Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Voice Spoo ng Attacks and Countermeasures: A Systematic Review, Analysis, and Experimental Evaluation

With the advent of automated speaker verification (ASV) systems comes an equal and opposite development: malicious actors may seek to use voice spoofing attacks to fool those same systems. Various countermeasures have been proposed to detect these spoofing attacks, but current offerings in this arena fall short of a unified solution. For this reason, defensive measures for ASV systems produced in the last 6-7 years need to be classified, and qualitative and quantitative comparisons of state-of-the-art (SOTA) countermeasures should be performed to assess the effectiveness of these systems against real-world attacks. Hence, in this work, we conduct a review of the literature on spoofing detection using hand-crafted features, deep learning, and end-to-end spoofing countermeasure solutions to detect logical access (LA) attacks, such as speech synthesis (SS) and voice conversion (VC), and physical access (PA) attacks, i.e., replay attacks. Additionally, we review integrated and unified solutions to voice spoofing evaluation and speaker verification, and adversarial and anti-forensic attacks on both voice countermeasures and ASV systems. In an extensive experimental analysis, the limitations and challenges of existing spoofing countermeasures are presented, the performance of these countermeasures on several datasets is reported, and cross-corpus evaluations are performed, something that is nearly absent in the existing literature, in order to assess the generalizability of existing solutions. For the experiments, we employ the
Transport of bacteria in an aquifer sand: Experiments and model simulations

Experiments were carried out to determine the breakthrough of bacteria through a saturated aquifer sand at three flow velocities and three cell concentrations. Bacteria were either suspended in deionized water or 0.01 mol L−1 NaCl solution. Bacterial transport was found to increase with flow velocity and cell concentration but was significantly retarded in the presence of 0.01 mol L−1 NaCl. A mathematical model based on the advection-dispersion equation was formulated to describe bacterial transport and retention in porous media. The transport equations for bacteria were solved using the finite difference Crank-Nicolson scheme combined with Newton-Raphson iterations. The best fit of the numerical model to the experimental data was obtained using the downhill simplex optimization technique to minimize the sum of the squares of deviations between model predictions and experimental data by varying three parameters. This numerical model was found to describe the experimental data very well under all the experimental conditions tested. An alternative model (also based on the advection-dispersion equation) was tested against all the experimental data sets, but it did not represent the experimental data as well as the model proposed in this paper.
How well does active learning actually work? Time-based evaluation of cost-reduction strategies for language documentation.

Machine involvement has the potential to speed up language documentation. We assess this potential with timed annotation experiments that consider annotator expertise, example selection methods, and suggestions from a machine classiﬁer. We ﬁnd that better example selection and label suggestions improve efﬁciency, but effectiveness depends strongly on annotator expertise. Our expert performed best with uncertainty selection, but gained little from suggestions. Our non-expert performed best with random selection and suggestions. The results underscore the importance both of measuring annotation cost reductions with respect to time and of the need for cost-sensitive learning meth-ods that adapt to annotators.
North polar deposits of Mars: Extreme purity of the water ice

The polar layered deposits are the largest reservoir of water on the surface of Mars. The physical properties of the ice and their spatial distribution are largely unknown. 140,000 data points from the sounding radar SHARAD on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter were analyzed over the Gemina Lingula region, one‐fourth of the north polar layered deposits area. Maps of the dielectric properties of the bulk ice were drawn up. There is no basal melting signature. A drop of the dielectric constant in north‐west of Gemina Lingula could be explained by an abrupt 250‐meter uplift of the base. The bulk ice of the studied region has an average dielectric constant of 3.10 (σ = 0.12) and a loss tangent <0.0026 (σ = 0.0005). Analytic interpretations shown the volume of ice is pure at ≥95%. The impurities have a radial distribution, with higher concentrations at margins.
Seismic imaging of hydraulic fractures in Carthage tight sands: A pilot study

An understanding of fracture geometry and growth is critically important in the design of hydraulic fracture treatment programs to optimize production from a petroleum reservoir. For example, treatment cost increases exponentially with fracture half‐length (Figure 1a) where fracture half‐length is defined as the lateral distance that an assumed vertical, symmetric planar fracture grows from the well bore as a result of hydraulic fracturing.
Physical Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Routes: from Primary Production and Emissions to Exposures and COVID-19 Infection (preprint)

Measures in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic were based on rough ideas regarding transmission routes of pathogens. Quantified models of physical transmission routes are mostly lacking, a gap to be filled. Vaccines and medicines, important, are not studied here. We first survey main routes, from primary production in the alveoli and intestines to emissions, environmental routes, to exposure and alveolar infection. Next, specific routes are modelled, mostly at a preliminary state, open to systematic improvement. Starting from a standardized emitter, modelling results show extreme differences in potential exposure, in a range covering up to 4 orders of magnitude. The outcomes are pathogen-specific, already different between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. Extreme exposures may result in smaller spaces;with lower ventilation rates;with a high density of emitting persons per m3;who stay there for several hours;and visitors staying more than a few minutes. In spaces where a build-up of concentrations is low, exposures are low, lowest in open air situations. A main conclusion for the next pandemic is that a quantified model can give strong guidance on where measures are primarily due. For SARS-CoV-2, ventilation can be improved short-term. Longer-term, effective ventilation rules and adaptation of buildings may reduce high exposures substantially.
Hippocampal volume and affect in response to �uctuating estrogens in menstrual cycle irregularity: A longitudinal single-subject study

Background The menstrual cycle is a critical indicator of women's reproductive, physical, and mental health, in�uenced by neuromodulatory sex steroid hormones, including estrogens like 17 β -estradiol, and estrone. Irregular menstrual cycles can lead to various health conditions. Understanding the relationship between endogenous hormone �uctuations and brain function across the menstrual cycle is essential for comprehending mental health disorders prevalent in women. Here, we investigated the impact of hormonal variations on hippocampal morphology and affect in a participant with an irregular menstrual cycle. Methods In this dense-sampling longitudinal study, a healthy female with an irregular menstrual cycle underwent testing for �ve consecutive weeks, covering mostly the follicular phase and ovulation. Daily blood draws provided measurements of estradiol, estrone, and progesterone. T 1 -weighted MRI scans assessed bilateral hippocampal volumes. Psychological measures of positive and negative affect were collected each session. Statistical analyses included cubic regression curves, Spearman correlations, and mediation regression models to explore hormonal associations with hippocampal morphology and affect.
Variability of precipitation in the Atacama Desert: its causes and hydrological impact

An analysis of the variability of rainfall at 27 stations and run‐off at 4 stations between 18° and 28°S in the Atacama Desert has been carried out. A diagonal boundary zone between summer‐ and winter‐dominated areas is related to the provenance of the rainfall: Amazonia to the north and east, and Pacific moisture to the south. It is shown that winter rainfall tends to be higher during El Niño years, while heavy summer rainfall tends to be more common during La Niña. However, rather than the precipitation being directly controlled by El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO), previous studies have shown that it is the regional synoptic conditions towards the source areas that largely control temporal precipitation variations, and these are in turn either facilitated or inhibited by ENSO. The spatio‐temporal variability of precipitation leads to a complex hydrological regime. Perennial rivers in the north and central Atacama Desert tend to flood in summer, especially during La Niña conditions, from source to sea. Perennial rivers in the south tend to flood in summer, but as a result of melt from the previous years snowfall, especially during El Niño conditions, again from source to sea. However, while inland areas may also experience flooding of ephemeral rivers in summer associated with La Niña, coastal areas on the other hand experience winter flooding of ephemeral rivers associated with El Niño. Surface water flood events, and groundwater recharge events reported in the literature, are generally less frequent than ENSO events, confirming the requirement for specific synoptic conditions and making the use of averages unsound for present‐day hydrological studies and water resource evaluations. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society.
A Realist Review of the OHSAS18001 Standard of OHS Management

The OHSAS18001standard was first published in 1999 by British Standards and is now the most widely adopted management systems for occupational health and safety worldwide. The standard is intended to support companies in attaining a higher health and safety standard. However, there is limited knowledge on how this standard in fact is working in practice and thus can improve health and safety at work. In order to investigate how the OHSAS18001standard is working in practice, we identified the main mechanisms assumed to be actively involved in the successful implementation and management of the standard, by using a framework inspired by a realist methodology. In line with this methodology, we assessed how the context of the adopting organizations impinges on the identified mechanisms and synthesized the findings into useful knowledge for practitioners and fellow researchers alike. The starting point for the analytical process is the program theories that we identified in the standard and supplementary materials from key stakeholders. Thus we analyze how key stakeholders and policymakers expect the standard or program theory to work when it is implemented in an organizational setting. The three program theories (PT) we identified are: An ‘operational’ PT, a ‘compliance’ PT, and an ‘institutional’ PT. Then we compared these ‘assumed’ program theories to how the OHSAS18001 actually worked in real-life settings. We identified four so-called context-mechanism-outcome configurations by reviewing available empirical studies and by extracting knowledge from them. These CMO-configurations are: ‘Integration’, ‘learning’, ‘motivation’ and ‘translation’. This analytical approach means that our paper provides both i -depth understanding of the assumed program theories behind the OHSAS18001standard and understanding of the actual mechanisms of certified
Attenuated APC contributes to FGF12 expression and EC progression with an integrated multi-omics analysis

Background Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological cancer worldwide. The high-order chromatin structure plays an important role in gene expression regulation. In our previous research, the chromatin remodeling-related gene APC (adenomatous polyposis coli gene) is frequently mutated in endometrial cancer. In this study, we aimed to �gure out the role of the APC gene in the chromatin remodeling of endometrial cancer and cancer progression.
High prevalence of colistin heteroresistance in speci�c species and lineages of Enterobacter cloacae complex derived from human clinical specimens

Background Colistin (CST) is a last-line drug for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. CST-heteroresistant Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) has been isolated. However, integrated analysis of epidemiology and resistance mechanisms based on the complete ECC species identi�cation has not been performed. Methods Clinical isolates identi�ed as “E. cloacae complex” by MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper Compass in a university hospital in Japan were analyzed. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of CST were determined by the broth microdilution method. The population analysis pro�ling (PAP) was performed for detecting the heteroresistant phenotype. The heat shock protein 60 (hsp60) cluster was determined from its partial nucleotide sequence. From the data of whole-genome sequencing, average nucleotide identity (ANI) for determining ECC species, multilocus sequence type, core genome SNPs-based phylogenetic analysis were performed. phoPQ-, eptA-, and arnT-deleted mutants were established to evaluate the mechanism underlying colistin heteroresistance. The arnT mRNA expression levels were determined by reverse transcription quantitative PCR.
Beef cattle feedlot manure management

About two-thirds of the beef cattle feeding in the United States occurs in Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, and Colorado. Over 80 percent of the fed cattle are produced in feedlots of over 1,000 head capacity. Manure produced by fed cattle, if all were conserved and utilized, would provide 100 kg nitrogen (N) ha−1 (89 lb N a−1) for 8.4 percent of the corn and wheat acreage in the nation. Nutrients excreted in beef feedlots would cost over $461 million if purchased as fertilizer. However, under present practices, about 50 percent of this N is lost (primarily by runoff, ammonia volatilization, and denitrification) before removal from the feedlot. In addition, 50 percent of the remaining N may be lost in hauling, spreading, and incorporating manure into the soil. Phosphorus (P) losses are less, because P is lost primarily through runoff. Because beef feeding is concentrated where a high percentage of the land is cultivated, there is usually ample land area within economically acceptable distance on …
Frequency Stability Enhancement Using Differential-Evolution- and Genetic-Algorithm-Optimized Intelligent Controllers in Multiple Virtual Synchronous Machine Systems

In this paper, multiple virtual synchronous machines (VISMAs) with fuzzy proportional integral derivative (FPID) controllers optimized by differential evolution (DE) are proposed to maintain frequency stability in the grid in the presence of renewable penetration, such as wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, residential loads, and industrial loads, by reducing the area control error in the objective function. Simulations are conducted using MATLAB/Simulink, and in the optimization process, the integral of the time-weighted absolute error (ITAE) is used as the objective function. In the work to obtain optimized values of renewable energy sources (RESs), fuzzy membership functions, controller gain parameters, and loads for system modeling, differential evolution and genetic algorithm (GA) methods are applied and the results were compared. It was shown that better results were achieved while FPID controllers were optimized by DE in the presence of multiple VISMAs than DE in the presence of single VISMAs and GA in multiple VISMAs. Moreover, the study is compared to integral control methods in which, compared to all controllers, the proposed controller reduces undershoot by 0.0674 Hz more than a single VISMAs, in which it is improved approximately by 97.82%. Similarly, the proposed controller improves the system settling time, rise time, and overshoot by more than 99.5% compared to the classical integral controller. To examine the robust operation of the system under the proposed controller, the system was run under a wide range of disturbances and uncertainties using random load perturbation of ± 20%, in which the proposed controller retains the system frequency by reducing or damping the system oscillation.
Can the g Factor Play a Role in Artificial General Intelligence Research?

In recent years, a trend in AI research has started to pursue human-level, general artificial intelligence (AGI). Although the AGI framework is characterised by different viewpoints on what intelligence is and how to implement it in artificial systems, it conceptualises intelligence as flexible, gen-eral-purposed, and capable of self-adapting to different contexts and tasks. Two important questions remain open: a) should AGI projects simulate the biological, neural, and cognitive mechanisms realising the human intelligent behaviour? and b) what is the relationship, if any, between the concept of general intelligence adopted by AGI and that adopted by psychometricians, i.e., the g factor? In this paper, we address these questions and invite researchers in AI to open a discussion on the theoretical conceptions and practical purposes of the AGI approach. 1 2
Targeting gut microbiota in bone health of livestock and poultry: roles of short-chain fatty acids

The regulation and maintenance of bone metabolic homeostasis plays a pivotal role in animal skeletal health. Several skeletal diseases have been con�rmed to be closely related to ecological dysbiosis and structural changes in the gut microbiota. Gut microbiota and its metabolites, mainly short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), affect almost all organs, including the skeleton. SCFAs positively affect bone healing by acting directly on cells involved in fracture healing or by shaping appropriate anti-inammatory and immunomodulatory responses. Moreover, recent studies have shown that SCFAs play a biological role in regulating bone metabolism in four areas: immune function, calcium absorption, osteogenesis and osteolysis, thus havingpotential bene�ts in maintaining bone health in livestock and poultry. This review focuses on the role of SCFAs in the regulation of bone metabolism by gut microbiota and provides a theoretical basis for studies related to bone health in livestock and poultry.
Nkululeko: Machine Learning Experiments on Speaker Characteristics Without Programming

We would like to present Nkululeko, a template based system that lets users perform machine learning experiments in the speaker characteristics domain. It is mainly targeted on users not being familiar with machine learning, or computer programming at all, to being used as a teaching tool or a simple entry level tool to the field of artificial intelligence.
Surface and subsurface palaeoseismic records at the ancient Roman city of Baelo Claudia and the Bolonia Bay area, Cádiz (south Spain)

Abstract The Roman archaeological site of Baelo Claudia (Cádiz, south Spain) is located within the Gibraltar Arch, a region with no significant recent or historical seismicity. However, previous studies have emphasized the occurrence of repeated strong archaeoseismic damage (intensity≥IX MSK) at Baelo Claudia tentatively bracketed in this study around ad 40–60 and ad 260–290. A multidisciplinary study has been carried out including the detailed mapping of surface deformation and building damage, surface geology and geomorphology, collection of structural data, and an extensive ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey. The obtained data are not conclusive when considered separately, but evident links between archaeoseismic damage, structural and GPR data indicate that the destruction of the city was linked to seismic shaking. The analysis of the pattern and orientation of deformation clearly indicates SW–NE directed compression due to ground shaking. This analysis also focuses on localized landslides and liquefaction processes, which appear to be coeval with the earthquakes, but the poor geotechnical parameters of the clayey substratum were determinant to amplify the observed level of destruction. The application of the present Spanish seismic code (NCSE-02) indicates that intensity VIII MSK (0.24–0.26 g) can be reached in this zone for 500 year return periods.
Rapidly Varied Flow Analysis of Undular Bore

Exact expressions for the integral fluxes of mass, momentum, and energy in a steady wave on a uniform current lead to a consistent set of rapidly varied flow equations for an undular bore. Analysis of an undular bore depends crucially on the wave theory adopted for the estimation of the integral fluxes of mass, momentum, and energy, but it also depends on the residual power dissipation across the bore front. For Airy wave theory and no dissipation, there are no physically viable solutions. The observational evidence depicts finite amplitude waves in transitional water, and higher order wave theory does provide physically appropriate solutions that agree well with experiment. A separate rapidly varied flow analysis of the transition region between the undular and turbulent bore regimes anticipates the upper bound of the undular bore regime that is a feature of experimental observations. The transition region solution asymptotically approaches the classical turbulent bore solution at higher bore strengths.
Similarity Hypothesis for Capillary Hysteresis in Porous Materials

A quantitative description of the capillary hysteresis properties of a porous material is developed through bivariate distribution density function ƒ(α, β), where α and β are wetting and drying potentials. This is formally equivalent to the independent domain theory of Poulovassilis. The similarity hypothesis (implying, loosely, that the distribution of geometrical relationships between wetting and drying meniscus curvatures is independent of ‘pore size’) holds fairly well for Poulovassilis' experimental data. The corresponding h functions are found and the ƒ(α, β) are mapped. In general, the establishment of ƒ(α, β) is a laborious process. However, with (A), ƒ(α, β) may be found from only the (routinely observed) drying and wetting boundary curves. Equation A yields the integral equation where j and g are known from the boundary curves and Ψ0 is the minimum potential, h is the unknown function. Equation B is solved with the aid of the Faltung theorem of the Laplace transformation. It follows that, when (A) holds, h, and hence ƒ(α, β), is uniquely determined by the boundary curves. The solution of (B) is not necessarily physically acceptable, however. By adopting (A) plus an arbitrary, but plausible, form for h, we may roughly estimate the whole hysteresis character of the medium from a single boundary curve. Further experimental work is needed to establish the area of applicability of (A). (A) may apply also to hysteresis processes other than sorption in porous materials.
Impact of Cross-linking Agents on the Performance of Alginate-Cellulose Nanocrystals Adsorbent Beads

A detailed investigation on the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) to sodium alginate/cellulose nanocrystal (ALG-CNC) composite hydrogel beads was conducted. The impact of physical cross-linking and calcium ions on the binding of MB onto the beads and the swelling/shrinkage of bead during the adsorption process in batch vessel and continuous �xed bed operations was examined. Changes in the bulk calcium ion concentrations during the batch adsorption experiments on the binding of MB to the beads were monitored when the beads were subjected to different pretreatments. The calcium ions reduced the adsorption capacity by charge screening instead of competitive adsorption, and the removal of calcium ions contributed to an initial shrinkage of the adsorbent during binding tests in the packed column.