Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling Time-Frequency Patterns with LSTM vs. Convolutional Architectures for LVCSR Tasks

Various neural network architectures have been proposed in the literature to model 2D correlations in the input signal, including convolutional layers, frequency LSTMs and 2D LSTMs such as time-frequency LSTMs, grid LSTMs and ReNet LSTMs. It has been argued that frequency LSTMs can model translational variations similar to CNNs, and 2D LSTMs can model even more variations [1], but no proper comparison has been done for speech tasks. While convolutional layers have been a popular technique in speech tasks, this paper compares convolutional and LSTM architectures to model time-frequency patterns as the ﬁrst layer in an LDNN [2] architecture. This comparison is particularly interesting when the convolutional layer degrades performance, such as in noisy conditions or when the learned ﬁlterbank is not constant-Q [3]. We ﬁnd that grid-LDNNs offer the best performance of all techniques, and provide between a 1-4% relative improvement over an LDNN and CLDNN on 3 different large vocabulary Voice Search tasks.
Coefficients of friction, lubricin, and cartilage damage in the anterior cruciate ligament‐deficient guinea pig knee

The coefficient of friction (COF) of articular cartilage is thought to increase with osteoarthritis (OA) progression, and this increase may occur due to a decrease in lubricin concentration. The objectives of this study were to measure the COF of guinea pig tibiofemoral joints with different stages of OA and to establish relationships between COF, lubricin concentrations in synovial fluid, and degradation status using the Hartley guinea pig model. Both hind limbs from 24 animals were harvested: seven 3‐month‐old (no OA), seven 12‐month‐old (mild OA), and 10 that were euthanized at 12 months of age after undergoing unilateral ACL transection at 3 months of age (moderate OA). Contralateral knees served as age‐matched controls. COFs of the tibiofemoral joints were measured using a pendulum apparatus. Synovial fluid lavages were analyzed to determine the concentration and integrity of lubricin using ELISA and Western blot, and the overall articular cartilage status was evaluated by histology. The results showed that the mean COF in the ACL‐deficient knees was significantly greater than that of the no OA (p < 0.01) and mild OA knees (p < 0.01). Lubricin concentrations in the ACL‐deficient knees were significantly lower than that in both of the other groups (p < 0.01). No significant differences in COF or lubricin concentration were found between the no OA and mild OA knees. Histology verified the extent of cartilage damage in each group. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 26:231–237, 2008
Elongation Factor-1 a Occurs as Two Copies in Bees : Implications for Phylogenetic Analysis of EF1 a Sequences in Insects

We report the complete sequence of a paralogous copy of elongation factor-1a (EF-1a) in the honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae). This copy differs from a previously described copy in the positions of five introns and in 25% of the nucleotide sites in the coding regions. The existence of two paralogous copies of EF-1a in Drosophila and Apis suggests that two copies of EF-1a may be widespread in the holometabolous insect orders. To distinguish between a single, ancient gene duplication and parallel, independent fly and bee gene duplications, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of hexapod EF-1a sequences. Unweighted parsimony analysis of nucleotide sequences suggests an ancient gene duplication event, whereas weighted parsimony analysis of nucleotides and unweighted parsimony analysis of amino acids suggests the contrary: that EF-1a underwent parallel gene duplications in the Diptera and the Hymenoptera. The hypothesis of parallel gene duplication is supported both by congruence among nucleotide and amino acid data sets and by topology-dependent permutation tail probability (TPTP) tests. The resulting tree topologies are also congruent with current views on the relationships among the holometabolous orders included in this study (Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera). More sequences, from diverse orders of holometabolous insects, will be needed to more accurately assess the historical patterns of gene duplication in EF-1a.
The association of transforming growth factor beta 1 gene polymorphisms with the emphysema phenotype of COPD in Japanese.

OBJECTIVE The transforming growth factor beta-1 gene (TGFB1) is one of the most promising candidate genes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several case-control studies have been performed and generated inconsistent results. The possible reasons for these discrepancies include the diversity of ethnic populations and the heterogeneity of COPD, including emphysema and airway disease. We designed this study to investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TGFB1 with the emphysema phenotype in the Japanese population. METHODS Eight SNPs in TGFB1 (rs2241712, rs1982072, and rs1800469 in the promoter region; rs1982073 in exon 1; rs2241716 and rs4803455 in intron 2; rs6957 and rs2241718 in the 3' region) were genotyped by allelic discrimination assays in 70 COPD patients with emphysema phenotype and 99 healthy smokers. The emphysema phenotype was identified by high-resolution computed tomography imaging using Goddard's method. RESULTS The frequency of one significant haplotype structured by the eight SNPs was significantly higher in the emphysema group (10%) than in the healthy smokers (4%, p=0.02). In the emphysema group, the predicted value of forced expiratory volume in 1 second after bronchodilator administration was significantly associated with the minor alleles of the two SNPs (rs1800469 and rs1982073, p=0.007 and 0.032, respectively), however, the low attenuation area and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity were not associated with the SNPs. In addition, the rs1800469T and rs1982073C alleles were significantly more prevalent in patients with severe and very severe airflow limitation than in those with mild and moderate airflow limitation (p=0.007 and 0.041, respectively). CONCLUSIONS One significant haplotype of TGFB1 is associated with the emphysema phenotype in the Japanese population. Two TGFB1 SNPs (rs1800469 and rs1982073) are associated with the severity of COPD in patients with emphysema phenotype.
Enhancement of angiogenic effects by hypoxia‐preconditioned human umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells in a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia

It has been studied that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the capability to promote angiogenesis. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that hypoxic conditions can enhance angiogenesis and immune modulation mediated by MSCs, a notion that has been applied in many fields of clinical application. In the present study, we compared the efficacy of hypoxia preconditioned human umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC‐MSCs) and normoxia conditioned hUC‐MSCs for the treatment of ischemic injury in hindlimbs of an immunodeficient mouse model. Expression of negative markers for MSC such as CD31, CD34, and CD45 or positive markers such as CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD105 was not significantly changed in hypoxia preconditioned hUC‐MSCs compared with hUC‐MSCs cultured in normoxic condition. Expression of angiogenesis‐related genes such as COX‐2, VEGF, Tie‐2, and TGF‐β1 was increased compared with hUC‐MSCs cultured in normoxic conditions. In the in vivo model, CD31 expression as a marker of angiogenesis was significantly increased in the ischemic limbs at 1 month after injection with hypoxic hUC‐MSCs. Angiogenesis‐related genes such as Ang‐1, COX‐1, PIGF, and MCP‐1 were significantly upregulated in the muscle of ischemic hindlimbs treated with hypoxic hUC‐MSCs than normoxic hUC‐MSCs. Expression of proinflammatory genes such as IL‐1, and IL‐20 was reduced, whereas TGF‐β1, which has an anti‐inflammatory effect, was strongly increased. In conclusion, hypoxic culture conditions could induce expression of angiogenesis related genes in hUC‐MSCs, and hypoxia preconditioned hUC‐MSCs showed enhancing effects by inducing angiogenesis and low inflammatory immune response compared with normoxic hUC‐MSCs in the ischemia injured hindlimb of immunodeficient mice.
&bgr;-Adrenoceptor Dysfunction After Inhibition of NO Synthesis

Gs protein–coupled &bgr;-adrenoceptors rapidly desensitize on exposure to agonists in reconstituted membrane preparations, whereas rapid tachyphylaxis to &bgr;-adrenoceptor–mediated vasodilation does not readily occur in vivo. This study examined the possibility that endothelium-derived nitrosyl factors prevent the rapid desensitization of &bgr;-adrenoceptors in the vascular smooth muscle of resistance arteries in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. The fall in mean arterial blood pressure and in hindquarter vascular resistance produced by the &bgr;-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol (ISO, 0.1 to 10 &mgr;g/kg IV) was slightly but significantly smaller in rats treated with the NO synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 &mgr;mol/kg IV) than in saline-treated rats. The ISO-induced fall in mesenteric resistance was similar in L-NAME–treated and in saline-treated rats. The fall in hindquarter vascular resistance and in mesenteric resistance produced by ISO (8×10 &mgr;g/kg IV) was subject to tachyphylaxis on repeated injection in rats treated with L-NAME (100 &mgr;mol/kg IV) but not in rats treated with saline. Injections of l-S-nitrosocysteine (1200 nmol/kg IV), a lipophobic S-nitrosothiol, before each injection of ISO (10 &mgr;g/kg IV) prevented tachyphylaxis to ISO in L-NAME–treated rats. The vasodilator effects of ISO (0.1 to 10 &mgr;g/kg IV) in L-NAME–treated rats that received 8 injections of ISO (10 &mgr;g/kg IV) were markedly smaller than in L-NAME–treated rats that received 8 injections of saline. These results indicate that (1) the vasodilator actions of ISO in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats only minimally involve the release of endothelium-derived nitrosyl factors, (2) the effects of ISO are subject to development of tachyphylaxis in L-NAME–treated rats, and (3) tachyphylaxis to ISO is prevented by l-S-nitrosocysteine. These findings suggest that endothelium-derived nitrosyl factors may prevent desensitization of &bgr;-adrenoceptors in vivo.
EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF FREE GRACILIS MUSCLE TRANSPLANTS IN DOGS WITH MICROSURGICAL VASCULAR ANASTOMOSIS

The present study was carried out on gracilis muscles of 45 clinically healthy national breed adult dogs of both sexes and of different ages (1:5 years). The examined animals were classified into two groups. Group I: Anatomical study was performed to identify the vascular pattern of the gracilis muscle in five dogs. Group II (Free muscle transplantation); in this group, the gracilis muscle flap was transplanted in 40 dogs either orthotopic or heterotopic. The transplanted gracilis muscles were evaluated clinically, histopathologically and postmortum angiography. The study proved that, gracilis muscle is considered one of the most suitable free muscle flaps in dogs. This is based on its superficial location and its supply with major pedicle and minor pedicle.
Does discussion of family planning improve knowledge of partner's attitude toward contraceptives?

CONTEXT Results from an analysis of 1998 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from Kenya, where the approval rate of family planning is 90%, have cast doubt on the assumption that spousal discussion improves knowledge of partner's attitude toward family planning. However, it is not known whether this finding also applies to contexts more typical of Sub-Saharan Africa, where approval is not as high. METHODS DHS data from 21 Sub-Saharan African countries were used to assess the relationship between spousal discussion and correct reporting of partner's attitude toward family planning. Multivariate analyses of data from Chad were conducted to further examine this relationship in a setting where contraceptive approval was not high. RESULTS In every country, the proportion of women correctly reporting their spouse's disapproval of contraception was smaller among those who had discussed family planning with their husband than among those who had never done so. However, in an analysis of Chad data that included women who did not know their husband's attitude toward contraception, proportions of women correctly citing their husband's attitude were larger if discussion had occurred than if it had not, regardless of the husband's actual approval status. In multivariate analyses of Chad data that controlled for women's demographic characteristics, discussion was positively associated with correct reporting of husband's approval, but negatively associated with correct reporting of his disapproval. CONCLUSIONS Partner discussion does not necessarily mean an increase in knowledge of a partner's contraceptive attitudes. Therefore, anticipated reductions in unmet need for contraception through improvements in spousal discussion may be overstated.
Hacia la hipertelevisión: los primeros síntomas de una nueva configuración del dispositivo televisivo

El texto propone un primer mapa de las transformaciones que ha sufrido la television desde la difusion de los nuevos medios interactivos. Si consideramos que las nuevas textualidades conviven con las tradicionales dentro de una misma ecologia mediatica, puede resultar pertinente analizar las contaminaciones entre ellas. La television del siglo XXI le esta hablando a un espectador formado en otras experiencias mediaticas, lo cual le obliga a modificar sus dispositivos gramaticales y narrativos. En el articulo se analizan algunos rasgos pertinentes de aquella que hemos dado en llamar hipertelevision.
Achieving the American Dream: Facilitators and Barriers to Health and Mental Health for Latino Immigrants

Latinos are the largest minority group in the U.S. For Latino immigrants, a shift in migration from larger to smaller cities has recently occurred; the Latino immigrant population in Charlotte, North Carolina, has increased by 634% since 1990. The extent to which immigrants can achieve health and well-being is often related to employment, healthcare access, and social support. This study explored the human, social, and financial capital circumstances of Latino immigrants new to Charlotte and examined the effects of different aspects of capital on health outcomes. Findings indicate that capital is significantly associated with functional status and depression. Implications for social work are discussed.
An EEG-NIRS ear-module SoC for wearable drowsiness monitoring system

An electroencephalogram (EEG) — near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) ear-module SoC is proposed for the non-intrusive wearable drowsiness monitoring system. The proposed SoC is integrated into earpiece-type system with ear hook and it can show the driver drowsiness states with multimodal measurement. It has 3 key building blocks; 1) multi-dimensional compensation transimpedance amplifier with ambient current rejection of 0.1–12.8nA and extra-cerebral current rejection of 0.2–4nA for world-first ear-NIRS. 2) SNR-optimizing VCSEL driver for minimizing driving current with 7 bit DAC 3) reconfigurable impedance boosting loop for the input impedance > 5GΩ As a result, it shows over 60% accuracy to classify the 3 missed stimuli on Oxford Sleep Resistance Test. The proposed ear-module SoC of 0.45 × 2.25mm2 is fabricated in 0.11 μm CMOS technology. It dissipates 14mA in the worst case with duty-cycling.
Isolation and Genetic Characterization of a Coinfection of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT A coinfection of O177:NM and O55:H7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) was identified for a child with acute bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome by using culture and serotype-specific molecular reagents. The profile of O157-related genetic islands revealed that the O55:H7 isolate was highly similar to O157 STEC whereas the O177:NM isolate lacked several fimbrial O islands and non-locus-of-enterocyte-effacement effector determinants. However, both STEC serotypes are known to cause serious disease, and the significant repertoire of virulence determinants in both strains made it impossible to determine their individual contributions to the clinical symptoms.
Finance and Growth at the Firm Level: Evidence from SBA Loans

We analyze linked databases on all Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, on all SBA lenders, and on all U.S. employers to estimate the effects of financial access on employment growth. Our methods combine regressions with matching on firm age, size, industry, year, and employment history, and with instrumental variables capturing ease of access to SBA lenders. The estimation results imply an increase of 3-4 jobs for each million dollars of loans, suggesting that credit constraints impede small business growth prior to loan receipt. We also investigate the variation in estimated employment effects for the SBA 504 versus 7(a) programs, and with respect to the business cycle, local credit conditions, and within-county versus non-SBA county-industry control firms. Finally, for loans issued over the 1992-2007 period, we estimate total job creation of 1.0-2.1 million and the government's cost per job of $8,200-$18,000 measured five years after the loan year.
Mortality after emergent trauma laparotomy: A multicenter, retrospective study.

BACKGROUND Two decades ago, hypotensive trauma patients requiring emergent laparotomy had a 40% mortality. In the interim, multiple interventions to decrease hemorrhage-related mortality have been implemented but few have any documented evidence of change in outcomes for patients requiring emergent laparotomy. The purpose of this study was to determine current mortality rates for patients undergoing emergent trauma laparotomy. METHODS A retrospective cohort of all adult, emergent trauma laparotomies performed in 2012 to 2013 at 12 Level I trauma centers was reviewed. Emergent trauma laparotomy was defined as emergency department (ED) admission to surgical start time in 90 minutes or less. Hypotension was defined as arrival ED systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≤90 mm Hg. Cause and time to death was also determined. Continuous data are presented as median (interquartile range [IQR]). RESULTS One thousand seven hundred six patients underwent emergent trauma laparotomy. The cohort was predominately young (31 years; IQR, 24-45), male (84%), sustained blunt trauma (67%), and with moderate injuries (Injury Severity Score, 19; IQR, 10-33). The time in ED was 24 minutes (IQR, 14-39) and time from ED admission to surgical start was 42 minutes (IQR, 30-61). The most common procedures were enterectomy (23%), hepatorrhaphy (20%), enterorrhaphy (16%), and splenectomy (16%). Damage control laparotomy was used in 38% of all patients and 62% of hypotensive patients. The Injury Severity Score for the entire cohort was 19 (IQR, 10-33) and 29 (IQR, 18-41) for the hypotensive group. Mortality for the entire cohort was 21% with 60% of deaths due to hemorrhage. Mortality in the hypotensive group was 46%, with 65% of deaths due to hemorrhage. CONCLUSION Overall mortality rate of a trauma laparotomy is substantial (21%) with hemorrhage accounting for 60% of the deaths. The mortality rate for hypotensive patients (46%) appears unchanged over the last two decades and is even more concerning, with almost half of patients presenting with an SBP of 90 mm Hg or less dying.
Mitochondrial permeability transition in acetaminophen‐induced necrosis and apoptosis of cultured mouse hepatocytes

Acetaminophen overdose causes massive hepatic failure via mechanisms involving glutathione depletion, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The ultimate target of acetaminophen causing cell death remains uncertain, and the role of apoptosis in acetaminophen‐induced cell killing is still controversial. Our aim was to evaluate the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) as a key factor in acetaminophen‐induced necrotic and apoptotic killing of primary cultured mouse hepatocytes. After administration of 10 mmol/L acetaminophen, necrotic killing increased to more than 49% and 74%, respectively, after 6 and 16 hours. MPT inhibitors, cyclosporin A (CsA), and NIM811 temporarily decreased necrotic killing after 6 hours to 26%, but cytoprotection was lost after 16 hours. Confocal microscopy revealed mitochondrial depolarization and inner membrane permeabilization approximately 4.5 hours after acetaminophen administration. CsA delayed these changes, indicative of the MPT, to approximately 11 hours after acetaminophen administration. Apoptosis indicated by nuclear changes, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end labeling, and caspase‐3 activation also increased after acetaminophen administration. Fructose (20 mmol/L, an adenosine triphosphate–generating glycolytic substrate) plus glycine (5 mmol/L, a membrane stabilizing amino acid) prevented nearly all necrotic cell killing but paradoxically increased apoptosis from 37% to 59% after 16 hours. In the presence of fructose plus glycine, CsA decreased apoptosis and delayed but did not prevent the MPT. In conclusion, after acetaminophen a CsA‐sensitive MPT occurred after 3 to 6 hours followed by a CsA‐insensitive MPT 9 to 16 hours after acetaminophen. The MPT then induces ATP depletion–dependent necrosis or caspase‐dependent apoptosis as determined, in part, by ATP availability from glycolysis. (HEPATOLOGY 2004;40:1170–1179.)
Response to Robert Feenstra , Hong Ma , and Yuan Xu ’ s Comment on Autor , Dorn , and Hanson ( AER 2013 )

A 2017 comment by Feenstra, Ma, and Xu (FMX) claims that the estimation results on the impact of import competition on labor-market outcomes in Autor, Dorn and Hanson’s 2013 AER article (ADH) are biased by the exclusion of controls for contemporaneous changes in housing prices. In investigating these concerns, we find that (a) the trend component of local housing-price changes on which FMX primarily rely is highly likely to be endogenous to trade shocks, and (b) when one incorporates measures of plausibly exogenous changes in housing prices into the main ADH specifications, there is little change in ADH’s main empirical results. The key conclusions in FMX’s comment stem from either using endogenous house price changes—which are themselves affected by the China trade shock, as documented by extant literature—or by employing an instrumentation strategy that inadvertently uses the China trade shock as an instrument for house price changes and then incorrectly infers that house price changes (not the China shock) are the cause of adverse employment outcomes. We conclude that the main critique provided by the comment is not supported empirically.
Maintaining Close Relationships

This research examined the dual function of gratitude for relationship maintenance in close relationships. In a longitudinal study among married couples, the authors tested the dyadic effects of gratitude over three time points for approximately 4 years following marriage. They found that feelings of gratitude toward a partner stem from the partner’s relationship maintenance behaviors, partly because such behaviors create the perception of responsiveness to one’s needs. In turn, gratitude motivates partners to engage in relationship maintenance. Hence, the present model emphasizes that gratitude between close partners (a) originates from partners’ relationship maintenance behaviors and the perception of a partner’s responsiveness and (b) promotes a partner’s reciprocal maintenance behaviors. Thus, the authors’ findings add credence to their model, in that gratitude contributes to a reciprocal process of relationship maintenance, whereby each partner’s maintenance behaviors, perceptions of responsiveness, and feelings of gratitude feed back on and influence the other’s behaviors, perceptions, and feelings.