Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stereophonic acoustic echo cancellation-an overview of the fundamental problem

As teleconferencing systems evolve to an ever more lifelike and transparent audio/video medium, it will be necessary to incorporate multichannel audio, which at a minimum involves two channels, i.e., stereophonic sound. However, before full-duplex stereophonic teleconferencing can be deployed, the acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) problem must be solved in this regime. This paper draws attention to a fundamental problem of multichannel AEC that concerns the nonunique nature of the estimated receiving room impulse responses. Various potential solutions are discussed but are shown to be not entirely satisfactory. <<ETX>>
Missense, Nonsense, and Neutral Mutations Define Juxtaposed Regulatory Elements of Splicing in Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator Exon 9*

Exonic sequence variations may induce exon inclusion or exclusion from the mature mRNA by disrupting exonic regulatory elements and/or by affecting a nuclear reading frame scanning mechanism. We have carried out a systematic study of the effect on cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator exon 9 splicing of natural and site-directed sequence mutations. We have observed that changes in the splicing pattern were not related to the creation of premature termination codons, a fact that indicates the lack of a significant nuclear check of the reading frame in this system. In addition, the splice pattern could not be predicted by available Ser/Arg protein matrices score analysis. An extensive site-directed mutagenesis of the 3′ portion of the exon has identified two juxtaposed splicing enhancer and silencer elements. The study of double mutants at these regulatory elements showed a complex regulatory activity. For example, one natural mutation (146C) enhances exon inclusion and overrides all of the downstream silencing mutations except for a C to G transversion (155G). This unusual effect is explained by the creation of a specific binding site for the inhibitory splicing factor hnRNPH. In fact, on the double mutant 146C-155G, the silencing effect is dominant. These results indicate a strict dependence between the two juxtaposed enhancer and silencer sequences and show that many point mutations in these elements cause changes in splicing efficiency by different mechanisms.
Finding Cyber Threats with ATT&CK-Based Analytics

Post-compromise intrusion detection of cyber adversaries is an important capability for network defenders as adversaries continue to evolve methods for compromising systems and evading common defenses. This paper presents a methodology for using the MITRE ATT&CK framework, a behavioral-based threat model, to identify relevant defensive sensors and build, test, and refine behavioral-based analytic detection capabilities using adversary emulation. This methodology can be applied to enhance enterprise network security through defensive gap analysis, endpoint security product evaluations, building and tuning behavioral analytics for a particular environment, and performing validation of defenses against a common threat model using a red team emulating known adversary behavior.
Association Analysis of Candidate Genes for ADHD on Chromosomes 5 p 13 , 6 q 12 , 16 p and 17 p

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, heterogeneous psychiatric disorder of childhood displaying inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive symptoms. Although the biological basis of ADHD remains unknown, it has been shown that genetic factors substantially contribute to the aetiology of the disorder. Our group has previously reported significant linkage to four chromosomal regions on 5p13, 6q12, 16p13 and 17p11 in genome-wide scans and subsequent fine-mapping. We selected nine positional candidate genes within the linkage intervals for study based on biological plausibility. We analyzed at least 189 ADHD trios to determine if common variants in these genes have a major affect on ADHD risk. None yielded significant association. This does however not completely exclude these genes as potential susceptibility genes for ADHD since it is plausible for common causal variants with low effect size to go undetected due to insufficient power of the study sample. We conclude that none of the tested alleles confer a major risk for developing ADHD and that investigation of other genes within the linked regions is warranted.
Progenitors in the postnatal cerebellar white matter are antigenically heterogeneous

Progenitors that migrate through the white matter of the postnatal cerebellum give rise to cortical interneurons, astroglia, and oligodendroglia. To determine whether this progenitor population is heterogeneous with respect to specific lineage markers, we infected progenitors in vivo with a retrovirus encoding the green fluorescent protein on postnatal day 4/5 and labeled them in situ with various antibodies 2 days postviral injection: the neuronal marker was the transcription factor SOX1; early oligodendroglial markers were chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan antigen and platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐α. Markers for astroglial progenitors were vimentin, nestin, zebrin II, and the astroglial‐specific glutamate transporter subtype GLAST. None of the progenitors was doubly labeled with any combination of markers characteristic for different cell lineages. Most progenitors were not labeled with any of the various combinations of antibodies used. Progenitors did not express markers characteristic for mature astroglia (GFAP), oligodendroglia (CNPase), or neurons (MAP2). Thus, although these progenitors are morphologically indistinguishable, a minority expresses markers of early neuronal or glial lineages, suggesting that they begin to differentiate during migration. J. Comp. Neurol. 452:192–203, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reduced Expression of SMAD4 Is Associated with Poor Survival in Colon Cancer

Purpose: SMAD4 loss is associated with the development of metastases and poor prognosis. We evaluated expression of SMAD4 protein and its association with tumor characteristics, including biomarkers and outcome in terms of relapse-free survival and overall survival. Experimental design: We used 1,564 stage II/III colon cancer samples from PETACC-3 to evaluate SMAD4 expression by immunohistochemistry. SMAD4 protein expression was validated by assessing mRNA expression using available expression array data. SMAD4 expression was also studied on 34 adenomas and 10 colon cancer liver metastases with their primaries. Loss of SMAD4 immunoreactivity was defined as focal or diffuse. Cases without SMAD4 loss were subdivided into those with strong and weak expression. Results: SMAD4 protein expression was informative in 1,381/1,564 cases. SMAD4 loss was found in 293/1,381 (21%) cases. Of 1,088 cases without SMAD4 loss (79%), 530 showed weak and 558 strong expression. SMAD4 loss occurred also in adenomas, but less extensively than in carcinomas. Liver metastases followed mostly the expression pattern of the primary tumor. SMAD4 loss, including weak expression, identified patients with poor survival in stage II as well as III and in both treatment arms. SMAD4 loss was less frequent in tumors with microsatellite instability and more frequent in those with loss of heterozygosity of 18q. Conclusions: We conclude that clonal loss of SMAD4 expression in adenomas, carcinomas, and liver metastases increases with disease progression. SMAD4 loss, and to a lesser extent weak expression, is strongly associated with poor survival regardless of stage. Clin Cancer Res; 22(12); 3037–47. ©2016 AACR.
Self-Characterization and Attachment Style: A Creative Method of Investigating Children's Construing

This study had the aims of evaluating the self-characterization technique as a research instrument with school-age children and investigating whether and how representations of self and others vary as a function of age, gender, and attachment style. Self-characterizations completed by 103 Italian children, 47 boys and 56 girls, aged between 7 and 11 years, were analyzed using an ad hoc coding grid. The Separation Anxiety Test was administered to evaluate children's attachment style. Age predicted the process of construing as well as specific content features of the texts, such as level of abstraction and the type of construct used. In addition, gender was related to the construing process and the expression of emotion, whereas attachment style was associated mainly with stability of self-image and representation of relationships, and in consequence, the emotional aspects of identity.
Effect of mono- and dichromatic light quality on growth rates and photosynthetic performance of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002

Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 was grown to steady state in optically thin turbidostat cultures under conditions for which light quantity and quality was systematically varied by modulating the output of narrow-band LEDs. Cells were provided photons absorbed primarily by chlorophyll (680 nm) or phycocyanin (630 nm) as the organism was subjected to four distinct mono- and dichromatic regimes. During cultivation with dichromatic light, growth rates were generally proportional to the total incident irradiance at values <275 μmol photons m−2 · s−1 and were not affected by the ratio of 630:680 nm wavelengths. Notably, under monochromatic light conditions, cultures exhibited similar growth rates only when they were irradiated with 630 nm light; cultures irradiated with only 680 nm light grew at rates that were 60–70% of those under other light quality regimes at equivalent irradiances. The functionality of photosystem II and associated processes such as maximum rate of photosynthetic electron transport, rate of cyclic electron flow, and rate of dark respiration generally increased as a function of growth rate. Nonetheless, some of the photophysiological parameters measured here displayed distinct patterns with respect to growth rate of cultures adapted to a single wavelength including phycobiliprotein content, which increased under severely light-limited growth conditions. Additionally, the ratio of photosystem II to photosystem I increased ~40% over the range of growth rates, although cells grown with 680 nm light only had the highest ratios. These results suggest the presence of effective mechanisms which allow acclimation of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 acclimation to different irradiance conditions.
A programmable 9-bit current sources design dedicated to cochlear implant

This paper presents a programmable 9-bits current source design for micro-stimulator dedicated to cochlear implant. Such architecture requires a current source permitting to generate bidirectional current multiform. Besides, thanks to a programmable module, flexibility was provided in stimulus generation. In fact, the hearing threshold could be determined, using 3-bits DAC in order to fix the maximum comfortable stimulation, then the stimulation current pulses could be controlled in amplitude, using a 6-bits thermometer DAC, as well as in width. These parameters permit to modulate the charge quantity to be injected later in the cochlea nerve endings. The current sources of the 6-bits DAC have been sized to guaranty low power consumption, a low silicon occupation and an INL of less than 0.4 LSB and a DNL of less than 0.08 LSB. The maximum output providing is about 1 mA of full scale current at each output from 3.3 V supply, when the output is terminated on 1 KOmega loads.
Exposure to Interparental Conflict and Psychological Disorder Among Young Adults

This article examines the effect of exposure to interparental conflict on the mental health of young adults. Based on a diverse sample of 649 students from three New England colleges, the authors investigate the association between nonviolent interparental conflict during childhood, subsequent distress and disorder, and identified factors that mediate the relationship. Results indicate that exposure to interparental conflict significantly increases the odds of experiencing a subsequent episode of major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse or dependency disorder, controlling for demographic factors, parental divorce, and any incident of parent to parent or parent to child physical assault. Exposure to interparental conflict in childhood or adolescence is also associated with current levels of depressive symptoms in young adults. This association is partially mediated by ongoing strain in parent and child relationships, greater strain within offspring’s own romantic relationships, and reduced self-esteem. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Determining the profile of the successful first-year accounting student

A concern about the pass rate in first-year accounting courses in higher education has resulted in a number of national and international research projects on the subject. Researchers have looked at the possible effect of factors such as the student's proficiency in English, prior experience in accounting and mathematics, gender, motivation and personality type on the pass rate at first-year accounting. The outcomes of the research have been varied and often contradictory. This may be attributed to the different research strategies in the different contexts. This article maps the journey towards establishing an appropriate analysis strategy to profile the successful Accounting101 student. The context of this journey is the teaching of first-year accounting studies at the University of South Africa (Unisa), which is an open and distance learning (ODL) institution.
Psychological Distance and the Dual Role of Price

When evaluating a product, consumers may interpret price information as either an indicator of quality or an indicator of monetary sacrifice. On the basis of construal level theory, we propose that psychological distance alters the weight consumers attach to these opposing roles of price. Four experiments show (1) that from both a temporally and a socially distant perspective, the price-perceived quality relationship is more pronounced; (2) that from a temporally proximal perspective, the price-perceived sacrifice relationship is more pronounced; (3) that these effects stem from differences in the way consumers mentally construe price information; and (4) that when people initially use price to judge a product for distant future consumption, it receives less attention as an indicator of sacrifice in a later evaluation for near future consumption. These findings have implications for prelaunch communication activities and preference elicitation methods such as conjoint analysis.
Percutaneous US-guided radiofrequency ablation with perfused needle applicators: improved survival with the VX2 tumor model in rabbits.

PURPOSE To evaluate survival, metastases, tumor necrosis, and prediction of local recurrence after percutaneous ultrasonographically (US) guided radiofrequency (RF) thermal ablation with electrodes perfused continuously with isotonic saline. MATERIALS AND METHODS VX2 liver tumors were implanted in 31 rabbits according to a standardized protocol. After 21 days, 16 animals were treated percutaneously with RF ablation. Four animals died of complications related to anesthesia, and 12 animals were evaluated. All animals were followed for 110 days and monitored with computed tomography (CT) and US at 1, 7, and 30 days. A control group of 15 animals did not receive treatment. Autopsy was performed at the end of scheduled follow-up or immediately after death. For survival analysis, the Kaplan-Meier method was used; for nominal data, the Fisher exact test was used. RESULTS In comparison to controls, animals in the treatment group showed significantly prolonged survival (P <.001). Eight of 12 animals (67%) treated with RF ablation survived to 110 days, while none of the controls did so. Metastases developed in all controls (100%) and in eight of 12 treated animals (67%) (P =.001). In comparison with controls, animals that developed metastases despite treatment also showed significantly prolonged survival (P =.02). Local recurrence was observed in three of 12 animals (25%) in the treatment group. CT and US performed 1 week after treatment did not allow prediction of local recurrence. CONCLUSION RF ablation of liver tumors with perfused needle applicators prolongs survival in the VX2 rabbit liver tumor model, regardless of whether complete remission is achieved. In comparison with controls, RF ablation results in a lower frequency of metastases.
Pseudo-Tree Based Hybrid Algorithm for Distributed Constraint Optimization

A Distributed Constraint Optimization Problem (DCOP) is a fundamental problem that can formalize various applications related to multi-agent cooperation. Considering pseudo-tree based search algorithms is important in DCOPs, since their memory requirements are polynomial in the number of agents. However, these algorithms require a large run time. Thus, how to speed up pseudo-tree based search algorithms is one of the major issues in DCOPs. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid algorithm which combines a complete algorithm with an incomplete algorithm. Specifically, we use a state-of-the-art complete search algorithm (BnB-ADOPT) and utilize the bounds obtained by an approximate algorithm (p-optimal algorithm) in preprocessing. In the evaluations, we show that this hybrid algorithm outperforms the stateof-the-art DCOP search algorithm. Furthermore, we verify experimentally that a pseudo-tree based approximate algorithm is well-suited with a pseudo-tree based search algorithm.
‘I Hate Talking About It’: Identifying and Supporting Traumatised Young People in Custody

Research has shown that a significant proportion of young people in custody have experienced some form of abuse and/or loss in their lives. This article uses the biographies of three young men (all serving custodial sentences) to elucidate the feelings that experiences of this nature can engender. Crucially, none of the three was effectively helped to resolve their experiences. The article goes on to argue that more needs to be done to identify and support traumatised young people in custody. The article concludes that, while the CHAT: Secure tool may go some way to better identifying those needing support, an individual's reluctance to disclose their traumatic experiences in the first place may limit the tool's efficacy.
The glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter directs sodium/iodide symporter gene expression for radioiodine therapy of malignant glioma

Radioiodine is a routine therapy for differentiated thyroid cancers. Non-thyroid cancers may be treated with radio-iodine following transfection with the human sodium/iodide symporter (hNIS) gene. The glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter is an effective tumor-specific promoter for gene expression and thus may be useful in targeted gene therapy of malignant glioma. The present study used GFAP promoter-modulated expression of the hNIS gene in an experimental model of radioiodine-based treatment for malignant glioma. Cells were transfected using a recombination adeno-virus and evaluated in cells by studying the transfected transgene expression through western blot analysis, 125I uptake and efflux, clonogenicity following 131I treatment and radioiodine therapy using a U87 xenograft nude mouse model. Following transfection with the hNIS gene, the cells showed 95–70-fold higher 125I uptake compared with the control cells transfected with Ad-cytomegalovirus (CMV)-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The western blotting revealed bands of ∼70, 49 and 43 kDa, consistent with the hNIS, GFAP and β-actin proteins. The clonogenic assay indicated that, following exposure to 500 μCi of 131I-iodide for 12 h, >90% of cells transfected with the hNIS gene were killed. Ad-GFAP-hNIS-transfected and 2 mCi 131I-injected U87 xenograft nude mice survived the longest of the three groups. The hNIS-expressing tumor tissue accumulated 99mTcO4 rapidly within 30 min of it being intraperitoneally injected. The experiments demonstrated that effective 131I therapy was achieved in the malignant glioma cell lines following the induction of tumor-specific iodide uptake activity by GFAP promoter-directed hNIS gene expression in vitro and in vivo. 131I therapy retarded Ad-GFAP-hNIS transfected-tumor growth following injection with 131I in U87 xenograft-bearing nude mice.
Protein-free and low-protein media for the cultivation of Leptospira

A protein-free medium composed of charcoal-detoxified Tweens (polysorbates), vitamins B12 and B1, inorganic salts, and organic buffer is described that supports the growth and subculture of pathogenic and saprophytic Leptospira. Growth was initiated from small inocula, and cell densities of 10(9) organisms per ml were attained. Antigenicity and immunogenicity of Leptospira cultivated in this medium were similar to those of cells cultivated in serum-containing media. The protein-free medium was converted to a low-protein medium by the addition of 0.1% bovine serum albumin.
Using GPUs to improve multigrid solver performance on a cluster

This paper explores the coupling of coarse and fine-grained parallelism for Finite Element (FE) simulations based on efficient parallel multigrid solvers. The focus lies on both system performance and a minimally invasive integration of hardware acceleration into an existing software package, requiring no changes to application code. Because of their excellent price performance ratio, we demonstrate the viability of our approach by using commodity Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), addressing the issue of limited precision on GPUs by applying a mixed precision, iterative refinement technique. Our results show that we do not compromise any software functionality and gain speedups of two and more for large problems.
Increased Specific Labeling of INS-1 Pancreatic Beta-Cell by Using RIP-Driven Cre Mutants with Reduced Activity

Ectopically expressed Cre recombinase in extrapancreatic tissues in RIP-Cre mice has been well documented. The objective of this study was to find a simple solution that allows for improved beta-cell specific targeting. To this end, the RIP-Cre and reporter CMV-loxP-DsRed-loxP-EGFP expression cassettes were configurated into a one-plasmid and two-plasmid systems, which labeled approximately 80% insulin-positive INS-1 cells after 48 h transfection. However, off-target labeling was robustly found in more than 15% insulin-negative Ad293 cells. When an IRES element was inserted in front of Cre to reduce the translation efficiency, the ratio of recombination between INS-1 and Ad293 cells increased 3-4-fold. Further, a series of Cre mutants were generated by site-directed mutagenesis. When one of the mutants, Cre(H289P) in both configurations, was used in the experiment, the percentage of recombination dropped to background levels in a number of insulin-negative cell lines, but decreased only slightly in INS-1 cells. Consistently, DNA substrate digestion assay showed that the enzymatic activity of Cre(H289P) was reduced by 30-fold as compared to that of wild-type. In this study, we reported the generation of constructs containing RIP and Cre mutants, which enabled enhanced beta-cell specific labeling in vitro. These tools could be invaluable for beta-cell targeting and to the study of islet development.
Parametrization and Validation of Geometry-Based Stochastic Channel Model for Urban Small Cells at 10 GHz

We derive a full measurement-based parametrization for a 3-D geometry-based stochastic channel model for an urban microcell type of environment at 10 GHz. The measurements were performed with a vector network analyzer and dual polarized virtual arrays at the bandwidth of 500 MHz. The proposed parametrization is validated by channel simulations. Multiple-input multiple-output channel is reconstructed from the measured data and compared with channel generated by the quasi deterministic radio channel generator using the proposed statistical parameters. The capacity and eigenvalue distribution are used as the validation metrics, showing almost perfect match between the reconstructed and simulated channels.