Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and application of multilingual speech translation

This paper describes the latest version of handheld speech-to-speech translation system developed by National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, NICT. As the entire speech-to-speech translation functions are implemented into one terminal, it realizes real-time and location free speech-to-speech translation service for many language pairs. A new noise-suppression technique notably improves speech recognition performance. Corpus-based approaches of recognition, translation, and synthesis enabled wide range coverage of topic varieties and portability to other languages. Currently, we mainly focus on translation between Japanese, English and Chinese.
“Effective NIEL” in Silicon: Calculation Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation Results

The non-ionizing energy loss (NIEL), often used to scale the damage coefficients of irradiated electronic components, sometimes fails to make good degradation predictions. The classical non-ionizing energy loss calculation, performed under binary cascade approximation, lacks accuracy at low incident energy for some light particles such as electrons. The amount of displacement damage predicted by molecular dynamics simulations where many-body interactions are naturally included can be significantly different from the classical binary collision calculation. The creation of damage predicted by molecular dynamics technique, within the low energy deposition regime, can be quite different from what can be classically simulated. For instance, earlier studies demonstrated that, under suitable conditions, low energy transfer below the atomic displacement threshold can increase damage production. In the case of silicon material, molecular dynamics simulation results have been incorporated within the definition of a new energy partition function. In comparison with the classical Kinchin Pease approach, our improved model more accurately estimates the number of displacements generated by a primary knock-on atom. This new energy partition function is used to calculate corrected non- ionizing energy loss.
Endovascular model of rabbit hindlimb ischemia: a platform to evaluate therapeutic angiogenesis.

PURPOSE Current animal hindlimb ischemia models involve surgical ligation of the femoral artery and delivery of therapeutic angiogenic agents into the adductor compartment. The authors hypothesize that an endovascular model of hindlimb ischemia would be a more appropriate platform, closely resembling atherosclerosis by occluding the vessel from within, causing less inflammation, wound healing and subsequent collateralization. MATERIALS AND METHODS The left superficial femoral artery in 17 rabbits was occluded by endovascular coil embolization (n=9) or surgical ligation (n=8). Animals (n=3; in each group) were sacrificed on day 3 to determine the arteriolar luminal area, number of arterioles, microsphere determined perfusion, and degree of inflammation. On day 28, the remaining animals underwent calf blood pressure measurements and angiography to determine the number of collaterals and diameter of vessels supplying the hindlimb. RESULTS Immediate postprocedure (day 0) and presacrifice (day 3 or 28) occlusion rates were 89% (eight of nine rabbits) and 100% for the endovascular model; 100% and 100% for the surgical model, respectively. Hindlimb paralysis and muscle atrophy was found in one surgical animal. On day 3, there was an increase in hindlimb perfusion (surgery, 0.04+/-0.01; endovascular, 0.02+/-0.01; P=.02), an increase in arteriolar luminal area (surgery, 481 microm+/-240; endovascular, 345 microm+/-151; P=.04), and a trend toward more inflammation (surgery, 5.5+/-3.8; endovascular, 2.5+/-3.0; P=.08) in the surgical group. There was no difference in number of vessels between both groups. On day 28 there was no difference in the calf blood pressure ratios or in the number of collaterals. However, there was enlargement of the distal profunda femoris artery, the vessel closest to the surgical incision, in the surgical group (L/R ratio: immediate post-occlusion, 1.06+/-0.11; day 28, 1.27+/-0.08; P=.02). CONCLUSION The endovascular model was efficacious in providing occlusion of the superficial femoral artery, and induced less of an arteriogenic response compared with the surgical model. The authors believe that this endovascular model is a superior platform for studying therapeutic angiogenic agents.
Loss of the Protein‐Tyrosine Phosphatase DEP‐1/PTPRJ Drives Meningioma Cell Motility

DEP‐1/PTPRJ is a transmembrane protein‐tyrosine phosphatase which has been proposed as a suppressor of epithelial tumors. We have found loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the PTPRJ gene and loss of DEP‐1 protein expression in a subset of human meningiomas. RNAi‐mediated suppression of DEP‐1 in DEP‐1 positive meningioma cell lines caused enhanced motility and colony formation in semi‐solid media. Cells devoid of DEP‐1 exhibited enhanced signaling of endogenous platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors, and reduced paxillin phosphorylation upon seeding. Moreover, DEP‐1 loss caused diminished adhesion to different matrices, and impaired cell spreading. DEP‐1‐deficient meningioma cells exhibited invasive growth in an orthotopic xenotransplantation model in nude mice, indicating that elevated motility translates into a biological phenotype in vivo. We propose that negative regulation of PDGF receptor signaling and positive regulation of adhesion signaling by DEP‐1 cooperate in inhibition of meningioma cell motility, and possibly tumor invasiveness. These phenotypes of DEP‐1 loss reveal functions of DEP‐1 in adherent cells, and may be more generally relevant for tumorigenesis.
Evaluation of Gastric Emptying Measured with the 13 C-octanoic Acid Breath Test in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia: Comparison with Ultrasonography

Background: As a non-invasive modality by which to evaluate the gastric emptying of a solid meal, the 13C-octanoic acid breath test has recently become more widely used. Previously, we reported that ultrasonography was another non-invasive and reliable method for assessing gastric motility. The aim of this study was to compare the reliability of these two methods. Methods: Seventeen patients with functional dyspepsia and 10 healthy volunteers were studied. The solid test meal consisted of a scrambled egg labeled with 13 C-octanoic acid (100 mg) and served with a bowl of rice and boiled chicken (total 424 kcal). After ingestion of the test meal, all subjects were examined in the sitting position. Ultrasonography images were obtained every 15 min for 3 h. Breath sampling followed the same time schedule as for the ultrasonography, with an additional 3 h of sampling at 30-min intervals. We investigated the half emptying time (T1/2) and the lag phase with both methods. Results: The T1/2 by the ultrasonography method and the breath test were positively correlated ( r 2 = 0.638); however, there was no significant agreement between the study groups. Both the T1/2 and the lag phase were prolonged in the functional dyspepsia patients compared with the healthy volunteers, regardless of the method of measurement. The lag phase was significantly correlated ( r 2 = 0.864) with the T1/2 by the breath test. Conclusions: Although the 13 C-octanoic acid breath test cannot assess the gastric emptying of solids as reliably as ultrasonography, both tests are useful for evaluating functional dyspepsia patients with delayed gastric emptying.
Craniofacial morphology of the first Americans: Pattern and process in the peopling of the New World.

The peopling of the New World has been the focus of anthropological attention since the last century. Proponents of multiple migration models have claimed that patterns of variation among extant New World populations reflect ancient, discrete migrations to the Americas during the terminal Pleistocene. Although multiple migration models appear to explain patterns of both past and present craniometric variation, this interpretation rests on a number of key assumptions that require further investigation. We examined a series of Paleoindian (n = 11) and Archaic (n = 384) crania from North and South America, and compare these early samples to a large world-wide sample of late Holocene (n = 6,742) remains to assess within- and among-group variability in early samples, and to determine how patterns of variation could be viewed as a reflection of both population history and population structure. Analyses included univariate and multivariate analysis of variance, principal component analysis, calculation of biological distances, and multivariate allocation methods. We also performed model-bound analyses of these data, including Relethford-Blangero analysis and calculation of F(ST). Our results indicate that under the assumptions of migration/founder models, the data are consistent with Paleoindians having derived from an undifferentiated Asian population that was not ancestral to modern American Indians. This view can be accommodated into existing models of multiple founders (migrations) in the New World. However, the assumptions required for such an interpretation are not realistic, and the diversity of early populations could as easily reflect population structuring processes such as genetic drift, demographic growth, and other phenomena. When the data were analyzed controlling for the effects of genetic drift (i.e., with smaller long-term effective population sizes for Paleoindians), the Paleoindian samples were no longer distinct from modern Native American populations. Other factors that need to be considered include processes involved in craniofacial change and adaptation during the past 10,000 years. Finally, patterns of variation in the North and South American Paleoindian samples are different, suggesting that the process of New World colonization is more complex than previously assumed.
Flow velocity-driven differentiation of human mesenchymal stromal cells in silk fibroin scaffolds: A combined experimental and computational approach

Mechanical loading plays a major role in bone remodeling and fracture healing. Mimicking the concept of mechanical loading of bone has been widely studied in bone tissue engineering by perfusion cultures. Nevertheless, there is still debate regarding the in-vitro mechanical stimulation regime. This study aims at investigating the effect of two different flow rates (vlow = 0.001m/s and vhigh = 0.061m/s) on the growth of mineralized tissue produced by human mesenchymal stromal cells cultured on 3-D silk fibroin scaffolds. The flow rates applied were chosen to mimic the mechanical environment during early fracture healing or during bone remodeling, respectively. Scaffolds cultured under static conditions served as a control. Time-lapsed micro-computed tomography showed that mineralized extracellular matrix formation was completely inhibited at vlow compared to vhigh and the static group. Biochemical assays and histology confirmed these results and showed enhanced osteogenic differentiation at vhigh whereas the amount of DNA was increased at vlow. The biological response at vlow might correspond to the early stage of fracture healing, where cell proliferation and matrix production is prominent. Visual mapping of shear stresses, simulated by computational fluid dynamics, to 3-D micro-computed tomography data revealed that shear stresses up to 0.39mPa induced a higher DNA amount and shear stresses between 0.55mPa and 24mPa induced osteogenic differentiation. This study demonstrates the feasibility to drive cell behavior of human mesenchymal stromal cells by the flow velocity applied in agreement with mechanical loading mimicking early fracture healing (vlow) or bone remodeling (vhigh). These results can be used in the future to tightly control the behavior of human mesenchymal stromal cells towards proliferation or differentiation. Additionally, the combination of experiment and simulation presented is a strong tool to link biological responses to mechanical stimulation and can be applied to various in-vitro cultures to improve the understanding of the cause-effect relationship of mechanical loading.
Multilevel Coding with a Class of Decomposable Finite-Geometry LDPC Codes

This paper proposes a class of decomposable LDPC codes based on finite geometry EG(m, ps) over bandlimited AWGN channel. These LDPC codes defined as the origin LDPC codes are decomposed into a few small LDPC codes as component codes in multilevel coding. It is shown that the origin LDPC codes demand generic M-ary Min-Sum algorithm while the component codes only require a few binary Min-Sum algorithm implementations in multi-stages decoding. The method proposed simplifies the decoding complexity.
A New Tyrosine Phosphorylation Site in PLCγ1: The Role of Tyrosine 775 in Immune Receptor Signaling

Phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ) is a ubiquitous gatekeeper of calcium mobilization and diacylglycerol-mediated events induced by the activation of Ag and growth factor receptors. The activity of PLCγ is regulated through its controlled membrane translocation and tyrosine (Y) phosphorylation. Four activation-induced tyrosine phosphorylation sites have been previously described (Y472, Y771, Y783, and Y1254), but their specific roles in Ag receptor-induced PLCγ1 activation are not fully elucidated. Unexpectedly, we found that the phosphorylation of a PLCγ1 construct with all four sites mutated to phenylalanine was comparable with that observed with wild-type PLCγ1, suggesting the existence of an unidentified site(s). Sequence alignment with known phosphorylation sites in PLCγ2 indicated homology of PLCγ1 tyrosine residue 775 (Y775) with PLCγ2 Y753, a characterized phosphorylation site. Tyrosine 775 was characterized as a phosphorylation site using phospho-specific anti-Y775 antiserum, and by mutational analysis. Phosphorylation of Y775 did not depend on the other tyrosines, and point mutation of PLCγ1 Y775, or the previously described Y783, substantially reduced AgR-induced calcium, NF-AT, and AP-1 activation. Mutation of Y472, Y771, and Y1254 had no effect on overall PLCγ1 phosphorylation or activation. Although the concomitant mutation of Y775 and Y783 abolished downstream PLCγ1 signaling, these two tyrosines were sufficient to reconstitute the wild-type response in the absence of functional Y472, Y771, and Y1254. These data establish Y775 as a critical phosphorylation site for PLCγ1 activation and confirm the functional importance of Y783.
Randomized phase III trial of 2 nd line gemcitabine and paclitaxel chemotherapy in patients with advanced bladder cancer : short-term versus prolonged treatment

Randomized phase III trial of 2nd line gemcitabine and paclitaxel chemotherapy in patients with advanced bladder cancer: short-term versus prolonged treatment [German Association of Urological Oncology (AUO) trial AB 20/99] P. Albers*, S. -I. Park, G. Niegisch, G. Fechner, U. Steiner, J. Lehmann, D. Heimbach, A. Heidenreich, R. Fimmers & R. Siener for the AUO Bladder Cancer Group Department of Urology, Düsseldorf University, Düsseldorf; Department of Urology, Bonn University, Bonn; Department of Urology, Charité University Berlin, Berlin; Department of Urology, Homburg University, Homburg; Department of Urology, St. Vincenz Hospital, Datteln; Department of Urology, Aachen University, Aachen; Institute of Medical Biometry, Informatics and Epidemiology, Bonn University, Bonn, Germany
Variable Bacteriocin Production in the Commercial Starter Lactococcus lactis DPC4275 Is Linked to the Formation of the Cointegrate Plasmid pMRC02

ABSTRACT Lactococcus lactis DPC4275 is a bacteriocin-producing transconjugant of the industrial starter strain DPC4268. Strain DPC4275 was generated through conjugal transfer by mating DPC4268 with L. lactis MG1363 containing the 60-kb plasmid pMRC01, which encodes the genetic determinants for the lantibiotic lacticin 3147 and for a phage resistance mechanism of the abortive infection type. The many significant applications of this strain prompted a genetic analysis of its apparently unstable bacteriocin-producing phenotype. Increased levels of lacticin 3147 produced by DPC4275 were associated with the appearance of an 80-kb plasmid, designated pMRC02, which was derived from DNA originating from pMRC01 (60 kb) and a resident DPC4268 proteinase plasmid, pMT60 (60 kb). Indeed, pMRC02 was shown to be derived from the insertion of a 17-kb fragment of pMRC01, encompassing the lacticin 3147 operon, into pMT60. The presence of pMRC02 at a high copy number was found to correlate with increased levels of lacticin 3147 in DPC4275 compared to the wild-type containing pMRC01. Subsequent transfer of pMRC02 into the plasmid-free strain MG1363 by electroporation allowed a direct phenotypic comparison with pMRC01, also studied in the MG1363 background. Plasmid pMRC02 displayed phage resistance similar to that by pMRC01, although it was less potent, as demonstrated by a larger plaque size for phage c2 infection of MG1363(pMRC02). While this locus is flanked by IS946 elements, the sequencing of pMT60-pMRC01 junction sites established that this event was unlikely to be insertion sequence mediated and most probably occurred by homologous recombination followed by deletion of most of pMRC01. This was not a random occurrence, as nine other transconjugants investigated were found to have the same junction sites. Such derivatives of commercial strains producing increased levels of bacteriocin could be exploited as protection cultures for food applications.
Novel H-bridge multilevel current-source PWM inverter with inductor-cells

The paper proposes a new circuit configuration of multilevel current-source inverter (CSI). In this new topology, a basic H-Bridge CSI working as a main inverter is connected in parallel with inductor-cells operated as auxiliary circuits. The inductor cell is composed by four unidirectional power switches with an inductor across the cell circuit. The inductor-cells work generating the intermediate level currents to obtain a multilevel current waveform without additional external DC power sources. A simple PI controller is applied to control the intermediate level currents of multilevel output waveform. Five-level and nine-level PWM inverter configurations, with chopper based DC current source, are verified through computer simulations. Furthermore, an experimental prototype of a five-level CSI is setup and is tested. The results show that the proposed circuit works properly to generate the multilevel output current waveform with low harmonics distortion by using small inductors.
Soot-carbon influenced distribution of PCDD/Fs in the marine environment of the Grenlandsfjords, Norway.

The particle associations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were studied in both the water column and the surface sediments of a marine fiord system and were found to poorly obey expectations from the organic matter partitioning (OMP) paradigm. The field observations were instead consistent with the presence of a stronger sorbent subdomain such as pyrogenic soot-carbon (SC) playing an important role in affecting the environmental distribution and fate of PCDD/Fs. Solid-water distribution coefficients (Kd) of PCDD/ Fs actually observed in the water column were several orders of magnitude above predictions from a commonly used OMP model. Even when these elevated Kd values were normalized to the particulate organic carbon (POC) content (i.e., K(OC)), the variability in K(OC) for individual PCDD/ Fs at different fjord locations and seasons of factors 100-1,000 suggested that bulk organic matter was not the governing sorbent domain of the suspended particles. Further, POC-normalized particle concentrations of PCDD/ Fs (C(OC)) in a vertical profile (surface water-bottom water-surface sediment) revealed a strong increasing trend with depth. Factors of about 100 higher Coc for all PCDD/Fs in the sediment than in the surface water could not be explained by higher fugacity in the surrounding deep water nor with C:N or delta13C indexes of selective aging of the bulk organic matter. Instead this was hypothesized to reflect selective preservation of a more recalcitrant and highly sorbing, but minor, subdomain such as soot. The extent of enhanced PCDD/F sorption, above the OMP predictions, was positively correlated with the SC:POC ratio of the suspended particles in surface and deep waters. Finally, the geographical distribution of sedimentary PCDD/F concentrations were better explained by the SC content than by the bulk OC content of the sediment. Altogether, these field-based findings add to recent laboratory-based sorption studies to suggest that we need to consider both amorphous OC partitioning domains and SC particles as carriers of planar aromatic contaminants if we are to explain the environmental distribution and fate of pollutants such as PCDD/Fs.
Automated DNA fingerprinting analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using fluorescent detection of PCR products

DNA fingerprints of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are produced by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the insertion element IS6110. We modified a PCR-based subtyping method, mixed-linker PCR with fluorescent-labeled IS6110-specific oligonucleotides, to demonstrate rapid, automated, and unattended electrophoretic analysis. Variation in band sizing (normally occurring with fragment mobility), an artifact of lane-to-lane and gel-to-gel differences, was controlled with an internal lane standard, resulting in accurate and precise DNA sizing. By using this method, fingerprint analysis can be performed using actual fragment length rather than estimated position analysis.
Supplemental Information SH 3 BP 4 Is a Negative Regulator of Amino Acid-Rag GTPase-mTORC 1 Signaling

SUPPLEMENTAL FIGURES Figure S1. SH3BP4 preferentially binds to GDP-bound states of Rag GTPases. Figure S2. The SH3BP4-RagB interaction is strengthened by leucine deprivation. Figure S3. SH3BP4 negatively regulates amino acid-mTORC1 signaling. Figure S4. SH3BP4 negatively regulates cell growth. Figure S5. SH3BP4 inhibits the localization of mTOR to the lysosome. Figure S6. SH3BP4 binding to Rag GTPases via its SH3 domain is important for inhibition of mTORC1 signaling. Figure S7. The SH3BP4-Rag interaction inhibits the formation of active Rag GTPase complex.
Using audiovisual speech processing to improve the robustness of the separation of convolutive speech mixtures

Looking at the speaker's face seems useful in hearing better a speech signal and extract it from the competing sources before identification. In this paper, we present a novel algorithm plugging audiovisual coherence of speech signals, estimated by statistical tools, on audio blind source separation (BSS) algorithms in the difficult case of convolutive mixtures. The algorithm mainly works in the frequency (transform) domain, where the convolutive mixture becomes an additive mixture for each frequency channel. Frequency by frequency separation is made by an audio BSS algorithm, and the audiovisual information is used to solve the standard source permutation problem at the output of the separation stage, for each frequency. The proposed method is shown to be efficient in the case of 2 /spl times/ 2 convolutive mixtures.