Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Common Sounds Audiograms: Quantitative Analyses and Recommendations

Abstract A counseling tool routinely used by pediatric audiologists and early intervention-specialists is the often-named “common sounds audiogram” (CSA). Typically, a child's hearing detection thresholds are plotted on the CSA to indicate that child's audibility of speech and environmental sounds. Importantly, the CSA may be the first item that parents see when their child's hearing loss is explained. Thus, the accuracy of the CSA and its associated counseling information are integral to the parents' understanding of what their child can hear and to the parents' role in the child's future hearing care and interventions. Currently available CSAs were collected from professional societies, early intervention providers, device manufacturers, etc., and analyzed ( n = 36). Analysis included quantification of sound elements, presence of counseling information, attribution of acoustic measurements, and errors. The analyses show that currently-available CSAs are wildly inconsistent as a group, not scientifically justified, and omit important information for counseling and interpretation. Variations found among currently available CSAs can lead to very different parental interpretations of the impact of a child's hearing loss on his/her access to sounds, especially spoken language. Such variations, presumably, could also lead to different recommendations regarding intervention and hearing devices. Recommendations are outlined for the development of a new, standard CSA.
Electron kinetics in a high-Z plasmoid

The problem of the electron dynamics on a closed magnetic field line passing through a high-$Z$ plasmoid is considered. The electron kinetic equation is integrated over bounce motion and pitch angle, reducing the independent variables to a single adiabatic invariant plus time. Integration of the full Landau self-collision operator is carried out exactly, resulting in a nonlinear integro-differential operator in the new invariant. Conservation laws and the $H$ theorem of the integrated self-collision operator are proven. Numerical solutions of the integrated kinetic equation are obtained with a self-consistent quasineutral electric potential, given the initial condition of a cold plasmoid immersed in a hot ambient plasma. The fact that cold electrons are deeply trapped in a potential with a parabolic peak leads to exactly 3/4 the usual rate of collisional heating by the ambient plasma, independent of any other parameters.
Effects of endophytism by Beauveria bassiana (Cordycipitaceae) on plant growth, Fusarium (Nectriaceae) disease, and Sunn pest Eurygaster integriceps (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae) in wheat (Poaceae)

Abstract Fungi living within a plant (i.e., endophytic fungi) can directly affect the growth of the host plant or have indirect effects by affecting levels of damage to the plant caused by insect herbivory or plant pathogens. Greenhouse and field trials were conducted to investigate the endophytic effects of the fungus Beauveria bassiana on wheat, on the wheat-feeding Sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), and on the wheat pathogen, Fusarium culmorum (Nectriaceae), which causes root and crown rot disease. Conidia of B. bassiana were applied to wheat either by foliar spray, soil drench, or seed treatment. Seed treatment with conidia provided the highest re-isolation percentages: 91.7% in leaves, 95.8% in stems, and 91.7% in roots. Inoculated plants were taller and had greater wet and dry weights compared to control plants. In both greenhouse and field studies, E. integriceps that were fed inoculated plants laid eggs that were less likely to hatch. Inoculations reduced the incidence of root and crown rot disease by 42% under greenhouse conditions. These results document the potential of using endophytic infections of B. bassiana in wheat as a control measure for Sunn pest and root and crown rot disease.
Compact weighted composition operators on Banach lattices

A characterization of compact (and Al-weakly compact) weighted composition operators on real and complex Banach lattices which can be appropriately realized as function spaces is provided. The compact weighted composition operators on C b(X), all bounded continuous complex valued functions on X with the suprernum norm, have been characterized in the case of compact X by Kamowitz [4], and for completely regular X by Singh and Summers [6]. We recall that an operator T on C b(X) is called a weighted composition operator if there exists an r on Cb (X) and b a continuous map X from X to X so that for each f in C (X), we have Tf(x) = r(x)f(4)(x)). In this note we will characterize a class of compact weighted composition operators (and compact composition operators) on more general function spaces, which we will call Banach F-lattices. These include the Lp-spaces and the Banach lattices, both real and complex, with quasi-interior points (more generally, topological order partitions). We also demonstrate that these operators are equivalent to the M-weakly compact weighted composition operators. We will call a complex Banach space E a Banach F-lattice if there exists a real Banach lattice G, which can be identified with equivalence classes of real valued functions on a completely regular space X, and E = G + iG can be identified with equivalence classes of complex valued functions on X satisfying the following conditions: (i) If f is equivalent to g, then {x C X: f(x) = g(x)} is dense. (ii) Each continuous complex valued bounded function on X (or function with compact support in the case of a locally compact X ) represents an element in E. (iii) The vector space operations on E and the lattice operations on G correspond to the pointwise defined operations. Received by the editors September 26, 1988. Presented to the American Mathematical Society at the 94th Annual meeting on Janruar-y 8. 1988. 1980 l1athematics Subject Classification ( 1 985 Revi,sion). Primary 47B05, 47B38, 46B30. (? ) 1990 American Mathematical Society 0002-9939/90 $1 00 + $. 25 per page
Plant Diversity along an Elevation Gradient in Hyrcanian Forest of Northern Iran

ABSTRACT Species diversity is one of the most important and fundamental issues in ecology. The present study was conducted to evaluate effects of elevation gradient on biodiversity in a temperate mountainous forest. For collection of trees' diversity data, 44 sample plots 20 × 20 m2 were set up every 50 m of the elevation interval at the altitude ranging from 100 m to 2250 m a.s. l. Also for collection of data on herbaceous vegetation, five microplots (1 × 2 m) were established (one microplot in the center and four microplots in the four corners of the plot). Species diversity values were analyzed using Simpson and modified Shannon Wiener indices. Also, species richness was calculated using Margalef and Smith-Wilson indices for each plot. The results from Simpson and modified Shannon Wiener biodiversity indices imply approximately bell-shaped diversity curves with the greatest species richness at medium elevations (800–1300 m a.s.l). However, if ecotones (gradual changes between two communities) are excluded, one can conclude that species biodiversity decreases with increasing elevation. The lowland community has the least richness that can be the result of the anthropogenic pressure. The evenness indices for the forest sites along the elevation gradient detected no trend with increasing elevation.
Performance Practice of Violin Vibrato: An Artist-Level Case Study

We investigated performance practice of vibrato with an artist-level violinist whose credits include positions as concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The main questions of this case study were to determine mean width, rate, and directional intent of an artist-level violinist. Additionally the present study sought to determine if an artist-level violinist consistently initiated vibrato in an upward or downward direction and whether vibrato was used continuously when performing slurs. We measured pitch levels of vibrated and non-vibrated tones, direction and magnitude of change when initiating vibrato, and duration of non-vibrato when performing slurs. Analyses indicated that the mean rate of the artist-level violin vibrato was approximately 5.7 Hz in first position and 6.3 Hz in fifth position. The mean width of vibrato was approximately 40 cents in first position and 108 cents in fifth position. Pitch oscillations during vibrato were alternations both above and below the conceived pitch, rather than oscillations only above or only below the conceived pitch. The artist initiated vibrato toward the scroll (in a downward direction) and stopped vibrating during the transition between slurred notes. Mean duration of non-vibrato portions of slurred notes was (33 seconds). Implications for future research are discussed.
Security Threats, Countermeasures, and Challenges of Digital Supply Chains

The rapid growth of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) has impacted many fields. In this context, the supply chain has also quickly evolved toward the digital supply chain where digital and electronic technologies have been integrated into every aspect of its end-to-end process. This evolution provides numerous benefits such as profit maximization, loss reduction, and the optimization of supply chain lead times. However, the use of such technologies has also considerably opened up various security threats and risks which have widened the attack surface on the entire end-to-end supply chain. We present a holistic survey on supply chain security. We discuss the different security issues and attacks that target the different supply chain technologies. Then, we discuss various countermeasures and security solutions proposed by academic and industry researchers to mitigate the identified threats. Finally, we provide some recommendations and best practices that can be adopted to achieve a secure supply chain.
Parameter sensitivity in stochastic optimal control

We study the first-order changes in the minimum value of a stochastic Bolza problem under nonlinear perturbations of its dynamics, objectives and constraints. The perturbations are lumped together into a finite-dimensional parameter x, which gives rise to a minumum-value function V(α). The techniques of nonsmooth analysis facilitate the computation of the generalized gradient of V at O, a set which relates the sensitivity of the problem to the extremals of the stochastic maximum principle. Our method of proof includes a new derivation of the stochastic maximum principle for problems with equality and inequality constraints, while the formula we give for ∂V(0) has important implications regarding the stability of the constraints and the interpretation of the multipliers.
Increase of Global Albedo Due to Air Pollution

Abstract The effect of an increase of particles in the atmosphere on the global albedo and accordingly on the thermal regime of the earth is studied by solving the equation of radiative transfer in model turbid atmospheres. Realistic model atmospheres with respect to size and vertical distributions of aerosol as well as reflectivity of the earth surface are assumed, and reflectivity at the top of the atmosphere, transniissivity at the earth surface, and absorptivity of turbid atmospheres are calculated as a function of atmospheric turbidity and the complex refractive index of the aerosol. It is shown that the thermal effect of increasing atmospheric turbidity is greatly affected by the imaginary part of the refractive index. Thus, if it takes a small value as is believed so at present, the earth-atmosphere system cools ofF with increase of turbidity, while if its value is large (ni0.05, ni being the imaginary part of the complex refractive index), heating of the earth- atmosphere system is expected due to.
Optical modeling of a-Si:H solar cells deposited on textured glass/SnO2 substrates

In this article we determine descriptive scattering parameters—haze and angular distribution functions—of scattered light for textured glass/SnO2 Asahi U-type substrates. These scattering parameters are input parameters of our optical model that enables us to analyze multilayer optical systems with rough interfaces. The scalar scattering theory is used to calculate the haze parameters of all internal rough interfaces in the a-Si:H solar cells deposited on the glass/SnO2 substrates. In the equations of the scalar scattering theory the correction functions are introduced in order to match the calculations with the measurements of the haze parameters of the substrates. The angular distribution functions of the substrates are applied to the rough internal interfaces. Using these scattering parameters we investigate the optical behavior of a-Si:H solar cells with different intrinsic layer thicknesses deposited on the textured glass/SnO2 substrates with different roughnesses.
Lightest weight-class athletes are at higher risk of weight regain: results from the French-Rapid Weight Loss Questionnaire

ABSTRACT Context Rapid weight loss (RWL) is a common precompetitive strategy used by athletes in weight-class sports and carries with it an increased risk to future cardiometabolic health. The Rapid Weight Loss Questionnaire (RWLQ) is a self-reported tool designed to identify and characterize such weight loss practices. Objectives After developing a reliable and reproducible French version of the RWLQ (RWLQ-FR), the present study aims to analyse RWL patterns among French weight-class athletes and to point out potential relationships between such practices and risk of subsequent weight gain. Methods A test-retest analysis was performed in 54 athletes to test the questionnaire reproducibility before applying it in a cohort of 168 weight-cycling athletes (23.78 ± 9.25 y, 67.6 ± 12.6 kg, 81 males and 87 females, n = 24 strength sports and n = 144 various combat sports). Results The test-retest showed good agreement of the RWLQ-FR (Rho = 0.794, [0.696–0.893]). Athletes reported losing an average of 4.1 ± 2.9% of their initial weight in 13.1 ± 9.6 days, with the main methods used being an increase in exercise, training in rubber or plastic suits, and gradual dieting. The average weight recovery in a week was 3.5 ± 2.8% and results showed that the athletes with the lower inter-season weight (weight outside of the training and competition season) regained the more weight (p = 0.025). The average RWLQ-FR score was 31.9 ± 17.3 and athletes who began to lose weight earlier in their competitive carrier had the higher scores (p = 0.032). Conclusion The present study demonstrates relationships between the pattern of RWL practices and potential increased risk of subsequent weight gain in weight-cycling athletes, and the need to better understand the long-term health-related risks.
A Novel Semantic-Enhanced Text Graph Representation Learning Approach through Transformer Paradigm

Abstract Among common tasks in natural language processing (NLP) domain, text classification is considered as an important primitive task which is widely applied in multiple disciplines. Recent advanced deep learning-based architectures such as sequence-to-sequence (seq2seq) with attention mechanism have demonstrated remarkable improvements in multiple NLP’s tasks, including classification. However, recent seq2seq-based models still encounter challenges related to the limitation in effectively capturing long-range dependent relationships between words in a text corpus. Recent integrated graph neural network and textual graph transformer (TGT)-based models have demonstrated significant improvements in preserving the structural n-hop co-occurring relationships between words in a given text corpus. However, these models still suffer problems related to the thorough considerations on the sequential and contextual relations of words within a single document’s graph. To meet these challenges, in this article we proposed a novel semantic-enhanced graph transformer-based textual representation learning approach, called as: SemTGT. Our proposed SemTGT can support to effectively learn both local rich-contextual and global long-range structural latent representations of texts for leveraging the performance of classification task. Extensive experiments in standard datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed SemTGT model in comparing with recent seq2seq-based and textual graph embedding-based baselines.
Undergraduate health sciences students’ response regarding COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: an observational study

ABSTRACT Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents a major health problem, and its influences may persist with emerging viral variants. The current work was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and learning satisfaction of health sciences students (HSS) regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 20 February 2021 to 20 March 2021. Participants were undergraduate HSS at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire has been generated and distributed via online form. The questionnaire used was based on previous studies and included demographic information and knowledge, attitudes, perception, and learning satisfaction related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Out of the 400 questionnaires distributed to eligible students, the current study included a total of 330 HSS (82.5% response rate) from colleges of medicine (25.5%), dentistry (11.8%), pharmacy (33.6%), and Applied Medical Sciences (29.1%) of participants. The mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and learning satisfaction attained by students were 5.63 ± 0.65 out of 6, 4.22 ± 1.01 out of 5, and 11.28 ± 2.9 out of 19, respectively. Results show an association between the knowledge score of students and their age-group and specialty-college. Students with chronic diseases reported lower attitude scores and rate of COVID-19 vaccine-willingness. Younger HSS had a higher learning satisfaction score than the older participants. Conclusion Overall, participants show high knowledge level and positive attitude toward COVID-19 but fair learning satisfaction during the pandemic. Further studies are needed to improve the learning satisfaction and attitude of HSS in the future.
Refining replacements. Validating a revised typology of visual metaphor using perceived processing fluency and aesthetic pleasure

Abstract A renowned classification of visual metaphor (depicting e.g. TOOTHPASTE IS DIAMOND) is the one by Phillips and McQuarrie differentiating between juxtaposition, fusion and replacement. Replacements are oftentimes treated as one unambiguous construct. We reason that there are three disparate replacement types varying in audience responses because of differences in presence and type of visual context: 1) source without target context (e.g. diamond on neutral background), 2) source in target context (e.g. diamond on toothbrush) and 3) target in source context (e.g. tube of toothpaste on ring). We validated our refinement in an experiment with replacement type as within-subjects factor and perceived processing fluency and aesthetic pleasure as dependent variables. Metaphor comprehension was also taken into account. Participants saw 6 ads (2 per replacement type) for fictitious brands. Overall, perceived processing fluency and aesthetic pleasure were highest for source in target context ads. Source without target context ads and target in source context ads were perceived as equally fluent to process and aesthetically pleasing. For comprehended metaphors, perceived processing fluency was higher for target in source context ads than for source without target context ads. This study shows that Phillips and McQuarrie’s replacement category needs to be refined. Studies comparing replacements with juxtapositions and fusions need to be wary of the crucial role of visual context. Replacements showing the source object in the context of the target (e.g. diamond on toothbrush) outperform the other replacement types.
Mouse Adapted SARS-CoV-2 Model Induces “Long-COVID” Neuropathology in BALB/c Mice

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has caused significant global morbidity and mortality and continues to burden patients with persisting neurological dysfunction. COVID-19 survivors develop debilitating symptoms to include neuro-psychological dysfunction, termed “Long COVID”, which can cause significant reduction of quality of life. Despite vigorous model development, the possible cause of these symptoms and the underlying pathophysiology of this devastating disease remains elusive. Mouse adapted (MA10) SARS-CoV-2 is a novel mouse-based model of COVID-19 which simulates the clinical symptoms of respiratory distress associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice. In this study, we evaluated the long-term effects of MA10 infection on brain pathology and neuroinflammation. 10-week and 1-year old female BALB/cAnNHsd mice were infected intranasally with 104 plaque-forming units (PFU) and 103 PFU of SARS-CoV-2 MA10, respectively, and the brain was examined 60 days post-infection (dpi). Immunohistochemical analysis showed a decrease in the neuronal nuclear protein NeuN and an increase in Iba-1 positive amoeboid microglia in the hippocampus after MA10 infection, indicating long-term neurological changes in a brain area which is critical for long-term memory consolidation and processing. Importantly, these changes were seen in 40-50% of infected mice, which correlates to prevalence of LC seen clinically. Our data shows for the first time that MA10 infection induces neuropathological outcomes several weeks after infection at similar rates of observed clinical prevalence of “Long COVID”. These observations strengthen the MA10 model as a viable model for study of the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 in humans. Establishing the viability of this model is a key step towards the rapid development of novel therapeutic strategies to ameliorate neuroinflammation and restore brain function in those suffering from the persistent cognitive dysfunction of “Long-COVID”.
De Novo Mutation Rates in Sticklebacks

Mutation rate is a fundamental parameter in population genetics. Apart from being an important scaling parameter for demographic and phylogenetic inference, it allows one to understand at what rate new genetic diversity is generated and what is the expected level of genetic diversity in a population at equilibrium. However, except for well-established model organisms, accurate estimates of de novo mutation rates are available for a very limited number of organisms from the wild. We estimated mutation rates (µ) in two marine populations of the nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) with the aid of several 2- and 3-generational family pedigrees, deep (>50×) whole genome re-sequencing and a high-quality reference genome. After stringent filtering, we discovered 295 germline mutations from 106 offspring translating to µ = 4.64 × 10−9 and µ = 4.08 × 10−9 per base, per generation, in the two populations, respectively. Twenty percent of the mutations were shared by full-sibs showing that the level of parental mosaicism was relatively high. Since the estimated µ was 3.2 times smaller than the commonly used substitution rate, recalibration with µ led to substantial increase in estimated divergence times between different stickleback species. Our estimates of de novo mutation rate should provide a useful resource for research focused on fish population genetics and that of sticklebacks in particular.