Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Annotating Soundscapes

We describe a soundscape annotation tool for unconstrained environmental sounds. The tool segments the time-frequency-plane into regions that are likely to stem from a single source. A human annotator can classify these regions. The system learns to suggest possible annotations and presents these for acceptance. Accepted or corrected annotations will be used to improve the classification further. Automatic annotations with a very high probability of being correct might be accepted by default. This speeds up the annotation process and makes it possible to annotate complex soundscapes both quickly and in considerable detail. We performed a pilot on recordings of uncontrolled soundscapes at locations in Assen (NL) made in the early spring of 2009. Initial results show that the system is able to propose the correct class in 75% of the cases.
23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, Valencia, Spain, Sept. 2008 PROGRESS IN THE SURFACE PASSIVATION OF SILICON SOLAR CELLS

In order to increase the efficiency of silicon-wafer-based solar cells in production well above 20%, it is indispensable to improve the currently applied level of surface passivation at the front as well as at the rear of the cells. This paper focuses on two main challenges: (i) the low-temperature passivation of lowly doped p-type silicon surfaces at the cell rear and (ii) the passivation of highly boron-doped p emitter surfaces as used at the front of solar cells on high-lifetime n-type silicon wafers. In the past, low surface recombination velocities (< 20 cm/s) have been achieved on low-resistivity (~1 Ωcm) p-type silicon using plasma-enhanced chemical-vapour-deposited (PECVD) silicon nitride (SiNx) as well as amorphous silicon (a-Si). However, the high density of fixed positive charges within the PECVD-SiNx layer induces an inversion layer at the rear of p-type Si cells, producing a detrimental parasitic shunting, which reduces the short-circuit current density by up to 3 mA/cm. The passivation quality of a-Si on the other hand is very temperature sensitive. More recently it has been shown that atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) aluminium oxide (Al2O3) provides an outstanding level of surface passivation, which can be attributed to its extremely high negative fixed charge density in combination with the very gentle deposition technique ALD, leading to low interface state densities. The application of these ALD-Al2O3 layers to the rear of p-type solar cells shows that this new passivation scheme is indeed suitable for high efficiencies and that due to the large negative fixed charge density no parasitic shunting occurs. We also demonstrate that ALD-Al2O3 seems to be the ideal passivation layer for borondoped p emitter surfaces. In a direct comparison with other passivation schemes, it is found that Al2O3 even outperforms optimized thermally grown SiO2 and opens the possibility of achieving very large open-circuit voltages up to Voc = 740 mV.
Validity of New Methods in Soil and Structural Dynamics

New inventive methods in Soil and Structural Dynamics typically include acceptance of certain assumptions, a new or modified theoretical approach and development of hardware with software which are necessary for contemporary analysis of the soil-structure dynamic systems. However, hardware and software cannot themselves solve engineering vibration problems without engineering analysis and judgment. For validity of new methods, it is necessary to apply the engineering basis to prove the assumptions used in method derivations, determine accuracy of computed results and find the areas of applications and restrictions of the methods. This approach has been shown on the basis of a new method made for prediction of soil and structural vibrations from impact machine foundations before their construction.
VISUALIZING 3D CLIMATE DATA IN URBAN 3D MODELS

Abstract. In order to understand and explain urban climate, the visual analysis of urban climate data and their relationships with the urban morphology is at stake. This involves partly to co-visualize 3D field climate data, obtained from simulation, with urban 3D models. We propose two ways to visualize and navigate into simulated climate data in urban 3D models, using series of horizontal 2D planes and 3D point clouds. We then explore different parameters regarding transparency, 3D semiologic rules, filtering and animation functions in order to improve the visual analysis of climate data 3D distribution. To achieve this, we apply our propositions to the co-visualization of air temperature data with a 3D urban city model.
Multilevel Information Security For Multimedia Data Communication

— In the present day, the information technology has become the most evolving technologies in the world. Multimedia is the content that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, videos and also animations for the purpose of communication. Since the multimedia communication has increased enormously, which may be carrying the important data in it, information security becomes the utter need. Thus, three different level of security is provided based on the secrecy of the data to be communicated. Some simple but essential data can be sent with single level of security using steganography techniques. And for second level, steganography is used along with the encryption. And when highly sensitive and very important data needs to be communicated between two parties, then hashing and cryptography techniques along with steganography technique is used. Thus efficient security system can be built for any kind of data.
Research on the Number of Nitrogen-Fixing Microorganism and Community Structure of Nitrogen-Fixing(nifH) Genes in the Alkali Soils of Alpine Steppe in the Qilian Mountains

The physicochemical characteristics,the number of culturable nitrogen-fixing bacteria and the community structure of nitrogen-fixing(nifH) genes in the alkali soils of alpine steppe in the Qilian Mountains are investigated in the present study.It is found that the number of culturable nitrogen-fixing bacteria is between 3.6×105~0.21×105 CFUs·g-1 within the depth of 0-40 cm.The number of nitrogen-fixing bacteria decreases with soil depth in three soil samples,except one sample(AQ4) at the altitude of 3 001 m. The number of nitrogen-fixing bacteria has a significant positive correlation with the underground biomass,and positive correlations with organic carbon,soluble organic nitrogen,rapidly available phosphorus and rapidly available potassium.However,it has negative correlations with soil pH value and total salt.Gene sequencing shows that in a community structure of 37 nitrogen-fixing(nifH) genes there are Cyanobacteria genes(41%),Proteobacteria genes(8%),Firmicutes genes(14%) and unknown bacterium genes(37%). Cyanobacteria genes exist in all soil samples,except for the sample AQ4,and are dominate nitrogen-fixing(nifH) genes in the sample AQ1.It is also found four new nitrogen-fixing(nifH) genes.They are AQ1-12(KC412109),Q4-3(KC412133),AQ4-4(KC412133) and AQ4-5(KC412133),among which AQ4-3(KC412133),AQ4-4(KC412133) and AQ4-5(KC412133) are the dominate genes in sample AQ4.
STUDYING EVOLUTION OF HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION MATERIALS IN THE TURRIALBA VOLCANO TROUGH MULTISPECTRAL AND HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGES

Abstract. The aim of this work is to develop a geospatial methodology for the analysis of the time evolution of The Turrialba volcano using different automatic imaging techniques compared to expert-based remote sensing techniques. Change detection of hydrothermal alteration materials in relation with time series from multisensor data acquired in spectral ranges of the visible (VIS) and short wave infrared (SWIR) have been calculated. We used for this purpose multispectral and hyperspectral scenes of the Sentinel 2, ALI and Hyperion sensors, respectively, on four dates from 2013 and 2018. This work adopts a multi-source approach, applied to the analysis of the correlations between hydrothermal materials and spectral anomalies in The Turrialba volcano complex, located in The Central Volcanic Range (Costa Rica). An expert-based technique called Crosta’s technique for detecting hydrothermal materials have been applied. We have chosen four variables for generating a different Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for groups of channels, two highly reflective and two highly absorptive for each mineral. We have tested another technique to detect hydrothermal materials based on a discrete spectral profile analysis and an unsupervised data mining approach. In other sense, we have applied an automatic technique called anomaly detection to compare with the hydrothermal materials results. Results are presented as an approach based on a comparison of two different strategies whose main future interest lies in the automated identification of patterns of hydrothermally altered materials without prior knowledge or poor information about the area, which has relevant implications in image-based prospecting.
Speech Signal Analysis and Speaker Recognition by Signal Processing

— Recent developments in digital signal processing (DSP) technology make it easier for scientist to develop powerful personal computer based data acquisition and analysis system. Speaker recognition by signal processing technique is the process of automatically recognizing who is speaking on the basis of individual information included in speech waves . Speaker recognition methods can be divided into text independent and text independent methods . In a text independent system, speaker models capture characteristics of somebody speech ,which show up irrespective of what one is saying . On the other hand in a text independent system the recognition of speaker identity is based on the person speaking one or more specific phrases like passwords ,card numbers etc . This technique makes it possible to use the speaker voice to verify their identity and control access to services such as voice dialing ,banking by telephone ,telephone shopping ,data base access services, information services ,voice mails ,security control for confidential information areas ,and remote access to computers. Area of artificial intelligence where machine performance can exceed human performance-using short utterances and large number of speakers, machine accuracy often exceed that of human being . Thus ,with the help of MATLAB .
Globalization and gender inequality: Evidence from South Africa

Inequality has been rising in most countries for several decades, with negative consequences for social cohesion and economic growth. Substantial gender wage gaps contribute significantly to overall wage inequality. We look at an often-overlooked driver of gender inequality: international trade. Trading firms constitute 70 per cent of employment in South African manufacturing and, hence, have a large impact on the country's labour dynamics.
Exchange rate determination in Jamaica: A market microstructures and macroeconomic fundamentals approach Wright, Allan S and Craigwell, Roland C and RamjeeSingh, Diaram

This paper uses the error correcting methodology to investigate how pegged and non-pegged exchange rate regimes in a set of Caribbean countries affect the closeness of the relationship between changes in a base country rate and the local rate. This interest rate parity condition is subjected to effects arising from capital controls and common shocks related to inflation and external debt. The results support the standard theory that peg countries (like Barbados) follow the base country interest rate more closely than the managed float or flexible rate economies (such as Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica). In addition, the paper supports the open economy macroeconomic policy trilemma proposition that only two of the following goals – stability in the exchange rate, national independence in monetary policy and free capital mobilitycan be achieved simultaneously.
Running head: COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL COUPLE THERAPY PILOT FOR PVD TITLE: Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a novel cognitive-behavioral couple therapy for provoked vestibulodynia: A pilot study AUTHORS:

Serena Corsini-Munt, MA (PhD Candidate), Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Sophie Bergeron, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Natalie O. Rosen, PhD, Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Marie-Hélène Mayrand, MD, FRCSC, PhD, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Isabelle Delisle, MD, FRCSC, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IWK Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Is Banking Really Prone to Panics?

The private market may not adequately protect against contagious runs (through, for example, higher capital and liquidity levels). This is because individual bank managers are concerned only about their own profitability, and have no incentive to limit the negative burdens or "externalities" they impose on other banks. Deposit insurance and the regulation of bank capital thus can be justified as a means of controlling the externality problem by limiting the tendency to run and increasing the protection against runs.
Does Pre-operative Biliary Drainage Influence Long-Term Survival in Patients With Obstructive Jaundice With Resectable Pancreatic Head Cancer?

Objectives: Whether pre-operative biliary drainage (PBD) affects long-term survival of patients with obstructive jaundice with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy is still controversial. Most of the previous research did not include the important total serum bilirubin (TB) level before intervention as well as before surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of PBD on long-term survival after considering the TB level. Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from patients with obstructive jaundice who underwent resection of pancreatic head cancer in a high-volume center. X-Tile software and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were applied to determine the optimal cut-off levels for TB and age based on the minimal probability (P)-value and the largest χ2-value. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed after univariate analysis to assess independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results: Of 426 patients with obstructive jaundice who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for resectable pancreatic head cancer during a 7 year period, 242 (56.8%) received PBD and 184 (43.2%) underwent surgery directly. The OS of patients who received PBD was significantly worse than that of patients who did not receive PBD by univariate analysis (median of 16.6 vs. 22.2 months, P = 0.048). After including liver function parameters in the multivariate Cox regression, we found that the use of PBD was not associated with OS or DFS, while TB before intervention >150 μmol/L was an independent adverse prognostic factor for both OS [hazard ratio (HR), 1.42; 95% CI, 1.05–1.91] and DFS (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.08–1.77). Conclusions: In patients with obstructive jaundice with resectable pancreatic head cancer, undergoing PBD before pancreaticoduodenectomy did not impair or benefit survival rates compared with surgery alone. However, TB before intervention >150 μmol/L predicted an unfavorable prognosis, irrespective of the PBD procedure.
Cutting Calories: The Preference for Lower Caloric Density Versus Smaller Quantities Among Restrained and Unrestrained Eaters

The marketplace includes many attractive high-calorie indulgent food offerings. Despite their appeal, consumers may often be prompted to consider lower-calorie-package offerings instead (e.g., 100-calorie packs). The question thus arises: What predicts consumers’ preferences between different kinds of lower-calorie offerings? The authors conceptualize two different routes to lower-calorie versions of indulgent foods: a lower-caloric-density version (e.g., baked potato chips) or a smaller-portion-size version (e.g., a smaller bag of potato chips). The authors examine how such versions are differentially preferred and why, focusing on the key role of dietary restraint. The authors show that as dietary restraint increases, the preference for a lower-calorie version created via lower caloric density (vs. a smaller portion size) increases. Differential weights placed on health and fullness goals help explain differing preferences across dietary restraint (as the lower-caloric-density version is perceived as healthier and more filling, albeit less tasty, than the smaller-portion-size version). This framework offers theoretical implications for understanding two routes to cutting calories, practical implications for food marketers, and methodological implications for studying food choices.
Digital Re-imagination of Software and Systems Processes for Quality Engineering: iSPIN Approach

Software quality has become the lever of differentiation in today’s competitive marketplace. Quality at speed is the customer demand and automation is the biggest bottleneck holding the evolution of quality function. Increased levels of automation and intelligence in software engineering are the emerging trends across the IT field. As systems and software processes guide the life cycle activities and are the vehicles for building quality, it is necessary to look at the process infrastructure for the extent of process automation support provided and the digital enablement. This paper maps out the existing process infrastructure support in industry practice and proposes a roadmap for digital re-imagination of software and systems processes. Harmonizing the quality engineering themes with digital technologies, we propose a framework for building an intelligent software process infrastructure, iSPIN that can help in digital re-imagination of software and systems lifecycle processes. The framework has been implemented using digital technologies and has been piloted with one of the industry business unit for reimagination of “proposal process”. The proposed iSPIN framework will help in unprecedented automation and quality engineering at each process step and paves the way towards realizing the dictums of “Quality at Speed” and “Digital transformation of Software Process”.
A Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Novel Patterns of Gene Expression During 3T3-L1 Adipocyte Differentiation

Background Obesity is characterized by increased adipose tissue mass that results from increased fat cell size (hypertrophy) and number (hyperplasia). The molecular mechanisms that govern the regulation and differentiation of adipocytes play a critical role for better understanding of the pathological mechanism of obesity. However, the mechanism of adipocyte differentiation is still unclear. Objective The present study aims to compare the gene expression changes during adipocyte differentiation in the transcriptomic level, which may help to better understand the mechanism of adipocyte differentiation. Methods RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology, GO and KEGG analysis, quantitative RT-PCR, and oil red O staining methods were used in this study. Results A lot of genes were up- or down-regulated between each two differentiation stages of 3T3-L1 cells. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that lipid metabolism and oxidation–reduction reaction were mainly involved in the whole process of adipocyte differentiation. Decreased immune response and cell cycle adhesion occurred in the late phase of adipocyte differentiation, which was demonstrated by divergent expression pattern analysis. Moreover, quantitative RT-PCR results showed that the mRNA expression levels of Trpv4, Trpm4, Trpm5, and Trpm7 were significantly decreased in the differentiated adipocytes. On the other hand, the mRNA expression levels of Trpv1, Trpv2, Trpv6, and Trpc1 were significantly increased in the differentiated adipocytes. Besides, the mRNA expressions of TRPV2 and TRPM7 were also significantly increased in subcutaneous white adipose tissue from diet-induced mice. In addition, the activation of TRPM7, TRPV1, and TRPV2 suppressed the differentiation of adipocytes. Conclusion These data present the description of transcription profile changes during adipocyte differentiation and provides an in-depth analysis of the possible mechanisms of adipocyte differentiation. These data offer new insight into the understanding of the mechanisms of adipocyte differentiation.
Development of Conceptual Flexibility in Intuitive Biology: Effects of Environment and Experience

Living things can be classified in many ways, such as taxonomic similarity (lions and lynx), or shared ecological habitat (ducks and turtles). The present studies used card-sorting and triad tasks to explore developmental and experiential changes in conceptual flexibility–the ability to switch between taxonomic and ecological construals of living things–as well as two processes underlying conceptual flexibility: salience (i.e., the ease with which relations come to mind outside of contextual influences) and availability (i.e., the presence of relations in one’s mental space) of taxonomic and ecological relations. We were also interested in the extent to which salience and availability of taxonomic and ecological relations predicted inductive inferences. Participants were 452 six to ten-year-olds from urban, suburban, and rural communities in New England. Across two studies, taxonomic relations were overwhelmingly more salient than ecological relations, although salience of ecological relations was higher among children from rural environments (Study 1) and those who engaged in unstructured exploration of nature (Study 2). Availability of ecological relations, as well as conceptual flexibility, increased with age, and was higher among children living in more rural environments. Notably, salience, but not availability, of ecological relations predicted ecological inferences. These findings suggest that taxonomic categories (i.e., groups that share both perceptual similarities and rich underlying structure) are a salient way to organize intuitive biological knowledge and that, critically, environmental richness and relevant experience contribute to the salience and availability of ecological knowledge, and thereby, conceptual flexibility in biological thinking. More generally, they highlight important linkages between domain-specific knowledge and domain-general cognitive abilities.
Locational Choices: Modeling Consumer Preferences for Proximity to Others in Reserved Seating Venues

This article proposes a measurement approach to determine how consumers prefer to locate themselves in proximity to others during consumption experiences, such as when they purchase reserved seating tickets to a performance. Applied to data from locational choice experiments that simulate reserved seating assortments, administered to more than 2,000 participants, this approach reveals the importance of modeling proximity to others when studying locational choices. It also emphasizes the degree to which consumers are heterogeneous in their preferences for proximity to both focal elements (e.g., stage, screen, aisles) and other consumers. Therefore, event operators should collect data beyond purchase ticket logs and also include consumers who did not purchase. Furthermore, this study illustrates how managers can use fitted, individual-level parameters and an optimization model to make more effective seat-level availability decisions. In addition to these recommendations for managers of reserved seating venues, this article offers novel contributions to research related to advance selling, spatial models, and personal space.