Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioural phenotype in foetal alcohol syndrome and foetal alcohol effects

A sample of 12 children (seven males, five females; mean age 6 years 7 months, SD 2 years 6 months, range 2 years 4 months to 12 years 1 month) with moderate‐to‐severe foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and another sample of 26 children (12 males, 14 females; mean age of 6 years 2 months SD 2 years 10 months, range 2 years 6 months to 12 years 8 months) with mild FAS or foetal alcohol effects (FAE) as well as a sample of 15 age‐ and sex‐matched control children with unspecific intellectual disability were compared using the Developmental Behaviour Checklist (DBC). There were significant differences (p=0.01) between the groups on five of six subscales of the DBC with controls scoring lower on the disruptive, self‐absorbed, anxiety, antisocial behaviour, and communication disturbance scales. The DBC profiles of the two foetal alcohol exposed groups did not differ from each other. It is concluded that quantitative behaviour measurement provides insights into specific behavioural phenotypes of FAS/FAE.
An initial investigation into the real-time conversion of facial surface EMG signals to audible speech

This paper presents early-stage results of our investigations into the direct conversion of facial surface electromyographic (EMG) signals into audible speech in a real-time setting, enabling novel avenues for research and system improvement through real-time feedback. The system uses a pipeline approach to enable online acquisition of EMG data, extraction of EMG features, mapping of EMG features to audio features, synthesis of audio waveforms from audio features and output of the audio waveforms via speakers or headphones. Our system allows for performing EMG-to-Speech conversion with low latency and on a continuous stream of EMG data, enabling near instantaneous audio output during audible as well as silent speech production. In this paper, we present an analysis of our systems components for latency incurred, as well as the tradeoffs between conversion quality, latency and training duration required.
A 6.25GHz, 2.7μw at 0.5V, double-tail comparator using charge-steering approach

The ultra-low power and high-speed dynamic regenerative comparator is required for several ultra-low power and high-speed data converters. A proposed dynamic double-tail comparator has been providing using charge steering approach. This approach consumes less power than current steering approach and also very promising for high-speed semi-analog circuit. The proposed and conventional double-tail dynamic (DTD) comparator have been designed and simulated using 65nm TSMC CMOS technology. The proposed circuit consumed 2. 7μW and achieved 6.25GHz frequency at 0.5V power supply. The proposed design provides a significant enhance for the power and speed over conventional design.
The Anthrax Vaccine Program: an analysis of the CDC's recommendations for vaccine use.

The anthrax vaccine was never proved to be safe and effective. It is one cause of Gulf War illnesses, and recent vaccinees report symptoms resembling Gulf War illnesses. The vaccine's production has been substandard. Without adequate evaluation, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved (retrospectively) significant changes made to the vaccine's composition since 1990. The vaccine's mandatory use for inhalation anthrax is "off-label. " A skewed review of the vaccine literature by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) led to remunerative collaborative research with the army, involving civilian volunteers. Despite acknowledging possible fetal harm, the CDC offered the vaccine to children and pregnant women. New trends could weaken prelicensure efficacy and safety review of medical products intended for biodefense and avoid manufacturer liability for their use.
FLUORINATED WASTE AND FIREFIGHTING ACTIVITIES : BIODEGRADATION OF HALOGENATED FOAMS FROM PETROCHEMICAL REFINERY SOIL

Purpose: Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are important constituents in aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs). AFFFs have been used to extinguish fuel fires in the petrochemical industry, in emergency situations and at fire-training sites. Moreover, AFFF contains diethylene glycol butyl ether, also known as DBGE. The interference of DGBE during the biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons have not yet been studied and its impact on microcosms must be considered. The objective of this research was to detect the effects of the individual components of full AFFF formulations and characterize shifts in aromatics degradation while measuring byproducts. Methods: The assays were assembled and conducted in 160 ml glass bottles. The biodegradation process in each test containing benzene, toluene and AFFF was monitored by GC-FID. for 20 days. The concentration of aromatics and their biodegradation intermediates were regularly monitored though 100 μL sample injections in a chromatographic column taken from the headspace within the 160 ml bottles. Results: When no DGBE was present, we observed that the biodegradation of each of hydrocarbon components of the mixture occurred much faster in comparison to other assays. A preferential consumption of DGBE over aromatics by the microbial community occurred, whose metabolic pathways prioritize DGBE as substrate, thereby decreasing the degradation of benzene and toluene components. Thus, when there is no DGBE as an agent of competitive inhibition, benzene and toluene consumption is much higher. Conclusions: Our research suggests the discovery of an altered metabolic pathway in aromatic hydrocarbons biodegradation that is directly affected by fluorinated substances. The fluorinated compounds affected the aromatics biodegradation kinetics, as PFCs may contribute to a shift in styrene and catechol concentrations in co-contamination scenarios.
Infants' object category formation and use: Real-world context effects on category use in object processing

Three experiments investigated category formation based on real-world encounters with objects and how that category knowledge functioned as a top-down influence on infants' scene processing. 5-month-old infants received various experiences with exemplars of an object category and then were shown a display containing 2 adjacent novel objects, 1 of which was a novel exemplar of the category. If infants recognized this novel exemplar, they could use category information to determine the boundary between the 2 objects. Only infants who experienced object exemplars in situations that closely mimicked everyday infant experiences with objects successfully parsed the display. Results suggest that regularities in the contexts where infants experience similar objects help infants link their experiences and form object categories that can be used to segregate novel scenes. These results shed light on the real-world process of infant knowledge base formation and on how infants use their knowledge base to segment real-world scenes.
Nonlinear Pairwise Layer and Its Training for Kernel Learning

Kernel learning is a fundamental technique that has been intensively studied in the past decades. For the complicated practical tasks, the traditional "shallow" kernels (e.g., Gaussian kernel and sigmoid kernel) are not flexible enough to produce satisfactory performance. To address this shortcoming, this paper introduces a nonlinear layer in kernel learning to enhance the model flexibility. This layer is pairwise, which fully considers the coupling information among examples. So our model contains a fixed single mapping layer (i.e. a Gaussian kernel) as well as a nonlinear pairwise layer, thereby achieving better flexibility than the existing kernel structures. Moreover, the proposed structure can be seamlessly embedded to Support Vector Machines (SVM), of which the training process can be formulated as a joint optimization problem including nonlinear function learning and standard SVM optimization. We theoretically prove that the objective function is gradient-Lipschitz continuous, which further guides us how to accelerate the optimization process in a deep kernel architecture. Experimentally, we find that the proposed structure outperforms other state-ofthe-art kernel-based algorithms on various benchmark datasets, and thus the effectiveness of the incorporated pairwise layer with its training approach is demonstrated.
Flux-Charge Description of Circuits With Non-Volatile Switching Memristor Devices

This brief aims at defining a class <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathcal{ D}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of extended memristors by using a combination of fundamental algebraic circuit elements corresponding to ideal memristors and nonlinear resistors. By massaging the characteristics of the constitutive elements, such class <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathcal{ D}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of extended memristors is able to approximate rectifying effects and asymmetric pinched hysteresis loops of real non-volatile switching memristor devices. Finally, it is shown that if the nonlinear resistors are described in terms of piecewise linear characteristics, then the flux-charge analysis method permits to analyze the dynamics of nonlinear circuits with extended memristors in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathcal{ D}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>.
An Inherently Nonnegative Latent Factor Model for High-Dimensional and Sparse Matrices from Industrial Applications

High-dimensional and sparse (HiDS) matrices are commonly encountered in many big-data-related and industrial applications like recommender systems. When acquiring useful patterns from them, nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) models have proven to be highly effective owing to their fine representativeness of the nonnegative data. However, current NMF techniques suffer from: 1) inefficiency in addressing HiDS matrices; and 2) constraints in their training schemes. To address these issues, this paper proposes to extract nonnegative latent factors (NLFs) from HiDS matrices via a novel inherently NLF (INLF) model. It bridges the output factors and decision variables via a single-element-dependent mapping function, thereby making the parameter training unconstrained and compatible with general training schemes on the premise of maintaining the nonnegativity constraints. Experimental results on six HiDS matrices arising from industrial applications indicate that INLF is able to acquire NLFs from them more efficiently than any existing method does.
An Empirical Investigation of the Audit Expectation Gap: Australian Evidence

: This paper examines the existence and nature of the expectation gap in Australia and whether recent changes to the wording of audit reports have affected that gap. A mail questionnaire was completed by auditors, accountants, directors, creditors, shareholders and undergraduate students. There was a gap between auditors and the various user groups under the old report wording prior to the issuance of the revised AUP 3. The modified wording in the revised AUP 3 had a significant impact on beliefs about the nature of an audit and the relative responsibilities of auditors and management. The modified wording eliminated some of the differences, but also created some new differences in beliefs about the messages communicated through audit reports. The auditing profession's fears about an expectation gap appear to be justified.
STEAM‐Burst: A single‐shot, multi‐slice imaging sequence without rapid gradient switching

The stimulated‐echo acquisition mode‐Burst sequence is a single‐shot, multi‐slice imaging technique that does not involve rapid gradient switching. A Burst excitation pulse train is followed by a 90° hard pulse and, after a mixing time, by a 90° slice‐selective pulse. A read gradient refocuses a set of stimulated echoes, which can be phase encoded to form an image. By repeating the selective pulse N times, each time with the carrier frequency offset differently, it is possible to sample N slices in a single‐shot. A comparison is made of the sequence with other three‐dimensional single‐shot methods. Experiments implementing the technique on a 3 T whole‐body imaging system and a 2 T, 31‐cm bore animal imager are described. Both phantom and brain images are presented. The principal advantages of the new sequence are its speed, the absence of rapid gradient switching and corresponding freedom from artifacts, its insensitivity to static magnetic field inhomogeneities, and its low acoustic noise. The main disadvantages are the low signal‐to‐noise ratio of the images produced and the concomitant limitation in resolution.
Where Do Small Worlds Come From?

Interfirm networks often take on characteristics consistent with the notion of a small world--they are locally clustered into dense sub-networks or cliques that are sparsely connected by a small number of ties that cut across the cliques, linking network members through a relatively small number of intermediaries. Are these characteristics an emergent property of interfirm networks that result from chance connections among firms, or more strategic partnering by firms to improve or protect their network positions? After outlining a behavioral account for this frequently observed network topology, we show that the evolving investment bank syndicate network in Canada exhibited small world properties from 1952 to 1990. We then identify the investment bank cliques comprising the network and the 'spanning' ties that cut across them, and test three distinct scenarios that may explain the formation of these ties, which are responsible for the small worldliness of the networkc (i) chance partnering of firms in different cliquess (ii) insurgent partnering by peripheral firms to destabilize the network and improve their network positionss and (iii) control partnering by core firms to maintain the network status quo and their positions within it. All three scenarios played a role in explaining the formation of clique-spanning tiess however, chance and insurgent partnering played a greater role in our empirical setting. Our analysis of how small world structures emerge and evolve over time offers new insight into the origins of a prevalent interfirm network topology, and a baseline for constructing future models of interfirm network evolution and dynamics. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.
The Interdependence between Ownership Status and Market Structure: The Case of Privatization

One of the common justifications for privatization policy is the assertion that private firms are more efficient and thus potentially more profitable. The analysis of privatization policy, however, cannot be complete without specific attention to the market structure in which the firm operates and in particular to the interdependence between the ownership status and market structure. I examine a dupolistic market and demonstrate that a partly nationalized firm might realize higher profits than its private, profit-maximizing, competitor. The degree of nationalization also affects the interaction between an incumbent firm and a potential entrant. Using A. K. Dixit's framework, I consider the implications of privatization on the attractiveness of entry, the possibility of deterring entry, and the incumbent position as a natural monopoly. It is shown that it is possible that a firm is not a natural monopoly while being private but that alteration of its ownership status can transform it to a natural monopoly. Such an analysis establishes my main claim that ownership status may affect the market structure in which firms operate.
The Nearshore Fish Assemblage of the Scripps Coastal Reserve, San Diego, California

Marine reserves are quickly becoming a primary tool in the management of coastal resources worldwide. With a growing demand for appropriate management strategies and enforcement of existing regulations, an urgent need has developed to obtain baseline data for regional faunal assemblages. In an attempt to develop a comprehensive list of fishes for one of California's southernmost marine reserves, nearshore marine species were qualitatively sampled within the Scripps Coastal Reserve (SCR). Overall, 59 species representing 31 families were recorded during the calendar year 2002. The fish assemblage of the SCR was dominated by species typical of soft bottom communities in southern California as well as several pelagic, rocky reef, and intertidal species. The most abundant species was the speckled sanddab, Citharichthys stigmaeus. Many species were represented by juvenile or young-of-the-year age classes, while adults of C. stigmaeus were present in reproductively active stages throughout the study. The numerous habitat types within the Scripps Coastal Reserve support a diverse fish assemblage within a relatively small area and includes essential habitat and nursery grounds for several species of nearshore fishes. These data support the idea that incorporating habitat diversity as a variable in reserve design may serve to increase the function of proposed reserves.
Possible roles of ice nucleation mode and ice nuclei depletion in the extended lifetime of Arctic mixed‐phase clouds

The sensitivity of Arctic mixed phase clouds to the mode of ice particle nucleation is examined using a 1‐D cloud model. It is shown that the lifetime of a simulated low‐level Arctic mixed‐phase stratus is highly sensitive to the number concentration of deposition/condensation‐freezing nuclei, and much less sensitive to the number of contact nuclei. Simulations with prognostic ice nuclei concentration exhibit rapid depletion of deposition/condensation‐freezing nuclei due to nucleation scavenging which significantly extends the mixed‐phase cloud lifetime. In contrast, scavenging has little impact on the number of contact nuclei. Thus, contact mode nucleation generally dominates in the cloud layer when both modes are simultaneously considered. The dominance of contact nucleation in Arctic mixed‐phase clouds is consistent with a number of in situ observations, remote retrievals, and laboratory experiments. A conceptual model of long‐lived Arctic mixed‐phase clouds is developed that explains their persistence through the rapid depletion of deposition/condensation‐freezing ice nuclei and a self‐regulating drop‐contact freezing feedback.
Proteomic analysis of eIF‐5A in lung adenocarcinomas

We examined the eIF‐5A protein expression in 93 lung adenocarcinomas and 10 uninvolved lung samples using quantitative two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2‐D PAGE) analysis with identification by mass spectrometry and 2‐D Western blots. The same tissue samples were examined for the eIF‐5A mRNA expression using oligonucleotide microarrays, and the cellular localization of the eIF‐5A protein was examined using immunohistochemical analysis on tissue arrays. Higher eIF‐5A protein expression was present in tumors showing poor differentiation, 12/13th codon K‐ras mutations, p53 nuclear accumulation, and tumors with positive lymphocytic response. The eIF‐5A mRNA was also significantly increased in lung adenocarcinomas compared to normal lung, but the eIF‐5A protein expression was not correlated to its mRNA levels indicating that the increase in the eIF‐5A protein expression in lung tumors is post‐transcriptionally/translationally/post‐translationally regulated. Patients having a higher eIF‐5A protein expression showed a relatively poorer survival suggesting the use of eIF‐5A as prognostic marker in lung adenocarcinoma. Moreover, the investigation on agents that inhibit eIF‐5A function is encouraged.
VEGF modulates early heart valve formation.

Although hypoxic and/or nutritional insults during gestation are believed to contribute to congenital heart defects, the mechanisms responsible for these anomalies are not understood. Given the role vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays in response to hypoxia, it is a likely candidate for mediating deleterious effects of embryonic hypoxia. The ectopic or overproduction of endogenous factors such as VEGF may contribute to specific heart defects. Here we compared hypoxia-induced precocious production of VEGF during early heart valve development to normal VEGF production. Mouse prevalvular cardiac endocardial cushions were explanted onto hydrated type I collagen gels under normoxic or hypoxic conditions. The extent of transformation of cardiac endothelium into mesenchyme was inversely correlated with the levels of VEGF during the various culture conditions. A soluble VEGF antagonist confirmed that endogenous production of VEGF was specific for blocking normal cushion mesenchyme formation. We further demonstrated that E10.5 endocardium retains the ability to transform into cardiac mesenchyme in the absence of endogenous VEGF.
Neoliberal Scotland: Class and Society in a Stateless Nation - Introduction

Readers of the Sherlock Holmes stories will be familiar with the dialogue in "Silver Blaze" concerning the curious incident of the dog in the night time. The famous exchange between Inspector Gregory and the great detective, on which the plot of the story turns, concerns an episode in which a dog might have been expected to bark, but did not. Similarly, academics based in Scotland, particularly the minority who also act as public intellectuals, might have been expected to analyse the effects of neoliberalism in that country. Such expectations have, however, been disappointed-and not because the advance of neoliberalism was halted at the Tweed. Given the exceptional extent to which Scotland is integrated into the capitalist world economy, such a miraculous deliverance was never very likely, whatever the wishes of local politicians and state managers-and these groups have, of course, been far from resistant to the new dispensation. The UK, along with the USA, was one of the first sites for the neoliberal experiment in socio-economic engineering. Indeed, one of the flagship policies of the second phase of British neoliberalism, the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), was launched in Scotland from 1995 with the construction and commercial operation of the Skye Road Bridge. As part of the British state, Scotland has experienced, and continues to experience, the effect of these policies to the same extent as the rest of the UK, with only minor variations since the establishment of devolved government in 1999. Indeed, in many respects, the application of neoliberalism actually became even more extensive under the Labour and Liberal Democrat governments than it had under their Conservative predecessors, and this has yet to be addressed, other than at the margins, by their minority Scottish National Party (SNP) successor. Yet only with the onset of a new period of capitalist crisis in 2007-08 did commentators outside of the radical left apparently notice that Scotland has been subject to the same neoliberal regime as the rest of the world, and even now it is journalists rather than academics who show the greatest awareness of this fact.
Large signal dynamic stability analysis of synchronised current controlled modulators. Application to sine wave high power inverters

This paper deals with a new application of DC/DC regulators for the achievement of a sine wave output. More particularly, synchronised current control modulator MC2 in a buck configuration is discribed to generate an AC waveform at 50 Hz. Large signal simulation is detailed which concludes on the setting of a sawtooth corrective network to avoid the structural instability for V0 >> V/2. It is shown that small signal analysis can be applied for such application and mathematical models for discontinuous and continuous conduction modes are presented. The paper ends with the test of a breadboard generating a pure sine wave without harmonic content at 85 % efficiency.