Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Silence and voicing accumulations in primary school teachers with and without voice disorders

The relationship between vocal load, defined as the distribution of continuous silence and voicing periods, and subjects’ clinical status was examined. Teachers were allocated by clinicians to groups: (1) with objectively measured vocal pathologies, (2) with subjectively/functionally reported symptoms but without objectively measured pathology, and (3) with normal physiology. Measurements were performed with the APM3200 during 4-hour workdays for 26 Italian primary school teachers. Silence and voicing accumulations were grouped into seven time intervals ranging from 0.03-0.9 s to 3.16-10 s according to Italian prosody. The greatest accumulations occurred in intervals ≥ 1.32 s for silence and in the middle intervals for voicing. Group 1 accumulated higher silence values in intervals between 0.1 and 3.15 s than other groups, while Groups 2 and 3 did not differ from each other. Silence accumulations < 3.16 s had no apparent effect on vocal recovery. Silence accumulations ≥ 3.16 s, which are necessary to ensure short term recovery (e.g., adequate fluid redistribution) in vocal fold tissue, were lower for pathological subjects. Voicing accumulations between 0.17 and 3.15 s were higher for pathological subjects. These results contribute to the understanding of the connection between voice disorders and vocal behavior in occupational voice users. PACS Number: 43.70. Dn, 43.55. Hy, 43.70. Jt, 43.70. Mn, 43.72. Ar, 43.72. Dv. P. Bottalico, S. Graetzer, A. Astolfi and E. J. Hunter JASA 3
Study the Influence of Waste Glass Powder on the Properties of Concrete

The amount of waste glass has gradually increased over the recent years due to an ever-growing use of glass products. Most of the waste glasses are being dumped into landfill sites. The land filling of waste glasses is undesirable because they are not biodegradable, which makes them environmentally less friendly. There is huge potential for using waste glass in the concrete construction sector. When waste glasses are reused in making concrete products, the production cost of concrete will come down. Crushed glass or cullet, if properly sized and processed, can exhibit characteristics similar to that of gravel or sand. In this report we are going to discuss how the waste glass will have its significant effect on concrete and its properties. Fine aggregate replacement levels by waste glass powder 10, 20, and 30 %. The compressive strength of concrete cubes is tested for 3, 7, 28, days were found. The highest replacement level is 20% by WGP. The results are presented in tables and graphs. The performance of design mixes is good and results are reported in this report.
Ferric iron content in (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite and post-perovskite at deep lower mantle conditions

Abstract We have determined the Fe3+/ΣFe ratio of Al-free (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite, post-perovskite, and (Mg,Fe)O ferropericlase synthesized at 99 to 187 GPa and 1830 to 3500 K based on the electron energyloss near-edge structure (ELNES) spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that post-perovskite includes minor amounts of ferric iron with Fe3+/ΣFe ratios of 0.11 to 0.21. These values are substantially lower than those of Al-rich post-perovskite (Fe3+/ΣFe = 0.59 to 0.69) reported in a previous study, suggesting that the Fe3+-Al3+ coupled substitution is important in post-perovskite, as in the case of perovskite. The Al-bearing post-perovskite in a pyrolitic mantle composition likely contains a considerable amount of ferric iron, which affects various physical properties in the lowermost mantle.
Probabilistic Analysis of Multi-layered Soil Effects on Shallow Foundation Settlement

Y L Kuo BE Postgraduate Student, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Adelaide, Australia M B Jaksa BE(Hons), PhD, M.I.E.Aust, CPEng Senior Lecturer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Adelaide, Australia W S Kaggwa BSc(Eng), MEngSc, PhD, M.I.E.Aust Senior Lecturer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Adelaide, Australia G A Fenton BEng, MEng, MA, PhD, P Eng, M. ASCE Professor, Department of Engineering Mathematics, Dalhousie University, Canada D V Griffiths BSc, MS, PhD, DSc, C Eng, P Eng, Professor, Department of Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, USA J S Goldsworthy BE(Hons) Postgraduate Student, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Adelaide, Australia
Role of nanolaminated crystal structure on the radiation damage tolerance of Ti 3 SiC 2 : theoretical investigation of native point defects

Nanolaminated Ti3SiC2, a representative MAX phase, shows excellent tolerance to radiation damage. In this paper, first-principles calculations were used to investigate the mechanism of intrinsic point defects in order to explain this outstanding property. Formation energies of intrinsic point defects are calculated and compared; and the results establish a low-energy disorder mechanism in Ti3SiC2. In addition, the migration energy barriers of Si vacancy, Si interstitial, and TiSi antisite yield very low values: 0.9, 0.6, and 0.3 eV, respectively. The intercalation of Si atomic plane between Ti3C2 nanotwinning structures dominates the formation and migration of intrinsic native point defects in Ti3SiC2. The present study also highlights a novel method to improve radiation damage tolerance by developing nanoscale-layered structure which can serve as a sink or rapid recovery channel for point defects.
Financial liberalization and financing constraints: some evidence from panel data of listed Chinese firms

This paper examines the impact of recent financial liberalization in China on the financing constraints and investment of publicly-listed Chinese firms. Two continuous indices are constructed to measure the evolution and intensity of financial reforms: a financial liberalization index and a capital control index. Dynamic panel GMM method is used to estimate firms’ financing constraints in an Euler-equation investment model. The results indicate that while smaller firms face significant financing constraints than larger firms, financial liberalization has raised the financing constraints for the latter and failed to relieve the constraints for the former. It appears financial reforms in China have subjected larger firms to greater market discipline but the reforms probably have not been profound enough to benefit smaller firms.
Effects of supplementation of turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) on production performance, Biochemical parameters and gut morphology in laying hens

Title of Thesis : Effects of supplementation of turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) on production performance, biochemical parameters and gut morphology in laying hens Full Name of the Degree Holder : Devvrat Kosti Admission Number : 2015V08M Title of the Degree : Master of Veterinary Sciences in Animal Nutrition. Name of Discipline : Animal Nutrition Name and Address of Major Advisor : Dr. D. S. Dahiya, Principal Extension Specialist, Directorate of Extension Education LLR University of Veterinary and Animal Science Hisar – 125 004 , Haryana (India) Degree Awarding University : Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Hisar Year of Award of Degree : 2017 Major Subject : Animal Nutrition Total Number of Pages in Thesis : 74+ ix Number of Words in Abstract : 504
The effects of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) on performance customer Personality

Organizational behavior is a variable that predicts many organizational variables. One of these variables that have an important role in many organizations today is organizational citizenship behavior. So the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) on performance customer Personality. In this study, data were collected to assess relationship between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) with customer satisfaction, behavioral intentions, Loyalty intentions and customer perceptions of service quality. The Pearson correlation coefficients, structural equation modeling and Friedman ANOVA were used for data analysis.The results showed that the mean comparison between organizational citizenship behavior and performance customer Personality were statisticaly significant (p ≤ 0.05). The results of the present study suggest that the organizational citizenship behavior had a positive effects on performance customer Personality.
Characterization of genetic diversity in three guava (Psidium guajava L.) populations

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is an economically important fruit tree in several countries, where breeding programs are being developed with different objectives. Evaluations on the genetic variability of crop germplasm collections have been performed in some of these countries; however, the variability present in guava populations had not been evaluated so far. Ten quantitative morphoagronomic traits were assessed for three years in parents and progenies of three guava populations, with the aim of characterizing the genetic diversity of such populations derived from controlled crossings. Main component analysis clusters and discriminant factorials were made in order to determine the highest variability characters that allow making up diversity groups and confirming if there are differences among them. Significant differences were also determined among populations for the characters: leaf length and width, plant height, fruit length and width, external and internal pulp thickness, and seed number per fruit. Fruit characters were the greatest contributors to the variability observed. Regarding dendrograms obtained, four diversity groups were formed in each population, mainly based on fruit mass, length and width, seed number and its total mass per fruit. All the results allowed detecting high population variability for the traits evaluated.
Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Padina pavonica and Enteromorpha sp. from the Tunisian Mediterranean coast

*Corresponding author: Zine Mighri, Laboratory of Heterocyclic Chemistry, Natural Products and Reactivity, Team: Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Faculty of Sciences of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia. Tel: +216 97 66 33 56 E-mail: angelkm2007@yahoo.fr Foundation Project: Supported by the Ministry of High Education and Scientific Research, MHSSR of Tunisia (Grant No. 11/TM06). The journal implements double-blind peer review practiced by specially invited international editorial board members.
CLASSIFICATION OF BIG POINT CLOUD DATA USING CLOUD COMPUTING

Point cloud data plays an significant role in various geospatial applications as it conveys plentiful information which can be used for different types of analysis. Semantic analysis, which is an important one of them, aims to label points as different categories. In machine learning, the problem is called classification. In addition, processing point data is becoming more and more challenging due to the growing data volume. In this paper, we address point data classification in a big data context. The popular cluster computing framework Apache Spark is used through the experiments and the promising results suggests a great potential of Apache Spark for large-scale point data processing.
How are Personality, Implicit Behavioral Factors and Binge Drinking among Adolescents Related?

Binge drinking among adolescents is a major issue in today‟s society. The short- and long-term effects of excessive alcohol use are extensive and hazardous. The present study tries to verify the Twente Model of Binge Drinking (TMBD), designed to explain the origin of binge drinking. This survey was conducted to examine the predictive role of personality and the impulsive pathway, analog with the social reaction path of the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM,) in binge drinking using a cross-sectional sample of 212 adolescents (67.5% women) aged 16 to 21 years (M=18.00, SD=1.43). The concept personality contained the 4 dimensions impulsiveness, sensation seeking, anxiety sensitivity and hopelessness/introversion, measured with the Substance Use Risk Scale (SURPS). The impulsive pathway was measured by questions about prototype favorability, similarity and willingness. Binge drinking was operationalized by how often the participants consumed 6 or more units of alcohol during the past four weeks. Univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted to examine the associations of the constructs and the predictive value of personality and the social reaction path towards binge drinking. Multiple regression analyses were carried out with SPSS and verified with the Sobel test in order to examine whether willingness serves as a mediator between personality and binge drinking. The personality dimensions impulsiveness and sensation seeking were positively correlated with binge drinking, whereas anxiety sensitivity and hopelessness/introversion were negatively correlated with the alcohol measure. Willingness served as a partial mediator between the relationships of impulsiveness and binge drinking and sensation seeking and binge drinking. Anxiety sensitivity was fully mediated in its association with binge drinking. For hopelessness/introversion no mediation was found. Testing of the social reaction path showed that prototype similarity predicted willingness, but not prototype favorability. Additionally the latter was not correlated with binge drinking (r= .071). The results verified the TMBD in most of its assumptions, which provides a good framework for further investigations.
The Impact of Savings and Credit Cooperatives in Ofla Wereda Tigray Region of Ethiopia

The present study primarily addresses the impact of Rural Savings and Credit Cooperatives (RUSACCO) on the income and family living conditions of members. The study was undertaken in Ofla Wereda Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Ofla Wereda is selected for the study purposively because of the availability of more number of SACCOs, with documented records. The survey was conducted during the year 2010 and a total of four SACCO with 168 members were analyzed. The study has adopted random sampling procedure for the selection of the members. The data analysis employed various statistical tools like correlation and regression. The correlation analysis reveals that the independent variables years of stay in the SACCO, savings, size of loan, and number of times loan availed have significant positive correlation with post income of the respondents. Similarly, there is significant and positive correlation between years of stay in the SACCO, size of loan, and number of times loan availed and profit from economic activities, while the variable savings has significant negative correlation with the profit. The regression analysis reveals that the independent variables such as savings and number of times loan availed have significant positive relationship with the post income, while the variables education and years of stay in the SACCO have significant negative relationship with the post income, contrary to what was expected. Non members stated that no perceived benefits, lack of information and high interest on loan were perceived as problems of SACCOs. Therefore, concerted efforts are needed to organize seminars and campaigns to create awareness about SACCO. Cooperative Extension Work is to be promoted to persuade the non-members to join SACCO. Keywords : saving, loan, cooperatives, nonmembers, post income, profit, Ofla Wereda, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Narrating landscape: The potential of oral history for landscape archaeology

Abstract The potential of an oral history approach to the study of landscape archaeology is considered. The paper presents the findings from an Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) funded project ‘Landscape archaeology and the community in Devon: an oral history approach’, which aims to transgress some of the epistemological boundaries of archaeology by drawing on the discursive genre of oral history in order to augment, challenge and destabilize existing landscape narratives. We suggest that oral histories can offer both consensual as well as alternative narratives of landscape and have the ability to engage the public, not just in terms of the popular consumption of archaeological knowledge, but also in the actual construction of archaeological knowledge.
Contributions to Deep Learning Models

Deep Learning is a new area of Machine Learning research which aims to create computational models that learn several representations of the data using deep architectures. These methods have become very popular over the last few years due to the remarkable results obtained in speech recognition, visual object recognition, object detection, natural language processing, etc. The goal of this thesis is to present some contributions to the Deep Learning framework, particularly focused on computer vision problems dealing with images. These contributions can be summarized in two novel methods proposed: a new regularization technique for Restricted Boltzmann Machines called Mask Selective Regularization (MSR), and a powerful discriminative network called Local Deep Neural Network (Local-DNN). On the one hand, the MSR method is based on taking advantage of the benefits of the L2 and the L1 regularizations techniques. Both regularizations are applied dynamically on the parameters of the RBM according to the state of the model during training and the topology of the input space. On the other hand, the Local-DNN model is based on two key concepts: local features and deep architectures. Similar to the convolutional networks, the Local-DNN model learns from local regions in the input image using a deep neural network. The network aims to classify each local feature according to the label of the sample to which it belongs, and all of these local contributions are taken into account during testing using a simple voting scheme. The methods proposed throughout the thesis have been evaluated in several experiments using various image datasets. The results obtained show the great performance of these approaches, particularly on gender recognition using face images, where the Local-DNN improves other state-of-the-art results.
Why is the Bay of Bengal experiencing a reduced rate of sea surface warming?

The sea surface temperature (SST) in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) during the period 1960–1995 showed a decadal cycle, riding over a warming trend. The disruption of the decadal cycle was noticed post‐1995 and was followed by a slowdown in the sea surface warming. The cause for the disruption of the SST decadal cycle was the weakening of the link between SST and sunspot number. The rising trend in the SST is due to the increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration. The post‐1995 SST slowdown was due to the increasing influence of the number of depressions, cyclones and severe cyclones in the BoB, the occurrence of which showed an upward trend. Using Price–Weller–Pinkel model we show that cyclonic systems deepen the mixed‐layer through enhanced mechanical‐mixing with cooler sub‐surface waters, thereby reducing the mixed‐layer temperature and consequently the SST. This process opposes the SST rise due to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration. The net effect of the wind‐mixing caused by the increased number of depressions, cyclones and severe cyclones and the increased CO2 concentration is a SST slowdown in the BoB. This mechanism differs from the SST slowdown mechanisms suggested for the Atlantic and the Pacific.
The effect of clofibrate in near term newborns with non hemolytic jaundice

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of clofibrate in reducing total serum bilirubin levels in near term neonates with non hemolytic jaundice. A randomized controlled study was carried out in the neonatal ward of Children's Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, over one year period. Sixty eight healthy near term infants with non hemolytic hyperbilirubinemia were randomized to receive phototherapy plus clofibrate (n=35) or phototherapy and placebo (n=33). There were no significant differences in the weight, gender, modes of delivery and age of neonates between two groups. Similarly, the mean total serum bilirubin (TSB) level at the time of admission was not significantly different between the two groups (19.72±1.79 versus 20.05±2.82 mg/dl, P=0.57). The mean TSB 48 h after phototherapy (8.06±1.34 versus 10.94±2.87 mg/dl P=0.02) and the mean duration of phototherapy (64.32±12.48 versus 87.84±29.76 h P<0.0001) was significantly lower in clofibrate treated group. Clofibrate is an effective adjunctive drug in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and results to lower TSB level and reduced duration of phototherapy in near term newborns. Key words: Clofibrate, near term neonate, non hemolytic jaundice, phototherapy.
Internet Addiction of Greek Adolescent High School Students: Validity andReliability Evidence and Relationship to Depressive Symptoms and Physical Activity

Objective: The present study was designed to examine: a) the validity and reliability evidence of the Chen Internet Addiction Scale - CIAS for a sample of Greek secondary students and b) the association to physical activity and depressive symptoms. Methods: The initial sample consisted of 863 public school students, aged 13 to 19 years old, while the final sample consisted of 654 students. All students attended three public junior high schools and four senior high schools in Athens, Greece. The participants completed four questionnaires concerning internet addiction symptoms (CIAS), depressive symptoms (CES-D), physical activity level (PAQ-A) and social desirability (SDS). Specifically, construct validity, concurrent validity, face validity, internal consistency and stability across time of the CIAS were examined. Results: Adolescents with a tendency to experience internet addiction (IA) exhibited higher depressive symptoms and lower engagement to physical activity (PA) compared to adolescents without the tendency for IA. There was a significant positive correlation between CIAS with CES-D and hours of daily internet use. Significant negative correlation was found between CIAS and PAQ-A. In addition, hours of daily use, engagement in PA and depression were significant predictors of IA. Females engaged mainly in social networks, while males engaged in both social networks and games. Concerning the reliability of the CIAS subfactors and the total score, the internal consistency and stability across time were acceptable. Conclusion: Overall, the adapted in Greek CIAS provided validity and reliability evidence and may be used to assess IA in Greekadolescents.