Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tfarsdat-the Telephone Fars

This paper describes an ongoing research to create an acoustic phonetic based telephone Farsi speech database, called " Tfarsdat ". It is compared with two LDC Farsi corpora, OGI and Call friend in terms of corpus dialectology. Up to now, we have recorded about 8 hours of monologue calls containing spontaneous and read speech for 64 speakers belonging to one of ten dialect regions. A hierarchical annotation system is used to transcribe phoneme, word and sentence levels of speech data. User software is written to access speech and label files efficiently using a menu driven query system. We conducted two experiments to validate Tfarsdat statistically. Results showed the necessity of increasing speaker size and also quality enhancement of annotation system.
Tunable ultra wideband phase shifter using Liquid Crystal Polymer

A tunable multilayer broadside-coupled phase shifter featuring ultra wideband (UWB) performance is presented. The tuning is accomplished using a DC biased Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) which is used for the construction of this device. Full electromagnetic-wave simulations show that the differential phase, referenced to a suitable length of a traditional microstrip line, can be varied between 40° and 70° across the band 3.1 to 10.6 GHz by changing the biasing voltage across the LCP. The carried out simulations also show that the accomplished phase shift is accompanied by good quality insertion and return losses across the whole UWB.
The Lombard effect: a reflex to better communicate with others in noise

To study the Lombard (1911) reflex, more realistic databases representing real-world conditions need to be recorded and analyzed. In this paper we (1) summarize a procedure to record Lombard data which provides a good approximation of realistic conditions, (2) present an analysis per class of sounds for duration and energy of words recorded while subjects are listening to noise through open-ear headphones (a) when speakers are in communication with a recognition device and (b) when reading a list, and (3) report on the influence of speaking style on speaker dependent and speaker-independent experiments. This paper extends a previous study aimed at analyzing the influence of the communication factor on the Lombard reflex. We also show evidence that it is difficult to separate the speaker from the environment stressor (in this case the noise) when studying the Lombard reflex. The main conclusion of our pilot study is that the communication factor should not be neglected because it strongly influences the Lombard reflex.
Accounts of Slavery: An Analysis of United States History Textbooks from 1900 to 1992

Abstract The presentation of slavery in United States history texts varies dramatically across five time periods from 1900 to 1992. During the first third of this century, textbook authors present slavery in a neutral way. During the Great Depression and World War II, authors justify slavery by appealing to the needs of the market. The late 1950s and the 1960s see the introduction of some limited discussion of the moral wrongs of slavery, while the texts of the late 1960s and the 1970s begin to express an awareness of the value of social diversity. Finally, in the 1980s and 1990s, the presentation of slavery reflects the nation's growing conservatism and the increased influence of the religious right.
Legitimating Agencies in the Face of Selection: The Case of AACSB

This article proposes that legitimating agencies such as accreditation organizations face selection pressures to both maintain their legitimacy among their constituents, but also to expand the domain of their activities. We argue that domain expansion raises three important research questions: first, the factors that lead legitimating agencies to expand their domain; second, the need to maintain legitimacy among existing constituents; and third, the establishment of legitimacy in the new domain. We use the domain expansion of the AACSB to develop propositions relevant to these three research issues. Quality concerns, process vs. content strategy, and institutional entrepreneurship are the main factors that impact the legitimation of legitimating agencies.
Update on the Pharmacological Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder. Worldwide prevalence of the disease is estimated at more than 24 million cases. With aging of populations, this number will likely increase to more than 80 million cases by the year 2040. The annual incidence worldwide is estimated at 4.6 million cases which is the equivalent of one new case every seven seconds! The pathophysiology of AD is complex and largely misunderstood. It is thought to start with the accumulation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) that leads to deposition of insoluble neuritic or senile plaques. Secondary events in this “amyloid cascade” include hyperphosphorylation of the protein tau into neurofibrillary tangles, inflammation, oxidation, and excitotoxicity that eventually cause activation of apoptotis, cell death and neurotransmitter deficits. This review will briefly summarize recent advances in the pathophysiology of AD and focus on the pharmacological treatment of the cognitive and functional symptoms of AD. It will discuss the roles of vascular prevention, cholinesterase inhibitors and an NMDA-antagonist in the management of AD. It will address the issues thought to be related to the lack of persistence or discontinuation of therapy with cholinesterase inhibitors shown in recent studies and some of the solutions proposed. These include setting realistic expectations in light of a neurodegenerative condition and available symptomatic treatments, slowly titrating medications, and using alternate routes of administration. Finally, it will introduce future therapeutic options currently under study.
Orienting head movements resulting from electrical microstimulation of the brainstem tegmentum in the barn owl

The size and direction of orienting movements are represented systematically as a motor map in the optic tectum of the barn owl (du Lac and Knudsen, 1990). The optic tectum projects to several distinct regions in the medial brainstem tegmentum, which in turn project to the spinal cord (Masino and Knudsen, 1992). This study explores the hypothesis that a fundamental transformation in the neural representation of orienting movements takes place in the brainstem tegmentum. Head movements evoked by electrical microstimulation in the brainstem tegmentum of the alert barn owl were cataloged and the sites of stimulation were reconstructed histologically. Movements elicited from the brainstem tegmentum were categorized into one of six different classes: saccadic head rotations, head translations, facial movements, vocalizations, limb movements, and twitches. Saccadic head rotations could be further subdivided into two general categories: fixed- direction saccades and goal-directed saccades. Fixed-direction saccades, those whose direction was independent of initial head position, were elicited from the midbrain tegmentum. Goal-directed saccades, those whose direction changed with initial head position, were elicited from the central rhombencephalic reticular formation and from the efferent pathway of the cerebellum. Particular attention was paid to sites from which fixed-direction saccadic movements were elicited, as these movements appeared to represent components of orienting movements. Microstimulation in the medial midbrain tegmentum elicited fixed-direction saccades in one of six directions: rightward, leftward, upward, downward, clockwise roll, and counterclockwise roll. Stimulation in and around the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (InC; a complete list of anatomical abbreviations is given in the Appendix) produced ipsiversive horizontal saccades. Stimulation in the ventral InC and near the dorsal and medial edges of the red nucleus produced upward saccades. Stimulation in the reticular formation near the lateral edge of the red nucleus produced downward saccades. Stimulation in the ventromedial central gray produced ipsiversive roll saccades. The metrics and kinetics of fixed-direction saccades, but not their directions, could be influenced by stimulation parameters. As such, direction was an invariant property of the circuits being activated, whereas movement latency, duration, velocity, and size each demonstrated dependencies on stimulus amplitude, frequency, and duration. The data demonstrate directly that at the level of the midbrain tegmentum there exists a three-dimensional Cartesian representation of head-orienting movements such that horizontal, vertical, and roll components of movement are encoded by anatomically distinct neural circuits. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
New antipsychotics: the present status

Until antipsychotics can be subdivided according to differentiated effects on psychic functions (for example on positive/negative symptoms and cognitive functions), the best classification seems to be one based upon receptor-binding profiles and the side effects that follow. Such a combined pharmacological-clinical approach appears fruitful to clinicians as well as pharmacologists. According to this classification the new antipsychotics can be subdivided into three main categories: the relatively pure dopamine antagonists (D2 antagonists, including sulpiride and amisulpiride); the dopamine (D2)-serotonin (5-HT2)-norepinephrine (α1 ) antagonists (risperidone, ziprazidone and sertindole); and the multireceptor antagonists (clozapine, olanzapine and seroquel). Clozapine is still the most potent antipsychotic and the least potent at inducing extrapyramidal symptoms. New drugs such as olanzapine, seroquel and sertindole represent the further development of clozapine's positive qualities, while risperidone and ziprasidone are dominated to a greater extent by relatively traditional dopamine D2 receptor blockade
Individual Differences in Responses to Social Influence Attempts

A propositional framework, drawing on social-cognition models and explaining how highly misanthropic individuals respond differently to influence attempts, is advanced. A pilot study (N = 893 adults) was completed to answer specific research questions, determine the psychometric adequacy of the measurement model, and empirically test key assumptions of the theoretical formulation. Then, five theoretically derived hypotheses about message reception and acceptance were tested in two separate research efforts (N = 215 and 202 adults). Three additional hypotheses were tested and replicated concerning the positive relationship between misanthropy and the avoidance of health care. Support for all hypotheses was obtained. In addition, results indicated that, as suggested in past research, respondents high in misanthropy report higher actual incidence of stress-related diseases. Discussion of the theoretical import of these results for social influence researchers as well as the practical utility of the findings to people interested in developing mass-mediated disease prevention and control campaigns is offered.
Altered Islet Morphology but Normal Islet Secretory Function In Vitro in a Mouse Model with Microvascular Alterations in the Pancreas

Background Our previous studies have shown that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling is important for the development of pancreatic microvasculature via its regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). Pancreas-specific STAT3-KO mice exhibit glucose intolerance and impaired insulin secretion in vivo, along with microvascular alterations in the pancreas. However, the specific role of STAT3 signaling in the regulation of pancreatic islet development and function is not entirely understood. Methodology/Principal Findings To investigate the role of STAT3 signaling in the formation and maintenance of pancreatic islets, we studied pancreas-specific STAT3-KO mice. Histological analysis showed that STAT3 deficiency affected pancreatic islet morphology. We found an increased proportion of small-sized islets and a reduced fraction of medium-sized islets, indicating abnormal islet development in STAT3-KO mice. Interestingly, the islet area relative to the whole pancreas area in transgenic and control mice was not significantly different. Immunohistochemical analysis on pancreatic cryosections revealed abnormalities in islet architecture in STAT3-KO mice: the pattern of peripheral distribution of glucagon-positive α-cells was altered. At the same time, islets belonging to different size categories isolated from STAT3-KO mice exhibited normal glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in perifusion experiments in vitro when compared to control mice. Conclusions Our data demonstrate that STAT3 signaling in the pancreas is required for normal islet formation and/or maintenance. Altered islet size distribution in the KO mice does not result in an impaired islet secretory function in vitro. Therefore, our current study supports that the glucose intolerance and in vivo insulin secretion defect in pancreas-specific STAT3-KO mice is due to altered microvasculature in the pancreas, and not intrinsic beta-cell function.
An investigation on gridding technique for radio astronomical image reconstruction

As a challenge in the research of digital signal processing, gridding is a method of interpolating irregularly sampled data onto a uniform grid and is a critical image reconstruction step in several applications which operate on non-Cartesian sampled data. In this paper, in the lights of previous studies on gridding algorithm research, we focus on the possible gridding methods such as DFT, convolution gridding method and matrix inversion method which might be used for astronomical image reconstruction of radio astronomy. We analysis and compare the related methods and finally present the advantages of each algorithm respectively. The investigation would contribute the research on reconstruction of radio astronomical images.
Semantics : Science , Services and Agents on the World Wide Web

This article presents the CHIP demonstrator1 for providing personalized access to digital museum collections. It consists of three main components: Art Recommender, Tour Wizard, and Mobile Tour Guide. Based on the semantically enriched Rijksmuseum Amsterdam2 collection, we show how Semantic Web technologies can be deployed to (partially) solve three important challenges for recommender systems applied in an open Web context: (1) to deal with the complexity of various types of relationships for recommendation inferencing, where we take a content-based approach to recommend both artworks and art-history topics; (2) to cope with the typical user modeling problems, such as cold-start for first-time HIP emantics-driven recommendations ontent-based recommendations
Positive Feedback Regulation between γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A (GABAA) Receptor Signaling and Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Release in Developing Neurons*

During the early development of the nervous system, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptor (GABAAR)-mediated signaling parallels the neurotrophin/tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk)-dependent signaling in controlling a number of processes from cell proliferation and migration, via dendritic and axonal outgrowth, to synapse formation and plasticity. Here we present the first evidence that these two signaling systems regulate each other through a complex positive feedback mechanism. We first demonstrate that GABAAR activation leads to an increase in the cell surface expression of these receptors in cultured embryonic cerebrocortical neurons, specifically at the stage when this activity causes depolarization of the plasma membrane and Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. We further demonstrate that GABAAR activity triggers release of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which, in turn by activating TrkB receptors, mediates the observed increase in cell surface expression of GABAARs. This BDNF/TrkB-dependent increase in surface levels of GABAARs requires the activity of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase C (PKC) and does not involve the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 activity. The increase in GABAAR surface levels occurs due to an inhibition of the receptor endocytosis by BDNF, whereas the receptor reinsertion into the plasma membrane remains unaltered. Thus, GABAAR activity is a potent regulator of the BDNF release during neuronal development, and at the same time, it is strongly enhanced by the activity of the BDNF/TrkB/PI3K/PKC signaling pathway.
On the Limit as the Density Ratio Tends to Zero for Two Perfect Incompressible Fluids Separated by a Surface of Discontinuity

We study the asymptotic limit as the density ratio ρ−/ρ+ → 0, where ρ+ and ρ− are the densities of two perfect incompressible 2-D/3-D fluids, separated by a surface of discontinuity along which the pressure jump is proportional to the mean curvature of the moving surface. Mathematically, the fluid motion is governed by the two-phase incompressible Euler equations with vortex sheet data. By rescaling, we assume the density ρ+ of the inner fluid is fixed, while the density ρ− of the outer fluid is set to ε. We prove that solutions of the free-boundary Euler equations in vacuum are obtained in the limit as ε → 0.
Lobular Intraepithelial Neoplasia [Lobular Carcinoma In Situ] With Comedo-type Necrosis: A Clinicopathologic Study of 18 Cases

The recent finding that lobular, and not ductal intraepithelial neoplasia (DIN) displays loss of E-cadherin expression has greatly facilitated the categorization of a large proportion of morphologically ambiguous intraepithelial neoplasias into ductal or lobular types. One reason for such morphologic ambiguity is the presence of comedo-type necrosis within an intraepithelial lesion that otherwise shows archetypal cytologic and architectural features of lobular intraepithelial neoplasia (LIN). The clinicopathologic features of 18 such cases are described in this report. These 18 cases of classic LIN were accumulated from the recent databases of 6 institutions. All cases, by definition, showed no expression of E-cadherin. The 18 patients, all women, were 41 to 85 years of age (mean 61.3). The lesions were initially identified in an excisional biopsy or mastectomy in 12 cases and in an incisional/core biopsy in the remaining 6 cases. An associated invasive carcinoma was present in 12 (67%) of 18 cases (7 classic lobular, 1 pleomorphic lobular, 1 ductal, 1 mixed lobular and ductal, 1 tubular, and 1 case with ductal and lobular carcinomas as separate foci). The average age of the 6 patients with pure LIN (ie, LIN without an invasive component (62.5 y) was not significantly different from the 12 patients in which there was an invasive component (60.7 y) (P=0.78). The lesions had associated calcifications, typically within the necrotic foci, in 10 (55%) of 18 cases. Immunoreactivity for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor (in >10% of lesional cells), and high-molecular weight keratin was present in 17/18 (94%), 15/18 (83%) and 17/18 (94%) of cases, respectively. Overexpression of HER2/neu, as assessed immunohistochemically, was absent in all 15 cases available for such evaluation. Foci of DIN, separate from the lobular lesions, were present in 6 (33%) of 18 cases. LIN with necrosis seems to occur at an older age than classic LIN, is commonly associated with invasive carcinoma and is significantly more frequently associated with lobular than ductal invasive carcinoma. When present without an invasive component, it may be mistaken for DIN 2 (grade 2 ductal carcinoma in situ). Although the necrosis suggests a ductal phenotype for these intraepithelial proliferations, architectural and cytologic features, high-molecular weight keratin[+], estrogen receptor[+], progesterone receptor[+], and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 /neu[−] immunoprofile, frequent association with invasive lobular carcinoma, and lack of immunoreactivity for E-cadherin, strongly suggests that these lesions are within the morphologic spectrum of lobular neoplasia. Long-term follow-up studies are required to define the true natural history of these lesions. However, because classic LIN with necrosis is apparently rare in its pure form, reexcision is recommended when this lesion is detected in isolation in a core biopsy.
Bayes-based confidence measure in speech recognition

In this letter, Bayes-based confidence measure (BBCM) in speech recognition is proposed. BBCM is applicable to any standard word feature and makes use of information about the speech recognition engine performance. In contrast to ordinary confidence measures, BBCM is a probability, which is interesting itself from the practical and theoretical point of view. If applied with word density confidence measure (WDCM), BBCM dramatically improves the discrimination ability of the false acceptance curve when compared to WDCM itself.
Towards a service providing framework for federated sensor networks

The Internet of Things (IoT) is recognized as a technology which can blur the line between the virtual world and the real world. With the development of Wireless Sensor Network technology, the IoT is getting closer to be deployed all around the world. But in such infrastructures, composed of large numbers of networked, devices with resource-limited, the discovery of services and on-demand provision of missing functionality is a significant challenge. As a step toward design and architecture principles for IoT, we propose a distributed federated sensor network, which introduces all the data producers as service providers and splitting the process of data transmission and services discovery, and hence, provides high quality services that are highly dynamic, more diverse, and efficient. The architecture presents an embryonic form for the future IoT system.
Effects of an absenteeism feedback intervention on employee absence behavior

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of an Absenteeism Feedback Intervention (AFI) on employee absenteeism. Three hundred and seventy-one employees working in 14 experimental and 13 control groups in a medium sized hospital participated in the study. Employees working in the experimental groups received absenteeism feedback at three time periods that provided them with information about their own number of absent days and episodes (sequential days counted as a single absence episode) as well as the average of their work and occupational group. Comparisons of absent days and episodes between the AFI and control groups indicate some support for the effectiveness of the intervention. In particular, there was a reduction in absent days and episodes for employees with higher than average absenteeism during the previous year but who were not extreme offenders. The research and practical implications of the AFI for reducing employee absenteeism are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.