Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acoustic determiners of vocal attractiveness go beyond apparent talker size

This study reports male and female Californians' ratings of vocal attractiveness for 30 male and 30 female voices reading isolated words. While ratings by both sexes were highly correlated, males generally rated fellow males as less attractive than females did, but both females and males had similar ratings of female voices. Detailed acoustic analyses were conducted on the voices and regression models were fitted to assess what acoustic properties predicted the attractiveness ratings. These models demonstrated that higher second formant frequencies for high vowels, breathier voice, reduced pitch variance, and longer durations were all important to the more attractive female voices. For the attractive male voices, shorter durations, higher vowels, and higher F2 in /u/ were characteristic. These results suggest that judgments of vocal attractiveness are more complex than previously thought. UCSC Linguistics Research Center
Breast Density Assessment by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry in Women and Girls

Abstract : Increasing evidence suggests that breast cancer risk is determined early in life. Mammographic density has been used as a biomarker for breast cancer risk because of its strong association with breast cancer. However, use of this screening method is contraindicated in young women and girls because the risk of X-ray based mammograms outweighs potential benefits in that age group. In contrast, Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) has extremely low radiation and is commonly available. The specific aims of this project among adult women and adolescent girls, who will be recruited as mothers and daughters, will be to 1. Correlate breast density measured by DXA with mammographic density among adult women; 2. Compare the association of known breast cancer risk factors with breast density from DXA scans to their association with mammographic density; 3. Assess DXA breast density by Tanner stage of breast maturation among adolescent girls; 4. Relate DXA breast density to other observable measures of pubertal maturation, e.g., height and menarche; and 5. Examine the relation between breast density measured by DXA in mothers and daughters. During this year, we have recruited 19 mother-daughter pairs plus one additional daughter and obtained DXA scan images from all participants. We project to recruit the remaining 80% (81 mother-daughter pairs) and complete data collection by the end of next year. Upon completion of the study, our multiethnic sample will generate a pilot data on the DXA scan as a method to evaluate breast cancer risks in women and young girls from various ethnic groups.
Composition of subfactors : New examples of infinite depth subfactors

Let N C P and P C M be inclusions of Hi factors with finite Jones index. We study the composed inclusion N C P C M by computing the fusion of N-P and P-M bimodules and determine various properties of N C M in terms of the "small" inclusions. A nice class of such subfactors arises in the following way: let H and K be two finite groups acting properly outerly on the hyperfinite II\ factor M and consider the inclusion M C M x K. We show that properties like irreducibility, finite depth, amenability and strong amenability (in the sense of Popa) of M^ C M x K can be expressed in terms of properties of the group G generated by H and K in OutM. In particular, the inclusion is amenable iff M is hyperfinite and the group G is amenable. We obtain many new examples of infinite depth subfactors (amenable and nonamenable ones), whose principal graphs have subexponential and/or exponential growth and can be determined explicitly. Furthermore, we construct irreducible, amenable subfactors of the hyperfinite II i factor which are not strongly amenable.
Cape Verdean Notions of Migrant Remittances

The transfer of money from migrants to their non-migrant relatives is a key, symbol of the quality and meaning of transnational kinship relations. This article analyses how people in Cape Verde view migrant family members’ economic obligations and it examines the concomitant moral discourse. Through a detailed ethnographic study the article explores how gender and kinship positions interplay with the moral obligation to send remittances, and it also inquires into the differences between rural and urban people’s attitudes towards monetary gifts. Moreover, the importance of the receiver’s status in the local society is discussed and the role of the personal relation between the sender and the receiver. Thus the analysis goes beyond an instrumental and rationalistic approach to remittances, which is common in much research, and explores the significance of this money for emotions and social relations.
Consumption Dynamics Under Information Processing Constraints

This paper studies consumption dynamics and welfare losses under information processing constraints (it is also called 'rational inattention' (RI) in Sims (2003)) in the permanent income hypothesis (PIH) model. It is shown that incorporating RI into the otherwise standard PIH model can substantially affect the intertemporal allocation of consumption, which makes the models better explain the data in some important aspects. Specifically, the main contributions of this paper are: first, we propose a tractable analytical approach to solve the multivariate state PIH model with RI and show that consumption reacts to the shocks to wealth gradually and with delay; second, after aggregating, we show that incorporating RI into the model can help resolve the excess sensitivity puzzle and the excess smoothness puzzle; third, we also find that the utility costs due to RI are very trivial, which can rationalize a key assumption in Sims (2003) that consumers only devote low channel capacity in observing and processing information; fourth, we investigate which factors determine optimal channel capacity endogeneously; finally, we compare our RI model with the standard internal habit formation model and the Campbell-Mankiw's rule-of-thumb model.
The Influence of Size and Growth Rate on Outmigration Timing in Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) Smolts

Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are on the brink of extinction in central California. The period of salmon migration from feshwater to the marine environment greatly influences prospects for survival in the ocean and subsequent migration to freshwater to reproduce. Smolt scales and other body size parameters from the spring 2009 outmigration of coho salmon on Lagunitas Creek (Marin County, CA) were analyzed to determine the influence of body size and growth rate on migration timing. Fork length was negatively and significantly correlated to the date of migration (r 2 = 0.04, p = 0.013). The residuals from the regression of number of circuli on fork length, which can be used as a proxy for growth rate, were negatively and significantly correlated to the date of migration (r 2 = 0.10, p < 0.0001). Although both growth rate and absolute size were significantly related to migration date, growth rate appears to exert a stronger influence because it is explains more of the variation in migration date. Faster growing coho are able to leave freshwater earlier, and in doing so they confer several advantages upon entering the marine environment that increase their chance of survival.
Characterization of a new feather-degrading bacterium from Calotes versicolor feces

A total of 842 spore-forming strains were isolated from 221 animal feces samples, in which a new feather-degrading bacterium identified as Bacillus sp. 50-3 based on morphological, biochemical and 16S rDNA tests was isolated from Calotes versicolor (an agamid lizard) feces. The bacterium can degrade native feather completely at mild conditions and in much shorter time (36 h) when using chicken feather as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. It presented optimum growth and maximum keratinase activity (680±25 U/ml, 36 h) at 37°C and pH 7.0 in feather meal medium. The keratinase of Bacillus sp. 50-3 was active on feather keratin as substrate and presented optimum additive quantity of 1.0% (w/v). So the high efficiency of Bacillus sp. 50-3 on feather-degradation suggested its potential use in biotechnological processes, especially in decreasing the environment pollution. Keywords: Animal feces, Bacillus , chicken feathers, keratinase, optimum conditions.
Emotional Consequences of Persistently Elevated PSA with Negative Prostate Biopsies

False positive results are among the most common adverse outcomes of cancer screening tests. Up to 75% of men with an elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) have had a negative prostate biopsy. Adverse emotional effects of false positive prostate cancer screening have been documented using surveys, but there is nothing in this literature describing the lived experience of having a false positive PSA. In a qualitative interview study of sixteen men who had false positive PSAs, we found that all subjects experienced transient anxiety while waiting for the results of their prostate biopsies. In addition there were three persistent emotional responses: (1) increased fear of cancer; (2) relief with increased vigilance; (3) relief with less worry about elevated PSA. The attitude and recommendations of urologists influenced the emotional responses. Some men expressed frustration with the PSA as a screening test. Many men had multiple negative prostate biopsies. These data suggest that there should be more effort to develop guidelines for subsequent prostate biopsies after an initial negative biopsy, and more effort to encourage primary care clinicians and urologists to discuss emotional risks of PSA testing with their patients.
We Are All Comparativists Now

This article asks, “What is the way forward for single-country scholarship? ” It also discusses why and how single-country scholars should adopt a more comparative approach in their research. To do this, the article presents cross-sectional and longitudinal data that illustrate the relative isolation of the single-country canon, especially nondomestic single-country studies, within the wider discipline of political science. To suggest how this be redressed, the article then discusses how single-country scholarship might build bridges to the comparative approach and the benefits this might generate. The article argues that careful and innovative use of the case study research design provides the ideal means to do this.
Properties of thermo-compression molded bovine and fish gelatin films as influenced by resin preparation condition.

Effect of resin preparation, heat-pretreatment of bovine and fish-gelatin solutions (20%, w/w) containing 25% glycerol (based on protein) at different temperatures (70 and 90oC) for various time (1, 2 and 3 h) prior to semi-drying, on the properties of resulting films was investigated. Tensile strength (TS) and elastic modulus of the films increased, whereas the elongation at break (EAB) decreased when resin was prepared with increasing heating temperature (p<0.05). Resin prepared by using heat-pretreatment for 2 h yielded the films with the lowest EAB (p<0.05), while an increased EAB was found as resin was prepared from solution heat-pretreated for 3 h, regardless of heating temperature used (p<0.05). Heat-pretreatment at high temperature (90oC) and long time (3 h) significantly resulted in degradation of gelatin molecules, leading to loss of films strength. However, heat-pretreatment condition in resin preparation step had no marked effect on water vapor permeability (WVP), color and transparency of resulting films. Films from bovine gelatin had the higher EAB and WVP, compared with fish-gelatin film. The former had the lower L* and a*-values, but possessed the higher b*-value than the latter. Gelatin films exhibited the potential barrier property to UV light. Thus, heat-pretreatment condition for resin preparation had the direct effect on the properties, especially mechanical properties, of resulting films fabricated by thermo-compression molding.
Elaboration and Characterization of Thin Water Molecule Sensitive Layers Deposited from Hexamethyldisiloxane

This paper reports the study of the electrical properties of plasma polymerization of hexamethyldisiloxane (pp-HMDSO) thin film based sensors. Thin water molecule sensitive layers were deposited from a hexaméthyldisiloxane precursor on a tow-interdigited electrode at low frequency power (19 KHz) plasma conditions. The sensor was calibrated in terms of impedance as a function of relative humidity, using a Frequency Response Analyzer. The electrical properties of the sensor are measured. The deposited film sensor exhibited an accepted sensitivity (impedance change from 10 6 to 10 4 Ω in the humidity range of 30–95% RH), fast response (8 and 34 s for adsorption and desorption between 35% RH and 95% RH, respectively), and the current intensity increased from 10 -10 to 10 -6 A in the explored range of RH (25-95% RH). The change in the current of pp-HMDSO with respect to increasing and decreasing RH (hysteresis) of no more than 3% has been observed. The structural analysis of the sensitive layer was carried out by theFourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The films showed good sensitivity to the water molecule due to the presence of hydroxyl groups OH. These groupments provide the adsorption sites for water and play an important role in the humidity sensor properties, make the HMDSO films showed promising characteristics for humidity sensor development.
The Seyfert II nature of the IRAS source FSC 10214+4724

We have observed the rest-frame optical and UV spectra of the luminous, high redshift Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) source FSC 10214+4724. We find the optical emission lines to be characterized by ratios similar to those found in Seyfert II galaxies. We support the conclusion of previous work that the UV emission lines are similar to those attributed to Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) rather than to star formation. The ratio H alpha/H beta greater than or equal to 20 (2 sigma lower limit) implies substantial reddening of the narrow line region with A(sub V) greater than 5.5, sufficient to hide a broad line region in our H alpha observations. Given this large inferred reddening and the strength of the UV continuum and emission lines, we conclude (as have others) that simple screen models of reddening are not appropriate for this object. These properties are very similar to those of the infrared luminous galaxies at lower redshift, suggesting that FSC 10244+4724 is the luminous extreme of the same population. We also present H band (1.6 micrometer) imaging polarimetry observations and find that the rest-frame optical emission is unpolarized (P = 3.2% +/- 22.0%). This deep image of the field shows FSC 10214+4724 to possess an unresolved core, with several companions located within 10 sec of the point source. We find it unlikely that this group of objects is physically associated with FSC 10214+4724 at z = 2.3, and we argue that their magnitudes and colors are more consistant with those expected with those expected for galaxies in a foreground group. While galaxy number counts would suggest that such a projection has a low probability of being observed randomly, a foreground group might gravitational lens the z = 2.3 source, making such random statistics inappropriate, and contribute to the large observed luminosity of FSC 10214+4724. Comparison of H band images taken on two occasions one year apart show that FSC 10214+4724 had varied by 0.16 +/- 0.03 mag relative to a nearby star during that time. The UV-optical emission line spectra, the bright dereddened continuum magnitude (K less than 12) of the unresolved core, its extremely large bolometric luminosity, strong UV polarization, and possible variability all suggest that FSC 10214+4724 harbors an obscured AGN. Given that we observe no spectral features attributable to star formation, it appears either that star formation in FSC 10214+4724 is more highly obscured at optical and UV wavelengths than the narrow line region of the AGN, or that the AGN (rather than star formation) dominates the large luminosity of this object.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease: Back and Forward in Time Over the Last 25 Years

Over the past 25 years, there have been significant advances made in understanding the pathophysiology and cardiovascular consequences of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Substantial evidence now implicates OSA as an independent risk factor for the development of hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and stroke, as well as increased risk of death. Pathophysiologic mechanisms include release of inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress, metabolic dysfunction, hypercoagulability and endothelial dysfunction. Although non-randomized intervention studies suggest that treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure may mitigate its impact of the development of cardiovascular disease, randomized clinical trials are lacking.
X-RAY SPECTRAL CONSTRAINTS FOR z ≈ 2 MASSIVE GALAXIES: THE IDENTIFICATION OF REFLECTION-DOMINATED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

We use the 4 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South (CDF-S) survey to place direct constraints on the ubiquity of z ≈ 2 heavily obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in K < 22 BzK-selected galaxies. Forty-seven (≈21%) of the 222 BzK-selected galaxies in the central region of the CDF-S are detected at X-ray energies, 11 (≈5%) of which have hard X-ray spectral slopes (Γ ≲ 1), indicating the presence of heavily obscured AGN activity (NH ≳ 3 × 1023 cm−2). The other 36 X-ray detected BzK galaxies appear to be relatively unobscured AGNs and starburst galaxies; we use X-ray variability analyses over a rest-frame baseline of ≈3 years to further confirm the presence of AGN activity in many of these systems. The majority (7 out of 11) of the heavily obscured AGNs have excess infrared emission over that expected from star formation (termed “infrared-excess galaxies”). However, we find that X-ray detected heavily obscured AGNs only comprise ≈25% of the infrared-excess galaxy population, which is otherwise composed of relatively unobscured AGNs and starburst galaxies. We find that the typical X-ray spectrum of the heavily obscured AGNs is better characterized by a pure reflection model than an absorbed power-law model, suggesting extreme Compton-thick absorption (NH ≳ 1024 cm−2) in some systems. We verify this result by producing a composite rest-frame 2–20 keV spectrum, which has a similar shape as a reflection-dominated X-ray spectrum and reveals an emission feature at rest-frame energy ≈6.4 keV, likely to be due to Fe K. These heavily obscured AGNs are likely to be the distant analogs of the reflection-dominated AGNs recently identified at z ≈ 0 with >10 keV observatories. On the basis of these analyses, we estimate the space density for typical (intrinsic X-ray luminosities of L2-10 keV ≳ 1043 erg s−1) heavily obscured and Compton-thick AGNs at z ≈ 2. Our space-density constraints are conservative lower limits but they are already consistent with the range of predictions from X-ray background models.
The Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average Procedures: Implications for Adapted Physical Activity Research

The aims of this tutorial are three-fold: (a) to clarify the meaning of variability measurement in personality and social psychology, (b) to demonstrate the relevance of and the need for time series analysis in investigations into the dynamics of psychological phenomena, and (c) to provide specific methods to analyze time series. This paper first presents a step-by-step description of univariate Auto-Regressive-Integrated-Moving-average (ARIMA) procedures, which are useful tools for building iterative models from empirical time series. We then develop two empirical examples in detail, based on the analysis of self-esteem and behavioral data. These examples allow us to present the two most often used models.
A Comparative Study of Effect of Propofol , Etomidate and Propofol Plus Etomidate Induction on Hemodynamic Response to Laryngoscopy and Endotracheal Intubation : Dr .

Introduction: In general anesthesia, stress response during laryngoscopy and intubation leads to hemodynamic changes especially in patients with cardiac risk factors like hypertension and ischemic heart disease. Propofol is commonly used drug for induction of general anesthesia. Propofol can lead to bradycardia and hypotension. Etomidate is hypnotic agent with better cardio stability. Background & Objective: The primary objective of this study is to compare the efficacy of 3 different anesthesia approach (Propofol, Etomidate and Propofol plus Etomidate) in maintaining hemodynamic stability during induction and following endotracheal intubation in elective surgery. Material and method: After taking institutional approval and informed consent, 60 patients aged 15-60 years of either sex and ASA(American society of anaesthesia) class I or II were studied. Group I induced with Propofol (2.5 mg/kg), Group II with Etomidate (0.3 mg/kg) and Group III with Propofol (1 mg/kg) plusEtomidate (0.2 mg/kg) intravenously. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure, Diastolic blood pressure, Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), Oxygen saturation were noted. Results: HR and MAP decreased after induction in all groups and it was more in group I than group II and III. HR increased in all groups but more in group II after intubation. Significant increase in MAP was seen at 1 min after intubation in all groups but this increase was not sustained and returned to baseline in group II and III. Conclusion: The combination of Etomidate plus Propofol was proved to be significantly better than either Propofol or Etomidate alone.
Time series momentum trading strategy and autocorrelation amplification

This paper investigates why general Moving Average (MA) trading rules are widely used by technical analysts and others. We assume general stationary processes for prices and we derive the autocorrelation function for an MA trading rule. Based on our results, we conjecture that autocorrelation amplification is one of the reasons why such trading rules are popular. Using simulated results, we show that the MA rule may be popular because it can identify price momentum and is a simple way of assessing and exploiting the price autocorrelation structure without necessarily knowing its precise structure. This paper then, provides empirical evidence of autocorrelation amplification using 15-year daily price data for 11 major international stock indices.
Stem Education : Robotics Integration in Science Laboratory

The aim of the study is investigating the integration of robotics studies into STEM practice in secondary school science labs. The study, consisting of 48 experiments and 48 control groups, was conducted in a private school in Istanbul in the first semester of the 2015-2016 academic years. In the study, experiments were performed in the classical science laboratory in the control group and in the robotics, laboratory using the robotics (Lego Mindstorms EV3) studying set in the experimental group. Academic Achievement Test, STEM Attitude Questionnaire, Robotic Opinion Questionnaire and Motivation Scale for Science Learning were used determine the effect of robotics on students' achievement, motivation and attitudes. The pre and post-test results to determine the success status showed a significant increase in the experimental group compared to the control group. As a result of the study, students in the experimental group who were educated with robotic-assisted science experiments showed increased motivation for learning science, academic achievement, attitudes towards STEM compared to control group students. As a conclusion, it has been determined that robotics-based laboratory applications have many positive contributions to science education.