Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designing a Computer Assisted System for Hearing Impairment

In the paper, we design and evaluate a computer assisted system for the hearing impaired and deaf to improve communication. The design of the hearing aid equipment in the research is focused on assisting the deaf to enhance abilities of “distinguishing” and “recognition”. The computer assisted tool is designed using the program language, MATLAB, and the graphic user interface design environment, GUIDE. The goal of the user-friendly graphic operation interface is to let the users operate the system without any difficulty, hoping that users can easily operate the system. There are two kinds of pictures used to present audio properties, one is “the sound waveform picture”, and the other is “speech spectrogram”. The speech spectrogram can reveal the characteristics of speech signal by displaying the frequency distributions and time variations of the signal. The different distributions of frequencies certainly represent the existence of different phones and the various combinations of phones represent different meanings. The outcome of the field investigation of the system indicates that it may help some hearing impaired person distinguish sounds.
Chapter 2 Twenty Years of the Sociology of Mental Health : The Continued Significance of Gender and Marital Status for Emotional Well-Being

The formation of the Mental Heath Section of the American Sociological Association in 1992 heralded a period of considerable excitement, energy, and creativity in theory and research on the social determinants of mental health. The availability of a new institutional identity had a galvanizing effect on section members, who welcomed greater opportunities for social interaction with scholars working on similar substantive issues and ideas. Two areas in which this wave of enthusiasm and synergy is particularly evident pertain to gender and marital status differences in emotional well-being. Over the past couple of decades, sociologists have made significant theoretical, analytical, and substantive progress in our understanding of how and why people’s gender and marital status—two axes of social inequality in the United States—influence their mental health. Building on theory and research from the 1970s and 1980s, when research on the relationships between gender, marital status, and mental health first gained traction, the last 20 years of scholarship has produced an impressive body of work elucidating a multitude of social—including social structural, social psychological, and sociocultural—factors that contribute to persistent gender and marital status differences in emotional well-being. In light of profound social changes in the nature and organization of both gender and marriage that have been evolving in the U.S. since the last quarter of the 20th century, it is not surprising that much of this research compares the emotional consequences of major adult social roles and relationships for women and men. In the last decades of the 20th and first decades of the 21st centuries, women’s
Draft Genome Sequence of Sphingomonas sp. Strain Sph1(2015), Isolated from a Fouled Membrane Filter Used to Produce Drinking Water

ABSTRACT We report here the high-quality draft genome sequence of Sphingomonas sp. strain Sph1(2015), isolated from a fouled reverse osmosis membrane used for the production of high-quality drinking water. The draft sequence provides insights into the modus operandi of this strain to form biofilms on membrane surfaces. This knowledge offers tools to develop novel antifouling strategies.
Chapter 2 Basic Concepts About Manifolds and Fibre

General Relativity is founded on the concept of differentiable manifolds. The mathematical model of space-time that we adopt is given by a pair (M , g) where M is a differentiable manifold of dimension D = 4 and g is a metric, that is a rule to calculate the length of curves connecting points of M . In physical terms the points of M take the name of events while every physical process is a continuous succession of events. In particular the motion of a point-like particle is represented by a world-line, namely a curve in M while the motion of an extended object of dimension p is given by a d = p + 1 dimensional world-volume obtained as a continuous succession of p-dimensional hypersurfaces Σp ⊂ M . Therefore, the discussion of such physical concepts is necessarily based on a collection of geometrical concepts that constitute the backbone of differential geometry. The latter is at the basis not only of General Relativity but of all Gauge Theories by means of which XX century Physics obtained a consistent and experimentally verified description of all Fundamental Interactions. The central notions are those which fix the geometric environment: • Differentiable Manifolds • Fibre-Bundles
Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm Repair: Anesthetic Management

Surgical repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAs) presents one of the greatest challenges for the anesthesiologist. The challenge comes from the fine balance of complex medical issues in the setting of altered physiology that occurs during the perioperative period. Patients presenting for TAA repair usually have multiple preexisting comorbid conditions involving their cardiac, pulmonary, and renal systems; and aneurysm repair poses a direct and immediate threat to these systems in addition to the gastrointestinal and neurologic systems. To preserve proper function of these organ systems, the anesthesiologist must be adept at monitoring and manipulating rapid and extreme hemodynamic changes, maintaining adequate pulmonary function during one lung ventilation, and preserving metabolic and hematologic homeostasis after aortic crossclamping and unclamping in the setting of significant blood loss. In these high-risk patients, distal aortic perfusion, spinal cord preservation through cooling techniques, distal shunting procedures, and the use of motor-evoked potentials have all been used in attempt to decrease the risk of spinal cord and mesenteric ischemia. The recent development of endovascular stent graft repair is changing the practices of many institutions. Thoracoabdominal aneurysms are classified according to the Crawford classification depending on the extent of the aneurysm. Type I aneurysms extend from the left subclavian artery to the diaphragm. Type II aneurysms extend from the left subclavian artery to below the renal arteries. Type III aneurysms extend from the midthoracic descending aorta to below the
( Preprint ) AAS 16-453 DIRECT IMAGE-TO-LIKELIHOOD FOR TRACK-BEFORE-DETECT MULTI-BERNOULLI FILTER

This paper aims to apply the random finite set-based multi-Bernoilli filter to frameto-frame tracking of space objects observed in electro optical imagery for space domain awareness applications. First, this paper will review random finite set filters applied to frame to frame tracking and their applications to space. A new likelihood function for space based imagery will be presented, based on the matched filter. A more educated birth model will be proposed which better models potential SO using observer characteristics and object dynamics. Simulation results will explore the range of objects that can be tracked. The final algorithm is able to perform completely uncued detection down to a total object SNR of 5.6 and a per pixel SNR of 1.5. Promising but inconclusive results are shown for total object SNR of 3.35 and per pixel SNR of 0.7.
Protolanguage reconstructed

One important difference between existing accounts of protolanguage lies in their assumptions on the semantic complexity of protolinguistic utterances. I bring evidence about the nature of linguistic communication to bear on the plausibility of these assumptions, and show that communication is fundamentally inferential and characterised by semantic uncertainty. This not only allows individuals to maintain variation in linguistic representation, but also imposes a selection pressure that meanings be reconstructible from context. I argue that protolanguage utterances had varying degrees of semantic complexity, and developed into complex language gradually, through the same processes of re-analysis and analogy which still underpin continual change in modern languages.
Study on seismic resistance of concrete gravity dam retrofitted with UHTCC

It is especially important to analyze seismic resistance of dam because damage failure seriously influences the safety of dam during strong earthquake. The damage failure of concrete gravity dam subjected to strong ground motion was simulated based on concrete plastic-damage model. According to the damage zone, Ultra High Toughness Cementitious Composite (UHTCC) was implemented to reinforce the main damage zone. The damage of reinforced dam and displacement action at upper portion of dam were analyzed based on the strain hardening constitutive model of UHTCC . It can be obtained that the damage zone of the dam and displacement at upper portion of dam can be apparently reduced by comparing the results of unreinforced dam and reinforced dam. The results indicates that UHTCC can effectively reduce the damage zone , control the damage extension and improve the capacity of dam to resist earthquake.
Huge triple-negative phyllodes breast cancer : a case report

Phyllodes breast tumor is a rare entity of breast cancer. Less than 1% of primary-breast-tumor patients will manifest phyllodes breast carcinoma. To date, no such case report has been published in Asia. A 59-year-old Chinese woman developed a huge mass in her left breast because of phyllodes tumor. The initial symptom of the patient was a solid mass fixed in her left breast. The postsurgical histopathologic results and immunohistochemical stains were consistent with a triple-negative phyllodes breast tumor. The patient received cytotoxic chemotherapy for one course and was recommended to undergo regular examinations every 3 months. Preoperative diagnosis of phyllodes breast tumor remains difficult given its atypical characteristics and unpredictable clinical behaviors at first presentation. Appropriate surgery is the cornerstone of treatment for those patients. Moreover, adjuvant chemotherapy is important in postsurgical treatment for triple-negative breast cancer patients.
Speed of Sound Imaging: Improved Image Quality in Breast Sonography

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate blindly breast ultrasound images corrected for the speed of sound in breast tissue compared with conventional images. Materials and Methods: In this study, 409 images from 153 patients were obtained on an Antares Ultrasound system. The system was modified to process the radiofrequency data with the standard 1540 m/s as the speed of sound and at a corrected speed of sound for breast tissue. An offline MATLAB-developed program randomized the image pairs, and 3 blinded reviewers who were unaware of the new technique reviewed these. The reviewers were asked to rate the image quality of the pair on a 5-point scale (right++, right+, equal, left+, left++). Comments on differences in the images were also recorded. Results: Conventional images were graded much better in 0.0% and better in 15.1% ± 6.2%. Corrected speed of sound images were rated much better in 10.5% ± 14.3%, better in 48.4% ± 14.3%, and equal in 25.9% ± 27.6%. Improvements in image quality with corrected speed of sound images included better margin characterization and improved resolution of calcifications. Conclusions: Correcting for the speed of sound in breast ultrasound improved the overall image quality in 59% of cases, whereas 26% were of similar quality. Specific improvements noted included better characterization of mass margins, tissue interfaces, and depiction of calcifications.
Comparative Benchmarking of Causal Discovery Techniques

In this paper we present a comprehensive view of prominent causal discovery algorithms, categorized into two main categories (1) assuming acyclic and no latent variables, and (2) allowing both cycles and latent variables, along with experimental results comparing them from three perspectives: (a) structural accuracy, (b) standard predictive accuracy, and (c) accuracy of counterfactual inference. For (b) and (c) we train causal Bayesian networks with structures as predicted by each causal discovery technique to carry out counterfactual or standard predictive inference. We compare causal algorithms on two pub- licly available and one simulated datasets having different sample sizes: small, medium and large. Experiments show that structural accuracy of a technique does not necessarily correlate with higher accuracy of inferencing tasks. Fur- ther, surveyed structure learning algorithms do not perform well in terms of structural accuracy in case of datasets having large number of variables.
Ceramics, seeds and culinary change in prehistoric India

Cuisine, argues the author, is like language – it can be adopted, adapted or modified through time. The evidence from actual words for food is also used, together with seed assemblages and types of pottery to chronicle changing food cultures in Neolithic and later India. While some new food ideas (like African millets) were incorporated into existing agricultural practice as substitute crops, others such as the horsegram and mungbean appear to have moved from south to north with their pots (and probably the appropriate recipes) as a social as well as a dietary innovation.
Chapter 12 The common syntax of deixis and affirmation

This paper pursues a formal analysis of the idea that affirmative answers to Yes/No questions correspond to a sort of propositional deixis whereby the relevant proposition is pointed at. The empirical case involves an analysis of the deictic particle Nà in Greek and a comparison of its syntax with that of the affirmative particle Nè. It is shown that both involve an extra head which in the case of the deictic particle is uniformly externalised as the pointing gesture. It is argued that gestural externalisation of syntactic structure should be considered on a par with phonetic externalisation (not only in sign languages). The grammar of the affirmative particle gives us also an account of the observed facts about Greek whereby both the truth and the polarity answering system appear to coexist.
Germline mutations in the PALB2 gene are population specific and occur with low frequencies in familial breast cancer

The Partner and Localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2) protein has been linked to Fanconi anemia and breast cancer predisposition. Here we present data of a comprehensive mutation screening of the PALB2 gene in 818 familial cases of breast cancer from Germany. By analysing the entire coding region of PALB2, we found seven truncating mutations (six of them novel) in families tested negative for BRCA1/2‐mutations. In addition, two novel potentially disease causing missense mutations were found. Remarkably, only one mutation reported previously in other populations, was also identified in the German population. No PALB2 mutation carriers were identidfied in 450 unaffected controls. Thus, our observations indicate a low prevalence of deleterious PALB2 mutations and a specific mutation profile within the German population. As PALB2‐deficient tumors were shown to be sensitive to Poly(ADP‐ribose) Polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, our study has implications for newly developed, favourable treatment options in familial breast cancer. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Review of science-based assessments of species vulnerability: Contributions to decision-making for assisted migration

Assessing climate change impacts on forest species can significantly assist forest management planning. Recently, many tools have been developed for assessing species-specific vulnerability to climate change. These tools are question-based assessments that consider multiple criteria for individual species; the criteria are related to exposure and sensitivity to climate change. The following tools are discussed in relation to their use in Canada: (1) the NatureServe Climate Change Vulnerability Index; (2) the System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species to Climate Change (SAVS); (3) the Forest Tree Genetic Risk Assessment; (4) the Index for Predicting Tree Species Vulnerability; (5) ecological standards developed for the assisted migration of Torreya taxifolia; and (6) the Seeds of Success Program. These tools can all be applied to different forest species and they vary in such areas as their species-specific evaluation criteria, means for addressing uncertainty, and the integration of climate change models.
The issue of data privacy and confidentiality in Europe—1998

The European Directive 95/46/EC on the processing and free movement of personal data was adopted in 1995 and had to be implemented by all Member States of the European Union by October 1998. However, there have been a number of concerns among those involved in medical and pharmacoepidemiological research: some have thought that implementation of the Directive, that is its embodiment into the laws of each Member State, may neither be uniform nor suciently harmonized to achieve the objective of the free ̄ow of data between the Member States and other countries Ð and this might impede scienti®c research and act against the public interest; others have felt that the proposed legislation might interfere with, or even prevent, certain studies in pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety evaluation which have been undertaken without relevant problems for many years and with great bene®t to the public good. Clearly, a great deal depends on the way in which 95/46/EC Ð widely regarded as a `framework' Directive Ð will, in detail, be carried into the local laws of the individual Member States. The provisions of the Directive have been extensively reviewed elsewhere. Because of the anxieties which had been expressed, a meeting of interested parties was held in London under the auspices of the International Medical Bene®t/Risk Foundation (IMBRF) and a transcript and commentary on the proceedings of this meeting were published. Even at this stage it was noted that the draft Directive contained provisions for the elaboration of `Codes of Conduct' and it was felt that such a code, relevant to pharmacoepidemiology, might well permit studies of drug development and drug safety to continue without undue diculty. The International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) established a European Ad-hoc Committee on Con®dentiality and Legislation and this gathered relevant information on the dierent laws and practices in the Member States. Its activities were paralleled by a very active Ad-hoc Committee in the United States. Furthermore, a conference was held by the European Federation of the Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) in April 1997. The activities of these two groups will be considered further but it is clear that the baseline laws and practices regarding data privacy and con®dentiality vary in many ways between the Member States Ð and so does the manner in which they are adopting and implementing the EU provisions at national level.
Foraging in an unsteady world: bumblebee flight performance in field-realistic turbulence

Natural environments are characterized by variable wind that can pose significant challenges for flying animals and robots. However, our understanding of the flow conditions that animals experience outdoors and how these impact flight performance remains limited. Here, we combine laboratory and field experiments to characterize wind conditions encountered by foraging bumblebees in outdoor environments and test the effects of these conditions on flight. We used radio-frequency tags to track foraging activity of uniquely identified bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) workers, while simultaneously recording local wind flows. Despite being subjected to a wide range of speeds and turbulence intensities, we find that bees do not avoid foraging in windy conditions. We then examined the impacts of turbulence on bumblebee flight in a wind tunnel. Rolling instabilities increased in turbulence, but only at higher wind speeds. Bees displayed higher mean wingbeat frequency and stroke amplitude in these conditions, as well as increased asymmetry in stroke amplitude—suggesting that bees employ an array of active responses to enable flight in turbulence, which may increase the energetic cost of flight. Our results provide the first direct evidence that moderate, environmentally relevant turbulence affects insect flight performance, and suggest that flying insects use diverse mechanisms to cope with these instabilities.
Structural and functional evidence supporting a role for leptin in central neural pathways influencing blood pressure in rats

Leptin, a peptide hormone normally associated with body weight homeostasis, is implicated in the generation of obesity‐induced hypertension. Administration of leptin increases sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure; however, the neural circuity involved in this pressor effect is not clearly defined. In this review we describe experiments in which pseudorabies virus was injected into the heart, kidney and the vasculature within skeletal muscle to reveal the distribution of neurones in the hypothalamus that project to these cardiovascular tissues. This distribution is compared to the well‐documented distribution of leptin receptors. Finally we discuss microinjection studies designed to examine the effect of leptin, in these regions, on sympathetic nerve discharge and arterial blood pressure. Leptin injected directly into the ventromedial hypothalamus, arcuate nucleus and lateral hypothalamic area (particularly the perifornical area) increased lumbar sympathetic nerve activity. In addition, microinjection into the ventromedial hypothalamus and parvocellular paraventricular nucleus increased blood pressure. Our results demonstrate a discrete set of hypothalamic pathways that may underlie the involvement of leptin in obesity‐induced hypertension.
Supercapacitive transport of pharmacologic agents using nanoporous gold electrodes

In this study, nanoporous gold supercapacitors were produced by electrochemical dealloying of gold‐silver alloy. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy confirmed completion of the dealloying process and generation of a porous gold material with ∼10 nm diameter pores. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry of the nanoporous gold electrodes indicated that these materials exhibited supercapacitor behavior. The storage capacity of the electrodes measured by chronoamperometry was ∼3 mC at 200 mV. Electrochemical storage and voltage‐controlled delivery of two model pharmacologic agents, benzylammonium and salicylic acid, was demonstrated. These results suggest that capacitance‐based storage and delivery of pharmacologic agents may serve as an alternative to conventional drug delivery methods.
Brussel Untangling Source Code Changes Using Program

Version control systems (VCS) are widely used to manage the history of code bases. These histories in turn provide opportunities for research. Researchers expect the commits in these version control systems to be atomic. That is, each commit performs one task. This is however not always the case. To remedy this, we propose a commit untangling technique using program slicing. In particular, we posit that all related changes are part of the same program slice. To do so, we perform program slicing on changes. Preliminary results using intra-procedural slicing have proven to be encouraging. We are currently working on expanding our work to be inter-procedural.
Bifurcations and Chaos in the Cries of Full-Term and Preterm Infants

Pain-induced crying episodes were collected from groups of full-term and preterm infants and analyzed acoustically for the relative occurrence of various dysphonation segments. The crying episodes of full-term infants were found to contain a greater number of bifurcation and aperiodic segments compared to preterm infants. The results suggest that bifurcation and aperiodic segments are normally occurring phonatory events during infant crying. The differences observed between infant groups are discussed in regard to neuromaturational differences in infants’ expression to a painful stimulus.