Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fundamental Frequency Estimation Using Modified Higher Order Moments and Multiple Windows

This paper proposes a set of higher-order modified moments for estimation of the fundamental frequency of speech and explores the impact of the speech window length on pitch estimation error. The pitch extraction methods are evaluated in a range of noise types and SNRs. For calculation of errors, pitch reference values are calculated from manually-corrected estimates of the periods obtained from laryngograph signals. The results obtained for the 3rd and 4th order modified moment compare well with methods based on correlation and magnitude difference criteria and the YIN method; with improved pitch accuracy and less occurrence of large errors
The response of Tetrahymena pyriformis to ionizing radiation: strain specific radiosenstivities.

Four clonal strains, HS, EU 6000, EU 6001, and EU 6002, of T. pyriformis were exposed to x-ray doses ranging from 48 to 333 kr. After irradiation single cell isolations were made. Survival was measured as the ability of these single cell isolates to form macroscopically visible colonies. By this technique it was found that some of these strains are more radioresistant than others. Certain events between treatment and termination of the experiment (either by death or survival of the cell lines) were studied. Cytological studies of irradiated cells show certain micronuclear abnormalities not observed in controls. All 4 strains were analyzed biochemically. The most radioresistant strain, HS, had only half as much total DNA per cell as the more radiosensitive EU strains. The RNA content was equivalent. Certain interpretations of radiation sensitivity differences are excluded by the data. The radiosensitivity of the strain is not correlated with the ploidy of the micronucleus. Also, no correlation can be made with the total DNA content of the strains. These and other points are discussed showing that interpretations based on differences in target multiplicity are not compatible with the results. It is suggested that radiosensitivity differences are related to differences in abilitymore » of the strains either to protect against radiation damage or to repair damage that has been done. A choice between these interpretations is not allowed by the present data. « less
Accessing genomic data through XML-based remote procedure calls

As the amount of data in public genomic databases grows, interoperability among them is becoming an increasingly critical feature. The ability for automated systems to mine and integrate data will be crucial to extracting knowledge from sources of data whose volume far exceeds the capabilities of human researchers. The currently dominant paradigm of presenting information as Web pages and using hyperlinks to describe relationships between pieces of information favors usability, but makes interoperability and automated data exchange more difficult. In this paper we describe how SNPper, a web-based system for the retrieval and analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), was augmented with a Remote Procedure Call interface, allowing client applications to query our program for SNP data and to receive the response as an XML document. Data represented in this form can be easily parsed by the requesting program, and thus reused for other applications. In this paper we describe the implementation of the interface and we show examples of its usage in a number of existing applications.
Electrophoretically deposited polyaniline nanotubes based film for cholesterol detection

Polyaniline nanotube (PANI‐NT) based films have been fabricated onto indium‐tin‐oxide (ITO) coated glass plates via electrophoretic technique. These PANI‐NT/ITO electrodes have been utilized for covalent immobilization of cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) using glutaraldehyde (Glu) as cross‐linker. Structural, morphological and electrochemical characterization of PANI‐NT/ITO electrode and ChOx/Glu/PANI‐NT/ITO bioelectrode have been done using FT‐IR spectroscopy, SEM, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry techniques. Response studies of the ChOx/Glu/PANI‐NT/ITO bioelectrode have been carried out using both linear sweep voltammetry and UV‐Visible spectrophotometry. The results of the biosensing studies reveal that this bioelectrode can be used to detect cholesterol in wide detection range of 25–500 mg/dL with high sensitivity of 3.36 mA mg−1 dL and fast response time of 30 s at pH 7.4. This bioelectrode exhibits very low value of Michaelis–Menten constant of 1.18 mM indicating enhanced interactions between cholesterol and ChOx immobilized onto this nanostructured PANI matrix.
Raz on Rights: Human Rights, Fundamental Rights, and Balancing

After clarifying the outlines of Raz's interest theory of rights and its relationship to aspects of the principles theory of rights, I consider how his recent observations on human rights manage to fit (or fail to fit) into the interest theory. I then address two questions. First, I elaborate on Raz's definition of morally fundamental rights, arguing that he is right in claiming that there are no such rights. I then show that the interest theory accommodates the notion that rights may take qualitative precedence over conflicting considerations—a question that has become increasingly relevant in light of recent writing on rights.
Deviant Youth Groups in 30 Countries

In this study, the authors explored the link between deviant youth group (DYG) membership and antisocial behavior through a large student survey conducted by means of the same questionnaire in 62 cities in 30 countries. The sample (N = 40,678) was made up of 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-grade students, both boys and girls, attending different types of schools. The definition of DYG that the authors used was the one drawn up by the Eurogang network: “Any durable, street-oriented youth group whose own identity includes involvement in illegal activity. ” About 4.4% of youths were considered as DYG members according to this definition, with prevalence rates differing markedly among different countries, from less than 1% to more than 16%. In general, DYG membership implied a higher prevalence of delinquency, violence, and alcohol and drug use. Differences between DYG members and nonmembers were greater with regard to more serious antisocial behavior. Although the prevalence of DYG membership varies in different countries, the association between DYG membership and antisocial behavior is quite similar in the different national contexts.
A tighter recursive calculus to compute the worst case traversal time of real-time traffic over NoCs

Network-on-Chip (NoC) is a communication subsystem which has been widely utilized in many-core processors and system-on-chips in general. In this paper, we focus on a Round-Robin Arbitration (RRA) based wormhole-switched NoC which is a common architecture used in most of the existing implementations. In order to execute real-time applications on such a NoC based platform, a number of given real-time requirements need to be fulfilled. One of the most typical requirements is schedulability which refers to determining if real-time packets can be delivered within the given time durations. Timing analysis is a common tool to verify the schedulability of a real-time system. Unfortunately, the existing timing analyses of RRA-based NoCs either provide too pessimistic estimates which results in overly allocated resources or require a large amount of processing which limits the applicability in reality. Therefore, in this paper, we present an improved timing analysis, aiming to provide more accurate estimates along with acceptable computation time. From the evaluation results, we can clearly observe the improvement achieved by the proposed timing analysis.
An Aluminum Microfluidic Chip Fabrication Using a Convenient Micromilling Process for Fluorescent Poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) Microparticle Generation

This study presents the development of a robust aluminum-based microfluidic chip fabricated by conventional mechanical micromachining (computer numerical control-based micro-milling process). It applied the aluminum-based microfluidic chip to form poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles encapsulating CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs). A cross-flow design and flow-focusing system were employed to control the oil-in-water (o/w) emulsification to ensure the generation of uniformly-sized droplets. The size of the droplets could be tuned by adjusting the flow rates of the water and oil phases. The proposed microfluidic platform is easy to fabricate, set up, organize as well as program, and is valuable for further applications under harsh reaction conditions (high temperature and/or strong organic solvent systems). The proposed method has the advantages of actively controlling the droplet diameter, with a narrow size distribution, good sphericity, as well as being a simple process with a high throughput. In addition to the fluorescent PLGA microparticles in this study, this approach can also be applied to many applications in the pharmaceutical and biomedical area.
Caucasian and Hispanic Early Adolescent Substance Use

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of parenting, personality, and school adjustment on early adolescent substance use. The sample consisted of 1,023 6th and 7th graders (mean age = 12.7 years) about equally divided between males and females. Using structural equation modeling, similarity in developmental process across gender and ethnic groups was confirmed. Hierarchical nested modeling revealed few direct effects of personality or parenting on experimentation or illicit use; rather, both latent traits were mediated by school adjustment. The final mediated model demonstrated excellent fit, accounting for 59% of the total variance in licit substance use and 21% of the variance in illicit use. Findings indicate (a) similarity in etiology of early adolescent substance use across gender and ethnicity; (b) the importance of examining multiple domains of influence on adolescent substance use; and (c) the need to examine mediated versus direct effects models in predicting early adolescent substance use.
Secreted Gaussia Luciferase as a Biomarker for Monitoring Tumor Progression and Treatment Response of Systemic Metastases

Background Currently, only few techniques are available for quantifying systemic metastases in preclinical model. Thus techniques that can sensitively detect metastatic colonization and assess treatment response in real-time are urgently needed. To this end, we engineered tumor cells to express a naturally secreted Gaussia luciferase (Gluc), and investigated its use as a circulating biomarker for monitoring viable metastatic or primary tumor growth and their treatment responses. Methodology/Principal Findings We first developed orthotopic primary and metastatic breast tumors with derivative of MDA-MB-231 cells expressing Gluc. We then correlated tumor burden with Gluc activity in the blood and urine along with bioluminescent imaging (BLI). Second, we utilized blood Gluc assay to monitor treatment response to lapatinib in an experimental model of systemic metastasis. We observed good correlation between the primary tumor volume and Gluc concentration in blood (R2 = 0.84) and urine (R2 = 0.55) in the breast tumor model. The correlation deviated as a primary tumor grew due to a reduction in viable tumor fraction. This was also supported by our mathematical models for tumor growth to compare the total and viable tumor burden in our model. In the experimental metastasis model, we found numerous brain metastases as well as systemic metastases including bone and lungs. Importantly, blood Gluc assay revealed early growth of metastatic tumors before BLI could visualize their presence. Using secreted Gluc, we localized systemic metastases by BLI and quantitatively monitored the total viable metastatic tumor burden by blood Gluc assay during the course of treatment with lapatinib, a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor of EGFR and HER2. Conclusion/Significance We demonstrated secreted Gluc assay accurately reflects the amount of viable cancer cells in primary and metastatic tumors. Blood Gluc activity not only tracks metastatic tumor progression but also serves as a longitudinal biomarker for tumor response to treatments.
A Novel Forged Image Detection Method Using the Characteristics of Interpolation

Development of digital image‐editing programs has enabled us to be widely exposed to forged digital images surrounding us. Such forged images have been dispersed through the Internet, newspaper articles, and magazines, and in particular, the information contained in these unverified images happened to be regarded as true. As a result, the forged images provided wrong information for individuals and society, thus sometimes creating social issues. In order to solve such problems, this study was aimed to suggest the methods of identifying the veracity of forged images. In this way, it suggested re‐interpolation algorithm. Namely, the study re‐interpolated in identical arbitrary values both the interpolated and un‐interpolated regions based on the interpolation used a lot in forged, confirmed discrete fourier transform (DFT) characteristics of these two regions, and embodied a detection map for the final forged images, using the subtraction value between two regions in DFT characteristics.
International Conference on Information Systems ( ICIS ) 1-1-2010 Towards the Adoption of e-Refereeing and e-Ticketing in Elite Soccer Championships : an Institutional Perspective

Although the role of IT is salient in sporting mega-events (e.g. instant replay, goal-line technology), IS research has not yet paid any attention to the processes by which technologies are selected for and implemented at these mega-events, the strategies used by actors, nor the consequences of such implementations on actors in related sectors and industries. To tackle this underdeveloped research topic, we focus on the last three UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) soccer championships (2000, 2004, 2008) and we describe how some technologies are adopted (e.g., e-ticketing) while others (e.g., e-refereeing) are not. With an overall goal of deepening our understanding of IT-related institutional work surrounding mega-events in general and sporting mega-events in particular, our objective is to better comprehend the role and actions of institutional entrepreneurs in the selection and implementation of IT for sporting mega-events.
Fragile watermarking using the VW2D watermark

Two classes of digital watermarks have been developed to protect the copyright ownership of digital images. Robust watermarks are designed to withstand attacks on an image (such as compression or scaling), while fragile watermarks are designed to detect minute changes in an image. Fragile marks can also identify where an image has been altered. This paper compares two fragile watermarks. The first method uses a hash function to obtain a digest of the image. An altered or forged version of the original image is then hashed and the digest is compared to the digest of the original image. If the image has changed the digests will be different. We will describe how images can be hashed so that any changes can be spatially localized. The second method uses the Variable-Watermark Two- Dimensional algorithm (VW2D). The sensitivity to changes is user-specific. Either no changes can be permitted (similar to a hard hash function), or an image can be altered and still be labeled authentic. Latter algorithms are known as semi-fragile watermarks. We will describe the performance of these two techniques and discuss under what circumstances one would use a particular technique.
Temporal lobe abnormalities in dementia and depression: a study using high resolution single photon emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

OBJECTIVES Perfusion SPECT and MRI were used to test the hypothesis that late onset depression is associated with brain abnormalities. METHODS Forty depressed patients (DSM-III-R major depressive episode, not demented at two year follow up) were recruited who were either drug free, or on a stable dose of antidepressants for at least three weeks, as well as 22 demented patients (DSM-IIIR and NINCDS/ADRDA criteria for probable Alzheimer’s disease). Patients were imaged at rest with a high resolution single slice 12 detector head scanner (SME-Neuro 900) and the cerebral perfusion marker99mTc-exametazime (HM-PAO). Temporal lobe templates were fitted with brains pitched by 20°-30°. A subgroup of 41 patients (22 depressed) were also scanned using a Siemens Magnetron 1.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imager, using a FLAIR imaging sequence for the assessment of white matter hyperintensities, and a Turbo FLASH sequence for the measurement of medial temporal lobe width. RESULTS Demented patients showed reduced perfusion, particularly in the left temporoparietal cortex. In these regions of interest, patients with late onset depression tended to have perfusion values intermediate between patients with early onset depression and demented patients. Differences in changes in white matter between demented and early and late onset depressive patients did not reach conventional levels of significance. Temporal lobe width differed between demented and depressed patients, but not between early and late onset depressed patients. Perfusion and temporal lobe width were not associated, but reductions of perfusion were associated with periventricular white matter changes. Mini mental state examination scores were associated with temporal perfusion in demented patients and with changes in deep white matter in depressed patients. Finally, severity of depressive symptoms was associated with decreased perfusion in frontotemporal and basal ganglia regions of interest. CONCLUSION A cumulative effect of duration of illness on regional cerebral perfusion could not be confirmed. Late onset depression may show more abnormalities of deep white matter and of left temporoparietal perfusion than early onset depression, but the underlying pathology remains to be established.
Recognition and Translation of Arabic Named Entities with NooJ Using a New Representation Model

Recognition and translation of named entities (NEs) are two current research topics with regard to the proliferation of electronic documents exchanged through the Internet. The need to assimilate these documents through NLP tools has become necessary and interesting. Moreover, the formal or semi-formal modeling of these NEs may intervene in both processes of recognition and translation. Indeed, the modeling task makes more reliable the constitution of linguistic resources, limits the impact of linguistic specificities and facilitates transformations from one representation to another. In this context, we propose an approach of recognition and translation based on a representation model of Arabic NEs and a set of transducers resolving morphological and syntactical phenomena. The representation model is based on the feature structure independent of lexical categories.
MethylExtract: High-Quality methylation maps and SNV calling from whole genome bisulfite sequencing data

Whole genome methylation profiling at a single cytosine resolution is now feasible due to the advent of high-throughput sequencing techniques together with bisulfite treatment of the DNA. To obtain the methylation value of each individual cytosine, the bisulfite-treated sequence reads are first aligned to a reference genome, and then the profiling of the methylation levels is done from the alignments. A huge effort has been made to quickly and correctly align the reads and many different algorithms and programs to do this have been created. However, the second step is just as crucial and non-trivial, but much less attention has been paid to the final inference of the methylation states. Important error sources do exist, such as sequencing errors, bisulfite failure, clonal reads, and single nucleotide variants. We developed MethylExtract, a user friendly tool to: i) generate high quality, whole genome methylation maps and ii) detect sequence variation within the same sample preparation. The program is implemented into a single script and takes into account all major error sources. MethylExtract detects variation (SNVs – Single Nucleotide Variants) in a similar way to VarScan, a very sensitive method extensively used in SNV and genotype calling based on non-bisulfite-treated reads. The usefulness of MethylExtract is shown by means of extensive benchmarking based on artificial bisulfite-treated reads and a comparison to a recently published method, called Bis-SNP. MethylExtract is able to detect SNVs within High-Throughput Sequencing experiments of bisulfite treated DNA at the same time as it generates high quality methylation maps. This simultaneous detection of DNA methylation and sequence variation is crucial for many downstream analyses, for example when deciphering the impact of SNVs on differential methylation. An exclusive feature of MethylExtract, in comparison with existing software, is the possibility to assess the bisulfite failure in a statistical way. The source code, tutorial and artificial bisulfite datasets are available at http://bioinfo2.ugr. es/MethylExtract/ and http://sourceforge.net/projects/methylextract/, and also permanently accessible from 10.5281/zenodo.7144.
Children's participation in early childhood education and care, and their developmental outcomes by Year 5: A comparison between disadvantaged and advantaged children

Acknowledgements This research was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) under the Social Policy Research Services Agreement (2013–14) with the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. This paper uses unit record data from Growing Up in Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) Survey. The study is conducted in partnership between the Department of Social Services (DSS), the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The views expressed in this report are those of the authors alone and do not represent those of DSS, AIFS, the ABS or DEEWR.
MINING ALGORITHM FOR XML QUERY-ANSWERING SUPPORT V

In this current world, we come across digital information available on the web like e-business transaction, e-shopping, e-learning etc., These XML documents are outsized and so the datasets returned as a answer query is also large, which in turn is a complicated process for the retrieval of interpretable knowledge. The query answering system has achieved its potential in creating queries and accessing XML documents by reducing the tremendous size of data. In this paper, we use an optimized Tree based Association Rule (TAR) to retrieve the results for the queries posed by the users on the XML document. TAR files provide intensional information on the structure and content of XML document. In addition we propose a method to dynamically update the TAR files when the dataset changes. KeywordsXML, Query-answering, Data mining, Intensional information, Tree-based association rule.
INTERTEMPORAL ASSET PRICING WITHOUT CONSUMPTION DATA: EMPIRICAL TESTS

In this paper I conduct tests of an intertemporal asset pricing model using variables that forecast stock returns as the risk factors. I document that the forecasting variables are priced so that expected excess returns are related to their conditional covariances with the forecasting variables. The variability in the covariance risk fails to explain the cross-sectional and time series variation in expected stock returns. Evidence rejects restrictions on the prices of covariance risk imposed by the model with constant volatilities. I also find that an extended model that allows time-varying conditional volatilities is misspecified.