Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lower and higher critical band enhancement to attain intelligibility improvement in noisy environment

In mobile communication systems, deterioration in intelligibility of the voiced content of the signal is a commonly observed phenomenon. In order to counter the undesirable effect of background noises on the speech signal, a methodology must be developed such that there is no loss in intelligibility of the speech signal. This work focuses on developing an approach to attain enhancement of speech critical band-wise, when the near-end noise dominates. Two different approaches are employed for speech enhancement. First approach involves enhancing the lower critical bands while the second approach includes higher critical band enhancement. The intelligibility is measured in terms of Speech Intelligibility Index (SII). The SII values infer an improvement in speech intelligibility for higher critical band enhancement.
Utilization of channel reciprocity in advanced MIMO system

The multiple antenna technique is one of the most promising technologies to enhance system performance to reach the challenging requirements of IMT-Advanced technical requirement ITU-R M.2134[1]. Channel state information is essential to enable closed-loop multiple antenna techniques. Channel reciprocity is an efficient and economic way of providing network with channel state information. In this paper, utilization of channel reciprocity in advanced MIMO system is discussed. Advantages and drawbacks of channel reciprocity are both discussed in detail. Simulation results are also provided to demonstrate efficiency of channel reciprocity.
An Improved Decision-Based Algorithm for Impulse Noise Removal

The paper proposes an improved fast and efficient decision-based algorithm for the restoration of images that are highly corrupted by Salt-and-Pepper noise. The new algorithm utilizes previously processed neighboring pixel values to get better image quality than the one utilizing only the just previously processed pixel value. The proposed algorithm is faster and also produces better result than a Standard Median Filter (SMF), Adaptive Median Filters (AMF), Cascade and Recursive non-linear filters. The proposed method removes only the noisy pixel either by the median value or by the mean of the previously processed neighboring pixel values. Different images have been tested by using the proposed algorithm (PA) and found to produce better PSNR and SSIM values.
Differential RNA-seq, Multi-Network Analysis and Metabolic Regulation Analysis of Kluyveromyces marxianus Reveals a Compartmentalised Response to Xylose

We investigated the transcriptomic response of a new strain of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus, in glucose and xylose media using RNA-seq. The data were explored in a number of innovative ways using a variety of networks types, pathway maps, enrichment statistics, reporter metabolites and a flux simulation model, revealing different aspects of the genome-scale response in an integrative systems biology manner. The importance of the subcellular localisation in the transcriptomic response is emphasised here, revealing new insights. As was previously reported by others using a rich medium, we show that peroxisomal fatty acid catabolism was dramatically up-regulated in a defined xylose mineral medium without fatty acids, along with mechanisms to activate fatty acids and transfer products of β-oxidation to the mitochondria. Notably, we observed a strong up-regulation of the 2-methylcitrate pathway, supporting capacity for odd-chain fatty acid catabolism. Next we asked which pathways would respond to the additional requirement for NADPH for xylose utilisation, and rationalised the unexpected results using simulations with Flux Balance Analysis. On a fundamental level, we investigated the contribution of the hierarchical and metabolic regulation levels to the regulation of metabolic fluxes. Metabolic regulation analysis suggested that genetic level regulation plays a major role in regulating metabolic fluxes in adaptation to xylose, even for the high capacity reactions, which is unexpected. In addition, isozyme switching may play an important role in re-routing of metabolic fluxes in subcellular compartments in K. marxianus.
Waiting in the Wings: Reflected X-Ray Emission from the Homunculus Nebula

We report the first detection of X-ray emission associated with the Homunculus nebula that surrounds the supermassive star η Car. The emission is characterized by a temperature in excess of 100 MK and is consistent with scattering of the time-delayed X-ray flux associated with the star. The nebular emission is bright in the northwestern lobe and near the central regions of the Homunculus, and fainter in the southeastern lobe. We also report the detection of an unusually broad Fe K fluorescent line, which may indicate fluorescent scattering off the wind of a companion star or some other high-velocity outflow. The X-ray Homunculus is the nearest member of the small class of Galactic X-ray reflection nebulae, and the only one in which both the emitting and reflecting sources are distinguishable.
Breath to speech communication with fall detection for elder/patient with take care analytics

People suffering from Developmental-Disabilities are almost entirely paralyzed disabling them to communicate in any way except using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication device. Survey analysis tells that 1.4% of globe's population suffers from speech disorder which is more than the Karnataka's population. Looking into the elderly group it was analyzed that the fall events cannot be predicted and might be an unsafe event. Estimates tell that 33.33% of 65 and above aged people fall every year. It can be seen that out of these falls 55% occur at home and 23% occur near the home. Hence, a dependable fall detection system has to be developed, and commercially be used all over the globe among the elderly. Depending on fast detection and delivering signals, the cost of the system can be reduced which is interconnected to the reaction and saving time. An enhanced breathe to speech communication and fall detection system for elderly people and also monitoring through a take care analytics is suggested that are based on intelligent sensors that are put by the person using that device.
Energy efficient random sleep-awake schedule design

This letter presents a simple model for determining energy efficient random sleep-awake schedules. Random sleep-awake schedules are more appropriate for sensor networks, where the time of occurrence of an event being monitored, e.g., the detection of an intruder, is unknown a priori, and the coordination among nodes is costly. We model the random sleep-awake schedule as a two state Markov process, and maximize the probability of the transmission of sensed data by a given deadline. Our results indicate that for a given duty cycle, the optimal policy is to have infrequent transitions between sleep and awake modes, if the average number of packets sent is greater than the mean number of slots the node is awake.
Analysis and Improvement of the Linear MAKEP protocol

In the process of formal analysis based on strand space model, it is generally based on the assumption that the cryptographic algorithm used in protocol is secure. By introducing an insecure signature algorithm, we extend the penetrator model of strand space and improve the authentication test method based on parameters consistency, and then extend the expression and analysis ability of the strand space method. Making use of the improved method, we analyze the Linear MAKEP protocol proposed by Wong in 2001. The results show that the protocol is not security under the new penetrator model. Consequently, we provide a simple improved mode.
Visual correction of position drift using uniform marker fields

This paper deals with navigation indoors and in small-scale outdoor scenes. We propose to enhance IMU and conventional visual odometry navigation - typically used in the said contexts - by visual location estimation based on markers conveniently displaced in the environment. We propose using visually appealing Uniform Marker Fields; this technique offers high precision and real-time performance on mobile devices of moderate computational power. We evaluate the accuracy of the proposed technique, achieving approximately 4cm error in a scene of roughly 5 m diameter (beneath 1 %).
Robust Color Image Watermarking Approach Based on Shape-Specific Points

In this paper, we propose a watermarking scheme with high perceived quality for color images by using the Euclidean distance of radius-weighted mean (RWM) and centroid. Based on spatial domain, the proposed watermarking scheme can effectively embed a secret message in host images. Simulations demonstrate that the marked images generated by the proposed watermarking scheme are tolerant of versatile attacks such as color reduction, compression, cropping, lens-blurring, noise addition, pixel-truncation, and so on. Above all, the extracted watermarks are recognized when the marked images suffered from attacks such as JPEG2000 compression with a high CR attack and large-scale noise-addition attacks.
A fair power-efficient cross-layer relay selection based on Priority and Buffer Management

Recently, cross-layer relay selection methods are proposed in favor of providing QoS requirements of users in multi-user cooperative networks as a way to achieve a better performance. However, most of them have failed to achieve an acceptable level of fairness in satisfying diverse QoS requirements in a multi-media service. On the other hand, reducing consumed power is essential today in cooperative networks. In this paper, we aim to improve fairness and reduce consumed power in a multi-user cooperative network with multi-media service. For this purpose, we propose a novel algorithm based on management of relay nodes' buffer space and the priority concept during relay selection. Simulation results certify that our algorithm outperforms previous ones in terms of system spectrum efficiency, fairness, and average consumed power.
Making the Right Decision: Organizational Culture, Vision, and Planning

Part 1 Making the right decisions: the nature of right and wrong decisions. Part 2 Organizational culture: the nature of culture cultural change assessing organizational culture. Part 3 Organizational decision-making: the nature of decisions some decision techniques. Part 4 Implementation and progress: the nature of implementation monitoring progress knowing when to stop. Part 5 Lessons learned: the nature of understanding.
Chapter 6 Scalable End-user Access to Big Data

• The turnaround time for information requests is in the range of days, possibly weeks, due to the involvement of the IT personnel; 1University of Oslo 2Free University of Bozen-Bolzano 3fluid Operations AG 4Oxford University 5National and Kapodistrian University of Athens 6Sapienza University of Rome 7TU Hamburg-Harburg The work on this chapter was partially funded by the Seventh Framework Program (FP7) of the European Commission under Grant Agreement 318338, “Optique. ”
Combining Statistical Machine Learning with Transformation Rule Learning for Vietnamese Word Sense Disambiguation

Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) is the task of determining the right sense of a word depending on the context it appears. Among various approaches developed for this task, statistical machine learning methods have been showing their advantages in comparison with others. However, there are some cases which cannot be solved by a general statistical model. This paper proposes a novel framework, in which we use the rules generated by transformation based learning (TBL) to improve the performance of a statistical machine learning model. This framework can be considered as a combination of a rule-based method and statistical based method. We have developed this method for the problem of Vietnamese WSD and achieved some promising results.
An Efficient Edge-Based Compression Algorithm for 3D Models with Holes and Handles

Recently numerous studies have attempted to develop efficient algorithms for com- pressing/decompressing geometric data. Almost all of these algorithms are either multi- ple pass traversals or operate in reverse order. Multiple pass traversals take a long time to execute. Operating in reverse order should work only off-line since its decompression order follows the reverse order of the compression. These factors restrict numerous ap- plications. To conquer these restrictions, this study proposes an edge-based sin- gle-resolution compression scheme for handling triangular mesh connectivity. The pro- posed algorithm encodes and decodes 3D models straightforwardly via single pass tra- versal in a sequential order. Most algorithms use the split operation to separate the 3D model into two compo- nents; however the displacement is recorded or an extra operator is needed for identify- ing the branch. This study proposes using the J operator to skip to the next edge of the active boundary; the method need not split overhead. Meanwhile, this study proposes the cut operation to compress/decompress the triangular mesh with holes and handles. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves better compres- sion ratio and faster execution time than the conventional algorithm. The proposed algo- rithm is combined with a graphics engine, and the hardware structures and vertices re- placement strategies are also presented.
The Blogosphere at a Glance — Content-Based Structures Made Simple

A network representation based on a basic wordoverlap similarity measure between blogs is introduced. The simplicity of the representation renders it computationally tractable, transparent and insensitive to representation-dependent artifacts. Using Swedish blog data, we demonstrate that the representation, in spite of its simplicity, manages to capture important structural properties of the content in the blogosphere. First, blogs that treat similar subjects are organized in distinct network clusters. Second, the network is hierarchically organized as clusters in turn form higher-order clusters: a compound structure reminiscent of a blog taxonomy.
A robot that flies with a neuromorphic eye

Small Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) and Micro Air Vehicles (MAV) are being tested for urban surveillance. Future missions will require sensors and flight control systems (FCS) dedicated to obstacle avoidance and guidance so that the remote operators can concentrate on navigation and observation. Flying insects use the wide field of view (FOV) of their compound eyes to avoid obstacles and follow terrain. Insects use the retinal motion of contrasts also known as Optic Flow (OF). Their nervous system fuses visual, inertial, and aerodynamic senses to control flight. This robotic aircraft demonstrates how insect vision can be applied to UAV’s. It shows how biologicallyinspired sensing can enable a flying test bed (figures 1 and 2) to follow terrain and avoid obstacles in flight conditions that a remote-controlling operator would find daunting.
Complexity certifications of inexact projection primal gradient method for convex problems: Application to embedded MPC

In this paper we introduce a primal projected gradient method based on inexact projections for solving constrained convex problems. For this algorithm we prove sublinear rate of convergence when applied to problems with objective function being convex and having Lipschitz gradient. At each iteration, our method computes a gradient step towards the solution of the unconstrained problem and then projecting approximately this step onto the feasible set. We recast the inexact projection as approximately solving a best approximation problem for the gradient step until a certain stopping criterion holds. Finally, we show that there are available powerful algorithms, with linear convergence, for computing the inexact projection, such as Dykstra algorithm and alternating direction method of multipliers. Our algorithm is especially useful in embedded model predictive control on hardware with limited computational power, where tight bounds on the computational complexity of the numerical algorithm, used for solving the control problem, are required.
1 SIMPLE AUGMENTED REALITY IMPLEMENTATION FOR COMPUTER VISION

This paper presents an application of computer vision techniques, shape analysis and classification in an augmented reality environment. Augmented reality (AR) aims to create user interface in which virtual objects are overlaid on the physical environment. There are many potential AR applications in different fields, like medical visualization, engineering design, maintenance and repair, annotation, entertainment, cultural heritage, military aircraft navigation and others. The proposed method follow the next 8 steps: image acquisition, image processing and filtering, image binarization, image segmentation, shape characterization, shape recognition and classification, perspective transform and overlay.
New System Architecture for Next-Generation Green Data Centers : Mangrove

With the aim of configuring next-generation green data centers, we introduce a new system architecture called “Mangrove” that achieves total optimization by vertically integrating servers, storage drives, networks, middleware, and facilities. Mangrove embodies resource pooling and the offloading of control functions to middleware, which are key concepts of the Next-Generation Green Data Center. An information technology (IT) platform based on Mangrove can use resources flexibly and efficiently, perform quick reconfigurations, and improve availability and reliability, thereby lowering costs and saving energy. Mangrove consists of a server/ storage architecture that pools hardware resources, storage functions running on the pooled resources via middleware, a scalable data center network, high-speed interfaces supported by low-cost, highly consolidated optical interconnects, and operations and management technology for optimizing virtual machine (VM) placement. This article describes the purpose and features of each of these Mangrove elements.
A Method for Automating Text Markup

Markup languages based on XML are increasingly popular, and languages for other formats such as RDF are under active development. One of the problems involved in converting legacy documents to use XML or other markup formats is the insertion of tags into the document and the consequent rearrangement of text required when markup is added to an existing, un-marked-up document. This paper describes a method for automating part of the process of marking up such legacy documents. The approach is designed for semi-structured text documents, for example, technical documentation and narrative descriptions.
Comparative Proteomics Analysis Suggests that Placental Mitochondria are Involved in the Development of Pre-Eclampsia

Introduction Pre-eclampsia (PE), a severe pregnancy-specific disease characterized by the new onset of hypertension, proteinuria, edema, and a series of other systematic disorders, is a state of widespread mitochondrial dysfunction of the placenta. Methods We compared the morphology of mitochondria in pre-eclamptic and normotensive placentae using electron microscopy. To reveal the systematic protein expression changes of placental mitochondria that might explain the pathogenesis of PE, we performed iTRAQ analysis combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on differentially expressed placental mitochondria proteins from 4 normotensive and 4 pre-eclamptic pregnancies. Bioinformatics analysis was used to find the relative processes that these differentially expressed proteins were involved in. Three differentially expressed proteins were chosen to confirm by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results Morphological data demonstrated degenerative and apoptotic changes in the mitochondria of pre-eclamptic placentae. We found four proteins were upregulated and 22 proteins were downregulated in pre-eclamptic placentae compared with normotensive placentae. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these proteins were involved in many critical processes in the development of pre-eclampsia such as apoptosis, fatty acid oxidation, the respiratory chain, reactive oxygen species generation, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative stress. Conclusions This preliminary work provides a better understanding of the proteomic alterations of mitochondria from pre-eclamptic placentae and may aid in our understanding of the importance of mitochondria in the development of pre-eclampsia.
Robust tracking of human hand postures for robot teaching

To enable the creation of manual interaction databases, aiding the replication of dexterous capabilities with anthropomorphic robot hands by utilizing information about how humans perform complex manipulation tasks, requires the capability to record and analyze large amounts of manual interaction sequences. For this goal we have studied and compared three mappings from captured human hand motion data to a simulated model, which allow for robust and accurate real-time hand posture tracking. We evaluate the effectiveness of these mappings and discuss their pros and cons in various real-world scenarios. The first method is based on data glove data and aims for direct gaging of hand joints. The other two methods utilize a VICON motion tracking system which monitors markers placed on all finger segments. Here we compare two approaches: a direct computation of hand postures from angles between adjacent markers and an iterative inverse kinematics approach to optimally reproduce fingertip positions. For a quantitative evaluation, we employ a “calibration objects” technique to obtain a reliable ground truth of task-relevant hand posture data.
A Potential Polymorphism in the Promoter of Let-7 is Associated With an Increased Risk of Intracranial Aneurysm

AbstractLet-7 family plays a key role in the progression of atherosclerosis and intracranial aneurysm (IA). We hypothesized that rs10877887 and rs13293512 polymorphisms in the promoters of let-7 family may be associated with the susceptibility of IA. We genotyped the 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 305 patients with IA and 401 healthy controls. The rs10877887 was analyzed using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay, and the rs13293512 was analyzed using a TaqMan SNP genotyping method. The relative expression of let-7 family was measured in plasma of cases and controls using real-time PCR. We found that the rs13293512CT genotype was associated with a significantly increased risk of developing IA in a heterozygote comparison (adjusted OR = 1.43, 95% CI, 1.00–2.05, P = 0.048) and dominant comparison (adjusted OR = 1.44, 95% CI, 1.02–2.03, P = 0.04). Combined analysis showed that the rs10877887TT and rs13293512CC/CT genotypes had a significantly increased risk of IA (OR = 1.67, 95% CI, 1.04–2.68, P = 0.03). Moreover, the levels of let-7a, let-7d, and let-7f were downregulated in IA patients, and patients with the rs13293512CC/CT genotypes had a lower level of let-7a than those with rs13293512TT genotype (P = 0.03). These findings indicate that the rs13293512CC/CT is a risk factor for the development of IA, possibly because of the genotypes resulting in a lower level of let-7a.