Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glottal Source Asymmetry Estimation by ICA

Healthy Voice Production and Voice Care are subjects of growing concern nowadays. Knowing that many Voice Diseases result in asymmetric vibration, a method to estimate the percentage of asymmetry has been developed on the Glottal Source obtained by the inverse filtering of Voice. The asymmetric biomechanics is treated as a result of unknown sources which are separated using classical Independent Component Analysis. The paper presents specific real cases and produce results which animate an open discussion on the background underlying processes, which may be based on clear asymmetric biomechanics affecting differently to each vocal fold as by the result of lesions or injuries in one or both of them. Results are presented and conclusions derived.
A Six Sigma Framework for Software Process Improvements and its Implementation

Six Sigma has been adopted by many software development organizations to identify problems in software projects and processes, find optimal solutions for the identified problems, and quantitatively improve the development processes so as to achieve organizations' business goals. A Six Sigma framework for software process improvements is needed to provide a standard process and analysis tools for Six Sigma project executions, and also provide a platform for collaborations with other process improvement approaches, such as PSP/TSP and CMM/CMMI. However, few frameworks have been proposed to support Six Sigma project executions. Most of Six Sigma projects for software process improvements have been performed in an ad-hoc way. In this paper, we propose a framework to support Six Sigma projects for continuous process improvements for software developments. Based on this framework, we implemented a web-based tool, called SSPMT integrated with a software project management tool and a PSP supporting tool. The suggested framework and SSPMT is beneficial in initiating and executing Six Sigma projects, facilitating data collection and data analyses by Six Sigma toolkits, and standardizing the Six Sigma project execution process so as to achieve Six Sigma project goals and of organizations' business goals.
Kinetics of the Methanogenic Fermentation of Acetate

Inhibition of the fermentation of acetate to methane and carbon dioxide by acetate was analyzed with an acetate-acclimatized sludge and with Methanosarcina barkeri Fusaro under mesophilic conditions. A second-order substrate inhibition model, qch4 = qmS/[Ks + S + (S2/Ki)], where S was the concentration of undissociated acetic acid, not ionized acetic acid, could be applicable in both cases. The analysis resulted in substrate saturation constants, Ks, of 4.0 μM for the acclimatized sludge and 104 μM for M. barkeri. The threshold concentrations of undissociated acetic acid when no further acetate utilization was observed were 0.078 μM (pH 7.50) for the acclimatized sludge and 4.43 μM (pH 7.45) for M. barkeri. These kinetic results suggested that the concentration of undissociated acetic acid became a key factor governing the actual threshold acetate concentration for acetate utilization and that the acclimatized sludge in which Methanothrix spp. appeared dominant could utilize acetate better and survive at a lower concentration of undissociated acetic acid than could M. barkeri.
Retinal image automatic registration based on local bifurcation structure

Retinal images can be used for helping ophthalmologist to diagnose the eye diseases, and glaucoma, hypertension, coronary heart diseases and so on, so it's very important. The most important content of this article is a new structural feature for retinal registration. There are many methods of retinal image registration; some are also used by this time. Lots of methods used the main bifurcation points and angles. This method is well and effective, but there are some problems, for example, the angles about bifurcation maybe repeat, so in two images, the bifurcation registration may be failed. On the basis of this, in this paper we proposed a structure-matching registration method. The bifurcation structures are consists of a main bifurcation point and its three connected branches. The each numerical value of bifurcation is composed of the bifurcation angles and its three lengths by normalized. On the other hand the bifurcation structure will be invariant against rotation, translation and scaling. By this method, we can reduce the matching error caused by repeated. This method could be used alone, also could be used with other methods.
On the matrix square root via geometric optimization

This paper is triggered by the preprint "\emph{Computing Matrix Squareroot via Non Convex Local Search}" by Jain et al. (\textit{\textcolor{blue}{arXiv:1507.05854}}), which analyzes gradient-descent for computing the square root of a positive definite matrix. Contrary to claims of~\citet{jain2015}, our experiments reveal that Newton-like methods compute matrix square roots rapidly and reliably, even for highly ill-conditioned matrices and without requiring commutativity. We observe that gradient-descent converges very slowly primarily due to tiny step-sizes and ill-conditioning. We derive an alternative first-order method based on geodesic convexity: our method admits a transparent convergence analysis ($< 1$ page), attains linear rate, and displays reliable convergence even for rank deficient problems. Though superior to gradient-descent, ultimately our method is also outperformed by a well-known scaled Newton method. Nevertheless, the primary value of our work is its conceptual value: it shows that for deriving gradient based methods for the matrix square root, \emph{the manifold geometric view of positive definite matrices can be much more advantageous than the Euclidean view}.
Role and regulation of IL-8 and MCP-1 in LPS-induced uveitis in rabbits.

Intravitreal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces leukocyte infiltration and protein leakage into the aqueous humor. In the present study, we investigated the role of IL-8 and MCP-1 and regulation of these chemokines by TNFalpha and IL-1 in LPS-induced uveitis in rabbits. After intravitreal injection of LPS, generation of IL-8 in the aqueous humor showed a biphasic pattern with the first peak at 12 hr and the second one at 24 hr, while MCP-1 was produced in a monophasic pattern and peaked at 24 hr. Immunohistochemistry showed that ciliary epithelial cells and infiltrating leukocytes were the producing cells of IL-8 and MCP-1. Administration of anti-IL-8 IgG suppressed by 66% the peak levels of LPS-induced aqueous neutrophil counts at 24 hr but did not suppress aqueous mononuclear cell counts or protein levels. anti-MCP-1 IgG inhibited aqueous mononuclear cell counts by 41% and protein levels by 28%, but did not inhibit aqueous neutrophil counts. The levels of LPS-induced aqueous IL-8 and MCP-1 at 12 hr were inhibited by anti-TNFalpha mAb but not by an IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), while concentrations of the two chemokines at 24 hr were inhibited by both anti-TNFalpha mAb and IL-1Ra. A combination of anti-TNFalpha mAb and rrIL-1Ra had an additive effect on the 24 hr-chemokine levels and inhibited up to 90% chemokine production. Taken together, our results show that IL-8 mediates neutrophil infiltration, while MCP-1 mediates mononuclear cell infiltration and protein leakage in LPS-induced uveitis in rabbits. Levels of aqueous IL-8 and MCP-1 at 12 hr are regulated by TNFalpha, while levels at 24 hr are regulated by TNFalpha and IL-1.
Towards Cooperative, Self-Organised Replica Management

Nodes in a network often store and serve content to other nodes. However, each has a finite capacity and if requests for content exceed the capacity then queries fail. It is generally not possible for a priori predictions of load demand because at given times some content may suddenly become popular and at others hardly requested at all. Hence over a given time period a population of nodes has a certain total capacity to serve requests (the sum of all individual node capacities) and some demand load (queries going to the nodes). Assuming nodes can replicate content and redirect queries we present a simple node level protocol that self-organises nodes into cooperative clusters leading to efficient outcomes in some simple scenarios. The approach is scalable, robust and self-organising but there are several open issues. We present this as work-in-progress.
Gesture-Based Interactive Audio Guide on Tactile Reliefs

For blind and visually impaired people, tactile reliefs offer many benefits over the more classic raised line drawings or tactile diagrams, as depth, 3D shape and surface textures are directly perceivable. However, without proper guidance some reliefs are still difficult to explore autonomously. In this work, we present a gesture-controlled interactive audio guide (IAG) based on recent low-cost depth cameras that operates directly on relief surfaces. The interactively explorable, location-dependent verbal descriptions promise rapid tactile accessibility to 2.5D spatial information in a home or education setting, to on-line resources, or as a kiosk installation at public places. We present a working prototype, discuss design decisions and present the results of two evaluation sessions with a total of 20 visually impaired test users.
nWayComp: A Genome-Wide Sequence Comparison Tool for Multiple Strains/Species of Phylogenetically Related Microorganisms

The increasing number of whole genomic sequences of microorganisms has led to the complexity of genome-wide annotation and gene sequence comparison among multiple microorganisms. To address this problem, we have developed nWayComp software that compares DNA and protein sequences of phylogenetically-related microorganisms. This package integrates a series of bioinformatics tools such as BLAST, ClustalW, ALIGN, PHYLIP and PRIMER3 for sequence comparison. It searches for homologous sequences among multiple organisms and identifies genes that are unique to a particular organism. The homologous gene sets are then ranked in the descending order of the sequence similarity. For each set of homologous sequences, a table of sequence identity among homologous genes along with sequence variations such as SNPs and INDELS is developed, and a phylogenetic tree is constructed. In addition, a common set of primers that can amplify all the homologous sequences are generated. The nWayComp package provides users with a quick and convenient tool to compare genomic sequences among multiple organisms at the whole-genome level.
A Wearable ECG Monitoring System Using Adaptive EMD Filter Based on Activity Status

Motion artifacts induce signal distortion to ECG measurement is a known problem. In this paper, we developed a belt-type ECG measurement system with three-axis acceleration sensor for ECG signal measurement in daily life. Activity status is classified by using Fuzzy Classification. We use EMD-based filter to reduce motion artifact by adapting the activity status change.
Development and Application of Wireless Eddy Current System for Nondestructive Testing

In this research, a wireless communication between the sensor and main unit was developed for nondestructive eddy current inspection technique. Such wireless probe aims at being inserted into different parts of the targeted structure such as aircrafts for internal and external inspections without sacrificing Nondestructive Inspection (NDI) capabilities when compared to a conventional cable-wired probe. The new wireless probe interface can generate various types of activation signals that are synchronized wirelessly with the main unit, and also, it can process the received signal at the probe and send it back wirelessly to the main unit. The aim of developing the wireless sensor was particularly the applications in aircraft inspections. Aircrafts usually experience frequent maintenance on structure and engine. Many inspections are undertaken to identify critical flaws which could cause failure of engine or structure. Nondestructive inspection (NDI) plays an important role in these tests. Conventionally, a NDI probe is placed on the testing structures and is connected to a NDI main unit through cable, but the use of cable may cause problems such as foreign object damage (FOD) and limitations of maneuverability. The cables are also non-repairable and expensive. Running cables through tight and hazardous areas adds to the difficulty of the task for the technician. On the other hand, wireless NDI has the advantage of safety, economic benefits, and maneuverability. Experiments on the detection of different defects and test set up were carried out and compared to wired NDI system to evaluate the wirelessly transmitted eddy current (EC) signals. Experimental results showed that the eddy current signals can be wirelessly communicated with main unit, the wireless prototype can detect defects of various sizes under various environments. The wireless signal distortion still need to be improved when compared to wired signals.
Genetic predictors of glucocorticoid-induced hypertension in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Objective Glucocorticoids are used universally in the remission induction therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). One of the adverse effects of glucocorticoids is hypertension. Our aim was to define the frequency of and clinical and genetic risk factors for steroid-induced hypertension. Methods We determined the genotypes for 203 candidate polymorphisms in genes previously linked to hypertension or to the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of antileukemic agents. Hypertension was defined according to the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics; patients were evaluated during the 28-day period of prednisone at 40 mg/m2/day during remission induction of childhood ALL. Results Of the 602 children with newly diagnosed ALL who were normotensive pretherapy, 270 (45%) developed hypertension during remission induction. None of the putative risk factors (age, sex, race, white blood cell count, risk group, body mass index, or serum creatinine) was associated with hypertension. Among the polymorphisms genotyped, we identified eight genes (CNTNAP2, LEPR, CRHR1, NTAN1, SLC12A3, ALPL, BGLAP, and APOB) containing variants that were associated with hypertension (χ2 P values 0.002–0.048), several of which interact with the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Polymorphisms in CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 were not associated with hypertension. Conclusion Hypertension is common during ALL remission induction and is related to germline genetic variation.
Rich morphology based n-gram language models for Arabic

In this paper we investigate the use of rich morphology such as word segmentation, part-of-speech tagging and diacritic restoration to improve Arabic language modeling. We enrich the context by performing morphological analysis on the word history. We use neural network models to integrate this additional information, due to their ability to handle long and enriched dependencies. We experimented with models with increasing order of morphological features, starting with Arabic segmentation, and later adding part of speech labels as well as words with restored diacritics. Experiments on Arabic broadcast news and broadcast conversations data showed signiﬁcant improvements in perplexity, reducing the baseline N-gram and the neural network N-gram model perplexities by 35% and 31% respectively.
Combining edge and texture information for real-time accurate 3D camera tracking

We present an effective way to combine the information provided by edges and by feature points for the purpose of robust real-time 3-D tracking. This lets our tracker handle both textured and untextured objects. As it can exploit more of the image information, it is more stable and less prone to drift that purely edge or feature-based ones. We start with a feature-point based tracker we developed in earlier work and integrate the ability to take edge-information into account. Achieving optimal performance in the presence of cluttered or textured backgrounds, however, is far from trivial because of the many spurious edges that bedevil typical edge-detectors. We overcome this difficulty by proposing a method for handling multiple hypotheses for potential edge-locations that is similar in speed to approaches that consider only single hypotheses and therefore much faster than conventional multiple-hypothesis ones. This results in a real-time 3-D tracking algorithm that exploits both texture and edge information without being sensitive to misleading background information and that does not drift over time.
Polarization of Kilonova Emission from a Black Hole–Neutron Star Merger

A multi-messenger, black hole (BH)–neutron star (NS) merger event still remains to be detected. The tidal (dynamical) ejecta from such an event, thought to produce a kilonova, is concentrated in the equatorial plane and occupies only part of the whole azimuthal angle. In addition, recent simulations suggest that the outflow or wind from the post-merger remnant disk, presumably anisotropic, can be a major ejecta component responsible for a kilonova. For any ejecta whose photosphere shape deviates from the spherical symmetry, the electron scattering at the photosphere causes a net polarization in the kilonova light. Recent observational and theoretical polarization studies have been focused on the NS–NS merger kilonova AT2017gfo. We extend those works to the case of a BH–NS merger kilonova. We show that the degree of polarization at the first ∼1 hr can be up to ∼3% if a small amount (10−4 M⊙) of free neutrons have survived in the fastest component of the dynamical ejecta, whose beta-decay causes a precursor in the kilonova light. The polarization degree can be ∼0.6% if free neutrons survived in the fastest component of the disk wind. Future polarization detection of a kilonova will constrain the morphology and composition of the dominant ejecta component, therefore helping to identify the nature of the merger.
Surface Tension Measurement of Low GWP Refrigerant Mixture HFO-1123/HFC-32 and HFO-1234ze(E)/HFC-32

The study presents the surface tension measurement data of HFO-1123 and HFO-1234ze(E) with global warming potential (GWP) of less than 1 and of binary mixtures HFO-1123/HFC-32 and HFO-1234ze(E)/HFC-32. The capillary constant and surface tension of the fluids are measured across temperatures in a range of 267 K to 307 K with a differential capillary rise with a propagated uncertainty of ±0.23 mN m. Among the selected predicting methods, the correlations of DiNicola et al. (2018) exhibit the best agreement to the measured surface tension of both HFO-1123 and HFO-1234ze(E). In order to predict the surface tension HFO-1123/HFC-32 and HFO-1234ze(E)/HFC-32, empirical correlations are proposed based on the measured data.
CoKE : Word Sense Induction Using Contextualized Knowledge Embeddings

Word Embeddings can capture lexico-semantic information but remain flawed in their inability to assign unique representations to different senses of polysemous words. They also fail to include information from well-curated semantic lexicons and dictionaries. Previous approaches that obtain ontologically grounded word-sense representations learn embeddings that are superior in understanding contextual similarity but are outperformed on several word relatedness tasks by single prototype words. In this work, we introduce a new approach that can induce polysemy to any pre-defined embedding space by jointly grounding contextualized sense representations learned from sense-tagged corpora and word embeddings to a knowledge base. The advantage of this method is that it allows integrating ontological information while also readily inducing polysemy to pre-defined embedding spaces without the need for re-training. We evaluate our vectors on several word similarity and relatedness tasks, along with two extrinsic tasks and find that it consistently outperforms current state-of-the-art.
Towards Fine-grained Service Matchmaking by Using Concept Similarity

Several description frameworks to semantically describe and match services on the one hand and service requests on the other have been presented in the literature. Many of the current proposals for defining notions of match between service advertisements and requests are based on subsumption checking in more or less expressive Description Logics, thus providing boolean match functions, rather than a fine-grained, numerical degree of match. By contrast, concept similarity measures investigated in the DL literature explicitely include such a quantitative notion. In this paper we try to take a step forward in this area by means of an analysis of existing approaches from both semantic web service matching and concept similarity, and provide preliminary ideas on how to combine these two building blocks in a unified service selection framework.
Realistic human action recognition: When CNNS meet LDS

In this paper, we proposed new framework for human action representation, which leverages the strengths of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and the linear dynamical system (LDS) to represent both spatial and temporal structures of actions in videos. We make two principal contributions: first, we incorporate image-trained CNNs to detect action clip concepts, which takes advantage of different levels of information by combining the two layers in CNNs trained from images; Second, we further propose adopting a linear dynamical system (LDS) to model the relationships between these clip concepts, which captures temporal structures of actions. We have applied the proposed method on two challenging realistic benchmark datasets, and our method achieves high performance up to 86.16% on the YouTube and 82.76% UCF50 datasets, which largely outperforms most of the state-of-the-art algorithms with more sophisticated techniques.
Structure of a highly acidic β-lactamase from the moderate halophile Chromohalobacter sp. 560 and the discovery of a Cs+-selective binding site

The tertiary structure of a β-lactamase derived from the halobacterium Chromohalobacter sp. 560 (HaBLA) was determined by X-ray crystallography. Three unique Sr2+-binding sites and one Cs+-binding site were discovered in the HaBLA molecule.
Learning of Visualization of Object Recognition Features and Image Reconstruction

We introduce algorithms to visualize feature spaces used inin object recognition systems by inverting a visual feature back to a natural gray scale image. By investigating algorithms including binaryand multi-class SVM, pairwise dictionary and CNN, we succeed in boosting the correlation measures up to 0.846 when comparing the inverted and original images and speed up the inversion process to a few seconds on a desktop computer.