Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The benefit of combining a deep neural network architecture with ideal ratio mask estimation in computational speech segregation to improve speech intelligibility

Computational speech segregation attempts to automatically separate speech from noise. This is challenging in conditions with interfering talkers and low signal-to-noise ratios. Recent approaches have adopted deep neural networks and successfully demonstrated speech intelligibility improvements. A selection of components may be responsible for the success with these state-of-the-art approaches: the system architecture, a time frame concatenation technique and the learning objective. The aim of this study was to explore the roles and the relative contributions of these components by measuring speech intelligibility in normal-hearing listeners. A substantial improvement of 25.4 percentage points in speech intelligibility scores was found going from a subband-based architecture, in which a Gaussian Mixture Model-based classifier predicts the distributions of speech and noise for each frequency channel, to a state-of-the-art deep neural network-based architecture. Another improvement of 13.9 percentage points was obtained by changing the learning objective from the ideal binary mask, in which individual time-frequency units are labeled as either speech- or noise-dominated, to the ideal ratio mask, where the units are assigned a continuous value between zero and one. Therefore, both components play significant roles and by combining them, speech intelligibility improvements were obtained in a six-talker condition at a low signal-to-noise ratio.
Central Precocious Puberty Caused by a Heterozygous Deletion in the MKRN3 Promoter Region

Context: Loss-of-function mutations in the coding region of MKRN3, a maternally imprinted gene at chromosome 15q11.2, are a common cause of familial central precocious puberty (CPP). Whether MKRN3 alterations in regulatory regions can cause CPP has not been explored to date. We aimed to investigate potential pathogenic variants in the promoter region of MKRN3 in patients with idiopathic CPP. Patients/Methods: A cohort of 110 patients with idiopathic CPP was studied. Family history of precocious sexual development was present in 25%. Mutations in the coding region of MKRN3 were excluded in all patients. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes, and 1,100 nucleotides (nt) of the 5′-regulatory region of MKRN3 were amplified and sequenced. Luciferase assays were performed in GT1–7 cells transiently transfected with plasmids containing mutated and wild-type MKRN3 promoter. Results: We identified a rare heterozygous 4-nt deletion (c.-150_-147delTCAG; –38 to –41 nt upstream to the transcription start site) in the proximal promoter region of MKRN3 in a girl with CPP. In silico analysis predicted that this deletion would lead to the loss of a binding site for a downstream responsive element antagonist modulator (DREAM), a potential transcription factor for MKRN3 and GNRH1 expression. Luciferase assays demonstrated a significant reduction of MKRN3 promoter activity in transfected cells with a c. -150_- 147delTCAG construct plasmid in both homozygous and heterozygous states when compared with cells transfected with the corresponding wild-type MKRN3 promoter region. Conclusion: A rare genetic alteration in the regulatory region of MKRN3 causes CPP.
Effect of different proportion of organic and inorganic nutrients on productivity and profitability of potato (Solanum tuberosum) varieties in Meghalaya hills

A field experiment was conducted during summer seasons of 2005 and 2006 at Shillong in split plot design having three potato varieties in the main plots and six organic-inorganic nutrient combinations in the sub-plots with four replications. Among the varieties, Kufr i Megha recorded significantly higher tuber yield when compared with Kufri Giriraj and Kufri Jyoti. Number of tubers/plant, mean tuber weight, marketable and total tuber yield of potato increased significantly due to the use of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) i.e. 120-52.4-50 kg N-P-K/ha or 75% RDF + 25% recommended dose of N (RDN) through FYM. The yield components and tuber yield decreased gradually as the crop received higher proportion of plant nutrients through FYM. Accordingly, substitution of RDN by FYM resulted in lower tuber productivity which was significantly lower than those of other organic-inorganic combinations except control. Kufri Megha receiving RDF or 75% RDF + 25% RDN through FYM produced the highest tuber yield (27.11/26.98 t/ha) among all treatment combinations. High net return was obtained from the crop receiving 100% RDF or 25% RDN through FYM + 75% RDF. Kufr i Megha at RDF or 75% RDF + 25% RDN through FYM may be recommended for better growth, higher tuber yield and greater net return from potato cultiva- tion in the North Eastern Hill Region of Meghalaya.
EFFECTS OF WALKING VERSUS COMPLETING A NEUROCOGNITIVE TASK ON BREATHING PHYSIOLOGY IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS – A PILOT STUDY

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of walking at different speeds and elevation versus completing a neurocognitive task on end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) and respiratory rate (RR) in a healthy population. Eleven healthy participants completed the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) battery and walked on a treadmill under four conditions (slow versus fast walking and uphill versus downhill). A CapnoTrainer was used to measure ETCO2 and RR during the tasks. Statistically significant increases were observed in RR (t(10)=5.52, p=. 001) during the ImPACT; ETCO2 (F(4,7)=14.18, p=. 002) during all four walking trials; and RR (F(4,7)=7.02, p=. 01) during the last three walking trials. Therefore, future investigations using a similar methodology and protocol are warranted in a concussed population.
Use of the Richards equation in land surface parameterizations

Accurately modeling infiltration and soil moisture within land surface parameterization schemes (LSPs) of coupled land surface-atmosphere models is essential for producing realistic simulations of energy and moisture fluxes and for partitioning precipitation into infiltration, surface runoff, and drainage to groundwater. This report compares simulations of soil moisture, runoff, infiltration, and drainage to groundwater for a bare clay loam using three approaches: a finite difference solution of the vertically integrated Richards equation (an approach commonly used in LSPs), a highly resolved (spatially and temporally) finite element solution of Richards equation, and an analytical kinematic wave solution of Richards equation. Comparisons show that depth-averaged soil moisture simulated using the vertically integrated Richards equation is only similar to those of the finite element solution for vertical spatial discretizations finer than those employed by most state-of-the-art land surface-atmosphere transfer schemes. The vertically integrated Richards equation overpredicts soil moisture in the near-surface soil column and underpredicts drainage to groundwater. The infiltration formulation is found to be critical in partitioning precipitation into runoff, soil moisture, and drainage. Different infiltration formulations and vertical spatial discretizations may partly explain the very different land surface moisture and energy fluxes reported by the LSPs evaluated as part of the Project for Intercomparison of Land Surface Parameterization Schemes (PILPS) Phase 2(b) experiment.
Targeting tumor cell plasticity by combined inhibition of NOTCH and MAPK signaling in colon cancer

In colorectal cancer, signaling pathways driving tumor progression are promising targets for systemic therapy. Besides WNT and MAPK signaling, activation of NOTCH signaling is found in most tumors. Here, we demonstrate that high NOTCH activity marks a distinct colon cancer cell subpopulation with low levels of WNT and MAPK activity and with a pronounced epithelial phenotype. Therapeutic targeting of MAPK signaling had limited effects on tumor growth and caused expansion of tumor cells with high NOTCH activity, whereas upon targeting NOTCH signaling, tumor cells with high MAPK activity prevailed. Lineage-tracing experiments indicated high plasticity between both tumor cell subpopulations as a mechanism for treatment resistance. Combined targeting of NOTCH and MAPK had superior therapeutic effects on colon cancer growth in vivo. These data demonstrate that tumor cells may evade systemic therapy through tumor cell plasticity and provide a new rationale for simultaneous targeting of different colon cancer cell subpopulations.
Epiphytic and endophytic bacteria that promote growth of ethnomedicinal plants in the subtropical forests of Meghalaya, India.

The present study was aimed to investigate the endophytic and epiphytic bacteria associated with selected ethnomedicinal plants from the pristine subtropical forests of Meghalaya and analyse them for plant growth promotion and antagonistic ability. This study is an attempt to explore plant associated bacteria which are beneficial to host plants, and thus aid in the conservation of ethnomedicinal plants of the studied subtropical forests, which are dwindling due to exploitation. The plant growth promotion parameters like indole acetic acid (IAA) production, mineral phosphate solubilisation, acid phosphatase activity, presence of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase (ACC) gene, nitrogen fixation, cellulose digestion, chitin and pectin degrada- tion were screened among the isolates. The study revealed significant differences in bacterial population not only between the epiphytic and endophytic microhabitats, but also amongst the host plants. Out of the 70 isolated plant associated bacteria, Bacillus sp. , Serratia sp. , Pseudomonas sp. , Pantoea sp. , and Lysinibacillus sp. showed potent plant growth promotion properties. Bacillus siamensis C53 and B. subtilis cenB showed significant antagonistic activity against the tested pathogens. This study indicated the isolates inhabiting the plants prevalent in the subtropical sacred forests could be explored for use as plant growth promoters while practising the cultiva- tion and conservation of ethnomedicinal plants.
Estimation of Genetic Parameters and Prediction of 2 Genotypic Values in Common Beans Using Mixed 3 Models 4

In the international scenario of agriculture, Brazil stands out as the main producer and 15 consumer of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) The increase in the productive potential of the crop 16 is mainly due to breeding programs. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters, 17 predict genotypic values with REML/BLUP (Restricted Maximum Likelihood/Best Linear Unbiased 18 Prediction) and, based on these values, study the variability in common bean cultivars with carioca 19 and black grain. Twenty three agromorphological descriptors were evaluated, among them grain 20 yield. Deviance analysis detected significant differences between the cultivars in both groups. 21 Selective accuracy (Ac) was considered high for most of the traits. Broad-sense heritability (hg 2 ) 22 ranged from 0.05 to 0.72, but it was low for the trait yield (YLD). In the carioca grain group, the hg 2 23 values for the traits related to plant morphology were higher than in the black group. Nevertheless, 24 the hg 2 values in the black group were higher in relation to the pod and seed traits. The correlations 25 for YLD were moderate but different in the two commercial groups studied. In the black group, 26 variables related to the seed morphology were correlated with grain yield, and in the carioca group, 27 traits related to seed quantity. Based on the groupings, variability among the cultivars was 28 observed. Three distinct clusters were formed for the carioca group and four for the black group. 29 Based on the predicted genetic values, genetic variability and the most adapted and stable cultivars 30 were detected among the cultivars in the studied environments. 31
Recently introduced definition of "nociplastic pain" by the International Association for the Study of Pain needs better formulation.

Wewelcome the recent addition of a thirdmechanistic descriptor, “nociplastic pain,” to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Taxonomy, meant to cover cases not properly covered by “nociceptive pain” or “neuropathic pain. ” This note does not, therefore, question the basic rationale for introducing this new term. Thus, we accept the implication that there are at least 3 distinct mechanisms/processes (let us call them nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic) through which pain can arise, and that it is important to be clear about the differences among these mechanisms for proper diagnosis although “common mechanism(s) may be relevant” in certain cases. Rather, we would like to point out the inadequacy of the formulation of the definition, which runs as follows (numbers in parentheses added by us for ease of reference):
Reduced expression of adipose triglyceride lipase decreases arachidonic acid release and prostacyclin secretion in human aortic endothelial cells

Abstract Background: Vascular endothelial cells represent an important source of arachidonic acid (AA)-derived mediators involved in the generation of anti- or proatherogenic environments. Evidence emerged (in mast cells), that in addition to phospholipases, neutral lipid hydrolases as adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) also participate in this process. Objective: To examine the impact of ATGL on AA-release from cellular phospholipids (PL) and on prostacyclin secretion in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). Methods and results: siRNA-mediated silencing of ATGL promoted lipid droplet formation and TG accumulation in HAEC (nile red stain). ATGL knockdown decreased the basal and A23187 (calcium ionophore)-induced release of 14C-AA from (14C-AA-labeled) HAEC. In A23187-stimulated ATGL silenced cells, this was accompanied by a decreased content of 14C-AA in cellular PL and a decreased secretion of prostacyclin (determined by 6-keto PGF1α EIA). Conclusions: In vascular endothelial cells, the efficiency of stimulus-induced AA release and prostacyclin secretion is dependent on ATGL.
A 15 year slow‐slip event on the Sunda megathrust offshore Sumatra

In the Banyak Islands of Sumatra, coral microatoll records reveal a 15 year‐long reversal of interseismic vertical displacement from subsidence to uplift between 1966 and 1981. To explain these coral observations, we test four hypotheses, including regional sea level changes and various tectonic mechanisms. Our results show that the coral observations likely reflect a 15 year‐long slow‐slip event (SSE) on the Sunda megathrust. This long‐duration SSE exceeds the duration of previously reported SSEs and demonstrates the importance of multidecade geodetic records in illuminating the full spectrum of megathrust slip behavior at subduction zones.
Hypergraph framework for irreducible noncontextuality inequalities from logical proofs of the Kochen-Specker theorem

Kochen-Specker (KS) theorem reveals the inconsistency between quantum theory and any putative underlying model of it satisfying the constraint of KS-noncontextuality. A logical proof of the KS theorem is one that relies only on the compatibility relations amongst a set of projectors (a KS set) to witness this inconsistency. These compatibility relations can be represented by a hypergraph, referred to as a contextuality scenario. Here we consider contextuality scenarios that we term KS-uncolourable, e.g., those which appear in logical proofs of the KS theorem. We introduce a hypergraph framework to obtain noise-robust witnesses of contextuality from such scenarios. Our approach builds on the results of R. Kunjwal and R. W. Spekkens, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 110403 (2015), by providing new insights into the relationship between the structure of a contextuality scenario and the associated noise-robust noncontextuality inequalities that witness contextuality. The present work also forms a necessary counterpart to the framework presented in R. Kunjwal, Quantum 3, 184 (2019), which only applies to KS-colourable contextuality scenarios, i.e., those which do not admit logical proofs of the KS theorem but do admit statistical proofs. We rely on a single hypergraph invariant, defined in R. Kunjwal, Quantum 3, 184 (2019), that appears in our contextuality witnesses, namely, the weighted max-predictability. The present work can also be viewed as a study of this invariant. Significantly, unlike the case of R. Kunjwal, Quantum 3, 184 (2019), none of the graph invariants from the graph-theoretic framework for KS-contextuality due to Cabello, Severini, and Winter (the ``CSW framework", Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 040401 (2014)) are relevant for our noise-robust noncontextuality inequalities.
Systematic review of rehabilitation intervention outcomes of adult and paediatric patients with infectious encephalitis

Objective Although a range of rehabilitation interventions have been applied to restore function after infectious encephalitis, there is a lack of literature summarising the benefits of these interventions. This systematic review aims to synthesise current scientific knowledge on outcome measures following rehabilitative interventions among children and adults with infectious encephalitis, with a specific focus on the influence of the age, sex, baseline status and intervention type. Search strategy Five scholarly databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), three sources of grey literature (Google, Google Scholar and Grey Matters) and reference lists of included publications were systematically searched. Literature published before 15 December 2017 and focused on patients with infectious encephalitis in any rehabilitation setting were included. Quality assessment was completed using the Downs and Black rating scale. Results Of the 12 737 reference titles screened, 20 studies were included in this review. All of the studies had sample sizes of less than 25 patients and received a score of less than 15 out of 31 points on the Downs and Black rating scale. Findings showed a variety of interventions has been applied to alleviate sequelae from infectious encephalitis, including using cognitive therapy (nine studies), behavioural therapy (five studies), physical therapy (two studies) or two or more therapies (four studies). There was inconclusive evidence on the effect of sex, age and baseline functional abilities on outcomes. Due to clinical and methodological heterogeneity between studies, meta-analyses were not performed. Conclusion Evidence suggests the potential for a beneficial effect of rehabilitation interventions in patients with infectious encephalitis. Future research is required to identify all effect modifiers and to determine the effect of time in the natural course of recovery. An enhanced set of known effect modifiers will support the process of future evaluation of a client-centred rehabilitation intervention. Trial registration number CRD42015029217.
NON-THERMAL ELECTRON ACCELERATION IN LOW MACH NUMBER COLLISIONLESS SHOCKS. II. FIREHOSE-MEDIATED FERMI ACCELERATION AND ITS DEPENDENCE ON PRE-SHOCK CONDITIONS

Electron acceleration to non-thermal energies is known to occur in low Mach number (Ms ≲ 5) shocks in galaxy clusters and solar flares, but the electron acceleration mechanism remains poorly understood. Using two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell (PIC) plasma simulations, we showed in Paper I that electrons are efficiently accelerated in low Mach number (Ms = 3) quasi-perpendicular shocks via a Fermi-like process. The electrons bounce between the upstream region and the shock front, with each reflection at the shock resulting in energy gain via shock drift acceleration. The upstream scattering is provided by oblique magnetic waves that are self-generated by the electrons escaping ahead of the shock. In the present work, we employ additional 2D PIC simulations to address the nature of the upstream oblique waves. We find that the waves are generated by the shock-reflected electrons via the firehose instability, which is driven by an anisotropy in the electron velocity distribution. We systematically explore how the efficiency of wave generation and of electron acceleration depend on the magnetic field obliquity, the flow magnetization (or equivalently, the plasma beta), and the upstream electron temperature. We find that the mechanism works for shocks with high plasma beta (≳ 20) at nearly all magnetic field obliquities, and for electron temperatures in the range relevant for galaxy clusters. Our findings offer a natural solution to the conflict between the bright radio synchrotron emission observed from the outskirts of galaxy clusters and the low electron acceleration efficiency usually expected in low Mach number shocks.
Turbulent Two-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamics and Conformal Field Theory

Abstract We show that an infinite number of non-unitary minimal models may describe two dimensional turbulent magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), both in the presence and absence of the Alf 'ven effect. We argue that the existence of a critical dynamical index results in the Alf 'ven effect or equivalently the equipartition of energy. We show that there are an infinite number of conserved quantities in 2 D − MHD turbulent systems both in the limit of vanishing the viscocities and in force free case. In the force free case, using the non-unitary minimal model M 2, 7 we derive the correlation functions for the velocity stream function and magnetic flux function. Generalising this simple model we find the exponents of the energy spectrum in the inertial range for a class of conformal field theories.
Mathematical Persistence Among Four African American Male Graduate Students: A Critical Race Analysis of Their Experiences

The stories of high-achieving African American mathematics students are gaining prominence in the research literature. In this multiple case study, I use a critical race theoretical frame to document and analyze the experiences of 4 mathematically persistent African American male students who earned undergraduate degrees in mathematics and subsequently enrolled in mathematics or mathematics education graduate programs. The findings reveal that these African American men drew from internal factors to influence their mathematical persistence and identified how racial microaggressions manifest themselves in postundergraduate contexts. Recommendations for practice, policy implications, and future research directions that emerged from this study are discussed to better understand African American men's mathematics experiences.