Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LSF and LPC - derived features for Large Vocabulary Distributed Continuous Speech Recognition in Brazilian Portuguese

In this paper, we describe several important experiments concerning large vocabulary distributed continuous speech recognition (LVDCSR) systems in Brazilian Portuguese using LSF and LPC - derived features. The ITU-T G.723. 1 codec is employed and investigated as a case of practical use of this technology. Results are presented for both speaker dependent and independent modes as well as the situations where the same text or different texts were used for training and testing.
The citric acid cycle.

The enol generated in the first step is converted into a nucleophile by the abstraction of the enol hydrogen by His274 now functioning as a general base. The electrons of the double bond attack the electrophilic center of the ketone of oxaloactete. His-320 functions in concert as a general acid donating its proton to the carbonyl oxygen of oxaloacetate to form citryl-CoA. Citryl-CoA spontaneously hydrolyses while it is still bound to the active site to generate coenzyme A and citrate. H3C C O
The multiple factors determining retinotopic order in the growth of optic fibres into the optic tectum.

Evidence is presented to support the conclusion that normally functioning optic nerve fibre terminal arborizations are open to continuous modification of their location and that they are capable of large scale gradual movement across the optic tectum in lower vertebrates. The termination of optic fibres at precisely defined tectal locations during normal embryonic development does not appear, in view of this and other evidence, to be due to any restrictions imposed by specializations distinguishing terminal sites themselves. However, there is clear evidence that, on the basis of possibly very simple specializations acquired as part of their embryological origin at particular locations in the retina, growing optic fibres actively and continuously select specific routes to be followed through intervening nervous tissue which eventually lead them to predictable and at least approximately appropriate terminal regions in the tectum. It is proposed that terminals move into and maintain fully retinotopic order as a result of direct interactions between fibres themselves based on features correlated with the retinal proximity of their cells of origin. This may involve further use of specializations due to related embryological origin: correlations in nerve impulse activity among neighbouring retinal ganglion cells may serve to stabilize most favourable terminal combinations. It is argued that fibres are subject to multiple influences which contribute to their orderly growth and that the demands made on the embryological differentiation of nervous tissue can thereby be considerably reduced.
Circadian clock and cell cycle gene expression in mouse mammary epithelial cells and in the developing mouse mammary gland

Mouse mammary epithelial cells (HC‐11) and mammary tissues were analyzed for developmental changes in circadian clock, cellular proliferation, and differentiation marker genes. Expression of the clock genes Per1 and Bmal1 were elevated in differentiated HC‐11 cells, whereas Per2 mRNA levels were higher in undifferentiated cells. This differentiation‐dependent profile of clock gene expression was consistent with that observed in mouse mammary glands, as Per1 and Bmal1 mRNA levels were elevated in late pregnant and lactating mammary tissues, whereas Per2 expression was higher in proliferating virgin and early pregnant glands. In both HC‐11 cells and mammary glands, elevated Per2 expression was positively correlated with c‐Myc and Cyclin D1 mRNA levels, whereas Per1 and Bmal1 expression changed in conjunction with β‐casein mRNA levels. Interestingly, developmental stage had differential effects on rhythms of clock gene expression in the mammary gland. These data suggest that circadian clock genes may play a role in mouse mammary gland development and differentiation. Developmental Dynamics 235:263–271, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cooling does not affect knee proprioception.

The effect of cooling on proprioception of the knee has not been studied extensively. In this study, we investigated the movement reproduction (timing and accuracy) aspect of proprioception. Subjects were tested under two conditions: a 20-minute application of ice and control. Proprioceptive accuracy and timing were measured by passively moving the knee, then comparing the subject's active reproduction of the passive movement. Subjects were blindfolded, then tested in three sectors of the knee's range of motion: 90 degrees to 60 degrees , 60 degrees to 30 degrees , and 30 degrees to full extension. Ice application had no apparent effect on the subject's ability to perform accurate movement reproductions in the sectors tested. However, accuracy of the subject's final angle reproduction varied between the sectors as did the total time of the movement. One possible explanation for the difference between sectors is that different receptors are active at different points in the knee's range of motion. We conclude that cooling the knee joint for 20 minutes does not have an adverse effect on proprioception.
Exploring the Prevalence and Evolution of Android Concerns: A Community Viewpoint

In line with growing awareness of the need for systems to adapt quickly to change, there has been increasing interest in the evolution of software systems. Research has particularly considered developer-led activities change over time. Comparatively less consideration has been given to the study of software evolution as driven by the wider community of stakeholders. Although, a project’s wider community is central to the feedback system and project success. We have contributed to such efforts and studied the evolution of architecture issues and non-functional requirements in the Android project, as identified by the wider Android community1. We mined the Android issues tracker, employing n-gram analysis in our examination of 21,547 issues. We observe that most architecture-related issues were located in Android application layer, and these issues increased with time. Additionally, usability-related concerns were reported most when they were held to be given greatest attention. Outcomes suggests that Android’s open model and shared ownership have positively impacted Google’s success, which could provide a useful lesson for other similar projects.
Plasma Exchange (Pe) Treatment in Drug-Induced Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (Ten)

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) or Lyell's syndrome is a rare fulminating skin disease notorious for its rapidly progressive course and high mortality rate. TEN is characterized by the sudden onset of epithelial necrosis of skin with frequently associated involvement of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tract and bronchopulmonary linings. We describe the clinical course of five patients with severe drug-induced TEN, treated with PE. The suspected drugs were carbamazepine in one patient, paracetamol in one, a combination of paracetamol and mefenamic acid in one, allopurinol in one and ciprofloxacin in one. Three had a skin involvement affecting almost the entire surface of the body. In addition to the skin lesions, mouth, esophagus and lungs were also involved. Steroids proved ineffective. PE was carried out because of the rapid deterioration of the clinical picture. The mean number of PE sessions was 3.22 (range 1-5). Complete remission of the syndrome was achieved in four patients. One patient died due to septic shock. As so far there is no treatment of proven value for this condition, controlled trials should be set up in order to assess the value of PE in TEN.
Neural Adaptive Sequential Monte Carlo Supplementary Material

This section reviews the basic SMC algorithm, beginning by recapitulating the setup described in the main text. Consider a probabilistic model comprising (possibly multi-dimensional) hidden and observed states z1:T and x1:T respectively, whose joint distribution factorizes as p(z1:T ,x1:T ) = p(z1)p(x1|z1) ∏T t=2 p(zt|z1:t−1)p(xt|z1:t,x1:t−1). This general form subsumes common statespace models, such as Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), as well as non-Markovian models for the hidden state, such as Gaussian processes.
Rapid 2nd-tier test for measurement of 3-OH-propionic and methylmalonic acids on dried blood spots: reducing the false-positive rate for propionylcarnitine during expanded newborn screening by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND The expansion of newborn screening programs has increased the number of newborns diagnosed with inborn errors of metabolism in the presymptomatic phase, but it has also increased the number of costly, stress-producing false-positive results. Because propionylcarnitine (C3) is one of the analytes most frequently responsible for false-positive results, we aimed to develop a rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to identify free methylmalonic (MMA) and 3-OH propionic (3OH-PA) acids in blood spots. METHODS We studied newborn screening spots from 250 healthy controls; 124 from infants with abnormal C3, of whom only 5 (4%) were truly affected; 124 from infants with altered isolated methylmalonylcarnitine; and 4 from clinically diagnosed patients. Whole blood was eluted from a 3.2-mm dried blood spot by a CH(3)CN/H(2)O 7:3 and 5 mL/L formic. This extract was injected into a LC-MS/MS equipped with pneumatically assisted electrospray without derivatization. Total analysis time was 5 min per sample. RESULTS The assays were linear up to 3300 nmol/L for both metabolites. Intra- and interassay imprecision data were 3.6%-8% and 3.1%-6%, respectively, for MMA and 5.2%-20% and 3.6%-17% for 3OH-PA. Limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 1.95 and 4.2 micromol/L, respectively, for MMA and 8 and 10 micromol/L for 3OH-PA. The recoveries were 92.9%-106.1%. No deterioration was noted on the columns after 500 chromatographic runs. If the new method had been used as a 2nd-tier test for the 124 samples, only the 5 true positives would have been recalled for additional samples, and the positive predictive value would have been 100%. CONCLUSIONS This method has the potential to markedly reduce false-positive results and the associated costs and anxiety. It may also be suitable for diagnosing and routinely monitoring blood spots for methylmalonic aciduria and propionic acidemia.
Safety and efficacy of simultaneous corneal collagen cross-linking with topography-guided PRK in managing low-grade keratoconus: 1-year follow-up.

PURPOSE To evaluate 1-year visual and topographic outcomes and safety and efficacy of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) combined with topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy (TG-PRK) to achieve near emmetropia in eyes with low-grade keratoconus. METHODS Twenty-two eyes from 15 patients (11 women, 4 men) were included in a prospective, nonrandomized, noncontrolled clinical study. Mean patient age was 26.6±6.07 years (range: 19 to 40 years). Inclusion criteria were low-grade keratoconus with evidence of progression, transparent cornea, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) 0.8 (decimal) or better, corneal thickness >440 μm, and maximum keratometry readings (K-max) <51.00 diopters (D). All patients underwent simultaneous TG-PRK with CXL. Study parameters were uncorrected distance visual acuity, CDVA, manifest refractive error, manifest and topographic (corneal) astigmatism, patient satisfaction, and efficacy and safety of the treatment. Follow-up was 1 year. RESULTS After 1 year, statistically significant improvement was noted in all study parameters (P<.01). The safety and efficacy indices were 1.6 and 0.4, respectively. Patient satisfaction questionnaire showed that 91% were satisfied, 9% were not completely satisfied but believed they improved, and none were dissatisfied. Corneal topography demonstrated significant improvement in 55%, improvement in 36%, and minor improvement in 9% of cases. No cases progressed as evidenced by keratometry readings. CONCLUSIONS Simultaneous TG-PRK with CXL is an effective and safe treatment with remarkable visual and topographic outcomes in patients with low-grade keratoconus who meet the recommended inclusion criteria.
The origin of multiple sex chromosomes in tiger beetles.

In most holometabolous insects, sex determination involves differentiated sex chromosomes of the XY type (ZW, with heterogametic females in Lepidoptera). In Coleoptera (beetles) a general karyotype with meioformula 2n 5 9 1 XY is prevalent in the approximately 3,000 species studied to date (Smith and Virkki 1978; Petitpierre 1996), but the genetic system of Cicindelidae (tiger beetles) is unusually diverse, with many species exhibiting multiple sex chromosomes, XnY, where n varies between 2 and 4. During meiosis these heterosomes form a characteristic rosette-like multivalent linked by telomeric connections without forming chiasmata between the various X chromosomes (Giers 1977). The multiple sex chromosome system is widespread in cicindelids and is found in both the recognized subfamilies, including the Cicindelinae with a multiple system, which has been described for 55 species mostly in the species rich genus Cicindela (sensu lato), and the Collyrinae with three representatives studied to date. Other cicindelids, including two species of Megacephala (Serrano, Galian, and Ortiz 1986; Galian and Hudson 1999) and two species in the genus Cicindela, were found to have XY or X0 systems. Multiple sex chromosome systems in insects appear to be evolutionarily short-lived because they are generally confined to small taxonomic groups, where close relatives exhibit simple genetic systems. The unusually broad taxonomic distribution of multiple systems in Cicindelidae may suggest either a common ancestry of this trait and evolutionary stability (single-origin hypothesis) or a tendency to generate multiple systems repeatedly in this lineage (multiple origin). It is possible that lineagespecific properties canalize the evolution of structural features of the karyotype, and a repeated origin of a multiple system may represent the outcome of ‘‘karyotypic orthoselection’’ (White 1973). In either case the wide distribution of the multiple system in Cicindelidae and the comparison with related species exhibiting simple sex chromosome systems lend themselves to investigation of the evolution and the functional significance of this intriguing phenomenon. Here, we analyzed the evolutionary origin of multiple sex chromosomes in Cicindelidae by establishing the distribution of the multiple systems in major taxonomic groups in the context of a phylogenetic tree derived from 18S rRNA gene sequences. Chromosome
Ectopic phytocystatin expression leads to enhanced drought stress tolerance in soybean (Glycine max) and Arabidopsis thaliana through effects on strigolactone pathways and can also result in improved seed traits.

Ectopic cystatin expression has long been used in plant pest management, but the cysteine protease, targets of these inhibitors, might also have important functions in the control of plant lifespan and stress tolerance that remain poorly characterized. We therefore characterized the effects of expression of the rice cystatin, oryzacystatin-I (OCI), on the growth, development and stress tolerance of crop (soybean) and model (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants. Ectopic OCI expression in soybean enhanced shoot branching and leaf chlorophyll accumulation at later stages of vegetative development and enhanced seed protein contents and decreased the abundance of mRNAs encoding strigolactone synthesis enzymes. The OCI-expressing A. thaliana showed a slow-growth phenotype, with increased leaf numbers and enhanced shoot branching at flowering. The OCI-dependent inhibition of cysteine proteases enhanced drought tolerance in soybean and A. thaliana, photosynthetic CO2 assimilation being much less sensitive to drought-induced inhibition in the OCI-expressing soybean lines. Ectopic OCI expression or treatment with the cysteine protease inhibitor E64 increased lateral root densities in A. thaliana. E64 treatment also increased lateral root densities in the max2-1 mutants that are defective in strigolactone signalling, but not in the max3-9 mutants that are defective in strigolactone synthesis. Taken together, these data provide evidence that OCI-inhibited cysteine proteases participate in the control of growth and stress tolerance through effects on strigolactones. We conclude that cysteine proteases are important targets for manipulation of plant growth, development and stress tolerance, and also seed quality traits.
Proteomics studies on stress responses in diatoms

Diatoms are a highly diverse group of eukaryotic phytoplankton that are distributed throughout marine and freshwater environments and are believed to be responsible for approximately 40% of the total marine primary productivity. The ecological success of diatoms suggests that they have developed a range of strategies to cope with various biotic and abiotic stress factors. It is of great interest to understand the adaptive responses of diatoms to different stresses in the marine environment. Proteomic technologies have been applied to the adaptive responses of marine diatoms under different growth conditions in recent years such as nitrogen starvation, iron limitation and phosphorus deficiency. These studies have provided clues to elucidate the sophisticated sensing mechanisms that control their adaptive responses. Although only a very limited number of proteomic studies were conducted in diatoms, the obtained data have led to a better understanding of the biochemical processes that contribute to their ecological success. This review presents the current status of proteomic studies of diatom stress responses and discusses the novel developments and applications for the analysis of protein post‐translational modification in diatoms. The potential future application of proteomics could contribute to a better understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying diatom acclimation to a given stress and the acquisition of an enhanced diatom stress tolerance. Future challenges and research opportunities in the proteomics studies of diatoms are also discussed.
Clinical and Cellular Phenotypes Associated With Sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1) Mutations

Familial Paget's disease of bone has been shown to be associated with mutations in the ubiquitin‐associated (UBA) domain of the sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1) gene. We have clinical findings on five families with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who all harbor SQSTM1 UBA domain mutations (P387L, P392L, D391fsX394, P392fsX394). Intrafamilial expressivity was highly variable. The probands in two of the families had early‐onset disease involving a large number of bones and highly elevated prediagnostic levels of serum alkaline phosphatase. Affected siblings in these same families had limited bone involvement and were only diagnosed by technetium‐99m methylene diphosphonate (MDP) bone scans. Furthermore, there was at least one subject in each family with no evidence of Paget's disease, although they carried one mutated copy of the SQSTM1 gene. A total of 18 such individuals were identified across the five kindreds. Thus, the gene seems to have highly variable expressivity, as well as incomplete penetrance, supporting the role of this gene as a predisposition gene for familial Paget's disease of the bone. Molecular studies of the SQSTM1 protein showed different cellular aggregation phenotypes depending on the nature of the mutation. In general, the point mutations formed larger cytoplasmic aggregates than the wildtype or truncation mutations. This aggregation phenotype was not altered on removal of the N‐terminal PB1 dimerization domain, implying that aggregate formation is not wholly mediated by interaction through the PB1 domain. Although there was a genotype/phenotype correlation on the cellular level, this was not apparent on the clinical level. This supports the argument that other nongenetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
DNA Methylation is Altered in Maternal Blood Vessels of Women With Preeclampsia

We analyzed 27 578 CpG sites that map to 14 495 genes in omental arteries of normal pregnant and preeclamptic women for DNA methylation status using the Illumina platform. We found 1685 genes with a significant difference in DNA methylation at a false discovery rate of <10% with many inflammatory genes having reduced methylation. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering revealed natural clustering by diagnosis and methylation status. Of the genes with significant methylation differences, 236 were significant at a false discovery rate of <5%. When data were analyzed more stringently to a false discovery rate of <5% and difference in methylation of >0.10, 65 genes were identified, all of which showed reduced methylation in preeclampsia. When these genes were mapped to gene ontology for molecular functions and biological processes, 75 molecular functions and 149 biological processes were overrepresented in the preeclamptic vessels. These included smooth muscle contraction, thrombosis, inflammation, redox homeostasis, sugar metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. We speculate that reduced methylation may contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and that alterations in DNA methylation resulting from preeclampsia may increase maternal risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.
Questionnaire Administration Via the WWW: A Validation & Reliability Study for a User Satisfaction Questionnaire

Ben Harper Dept. of Laura Slaughter College Kent Norman Dept. of Psychology Lab for of Library and Psychology Lab for Automation Psychology Information Services Automation Psychology University of Maryland (CLIS) University of University of Maryland College Park, MD Tel: (301) Maryland College Park, College Park, MD Tel: (301) 405-5936 bharper@wam.umd. edu MD Tel: (301) 405-5938 405-5924 kn8@umail.umd. edu lauras@wam.umd. edu
Online event registration with minimal privacy violation

In order to detect network threats, traffic inspection needs to be performed. Due to privacy concerns, results from these inspections can only be shared with semi-trusted parties after filtering and anonymisation has been applied. In this literature study, the effects of anonymisation on intrusion detection systems is performed. To understand the current state and future of network anonymisation systems, existing tools and frameworks are compared. This comparison gives us a clear view on the problematic areas of these systems. An important requirement of such a system, is that it can operate at line-rate speeds. This paper proposes two models for an anonymisation system and an approach to come to a set of privacy policies that have a close relation to the targeted threat rules.