julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Determinants of English accents
2015-01-01

In this study we investigate which factors affect the degree of non-native accent of L2 speakers of English who learned English in school and mostly lived for some time in an anglophone setting. We use data from the Speech Accent Archive containing over 700 speakers speaking almost 160 different native languages. We show that besides several important predictors, including the age of English onset and length of anglophone residence, the linguistic distance between the speaker's native language and English is a significant predictor of the degree of non-native accent in pronunciation. This study extends an earlier study (Schepens et al., 2013) which only focused on Indo-European L2 learners of Dutch and used a general speaking proficiency measure. Proceedings of QITL-6, Tubingen, November 4-6, 2015
Systems-level organization of yeast methylotrophic lifestyle
2015-01-01

Some yeasts have evolved a methylotrophic lifestyle enabling them to utilize the single carbon compound methanol as a carbon and energy source. Among them, Pichia pastoris (syn. Komagataella sp.) is frequently used for the production of heterologous proteins and also serves as a model organism for organelle research. Our current knowledge of methylotrophic lifestyle mainly derives from sophisticated biochemical studies which identified many key methanol utilization enzymes such as alcohol oxidase and dihydroxyacetone synthase and their localization to the peroxisomes. C1 assimilation is supposed to involve the pentose phosphate pathway, but details of these reactions are not known to date. In this work we analyzed the regulation patterns of 5,354 genes, 575 proteins, 141 metabolites, and fluxes through 39 reactions of P. pastoris comparing growth on glucose and on a methanol/glycerol mixed medium, respectively. Contrary to previous assumptions, we found that the entire methanol assimilation pathway is localized to peroxisomes rather than employing part of the cytosolic pentose phosphate pathway for xylulose-5-phosphate regeneration. For this purpose, P. pastoris (and presumably also other methylotrophic yeasts) have evolved a duplicated methanol inducible enzyme set targeted to peroxisomes. This compartmentalized cyclic C1 assimilation process termed xylose-monophosphate cycle resembles the principle of the Calvin cycle and uses sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphate as intermediate. The strong induction of alcohol oxidase, dihydroxyacetone synthase, formaldehyde and formate dehydrogenase, and catalase leads to high demand of their cofactors riboflavin, thiamine, nicotinamide, and heme, respectively, which is reflected in strong up-regulation of the respective synthesis pathways on methanol. Methanol-grown cells have a higher protein but lower free amino acid content, which can be attributed to the high drain towards methanol metabolic enzymes and their cofactors. In context with up-regulation of many amino acid biosynthesis genes or proteins, this visualizes an increased flux towards amino acid and protein synthesis which is reflected also in increased levels of transcripts and/or proteins related to ribosome biogenesis and translation. Taken together, our work illustrates how concerted interpretation of multiple levels of systems biology data can contribute to elucidation of yet unknown cellular pathways and revolutionize our understanding of cellular biology.
Assessment of Shallow Landslide Initiation Areas Using stochastic Modelling: The Vernazza Torrent Case Study, Liguria, Italy
2015-01-01

The objective of this study is the assessment of potential failure zones of landslides in unstable areas. For this purpose, two different stochastic classification models were used: A boosted decision tree approach with TreeNet (TN), and a bagging decision tree approach with Random Forests (RF). Both topographic and soil parameters were considered as predictor variables for training and testing the models. We assume that several predictor variables will lead to misclassification and incorrectness, especially soil parameters. Hence, the misclassification of these particular predictors should be avoided, using the strategy of tree boosting. The investigated area is the hydrological basin of Vernazza in Cinque Terre, Northwest Italy. A disastrous flash flood on the 25th of October 2011 with numerous landslides caused fatalities and economic losses amounting to millions of Euros. We mapped landslide areas in the field and checked the resulting maps with high resolution remote sensing images. Furthermore, the relevant soil parameters were collected based on a geostatistical approach. We measured topographic parameters, and physical and hydrological soil characteristics such as maximum shear strength under saturated and unsaturated conditions, and hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), and attributed random points in three distinguished classes: i) initiation areas, representing the most likely failure areas for possible landslides, ii) transport areas which were considered as a mix of classes 1 and 3, and iii) stable areas, such as valley bottom, ridges, and unconditionally stable areas. We ran both models with a training dataset (0.8 of the total points Ntot) and a test dataset (0.2 of Ntot) and each with 2000 grown decision trees. We validated the models with a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve integral. The regionalized results of the TreeNet dataset yielded potential susceptible landslide areas of a total area of 1.74 kmÂ2, which is 29.74% of the total area. In contrast, the Random Forests model classified a much greater susceptible area (84.27% of the total area). The results show that Treenet is outperforming RF. The latter misclassifies especially the soil related variables, whereas TreeNet yields robust model results.
Acquiring 4D light fields of self-luminous light sources using programmable filter
2015-01-01

Self-luminous light sources in the real world often have nonnegligible sizes and radiate light inhomogeneously. Acquiring the model of such a light source is highly important for accurate image synthesis and understanding. In this paper, we propose a method for measuring 4D light fields of self-luminous extended light sources by using a liquid crystal (LC) panel, i.e. a programmable filter and a diffuse-reflection board. The proposed method recovers the 4D light field from the images of the board illuminated by the light radiated from a light source and passing through the LC panel. We make use of the feature that the transmittance of the LC panel can be controlled both spatially and temporally. The proposed method enables us to utilize multiplexed sensing, and therefore is able to acquire 4D light fields more efficiently and densely than the straightforward method. We implemented the prototype setup, and confirmed through a number of experiments that the proposed method is effective for modeling self-luminous extended light sources in the real world.
Firm Exports, Foreign Ownership, and the Global Financial Crisis
2015-01-01

The exceptional export performance of foreign-owned firms is a well-established stylized fact, but the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. In this paper, we provide theory and empirical evidence demonstrating that this fact can be explained by ownership differences in access to finance. We develop a theoretical model of international trade featuring firm heterogeneity and credit market frictions in which foreign-owned firms can access foreign capital markets via their multinational parents. The model predicts a financial advantage of foreign ownership for exporting that gains importance as credit conditions deteriorate. To empirically identify this effect, we estimate a triple differences model using rich micro data from Spain that exploits the global financial crisis as an exogenous shock to credit supply. We find that foreign ownership significantly stabilized firm exports when liquidity dried out in the crisis, in particular among small and financially vulnerable firms.
Evaluating the Effects of ACE Systems on Multinational Debt Financing and Investment
2015-01-01

Theory recommends aligning the tax treatment of debt and equity. A few countries, notably Belgium, have introduced an allowance for corporate equity (ACE) to achieve tax neutrality. We study the effects of adopting an ACE on debt financing, passive investment, and active investment of multinational firms, using high-quality administrative\\ndata on virtually all German-based multinationals. We use two main identification strategies, based on (1) synthetic control methods and (2) variations across affiliates within the multinational group. Our results suggest that an ACE reduces the corporate debt ratio of multinational affiliates. Additionally, an ACE increases intra-group lending and other forms of passive investment but has no effects on production investment of multinational affiliates. The findings indicate that a unilateral implementation of an ACE system generates a tax planning opportunity using a structure combining the benefits from the ACE with interest deductions.
Sanskrit Scholars and Pandits of the Old School: The Benares Sanskrit College and the Constitution of Authority in the Late Nineteenth Century
2015-01-01

The attitude Edward Said described as orientalism, which in large terms can be said to have encompassed the colonialist-imperialist approach to the East and the colonies generally, was and is no consistent or unilinear mode of perception. Said provided us with the preliminary tools to take stock of 'orientalism,' but with no grid to measure the shifts which took place within this perspective over the decades, since his own approach remained largely ahistorical.1 He saw the victims of this attitude as condemned to silence, though, as I hope to show, the 'orientals,' with a highly developed cultural apparatus of their own, did not remain silent, nor merely resistant but articulated their own stand in view of the changed cultural-political situation. The history of the Benares Sanskrit College, founded in 1791, gives us an opportunity to follow the stages of one East-West encounter, at the heart of the matter, as it were, since here knowledge and the methods of learning themselves formed the issue. In the following, I shall sketch the dual cultural heritage of the Benares Sanskrit College, which could be said to clash and climax in the debate between an orientalist and an 'Oriental'
Twist-3 spin observables for single-hadron production in DIS
2015-01-01

Recently, three twist-3 spin asymmetries for single-inclusive hadron production in deep-inelastic lepton-nucleon scattering have been computed using collinear factorization and the leading order approximation. Here we summarize the main findings of these studies.
Introduction
2015-01-01

In a recently published text from his literary estate, the Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard argued that "the cold increases with the clarity."1 This was the leitmotif of his address on receiving the Bremen Literature Prize in 1975, and it defines the view of "modernity" adopted in the present work.
Intraoperative model based identification of tissue properties using a multimodal and multiscale elastographic measurement approach
2015-01-01

During minimally invasive surgery the visual (3 dimensional) and mechanical (haptic) feedback is restricted or even non-existing, which imposes a serious loss of important information for decision making. Information about the mechanical properties of the biological tissue helps the surgeon to localize tissue abnormalities (benign vs. malign tissue). The work described here is directed towards assisting the surgeon during minimally invasive surgery, which in particular relates to the segmentation and navigation based on the recovery of mechanical properties. Besides the development of noninvasive elastographic measurement techniques, a reliable constitutive FE model of the organ (describing its mechanical properties) is generated resulting in a further improvement of the segmentation and localization process. At first silicon phantoms, with and without foreign bodies have been generated for the purpose of testing the transfer of information (delivery and processing of data). The stress-strain curve was recorded and embedded in the FE Model (Arruda-Boyce). Two dimensional (2D) displacement maps have experimentally been obtained from the phantom, which were in good agreement with the FE simulation.
The Change in the Representation of the King in the Accounts of the Past of the Neo-Assyrian Royal Inscriptions
2015-01-01

In the Neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions we find accounts of the past that are inserted in the form of a relative clause, that function to embellish the king's image. In this paper I discuss how the king is represented by dealing with the accounts of the past in the narrations of the campaigns. In the Neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions, accounts of the past often refer to the deeds of the king's predecessors. The king emphasizes his heroic priority by stating that no previous king had accomplished a certain achievement that he had (the so-called Übertreffungsmethaphorik). For example, the king has marched in regions that none of his forefathers had set foot in and has subjugated enemies who had threatened Assyrian territory or foreign rulers who had been unsubmissive since early times. These motifs depict the king as a capable military leader (a conqueror and protector of the land), the traditional royal portrait that goes back to the Middle Assyrian period. Moreover, a reference to the voluntary surrender of a previously unsubmissive ruler from a distant place highlights the might of a king who overwhelms without the need to do anything. The comparison to the previous kings does not always emphasize his heroic priority. By referring to the faults of his predecessors, the account represents the king as a true king and legitimates his kingship. However, from Sargon on, accounts about the past without the Übertreffungsmethaphorik appear. The most prominent theme is the king's favor to his vassals, especially his appointing them as rulers and guaranteeing them their positions. This theme highlights a new aspect of the king, that of benefactor. The expansion of Assyria from the time of Tiglath-pileser III caused tensions with the neighboring great powers. In this situation, the king treated the vassal states at the periphery more favorably than before in order to keep their loyalty. This led to the introduction of representing the ruler as a warm-hearted king.
The critical accretion luminosity for magnetized neutron stars
2015-01-02

The accretion flow around X-ray pulsars with a strong magnetic field is funnelled by the field to relatively small regions close to the magnetic poles of the neutron star (NS), the hotspots. During strong outbursts regularly observed from some X-ray pulsars, the X-ray luminosity can be so high, that the emerging radiation is able to stop the accreting matter above the surface via radiation-dominated shock, and the accretion column begins to rise. This border luminosity is usually called the "critical luminosity". Here we calculate the critical luminosity as a function of the NS magnetic field strength using exact Compton scattering cross section in strong magnetic field. Influence of the resonant scattering and photon polarization is taken into account for the first time. We show that the critical luminosity is not a monotonic function of the B-field. It reaches a minimum of a few 10^{36} erg s^{-1} when the cyclotron energy is about 10 keV and a considerable amount of photons from a hotspot have energy close to the cyclotron resonance. For small B, this luminosity is about 10^{37} erg s^{-1}, nearly independent of the parameters. It grows for the B-field in excess of 10^{12} G because of the drop in the effective cross-section of interaction below the cyclotron energy. We investigate how different types of the accretion flow and geometries of the accretion channel affect the results and demonstrate that the general behaviour of the critical luminosity on B-field is very robust. The obtained results are shown to be in a good agreement with the available observational data and provide a necessary ground for the interpretation of upcoming high quality data from the currently operating and planned X-ray telescopes.
BNCI Horizon 2020: towards a roadmap for the BCI community
2015-01-02

The brain-computer interface (BCI) field has grown dramatically over the past few years, but there are still no coordinated efforts to ensure efficient communication and collaboration among key stakeholders. The European Commission (EC) has recently renewed their efforts to establish such a coordination effort by funding a coordination and support action for the BCI community called ‘BNCI Horizon 2020’ after the ‘Future BNCI’ project. Major goals of this new project include developing a roadmap for the next decade and beyond, encouraging discussion and collaboration within the BCI community, fostering communication with the general public, and the foundation of an international BCI Society. We present a short overview of current and past EU-funded BCI projects and provide evidence of a growing research and industrial community. Efficient communication also entails the establishment of clear terminology, which is a major goal of BNCI Horizon 2020. To this end, we give a brief overview of current BCI-related terms and definitions. A major networking activity in the project was the BNCI Horizon 2020 Retreat in Hallstatt, Austria. Over 60 experts participated in this event to discuss the future of the BCI field in a series of plenary talks, targeted discussions, and parallel focus sessions. A follow-up event was the EU BCI Day at the 6th International Brain-Computer Interface Conference in Graz, Austria. This networking event included plenary talks by eight companies and representatives from all seven ongoing EU research projects, poster presentations, demos, and discussions. Another goal of BNCI Horizon 2020 is the foundation of an official BCI Society. In this article, we summarize the current status of this process. Finally, we present visions for future BCI applications developed within BNCI Horizon 2020 using input from external BCI experts as well. We identify common themes and conclude with six exemplary use cases.
What characterizes children nominated as gifted by teachers? A closer consideration of working memory and intelligence
2015-01-02

Teacher nominations are often used in school settings to identify gifted children. However, although high intelligence is part of almost all definitions of giftedness, prior research has consistently shown that not all children nominated as gifted by teachers have high intelligence. In order to further understand the characteristics of these students, we herein explore the role of another cognitive construct, namely working memory (WM). In a sample comprising N = 81 fourth graders, both WM and intelligence showed the same predictive value for characterizing teacher-nominated gifted children, pointing to the importance of the thus-far-unattended WM for characterizing these students.
Access to and Accessibility of Education: An Analytic and Conceptual Approach to a Multidimensional Issue
2015-01-02

This article presents analytical considerations for the discussion of issues of access to education and inequality. It first sharpens the concept of access and inequality by pointing to the interplay of structure and agency as well as to processes of social differentiation in which differences are constructed. This implies a critical view on "access" not as something that is simply given in educational systems or as something students "have." Referring to interactional and intersectional considerations, the more comprehensive concept of "accessibility" is suggested, which points to the process of making education accessible. Second, the chapter distinguishes and discusses four levels of analysis to be considered, while providing a review of the existing research and putting into context the research findings of the European research project GOETE. In the concluding section, accessibility is discussed as requiring a multidimensional and multidisciplinary theoretical approach.
Rac1 promotes diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced formation of liver tumors
2015-01-02

To elucidate the function of the Ras-homologous GTPase Rac1 in hepatocarcinogenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN), mice lacking hepatic Rac1 expression were treated with DEN and compared to the wild-type (WT). Rac1 knock-out (KO) mice were found to have a lower tumor yield as compared to Rac1 proficient mice. The small-sized tumors formed in the absence of Rac1 lack an activated Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, as indicated by the absence of p-ERK expression. Apparently, Rac1 is required for Ras-driven oncogenic pathways. Moreover, tumors in Rac1 deficient mice were glutamine synthase (GS) negative. They displayed a high number of p-H3-positive and cyclinB1 expressing cells, pointing to a defect in mitotic progression. To elucidate the influence of Rac1 on mechanisms of tumor initiation, acute DEN-induced hepatic stress responses were monitored. Rac1 deficiency caused fairly complex, partially time-dependent, alterations in both basal and/or DEN-induced messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of susceptibility-related genes. Basal protein expression of DNA repair factors Brca1 and DNA repair protein RAD51 homolog (Rad51) and the cell cycle regulatory factor p27 was enhanced in the absence of Rac1. Following DEN treatment, p21 mRNA and protein expression was stimulated independent of the Rac1 status. Lack of Rac1 increased mechanisms of the DNA damage response (DDR), as shown by elevated protein levels of p-ATR, p-p53 and γH2AX 24h after DEN treatment. The data show that Rac1 is essential for DEN-stimulated hepatocarcinogenesis. We hypothesize that it promotes tumor initiation by counteracting the elimination of initiated cells and, moreover, alleviates the outgrowth of transformed cells. Hence, pharmacological targeting of Rac1 could be suitable for chemoprevention.
Trust as a discourse: Concept and measurement strategy – First results from a study on German trust in the USA
2015-01-02

This article conceptualises state-level trust and presents a measurement strategy. The widespread practice of relying on the state-as-person metaphor to analyse state behaviour is problematic when ideational trust concepts are concerned. The psychological component of these concepts overstretches state personhood. However, state-level trust can be conceptualised as a discourse in which trusting images predominate and mistrusting ones are largely absent. I discuss how a state-level trust discourse differs from ideational individual trust concepts and why - despite the ontological differences - there are several functional similarities between individual and state-level trust. After investigating several processes by which a trusting discourse can be established, I develop a content analytical method to measure trusting, neutral and mistrusting images. To establish the basic applicability of this method, results from a pilot study on German trust in the USA in the early 2000s are presented. The data show a significant change in the relative prominence of trusting and mistrusting images, which coincides with important political events such as 9/11 and the 2003 Iraq invasion.