Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequency-domain separation of convolved non-stationary signals with adaptive non-causal FIR filters

In the frequency domain, a convolutive signal separation problem can be decomposed into multiple instantaneous separation problems that can be solved independently by an instantaneous separation algorithm. In this case, however, permutation indeterminacy in each frequency bin is a crucial problem. To solve this problem, a constrained gradient method has been suggested recently. In this paper, we propose an alternative procedure that realizes the same constrained gradient method with reduced computation. To invert a non-minimum phase system, non-causal finite impulse response (FIR) filters are employed in our realization. In addition, we derive a new instantaneous separation algorithm by minimizing the Hadamard inequality criterion with the natural gradient method. The algorithm has the equivariant property for uniform performance and belongs to orthogonal learning algorithms by nature. An improved separation was achieved for real-world speech-speech signals.
Staffing Many-Server Queues with Impatient Customers: Constraint Satisfaction in Call Centers

Motivated by call center practice, we study asymptotically optimal staffing of many-server queues with abandonment. A call center is modelled as an M/M/n + G queue, which is characterized by Poisson arrivals, exponential service times, n servers, and generally distributed patience times of customers. Our asymptotic analysis is performed as the arrival rate, and hence the number of servers n, increases indefinitely. We consider a constraint satisfaction problem, where one chooses the minimal staffing level n that adheres to a given cost constraint. The cost can incorporate the fraction abandoning, average wait, and tail probabilities of wait. Depending on the cost, several operational regimes arise as asymptotically optimal: Efficiency-Driven (ED), Quality and Efficiency-Driven (QED), and also a new ED + QED operational regime that enables QED tuning of the ED regime. Numerical experiments demonstrate that, over a wide range of system parameters, our approximations provide useful insight as well as excellent fit to exact optimal solutions. It turns out that the QED regime is preferable either for small-to-moderate call centers or for large call centers with relatively tight performance constraints. The other two regimes are more appropriate for large call centers with loose constraints. We consider two versions of the constraint satisfaction problem. The first one is constraint satisfaction on a single time interval, say one hour, which is common in practice. Of special interest is a constraint on the tail probability, in which case our new ED + QED staffing turns out asymptotically optimal. We also address a global constraint problem, say over a full day. Here several time intervals, say 24 hours, are considered, with interval-dependent staffing levels allowed; one seeks to minimize staffing levels, or more generally costs, given the overall performance constraint. In this case, there is the added flexibility of trading service levels among time intervals, but we demonstrate that only little gain is associated with this flexibility if one is concerned with the fraction abandoning.
Effects of High Altitude Exposure on Cerebral Hemodynamics in Normal Subjects

Background and Purpose— Acute mountain sickness (AMS) may be an early stage of high altitude cerebral edema. If so, AMS could result from an alteration of dynamic autoregulation of cerebral blood flow resulting in overperfusion of capillaries and vasogenic cerebral edema. Methods— We measured middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (Vmca) by transcranial Doppler and arterial blood pressure by finger plethysmography at 490 m and 20 hours after arrival at 4559 m in 35 volunteers who had been randomized to tadalafil, dexamethasone, or placebo in a study on the pharmacological prevention of high altitude pulmonary edema. A dynamic cerebral autoregulation index (ARI) was calculated from continuous recordings of Vmca and blood pressure during transiently induced hypotension. Results— Altitude was associated with an increase in a cerebral-sensible AMS (AMS-C) score (P<0.001) and with a decrease in arterial oxygen saturation (Sao2), whereas average Vmca or ARI did not change. However, at altitude, the subjects with the lowest ARI combined with the lowest Sao2 presented with the highest AMS-C score (P<0.03). In addition, a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis on arterial Pco2, Sao2, and baseline or altitude ARI identified altitude ARI as the only significant predictor of the AMS-C score (P=0.01). The AMS-C score was lower in dexamethasone-treated subjects compared with high altitude pulmonary edema–susceptible untreated subjects. Neither tadalafil nor dexamethasone had any significant effect on Vmca or ARI. Conclusions— High altitude hypoxia is associated with impairment in the regulation of the cerebral circulation that might play a role in AMS pathogenesis.
Investigating Nonspecific Effects of the Live-Attenuated Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine on Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Children Aged 25-35 Months: Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Live attenuated vaccines may be used to prevent nontargeted diseases such as lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) due to their nonspecific effects (NSEs). OBJECTIVE We aimed to analyze the NSEs of the Japanese encephalitis vaccine on pediatric LRTIs in children aged 25 months to 35 months. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted by using a population-based electronic health record database in Zhejiang, China. Enrolled participants were children born from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017, and who were inoculated with the live-attenuated Japanese encephalitis vaccine (JE-L) or inactivated Japanese encephalitis vaccine (JE-I) as the most recent vaccine at 24 months of age. The study was carried out between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019. All inpatient and outpatient hospital visits for LRTIs among children aged 25 months to 35 months were recorded. The Andersen-Gill model was used to assess the NSEs of JE-L against LRTIs in children and compared with those of JE-I as the most recent vaccine. RESULTS A total of 810 children born in 2017 were enrolled, of whom 585 received JE-L (JE-L cohort) and 225 received JE-I (JE-I cohort) as their last vaccine. The JE-L cohort showed a reduced risk of LRTIs (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.537, 95% CI 0.416-0.693), including pneumonia (aHR 0.501, 95% CI 0.393-0.638) and acute bronchitis (aHR 0.525, 95% CI 0.396-0.698) at 25 months to 35 months of age. The NSEs provided by JE-L were especially pronounced in female children (aHR 0.305, 95% CI 0.198-0.469) and children without chronic diseases (aHR 0.553, 95% CI 0.420-0.729), without siblings (aHR 0.361, 95% CI 0.255-0.511), with more than 30 inpatient and outpatient hospital visits prior to 24 months of age (aHR 0.163, 95% CI 0.091-0.290), or with 5 to 10 inpatient and outpatient hospital visits due to infectious diseases prior to 24 months old (aHR 0.058, 95% CI 0.017-0.202). CONCLUSIONS Compared with JE-I, receiving JE-L as the most recent vaccine was associated with lower risk of inpatient and outpatient hospital visits for LRTIs among children aged 25 months to 35 months. The nature of NSEs induced by JE-L should be considered for policymakers and physicians when recommending JE vaccines to those at high risk of infection from the Japanese encephalitis virus.
Generalization problem in ASR acoustic model training and adaptation

Since speech is highly variable, even if we have a fairly large-scale database, we cannot avoid the data sparseness problem in constructing automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems. How to train and adapt statistical models using limited amounts of data is one of the most important research issues in ASR. This paper summarizes major techniques that have been proposed to solve the generalization problem in acoustic model training and adaptation, that is, how to achieve high recognition accuracy for new utterances. One of the common approaches is controlling the degree of freedom in model training and adaptation. The techniques can be classified by whether a priori knowledge of speech obtained by a speech database such as those spoken by many speakers is used or not. Another approach is maximizing “margins” between training samples and the decision boundaries. Many of these techniques have also been combined and extended to further improve performance. Although many useful techniques have been developed, we still do not have a golden standard that can be applied to any kind of speech variation and any condition of the speech data available for training and adaptation.
Time-averaging and the spatial scale of regional cultural differentiation in archaeological assemblages

ABSTRACT The degree to which societies differ in dress, diet, laws, and language appears to be such an integral part of today's human experience that some researchers think of it as a hallmark of so-called “modern human behavior. ” Yet it remains unclear to what extent the current pattern of relatively low within-region cultural variation paired with relatively high between-region cultural variation can be assessed in time-averaged Paleolithic assemblages. Here, we use a spatially explicit agent-based model to begin to examine how time-averaging can affect the spatial scale of similarity among culturally transmitted variants in archaeological assemblages. Our results show that time-averaging, alone, can increase the scale of local spatial association among the relative frequency of the most prevalent cultural variant in an archaeological landscape. Our findings have important implications for archaeological interpretations of the spatial scale of regional cultural differentiation (or lack thereof) in the Paleolithic record and beyond.
Negative weights make adversaries stronger

The quantum adversary method is one of the most successful techniques for proving lower bounds on quantum query complexity. It gives optimal lower bounds for many problems, has application to classical complexity in formula size lower bounds, and is versatile with equivalent formulations interms of weight schemes, eigen values, and Kolmogorov complexity. All these formulations rely on the principlethat if an algorithm successfully computes a function then, in particular, itis able to distinguish between inputs which map to different values. We present a stronger version of the adversary method which goes beyond this principle to make explicit use of the stronger condition that the algorithm actually computes the function. This new method, which we call ADV+-, has all the advantages ofthe old: it is a lower bound on bounded-error quantum query complexity, its square is a lower bound on formula size, and it behaves well with respect tofunction composition. Moreover ADV+- is always at least as large as the adversary method ADV, and we show an example of a monotone function forwhich ADV+-(f)=Omega(ADV(f)1.098). We also give examples showing that ADV+- does not face limitations of ADV like the certificate complexity barrier and the property testing barrier.
A Survey of Embedded Operating System

This paper presents a survey of several major embedded operating systems. It analyzes several design issues of embedded operating system, such as architecture, memory management, IPC, process management, network support, and the impact of hardware limitation and application requirement of embedded system. We analyzed three prevailing embedded operating systems: Windows CE, embedded Linux and QNX. Finally we gave an overview on the considerations why these decisions are made.
Biotechnologically Relevant Enzymes and Proteins

Tyrosine O-prenyltransferases TyrPT and SirD displaying similar behavior toward unnatural alkyl or benzyl diphosphate as their natural prenyl donor dimethylallyl diphosphate Abstract Prenyltransferases of the dimethylallyltryptophan synthase (DMATS) superfamily are involved in the biosyn-thesis of secondary metabolites and contribute as modification enzymes significantly to structural diversity of natural products. They show usually broad specificity toward their aromatic substrates with regiospecific prenylations on aromatic rings. However, most members of this superfamily exhibit a high specificity toward their prenyl donors and usually accept exclusively dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). Recently, several indole prenyltransferases from this family were also demonstrated to accept unnatural DMAPP analogs such as methylallyl, 2-pentenyl and benzyl diphosphate for alkylation, or benzylation of the indole ring. Partial or complete shift of the substitution position was observed for these enzymes. In this study, we report the acceptance of these DMAPP analogs by two tyrosine O-prenyltransferases TyrPT from Aspergillus niger and SirD from Leptosphaeria maculans for alkylation or benzylation of tyrosine and derivatives. NMR and mass spec-trometry (MS) analyses of nine isolated enzyme products confirmed the regiospecific O-or N-alkylation or benzylation at position C-4 of the aromatic ring, which is the same prenylation position of these enzymes in the presence of DMAPP.
Development and validation of a prognostic risk score for major bleeding in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention via the femoral approach.

AIMS Major bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an independent risk factor for early and late mortality. We developed and validated a risk score predictive of major bleeding after PCI using the femoral approach. METHODS AND RESULTS Baseline clinical and procedural variables from two contemporary, multicentre, randomized PCI trials were used for risk score development (the REPLACE-2 trial, n = 6002) and validation (the REPLACE-1 trial, n = 1056). On the basis of the odds ratio, independent risk factors were assigned a weighted integer, the sum of which comprised a total risk score. Seven variables were identified as independent correlates of major bleeding (age >55 years, female gender, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), pre-existing anaemia, administration of low-molecular-weight heparin within 48 h pre-PCI, use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, and intraaortic balloon pump use). In the development set, the risk of major bleeding varied from 1.0% in patients without risk factors to 5.4% in high-risk patients. The discriminatory power of this risk model was confirmed in the validation data set (area under the receiver operating curve = 0.62). CONCLUSION A simple risk score of baseline clinical and procedural variables is useful to predict the incidence of major peri-procedural bleeding after contemporary PCI using the femoral approach.
Impaired fasting glucose is not a risk factor for atherosclerosis

Aim To determine a new category of dysfunctional glucose homeostasis – impaired fasting glucose (IFG) – introduced by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) defining those with abnormal but nondiabetic fasting glucose values and with a possible risk for developing diabetes. It is not known whether IFG is a risk factor for atherosclerosis, as is impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).
Neuraminidase Sequence Analysis and Susceptibilities of Influenza Virus Clinical Isolates to Zanamivir and Oseltamivir

ABSTRACT The influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors zanamivir and oseltamivir were introduced into clinical practice in various parts of the world between 1999 and 2002. In order to monitor the potential development of resistance, the Neuraminidase Inhibitor Susceptibility Network was established to coordinate testing of clinical isolates collected through the World Health Organization influenza surveillance network from different regions of the world (M. Zambon and F. G. Hayden, Antivir. Res. 49:147-156, 2001). The present study establishes the baseline susceptibilities prior to and shortly after the introduction of the NA inhibitors. Over 1,000 clinical influenza isolates recovered from 1996 to 1999 were tested. Susceptibilities were determined by enzyme inhibition assays with chemiluminescent or fluorescent substrates with known NA inhibitor-resistant viruses as controls. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) depended upon the assay method, the drug tested, and the influenza virus subtype. By both assays, the mean zanamivir IC50s were 0.76, 1.82, and 2.28 nM for the subtype H1N1 (N1), H3N2 (N2), and B NAs, respectively, and the oseltamivir IC50s were 1.2, 0.5, and 8.8 nM for the N1, N2, and B NAs, respectively. The drug susceptibilities of known zanamivir- and oseltamivir-resistant viruses with the NA mutations E119V, R292K, H274Y, and R152K fell well outside the 95% confidence limits of the IC50s for all natural isolates. Sequence analysis of the NAs of viruses for which the IC50s were above the 95% confidence limits and several control isolates for which the IC50s were in the normal range revealed variations in some previously conserved residues, including D151, A203, T225, and E375 (N2 numbering). Known resistance mutations are both influenza virus subtype and drug specific, but there was no evidence of naturally occurring resistance to either drug in any of the isolates.
Effect of first-order conditional probability in two-choice learning situation.

The experiments reported here investigate behavior in a two-choice probabilistic task in which the independent variable is the conditional probability in the sequence of stimulus events. Each of the two stimulus events (lights) was required to occur equally often, but a partial patterning was introduced by varying the firstorder conditional probability in the sequence of lights. This variable, denoted by TTH, is denned as the probability of occurrence of Light 1 on any trial, given that Light 1 occurred the previous trial. When Tii . 5, each light tends to repeat itself. Thus, TTII = . 7 represents a 70% repetition pattern, and im = . 3 repre-
Loss Attention in a Dual-Task Setting

The positive effect of losses on performance has been explained as stemming from the increased weighting of losses relative to gains. We examine an alternative possibility whereby this effect is mediated by attentional processes. Using the dual-task paradigm, we expected that positive effects of losses on performance would emerge under attentional scarcity and diffuse to a concurrently presented task. In Study 1, decision performance was compared for a task that involved either gains or losses and was performed either alone or as a secondary task. The results showed a significant 40% improvement in performance in the loss condition, but only under conditions of resource scarcity, when the task was a secondary one. In Study 2, the same task was presented as a primary task. Again, losses were associated with improved performance in the secondary task. Given that this secondary task did not include losses, these findings demonstrate an attentional spillover effect.
Multiple teeth replacement with endosseous one-piece yttrium-stabilized zirconia dental implants

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to clinically and radiographically evaluate survival and success rate of multiple zirconia dental implants positioned in each patient during a follow-up period of at least 12 months up to 48 months. Study Design: Eight patients were treated for multiple edentulism with 29 zirconia dental implants. All implants received immediate temporary restorations and 6 months after surgery were definitively restored. 6 months to 4 years after implant insertion, a clinical-radiographic evaluation was performed in order to estimate peri-implant tissues health and peri-implant marginal bone loss. Results: Survival rate within follow-up period was therefore 100%. The average marginal bone loss (MBL) from baseline to 6 months was +1.375±0.388 mm; from 6 months to 1 year was +0.22±0.598 mm; from 1 year to 2 years was -0.368±0.387 mm; from 2 years to 3 years was -0.0669±0.425 mm; from 3 years to 4 years +0.048±0.262 mm. The mean marginal bone loss at 4 years from the implants insertion was +1.208 mm. Conclusions: According to several studies, when using a radiographic criterion for implant success, marginal bone loss below 0.9-1.6 mm during the first year in function can be considered acceptable. In our work, radiographic measurements of MBL showed values not exceeding 1.6 mm during the first year of loading and also 1 year up to 4 years after surgery further marginal bone loss was minimal and not significant. This peri-implant bone preservation may be associated to the absence of micro-gap between fixture and abutment since zirconia dental implants are one-piece implant. Moreover, zirconia is characterized by high biocompatibility and it accumulates significantly fewer bacteria than titanium. Key words:Zirconia dental implants, multiple implants, radiographic evaluation, marginal bone loss (MBL).
Physiological aspects of high-altitude pulmonary edema.

High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) develops in rapidly ascending nonacclimatized healthy individuals at altitudes above 3,000 m. An excessive rise in pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) preceding edema formation is the crucial pathophysiological factor because drugs that lower PAP prevent HAPE. Measurements of nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled air, of nitrites and nitrates in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and forearm NO-dependent endothelial function all point to a reduced NO availability in hypoxia as a major cause of the excessive hypoxic PAP rise in HAPE-susceptible individuals. Studies using right heart catheterization or BAL in incipient HAPE have demonstrated that edema is caused by an increased microvascular hydrostatic pressure in the presence of normal left atrial pressure, resulting in leakage of large-molecular-weight proteins and erythrocytes across the alveolarcapillary barrier in the absence of any evidence of inflammation. These studies confirm in humans that high capillary pressure induces a high-permeability-type lung edema in the absence of inflammation, a concept first introduced under the term "stress failure. " Recent studies using microspheres in swine and magnetic resonance imaging in humans strongly support the concept and primacy of nonuniform hypoxic arteriolar vasoconstriction to explain how hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction occurring predominantly at the arteriolar level can cause leakage. This compelling but as yet unproven mechanism predicts that edema occurs in areas of high blood flow due to lesser vasoconstriction. The combination of high flow at higher pressure results in pressures, which exceed the structural and dynamic capacity of the alveolar capillary barrier to maintain normal alveolar fluid balance.
Review of two decades of progress in the development of successful drip irrigation for onions.

The irrigation needs of long day onion (Allium cepa) have been extensively studied at Ontario, Oregon, over the past 22 years. Drip irrigation has compared favorably with furrow and sprinkler irrigation systems. Onions were found to have very narrow soil moisture requirements. Drier soil than optima led to yield loss and wetter soil promoted bulb decomposition. Short term water stress at the three- to six-leaf stages of plant growth promoted multiple centers in long day onion varieties. Irrigation was successfully scheduled using soil water tension or evapotranspiration. Nitrogen fertilization and plant populations have been optimized. Drip system design must carefully consider the hydraulic conductivity of the soil in the placement of tape and onion rows since the soil moisture must wick over from the drip tape to the onion plant. The drip irrigation system design uniformity, operation, and maintenance are essential given onion? s low tolerance to water stress.