Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In situ measurements of Reflection Index and Sound Insulation Index of noise barriers

Barriers employed for road traffic noise reduction can be characterized by two indices: reflection index for sound reflection and insulation index for airborne sound insulation. They can be measured following the method described in CEN/TS 1793-5 standard, based on impulse response measurements employing a pressure microphone. The method mandates for averaging results of measurements taken in different points in front of the device under test and/or for specific angles of incidence, employing the obsolete MLS signal for performing the measurements, which can cause severe artefacts due to nonlinearity and time-variance of the system. Furthermore, the CEN/TS 1793-5 standard presents some geometric problems, which could arise if the barrier does not reach a minimum height or if it has a very rough (scattering) surface. During the reflection index measurement on a barrier of limited height, the reflected sound can be contaminated by the ground reflection, compromising the fairness of the whole result. Also the insulation index can be affected by the height of the noise barrier, since the sound passing above the device under test can become mixed with the sound passing through it. It has been noticed how these practical problems, jointly with the assumption of a surface reflecting specularly in the final formula, can significantly over/under estimate the laboratory values of both the indices. Results of in situ tests based on CEN/TS 1793-5 will be shown in comparison with results obtained through a different approach, based on sound intensity measurements, and with the traditional tests performed in the lab.
Evolution of growth-promoting plant hormones

The plant growth hormones auxin, gibberellins (GAs) and brassinosteroids (BRs) are major determinants of plant growth and development. Recently, key signalling components for these hormones have been identified in vascular plants and, at least for the GAs and BRs, biosynthetic pathways have been clarified. The genome sequencing of a range of species, including a few non-flowering plants, has allowed insight into the evolution of the hormone systems. It appears that the moss Physcomitrella patens can respond to auxin and contains key elements of the auxin signalling pathway, although there is some doubt as to whether it shows a fully developed rapid auxin response. On the other hand, P. patens does not show a GA response, even though it contains genes for components of GA signalling. The GA response system appears to be more advanced in the lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii than in P. patens. Signalling systems for BRs probably arose after the evolutionary divergence of the mosses and vascular plants, although detailed information is limited. Certainly, the processes affected by the growth hormones (e.g. GAs) can differ in the different plant groups, and there is evidence that with the evolution of the angiosperms, the hormone systems have become more complex at the gene level. The intermediate nature of mosses in terms of overall hormone biology allows us to speculate about the possible relationship between the evolution of plant growth hormones and the evolution of terrestrial vascular plants in general.
Naps and circadian rhythms in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND Napping patterns and relationships among naps, circadian rhythms, and nocturnal sleep were evaluated in postmenopausal women. Naps and nocturnal sleep were compared between depressed women and healthy volunteers. METHODS The study included 436 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 81 years. Psychiatric interviews were conducted using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders. Each participant wore a wrist-activity monitor and kept a daily sleep log at home for 1 week. The major urinary melatonin metabolite (6-sulfatoxymelatonin [aMT6s]) was measured for two 24-hour periods at home. RESULTS There was no significant difference in naps and nocturnal sleep patterns between depressed participants (n = 30) and those with no history of mental disorder (n = 222). Three peaks occurred in the timing of napping: approximately 1 hour before bedtime, 8 to 9 hours after wake-up time, and 2 hours after waking, in descending order of magnitude. Significant inverse correlations were observed between evening nap duration and both wake-up time and aMT6s acrophase. The onset time of aMT6s excretion was advanced by 32 minutes in evening nappers. CONCLUSIONS Evening napping, a characteristic of these postmenopausal women, may be related to an advance of circadian rhythms in this age group. Relationships between evening napping and earlier wake-up time may be a common manifestation of advanced circadian rhythms or may be a homeostatic effect.
Selenium levels and hypertension: a systematic review of the literature

Abstract Objective Se is an antioxidant micronutrient and has been studied for its potential role in CVD prevention. The purpose of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the relationship between Se and hypertension. Design We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and OVID of studies on Se levels and hypertension or blood pressure published in English up to June 2011. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed and the following information was gathered from each publication: study setting, participant demographics, exclusion criteria, intervention if applicable, medium of Se measure, mean level of Se, outcome definition, relationship between Se and the outcome variable, significance of this relationship, and covariates. In studies that also reported glutathione peroxidase levels, we extracted results on the relationship between glutathione peroxidase and hypertension. Results Twenty-five articles were included. Approximately half of the studies reported no significant relationship between Se and hypertension. Of the remaining studies, about half found that higher Se levels were associated with lower blood pressure and the other half found the opposite relationship. The studies varied greatly in terms of study population, study design and Se levels measured in participants. Conclusions Based on the present systematic review, there is no conclusive evidence supporting an association between Se and hypertension. Randomized controlled trials and prospective studies with sufficient sample size in populations with different Se levels are needed to fully investigate the relationship between Se and hypertension.
2-[(E)-2-(1H-Indol-3-yl)ethenyl]-1-methylpyridinium 4-chlorobenzenesulfonate1

In the title compound, C16H15N2 +·C6H4ClO3S−, the cation exists in an E configuration with respect to the central C=C bond and is approximately planar, with a dihedral angle of 2.95 (5)° between the pyridinium and indole rings. The mean plane of the π-conjugated system of the cation and the benzene ring of the anion are inclined to each other at a dihedral angle of 69.65 (4)°. In the crystal packing, the cations are stacked in an antiparallel manner along the a axis, resulting in a π–π interaction with a centroid–centroid distance of 3.5889 (7) Å. The anions are linked into a chain along the a axis by weak C—H⋯O interactions. The cations are linked with the anions into a three-dimensional network by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and weak C—H⋯O interactions. There are also short O⋯Cl [3.1272 (10) Å] and C⋯O [3.1432 (14)–3.3753 (14) Å] contacts. The crystal structure is further stabilized by C—H⋯π interactions.
The influence of product exposure on trendiness and aesthetic appraisal

Designers use product attributes (e.g., trendiness) to design aesthetically appealing products. The relationships of physical properties (e.g., shape) of product designs with product attributes and aesthetic appraisal are often considered to be generalizable over product categories and markets. However, in line with an interactionist view, we show that the product’s physical properties in combination with a person’s previous exposure to products influence perception and aesthetic appraisal of product designs. Previous exposure to products provides a prototype to which to compare newly encountered product designs. We show that deviating the physical properties from the combination of physical properties that the prototype is made up of makes a product design look mor trendy, and therefore, more aesthetically appealing. Because product categories have different prototypes, the physical properties that make a product design look trendy and aesthetically appealing are product-category dependent (Study 1). Moreover, people in a local market perceive product designs from a global brand as more trendy and more aesthetically appealing than people in a global market, because these product designs deviate more from their prototype (Study 2). Hence, in order to create a product design that is trendy and aesthetically pleasurable, designers should take into account product designs that people are exposed to in their daily life.
Improving Privacy and Security in Decentralizing Multi-Authority Attribute-Based Encryption in Cloud Computing

Decentralizing multi-authority attribute-based encryption (ABE) has been adopted for solving problems arising from sharing confidential corporate data in cloud computing. For decentralizing multi-authority ABE systems that do not rely on a central authority, collusion resistance can be achieved using a global identifier. Therefore, identity needs to be managed globally, which results in the crucial problems of privacy and security. A scheme is developed that does not use a central authority to manage users and keys, and only simple trust relations need to be formed by sharing the public key between each attribute authority (AA). User identities are unique by combining a user’s identity with the identity of the AA where the user is located. Once a key request needs to be made to an authority outside the domain, the request needs to be performed by the authority in the current domain rather than by the users, so, user identities remain private to the AA outside the domain, which will enhance privacy and security. In addition, the key issuing protocol between AA is simple as the result of the trust relationship of AA. Moreover, extensibility for authorities is also supported by the scheme presented in this paper. The scheme is based on composite order bilinear groups. A proof of security is presented that uses the dual system encryption methodology.
Developing an understanding of what constitutes mathematics teacher educator PCK: A case study of a collaboration between two teacher educators

Previous research into the knowledge required for teaching has focused primarily on pre-service and in-service teachers’ knowledge. What is less researched, however, is the role of the teacher educator in helping pre-service teachers (PSTs) develop the knowledge needed in order to teach mathematics to students. The focus thus shifts from examining school teachers’ knowledge for teaching mathematics to school students, to studying teacher educators’ knowledge for teaching teachers. This raises the question of what is the nature of this knowledge as required by teacher educators, and how evident is it in their practice? This paper documents the interactions among two teacher educators and two cohorts of PSTs enrolled in a unit designed to teach mathematics pedagogy to early childhood and primary PSTs. Over one semester, two teacher educators observed each other’s classes, engaged in reflective professional conversations, and surveyed PSTs about lesson material and delivery. The results indicated there were a number of issues faced by the teacher educators that could be interpreted through the use of a teacher knowledge framework, with examples for this study focussing on a representative lesson. The findings add to the field of research into teacher educator knowledge and have implications for mathematics teacher educators and the pre-service teachers they teach.
Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND To our knowledge, no rigorously designed clinical trials have evaluated the relation between vitamin D and physician-diagnosed seasonal influenza. OBJECTIVE We investigated the effect of vitamin D supplements on the incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. DESIGN From December 2008 through March 2009, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing vitamin D(3) supplements (1200 IU/d) with placebo in schoolchildren. The primary outcome was the incidence of influenza A, diagnosed with influenza antigen testing with a nasopharyngeal swab specimen. RESULTS Influenza A occurred in 18 of 167 (10.8%) children in the vitamin D(3) group compared with 31 of 167 (18.6%) children in the placebo group [relative risk (RR), 0.58; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.99; P = 0.04]. The reduction in influenza A was more prominent in children who had not been taking other vitamin D supplements (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.79; P = 0.006) and who started nursery school after age 3 y (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.78; P = 0.005). In children with a previous diagnosis of asthma, asthma attacks as a secondary outcome occurred in 2 children receiving vitamin D(3) compared with 12 children receiving placebo (RR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.73; P = 0.006). CONCLUSION This study suggests that vitamin D(3) supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren. This trial was registered at https://center.umin. ac.jp as UMIN000001373.
Root signals control leaf expansion in wheat seedlings growing in drying soil

Wheat plants were grown with their roots and soil in pressure chambers, so that the leaves could be kept highly turgid, even when the soil dried, by applying a pneumatic pressure to the roots. The relative leaf expansion rate (RLER) of plants in drying soil eventually fell behind that of well-watered plants, but, remarkably, the fall in RLER was the same whether or not the leaves were kept highly turgid. It is argued that the roots sensed the drying of the soil and sent signals to the leaves that controlled their behaviour, overriding any effects of turgor on the leaves. It is likely that the roots were sensing not only the water potential of the soil but also its hardness, which increased substantially as the soil dried.
Implementation of GINA guidelines in asthma management by primary care physicians in Vietnam

Background Asthma control is suboptimal in Vietnam. Lack of knowledge of primary care physicians (PCPs) for asthma management may potentially be one of the causes. Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice of PCPs’ asthma management based on the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines (2015 update). Methods A cross-sectional study with convenience sampling was conducted among PCPs in an urban and rural area of Vietnam using questionnaires related to asthma patients daily practice: use of spirometry and the asthma control test (ACT), prescription of asthma medications, and frequency of consultations. Five asthma case scenarios were also used to ask participants to classify GINA-defined levels of asthma control and to choose the initial or adjusted treatment options based on the current situation. All scenarios are common in Vietnam, ie, three cases for adults, one case for children, and one case for pregnant women. Results Of the 327 completed questionnaires, 201 questionnaires could be analyzed. Most PCPs consulted their asthma patients on a weekly to monthly basis. Approximately 50% used spirometry for asthma care and only 25% used ACT. For asthma treatment, oral short-acting beta agonists and oral steroids were still commonly used and long-acting beta agonists alone were prescribed by 70%. Regarding GINA-defined levels of asthma control, 24% of the responders had ≥50% of correct answers, 21% had no correct answers, 2% had all five correct answers, and 20–42% had a correct answer for each of the five questions. Regarding treatment choice, 22% had ≥50% of correct answers, 14% had a wrong answer for all nine questions, and no respondent had a correct answer for ≥8 questions. Conclusion The percentage of PCPs in Vietnam who had implemented GINA 2015 was low. Some drugs with a high risk of side effects were still being prescribed. There is a need to improve both knowledge and daily practice. Additional studies should determine why these guidelines are not largely adopted by PCPs in Vietnam.
Controllability of Boolean Networks via Mixed Controls

Controllability is one of the most important properties of a Boolean control network (BCN). Essentially there are two kinds of controls: 1) networked inputs and 2) free logical inputs. This letter considers controllability of BCNs under mixed controls. The technique proposed is to convert a BCN with two kinds of controls into a set controllability problem. Using results obtained for set controllability, a necessary and sufficient condition for controllability of BCNs with mixed inputs is obtained. Some examples are presented to depict the theoretical results.
EgoGesture: A New Dataset and Benchmark for Egocentric Hand Gesture Recognition

Gesture is a natural interface in human–computer interaction, especially interacting with wearable devices, such as VR/AR helmet and glasses. However, in the gesture recognition community, it lacks of suitable datasets for developing egocentric (first-person view) gesture recognition methods, in particular in the deep learning era. In this paper, we introduce a new benchmark dataset named EgoGesture with sufficient size, variation, and reality to be able to train deep neural networks. This dataset contains more than 24 000 gesture samples and 3 000 000 frames for both color and depth modalities from 50 distinct subjects. We design 83 different static and dynamic gestures focused on interaction with wearable devices and collect them from six diverse indoor and outdoor scenes, respectively, with variation in background and illumination. We also consider the scenario when people perform gestures while they are walking. The performances of several representative approaches are systematically evaluated on two tasks: gesture classification in segmented data and gesture spotting and recognition in continuous data. Our empirical study also provides an in-depth analysis on input modality selection and domain adaptation between different scenes.
A New Approach to Iterative Clipping and Filtering PAPR Reduction Scheme for OFDM Systems

While achieving reduced/good peak-to-average power (PAPR) in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems is attractive, this must not be performed at the expense of the transmitted signal with over-reduced signal power, as it leads to degraded bit error ratio (BER). We introduce a uniform distribution approach to solving the PAPR reduction problem of OFDM signals and then use Lagrange multiplier (LM) optimization to minimize the number of iterations involved in an adaptive fashion. Due to the nonlinear attenuation of the PAPR reduction scheme, we compensate the output signal using a correlation factor that minimizes the error floor in the in-band distortion of the clipped signal using the minimum mean square error method so as to improve the BER performance. Three different methods are introduced each enabling PAPR reduction by clipping followed by filtering with no direct dependence on a clipping ratio parameter. We find that our approach significantly reduces the PAPR of the OFDM signals (especially with LM optimization) better than the conventional adaptive iterative clipping and filtering operating without LM optimization. Based on our proposed methods, we additionally outline two simple steps for achieving perfect PAPR reduction (i.e., 0 dB). We also evaluate the performance of the three new models over high power amplifier (HPA) for completeness; the HPA is found to induce negligible BER degradation effects on the processed signal compared with the unprocessed signal.
Thermoelectric Heat Pump Clothes Dryer using Secondary Loop Heat Exchangers: Experimental Evaluation and System Modeling

Past work has shown that thermoelectric clothes dryers are capable of much higher efficiency than electric resistance clothes dryers. In an effort to improve performance and reduce material utilization, this work explores a new secondary loop system configuration. In this configuration, heat is transferred between air and the thermoelectric heat pumps via two water loops and two water-to-air fin-tube type heat exchangers. In this work, performance is investigated and analyzed using experimental data.
Multimodality investigation of microstructure: the combination of diffusion NMR and diffuse optical spectroscopy

We propose that multimodality imaging may be enhanced by combining datasets with a model of the underlying physics prior to image reconstruction, as opposed to the traditional approach of combining the reconstructed image. Here, we demonstrate this approach by merging near infrared diffuse optical spectroscopy with diffusion NMR to inform a model describing the microstructure of sample. A computational validation of the results, produced with synthetic datasets, shows the enhanced accuracy of the estimation, while an application of the model on experimental measurements confirms the validity of the models.
Recombination Hotspots Flank the Cryptococcus Mating-Type Locus: Implications for the Evolution of a Fungal Sex Chromosome

Recombination increases dramatically during meiosis to promote genetic exchange and generate recombinant progeny. Interestingly, meiotic recombination is unevenly distributed throughout genomes, and, as a consequence, genetic and physical map distances do not have a simple linear relationship. Recombination hotspots and coldspots have been described in many organisms and often reflect global features of chromosome structure. In particular, recombination frequencies are often distorted within or outside sex-determining regions of the genome. Here, we report that recombination is elevated adjacent to the mating-type locus (MAT) in the pathogenic basidiomycete Cryptococcus neoformans. Among fungi, C. neoformans has an unusually large MAT locus, and recombination is suppressed between the two >100-kilobase mating-type specific alleles. When genetic markers were introduced at defined physical distances from MAT, we found the meiotic recombination frequency to be ~20% between MAT and a flanking marker at 5, 10, 50, or 100 kilobases from the right border. As a result, the physical/genetic map ratio in the regions adjacent to MAT is distorted ~10- to 50-fold compared to the genome-wide average. Moreover, recombination frequently occurred on both sides of MAT and negative interference between crossovers was observed. MAT heterozygosity was not required for enhanced recombination, implying that this process is not due to a physical distortion from the two non-paired alleles and could also occur during same-sex mating. Sequence analysis revealed a correlation between high G + C content and these hotspot regions. We hypothesize that the presence of recombinational activators may have driven several key events during the assembly and reshaping of the MAT locus and may have played similar roles in the origins of both metabolic and biosynthetic gene clusters. Our findings suggest that during meiosis the MAT locus may be exchanged onto different genetic backgrounds and therefore have broad evolutionary implications with respect to mating-type switching in both model and pathogenic yeasts.