Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Test-Retest Reliability of Wideband Reflectance Measures in Infants under Screening and Diagnostic Test Conditions

Objective: The main goal of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability of wideband reflectance (WBR) measures collected from infants in screening and diagnostic hearing test environments. In addition, the results of WBR testing for infants who passed and failed otoacoustic emission (OAE) screening were examined to determine whether these measures distinguished between the two groups. Design: Repeated WBR measures were collected from two groups of infants, one group tested in an outpatient hearing screening setting and the other group in a diagnostic test setting. For a total of 127 infants and a control group of 10 adults, repeated WBR measurements were made with the probe left in place between the two tests (T1 and T2) and after reinsertion of the probe (T3) for a total of 3 measurements. Test-retest differences were calculated for each individual across one-third octave frequency bands, and the mean and 90th percentile were calculated by subject group and OAE results. WBR patterns were also compared between infants who passed versus failed OAE screening. Results: Mean test-retest differences were smaller for the diagnostic group than for the screening group. Test-retest differences were largest for the reinsertion condition and for the frequencies below 500 Hz. While the low frequencies were variable, the test-retest differences were smallest in the mid-frequency range which is thought to be the frequency range most sensitive to middle ear dysfunction. Test-retest performance did not differ between infants who passed or failed OAE screening. However, infants who failed OAE screening had significantly higher WBR in the range from 630 to 2000 Hz than infants who passed OAE screening. Conclusions: Test-retest performance was poor for frequencies below 500 Hz, but in general test-retest differences were small across the important mid-frequency range. Reinsertion of the probe between repeated tests yielded larger and more variable test-retest differences. Careful monitoring of probe fit and testing while infants are in a quiet state appears to be critical for obtaining reliable WBR results. Analysis of WBR results indicated significantly higher reflected energy in the mid-frequency range for infants who failed OAE screening than for those who passed OAE screening. Although conclusions are limited by the fact that the true status of the middle ear and cochlea were not known for the infants in this study, this result may indicate that a number of these infants failed OAE screening due to transient or permanent middle ear dysfunction which was detected by WBR.
Implicitly Controlling Bloat in Genetic Programming

During the evolution of solutions using genetic programming (GP) there is generally an increase in average tree size without a corresponding increase in fitness-a phenomenon commonly referred to as bloat. Although previously studied from theoretical and practical viewpoints there has been little progress in deriving controls for bloat which do not explicitly refer to tree size. Here, the use of spatial population structure in combination with local elitist replacement is shown to reduce bloat without a subsequent loss of performance. Theoretical concepts regarding inbreeding and the role of elitism are used to support the described approach. The proposed system behavior is confirmed via extensive computer simulations on benchmark problems. The main practical result is that by placing a population on a torus, with selection defined by a Moore neighborhood and local elitist replacement, bloat can be substantially reduced without compromising performance.
Torsion of Drinfeld modules and equicharacteristic unimodular Galois covers

We prove that the groups PSL(r,q^d) can be realized F_q(T)-regularly as Galois groups over the purely transcendental field F_q(T)(t_1,.,t_{r-1}) if r is even and r/2 is coprime to q^d-1. The method is to use twisted moduli schemes of Drinfeld modules (a la Shih). If one has sufficient control over modular forms, it can be made into an algorithm to find explicit equations. We do this for PSL(2,q^2) using Drinfeld modular forms.
On the Uniform Controllability of the Burgers Equation

In this paper, we deal with the viscous Burgers equation with a small dissipation coefficient $\nu$. We prove the (global) exact controllability property to nonzero constant states, that is to say, the possibility of finding boundary values such that the solution of the associated Burgers equation is driven to a constant state. The main objective of this paper is to do so with control functions whose norms in an appropriate space are bounded independently of $\nu$, which belongs to a suitably small interval. This result is obtained for a sufficiently large time.
Senior Executive Information Behaviors and Decision Support

Business intelligence (BI) is currently a high priority for chief information officers (CIOs) and is a major growth area of business IT. BI systems are the IT-based systems that have the greatest impact on organizational strategy. Unfortunately, BI projects are subject to high failure rates and those that are implemented suffer from a utilization problem where only 10 to 20% of intended users actually use the systems. Most decision support systems (DSS) and BI research and practice treats managers as a homogenous group, but management research reports differences between senior executives and other levels of management, and individual differences between managers. This is a significantly more complex development environment than that assumed by current DSS and BI research. There are no specialist methods for analyzing the decision support requirements of senior executives. This paper discusses the rationale and design of a design-science research project that aims to develop and test such a method. The method will be based on a sound understanding of senior executive information behaviors.
Dysconnection in Schizophrenia: From Abnormal Synaptic Plasticity to Failures of Self-monitoring

Over the last 2 decades, a large number of neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies of patients with schizophrenia have furnished in vivo evidence for dysconnectivity, ie, abnormal functional integration of brain processes. While the evidence for dysconnectivity in schizophrenia is strong, its etiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, and significance for clinical symptoms are unclear. First, dysconnectivity could result from aberrant wiring of connections during development, from aberrant synaptic plasticity, or from both. Second, it is not clear how schizophrenic symptoms can be understood mechanistically as a consequence of dysconnectivity. Third, if dysconnectivity is the primary pathophysiology, and not just an epiphenomenon, then it should provide a mechanistic explanation for known empirical facts about schizophrenia. This article addresses these 3 issues in the framework of the dysconnection hypothesis. This theory postulates that the core pathology in schizophrenia resides in aberrant N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)–mediated synaptic plasticity due to abnormal regulation of NMDARs by neuromodulatory transmitters like dopamine, serotonin, or acetylcholine. We argue that this neurobiological mechanism can explain failures of self-monitoring, leading to a mechanistic explanation for first-rank symptoms as pathognomonic features of schizophrenia, and may provide a basis for future diagnostic classifications with physiologically defined patient subgroups. Finally, we test the explanatory power of our theory against a list of empirical facts about schizophrenia.
A Dominating Set Based Peer-to-Peer Protocol for Real-Time Multi-source Collaboration

Designing a collaborative architecture for real-time applications is an intricate challenge that usually involves dealing with the real-time constraints, resource limitations and complex synchronous problems. In multi-source collaboration applications, users interact with each other to share their states which are essential for synchronous communication. In this paper, we present real-time multi-participant communication architecture to efficiently manage their interactions in a peer-to-peer fashion. We introduce a graph-theoretic framework for provisioning overlay network based collaboration services to heterogeneous receivers. Considering resource limitations and exploiting geographical positions, the protocol greedily builds degree-constrained minimum-cost connected graph to manipulate the topology to a significant extent by selecting mesh neighbors and changing the metrics. Data delivery routes are picked using dominating set. We named it dominating set based peer-to-peer protocol (DS-P2P). Simulation is used to manifest that the framework is robust, responsive to tree partitions, and suitable for multi-participant real-time collaboration.
Estimation of positions and heights from UAV-sensed imagery in tree plantations in agrosilvopastoral systems

ABSTRACT Plantations of typical Mediterranean tree species, such as cork oak(Quercus suber L.), holm oak (Quercus ilex L.), and umbrella pine (Pinus pinea L.), are important for the restoration of forest ecosystems in the region. While traditional forest inventories can provide early problem detection in these plantations, the cost and labour of the required fieldwork may exceed its potential benefits. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide a cheap and practical alternative to traditional inventories and individual tree measurement. We present a method to estimate heights and positions of individual trees, from remotely sensed imagery, obtained using a low-flying UAV with an integrated RGB sensor. In the summer of 2015, a 5 ha stand at the University of Évora was photographed with a low-flying (40 m) hexacopter. A 3D point cloud and orthophoto were created from the images. The point cloud was used to identify local maxima as candidates for tree positions and height estimates. Results showed that the height measured with the UAV was reliable on pines, whereas the reliability for oaks was dependent on the size of the trees: smaller trees were especially problematic as they tended to have an irregular crown shape, resulting in larger errors. However, the error showed a strong trend, and adequate models could be produced to improve the estimates.
Maternal Buprenorphine Dose, Placenta Buprenorphine, and Metabolite Concentrations and Neonatal Outcomes

Buprenorphine is approved as pharmacotherapy for opioid dependence in nonpregnant patients in multiple countries and is currently under investigation for pregnant women in the United States and Europe. This research evaluates the disposition of buprenorphine, opiates, cocaine, and metabolites in five term placentas from a US cohort. Placenta and matched meconium concentrations were compared, and relationships among maternal buprenorphine dose, placenta concentrations, and neonatal outcomes after controlled administration during gestation were investigated. Buprenorphine and/or metabolites were detected in all placenta specimens and were uniformly distributed across this tissue (coefficient of variation less than 27.5%, four locations), except for buprenorphine in three placentas. In two of these, buprenorphine was not detected in some locations and in the third placenta was totally absent. Median (range) concentrations were 1.6 ng/g buprenorphine (not detected to 3.2), 14.9 ng/g norbuprenorphine (6.2-24.2), 3 ng/g buprenorphine-glucuronide (1.3-5.0), and 14.7 ng/g norbuprenorphine-glucuronide (11.4-25.8). Placenta is a potential alternative matrix for detecting in utero buprenorphine exposure, but at lower concentrations (15- to 70-fold) than in meconium. Statistically significant correlations were observed for mean maternal daily dose from enrollment to delivery and placenta buprenorphine-glucuronide concentration and for norbuprenorphine-glucuronide concentrations and time to neonatal abstinence syndrome onset and duration, for norbuprenorphine/norbuprenorphine-glucuronide ratio and maximum neonatal abstinence syndrome score, and newborn length. Analysis of buprenorphine and metabolites in this alternative matrix, an abundant waste product available at the time of delivery, may be valuable for prediction of neonatal outcomes for clinicians treating newborns of buprenorphine-exposed women.
On the Relative Roles of the Atmosphere and Ocean in the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability

The relative roles of the ocean and atmosphere in driving the Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) are investigated by isolating anomalous sea surface temperature (SST) components forced by anomalous surface heat fluxes and ocean dynamics in fully and partially coupled simulations. The impact of the ocean dynamics‐forced SST on air‐sea interaction is disabled in the partially coupled simulation in order to isolate the atmosphere‐forced variability. The atmosphere‐forced AMV component shows weak but significant variability on interdecadal timescales (10‐ to 30‐year periods), while the ocean‐forced component exhibits a strong multidecadal variability (25‐ to 50‐year periods). When coupled to the atmosphere, this ocean‐forced variability weakens and is imprinted on the coupled surface heat fluxes that further act to damp the ocean‐forced SST variability, causing a much weaker fully coupled AMV. Our results suggest that the AMV is largely driven by ocean circulation variability, but its power is also affected by the strength of air‐sea coupling.
Effects of common polymorphisms on the properties of recombinant human methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) catalyzes the conversion of methylenetetrahydrofolate to methyltetrahydrofolate, the major methyl donor for the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Two common polymorphisms of the human enzyme have been identified: 677C>T, which leads to the substitution of Ala-222 by valine, and 1298A>C, which leads to the replacement of Glu-429 by alanine; the former polymorphism is the most frequent genetic cause of mild hyperhomocysteinemia, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. By using a baculovirus expression system, recombinant human MTHFR has been expressed at high levels and purified to homogeneity in quantities suitable for biochemical characterization. The Glu429Ala protein has biochemical properties that are indistinguishable from the wild-type enzyme. The Ala222Val MTHFR, however, has an enhanced propensity to dissociate into monomers and to lose its FAD cofactor on dilution; the resulting loss of activity is slowed in the presence of methyltetrahydrofolate or adenosylmethionine. This biochemical phenotype is in good agreement with predictions made on the basis of studies comparing wild-type Escherichia coli MTHFR with a mutant, Ala177Val, homologous to the Ala222Val mutant human enzyme [Guenther, B. D. , et al. (1999) Nat. Struct. Biol. 6, 359–365].
An economic NMPC formulation for wind turbine control

Model Predictive Control (MPC) is a strong candidate for the control of large Multi-MegaWatt Wind Turbine Generators. Several MPC and some Nonlinear MPC scheme have been proposed in the literature, based on reference-tracking objective functions. While the resulting schemes offer very promising results, the difficulty of tuning a reference-tracking NMPC scheme for performance is likely to be a hindrance to the industrial success of NMPC-based WTG control. Because they directly maximize the system performance, economic NMPC schemes are more straightforward to tune. Economic NMPC schemes present, however, some known difficulties that are a serious obstacle to their real-time deployment. This paper presents an economic NMPC formulation for maximizing the generated power of wind turbine generators, which does not suffer from such difficulties. The relationship between the proposed and more classical reference-tracking approaches is formally established.
Automatic generation of natural language summaries for Java classes

Most software engineering tasks require developers to understand parts of the source code. When faced with unfamiliar code, developers often rely on (internal or external) documentation to gain an overall understanding of the code and determine whether it is relevant for the current task. Unfortunately, the documentation is often absent or outdated. This paper presents a technique to automatically generate human readable summaries for Java classes, assuming no documentation exists. The summaries allow developers to understand the main goal and structure of the class. The focus of the summaries is on the content and responsibilities of the classes, rather than their relationships with other classes. The summarization tool determines the class and method stereotypes and uses them, in conjunction with heuristics, to select the information to be included in the summaries. Then it generates the summaries using existing lexicalization tools. A group of programmers judged a set of generated summaries for Java classes and determined that they are readable and understandable, they do not include extraneous information, and, in most cases, they are not missing essential information.
Sedation with a target-controlled propofol infusion system during assessment of the upper airway in snorers

Abstract The ability of a target-controlled propofol infusion system to provide sedation for patients undergoing assessment of the upper airway during snoring is presented. This technique provides the desired sedation level for induction of snoring and is short acting and readily controllable. We advocate its use in sedation nasal endoscopy.
Identifying and Modeling Dynamic Preference Evolution in Multipurpose Water Resources Systems

Multipurpose water systems are usually operated on a tradeoff of conflicting operating objectives. Under steady state climatic and socioeconomic conditions, such tradeoff is supposed to represent a fair and/or efficient preference. Extreme variability in external forcing might affect water operators' risk aversion and force a change in her/his preference. Properly accounting for these shifts is key to any rigorous retrospective assessment of the operator's behaviors, and to build descriptive models for projecting the future system evolution. In this study, we explore how the selection of different preferences is linked to variations in the external forcing. We argue that preference selection evolves according to recent, extreme variations in system performance: underperforming in one of the objectives pushes the preference toward the harmed objective. To test this assumption, we developed a rational procedure to simulate the operator's preference selection. We map this selection onto a multilateral negotiation, where multiple virtual agents independently optimize different objectives. The agents periodically negotiate a compromise policy for the operation of the system. Agents' attitudes in each negotiation step are determined by the recent system performance measured by the specific objective they maximize. We then propose a numerical model of preference dynamics that implements a concept from cognitive psychology, the availability bias. We test our modeling framework on a synthetic lake operated for flood control and water supply. Results show that our model successfully captures the operator's preference selection and dynamic evolution driven by extreme wet and dry situations.
Evidence for an Innate Immune Response in the Immature Human Intestine: Toll-Like Receptors on Fetal Enterocytes

The intestinal epithelium is an active participant in the mucosal immune response against luminal pathogens. Microorganisms and their cell wall products, i.e. lipopolysaccharide (LPS), can stimulate the enterocyte to produce an innate immune response with the increased production of IL-8 via an activation of the transcription factor NFκB. The innate response mechanism, however, has not been understood until the recent description of a family of human toll-like receptors (hTLR) on immune cells that interact with LPS and modulate the IL-8 response via an intracellular signal transduction pathway similar to that of the IL-1 receptor family. Accordingly, in this study we have sought to determine the constitutive and regulated expression of hTLR on a nonmalignant human fetal primary small intestinal cell line (H4 cells) and on small intestinal samples of ileum from human fetuses (age 18–21 wk). Specimens were examined by reverse-transcription PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence for hTLR2 and hTLR4 mRNA and protein and to determine whether their expression was regulated by LPS or by an endogenous inflammatory stimulus, IL-1β. hTLR2 and hTLR4 were expressed constitutively on H4 cells and on human fetal small intestinal enterocytes, predominantly on the basolateral surface of crypt enterocytes. Inflammatory stimuli appeared to regulate hTLR transcription (IL-1β increased both hTLR2 and hTLR4 whereas LPS decreased hTLR4) and possibly translation (qualitative observations). The presence of hTLR on human fetal enterocyte suggests a mechanism for the innate immune response to pathogens and could provide the basis for further study of the accentuated inflammatory response in age-dependent gastrointestinal diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis.
Design for Verification: Using Design Patterns to Build Reliable Systems

Components so far have been mainly used in commercial software development to reduce time to market. While some effort has been spent on formal aspects of components, most of this was done in the context of programming language or operating system framework integration. As a consequence, increased reliability of composed systems is mainly regarded as a side effect of a more rigid testing of pre-fabricated components. In contrast to this, Design for Verification (D4V) puts the focus on component specific property guarantees, which are used to design systems with high reliability requirements. D4V components are domain specific design pattern instances with well-defined property guarantees and usage rules, which are suitable for automatic verification. The guaranteed properties are explicitly used to select components according to key system requirements. The D4V hypothesis is that the same general architecture and design principles leading to good modularity, extensibility and complexity/functionality ratio can be adapted to overcome some of the limitations of conventional reliability assurance measures, such as too large a state space or too many execution paths.
MASSES OF NEARBY SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES WITH VERY LONG BASELINE INTERFEROMETRY

Dynamical mass measurements to date have allowed determinations of the mass M and the distance D of a number of nearby supermassive black holes. In the case of Sgr A*, these measurements are limited by a strong correlation between the mass and distance scaling roughly as M ∼ D2. Future very long baseline interferometric (VLBI) observations will image a bright and narrow ring surrounding the shadow of a supermassive black hole, if its accretion flow is optically thin. In this paper, we explore the prospects of reducing the correlation between mass and distance with the combination of dynamical measurements and VLBI imaging of the ring of Sgr A*. We estimate the signal-to-noise ratio of near-future VLBI arrays that consist of five to six stations, and we simulate measurements of the mass and distance of Sgr A* using the expected size of the ring image and existing stellar ephemerides. We demonstrate that, in this best-case scenario, VLBI observations at 1 mm can improve the error on the mass by a factor of about two compared to the results from the monitoring of stellar orbits alone. We identify the additional sources of uncertainty that such imaging observations have to take into account. In addition, we calculate the angular diameters of the bright rings of other nearby supermassive black holes and identify the optimal targets besides Sgr A* that could be imaged by a ground-based VLBI array or future space-VLBI missions allowing for refined mass measurements.