Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterizing Electrophysiological Response Properties of the Peripheral Auditory System Evoked by Phonemes in Normal and Hearing Impaired Ears

Objective: This study aimed to characterize time and spectral domain characteristics of the phoneme-evoked electrocochleography (ECochG) response and explore potential associations between the ECochG spectral content, word recognition scores (WRSs), residual hearing, and aging in normal and hearing-impaired listeners. Design: This was a prospective study with 25 adult participants. All participants underwent intraoperative ECochG testing and responses were recorded from the round window niche. Participants were divided into two groups based on their preoperative pure tone average: normal/mild sensorineural hearing loss and moderate/moderately-severe sensorineural hearing loss. Target stimuli were a 40 ms /da/ and an 80 ms /ba/ presented in alternating polarity (rarefaction/condensation). Waveform response patterns were analyzed including amplitude, latency, and spectra. Structural similarity index measure (SSIM) was used to determine similarity between the stimulus spectrum and that of the ECochG differential waveform. Correlation analyses were carried out among pure tone average, SSIM, age, and WRS. Results: ECochG alternating waveform morphology evoked by the /da/ stimulus consisted of five prominent peaks labeled N1-N5. Its spectrum was dominated by the fundamental (F0) frequency. The ECochG alternating response evoked by /ba/ consisted of nine prominent peaks labeled N1-N9 and was also dominated by F0. Amplitudes and latencies were not statistically different between groups for both stimuli. Significant positive correlations were found between SSIM and WRS for responses evoked by /da/ (r = 0.56) and responses evoked by /ba/ (r = 0.67). High frequency pure tone average and the /ba/ SSIM were found to have a significant negative correlation (r = −0.58). Conclusions: Speech-like stimuli have become increasingly utilized in the assessment of auditory function. Here, we provided the groundwork for understanding how commonly employed syllable stimuli are encoded by the peripheral auditory system in regard to temporal and spectral characteristics. Expanding this work to include measurements of central auditory processing in conjunction with cochlear physiology is warranted to further understand the relationship between peripheral and central encoding of speech-like stimuli.
Potential of Internet of Things and Semantic Web Technologies in the Health Sector

Science and technology have become essential components of healthcare. The emergence of Artificial intelligence (AI), Blockhain, mobile techs, Internet of Things (IoT) and Semantic Web Technologies (SWTs) etcetera have amplified the growing influence of technology in global health systems. IoT and SWTs in particular are seen as the next-generation technologies that can revolutionize global health systems. Thus, this paper examines the various potentials of IoT and SWTs in the health sector, with a view to creating more awareness regarding its prospects and associated risks, and also to assist stakeholders to maximize its possibilities to enrich healthcare delivery. We deduced that both IoT and SWTs harbour promising features that are now being deployed in the health sector to enhance quality service delivery, medical research and innovations, smart health, telemedicine, communications, patient care and effective health outcomes just to mention but a few. We conclude that the adoption and implementation of IoT-based devices and SWTs will be significant in sustainability and improvement of healthcare systems in the future. However, privacy and medical data security remains a major source of concern to many stakeholders.
DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTI-BODY WALL CLIMBING ROBOT WITH TRACKED WHEEL MECHANISM

This paper aims to develop a multi-body mobile robot which has the capabilities to climb walls and make wall-to-wall transitions. The developed robot consists of three connected bodies, two links, and ten tracked wheels actuated by nine motors. Six vacuum suction pads are installed on each tracked wheel and one additional suction pad is attached to the 2nd body for the steering motion of the entire robot. While each tracked wheel rotates on the vertical plane, the suction pads are automatically activated by the sequential opening of the mechanical valves in pneumatic cylinders, thus enabling the continuous locomotive motion. The kinematics of the proposed mechanism is analytically studied and the capabilities of the robot are experimentally verified in the case of vertical wall climbing and wall-to-wall transition between 90 degree walls. The overall size of the robot is 1000mm x 1600mm x 300 mm with a mass of about 70kg. The maximum climbing speed and carrying payload are 3m/min and 10 kg respectively.
Prospects for a simultaneous atom interferometer with ultracold cadmium and strontium for fundamental physics tests

Matter-wave interferometers operating as clocks and gravimeters allow for precision measurements of time and gravity at unprecedented levels. In all these sensors, the exquisite control of both the internal (electronic) and external (center-of-mass motion) degrees of freedom of ultracold atomic samples enable interactions at their most basic, quantum level to be studied, paving the way for new tests of fundamental physics. For all these applications, novel interferometric schemes based on the narrow intercombination transitions of alkali-earth (and alkali-earth like) atoms have recently gained considerable attention. Here we present the work towards the realization of a simultaneous atom interferometer with cadmium and strontium atoms and the potential physics such a system could explore, along the idea of the ERC - “TICTOCGRAV” EU research project. In particular, we present the design and implementation of the high-power UV laser sources necessary for performing atom interferometry with cadmium and the prospects for developing a high-flux, cold source of cadmium. Potential applications of a simultaneous cadmium and strontium atom interferometer, including to weak equivalence principle and quantum time dilation tests, are discussed.
The Effect of Comprehensive Feeding Practices and Physical Activities on the Over-nutritional Status of Preschoolers in the Working Area of Juanda Community Health Center Samarinda

: The prevalence of obesity in children under five based on the latest Riskesdas (2018) is 8.0%. This is still a nutritional problem in Indonesia¸ although it’s has shown a decrease case. Because it’s causing other health problems. This study aimed to determine the effect of comprehensive feeding practices and physical activity on over nutritional status in preschool children at the working area of Puskesmas Juanda. The design of the study was a case control 1:2 with a total sample 36 IRT. Primary data collection used the CFPQ and Pre-PAQ, as well as secondary data through the latest posyandu weighing records. Data analysis used Chi Square test and Odds Ratio with a significance value of 0.05. The results showed that there was an effect of comprehensive feeding practices (p = 0.001; OR=26,714) and physical activity (p = 0.000; OR=33) on the over-nutrition status of preschool children (3-5 years) in the working area of Juanda Community Health Center Samarinda. It’s advisable for mothers to pay more attention to the needs of the child's nutritional needs when feeding, and to support the child more actively by bringing the child to an open space area regularly (at least 180 minutes a day for children to move actively).
Risk Factors Associated with Prolonged Postoperative Opioids Use in Non-Cancer Patients Undergoing Spinal Surgery: a Retrospective Study

Objective: To identify risk factors associated with prolonged postoperative opioids use in non-cancer patients undergoing spinal surgery.Material and Methods: The medical records of patients, who underwent spinal surgery at Songklanagarind Hospital; from January 2014 to January 2019, were retrospectively reviewed, Data analysis was performed using multinomial logistic regression to identify independent factors associated with prolonged postoperative opioids use.Results: There were 65 out of 500 patients (13.0%) who had prolonged postoperative opioids usage. Opioids used before surgery as well as length of hospital stay after surgery were risk factors associated with prolonged postoperative opioids use (relative risk (RR), 47.65; 95% CI, 17.67-128.49 and RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.14, respectively). Whereas, preoperative gabapentinoids use reduced the risk of prolonged postoperative opioids use (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13-0.83). Conclusion: Avoiding preoperative opioids used, by using gabapentinoids instead could reduce the risk associated with prolonged postoperative opioids use; in addition to related morbidity and mortality in non-cancer spinal pain patients.
Diving with dignity? Older women scuba divers, constraints and accessible tourism on the Great Barrier Reef

ABSTRACT The average age of travelers is rising. Research shows increases in the older tourist segment, which prefers opportunities to participate in adventurous activities. Recent figures from Australia show increases in numbers of over 50's women who are signing on for dive classes and trips, yet few studies have examined this group. Older divers often require specialized services. This autoethnographic study aims to bridge the gap in knowledge of leisure constraints encountered by an older woman diver on a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef and offer insights relating to this growing cohort's needs. The five phases of the leisure experience were applied to the author's diving experience to address the scarcity of studies of this cohort. It presents new perspectives on accessible tourism for older adventurous women, such as the challenges of managing heavy gear and the need for suitable spaces to undress in privacy and comfort.
Impact of FDI and Its Absorption Capacity on the National Innovation Ecosystems: Evidence from the Largest FDI Recipient Countries of the World

Foreign direct investment (FDI) improves economic growth by stimulating native investment, facilitating technology transfers in the recipient country and increasing human capital development, thus playing a vital role in economic development. On the other hand, innovation is also considered one of the major drivers for the economic growth of a country. This study empirically investigates the impact of FDI and its absorption capacity on the national innovation system of the world’s top five largest FDI recipient countries for the period of 1990–2016. Using two-stage analysis (DEA and Tobit regression), we found that research and development expenditures, researchers in the host country and the number of patents, trademark and industrial design applications are positive drivers of the national innovation systems. Moreover, the FDI inflows positively impact the innovation efficiency in the host countries. However, the strength of this relationship depends on the availability of the absorption capacity of FDI in the host country. The result shows that the global financial crisis and inflation negatively impact the FDI inflows and innovation efficiency in the sample countries. It concludes that FDI inflows and the country’s strength of domestic absorption capacity are essential drivers for developing national innovation ecosystems. JEL Codes: F1, F4, G10, M21
Online Correction of Camera Poses for the Surround-view System: A Sparse Direct Approach

The surround-view module is an indispensable component of a modern advanced driving assistance system. By calibrating the intrinsics and extrinsics of the surround-view cameras accurately, a top-down surround-view can be generated from raw fisheye images. However, poses of these cameras sometimes may change. At present, how to correct poses of cameras in a surround-view system online without re-calibration is still an open issue. To settle this problem, we introduce the sparse direct framework and propose a novel optimization scheme of a cascade structure. This scheme is actually composed of two levels of optimization and two corresponding photometric error based models are proposed. The model for the first-level optimization is called the ground model, as its photometric errors are measured on the ground plane. For the second level of the optimization, it’s based on the so-called ground-camera model, in which photometric errors are computed on the imaging planes. With these models, the pose correction task is formulated as a nonlinear least-squares problem to minimize photometric errors in overlapping regions of adjacent bird’s-eye-view images. With a cascade structure of these two levels of optimization, an appropriate balance between the speed and the accuracy can be achieved. Experiments show that our method can effectively eliminate the misalignment caused by cameras’ moderate pose changes in the surround-view system. Source code and test cases are available online at https://cslinzhang.github. io/CamPoseCorrection/.
Agente Híbrido Recomendador de Objetos de Aprendizaje

In this paper research we present the model and prototype of a Hybrid Recommender Agent to suggest learning resources or learning objects for a course from applying data mining techniques. This recommender takes as inputs the Instructional Design, Attributes Model and Learning Styles Theory to perform the search, selection and recommendation of learning objects on a repository in the cloud.
The Politics of Stability in Kazakhstan: Depoliticising Participation Through Consultative Ideology?

Abstract Kazakhstan’s National Council for Public Trust was created in response to the protests before and after the 2019 presidential elections and was promoted by the regime as a platform for dialogue between state and society. Such consultative institutions have been studied primarily through institutional–functional perspectives, which remain, however, unclear about the motives for setting up such councils and their effects. Based on an analysis of official narratives, this essay argues that Kazakhstan’s National Council was established to promote a consultative ideology that advocates for state-organised dialogue between citizens and the government. As part of Kazakhstan’s politics of stability, consultative ideology aimed at depoliticising requests for democratisation and civil society participation. However, as the regime did not fully deliver on its promise to involve relevant stakeholders and allow an open debate, official narratives were rejected by the protest movement and thus had limited depoliticising effects. It thus remains doubtful that consultative ideology will be effective and accepted by the general population.
Carbon Dynamics in Rewetted Tropical Peat Swamp Forests

Degraded and drained peat swamp forests (PSFs) are major sources of carbon emissions in the forestry sector. Rewetting interventions aim to reduce carbon loss and to enhance the carbon stock. However, studies of rewetting interventions in tropical PSFs are still limited. This study examined the effect of rewetting interventions on carbon dynamics at a rewetted site and an undrained site. We measured aboveground carbon (AGC), belowground carbon (BGC), litterfall, heterotrophic components of soil respiration (Rh), methane emissions (CH4), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration at both sites. We found that the total carbon stock at the rewetted site was slightly lower than at the undrained site (1886.73 ± 87.69 and 2106.23 ± 214.33 Mg C ha−1, respectively). The soil organic carbon (SOC) was 1685 ± 61 Mg C ha−1 and 1912 ± 190 Mg C ha−1 at the rewetted and undrained sites, respectively, and the carbon from litterfall was 4.68 ± 0.30 and 3.92 ± 0.34 Mg C ha−1 year−1, respectively. The annual average Rh was 4.06 ± 0.02 Mg C ha−1 year−1 at the rewetted site and was 3.96 ± 0.16 Mg C ha−1 year−1 at the undrained site. In contrast, the annual average CH4 emissions were −0.0015 ± 0.00 Mg C ha−1 year−1 at the rewetted site and 0.056 ± 0.000 Mg C ha−1 year−1 at the undrained site. In the rewetted condition, carbon from litter may become stable over a longer period. Consequently, carbon loss and gain mainly depend on the magnitude of peat decomposition (Rh) and CH4 emissions.
Searching for the cognitive basis of anti-vaccination attitudes

Abstract Research on the reasons for vaccine hesitancy has largely focused on factors directly related to vaccines. In contrast, the present study focused on cognitive factors that are not conceptually related to vaccines but that have been linked to other epistemically suspect beliefs such as conspiracy theories and belief in fake news. This survey was conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic (N = 356). The results showed that anti-vaccination attitudes decreased slightly with cognitive abilities and analytic thinking styles, and strongly with scientific literacy. In addition, anti-vaccination attitudes increased slightly with teleological bias and strongly with an intuitive thinking style, ontological biases, and religious and paranormal beliefs. The results suggest that the same cognitive mechanisms that predispose to other epistemically suspect beliefs may predispose to anti-vaccination attitudes as well. The findings also indicate that pro-vaccination communication should focus on early prevention and that interventions against vaccine hesitancy should strive to be intuitively appealing.
The porous urban

I have just finished a spell of fieldwork in Shunde, an (extra-)ordinary city in Pearl River Delta. A place struggling with its not-yet-urban-enough landscapes, this city hosts many influential enterprises (and even industries) in the global production chain of household appliances and hence becomes a key part of the ‘World’s Factory. ’ What attracts me to visit here, though, is not its crucial role in the global production chain, but instead for the fact that it also nurtures one of the world’s largest property developers. More interestingly, this developer was only a local town and village enterprise (TVE) thirty years ago. Investing heavily in robotics, it is now placing itself at the frontier of the trend of automation in the construction industry. Yet, when I arrived at this field site, I was at once shocked by the topography of this developer’s headquarters (see Figure 1). While many high-rise buildings have been erected, this area is by and large rural from the local residents’ point of view. Those buildings are surrounded by villages and agricultural land, mostly for nursery gardens and orchards to cultivate ornamental plants (such as the New Year Oranges in Figure 1). Located at the boundary between two big cities in the Great Bay Area, plenty of property projects have been developed here, ranging from villas to multi-storey and high-rise residential units. Nevertheless, there is always an invisible wall separating those ‘urban’ communities from their rural surroundings. This could be labelled as a kind of ‘enclave urbanism’—in terms of segregated and gated developments with various boundaries that demarcate the urban, inducing new forms of exclusion (Douglass, Wissink, and Van Kempen 2012, 169). But I think this label per se might not be adequate to illustrate well the local ecology of urbanisation. Many residents in these enclaves, for instance, might appeal to the surrounding ‘rural’ communities in terms of their children’s education or even of their own businesses. On the other hand, this developer is also inspired by the co-existence of the urban way of life and its surrounding ‘natural’ (not-yeturban) landscapes, and starts to wrap up a new model of property development through their own conception of ‘green urbanism’ (Koh, Zhao, and Shin 2021). Instead of highlighting the separation and segregation between the urban and the rural, or between the enclave and its outside, I think it might be better to look into this phenomenon through the lens of porosity. In a visit paid to Naples
Evaluation of the Uniformity and Distribution of Water Spray Due to Type of Lay Flat Sprinkler Hose and Pumping Pressure

Received: October 23, 2019 Revised: November 19, 2019 Accepted: November 25, 2019 Lay flat sprinkler hoses are widely use in S. Korea due to its reasonable price and flexibility. However, it applies a lot of water for a short time in a field that potentially causing unbalanced irrigation. In addition, there have been not many studies on characteristics such as irrigation uniformity. In this regards, the purpose of this study was to provide fundamental data for the design and operation of lay flat sprinkler by evaluating the irrigation uniformity and the watering pattern according to the change of water pressure. The most important characteristics for the uniformity were a pattern, number, and diameter of the holes on the lay flat sprinkler hoses. The amount of irrigation was different up to 2.3 times under the same (or about same) water pressure. Statistical uniformity (CV) of the sprinkler hose A, B, C showed good to fair, good, and fair respectively. Emission uniformity (EU) of the sprinkler hose A, B, and C classified good, excellent to good, and fair individually. The results of this study would be useful for proper water management by providing fundamental data such as water pressure level, spacing, and water management when installing lay flat sprinkler hoses in crop cultivating sites.
Analysis of Ultralow Power Radio Frequency Beamforming Using Transmission-Line Transformers and Tunable Passives

Traditional methods for radio frequency (RF) beamforming require significant amounts of power, making them difficult to deploy in some low-power applications. A detailed analysis of RF beamforming utilizing transmission-line transformers (TLTs) and balanced impedance phase shifters (BIPSs) is presented. This technique enables ultralow-power RF beamformers by: 1) leveraging the RF feed lines to implement a low-loss TLT for signal combining and 2) using the balanced impedance tuning of shunt passives to implement simple, low-loss phase shifters. We highlight some of the key advantages of this beamforming approach for low-power systems and show how this idea can be expanded to arrays of more than two antenna elements by introducing a crossover switch into the phase shifters to extend the beam-steering range. In addition, a thorough comparison between the theoretical and measured performances of a simplified prototype system is provided for key system metrics, including loss and bandwidth. The prototype system is a fully passive 2-GHz two-element RF beamformer, utilizing TLTs and BIPS, realized with off-the-shelf components and a standard FR4 PCB.