Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Speech perception in noise in elderly hearing aids users with different microphones and noise reduction algorithm

Objetivo: Avaliar o reconhecimento de fala no ruído em idosos, novos usuários de próteses auditivas, com microfone direcional e redutor de ruído e verificar qual recurso proporciona melhor inteligibilidade de fala. Métodos: Participaram 36 indivíduos, entre 60 e 87 anos de idade, com perda auditiva neurossensorial de grau leve a moderadamente severo. Foi aplicado o teste Listas de Sentenças em Português Brasileiro, em campo sonoro, obtendo os Índices Percentuais de Reconhecimento de Sentenças no Ruído (IPRSR) com próteses auditivas, com quatro diferentes ajustes: microfone omnidirecional (MO); redutor de ruído e microfone omnidirecional (RR+MO); microfone direcional (MD); e redutor de ruído e microfone direcional (RR+MD). Resultados: Quando fala e ruído incidiram a 0o/0o azimute, a mediana dos escores de acertos dos IPRSR foi 76,74% com o uso do MO; 84,95% com RR+MO; 84,40% com MD e 86,63% com RR+MD. Ao comparar os resultados, houve diferenças entre MO e MD; MO e RR+MD; RR+MO e MD; RR+MO e RR+MD. Quando o ruído incidiu a 0o/180o azimute, a mediana dos IPRSR foi de 77,4% com o uso do MO; 83,79% com RR+MO; 89,46% com MD e 91,99 com RR+MD. Ao comprar os resultados, houve diferenças entre os desempenhos com o MO e MD; MO e RR+MD; RR+MO e MD; RR+MO e RR+MD. Conclusão: Foram observados melhores resultados com o uso do RR e do MD nas duas situações de avaliação, porém, na situação com ruído a 0o/180o azimute o MD proporcionou um desempenho ainda mais satisfatório.
Decline and recovery of total column ozone using a multimodel time series analysis

Simulations of 15 coupled chemistry climate models, for the period 1960–2100, are presented. The models include a detailed stratosphere, as well as including a realistic representation of the tropospheric climate. The simulations assume a consistent set of changing greenhouse gas concentrations, as well as temporally varying chlorofluorocarbon concentrations in accordance with observations for the past and expectations for the future. The ozone results are analyzed using a nonparametric additive statistical model. Comparisons are made with observations for the recent past, and the recovery of ozone, indicated by a return to 1960 and 1980 values, is investigated as a function of latitude. Although chlorine amounts are simulated to return to 1980 values by about 2050, with only weak latitudinal variations, column ozone amounts recover at different rates due to the influence of greenhouse gas changes. In the tropics, simulated peak ozone amounts occur by about 2050 and thereafter total ozone column declines. Consequently, simulated ozone does not recover to values which existed prior to the early 1980s. The results also show a distinct hemispheric asymmetry, with recovery to 1980 values in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics ahead of the chlorine return by about 20 years. In the Southern Hemisphere midlatitudes, ozone is simulated to return to 1980 levels only 10 years ahead of chlorine. In the Antarctic, annually averaged ozone recovers at about the same rate as chlorine in high latitudes and hence does not return to 1960s values until the last decade of the simulations.
Concomitant cryoballoon ablation and percutaneous closure of left atrial appendage in patients with atrial fibrillation.

AIMS Pulmonary veins (PVs) isolation is the cornerstone of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation and can be achieved either by conventional radiofrequency ablation or by cryoenergy. Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure has been proposed as alternative treatment to vitamin K antagonists (VKA). We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of combining cryoballoon (CB) ablation and LAA occlusion in patients with AF and a high thromboembolic risk or contraindication to antithrombotic therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty-five patients (28 males, 74 ± 2 years) underwent CB ablation. Left atrial appendage occlusion was carried out by using two occluder devices (Amplatz Cardiac Plug, ACP, St. Jude Medical, MN, USA, in 25 patients; Watchman, Boston Scientific, MA, USA, in 10 patients). Thirty patients (86%) had previous stroke/TIA episodes, 6 patients (17%) had major bleeding while on VKA therapy, and 7 patients (20%) had inherited bleeding disorders. Over the follow-up (24 ± 12 months), atrial arrhythmias recurred in 10 (28%) patients. Thirty patients (86%) had complete sealing; 5 patients (14%) showed a residual flow (<5 mm) at first transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) check, while at 1-year TEE residual flow was detected in 3 patients. In 13 patients (37%), VKA therapy was immediately discontinued. Six patients (17%) received novel oral anticoagulants treatment and then discontinued 3 months thereafter. No device-related complications or clinical thromboembolic events occurred. CONCLUSION Combined CB ablation and LAA closure using different devices appears to be feasible in patients with non-valvular AF associated with high risk of stroke or contraindication to antithrombotic treatment.
A real-world deployment of the COACH prompting system

The loss of cognition associated with dementia affects an individual's ability to participate in even the most fundamental activities of daily living ADL. Assistive technology for cognition ATC has shown potential to support ADL completion, but few devices have undergone real-world deployments. The COACH is an existing ATC that has been shown in supervised trials to support older adults with dementia through the ADL of hand washing. This paper presents the results of a study of the COACH in a long-term, real-world, community-based deployment.The COACH was installed in a washroom at the Toronto Memory Program. The COACH was configured to run in an unsupervised state, interacting with users when they were not progressing through the task. Video was collected from an overhead camera, and was manually annotated to determine the system's capabilities. The trials were conducted from February to May, 2012.Twenty participants contributed forty-one hand washing trials. Results suggest that the COACH was able to identify completed task steps with 46.6% accuracy and the participants' true performance with 54.9% accuracy. This study clarifies the need for more robust, accurate and generalized user tracking, including the use of three-dimensional tracking, gesture, grip and rotation detection.
Developing Robust Forms of Pre-Service Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge through Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching Analysis

This study documents and describes efforts to develop robust forms of pre-service teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge through a culturally responsive mathematics teaching approach. Embedded in a university K-8 mathematics methods course emphasising the connections among mathematics, children’s mathematical thinking, and children’s cultural/linguistic funds of knowledge, pre-service teachers (N=40) were given an assignment to analyse their own mathematics lessons utilizing a rubric tool with categories about children’s mathematical thinking, academic language supports, cultural funds of knowledge, and critical math/social justice. Utilizing a mixed methods approach to analyse the pre-service teachers’ (PST) work, we found the highest average self-ratings across the categories associated with children’s mathematical thinking and high variability in the categories related to language, culture, and social justice. To understand the variation within the latter three categories we qualitatively analysed PST written reflections. We found strong PST receptivity to supporting academic language for second language learners and integrating cultural funds of knowledge into mathematics lessons, and mixed receptivity to integrating social justice into mathematics lessons. However, a more nuanced analysis of teacher resistance revealed challenges with pedagogy rather than ideology. Implications for mathematics teacher education and strengthening pedagogical content knowledge of pre-service teachers are discussed.
Health Outcomes Associated with Initiation of Basal Insulin After 1, 2, or ≥ 3 Oral Antidiabetes Drug(s) Among Managed Care Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a progressive disease. Despite starting with single oral antidiabetes drug (OAD) therapy and then adding OAD(s), most patients eventually require insulin therapy to achieve and maintain glycemic control. The timely initiation of insulin therapy could help patients with T2DM whose glycemic control is not adequately maintained using OADs alone. OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare baseline characteristics and assess real-world health outcomes associated with initiating basal insulin after 1 OAD, 2 OADs, or ≥ 3 OADs among T2DM patients. METHODS: Data were analyzed from adult T2DM patients in a U.S. managed care claims database (IMPACT) who initiated a basal insulin (from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2011) with continuous health plan enrollment for 6 months before (baseline) and 12 months after (follow-up) insulin initiation and who had at least 1 OAD prescription. Outcome measures according to the number of OADs used were (a) treatment discontinuation, (b) glycated hemoglobin (A1c) levels, (c) proportion of patients experiencing hypoglycemia, (d) health care resource utilization, and (e) costs. RESULTS: Data from 71,988 patients were included (1 OAD: 19,168 patients [26.6%]; 2 OADs: 29,112 [40.4%]; and ≥ 3 OADs: 23,708 [32.9%]). All baseline characteristics, except nephropathy, were significantly different across the 3 groups. At baseline, when compared with the 1 OAD or 2 OADs groups, the ≥ 3 OADs group was less likely to be female or have macrovascular disease and had experienced fewer hypoglycemic events and hospitalization as well as lower costs. At follow-up, treatment discontinuation rates were 36.0%, 27.6%, and 21.4% for the 1 OAD, 2 OADs, and ≥ 3 OADs groups, respectively. A1c reduction was −1.33%, −1.05%, and −0.86%, respectively. The proportion of patients experiencing any hypoglycemia was 4.7%, 3.8%, and 3.3% at baseline; and 3.7%, 3.5%, and 3.1% at follow-up for the 1 OAD, 2 OADs, and ≥ 3 OADs groups, respectively. In all 3 groups, health care costs decreased compared with baseline, particularly in the 1 OAD and 2 OADs groups, with decreased inpatient costs offsetting increased drug costs. CONCLUSIONS: This real-world analysis shows that there are significant baseline differences in patients with T2DM on 1 OAD, 2 OADs, or ≥ 3 OADs when adding insulin therapy. All 3 groups had significant improvements in clinical and economic outcomes compared with baseline, yet at different magnitudes. These data contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the timely initiation of insulin therapy for T2DM patients not maintaining glycemic control with OADs.
Homelessness and the Meaning of Home: Rooflessness or Rootlessness?

This paper has several objectives. These are: (1) to analyse the meaning of homelessness in the light of recent contributions on the meaning of home: (2) to criticize some current perspectives on homelessness as a social problem; (3) to identify and explore a number of different dimensions of the meaning of home and homelessness; (4) to reassess the evidence on the context of home and homelessness, and re-examine the meaning of homelessness in the light of that reassessed evidence; and (5) to explain the political meaning of homelessness as expressed in official definitions, legislation and state provision (or lack of it).
Common mode EMI evaluation of a single-switch forward converter

In switching power converters, electromagnetic emissions should be managed and reduced to avoid interferences with the normal operation of the converter or nearby systems. Forward converters are widely used in low and medium powers which need transformer-reset schemes. In this paper, conducted common-mode EMI prediction of a single-switch forward converter is presented considering main parasitics including PCB traces. The accuracy of simulation results is examined via experimental results. Also, effects of three traditional transformer-reset methods on the conducted common mode EMI are evaluated based on the EMI measurement to select the proper core reset scheme from the EMI viewpoint.
Identifying error-box parameters from the twelve-term vector network analyzer error model

Two models describing the systematic measurement error in a two port vector network analyzer are in use. Conditions relating the twelve E-term error model and physically based eight S-term error box model are derived. Three practical E- to S-term conversion algorithms are presented. An example VNA test set is analyzed as to allow for measurement interpretation. Reported results show the limitations of each algorithm.
Decision support systems for air traffic controllers based on the analysis of their decision-making processes

The growth of air traffic generates a multitude of data and parameters that makes it increasing difficult for air traffic controllers to choose rapidly and safely what to decide. The study of air-traffic control of full or partial automation over the past years highlights the need for better tools to meet the challenges of modern air-traffic management. Initial attempts of full automation have mistakenly side lined air-traffic controllers in their role as key players in air-traffic management. This has led to human-machine cooperation studies that actively involve air-traffic controllers in the resolution of problems. Such studies show the advantages of creating cooperative tools in concert with the conflict management process. The designing of conflict resolution tools in this way implies, however, detailed knowledge of air traffic controllers’ decision-making processes. To do this, we have developed a cooperative multi-criteria approach based on data taken from case study interviews. This shows how it is possible to extract criteria and preferences in designing bottom-up decision aiding tools. In doing this, we have laid down the foundation for the creation of decision support system.
Automatic Intelligent Analysis of Malware Behaviour

(cid:2) Abstract — In this paper, we describe the use of formal methods to model malware behaviour. The modelling of harmful behaviour rests upon syntactic structures that represent malicious procedures inside malware. The malicious activities are modelled by a formal grammar, where API calls’ components are the terminals and the set of API calls used in combination to achieve a goal are designated non-terminals. The combination of different non-terminals in various ways and tiers make up the attack vectors that are used by harmful software. Based on these syntactic structures a parser can be generated which takes execution traces as input for pattern recognition.
B56-Associated Protein Phosphatase 2A Is Required For Survival and Protects from Apoptosis in Drosophila melanogaster

ABSTRACT Protein phosphorylation and specific protein kinases can initiate signal transduction pathways leading to programmed cell death. The specific protein phosphatases regulating apoptosis have been more elusive. Using double-stranded RNA-mediated interference (RNAi), the role of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in cellular signaling was investigated. Knockdown of A or C subunits individually or of combined B subunits led to concurrent loss of nontargeted PP2A subunits, suggesting that PP2A is an obligate heterotrimer in vivo. Global knockdown of PP2A activity or specific loss of redundant B56 regulatory subunits caused cell death with the morphological and biochemical changes characteristic of apoptosis in cultured S2 cells. B56:PP2A-regulated apoptosis required caspases and the upstream regulators dark, reaper, head involution defective, and dp53. In Drosophila embryos, knockdown of B56-regulated PP2A activity resulted in apoptosis and failure of gastrulation, an effect that was blocked by concurrent RNAi of the caspase Drice. B56-regulated PP2A activity appears to be required upstream of dp53 to maintain a critical proapoptotic substrate in a dephosphorylated, inactive state, thereby preventing apoptosis in Drosophila S2 cells.
Thiopental directly depresses lumbar dorsal horn neuronal responses to noxious mechanical stimulation in goats

Background: Thiopental has hypnotic actions in the brain, but it also depresses nociceptive transmission. In this study we examined whether thiopental had direct (spinal) and/or indirect (supraspinal) effects on the responses of single lumbar dorsal horn neurons to noxious mechanical stimulation, using a method to deliver thiopental differentially to either the torso or cranial circulation in goats.
Soziale Herkunft und Kompetenzerwerb

In diesem Kapitel werden vier Fragestellungen untersucht. Die ersten beiden Fragestellungen beziehen sich auf den internationalen Vergleich zwischen den OECD-Staaten. Dabei wird analysiert, wie hoch der Zusammenhang zwischen dem soziookonomischen Status und der Lesekompetenz der Jugendlichen in den OECD-Staaten ist. Im Vergleich zwischen den Erhebungen 2000, 2003, 2006 und 2009 wird dann gepruft, inwieweit sich diese Zusammenhange in den einzelnen OECD-Staaten erhoht oder verringert haben. Zwei weitere Fragestellungen betreffen vertiefende Analysen fur Deutschland. Anhand von zusatzlichen Angaben aus nationalen Fragebogeninstrumenten wird untersucht, wie sich Jugendliche aus unterschiedlichen Sozialschichten in Merkmalen der familiaren Herkunft und der schulischen Lernumgebung unterscheiden. Im Vergleich uber die Zeit wird schlieslich gepruft, wie sich bei den Jugendlichen die sozialschichtspezifischen Disparitaten in den Kompetenzen und in der Bildungsbeteiligung zwischen PISA 2000 und 2009 verringert oder erhoht haben. Ubergeordnetes Ziel dieses Kapitels ist es somit, die sozialen Disparitaten des Kompetenzerwerbs und der Bildungsbeteiligung fur die Funfzehnjahrigen in Deutschland zu beschreiben und im Vergleich zwischen den OECD-Staaten sowie im Vergleich mit den fruheren PISA-Erhebungen zu interpretieren. Im folgenden Abschnitt 7.2. 1 werden zunachst die theoretischen Grundlagen der verwendeten Indikatoren zur Beschreibung der sozialen Herkunft skizziert. Die Ergebnisse des internationalen Vergleichs und der differenzierten Analysen unter Einbezug nationaler Herkunftsindikatoren werden in den Abschnitten 7.2. 2 und 7.2. 3 berichtet. Das Kapitel schliest mit einer Zusammenfassung und Diskussion in Abschnitt 7.2. 4. Fur weitere Informationen, insbesondere uber Schulerinnen und Schuler mit Migrationshintergrund sowie zur Leseforderung im Elternhaus wird auf die Kapitel 7.1 und 7.3 verwiesen. (DIPF/Orig.)
Opinion on quantitative histological studies and the re-assessment of the BSE related risk of bovine intestines after processing into natural sausage casings 1

Olivier Andreoletti, Herbert Budka, Sava Buncic, Pierre Colin, John D Collins, Aline De Koeijer, John Griffin, Arie Havelaar, James Hope, Gunter Klein, Hilde Kruse, Simone Magnino, Antonio Martinez Lopez, James McLauchlin, Christophe Nguyen-The, Karsten Noeckler, Birgit Noerrung, Miguel Prieto Maradona, Terence Roberts, Ivar Vagsholm, Emmanuel Vanopdenbosch.
Does incontinence severity correlate with quality of life? Prospective analysis of 502 consecutive patients

Objective The Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI) is widely used in the assessment of patients with faecal incontinence, but the relationship between FISI and the measurements of quality of life, such as the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQL) and the Medical Outcomes Survey (SF‐36) has not been evaluated previously. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between disease severity and quality of life in a large cohort of patients.
A New Parallel Algorithm for Time-Slot Assignment in Hierarchical Switching Systems

The time-slot assignment (TSA) problem in a TDM switching system is to find a conflict-free assignment of traffic-units to slots such that the frame-length is minimized. In this paper, we develop a new parallel algorithm for the TSA problem in hierarchical switching systems (HSS). To design the parallel algorithm, we first reduce the TSA problem to the problem of routing permutations in three-stage Clos networks; we also show how this reduction can be achieved in polylogarithmic time using a polynomial number of processors on the EREW PRAM model. Once this reduction is achieved, we use existing parallel algorithms in literature to route permutations in Clos networks. The overall time-complexity of our parallel algorithm is O(log/sup 3/ X) using O(MX) processors, where X=max{M, L}, M is the number of inputs of the HSS, and L is the length of the time-slot assignment. This result is a significant improvement upon the earlier parallel algorithms, which require O(M/sup 2/ log M log L) time and O(ML) processors to solve the TSA problem.
Clinical implication of recent advances in our understanding of IL-17 and reproductive immunology

The identification of a novel helper T (Th)-cell subset, the IL-17-producing Th (Th17) cells, has provided new insight into our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of reproduction. IL-17 has an important role in induction of the protective immune response against extracellular bacteria or fungal pathogens. Th17 cells seem to participate in successful pregnancy processes. Th17 cells also play a pivotal role in pathogenesis of endometriosis, miscarriage, preterm labor and preeclampsia. Recent data show the reciprocal development of pathways between Th1/Th17 subsets and between Th17/Treg subsets, and the imbalance of Th17/Treg development has been reported in recurrent pregnancy loss and preeclampsia.
Effects of puzzle feeders on pathological behavior in individually housed rhesus monkeys

Self‐injurious behavior (SIB) occurs in about 10% of individually housed monkeys. Monkeys with SIB bite their own bodies frequently, occasionally inflicting wounds as a result. At present, there is no standard treatment for this phenomenon. We examined the effectiveness of puzzle feeders in alleviating SIB in monkeys with a veterinary record of self‐inflicted wounding. Two groups of monkeys (SIB and controls) were exposed to puzzle feeders for a 6 week period. Three levels of maze difficulty were examined. All monkeys used the feeders, but manipulation was confined to a brief period immediately after the feeders were loaded each day (1000 h) and was infrequent during the later sampling periods (1100 and 1400 h). The most difficult maze yielded a slight increase in usage at 1100 h. During the puzzle feeder phase, whole body stereotypies, including pacing and rocking, were reduced substantially in all monkeys at 1000 h when feeder manipulation was at its highest. However, self‐biting in the SIB group was unchanged. Some monkeys actually bit themselves while manipulating the feeder. Long‐term effects on abnormal behavior were assessed by comparing behavior during the feeder phase to baseline periods and to a phase in which the monkeys were provisioned with treats placed directly into their food box. Whole body stereotypies, including pacing, were reduced during both treatment phases; however, the reduction was associated only with the 1000 h observation. Puzzle feeders were more effective than treats alone in alleviating whole body stereotypies. Self‐biting was unchanged through all phases. Puzzle feeders are beneficial from the perspective of eliciting manipulation. They also yield transient reductions in whole body stereotypy, an effect that does not extend beyond the direct manipulation of the feeder. Puzzle feeders are ineffective in alleviating self‐injurious behavior. Am. J. Primatol. 46:213–227, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.