Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-Conditioning via Intermediate Predictions for End-to-End Neural Speaker Diarization

This paper presents a speaker diarization model that incorporates label dependency via intermediate predictions. The proposed method is categorized as an end-to-end neural diarization (EEND), which has been a promising method for solving the speaker diarization problem with a multi-label classification neural network. While most EEND-based models assume conditional independence between frame-level speaker labels, the proposed method introduces the label dependency to the models by exploiting the self-conditioning mechanism, which has been originally applied to an automatic speech recognition model. With the self-conditioning mechanism, speaker labels are iteratively refined by taking the whole sequence of intermediate speaker labels as a reference. We demonstrate the effectiveness of self-conditioning in both Transformer-based and attractor-based EEND models. To efficiently train the attractor-based EEND model, we propose an improved attractor computation module named non-autoregressive attractor, which produces speaker-wise attractors simultaneously in a non-autoregressive manner. The experiments with the CALLHOME two-speaker dataset show that the proposed self-conditioning boosts the diarization performance and progressively reduces errors through successive intermediate predictions. In addition, the proposed non-autoregressive attractor improves training efficiency and provides a synergetic boost with self-conditioning, leading to superior performance compared with existing diarization models.
Possible Toxin-Induced Acute Necrotising Encephalitis (ANE) With Secondary Vasculopathy and Paroxysmal Autonomic Instability With Dystonia (PAID) Syndrome

Acute necrotising encephalitis (ANE) is a rare and life-threatening disorder typically associated with viral pathogens triggering an inflammatory response. It is characterised by rapid neurological deterioration linked to a cytokinetic storm which radiologically manifests with cerebral radiological changes. We present a unique case not previously documented of an immunocompetent 23-year-old male who survived the course of ANE, with widespread involvement of the brain including the deep white matter, cortex, superior frontal gyrus, occipital lobe and cerebellum. His disease course was complicated by a ventilator-associated empyema, paroxysmal autonomic instability with dystonia (PAID) syndrome) and livedo reticularis which cumulatively resulted in a poor neurological outcome.
Genetic influence on urinary vitamin D binding protein excretion and serum levels: a focus on rs4588 C>A polymorphism in the GC gene

Introduction Vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) plays a crucial role in vitamin D transport and metabolism. The rs4588-A polymorphism of the GC gene, encoding VDBP, has been associated with altered serum VDBP and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between urinary VDBP excretion and serum VDBP and 25OHD levels in individuals with and without the rs4588-A allele. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 109 children (mean age: 11.96 years) to explore the impact of rs4588-A on vitamin D metabolism and urinary VDBP excretion. Biochemical analyses determined serum 25OHD and VDBP levels, and urinary VDBP-to-creatinine ratio (u-VDBP/Cr). Genotyping for rs4588 SNP was performed using LightSNiP assay. Statistical analyses included correlation, linear regression, and comparison between allele groups. Results Participants carrying the rs4588-A allele exhibited lower serum 25OHD levels compared to non-carriers (median (IQR): 11.85 (3.5) vs. 12.86 (4.9), p = 0.023). However, no statistically significant differences were observed in serum VDBP levels (126.34 ± 59.3 in rs4588-A vs. 136.49 ± 51.3 in non-rs4588-A, p = 0.141) or in u-VDBP/Cr (median (IQR): 0.4 (0.35) in rs4588-A vs. 0.386 (0.43) in non-rs4588-A, p = 0.189) between the two allele groups. A significant inverse correlation between u-VDBP/Cr and serum VDBP levels was found only in rs4588-A carriers (r = -0.367, p = 0.024). No such correlation was observed in non-carriers or the entire cohort. A linear regression analysis confirmed the impact of u-VDBP/Cr on serum VDBP levels in rs4588-A carriers (B = -0.269, t = -2.185, p = 0.035). Conclusion Individuals with the rs4588-A allele in the GC gene had lower serum 25OHD levels. An inverse correlation between urinary VDBP excretion and serum VDBP levels was observed, suggesting a partial role of the renal pathway in altered serum VDBP and 25OHD levels linked to the rs4588-A allele.
Agro-morphological Variation in 71 Traditional Rice Cultivars in Sri Lanka

Traditional rice cultivars in Sri Lanka have diverse characteristics that prove the excellent potential for utilizing them for varietal improvement. Seventy-one Sri Lankan traditional rice cultivars obtained from Plant Genetic Resources Center, Gannoruwa, Sri Lanka were used for diversity analysis. Data were collected in the middle-row-plants of each replicate and altogether 80 plants were evaluated in four replicates of each cultivar. Data were collected on 11 parameters in two consecutive Maha seasons in 2012-2014. According to the standard evaluation system of international rice research institute, 67% rice cultivars were tall, and 66% were low tillering. There was no any rice cultivar with high and good reproductive tillers/plant. Around 55% rice cultivars were partially sterile and 43% were fertile. The shortest days to maturity was recorded in Gonabaru (62 days) and the longest days to maturity was recorded in Vellainellu (105 days). The variation of agro-morphological characteristics was broad in studied rice cultivars: The recorded highest yield was 22.74 g/plant while the lowest was 1.55 g/plant. The hundred-grain-weight ranged from 3.49-1.27 g and the plant height ranged from 95-192 cm. The recorded highest number of total tillers per plant was 10 and the lowest was 3. Panicle length and panicle weight were ranged from 13-32 cm and 0.36-4.69 g consecutively. The smallest grains were in Herath and the largest grains were in Mudaliwi. The heaviest above ground biomass was achieved by Kallurundoivellai and its harvest index was the least (0.09). The highest filled grain percentage (91.48%) was recorded by Galpa Wee. The correlation analysis revealed that the yield per plant was significantly correlated with panicle weight, the total number of spikelets/panicle and number of fertile spikelets/panicle. There was no correlation between panicle length and the final yield of rice though panicle length was correlated with plant height and panicle weight. Total number of spikelets/panicle, the number of fertile spikelets/panicle, and plant height were significantly correlated with panicle weight. None of the parameters were correlated with hundred grain weight. Total biomass was correlated with plant height, the total number of spikelets, and fertile spikelets per panicle. There was no significant correlation between the biomass of rice with the final yield, however, a number of fertile tillers were correlated with a number of total tillers. Eleven parameters were sorted into four principal components that explained 87.44% of total variance and cluster analysis categorized the rice cultivars into six clusters at rescaled cluster distance 10 in Ward's linkage analysis.
4D Printing: The Development of Responsive Materials Using 3D-Printing Technology

Additive manufacturing, widely known as 3D printing, has revolutionized the production of biomaterials. While conventional 3D-printed structures are perceived as static, 4D printing introduces the ability to fabricate materials capable of self-transforming their configuration or function over time in response to external stimuli such as temperature, light, or electric field. This transformative technology has garnered significant attention in the field of biomedical engineering due to its potential to address limitations associated with traditional therapies. Here, we delve into an in-depth review of 4D-printing systems, exploring their diverse biomedical applications and meticulously evaluating their advantages and disadvantages. We emphasize the novelty of this review paper by highlighting the latest advancements and emerging trends in 4D-printing technology, particularly in the context of biomedical applications.
Multi-branch mutual learning net for vehicle re-identification

: To address the problem that the global feature extraction ability of single-branch network is low and does not have the sensitivity of specific scenes due to the interference of factors such as occlusion caused by fixed camera shooting and scale scaling caused by vehicle driving from far and near in vehicle re-identification, ML Net (Mutual Learning Net) is proposed. Firstly, the multi-branch structure of the network consists of one master branch and three slave branches, the master branch is responsible for the feature learning task in general complex scenes, and the three slave branches are responsible for the feature learning task under image occlusion, scale scaling, and vehicle color change, so that the network can be sensitive to specific scenes. Finally, the models are trained in each branching stage jointly with Label Smoothing Cross Entropy Loss, Triplet Loss and KL (Kullback-Leibler Divergence) Loss. The experimental results show that the proposed ML Net network achieves advanced experimental results on two publicly available datasets, VeRi776 and VehicleID.
Potential Application of Marine Algae and Their Bioactive Metabolites in Brain Disease Treatment: Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology Insights for Therapeutic Advances

Seaweeds, also known as edible marine algae, are an abundant source of phytosterols, carotenoids, and polysaccharides, among other bioactive substances. Studies conducted in the past few decades have demonstrated that substances derived from seaweed may be able to pass through the blood–brain barrier and act as neuroprotectants. According to preliminary clinical research, seaweed may also help prevent or lessen the symptoms of cerebrovascular illnesses by reducing mental fatigue, preventing endothelial damage to the vascular wall of brain vessels, and regulating internal pressure. They have the ability to control neurotransmitter levels, lessen neuroinflammation, lessen oxidative stress, and prevent the development of amyloid plaques. This review aims to understand the application potential of marine algae and their influence on brain development, highlighting the nutritional value of this “superfood” and providing current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms in the brain associated with their dietary introduction.
The young and the old, the fast and the slow: a large-scale study of productivity classes and rank advancement

We examined a large sample of Polish science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) scientists ( N = 16,083) to study rank advancement and productivity in the past 40 years. We used two previously neglected time dimensions – promotion age and promotion speed – to construct individual lifetime biographical and publication pro ﬁ les. We followed a classi ﬁ catory approach and the new methodological approach of journal prestige – normalized productivity. All scientists were allocated to di ﬀ erent productivity, promotion age, and promotion speed classes (top 20%, middle 60%, and bottom 20%). The patterns found were consistent across all disciplines: scientists in young promotion age classes (and fast promotion speed classes) in the past were currently the most productive. In contrast, scientists in old promotion age classes (and slow promotion speed classes) in the past were currently the least productive. In the three largest disciplines, the young-old promotion age productivity di ﬀ erential for associate professors was 100 – 200% (150 – 200% for full professors), and the fast-slow promotion speed productivity di ﬀ erential for associate professors was 80 – 150% (100 – 170% for full professors). Our results were partly supported by a regression analysis in which we examined odds ratio estimates of belonging to top productivity classes. To examine the sample, we combined biographical and demographic data collected from the national register of all Polish scientists and publication metadata on all Polish articles indexed in Scopus ( N = 935,167).
Recent advances in platelet-rich plasma and its derivatives: therapeutic agents for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a suspension of bioactive factors and chemokine enriched plasma. Platelets are a distinctive source of membrane bound and soluble proteins that are released upon their activation. The higher count of platelets renders PRP with an array of tissue regenerative abilities. PRP can be employed in the form of platelet containing plasma, platelet lysate plasma, or in the form of a pre-gelled fibrin matrix. PRP has been an essential alternative source of growth factors in the healing and regeneration of various tissues, such as musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and dermal tissue, with additional applications in other tissues, such as hepatic and neural. A wide range of preparative and isolation strategies have been developed for various forms of PRP at laboratory and commercial scales. Concomitantly, PRP has found its applicability as an active component in several tissue regenerative approaches, including 3D printed/bioprinted constructs, injectable hydrogels, and crosslinked scaffolds. This review focuses on the various forms of PRP and their preparation methods, the latest tissue engineering applications of PRP, and the various tissue-specific clinical trials and findings conducted using PRP. We have further discussed the optimizations required in the methods of preparation, delivery, and long-term storage of PRP. Therefore, this review seeks to benefit the scope of research on PRP-based therapeutic agents in tissue engineering by providing comprehensive insights into the widespread application. We envisage PRP could be instrumental in future patient-specific tissue engineering applications in both pre-clinical and clinical settings.
Effects of altered seasonality on plant phenology and function in arctic tundra

EFFECTS OF ALTERED SEASONALITY ON PLANT PHENOLOGY AND FUNCTION IN ARCTIC TUNDRA Altered seasonality is one of the many consequences of climate change that is affecting plant communities worldwide. Warmer temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and changes in duration of snow cover are a few of the seasonal changes taking place. These abiotic cues are key drivers of the annual life cycles of plants, and effects of their changes vary across ecosystems, plant communities, and individual species. Regardless, changes in vegetative phenology, through earlier and/or later leaf greening and senescence, determine the timing and extent of the growing season. The consequent impacts on ecosystem function include feedbacks to local climate, changes in trophic interactions, altered nutrient cycling and plant community dynamics, and changes in plant production and carbon balance. Because Arctic ecosystems are undergoing more rapid climate change relative to lower latitudes, plant community responses there may be indicative of changes to come in other systems. In the Arctic, seasonal changes are characterized by warmer temperatures and altered duration of snow cover. While landscape-scale observations of Arctic regions suggest a general trend towards earlier onset of greening, later plant senescence, and increased aboveground production, experiments are needed to determine the species and mechanisms that are driving these trends. Over three years, we experimentally altered the timing of snowmelt and increased temperature in moist acidic tundra. We investigated plant phenological and functional response to these changes.
How R&D Subsidies Influence High-Tech SMEs’ Knowledge Creation Through Universities

The article examines the effect of public research and development (R&D) subsidies on the knowledge creation of high-tech small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through universities. It also tests two mediating pathways: R&D collaboration with universities and the recruitment of highly educated human resources. We use exclusive panel data from a survey of high-tech firms in Jiangsu Province, China, spanning the years 2010–2014. Our findings reveal that R&D subsidies can promote high-tech SMEs’ knowledge creation through universities, and we further find that recruiting highly educated R&D human resources has a partial mediating effect. When subsidized SMEs are located in science parks, the effects of R&D subsidies on SMEs’ knowledge creation are strengthened. Our research contributes to innovation policy studies and innovation systems research. Several important policy implications are also derived from this study.
TRENDS AND VARIABILITY IN EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AT JUNAGADH, GUJARAT

Email: skchhodavadia@gmail.com Abstract Evapotranspiration demands and trends were analyzed for Junagadh region in western Gujarat by assessing reference evapotranspiration (ET o ), energy balance and aerodynamic components for 32 years (1984-2015). The analysis indicated multiple trends in annual ET o and annual aerodynamic component of ET o. In the first half of the study period, a clear decreasing trend was observed with 2002 and 2004 years having low ET o values.Later, the ET o started increasing andthe highest EToof 1522 mm was observed in the years 1987,which was drought year. Energy balance component has shown increasing trend with the increasing in temperature and sunshine hours. The trends in 32 years average ET o values indicated toincreased in kharif season while the ET o reduction in rabi season. Present study highlights the necessary to understand ET o of the region before planning and management. Key words : Weather parameters, Climate change, Penman-Monteith, ET o , Gujarat
¿Puedo entrar?: antecedentes, formas de ingresar al BRICS, y algunas lecciones para la Argentina

El presente artículo pretende examinar las diferentes formas en las que el BRICS ha buscado ampliar su membresía, evaluando así cuáles han sido los criterios y condiciones que se han aplicado hasta el momento en el proceso de admisión de nuevos miembros. Además, analizaremos los motivos que los potenciales nuevos miembros podrían tener para unirse al BRICS, como así también la posibilidad de acceder a nuevas oportunidades comerciales, fortalecer su posición geopolítica o establecer nuevas alianzas multilaterales estratégicas. Adicionalmente, el principal aporte de este análisis radica en ver no sólo cómo es que ha evolucionado la relación entre el BRICS y la Argentina, sino también cuáles han sido las mayores motivaciones que se han estructurado por detrás de ello.
Long-term detoxification of opioid use disorder with opium tincture assisted treatment

Introduction Retention in treatment, craving, and relapse rate are important indicators of the success rate in addiction maintenance therapy as they evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy and make necessary adjustments to the treatment plan. However, the rate of continuation in the treatment process and the rate of craving in patients with opioid use disorder undergoing maintenance treatment with opium tincture have not been studied. The present study aimed to investigate the rate of relapse, craving, and psychiatric disorders in patients with opioid use disorder undergoing treatment of gradual detoxification with opium tincture. Methods Ninety patients with opioid use disorder who underwent treatment with the gradual detoxification method using opium tincture in the form of Congress 60 for 11 months were enrolled in the study. The level of craving based on the Desire for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ) and patients’ self-report of drug use, the level of anxiety, depression, and sleep quality of patients were evaluated using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Also, suicidal thoughts were assessed by Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation and quality of life by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Results The study found that the treatment resulted in a relapse rate of 16.7% for relapse. We also found that all sub-scales of the desire for drug questionnaire (DDQ), depression, and anxiety were significantly lower at the end of the study compared to its beginning. Additionally, quality of life and sleep significantly increased at the end of the study. All areas of craving, anxiety, and depression significantly decreased in all follow-up sessions that took place 1, 5, and 11 months after the start of treatment. Moreover, sleep disorders were improved considerably at the end of the treatment. Conclusion The current study presented a low relapse rate of Iranian patients with opioid use disorder under structured treatment of gradual detoxification with opium tincture in a one-year follow-up period. Opium tincture under the Congress 60 protocol may help to control carving, decrease psychological disorders, improve quality of life, and consequently, lower relapse rate.
The Effect of Laterality in Modified Radical Neck Dissection on the Risk of Intraoperative Bradycardia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Intraoperative bradycardia is a hardly studied complication of modified radical neck dissection (MRND). Methods Using convenient sampling, we retrospectively studied a cohort (n = 159) of patients who underwent MRND at Papanikolaou General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece between 2019 and 2020 to investigate whether MRND laterality (bilateral vs. unilateral) affects the occurrence of intraoperative bradycardia (a pulse rate lower than 50 bpm). Results Roughly two-thirds of the patients underwent unilateral MRND, and the rest underwent bilateral MRND. Bradycardia was observed in 25.8% of the cohort. We used logistic regression and investigated several potential confounding factors. Unilateral MRND was associated with a lower risk of intraoperative bradycardia compared to bilateral MRND in the simple regression model (relative risk (RR): 0.555, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.331-0.932, p = 0.027). MRND laterality was not significantly associated with intraoperative bradycardia (p = 0.082) in the multiple regression model, whereas an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA-PS) score of 3 vs. 4 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.125, 95% CI: 0.0340-0.457, p = 0.002), the presence of atrial fibrillation (aOR = 11.4, 95% CI: 4.10-31.8, p < 0.001) and induction of anesthesia with dexmedetomidine (aOR = 4.57, 95% CI: 1.34-15.6, p = 0.015) were significantly associated with intraoperative bradycardia. Conclusions MRND laterality was close to statistical significance. Bigger sample sizes may provide more definitive information since the effect of MRND laterality on intraoperative bradycardia remains unclear. Our findings can inform clinical practice so that clinicians know when to expect bradycardia and are better prepared to manage it.
Crosstalk of ferroptosis and oxidative stress in infectious diseases

Ferroptosis is a type of programmed cell death that pathogens can leverage to enhance their replication, transmission, and pathogenicity. Hosts typically combat pathogenic infections by utilizing oxidative stress as a defense mechanism. Nonetheless, some pathogens can trigger considerable oxidative stress while infecting, inducing an intense inflammatory response in the host’s immune system and activating cell death. The process of ferroptosis is closely linked to oxidative stress, with their interaction exerting a substantial impact on the outcome of infectious diseases. This article presents an overview of the interrelated mechanisms of both Ferroptosis and oxidative stress in infectious diseases, identifying potential targets for treating such diseases in the context of their interaction.