standard” method. However, despite the experience and a fairly good knowledge of the electrostimulation effects at the cellular level, the exact local and remote effects on cortical and subcortical areas are still imperfectly understood. In addition, discordant effects have been evidenced in the literature (1). This is due to the fact that several parameters, sometimes difficult to control, influence the actual impact of the stimulation on the complex and highly interconnected cerebral tissue. That is why the combination of not only simultaneous electrophysiological recordings but also fMRI and diffusion-tractography MRI, is particularly useful to better understand the effects of stimulation at the structure and system levels. In the same way, functional and effective connectivity quantification assessed by fMRI as well as structural connectivity quantification assessed by diffusion-tractography MRI are of particular interest to assist electrical stimulations and better define the complex neural system connectivity. Obviously, without MRI, therapeutic use of deep brain and cortical stimulations could not be achieved with the same precision and safety. The purposes of this course will be: first, reviewing the history and the basic principles of brain electromodulation; second, reviewing its contribution to the body of knowledge in Neuroscience and its usefulness in the clinic (with concrete examples of stimulations with video and electrophysiological recordings); and third, showing the adding value of combined electromodulation and advanced MRI techniques in the perspective of a comprehensive assessment of brain function and connectivity.
Fasea ahots-seinalearen eredu harmonikoetan: adierazpidea, prozesaketa eta aplikazioak

In this paper we present the work and results of the PhD dissertation named “Phase in the harmonic models of the speech signal: strategies for representation, processing and applications”. In the thesis a novel phase representation for the speech signal is proposed, the Relative Phase Shift (RPS), which allows a deeper understanding of the phase structure of the signal. The properties of the RPS transformation are thoroughly explored and the representation is tested in several applications: ASR, speaker identification and impostor detection, where it improves the performance of the classical module based technologies. Finally the straightforward phase manipulation allowed by the RPS is used to test the hearing perceptual importance of the phase, in order to ponder the use of the phase in speech synthesis. These sections of the PhD dissertation are described in some detail in the paper, also presenting the most significant results of the research. Laburpena Artikulu honetan izenburu bereko doktorego-tesian landutako gaien eta emaitzen berri ematen da laburki. Tesian ahots-seinalearen fasea adierazteko errepresentazio berri bat proposatzen da, desfase erlatibo edo Relative Phase Shift (RPS) deritzona eta seinalearen fase egitura antzematea ahalbidetzen duena. Tesian RPS transformazioaren ezaugarriak sakonki ikertzen dira eta errepresentazioa hainbat aplikaziotan probatzen da: hizketa-ezagutze automatikoan (ASR), hiztunaren identifikazioan eta iruzurtien detekzioan aplikatzen da, guztietan emaitzak hobetzen dituela moduluetan oinarritutako teknologi klasikoekin alderatuz. Azkenik, RPSek fase maneiu zuzena errazten dutela baliatuz, faseek entzumenean duten garrantzi pertzeptuala ikertzen da, faseak ahots sintetikoa sortzeko erabili behar denetz aztertzeko. Tesiaren atal guzti hauen xehetasunak laburbiltzen dira artikuluan, ikerketaren emaitza esanguratsuenak aipatuz.
Study of microbiological quality of the fermented drink "TCHAKPALO" consumed in Benin roads

1 Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Technologie Alimentaire, Faculte des Sciences et Techniques/Universite d’Abomey-Calavi, ISBA-Champ de foire Cotonou, BENIN. 2 Laboratoire de Biologie Humaine, EPAC/ Universite d’Abomey-Calavi, BENIN. 3 Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie et des Huiles Essentielles. FSS-Faculte des Sciences et Techniques/Universite d’Abomey-Calavi, ISBA-Champ de foire Cotonou, BENIN. 4 Laboratoire de Biomembrane et de Signalisation Cellulaire. Faculte des Sciences et Techniques, Universite d’Abomey-Calavi 5 Department of biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, 315 Penn St., Camden, NJ 08102, USA. 6 Laboratoire de Biologie et de Typage Moleculaire en Microbiologie, Faculte des Sciences et Techniques/Universite d’Abomey-Calavi, 05 BP 1604 Cotonou, BENIN.
RIG-I-Like Receptors as Novel Targets for Pan-Antivirals and Vaccine Adjuvants Against Emerging and Re-Emerging Viral Infections

Emerging and re-emerging viruses pose a significant public health challenge around the world, among which RNA viruses are the cause of many major outbreaks of infectious diseases. As one of the early lines of defense in the human immune system, RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) play an important role as sentinels to thwart the progression of virus infection. The activation of RLRs leads to an antiviral state in the host cells, which triggers the adaptive arm of immunity and ultimately the clearance of viral infections. Hence, RLRs are promising targets for the development of pan-antivirals and vaccine adjuvants. Here, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of developing RLR agonists into antiviral therapeutic agents and vaccine adjuvants against a broad range of viruses.
Presence of the Asian horse Sinohippus in the Miocene of Europe

The Anchitheriinae are a group of browsing horses with a widespread distribution throughout the Miocene. The subfamily includes the genera Hypohippus, Megahippus, Kalobatippus, Anchitherium, and Sinohippus. In the present pa− per we compare the remains of a giant anchitherine from the Spanish site of Nombrevilla−1, “Anchitherium” sampelayoi, with other species of Anchitherium from Europe, the North American genera Megahippus and Hypohippus, and the Asian genus Sinohippus. These comparisons allow us to suggest the inclusion of this large Spanish browsing horse in the Asian genus Sinohippus, rather than in Anchitherium. This proposal is made on the basis of some morphological traits from the upper cheek teeth of the Nombrevilla−1 fossils, and their large size, which clearly is outside the range of all other known European Anchitherium.
Sung and Unsung: Musical Reflections on Tanzanian Postsocialisms

ABSTRACT On 14 October 1999, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the first president of the United Republic of Tanzania, died in a London hospital. In Tanzania, musical bands throughout the country reacted to the news by composing scores of lamentation songs (nyimbo za maombolezo) that mourned his passing and assessed his contributions to the country he helped to create. While elsewhere in the world Nyerere is affiliated with the ‘African socialist’ platform termed Ujamaa that he theorized in his political writings and instituted during his tenure as president, these lamentation songs are notably silent on the topic of socialism. This silence indicates the ambiguity with which Tanzanians today relate to their socialist past. As a necessary prelude to analysis of the nyimbo za maombolezo, this article explores the practices, policies and values promoted in Tanzanian socialisms (mainland and Zanzibar) and in the postsocialist present. Competing rhetorics are revealed in these musical constructions of the ‘Father of the Nation’ and, by extension, the Tanzanian nation itself. Résumé Le 14 octobre 1999, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, premier pre’sident de la Re’publique unie de Tanzanie, de’ce’dait dans un hôpital londonien. Partout en Tanzanie, les groupes de musique ont re’agi a‘la nouvelle en composant des chants de lamentations (nyimbo za maombolezo) qui pleuraient sa disparition et dressaient un bilan de ce qu'il avait apporte’ au pays qu'il avait aide’ a‘cre’er. Alors qu'ailleurs dans le monde on associe Nyerere a‘la plate‐forme «socialiste africaine» appelée Ujamaa qu'il a théorisée dans ses écrits politiques et instituée durant son mandat de président, ces chants de lamentations sont remarquablement silencieux sur le thème du socialisme. Ce silence révèle l'ambiguïté des rapports que les Tanzaniens entretiennent aujourd'hui avec leur passé socialiste. En prélude nécessaire à l'analyse des nyimbo za maombolezo, cet article examine les pratiques, les politiques et les valeurs promues dans les socialismes tanzaniens (partie continentale et Zanzibar) et dans le postsocialisme actuel. Des rhétoriques rivales se révèlent dans les constructions musicales du «Père de la Nation» et, par extension, de la nation tanzanienne elle‐même.
Using brain connectivity metrics from synchrostates to perform motor imagery classification in EEG-based BCI systems

Phase synchronisation between different neural groups is considered an important source of information to understand the underlying mechanisms of brain cognition. This Letter investigated phase-synchronisation patterns from electroencephalogram (EEG) signals recorded from ten healthy participants performing motor imagery (MI) tasks using schematic emotional faces as stimuli. These phase-synchronised states, named synchrostates, are specific for each cognitive task performed by the user. The maximum and minimum number of occurrence states were selected for each subject and task to extract the connectivity network measures based on graph theory to feed a set of classification algorithms. Two MI tasks were successfully classified with the highest accuracy of 85% with corresponding sensitivity and specificity of 85%. In this work, not only the performance of different supervised learning techniques was studied, as well as the optimal subset of features to obtain the best discrimination rates. The robustness of this classification method for MI tasks indicates the possibility of expanding its use for online classification of the brain–computer interface (BCI) systems.
Desmoglein1 Deficiency Is a Potential Cause of Cutaneous Eruptions Induced by Shuanghuanglian Injection

Cutaneous eruption is a common drug-adverse reaction, characterised by keratinocytes inflammation and apoptosis. Shuanghuanglian injeciton (SHLI) is a typical Chinese medicine injection, which is used to treat influenza. It has been reported that SHLI has the potential to induce cutaneous adverse eruptions. However, the mechanisms remain unclear. Since desmoglein 1 (DSG1) shows a crucial role in maintaining skin barrier function and cell susceptibility, we assume that DSG1 plays a critical role in the cutaneous eruptions induced by SHLI. In our study, retinoic acid (RA) was selected to downregulate the DSG1 expression, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was first used to identify the susceptibility of the DSG1-deficiency Hacat cells. Then, SHLI was administrated to normal or DSG1-deficient Hacat cells and mice. The inflammatory factors and apoptosis rate were evaluated by RT-PCR and flow cytometry. The skin pathological morphology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Our results show that treated only with SHLI could not cause IL-4 and TNF-α mRNA increases in normal Hacat cells. However, in the DSG1-deficient Hacat cells or mice, SHLI induced an extreme increase of IL-4 and TNF-α mRNA levels, as well as in the apoptosis rate. The skin tissue showed a local inflammatory cell infiltration when treated with SHIL in the DSG1-deficient mice. Thus, we concluded that DSG1 deficiency was a potential causation of SHLI induced eruptions. These results indicated that keratinocytes with DSG1 deficiency were likely to induce the cutaneous eruptions when stimulated with other medicines.
Analysis of a genetic factors contributing to feathering phenotype in chickens

In the current study, we sought to determine whether or not the endogenous retroviral ev21 influences feathering type of chickens, and if one mutation locus in the unoccupied repeat (UR) region can be used to predict the corresponding feathering type and genotype. The distribution of ev21 as well as the mutation locus in UR and occupied site (OR) regions was detected in HY-line gray progenitor (HYGP) 4 lines, HY-line brown (HYB) and Taihang chickens (TH). Furthermore, a detection method for the genotype resulting in late feathering (LF) phenotype was developed by double PCR using C line of HYGP, C line of Dawu progenitor, commercial line of HY-line gray (HYG) males, LF males of TH and Bashang long-tail chickens (BS). Results indicated that a product of 7590 bp from the long fragment amplification was observed to be a partial segment of ev21, and was linked with the LF phenotype in HYGP but not in HYB and TH chickens. A total of 2 of 35 males and 10 of 29 females of TH LF chickens were found to be ev21 negative. HaeIII RFLP mutations of 1450 bp of UR, 1440 bp of OR, and 538 bp in the UR and OR common region were analyzed, and genotypic features at the locus correlated with the feathering type phenotype in HYGP, but exhibited no significant effects in HYB and TH chickens. The cut-off of relative intensity of 857 and 1305 bp from the double PCR for distinction between homozygous and heterozygous LF males was 1.37. In conclusion, ev21 and the HaeIII RFLP patterns within the locus in UR cannot be used for prediction of feathering type phenotypes in Chinese heritage chickens. However, the partial duplication of PRLR and SPEF2 were able to predict the LF phenotype. Therefore, the double PCR detecting products of 857 and 1305 bp described herein could be used for the accurate identification of genotypes influencing feathering type.
OPPORTUNISTIC SCHEDULING IN UNDERLAY COGNITIVE RADIO BASED SYSTEMS: USER SELECTION PROBABILITY ANALYSIS

In this paper, an underlay cognitive radio (CR) system is considered with multiple cognitive or secondary users contending to transmit their information to the cognitive destination (e.g., eNodeB) using the spectral resource of a primary user. The novel closed-form expressions are derived for the selection probabilities of cognitive users with opportunistic scheduling wherein an optimal metric is employed for opportunistic transmission. The analytical results corroborated by the Monte Carlo simulations, can be used to demonstrate the fairness achieved in opportunistic scheduling. It is shown that the fairness in terms of equal chance for transmission amongst all cognitive users can only be seen for the scenarios when the fraction of distances between the cognitive transmitter and cognitive receiver, and cognitive transmitter and primary receiver is identical for each of the cognitive transmitters.
Better Off Alone: Daily Solitude Is Associated With Lower Negative Affect in More Conflictual Social Networks.

Background and Objectives Older adults are often considered at risk for social isolation. Little is known, however, about how often older adults lack social contact (in person, phone, electronic) throughout the day, the implications of lacking contact (i.e., solitude), and whether the effects of solitude vary by the broader social context. Research Design and Methods Participants were from the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study (DEWS) which included 313 older adults (aged 65+) who completed baseline interviews followed by 5-6 days of ecological momentary assessments approximately every 3 hr. Results Individuals reported having no social contact (i.e., solitude) on 11% of the occasions. Solitude predicted lower negative and positive affect on those occasions. The solitude-negative affect link varied by social network quality. Solitude predicted lower negative affect among individuals with more conflictual social networks but not among those with less conflictual networks. Discussion and Implications Overall, solitude may serve as an adaptive strategy for individuals embedded in demanding or irritating social contexts.
Genetic markers of severe cutaneous adverse reactions

Adverse drug reactions can cause considerable discomfort. They can be life-threatening in severe cases, requiring or prolonging hospitalization, impeding proper treatment, and increasing treatment costs considerably. Although the incidence of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) is low, they can be serious, have permanent sequelae, or lead to death. A recent pharmacogenomic study confirmed that genetic factors can predispose an individual to SCARs. Genetic markers enable not only elucidation of the pathogenesis of SCARs, but also screening of susceptible subjects. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes associated with SCARs include HLA-B*57:01 for abacavir (Caucasians), HLA-B*58:01 for allopurinol (Asians), HLA-B*15:02 (Han Chinese) and HLA-A*31:01 (Europeans and Koreans) for carbamazepine, HLA-B*59:01 for methazolamide (Koreans and Japanese), and HLA-B*13:01 for dapsone (Asians). Therefore, prescreening genetic testing could prevent severe drug hypersensitivity reactions. Large-scale epidemiologic studies are required to demonstrate the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of screening tests because their efficacy is affected by the genetic differences among ethnicities.