Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Telephony-based voice pathology assessment using automated speech analysis

A system for remotely detecting vocal fold pathologies using telephone-quality speech is presented. The system uses a linear classifier, processing measurements of pitch perturbation, amplitude perturbation and harmonic-to-noise ratio derived from digitized speech recordings. Voice recordings from the Disordered Voice Database Model 4337 system were used to develop and validate the system. Results show that while a sustained phonation, recorded in a controlled environment, can be classified as normal or pathologic with accuracy of 89.1%, telephone-quality speech can be classified as normal or pathologic with an accuracy of 74.2%, using the same scheme. Amplitude perturbation features prove most robust for telephone-quality speech. The pathologic recordings were then subcategorized into four groups, comprising normal, neuromuscular pathologic, physical pathologic and mixed (neuromuscular with physical) pathologic. A separate classifier was developed for classifying the normal group from each pathologic subcategory. Results show that neuromuscular disorders could be detected remotely with an accuracy of 87%, physical abnormalities with an accuracy of 78% and mixed pathology voice with an accuracy of 61%. This study highlights the real possibility for remote detection and diagnosis of voice pathology.
Faithful knowledges : the mediation of plural collectives in an interfaith charity

Interfaith initiatives have grown rapidly in the UK since the 1980s, but have been little researched. This thesis presents an organisational ethnography of London-based interfaith charity 3FF (Three Faiths Forum), with whom the author conducted two and half years of fieldwork as part of an ESRC collaborative studentship. Founded in 1997 to bring together Muslim, Christian and Jewish faith leaders, 3FF has since opened up its remit to those of ‘all faiths and nonreligious beliefs’, and primarily delivers education works to young people. The organisation is unusual within the interfaith sector, but expressive of broader shifts in religious and other forms of collective identities (Woodhead, 2012). Theoretically, this thesis attempts to adopt a non-modern (Latour, 1993) and non-secular approach to knowledge production, arguing that this is necessary to conceptualise processes of collective building that are inclusive of those of different faiths and beliefs, and which do not re-enact racialised hierarchies and coloniality. Chapters trace the mediation of different forms of knowledge, including the mediations of media technologies, from a number of angles. The empirical material covers the complexities of everyday coexistence between faiths; how the organisation navigated high profile ‘faith-inflected media events’ taking place during the fieldwork period; data practices within the internal workings of the organisation; and a theorisation of the organisation’s practice with participants as involving tacit and embodied knowledges, alongside a critique asking where accountability lies when central aspects of the work remain unspoken. The thesis conclusion outlines some of the lessons that can be drawn from this ethnographic case for constructing a ‘plural collective’ on a decolonial basis, which can challenge inequality despite fundamental disagreements about the nature of knowledge and the agencies at play in the world, and which is “open to contingency but still able to act” (Hall, 1987, p. 117).
Anticipatory conditioning of spelling-to-sound translation q

College students’ pronunciations of initial c and g were examined in English words and nonwords, both monosyllables and polysyllables. Pronunciations were influenced by adjacent context—whether the following letter was e or i— and by long-distance context—whether the item contained a suffix or spelling pattern characteristic of Latinate words. Pronunciations were also influenced by whether students had studied a language such as French in which c and g are systematically fronted before those vowels. The findings were not well fit by either a dual-route or a single-route reading model. Although skilled readers were affected by the contextual patterns in the input, they did not use these patterns to the extent that would be expected given the patterns’ reliability in the English vocabulary. The results are discussed in terms of the size of the window within which spelling-to-sound translation takes place and the nature of the units that are used. 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Client-Level Coverage of Needle and Syringe Program and High-Risk Injection Behaviors: A Case Study of People Who Inject Drugs in Kermanshah, Iran

Background Needle-syringe programs (NSP) have been running in Iran since 2002. However, the coverage of such program among the NSP clients at the individual level was not studies yet. This study aimed to determine the client coverage of NSP and its correlation with high injection-related risk behaviors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Kermanshah province, Iran, in 2014. 230 people who inject drugs (PWID) recruited from two drop-in centers (DICs) from April to September 2014, participated in a face-to-face interview to provide information related individual coverage of NSP, demographic characteristics, and injecting behaviors 30 days prior to the interview. Findings Overall, the average of syringe coverage was 158% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 65.7-205.5], while 56% (95% CI = 40-97) have individual converge less than 100%. Needle/syringe sharing was significantly higher among individual with low NSP coverage [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3-6.2]. About 85% participants with coverage of less than 100% reported reuse of syringe within the last 30 days (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.4-7.7). Conclusion PWID are different regarding their NSP individual-level converges. There are certain clusters of PWID, who do not receive sufficient number of syringes. Given that insufficient individual syringe coverage level is highly associated with injection risk behaviors, reasons for such low converge need to be assessed and addressed carefully.
QCD matrix elements and truncated showers

We derive an improved prescription for the merging of matrix elements with parton showers, extending the CKKW approach. A flavour-dependent phase space separation criterion is proposed. We show that this new method preserves the logarithmic accuracy of the shower, and that the original proposal can be derived from it. One of the main requirements for the method is a truncated shower algorithm. We outline the corresponding Monte Carlo procedures and apply the new prescription to QCD jet production in ee collisions and DrellYan lepton pair production. Explicit colour information from matrix elements obtained through colour sampling is incorporated in the merging and the influence of different prescriptions to assign colours in the large NC limit is studied. We assess the systematic uncertainties of the new method.
Cloud environment assignment: A context-aware and Dynamic Software Product Lines-based approach

With the increase in number of mobile devices deployed in cloud computing, the demand of context-aware services to assign increases. Indeed, Information about the user's environment exposes new challenges to cloud computing in terms of location-aware, time-aware, device-aware and personalized applications to cope with the constraints of mobile devices in matters of interaction abilities and communication restrictions. In addition, the user also needs context information about services provided by the provider. For instance, the user can check the availability of service, the response time of service, the cost, quality of the service and quality of context information. This paper proposes a software framework which supports context-awareness behavior to assign services to Consumers and especially mobile users. This framework is based on Dynamic Software Product Line approach to handle this variability and adaptation in context at runtime. In fact, changes can occur in the application context requiring the cloud environment to be reconfigured, for instance, non-functional requirements like response-time, availability or pricing are violated.
Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Escherichia coli Isolates from Hospitals in Kumasi, Ghana

Nosocomial infections are infections acquired by a patient as a result of treatment in a hospital or healthcare service providing center and symptoms occurs within a short period of hospitalization. The study was to determine the antibiotic resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolated from Kumasi-South, Tafo and Suntreso Hospitals, Kumasi, Ghana. Total of 600 swabs samples from the hospitals were collected between January and June, 2010. The isolates were identified using morphological and biochemical means. A total of 97 E. coli isolates were obtained from the hospitals. Beds in hospital wards had the highest number of E. coli strains (53.6%), followed by floors (20.6%) while drainages had the least isolates (3.1%). Majority of the E. coli isolates (90.7%) exhibited resistance to ampicillin while 6.2 and 3.1% showed intermediate and sensitive respectively. Co-trimoxazole, 78.4% of the isolates were resistant while 9.3 and 12.4% exhibited intermediate and sensitive responses respectively. E. coli isolates (28.6 to 46.4%) were resistant to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone while 14.4 to 47.4% gave intermediate responses. Most isolates (80.4%) exhibited multi-drug resistance. There is a need to observe proper personal hygiene, use of effective disinfectants and proper disposal of contaminated/pathogenic materials in these hospitals to control nosocomial infections.
PA28αβ: The Enigmatic Magic Ring of the Proteasome?

PA28αβ is a γ-interferon-induced 11S complex that associates with the ends of the 20S proteasome and stimulates in vitro breakdown of small peptide substrates, but not proteins or ubiquitin-conjugated proteins. In cells, PA28 also exists in larger complexes along with the 19S particle, which allows ATP-dependent degradation of proteins; although in vivo a large fraction of PA28 is present as PA28αβ-20S particles whose exact biological functions are largely unknown. Although several lines of evidence strongly indicate that PA28αβ plays a role in MHC class I antigen presentation, the exact molecular mechanisms of this activity are still poorly understood. Herein, we review current knowledge about the biochemical and biological properties of PA28αβ and discuss recent findings concerning its role in modifying the spectrum of proteasome’s peptide products, which are important to better understand the molecular mechanisms and biological consequences of PA28αβ activity.
Hearing Sensitivity to Shifts of Rippled-Spectrum Sound Signals in Masking Noise

The goal of the study was to enlarge knowledge of discrimination of complex sound signals by the auditory system in masking noise. For that, influence of masking noise on detection of shift of rippled spectrum was studied in normal listeners. The signal was a shift of ripple phase within a 0.5-oct wide rippled spectrum centered at 2 kHz. The ripples were frequency-proportional (throughout the band, ripple spacing was a constant proportion of the ripple center frequency). Simultaneous masker was a 0.5-oct noise below-, on-, or above the signal band. Both the low-frequency (center frequency 1 kHz) and on-frequency (the same center frequency as for the signal) maskers increased the thresholds for detecting ripple phase shift. However, the threshold dependence on the masker level was different for these two maskers. For the on-frequency masker, the masking effect primarily depended on the masker/signal ratio: the threshold steeply increased at a ratio of 5 dB, and no shift was detectable at a ratio of 10 dB. For the low-frequency masker, the masking effect primarily depended on the masker level: the threshold increased at a masker level of 80 dB SPL, and no shift was detectable at a masker level of 90 dB (for a signal level of 50 dB) or 100 dB (for a signal level of 80 dB). The high-frequency masker had little effect. The data were successfully simulated using an excitation-pattern model. In this model, the effect of the on-frequency masker appeared to be primarily due to a decrease of ripple depth. The effect of the low-frequency masker appeared due to widening of the auditory filters at high sound levels.
Urinary Neutrophil Gelatinase‐associated Lipocalin as a Marker for Identification of Acute Kidney Injury and Recovery in Dogs with Gentamicin‐induced Nephrotoxicity

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high mortality rates in dogs, which may be a consequence of late recognition using traditional diagnostic tests. Neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a protein‐induced during kidney injury that may identify AKI earlier than traditional tests. Objectives/Hypothesis To evaluate urinary NGAL (uNGAL) and uNGAL‐to‐urinary creatinine ratio (UNCR) as early markers of kidney injury and recovery in an AKI model in dogs. It was hypothesized that these markers would document AKI earlier than serum creatinine concentration. Animals Five purpose‐bred dogs. Methods Prospective study. Acute kidney injury, defined as a > 50% increase in serum creatinine concentration above baseline, was induced in dogs by gentamicin administration (8–10 mg/kg SC q8h). Blood and urine collected for biochemical analyses and uNGAL and urinary creatinine concentrations, respectively, during AKI induction and recovery. Results Acute kidney injury was diagnosed significantly earlier based on a 7‐fold increase in UNCR compared to a > 50% increase in serum creatinine concentration (day 8; range, 2–10 mg/dl vs day 16; range, 14–19 mg/dl; P = .009). During recovery, the initial decrease in UNCR preceded the decrease in serum creatinine concentration by a median of 2 days. The uNGAL changes paralleled UNCR changes, but the increase in uNGAL was triphasic; the initial peak occurred earlier than UNCR (median, day 11 versus median, day 19). Conclusions and Clinical Importance The UNCR was early marker of gentamicin‐induced AKI and its decrease documented onset of renal recovery. Additional studies are needed to validate this marker in dogs with naturally occurring renal injury.
An Observational Perspective of Low Mass Dense Cores II: Evolution towards the Initial Mass Function

We review the properties of low mass dense molecular cloud cores, including starless, prestellar, and Class 0 protostellar cores, as derived from observations. In particular we discuss them in the context of the current debate surrounding the formation and evolution of cores. There exist several families of model scenarios to explain this evolution (with many variations of each) that can be thought of as a continuum of models lying between two extreme paradigms for the star and core formation process. At one extreme there is the dynamic, turbulent picture, while at the other extreme there is a slow, quasi-static vision of core evolution. In the latter view the magnetic field plays a dominant role, and it may also play some role in the former picture. Polarization and Zeeman measurements indicate that some, if not all, cores contain a significant magnetic field. Wide-field surveys constrain the timescales of the core formation and evolution processes, as well as the statistical distribution of core masses. The former indicates that prestellar cores typically live for 2--5 free-fall times, while the latter seems to determine the stellar initial mass function. In addition, multiple surveys allow one to compare core properties in different regions. From this it appears that aspects of different models may be relevant to different star-forming regions, depending on the environment. Prestellar cores in cluster-forming regions are smaller in radius and have higher column densities, by up to an order of magnitude, than isolated prestellar cores. This is probably due to the fact that in cluster-forming regions the prestellar cores are formed by fragmentation of larger, more turbulent cluster-forming cores, which in turn form as a result of strong external compression.
Using novel methods to examine the role of mimicry in trust and rapport

Without realising it, people unconsciously mimic each other’s postures, gestures and mannerisms. This ‘chameleon effect’ is thought to play an important role in creating affiliation, rapport and trust. Existing theories propose that mimicry is used as a social strategy to bond with other members of our social groups. There is strong behavioural and neural evidence for the strategic control of mimicry. However, evidence that mimicry leads to positive social outcomes is less robust. In this thesis, I aimed to rigorously test the prediction that mimicry leads to rapport and trust, using novel virtual reality methods with high experimental control. In the first study, we developed a virtual reality task for measuring implicit trust behaviour in a virtual maze. Across three experiments we demonstrated the suitability of this task over existing economic games for measuring trust towards specific others. In the second and third studies we tested the effects of mimicry from virtual characters whose other social behaviours were tightly controlled. In the second study, we found that virtual mimicry significantly increased rapport and this was not affected by the precise time delay in mimicking. In the third study we found this result was not replicated using a strict, pre-registered design, and the effects of virtual mimicry did not change depending on the ingroup or outgroup status of the mimicker. In the fourth study we went beyond mimicry to explore new ways of modelling coordinated behaviour as it naturally occurs in social interactions. We used high-resolution motion capture to record motion in dyadic conversations and calculated levels of coordination using wavelet analysis. We found a reliable pattern of decoupling as well as coordination in people’s head movements. I discuss how the findings of our experiments relate to theories about the social function of mimicry and suggest directions for future research.
Bounded regret in stochastic multi-armed bandits

We study the stochastic multi-armed bandit problem when one knows the value $\mu^{(\star)}$ of an optimal arm, as a well as a positive lower bound on the smallest positive gap $\Delta$. We propose a new randomized policy that attains a regret {\em uniformly bounded over time} in this setting. We also prove several lower bounds, which show in particular that bounded regret is not possible if one only knows $\Delta$, and bounded regret of order $1/\Delta$ is not possible if one only knows $\mu^{(\star)}$
Genetically Modified Foods and Social Concerns

Biotechnology is providing us with a wide range of options for how we can use agricultural and commercial forestry lands. The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops on millions of hectares of lands and their injection into our food chain is a huge global genetic experiment involving all living beings. Considering the fast pace of new advances in production of genetically modified crops, consumers, farmers and policymakers worldwide are challenged to reach a consensus on a clear vision for the future of world food supply. The current food biotechnology debate illustrates the serious conflict between two groups: 1) Agri-biotech investors and their affiliated scientists who consider agricultural biotechnology as a solution to food shortage, the scarcity of environmental resources and weeds and pests infestations; and 2) independent scientists, environmentalists, farmers and consumers who warn that genetically modified food introduces new risks to food security, the environment and human health such as loss of biodiversity; the emergence of superweeds and superpests; the increase of antibiotic resistance, food allergies and other unintended effects. This article reviews major viewpoints which are currently debated in the food biotechnology sector in the world. It also lays the ground-work for deep debate on benefits and risks of Biotech-crops for human health, ecosystems and biodiversity. In this context, although some regulations exist, there is a need for continuous vigilance for all countries involved in producing genetically engineered food to follow the international scientific bio-safety testing guidelines containing reliable pre-release experiments and post-release track of transgenic plants to protect public health and avoid future environmental harm.
Effect of socio demographic and personal factors on infertility and its association with mental health and social support in North Indian population

Background: Motherhood is a bliss in women’s lives and thus infertility is considered as a social stigma. In present study, we measure the effect of socio-demographic and personal factors on infertility as well as the status of social support and mental health in infertile women.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study comprising 90 infertile women and 90 women in the control group, conducted at Ram Prakash Gupta Memorial Mother and Child State Referral Centre of RMLIMS, Lucknow, India. The questionnaires used were Socio-demographic and personal characteristics, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess mental health, Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (PSSQ). To determine the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics, personal characters, mental health, and social support with infertility, Chi-square test was used.Results: Age, education, and occupation had statistically significant (p<0.05) relation with infertility, high BMI, and caffeine intake also had the significant adverse effect on fertility outcomes (p<0.05). Infertility patients had poor mental health status (higher mean GHQ-12 score 20.8±4.2) and poor perceived social support (lower mean PSSQ score 29.7±7.0). Conclusions: In present study, the socio-demographic factors, lifestyle factors, social support and mental health status is associated with fertility outcomes. Their modifications have the potential to improve reproductive performances. A structured programme of education, social support, and counselling by specialist health professionals should be formulated to improve the quality of life as well as fertility outcomes in infertile patients.
Universal Noiseless Source Coding by ConvexCombinations of Densities

We consider the problem of noiseless source coding for non-parametric sources by means of estimating the source's density function and using the framework of two-part codes to block encode the source. Emphasis is placed on deriving a consistent estimation scheme, based on sequences of parametric families, which is parsimonious enough to allow for the construction of universal codes in a broad family of sources. We demonstrate that the conditional redundancy of the suggested code, for sources in a given class, tends to zero as the block size tends to innnity, thus the code performance may also be interpreted as weakly minimax. Moreover, an upper bound for the Nth-order conditional redundancy is derived, and paramet-ric convergence rates are obtained. This bound demonstrates clearly the penalty induced by not knowing the parametric structure of the source class. Using this estimation and coding framework, the concept of the information content in a string of data, alternatively known as the stochastic complexity, can be extended to include scenarios in which apriori parametric information is not available.