Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Digital hearing aids.

Preface Hearing-Aid Technology Types of Hearing Aids From Analog to Digital Digital Circuit Components Batteries Concluding Remarks References Signal Processing Basics Signal and System Properties Discrete Fourier Transform Filters and Filter Banks Block Processing Digital System Concerns Concluding Remarks References The Electroacoustic System Hearing Aid System Head and Ear Microphone and Receiver Vent Acoustics Occlusion Effect Concluding Remarks References Directional Microphones Hearing-Aid Microphones Directional Response Patterns Frequency Response Magnitude Frequency Response Microphone Mismatch Interaction with Vents Microphone Noise Microphones on the Head Microphone Performance Indices Rooms and Reverberation Benefit in the Real World Concluding Remarks References Adaptive and Multi-Microphone Arrays Two-Microphone Adaptive Array Delay-And-Sum Beamforming Adaptive Arrays Superdirective Arrays Widely-Spaced Arrays Array Benefits Concluding Remarks References Wind Noise Turbulence Hearing-Aid Measurements Signal Characteristics Wind-Noise Reduction Concluding Remarks References Feedback Cancellation The Feedback System Gain-Reduction Solutions Adaptive Feedback Cancellation Processing Limitations Concluding Remarks References Dynamic-Range Compression Does Compression Help? Algorithm Design Concerns Single-Channel Compression Multi-Channel Compression Frequency-Domain Compression Frequency Warping Concluding Remarks References Single-Microphone Noise Suppression Properties of Speech and Noise Signals Low-Level Expansion Envelope Valley Tracking Bandwidth Reduction Envelope Modulation Filters Concluding Remarks References Spectral Subtraction Noise Estimation Wiener Filter Spectral Subtraction Algorithm Effectiveness Concluding Remarks References Spectral Contrast Enhancement Auditory Filters in the Damaged Cochlea Spectral Valley Suppression Spectral Contrast Modification Excess Upward Spread of Masking F2/F1 Ratio Processing Comparison Combining Spectral Contrast Enhancement with Compression Concluding Remarks References Sound Classification The Rationale for Classification Signal Features Feature Selection Classifier Algorithms Classification Examples Concluding Remarks References Binaural Signal Processing The "Cocktail Party" Problem Signal Transmission Binaural Compression Binaural Noise Suppression Dichotic Band Splitting Concluding Remarks References Index
Condensed cube: an effective approach to reducing data cube size

Pre-computed data cube facilitates OLAP (on-line analytical processing). It is well-known that data cube computation is an expensive operation. While most algorithms have been devoted to optimizing memory management and reducing computation costs, less work has addressed a fundamental issue: the size of a data cube is huge when a large base relation with a large number of attributes is involved. In this paper, we propose a new concept, called a condensed data cube. The condensed cube is of much smaller size than a complete non-condensed cube. More importantly, it is a fully pre-computed cube without compression, and, hence, it requires neither decompression nor further aggregation when answering queries. Several algorithms for computing a condensed cube are proposed. Results of experiments on the effectiveness of condensed data cube are presented, using both synthetic and real-world data. The results indicate that the proposed condensed cube can reduce both the cube size and therefore its computation time.
Identiﬁcation and Characterization of Two Temperature-Induced Surface-Associated Proteins of Streptococcus suis with High Homologies to Members of the Arginine Deiminase System of Streptococcus pyogenes

The present study was performed to identify stress-induced putative virulence proteins of Streptococcus suis . For this, protein expression patterns of streptococci grown at 32, 37, and 42°C were compared by one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Temperature shifts from 32 and 37 to 42°C induced expression of two cell wall-associated proteins with apparent molecular masses of approximately 47 and 53 kDa. Amino-terminal sequence analysis of the two proteins indicated homologies of the 47-kDa protein with an ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OCT) from Streptococcus pyogenes and of the 53-kDa protein with the streptococcal acid glycoprotein (SAGP) from S. pyogenes , an arginine deiminase (AD) recently proposed as a putative virulence factor. Cloning and sequencing the genes encoding the putative OCT and AD of S. suis , octS and adiS , respectively, revealed that they had 81.2 ( octS ) and 80.2% ( adiS ) identity with the respective genes of S. pyogenes . Both genes belong to the AD system, also found in other bacteria. Southern hybridization analysis demonstrated the presence of the adiS gene in all 42 serotype 2 and 9 S. suis strains tested. In 9 of these 42 strains, selected randomly, we conﬁrmed expression of the AdiS protein, homologous to SAGP, by immunoblot analysis using a speciﬁc antiserum against the SAGP of S. pyogenes . In all strains AD activity was detected. Furthermore, by immunoelectron microscopy using the anti- S. pyogenes SAGP antiserum we were able to demonstrate that the AdiS protein is expressed on the streptococcal surface in association with the capsular polysaccharides but is not coexpressed with them.
Prediction of Chemosensitivity Using Multigene Analysis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Aims: The main purpose of the current study was to find predictive biomarkers that can be routinely used for the response to chemotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: From this standpoint, we selected the histoculture drug response assay (HDRA) to assess in vitro chemosensitivity, and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to investigate the gene expression profile of individual tumors as available predictive biomarkers. Using both surgery and biopsy specimens, we analyzed their gene expression profiles using the 18 markers that we thought were likely predictors of the response to anti-cancer agents. Results: Statistically significant associations were found between 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) sensitivity in HDRA and HER-2 mRNA expression level (p = 0.0030). Moreover, HER-2 expression was significantly associated with cisplatin sensitivity (p = 0.0089). Cisplatin sensitivity in HDRA was also demonstrated to have a significant association with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in which the group with cisplatin resistance tended to have a higher expression level than the sensitive group (p = 0.0385). Conclusion: HER-2 and EGFR may be possible reliable predictive biomarkers for anti-cancer therapy, and might help in the decision-making process for individual patients with HNSCC.
Deviant speech characteristics in motor neuron disease.

Speech and language characteristics of motor neuron disease (MND) change with disease progression. In this study, symptoms most prevalent in general also occurred in the early stages of the disease. These were not the most characteristic or severe in later stages, although present. As neurological symptoms became more severe, the predominant speech and language characteristics changed to severe abnormalities. It is, therefore, difficult to assign specific patterns of speech and language symptoms characteristic of all MND patients at all stages of the disease. A low but positive correlation existed between length of illness and number of shared (co-occurring) dimensions (severity). Neurological symptoms of tongue atrophy and dysphagia were most strongly related to decrease in intelligibility of speech; abnormal pulmonary function and difficulty breathing were least involved with speech disorders.
Leukocytes Infiltrate the Skin and Draining Lymph Nodes in Response to the Protozoan Leishmania infantum chagasi

ABSTRACT The vector-borne protozoan Leishmania infantum chagasi causes minimal inflammation after inoculation into skin but disseminates to cause fatal visceral leishmaniasis. To define the inflammatory response at the parasite inoculation site, we introduced metacyclic L. infantum chagasi promastigotes intradermally into BALB/c mouse ears and studied inflammatory cells over 7 days. Ly6G+ neutrophils rapidly infiltrated the dermis, peaking after 6 to 24 h. Macrophages and NK cells next infiltrated the dermis, and NK followed by B cells expanded in draining lymph nodes. Parasite-containing phagocytes were tracked with fluorescent mCherry-labeled L. infantum chagasi. Ly6G+ neutrophils contained the greatest proportion of intracellular parasites 6 to 24 h after inoculation, whereas dermal macrophages harbored the majority of intracellular parasites after 2 to 7 days. These observations were validated microscopically. Low doses of antibody transiently depleted mice of neutrophils, leaving other cells intact. Combined results of in vivo imaging, flow cytometry, and quantitative PCR showed that neutrophil depletion slowed the clearance of extracellular (luciferase-positive) promastigotes during the first 24 h after inoculation yet decreased the numbers of leukocytes containing intracellular (mCherry-positive) parasites. From 3 days onward, total L. infantum chagasi-containing dermal leukocytes and total L. infantum chagasi parasites in draining lymph nodes were similar in both groups. Nonetheless, a second wave of L. infantum chagasi-containing neutrophils occurred 7 days after parasite inoculation into neutrophil-depleted mice, corresponding to the time of neutrophil recovery. Thus, neutrophils were recruited to the dermis even late after inoculation, and L. infantum chagasi trafficked through neutrophils in both neutrophil-depleted and control mice, albeit with different kinetics. Recruitment of neutrophils and transient parasite residence in neutrophils may play a role in nonulcerative forms of leishmaniasis.
Bile duct ligation–induced biliary hyperplasia, hepatic injury, and fibrosis are reduced in mast cell–deficient KitW‐sh mice

Activated mast cells (MCs) release histamine (HA) and MCs infiltrate the liver following bile duct ligation (BDL), increasing intrahepatic bile duct mass (IBDM) and fibrosis. We evaluated the effects of BDL in MC‐deficient (KitW‐sh) mice. Wild‐type (WT) and KitW‐sh mice were subjected to sham or BDL for up to 7 days and KitW‐sh mice were injected with cultured mast cells or 1× phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) before collecting serum, liver, and cholangiocytes. Liver damage was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin and alanine aminotransferase levels. IBDM was detected by cytokeratin‐19 expression and proliferation by Ki‐67 immunohistochemistry (IHC). Fibrosis was detected by IHC, hydroxyproline content, and by qPCR for fibrotic markers. Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and transforming growth factor‐beta 1 (TGF‐β1) expression/secretion were evaluated. Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) and histamine receptor (HR) expression were detected by qPCR and HA secretion by enzymatic immunoassay. To evaluate vascular cells, von Willebrand factor (vWF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐C expression were measured. In vitro, cultured HSCs were stimulated with cholangiocyte supernatants and alpha‐smooth muscle actin levels were measured. BDL‐induced liver damage was reduced in BDL KitW‐sh mice, whereas injection of MCs did not mimic BDL‐induced damage. In BDL KitW‐sh mice, IBDM, proliferation, HSC activation/fibrosis, and TGF‐β1 expression/secretion were decreased. The HDC/HA/HR axis was ablated in sham and BDL KitW‐sh mice. vWF and VEGF‐C expression decreased in BDL KitW‐sh mice. In KitW‐sh mice injected with MCs, IBDM, proliferation, fibrosis, and vascular cell activation increased. Stimulation with cholangiocyte supernatants from BDL WT or KitW‐sh mice injected with MCs increased HSC activation, which decreased with supernatants from BDL KitW‐sh mice. Conclusion: MCs promote hyperplasia, fibrosis, and vascular cell activation. Knockout of MCs decreases BDL‐induced damage. Modulation of MCs may be important in developing therapeutics for cholangiopathies. (Hepatology 2017;65:1991‐2004).
Nonprogression Through Graduated Driver Licensing: Characteristics, Traffic Offending, and Reasons for Nonprogression

Objectives: In a graduated driver license environment, (1) compare nonprogressors with progressors in terms of prelearner license sociodemographic and behavioral factors, (2) determine whether nonprogressors were more likely to have had a traffic offense than progressors, and (3) determine why nonprogressors chose not to progress. Methods: Our study population was that of the New Zealand Drivers Study (NZDS), a prospective cohort study of newly licensed drivers designed to explore the relationship between a comprehensive range of driving and traffic safety related factors and subsequent traffic crashes and convictions among newly licensed drivers. Nonprogressors, those who had not progressed from a learner to a restricted license 2 years after being eligible to do so, were compared with progressors in terms of their sociodemographic, behavioral characteristics, and traffic offense outcomes. Results: Nonprogressors represented 38 percent of the cohort and had different sociodemographic and behavioral profiles than progressors. A delay in progression was associated with reduced risk of being a traffic offender. The primary reasons reported for nonprogression were too lazy or busy or limited access to the means to drive. Conclusion: Before restricting how long a novice driver can hold a learner license, as has been suggested by the Ministry of Transport, consideration should be given to the potential increased risk of offending once unsupervised driving is permitted.
Pluripotent stem cells and tolerance induction in organ transplantation

Purpose of reviewOngoing research is constantly looking for means to modulate the immune system for long-lasting engraftment of pluripotent stem cells (PSC) during stem cell-based therapies. This study reviews data on in-vitro and in-vivo immunogenicity of embryonic and induced-PSC and describes how their immunological properties can be harnessed for tolerance induction in organ transplantation. Recent findingsAlthough PSC display immunomodulatory properties in vitro, they are capable of eliciting an immune response that leads to cell rejection when transplanted into immune-competent recipients. Nevertheless, long-term acceptance of PSC-derived cells/tissues in an allogeneic environment can be achieved using minimal host conditioning. Protocols for differentiating PSC towards haematopoietic stem cells, thymic epithelial precursors, dendritic cells, regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells are being developed, suggesting the possibility to use PSC-derived immunomodulatory cells to induce tolerance to a solid organ transplant. SummaryPSC and/or their derivatives possess unique immunological properties that allow for acceptance of PSC-derived tissue with minimal host conditioning. Investigators involved either in regenerative or in transplant medicine must join their efforts with the ultimate aim of using PSC as a source of donor-specific cells that would create a protolerogenic environment to achieve tolerance in solid organ transplantation.
Agents for integrated tutoring in spoken dialogue systems

In this paper, we introduce the concept of integrated tutoring in speech applications. An integrated tutoring system teaches the use of a system to a user while he/she is using the system in a typical manner. Furthermore, we introduce the general principles of how to implement applications with integrated tutoring agents and present an example implementation for an existing e-mail system. The main innovation of the approach is that the tutoring agents are part of the application, but implemented in a way which makes it possible to plug them into the system without modifying it. This is possible due to a set of small, stateless agents and a shared Information Storage provided by our system architecture. Integrated tutoring agents are easily expandable and configurable, and general agents can be shared between applications. We have also received positive feedback about integrated tutoring in initial user tests conducted with the implementation.
Treatment of Metachronous and Simultaneous Liver Metastases of Pancreatic Cancer

Aim: Patients were analyzed who underwent treatment of liver metastases from pancreatic cancer. Methods: Selection criteria were the possibility of R0 resection of the primary and/or the liver metastases, no other sites of metastases, and the presentation of liver metastases. A comparison of treatment by surgery versus chemotherapy regarding overall survival and disease-free interval was performed. Results: Between 1996 and 2008, a total number of 23 patients were retrospectively identified from a prospective database of 193 cases of pancreatic cancer. In 14 cases, liver metastases were found simultaneously, and in 9 cases metachronously, fulfilling the abovementioned selection criteria. Of these, 13 patients underwent surgery and 10 were treated by gemcitabine. There were no differences in survival in patients with synchronous liver metastases of pancreatic cancer treated by resection of the primary combined with partial hepatectomy versus treatment by gemcitabine (8 vs. 11 months). In patients with metachronous liver metastases, the median survival was increased after liver resection compared to patients who were treated with gemcitabine (31 vs. 11 months). Conclusions: Simultaneous resection of pancreatic cancer and liver metastases cannot be recommended. Resection of metachronous liver metastases of pancreatic cancer seems to improve survival in highly selected patients.
Development of Sensor Cells Using NF-κB Pathway Activation for Detection of Nanoparticle-Induced Inflammation

The increasing use of nanomaterials in consumer and industrial products has aroused concerns regarding their fate in biological systems. An effective detection method to evaluate the safety of bio-nanomaterials is therefore very important. Titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is manufactured worldwide in large quantities for use in a wide range of applications, including pigment and cosmetic manufacturing, was once thought to be an inert material, but recently, more and more studies have indicated that TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) can cause inflammation and be harmful to humans by causing lung and brain problems. In order to evaluate the safety of TiO2 NPs for the environment and for humans, sensor cells for inflammation detection were developed, and these were transfected with the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene and Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) reporter gene. NF-κB as a primary cause of inflammation has received a lot of attention, and it can be activated by a wide variety of external stimuli. Our data show that TiO2 NPs-induced inflammation can be detected by our sensor cells through NF-κB pathway activation. This may lead to our sensor cells being used for bio-nanomaterial safety evaluation.
Exercise interventions in multiple sclerosis rehabilitation need better reporting on comorbidities: a systematic scoping review

Objective: To identify the extent to which exercise intervention studies in multiple sclerosis rehabilitation are addressing comorbidities and if researchers consider comorbidities as possible moderators or mediators of exercise outcomes. Methods: Five databases were searched from inception to January 8, 2016, for exercise-related terms in combination with multiple sclerosis. Studies were screened and limited to randomized control trials, full text, and English language. We assessed whether comorbidities were excluded or included, how they were reported and described, and if they were examined as possible moderators or mediators of exercise outcomes. Results: We reviewed 99 articles that included various exercise interventions, where the most common were general multi-faceted exercise training (n=34), cardiovascular training (n=18), progressive-resistance training (n=12), and balance and gait training (n=12). In total, 77 of 99 studies reported one or more comorbidities as an exclusion criterion. The most commonly excluded comorbidities were cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairments or psychiatric disorders, and unspecified conditions or contraindications. Only nine studies reported details on excluded participants with comorbidities. Across studies that reported comorbidities of included participants (n=8), none examined comorbidities as possible moderators or mediators of exercise outcomes. Conclusion: Although a variety of exercise interventions have positive outcomes, there is limited evidence that these interventions are generalizable to people with multiple sclerosis who have comorbid conditions.
SLLISWD Sequence in the 10FNIII Domain Initiates Fibronectin Fibrillogenesis*

Background: Fibronectin matrix assembly is mediated by cell traction at the RGD loop of 10FNIII, which is predicted to unravel β-strands A and B. Results: Sequence SLLISWD from strand B initiates fibronectin multimerization. Conclusion: SLLISWD mediates cell-mediated fibronectin fibril assembly. Significance: This matrix motif provides insight into physiological fibronectin fibrillogenesis with utility in initiating matrix assembly for tissue repair. Fibronectin (FN) assembly into extracellular matrix is tightly regulated and essential to embryogenesis and wound healing. FN fibrillogenesis is initiated by cytoskeleton-derived tensional forces transmitted across transmembrane integrins onto RGD binding sequences within the tenth FN type III (10FNIII) domains. These forces unfold 10FNIII to expose cryptic FN assembly sites; however, a specific sequence has not been identified in 10FNIII. Our past steered molecular dynamics simulations modeling 10FNIII unfolding by force at its RGD loop predicted a mechanical intermediate with a solvent-exposed N terminus spanning the A and B β-strands. Here, we experimentally confirm that the predicted 23-residue cryptic peptide 1 (CP1) initiates FN multimerization, which is mediated by interactions with 10FNIII that expose hydrophobic surfaces that support 8-anilino-1-napthalenesulfonic acid binding. Localization of multimerization activity to the C terminus led to the discovery of a minimal 7-amino acid “multimerization sequence” (SLLISWD), which induces polymerization of FN and the clotting protein fibrinogen in addition to enhancing FN fibrillogenesis in fibroblasts. A point mutation at Trp-6 that reduces exposure of hydrophobic sites for 8-anilino-1-napthalenesulfonic acid binding and β-structure formation inhibits FN multimerization and prevents physiological cell-based FN assembly in culture. We propose a model for cell-mediated fibrillogenesis whereby cell traction force initiates a cascade of intermolecular exchange starting with the unfolding of 10FNIII to expose the multimerization sequence, which interacts with strand B of another 10FNIII domain via a Trp-mediated β-strand exchange to stabilize a partially unfolded intermediate that propagates FN self-assembly.