Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE USE OF PARTIAL UPDATE SCHEMES TO REDUCE INTER-CHANNEL COHERENCE IN ADAPTIVE STEREOPHONIC ACOUSTIC ECHO CANCELLATION

The use of partial update adaptive filters for stereophonic acoustic echo cancellation is investigated. The MMax-NLMS algorithm is studied in this context and its inherent robustness to subsampling of the tap-input vector is demonstrated. It is proposed to employ the subsampling of the tap input vector, that is intrinsic to partial update schemes, to decorrelate the two tap-input vectors of the stereo adaptive structure thereby enhancing convergence. We investigate the trade-off between improvement in convergence due to decorrelation of the two tap-input vectors and degradation in convergence due to subsampling in the MMax-NLMS partial update scheme. The exclusive MMax-NLMS (XM-NLMS) is proposed which approximates the joint optimization of these factors and simulation results are presented. I. INTRODUCTION Direct application of adaptive filters to the problem of stereophonic acoustic echo cancellation (SAEC) is known to be ineffective due to the high coherence between the two input signals. This has led to several approaches to the problem that involve techniques to decorrelate the two input signals using, for example, non-linear processing [1] or additive signals [2]. Furthermore, the computational complexity of stereophonic echo cancellers can be high because the number of taps can be large and also because the use of least-squares-based algorithms is often preferred in order to obtain sufficient levels of cancellation. Therefore, there exists a dual motivation to develop algorithms which have improved convergence performance due to reduction of interchannel coherence whilst maintaining computational complexity to be as low as possible for practical reasons. In partial update adaptive filtering, the tap-input vector is subsampled so that only a subset of filter taps is updated at each iteration [3] [4]. The aim of this work is to investigate whether such subsampling can bring a reduction in the inter-channel coherence of the tap-input vectors that results in improved convergence. The problem has been structured as a joint optimization of two scores - one describing the inter-channel coherence between the tap-input vectors and the other describing the ‘closeness’ of the tap selection to that of the MMax-NLMS scheme. In this context, the ideal tap selection is therefore one which selects the elements of the tap input vectors such that the inter-channel coherence is minimized whilst maximizing their L1 norm. A brief discussion of MMax-NLMS is presented in Section II. We shall look at the effect of decorrelation in Section III. Section IV presents XM-NLMS algorithm while Section V concludes the present work and discusses the ongoing research work.
Geospatial distribution of intestinal parasitic infections in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and its association with social determinants

Background Intestinal parasitic infections remain among the most common infectious diseases worldwide. This study aimed to estimate their prevalence and provide a detailed analysis of geographical distribution of intestinal parasites in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, considering demographic, socio-economic, and epidemiological contextual factors. Methods/Principal findings The cross-section survey was conducted among individuals attending the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases (FIOCRUZ, RJ) during the period from April 2012 to February 2015. Stool samples were collected and processed by sedimentation, flotation, Kato-Katz, Baermann-Moraes and Graham methods, iron haematoxylin staining and safranin staining. Of the 3245 individuals analysed, 569 (17.5%) were infected with at least one parasite. The most common protozoa were Endolimax nana (28.8%), Entamoeba coli (14.8%), Complex Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (13.5%), Blastocystis hominis (12.7%), and Giardia lamblia (8.1%). Strongyloides stercoralis (4.3%), Schistosoma mansoni (3.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1.6%), and hookworms (1.5%) were the most frequent helminths. There was a high frequency of contamination by protozoa (87%), and multiple infections were observed in 141 participants (24.8%). A positive association between age (young children) and gender (male) with intestinal parasites was observed. Geospatial distribution of the detected intestinal parasitic infections was not random or homogeneous, but was influenced by socioeconomic conditions (through the material deprivation index (MDI)). Participants classified in the highest levels of deprivation had higher risk of having intestinal parasites. Conclusions/Significance This study provides the first epidemiological information on the prevalence and distribution of intestinal parasitic infections in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. Intestinal parasites, especially protozoa, are highly prevalent, indicating that parasitic infections are still a serious public health problem. MDI showed that intestinal parasites were strongly associated with the socioeconomic status of the population, thus making it possible to identify social vulnerable areas.
Derangements of Coagulation and Fibrinolysis in Critically III Patients with Sepsis and Septic Shock

In patients with sepsis and septic shock, both coagulation and fibrinolysis are activated frequently leading to the syndrome of diffuse intravascular coagulation (DIC). The different mechanisms leading to abnormalities in coagulation and fibrinolysis are discussed in detail. The coagulation and fibrinolytic system appear to be influenced by the septic process largely independently, leading to a procoagulant imbalance between these systems. Coagulation is initiated by mediator-induced expression of tissue factor and is associated with consumption of the natural coagulation inhibitors antithrombin III, protein C, and protein S. As a result, high plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) can be found. The effects on fibrinolysis are dominated by (highly) increased levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1), leading to inadequate fibrinolysis. Although levels of plasminogen activator antigen are increased, its activity is almost completely inhibited by PAI-1. The resulting effects predispose to a procoagulant state, with widespread fibrin deposition, which may be an important mechanism contributing to multiple organ failure. A thorough understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the DIC-syndrome is a prerequisite for a rational approach and future therapy for this severe complication of sepsis.
The Impact of Body Mass Index on Fluoroscopy Time During Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection; A Multicenter Cohort Study

Objective. This study aimed to assess the relationship between BMI and fluoroscopy time during lumbar epidural steroid injections (LESIs) performed for lumbosacral radicular pain. Design. Multicenter retrospective cohort study. Setting. Three academic, outpatient pain treatment centers. Subjects. Patients who underwent fluoroscopically guided LESI. Methods. Mean and standard deviation (SD) fluoroscopy time were compared between patients with normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥30.0 kg/m2) BMI. Statistical significance was set at P=0.01 due to multiple comparisons. Results. A total of 2,930 procedure encounters were included, consisting of 598 interlaminar LESIs and 2,332 transforaminal LESIs. Fluoroscopy time was significantly longer in the obese patients compared to normal and overweight patients during interlaminar LESI (P < 0.01). Fluoroscopy time was significantly longer with each increasing BMI category in during transforaminal LESI (P < 0.01). These relationships remained when a trainee was involved (P < 0.01; P<0.01), during repeat injections (P < 0.01; P < 0.01), and during bilateral transforaminal LESIs (P < 0.01). While longer fluoroscopy times were required in high BMI categories during L5-S1 transforaminal LESI (P < 0.01), there was no relationship between fluoroscopy time and BMI during L4-L5 and S1 transforaminal LESI (P = 0.02; P = 0.13). Fluoroscopy time during interlaminar LESI compared to transforaminal LESI was significantly lower within all BMI categories (all P<0.01). Conclusions. The findings of this study indicate that fluoroscopy time is increased during interlaminar LESIs and during L5-S1 transforaminal LESIs in patients who are obese. These relationships are not affected by injection number, performance of bilateral injections, or trainee involvement. Further study is needed to determine if this increase in fluoroscopy time is indicative of a clinically significant associated increase in radiation dose.
Tangled in the Web: Countertransference in the Therapy of Factitious Disorders

Objective: Patients who simulate or actually self-induce illnesses to assume the “sick role” present a number of imposing psychotherapeutic challenges. The purpose of this article is to discuss the countertransferential reactions that are mobilized in therapy with these patients. Method: Literature searches of the MEDLINE and HEALTH databases were performed using the term “factitious disorder. ” The resulting citations were examined for descriptions of the potential and actual countertransference responses in therapy with such patients. The few citations with relevant material were supplemented with other clinical literature on countertransference as well as observations from cases in which the authors have served as therapists or consultants. Results: Once the medical dissimulation has been exposed, the most conspicuous difficulty is in persuading the patient to agree to therapy. When therapy does take place, both the patient's overt behaviors, such as actual bodily damage, and his or her underlying emotional issues can mobilize particularly intense reactions in the therapist. Conclusions: Recognition and management of the countertransference reactions likely to emerge in therapy with factitious disorder patients are particularly important if the therapy is to be maximally effective.
Per-Relay Power Minimization for Multi-user Multi-channel Cooperative Relay Beamforming

We investigate the optimal relay beamforming problem for multi-user peer-to-peer communication with amplify-and-forward relaying in a multi-channel system. Assuming each source-destination (S-D) pair is assigned an orthogonal channel, we formulate the problem as a min-max per-relay power minimization problem with minimum signal-to-noise (SNR) guarantees. After showing that strong Lagrange duality holds for this nonconvex problem, we transform its Lagrange dual problem to a semi-definite programming problem and obtain the optimal relay beamforming vectors. We identify that the optimal solution can be obtained in three cases, depending on the values of the optimal dual variables. These cases correspond to whether the minimum SNR requirement at each S-D pair is met with equality, and whether the power consumption at a relay is the maximum among relays at optimality. We obtain a semi-closed form solution structure of relay beam vectors, and propose an iterative approach to determine relay beam vector for each S-D pair. We further show that the reverse problem of maximizing the minimum SNR with per-relay power budgets can be solved using our proposed algorithm with an iterative bisection search. Through simulation, we analyze the effect of various system parameters on the performance of the optimal solution. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of imperfect channel side information of the second hop on the performance and quantify the performance loss due to either channel estimation error or limited feedback.
Newcomers in U.S. Higher Education: Questions of Access and Equity

A college education has become a prerequisite for socioeconomic advancement in the United States, and yet research and policy discussions on immigrant education often have overlooked the place of newcomers in higher education. This article provides a critical examination and synthesis of current knowledge about immigrant experiences in American postsecondary institutions. It considers issues such as the demographic impact of newcomers on U.S. colleges and universities, potential inequities in college admission practices, gatekeeping and academic support of nonnative language speakers, and dynamics of collegiate enculturation for immigrants from diverse sociocultural backgrounds. The article identifies a number of areas for further research in this neglected but increasingly essential part of U.S. immigrant education.
Evaluating the Age-Dependent Potential for Protein Deposition in Naked Neck Meat Type Chicken

Simple Summary Growth rates of fast-growing chickens are reduced by a higher ambient temperature (AT) because of difficulties in dissipating heat through the feather coverage. Naked neck meat type genotypes could be helpful in increasing the tolerance for high AT. However, basic model parameters of this genotype necessary to further assess amino acid requirements are as yet unavailable. The experiments were conducted to estimate both the daily nitrogen maintenance requirement (NMR) and the potential for daily nitrogen retention NRmaxT). These observed model parameters provide the basic information to characterize the growth potential of the genotype for further application in modeling of individual amino acid requirements of naked neck meat type chicken. Abstract The introduction of the naked neck gene (Na) into modern meat type chicken is known to be helpful in increasing the tolerance for a high ambient temperature (AT) by reducing the feather coverage which allows for a higher level of heat dissipation compared to normally feathered (na/na) birds. In addition, reduced feather coverage could affect requirements for sulfur containing amino acids. As a prerequisite for further modeling of individual amino acid requirements, the daily N maintenance requirement (NMR) and the threshold value of daily N retention (NRmaxT) were determined. This was carried out using graded dietary protein supply and exponential modeling between N intake (NI) and N excretion (NEX) or N deposition (ND), respectively. Studies with homozygous (Na/Na) and heterozygous (Na/na) naked neck meat type chicken utilized 144 birds of average weight (50% of each genotype and sex) within two N balance experiments during both the starter (days 10–20) and the grower period (days 25–35). Birds were randomly allotted to five diets with graded dietary protein supply but constant protein quality. The observed estimates depending on genotype, sex and age varied for NMR and NRmaxT from 224 to 395 and 2881 to 4049 mg N/BWkg0.67/day, respectively.
Perceptions of Justice in Extrinsic Reward Patterns

Effective extrinsic rewards foster a positive culture within organizations. The current study reviewed algorithmic/experiential reward patterns and perceptions of justice in four businesses to gain insight into the perceptions of employees with regard to justice. Results indicate that perceptions of justice vary according to patterns in extrinsic rewards. This study also discovered that employees perceive fairness according to characteristics specific to the organization and industry. Managers must understand how employees perceive justice to determine the most effective means with which to implement extrinsic rewards, according to two distinct patterns. Suggestions for practical implementation and future research are also provided.
The role of tourism in national human resource development: a Jamaican perspective

Research in the national human resource development (NHRD) field is increasingly considering unique cultural and economic conditions and the influence this may have on a number of employment-related indicators. To date, the NHRD literature has largely ignored issues related to skills training and workforce development in the tourism industry, despite the expanding nature of this dynamic service sector in many nations. This literature review study of NHRD in Jamaica examined ongoing national-level human resource development (HRD) initiatives with specific attention to the current and future impact of NHRD on the tourism industry. The results showed that governmental development plans clearly identified tourism as a key sector for economic growth to support larger economic and social development goals. Furthermore, the development of human resources in the tourism sector was seen as being of vital importance for tourism organizations and for the continued development of Jamaica. The existing NHRD literature has largely overlooked the potential influence and future role of the tourism industry to assist in education, training and development goals at the national level. Recommendations are made for additional research exploring connections between NHRD and tourism employment.
Ethnic Discrimination and the Income of Majority-Group Workers.

Neo-classical economics suggest that workers belonging to a superordinate ethnic group gain from economic discrimination against members of a subordinate ethnic group. The Marxist perspective disagrees, contending that superordinate workers actually lose. When income differentials between Jews and Arabs across local labor markets in Israel are decomposed into "legitimate" and "discriminatory" components, the data lend support for the neoclassical perspective. However, the relationship between market discrimination and the income of superordinates is more complex than perceived by previous work on the topic. On the average, Jewish workers gain from economic discrimination against Arabs. But they do not gain equally. Such discrimination results in increased income inequality among Jewish workers, increasing the income share received by Jewish workers at the upper tail of the income distribution and decreasing the income share received by workers at the lower tail.
Clinical Utility of the Anti‐CCP Assay: Experiences with 700 Patients

Abstract: Our objective was to determine the frequency of antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCPs) in a series of patients with a variety of rheumatic diseases. Seven hundred consecutive serum samples from patients at an outpatient clinic were tested for the presence of rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti‐CCP. Clinical diagnosis, radiographic information, and other laboratory data were taken from patients' charts. The sensitivity and specificity of anti‐CCP reactivity for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were 74.0% and 94.5%, respectively; the corresponding results for RF were 69.7% sensitivity and 81.0% specificity. Highest rates of false‐positive RF tests were found in patients with SLE (18.3% vs. 12.7% CCP), Sjögren's syndrome (73.3% vs. 3.3% CCP), and a control group with chronic hepatitis (24.7% vs. 1.3% CCP). The detection of anti‐CCP is useful for the diagnosis of RA because of its similar sensitivity but higher specificity compared with RF. Anti‐CCP also helps to diagnose other inflammatory and noninflammatory diseases (especially connective tissue diseases) by reducing the rate of false‐positive results in comparison with RF.
Cognitive appraisals, maladaptive coping, and past behaviour in protection motivation

There is uncertainty about the combinatorial rules defining the function of past behaviour, cognitive appraisals, and maladaptive coping in Rogers’ (1983) protection motivation theory. The present study tested hypotheses that these variables combine both additively and multiplicatively in predicting protection motivation. Survey data regarding condom use and HIV/AIDS was collected from 337 undergraduates. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed fear and previous behaviour as independent predictors, the latter explaining an additional 9.1% of the variance over and beyond PMT variables. An interaction between fear and maladaptive coping failed to contribute significantly to the predicted variance. Overall, these results highlight the salience of fear and prior behaviour in protection motivation, but cast serious doubt on the ubiquitous notion that health decisions are necessarily based on cognitive deliberations. Implications for protection motivation theory are considered.
Spectrum of autoantibodies for gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Background Organ-specific autoimmune diseases may appear in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Gastrointestinal symptoms are well documented in SLE and may be similar to those related to autoimmune gastrointestinal diseases. Objective Our aim was to search for gastrointestinal organ-specific autoantibodies in 194 patients with systemic lupus and 103 healthy controls from Southern Brazil. Methods Anti-endomysium antibodies (IgA-EmA), anti-gastric parietal cells (GPC) antibodies, anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMA), anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) and anti-LKM-1 (liver-kidney microsomal) were searched for using indirect immunofluorescence in the sera of patients and controls. Results The total positivity of antibodies in SLE patients was 14.4% (28/194) and differed significantly from healthy individuals (0.97%; p < 0.001). IgA-EmA was more common in lupus patients than in controls (11/194; p = 0.009), and one of these patients had dermatitis herpetiformis. Clinical association revealed that IgA-EmA was more common in SLE patients with discoid lesions. The frequency of anti-GPC (p = 0.10), ASMA (p = 0.16) and AMA (p = 0.55) did not differ significantly between groups. No patient presented LKM-1 autoantibodies. One patient presenting anti-GPC was diagnosed with atrophic gastritis and pernicious anemia. Conclusion Only IgA-EmA was significantly associated with lupus and with the presence of discoid lesions. Until now, no obvious association with celiac disease has been found.
Estimating Cohesion in Small Groups Using Audio-Visual Nonverbal Behavior

Cohesiveness in teams is an essential part of ensuring the smooth running of task-oriented groups. Research in social psychology and management has shown that good cohesion in groups can be correlated with team effectiveness or productivity, so automatically estimating group cohesion for team training can be a useful tool. This paper addresses the problem of analyzing group behavior within the context of cohesion. Four hours of audio-visual group meeting data were used for collecting annotations on the cohesiveness of four-participant teams. We propose a series of audio and video features, which are inspired by findings in the social sciences literature. Our study is validated on a set of 61 2-min meeting segments which showed high agreement amongst human annotators when asked to identify meetings that have high or low cohesion.
Experience Report: Fault Triggers in Linux Operating System: from Evolution Perspective

Linux operating system is a complex system that is prone to suffer failures during usage, and increases difficulties of fixing bugs. Different testing strategies and fault mitigation methods can be developed and applied based on different types of bugs, which leads to the necessity to have a deep understanding of the nature of bugs in Linux. In this paper, an empirical study is carried out on 5741 bug reports of Linux kernel from an evolution perspective. A bug classification is conducted based on fault triggering conditions, followed by the analysis of the evolution of bug type proportions over versions and time, together with their comparisons across versions, products and regression bugs. Moreover, the relationship between bug type proportions and clustering coefficient, as well as the relation between bug types and time to fix are presented. This paper reveals 13 interesting findings based on the empirical results and further provides guidance for developers and users based on these findings.