Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Speech, laughter and everything in between: A modulation spectrum-based analysis

Laughter and speech-laughs are pervasive phenomena found in conversational speech. Nevertheless, few previous studies have compared their acoustic realization to speech. We investigated in this work the suprasegmental characteristics of these two phenomena in relation to speech, by means of a modulation spectrum analysis. Two types of modulation spectra, one encoding the variation of the envelope of the signal and the other one its temporal fine structure, were considered. Using a corpus of spontaneous dyadic interactions, we computed the modulation index spectrum and the f0 spectrum of the three classes of vocalizations considered and we fitted separate generalized additive mixed models for them. The results obtained for the former modulation showed a clear separation between speech, on the one hand, and laughter and speech-laugh, on the other hand, while the f0 spectrum was able to discriminate between all three classes. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of these findings and their implication for laughter detection.
Oxidation of dietary sugar during hovering flight in small vertebrate nectarivores

There was an error published in Eqn 3 (p. 2156) of [ J. Exp. Biol . 210 , 2154-2162][1] and in Eqn 2 (p. 311) of [ J. Exp. Biol . 211 , 310-316][2]. In both papers, the following equation was written incorrectly as: ! [Formula][3] The equation should have read: ! [Formula][4] The
On Statistical Significance of Discriminant Function Coefficients

Discriminant function coefficients are useful for describing group differences and identi- fying variables that distinguish between groups. Test procedures were compared based on asymptotically approximations, empirical, and exact distributions for testing hypotheses about discriminant function coefficients. These tests are useful for assessing variable impor- tance in multivariate group designs.
Performance Evaluation in Single or Multi-Cluster C-RAN Supporting Quasi-Random Traffic

In this paper, a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) is considered where the remote radio heads (RRHs) are separated from the baseband units (BBUs). The RRHs in the C-RAN are grouped in different clusters according to their capacity while the BBUs form a centralized pool of computational resource units. Each RRH services a finite number of mobile users, i.e., the call arrival process is the quasi-random process. A new call of a single service-class requires a radio and a computational resource unit in order to be accepted in the C-RAN for a generally distributed service time. If these resource units are unavailable, then the call is blocked and lost. To analyze the multi-cluster C-RAN, we model it as a single-rate loss system, show that a product form solution exists for the steady state probabilities and propose a convolution algorithm for the accurate determination of congestion probabilities. The accuracy of this algorithm is verified via simulation. The proposed model generalizes our recent model where the RRHs in the C-RAN are grouped in a single cluster and each RRH accommodates quasi-random traffic.
Changes in the fruiting landscape relax restrictions on endozoochorous tree dispersal into deforested lands

Question Passive forest restoration is based on the natural recovery of degraded habitats. However, tree recruitment is frequently hampered in deforested lands. Tree seed dispersal is scarce and spatially constrained, confining the potential of forest regeneration to a narrow band surrounding forest remnants. Understanding how landscape configuration can favour endozoochorous seed dispersal into deforested lands is thus crucial to recover forest extent and the concomitant ecosystem services. Can distance restrictions on seed dispersal be modified as a result of temporal variability of fruit–frugivore systems? Location Deforested montane pastures surrounding fragments of secondary temperate forest, Cantabrian Range, Spain. Methods For 2 yr, we evaluated the patterns of fruit production, frugivorous bird movement and tree seed dispersal through the landscape. Seed dispersal in deforested sampling stations was related to their distance to forest cover and the amount of forest cover in their surroundings. Results The large-scale spatial distribution of fruits varied strongly between years, with relatively higher fruit production in isolated trees within pastures in the second year, when birds were more frequently observed perching on isolated trees. In both years, few seeds were dispersed into deforested areas, and those dispersed occurred close to forest cover. Nevertheless, seed arrival at longer distances increased during the second year. When more fruits were produced within the pastures, birds more often overcame their reluctance to leave the forest, and this change in frugivore foraging patterns cascaded into the spatial patterns of seed dispersal. Conclusions By influencing frugivore activity, temporal dynamism in fruiting landscapes can relax the restriction on tree seed dispersal into deforested areas. Landscape biological dynamism should be taken into account in order to manage rewilding in European temperate forests.
Probing Synergies between Lignin-Rich and Cellulose Compounds for Gasification

The fixed-bed gasification of lignin-rich and -deficient mixtures was carried out to probe the synergistic effects between two model compounds, Lignin Pink (LP) rich in Na and Cellulose Microcrystalline (CM). Reaction conditions utilized the most commonly used air ratios in current wood gasifiers at 750 and 850 °C. It was found that by increasing the lignin content in the mixture, there was a selectivity change from solid to gas products, contrary to a similar study previously carried out for pyrolysis. This change in product mix was promoted by the catalytic effect of Na edge recession deposits on the surface of the char. As a result, the water gas shift reaction was enhanced at 850 °C for the LP48CM52 mixture across all air ratios. This was evidenced by a strong correlation between the produced H2 and COx. Meanwhile, by lowering the lignin content in the mixtures, the reactivity of cellulose microcrystalline was found to generate more char at higher temperatures, similar to lignin mixtures when undergoing pyrolysis.
Self-Assembled Nanoparticles of Diruthenium(II,III)-Ibuprofen Anticancer Metallodrug

The diruthenium(II,III)-ibuprofen (RuIbp) metallodrug shows anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo. The encapsulation into lipid nanoparticles enhanced the efficacy in glioblastoma, breast and prostate cancer cells. Here we report data for RuIbp hydrophobicity, solubility in alcohol/ water, and behavior in 1-5% ethanol/water and ethanol/cell culture medium. RuIbp is capable of spontaneously generate self-assembled RuIbpNP nanoparticles when drug ethanolic solutions are added to water or cell growth culture medium at 1-5% ethanol. The phenomenon was investigated, and the nanoparticles characterized. RuIbpNP nanoparticles formed at 100-200 μmol L RuIbp are colloidally stable and nearly spherical showing zeta potential about +40 mV and particle size about 100 (aqueous suspension) and 180 nm (culture medium). The integrity of the [Ru2(Ibp)4] framework was confirmed by spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Significant amount of metallodrug was found in suspension (85%, culture medium; 54%, culture medium with cells). The uptake by U87MG glioblastoma cells was 6% at 24 h. The spontaneous nanosizing of RuIbp in the form of nanosuspensions may explain the biological activity of this highly hydrophobic metallodrug. The present findings expand the knowledge on the behavior of RuIbp, opening new directions to exploit the properties of the metallodrug targeting cancer therapy.
ONTOLOGIA E CIÊNCIA NA CRÍTICA DE NIETZSCHE À METAFÍSICA EM HUMANO, DEMASIADO HUMANO

RESUMO Neste artigo, discuto o que considero serem os pressupostos ontológicos da crítica de Nietzsche à metafísica no primeiro livro de Humano, demasiado humano e a natureza da relação estabelecida por ele entre filosofia e ciência. Busco definir sua posição como um realismo científico moderado, que considera que as ciências caminham progressivamente em direção a uma concepção puramente dinâmica do real.
Coherent diffraction imaging for enhanced fault and fracture network characterization

Abstract. Faults and fractures represent unique features of the solid Earth and are especially pervasive in the shallow crust. Aside from directly relating to crustal dynamics and the systematic assessment of associated risk, fault and fracture networks enable the efficient migration of fluids and therefore have a direct impact on concrete topics relevant to society, including climate-change-mitigating measures like CO2 sequestration or geothermal exploration and production. Due to their small-scale complexity, fault zones and fracture networks are typically poorly resolved, and their presence can often only be inferred indirectly in seismic and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) subsurface reconstructions. We suggest a largely data-driven framework for the direct imaging of these features by making use of the faint and still often underexplored diffracted portion of the wave field. Finding inspiration in the fields of optics and visual perception, we introduce two different conceptual pathways for coherent diffraction imaging and discuss respective advantages and disadvantages in different contexts of application. At the heart of both of these strategies lies the assessment of data coherence, for which a range of quantitative measures is introduced. To illustrate the versatility and effectiveness of the approach for high-resolution geophysical imaging, several seismic and GPR field data examples are presented, in which the diffracted wave field sheds new light on crustal features like fluvial channels, erosional surfaces, and intricate fault and fracture networks on land and in the marine environment.
Sodium dl‐α‐tocopheryl phosphate inhibits ultraviolet‐induced production of reactive nitrogen species in human keratinocytes

It has been well established that UV irradiation causes various kinds of photodamage in human skin. Skin photodamage is mainly caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and singlet oxygen. Recently, it has been revealed that reactive nitrogen species (RNS), such as nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO−), are also an important consideration in UV-irradiated human skin. Reactive nitrogen species cause several types of skin damage, for example erythema, darkening, disruption of epidermal barrier function, and psoriasis. Therefore, it is very important to control RNS production for beautiful skin to be maintained. However, RNS are indirectly measured by stable degradation products because their life is very short. In this present study, we attempted the direct observation of RNS production in human keratinocytes. As a result, we succeeded in direct measurement of real-time UVB-induced RNS production in human keratinocytes by using a RNS-specific fluorescence probe. On the other hand, sodium dl-α-tocopheryl phosphate (VEP), a newly synthesized water-soluble vitamin E derivative, inhibited UVB-induced RNS production in human keratinocytes. Furthermore, we revealed that UVB-induced neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) mediates RNS production in human keratinocytes. These results suggest that VEP is a useful ingredient for cosmetic products, and that VEP may protect the skin from several kinds of damage caused by UV-induced RNS production. Key words: sodium dl-α-tocopheryl phosphate (VEP), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), nitric oxide (NO), peroxynitrite (ONOO−), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), RNS-specific fluorescence probe, UV, keratinocytes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), skin photodamage.
POLLEN MORPHOLOGY OF AMPHIANTHUS, ARTANEMA, CURANGA, GLOSSOSTIGMA, AND PEPLIDIUM (SCROPHULARIACEAE-GRATIOLEAE)

Pollen of the scrophulariaceous genera Amphianthus, Artanema, Curanga, Glossostigma, and Peplidium was examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. All have single, isopolar, radially symmetrical pollen grains with equally spaced meridional colpi and columellate exines. Intergeneric differences are established mainly on the differential correlation of colpus number, colpus morphology, and sculpturing of the mesocolpium. The colpi vary in length and range in number from 3 to 6. The colpus membrane can be variously granular, verrucate, rugulate, or spinulose. The exine varies from semitectate and microreticulate or reticulate to tectate and sparsely perforate. It may be psilate or ornamented with supratectal processes ranging from small granules to relatively long spinules or bacules. All the genera examined, with the possible exception of Artanema vs. Amphianthus, are distinguished from one another by pollen morphology, and the grains of both Curanga and Glossostigma have morphotypes not previously reported in tribe Gratioleae. Final taxonomic assessment of the pollen data in the genera examined must await further comparative studies in the Gratioleae and other tribes, but the morphological diversity observed is clearly of potential significance in evaluating specialization levels and clarifying current conflicting interpretations of relationships in these taxa. THE PRESENT REPORT examines the pollen morphology of Artanema D. Don, Amphianthus Torr. , Curanga Juss. , Glossostigma Wight & Am. ex Am. , and Peplidium Delile, five infrequently studied, small scrophulariaceous genera variously considered to be closely related to one another or to have their affinities in divergent areas. Artanema, with four or five
Xenomitochondrial embryonic stem cells and mice: modeling human mitochondrial biology and disease

The characterization of mitochondrial diseases has proceeded rapidly since the first descriptions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-linked disease mutations appeared in the late 1980s. To elucidate mechanisms of a variety of mitochondrial disorders and disease, both in vitro and in vivo modeling systems have been exploited. To produce these models, numerous approaches have been undertaken due to the difficulty associated with targeted mutagenesis and directed modification of the mitochondrial genome. Currently available models of mitochondrial disease are discussed in this paper, including our xenomitochondrial mice. In this model, mitochondria from one donor species are transferred to another. By doing so, cells and animals were generated with varying levels of heteroplasmy (or homoplasmy) for the introduced mitochondrial genomes. This caused graded variations in electron transport chain (ETC) dysfunction which were dependent upon the evolutionary divergence between donor and recipient. The protocol in generating these models involved the utilization of rhodamine-6G (R6G) to remove or eliminate endogenous mtDNA from the recipient cells. This paper will highlight the process and the implications of R6G treatment of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells to create transmitochondrial cybrids. We summarize the history and mechanism of action of R6G as well as the future prospects for xenomitochondrial models toward increasing our understanding of mitochondrial biology and the dynamic interplay in signaling between mitochondria and the nucleus.
Factors Influencing Balanced Scorecard Application in Evaluating the Performance of Tourist Firms

This study investigates the impact levels of determinants on the Balanced Scorecard application in evaluating the performance of tourism firms in Hanoi. The tourism industry not only promotes economic development, but also contributes to expanding cultural exchanges and improving people’s knowledge. However, Vietnam’s tourism industry is under fierce competitive pressure, with the participation of foreign enterprises, with large amount of capital, high professionalism and wide network. The rivalry is happening aggressively on many aspects such as products and human resources. Therefore, tourism firms are in urgent needs of having effective methods to evaluate its performance in order to improve business and development efficiency. This study uses data of tourism firms in Hanoi during 2018-2019. The data used for analysis and regression consists of 135 observations. We use Cronbach’s Alpha, EFA and regression model to learn the effect of different variables on the Balanced scorecard application in evaluating the performance. The results show that two determinants, including internal factors of tourism firms (IF) and external factors of tourism firms (EF) had positive relationships with the Balanced scorecard application in evaluating the performance. Based on the findings, recommendations are given for improving the Balanced scorecard application in evaluating the performance of tourism firms in Hanoi.
A DNN Based Normalized Time-Frequency Weighted Criterion for Robust Wideband DoA Estimation

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have greatly benefited direction of arrival (DoA) estimation methods for speech source localization in noisy environments. However, their localization accuracy is still far from satisfactory due to the vulnerability to nonspeech interference. To improve the robustness against interference, we propose a DNN based normalized time-frequency (T-F) weighted criterion which minimizes the distance between the candidate steering vectors and the filtered snapshots in the T-F domain. Our method requires no eigendecomposition and uses a simple normalization to prevent the optimization objective from being misled by noisy filtered snapshots. We also study different designs of T-F weights guided by a DNN. We find that duplicating the Hadamard product of speech ratio masks is highly effective and better than other techniques such as direct masking and taking the mean in the proposed approach. However, the best-performing design of T-F weights is criterion-dependent in general. Experiments show that the proposed method outperforms popular DNN based DoA estimation methods including widely used subspace methods in noisy and reverberant environments.
Improved Limestone Retention in the Gizzard of Commercial Leghorn Hens

Abstract Dietary limestone solubilization in laying hens improves if retention time is prolonged in the gizzard. To determine the minimum dietary particle size of limestone that can be retained in the gizzard, equal quantities of four different sizes of limestone particles were mixed with a layer diet devoid of limestone and fed to molted hens for 1h. Limestone particles retained in crop, gizzard and intestine were recovered and separated into the four test particle sizes. A greater (P
Recent advances in antitrypanosomal chemotherapy: patent literature 2002 – 2004

Sleeping sickness and Chagas disease (African and American trypanosomiases, respectively) are protozoan parasitic diseases threatening millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Trypanosomiases are among the most neglected diseases in the world, desperately lacking financial support for investigation. The current chemotherapy of both diseases is poor and suffers from intolerable side effects and low efficacy in many cases. A review of the patent literature from 2002 to early 2005 claiming molecules with antitrypanosomal activity afforded 36 entries, equally shared between industry and acadaemia. Among the targets validated against trypanosomes, patents dealing with protease inhibitors were the most represented (16 patents). Other targets claimed in the patent literature included membrane architecture (sterol biosynthesis inhibitors, protein farnesyltransferase inhibitors), DNA (DNA binders, tubulin inhibitors) and pyrimidine metabolism (cytidine triphosphate [CTP] synthetase inhibitors). Natural products were also a great source of trypanocidal lead compounds (9 patents). A few patents claiming compounds with antitrypanosomal activity, but disclosing no specific target, were also encountered.
The Role of Stress Metabolites in Establishing Host-parasite Specificity between Sweet Potato and Ceratocystis fimbriata, Black Rot Fungus

Differential growth of two strains of Ceratocystis fimbriata Eli. and Halst. was demonstrated in liquid media containing exudates from the infected sweet potato root tissues; the germ tube growth of the taro strain, incompatible with sweet potato, was specifically inhibited in medium containing the exudate from the taro-strain-infected tissues which had been incubated for 18 hr, whereas germ tube growth of the sweet potato strain, compatible with sweet potato, was not inhibited in media containing the same dilution of any exudates. Furanoterpenoid phytoalexins and umbelliferone were shown to be the main cause of differential inhibitory activity of exudates from the infected tissues. The taro strain was more sensitive than the sweet potato strain to inhibition by furanoterpenoid phytoalexins in both germination and germ tube growth. Umbelliferone inhibited germ tube growth of the taro strain only but not the seet potato strain, at the concentrations tested.The content of umbelliferone increased before that.
‘I think’ is what I mean: Prosody as a signifier of speaker attitude across cultures and communication contexts

[I + verb] belief constructs before expressions of opinion may appear superﬂuous, as opinions carry inherent notions of speaker belief. However, past research suggests that [I + verb] forms may actually fulﬁll various pragmatic functions based on prosodic variation, which in turn empirically correlate to different levels of speaker conﬁdence [1]. This paper examines prosody as a pragmatic cue for speaker conﬁdence of US vs Chinese speakers in communication contexts of personal belief vs judgment expressions. Production task results support predictions that frequency of functional [I + verb] usage cor-responded to culturally speciﬁc attitudes of each group: Based on conﬁdence rating values for each [I + verb] variation calculated from a previous proof-of-concept perception task, Native US individuals were more conﬁdent in expressing self-opinions but less conﬁdent in expressing opinions of others, whilst Native Chinese individuals were more conﬁdent in expressing opinions of others and less conﬁdent in expressing self-opinion. These results correspond to theories of identity and speaker style in US vs. Chinese cultures. Through investigating pragmatic-prosodic mappings of [I + verb] forms vs. functions, this paper demon-strates both the use of prosody as a tool for pragmatic communication, as well as the effect of culture on speaker attitude.
Optimizing Li2O-2B2O3 coating layer on LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) cathode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

ABSTRACT In this paper, a wet chemical method is used to coat LiNi0.8Co0. 1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) cathode material by Li2O-2B2O3 (LBO) layer for Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). For performance optimization, the effects of different contents (thicknesses) of LBO coating layers on NCM811 particle surface on the morphologies, structures, compositions, and electrochemical properties of the corresponding LIBs are studied using XRD, SEM, TEM, and electrochemical measurements. Coin LIBs are assembled with such coated NCM811 cathode materials for performance validation. Results show that LBO coating layer does not change the original lattice structure of the bulk material, it can only adhere to the surface of the bulk material. After coating, NCM811 shows a good crystallinity and the ordered layered structure. TEM images show that the thickness of LBO coating is increased with increasing LBO content, and that the appropriate LBO coating thickness and uniform coating state are conducive to the improvement of the electrochemical properties of NCM811 cathode materials. Particularly, NCM811 with LBO coating content of 1000 ppm shows the best performance compared to other coating contents. In this case, the coating thickness is relatively uniform, which is about 40～100 nm, giving a good first charge-discharge capacity of 214.1mAh/g, and a high Coulomb efficiency of 90.06%. After 50 cycles, the capacity retention rate of LIBs still keeps as high as 99.64%. Therefore, LBO coating can improve the performance of NCM811 and then the lithium-ion batteries.