Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of phonetic onset on acoustic and articulatory speech reaction times studied with tongue ultrasound

We study the effect that phonetic onset has on acoustic and articulatory reaction times. An acoustic study by Rastle et al. (2005) shows that the place and manner of the first consonant in a target affects acoustic RT. An articulatory study by Kawamoto et al. (2008) shows that the same effect is not present in articulatory reaction time of the lips. We hypothesise, therefore, that in a replication with articulatory instrumentation for the tongue, we should find the same acoustic effect, but no effect in the articulatory reaction time. As a proof of concept of articulatory measurement from ultrasound images, we report results from a pilot experiment which also extends the dataset to include onset-less syllables. The hypothesis is essentially confirmed with statistical analysis and we explore and discuss the effect of different vowels and onset types (including null onsets) on articulatory and acoustic RT and speech production.
Guanabenz inhibits TLR9 signaling through a pathway that is independent of eIF2α dephosphorylation by the GADD34/PP1c complex

Guanabenz attenuates autoimmune inflammation by preventing TLR9 from reaching endosomes and becoming fully activated. From fighting hypertension to inflammation The FDA-approved antihypertensive drug guanabenz also has anti-inflammatory properties, which are thought to be mediated by the inhibition of GADD34, a phosphatase subunit that promotes the production of proinflammatory cytokines and IFN-β. Perego et al. found that guanabenz inhibited the activation of TLR9, a receptor that induces type I IFN secretion from immune cells in response to DNA. TLR9 is implicated in autoimmune diseases in which self-DNA is erroneously recognized by the immune system, and guanabenz reduced symptom severity in a mouse model of lupus. However, guanabenz did not inhibit TLR9 by affecting GADD34 activity, but rather by altering cholesterol metabolism such that TLR9 did not reach endosomes where it is fully activated. The authors note that many lupus patients suffer from hypertension and that guanabenz and related compounds could, thus, have dual benefits for these patients. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress triggers or amplifies inflammatory signals and cytokine production in immune cells. Upon the resolution of ER stress, the inducible phosphatase 1 cofactor GADD34 promotes the dephosphorylation of the initiation factor eIF2α, thereby enabling protein translation to resume. Several aminoguanidine compounds, such as guanabenz, perturb the eIF2α phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle and protect different cell or tissue types from protein misfolding and degeneration. We investigated how pharmacological interference with the eIF2α pathway could be beneficial to treat autoinflammatory diseases dependent on proinflammatory cytokines and type I interferons (IFNs), the production of which is regulated by GADD34 in dendritic cells (DCs). In mouse and human DCs and B cells, guanabenz prevented the activation of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) by CpG oligodeoxynucleotides or DNA-immunoglobulin complexes in endosomes. In vivo, guanabenz protected mice from CpG oligonucleotide–dependent cytokine shock and decreased autoimmune symptom severity in a chemically induced model of systemic lupus erythematosus. However, we found that guanabenz exerted its inhibitory effect independently of GADD34 activity on eIF2α and instead decreased the abundance of CH25H, a cholesterol hydroxylase linked to antiviral immunity. Our results therefore suggest that guanabenz and similar compounds could be used to treat type I IFN–dependent pathologies and that CH25H could be a therapeutic target to control these diseases.
Superconductivity in solid benzene molecular crystal

Light-element compounds hold great promise of high critical temperature superconductivity judging from the theoretical perspective. A hydrogen-rich material, benzene, is such a kind of candidate but also an organic compound. A series of first-principles calculations are performed on the electronic structures, dynamics properties, and electron–phonon interactions of solid benzene at high pressures. Benzene is found to be dynamically stable in the pressure range of 180–200 GPa and to exhibit superconductivity with a maximum transition temperature of 20 K at 195 GPa. The phonon modes of carbon atoms are identified to mainly contribute to the electron–phonon interactions driving this superconductivity. The predicted superconductivity in this simplest pristine hydrocarbon shows a common feature in aromatic hydrocarbons and also makes it a bridge to organic and hydrogen-rich superconductors.
Porous Versus Nonporous Orbital Implants After Enucleation for Uveal Melanoma: A Randomized Study.

PURPOSE To compare hydroxyapatite with acrylic implants after enucleation for uveal melanoma with respect to eyelid position, ocular motility, implant complications, and patient satisfaction. METHODS Patients undergoing primary enucleation for uveal melanoma between May 2005 and November 2012 at the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Centre, United Kingdom, were randomized between hydroxyapatite and acrylic implants. Questionnaires were sent to patients and ocularists to comment on the main outcomes. RESULTS A total of 416 patients were recruited in the study, of whom 281 were included, with 49.5% (139/281) and 50.5% (142/281) receiving a hydroxyapatite (HA) or acrylic (AC) implant. Mailed questionnaires completed at ≥18 months by patients showed no significant differences between the groups in eyelid position, prosthetic motility, socket complications, and patient satisfaction. Complications included implant extrusion (1% vs 4%), enophthalmos (26% vs 26%), and superior sulcus deformity (24% vs 24%) with HA and AC implants, respectively, (Fisher exact test p > 0.0125 in all, Bonferroni correction). Questionnaires completed by ocularists indicated no significant differences in eyelid opening, prosthetic motility, and other complications at 6 months (Fisher exact test, p > 0.05 in all); there was a higher prevalence of ptosis with AC than HA implants (46% vs 25%, p = 0.03) and a greater need for ocularists' treatment with HA than AC (50% vs 28%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Patient-reported outcomes after enucleation for uveal melanoma indicate no major differences between hydroxyapatite and acrylic implants in surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction. There was a higher prevalence of ptosis with AC and a greater need of ocularists' visits with HA at around 6 months observed by ocularists.
An Analysis of Error Behavior in the Implementation of 2-D Orthogonal Transformations

The paper analyzes the effect of finite-length arithmetic in the calculation of 2-D linear transformations employed in some picture coding algorithms. Since the condition of zero-error in general direct and reverse transformations leads to results of little practical importance, an analysis is carried out on the statistical properties of error in 2-D linear transformation with given length of arithmetics. Then the important case of discrete cosine transform (DCT) applied to real images is considered in detail. The results of the paper allow a circuit designer to determine the representation accuracy of the one- and two-dimensional coefficients required to satisfy a preassigned reconstruction error on the image.
Homocysteine induces oxidative stress to damage trabecular meshwork cells

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of homocysteine (Hcy) in on human trabecular meshwork cells (HTMCs). A total of 41 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and 53 patients with senile cataracts (control group) were recruited. Plasma and aqueous humor samples were collected and the Hcy concentrations were determined using enzymatic cycling assays. In cell experiments, normal HTMCs were passaged and randomly divided into a blank control group, a normal HTMC group and experimental groups, which were treated with different concentrations of Hcy. The HTMC activities were detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8 method and the HTMC mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was detected using JC-1 staining. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) released by trabecular meshwork cells was detected using flow cytometry and superoxide dismjutase-1 (SOD1) expression was detected using immunoblotting. The results revealed that the concentration of Hcy in the plasma and aqueous humor of the POAG group (14.44±0.86 and 1.60±0.27 µmol/l, respectively) was significantly higher compared with the control group (10.82±0.29 and 0.69±0.39 µmol/l). All tested concentrations (30, 100, 300 and 1,000 µmol/l) of Hcy reduced the MMP in HTMCs and inhibited HTMC proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. ROS production by HTMCs significantly increased with increased concentrations of Hcy, whereas SOD1 expression significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, patients with POAG were demonstrated to have increased concentrations of Hcy in the plasma and aqueous humor. High concentrations of Hcy in HTMCs induced an oxidative stress state, thereby further inhibiting HTMC proliferation. The results of the present study demonstrate that Hcy may be a potential treatment target in patients with POAG.
Chloroplastic Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase From Medicago truncatula: A Structural Characterization

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT, EC 2.1.2.1) is a pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme which catalyzes the reversible serine-to-glycine conversion in either a tetrahydrofolate-dependent or -independent manner. The enzyme is also responsible for the tetrahydrofolate-independent cleavage of other β-hydroxy amino acids. In addition to being an essential player in the serine homeostasis, SHMT action is the main source of activated one-carbon units, which links SHMT activity with the control of cell proliferation. In plants, studies of SHMT enzymes are more complicated than of those of, e.g., bacterial or mammalian origins because plant genomes encode multiple SHMT isozymes that are targeted to different subcellular compartments: cytosol, mitochondria, plastids, and nucleus. Here we report crystal structures of chloroplast-targeted SHMT from Medicago truncatula (MtSHMT3). MtSHMT3 is a tetramer in solution, composed of two tight and obligate dimers. Our complexes with PLP internal aldimine, PLP-serine and PLP-glycine external aldimines, and PLP internal aldimine with a free glycine reveal structural details of the MtSHMT3-catalyzed reaction. Capturing the enzyme in different stages along the course of the slow tetrahydrofolate-independent serine-to-glycine conversion allowed to observe a unique conformation of the PLP-serine γ-hydroxyl group, and a concerted movement of two tyrosine residues in the active site.
In vivo cyclic compression causes cartilage degeneration and subchondral bone changes in mouse tibiae.

OBJECTIVE Alterations in the mechanical loading environment in joints may have both beneficial and detrimental effects on articular cartilage and subchondral bone, and may subsequently influence the development of osteoarthritis (OA). Using an in vivo tibial loading model, the aim of this study was to investigate the adaptive responses of cartilage and bone to mechanical loading and to assess the influence of load level and duration. METHODS Cyclic compression at peak loads of 4.5N and 9.0N was applied to the left tibial knee joint of adult (26-week-old) C57BL/6 male mice for 1, 2, and 6 weeks. Only 9.0N loading was utilized in young (10-week-old) mice. Changes in articular cartilage and subchondral bone were analyzed by histology and micro-computed tomography. RESULTS Mechanical loading promoted cartilage damage in both age groups of mice, and the severity of joint damage increased with longer duration of loading. Metaphyseal bone mass increased with loading in young mice, but not in adult mice, whereas epiphyseal cancellous bone mass decreased with loading in both young and adult mice. In both age groups, articular cartilage thickness decreased, and subchondral cortical bone thickness increased in the posterior tibial plateau. Mice in both age groups developed periarticular osteophytes at the tibial plateau in response to the 9.0N load, but no osteophyte formation occurred in adult mice subjected to 4.5N peak loading. CONCLUSION This noninvasive loading model permits dissection of temporal and topographic changes in cartilage and bone and will enable investigation of the efficacy of treatment interventions targeting joint biomechanics or biologic events that promote OA onset and progression.
Novel Power Management Scheme and Effects of Constrained On-Node Storage on Performance of MAC Layer for Industrial IoT Networks

In this paper, we propose a novel IEEE 802.15. 4 media access control (MAC) power management scheme that achieves the user specified reliability with minimal power consumption at the node. Also, we develop an accurate mathematical model to analyze the effects of constrained on-node memory for sensed data storage on the MAC layer performance. We use three-dimensional Markov chain and M/G/1/K queue to model the IEEE 802.15. 4 MAC and on-node packet queue, respectively. By formulating the precise packet service time, the reliability, packet queue overflow losses, delay, and power consumption of the node are analyzed. When compared with simulations and the real-time test bed, the proposed model achieves an accuracy of 97% and 94%, respectively. Also, the performance analysis shows that the proposed power management scheme provides energy savings of up to 74.82%.
Waiting it out: Time, action, and the process of securing benefits

Waiting is an under-explored area of social stratification and domination. Lower-income Americans frequently endure long waits, including waits to secure social welfare benefits, and these waits may serve the purpose of instilling in clients the need for compliance. Using qualitative interview data, this paper explores how low and moderate-income women in a US state understand their waits for public benefits; how those understanding shape their responses to the wait; and what those responses tell us about waiting as a form of social control as it is negotiated between the parties. Despite describing the process of obtaining benefits as one of “waiting it out,” women ascribe different meanings to their waits and take action based upon their assessments of the cause of the delay, the complexity of the situation, and past experiences with public bureaucracies. These approaches allow women to assert some control over a situation in which so much is out of one’s control.
Identification of Candida glabrata complex species: use of Vitek MS® RUO & Bruker ClinproTools®.

AIM Distinction of species within the Candida glabrata complex (i.e., C. glabrata sensu stricto, Candida nivariensis and Candida bracarensis) is relevant for epidemiological purposes and antifungal management. MATERIALS & METHODS Two commercial matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry systems were comprehensively evaluated for the identification of fungi within this complex. RESULTS None of the species (C. nivariensis and C. bracarensis) were identified correctly by Vitek mass spectrometry (MS®) v2.0 In Vitro Diagnosis system and Bruker Biotyper MS® v3.1, but all were correct by the Vitek MS® Research Use Only system. The Bruker ClinProTools software showed 100% recognition capability and cross validation for the discrimination of C. nivariensis and C. bracarensis. CONCLUSION Using Vitek MS Research Use Only and Bruker ClinProTools can overcome limitations of the Vitek MS In Vitro Diagnosis and Bruker Biotyper databases in the identification of C. glabrata complex.
SETTLEMENT INDICATORS OF WELLBEING AND ECONOMIC STATUS - LACUNARITY AND VEGETATION

This research combines geospatial and image analysis to develop indicators of wellbeing that distinguish poor/informal communities from wealthy/planned ones in a study site in Latin America. By masking to the irregularshaped neighborhoods of dwelling-areas enclosed by roads and terrain features, we zero-in on those characteristics that apply to neighborhoods where people live and not the surrounding, unrelated features. Using the actual shapes of settled areas and their spectral values from high resolution satellite imagery we can elicit key structural components of vegetation and the built-up in-between gaps to develop indicators that allow us to compare and differentiate settlement types. The objective is to quantify a settlement type using applied measures of lacunarity, fractal dimension, and landscape patch attributes to evaluate relative poverty or wealth, and build a better understanding of the quality of life of the underlying residents.
Autonomous fault-diagnosis and decision-making algorithm for determining faulty nodes in distributed wireless networks

In this paper, we address fault-diagnosis agreement (FDA) problems in distributed wireless networks (DWNs) with arbitrary fallible nodes and healthy access points. We propose a new algorithm to reach an agreement among fault-free members about the faulty ones. The algorithm is designed for fully connected DWN and can also be easily adapted to partially connected networks. Our contribution is to reduce the bit complexity of the Byzantine agreement process by detecting the same list of faulty units in all fault-free members. Therefore, the malicious units can be removed from other consensus processes. Also, each healthy unit detects a local list of malicious units, which results in lower packet transmissions in the network. Our proposed algorithm solves FDA problems in 2t+1 rounds of packet transmissions, and the bit complexity in each wireless node is O(nt+1).
Photocarrier generation from interlayer charge-transfer transitions in WS2-graphene heterostructures

Charge-transfer transitions enhance carrier generation at the interfaces of two-dimensional heterostructures. Efficient interfacial carrier generation in van der Waals heterostructures is critical for their electronic and optoelectronic applications. We demonstrate broadband photocarrier generation in WS2-graphene heterostructures by imaging interlayer coupling–dependent charge generation using ultrafast transient absorption microscopy. Interlayer charge-transfer (CT) transitions and hot carrier injection from graphene allow carrier generation by excitation as low as 0.8 eV below the WS2 bandgap. The experimentally determined interlayer CT transition energies are consistent with those predicted from the first-principles band structure calculation. CT interactions also lead to additional carrier generation in the visible spectral range in the heterostructures compared to that in the single-layer WS2 alone. The lifetime of the charge-separated states is measured to be ~1 ps. These results suggest that interlayer interactions make graphene–two-dimensional semiconductor heterostructures very attractive for photovoltaic and photodetector applications because of the combined benefits of high carrier mobility and enhanced broadband photocarrier generation.
Influence of Powder Characteristics on Processability of AlSi12 Alloy Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting

Selective laser melting (SLM) is one of the additive manufacturing technologies that allows for the production of parts with complex shapes from either powder feedstock or from wires. Aluminum alloys have a great potential for use in SLM especially in automotive and aerospace fields. This paper studies the influence of starting powder characteristics on the processability of SLM fabricated AlSi12 alloy. Three different batches of gas atomized powders from different manufacturers were processed by SLM. The powders differ in particle size and its distribution, morphology and chemical composition. Cubic specimens (10 mm × 10 mm × 10 mm) were fabricated by SLM from the three different powder batches using optimized process parameters. The fabrication conditions were kept similar for the three powder batches. The influence of powder characteristics on porosity and microstructure of the obtained specimens were studied in detail. The SLM samples produced from the three different powder batches do not show any significant variations in their structural aspects. However, the microstructural aspects differ and the amount of porosity in these three specimens vary significantly. It shows that both the flowability of the powder and the apparent density have an influential role on the processability of AlSi12 SLM samples.
Automated detection of diagnostically relevant regions in H&E stained digital pathology slides

We present a computationally efficient method for analyzing H&E stained digital pathology slides with the objective of discriminating diagnostically relevant vs. irrelevant regions. Such technology is useful for several applications: (1) It can speed up computer aided diagnosis (CAD) for histopathology based cancer detection and grading by an order of magnitude through a triage-like preprocessing and pruning. (2) It can improve the response time for an interactive digital pathology workstation (which is usually dealing with several GByte digital pathology slides), e.g., through controlling adaptive compression or prioritization algorithms. (3) It can support the detection and grading workflow for expert pathologists in a semi-automated diagnosis, hereby increasing throughput and accuracy. At the core of the presented method is the statistical characterization of tissue components that are indicative for the pathologist's decision about malignancy vs. benignity, such as, nuclei, tubules, cytoplasm, etc. In order to allow for effective yet computationally efficient processing, we propose visual descriptors that capture the distribution of color intensities observed for nuclei and cytoplasm. Discrimination between statistics of relevant vs. irrelevant regions is learned from annotated data, and inference is performed via linear classification. We validate the proposed method both qualitatively and quantitatively. Experiments show a cross validation error rate of 1.4%. We further show that the proposed method can prune ≈90% of the area of pathological slides while maintaining 100% of all relevant information, which allows for a speedup of a factor of 10 for CAD systems.
Online Estimation of State of Power for Lithium-Ion Batteries in Electric Vehicles Using Genetic Algorithm

Online estimation of the state of power (SoP) of lithium-ion batteries is crucial for both battery management system and energy management system in electric vehicles. In this paper, the approach of online estimating the SoP is investigated with a concern of the impact of the imprecise state of charge (SoC). First, the characteristics of lithium batteries under different state of health (SoH) conditions are experimented based on a typical vehicle driving cycle; then the SOP estimation algorithm using genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to deal with the long time-scale estimation for power management application, on top of that, the sensitivity coefficient (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\delta$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of the SoP estimation to the SoC precision is analyzed and the correlations of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\delta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> with the varying SoH, estimation time-scale are established. Finally, the presented algorithm is evaluated by a simulation study. The proposed GA-based estimation method can improve the SoP estimation accuracy by up to 7.2% in certain cases compared with the traditional Taylor method.