Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HomeBank: An Online Repository of Daylong Child-Centered Audio Recordings

Abstract HomeBank is introduced here. It is a public, permanent, extensible, online database of daylong audio recorded in naturalistic environments. HomeBank serves two primary purposes. First, it is a repository for raw audio and associated files: one database requires special permissions, and another redacted database allows unrestricted public access. Associated files include metadata such as participant demographics and clinical diagnostics, automated annotations, and human-generated transcriptions and annotations. Many recordings use the child-perspective LENA recorders (LENA Research Foundation, Boulder, Colorado, United States), but various recordings and metadata can be accommodated. The HomeBank database can have both vetted and unvetted recordings, with different levels of accessibility. Additionally, HomeBank is an open repository for processing and analysis tools for HomeBank or similar data sets. HomeBank is flexible for users and contributors, making primary data available to researchers, especially those in child development, linguistics, and audio engineering. HomeBank facilitates researchers' access to large-scale data and tools, linking the acoustic, auditory, and linguistic characteristics of children's environments with a variety of variables including socioeconomic status, family characteristics, language trajectories, and disorders. Automated processing applied to daylong home audio recordings is now becoming widely used in early intervention initiatives, helping parents to provide richer speech input to at-risk children.
Novel designs of polarization-preserving circular waveguide filters

Novel designs of circular waveguide components for lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and bandstop applications are presented. The filters are formed by cascaded TM11-mode resonator sections which share a common axis, thus preserving the polarizations of input signals due to rotational symmetry. Moreover, the filters are smaller than standard TE11-mode bandpass filters. Basic design considerations are discussed with respect to the connection of TM11-mode resonators through circular irises. Design principles for all four filter types are presented and their performances computed by the coupled-integral equation technique (CIET). All filter performances are verified by the commercially available software package μWave Wizard, and structural dimensions are provided.
Using Efficient Path Profiling to Optimize Memory Consumption of On-Chip Debugging for High-Level Synthesis

High-Level Synthesis (HLS) for FPGAs is attracting popularity and is increasingly used to handle complex systems with multiple integrated components. To increase performance and efficiency, HLS flows now adopt several advanced optimization techniques. Aggressive optimizations and system level integration can cause the introduction of bugs that are only observable on-chip. Debugging support for circuits generated with HLS is receiving a considerable attention. Among the data that can be collected on chip for debugging, one of the most important is the state of the Finite State Machines (FSM) controlling the components of the circuit. However, this usually requires a large amount of memory to trace the behavior during the execution. This work proposes an approach that takes advantage of the HLS information and of the structure of the FSM to compress control flow traces and to integrate optimized components for on-chip debugging. The generated checkers analyze the FSM execution on-fly, automatically notifying when a bug is detected, localizing it and providing data about its cause. The traces are compressed using a software profiling technique, called Efficient Path Profiling (EPP), adapted for the debugging of hardware accelerators generated with HLS. With this technique, the size of the memory used to store control flow traces can be reduced up to 2 orders of magnitude, compared to state-of-the-art.
Design and conduct of early phase drug studies in children: challenges and opportunities

It has historically been very difficult to conduct early phase drug studies in children for a number of reasons related to ethics, acceptability, rarity, standardization, end points, safety, dosing and feasibility. Over the past decade there have been a number of developments including novel clinical trial design, in silico pharmacology and microdosing that have significantly enhanced the ability of investigators to conduct early phase drug studies in children. While the evolution of drug therapy is creating a series of new challenges, there has never been a better time for conducting drug studies in children.
Refractive microlens arrays for photolithography

We report on the fabrication of high-quality microlens arrays (refractive, plano-convex) on 8″-fused silica wafers. The lens arrays are used for Microlens Projection Lithography and within UV-light illumination systems. Microlens Projection Lithography is an innovative technique using KARL SUSS Mask Aligners equipped with an ultra-flat microlens-based array-imaging system. Microlens Projection Lithography provides an increased depth of focus (> 50 um) at a larger working distance (> 1 mm) than standard proximity printing. Microlens Projection Lithography allows photolithography on curved or non-planar substrates, in V-grooves, holes, etc. using a KARL SUSS Mask Aligner.
Deconvolution Estimation of Onset of Pregnancy with Replicate Observations

In general, the precise date of onset of pregnancy is unknown and may only be estimated from ultrasound biometric measurements of the embryo. We want to estimate the density of the random variables corresponding to the interval between last menstrual period and true onset of pregnancy. The observations correspond to the variables of interest up to an additive noise. We suggest an estimation procedure based on deconvolution. It requires the knowledge of the density of the noise which is not available. But we have at our disposal another specific sample with replicate observations for twin pregnancies. This allows both to estimate the noise density and to improve the deconvolution step. Convergence rates of the final estimator are studied and compared with other settings. Our estimator involves a cut‐off parameter for which we propose a cross‐validation type procedure. Lastly, we estimate the target density in spontaneous pregnancies with an estimation of the noise obtained from replicate observations in twin pregnancies.
Measles Cases during Ebola Outbreak, West Africa, 2013–2106

The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa caused breakdowns in public health systems, which might have caused outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. We tested 80 patients admitted to an Ebola treatment center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, for measles. These patients were negative for Ebola virus. Measles virus IgM was detected in 13 (16%) of the patients.
A Study on Software Vulnerabilities and Weaknesses of Embedded Systems in Power Networks

In this paper we conduct an empirical study with the purpose of identifying common software weaknesses of embedded devices used as part of industrial control systems in power grids. The data is gathered about the devices and software of 6 companies, ABB, General Electric, Schneider Electric, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Siemens and Wind River. The study uses data from the manufacturersfi online databases, NVD, CWE and ICS CERT. We identified that the most common problems that were reported are related to the improper input validation, cryptographic issues, and programming errors.
A Fine-Grained and Privacy-Preserving Query Scheme for Fog Computing-Enhanced Location-Based Service

Location-based services (LBS), as one of the most popular location-awareness applications, has been further developed to achieve low-latency with the assistance of fog computing. However, privacy issues remain a research challenge in the context of fog computing. Therefore, in this paper, we present a fine-grained and privacy-preserving query scheme for fog computing-enhanced location-based services, hereafter referred to as FGPQ. In particular, mobile users can obtain the fine-grained searching result satisfying not only the given spatial range but also the searching content. Detailed privacy analysis shows that our proposed scheme indeed achieves the privacy preservation for the LBS provider and mobile users. In addition, extensive performance analyses and experiments demonstrate that the FGPQ scheme can significantly reduce computational and communication overheads and ensure the low-latency, which outperforms existing state-of-the art schemes. Hence, our proposed scheme is more suitable for real-time LBS searching.
A comparison of mobile robot pose estimation using nonlinear filters: simulation and experimental results

This paper explores and compares the nature of the nonlinear filtering techniques on mobile robot pose estimation. Three nonlinear filters are implemented including the extended Kalman filter (EKF), the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) and the particle filter (PF). The criteria of comparison is the magnitude of the error of pose estimation, the computational time, and the robustness of each filter to noise. The filters are applied to two applications including the pose estimation of a two-wheeled robot in an experimental platform and the pose estimation of a three-wheeled robot in a simulated environment. The robots both in the experimental and simulated platform move along a nonlinear trajectory like a circular arc or a spiral. The performance of their pose estimation are compared and analysed in this paper.
Sequencing and Expression Characterization of Antifreeze Protein Maxi-Like in Apis cerana cerana

Abstract Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are biological cryoprotectants with unique properties that play a crucial role in regulating the molecular mechanisms governing cold resistance in insects. To identify and characterize Apis cerana cerana AFP (AcerAFP), we cloned the full-length cDNA of AcerAFP and examined its expression patterns in A. cerana cerana. A nucleotide alignment analysis showed that the entire coding region of AcerAFP is 1095 bp and encodes a polypeptide of 365 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of this protein exhibits 63–96% homology with AFP homologs from other hymenopterans. α-helices form the main secondary and tertiary structures of AcerAFP, which is similar to the molecular structure of fish AFP type-I. The expression profiles of AcerAFP revealed that expression was tissue, sex, and developmentally specific. In response to cold stress, the mRNA and protein expression of AcerAFP were both induced by low temperatures, and were also related to the concentrations of several cryoprotectants, including glucose, glycerin, glutamic acid, cysteine, histidine, alanine, and methionine. In addition, we found that the knockdown of AcerAFP by RNA interference remarkably increased the total freezing temperature of hemolymph in A. cerana cerana, where levels of AcerAFP mRNA were correlated with the expression of most antifreeze-related proteins. Taken together, these results suggest that AcerAFP plays an essential role as a biological cryoprotectant in honeybees, and is in turn regulated by small cryoprotectants and antifreeze-related proteins.
Effects of fasting on serial measurements of hyperpolarized [1‐13C]pyruvate metabolism in tumors

Imaging of the metabolism of hyperpolarized [1‐13C]pyruvate has shown considerable promise in preclinical studies in oncology, particularly for the assessment of early treatment response. The repeatability of measurements of 13C label exchange between pyruvate and lactate was determined in a murine lymphoma model in fasted and non‐fasted animals. The fasted state showed lower intra‐individual variability, although the [1‐13C]lactate/[1‐13C]pyruvate signal ratio was significantly greater in fasted than in non‐fasted mice, which may be explained by the higher tumor lactate concentrations in fasted animals. These results indicate that the fasted state may be preferable for the measurement of 13C label exchange between pyruvate and lactate, as it reduces the variability and therefore should make it easier to detect the effects of therapy. © 2016 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Inverted items and validity: A psychobiological evaluation of two measures of psychological resources and one depression scale

Psychological resources and risk factors influence risk of coronary heart disease. We evaluated whether inverted items in the Self-esteem, Mastery, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scales compromise validity in the context of coronary heart disease. In a population-based sample, validity was investigated by calculating correlations with other scales (n = 1004) and interleukin-6 (n = 374), and by analyzing the relationship with 8-year coronary heart disease risk (n = 1000). Negative items did not affect the validity of the resource scales. In contrast, positive items from Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression showed no significant relationships with biological variables. However, they had no major impact on the validity of the original scale.
An Enriched Shell Element for Delamination Simulation in Composite Laminates

A formulation is presented for an enriched shell finite element capable of delamination simulation in composite laminates. The element uses an adaptive splitting approach for damage characterization that allows for straightforward low-fidelity model creation and a numerically efficient solution. The Floating Node Method is used in conjunction with the Virtual Crack Closure Technique to predict delamination growth and represent it discretely at an arbitrary ply interface. The enriched element is verified for Mode I delamination simulation using numerical benchmark data. After determining important mesh configuration guidelines for the vicinity of the delamination front in the model, a good correlation was found between the enriched shell element model results and the benchmark data set.
What Is the Best Model for HIV Primary Care? Assessing the Influence of Provider Type on Outcomes of Chronic Comorbidities in HIV Infection.

a preference for standard-dose or highdose vaccine [2]. Both early vaccination and preferential administration of highdose vaccine in retail pharmacies is likely related to reimbursement structure, profit margin, and product availability. In conclusion, we identified that influenza vaccination in retail pharmacy settings is initiated earlier in the influenza season and that high-dose vaccine is rapidly becoming the primary vaccine administered there to elderly persons, in contrast to other settings. These findings should be considered within the context of the study by Shay et al and in the design of future vaccine effectiveness studies involving retail pharmacy settings. The impact of these trends on vaccine effectiveness remains unknown.
Dynamic mechanical relaxations of electrospun poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) nanofibrous yarn

The phase structure and dynamic mechanical properties of poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) (P(AN-co-MA)) nanofibers collected in the form of twisted yarn via the two-nozzle conjugated electrospinning method were investigated to study the effects of solution concentration and take-up velocity on the relaxation behavior of nanofibers yarn. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction analyses of P(AN-co-MA) nanofibers show a two-phase structure of nanofibers consisting of crystalline and amorphous phases and polymorphic transition from hexagonal to orthorhombic. Heating P(AN-co-MA) nanofibers at over the glass transition temperature led to an increased degree of both crystallinity and crystallite size with no polymorphic change. Three transitions (tan δ peaks) were observed in nanofibrous yarn prepared at different spinning dope concentrations and take-up speeds, except for the specimen prepared at a concentration of 14 wt% and collecting speed of 8 cm/min, wherein no α transition was observed due to improved molecular orientation. The temperature dependence of the dynamic Young’s modulus of nanofibrous yarn at different spinning dope concentrations was mainly affected by the diameter of the nanofiber as the morphological property and molecular orientation. Take-up speed was found to affect the γ and α transitions more than the β transition. Moreover, the maximum storage modulus was obtained at a take-up speed of 8 cm/min at all over recorded temperatures.
RTEL1 polymorphisms are associated with lung cancer risk in the Chinese Han population

RTEL1 (regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1; OMIM 608833) gene polymorphisms were linked to lung cancer (LC) susceptibility in a cancer genome-wide association study (GWAS) Here, we assessed whether seven previously reported RTEL1 polymorphisms influenced LC risk in Han Chinese population. All study samples (554 LC cases and 696 cancer-free controls) were collected from the Affiliated Hospital of Xizang Minzu University in China. We assessed associations between SNPs and LC risk using various several genetic models (codominant, dominant, recessive, overdominant, and additive). Whereas rs2738780 showed a protective effect against LC (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.80 ;95% confidence interval (CI): 0.638 = 0.998; p = 0.048), rs7261546(OR = 4.16; 95% CI: 1.35–12.82; p = 0.007), rs6062299(OR=5.08; 95% CI: 1.43–18.10; p = 0.005) and rs3787098(OR = 5.10; 95% CI: 1.43–18.15; p = 0.004) were all associated with increased LC susceptibility (recessive model). Haplotype analysis suggested that “CTC” was associated with a 0.8-fold decrease in LC risk (OR = 0.80, 95% CI, 0.63–1.00; Pearson's p = 0.05). These findings suggest a potential association between RTEL1 polymorphisms and LC risk in a Chinese Han population.
Energy spectra of strongly stratified and rotating turbulence

Turbulence under strong stratification and rotation is usually characterized as quasi-two dimensional turbulence. We develop a ``quasi-two dimensional'''' energy spectrum which changes smoothly between the Kolmogorov -5/3 law (no stratification), the -2 scalings of Zhou for the case of strong rotation, as well as the -2 scalings for the case of strong rotation and stratification. For strongly stratified turbulence, the model may give the -2 scaling predicted by Herring; and the -5/3 scaling indicated by some mesoscale observations.
Antigravity treadmill training during the early rehabilitation phase following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: A case series

ABSTRACT Patients who have undergone unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) have been reported to exhibit altered gait 19–25 months post-surgery. The most common gait impairment in this population is inadequate knee flexion and a corresponding decrease in the knee extensor moment during loading response (i.e., quadriceps avoidance). The purpose of this case series was to determine whether incorporation of antigravity treadmill training into a standard physical therapy program can eliminate quadriceps avoidance gait during the early rehabilitation phase following UKA. Four females who underwent UKA were recruited for this study. Participants completed antigravity treadmill training three times per week for 12 weeks in addition to their standard physical therapy program. Instrumented gait analysis was performed at baseline (pre-intervention), week 6 (mid-intervention), and week 12 (post-intervention). We found that peak knee flexion and the peak knee extensor moment during the weight acceptance phase of gait increased to normal values following the 12-week intervention period (14.1 ± 6.5° to 20.6 ± 1.5° and 0.4 ± 0.3 to 0.7 ± 0.2 Nm/kg respectively). The findings of this case series suggest that a standard physical therapy program that incorporates early gait training using an antigravity treadmill may be beneficial in eliminating “quadriceps avoidance” during the early rehabilitation phase following UKA.
Influence of the genetic background on the reproductive phenotype of mice lacking Cysteine-Rich Secretory Protein 1 (CRISP1)†

Abstract Epididymal sperm protein CRISP1 has the ability to both regulate murine CatSper, a key sperm calcium channel, and interact with egg-binding sites during fertilization. In spite of its relevance for sperm function, Crisp1-/- mice are fertile. Considering that phenotypes can be influenced by the genetic background, in the present work mice from the original mixed Crisp1-/- colony (129/SvEv*C57BL/6) were backcrossed onto the C57BL/6 strain for subsequent analysis of their reproductive phenotype. Whereas fertility and fertilization rates of C57BL/6 Crisp1-/- males did not differ from those reported for mice from the mixed background, several sperm functional parameters were clearly affected by the genetic background. Crisp1-/- sperm from the homogeneous background exhibited defects in both the progesterone-induced acrosome reaction and motility not observed in the mixed background, and normal rather than reduced protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Additional studies revealed a significant decrease in sperm hyperactivation as well as in cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA) substrate phosphorylation levels in sperm from both colonies. The finding that exposure of mutant sperm to a cAMP analog and phosphodiesterase inhibitor overcame the sperm functional defects observed in each colony indicated that a common cAMPPKA signaling defect led to different phenotypes depending on the genetic background. Altogether, our observations indicate that the phenotype of CRISP1 null males is modulated by the genetic context and reveal new roles for the protein in both the functional events and signaling pathways associated to capacitation. Summary Sentence Analysis of the reproductive phenotype of mice lacking CRISP1 shows the influence of the genetic background on different sperm functional parameters and reveals the involvement of CRISP1 in the cAMP-PKA signaling cascade leading to capacitation.
Integer Programming Approaches for Appointment Scheduling with Random No-Shows and Service Durations

We consider a single-server scheduling problem given a fixed sequence of job arrivals with random no-shows and service durations. The joint probability distribution of the uncertain parameters is assumed to be ambiguous and only the support and first moments are known. We formulate a class of distributionally robust optimization models that incorporate the worst-case expected cost and the worst-case conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) of appointment waiting, server idleness, and overtime as the objective or constraints. Our models flexibly adapt to different prior beliefs of no-show probabilities. We obtain exact mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) reformulations that facilitate decomposition algorithms, and derive valid inequalities to strengthen the reformulations. In particular, we derive the convex hulls for special cases of no-show beliefs, yielding polynomial-size linear programming reformulations for the least and the most conservative supports of no shows. We test various instances to demonstrate the computational efficacy of our approaches and provide insights for appointment scheduling under distributional ambiguity of multiple uncertainties.