Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
From rule-based to statistical grammars: Continuous improvement of large-scale spoken dialog systems

Statistical Spoken Language Understanding grammars (SSLUs) are often used only at the top recognition contexts of modern large-scale spoken dialog systems. We propose to use SSLUs at every recognition context in a dialog system, effectively replacing conventional, manually written grammars. Furthermore, we present a methodology of continuous improvement in which data are collected at every recognition context over an entire dialog system. These data are then used to automatically generate updated context-specific SSLUs at regular intervals and, in so doing, continually improve system performance over time. We have found that SSLUs significantly and consistently outperform even the most carefully designed rule-based grammars in a wide range of contexts in a corpus of over two million utterances collected for a complex call-routing and troubleshooting dialog system.
Influence of Processing Temperatures on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Squeeze Cast Aluminum Alloy Composites

The paper deals with the influence of melt and die temperatures on the squeeze cast silicon carbide particulate reinforced aluminum alloy composites. Samples were produced at the following constant melt and die temperatures: melt—750, 800, 850, and 900°C; die—250, 300, 350, and 400°C. During the specimen fabrication, pressure was maintained at 100 MPa. The results reveal significant influence of both melt and die temperatures on the mechanical properties. The optimum melt and die temperatures for the preparation of the composite are 850°C and 350 °C, respectively. Tensile and impact strengths, and hardness of composite samples prepared at this temperature combination are found to be better than those of samples prepared at other temperatures. Additionally, microstructures of samples prepared at this temperature combination display a relatively fine grain structure and the smallest degree of particle agglomeration which explain the dependence of mechanical properties on the melt and die temperatures.
Initial industrial experience of misuse cases in trade-off analysis

Negative scenarios have long been applied in e.g. military and commercial operations planning. The negative form of the use case is the 'misuse case'. Experience has been gained in applying misuse cases to analyse requirement/design option trade-offs in a railway case study. In a trade-off workshop, a diagram is constructed showing use cases for goals held by system designers, and misuse cases for goals of hostile agents. Relationships between these goals are elicited and documented on the diagram. Experience in a railway trade-off study led to the devising of a set of relationships suited to trade-off analysis: 'threatens', 'mitigates', 'aggravates', and 'conflicts with', as well as the more general 'includes'. The result is a graphic that makes clear to nontechnical stakeholders how their requirements may conflict in the design domain. This contributed to the success of the trade-off workshop. The approach taken for the railway workshop is simple. It could be applied in other domains, and with other participative methods.
Applying the Concept of Peptide Uniqueness to Anti-Polio Vaccination

Background. Although rare, adverse events may associate with anti-poliovirus vaccination thus possibly hampering global polio eradication worldwide. Objective. To design peptide-based anti-polio vaccines exempt from potential cross-reactivity risks and possibly able to reduce rare potential adverse events such as the postvaccine paralytic poliomyelitis due to the tendency of the poliovirus genome to mutate. Methods. Proteins from poliovirus type 1, strain Mahoney, were analyzed for amino acid sequence identity to the human proteome at the pentapeptide level, searching for sequences that (1) have zero percent of identity to human proteins, (2) are potentially endowed with an immunologic potential, and (3) are highly conserved among poliovirus strains. Results. Sequence analyses produced a set of consensus epitopic peptides potentially able to generate specific anti-polio immune responses exempt from cross-reactivity with the human host. Conclusion. Peptide sequences unique to poliovirus proteins and conserved among polio strains might help formulate a specific and universal anti-polio vaccine able to react with multiple viral strains and exempt from the burden of possible cross-reactions with human proteins. As an additional advantage, using a peptide-based vaccine instead of current anti-polio DNA vaccines would eliminate the rare post-polio poliomyelitis cases and other disabling symptoms that may appear following vaccination.
Aspermy, Sperm Quality and Radiation in Chernobyl Birds

Background Following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, large amounts of radionuclides were emitted and spread in the environment. Animals living in such contaminated areas are predicted to suffer fitness costs including reductions in the quality and quantity of gametes. Methodology/Principal Findings We studied whether aspermy and sperm quality were affected by radioactive contamination by examining ejaculates from wild caught birds breeding in areas varying in background radiation level by more than three orders of magnitude around Chernobyl, Ukraine. The frequency of males with aspermy increased logarithmically with radiation level. While 18.4% of males from contaminated areas had no sperm that was only the case for 3.0% of males from uncontaminated control areas. Furthermore, there were negative relationships between sperm quality as reflected by reduced sperm velocity and motility, respectively, and radiation. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that radioactive contamination around Chernobyl affects sperm production and quality. We are the first to report an interspecific difference in sperm quality in relation to radioactive contamination.
35.4: New Approach for Wall Display with Fine Plasma Tube Array Technology

A wall‐sized emissive full‐color display with fine plasma tubes using three electrodes is proposed. Each tube has an internal MgO overcoat and a phosphor layer. The experimental display was fabricated and the results will be presented. This method will realize a display with a flexible screen shape and an expandable screen size.
Semgrex-Plus: a Tool for Automatic Dependency-Graph Rewriting

This paper describes an automatic procedure, the Semgrex-Plus tool, we developed to convert dependency treebanks into different formats. It allows for the deﬁnition of formal rules for rewriting dependencies and token tags as well as an algorithm for treebank rewriting able to avoid rule interference during the conversion process. This tool is publicly available 1 .
Development of a monolithic bioreactor : Design and application

Recently, biocatalysis has become an interesting alternative for conventional industrial processes. Enzyme reactions are highly selective and fast, and can be performed under ambient conditions. A drawback of the use of enzymes is their fragile nature. Stirring, high temperature, or solvents can cause deactivation. Also separation of the free enzyme from the reaction medium is difficult. Therefore, enzymes are generally used in an immobilized form on particulate carriers. This can still cause problems regarding mechanical strength and separation, or additional problems associated with the use in packed beds (pressure drop) or mass transport limitations inside the support-particle (possible pH-gradients). In the present study, different enzymes were immobilized onto ceramic monoliths. Monoliths can be seen as a bundle of small channels, and were originally developed for gas-phase applications. Advantages of the monoliths compared to conventional reactor types include a low pressure drop over the reactor, high mechanical strength, high available surface area, easy separation. Two types of monoliths were employed: the classical cordierite monolith and the ACM monolith, with a porous channel wall. It can be concluded that different enzymes can be (reversible) immobilized onto the monolithic support, to yield active biocatalysts. The monolithic biocatalysts were applied in different reactors; the monolithic stirrer reactor and the monolithic loop reactor. Finally, a new carrier material was explored, consisting of carbon nano fibers (CNF) on the monolith channel wall, which could also be promising for metal catalysts.
THE EFFECT OF DELETERIOUS MUTATIONS AND AGE ON RECOMBINATION IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

At the population level, recombination mediates the efficiency with which selection can eliminate deleterious mutations. At the individual level, deleterious alleles may influence recombination, which would change the rate at which linkage disequilibrium is eroded and thereby alter the efficiency with which deleterious alleles are purged. Here, we test whether the presence of a deleterious allele on one autosome affects recombination on another autosome. We find that deleterious alleles not only alter the rate but also the pattern of recombination. However, there is little support that different deleterious alleles affect recombination in a consistent manner. Because we have detailed information on individual females across their lifetimes, we are able to examine how recombination patterns change with age and find that these patterns are also affected by the presence of deleterious alleles. The differences among genotypes or among age classes are large enough to add substantial noise to genetic mapping experiments that do not consider these sources of variation.
A novel serum-free method for culturing human prenatal retinal pigment epithelial cells.

PURPOSE Established techniques for culturing primary human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells have facilitated the laboratory investigation of this multipurpose retinal cell layer. However, most culture methods involve the use of animal serum to establish and maintain RPE monolayers, which can complicate efforts to define and study factors involved in the maturation and function of these cells. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop a simple, serum-free system to propagate and sustain human RPE in vitro. METHODS RPE was dissected from human prenatal donor eyes and cultured in serum-free defined medium containing the commercially formulated supplement B27 or N2. Cultures were grown initially as adherent tissue sections or suspended spherical aggregates and later expanded and maintained as monolayers. PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunocytochemistry were used to monitor gene and protein expression in established cultures, followed by examination of secretory products in RPE conditioned medium by ELISA and mass spectrometric analysis. RESULTS In medium supplemented with B27, but not N2, RPE could be expanded up to 40,000-fold over six passages and maintained in culture for more than 1 year. In long-term cultures, typical cellular morphology and pigmentation were observed, along with expression of characteristic RPE markers. RPE monolayers also retained proper apical-basal orientation and secreted multiple factors implicated in the maintenance of photoreceptor health and the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration. CONCLUSIONS Monolayer cultures of human prenatal RPE can be grown and maintained long term in the total absence of serum and still retain the phenotype, gene and protein expression profile, and secretory capacity exhibited by mature RPE cells.
Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-Modified E1A/E1B Double Mutant Adenovirus Enhances Antitumor Activity in Prostate Cancer Cells In Vitro and in Mice

CAR is a transmembrane protein that is expressed in various epithelial and endothelial cells. CAR mediates adenoviral infection, as well as adenovirus-mediated oncolysis of AxdAdB-3, an E1A/E1B double-restricted oncolytic adenovirus, in prostate cancer cells. This study further assessed the therapeutic efficacy of AxdAdB-3 with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-fiber modification (AxdAdB3-F/RGD), which enables integrin-dependent infection, in prostate cancer. Susceptibility of prostate cancer cells LNCaP, PC3, and DU145 to adenovirus infection was associated with CAR expression. All of the prostate cancer cell lines expressed integrin αvβ3 and αvβ5. AxdAdB-3 was more cytopathic in CAR-positive prostate cancer cells than in CAR-negative cells, whereas AxdAdB3-F/RGD caused potent oncolysis in both CAR-positive and CAR-negative prostate cancer cells. In contrast, AxdAdB3-F/RGD was not cytopathic against normal prostate epithelial cells, RWPE-1. Intratumoral injection of AxdAdB3-F/RGD into CAR-negative prostate cancer cell xenografts in nude mice inhibited tumor growth. The current study demonstrates that E1A/E1B double-restricted oncolytic adenovirus with an RGD-fiber modification enhances infection efficiency and anti-tumor activity in CAR-deficient prostate cancer cells, while sparing normal cells. Future studies will evaluate the therapeutic potential of AxdAdB3-F/RGD in prostate cancer.
Bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or the globus pallidus interna (GPi) for treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. No known treatment halts the progression of Parkinson's disease and there is no cure. Although pharmacologic treatment with levodopa and adjunctive drugs can usually restore smooth motor function for up to 5–10 years after onset, effectiveness gradually diminishes with time. Eventually, most patients experience drug-related complications, such as motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. The most severe motor complications of levodopa tend to occur among patients with early onset (i.e., before age 40) Parkinson's disease. Because the degenerative nature of Parkinson's disease is not restricted solely to the dopaminergic systems, the brain is affected more globally as the disease advances. Thus, symptoms that are unresponsive to dopamine-active medications ultimately develop. Such symptoms are dementia, dysautonomia, and motor symptoms that affect speech, swallowing, and gait, as well as sleep disturbances, fatigue, and depression. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), a new surgical treatment for Parkinson's disease, employs high-frequency stimulation to stimulate a targeted region of the brain. Introduced in the late 1980s by Benabid and colleagues in France, DBS is a surgical procedure consisting of the placement of an electrode or electrodes into one of several possible targets in the brain. The electrode is then connected to a computerized pulse generator that is implanted subcutaneously, in a manner similar to that used for a pacemaker. Stimulation parameters are adjusted to maximize therapeutic effects. Currently, three possible sites may be selected as targets for DBS treatment of Parkinson's disease: the ventralis intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (Vim), the globus pallidus pars interna (GPi), and the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Of these, only the device for unilateral chronic DBS of the ventralis intermediate nucleus (Vim) of the thalamus has received premarket application (PMA) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of patients with tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease or other tremor disorders. Because it is associated with a higher incidence of speech, swallowing, and cognitive dysfunction, bilateral DBS of the Vim is seldom performed. In December 1997, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) Medical Advisory Panel (MAP) found that unilateral DBS of the thalamus for patients with disabling, medically unresponsive tremor due to essential tremor or Parkinson's disease met the Technology Evaluation Center (TEC) criteria. More recent evidence suggests that bilateral DBS of the GPi or the STN may alleviate the entire constellation of parkinsonian symptoms (tremor, …
Analysis of SLC16A11 Variants in 12,811 American Indians: Genotype-Obesity Interaction for Type 2 Diabetes and an Association With RNASEK Expression

Genetic variants in SLC16A11 were recently reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes in Mexican and other Latin American populations. The diabetes risk haplotype had a frequency of 50% in Native Americans from Mexico but was rare in Europeans and Africans. In the current study, we analyzed SLC16A11 in 12,811 North American Indians and found that the diabetes risk haplotype, tagged by the rs75493593 A allele, was nominally associated with type 2 diabetes (P = 0.001, odds ratio 1.11). However, there was a strong interaction with BMI (P = 5.1 × 10−7) such that the diabetes association was stronger in leaner individuals. rs75493593 was also strongly associated with BMI in individuals with type 2 diabetes (P = 3.4 × 10−15) but not in individuals without diabetes (P = 0.77). Longitudinal analyses suggest that this is due, in part, to an association of the A allele with greater weight loss following diabetes onset (P = 0.02). Analyses of global gene expression data from adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and whole blood provide evidence that rs75493593 is associated with expression of the nearby RNASEK gene, suggesting that RNASEK expression may mediate the effect of genotype on diabetes.
No-reference video quality assessment via feature learning

In this paper, we propose a novel “Opinion Free” (OF) No-Reference Video Quality Assessment (NR-VQA) algorithm based on frame-level unsupervised feature learning and hysteresis temporal pooling. The system consists of three components: feature extraction with max-min pooling, frame quality prediction and temporal pooling. Frame level features are first extracted by unsupervised feature learning and used to train a linear Support Vector Regressor (SVR) for predicting quality scores frame by frame. Frame-level quality scores are then combined by temporal pooling to obtain a single video quality score. We tested the proposed method on the LIVE video quality database and experimental results show that without training on human opinion scores the proposed method is comparable to state-of-the-art NR-VQA algorithms.
Modeling super capacitor discharge profile

Super capacitors is an invention of material science that find its application in electronics. In this paper, a super capacitor is used as a power source for a boost converter to yield a constant output voltage for a current in the range of milliamps. Depending upon the output current draw the super capacitor voltage decays and we will to simulate this decay characteristic using dc-dc converter. In this paper firstly we discuss the methodology for designing PWM based constant output dc-dc boost converter powered by super capacitor i.e. the input voltage is varying and based on it we endeavor create the methodology for a test circuit which when connected to any circuit in place of super capacitor, will yield the almost same effect. In this paper it is also shown that if we know the power consumed by each and every component in a circuit powered by super capacitor along with the output power of that circuit, we can calculate rate at which the super capacitor voltage will decay and the time for which that circuit would operate when its powered by super capacitor, and thus we can find the voltage and current profile of super capacitor discharge characteristic when it is supplying a certain load, and also model it using a dc-dc converter.
A utility-based priority scheduling scheme for multimedia delivery over LTE networks

With the mobile networks migrating towards LTE-Advanced and all-IP networks, people expect to connect to the Internet anytime, anywhere and from any IP-connected device. Moreover, nowadays people tend to spend much of their time consuming multimedia content from various devices with heterogeneous characteristics (e.g., TV screen, laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.). In order to support uninterrupted, continuous, and smooth video streaming with reduced delay, jitter, and packet loss to their customers, network operators must be able to differentiate between their offerings according to device characteristics, including screen resolution. This paper proposes a novel Utility-based Priority Scheduling (UPS) algorithm which considers device differentiation when supporting high quality delivery of multimedia services over LTE networks. The priority decision is based on device classification, mobile device energy consumption and multimedia stream tolerance to packet loss ratio. Simulation results demonstrate the benefits of the proposed priority-based scheduling algorithm in comparison with two classic approaches.
Relevance to Asthma Rhinovirus: A Regulatory Mechanism with Cells Constrain Th2 Cytokine Responses to Innate IFNs and Plasmacytoid Dendritic

Human rhinoviruses (RV) cause only minor illness in healthy individuals, but can have deleterious consequences in people with asthma. This study sought to examine normal homeostatic mechanisms regulating adaptive immunity to RV in healthy humans, focusing on effects of IFN- ab and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) on Th2 immune responses. PBMC were isolated from 27 healthy individuals and cultured with RV16 for up to 5 d. In some experiments, IFN- ab was neutralized using a decoy receptor that blocks IFN signaling, whereas speciﬁc dendritic cell subsets were depleted from cultures with immune-magnetic beads. RV16 induced robust expression of IFN- a , IFN- b , multiple IFN-stimulated genes, and T cell-polarizing factors within the ﬁrst 24 h. At 5 d, the production of memory T cell-derived IFN- g , IL-10, and IL-13, but not IL-17A, was signiﬁcantly elevated. Neutralizing the effects of type-I IFN with the decoy receptor B18R led to a signiﬁcant increase in IL-13 synthesis, but had no effect on IFN- g synthesis. Depletion of pDC from RV-stimulated cultures markedly inhibited IFN- a secretion, and led to a signiﬁcant increase in expression and production of the Th2 cytokines IL-5 ( p = 0.02), IL-9 ( p < 0.01), and IL-13 ( p < 0.01), but had no effect on IFN- g synthesis. Depletion of CD1c + dendritic cells did not alter cytokine synthesis. In healthy humans, pDC and the IFN- ab they secrete selectively constrain Th2 cytokine synthesis following RV exposure in vitro. This important regulatory mechanism may be lost in asthma; deﬁcient IFN-
Social Anxiety, Depression and Self-Esteem in Obese Adolescent Girls with Acanthosis Nigricans

Objective: To assess the impact of acanthosis nigricans (AN) on depression symptoms, related quality of life and self-esteem scores in obese adolescent girls. Methods: Fifty-nine obese adolescent girls (mean age: 13.19±1.3 years, age range: 12-17 years, mean body mass index: 29.89±3.30) were enrolled in this study. The obese adolescent girls were divided into two groups based on presence or absence of AN. Non-obese healthy adolescents constituted the control group (30 girls, mean age: 13.5±1.4 years). All subjects were evaluated using the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-C), and the modified Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES). Higher scores indicated more severe depression and anxiety, as well as low self-esteem status. Results: The AN and non-AN obese groups showed significantly higher CDI, STAI-C and SES scores than the control group, and the two obese groups demonstrated no significant differences for these scores. The AN obese group with higher total testosterone levels (>50 ng/dL) had higher scores for SES (2.55±1.8 vs. 1.42±1.2; p=0.03) than the AN obese group with low total testosterone levels. SES scores significantly correlated with total testosterone levels (r=0.362; p=0.03) and fasting insulin (r=0.462; p=0.03) in the AN obese group. Conclusion: Higher SES scores (low self-esteem status) were determined in obese adolescents with acanthosis and were related to hyperandrogenism. This study also showed that a high testosterone level may be one of the important indicators of low self-esteem status in obese girls with AN.