Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review in Sign Language Recognition Systems

The Sign Language Recognition System (SLR) is highly desired due to its ability to overcome the barrier between deaf and hearing people. At present, a robust SLR is still unavailable in the real world due to numerous obstacles. Additionally, as we know, Sign Language recognition has emerged as one of the most important research areas in the field of human computer interaction (HCI). Hence, this paper presents an overview of the main research works based on the Sign Language recognition system, and the developed system classified into the sign capturing method and recognition techniques is discussed. The strengths and disadvantages that contribute to the system functioning perfectly or otherwise will be highlighted by invoking major problems associated with the developed systems. Next, a novel method for designing SLR system based on combining EMG sensors with a data glove is proposed. This method is based on electromyography signals recorded from hands muscles for allocating word boundaries for streams of words in continuous SLR. The proposed system is expected to resolve words segmentation problem, which will contribute to enhanced recognition capability for the continuous sign recognition system.
Effects of Exercise in Immersive Virtual Environments on Cortical Neural Oscillations and Mental State

Virtual reality environments are increasingly being used to encourage individuals to exercise more regularly, including as part of treatment those with mental health or neurological disorders. The success of virtual environments likely depends on whether a sense of presence can be established, where participants become fully immersed in the virtual environment. Exposure to virtual environments is associated with physiological responses, including cortical activation changes. Whether the addition of a real exercise within a virtual environment alters sense of presence perception, or the accompanying physiological changes, is not known. In a randomized and controlled study design, moderate-intensity Exercise (i.e., self-paced cycling) and No-Exercise (i.e., automatic propulsion) trials were performed within three levels of virtual environment exposure. Each trial was 5 minutes in duration and was followed by posttrial assessments of heart rate, perceived sense of presence, EEG, and mental state. Changes in psychological strain and physical state were generally mirrored by neural activation patterns. Furthermore, these changes indicated that exercise augments the demands of virtual environment exposures and this likely contributed to an enhanced sense of presence.
Wardrop Equilibrium Formulation of Resource-Constrained DTN Routing in Public Safety Networks

In this paper, we investigate the ability of using Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) in Public Safety networks where bandwidth and storage are constrained. We formalize the problem as a Wardrop equilibrium over a time-discretized graph. Driven by our findings, we propose RECOR, a centralized REsource-Constrained ORacle-based DTN routing mechanism which spreads the demand across multiple store-carry forward paths to satisfy the node storage and link transport constraints observed in intervention situations. By applying the proposed mechanism to real Bluetooth-based DTN traces, we show that the transmission bottleneck can be compensated, but only up to a certain extent, by increasing storage capacity and delay. We also analyze the benefit of strategies that provide more resources to highly connected nodes (e.g. ambulances and firetrucks) which can then feed incentives and policies for DTN network engineering. Finally, the idea presented here is general and suggests the necessity of trace-driven simulation and specific modeling tools for appropriate design of future DTN resource management policies. © 2011 IEEE.
Provider Perspectives of Patient Experiences in Primary Care Imaging

Background: Imaging tests are a widely used tool in primary care with many known benefits. Without an understanding of which outcomes matter the most to patients, clinicians are challenged to balance the benefits and harms of imaging tests. This study aimed to explore the perceived impacts imaging tests have on patients from the perspective of the primary care providers (PCPs) and determine PCPs' understanding of patient-centered outcomes (PCOs) from imaging tests. Methods: Recruitment of PCPs occurred at 4 family medicine clinics in Washington and Idaho. Primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants who order imaging tests were eligible to participate. Semistructured interviews explored providers' perceptions of patient experiences during the process of ordering, performing and following up on imaging tests. Classic content analysis generated themes and subthemes. Results: Sixteen PCPs, including 11 physicians, 3 physician assistants, and 2 nurse practitioners, completed interviews. Two themes were identified: 1) perceived PCOs, and 2) factors influencing the incorporation of PCOs into clinical management. Perceived outcomes included emotions related to the answer a test provides and costs to the patient such as monetary, physical, and added risk. Patient expectations, provider-patient communication, and inadequate knowledge all contributed as barriers to incorporating PCOs into clinical management. Discussion: PCPs recognize different outcomes of imaging tests that they consider important for patients. While providers are perceptive to patient outcomes there remains a challenge to how patient outcomes are used to improve care. Communication with patients and improving provider knowledge are needed to incorporate identified PCOs.
Mixed Arlequin method for multiscale poromechanics problems

An Arlequin poromechanics model is introduced to simulate the hydro‐mechanical coupling effects of fluid‐infiltrated porous media across different spatial scales within a concurrent computational framework. A two‐field poromechanics problem is first recast as the twofold saddle point of an incremental energy functional. We then introduce Lagrange multipliers and compatibility energy functionals to enforce the weak compatibility of hydro‐mechanical responses in the overlapped domain. To examine the numerical stability of this hydro‐mechanical Arlequin model, we derive a necessary condition for stability, the twofold inf–sup condition for multi‐field problems, and establish a modified inf–sup test formulated in the product space of the solution field. We verify the implementation of the Arlequin poromechanics model through benchmark problems covering the entire range of drainage conditions. Through these numerical examples, we demonstrate the performance, robustness, and numerical stability of the Arlequin poromechanics model. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness of second-line antiepileptic drugs for status epilepticus

Objective Compare the cost and effectiveness of nonbenzodiazepine antiepileptic drugs (non-BZD AEDs) for treatment of BZD-resistant convulsive status epilepticus (SE). Methods Decision analysis model populated with effectiveness data from a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature, and cost data from publicly available prices. The primary outcome was cost per seizure stopped ($/SS). Sensitivity analyses evaluated the robustness of the results across a wide variation of the input parameters. Results We included 24 studies with 1,185 SE episodes. The most effective non-BZD AED was phenobarbital (PB) with a probability of SS of 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69–0.88), followed by valproate (VPA) (0.71 [95% CI: 0.61–0.79]), lacosamide (0.66 [95% CI: 0.51–0.79]), levetiracetam (LEV) (0.62 [95% CI: 0.5–0.73]), and phenytoin/fosphenytoin (PHT) (0.53 [95% CI: 0.39–0.67]). In pairwise comparisons, PB was more effective than PHT (p = 0.002), VPA was more effective than PHT (p = 0.043), and PB was more effective than LEV (p = 0.018). The most cost-effective non-BZD AED was LEV (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio [ICER]: $18.55/SS), followed by VPA (ICER: $94.44/SS), and lastly PB (ICER: $847.22/SS). PHT and lacosamide were not cost-effective compared to the other options. Sensitivity analyses showed marked overlap in cost-effectiveness, but PHT was consistently less cost-effective than LEV, VPA, and PB. Conclusion VPA and PB were more effective than PHT for SE. There is substantial overlap in the cost-effectiveness of non-BZD AEDs for SE, but available evidence does not support the preeminence of PHT, neither in terms of effectiveness nor in terms of cost-effectiveness.
How Political Signals Affect Public Support for Judicial Nominations

How do Americans evaluate potential US Supreme Court candidates? Using a novel, two-part conjoint experiment, I show that respondents put high importance on the political leanings of potential Court candidates, a finding in contrast with the scholarly view that the public views the Court as different from other, more political institutions. Indeed, when respondents are given information about a nominee’s partisan leanings, they rely extensively on that information in deciding whether to support the candidate, whether they trust the candidate, and whether they find the candidate qualified. By contrast, when partisan information is withheld, respondents appear to use other kinds of signals, such as race, to fill in the gaps. Those who are most knowledgeable about the Court are most influenced by these partisan signals, providing further support for the importance of political heuristics. The results suggest that the public’s evaluation of judicial nominees is more in line with how it evaluates other political actors. They also suggest that even candidates with excellent qualifications need not garner bipartisan public support.
High Temperature Mass Spectrometric Study of Thermodynamic Properties and Vaporization Processes of Oxide Systems: Experiment and Modeling

The unique opportunities and features of high temperature mass spectrometric method for study vaporization processes and thermodynamic properties of oxide systems and materials (glasses, ceramics and coatings) were considered. Various types of vapour species were found over oxide systems studied such as the associated, dissociated and polymerized products of vaporization. The regularities of the vaporization of the binary and multicomponent oxide systems according to the position of oxide modifier in the Periodic table of atoms were illustrated and discussed from the point of view of the acid-base concept. Results on determination of thermodynamic functions in oxide systems were considered taking into account the main requirements for the confirmation of their reliability. Thermodynamic functions of oxide systems studied showed various signs of the deviations from the ideality. The general lattice theory of associated solutions was used for the calculation of thermodynamic properties of the ternary silicate melts studied. Based on this theory the correlation between thermodynamic functions obtained in the systems under consideration and the number of various types of bonds formed in these melts was illustrated. Using this approach the different levels of deviations from the ideality in the melts studied were clarified. Examples of the practical applications of high temperature mass spectrometry for developing advanced materials were shown.
Infections after transrectal ultrasonic guided prostate biopsies – a retrospective study

Abstract Background: Transrectal ultrasound guided biopsies (TRUSp) are associated with a risk of serious infections. Recently, there has been a rise in incidence of infections after TRUSp and quinolone-resistant bacteria. The most commonly used prophylaxis is ciprofloxacin (CFLX). Objective: To document the incidence and risk factors of post-TRUSp infections and investigate the microbial resistance patterns for the patients presenting with a serious infection after TRUSp. Materials and methods: Data were collected, including age, comorbidity, previous TRUSp, number of biopsies, previously received antibiotics, time between TRUSp and hospitalization, results of microbiological cultivations, antibiotic prophylaxis, and development of infection for all patients at The University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg who underwent TRUSp from November 2014 to November 2016. Results: In total, 590 patients were included and 37 (6.1%) patients were hospitalized with symptoms of infection. Of those 37 patients, 21 (56,8%) patients had positive microbiology (blood and/or urine), 18 (48.6%) patients were infected with E. coli and 11 (29.7%) patients had CFLX-resistant E. coli. If patients had previously received antibiotics, they had a significantly higher risk of developing infection after TRUSp (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Patients who have been exposed to antibiotics before TRUSp are at higher risk of developing serious infections as a complication to TRUSp. CFLX-resistant E. coli were a major reason for hospitalization.
Prenatal maternal depressive symptoms and infant DNA methylation: a longitudinal epigenome-wide study

Abstract Background: Prenatal maternal stress increases the risk of offspring developmental and psychological difficulties. The biological mechanisms behind these associations are mostly unknown. One explanation suggests that exposure of the fetus to maternal stress may influence DNA methylation. However, this hypothesis is largely based on animal studies, and human studies of candidate genes from single timepoints. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate if prenatal maternal stress, in the form of maternal depressive symptoms, was associated with variation in genome-wide DNA methylation at two timepoints. Methods: One-hundred and eighty-four mother-child dyads were selected from a population of pregnant women in the Little-in-Norway study. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) measured maternal depressive symptoms. It was completed by the pregnant mothers between weeks 17 and 32 of gestation. DNA was obtained from infant saliva cells at two timepoints (age 6 weeks and 12 months). DNA methylation was measured in 274 samples from 6 weeks (n = 146) and 12 months (n = 128) using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation 450 BeadChip. Linear regression analyses of prenatal maternal depressive symptoms and infant methylation were performed at 6 weeks and 12 months separately, and for both timepoints together using a mixed model. Results: The analyses revealed no significant genome-wide association between maternal depressive symptoms and infant DNA methylation in the separate analyses and for both timepoints together. Conclusions: This sample of pregnant women and their infants living in Norway did not reveal associations between maternal depressive symptoms and infant DNA methylation.
On the Structure of Polynomial Time Reducibility

Two notions of polynomml time reduclbihty, denoted here by ~ T e and <. ~P, were defined by Cook and Karp, respectively The abstract propertms of these two relatmns on the domain of computable sets are investigated. Both relations prove to be dense and to have minimal pairs. Further , there is a strictly ascending sequence with a minimal pair of upper bounds to the sequence. Our method of showing density ymlds the result that if P ~ NP then there are members of NP -P that are not polynomml complete
Evidence for a non-zero Λ and a low matter density from a combined analysis of the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and cosmic microwave background anisotropies

We perform a joint likelihood analysis of the power spectra of the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) and the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies under the assumptions that the initial fluctuations were adiabatic, Gaussian and well described by power laws with scalar and tensor indices of n(s) and n(t). On its own, the 2dFGRS sets Light limits on the parameter combination Omega(m)h, but relatively weak limits on the fraction of the cosmic matter density in baryons Omega(b)/Omega(m)- (Here h is Hubble's constant H-0 in units of 100 km s(-1) Mpc(-1). The cosmic densities in baryons, cold dark matter and vacuum energy are denoted by Omega(b), Omega(c) and Omega(Lambda), respectively. The total matter density is Omega(m) = Omega(b) + Omega(c) and the curvature is fixed by Omega(k) = 1 - Omega(m) - Omega(Lambda). ) The CMB anisotropy data alone set poor constraints on the cosmological constant and Hubble constant because of a 'geometrical degeneracy' among parameters. Furthermore, if tensor modes are allowed, the CMB data allow a wide range of values for the physical densities in baryons; and cold dark matter (omega(b) = Omegabh(2) and omega(c) = Omega(c)h(2)). Combining the CMB and 2dFGRS data sets helps to break both the geometrical and tensor mode degeneracies. The values of the parameters derived here are consistent with the predictions of the simplest models of inflation, with the baryon density derived from primordial nucleosynthesis and with direct measurements of the Hubble parameter. In particular, we find strong evidence for a positive cosmological constant with a +/-2sigma, range of 0.65 < U(U) < 0.85, independently of constraints on Omega(Lambda) derived from Type Ia supernovae.
Nitrosylation vs. oxidation – How to modulate cold physical plasmas for biological applications

Thiol moieties are major targets for cold plasma-derived nitrogen and oxygen species, making CAPs convenient tools to modulate redox-signaling pathways in cells and tissues. The underlying biochemical pathways are currently under investigation but especially the role of CAP derived RNS is barely understood. Their potential role in protein thiol nitrosylation would be relevant in inflammatory processes such as wound healing and improving their specific production by CAP would allow for enhanced treatment options beyond the current application. The impact of a modified kINPen 09 argon plasma jet with nitrogen shielding on cysteine as a thiol-carrying model substance was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The deposition of short-lived radical species was measured by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, long-lived species were quantified by ion chromatography (NO2-, NO3-) and xylenol orange assay (H2O2). Product profiles were compared to samples treated with the so-called COST jet, being introduced by a European COST initiative as a reference device, using both reference conditions as well as conditions adjusted to kINPen gas mixtures. While thiol oxidation was dominant under all tested conditions, an Ar + N2/O2 gas compositions combined with a nitrogen curtain fostered nitric oxide deposition and the desired generation of S-nitrosocysteine. Interestingly, the COST-jet revealed significant differences in its chemical properties in comparison to the kINPen by showing a more stable production of RNS with different gas admixtures, indicating a different •NO production pathway. Taken together, results indicate various chemical properties of kINPen and COST-jet as well as highlight the potential of plasma tuning not only by gas admixtures alone but by adjusting the surrounding atmosphere as well.
The Effect of Heavy Ion Irradiation on the Forward Dissolution Rate of Borosilicate Glasses Studied In Situ and Real Time by Fluid-Cell Raman Spectroscopy

Borosilicate glasses are the favored material for immobilization of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) from the reprocessing of spent fuel used in nuclear power plants. To assess the long-term stability of nuclear waste glasses, it is crucial to understand how self-irradiation affects the structural state of the glass and influences its dissolution behavior. In this study, we focus on the effect of heavy ion irradiation on the forward dissolution rate of a non-radioactive ternary borosilicate glass. To create extended radiation defects, the glass was subjected to heavy ion irradiation using 197Au ions that penetrated ~50 µm deep into the glass. The structural damage was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, revealing a significant depolymerization of the silicate and borate network in the irradiated glass and a reduction of the average boron coordination number. Real time, in situ fluid-cell Raman spectroscopic corrosion experiments were performed with the irradiated glass in a silica-undersaturated, 0.5 M NaHCO3 solution at temperatures between 80 and 85 °C (initial pH = 7.1). The time- and space-resolved in situ Raman data revealed a 3.7 ± 0.5 times increased forward dissolution rate for the irradiated glass compared to the non-irradiated glass, demonstrating a significant impact of irradiation-induced structural damage on the dissolution kinetics.
On the asymptotic of likelihood ratios for self-normalized large deviations

Motivated by multiple statistical hypothesis testing, we obtain the limit of likelihood ratio of large deviations for self-normalized random variables, specifically, the ratio of $P(\sqrt{n}(\bar X +d/n) \ge x_n V)$ to $P(\sqrt{n}\bar X \ge x_n V)$, as $n\toi$, where $\bar X$ and $V$ are the sample mean and standard deviation of iid $X_1, . , X_n$, respectively, $d>0$ is a constant and $x_n \toi$. We show that the limit can have a simple form $e^{d/z_0}$, where $z_0$ is the unique maximizer of $z f(x)$ with $f$ the density of $X_i$. The result is applied to derive the minimum sample size per test in order to control the error rate of multiple testing at a target level, when real signals are different from noise signals only by a small shift.
Intelligibility Enhancement Assessment and Intervention: a single-case experimental design with two multilingual university students

ABSTRACT Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may be approached by multilingual speakers wishing to improve their intelligibility in English. Intelligibility is an essential element of spoken language proficiency and is particularly important for multilingual international students given their need to express complex ideas in an additional language. Intelligibility Enhancement aims to improve the intelligibility and acceptability of consonants, vowels and prosody with multilingual speakers who are learning to speak English. This study aimed to describe the Intelligibility Enhancement Assessment and Intervention Protocols and determine whether the intervention changed multilingual university students’ English intelligibility. A multiple-baseline single-case experimental design was applied with direct inter-subject replication across two female participants whose home languages were Vietnamese and Putonghua (Mandarin). English intelligibility was assessed at multiple intervals pre, post and during intervention. The intervention protocol consisted of 11 weekly 1-h sessions with an SLP targeting English consonants, vowels and prosody. Following intervention, both participants displayed increased performance across most measures. For example, the Vietnamese participant’s percentage of consonants correct (PCC) increased from 62.5% to 85.0% in probe keywords. Effect sizes, when comparing baseline and withdrawal phases, were 5.5 for PCC, 4.6 for final consonants, 2.3 for consonant clusters and 1.6 for syllables indicating improvements in all variables measured. Her speech rate reduced, word stress increased in accuracy and she perceived less difficulty communicating in English. These promising results suggest further testing of the Intelligibility Enhancement Protocols is warranted to determine effectiveness as an intervention for multilingual speakers.