Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fine context, low-rank, softplus deep neural networks for mobile speech recognition

We investigate the use of large state inventories and the softplus nonlinearity for on-device neural network based mobile speech recognition. Large state inventories are achieved by less aggressive context-dependent state tying, and made possible by using a bottleneck layer to contain the number of parameters. We investigate alternative approaches to the bottleneck layer, demonstrate the superiority of the softplus non-linearity and investigate alternatives for the final stages of the training algorithm. Overall we reduce the word error rate of the system by 9% relative. The techniques are also shown to work well for large acoustic models for cloud-based speech recognition.
Multidimensional DFT-modulated filter bank: Design and implementation

The paper presents an approach to subchannel decomposition of multidimensional signals that is performed by means of a DFT-modulated filter bank designed for multidimensional signals. An r-dimension signal can be decomposed using r scalar DFT-modulated filter banks. However, the proposed vectorized filter bank allows to obtain polyphase filter bank structure that can be efficiently implemented in hardware or in software using vector processors.
Outsmarting IQ: The Emerging Science of Learnable Intelligence

Since the turn of the century, the idea that intellectual capacity is fixed has been generally accepted. But increasingly, psychologists, educators, and others have come to challenge this premise. "Outsmarting IQ" reveals how earlier discoveries about IQ, together with recent research, show that intelligence is not genetically fixed. Intelligence can be taught. David Perkins, renowned for his research on thinking, learning, and education, identifies three distinct kinds of intelligence: the fixed neurological intelligence linked to IQ tests; the specialized knowledge and experience that individuals acquire over time; and reflective intelligence, the ability to become aware of one's mental habits and transcend limited patterns of thinking. Although all of these forms of intelligence function simultaneously, it is reflective intelligence, Perkins shows, that affords the best opportunity to amplify human intellect. This is the kind of intelligence that helps us to make wise personal decisions, solve challenging technical problems, find creative ideas, and learn complex topics in mathematics, the sciences, management, and other areas. It is the kind of intelligence most needed in an increasingly competitive and complicated world. Using his own pathbreaking research at Harvard and a rich array of other sources, Perkins paints a compelling picture of the skills and attitudes underlying learnable intelligence. He identifies typical pitfalls in multiple perspectives, and neglecting evidence. He reveals the underlying mechanisms of intelligent behavior. And he explores new frontiers in the development of intelligence in education, business, and other settings. This book will beof interest to people who have a personal or professional stake in increasing their intellectual skills, to those who look toward better education and a more thoughtful society, and not least to those who follow today's heated debates about the nature of intelligence.
X-Ray-Induced Chromosome Aberrations in the Corneal Epithelium of the Chinese Hamster

When the corneal epithelium of the Chinese hamster is irradiated with ionizing radiation in vivo, a rectilinear relationship is observed between the yield of chromosome aberrations and the dose of x-rays within a dose range of 10 to 150 r. There is no threshold effect for chromosome breakage down to the 10-r level. The mean breakage rate of 0.00352 breaks per cell per roentgen is in very close agreement with the data obtained on other mammalian tissues, both in vitro and in vivo.
Automatic Knowledge Representation using a Graph-based Algorithm for Language-Independent Lexical Chaining

Lexical Chains are powerful representations of documents. In particular, they have successfully been used in the field of Automatic Text Summarization. However, until now, Lexical Chaining algorithms have only been proposed for English. In this paper, we propose a greedy Language-Independent algorithm that automatically extracts Lexical Chains from texts. For that purpose, we build a hierarchical lexico-semantic knowledge base from a collection of texts by using the Pole-Based Overlapping Clustering Algorithm. As a consequence, our methodology can be applied to any language and proposes a solution to language-dependent Lexical Chainers.
Contribution of the addition of anti-β2-glycoprotein to the classification of antiphospholipid syndrome in predicting adverse pregnancy outcome

Objectives. Anti-β2 glycoprotein 1 (a-β2GP1) was added to the criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in 2005. However, its clinical significance with respect to complications of pregnancy is not well established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of laboratory findings of a-β2GP1 with events of thromboembolism or obstetric complications (pregnancy loss, placental dysfunction, intrauterine growth restriction, preeclampsia, fetal death, and preterm delivery) in women with clinical and laboratory evidence of APS. Methods. A retrospective cohort design was used. Ninety-one patients (total 394 pregnancies) referred to a tertiary medical center for evaluation of clinical features consistent with APS were divided into three groups: group A (n = 34), two positive tests for anticardiolipin (ACL) or lupus anticoagulant (LAC), in accordance with original APS classification (1998); group B (n = 18), two positive tests for a-β2GP1, in accordance with the revised APS criteria; and group C (n = 39), only one positive test for ACL or LAC. Results. Of the 52 women with APS (group A or B), 36 had primary disease, and 16 had secondary disease. On comparison of the groups, group B was characterized by a significantly higher rate of complicated pregnancy (83.3%) than groups A (47.1%) and C (76.9%), P = 0.007, and a higher rate of fetal loss (72.2%) than groups A + C (28.8%, P = 0.001). Conclusions. The findings suggest that the revised APS criteria are preferable to the original classification for the prediction of complicated pregnancy.
G-HABC Algorithm for Training Artificial Neural Networks

Learning problems for Neural Network (NN) has widely been explored in the past two decades. Researchers have focused more on population-based algorithms because of its natural behavior processing. The population-based algorithms are Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), and recently Hybrid Ant Bee Colony (HABC) algorithm produced an easy way for NN training. These social based techniques are mostly used for finding best weight values and over trapping local minima in NN learning. Typically, NN trained by traditional approach, namely the Backpropagation (BP) algorithm, has difficulties such as trapping in local minima and slow convergence. The new method named Global Hybrid Ant Bee Colony (G-HABC) algorithm which can overcome the gaps in BP is used to train the NN for Boolean Function classification task. The simulation results of the NN when trained with the proposed hybrid method were compared with that of Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) and ordinary ABC. From the results, the proposed G-HABC algorithm has shown to provide a better learning performance for NNs with reduced CPU time and higher success rates.
Investigation of the effect of design aspects on dyanamic control of a binary distillation column

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of design modification on the dynamic behavior of a binary distillation column (2×2 MIMO system). The aim is the use of design modification as a tool to minimize the interactions between the loops. Two different cases are studied; the first is the location of feed plate, whereas the second is the quantity of liquid in the feed plate for DV control scheme. The dynamic magnitude array criterion is used to evaluate the degree of interaction between the loops. The results show that design has a very important effect on the degree of interactions the fact that can be used to improve the control aspects for the column.
HESAS: HERVs Expression and Structure Analysis System

SUMMARY HESAS (HERVs Expression and Structure Analysis System) database was developed to understand the human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) that have an effect on the expression of human functional genes. The database products are generated by the exon-based expressed sequence tag clustering and reconstructing of partial HERV structures that result from various mutations during primate evolution. The expression types were classified according to the existence of splicing, transcriptional start and polyadenylation signal sites. The database currently contains HERV information on 26,981 human genes of exon-intron structure. The HERV elements were inserted into 17,317 of these genes and linked to expression with 898 genes. AVAILABILITY http://www.primate. or.kr/HESAS CONTACT: khs307@pusan.ac. kr.
Mean arterial pressure estimation method using morphological changes in oscillometric waveform

Oscillometric method is the method for the blood pressure measurement using mean arterial pressure (MAP). In the conventional method, the cuff pressure at the largest pulse is determined as MAP. However, it is difficult to find the largest oscillometric pulse from patients who have the cardiovascular disease or the elder subjects. Therefore, we studied a new method to determine the MAP by analyzing the changes of the morphology of oscillometric pulse different from above method.
Prepubertal height velocity references over a wide age range.

EDITOR,-We should like to respond to the recently published annotation on the place of computed tomography and lumbar puncture in suspected bacterial meningitis. ' The table of contraindications to lumbar puncture in the child with suspected acute bacterial meningitis is welcome and we would agree that lumbar puncture should be avoided in these clinical situations. However, we would not accept that a contraindication to lumbar puncture amounts to a specific indication for computed tomography, which seems to be the inference. We would agree that computed tomography is indicated if the differential diagnosis ofbacterial meningitis is in any doubt but this applies irrespective of whether lumbar puncture is contraindicated. We think one should endeavour to separate the contraindications to lumbar puncture from the indications for computed tomography.
A Spectral Based Clustering Algorithm for Categorical Data with Maximum Modularity

In this paper we propose a spectral based clustering algorithm to maximize an extended Modularity measure for categorical data; first, we establish the connection with the Relational Analysis criterion. Second, the maximization of the extended modularity is shown as a trace maximization problem. A spectral based algorithm is then presented to search for the partitions maximizing the extended Modularity criterion. Experimental results indicate that the new algorithm is efficient and effective at finding a good clustering across a variety of real-world data sets
Analysis of crop lodging using a latent variable model

A method for quantifying treatment comparisons for a situation in which there are too many zeros in the dataset for a conventional analysis of variance to be valid is presented. The method assumes the existence of a latent variable such that zero observations correspond to values below a threshold, and non-zero observations are transformed to fit the part of the distribution above the threshold. The method is known as Tobit analysis in econometrics. Parameters are estimated by maximum likelihood and standard errors obtained, all using standard numerical routines. Use of the method is demonstrated by analysis of a dataset of crop lodging, and it is anticipated to be widely applicable to other types of data for which high numbers of zeros prevent conventional analysis.
Prognostic value of interleukin 2 and interleukin 15 in peritumoral hepatic tissues for patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection

Background and aims Th1/Th2-like cytokine mRNA levels in non-cancerous hepatic tissues from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are associated with metastases and recurrence. This study evaluated the prognostic values of intratumoral and peritumoral Th1/Th2 cytokine protein levels in patients with HCC after curative resection. Methods Two independent cohorts (A and B) of 453 patients with HCC were enrolled. Twelve Th1/Th2 cytokines in tumour and peritumoral hepatic tissues from cohort A (n=192) were quantified with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. This cohort was split into training and test sets which were used to identify and verify the prognostic cytokines. The prognostic values of identified cytokines were further validated in cohort B (n=261) using tissue microarray and immunohistochemical staining. Results In the training set, higher interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-15 levels in peritumoral liver tissues, but not in tumour tissues, were significantly associated with a decreased incidence of recurrence of intrahepatic tumour and a prolonged overall survival. This association was verified in the testing set and further validated in patients in cohort B. Importantly, this correlation remained significant in patients with early HCC. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that the prognostic performance of peritumoral IL-2 (HR for recurrence=0.4, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.6, p<0.0001; HR for death=0.6, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.8, p=0.005) and IL-15 (HR for recurrence=0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 0.95, p=0.025) was independent of other clinicopathological factors. Conclusion Peritumoral IL-2 and IL-15 levels are useful for stratifying patients, even those with early-stage HCC, into subgroups with different prognoses after curative resection.
C-reactive protein aptasensor for early sepsis diagnosis by means of an optical fiber device

This work presents the development of a fast response, low cost and real time monitoring biosensor for sepsis diagnosis by means of the detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) as a sepsis biomarker. The developed sensor has two main features. The first one consists of the utilization of high sensitive optical fiber refractometers based on Lossy Mode Resonances (LMRs). The second is the utilization of CRP-selective and high sensitive aptamer chains as the sensing element (bio-receptor). Thin polymer/aptamer films were fabricated using the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technique onto the optical fiber device in order to facilitate the detection of the aptamer refractive index changes in presence of CRP. Obtained devices were able to discriminate between a non-pathological concentration (2mg/L) and a pathological concentration (20mg/L) of CRP in less than 15 min. In addition, these sensors could be reused after a proper decontamination process which enhances their lifetime.
Cortical Dysfunction Underlies the Development of the Split-Hand in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

The split-hand phenomenon, a specific feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), refers to preferential wasting of abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and first dorsal interosseous (FDI) with relative preservation of abductor digiti minimi (ADM). The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the split-hand phenomenon remain elusive and resolution of this issue would provide unique insights into ALS pathophysiology. Consequently, the present study dissected out the relative contribution of cortical and peripheral processes in development of the split-hand phenomenon in ALS. Cortical and axonal excitability studies were undertaken on 26 ALS patients, with motor responses recorded over the APB, FDI and ADM muscles. Results were compared to 21 controls. Short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), a biomarker of cortical excitability, was significantly reduced across the range of intrinsic hand muscles (APBSICI ALS 0.3±2.0%, APBSICI controls 16.0±1.9%, P<0.0001; FDISICI ALS 2.7±1.7%, FDI SICI controls 14.8±1.9%, P<0.0001; ADMSICI ALS 2.6±1.5%, ADM SICI controls 9.7±2.2%, P<0.001), although the reduction was most prominent when recorded over APB/FDI. Changes in SICI were accompanied by a significant increase in motor evoked potential amplitude and reduction of cortical silent period duration, all indicative of cortical hyperexcitability, and these were most prominent from the APB/FDI. At a peripheral level, a significant increase in strength-duration time constant and reduction in depolarising threshold electrotonus were evident in ALS, although these changes did not follow a split-hand distribution. Cortical dysfunction contributed to development of the split-hand in ALS, thereby implying an importance of cortical hyperexcitability in ALS pathogenesis.
Cross-cultural medical education: Can patient-centered cultural competency training be effective in non-Western countries?

Background: No evidence addresses the effectiveness of patient-centered cultural competence training in non-Western settings. Aims: To examine whether a patient-centered cultural competency curriculum improves medical students’ skills in eliciting the patients’ perspective and exploring illness-related social factors. Method: Fifty-seven medical students in Taiwan were randomly assigned to either the control (n = 27) or one of two intervention groups: basic (n = 15) and extensive (n = 15). Both intervention groups received two 2-hour patient-centered cultural competency workshops. In addition, the extensive intervention group received a 2-hour practice session. The control group received no training. Results: At the end of the clerkship, all students were evaluated with an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Students in the extensive intervention group scored significantly higher than the basic intervention and control groups in eliciting the patient's perspective (F = 18.38, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.40). Scores of both intervention groups were significantly higher than the control group in the exploring social factors (F = 6.66, p = 0.003, η2 = 0.20). Conclusion: Patient-centered cultural competency training can produce improvement in medical students’ cross-cultural communication skills in non-Western settings, especially when adequate practice is provided.
Variability of Natural Populations of Atriplex Halimus L . in Morocco as Investigated by RAPD Markers

Atriplex halimus L. (Chenopodiaceae) is a monoecious C4 perennial shrub native to the Mediterranean Basin, used as fodder shrub for livestock and useful for rehabilitation of degraded rangelands. To assess the levels and patterns of genetic diversity of this species, 99 samples of 11 populations collected throughout the natural range in Morocco plus 9 samples obtained from one population originating from USA, were analyzed using RAPD method and markers. A number of 157 reproducible amplified bands were obtained with 17 primers. Out of 157 amplified bands, 146 (93%) were polymorphic, and only 11 (7%) monomorphic. Global AMOVA analysis showed that the most genetic variation was within populations (66.57%), with the reminder occurring between populations (33.43%). Hierarchical AMOVA analysis revealed that variation among regions (Morocco versus USA) accounted only for 5.87% of the total genetic variation, suggesting that there is not a significant genetic differentiation of populations located at the opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The actual genetic structure could have arisen by a combination of genetic drift effect and limited level of gene flow (0.50). The genetic diversity maintained by this species (0.238) was somewhat higher in comparison to other species with similar life histories and ecological traits. A neighbourjoining dendrogram based on Dice’s coefficient resolved five major groups of populations correlated in part with bioclimatic type. Nevertheless, geographic distance did not explain the genetic differentiation among populations (r = 0.103, P = 0.646). The data obtained in this study should have important implications for the conservation and management strategies of genetic variation of Atriplex halimus in Morocco.
TCMs matched to ISI channels: New results for combined symbol-by-symbol equalization and decoding

The design of good TCM schemes matched to ISI channels requires that analytical performance bounds are also available. In this paper, starting from an application of the union-Bhattacharyya bound, upper-bounds for the performance of the theoretically optimum combined symbol-by-symbol (SbS) Abend-Fritchman like equalizer and decoder are presented for the first time in literature. The combined detector acts on the distorted version of the TCM signal received at the output of a channel impaired by (known) ISI and AWGN. On the basis of these bounds a novel simple criterion for the design of TCMs optimally matched to any assigned ISI-corrupted transmission channel is then derived and its application to some actual test-channels is illustrated.
Intrusion detection in computer networks via machine learning algorithms

With the internet of objects, the number of devices with internet connection is increasing day by day. This leads to a very high amount of data circulating on the internet. It is one of the most common problems that can be distinguished from normal and abnormal traffic by analyzing in high data amount. In this study, an analysis was carried out by using machine learning approaches to determine whether the data received on the internet is normal or abnormal data. In order to achieve this goal, the KDD Cup 99 data set which is frequently used in literature studies is classified by Naive Bayes (NB), bayes NET (bN), Random Forest (RF), Multilayer Perception (MLP) and Sequential Minimal Optimization (SMO) algorithms. Classifiers are also compared with false rate, precision, recall, and F measure metrics along with accuracy rate values. Classification times of classifiers are also given by comparison.
Poor versus good sleepers in patients under treatment for sleep-related breathing disorders: better is not good enough

Dear editor Recently we published a retrospective study in this journal which reported the significant relationship between nocturnal awakening, respectively high arousal index, and fatigue in 410 patients with sleep disorders admitted to our sleep laboratory.1 In this study we noticed that Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) mean values2 were lower in patients who have been treated for sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) compared with either treatment-naive SRBD patients, or with patients with periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), restless legs syndrome (RLS), or insomnia. However, this study was not focused on PSQI values and we did not classify the patients into good and poor sleepers according to the established PSQI cut-off (less than or equal to versus greater than five). The PSQI was initially developed to screen impaired subjective sleep quality in patients with insomnia and depression, but today it is widely used in sleep medicine in general. We now report the results of a classification of our patients into good and poor sleepers according to their PSQI values, using the PSQI-cut-off of ≤ or >5 that we performed subsequent to our original study. To our knowledge, there have been to date only a few studies in this issue that have investigated the use of PSQI in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. These studies had inconsistent findings and small sample sizes. Macey et al3 did not find a significant relationship between the apnea-hypopnea-index per hour of sleep (AHI) and PSQI values in 49 untreated OSA patients. Chihara et al4 reported a significant improvement of PSQI values after auto-adjusting positive airway pressure (APAP) with flexible positive airway pressure (C-Flex) (n=29), but not with APAP alone (n=28) or APAP in combination with fixed inspiration/expiration pressure difference (A-Flex) (n=28). Mermigkis et al5 found no significant improvement of PSQI values before and after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in a small sample of 12 patients.