Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Stimulus Bandwidth on Perception of Fricative /s/ among Individuals with Different Degrees of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Most of the speech sounds that contribute to speech intelligibility are dominated by high-frequency components. The phoneme /s/ is the third or fourth most frequently occurring phoneme in the English language and second most frequently occurring consonantal phoneme in Hindi language. Given the importance of the phoneme /s/, it is ironic that, this sound contains the highest frequency acoustic elements of any speech sound in English and most of the non-English languages ranging from 4500 Hz to more than 8000 Hz. The most common type of hearing impairment affecting speech perception is high-frequency sensorineural loss (SN) and such individuals require good high frequency audibility in order to better perceive fricative cues, regardless of hearing status. While many studies appear to support the general notion that high-frequency amplification may not always be beneficial, the inter-subject variability in most studies precludes a clearly defined rule that would distinguish listeners who are likely to benefit from high-frequency amplification from those who are not. The current study is aimed to determine and compare the effective bandwidth required for the perception of fricative /s/ in individuals with normal hearing and hearing impairment as a function of degree of hearing loss. A total of 100 Hindi speaking subjects equally divided into four groups (Group I: Normal hearing, Group II: Moderate SN hearing loss, Group III: Moderately severe SN hearing loss, Group IV: Severe SN hearing loss) participated in the study. Nonsense syllables containing the phonemes /s/, /f/, /ṣ/ and /c/ in /i/ vowel context and low pass filtered at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 KHz produced by a female talker were used as stimulus. The results revealed that there was a statistically significant effect (p 0.05) was seen at 9 KHz between groups. In addition, individuals with normal hearing required lower bandwidth for accurate fricative perception and there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in mean bandwidth between groups. Among the hearing impaired group, as the degree of hearing loss increased the subjects required higher bandwidth for accurate perception of fricative. This study has important implications in knowing the effective bandwidth required for the perception of high frequency speech sounds among individuals with hearing loss on individual basis which in turn helps in the selection of appropriate rehabilitative devices.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 2009 Wildlife collisions with aircraft : A missing component of land-use planning for airports

Projecting risks posed to aviation safety by wildlife populations is often overlooked in airport land-use planning. However, the growing dependency on civil aviation for global commerce can require increases in capacity at airports which affect land use, wildlife populations, and perspectives on aviation safety. Our objectives were to (1) review legislation that affects airports and surrounding communities relative to managing and reducing wildlife hazards to aviation; (2) identify information gaps and future research needs relative to regulated land uses on and near airports, and the effects on wildlife populations; and (3) demonstrate how information regarding wildlife responses to land-use practices can be incorporated into wildlife-strike risk assessments. We show that guidelines for land-use practices on and near airports with regard to wildlife hazards to aviation can be vague, conflicting, and scientifically ill-supported. We discuss research needs with regard to management of stormwater runoff; wildlife use of agricultural crops and tillage regimens relative to revenue and safety; the role of an airport in the landscape matrix with regard to its effects on wildlife species richness and abundance; and spatial and temporal requirements of wildlife species that use airports, relative to implementing current and novel management techniques. We also encourage the development and maintenance of datasets that will allow realistic assessment of wildlife-strike risk relative to current airport conditions and anticipated changes to capacity. Land uses at airports influence wildlife populations, and understanding and incorporating these effects into planning will reduce risks posed to both aviation safety and wildlife species. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Sticks, Carrots, and Reforestation Investment

Environmental regulations and public financial assistance programs are the typical “sticks” and “carrots” facing non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners in the U.S. This paper presents a theoretical framework and empirical evidence on the impacts of the Endangered Species Act and public financial assistance programs–cost-share programs and a tax incentive program–on reforestation investment behavior. The results indicate that NIPF landowners’ reforestation investments are influenced negatively by environmental regulations and positively by public financial assistance programs. The results imply that both sticks and carrots can be used simultaneously to influence NIPF landowners’ reforestation behavior. (JEL Q23)
Androgen Therapy in Adolescents: A Review

Constitutional Delay of Growth and Puberty (CDGP) and hypogonadism are the two most common indications for Testosterone (T) therapy in adolescents. CDGP is a transient state of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism associated with prolongation of childhood phase of growth, delayed skeletal maturation, delayed and attenuated pubertal growth spurt. In pre-pubertal male with CDGP, T therapy can be used to induce pubertal development, accelerate growth and relieve the psychosocial complaints. However, some issues in the management are still unresolved. These include type, optimal timing, dose and duration of sex steroid treatment and the possible use of adjunctive or alternate therapy. In adolescents with permanent hypogonadism T therapy is used to induce then maintain pubescent development. Testosterone therapy enables the patient to decrease mood disturbances, fatigue, impaired virilization and osteoporosis. The use of anabolic drugs to enhance athletic performance has become a major concern for professional sport organizations, sport governing bodies and governments. This mini review aims at providing an update for androgen therapy in adolescents. Endocrinologists and physicians should be acquainted with the indications, the forms, optimal timing, monitoring, dose titration and possible side-effects of T therapy to accomplish the best pharmacological outcome. In addition, it is believed that through education and research we can mitigate the abuse of androgens by adolescent athletes.
Management of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction

Spontaneous resolution of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction in infancy is common. However, little is known about its course in childhood. The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of resolution with medical therapy (spontaneous resolution) in infancy and childhood, the timing and application of interventional procedures. A total of 585 infants and children, with 802 congenital nasolacrimal duct obstructions, were treated during a ten year old period, from June 1985 at StMichael's and St.Anne's hospitals in Colombo. All patients were initially treated medically (massage), and failures were subjected to probing, and when probing failed, to dilatation. Resolution with medical therapy was 86% in patients under two years, while there was a progressive decline in the success rate (27%). Success rate for initial and second probing was 78% and 100% repectively, in children over two years, while in the two to eleven year age group the overall rate was 43%, without success above eight years. There was a progressive decline in success rate with probing, with increasing age in children. Dilatation with Nettleship dilator was done in failed probing in 33 obstructed ducts, the success rate being 90%. The results suggest that in nasolacrimal duct obstruction in children under two years, probing gives excellent results (1st probing 78% , 2 nd 100%). In failed probing in childhood, dilatation with Nettleship dilator is a useful alternative to complicated procedures such as intubation or dacryocystorhinostomy.
In Situ Interferometric Monitoring of Fiber Insertion in Fiber Connector Components

We present an interferometric setup for in situ monitoring of fiber tip positions when inserting optical fibers for fixation in fiber connector components. It ensures an accurate fiber tip position at the fiber connector's front facet and across the fiber array in cases where postinsertion polishing is not possible. We demonstrate our technique by populating a plastic fiber connector for optical interconnect applications, and compare the fiber tip position measured in situ using our setup with the position measured off-line using a commercial white light interferometer, showing a deviation smaller than 5%.
Stability of the modelocking regime in quantum dot laser

This paper theoretically and experimentally studies the stability of the modelocking regime in quantum dot lasers. Experimental investigations are carried out with a 40 GHz QD-ML module, having a standard single mode fiber pigtail and a microwave port. The active zone of the device contains 15 layers of self-organized InAs quantum dots embedded in InGaAs quantum wells. Observations show a small region of modulated mode-locking at low gain currents apparent in quantum well devices.
Hypoxic Preconditioning Eliminates Differences in the Innate Resistance of Rats to Severe Hypoxia

Hypoxic preconditioning is able to increase the body’s resistance to hypoxic/ischemic stress. Understanding how to apply the hypoxic response to initiate the protective mechanism of ischemic preconditioning is a high priority. However, the relationship between innate resistance to hypoxic stress and preconditioning efficiency of moderate hypoxia has been poorly studied. In our work, the efficiency of single moderate hypobaric hypoxia (HBH) for resistance to severe hypobaric hypoxia (SHBH) was studied on intact rats and those pre-tested under SHBH with low, intermediate and high resistance to hypoxia. HBH has a significant preconditioning action on the resistance to hypoxia over a wide range from 270 to 1464 s (4.5 to 24.5 min) and at the same time eliminates the differences in the endurance under SHBH between all rat groups. It is concluded that 1) HBH preconditioning efficiency does not depend on an innate resistance to SHBH and prior hypoxic experience of rats; and 2) the pretesting to severe hypoxia has no value for predicting the hypoxic preconditioning efficiency and study of adaptive mechanisms.
Qualification Measurements of the Mid-Field and Low-Field CICC for the Series-Connected Hybrid Magnet With Effects of Electromagnetic Load Cycling and Longitudinal Strain

The cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC) designed for the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) and Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) Series-Connected Hybrid magnets have been qualified. The superconducting coils for the hybrid magnets consist of three CICC configurations graded for different designed fields. Representative samples with the same Nb3Sn type, cable pattern, and CICC configuration were fabricated and the current sharing temperature (TCS) and critical current were measured with the intention to quantify the level of degradation from cyclic, transverse electromagnetic loads. In addition the intrinsic strain for the CICC was determined by measuring the TCS and IC as a function of applied longitudinal strain. Two conductor grades, for the middle and low fields regions of the coil (MF and LF), are tested at the NHMFL in a split magnet that is equipped with a system that can apply up to 250 kN force in a direction longitudinal to the samples. The samples are hydraulically connected to a cryogenic system which delivers temperature controlled supercritical helium. The reduction in TCS from electromagnetic load cycling is shown to be insignificant and measurements as a function of strain shown that the MF and LF CICC have intrinsic strains of approximately 0.65% and 0.70% respectively.
Antiulcerogenic activity of Saussurea lappa root

The study was designed to investigate the antiulcer activity of ethyl acetate extract of the Saussurea lappa root using different models of gastric and duodenal ulceration in rats. Gastric ulcers were induced by oral administration of ethanol, aspirin and by pyloric ligation and duodenal ulcers were induced by oral administration of cysteamine HCl. The extract was administered at a dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg orally 30 min prior to ulcer induction. Ranitidine (50 mg/kg) was used as a reference standard. The antiulcer activity was accessed by determining and comparing the ulcer index in the test group with that of the standard drug treated group. Gastric volume, total acid and free acid were estimated in the pylorus-ligated rats. Saussurea lappa root (400mg/kg) showed maximum inhibition of gastric acid, free acid and total acid to 53.54%, 52.55% and 30.30%, respectively. The ulcer index in the Saussurea lappa root treated animals was found to be significantly less in all the models compared to standard drug treated cases. The antiulcer activity of Saussurea lappa root was, however, less than that of ranitidine. The results suggest that Saussurea lappa root possesses significant antiulcer property which could be due to cytoprotective action of the drug or strengthening of gastric and duodenal mucosa with the enhancement of mucosal defense.
Power Allocation and Multiuser Scheduling with Outage Capacity Constraints

This paper studies the joint scheduling and power allocation problem for a multiuser downlink system in Rayleigh K-block fading channels. The optimization is performed subject to individual outage capacity constraints, and our goal is to find the optimal number of allocated blocks {nj} and the transmit power {Qj} for each user in minimizing the aggregate transmit power given only the channel statistics at the transmitter (CST). Our technique is based on constraining the upper bound of the outage probability for each user, and a relaxation on the number of allocated blocks. We shall show that the relaxed problem is convex and thus can be solved optimally in the global sense. The optimal number of users' allocated blocks is found by rounding the solution from the relaxed problem while the power allocation comes directly from activating the constraints to minimize the overall power
Identification of the Sequence of Steps Intrinsic to Spheromak Formation

A planar coaxial electrostatic helicity source is used for studying the relaxation process intrinsic to spheromak formation Experimental observations reveal that spheromak formation involves: (1) breakdown and creation of a number of distinct, arched, filamentary, plasma-filled flux loops that span from cathode to anode gas nozzles, (2) merging of these loops to form a central column, (3) jet-like expansion of the central column, (4) kink instability of the central column, (5) conversion of toroidal flux to poloidal flux by the kink instability. Steps 1 and 3 indicate that spheromak formation involves an MHD pumping of plasma from the gas nozzles into the magnetic flux tube linking the nozzles. In order to measure this pumping, the gas puffing system has been modified to permit simultaneous injection of different gas species into the two ends of the flux tube linking the wall. Gated CCD cameras with narrow-band optical filters are used to track the pumped flows.
Horizontal Gene Transfer in Evolution

The concept of horizontal or lateral gene transfer (the non-genealogical transmission of genetic material between organisms) was introduced in 1990s to explain the observed incongruence in phylogenetic reconstructions using different genes. Today, horizontal gene transfer is accepted as an important force modulating evolution of Bacteria, Archaea and unicellular eukaryotes, and evidence is rising for their role in the evolution of pluricellular eukaryotes (fungi, plants and animals). The realisation that horizontal gene transfer plays an important role in evolution of both, prokaryotes and eukaryotes, put in question the metaphor of the tree of life and the traditional view of evolution as a slow process. A more pluralistic approach to evolution is emerging that encompasses different evolutionary mechanisms operating at different levels of complexity. Key Concepts Horizontal gene transfer is the non-genealogical transmission of genetic material between different organisms. Horizontal gene transfer has become a part of evolutionary thinking over the past 25 years. Horizontal gene transfer plays an important role in prokaryotic evolution. Horizontal gene transfer also modulates evolution of unicellular eukaryotes. Increasing evidence support the role of horizontal gene transfer in evolution of pluricellular eukaryotes. Horizontal gene transfer challenges the tree of life metaphor. Horizontal gene transfer challenges the traditional view of evolution as a slow process. A pluralistic approach to evolution is needed. Keywords: horizontal gene transfer; evolutionary mechanisms; reticulated evolution; tree of life
A Continuous Satellite-Derived Measure of Global Terrestrial Primary Production

Abstract Until recently, continuous monitoring of global vegetation productivity has not been possible because of technological limitations. This article introduces a new satellite-driven monitor of the global biosphere that regularly computes daily gross primary production (GPP) and annual net primary production (NPP) at 1-kilometer (km) resolution over 109,782,756 km2 of vegetated land surface. We summarize the history of global NPP science, as well as the derivation of this calculation, and current data production activity. The first data on NPP from the EOS (Earth Observing System) MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor are presented with different types of validation. We offer examples of how this new type of data set can serve ecological science, land management, and environmental policy. To enhance the use of these data by nonspecialists, we are now producing monthly anomaly maps for GPP and annual NPP that compare the current value with an 18-year average value for each pixel, clearly identifying regions where vegetation growth is higher or lower than normal.
Psychological Capital: An Evidence-Based Positive Approach

The now recognized core construct of psychological capital, or simply PsyCap, draws from positive psychology in general and positive organizational behavior (POB) in particular. The first-order positive psychological resources that make up PsyCap include hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism, or the HERO within. These four best meet the inclusion criteria of being theory- and research-based, positive, validly measurable, state-like, and having impact on attitudes, behaviors, performance and well-being. The article first provides the background and precise meaning of PsyCap and then comprehensively reviews its measures, theoretical mechanisms, antecedents and outcomes, levels of analysis, current status and needed research, and finally application. Particular emphasis is given to practical implications, which focuses on PsyCap development, positive leadership, and novel applications such as the use of video games and gamification techniques. The overriding theme throughout is that PsyCap has both scient.
EVALUATING TRENDS IN ABUNDANCE OF IMMATURE GREEN TURTLES, CHELONIA MYDAS, IN THE GREATER CARIBBEAN

Many long-lived marine species exhibit life history traits. that make them more vulnerable to overexploitation. Accurate population trend analysis is essential for development and assessment of management plans for these species. However, because many of these species disperse over large geographic areas, have life stages inaccessible to human surveyors, and/or undergo complex developmental migrations, data on trends in abundance are often available for only one stage of the population, usually breeding adults. The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is one of these long-lived species for which population trends are based almost exclusively on either numbers of females that emerge to nest or numbers of nests deposited each year on geographically restricted beaches. In this study, we generated estimates of annual abundance for juvenile green turtles at two foraging grounds in the Bahamas based on long-term capture-mark-recapture (CMR) studies at Union Creek (24 years) and Conception Creek (13 years), using a two-stage approach. First, we estimated recapture probabilities from CMR data using the Cormack-Jolly-Seber models in the software program MARK; second, we estimated annual abundance of green turtles. at both study sites using the recapture probabilities in a Horvitz-Thompson type estimation procedure. Green turtle abundance did not change significantly in Conception Creek, but, in Union Creek, green turtle abundance had successive phases of significant increase, significant decrease, and stability. These changes in abundance resulted from changes in immigration, not survival or emigration. The trends in abundance on the foraging grounds did not conform to the significantly increasing trend for the major nesting population at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. This disparity highlights the challenges of assessing population-wide trends of green turtles and other long-lived species. The best approach for monitoring population trends may be a combination of (1) extensive surveys to provide data for large-scale trends in relative population abundance, and (2) intensive surveys, using CMR techniques, to estimate absolute abundance and evaluate the demographic processes' driving the trends.
Consensus of Networked Euler–Lagrange Systems Under Time-Varying Sampled-Data Control

This paper is concerned with the consensus of multiple Euler–Lagrange systems with time-varying sampled-data control. Different from traditional sampled-data strategies, a time-varying sampled-data strategy is developed to realize the consensus of multiple Euler–lagrange systems, in which a function that can be distinct at different sampling instants is proposed to modulate the sampling interval. In addition, a new definition of average sampling interval, which is parallel to the average dwell time in switching control or average impulsive interval in impulsive control, is proposed to characterize the number of the updating of the sampling controller during some certain interval. The proposed average sampling interval makes our sampled-data strategy more suitable for a wide range of sampling signals. By utilizing the comparison principle, a sufficient criterion is obtained to guarantee the consensus of multiple Euler–Lagrange systems. The sufficient criterion is heavily dependent on the actual control duration time and the communication graph. Finally, a simulation example is presented to verify the applicability of the proposed results.