Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cascade Testing for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes: Should We Move Toward Direct Relative Contact? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE Evidence-based guidelines recommend cascade genetic counseling and testing for hereditary cancer syndromes, providing relatives the opportunity for early detection and prevention of cancer. The current standard is for patients to contact and encourage relatives (patient-mediated contact) to undergo counseling and testing. Direct relative contact by the medical team or testing laboratory has shown promise but is complicated by privacy laws and lack of infrastructure. We sought to compare outcomes associated with patient-mediated and direct relative contact for hereditary cancer cascade genetic counseling and testing in the first meta-analysis on this topic. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PROSPERO No.: CRD42020134276). We searched key electronic databases to identify studies evaluating hereditary cancer cascade testing. Eligible trials were subjected to meta-analysis. RESULTS Eighty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. Among relatives included in the meta-analysis, 48% (95% CI, 38 to 58) underwent cascade genetic counseling and 41% (95% CI, 34 to 48) cascade genetic testing. Compared with the patient-mediated approach, direct relative contact resulted in significantly higher uptake of genetic counseling for all relatives (63% [95% CI, 49 to 75] v 35% [95% CI, 24 to 48]) and genetic testing for first-degree relatives (62% [95% CI, 49 to 73] v 40% [95% CI, 32 to 48]). Methods of direct contact included telephone calls, letters, and e-mails; respective rates of genetic testing completion were 61% (95% CI, 51 to 70), 48% (95% CI, 37 to 59), and 48% (95% CI, 45 to 50). CONCLUSION Most relatives at risk for hereditary cancer do not undergo cascade genetic counseling and testing, forgoing potentially life-saving medical interventions. Compared with patient-mediated contact, direct relative contact increased rates of cascade genetic counseling and testing, arguing for a shift in the care delivery paradigm, to be confirmed by randomized controlled trials.
Localization Accuracy Model Incorporating Signal Detection Performance for Wide Area Multilateration

Wide area multilateration (WAM) estimates aircraft positions on the basis of time difference of arrival (TDOA) for air traffic control. To design the receiver positions, dilution of precision has been used. However, the conventional approach ignores failure in signal detection. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel WAM accuracy model for more realistic performance prediction. The proposed model employs a stochastic constellation, i.e., the constellation of available receivers virtually changes according to the signal detection performance.
#Mypathtolaw: understanding access to the legal profession through a ricoeurian analysis

ABSTRACT We investigated the narratives of enablers and barriers to entry into law communicated through 650 UK tweets posted under the twitter hashtag #mypathtolaw in 2018. Law students, solicitors, barristers and legal academics used this hashtag for sharing their personal paths to a legal career. We use Ricoeur’s theory of dialogues between the archaeology (past) and the teleology (future) of the self. This has previously been applied to legal ethics, but never before to understanding access to the legal profession. Our findings show that tweeters had a strong narrative of agency and ability to succeed against adversity – perhaps underplaying structural barriers. Notable through its absence is the reference to structural barriers, such as class, school, and university type and the converse individual narratives of perseverance. We find that poor or discouraging careers advice had been a significant barrier. We conclude with recommendations for schools, universities and the legal profession around diversifying the narratives used to showcase legal careers and suggest that universities engaging in training for careers advisors may further widen participation.
The recognition of human voice in deaf and hearing infants

Abstract Purpose: Deafness in infancy has longlasting consequences on brain organization. To achieve the best developmental outcomes in case of profound deafness, cochlear implantation (CI) needs to take place in a critical period during the first year of life, before the cross-modal reorganization of the brain due to auditory deprivation stabilises, preventing the typical development of the auditory cortices. Despite its importance for implantation outcomes, the nature of this critical period and the underlying neural reorganization have not been fully explored. Materials and methods: To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the cortical responses of 12-month-old profoundly deaf infants and their age-matched controls to sounds produced by a human voice as compared to non-human sounds using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The deaf infants were tested before undergoing CI surgery and wore hearing aids, allowing them to perceive low frequencies. Human voice stimuli have been shown to trigger brain responses early in development, possibly due to its evolutionary relevance for survival. Results: We found increased brain responses to the human voice in the deaf infants in the bilateral fronto-temporal areas, and their responses correlated with their residual hearing thresholds. These results suggest that even the limited sound stimulation that these deaf infants receive due to their residual hearing allowed the temporal cortices to develop sensitivity to the human voice prior to implantation. The hearing control group showed an inverted hemodynamic response to both voice and non-voice stimuli in the left parietal and right temporal areas, suggesting that by 12 months of age, they habituate rapidly to these very familiar stimuli. While both groups showed an inverted response to the non-voice stimuli, they differed in their responses to voice stimuli. Conclusions: We hypothesize that the responses found in deaf infants to human voice can be consider a good cochlear implant prognosis.
From the Baltimore Sun—

Peril in plastic? Some researchers fear that a chemical found in plastic products we use every day could be harming the development of children and triggering a wide array of maladies from cancer to diabetes. There is a roaring battle these days over whether a chemical called Bisphenol A is dangerous to humans. The chemical is ubiquitous-used to harden plastic in consumer products including baby bottles, food containers, cling wrap, toys, CDs, sunglasses, and thousands of other products. A number of independent researchers say tests on animals and other research indicates that Bisphenol A can be toxic at very low doses. But a review committee created by the National Institutes of Health's National Toxicology Program has yet to find significant danger from the drug. Last month the panel released a preliminary report finding that Bisphenol A is of some concern for fetuses and small children. But it found that adults have almost nothing to worry about. Still, many researchers say that Bisphenol A, known as BPA, may cause a wide range of health problems, including breast and prostate cancer, infertility, diabetes, brain damage, even obesity. And they warn that the chemical is especially toxic to babies and children. These scientists point to hundreds of studies showing that Bisphenol A harms animals. They say problems occur at exposure levels equivalent to those commonly seen in humans. Several state legislatures, including those of California and Minnesota, have considered, but not passed, bills limiting use of BPA. This year, Prince Georges County Del. James W. Hubbard, a Democrat, introduced a bill outlawing use of BPA in baby products, including toys and bottles. The bill was voted down; Hubbard will try again in the January legislative session. The controversy is part of a larger debate over how to measure the risks posed by the thousands of industrial chemicals that have become part of our lives over the past century-everything from plastics to Teflon to formaldehyde. Many activists and researchers say government rules allow industry to use potentially dangerous compounds without first ensuring the chemicals' safety.
Association Between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width–Albumin Ratio and Hospital Mortality in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Study

Purpose High levels of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and hypoalbuminemia are markers of poor prognosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. However, few studies have shown that the red blood cell distribution width–albumin ratio (RAR) is related to the mortality of COPD. This study aimed to explore the relationship between RAR and hospital mortality in COPD patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Patients and Methods Patients were retrospectively incorporated from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database and divided into two groups by a cutoff value of RAR. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for the imbalance of covariates. Logistic regression models and subgroup analyses were carried out to investigate the relationship between RAR and hospital mortality. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance of RAR and decision curve analysis (DCA) to assess the clinical utility. Results In total, 1174 patients were finally identified from the MIMIC-IV database. The cutoff value for RAR was 5.315%/g/dL. After PSM at a 1:1 ratio, 638 patients were included in the matched cohort. In the original and matched cohorts, the high RAR group had higher hospital mortality and longer hospital stays. Logistic regression analysis suggested that RAR was an independent risk factor for hospital mortality. The areas under the ROC curve in the original and matched cohorts were 0.706 and 0.611, respectively, which were larger than applying RDW alone (the original cohort: 0.600, the matched cohort: 0.514). The DCA indicated that RAR had a clinical utility. Conclusion A higher RAR (>5.315%/g/dL) was associated with hospital mortality in COPD patients admitted to ICU. As an easily available peripheral blood marker, RAR can predict hospital mortality in critically ill patients with COPD independently.
Cultivo in vitro de anteras de rocoto (Capsicum pubescens Ruiz & Pav.)

The rocoto (Capsicum pubescens Ruiz & Pav.) is a crop of great importance in Peru because it is in great demand within the national gastronomy. This crop has no defined varieties or cultivars, but it is represented by two significant genotypes: Serrano and Monte. It is necessary to obtain homozygous lines to define a cultivar; for this reason, the alternative of using biotechnological tools through another culture under in vitro conditions is presented to obtain homozygous individuals. Nevertheless, the response of another culture depends on each genotype understudy, and it is necessary to establish a basis for the establishment and generation of somatic embryos from rocoto anthers. For the reasons described above, the present research aimed to induce somatic embryos from in vitro culture of rocoto anthers. Flower buds of the Serrano genotype were used to determine the flower bud stage with the highest percentage of uninucleated microspores and determine the treatment with the highest percentage of disinfection in rocoto flower buds, and determine the treatment that allows the induction of somatic embryos from rocoto anthers. The IR4 group of flower buds presented the highest percentage of microspores in the uninucleate stage with 81.3%. Treatment D4 achieved the highest disinfection of flower buds with 89.01%. A total of 18.27% of anthers with somatic embryo formation were obtained using treatment T2.
Quantitative TLP Waveform Analysis for GGNmosts

A method to extract internal physical quantities from transmission line pulse (TLP) waveforms of grounded gate nMOS electro-static discharge protections is presented. The extraction method is based on two time-constants that appear in the transient voltage waveforms that are part of any TLP result. The first time-constant relates the measured current to the amount of internally stored charge. The second time-constant is related to the life time of internally stored holes via the lateral diffusion of holes that takes place during current ramp-up. From these two extracted time-constants, a complete set of internal quantities including the amount of stored charge, hole lateral diffusion velocity, and the ratio between the internal hole- and electron current, can be calculated from a single TLP pulse. As a result, trends and correlations in the internal quantities can be shown explicitly. This paper shows a strongly increasing hole-to electron current ratio with increasing peak current density during ramp-up. The extraction method is validated using 3D-TCAD and formal mathematical treatment. Developing the theoretical background to this internal parameter extraction method has led to new physical insights. The most prominent of these is a theoretical relation between the peak current density during current ramp-up and the hole life time.
Winning Connections? Lobbying and the Resolution of Failed Banks∗

This paper studies how lobbying activities affect t he resolution of failed banks during the Great Recession. We show evidence from failed-bank auctio ns that lobbying increases a bidder’s probability of winning by 26.4 percentage points. T he transfer to lobbying bidders is substantial and is estimated at $7.4 billion for the Deposit In surance Fund, which is equal to 16.4 percent of the total resolution losses. We also find that foll owing the acquisition lobbying banks have worse operating and stock market performance than their n on-lobbying counterparts, suggesting that lobbying results in a less efficient allocation of failed banks. Our results provide new insights into the bank resolution process and its political econo my. JEL classification codes: D72, E65, G18, G21
Journal Pre-proof Bandgap energy modeling of the deformed ternary GaAs1-uNu by artificial neural networks

Appraising the bandgap energy of materials is a major issue in the field of band engineering. To better understand the behavior of GaAs 1-u N u material, it is necessary to improve the applied calculation methodologies. The band anticrossing model (BAC) allows modeling of the bandgap energy when diluted nitrogen is incorporated into the material. The model can be improved using artificial neural networks (ANN) as an alternative solution, which is rarely applied. Our goal is to study the efficiency of the (ANN) method to gauge the bandgap energy of the material from experimental measurements, considering the extensive strain due to the lattice mismatch between the substrate and the material. This makes the GaAsN material controllable with (ANN) method, and is a potential candidate for the fabrication of ultrafast optical sensors.
3 Multi-armed bandits and beyond

When learning from sequential interactions, there is a tradeo between: • information and rewards: • learning and optimization, • exploration and exploitation. In a nutshell, your goal is to get a maximal reward at each round and you have to choose between: • exploitation: choosing an option that ensures you a good reward using information that you gathered in the past, • exploration: choosing an option that has been less pro table in the past but on which you did not collect enough information, which might cost you a bad immediate reward but will allow you to understand better the system and thus obtain better rewards in the future. We will start with introducing the basic Multi-armed Bandits problem. Multi-armed Bandits and Reinforcement Learning problems deal with the tradeo s hereabove, gathered under the term exploration/exploitation dilemma.
Nutritional characterization and gas production of vegetative species with potential as feedstuffs for ruminants feeding

Objective. To evaluate the chemical composition, phenolic compounds content, and in vitro methane and gas production kinetics of seven vegetable species as potential feedstuffs for ruminants feeding. Materials and methods. Seven species were evaluated: gray oak (GO), red oak (RO), prickly poppies (PP), mesquite (MES), wattle tree (WT), white mulberry (WM) and stevia (STE). The analyses of the samples were: ether extract (EE), ash, crude protein (CP), non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), hemicellulose, cellulose, acid detergent lignin (ADL), condensed tannins (CT), total phenolic compounds (TPC), in vitro dry matter true digestibility (IVDMD); as well as under in vitro ruminal conditions, gas production (GP), methane and carbon dioxide CO 2 production, N-ammonia, and volatile fatty acids (VFA). Results. The results show that WT, MES and WM foliage presented the highest content in CP, the highest digestibility’s (IVDMD) were observed in PP, WM and STE. Otherwise, the lowest methane productions were generated by MES, RO and WM. Conclusions. According to the results in the chemical composition, PP, WM and STE presented the best nutritional quality since they showed the highest protein contents and an adequate digestibility. These results suggest that the use of PP would not affect the nutritional characteristics offered by good quality forage. In addition, the other species may be used as additives or supplements for feeding ruminants because of their higher protein and CT contents.
Working with Calling in Career Development Practice: lessons from teaching and research

Work has significance in people’s lives in multiple ways, and the concept of ‘calling’ is increasingly used to explore this. My intention in this paper is to provide an overview of contemporary use of the term in career studies and related literatures, as well as in popular culture, and discuss its value in career development practice. I pay particular attention to the way literature understands processes of perceiving and acting on callings, the integration of work with other forms of life purpose and the impact of wider contextual factors on all aspects of calling. I will suggest further ways that career development work can draw on calling as a salient concept to maximise its potential with individuals and groups. I go on to propose a series of ways to draw upon calling in career development practice for different client groups, and a framework for evaluating their potential.
Gulf of Mexico Seafood Harvesters, Part 2: Occupational Health-Related Risk Factors

The purpose of this literature review, the second in a series following one on traumatic injuries and fatigue, is to identify potential health hazards to inform a study of occupational health and safety among fish harvesters in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Fish harvesters are potentially at a high risk of occupational illnesses in GoM fisheries. GoM fishers engage in harvesting shrimp, finfish, oysters, crabs, and clams. Method: The method is a narrative literature review. Search terms that included safety, seafood, occupational, fishing, oyster, clam, shrimp, crab, and GoM were used to identify relevant literature in combination (i.e., a string search). Results: A total of 53 manuscripts were reviewed, of which only two regarded the GoM, but 19 were from the US Atlantic Coast. Musculoskeletal disorders are widespread across the fishing sector. Other hazards include bites and stings from aquatic animals (some of which may be life-threatening), vessel engine noise, dermatoses, and other skin afflictions (including possible strep infection of wounds), solar ray-induced eye diseases, and respiratory exposures (such as to protein aerosols) that can cause asthma. Diving poses multiple breathing and other hazards. Conclusion: While fish harvesters are protected from respiratory problems when working on the well-ventilated deck and dermal hazards by wearing gloves, musculoskeletal, bite and sting, ocular, engine-related hearing loss, and skin, lip, and eye cancer hazards are potentially serious risks among GoM fish harvesters.
Improving Speech Emotion Recognition Using Self-Supervised Learning with Domain-Specific Audiovisual Tasks

Speech emotion recognition (SER) is a challenging task due to the limited availability of real-world labeled datasets. Since it is easier to find unlabeled data, the use of self-supervised learning (SSL) has become an attractive alternative. This study proposes new pre-text tasks for SSL to improve SER. While our target application is SER, the proposed pre-text tasks include audiovisual formulations, leveraging the relationship between acoustic and facial features. Our proposed approach introduces three new unimodal and multimodal pre-text tasks that are carefully designed to learn better representations for predicting emotional cues from speech. Task 1 predicts energy variations (high or low) from a speech sequence. Task 2 uses speech features to predict facial activation (high or low) based on facial landmark movements. Task 3 performs a multi-class emotion recognition task on emotional labels obtained from combinations of action units (AUs) detected across a video sequence. We pre-train a network with 60.92 hours of unlabeled data, fine-tuning the model for the downstream SER task. The results on the CREMA-D dataset show that the model pre-trained on the proposed domain-specific pre-text tasks significantly improves the precision (up to 5.1%), recall (up to 4.5%), and F1-scores (up to 4.9%) of our SER system.
A Firsthand Look at the Novel Ph . D . Program in Mathematical Modeling at Rochester Institute of Technology

Researchers across every scientific discipline need complete and reliable data sets to draw trustworthy conclusions. However, publishing all data from a given study can be undesirable. For example, medical data in particular include personal information that—if published in full— would violate patients’ privacy and potentially expose them to harm. Similarly, many Newsjournal of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics sinews.siam. org
SWARM Parallelism: Training Large Models Can Be Surprisingly Communication-Efficient

Many deep learning applications benefit from using large models with billions of parameters. Training these models is notoriously expensive due to the need for specialized HPC clusters. In this work, we consider alternative setups for training large models: using cheap"preemptible"instances or pooling existing resources from multiple regions. We analyze the performance of existing model-parallel algorithms in these conditions and find configurations where training larger models becomes less communication-intensive. Based on these findings, we propose SWARM parallelism, a model-parallel training algorithm designed for poorly connected, heterogeneous and unreliable devices. SWARM creates temporary randomized pipelines between nodes that are rebalanced in case of failure. We empirically validate our findings and compare SWARM parallelism with existing large-scale training approaches. Finally, we combine our insights with compression strategies to train a large Transformer language model with 1B shared parameters (approximately 13B before sharing) on preemptible T4 GPUs with less than 200Mb/s network.