Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acoustic feature mining for mixed speech and music playlist generation

The Internet and mobile phones allow customizing media content individually. In case of a radio program, beside a good selection of content, the quality of the transitions between pieces of audio material also play a significant role influencing the listening experience. This paper describes a study of speech to music transitions looking for patterns between the acoustic features and the subjective perception of the transition quality. In the course of the study a set of audio test data was created, a subjective opinion test for rating the quality of the transitions was conducted and acoustic features were extracted from both the pieces of speech and music. The collected data was analyzed using data mining methods. The most important pattern found in the data is that music and speech tempo, intensity range and Mel spectral coefficients make it possible to predict the quality of the match with a performance rate of 70%.
Brain reserve and dementia: a systematic review

Background. Behavioural brain reserve is a property of the central nervous system related to sustained and complex mental activity which can lead to differential expression of brain injury. Behavioural brain reserve has been assessed using autobiographical data such as education levels, occupational complexity and mentally stimulating lifestyle pursuits. So far there have been several epidemiological reports but no systematic review to put conflicting results into context. Our aim was to quantitatively review evidence for the effect of brain reserve on incident dementia. Method. Cohort studies of the effects of education, occupation, premorbid IQ and mental activities on dementia risk were of interest. Abstracts were identified in MEDLINE (1966–September 2004), CURRENT CONTENTS (to September, 2004), PsychINFO (1984–September 2004), Cochrane Library Databases and reference lists from relevant articles. Twenty-two studies met inclusion criteria. Key information was extracted by both reviewers onto a standard template with a high level of agreement. Studies were combined through a quantitative random-effects meta-analysis. Results. Higher brain reserve was associated with a lowered risk for incident dementia (summary odds ratio, 0·54; 95% confidence interval, 0·49–0·59). This effect was found over a median of 7·1 years follow-up and resulted from integrating data across more than 29000 individuals. Notably, increased complex mental activity in late life was associated with lower dementia rates independent of other predictors; a dose–response relationship was also evident between extent of complex mental activities in late life and dementia risk. Conclusions. This study demonstrates robust evidence that complex patterns of mental activity in the early, mid- and late-life stages is associated with a significant reduction in dementia incidence. Randomized control trials based on brain-reserve principles are now required.
Grounded spatial symbols for task planning based on experience

Providing autonomous humanoid robots with the abilities to react in an adaptive and intelligent manner involves low level control and sensing as well as high level reasoning. However, the integration of both levels still remains challenging due to the representational gap between the continuous state space on the sensorimotor level and the discrete symbolic entities used in high level reasoning. In this work, we approach the problem of learning a representation of the space which is applicable on both levels. This representation is grounded on the sensorimotor level by means of exploration and on the language level by making use of common sense knowledge. We demonstrate how spatial knowledge can be extracted from these two sources of experience. Combining the resulting knowledge in a systematic way yields a solution to the grounding problem which has the potential to substantially decrease the learning effort.
Rural-urban difference in female breast cancer diagnosis in Missouri.

INTRODUCTION The stage at cancer diagnosis has a tremendous impact on type of treatment, recovery and survival. In most cases the earlier the cancer is detected and treated the higher the survival rate for the patient. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of spatial access to healthcare services on late detection of female breast cancer diagnosis in Missouri, taking into account access and distance to the nearest mammography center and/or hospital. METHODS This was a cross-sectional retrospective study of female breast cancer diagnosis in different geographic regions of Missouri. The sample was restricted to Missouri women diagnosed with breast cancer, whose cases had been reported to the Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center between 2003 and 2008. A geographic information system network analysis was used to calculate distance traveled by road from the centroid of each county to the nearest healthcare facility. RESULTS A total of 28 536 cases of female breast cancers were reported to the Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center between 2003 and 2008. Of these 25 743 (90.2%) were Caucasian (white) while 2793 (9.8%) were African-American (black). Analysis showed that the proportion of African-Americans with late-stage detection exceeded that of whites in almost all rural and urban locations. From 2003 to 2005 more than 50% of all late-stage diagnoses of African-American women occurred in metropolitan (metro) medium (55.6%) and completely rural counties (66.7%). Other locations recorded a smaller number of late-stage detection among African-American women: metro small (42.3%), urban large (47.4%) and urban small (44.9%) counties. Most of the late-stage diagnoses of white women were reported in urban small (32.2%) and rural (32.3%) counties. Between 2006 and 2008, again, the proportion of late-stage diagnoses among black women was the highest. Access to hospitals is fairly distributed among all counties. Women from disadvantaged non-metro areas have the same level of access to hospitals as those in metro areas within a travel time of 15 to 30 minutes. However, although there are almost 180 mammography screening centers across the state, access to these services is not evenly distributed. A network analysis of the closest facility of the type showed that women living in 19 non-metro rural counties have to travel more than 45 minutes one way by car for mammography services. Thirteen of the 19 counties are classified as completely rural. CONCLUSIONS Women with breast cancer living in areas with limited access to healthcare services are more likely to have been diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer.
The use of tissue-engineered skin (Apligraf) to treat a newborn with epidermolysis bullosa.

BACKGROUND Inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a mechanobullous disorder. The Dowling-Meara variant, a subtype of EB, is characterized by widespread blister formation that may include the oral cavity and nails. Many patients with the Dowling-Meara phenotype are at increased risk of sepsis and death during infancy. The treatment of EB is generally supportive. The tissue-engineered skin used (Apligraf) is a bilayered human skin equivalent developed from foreskin. It is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved skin equivalent of its kind. It is approved for the treatment of venous ulcers of the lower extremities. It has also been used to treat acute wounds, such as graft donor sites and cancer excision sites. OBSERVATION To our knowledge, we describe the first case in which a newborn with EB, Dowling-Meara variant, was treated with bilayered tissue-engineered skin. The areas treated with the tissue-engineered skin healed faster than the areas treated with conventional therapy. Most of the areas treated with tissue-engineered skin have remained healed, without developing new blisters. These areas appear to be more resistant to trauma. CONCLUSIONS Our early success with tissue-engineered skin in this patient may have a significant impact on the future treatment of neonates with EB simplex. Future studies are needed to determine if the beneficial effects of tissue-engineered skin are reproducible in other neonates with EB simplex and in patients of all ages with different subtypes of EB.
Acoustic Feedback Path Modeling and Neutralization in Active Noise Control Systems

In the case of single-channel ANC systems, the reference signal is picked up by a reference microphone, and the "antinoise" is generated by a canceling loudspeaker. This antinoise signal propagates downstream to cancel the unwanted noise. However it also propagates upstream and corrupts the reference signal. This is called acoustic feedback. The presence of strong acoustic feedback degrades the convergence speed and in worst case the ANC system may become unstable. In this paper, we proposed modified method for improved performance. The computer simulations are carried out, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, in comparison with the existing methods.
Personal area networks (PAN) : near-field intra-body communication

PAN is a wireless communication system that allows electronic devices on and near the human body to exchange digital information through near-field electrostatic coupling. Information is transmitted by modulating electric fields and electrostatically (capactively) coupling picoamp currents into the body. The body conducts the tiny current (e.g., 50 pA) to body mounted receivers. The environment ("room ground") provides a return path for the transmitted signal. A low frequency carrier (e.g., 330 kHz) is used so no energy is propagated, minimizing remote eavesdropping and interference by neighboring PANs. Digital information is transferred using on-off keying with quadrature detection to reduce stray interference and increase receiver sensitivity. A low cost (<$20) half-duplex modem is implemented using an analog bipolar chopper and integrator as a quadrature detector, and a microcontroller for signal acquisition. The technology used in the PAN can be integrated into a custom CMOS chip for lowest size and cost. Thesis Supervisor: Neil Gershenfeld, Assistant Professor of Media Arts and Sciences This work was supported in part by Hewlett-Packard Corporation and Festo Corporation. Personal Area Networks (PAN): Near-Field Intra-Body Communication
Detection of stator short circuits in VSI-fed brushless DC motors using wavelet transform

The paper presents methodologies to detect and locate short-circuit faults on the stator winding of VSI-fed PM brushless dc motors. Normal performance characteristics of the motor are obtained through a discrete-time lumped-parameter network model. The model is modified to accommodate short-circuit faults in order to simulate faulty operation. Fault signatures are extracted from the waveforms of electromagnetic torque and phase-voltage summation using wavelet transform. Three independent detection techniques are introduced. Experimental measurements agree acceptably with simulation results, and validate the proposed methods. This work sets forth the fundamentals of an automatic fault detector and locator, which can be used in a fault-tolerant drive.
[Urogenital lesions diagnosed incidentally during evaluation for blunt renal injuries].

OBJECTIVES Pre-existing pathology of the urogenital system may interfere with the pathophysiology of trauma, alter the radiographic imaging and influence the way of therapeutic approach. The aim of our study was to record the pathological lesions of the urogenital tract found incidentally during evaluation for blunt renal trauma and subsequently comment on their importance. MATERIAL AND METHODS The files of 675 patients referred to our department from 1982 to 1998 for further evaluation of possible blunt renal injury were reviewed. Our standard procedure is to perform an ultrasonogram and intravenous pyelography while CT scan and angiography are performed when indicated. No pediatric cases are encountered. RESULTS Ultrasonographic and radiological evaluation revealed the presence of various congenital or acquired lesions of the urinary tract in 24 patients (3.5%). Lithiasis was the most common finding; multiple bladder stones and staghorn calculi were found in 8 and 4 cases, respectively. In 4 cases a renal mass other than hematoma was present while in 3 cases the trauma to the kidney was accompanied by rupture of large cortical cysts. Left renal agenesia was detected in 1 patient, a duplicated renal pelvis system in 1, bilateral ureterocele in 2, and retroperitoneal fibrosis in another patient. In 4 cases (2 with ruptured renal cyst, 1 with renal cell carcinoma and one with staghorn calculus) concomitant renal injury requiring immediate surgical intervention was detected. CONCLUSION Lesions of the urinary tract found incidentally during evaluation for suspected renal injury are uncommon. However, they may complicate an otherwise negligible renal trauma while in some cases they may be of vital importance for the patient's final outcome.
Currency Risk and International Diversification of Property Investment

The paper focuses on the impact of exchange rate volatility on international diversification of direct investment in property for the period 1986-1997 inclusive. After computing the currency unadjusted and adjusted returns and risk for, and correlation of returns between the sampled countries, Matlab Optimization Toolbox is used to determine the optimal portfolio composition. It is found, through statistical tests, that although the upside/downside currency risk of a single foreign countryis property investment can be substantial, the risk is not statistically significant. Similarly, the difference between the unadjusted and adjusted optimal portfolio returns is found to be statistically insignificant to imply that hedging may not be necessary for a well-diversified portfolio of international real estate investment.
Lung Cancer and Elemental Carbon Exposure in Trucking Industry Workers

Background: Diesel exhaust has been considered to be a probable lung carcinogen based on studies of occupationally exposed workers. Efforts to define lung cancer risk in these studies have been limited in part by lack of quantitative exposure estimates. Objective: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to assess lung cancer mortality risk among U.S. trucking industry workers. Elemental carbon (EC) was used as a surrogate of exposure to engine exhaust from diesel vehicles, traffic, and loading dock operations. Methods: Work records were available for 31,135 male workers employed in the unionized U.S. trucking industry in 1985. A statistical model based on a national exposure assessment was used to estimate historical work-related exposures to EC. Lung cancer mortality was ascertained through the year 2000, and associations with cumulative and average EC were estimated using proportional hazards models. Results: Duration of employment was inversely associated with lung cancer risk consistent with a healthy worker survivor effect and a cohort composed of prevalent hires. After adjusting for employment duration, we noted a suggestion of a linear exposure–response relationship. For each 1,000-µg/m3 months of cumulative EC, based on a 5-year exposure lag, the hazard ratio (HR) was 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.99, 1.15] with a similar association for a 10-year exposure lag [HR = 1.09 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.20)]. Average exposure was not associated with relative risk. Conclusions: Lung cancer mortality in trucking industry workers increased in association with cumulative exposure to EC after adjusting for negative confounding by employment duration.
Teaching the Pragmatics of Accounts-Payable Letters in Papua New Guinea.

The development of a course in English letter-writing for workers in the accounts-payable departments of Papua New Guinea businesses is described. The needs assessment involved extensive discussion with company staff and their supervisors, collection and analysis of letters recently produced by that staff, and development of a diagnostic test. It was decided that the course would focus on the purpose or function of the communication as interaction rather than the types of text. Students were encouraged to treat correspondence as a form of conversation, and to consider the reader's likely response to each sentence in the text, emphasizing their own role in promoting cooperation between writer and reader. Further, students were taught the use of politeness strategies, particularly indirect ones, to accomplish the text's objective. The texts of a number of letters are presented and analyzed for their pragmatic linguistic features. A brief bibliography and a classroom pragmatics exercise are also included. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Educatiou) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** CITY POLYTECHNIC OF HONG KONG, DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION KOWLOON, HONG KONG, 28 30 MARCH 1994 TEACHING THE PRAGMATICS OF ACCOUNTS-PAYABLE LETTERS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
An Experiment in Hiring Discrimination via Online Social Networks

We investigate whether personal information posted by job candidates on social media sites is sought and used by prospective employers. We create profiles for job candidates on popular social networks, manipulating information protected under U.S. laws, and submit job applications on their behalf to over 4,000 employers. We find evidence of employers searching online for the candidates. After comparing interview invitations for a Muslim versus a Christian candidate, and a gay versus a straight candidate, we find no difference in callback rates for the gay candidate compared to the straight candidate, but a 13% lower callback rate for the Muslim candidate compared to the Christian candidate. While the difference is not significant at the national level, it exhibits significant and robust heterogeneity in bias at the local level, compatible with existing theories of discrimination. In particular, employers in Republican areas exhibit significant bias both against the Muslim candidate, and in favor of the Christian candidate. This bias is significantly larger than the bias in Democratic areas. The results are robust to using state- and county-level data, to controlling for firm, job, and geographical characteristics, and to several model specifications. The results suggest that 1) the online disclosure of certain personal traits can influence the hiring decisions of U.S. firms and 2) the likelihood of hiring discrimination via online searches varies across employers. The findings also highlight the surprisingly lasting behavioral influence of traditional, offline networks in processes and scenarios where online interactions are becoming increasingly common.
Incidence and Mortality Patterns of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Belgrade, Serbia (1999–2013)

Introduction: To assess incidence and mortality trends of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in Belgrade (Serbia) in a 15-year period (from 1999 to 2013). Material and Methods: Data were obtained from the Cancer Registry of Serbia, Institute of Public Health of Serbia. Standardized incidence and mortality rates per 100,000 inhabitants were calculated by direct standardization method using World Standard Population. Analysis of raw data indicated single-digit numbers per year and per 5-year age cohorts. Therefore, we merged years of diagnosis to three-year intervals, creating so-called “moving averages”. We also merged study population to 10-year age cohorts. Results: Both incidence and mortality rates increased with age, i.e., the lowest rates were observed in the youngest age groups and the highest rates were observed in oldest age groups. In all age groups, except the youngest (15–24 years), AML incidence was statistically significantly higher in men compared with women. Average age-adjusted incidence was 2.73/100,000 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.28–3.71). Average age-adjusted mortality was 1.81/100,000 (95% CI 1.30–2.26). Overall, there were no significant changes in incidence trend. Age-adjusted incidence rates had increasing tendency among men aged 65–74 years (B = 0.80, standard error (SE) = 0.11; p = 0.005) and in total population aged 65–74 years (B = 0.41, SE = 0.09; p = 0.023). Increasing tendency in incidence of AML among women was observed in age group >75 years (B = 0.63, SE = 0.14; p = 0.019). No changes of mortality trend were observed. Conclusion: There was no significant change in trends of AML from 1999 to 2013 in the population of Belgrade.
Computational Modeling of Visual Texture Segregation

Visual texture segregation is the perceptual phenomenonillustrated in figure 17.1. In this image a rectangular areacomposed of small X-shaped patterns appears as a distinctregion against a background of L-shaped patterns. Thissegregation occurs rapidly and unconsciously, without effort or search. The rectangular area composed of T- shaped patterns, however, does not appear as a distinct region in this sense. It is very easy to discriminate amongall three pattems, but only the X and L regions displayspontaneous segregation. This distinction between pat- tern discrimination and perceptual segregation gives par-ticular interest to the study of this aspect of visual textureperception. Other aspects of texture perception include the role of texture in the perception of surface orientation and shape and the influence of surface texture in de-termining color appearance. In this paper we limit con-sideration to the phenomenon of segregation.Pure texture-based segregation is not a very importantphenomenon in everyday visual experience. Objects are not usually distinguished from their backgrounds purely by textural differences. In this respect, the study of puretexture differences (in the absence of differences in bright-ness, color, depth, or other properties) is analogous to thestudy of isoluminant color differences, which also are notvery common in natural scenes. The relative rarity ofisoluminant color discrimination in the real world does not imply that color perception is an unimportant compo-nent of seeing. Similarly, the rarity of pure texture differ-ences does not reduce the potential importance of textureperception, especially in the visual processing of complexscenes.
Review on Lithotripsy and Cavitation in Urinary Stone Therapy

Cavitation is the sudden formation of vapor bubbles or voids in liquid media and occurs after rapid changes in pressure as a consequence of mechanical forces. It is mostly an undesirable phenomenon. Although the elimination of cavitation is a major topic in the study of fluid dynamics, its destructive nature could be exploited for therapeutic applications. Ultrasonic and hydrodynamic sources are two main origins for generating cavitation. The purpose of this review is to give the reader a general idea about the formation of cavitation phenomenon and existing biomedical applications of ultrasonic and hydrodynamic cavitation. Because of the high number of the studies on ultrasound cavitation in the literature, the main focus of this review is placed on the lithotripsy techniques, which have been widely used for the treatment of urinary stones. Accordingly, cavitation phenomenon and its basic concepts are presented in Section II. The significance of the ultrasound cavitation in the urinary stone treatment is discussed in Section III in detail and hydrodynamic cavitation as an important alternative for the ultrasound cavitation is included in Section IV. Finally, side effects of using both ultrasound and hydrodynamic cavitation in biomedical applications are presented in Section V.