bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Video Dubbing Projects in the Foreign Language Curriculum
Authors: Burston Jack
Published: November 2017

The dubbing of muted video clips offers an excellent opportunity to develop the skills of foreign language learners at all linguistic levels. In addition to its motivational value, soundtrack dubbing provides a rich source of activities in all language skill areas: listening, reading, writing, speaking. With advanced students, it also lends itself to creative collaborative scenario production. Video dubbing thus offers essentially the same pedagogical benefits of full video production, but without completely taking over the curriculum or bogging students down in the technical logistics of movie making. The production of dubbed videos raises numerous practical issues--pedagogical as well as technical. Pedagogically, successful projects require considerable in-class as well as out-of-class preparation. Technologically, they require both instructors and students to learn basic video editing skills. The management of a video dubbing project involves several stages: video selection, scene cropping and muting, initial class presentation of the target video, group listening comprehension (or scenario creation) activities, individual practice, group rehearsal and, finally, soundtrack dubbing.
Listening Comprehension Technology
Authors: Jones Linda C.
Published: November 2017

Listening comprehension has had a long and ever-evolving history. Within the last 100 years, we have seen it progress from analog phonograph recordings, through the audiotape era, and into the digital realm. Questions arise as to how this evolution has proceeded, what pitfalls and accomplishments we have experienced, and where we might envision aural comprehension technology and its support of second language acquisition in the future. This article addresses the history of listening comprehension technology, presents numerous questions and answers (as they stand today) with regard to the benefits of modern listening comprehension technology, and offers suggestions as to how we can better ensure success with digital technologies and aural comprehension in the future.
Computer-Assisted Language Learning
Authors: Bush Michael D.
Published: November 2017

Learning a second language is a challenging endeavor, and, for decades now, proponents of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) have declared that help is on the horizon. As documented not only in the CALICO Journal over its 25-year history but also in other scholarly venues, research has demonstrated the value of CALL. Nevertheless, despite the fact that textbook publishers expend significant effort to include computer-based ancillaries with many of their products, many teachers still rely primarily on the textbook alone. This situation is nothing short of astounding, given the advanced hardware and software capabilities of current delivery systems, unimaginable at the outset but now both available and affordable. Is the quest to implement CALL a fool's errand or is success in fact finally just over the horizon? This article provides (a) a brief historical overview of CALL, including a glimpse at both its pedagogical limitations and strengths; (b) a description of current issues that slow the implementation of CALL; and (c) a sketch of research and development efforts that will help teachers, researchers, and developers move CALL to the next level: A carefully crafted combination of teacher and technology with each contributing according to its comparative advantage.
Relationship Between Scrolling, Negotiation, and Self-Initiated Self-Repair in an SCMC Environment
Authors: Smith Bryan
Published: November 2017

This study explores the relationship between scrolling, negotiated interaction, and self-initiated self-repair (SISR) in a task-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) foreign language learning environment. Pairs of adult learners of German engaged in four jigsaw tasks over the course of one university semester. Video screen capture software was employed to record the written interaction of each participant. Results suggest that in an SCMC environment learners engage in more SISR of grammatical aspects of their own output than lexical aspects. Results also show a negative correlation between the amount of scrolling and negotiation of meaning. No significant correlation was found between scrolling and SISR. Recommendations for a methodological shift in data collection and analysis approaches by CALL researchers are made with the present data illustrating the importance of such a shift.
Designing a Workable Framework for Evaluating Distance Language Instruction
Authors: Madyarov Irshat
Published: November 2017

Teaching foreign languages at distance is now becoming widespread; so is the need for evaluating online language courses. This article discusses an example of a framework that was applied to evaluate an online English as a foreign language (EFL) course at a Middle Eastern university. The development of the framework investigated areas of interest specific to the given school context: level of student engagement, student perceptions, and learning outcomes. This case study followed a mixed method design. Accordingly, the data discussed are both qualitative and quantitative.
CALL Evaluation for Early Foreign Language Learning
Authors: García-Villada Eduardo
Published: November 2017

This paper provides a critical review of the literature between 1980 and 2005 on the evaluation of resources for computer-assisted language learning (CALL) with a particular emphasis on elementary education. An analysis of that literature indicates that there are a range of approaches to evaluation that have been somewhat monolithic and possibly linked to a postpositivist approach to research in education. Today's elementary classroom, where foreign languages are learned, requires a more interpretivist approach to the evaluation of CALL resources informed by the principles of second language acquisition (SLA) theory, instructional design theory, early foreign language (FL) teaching methodologies, and the connection of FL curriculum with other curriculum areas to promote meaningful student-centered interactions. A critique of the literature using factors of multivocality, contextualization, and interpretation is followed by the proposition that these may provide a framework for future CALL evaluation. The evaluation of CALL has a complex relationship with elementary education and therefore CALL evaluation may best be integrated within teacher education programs.
Student Agency and Language-Learning Processes and Outcomes in International Online Environments
Authors: Basharina Olga
Published: November 2017

This research focuses on the kinds of learning afforded by asynchronous international computer-mediated communication (I-CMC) among Japanese, Mexican, and Russian English language learners and the role of student agency in learning. To find learning evidence, the discourse analysis and content analysis of interaction protocols were conducted in two focal forums. These findings were triangulated through pre- and post- questionnaires and interviews. The discourse analysis of interaction protocols identified the communication moves potentially leading to learning (e.g., critical reflections, comparisons, and questions) and moves not leading to learning (e.g., phatic messages). The types of messages students produced, analyzed through content analysis, reflected their deep, strategic, or surface approaches to interaction and were closely tied to their degree of motivation and engagement with the project. Finally, the interviews identified seven recurrent themes, revealing students' learning perceptions that were tied to their local cultures-of-use of technologies and learning goals. The interview results were confirmed by pre- and post- questionnaire results. The study offers a discussion on how to bridge the ecological (open) and structured (task- or test-based) conceptualizations of learning and how to enhance development of intercultural communicative competence in global online environments.
Judging Grammaticality
Authors: Wagner Joachim , Foster Jennifer , Van Genabith Josef
Published: November 2017

A classifier which is capable of distinguishing a syntactically well formed sentence from a syntactically ill formed one has the potential to be useful in an L2 language-learning context. In this article, we describe a classifier which classifies English sentences as either well formed or ill formed using information gleaned from three different natural language processing techniques. We describe the issues involved in acquiring data to train such a classifier and present experimental results for this classifier on a variety of ill formed sentences. We demonstrate that (a) the combination of information from a variety of linguistic sources is helpful, (b) the trade-off between accuracy on well formed sentences and accuracy on ill formed sentences can be fine tuned by training multiple classifiers in a voting scheme, and (c) the performance of the classifier is varied, with better performance on transcribed spoken sentences produced by less advanced language learners.
Little Things With Big Effects
Authors: Amaral Luiz A. , Meurers W. Detmar
Published: November 2017

Error diagnosis in ICALL typically analyzes learner input in an attempt to abstract and identify indicators of the learner's (mis)conceptions of linguistic properties. For written input, this process usually starts with the identification of tokens that will serve as the atomic building blocks of the analysis. In this paper, we discuss the consequences of mismatches between the learner's perception of a given token and the system's interpretation of its linguistic properties. Based on our analysis of the interaction of beginning learners of Portuguese with the ICALL system TAGARELA, we discuss why tokenization and the interpretation of accented characters deserve particular attention in a system used by language learners. On the computational side, we argue that the mismatches arising in such cases can be addressed in a general way by building ICALL systems on an annotation-based natural language processing architecture which monotonically enriches the representation of learner input.
Symptom assessment and patient resistance in primary care interactions in Chinese hospitals
Authors: Wu Lin
Published: November 2017

In a study of primary care consultations in Chinese western-style medicine, two recurrent interactional patterns have been identified which are associated with making medical assessments. At various points in a consultation, the clinician may indicate that the patient’s symptoms are ‘normal’ and that nothing is medically concerning or problematic. The patient may resist that by representing her condition as being in some fashion abnormal. By contrast, when the clinician considers the patient’s symptoms as abnormal, i.e. indicating a medical abnormality and worthy of medical care (i.e. doctorable), the patient may resist by normalising her symptoms. Through analysing doctors’ symptomatic accounts and patients’ resisting talk, ‘symptom abnormality’ emerges as the central form of expression at moments in which doctors and patients are misaligned in their diagnostic reasoning.
When (not) to claim epistemic independence
Authors: Hayano Kaoru
Published: November 2017

The goal of this article is to demonstrate that the Japanese final particles ne and yone are systematically used to adopt different epistemic stances and thereby achieve different interactional consequences. Using conversation analysis, the article analyses the particles used in two specific sequential environments: (1) responses to informing and (2) first and second assessments. It is demonstrated that yone is used to claim that the speaker has arrived at the view independently prior to the ongoing conversation (epistemic independence) as well as knows or has experienced the referent first-hand (independent access) while ne is used to claim independent access but not epistemic independence. This analysis allows us to identify interactional contexts in which it is appropriate for participants to claim epistemic independence with the use of the particle yone and when it is not.
Áreas lexicais no Centro-Sul do Brasil sob uma perspectiva geolinguística
Authors: Romano Valter Pereira
Published: November 2017

Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta resultados principais de uma pesquisa que visa discutir, sob o ponto de vista lexical, a divisão dialetal proposta por Antenor Nascentes (1953) no que tange à área geográfica denominada pelo estudioso como subfalar sulista. Foram adotados os procedimentos teóricos e metodológicos da Dialetologia e da Geolinguística e, como corpus de análise, utilizados os dados do Projeto Atlas Linguístico do Brasil, correspondentes a 118 municípios brasileiros, totalizando 472 informantes. Quatro questões do Questionário Semântico-Lexical (QSL) foram selecionadas para validar a hipótese de que a área geográfica investigada é heterogênea linguisticamente. Com base na observação do comportamento diatópico de algumas variantes lexicais, conclui-se que a porção setentrional do território investigado apresenta diferenças em relação à parte meridional, evidenciando a existência de dois possíveis falares: o paulista e o sulista.Palavras-chave: Projeto ALiB; subfalar sulista; variação lexical.Abstract: This work presents the main results of a research that aims to discuss, under the lexical perspective, the dialectal division proposed by Antenor Nascentes (1953) with regard to the geographical area called by the scholar as sulista subspeech. The theoretical and methodological assumptions of Dialectology and Geolinguistics were adopted and the analytical corpus used was the data of the Linguistic Atlas Project of Brazil corresponding to 118 Brazilian municipalities, totaling 472 informants. Four questions from the Lexical-Semantic Questionnaire were selected to validate the hypothesis that the geographical area investigated is linguistically heterogeneous. From the observation of the diatopical behavior of some lexical variants, it is concluded that the northern portion of the territory investigated presents differences in relation to the southern part, showing the existence of two types of speech: the paulista and the sulista.Keywords: ALiB Project; Sulista subspeech; Lexical variation.
A escrita em bandos atribuídos a Rodrigo Cesar de Menezes – governador e capitão general da capitania de São Paulo (1721-1728)
Authors: Fachin Phablo Roberto Marchis , Miragaia Gabriela Lubascher
Published: November 2017

Resumo: O artigo apresenta os resultados de estudo sobre práticas de escrita administrativa em manuscritos produzidos ao longo do século XVIII, no Brasil colonial, especificamente na capitania de São Paulo, durante o governo de Rodrigo Cesar de Menezes (1721-1728). Trata-se, com base em dados documentais e metodologia filológica, da utilização de manuscritos com rigor científico. A importância do estudo reside no fato de que há escassez de informações a respeito do processo de produção documental no Brasil colonial, assim como da sua circulação e difusão. Cabe destacar também que, além dos aspectos relacionados à escrita em bandos setecentistas, a pesquisa também traz contribuição para a história social da capitania de São Paulo, uma vez que, ao levantar os destinatários dos documentos e a sua temática, traz à luz as ordens e a quem se referiam, possibilitando ampliar o estudo realizado com o intuito de entender a lógica administrativa, a composição e organização da sociedade da época.Palavras-chave: história da língua portuguesa; Rodrigo Cesar de Menezes; edição de manuscritos coloniais.Abstract: This article presents the results of study on administrative writing practices in manuscripts produced during the eighteenth century, in colonial Brazil, specifically in the province of São Paulo, during the government of Rodrigo Cesar de Menezes (1721-1728). It is presented, based on documentary evidence, discussion on the use of manuscripts with scientific certainty. The importance of research lies in the fact that there is limited information about the document production process in colonial Brazil, as well as their circulation and diffusion. It is worth mentioning that in addition to aspects related to writing, the survey also brings contribution to the social history of the captaincy of São Paulo, since, to raise the addressees of the document and its thematic, brings to light the orders and to whom it was related, allowing expand the study in order to understand the administrative logic and how they composed and organized the society of the time.Keywords: history of the portuguese language; Rodrigo Cesar de Menezes; edition of colonial manuscripts.
A Cupópia do Cafundó: uma análise morfossintática
Authors: Jon-And Anna , Alvarez Lopez Laura
Published: November 2017

Resumo: O presente estudo analisa a fala da comunidade rural afrobrasileira de Cafundó, situada a 150 km da cidade de São Paulo. Entre 1978 e 1988, período em que os dados aqui analisados foram coletados, a comunidade contava com carca de 80 pessoas, descendentes de duas ex-escravas, irmãs, que herdaram as terras do seu dono. O livro publicado, em 1996, por Carlos Vogt e Peter Fry (com a colaboração de Robert Slenes) defende que a variedade denominada Cupópia apresenta estruturas do português regional e que parte do vocabulário é de origem Bantu. A análise morfossintática discute os casos de ausência de cópula, o uso da cópula em lugar do verbo possessivo, a ordem das palavras incomum no português, os substantivos sem determinante na posição de sujeito, o uso de artigos definidos em SNs preposicionais que correspondem a locuções adjetivas, bem como a concordância variável no SN e a concordância entre o sujeito e o verbo. Os resultados indicam que as características gramaticais da Cupópia não coincidem totalmente com os traços registrados no português falado pelos mesmos indivíduos, mas que são compartilhadas com variedades linguísticas mais reestruturadas do que o português falado em zonas rurais do interior do Estado de São Paulo.Palavras-chave: Cupópia; Cafundó; português; Brasil; morfossintaxe.Abstract: The present study analyzes the speech of the Afro-Brazilian rural community of Cafundó, located 150 km from São Paulo. Between 1978 and 1988, when the analyzed data were collected, the community had a population of 80 people, descendants of two former slaves, who were sisters and inherited the lands of their owner. In a book published in 1996, Carlos Vogt and Peter Fry (with the collaboration of Robert Slenes) argue that the variety denominated Cupópia presents structures of regional Portuguese, and that part of the vocabulary is of Bantu origin. The present paper focuses on morphosintactic aspects and discusses copula omission, the use of copula instead of the possessive verb, unexpected word order in Portuguese, nouns without determinant in subject position, the use of definite articles in prepositional prepositional phrases functioning as adjectival locutions, as well as the variable agreement in the noun phrases and the agreement between the subject and the verb. The results indicate that the grammatical features of Cupopia do not fully coincide with those observed in the Portuguese spoken by the same individuals, but are shared with more restructured linguistic varieties than the ones spoken in rural areas of the interior of the State of São Paulo. Keywords: Cupópia; Cafundó; portuguese; Brazil; morphosyntaxis.
Review of Bodies of Modernism: Physical Disability in Transatlantic Modernist Literature
Authors: Kerschbaum Stephanie
Published: November 2017

No abstract available.
The Change in Mental Health Status of Indonesian Health Care Migrant Worker in Japan
Authors: Nugraha Susiana , Hirano Yuko , Sumihisha Honda
Published: November 2017

Under the Japan – Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement, more than 1,000 of Indonesian health care workers have migrated to Japan. Social adjustment during the process of migration is linked to mental health changes. This study aimed to figure out the strongest predictor that influences the change in mental health status as a result of migration. Baseline data were collected in Jakarta in 2013 during pre-departure orientation. Follow-up study was conducted one year after the study participants migrated to Japan in 2014. Using longitudinal design, this study employed 92 participants consisting of nurse and certified care worker candidates. The multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to figure out the predictors that influence the change in mental health status. The prediction model expected to explain 39.9% of the change in mental health status, p value < 0.01, while sex (b = 0.201, p value < 0.05), economic conditions in pre-migration (b = -0.200, p value < 0.05), and the socio cultural adaptation competency (b = -0.238, p value < 0.05). This finding assumed that female candidates and those who have economic constraint in pre-migration stage, and those who have declining in socio-cultural adaptation competency tend to have lower mental health one year after the migration.
Husband’s Education Level and Alcohol Drinking Habit as Risk Factors of HIV Infection among Housewives in Pati District
Authors: Aeni Nurul , Westendorp Annemarie
Published: November 2017

Cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in Pati District increase, particularly among housewives. The aim of this study was to analyse the risk factors of HIV infection among housewives in Pati District using case-control study design. The respondents were 90 housewives divided into case and control group. The case group consisted of 30 housewives living with HIV, while the control group comprised 60 housewives living in the similar area of the counterparts. The data collection was focused on demographic, sexual behaviour, and sociocultural variables possessed by housewives and their husbands. The study resulted that the risk factors of HIV infection among housewives based on bivariate analysis were housewife’s level of education, husband’s level of education, husband’s occupation, housewife’s sexual transmission disease (STD) record, husband’s STD record, husband’s participation in religious activities, and husband’s alcohol drinking habit. The risk factors that fitted to logistic regression model were education level and alcoholic behaviour of husbands that contributed to 29.1% HIV infection among housewives. In conclusion, the husband’s variables are proved having stronger and very significant correlation with HIV infection among housewives than housewife’s variables.
Increasing Use of Research Findings in Improving Evidence-Based Health Policy at the National Level
Authors: Budiharsana Meiwita
Published: November 2017

In February 2016, the Minister of Health decided to increase the use of research findings in improving the quality of the national health policy and planning. The Ministry of Health has instructed the National Institute of Health Research and Development or NIHRD to play a stronger role of monitoring and evaluating all health programs, because “their opinion and research findings should be the basis for changes in national health policies and planning”. Compared to the past, the Ministry of Health has increased the research budget for evidence-based research tremendously. However, there is a gap between the information needs of program and policy-makers and the information offered by researchers. A close dialogue is needed between the users (program managers, policy makers and planners) and the suppliers (researchers and evaluators) to ensure that the evidence-based supplied by research is useful for programs, planning and health policy.
Investment Analysis of Cover Crop and No‐Tillage Systems on Tennessee Cotton
Authors: Boyer Christopher N. , Lambert Dayton M. , Larson James A. , Tyler Donald D.
Published: November 2017

Core Ideas

Investment into no‐till reduces risk.

Risk averse producers prefer no‐till over tillage.

Cover crops increased risk compared to no cover crops.

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.) fields have minimal amounts of soil surface crop residue after harvest, exposing soil and increasing the risk of erosion. This is especially challenging in the Mid‐South United States where cotton is commonly grown on soils naturally prone to soil erosion. Winter cover crops and no‐till planting are two practices that can mitigate soil erosion by increasing soil surface biomass, but there is uncertainty on how these practices impact producer profits and risk. The objective of this study was to determine the profitability and risk of winter cover crop (no cover crop, winter wheat [Triticum aestivumL.], and hairy vetch [Vicia villosaL.]) treatments and tillage (no‐till and till) treatments in cotton production. Simulation models were developed to generate net present value (NPV) distributions of investing into the long‐term use of cover crop and tillage systems. Data were collected from a 29‐yr cotton N fertilizer, tillage, and cover crop experiment in West Tennessee. Profit‐maximizing N rates and yields varied across cover crop and tillage combinations. Risk neutral, profit‐maximizing producers would prefer till planting and not planting a cover crop. Risk averse producers prefer no‐till planting with no cover crops. These results indicate that no‐till planting can reduce cotton producers’ exposure to risk. The NPV approach and the long‐term dataset provides unique insight into the economic benefits from investing into continuous cover crop and no‐till systems in cotton production.
Evaluation of Environmentally Smart Nitrogen in winter wheat in North Carolina
Authors: Rajkovich Shelby R. , Osmond Deanna L. , Weisz Randy , Crozier Carl
Published: November 2017

Winter wheat field trials were conducted from 2013 to 2015 to evaluate effectiveness of Environmentally Smart Nitrogen (ESN) in the North Carolina Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions. Trials were designed to (i) determine the effectiveness of ESN alone or in blend with ammonium sulfate compared with standard fertilizer applications and (ii) identify optimum timing of application. Earn 1 CEU in Nutrient Management by reading this article and taking the quiz at www.certifiedcropadviser.org/education/classroom/classes/514.
Respiratory burst oxidase‐D Expression and Biochemical Responses in Festuca arundinacea under Drought Stress
Authors: Rohollahi Iman , Khoshkholghsima Nayer , Nagano Hironori , Hoshino Yoichiro , Yamada Toshihiko
Published: November 2017

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases catalyze the production of superoxide, a type of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In plants, the NADPH oxidase homologs have been identified as respiratory burst oxidase homologs (Rboh). They are involved in ROS production in response to drought stress. Three entries of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) were used for analyses in the present study: tolerant (‘Isfahan’) and sensitive (‘Quchan’) accessions to drought during the germination stage, selected from 14 wild populations in Iran, as well as ‘Barvado’ as a control. Partial sequence of the Festuca respiratory burst oxidase‐D (FrbohD) gene was isolated from Barvado. We compared expression levels of the FrbohD gene as well as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), catalase activity and some biochemical responses among the three entries. Gene expression was evaluated for leaf and shoot samples subjected to 3, 6, and 9 d without water. The transcript level of FrbohD, H2O2 content, and catalase activity increased in Quchan under drought stress. It appears that lower levels of FrbohD gene transcription and H2O2 concentration in F. arundinacea leaves contributed to drought stress tolerance in Isfahan. Total protein and total soluble carbohydrate content also increased significantly in Isfahan when it was subjected to drought stress. Isfahan exhibited drought resistance through various strategies, which could serve as selection criteria for improving drought resistance in turfgrass breeding programs.
Molecular Enhancement of Alfalfa: Improving Quality Traits for Superior Livestock Performance and Reduced Environmental Impact
Authors: Singer Stacy D. , Weselake Randall J. , Acharya Surya
Published: November 2017

Forage crops, including grasses and legumes, comprise a critical component of the livestock industry. Although alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most widely grown of the perennial leguminous forage species due to a number of positive attributes, it also suffers from various drawbacks related to inefficiencies in rumen fermentation. This results not only in the inferior conversion of plant‐derived nitrogen into milk and meat products, and associated economic losses for producers, but can also lead to serious health issues in livestock and have negative environmental impacts. Therefore, there is currently an impetus for the improvement of traits in alfalfa that could enhance nitrogen and energy use, provide health benefits to the livestock it feeds, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since gains in this area using conventional breeding approaches have proven difficult to achieve, molecular breeding strategies are currently being assessed for their potential to provide a complementary approach. In this review, we examine progress made thus far with regards to improving such quality traits in alfalfa using biotechnological strategies and discuss future priorities and avenues that have the potential to support a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and productive livestock industry.
Risk Assessment for Parents Who Suspect Their Child Has Autism Spectrum Disorder: Machine Learning Approach (Preprint)
Authors: Ben-Sasson Ayelet , Robins Diana L , Yom-Tov Elad
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND

Parents are likely to seek Web-based communities to verify their suspicions of autism spectrum disorder markers in their child. Automated tools support human decisions in many domains and could therefore potentially support concerned parents.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of assessing autism spectrum disorder risk in parental concerns from Web-based sources, using automated text analysis tools and minimal standard questioning.

METHODS

Participants were 115 parents with concerns regarding their child’s social-communication development. Children were 16- to 30-months old, and 57.4% (66/115) had a family history of autism spectrum disorder. Parents reported their concerns online, and completed an autism spectrum disorder-specific screener, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised, with Follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F), and a broad developmental screener, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). An algorithm predicted autism spectrum disorder risk using a combination of the parent's text and a single screening question, selected by the algorithm to enhance prediction accuracy.

RESULTS

Screening measures identified 58% (67/115) to 88% (101/115) of children at risk for autism spectrum disorder. Children with a family history of autism spectrum disorder were 3 times more likely to show autism spectrum disorder risk on screening measures. The prediction of a child’s risk on the ASQ or M-CHAT-R was significantly more accurate when predicted from text combined with an M-CHAT-R question selected (automatically) than from the text alone. The frequently automatically selected M-CHAT-R questions that predicted risk were: following a point, make-believe play, and concern about deafness.

CONCLUSIONS

The internet can be harnessed to prescreen for autism spectrum disorder using parental concerns by administering a few standardized screening questions to augment this process.
The experimental study of residual radioactivity induced in electrostatic deflector
Authors: Xu Chong , Li Wuyuan , Xu Junkui , Yang Yao , Mao Wang , Yan Weiwei , Su Youwu , Yang Yaqing
Published: November 2017

As one of the key components of Sector Focusing Cyclotron at the Institute of
Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the electrostatic deflector can
be activated by primary and secondary particles, because of a mismatch
between the actual value and the design value of the emittance and emergence
angle. In addition, it will be struck by more particles, since there is a
stray magnetic field and outgas from the surface of the electrostatic
deflector. The residual radioactivity in the electrostatic deflector has been
studied in two aspects: specific activity and residual dose rate, based on
the gamma-ray spectrometry and Fluke 451p ionization chamber, respectively.
The specific activity of radionuclides in the main components and the dust on
the enclosure have been investigated by using gamma-ray spectrometry. The
residual dose rate around the electrostatic deflector has been obtained by
Fluke 451p ionization chamber. The results of the study show that there is a
non-negligible radiological risk to the staff. This result can be provided as
guidance for making a maintenance schedule, so that the dose received by
staff can be kept as low as reasonably achievable. Based on the results,
advice for "hands-on" maintenance and decommissioning of the SFC have been
provided.
Variable-order fractional creep model of mudstone under high-temperature
Authors: Li Ming , Pu Hai , Cao Lili
Published: November 2017

In order to study the properties of high-temperature creep for mudstone,
MTS810 electro-hydraulic servo material test system and MTS652.02 high
temperature furnace are utilized for the creep test of mudstone at 700?C.
Considering the visco-elastic-plastic characteristics and the damage
effect, the variable-order fractional creep model is established to research
the creep character, and it is found that the proposed model can be well
fitting of our experimental results. Especially, variable-order function can
be used to analyze and study the viscoelastic property evolution of mudstone
in process of high-temperature creep. Compositions of mudstone are
distinguished by X-ray diffraction technology. The presence of the illite
under high temperatures can be used for explaining the viscous feature
prevails over the elastic ones in viscoelastic properties.
Point and Click Data: An Assessment of Editorial Perceptions and Recommendations for the Peer-Review Process in the New Data Frontier
Authors: Thibodeau Jay C. , Williams L. Tyler , Witte Annie L.
Published: November 2017

In the new research frontier of data availability, this study develops guidelines to aid accounting academicians as they seek to evidence data integrity proactively in the peer-review process. To that end, we explore data integrity issues associated with two emerging data streams that are gaining prominence in the accounting literature: online labor markets and social media sources. We provide rich detail surrounding academic thought about these data platforms through interview data collected from a sample of former senior journal editors and survey data collected from a sample of peer reviewers. We then propound a set of best practice considerations that are designed to mitigate the perceived risks identified by our assessment.
Hyperspectral Data: Efficient and Secure Transmission
Authors: Pizzolante Raffaele , Carpentieri Bruno
Published: November 2017

Airborne and spaceborne hyperspectral sensors collect information which is derived from the electromagnetic spectrum of an observed area. Hyperspectral data are used in several studies and they are an important aid in different real-life applications (e.g., mining and geology applications, ecology, surveillance, etc.). A hyperspectral image has a three-dimensional structure (a sort of datacube): it can be considered as a sequence of narrow and contiguous spectral channels (bands). The objective of this paper is to present a framework permits the efficient storage/transmission of an input hyperspectral image, and its protection. The proposed framework relies on a reversible invisible watermarking scheme and an efficient lossless compression algorithm. The reversible watermarking scheme is used in conjunction with digital signature techniques in order to permit the verification of the integrity of a hyperspectral image by the receiver.
Estimating Uncertainty in Global Mercury Emission Source and Deposition Receptor Relationships
Authors: De Simone Francesco , Hedgecock Ian , Carbone Francesco , Cinnirella Sergio , Sprovieri Francesca , Pirrone Nicola
Published: November 2017

Establishing mercury (Hg) source-receptor (SR) relationship matrices provides a tool to improve the understanding of the geographic relationship between regions of Hg release and its eventual deposition. SR relationship matrices are therefore a useful starting point for the development of policies aimed at reducing the impact of Hg emissions from anthropogenic activities (Hganthr) on sensitive ecosystems and areas potentially at risk of Hg contamination. A global Chemical Transport Model (CTM) has been used to simulate the emission, transport and fate of Hganthr from 12 source regions, considering a range of uncertainty in the modelled chemical and physical processes. This ensemble of simulations gives an estimate of the Hg deposition which derives from each source region, as well as an estimate of the uncertainty of the calculated deposition flux. The uncertainty has been calculated using the bootstrap method to estimate this uncertainty in terms of the normalised confidence interval amplitude of the mean (NCIAM). Within the calculated confidence ranges, for almost all regions the contribution to the Hg deposition flux from remote sources is greater than that from domestic sources. Europe and South Asia, where the contributions are statistically indistinguishable, are exceptions, as is East Asia, with local sources dominating the Hg deposition flux. East Asia is the single most important remote source region for most receptor regions. The results yield such high uncertainties in the deposition flux for many receptor regions that the results are unlikely to be taken into consideration by policy makers. This uncertainty is particularly relevant when considering the “domestic” contribution to regional deposition, highlighting the need for more studies to resolve remaining uncertainties in the atmospheric Hg cycle, and Hganthr emission inventories.
Non-Canonical Thinking for Targeting ALK-Fusion Onco-Proteins in Lung Cancer
Authors: Wu Wei , Haderk Franziska , Bivona Trever
Published: November 2017

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements have been identified in lung cancer at 3–7% frequency, thus representing an important subset of genetic lesions that drive oncogenesis in this disease. Despite the availability of multiple FDA-approved small molecule inhibitors targeting ALK fusion proteins, drug resistance to ALK kinase inhibitors is a common problem in clinic. Thus, there is an unmet need to deepen the current understanding of genomic characteristics of ALK rearrangements and to develop novel therapeutic strategies that can overcome ALK inhibitor resistance. In this review, we present the genomic landscape of ALK fusions in the context of co-occurring mutations with other cancer-related genes, pointing to the central role of genetic epistasis (gene-gene interactions) in ALK-driven advanced-stage lung cancer. We discuss the possibility of targeting druggable domains within ALK fusion partners in addition to available strategies inhibiting the ALK kinase domain directly. Finally, we examine the potential of targeting ALK fusion-specific neoantigens in combination with other treatments, a strategy that could open a new avenue for the improved treatment of ALK positive lung cancer patients.
Graphene Coating on Copper by Electrophoretic Deposition for Corrosion Prevention
Authors: Usha Kiran N. , Dey Sanjukta , Singh Bimal , Besra Laxmidhar
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we report the use of a simple and inexpensive electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique to develop thin, uniform, and transparent graphene oxide (GO) coating on copper (Cu) substrate on application of 10 V for 1 s from an aqueous suspension containing 0.03 wt % graphene oxide. GO was partially reduced during the EPD process itself. The GO coated on Cu was completely reduced chemically by using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) solution. The coatings were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), XRD, and UV/VIS spectrophotometry. Corrosion resistance of the coatings was evaluated by electrochemical measurements under accelerated corrosion condition in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution. The GO coated on Cu and chemically reduced by NaBH4 showed more positive corrosion potential (Ecorr) (−145.4 mV) compared to GO coated on Cu (−182.2 mV) and bare Cu (−235.3 mV), and much lower corrosion current (Icorr) (7.01 µA/cm2) when compared to 15.375 µA/cm2 for bare Cu indicating that reduced GO film on copper exhibit enhanced corrosion resistance. The corrosion inhibition efficiency of chemically reduced GO coated Cu was 54.40%, and its corrosion rate was 0.08 mm/year as compared to 0.18 mm/year for bare copper.
The Effect of Post-Baking Temperature and Thickness of ZnO Electron Transport Layers for Efficient Planar Heterojunction Organometal-Trihalide Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Lee Kun-Mu , Lin Chuan-Jung , Chang Yin-Hsuan , Lin Ting-Han , Suryanarayanan Vembu , Wu Ming-Chung
Published: November 2017

Solution-processed zinc oxide (ZnO)-based planar heterojunction perovskite photovoltaic device is reported in this study. The photovoltaic device benefits from the ZnO film as a high-conductivity and high-transparent electron transport layer. The optimal electron transport layer thickness and post-baking temperature for ZnO are systematically studied by scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Optimized perovskite solar cells (PSCs) show an open-circuit voltage, a short-circuit current density, and a fill factor of 1.04 V, 18.71 mA/cm2, and 70.2%, respectively. The highest power conversion efficiency of 13.66% was obtained when the device was prepared with a ZnO electron transport layer with a thickness of ~20 nm and when post-baking at 180 °C for 30 min. Finally, the stability of the highest performance ZnO-based PSCs without encapsulation was investigated in detail.
Entropy-Based Economic Denial of Sustainability Detection
Authors: Monge Marco , Vidal Jorge , Villalba Luis
Published: November 2017

In recent years, an important increase in the amount and impact of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) threats has been reported by the different information security organizations. They typically target the depletion of the computational resources of the victims, hence drastically harming their operational capabilities. Inspired by these methods, Economic Denial of Sustainability (EDoS) attacks pose a similar motivation, but adapted to Cloud computing environments, where the denial is achieved by damaging the economy of both suppliers and customers. Therefore, the most common EDoS approach is making the offered services unsustainable by exploiting their auto-scaling algorithms. In order to contribute to their mitigation, this paper introduces a novel EDoS detection method based on the study of entropy variations related with metrics taken into account when deciding auto-scaling actuations. Through the prediction and definition of adaptive thresholds, unexpected behaviors capable of fraudulently demand new resource hiring are distinguished. With the purpose of demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposal, an experimental scenario adapted to the singularities of the EDoS threats and the assumptions driven by their original definition is described in depth. The preliminary results proved high accuracy.
K-Dependence Bayesian Classifier Ensemble
Authors: Duan Zhiyi , Wang Limin
Published: November 2017

To maximize the benefit that can be derived from the information implicit in big data, ensemble methods generate multiple models with sufficient diversity through randomization or perturbation. A k-dependence Bayesian classifier (KDB) is a highly scalable learning algorithm with excellent time and space complexity, along with high expressivity. This paper introduces a new ensemble approach of KDBs, a k-dependence forest (KDF), which induces a specific attribute order and conditional dependencies between attributes for each subclassifier. We demonstrate that these subclassifiers are diverse and complementary. Our extensive experimental evaluation on 40 datasets reveals that this ensemble method achieves better classification performance than state-of-the-art out-of-core ensemble learners such as the AODE (averaged one-dependence estimator) and averaged tree-augmented naive Bayes (ATAN).
Coherent Processing of a Qubit Using One Squeezed State
Authors: Tameshtit Allan
Published: November 2017

In a departure from most work in quantum information utilizing Gaussian states, we use a single such state to represent a qubit and model environmental noise with a class of quadratic dissipative equations. A benefit of this single Gaussian representation is that with one deconvolution, we can eliminate noise. In this deconvolution picture, a basis of squeezed states evolves to another basis of such states. One of the limitations of our approach is that noise is eliminated only at a privileged time. We suggest that this limitation may actually be used advantageously to send information securely: the privileged time is only known to the sender and the receiver, and any intruder accessing the information at any other time encounters noisy data.
Responsive Proteins in Wheat Cultivars with Contrasting Nitrogen Efficiencies under the Combined Stress of High Temperature and Low Nitrogen
Authors: Yousuf Peerzada Yasir , Abd_Allah Elsayed Fathi , Nauman Mohd , Asif Ambreen , Hashem Abeer , Alqarawi Abdulaziz A. , Ahmad Altaf
Published: November 2017

Productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum) is markedly affected by high temperature and nitrogen deficiency. Identifying the functional proteins produced in response to these multiple stresses acting in a coordinated manner can help in developing tolerance in the crop. In this study, two wheat cultivars with contrasting nitrogen efficiencies (N-efficient VL616 and N-inefficient UP2382) were grown in control conditions, and under a combined stress of high temperature (32 °C) and low nitrogen (4 mM), and their leaf proteins were analysed in order to identify the responsive proteins. Two-dimensional electrophoresis unravelled sixty-one proteins, which varied in their expression in wheat, and were homologous to known functional proteins involved in biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, photosynthesis, protein folding, transcription, signalling, oxidative stress, water stress, lipid metabolism, heat stress tolerance, nitrogen metabolism, and protein synthesis. When exposed to high temperature in combination with low nitrogen, wheat plants altered their protein expression as an adaptive means to maintain growth. This response varied with cultivars. Nitrogen-efficient cultivars showed a higher potential of redox homeostasis, protein stability, osmoprotection, and regulation of nitrogen levels. The identified stress-responsive proteins can pave the way for enhancing the multiple-stress tolerance in wheat and developing a better understanding of its mechanism.