bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vowel reduction in English grammatical words by Macedonian EFL
learners
Authors: Duckinoska Ivana 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Research into L2 vowel reduction shows that
learners find this phenomenon challenging to acquire, most likely
due to their inability to differentiate between stressed and
unstressed syllables. Consequently, their L2 speech is characterised
by overuse of strong forms, which may be detrimental to
intelligibility. This study explores vowel reduction in grammatical
words by Macedonian learners of English (N = 121).
Participants at B1, B2 and C1 proficiency levels completed 25 tasks
which elicited target words in spontaneous speech. The results
reveal that learners predominantly use strong forms. Moreover, weak
form use is significantly associated with learners’ proficiency
level and formal pronunciation training, but not with word category.
It was also observed that words with certain strong vowels are more
frequently reduced.
Differential effects of lexical and non-lexical high-variability
phonetic training on the production of L2 vowels
Authors: Ortega Mireia , Mora Plaza Ingrid , Mora Joan Carles 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
This study investigated the effects of
phonetically-oriented and lexically-oriented high-variability
phonetic training. Forty-one L1-Catalan/Spanish EFL learners were
randomly assigned to three groups. Two were trained on the English
/æ/-/ʌ/ contrast either through nonwords (n=14) or
words (n=12), and an untrained group
(n=15) served as control. Training consisted of
discrimination, identification, and immediate repetition tasks.
Participants were tested on their vowel production through a delayed
word repetition task. Gains were assessed through normalised
Bark-converted spectral distance scores between trainees’ and native
speakers’ productions of the target sounds. The results revealed
that the nonword group’s vowel qualities were closer to those of
native speakers at post-test, suggesting that attention to phonetic
detail induced by nonword-based training was superior to
lexically-oriented training.
The diachrony of Galician certamente and
seguramente
Authors: Míguez Vítor 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
This paper addresses the evolution of two Galician
adverbs, certamente and seguramente. Data
from three different periods show that they had similar manner, modal and
discourse functions in the Middle Ages, as opposed to their distinct
functional profiles in more recent days. The theoretical analysis is based
on Traugott and Trousdale’s
(2013) framework, and shows that several instances of grammatical
constructionalization occurred since the emergence of
-mente adverbs out of a Latin instrumental construction
until the appearance of (inter)subjective markers. The current study also
reveals that certamente has become a strengthener and, to a
lesser extent, a certainty marker, whereas seguramente
expresses probability. The semantic evolution of the adverbs, from manner,
through strengthening, to epistemic modality, is in contradiction with the
unidirectionality of (inter)subjectification, whereas the loss of
intersubjective functions in seguramente is a case of
deintersubjectification. Previous research shows that this is a recurrent
pattern for epistemic and evidential expressions.
Unfolding constructions
Authors: Peltola Rea 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
This paper explores the semantic motivation of postmodal
auxiliaries in complement constructions conveying mirativity in French and
Finnish. French pouvoir ‘can’ and Finnish
pitää ‘should’ both occur as postmodal markers in
complements of epistemic and axiological items. These constructions refer to
events that deviate from what is discursively projected as expected. As a
modal verb of possibility, pouvoir profiles the meaning
‘p and not ¬p’, which is based on an
opposition, while pitää, originally a necessity verb, gives
prominence to the paradigmatic meaning ’p instead of
q1, q2
…’. While the two verbs
function in a similar manner as indexes of an interclausal semantic link in
mirative constructions, the meaning of unexpectedness is not construed in
the same way, and the critical contexts in the evolution of postmodal
complement patterns with pouvoir and pitää
are of a different type.
Constructionalization of Japanese koto
imperatives
Authors: Yuasa Etsuyo 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
This paper examines koto imperatives
(e.g., tōku-o mite unten-suru koto! ‘drive looking far
ahead!’) in Japanese. With internal reconstruction, it is shown that
koto imperatives not only underwent a process of
pragmatic strengthening resulting in a new sense of modality, but also
inherited the syntactic schema of the prototypical modal
(raising-to-subject) construction. Given this new meaning associated with
new syntax, it is proposed that koto imperatives are an
instance of constructionalization. Given the similarities between
koto imperatives and suspended clauses (Ohori, 1995), the current analysis
also raises the possibility that constructionalization may take place or may
be taking place with other emerging modality expressions in Japanese.
Medical management of heavily exposed victims: an experience at the Tokaimura criticality accident
Authors: Akashi Makoto , Maekawa Kazuhiko 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
A criticality accident occurred at the uranium conversion plant in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan on 30 September 1999. When uranyl nitrate was overloaded to a critical mass level, uncontrolled fission reaction occurred. A procedure was carried out according to the JCO manual, although not an officially approved manual. Three workers were heavily exposed to neutrons and γ-rays produced by nuclear fission, and they subsequently developed acute radiation syndrome (ARS). The average doses to the whole body of the three workers were approximately 25, 9, and 3 GyEq (biologically equivalent dose of γ-exposure), respectively; dose distribution analysis later revealed extreme heterogeneity of these doses in two workers. They were triaged according to the predicted clinical needs. Two of these workers developed severe bone marrow failure and received haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: one with peripheral stem cell transplantation from his Human Leukocyte Antigen compatible sister and the other with umbilical cord blood transplantation. The graft was initially successful in both workers; autologous haematopoietic recovery was observed after donor/recipient mixed chimerism in one of them. Despite of all medical efforts available including haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, investigational drugs, skin graft, two workers died of multiple organ involvement and failure 83 and 211 days after the accident, respectively. Clinically as well as pathologically, the direct cause of death was deemed to be intractable gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in one, and thoraco-abdominal compartment syndrome due to dermal fibrosis/sclerosis in the other. The third worker also developed bone marrow suppression but was treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. He recovered without major complications and is now under periodical medical follow-up. These experiences suggest that treatment of bone marrow is not a limiting factor for saving the life of ARS victims severely exposed. Successful treatment of other organs such as lungs, skin, and GI tract is also essential. Furthermore, the whole-body dose may not always reflect the prognosis of ARS victims because of the nature of accidental exposure, heterogenous exposure.
Potential risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and cancer due to cumulative doses received from diagnostic CT scans?
Authors: Martin Colin J , Barnard Michael 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Potential risks from radiation exposure on the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease are indicated by epidemiological studies. Medical exposures give the largest dose to the population from artificial sources, with cumulative doses from multiple CT scans being significant. Data on doses from scans performed on 12 CT scanners in three hospitals over a period of 5½ years, derived using RadimetricsTM software, have been reviewed for 105 757 patients. Data have been downloaded for heart, brain, thyroid, and effective doses, and cumulative doses analysed using ExcelTM spreadsheets. 2.4% of patients having body CT scans received cumulative doses to the heart over 100 mSv, 9% of whom were under 50 years. 9.6% of patients having head CT scans received cumulative doses to the brain over 100 mSv with 0.08% over 500 mSv from whom 41% were under 50 years, but only 1.3% of patients scanned had thyroid/carotid artery doses over 100 mSv. An approximate evaluation of potential risks from exposures of the heart above 100 mSv and brain over 500 mSv for patients under 60 years would suggest that at most only one patient would demonstrate any excess risk from vascular disease resulting from the exposures. 0.67% of patients scanned received effective doses over 100 mSv, in line with results from European studies, with 8.4% being under 50 years. The application of age and sex specific risk coefficients relating to excess cancer incidence suggests that two or three patients with effective doses over 100 mSv and five patients with effective doses between 50 and 100 mSv, from those examined, might develop cancer as a result of exposure. However, this will be an overestimate, since it does not take patients’ health into account. Exposure management software can aid in evaluating cumulative doses and identifying individual patients receiving substantial doses from repetitive imaging.
Pre-threshold fractional susceptibility functions at Misiurewicz parameters
Authors: Sedro Julien 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
We show that the response, frozen and semifreddo fractional susceptibility functions of certain real-analytic unimodal families, at Misiurewicz parameters and for fractional differentiation index

0
⩽
η
<

1

2

, are holomorphic on a disk of radius greater than one. This is a step towards solving a conjecture of Baladi and Smania, in the case of the aforementioned susceptibility functions.
Dynamical zeta functions in the nonorientable case
Authors: Borns-Weil Yonah , Shen Shu 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
We use a simple argument to extend the microlocal proofs of meromorphicity of dynamical zeta functions to the nonorientable case. In the special case of geodesic flow on a connected non-orientable negatively curved closed surface, we compute the order of vanishing of the zeta function at the zero point to be the first Betti number of the surface.
Increasing the scope and precision of the steady-state photocarrier grating technique by measuring the photocurrents at several voltages
Authors: Kopprio Leonardo , Longeaud Christophe 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The steady-state photocarrier grating (SSPG) experiment is a popular technique for extracting the minority carrier diffusion length of photoconductive thin films in coplanar configuration. The diffusion length is basically obtained from the measurement of the steady-state photocurrent produced by a low applied voltage while the material is illuminated by two monochromatic laser beams of different intensities that interfere between the electrical contacts of the sample. Despite its simplicity and popularity, it is well known that the technique can overestimate the minority carrier diffusion length in some samples. In this paper, we show that the precision of the technique can be substantially increased by performing the same experiment at different voltages. Additionally, we show how to estimate fundamental material parameters from the experiment, such as the density of states at the majority carrier quasi-Fermi energy and the ratio between the recombination states’ capture coefficient and mobility of majority carriers. First, we show that the procedures found in the literature for correcting the overestimation produced by the standard technique do not work properly due to an oversimplification in the modeling. Then, we use a numerical simulation of an unintentionally-doped hydrogenated-amorphous-silicon-like material to evaluate the precision of the new formulas and procedures presented. We clarify the conditions under which the standard SSPG technique produces large overestimations. In these cases, we show that the precision of the new procedure can be more than ten times higher. Finally, we use the standard and the new method to characterize a hydrogenated amorphous (a-Si:H) and a hydrogenated polymorphous (pm-Si:H) silicon sample at different temperatures. We observe that the overestimations produced by the standard technique increase with the ratio between the majority and minority carrier diffusion lengths and the ratio between the recombination states’ capture coefficient and mobility of majority carriers.
Efficiency calculation by Monte Carlo simulation for the rapidly-deployable spectrometric air-sampling system (MARE)
Authors: Alegria N. , Legarda F. 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
In order to get information about the concentration of gamma
emitting radionuclides at ground level in case of a nuclear or
radiological accident or incident, sampling devices have been
designed in the framework of the European Metrology Programme for
Innovation and Research (EMPIR) of the European Association of
National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET) [1] financed
Preparedness project. To fulfill its duty, the device must be
properly calibrated in efficiency so as to relate spectra to
activity concentration taking any modifying factor, such as
coincidence summing correction, into account. Experimental approach
to efficiency calibration is a prohibitively difficult task, so the
Monte Carlo simulation method has been successfully adopted.
Lizard osteoderms – Morphological characterisation, biomimetic design and manufacturing based on three species
Authors: Liang Ce , Marghoub Arsalan , Kever Loic , Bertazzo Sergio , Abzhanov Arkhat , Vickaryous Matthew , Herrel Anthony , E Evans Susan , Moazen Mehran 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Osteoderms (OD) are mineralised dermal structures consisting mainly of calcium phosphate and collagen. The sheer diversity of OD morphologies and their distribution within the skin of lizards makes these reptiles an ideal group in which to study ODs. Nonetheless, our understanding of the structure, development, and function of lizard ODs remains limited. The specific aims of this study were: (1) to carry out a detailed morphological characterisation of ODs in three lizard species; (2) to design and manufacture biomimetic sheets of ODs corresponding to the OD arrangement in each species; and (3) to evaluate the impact resistance of the manufactured biomimetic sheets under a drop weight test. Skin samples of the anguimorphs H. suspectum and O. ventralis, and the skink C. zebrata were obtained from frozen lab specimens. Following a series of imaging and image characterisations, 3D biomimetic models of the ODs were developed. 3D models were then printed using additive manufacturing techniques and subjected to drop weight impact tests. The results suggest that a 3D printed compound of overlapping ODs as observed in Corucia can potentially offers a higher energy absorption by comparison with the overlapping ODs of Ophisaurus and the non-overlapping ODs of Heloderma. Compound overlapping ODs need to be further tested and explored as a biomimetic concept to increase the shock absorption capabilities of devices and structures.
Context-dependent coloration of prey and predator decision making in contrasting light environments
Authors: Nokelainen Ossi , de Moraes Rezende Francisko , Valkonen Janne K , Mappes Johanna 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA big question in behavioral ecology is what drives diversity of color signals. One possible explanation is that environmental conditions, such as light environment, may alter visual signaling of prey, which could affect predator decision-making. Here, we tested the context-dependent predator selection on prey coloration. In the first experiment, we tested detectability of artificial visual stimuli to blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) by manipulating stimulus luminance and chromatic context of the background. We expected the presence of the chromatic context to facilitate faster target detection. As expected, blue tits found targets on chromatic yellow background faster than on achromatic grey background whereas in the latter, targets were found with smaller contrast differences to the background. In the second experiment, we tested the effect of two light environments on the survival of aposematic, color polymorphic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis). As luminance contrast should be more detectable than chromatic contrast in low light intensities, we expected birds, if they find the moths aversive, to avoid the white morph which is more conspicuous than the yellow morph in low light (and vice versa in bright light). Alternatively, birds may attack first moths that are more detectable. We found birds to attack yellow moths first in low light conditions, whereas white moths were attacked first more frequently in bright light conditions. Our results show that light environments affect predator foraging decisions, which may facilitate context-dependent selection on visual signals and diversity of prey phenotypes in the wild.
The Complex Relationship Between Microbiota, Immune Response and Creeping Fat in Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Suau Roger , Pardina Eva , Domènech Eugeni , Lorén Violeta , Manyé Josep 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn the last decade, there has been growing interest in the pathological involvement of hypertrophic mesenteric fat attached to the serosa of the inflamed intestinal segments involved in Crohn’s disease [CD], known as creeping fat. In spite of its protective nature, creeping fat harbours an aberrant inflammatory activity which, in an already inflamed intestine, may explain why creeping fat is associated with a greater severity of CD. The transmural inflammation of CD facilitates the interaction of mesenteric fat with translocated intestinal microorganisms, contributing to activation of the immune response. This may be not the only way in which microorganisms alter the homeostasis of this fatty tissue: intestinal dysbiosis may also impair xenobiotic metabolism. All these CD-related alterations have a functional impact on nuclear receptors such as the farnesoid X receptor or the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, which are implicated in regulation of the immune response, adipogenesis and the maintenance of barrier function, as well as on creeping fat production of inflammatory-associated cells such as adipokines. The dysfunction of creeping fat worsens the inflammatory course of CD and may favour intestinal fibrosis and fistulizing complications. However, our current knowledge of the pathophysiology and pathogenic role of creeping fat is controversial and a better understanding might provide new therapeutic targets for CD. Here we aim to review and update the key cellular and molecular alterations involved in this inflammatory process that link the pathological components of CD with the development of creeping fat.
Severity of congenital long QT syndrome disease manifestation and risk of depression, anxiety, and mortality: a nationwide study
Authors: Krøll Johanna , Jensen Henrik K , Jespersen Camilla , Kanters Jørgen K , Hansen Michael Skov , Christiansen Michael , Westergaard Lucas Malta , Fosbøl Emil L , Rørth Rasmus , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Køber Lars , Bundgaard Henning , Tfelt-Hansen Jacob , Weeke Peter E 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Aims
We examined if a congenital long QT syndrome (cLQTS) diagnosis and severity of cLQTS disease manifestation was associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety, and all-cause mortality.

Methods and results
All patients with known cLQTS in Denmark were identified using nationwide registries and specialized inherited cardiac disease clinics (1994–2016) and followed for up to 3 years after their cLQTS diagnosis. Risk factors for depression, anxiety, and all-cause mortality were determined using multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression. An age- and sex-matched control population was identified (matching 1:4). Overall, 589 patients with cLQTS were identified of which 119/589 (20.2%) developed depression or anxiety during follow-up compared with 302/2356 (12.8%) from the control population (P &lt; 0.001). Severity of cLQTS disease manifestation was identified for 324/589 (55%) of patients with cLQTS; 162 were asymptomatic, 119 had ventricular tachycardia (VT)/syncope, and 43 had aborted sudden cardiac death (aSCD). In multivariable models, patients with aSCD, VT/syncope, or unspecified cLQTS disease manifestation had a higher risk of developing depression or anxiety compared with the control population (hazard ratio [HR]=2.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–5.1; HR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2–3.0; HR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.1–2.3, respectively). Asymptomatic patients had similar risk of developing depression or anxiety as the control population (HR = 1.2, 95% CI: 0.8–1.9). During follow-up, 10/589 (1.7%) patients with cLQTS died compared with 27/2356 (1.1%) from the control population (P = 0.5). Furthermore, 4/10 who died had developed depression or anxiety.

Conclusion
A severe cLQTS disease manifestation was associated with a greater risk of depression or anxiety. All-cause mortality for patients with cLQTS was low.
sRNA STnc150 is involved in virulence regulation of Salmonella Typhimurium by targeting fimA mRNA
Authors: Li Jing , Li Na , Ning Chengcheng , Guo Yun , Ji Chunhui , Zhu Xiaozhen , Zhang Xingxing , Meng Qingling , Shang Yunxia , Xiao Chencheng , Xia Xianzhu , Cai Xuepeng , Qiao Jun 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACT
Small RNAs (sRNAs) are essential virulent regulators in Salmonella typhimurium (STM). To explore the role of sRNA STnc150 in regulating STM virulence, we constructed a STnc150 deletion strain (ΔSTnc150) and its complementary strain (ΔSTnc150/C). Then, we compared their characteristics to their original parent strain experimentally, identified the target genes of STnc150 and determined the expression levels of target genes. The results showed that the ΔSTnc150 strain exhibited delayed biofilm formation, enhanced adhesion to macrophages, significantly reduced LD50, increased liver and spleen viral loads and more vital pathological damaging ability than its parent and complementary strains. Further, bioinformatics combined with the bacterial dual plasmid reporter system confirmed that the bases 72–88 of STnc150 locating at the secondary stem-loop structure of the STnc150 are complementary with the bases 1–19 in the 5′-terminal of fimA mRNA of the type 1 fimbriae subunit. Western blot analysis showed that fimA protein level was increased in STnc150 strain compared with its parent and complementary strains. Together, this study suggested that STnc150 can down-regulate STM fimA expression at the translation level, which provided insights into the regulatory mechanisms of sRNAs in virulence of STM.