Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forensic Speaker Identification

Introduction. Why Voices are Difficult to Discriminate Forensically. Forensic Phonetic Parameters. Expressing the Outcome. Characterizing Forensic Speaker Identification. The Human Vocal Tract and the Production and Description of Speech Sounds. Phonemics. Speech Acoustics. Speech Perception. What is a Voice? The Likelihood Ratio Revisited: A Demonstration of the Method. Summary and Envoi.
Memory hazard functions: a vehicle for theory development and test.

A framework is developed to rigorously test an entire class of memory retention functions by examining hazard properties. Evidence is provided that the memory hazard function is not monotonically decreasing. Yet most of the proposals for retention functions, which have emerged from the psychological literature, imply that memory hazard is monotonically decreasing over the entire temporal range. Furthermore, the few remaining proposals, that do not have monotonically decreasing hazard, have difficulty fitting data over both short-term and long-term intervals. A new 2-trace hazard model is developed that successfully circumvents these difficulties. This new model is used to account for the size of memory span and the time course of proactive and retroactive interference effects. The model can fit the retention characteristics of H. M. , the famous amnesic patient, as well as normal experimental participants. The model is also used to account for the time course of the misinformation effect.
Two Distinct Pools of Mesenchyme Contribute to the Development of the Atrial Septum

Closure of the primary atrial foramen is achieved by fusion of the atrioventricular cushions with the mesenchymal cap on the leading edge of the muscular primary atrial septum. A fourth component involved is the vestibular spine, originally described by His in 1880 as an intra-cardiac continuation of the extra-cardiac mesenchyme of the dorsal mesocardium. The morphogenesis of this area is of great clinical interest, because of the high incidence of atrial and atrioventricular septal defects. Nonetheless, the origin of the participating components is largely unknown. Here we report that the primary atrial foramen is surrounded in its entirety by mesenchyme derived from endocardium. A second population of mesenchyme not derived from endocardium was observed at the caudal margin of the mesenchymal atrial cap, entirely embedded within the mesenchyme derived from endocardium and contiguous with the mesenchyme of the dorsal mesocardium. Our reconstructions show this second population does indeed take the form of a short spine, albeit that it is the right pulmonary ridge, rather than this spine, that protrudes into the atrial lumen. From the stance of morphological description, therefore, there is little thus far to substantiate the existence of an atrial spine.
Safety-net facilities and hospitalization rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional analysis of the 2007 Texas Health Care Information Council inpatient data

Purpose Geographic disparities in hospitalization rates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been observed in Texas. However, little is known about the sources of these variations. The purpose of this manuscript is to further explore the geographic disparity of COPD hospitalization rates in Texas by examining county-level factors affecting access to care. Patients and methods The study is a cross-sectional analysis of the 2007 Texas Health Care Information Council, Texas, demographer population projections and the 2009 Area Resource File (ARF). The unit of analysis was county-specific hospitalization rate, calculated as the number of discharges of county residents divided by county-level population estimates. Indicators of access to care included: type of safety-net facility and number of pulmonary specialists in a county. Safety-net facilities of interest were federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs). Results There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in hospitalization rates according to health center presence. Counties with only FQHCs had the lowest COPD hospitalization rate (132 per 100,000 observations), and counties with only RHCs had the highest hospitalization rate (229 per 100,000 observations). The presence of a pulmonary specialist was associated with a significant decrease (25%) in hospitalization rates among counties with only FQHCs. Conclusion In Texas, counties with only FQHCs were associated with lower COPD hospitalization rates. The presence of a RHC alone may be insufficient to decrease hospitalizations from COPD. There are a number of factors that may contribute to these variations in hospitalization rates, such as racial/ethnic distribution, types and quality of services provided, and the level of rurality, which creates greater distances to care and lower concentration of hospitals and pulmonary specialists.
Dietary factors and lung function in the general population: wine and resveratrol intake

Wine intake is associated with a better lung function in the general population, yet the source of this effect is unknown. Resveratrol, a polyphenol in wine, has anti-inflammatory properties in the lung, its effects being partially mediated via induction of Sirtuin (SIRT)1 activity. We assessed the impact of wine and resveratrol intake, and SIRT1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on lung function in the general population. Effects of red and white wine and resveratrol intake on forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC were analysed in the population-based Doetinchem cohort (n=3,224). Associations of four tagging SIRT1 SNPs with lung function were analysed in the Doetinchem (n=1,152) and Vlagtwedde–Vlaardingen (n=1,390) cohorts. Resveratrol intake was associated with higher FVC levels, and white wine intake with higher FEV1 levels and lower risk of airway obstruction. SIRT1 SNPs were not significantly associated with level or course of lung function, either directly or indirectly via wine or resveratrol intake. This study shows a positive association of resveratrol intake with lung function in the general population, confirms the previously reported positive association of white wine intake with higher levels of FEV1, and additionally shows an association with a higher FEV1/FVC ratio. These effects probably do not run via SNPs in SIRT1.
Semi-Supervised Semantic Role Labeling: Approaching from an Unsupervised Perspective

Reducing the reliance of semantic role labeling (SRL) methods on human-annotated data has become an active area of research. However, the prior work has largely focused on either (1) looking into ways to improve supervised SRL systems by producing surrogate annotated data and reducing sparsity of lexical features or (2) considering completely unsupervised semantic role induction settings. In this work, we aim to link these two veins of research by studying how unsupervised techniques can be improved by exploiting small amounts of labeled data. We extend a state-of-the-art Bayesian model for unsupervised semantic role induction to better accommodate for annotated sentences. Our semi-supervised method outperforms a strong supervised baseline when only a small amount of labeled data is available.
Aspects of catenary free operation of DC traction systems

Removal of overhead electrical installations (catenaries) is a major consideration of light railway industries. This is driven by continuing focus on environmental concerns and reduction of energy consumption. For catenary free operation of rapid transit trains, on-board energy storage has a significant role to provide the required power and recover the regenerated energy from braking. An efficient train control and optimised energy management can improve the energy efficiency of rapid transit system. The main aspects of catenary free operation of DC traction systems are described in this paper.
Immunoglobulin M memory B cell decrease in inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Memory B cells represent 30-60% of the B cell pool and can be subdivided in IgM memory and switched memory. IgM memory B cells differ from switched because they express IgM and their frequency may vary from 20-50% of the total memory pool. Switched memory express IgG, IgA or IgE and lack surface expression of IgM and IgD. Switched memory B cells derive from the germinal centres, whereas IgM memory B cells, which require the spleen for their survival and/or generation, are involved in the immune response to encapsulated bacteria. Since infections are one of the most frequent comorbid conditions in inflammatory bowel disease, we aimed to verify whether IgM memory B cell pool was decreased in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients. PATIENTS & METHODS Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 22 Crohn's disease patients, 20 ulcerative colitis patients, 22 healthy controls and 18 splenectomized patients. To analyse peripheral blood lymphocytes, flow cytometry was performed using anti-CD19, anti-CD22, anti-CD27, anti-IgM, anti-IgD and anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS Circulating IgM memory B cells were significantly lower in Crohn's disease (median 7.1%, range 1.8-20.7) and ulcerative colitis patients (median 8.1%, range 2.1-18.8) in comparison to control subjects (median 14.0%, range 6.8-31.1). As expected, there was a highly significant difference in the proportion of IgM memory B cells between splenectomized patients (median 2.4%, range 0.9-6.9) and healthy controls. Crohn's disease patients with abscesses showed the lowest frequency of IgM memory B cells. DISCUSSION Our findings show that peripheral IgM memory B cells are reduced in inflammatory bowel disease patients. Further studies are necessary to answer the question of whether high risk of infection (abscess development) is promoted by the reduction/depletion of IgM memory B-cell pool in inflammatory bowel disease.
Microwave Imaging of Human Forearms: Pilot Study and Image Enhancement

We present a pilot study using a microwave tomography system in which we image the forearms of 5 adult male and female volunteers between the ages of 30 and 48. Microwave scattering data were collected at 0.8 to 1.2 GHz with 24 transmitting and receiving antennas located in a matching fluid of deionized water and table salt. Inversion of the microwave data was performed with a balanced version of the multiplicative-regularized contrast source inversion algorithm formulated using the finite-element method (FEM-CSI). T1-weighted MRI images of each volunteer's forearm were also collected in the same plane as the microwave scattering experiment. Initial “blind” imaging results from the utilized inversion algorithm show that the image quality is dependent on the thickness of the arm's peripheral adipose tissue layer; thicker layers of adipose tissue lead to poorer overall image quality. Due to the exible nature of the FEM-CSI algorithm used, prior information can be readily incorporated into the microwave imaging inversion process. We show that by introducing prior information into the FEM-CSI algorithm the internal anatomical features of all the arms are resolved, significantly improving the images. The prior information was estimated manually from the blind inversions using an ad hoc procedure.
Oscillations in the stable starless core Barnard 68

New molecular line observations of the Bok globule Barnard 68 in HCO+ irrefutably confirm the complex pattern of red and blue asymmetric line profiles seen across the face of the cloud in previous observations of CS. The new observations thus strengthen the previous interpretation that Barnard 68 is undergoing peculiar oscillations. Furthermore, the physical chemistry of B68 indicates that the object is much older than the sound crossing time and is therefore long-lived. A model is presented for the globule in which a modest external pressure perturbation is shown to lead to oscillations about a stable equilibrium configuration. Such oscillations may be present in other stable starless cores as manifested by a similar signature of inward and outward motions.
A (fairly) simple circuit that (usually) sorts

A natural k-round tournament over n=2/sup k/ players is analyzed, and it is demonstrated that the tournament possesses a surprisingly strong ranking property. The ranking property of this tournament is exploited by being used as a building block for efficient parallel sorting algorithms under a variety of different models of computation. Three important applications are provided. First, a sorting circuit of depth 7.44 log n, which sorts all but a superpolynomially small fraction of the n-factorial possible input permutations, is defined. Secondly, a randomized sorting algorithm that runs in O(log n) word steps with very high probability is given for the hypercube and related parallel computers (the butterfly, cube-connected cycles, and shuffle-exchange). Thirdly, a randomized algorithm that runs in O(m+log n)-bit steps with very high probability is given for sorting n O(m)-bit records on an n log n-node butterfly. <<ETX>>
Inhibition of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Proinflammatory Responses by Buddleja officinalis Extract in BV-2 Microglial Cells via Negative Regulation of NF-κB and ERK1/2 Signaling

Buddleja officinalis has been traditionally used in the supportive treatment of inflammatory and neuronal diseases in Korea and China. Although several reports have shown the anti-inflammatory effects of Buddleja officinalis, the anti-neuroinflammatory effect has remained unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of flower buds of B. officinalis Maximowicz water extract (BOWE) on LPS-induced inflammatory processes in BV-2 microglial cells. BOWE dose-dependently inhibited the production of nitric oxide as well as iNOS mRNA expression. Moreover, BOWE prevented IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA expression. However, BOWE had no effect on LPS-induced COX-2 or TNF-α mRNA expression. The extract also had no effect on LPS-stimulated p38 MAPK, JNK, and c-Jun phosphorylation, whereas ERK1/2 phosphorylation was strongly inhibited by BOWE. BOWE also inhibited the LPS-induced degradation of IκB-α, and LPS-induced phosphorylation of p65 NF-κB protein. These data indicate that BOWE inhibited the nitric oxide production and pro-inflammatory gene expression in BV-2 microglial cells, possibly through a negative regulation of the NF-κB and ERK1/2 pathways. Further identification of the direct target molecule(s) of BOWE is required to support its use as an anti-neuroinflammatory agent against the neurodegenerative disorders.
Cost Differences Between Open and Minimally Invasive Surgery.

PURPOSE To analyze the cost difference between minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and open surgery from a commercial payer perspective for colectomy, ventral hernia repair, thoracic resection (resection of the lung), and hysterectomy. DESIGN A retrospective claims data analysis was conducted using the 2011 and 2012 Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounter Database. Study eligibility criteria included age 18-64 years, pharmacy coverage, ≥ 1 month of eligibility in 2012, and a claim coded with 1 of the 4 surgical procedures of interest; the index year was 2012. METHODOLOGY Average allowed facility and professional costs were calculated during inpatient stay (or day of surgery for outpatient hysterectomy) and the 30 days after discharge for MIS vs open surgery. Cost difference was compared after adjusting for presence of cancer, geographic region, and risk profile (age, gender, and comorbidities). RESULTS In total, 46,386 cases in the 2012 MarketScan database represented one of the surgeries of interest. The difference in average allowed surgical procedure cost (facility and professional) between open surgery vs adjusted MIS was $10,204 for colectomy; $3,721, ventral hernia repair; $12,989, thoracic resection; and $1,174, noncancer hysterectomy (P < .001 for all comparisons). The difference in average allowed cost in the 30 days after surgery between open surgery vs adjusted MIS was $1,494 for colectomy, $1,320 for ventral hernia repair, negative $711 for thoracic resection, and negative $425 for noncancer hysterectomy (P < .001 for all comparisons, except P = .487 for thoracic resection). CONCLUSION MIS was associated with statistically significantly lower costs than open surgery for all 4 analyzed surgeries.
Parental divorce during childhood in Sweden: Changed experience, unchanged effect

During the last century, the proportion of children and adolescents who have experienced a parental divorce or separation has increased dramatically, in Sweden and elsewhere. Vast research has shown that children in these families fare less well than children in intact families, both in the short and in the long run and on a number of outcomes. Much less is known about whether parental divorce means the same for children and adolescents today as it did a century ago. Have living conditions changed and, if so, how? Moreover, has the association between parental divorce and child well-being changed in magnitude over time? To answer these questions six waves of the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) were used. The data set contains indicators on childhood living conditions for an entire century of Swedes, born 1892-1991. We show that living conditions for children of divorce have indeed changed on a number of dimensions but there is no evidence of magnitude change in the association between parental divorce/separation and two child outcomes, psychological well-being and educational attainment.
Embodying Delinquency: Boys' Bodies, Sexuality, and Juvenile Justice History in Early-Twentieth-Century Quebec

In this essay I turn to the Montreal juvenile court records which provided me with countless stories of girls sexuality and ask Where are the boys? I found a not insignificant body of evidence concerning boys sexuality. The courts investigation of boys sexuality was not routine but from the outset in the 1910s the young male body became a factor in delinquency cases when associated with violence and what the court deemed "perversion" that is homosexuality. This approach continued throughout the early twentieth century. By the 1940s however the court engaged in more widespread policing of boys sexuality focusing on boys sexual agency and heterosexual (mis)adventures. In this way the policing of boys "immoral acts" as the court referred to them began to parallel the policing of girls though it diverged in two important ways: first boys immorality was investigated on a much smaller scale and second these investigations produced very different outcomes. Where girls were incarcerated boys were sent home after promises to do better. (excerpt)
Building self-confidence and future career success through a pre-college transition program for individuals with disabilities

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a pre-college transition program for students with disabilities in upstate New York. Survey data indicated that participants who had attended between 1999 and 2006 were either currently enrolled in college or working full time. Participants valued information about self-advocacy and understanding their rights protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) legislation, aspects also perceived as important for career success. Participants also valued the following: gaining a better understanding of their own disabilities and learning about others' disabilities. The greatest aspects of the program included the formation of new relationships and understanding the reality of college life. Implications for high school and college counselors are discussed.
Spreading speeds and traveling waves for a model of epidermal wound healing

In this paper, we shall establish the spreading speed and existence of traveling waves for a non-cooperative system arising from epidermal wound healing and characterize the spreading speed as the slowest speed of a family of non-constant traveling wave solutions. Our results on the spreading speed and traveling waves can also be applied to a large class of non-cooperative reaction-diffusion systems.
Translocation of Nucleoside Analogs Across the Plasma Membrane in Hematologic Malignancies

Nucleoside analogs are currently used in the treatment of various hematologic malignancies due to their ability to induce apoptosis of lymphoid cells. For nucleoside-derived drugs to exert their action, they must enter cells via nucleoside transporters from two gene families, SLC28 and SLC29 (CNT and ENT, respectively). Once inside the cell, these drugs must be phosphorylated to their active forms. In contrast, some members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) protein family have been identified as responsible for the efflux of the phosphorylated forms of these nucleoside-derived drugs. Here, we review the main nucleoside analogs used in hematologic malignancies and focus especially on those that are currently used in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Moreover, we discuss the pharmacological profile of the nucleoside transporters, which determines the bioavailability of and cell sensitivity to these nucleoside-derived drugs. We also discuss the expression of nucleoside transporters and their activities in CLL as well as the possibility of modulating these transporter activities as a means of modulating intracellular drug availability and, consequently, responsiveness to therapy.
Hydraulic conductivity of lung venules determined by split-drop technique.

The split-drop method has been used to determine filtration rate per unit surface area in the single pulmonary venule. In isolated perfused lungs of nine dogs, blood flow was stopped at different vascular pressures. By means of a double-micropuncture technique under stereomicroscopy, an oil drop was injected in a subpleural venule. The oil drop was then split with a solution of albumin (5.6 g/100 ml) in Ringer lactate. As the Ringer-albumin solution filtered, the distance between the menisci of the split oil drop (split-drop length) decreased. The split-drop geometry and the rate of change of split-drop length were recorded. The calculated venular filtration rate per unit surface area related linearly with vascular pressure (P less than 0.05). The slope of the line equaled venular hydraulic conductivity, which averaged 2.9 +/- 0.02 x 10(-7) ml/(cm2.s.cmH2O). Hydraulic conductivity is lower in lung than in systemic venules.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonisation and rhizobia nodulation of cowpea as affected by flavonoid application.

The potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Rhizobia and flavonoid (3-o-glucoside kaempferol) to enhance P nutrition, N2 fixation as well as phenolic metabolism was investigated in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) in low-available P soil of southern Cameroon. The design was a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement laid out in a randomised complete block with three replicates. The N uptake and phenol content of cowpea only increased at 90 DAP following AMF inoculation. Flavonoid application significantly increased the percentage of root colonisation at 45 DAP and 90 DAP harvest ages. With respect to nodule number, P and N contents, ureide and phenol content, significant increases following flavonoid application were noticed only at 90 DAP. The significant interactions between the AMF inoculation and flavonoid application for root colonisation, P and N uptake, ureide and phenol content call for the possibility of using AMF and the 3-o-glucoside kaempferol flavonoid to improve growth, N2 fixation of cowpea in low available P soils of southern Cameroon.