Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Language-Specific Sources of Acoustic Stability in Phonological Development

Acoustic variability in adult speech is rampant and largely chalked up to reduction and coarticulation. Variability in child speech production, however, can be attributed to physiological development: anatomy or underdeveloped motor routines explain why a child’s spectral patterns vary from one production to the next (Lee et al. 1999; Vorperian & Kent 2007). Adult-like variability, for example the acoustic dispersion of individual phoneme categories, is only attained around age 12. Phonetic mastery clearly poses a challenge throughout childhood, but it is essential for phonological development. Acoustic competence leads to efficient adult communication (Aylett & Turk 2004) and phoneme category stability results in more intelligible speech (Ménard et al. 2007). The acoustic vowel space is even used as a metric of speech development (Schenk et al. 2003). Given the importance of acoustic stability in development, we examine another potential source of variability in child speech: phonological inventory. Previous conclusions on child phoneme variability were drawn from languages with relatively large vowel inventories such as English (Lee et al. 1999) and French (Ménard et al. 2007). But vowel inventory size and intracategory variability – how dispersed each phoneme category’s productions are from the mean – may be negatively correlated in adults (Recasens & Espinosa 2006). Do children learning a language with fewer vowel contrasts achieve adult-like levels of phoneme category stability earlier? Additionally, children first master consonants that are frequent in the ambient language (Edwards & Beckman 2008). Consequently, we expect that in systems with fewer vowel contrasts, where each vowel is more frequent, children may master vowel
A new Cluster Algorithm for the Ising Model

Using D-theory we construct a new efficient cluster algorithm for the Ising model. The construction is very different from the standard Swendsen-Wang algorithm and related to worm algorithms. With the new algorithm we have measured the correlation function with high precision over a surprisingly large number of orders of magnitude. There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour.
5-3 Use of Multiple Tools in Distance Learning : International Distance Learning Using “ HyperMirror ”

In this paper, we describe and discuss the use of multiple tools in distance learning. We focus on HyperMirror, but also look at other tools used for videobased interactions during our HyperMirror projects. First, we describe what HyperMirror is. Then we explain the application of HyperMirror to distance learning, especially our HyperMirror projects, and introduce previous studies of distance learning using HyperMirror. Examples of usage of HyperMirror along with other tools: standard video cameras, overhead cameras, and shared work space tools are provided. Finally, based on these examples, we discuss the use of HyperMirror and/or other tools. It became clear that the choices of appropriate tools in distance learning were important. Also, we saw that multiple tools can supplement each other when used together in distance learning projects.
Effects of Olive Mill Waste Applications on Runoff and Soil Losses under Artificial Rainfall Conditions

oil, one of the most important natural resources is, lost by water and wind erosion. Addition of organic materials into the soils is commonly used for reducing soil and water losses. In this study, loam, sandy loam, loamy sand and clay loam soil samples, passed thought 8 mm sieve were placed into erosion pans with a size of sized as 30x45x15 cm. Olive mill waste was applied to soil within the erosion pans at 4 different covering ratios (0, 25, 50, and 100%). An artificial rainfall with intensity of 40 mm h-1was applied. After artificial rainfall applications, runoff and soil losses were calculated. The results clearly indicated that runoff and soil losses from the erosion pans decreased significantly by increasing rate of olive mill waste coverage. It was obtained that addition of olive mill wastes even with a rate of 25% was effective surface cover for reducing runoff and soil losses.
L G ] 2 9 A pr 2 01 9 N EW OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHMS FOR NEURAL NETWORK TRAINING USING OPERATOR SPLITTING TECHNIQUES

In the following paper we present a new type of optimization algorithms adapted for neural network training. These algorithms are based upon sequential operator splitting technique for some associated dynamical systems. Furthermore, we investigate through numerical simulations the empirical rate of convergence of these iterative schemes toward a local minimum of the loss function, with some suitable choices of the underlying hyper-parameters. We validate the convergence of these optimizers using the results of the accuracy and of the loss function on the MNIST, MNIST-Fashion and CIFAR 10 classification datasets. 1 Preliminaries The purpose of the present section is to revisit the basic algorithms that are used for unconstrained optimization problems. We focus our attention on the empirical order of convergence in the setting of deep and convolution neural networks. The rigorous mathematical proofs for the convex and non-convex cases will be given in a follow-up article. From now on, the objective function will be denoted by f , the underlying Lipschitz constant by L and the step-size of the discretization scheme by h. Firstly, we recall that the best known numerical algorithm used in the setting of Corresponding author. This work was supported by a grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS UEFISCDI, project number PN-IIIP1-1.1-TE-2016 0266, within PNCDI III. Corresponding author. A PREPRINT MAY 1, 2019 unconstrained optimization problems is the gradient descent scheme (see [Nocedal et. al., 2006 ]) : un+1 = un − h∇f(un) (GD) This simple algorithm is in fact the explicit forward Euler method and it represents a proper numerical discretization for the following continuous dynamical system : u̇(t) = −∇f(u(t)) (GD-DiffSyst) On the other hand, Polyak (see [Polyak, 1964 ]) introduced a new type of accelerated gradient-type method based upon the idea of an inertial term. This is a two-step method that is heavily used in optimization applications. Polyak’s momentum algorithm with constant coefficients is the following : { un+1 = yn − h∇f(un) yn = un + γ(un − un−1) (Pol-const) From [Ruder, 2016 ] we remind that the gradient descent and the stochastic variant of gradient descent, namely SGD (see [Bottou, 2012 ]) have trouble navigating landscapes that differ from one dimension to another. The momentum method algorithm Pol-const is used in order to damp the oscillations of the one-step methods like gradient descent and also in order to prevent the divergence of these type of algorithms. In the optimization literature, the case of the Polyak momentum algorithm with non-constant coefficients is thoroughly studied in the framework of both convex and non-convex minimization problems. This is given as follows : { un+1 = yn − βn∇f(un) yn = un + αn(un − un−1) , (Pol-Nonconst) where αn ∈ [0, 1) and βn > 0. Quite interestingly, in [Sun et. al., 2018 ], the authors proved an O (
Combined eye-head gaze shifts in the primate. I. Metrics.

Gaze (eye-in-space) velocity-duration and velocity-amplitude curves were prepared for head-fixed and head-free gaze shifts in the rhesus monkey with an emphasis on large amplitudes. These plots revealed the presence of two distinct gaze reorientation mechanisms, one used when the gaze shift was small (less than 20 degrees) and the other utilized for large coordinated gaze shifts when the head was free. When head-free and head-fixed saccadic gaze shifts were compared in the same animal, no differences in the metrics were found for amplitudes less than 20 degrees. However, for large gaze shifts where contribution of the head to the change in gaze angle was considerable, head-free saccades were found to exhibit lower peak gaze velocities and greater durations than those recorded with the head-fixed paradigm. In order to differentiate between the eye saccades and combined saccadic eye-head gaze shifts, the latter have been termed gaze saccades. Change in head position and change in eye position were both measured during the actual gaze shift and were plotted against the gaze-shift amplitude to determine whether the head movement contributed significantly to the change in gaze angle. The results indicate that below 20 degrees the gaze shift is accomplished almost exclusively with the eyes and the head moves very little; however, for larger saccades, the head contributes approximately 80% of the total change in gaze angle with the eyes contributing only approximately 20%. Large saccadic eye-head gaze shifts do not exhibit 'bell-shaped' velocity profiles as do smaller head-fixed saccades; instead, gaze accelerates to reach a peak velocity after approximately 30-40 ms. This velocity is then maintained for the duration of the gaze shift. Close scrutiny of the fine structure of the velocity profiles of the eye, head, and gaze channels indicates that during gaze saccades, the eye and head movement motor programs interact to maintain gaze velocity nearly constant, unaffected by changes in head velocity. Previous authors had stated that when velocity-duration plots are obtained for oblique saccades of constant amplitude, the resulting points could be fitted with a hyperbolic function. These results were confirmed for head-free gaze saccades and extended to larger amplitudes. When an oblique saccade is made, the smaller component is stretched in duration to match the duration of the larger component. However, as the gaze shift becomes large (greater than 40 degrees), the relationship becomes more complex. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Modified range-Doppler processing for FM-CW synthetic aperture radar

The combination of compact frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FM-CW) technology and high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing techniques should pave the way for the development of a lightweight, cost-effective, high-resolution, airborne imaging radar. Regarding FM-CW SAR signal processing, the motion during the transmission of a sweep and the reception of the corresponding echo were expected to be one of the major problems. In FM-CW SAR, the so-called stop-and-go approximation is no longer valid due to the relatively long sweeps that FM-CW radars transmit. The main effect of the continuous motion is a Doppler frequency shift throughout the SAR observation time. This Doppler frequency shift can be compensated for by modifying the range migration compensation.
Impact of peer delivered wellness coaching.

OBJECTIVE People receiving publicly funded behavioral health services for severe mental disorders have shorter lifespans and significantly impaired health-related quality of life compared to the general population. The aim of this article was to explore how peer wellness coaching (PWC), a manualized approach to pursue specific physical wellness goals, impacted goal attainment and overall health related quality of life. METHOD Deidentified archival program evaluation data were examined to explore whether peer delivered wellness coaching had an impact on 33 service recipients with regard to goal attainment and health-related quality of life. Participants were served by 1 of 12 wellness coach trainees from a transformation transfer initiative grant who had been trained in the manualized approach. RESULTS Coaching participants and their coaches reported significant progress toward the attainment of individually chosen goals, 2 to 4 weeks after establishing their goals. After 8 to 10 weeks of peer delivered wellness coaching, improvements were evident in the self-report of physical health, general health, and perceived health. These improvements were sustained 90 days later. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE PWC is potentially a promising practice for helping people choose and pursue individual goals and facilitating positive health and wellness changes. Rigorous controlled research with larger samples is needed to evaluate the benefits of peer delivered wellness coaching. (PsycINFO Database Record
The Librarian Leading the Machine: A Reassessment of Library Instruction Methods

This article builds on the 2007 College and Research Libraries article, “The Librarian, the Machine, or a Little of Bsoth. ” Since that time, Oakland University Libraries implemented changes to its instruction program that reflect larger trends in teaching and assessment throughout the profession; following these revisions, librarians undertook a new study to assess the effectiveness of online library instruction in face-to-face courses in comparison to the hybrid model that had been in place. The study’s design and its results serve to contribute to discussion of best practices in information literacy pedagogy, online learning, instructional design, and the role of the librarian therein.
HIGH EFFICIENT LIGHT EMITTING DEVICES WITH ADDITIONAL SCATTERING LAYER AND REFLECTING MEDIUM FOR WHITE LIGHT GENERATION

Multiexcitation of phosphors, additional scattering layer around the chip and special reflecting medium were proposed to improve the luminous efficiency and color properties of LED devices. LED devices with an n-UV Ga(In)N chip as well as blue GaN chip and multiexcited phosphors were developed and created. These LEDs for white light generation show better quantum yield of green and red phosphors, higher total brightness, and improved color rendering index.
External Determinants of Growth and Growth Projections: SAARC and Pakistan

In the global trading arena, the regional integration perhaps represents the most important legacy of the 20th century. This paper focuses on the scope and promise of economic cooperation between the SAARC region countries. Descriptive statistics is used to provide the evidence for the argument that very high share of trade in the GDP of the region’s economies exposes them to external shocks in a potentially harmful manner, and these countries ought to be paying greater attention to increasing the size of their economies. In order to determine the importance of the external sector in the economies of the region, a simultaneous equations model is formulated and estimated, utilising the pooled data for the period from 1972–2001, by applying the 2SLS technique. The coefficients of two of the three external sector variables included in the model, namely, export earnings and trade balance, turn out to be significant, providing the evidence on the importance of the external sector in the economic growth of the SAARC region countries. Keeping in view that Pakistan needs to adopt sustainable growth strategies, the authors maintain that extended economic cooperation within the SAARC region is the most viable alternative for the country. The argument is substantiated with the help of inferential statistics, providing the evidence that exports to SAARC countries are positively related with the economic growth of Pakistan. The simulation output also shows that increasing and diverting the country’s exports to the SAARC region have positive impact in terms of growth projections. By estimating and simulating another model, it is inferred that in the short run, diverting exports to both the SAARC and ASEAN region countries appears to be a viable strategy to help Pakistan move towards greater integration within the SAARC region, and that the SAARC forums must make meaningful progress in terms of delivering concrete results.
Optimizing Prediction Model for a Noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface Platform using Channel Importance , Classification , and Regression

A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) platform can be utilized by a patient to control an external device without making any overt movements. This can be beneficial to a variety of patients who suffer from paralysis, loss of limb, or neurodegenerative diseases. In this project, we introduce a noninvasive method to read and decode brain signals using imagined body kinematics to control an onscreen cursor. A linear regression model was designed to predict intended cursor velocity from a subject’s thoughts. Using channel identification, clear patterns in relevant horizontal and vertical channels were found. A directional classifier was also investigated to improve the prediction accuracy. By implementing these new techniques, we aim to optimize the training protocol of a BCI platform to control a computer cursor.
Honor and consequence : Effect of honor code enforcement on ethical work climate

The proliferation of professional scandals and widespread academic cheating has motivated both the academic and business communities to search for ways to increase the ethical behaviors of their members. Ethical Work Climate (Victor & Cullen, 1988) has been proposed as a means of addressing these concerns. The current paper proposes that the awareness and enforcement of an academic honor code will have a positive influence on the ethical work climate of an organization. The results of this study indicate that the enforcement of an institutional honor code can significantly improve the institution’s ethical work climate. Those participants who reported higher agreement with the institution’s perceived enforcement of an honor code reported a higher overall EWC and specifically, a higher level of the Rules sub dimension.
CAMA Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis Joint Tests of Contagion with Applications to Financial Crises CAMA Working Paper 23 / 2017 March 2017

Joint tests of contagion are derived which are designed to have power where contagion operates simultaneously through coskewness, cokurtosis and covolatility. Finite sample properties of the new tests are evaluated and compared with existing tests of contagion that focus on a single channel. Applying the tests to daily Eurozone equity returns from 2005 to 2014 shows that contagion operates through higher order moment channels during the GFC and the European debt crisis, which are not necessarily detected by traditional tests based on correlations. | T H E A U S T R A L I A N N A T I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y
Impact Evaluation: Methodological and Operational Issues

The work of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is aimed at improving the welfare of the people in Asia and the Pacific, particularly the nearly 1.9 billion who live on less than $2 a day. Despite many success stories, Asia and the Pacific remains home to two thirds of the world’s poor. ADB is a multilateral development finance institution owned by 66 members, 47 from the region and 19 from other parts of the globe. ADB’s vision is a region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their citizens.
Comparison of Aerosol Electrometers using soot particles

MIKES – Centre for Metrology and Accreditation, Tekniikantie 1, FI-02151 Espoo, Finland National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW, United Kingdom Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), Lindenweg 50, CH-3003 Bern-Wabern, Switzerland Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Bundesallee 100, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany European commission, Joint Research Center (JRC), Via E. Fermi 2749, I-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy Leibniz Institute für Troposphärenforschung (TROPOS), Permoserstraße 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany National Metrology Institute of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
In silico Study of Transmural Dispersion of Repolarization in Non-failing Human Ventricular Myocytes : Contribution to Cardiac Safety Pharmacology

Aims: To investigate the putative usefulness of the in silico determination of transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) for early cardiac safety pharmacology. Study Design: Computational simulations. Place and Duration of Study: SCAP Test, Belgium, between September 2014 and March 2015. Methodology: TDR was calculated as the difference between epicardial-midmyocardial action potential duration (APD95) determined in non-failing human ventricular myocytes using the O’HaraRudy dynamic algorithm. The role of each ionic current in TDR was investigated by modifying its conductance in the algorithm. The effects of each tested drug on TDR were studied by reducing the IKr, INa and ICaL conductances in the algorithm by a scaling factor which is a function of the IC50 of the drug for IKr, INa and ICaL ionic currents and the maximal effective free therapeutic plasma concentration (EFTPCmax) of the drug. Results: Our simulations showed that TDR was increased by a preferential midmyocardial APD95 prolongation which was induced by net repolarising current reduction via IKr or IKs inhibition and/or Original Research Article Christophe; BJPR, 7(2): 88-101, 2015; Article no.BJPR. 2015.094 89 ICaL or INaL activation. Drugs’ effects on TDR were in good agreement with their torsade de pointes (TdP) risk according to the CredibleMeds or the Redfern classifications: most torsadogenic tested drugs induced a TDR increase via IKr vs. ICaL and/or INa selective inhibition; while most nontorsadogenic tested drugs induced a TDR decrease via ICaL vs. IKr and/or INa selective inhibition. Conclusion: Based on computer simulations within the human situation, the present study identified the effects of various cardiac ionic currents on TDR amplitude and suggested that in silico study of drugs’ effects on TDR could be informative for early cardiac safety pharmacology.
Winter 2018 Evaluating a Cluster of Low-Power ARM 64 Single-Board Computers with MapReduce

With the meteoric rise of enormous data collection in science, industry, and the cloud, methods for processing massive datasets have become more crucial than ever. MapReduce is a restricted programing model for expressing parallel computations as simple serial functions, and an execution framework for distributing those computations over large datasets residing on clusters of commodity hardware. MapReduce abstracts away the challenging low-level synchronization and scalability details which parallel and distributed computing often necessitate, reducing the concept burden on programmers and scientists who require data processing at-scale. Typically, MapReduce clusters are implemented using inexpensive commodity hardware, emphasizing quantity over quality due to the fault-tolerant nature of the MapReduce execution framework. The nascent explosion of inexpensive single-board computers designed around multi-core 64bit ARM processors, such as the RasberryPi 3, Pine64, and Odroid C2, has opened new avenues for inexpensive and low-power cluster computing. In this thesis, we implement a novel cluster around low-power ARM64 single-board computers and the Disco Python MapReduce execution framework. We use MapReduce to empirically evaluate our cluster by solving the Word Count and Inverted Link Index problems for the Wikipedia article dataset. We benchmark our MapReduce solutions against local solutions of the same algorithms for a conventional low-power x86 platform. We show our cluster out-performs the conventional platform for larger benchmarks, thus demonstrating low-power single-board computers as a viable avenue for data-intensive cluster computing.