Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Wideband Beamforming With Frequency Invariance Constraints

A response variation (RV) element is introduced to control the consistency of an adaptive wideband beamformer's response over the frequency range of interest. By incorporating the RV element into the linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) beamformer, we develop a novel linearly constrained beamformer with an improved output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), compared to both the traditional formulation and the eigenvector based formulation, due to an increased number of degrees of freedom for interference suppression. In addition, two novel wideband beamformers robust against look direction estimation errors are also proposed as a further application of the RV element. One is designed by imposing a constraint on the RV element and simultaneously limiting the magnitude response of the beamformer within a pre-defined angle range at a reference frequency; the other one is obtained by combining the RV element and the worst-case performance optimization method. Both of them are reformulated in a convex form as the second-order cone (SOC) programming problem and solved efficiently using interior point method. Compared with the original robust methods, a more efficient and effective control over the beamformer's response at the look direction region is achieved with an improved overall performance.
Mega-projects in New York, London and Amsterdam.

Recently we have witnessed the mounting of very large development projects (mega-projects) in European and American cities. There is a striking physical similarity among the schemes and also a convergence embodied in private-sector involvement and market orientation. They differ, however, as to whether they provide affordable units and tie together physical and social goals. This article investigates new mega-projects in New York, London, and Amsterdam. The dissimilarities among them indicate the extent of variability in contemporary property capitalism. The comparison shows that public-private partnerships can provide public benefits, but also shows that these large projects are risky for both public and private participants, must primarily be oriented toward profitability, and produce a landscape that does not encourage urbanity. Whether the gains from increased competitiveness are spread throughout the society depends on the size of the direct governmental commitment to public benefits. This is greatest in the Netherlands, where the welfare state, albeit shrunken, lives on; it is least in the United States, where the small size of national expenditures on housing and social welfare means that low-income people must depend almost wholly on trickle-down effects to gain from new development. Copyright (c) 2009 The Author. Journal Compilation (c) 2009 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
A method and an unmanned aerial vehicle for determining emissions of a vessel

A method for determining emissions in an exhaust plume (11) produced by a combustion engine of a vessel (10) during cruise of the vessel (10), said emissions comprising the presence or concentration of carbon dioxide (C02) and/or sulphur dioxide (S02) and/or the count and size of particles. The position and distribution of the exhaust plume (11) is determined or estimated on the basis of the position, bearing and speed of the vessel (10) and further on the basis of meteorological data, such as wind direction and speed. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (12), i.e. a so-called drone, is controlled to fly through the plume (11) to make measurements of exhaust emissions of the vessel (10).
Juvenile xanthogranuloma of the limbus in an adult.

Report of a Case. A 39-year-old man came to our department with a painless limbal mass on his right eye that had enlarged during 3 months. His visual acuity was 20/40 OU and on slitlamp examination, a yellowish, well-circumscribed, vascularized, round nodule was evident at the 6-o’clock position of the right limbus, measuring 6 mm in diameter. The visual axis was clear, and on gonioscopy, neither the trabecular meshwork nor the iris was involved. Further ocular and orbital examination results were unremarkable. Systemic examination revealed an orange-red maculopapular rash involving the trunk, axillae, groin, and face (Figure 1). No associated lymphadenopathy, joint swelling, or oral ulceration were present. Examination of cardiorespiratory and abdominal systems disclosed normal results. Complete blood cell count with differential white cell count, serum lipid and urea levels, creatinine estimation, plasma viscosity, liver function test results, and chest xray film were all normal. Sarcoidosis and tuberculosis were excluded on examination by a pulmonologist. Before a diagnosis could be made, we performed biopsies of the ocular and skin lesions. The histopathologic report of the limbal lesion showed early keratinization over a disorganized spindle cell lesion with scattered lymphocytes and plasma cells. Occasional giant cells were also noted. Histopathologic examination of the skin lesion identified a well-circumscribed lesion composed of histiocyticlooking cells with abundant, occasionally vacuolated cytoplasm, spindle-shaped cells, foci of lymphocytes, and bands of collagen. Multinucleated cells were also found and these occasionally showed the characteristic features of a Touton giant cell. Based on the histopathologic findings, a diagnosis of adult-onset JXG was made. We initially opted for conservative management since the patient was reluctant to undergo surgery. However, 18 months following the initial examination, the lesion had grown to 9 mm 5.7 mm (Figure 2) and was causing some discomfort. Surgical excision was carried out and the lesion was sent for histologic examination. This showed a granulomatous lesion rich in Touton-type giant cells, with occasional Figure 1. Photograph showing typical orange-red maculopapular skin rash.
Trigeminal neuralgia in a patient with multiple sclerosis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

BACKGROUND Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is characterized by unilateral, severe, brief, stabbing, recurrent pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the fifth cranial nerve. Symptomatic or secondary TN involves TN-like pain that develops owing to a central nervous system lesion (benign or malignant) or to multiple sclerosis (MS). CASE DESCRIPTION The authors present a report of a unique case of a 43-year-old patient with unilateral TN, MS and concomitant chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. The facial pain preceded any other manifestations of the systemic disorders, and only after repeated neurological examinations were these diagnoses established. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and repeated neurological evaluations should be implemented in all patients with TN to rule out the presence of underlying disease. The dental practitioner should be familiar with TN to avoid unnecessary dental interventions and ensure prompt initiation of appropriate treatment.
To give and to give not: The behavioral ecology of human food transfers

The transfer of food among group members is a ubiquitous feature of small-scale forager and forager-agricultural populations. The uniqueness of pervasive sharing among humans, especially among unrelated individuals, has led researchers to evaluate numerous hypotheses about the adaptive functions and patterns of sharing in different ecologies. This article attempts to organize available cross-cultural evidence pertaining to several contentious evolutionary models: kin selection, reciprocal altruism, tolerated scrounging, and costly signaling. Debates about the relevance of these models focus primarily on the extent to which individuals exert control over the distribution of foods they acquire, and the extent to which donors receive food or other fitness-enhancing benefits in return for shares given away. Each model can explain some of the variance in sharing patterns within groups, and so generalizations that ignore or deny the importance of any one model may be misleading. Careful multivariate analyses and cross-cultural comparisons of food transfer patterns are therefore necessary tools for assessing aspects of the sexual division of labor, human life history evolution, and the evolution of the family. This article also introduces a framework for better understanding variation in sharing behavior across small-scale traditional societies. I discuss the importance of resource ecology and the degree of coordination in acquisition activities as a key feature that influences sharing behavior.
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.org Remineralization of Eroded Enamel Lesions by Simulated Saliva in Vitro

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of two simulated saliva (SS) remineralization solutions comprising different calcium-inorganic phosphate (Ca/P i) ratios on eroded enamel. Methods: 3 mm diameter enamel cores were extracted from bovine teeth, mounted in acrylic rods, ground and polished, and initially demineralized with either 0.3% (120 minutes) or 1.0% (30 minutes) citric acid solutions (pH 3.8). Both sets of initially eroded specimens were evaluated for surface microhardness (N=10) and treated with either 0.3 or 1.6 Ca/P i ratio SS. Groups were first exposed to a seven-day remineralization period and then were cycled in a three-day regimen consisting daily of three rounds of two-hour plus overnight SS treatments and three 10-minute static immersions in dem-ineralization solution. Specimens were assessed using surface microhardness and scanning electron microscopy. Results: Initial erosion from 0.3% citric acid led to elliptical-shaped pore openings several microns in length and in depth and contrasted significantly with respect to 1% citric acid. The greatest remineralization was observed from the 0.3 Ca/P i SS, while the 1.6 Ca/P i SS produced the least. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the nature of remineralization of eroded enamel depends on both initial erosive conditions and the Ca/P i ratio of simulated saliva.
Children's Perspectives of Play and Learning for Educational Practice.

Play as a learning practice increasingly is under challenge as a valued component of early childhood education. Views held in parallel include confirmation of the place of play in early childhood education and, at the same time, a denigration of the role of play in favor for more teacher-structured and formal activities. As a consequence, pedagogical approaches towards play, the curriculum activities that constitute play, and the appropriateness of play in educational settings, have come under scrutiny in recent years. In this context, this study investigates children’s perspectives of play and how they understand the role of play and learning in their everyday activities. This article reports on an Australian study where teacher-researchers investigated child-led insights into what counts as play in their everyday classroom activities. Children (aged 3–4 years) described play as an activity that involved their active participation in “doing” something, being with peers, and having agency and ownership of ideas. Children did not always characterize their activities as “play”, and not all activities in the preschool program were described as play. The article highlights that play and learning are complex concepts that may be easily dismissed as separate, when rather they are deeply intertwined. The findings of this study generate opportunities for educators and academics to consider what counts as “play” for children, and to prompt further consideration of the role of play as an antidote to adult centric views of play.
Gastroprotective activity of melatonin and its precursor, L-tryptophan, against stress-induced and ischaemia-induced lesions is mediated by scavenge of oxygen radicals.

BACKGROUND Melatonin, a pineal hormone that is biosynthesized from L-tryptophan, is known to scavenge oxygen free radicals and to be present in the gut, but little is known about the role of this hormone and its precursor, L-tryptophan, in protecting the gastric mucosa from damage accompanied by increase in the generation of oxygen radicals. METHODS This study was designed to determine the effects of melatonin and L-tryptophan on the formation of acute gastric lesions induced by stress and ischaemia reperfusion and, for comparison, by topical irritants such as 100% ethanol or acidified acetylsalicylic acid. RESULTS It was found that pretreatment with melatonin in doses ranging from 1.2 to 10 mg/kg dose-dependently reduced the stress-induced gastric lesions and was accompanied by a reduction in blood-free radicals and by attenuation of the fall in gastric blood flow. L-tryptophan applied intragastrically in doses ranging from 1 to 100 mg/kg also reduced dose-dependently the lesions induced by stress; this effect too was accompanied by a rise in gastric blood flow. Pretreatment with indomethacin, to block the biosynthesis of prostaglandins, significantly augmented the lesions produced by stress and completely abolished the protective effects of melatonin or L-tryptophan. Both melatonin and tryptophan reduced the formation of acute gastric lesions provoked by ischaemia reperfusion; this was accompanied by an increase in gastric blood flow. In contrast, melatonin and L-tryptophan failed to influence acute gastric lesions induced by topical irritants such as 100% ethanol or acidified aspirin. CONCLUSIONS Melatonin and L-tryptophan protect the gastric mucosa from damage by stress and ischaemia reperfusion, and this action is mediated, at least in part, by the limitation in the free radicals, the stimulation of mucosal generation of PG and by the increase in gastric blood flow.
Assessing trends in insured losses from floods in Spain 1971-2008

Abstract. Economic impacts from floods have been increasing over recent decades, a fact often attributed to a changing climate. On the other hand, there is now a significant body of scientific scholarship all pointing towards increasing concentrations and values of assets as the principle cause of the increasing cost of natural disasters. This holds true for a variety of perils and across different jurisdictions. With this in mind, this paper examines the time history of insured losses from floods in Spain between 1971 and 2008. It assesses whether any discernible residual signal remains after adjusting the data for the increase in the number and value of insured assets over this period of time. Data on insured losses from floods were sourced from Consorcio de Compensacion de Seguros (CCS). Although a public institution, CCS compensates homeowners for the damage produced by floods, and thus plays a role similar to that of a private insurance company. Insured losses were adjusted using two proxy measures: first, changes in the total amount of annual surcharges (premiums) paid by customers to CCS, and secondly, changes in the total value of dwellings per year. The adjusted data reveals no significant trend over the period 1971–2008 and serves again to confirm that at this juncture, societal influences remain the prime factors driving insured and economic losses from natural disasters.
Being the same and different: A model explaining new product adoption

The study suggests an alternative conceptualization for understanding adoption behavior over time, based on Optimal Distinctiveness Theory. This theory states that social identity derives from a fundamental tension between human needs for validation and similarity to others—the need for assimilation—and a countervailing need for uniqueness and individuation—the need for differentiation. The present study proposes that the effect of the size of the group of consumers who have already adopted a new product on an individual consumer's decision to adopt this product is contingent upon the consumer's two predispositions: the need for assimilation and the need for distinctiveness. Results of empirical research suggested that differently perceived subgroup sizes fulfill consumers' dual needs for distinctiveness and assimilation differently. The influence of the adopters' group size on a consumer's decision to adopt a new product varied among individuals with different levels of needs for distinctiveness and assimilation: when need for distinctiveness was low, the higher was the need for assimilation and the larger was the perceived group size, the higher was the probability of adopting the product. When the need for distinctiveness was high, the lower was the need for assimilation and the larger was the perceived group size, the lower was the probability of adopting the product. In addition, when the need for both distinctiveness and assimilation were high, the probability of adopting the product rose as the perceived group size increased. Implications for product variation, marketing communication, and target groups are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Weakly Supervised Semantic Segmentation Based on Web Image Co-segmentation

Training a Fully Convolutional Network (FCN) for semantic segmentation requires a large number of masks with pixel level labelling, which involves a large amount of human labour and time for annotation. In contrast, web images and their image-level labels are much easier and cheaper to obtain. In this work, we propose a novel method for weakly supervised semantic segmentation with only image-level labels. The method utilizes the internet to retrieve a large number of images and uses a large scale co-segmentation framework to generate masks for the retrieved images. We first retrieve images from search engines, e.g. Flickr and Google, using semantic class names as queries, e.g. class names in the dataset PASCAL VOC 2012. We then use high quality masks produced by co-segmentation on the retrieved images as well as the target dataset images with image level labels to train segmentation networks. We obtain an IoU score of 56.9 on test set of PASCAL VOC 2012, which reaches the state-of-the-art performance.
Effects of Formula Protein Level and Ratio on Infant Growth, Plasma Amino Acids and Serum Trace Elements II. Follow‐up Formula

Abstract. Infants, that had been formula‐fed from birth, were fed follow‐up formula with 1.5, 2.2 or 2.9 g protein/dl together with 25 g of cereal/day as supplemental food, or formula only (15 g/dl). Formulas were started at 4 months of age and daily intake, anthropometric measurements and plasma samples taken at 5, 6 and 7 months. Protein intake was 2.0, 3.0 and 3.7 g/kg/d, respectively. Growth data were similar for all groups, as were hemoglobin and serum protein values. BUN values for the group fed only formula with 1.5 g protein/dl were lower than for the group fed the same formula with cereals and the other groups. Plasma amino acids were not affected by the addition of the small amount of cereals to the formula with 1.5 g protein/dl, but significantly higher levels of valine, leucine and histidine were found at 7 months for infants fed the two higher protein levels. The highest protein level also appeared to have a negative effect on plasma zinc levels. These results suggest that a protein level of 1.5 g/dl in follow‐up formula (2.0 g/kg/d) is adequate during 4 to 7 months of age and that higher protein levels may be excessive.
A Relaxed Half-Stochastic Iterative Decoder for LDPC Codes

This paper presents a Relaxed Half-Stochastic (RHS) low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoding algorithm that uses some elements of the sum-product algorithm (SPA) in its variable nodes, but maintains the low-complexity interleaver and check node structures characteristic of stochastic decoders. The algorithm relies on the principle of successive relaxation to convert binary stochastic streams to a log-likelihood ratio (LLR) representation. Simulations of a (2048, 1723) RS-LDPC code show that the RHS algorithm can outperform 100-iterations floating-point SPA decoding. We describe approaches for low-complexity implementation of the RHS algorithm. Furthermore, we show how the stochastic nature of the belief representation can be exploited to lower the error floor.
Feeling Superior: The Impact of Loyalty Program Structure on Consumers' Perceptions of Status

We study status as it pertains to loyalty programs, investigating the impact of the number and size of tiers on consumers' perceptions of status. We find that increasing the number of elites in the top tier dilutes perceptions of status, while adding a subordinate tier enhances status. Tiers below the second tier do not affect those at the top but can make those in the tier immediately above feel more elite. Given the choice between alternative programs, those who do not qualify for status prefer hierarchies with multiple tiers. Finally, we show that status-laden labels (gold and silver) on their own signal an increasingly selective hierarchy. (c) 2008 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc.
Destination Image, Self-Congruity, and Travel Behavior: Toward an Integrative Model

An integrative model of destination image, self-congruity, and travel behavior is described in this article. In particular, the model postulates relationships between destination environment, destination visitor image, tourists’ self-concept, self-congruity, functional congruity, and travel behavior. Travel behavior is hypothesized to be influenced significantly by both self-congruity and functional congruity. Self-congruity is the match between the destination visitor image and tourists’ self-concept (actual, ideal, social, and ideal social self-image). Functional congruity is the match between the utilitarian attributes of the destination and the tourist’s ideal expectations related to those attributes. Self-congruity is hypothesized to influence functional congruity. It is argued that the destination environment influences the formation and change of the destination visitor image and the tourist-perceived utilitarian destination attributes.
Isolation and Functional Gene Analyses of Aromatic-Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria from a Polychlorinated-Dioxin-Dechlorinating Process

Aerobic aromatic-hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria from a semi-anaerobic microbial microcosm that exhibited apparent complete dechlorination of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were isolated through enrichment and plating culture procedures with dibenzofuran as the model substrate. By 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, these dibenzofuran-degrading isolates were identified as being members of the phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria, among which those of the genera Paenibacillus and Rhizobium were most abundant. All of the isolates utilized naphthalene as the sole carbon and energy source and degraded dibenzofuran metabolically or co-metabolically; however, they hardly attacked monochlorinated dibenzofuran and dibenzo-p-dioxin. By PCR cloning and sequencing, genes predicted to encode aromatic-ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase (AhDO) were detected in all test isolates. Real-time quantitative PCR assays with specific primer sets detected approximately 105 copies of the AhDO large subunit genes g−1 wet wt in the microcosm from which the isolates were obtained. This order of the copy number corresponded to approximately 1% of the 16S rRNA gene copies from “Dehalococcoides” and its relatives present as potent dechlorinators. These results suggest that aerobic AhDO-containing bacteria co-exist and play a role in the oxidative degradation of less chlorinated and completely dechlorinated products in the PCDD/F-dechlorinating process, thereby achieving the apparent complete dechlorination of PCDD/Fs.