Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SPEECH PROSODY : A METHODOLOGICAL REVIEW

This critical review is mainly concerned with methodological issues in prosody research, with the aim to highlight progress toward developing predictive knowledge about prosody. The review shows that there has been a steady progression in terms of methodological rigor as the field goes through major methodological trends that can be described as analysis-by-introspection, analysis-by-transcription, analysis-by-hypothesis-testing and analysis-bymodeling. All the major methodologies currently still co-exist and each still has it own merit. But all of them are evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in establishing knowledge that is generalizable. Finally, an emphasis will be made on the need to have much more linking and integration between different subareas of prosody research.
Crowdsensing Solutions in Smart Cities towards a Networked Society

The goal of the paper is to give an overview of the most relevant aspects of mobile crowdsensing that are already utilized by the society. The paper focuses on best practices applied in smart cities today, how these applications can be motivated (incentives), and how they rely on technology enablers of today’s vertical silos and future’s horizontal approaches. We introduce a path for transforming the vertical silos of today containing separated solutions in various domains into a horizontal, unified ecosystem, giving a way to novel technology and business opportunities.
Executives' use of emotional language and investor reactions

Drawing on theories from social judgment and persuasion, this chapter proposes that investors will be sensitive to the use of emotional language by top executives in their communication. In addition, the effect of emotional language on investors will depend on investors’ prior beliefs about the firm. Using a sample of 8,990 transcripts of presentations by executives of 632 organizations at investor conferences between 2004 and 2010, results support the prediction that executives’ use of emotional language has a significant influence on investors and that different ways of expressing emotion have differential effects on investor judgment. Moreover, the effect of emotional language is stronger when the firm’s uncertainty level is high and growth prospect is low. The results provide insights into how organizations can use language strategically to manage their relationships with stock investors, thereby contributing to a growing literature on symbolic management of organization.
Effect of Molybdenum Induced Copper Deficiency on Peripheral Blood Cells and Bone Marrow in Buffalo Calves

Copper deficiency was induced in eight male buffalo calves by adding molybdenum (30 ppm wet basis) to their diet. Copper status was monitored from the liver copper concentration and a level below 30 ppm (DM basis) was considered as deficient. Haemoglobin, haematocrit, total and differential leucocyte numbers were determined. The functions of peripheral neutrophils were assessed by in vitro phagocytosis and killing of Staphylococcus aureus. The effect of molybdenum induced copper deficiency on bone marrow was monitored. The mean total leucocyte count was unaffected whereas a significant fall in neutrophil count coincided with the fall in hepatic copper level to 23.9±2.69 ppm. Reduced blood neutrophil numbers was not accompanied by any change in the proportion of different neutrophil precursor cells in bone marrow. It was hypothesised that buffalo calves were more tolerant to dietary molybdenum excess than cattle. It was concluded that neutropenia in molybdenum induced copper deficiency occurred without any effect on their synthesis and maturation process. Bone marrow studies in healthy calves revealed higher percentage of neutrophilic myelocytes and metamyelocytes as compared to cattle. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 4 : 509-515)
Derepression of BDNF Transcription Involves Calcium-Dependent Phosphorylation of MeCP2

Mutations in MeCP2, which encodes a protein that has been proposed to function as a global transcriptional repressor, are the cause of Rett syndrome (RT T), an X-linked progressive neurological disorder. Although the selective inactivation of MeCP2 in neurons is sufficient to confer a Rett-like phenotype in mice, the specific functions of MeCP2 in postmitotic neurons are not known. We find that MeCP2 binds selectively to BDNF promoter III and functions to repress expression of the BDNF gene. Membrane depolarization triggers the calcium-dependent phosphorylation and release of MeCP2 from BDNF promoter III, thereby facilitating transcription. These studies indicate that MeCP2 plays a key role in the control of neuronal activity–dependent gene regulation and suggest that the deregulation of this process may underlie the pathology of RT T.
Optimizing the renewable generation mix in the Portuguese power system based on temporal and spatial diversity

Renewable energy sources (RES) have unique characteristics that grant them preference in energy and environmental policies. However, considering that the renewable resources are barely controllable and sometimes unpredictable, some challenges are faced when integrating high shares of renewable sources in power systems. In order to mitigate this problem, this paper presents a decision-making methodology regarding renewable investments. The model computes the optimal renewable generation mix from different available technologies (hydro, wind and photovoltaic) that integrates a given share of renewable sources, minimizing residual demand variability, therefore stabilizing the thermal power generation. The model also includes a spatial optimization of wind farms in order to identify the best distribution of wind capacity. This methodology is applied to the Portuguese power system.
Une approche probabiliste pour le classement d'objets incomplètement connus dans un arbre de décision. (A Probabilistic Approach to Classify Incomplete Objects in a Decision Tree)

Nous presentons dans cette these une approche probabiliste pour determiner les valeurs manquantes des objets incomplets pendant leur classement dans les arbres de decision. Cette approche est derivee de la methode d'apprentissage supervise appelee Arbres d'Attributs Ordonnees (AAO) proposee par Lobo et Numao en 2000, qui construit un arbre de decision pour chacun des attributs, selon un ordre croissant en fonction de l'Information Mutuelle entre chaque attribut et la classe. Notre approche etend la methode de Lobo et Numao, d'une part en prenant en compte les dependances entre les attributs pour la construction des arbres d'attributs, et d'autre part en fournissant un resultat de classement d'un objet incomplet sous la forme d'une distribution de probabilites (au lieu de la classe la plus probable). Nous expliquons notre methode et nous la testons sur des bases de donnees reelles. Nous comparons nos resultats avec ceux donnes par la methode C4.5 et AAO. Nous proposons egalement un algorithme base sur la methode des k plus proches voisins qui calcule pour chaque objet de la base de test sa frequence dans la base d'apprentissage. Nous comparons ces frequences avec les resultats de classement donnees par notre approche, C4.5 et AAO. Finalement, nous calculons la complexite de construction des arbres d'attributs ainsi que la complexite de classement d'un objet incomplet en utilisant notre approche, C4.5 et AAO.
Towards Security of Native DRM Execution in HTML5

In this paper we present an open, secure and flexible architectural approach for integrating Content Decryption Module (CDM) and Encryption Media Extensions (EME) interface with Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). This provides security hardening for playback of the Digital Rights Management (DRM) protected content without any need for a dedicated secure processor. This article is not focused on specific TEE approaches, but rather considers that any TEE can be potentially integrated with CDM through the EME interface. Our work introduces the approaches for integrating CDM with Intel SGX and ARM TrustZone TEE technologies.
Molecular classification of multiple myeloma: a distinct transcriptional profile characterizes patients expressing CCND1 and negative for 14q32 translocations.

PURPOSE The deregulation of CCND1, CCND2 and CCND3 genes represents a common event in multiple myeloma (MM). A recently proposed classification grouped MM patients into five classes on the basis of their cyclin D expression profiles and the presence of the main translocations involving the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IGH) at 14q32. In this study, we provide a molecular characterization of the identified translocations/cyclins (TC) groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS The gene expression profiles of purified plasma cells from 50 MM cases were used to stratify the samples into the five TC classes and identify their transcriptional fingerprints. The cyclin D expression data were validated by means of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis; fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to investigate the cyclin D loci arrangements, and to detect the main IGH translocations and the chromosome 13q deletion. RESULTS Class-prediction analysis identified 112 probe sets as characterizing the TC1, TC2, TC4 and TC5 groups, whereas the TC3 samples showed heterogeneous phenotypes and no marker genes. The TC2 group, which showed extra copies of the CCND1 locus and no IGH translocations or the chromosome 13q deletion, was characterized by the overexpression of genes involved in protein biosynthesis at the translational level. A meta-analysis of published data sets validated the identified gene expression signatures. CONCLUSION Our data contribute to the understanding of the molecular and biologic features of distinct MM subtypes. The identification of a distinctive gene expression pattern in TC2 patients may improve risk stratification and indicate novel therapeutic targets.
Detection of moving cast shadows using image orthogonal transform

In many image and computer vision applications, shadows interfere with fundamental tasks such as moving objects segmentation and tracking. In this paper, a novel method is proposed to detect the moving cast shadows in the scene. The normalized coefficients of orthogonal transform of image block are proved to be illumination invariant and are used to classify moving shadows and foreground objects. Five kinds of orthogonal transform: DCT, DFT, Haar transform, SVD and Hadamard transform, are utilized in our work to detect moving cast shadows. Experimental results show that the proposed method succeeds in detecting moving cast shadows within indoor and outdoor environments
How Early in Treatment is PAP Adherence Established? Revisiting Night-to-Night Variability

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious disorder with significant daytime consequences. Treatment for OSA most commonly takes the form of positive airway pressure (PAP). Although effective, PAP adherence is often below expectations. Previous studies have suggested that early PAP use can predict long-term adherence, but these studies have not been replicated, nor has follow up been longer than 3 months. This article presents a replication study enhanced by a longer follow up and additional data to suggest that 6-month adherence can be predicted within the first days of PAP use. This article also discusses how this might relate to the experience of significant side effects of treatment.
VASOMOTOR REACTIONS IN THE HYPNOTIC STATE*

IN 1935 Stuirup, Bolton, Williams, and Carmichael reported that a painful stimulus (several pin-pricks) or a cold stimulus (small piece of ice) applied to the skin brought about a temporary vasoconstriction of the cutaneous blood-vessels. This vasomotor response could also be elicited by a deep inspiration or by a mental stimulus such as the solving of a mathematical problem or by a loud noise. It was shown that the vasoconstrictor response was dependent on the integrity of the sympathetic nervous system and was unaffected by lesions of the cerebral substance. The response had a latent period of 2-3 seconds and a duration of approximately 1 minute, and it was best demonstrated when the peripheral blood-vessels had been previously dilated by immersing an indifferent limb in water at 450 C. The present paper reports the results of experiments to determine in what degree such a vasoconstrictor response is dependent on the " conscious " appreciation of the stimulus. In addition, the opportunity was taken to study the extent to which vasomotor activity could be influenced by suggestion in the hypnotic state. Method
Minimizing Joint Damage: The Role of Nurses in Promoting Adherence to Hemophilia Treatment

Hemophilia is a genetic disorder characterized by spontaneous or excessive bleeding predominantly into the weight-bearing joints or muscles. Synovial bleeding can lead to joint damage and disability. Recent studies have shown that prophylactic therapy may prevent joint damage in children with severe hemophilia. However, adherence to these regimens is often suboptimal. Barriers to adherence include lack of understanding of the disease and the time-consuming nature of infusions. Nurses play a critical role in promoting adherence to prophylactic regimens, particularly for adolescent patients. By providing individualized education and support, nurses can help promote joint therapies and minimize disability in patients with severe hemophilia.
Biocompatible chitosan-DNAzyme nanoparticle exhibits enhanced biological activity

DNAzymes are oligonucleotides capable of specific catalysis of target mRNA. To date, a delivery vehicle for DNAzymes has not been developed. Chitosan is a biomaterial obtained abundantly in nature. A biocompatible c-jun (an oncogene) DNAzyme nanoparticle formulated from chitosan was found to be more active against osteosarcoma (bone cancer) cells, inducing apoptotic cell death in these cells. The formulation was stable in serum for a week and at room temperature for a month. Clinically, knockdown of c-jun gene expression with chitosan nanobiotechnology may improve treatment outcome for tumours growing in bone.
Promoter polymorphisms in the chromosome 5 gene cluster in asthma and atopy

Asthma may develop secondary to the transcriptional dysregulation of T lymphocyte-derived cytokines. These cytokines influence IgE prodtiction. bone marrow stimulation, and allergic inflammation. These cytokines are encoded as a cluster on the long arm of chromosome 5. which contains the genes for interleukins(IL) 3, 4, 5,9, 13 and gruntilocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). We investigated the presence of polymorphisms within this gene cluster to identify markers which may hnk to transcriptional dysregulation. Polymorphisms were identified in the 5* promoter region of these flve genes via the technique of polymcrase chain reaction (PCR)-initiated single stranded conformational polymorphisms (SSCP) and as heterodhiiers of PCR products. Such polymorphisms may reflect either base exchanges in genetic elements which directly regulate gene transcription or alternatively may be hnked to gene dysregulation. Three SSCP were idetitified, one each in the IL-3. lL-9. and IL-4 5' regions and confirmed by heteroduplex analysis.
Glycosaminoglycan‐binding cytokines as tumor markers

A significant proportion of cytokines bind to glycosaminoglycans such as heparin. Glycosaminoglycans are involved in signaling, stabilization and/or storage of these cytokines. Typical examples of glycosaminoglycan‐binding cytokines are basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF‐C, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF), midkine, and pleiotrophin. All are present in the tumor microenvironment and promote tumor growth, tumor invasion and/or tumor angiogenesis. Serum or plasma levels of glycosaminoglycan‐binding cytokines are frequently elevated in patients with various malignant tumors. High levels of these cytokines are usually correlated with the occurrence of metastasis and a poor prognosis. The mode of elevation of individual glycosaminoglycan‐binding cytokines in patients with malignant tumors is summarized here. Further studies, especially with multiple cytokines, are expected to make assays clinically useful for both early detection and prognostic prediction.
Adaptive space-time transmission with side information

In this letter, a simple adaptive transmit diversity technique with side information is presented. The proposed scheme has a number of attractive characteristics. First, it is simple to implement. Second, it is efficient in terms of bandwidth requirements for side information feedback. Finally, it adapts to the quality of the side information to accordingly configure the space-time signal set to be transmitted so that additional gain in signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved at the receiver. In effect, it can be viewed as a flexible combination of suboptimal beamforming and space-time block coding.
The epidemiology of pain in depression

Over 75% of depressed patients in primary care complain of painful physical symptoms such as headache, stomach pain, neck and back pain aswell as non‐specific generalized pain. The presence of such symptoms predicts a greater severity and a less favourable outcome of depression with a poorer health‐related quality of life. World Health Organization data obtained in primary care centres worldwide show that 22% of all primary care patients suffer from persistent debilitating pain and that these patients are four times more likely to have co‐morbid anxiety or depressive disorder than pain‐free primary care patients. Not unexpectedly, the risk of depression is greater when the pain is more diffuse, as indicated by the number of painful sites, and has a greater effect on the quality of life. Certain depressive symptoms, such as low energy and sleep disturbances, are commonly found in patients with co‐morbid pain, whereas the opposite is true for symptoms such as guilt and loneliness. Increasingly, major depression is seen as being composed of psychological, somatic and painful physical symptoms. In order to achieve full sustained remission it is necessary to treat symptoms in all three of these areas. The area of painful physical symptoms is unfortunately still poorly understood and clearly merits greater attention. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bottom-Up Design Patterns and the Energy Web

The technology world is experiencing the emergence of a generation of massive-scale networked digital systems, performing complex operations that are partially out of the control of the systems' designers. This is the case, e.g., of pervasive computing environments, characterized by the proliferation of embedded electronic devices with communication and computing capabilities, able to network themselves forming a “digital halo” surrounding the user in its daily activities. In this paper, we advocate the use of bottom-up design patterns, able to build on results in complex systems science and systems biology, for devising new solutions for designing and managing such environments. We also present a possible application to a novel cyberphysical ecosystem, that we call the Energy Web, arising from the combination of innovative information and communication technologies with distributed renewable energy sources.
Interaction between carcinogenic hydrocarbons and nucleosides.

Donor-acceptor complex formation between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic, and compounds of biologic importance is conveniently detected by chromatography of the former on thin layers of inert adsorbents impregnated with the latter. Among the compounds exhibiting significant interaction with aromatic hydrocarbons are adenosine, uridine, thymidine, guanosine, riboflavin, and caffeine. Although the potent carcinogenic compounds are all bound moderately well, the strength of binding is related more to the number of fused aromatic rings than to the reported carcinogenicity of the hydrocarbons.
Fx Option Performance: An Analysis of the Value Delivered by Fx Options Since the Start of the Market

'The authors have for the first time uncovered what actually happens to foreign exchange options once they are bought or sold and it can be unexpected. Any students taking a course on derivatives trading or valuation should include this in their reading, and investors or corporations will find valuable information here for their trading and hedging strategies. Highly readable, with figures and data to back up every statement, it is a useful addition to any financial collection. ' Piotr Karasinski, Senior Advisor at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Planar and finger-shaped optical tactile sensors for robotic applications

Progress is described regarding the development of optical tactile sensors specifically designed for application to dexterous robotics. These sensors operate on optical principles involving the frustration of total internal reflection at a waveguide/elastomer interface and produce a grey-scale tactile image that represents the normal (vertical) forces of contact. The first tactile sensor discussed is a compact, 32*32 planar sensor array intended for mounting on a parallel-jaw gripper. Optical fibers were employed to convey the tactile image to a CCD camera and microprocessor-based image analysis system. The second sensor had the shape and size of a human fingertip and was designed for a dexterous robotic hand. It contained 257 sensing sites (taxels) distributed in a dual-density pattern that included a tactile fovea near the tip measuring 13*13 mm and containing 169 taxels. The design and construction details of these tactile sensors are presented, in addition to photographs of tactile imprints. >
SV40-mediated immortalization.

Human diploid cells have a limited life span, ending in replicative senescence, in contrast to cell lines derived from tumors, which show an indefinite life span and are immortal, suggesting that replicative senescence is a tumor suppression mechanism. We have utilized introduction of SV40 sequences to develop matched sets of nonimmortal and immortal cell lines to help dissect the mechanism of immortalization and have found that it has multiple facets, involving both SV40-dependent and -independent aspects. These studies have led to the identification of a novel growth suppressor gene (SEN6) as well as providing a model system for the study of cellular aging, apoptosis, and telomere stabilization among other things. It is anticipated that SV40-transformed cells will continue to provide a very useful experimental system leading to insights into the behavior of cells with altered expression of oncogenes and growth suppressor gene products.
HIV and peripheral neuropathy.

Manifestations and treatments of many types of common illnesses associated with peripheral neuropathy (PN) in HIV-infected people are presented. Specific topics examine Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy, mononeuritis multiplex, distal symmetrical polyneuropathy, CMV polyradiculopathy, neurotoxic neuropathy, and Campylobacter jejuni infection. Physicians who treat HIV-1 patients should be aware that PNs are common, disabling, and treatable complications of HIV-1 disease and that treatment efficacy depends on making the correct diagnosis using neurological examinations and electrodiagnostic studies.
Zaangażowanie organizacyjne jako determinanta wzrostu efektywności zespołów pracowniczych

Streszczenie: Artykuł prezentuje zagadnienie zaangażowania organizacyjnego pracowników, które jest jednym z czynników decydujących o efektywności zespołów pracowniczych. Główna uwaga skupiona jest na prezentacji bodźców warunkujących i kształtujących poziom tego zaangażowania. Celem artykułu jest identyfikacja i prezentacja determinantów zaangażowania organizacyjnego oraz ukazanie wpływu tego zaangażowania na efektywność zespołów pracowniczych.