Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incorporating Visual Information into Sound Source Separation

We present a method of improving sound source separation using vision. The sound source separation is an essential function to accomplish auditory scene understanding by separating a stream of sounds generated from multiple sound sources. By separating a stream of sounds, recognition process, such as speech recognition, can simply work on a single stream, not mixed sound of several speakers. The performance is known to be improved by using binaural microphone and microphone array which provide spatial information for separation. However, these methods still have around 20 degree of positional ambiguities. In this paper, we further added visual information to provide more speci c and accurate position information. As a result, separation capability was drastically improved. We argue, from the experiments, in this paper, that integration of vision and auditory sensory inputs improves cognitive tasks such as auditory stream separation.
Protective effects of triptolide on retinal ganglion cells in a rat model of chronic glaucoma

Purpose To study the effects of triptolide, a Chinese herb extract, on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in a rat model of chronic glaucoma. Methods Eighty Wistar rats were randomly divided into triptolide group (n=40) and normal saline (NS) group (n=40). Angle photocoagulation was used to establish the model of glaucoma, with right eye as laser treated eye and left eye as control eye. Triptolide group received triptolide intraperitoneally daily, while NS group received NS. Intraocular pressure (IOP), anti-CD11b immunofluorescent stain in retina and optic nerve, RGCs count with Nissel stain and microglia count with anti-CD11b immunofluorescence stain in retina flat mounts, retinal tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α mRNA detection by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, and double immunofluorescent labeling with anti-TNF-α and anti-CD11b in retinal frozen section were performed. Results Mean IOP of the laser treated eyes significantly increased 3 weeks after photocoagulation (P<0.05), with no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). RGCs survival in the laser treated eyes was significantly improved in the triptolide group than the NS group (P<0.05). Microglia count in superficial retina of the laser treated eyes was significantly less in the triptolide group (30.40±4.90) than the NS group (35.06±7.59) (P<0.05). TNF-α mRNA expression in the retina of the laser treated eyes in the triptolide group decreased by 60% compared with that in the NS group (P<0.01). The double immunofluorescent labeling showed that TNF-α was mainly distributed around the microglia. Conclusion Triptolide improved RGCs survival in this rat model of chronic glaucoma, which did not depend on IOP decrease but might be exerted by inhibiting microglia activities and reducing TNF-α secretion.
Epidemiology of Operative Procedures in an NCAA Division I Football Team Over 10 Seasons

Background: Injury rates are high for collegiate football players. Few studies have evaluated the epidemiology of surgical procedures in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate football players. Purpose: To determine the most common surgical procedures performed in collegiate football players over a 10-year period. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: From the 2004-2005 season through the 2013-2014 season, all surgical procedures performed on athletes from a single NCAA Division I college football team during athletic participation were reviewed. Surgeries were categorized by anatomic location, and operative reports were used to obtain further surgical details. Data collected over this 10-season span included type of injury, primary procedures, reoperations, and cause of reoperation, all categorized by specific anatomic locations and position played. Results: From the 2004-2005 through the 2013-2014 seasons, 254 operations were performed on 207 players, averaging 25.4 surgical procedures per year. The majority of surgeries performed were orthopaedic procedures (92.1%, n = 234). However, there were multiple nonorthopaedic procedures (7.9%, n = 20). The most common procedure performed was arthroscopic shoulder labral repair (12.2%, n = 31). Partial meniscectomy (11.8%, n = 30), arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (9.4% n = 24), and arthroscopic hip labral repair (5.9% n = 15) were the other commonly performed procedures. There were a total of 29 reoperations performed; thus, 12.9% of primary procedures had a reoperation. The most common revision procedure was a revision open reduction internal fixation of stress fractures in the foot as a result of a symptomatic nonunion (33.33%, n = 4) and revision ACL reconstruction (12.5%, n = 3). By position, relative to the number of athletes at each position, linebackers (30.5%) and defensive linemen (29.1%) were the most likely to undergo surgery while kickers (6%) were the least likely. Conclusion: In NCAA Division I college football players, the most commonly performed surgeries conducted for injuries were orthopaedic in nature. Of these, arthroscopic shoulder labral repair was the most common, followed closely by partial meniscectomy. Nonorthopaedic procedures nonetheless accounted for a sizable portion of surgical volume. Familiarity with this injury and surgical spectrum is of utmost importance for the team physician treating these high-level contact athletes.
The need for cognitive closure scale: Structure, cross-cultural invariance, and comparison of mean ratings between European-American and East Asian samples

The aim of the present study is twofold: (1) to test the factor structure of the Need for Closure scale (NFCS) in three different samples that were not studied previously: Polish (N = 340), Flemish (N = 623), and Korean (N = 429); and (2) to test the invariance of the structure of the scale across the preset samples, as well as an American sample (N = 240). With respect to the first objective, our results point out that the two second-order factor model should be preferred. This result corroborates previous studies on American and west European samples. With respect to the second objective, the results provide support for structural invariance, partial metric invariance and partial scalar invariance of the NFC scale across the four samples. In other words, the need for cognitive closure has the same basic meaning and structure cross-nationally, and ratings can be meaningfully compared across countries. The results also revealed significant higher need for closure mean scores in the American and Korean samples than in the Flemish and especially the polish samples.
Evidence for Training-Induced Plasticity in Multisensory Brain Structures: An MEG Study

Multisensory learning and resulting neural brain plasticity have recently become a topic of renewed interest in human cognitive neuroscience. Music notation reading is an ideal stimulus to study multisensory learning, as it allows studying the integration of visual, auditory and sensorimotor information processing. The present study aimed at answering whether multisensory learning alters uni-sensory structures, interconnections of uni-sensory structures or specific multisensory areas. In a short-term piano training procedure musically naive subjects were trained to play tone sequences from visually presented patterns in a music notation-like system [Auditory-Visual-Somatosensory group (AVS)], while another group received audio-visual training only that involved viewing the patterns and attentively listening to the recordings of the AVS training sessions [Auditory-Visual group (AV)]. Training-related changes in cortical networks were assessed by pre- and post-training magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings of an auditory, a visual and an integrated audio-visual mismatch negativity (MMN). The two groups (AVS and AV) were differently affected by the training. The results suggest that multisensory training alters the function of multisensory structures, and not the uni-sensory ones along with their interconnections, and thus provide an answer to an important question presented by cognitive models of multisensory training.
How Do Institutional Investors Trade

Using a novel and detailed custody trades dataset, this paper analyzes the trading behavior of institutions. Extant studies have examined the effects of past performance on trading by retail investors, day traders, and futures floor traders. Yet very little work has been done on institutions. We find that unlike other investors, institutions take on more risk following an increase in net profit and loss. However, the responses to a gain and loss are highly asymmetric. Institutions aggressively reduce risk in the wake of losses, but only mildly increase risk in the wake of gains. This asymmetry is more pronounced for experienced and older funds. Further, the performance dependence varies over the calendar year, and manifests itself at the security but not at the portfolio level. We relate these findings to the behavioral theories of narrow framing, dynamic loss aversion, and overconfidence.
Ion channels and epilepsy.

In order for cells to retain their integrity to water and yet permeate charged ions, the phospholipid cell membrane contains transmembrane proteins that allow the passage of specific ions from the interior of the cell to outside, and vice versa. There is a huge diversity of these ion channels. Some are tissue-specific; others are widely distributed throughout the body. They contribute to the maintenance of the negative resting membrane potential inside cells. Unsurprisingly, these membrane channels are integral to the processes of electrical signalling and excitation that are central to the functioning of the nervous system. Figure 1a shows a generic ion channel. Figure 1. ( A ) Diagrammatic representation of a voltage-gated ion channel α subunit. This could be a sodium or calcium channel. Note the four homologous repeats (I–IV), each with six transmembrane domains (1–6). The fourth transmembrane domain (4) has positively charged segments and acts as the voltage sensor. ( B ) Diagrammatic representation of an assembled calcium channel with auxiliary (β, α2δ and γ) subunits. The four homologous repeats (I–IV) are marked on the α1 subunit, and come together to make the channel pore. The assembly of sodium channels is similar, but only has auxiliary β subunits. The past 15 years have seen rapid expansion in the discovery of disease-causing mutations in genes encoding ion channel proteins. These manifest as neurological, cardiac, renal and respiratory disorders, the most common being cystic fibrosis. This disparate collection of syndromes is now referred to as the channelopathies, a descriptive term referring to the common underlying pathophysiology of ion channel dysfunction. Ion channels themselves are divided into two broad categories, depending on their mode of activation. Voltage-gated channels are controlled by changes in membrane potential, ligand-gated channels by ligand binding (Table 1). View this table: Table 1 Ion channels implicated in epilepsy Epilepsy affects up to … Address correspondence to Dr T.D. Graves, Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG. email: t.graves{at}ion.ucl. ac.uk
Rhinovirus Attenuates Non-typeable Hemophilus influenzae-stimulated IL-8 Responses via TLR2-dependent Degradation of IRAK-1

Bacterial infections following rhinovirus (RV), a common cold virus, are well documented, but pathogenic mechanisms are poorly understood. We developed animal and cell culture models to examine the effects of RV on subsequent infection with non-typeable Hemophilus influenzae (NTHi). We focused on NTHI-induced neutrophil chemoattractants expression that is essential for bacterial clearance. Mice infected with RV1B were superinfected with NTHi and lung bacterial density, chemokines and neutrophil counts determined. Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) or mouse alveolar macrophages (MH-S) were infected with RV and challenged with NHTi, TLR2 or TLR5 agonists. Chemokine levels were measured by ELISA and expression of IRAK-1, a component of MyD88-dependent TLR signaling, assessed by immunoblotting. While sham-infected mice cleared all NTHi from the lungs, RV-infected mice showed bacteria up to 72 h post-infection. However, animals in RV/NTHi cleared bacteria by day 7. Delayed bacterial clearance in RV/NTHi animals was associated with suppressed chemokine levels and neutrophil recruitment. RV-infected BEAS-2B and MH-S cells showed attenuated chemokine production after challenge with either NTHi or TLR agonists. Attenuated chemokine responses were associated with IRAK-1 protein degradation. Inhibition of RV-induced IRAK-1 degradation restored NTHi-stimulated IL-8 expression. Knockdown of TLR2, but not other MyD88-dependent TLRs, also restored IRAK-1, suggesting that TLR2 is required for RV-induced IRAK-1 degradation. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that RV infection delays bacterial clearance in vivo and suppresses NTHi-stimulated chemokine responses via degradation of IRAK-1. Based on these observations, we speculate that modulation of TLR-dependent innate immune responses by RV may predispose the host to secondary bacterial infection, particularly in patients with underlying chronic respiratory disorders.
A tale of two populations: rotating radio transients and x-ray dim isolated neutron stars

We highlight similarities between recently discovered Rotating Radio Transients and X-ray Dim Isolated Neutron Stars. In particular, it is shown that X-ray Dim Isolated Neutron Stars have a birthrate comparable to that of Rotating Radio Transients. On the contrary, magnetars have too low a formation rate to account for the bulk of the radio transient population. The consequences of the recent detection of a thermal X-ray source associated with one of the Rotating Radio Transients on the proposed scenarios for these sources are also discussed.
Nosocomial infections and risk factors in the intensive care unit of a teaching and research hospital: A prospecive cohort study

Summary Background To evaluate the incidence, risk factors and etiology of nosocomial infections (NIs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital in order to improve our infection control policies. Material/Methods A 1-year prospective cohort study of nosocomial infection (NI) surveillance was conducted in our ICU in 2008. Results Out of 1134 patients hospitalized in the ICU for a period of 6257 days, 115 patients acquired a total of 135 NIs distributed as follows: 36.3% bacteremia, 30.4% ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), 18.5% catheter-associated urinary tract infection, 7.4% central-line infection, 5.9% cutaneous infection, and 1.3% meningitis. The incidence rate of NI was 21.6 in 1000 patient-days, and the rate of NI was 25.6%. Length of ICU stay, central venous catheterisation, mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy were statistically significant risk factors for NI. Of all NI, 112 (83%) were microbiologically-confirmed and 68.8% of the isolates were Gram-negative, 27.6% were Gram-positive, and 3.6% were fungi. 23 (17%) were clinically-defined infections. The most frequently isolated organism was P. aeruginosa (25%), followed by S. aureus (21.4%), E. coli (18.7%) and A. baumannii (16.9%). Conclusions The bloodstream was the most common site and Gram-negatives were the most commonly reported causes of ICU infections.
Experiences with deploying Compressive Sensing and Matrix Completion techniques in IoT devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) presents itself as a promising set of technologies for providing innovative smart applications in a number of domains, spreading from agriculture to buildings and industrial control. For providing smart applications in the various domains, large numbers of devices must be deployed within large areas, communicating wirelessly with each other. These IoT devices are mainly resource constrained, with limited computing capabilities and battery life. Furthermore, it is well-known that the most energy consuming operations in wireless devices is the wireless transmission. Thus, there is a strict requirement that to prolong the lifetime of these devices, the transmissions must be controlled. Additionally, communication security is a key issue in many smart applications, because, according to recent studies, there is a lack of secure communication protocols in most existing IoT devices. This paper aims to address these two main issues in the IoT world, providing a framework for lightweight encryption and compression of data using the Compressive Sensing theory, and discusses the experiences of the implementation of the framework on real world devices. Moreover, it is also well-known that the transmissions of wireless sensors are very sensitive to packet loss due to concurrent transmissions of other wireless protocols (i.e. WiFi). This paper also presents the implementation of a framework for applying Matrix Completion techniques in real world IoT devices.
Displaying optic flow to simulate locomotion: Comparing heading and steering

Optic flow can be used by humans to determine their direction of heading as well as controlling steering. Dot-flow displays have been widely used to investigate these abilities but it is unclear whether photorealistic textures would provide better information for controlling high-speed steering. Here, we examine the accuracy of heading judgements from dot-flow displays of different densities and luminance and then compare to a scene containing a textured ground. We then examine steering behaviour using these same displays to determine whether accurate heading conditions necessarily equate to successful steering. Our findings suggest that the bright dense dot-flow displays led to equivalent performance as the ground texture when judging heading, and this was also true when steering. The intermediate dot-flow conditions (with fewer and faded dots) revealed that some conditions that led to accurate heading judgements were insufficient for accurate steering. It seems, therefore, that heading perception should not be considered synonymous with successful steering control, and displays that support one ability will not necessarily support the other.
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA THESIS OR DISSERTATION FORMATTING TEMPLATE

of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy LENDER CONTROL AND THE ROLE OF PRIVATE EQUITY GROUP REPUTATION IN BUYOUT FINANCING By Cem Demiroğlu August 2008 Chair: Christopher James Major: Business Administration In this study, we examine whether the reputation of the acquiring private equity group (PEG) is related to the financing structure, loan contract terms, and valuation of leveraged buyouts (LBOs). Using a sample of 180 public-to-private LBOs completed during the January 1, 1997 to August 15, 2007 period, we find that buyouts sponsored by high reputation funds pay narrower loan spreads, have fewer and less restrictive financial loan covenants, use less traditional bank debt, and borrow more and at a lower cost from institutional loan markets. In addition, PEG reputation is positively related to the amount of leverage used to finance the buyout. In addition, while we find that reputation is related to the amount of leverage used, and leverage is significantly related to buyout pricing, we do not find any direct effect of reputation on buyout valuations. We also find that deals sponsored by high reputation PEGs are less likely to experience financial distress or bankruptcy ex post. The evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that deals involving reputable PEGs are perceived as less risky by creditors because reputable PEGs are more skillful in selecting and monitoring investments or because reputation serves to mitigate the agency costs of debt and thus lowers the need for bank monitoring and control. We also find that macroeconomic
Van burnout naar bevlogenheid Werk en welbevinden in Nederland [From burnout to Work Engagement: Work and well-being in the Netherlands]

Dit artikel doet verslag van een onderzoek naar werk en welbevinden bij een representatieve steekproef uit de Nederlandse beroepsbevolking (n = 1213). Het blijkt dat 14 procent van de werknemers als bevlogen kan worden aangemerkt. Een even groot percentage komt terecht in het tegenovergestelde deel van het spectrum en heeft last van burn-outklachten. Daarnaast is onderzocht hoe het staat met energiebronnen en stressoren op het werk, als mogelijke oorzaken van welbevinden op de werkvloer of juist een gebrek daaraan. Het blijkt dat eerstgenoemde vaker voorkomen dan laatstgenoemde. Het gaat daarbij vooral om sociale energiebronnen (zoals een goede sfeer in het team), terwijl stressoren vooral te maken hebben met veranderingen op het werk. Overigens wordt arbeidsbelasting maar door een heel kleine minderheid als problematisch ervaren. Al met al ziet het er met de werkbeleving van Nederlandse werknemers redelijk goed uit. Ten slotte is er (met succes)een model getoetst, het Job Demands-Resources model, dat ervan uitgaat dat werkkenmerken (energiebronnen en stressoren) via het welbevinden van werknemers (bevlogenheid en burn-out) gerelateerd zijn aan uitkomstmaten zoals inzetbaarheid, arbeidsprestatie en organisatiebetrokkenheid. De implicatie van het model is dat welbevinden vooral bevorderd kan worden door het vergroten van energiebronnen. Bovendien illustreert het model de centrale rol van het psychologische kapitaal van werknemers en van 'bevlogen' leiderschap.
Enlargement and the EU Periphery: The Impact of Changing Market Potential

We study the impact of changing relative market access in an enlarged EU on the economies of incumbent Objective 1 regions. First, we track the impact of external opening on internal spatial configurations in a three-region economic geography model. External opening gives rise to potentially offsetting economic forces, but for most parameter configurations it is found to raise the locational attractiveness of the region that is close to the external market. Then, we explore the relation between market access and economic activity empirically, using data for European regions, and we simulate the impact of EU enlargement on Objective 1 regions. Our predicted market-access induced gains in regional GDP and manufacturing employment are up to seven times larger in regions proximate to the new accession countries than in “interior” EU regions. We also find that a future Balkans enlargement could be particularly effective in reducing economic inequalities among the EU periphery, due to the positive impact on relative market access of Greek regions.
2‐D ALGEBRAIC TEST FOR ROBUST STABILITY OF QUASIPOLYNOMIALS WITH INTERVAL PARAMETERS

Determining the robust stability of interval quasipolynomials leads to a NP problem: an enormous number of testing edge polynomials. This paper develops an efficient approach to reducing the number of testing edge polynomials. This paper solves the stability test problem of interval quasipolynomials by transforming interval quasipolynomials into two‐dimensional (2‐D) interval polynomials. It is shown that the robust stability of an interval 2‐D polynomial can ensure the stability of the quasipolynomial, and the algebraic test algorithm for 2‐D s‐z interval polynomials is provided. The stability of 2‐D s‐z vertex polynomials and 2‐D s‐z edge polynomials were tested by using a Schur Table of complex polynomials.