Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Reducing Harmonic and Sampling Distortion in Vocal Tract Length Normalization

This paper proposes a novel feature-space VTLN (vocal tract length normalization) method that models frequency warping as a linear interpolation of contiguous Mel filter-bank energies. The presented technique aims to reduce the distortion in the Mel filter-bank energy estimation due to the harmonic composition of voiced speech intervals and DFT (discrete Fourier transform) sampling when the central frequency of band-pass filters is shifted. This paper also proposes an analytical maximum likelihood (ML) method to estimate the optimal warping factor in the cepstral space. The presented interpolated filter-bank energy-based VTLN leads to relative reductions in WER (word error rate) as high as 11.2% and 7.6% when compared with the baseline system and standard VTLN, respectively, in a medium-vocabulary continuous speech recognition task. Also, the proposed VTLN scheme can provide significant reductions in WER when compared with state-of-the-art VTLN methods based on linear transforms in the cepstral feature-space. The warping factor estimated with the proposed VTLN approach shows more dependence on the speaker and more independence of the acoustic-phonetic content than the warping factor resulting from standard and state-of-the-art VTLN methods. Finally, the analytical ML-based optimization scheme presented here achieves almost the same reductions in WER as the ML grid search version of the technique with a computational load 20 times lower.
Ferroelectricity in Si‐Doped HfO2 Revealed: A Binary Lead‐Free Ferroelectric

Static domain structures and polarization dynamics of silicon doped HfO2 are explored. The evolution of ferroelectricity as a function of Si-doping level driving the transition from paraelectricity via ferroelectricity to antiferroelectricity is investigated. Ferroelectric and antiferroelectric properties can be observed locally on the pristine, poled and electroded surfaces, providing conclusive evidence to intrinsic ferroic behavior.
TFII-I Enhances Activation of the c-fosPromoter through Interactions with Upstream Elements

ABSTRACT The transcription factor TFII-I was initially isolated as a factor that can bind to initiator elements in core promoters. Recent evidence suggests that TFII-I may also have a role in signal transduction. We have found that overexpression of TFII-I can enhance the response of the wild-type c-fos promoter to a variety of stimuli. This effect depends on the c-fosc-sis–platelet-derived growth factor-inducible factor binding element (SIE) and serum response element (SRE). There is no effect of cotransfected TFII-I on the TATA box containing the c-fos basal promoter. Three TFII-I binding sites can be found in c-fos promoter. Two of these overlap the c-fos SIE and SRE, and another is located just upstream of the TATA box. Mutations that distinguish between serum response factor (SRF), STAT, and TFII-I binding to the c-fos SIE and SRE suggest that the binding of TFII-I to these elements is important for c-fos induction in conjunction with the SRF and STAT transcription factors. Moreover, TFII-I can form in vivo protein-protein complexes with the c-fos upstream activators SRF, STAT1, and STAT3. These results suggest that TFII-I may mediate the functional interdependence of the c-fos SIE and SRE elements. In addition, the ras pathway is required for TFII-I to exert its effects on the c-fos promoter, and growth factor stimulation enhances tyrosine phosphorylation of TFII-I. These results indicate that TFII-I is involved in signal transduction as well as transcriptional activation of the c-fospromoter.
A Positivist Methodology for Archival Case Studies in Information Systems Research

Few guidelines are available about how a case researcher may collect data about past or historical phenomena. A methodology for case studies based on archival data would be useful for taking advantage of a wealth of evidence (e.g., corporate documents such as memoranda and e-mail, as well as popular press) that occurs naturally in organizational and societal experiences of dealing with information technology. The objective in this paper is to offer an archival case study methodology sufficiently rigorous to be deemed scientific.
Career facilitators and obstacles of Australian football development coaches

Career development is considered integral to the success of individuals, organisations and professions. Coaches play a vital role in the success of sport, yet little is known about their career development. Despite the advances in career development for athletes, there has been very little scholarly attention, nor resources provided for coach career development, especially for coaches working outside elite and professional sport. This pilot study explored the career development facilitators and obstacles of junior development Australian football coaches. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data on the career development of six practicing junior development Australian football coaches. These six (of only 12 employed) coaches worked in the main elite junior development league for Australian football, the Transport Accident Commission Cup. The themes that emerged from the data revealed that the career development of junior development Australian football coaches was facilitated first by their high motivation to coach because of their enjoyment of seeing young players develop and transition into the elite competition. The second facilitator was the coach’s awareness of their career development needs and their willingness to do their own career development despite limited opportunity, guidance or support. The key obstacles to Transport Accident Commission Cup coach career development included a lack of opportunity to spend time at elite clubs to observe and interact with elite coaches; a lack of time due to having a non-coaching job to financially support their coaching work and their family as well; the high demands of the coaching role had a negative impact on their work–life balance and often conflicted with time they would rather spend with their families; and finally, the lack of institutional support for coaches who were asked to work long hours for low wages and little reward despite their vital role in the elite player development pathway for the Australian Football League. This research suggests that junior development Australian football coaches have a clear understanding of their role and how it changes as their career develops; however, the coaches are limited by external forces in their career development. Junior development Australian football coaches are vital for Australian Football League development; however, there is disconnection between Australian Football League goals and their capacity to nurture elite athletes into the sport’s system due to part-time coaching roles, limited resources and few opportunities for coaches to develop their careers.
The Effects of Mobile Natural-science Learning Based on the 5E Learning Cycle: A Case Study

This study has three major purposes, including designing mobile natural-science learning activities that rest on the 5E Learning Cycle, examining the effects of these learning activities on students’ performances of learning aquatic plants, and exploring students’ perceptions toward these learning activities. A case-study method is utilized and the science club with 46 fourth-grade students is selected as the study case in the study. Besides, a set of quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the case to document the learning effects of and the students’ perceptions of the learning activities, and to discuss factors underlying these effects and students’ perceptions. The results indicate that the learning activities can enhance students’ scientific performances, including both knowledge and understanding levels. Students’ perceptions of these learning activities appear to be positive. The study identifies two factors that are prominent in the positive effects: students’ engaging in “mobile-technology supported” observation during their scientific inquiry; and students’ engaging in “mobiletechnology supported” manipulation during their scientific inquiry. Finally, the conclusions that our study has drawn could constitute a useful guide for educational practitioners concerned with the potentials of mobile computing in school settings.
Segregation of Incomplete Achromatopsia and Alopecia Due to PDE6H and LPAR6 Variants in a Consanguineous Family from Pakistan

We report on two brothers with visual impairment, and non-syndromic alopecia in the elder proband. The parents were first-degree Pakistani cousins. Whole exome sequencing of the elder brother and parents, followed by Sanger sequencing of all four family members, led to the identification of the variants responsible for the two phenotypes. One variant was a homozygous nonsense variant in the inhibitory subunit of the cone-specific cGMP phosphodiesterase gene, PDE6H:c.35C>G (p.Ser12*). PDE6H is expressed in the cones of the retina, which are involved in perception of color vision. This is the second report of a homozygous PDE6H:c.35C>G variant causing incomplete achromatopsia (OMIM 610024), thus strongly supporting the hypothesis that loss-of-function variants in PDE6H cause this visual deficiency phenotype. The second variant was a homozygous missense substitution in the lysophosphatidic acid receptor 6, LPAR6:c.188A>T (p.Asp63Val). LPAR6 acts as a G-protein-coupled receptor involved in hair growth. Biallelic loss-of-function variants in LPAR6 cause hypotrichosis type 8 (OMIM 278150), with or without woolly hair, a form of non-syndromic alopecia. Biallelic LPAR6:c.188A>T was previously described in five families from Pakistan.
The postnatal growth of visual capacity.

BRONSON, GOnDON. The Postnatal Growth of Visual Capacity. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1974, 45, 873-890. Behavioral studies of early visual development are interpreted within a framework provided by data from the neurosciences. It is concluded that the visual responses elicited during the first month of life are mediated directly by components of a phylogenetically older "second visual system," and that the more sophisticated reactions that typically begin to appear during the second and third months reflect a dawning participation of the primary visual system in the processing of visual input. The process of postnatal visual development is viewed as a progressive encoding, within different components of the visual network, of increasingly more complex aspects of the information contained in the visual signal.
3T 1H-MR spectroscopy in grading of cerebral gliomas: comparison of short and intermediate echo time sequences.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Echo time (TE) can have a large influence on the spectra in proton MR spectroscopy ((1)H-MR spectroscopy). The purpose of this study was to comparatively assess the diagnostic value of 3T single-voxel (1)H-MR spectroscopy with short or intermediate TEs in grading cerebral gliomas. METHODS Single voxel (1)H-MR spectroscopy was performed at 3T in 35 patients with cerebral glioma. The spectra were obtained with both short (35 ms) and intermediate TEs (144 ms). Metabolite ratios of choline (Cho)/creatine (Cr), Cho/N-acetylaspartate (NAA), lipid and lactate (LL)/Cr and myo-inositol (mIns)/Cr were calculated and compared between short and intermediate TEs in each grade. After receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, diagnostic accuracy for each TE in differentiating high-grade glioma from low-grade glioma was compared. RESULTS At short TE, Cho/Cr and Cho/NAA ratios were significantly lower, and LL/Cr and mIns/Cr were significantly higher, compared with those at intermediate TE, regardless of tumor grade. Lactate inversion at intermediate TE was found in only 2 patients. At both TEs, there were significant differences in Cho/Cr and LL/Cr ratios between low- and high-grade gliomas. Diagnostic accuracy was slightly higher at short TE alone or combined with intermediate TE than intermediate TE alone (85.7% versus 82.9%). CONCLUSION Metabolite ratios were significantly different between short and intermediate TE. Cho/Cr and LL/Cr ratios at either TE were similarly useful in differentiating high-grade gliomas from low-grade gliomas. If only a single spectroscopic sequence can be acquired, short TE seems preferable because of poor lactate inversion at intermediate TE on 3T single-voxel (1)H-MR spectroscopy.
Provably convergent inhomogeneous genetic annealing algorithm

We define genetic annealing as simulated annealing applied to a population of several solutions when candidates are generated from more than one (parent) solution at a time. We show that such genetic annealing algorithms can inherit the convergence properties of simulated annealing. We present two examples, one that generates each candidate by crossing pairs of parents and a second that generates each candidate from the entire population. We experimentally apply these two extreme versions of genetic annealing to a problem in vector quantization.
From the SelectedWorks of Andrew McCallum 2009 Active Learning by Labeling Features

Methods that learn from prior information about input features such as generalized expectation (GE) have been used to train accurate models with very little effort. In this paper, we propose an active learning approach in which the machine solicits “labels” on features rather than instances. In both simulated and real user experiments on two sequence labeling tasks we show that our active learning method outperforms passive learning with features as well as traditional active learning with instances. Preliminary experiments suggest that novel interfaces which intelligently solicit labels on multiple features facilitate more efficient annotation.
Contour Plot : Demands for Social Services Social agencies share over tax cake allotment Poverty line Contour Plot : Demands for Public Goods Public agencies share over tax cake allotment Poverty line

Bargaining Game Fiction about Welfare State, Poverty Line and Taxpayers * by Joseph E. Mullat , April 30, 2004, independent researcher, assoc. Prof., Economic Division, Tallinn Technical University (1979 – 1980), Estonia Abstract Our fiction addresses an important but narrowly defined issue of wealth circulation in the society. In the form of three persons’ game we made an inquiry into the welfare effects on taxpayers. Bargainer Nr.1 on legal and moral grounds personalizes taxpayers to have a preference for social services. Bargainer Nr.2 personalizes taxpayers to have a preference for the provision of public goods. Quite the opposite, player Nr.3, the taxpayers’ third mind, is the one who gives the consumption a preference over social services and public goods; i.e., taxpayers try to reduce their obligations scheduled at bargainers’ account. Voters-taxpayers actually arrive at their expectations for consumption, e.g. at unanimous consent, by a threat of whether to reject or to acknowledge the bargaining agreement. The government, presided over the State, assesses and rules on wealth circulation by poverty line parameter. We provide an evidence for claim that 50% median income is an ideal solution. JEL classification: C78, H21
Distributed estimation using Bayesian consensus filtering

We present the Bayesian consensus filter (BCF) for tracking a moving target using a networked group of sensing agents and achieving consensus on the best estimate of the probability distributions of the target's states. Our BCF framework can incorporate nonlinear target dynamic models, heterogeneous nonlinear measurement models, non-Gaussian uncertainties, and higher-order moments of the locally estimated posterior probability distribution of the target's states obtained using Bayesian filters. If the agents combine their estimated posterior probability distributions using a logarithmic opinion pool, then the sum of Kullback-Leibler divergences between the consensual probability distribution and the local posterior probability distributions is minimized. Rigorous stability and convergence results for the proposed BCF algorithm with single or multiple consensus loops are presented. Communication of probability distributions and computational methods for implementing the BCF algorithm are discussed along with a numerical example.
Modernization of nuclear weapons: Aspiring to “indefinite retention”?

Currently, all nations with nuclear weapons are modernizing their arsenals, delivery systems, and related infrastructure. These programs have serious implications for nuclear disarmament. By investing in the extension, upgrading, and reinforcement of their arsenals and capacities, the author writes, these governments are investing in the future of nuclear weapons, not in the future of disarmament. Other non-nuclear states have expressed concern with these programs and are using international venues, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conferences, to call on the nuclear-armed states to cease these programs, which undermine the objectives of the treaty in terms of both non-proliferation and disarmament. Ending upgrades and investment in nuclear weapons would help establish the necessary conditions for disarmament. The author writes that non-nuclear weapon states should further advance the conditions for disarmament by negotiating a treaty banning nuclear weapons, highlighting that the world’s governments, themselves, do not need to possess nuclear weapons in order to prohibit them.
X-ray Structure of a Hg2+ Complex of Mercuric Reductase (MerA) and Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical Study of Hg2+ Transfer between the C-Terminal and Buried Catalytic Site Cysteine Pairs

Mercuric reductase, MerA, is a key enzyme in bacterial mercury resistance. This homodimeric enzyme captures and reduces toxic Hg2+ to Hg0, which is relatively unreactive and can exit the cell passively. Prior to reduction, the Hg2+ is transferred from a pair of cysteines (C558′ and C559′ using Tn501 numbering) at the C-terminus of one monomer to another pair of cysteines (C136 and C141) in the catalytic site of the other monomer. Here, we present the X-ray structure of the C-terminal Hg2+ complex of the C136A/C141A double mutant of the Tn501 MerA catalytic core and explore the molecular mechanism of this Hg transfer with quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations. The transfer is found to be nearly thermoneutral and to pass through a stable tricoordinated intermediate that is marginally less stable than the two end states. For the overall process, Hg2+ is always paired with at least two thiolates and thus is present at both the C-terminal and catalytic binding sites as a neutral complex. Prior to Hg2+ transfer, C141 is negatively charged. As Hg2+ is transferred into the catalytic site, a proton is transferred from C136 to C559′ while C558′ becomes negatively charged, resulting in the net transfer of a negative charge over a distance of ∼7.5 Å. Thus, the transport of this soft divalent cation is made energetically feasible by pairing a competition between multiple Cys thiols and/or thiolates for Hg2+ with a competition between the Hg2+ and protons for the thiolates.
Muscle sympathetic nerve activity during intense lower body negative pressure to presyncope in humans

Activation of sympathetic efferent traffic is essential to maintaining adequate arterial pressures during reductions of central blood volume. Sympathetic baroreflex gain may be reduced, and muscle sympathetic firing characteristics altered with head‐up tilt just before presyncope in humans. Volume redistributions with lower body negative pressure (LBNP) are similar to those that occur during haemorrhage, but limited data exist describing arterial pressure–muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) relationships during intense LBNP. Responses similar to those that occur in presyncopal subjects during head‐up tilt may signal the beginnings of cardiovascular decompensation associated with haemorrhage. We therefore tested the hypotheses that intense LBNP disrupts MSNA firing characteristics and leads to a dissociation between arterial pressure and sympathetic traffic prior to presyncope. In 17 healthy volunteers (12 males and 5 females), we recorded ECG, finger photoplethysmographic arterial pressure and MSNA. Subjects were exposed to 5 min LBNP stages until the onset of presyncope. The LBNP level eliciting presyncope was denoted as 100% tolerance, and then data were assessed relative to this normalised maximal tolerance by expressing LBNP levels as 80, 60, 40, 20 and 0% (baseline) of maximal tolerance. Data were analysed in both time and frequency domains, and cross‐spectral analyses were performed to determine the coherence, transfer function and phase angle between diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) and MSNA. DAP–MSNA coherence increased progressively and significantly up to 80% maximal tolerance. Transfer functions were unchanged, but phase angle shifted from positive to negative with application of LBNP. Sympathetic bursts fused in 10 subjects during high levels of LBNP (burst fusing may reflect modulation of central mechanisms, an artefact arising from our use of a 0.1 s time constant for integrating filtered nerve activity, or a combination of both). On average, arterial pressures and MSNA decreased significantly the final 20 s before presyncope (n= 17), but of this group, MSNA increased in seven subjects. No linear relationship was observed between the magnitude of DAP and MSNA changes before presyncope (r= 0.12). We report three primary findings: (1) progressive LBNP (and presumed progressive arterial baroreceptor unloading) increases cross‐spectral coherence between arterial pressure and MSNA, but sympathetic baroreflex control is reduced before presyncope; (2) withdrawal of MSNA is not a prerequisite for presyncope despite significant decreases of arterial pressure; and (3) reductions of venous return, probably induced by intense LBNP, disrupt MSNA firing characteristics that manifest as fused integrated bursts before the onset of presyncope. Although fusing of integrated sympathetic bursts may reflect a true physiological compensation to severe reductions of venous return, duplication of this finding utilizing shorter time constants for integration of the nerve signal is required.
Performance of the Cockcroft-Gault, MDRD, and new CKD-EPI formulas in relation to GFR, age, and body size.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES We compared the estimations of Cockcroft-Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations to a gold standard GFR measurement using (125)I-iothalamate, within strata of GFR, gender, age, body weight, and body mass index (BMI). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS For people who previously underwent a GFR measurement, bias, precision, and accuracies between measured and estimated kidney functions were calculated within strata of the variables. The relation between the absolute bias and the variables was tested with linear regression analysis. RESULTS Overall (n = 271, 44% male, mean measured GFR 72.6 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) [SD 30.4 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)]), mean bias was smallest for MDRD (P < 0.01). CKD-EPI had highest accuracy (P < 0.01 compared with Cockcroft-Gault), which did not differ from MDRD (P = 0.14). The absolute bias of all formulas was related to age. For MDRD and CKD-EPI, absolute bias was also related to the GFR; for Cockcroft-Gault, it was related to body weight and BMI as well. In all extreme subgroups, MDRD and CKD-EPI provided highest accuracies. CONCLUSIONS The absolute bias of all formulas is influenced by age; CKD-EPI and MDRD are also influenced by GFR. Cockcroft-Gault is additionally influenced by body weight and BMI. In general, CKD-EPI gives the best estimation of GFR, although its accuracy is close to that of the MDRD.