Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low-resource speech translation

We explore the task of speech-to-text translation (ST), where speech in one language (source) is converted to text in a different one (target). Traditional ST systems go through an intermediate step where the source language speech is first converted to source language text using an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system, which is then converted to target language text using a machine translation (MT) system. However, this pipeline based approach is impractical for unwritten languages spoken by millions of people around the world, leaving them without access to free and automated translation services such as Google Translate. The lack of such translation services can have important real-world consequences. For example, in the aftermath of a disaster scenario, easily available translation services can help better co-ordinate relief efforts. How can we expand the coverage of automated ST systems to include scenarios which lack source language text? In this thesis we investigate one possible solution: we build ST systems to directly translate source language speech into target language text, thereby forgoing the dependency on source language text. To build such a system, we use only speech data paired with text translations as training data. We also specifically focus on low-resource settings, where we expect at most tens of hours of training data to be available for unwritten or endangered languages. Our work can be broadly divided into three parts. First we explore how we can leverage prior work to build ST systems. We find that neural sequence-to-sequence models are an effective and convenient method for ST, but produce poor quality translations when trained in low-resource settings. In the second part of this thesis, we explore methods to improve the translation performance of our neural ST systems which do not require labeling additional speech data in the low-resource language, a potentially tedious and expensive process. Instead we exploit labeled speech data for high-resource languages which is widely available and relatively easier to obtain. We show that pretraining a neural model with ASR data from a high-resource language, different from both the source and target ST languages, improves ST performance. In the final part of our thesis, we study whether ST systems can be used to build applications which have traditionally relied on the availability of ASR systems, such as information retrieval, clustering audio documents, or question/answering. We build proof-of-concept systems for two downstream applications: topic prediction for speech
Rating the Participation in Demand Response Programs for a More Accurate Aggregated Schedule of Consumers after Enrolment Period

Aggregation of small size consumers and Distributed Generation (DG) units have a considerable impact to catch the full flexibility potential, in the context of Demand Response programs. New incentive mechanisms are needed to remunerate consumers adequately and to recognize the ones that have more reliable participation. The authors propose an innovative approach to be used in the operation phase, to deal with the uncertainty to Demand Response events, where a certain target is requested for an energy community managed by the Aggregator. The innovative content deals with assigning and updating a Reliability Rate to each consumer according to the actual response in a reduction request. Three distinct methods have been implemented and compared. The initial rates assigned according to participation in the Demand Response events after one month of the enrolment period and the ones with higher reliability follow scheduling, performed using linear optimization. The results prove that using the proposed approach, the energy community manager finds the more reliable consumers in each period, and the reduction target achieved in DR events. A clustering algorithm is implemented to determine the final consumer rate for one month considering the centroid value.
Influence of Selenium on Growth, Antioxidants Production and Physiological Parameters of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings and Its Possible Reversal by Coapplication of Sulphate

The effect of selenate (Na2SeO4) and sulphate (Na2SO4) was studied on growth and metabolism in two rice cultivars cv. satabdi and cv. khitish. Selenate at low concentration (2 μM) expressed growth promoting effect on rice seedlings as opposed to its high concentration (≥20 μM) where the test seedlings showed stunted growth with browning at the apices of both roots and shoots. The chlorophyll contents showed a dose dependent effect. Both chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b contents were inhibited with increase in selenate concentrations. The effect was more pronounced in cv. satabdi compared to cv. khitish.The level of accessory pigments was deferentially affected by selenium treatment. Simultaneously, the fluorescence intensity and Hill activity decreased with increase in selenate concentrations in the test seedlings. It is assumed that selenium plays a protective role in plants subjected to stress and prevents the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells. Higher selenate concentrations (≥20 μM) exerted variable effect on the activities of enzymatic antioxidants viz.; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catechol peroxidase (CPX) and catalase (CAT) in the test seedlings. The activity of SOD increased with increase in selenate concentrations, whereas activities of CAT and CPX decreased. Under high selenate concentrations, the levels of oxidative stress markers, viz.; proline, H2O2 and MDA were also enhanced. Selenium induced accumulation of total soluble sugar and increased the level of both reducing and non reducing sugars in both the test cultivars. The starch contents concomitantly decreased with rise in selenate concentrations. Moreover, the nutrient contents of test seedlings were significantly influenced by selenium. The Na and K levels gradually increased whereas Ca, Mg and Fe levels decreased on application of selenate. Joint application of 10 mM sulphate and selenate showed significant alterations on all parameters tested with respect to selenate treatment alone. Partial to complete amelioration occurred in the test seedlings treated with high concentrations of selenate and sulphate. Our study shows that selenium at low concentration had a stimulatory effect on growth and metabolism as against high concentrations which proved to be toxic to the rice seedlings obtained from both the cultivars. Effects were more pronounced in cv. satabdi than in cv. khitish which is considered to be comparatively tolerant to selenium. The dose dependent influence of selenium on the physiological and biochemical responses of test seedlings may be reversed by co-application with sulphate.
A study on vitamin D levels in preterm and term neonates and their mothers

Background: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which has immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide problem and yet is one of the most under diagnosed and under treated nutritional deficiency. Despite India being in the tropical zone with plentiful sunlight, there is a wide prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. Methods: Cross sectional descriptive study done in a tertiary care hospital involving 30 mother baby dyads equally divided into term and preterm babies. Maternal vitamin D levels (before delivery) and cord blood vitamin D levels (after delivery) were estimated. Results: All the mothers had low vitamin D levels, 93% having deficiency and 7% having insufficiency. The maternal vitamin D levels correlated with cord blood vitamin D levels. There was significant correlation between maternal vitamin D levels and cord blood vitamin D levels with maternal age and parity. There was no correlation between maternal vitamin D levels with gestational age, sociodemographic profile or neonatal anthropometry. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is widely prevalent even in well-nourished mothers. Vitamin D supplementation may be helpful in antenatal mothers. Larger studies are needed to study the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in mothers and babies and look for effectiveness of supplementation.
Biosynthesis and characterisation of zinc oxide nanoparticles from
 Punica granatum
 (pomegranate) juice extract and its application in thin films preparation by spin‐coating method

In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film has been assembled through the spin-coating method and accumulated on the p-type silicon (100) wafer. The ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) prepared via an entirely green procedure using Punica granatum (pomegranate) juice extract as an efficient chelating and capping agent. The coated ZnO NPs exhibited a homogeneous thin film over the silicon wafer. The crystal structure, surface morphology, alignment, and optical characteristics of ZnO thin film were studied through X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, EDX analysis, infrared spectroscopy, in addition to UV–vis spectra, correspondingly. The structure of the ZnO thin film was indexed as a wurtzite structure. UV–vis spectroscopy reveals that the alteration is straight bandgap energy (E g) and it is precisely 3.41 eV. The acquired ZnO thin films conceivably utilised as a photovoltaic material. The IR absorbance spectra indicate that the ZnO NPs spin-coated on the Si substrate improves the crystalline quality.
Learning to be a Prison Educator

This paper explores the process by which instructors learn to teach in prison. First, research on the challenges correctional educators encounter is explored. Second, an instructor training and mentorship program developed in Alberta, Canada will be presented, followed by a discussion of the importance on ongoing professional development that is specific to correctional educators.
Serum albumin levels in different stages of type 2 diabetic nephropathy patients

Aim: To study the serum albumin concentration in South Indian type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy to decide regarding the extent of protein restriction required in these patients. Research design and methods: Type 2 diabetic patients (n=139) admitted for review in M.V. Hospital for Diabetes, Chennai consisting of 49 patients with normoalbuminuria (< 20 mg of albumin / min), 52 patients with macroalbuminuria (> 200 mg of albumin / min and proteinuria < 3.5 gm /day) and 38 patients with nephrotic syndrome (proteinuria > 3.5 gm /day) were studied. Blood pressure, anthropometry, fasting and post-prandial plasma glucose, HbA1c, total serum albumin, lipid profile, urea and creatinine were measured. Results: Serum albumin level was significantly lower in the nephrotic syndrome group of patients (p < 0.05) when compared with the macroalbuminuric and normoalbuminuric group of patients. Patients with end-stage renal disease, severe renal failure and moderate renal failure showed lower serum albumin concentrations compared with patients having early renal insufficiency and early renal damage. Serum albumin level decreased significantly in patients with reduced creatinine clearance. Serum albumin showed a significant positive association with creatinine clearance (p < 0.03), negative association with macroalbuminuria (p < 0.0001) and nephrotic proteinuria (p < 0.0001) among the independent variables included in the multiple linear regression analysis. Conclusion: Serum albumin was significantly lower in patients with heavy proteinuria. Unless there is severe ureamia, drastic reduction in protein intake in south Indian diabetic patients with nephropathy may not be advisable.
Low-Complexity Adaptive Spatial Processing of ESPAR Antenna Systems

Accessing the spatial domain of wireless environments through antenna arrays has become key to improve the use of energy and, in light of this, there is an increasing need for low cost multi-antenna architectures. As one alternative, the Electronically Steerable Parasitic Array Radiator (ESPAR) was proposed as a coupling-based inexpensive option; allowing to significantly reduce the amount of required radio frequency (RF) front-ends. As a caveat, due to its inherent non-linear behavior, the required computational complexity can be prohibitive. Additionally, the unavailability of precise mutual coupling and channel state information (CSI) becomes a further issue difficult to avoid in practical setups. In this regard, the current work has two main contributions: a) it deals with the computational complexity by proposing the linearization of ESPAR’s system model through the truncated Taylor expansion of the admittance matrix; facilitating the spatial processing algorithm of interest. Also, the authors propose b) to face the mutual coupling and CSI unavailability issue via the joint estimation of the channel-ESPAR parameters as directly observed through the single RF front-end. Relying on the optimization of the linearized system model, the pilot-based algorithm to be introduced allows ESPAR to track the configuration that synthesizes coherent combination at a significantly low complexity. Particularly, as shown through Monte-Carlo simulation, the latter allows to obtain 4 dB of array gain with a single RF front-end via a 5-element ESPAR.
A Survey on Usage of Mobile Health Apps among Medical Undergraduates

Introduction: The widespread adoption and use of mobile technol- ogies is opening new and innovative ways to improve health and health care delivery using various health apps. The Health Apps could be beneficial and effective in planning, monitoring and achiev ing personal health goals. Objective: To explore the awareness, attitude, and trend among medical students of and Methodology: The cross-sectional study was conducted among all the 2nd and 3rd year medical students of Rajarajeshwari Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Results: Out of 140 students, who were studied, 41.4% were males and 58.6% were females. Out of 140 students, 127 (91) % were aware of Health apps. 75 (59%) of the students were using Health apps on their smart phones of which majority were females (56%). Out of various health apps, Samsung Health, Fit bit and healthily me were common Apps used. 58.7% users are motivated of being fit as main reason while 76.9% non-users feel that either no need of using these Apps or they just don’t trust these Apps. Around 80% students are using the Apps from within last 12 months. Almost every 3rd student is using the Apps throughout the day. Conclusion: The present study reveals that many students were aware of the apps and using it regularly to track their physical activity and calorie intake. It also motivates them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Users are taking these Apps quiet seriously and update the credentials regularly so that output can be appropriately tracked. Accordingly, they are not only finding the tips and suggestions use ful but also using these Apps in different ways like tracking calories, weight and monitoring sleep quality. Also, they are reviewing the data on monthly/ weekly basis to change the fitness activities or food intake.
Fitting in: How the intergroup context shapes minority acculturation and achievement

ABSTRACT Children of immigrants are at risk of underachieving in school with long-lasting consequences for future life-chances. Our research contextualises the achievement gap by examining minority acculturation experiences in daily intergroup contact across different intergroup contexts. Acculturation researchers often find an adaptive advantage for minority youth with an integration-orientation (combining both cultures). But findings from Europe are inconclusive. Looking beyond individual differences in acculturation-orientations, this review shifts focus to the intergroup context of minority acculturation and achievement. We discuss longitudinal, multi-group, multi-level and experimental evidence of the up- and downsides of integration for minority inclusion and success in European societies. Our studies show that both (1) intergroup contact experiences and (2) intergroup ideologies affect achievement – either directly or through the interplay of (3) acculturation-norms, defined as shared views on acculturation in social groups, with individual acculturation-orientations. The findings suggest how schools can reduce achievement gaps through improving intergroup relations.
Understanding English Learners’ High School Academic Experience: Suggestions for Educators

ABSTRACT As the number of English Learners (EL) increases, U.S. schools must understand and meet their unique needs. Employing qualitative methodology, the authors sought to understand the academic experience of twelve, 10th grade ELs. Three themes of academic success, perception of the student/teacher relationship, and perception of self, along with multiple subthemes emerged. Key concepts from the themes included the importance of relationship, influence teacher expectations had on participants experiencing academic success or engaging a cycle of failure, and value placed on a sense of agency related to academic experiences. Suggestions for how schools can meet ELs’ unique needs are provided.
Thrombocytosis as a Predictor of Malignancy in Patients with a Pelvic Mass

Objective: To determine if thrombocytosis (platelet count >350x10/L) is a predictor of malignancy in women with a pelvic mass. Study design: A cross-sectional study on seventy women presented with a pelvic mass and admitted to hospital for explorative laparotomy. Preoperative platelet count was done for all of them. The results of platelet count and the final diagnosis by histopathology were reviewed and statistical analysis was. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology /College of Medicine/Al-Mustansirya University. Results: The difference in the platelet counts of patients with malignancy and benign tumors was significant (P<0.0094). Twenty patients had cancer; of these, eleven (55%) had thrombocytosis. Only ten (20%) patients with benign tumors had thrombocytosis. Conclusion: High preoperative platelet count in women presenting with pelvic mass may predict a final diagnosis of cancer.
The Role, Contribution and Utilization of Physician Assistants in Primary Care

Objective: To understand the role, contribution, and utilization of physician assistants in the primary care setting. This systematic review aims to provide an accurate depiction of the growth and impact of the physician assistant profession in this field of medicine. Methods: Using electronic databases MEDLINE and EMBASE, a review was undertaken using specified search terms of articles between the years of 2010 - 2019. In this review, the eligibility criteria were English language studies conducted in North America or the United Kingdom, PAs working in primary care with recognized PA qualifications and research findings relevant to PAs that are presented separately. Results: At least 1029 publications were identified, of which 15 articles met the inclusion criteria. Ten of these studies were based in the United States, while five were based in the United Kingdom. PAs in primary care were found to see less complicated patients, required supervision, and improved the patient caseload for physicians. The patients’ acceptance of PAs is on the rise as more knowledge about the skills and roles become prominent. Conclusions: This review highlights the role of PAs in the primary care field, though more research is needed in areas such as patient outcomes to clearly understand the contribution and utilization of PAs in primary care.
Epidemiology and Outcome of Glioblastoma

ABSTRACT Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor. With an incidence rate of 3.19 per 100,000 persons in the United States and a median age of 64 years, it is uncommon in children. The incidence is 1.6 times higher in males compared to females and 2.0 times higher in Caucasians compared to Africans and Afro-Americans, with lower incidence in Asians and American Indians. GBM is commonly located in the supratentorial region (frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes) and is rarely located in cerebellum. Genetic and environmental factors have been investigated in GBM. Risk factors include prior radiotherapy, decreased susceptibility to allergy, immune factors and immune genes, as well as some single nucleotide polymorphisms detected by genomic analysis. Use of anti-inflammatory medication has been found to be protective against GBM. Survival from GBM is poor; only few patients survive 2.5 years and less than 5% of patients survive 5 years following diagnosis. Survival rates for patients with GBM have shown no notable improvement in population statistics in the last three decades. Molecular epidemiology integrates molecular technology into epidemiological studies and outcomes. The future of the epidemiology of GBM will depend on multicenter studies generating large clinical data sets of genomic data potentially leading to further understanding of the roles of genes and environment in the development of this devastating disease.
Sources and atmospheric dynamics of organic aerosol in New Delhi, India: insights from receptor modeling

Abstract. Delhi, India, is the second most populated city in the world and routinely experiences some of the highest particulate matter concentrations of any megacity on the planet, posing acute challenges to public health (World Health Organization, 2018). However, the current understanding of the sources and dynamics of PM pollution in Delhi is limited. Measurements at the Delhi Aerosol Supersite (DAS) provide long-term chemical characterization of ambient submicron aerosol in Delhi, with near-continuous online measurements of aerosol composition. Here we report on source apportionment based on positive matrix factorization (PMF), conducted on 15 months of highly time-resolved speciated submicron non-refractory PM1 (NR-PM1) between January 2017 and March 2018. We report on seasonal variability across four seasons of 2017 and interannual variability using data from the two winters and springs of 2017 and 2018. We show that a modified tracer-based organic component analysis provides an opportunity for a real-time source apportionment approach for organics in Delhi. Phase equilibrium modeling of aerosols using the extended aerosol inorganics model (E-AIM) predicts equilibrium gas-phase concentrations and allows evaluation of the importance of the ventilation coefficient (VC) and temperature in controlling primary and secondary organic aerosol. We also find that primary aerosol dominates severe air pollution episodes, and secondary aerosol dominates seasonal averages.
Turgenev’s appropriation of King Lear: A case of medieval transmission and adaptation

This paper tries to provide a thorough analysis of Ivan Turgenev’s appropriation of King Lear, the Shakespearean tragedy, as it appears in the novella King Lear of the Steppes (1870), from the perspective of translation and adaptation studies, and how this was adapted to 19th-century Russia. This analysis highlights the role of cross-cultural relations and its influence on the evolution of target literatures. The comparison with Shakespeare’s source text shows evident similarities but also differences, all of which raise multiple questions from the perspective of philosophy, history and ideology, among others. In fact, the interpretation of Shakespeare’s work, in Turgenev’s work and in the Russian literature as a whole, has become essential to understand the intellectual development of this country since the 19th century, as well as the rise of some debates about the Russian cultural identity, which still continue today. By focusing on Turgenev’s novella King Lear of the Steppes, the relevance of processes such as appropriation and adaptation for the development of national literatures will be underscored and how these foster debate and discussion within cultural systems. And, in order to illustrate this, it will also be highlighted that Shakespeare’s King Lear was in fact based upon several previous medieval sources and suffered multiple changes and adaptations over the centuries, which proves that knowledge transforms and adapts to the literary, cultural and ideological features of each period of time and society.