Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fast Labeling and Transcription with the Speechalyzer Toolkit

We describe a software tool named Speechalyzer which is optimized to process large speech data sets with respect to transcription, labeling and annotation. It is implemented as a client server based framework in Java and interfaces software for speech recognition, synthesis, speech classification and quality evaluation. The application is mainly the processing of training data for speech recognition and classification models and performing benchmarking tests on speech to text, text to speech and speech categorization software systems.
Ranking crowd knowledge to assist software development

StackOverflow.com (SO) is a Question and Answer service oriented to support collaboration among developers in order to help them solving their issues related to software development. In SO, developers post questions related to a programming topic and other members of the site can provide answers to help them. The information available on this type of service is also known as "crowd knowledge" and currently is one important trend in supporting activities related to software development and maintenance. We present an approach that makes use of "crowd knowledge" available in SO to recommend information that can assist developers in their activities. This strategy recommends a ranked list of pairs of questions/answers from SO based on a query (list of terms). The ranking criteria is based on two main aspects: the textual similarity of the pairs with respect to the query (the developer's problem) and the quality of the pairs. Moreover, we developed a classifier to consider only "how-to" posts. We conducted an experiment considering programming problems on three different topics (Swing, Boost and LINQ) widely used by the software development community to evaluate the proposed recommendation strategy. The results have shown that for 77.14% of the assessed activities, at least one recommended pair proved to be useful concerning the target programming problem. Moreover, for all activities, at least one recommended pair had a source code snippet considered reproducible or almost reproducible.
The Goal Question Metric Approach

As with any engineering discipline, software development requires a measurement mechanism for feedback and evaluation. Measurement is a mechanism for creating a corporate memory and an aid in answering a variety of questions associated with the enactment of any software process. It helps support project planning (e.g., How much will a new project cost? ); it allows us to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the current processes and products (e.g., What is the frequency of certain types of errors? ); it provides a rationale for adopting/refining techniques (e.g., What is the impact of the technique XX on the productivity of the projects? ); it allows us to evaluate the quality of specific processes and products (e.g., What is the defect density in a specific system after deployment? ). Measurement also helps, during the course of a project, to assess its progress, to take corrective action based on this assessment, and to evaluate the impact of such action.
Research on Sentiment Classification of Chinese Micro Blog Based on Machine Learning

This thesis has conducted an empirical research on sentiment classification of micro blog in three machine learning algorithms, three feature selection algorithms and three feature item weighting algorithms. As the experimental result shows, considering different feature weighting algorithms, SVM and Naive Bayes have their own advantages, and Information Gain (IG) feature selection algorithm is apparently more effective than other methods. Considering the three factors as a whole, it is most effective to have sentiment classification on micro blog by adopting SVM, IG and TF-IDF (Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency) as feature items weighting. It has compared the generality of classification model between micro blog comments and ordinary comments in the field of films, and as a result, the experimental results show that the performance of sentiment classification relies on the style of reviews.
Development of system on 3D image visualization and analyzing for industrial computed tomography

Industrial computed tomography (ICT) systems have widely applied in many important industrial areas for nondestructive testing (NDT) and non-destructive evaluate (NDE). A software system on 3D image visualization and analyzing for industrial CT is developed. This system is built on the frame that based on data flow model, and with the modules such as data I/O, data pre-processing, 3D visualization and data analyzing. It is includes the functions of complicated surface constructing, transparent volume rendering, reslicing, virtual endoscopy and 3D measuring. The system has been applied to several types of industrial CT, and the results indicate that it can clearly shows the 3D configuration and material information of tested object, which helps to analyze the object's status. The system improved the usefulness of industrial CT images and extended the functions of industrial CT.
Automatic Web Service Selection Using Ontology and Quality of Service

We develop a framework for integrating bioinformatics tools based on Semantic Web technology. Specifications of abstract workflows are expressed in Business Process Execution Language for Web Services (BPEL4WS). A problem-solving agent is responsible for automatic analyzing and discovering the web services in the abstract workflows, and selecting among them in order to optimize the quality of service (QoS). An example workflow on genomic analysis of SARS Coronavirus is taken as a test case and is automatically carried out using the service-based framework. The framework automates the efficient analysis of genomic sequences and enhances the interoperability and workflow optimization.
Polyacrylamide hydrogel encapsulated E. coli expressing metal-sensing green fluorescent protein as a potential tool for copper ion determination

A simple, inexpensive and field applicable metal determination system would be a powerful tool for the efficient control of metal ion contamination in various sources e.g. drinking-water, water reservoir and waste discharges. In this study, we developed a cell-based metal sensor for specific and real-time detection of copper ions. E. coli expressing metal-sensing green fluorescent protein (designated as TG1/(CG)6GFP and TG1/H6CdBP4GFP) were constructed and served as a metal analytical system. Copper ions were found to exert a fluorescence quenching effect, while zinc and cadmium ions caused minor fluorescence enhancement in the engineered bacterial suspension. To construct a user-friendly and reagentless metal detection system, TG1/H6CdBP4GFP and TG1/(CG)6GFP were encapsulated in polyacrylamide hydrogels that were subsequently immobilized on an optical fiber equipped with a fluorescence detection module. The sensor could be applied to measure metal ions by simply dipping the encapsulated bacteria into a metal solution and monitoring fluorescence changes in real time as a function of the metal concentration in solution. The sensor system demonstrated high specificity toward copper ions. The fluorescence intensities of the encapsulated TG1/(CG)6GFP and TG1/H6CdBP4GFP were quenched by approximately 70 % and 80 % by a high-dose of copper ions (50 mM), respectively. The level of fluorescence quenching exhibited a direct correlation with the copper concentration, with a linear correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99. The cell-based metal sensor was able to efficiently monitor copper concentrations ranging between 5 M and 50 mM, encompassing the maximum allowed copper contamination in drinking water (31.15 M) established by the WHO. Furthermore, the cell-based metal sensor could undergo prolonged storage for at least 2 weeks without significantly influencing the copper sensitivity.
Homotopy Smoothing for Non-Smooth Problems with Lower Complexity than O(1/\epsilon)

In this paper, we develop a novel {\bf ho}moto{\bf p}y {\bf s}moothing (HOPS) algorithm for solving a family of non-smooth problems that is composed of a non-smooth term with an explicit max-structure and a smooth term or a simple non-smooth term whose proximal mapping is easy to compute. The best known iteration complexity for solving such non-smooth optimization problems is $O(1/\epsilon)$ without any assumption on the strong convexity. In this work, we will show that the proposed HOPS achieved a lower iteration complexity of $\widetilde O(1/\epsilon^{1-\theta})$\footnote{$\widetilde O()$ suppresses a logarithmic factor. } with $\theta\in(0,1]$ capturing the local sharpness of the objective function around the optimal solutions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the lowest iteration complexity achieved so far for the considered non-smooth optimization problems without strong convexity assumption. The HOPS algorithm employs Nesterov's smoothing technique and Nesterov's accelerated gradient method and runs in stages, which gradually decreases the smoothing parameter in a stage-wise manner until it yields a sufficiently good approximation of the original function. We show that HOPS enjoys a linear convergence for many well-known non-smooth problems (e.g., empirical risk minimization with a piece-wise linear loss function and $\ell_1$ norm regularizer, finding a point in a polyhedron, cone programming, etc). Experimental results verify the effectiveness of HOPS in comparison with Nesterov's smoothing algorithm and the primal-dual style of first-order methods.
Ophiocordyceps xuefengensis sp. nov. from larvae of Phassus nodus (Hepialidae) in Hunan Province, southern China

An entomogenous taxon, associated with larvae of Phassus nodus (Hepialidae) collected from Xuefeng Mountains, Hunan Province, China, was found to be a new species, Ophiocordyceps xuefengensis sp. nov. It differs from similar species in having long stromata, without a sterile apex, narrow asci, long ascospores and by its occurrence on Phassus nodus in living root or trunk of Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum . Combined sequence data from the 5.8S-ITS rDNA, nrSSU, EF-1α, and RPB1 gene loci also confirmed the distinctiveness of this new species. It is presently the world’s largest known Cordyceps sensu lato species.
A location data annotation system for personal photograph collections: Evaluation of a searching and browsing tool

In this paper we describe a system for storing and retrieving digital images from personal collections. The images can either be manually annotated with a set of keywords chosen by the owner of the collection, or keywords can be automatically inferred from the time and location stamps associated with the image and the Geographic Names Data Base gazetteer. User queries are matched against the image annotations using the Cosine Similarity Measure, and the best matching images are displayed. To enable browsing of the image collection, the images are clustered according to time and location, the two main factors of episodic memory. User studies were conducted to compare the two annotation systems with time and location clustering alone, using searching time, recall and precision, and user satisfaction as criteria for success. Our results show that matching based on automatically assigned keywords was significantly better than time and location-based browsing alone, and performed at least as well as matching against user-assigned annotations.
An Exploratory Study of Hospitality Student Volunteers’ Motivation and Satisfaction in Food and Wine Festivals

The purpose of this study is to explore and examine the motivation and satisfaction of hospitality student volunteers in food and wine festivals. It aims to investigate and identify the factors that festival managers need to use to motivate, satisfy, and retain hospitality student volunteers in order to organize a successful event, and enhance festival operation, marketing, and personnel management. Data will be collected at the10th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival in 2011. A survey questionnaire will be distributed to hospitality student volunteers over a full four-day event period. This study will contribute to the availability of the volunteerism literature and help to attract and increase festival organizers’ and hospitality educators’ interest in hospitality students’ festival volunteering practice.
Rostrocaudal Areal Patterning of Human PSC-Derived Cortical Neurons by FGF8 Signaling

Abstract The cerebral cortex is subdivided into distinct areas that have particular functions. The rostrocaudal (R-C) gradient of fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8) signaling defines this areal identity during neural development. In this study, we recapitulated cortical R-C patterning in human pluripotent stem cell (PSC) cultures. Modulation of FGF8 signaling appropriately regulated the R-C markers, and the patterns of global gene expression resembled those of the corresponding areas of human fetal brains. Furthermore, we demonstrated the utility of this culture system in modeling the area-specific forebrain phenotypes [presumptive upper motor neuron (UMN) phenotypes] of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We anticipate that our culture system will contribute to studies of human neurodevelopment and neurological disease modeling.
Perceived Risk Management: Applying the TEID Model to the Traveler Service Chain

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the theoretical work on service-perceived risk management of knowledge-based services (i.e., intangible and heterogeneous) and experience-based services and to suggest a framework that helps to formalize these risks and the value associated with their management, by arguing that this risk management relies on a sequence of risks (Threat, Event, Ignorance and Damage, called the TEID model) and on three categories of control measures (preventative, detective and protective). By categorizing customer-perceived risks, and by integrating control measures and assurances into their offer, providers can design new and valuable services. Service value-chains involve various providers (implicitly or otherwise) who may engender annoyance and damages as risks are a sequence of events. This paper holds the potential to contribute to extending an understanding and management capacity of customer-perceived risks of knowledge-based services. It brings into play a new framework and new risk management process. It also helps with formalizing and making tangible customer added-value.
Web Architectural-Inducing Model (WA-IM) for Information Architecture in Cultural Context: An Empirical Investigation

Website Information Architecture (IA) is primar- ily treated as a new discipline that is concerned with design principles and architecture of information in digital landscape. Proliferation of revolutionary models for interdisciplinary appli- cations of IA, however lack theoretical perspectives, empirical evidence and cultural context. Here, we proposed a new model called Web Architectural-Inducing Model (WA-IM). The model was developed based from existing literature and available architectural proposition from prior work. We tested the model suggesting that website IA being conceptualized as multidi- mensional constructs by exploring the applicability of WA-IM to web localization process from a socio-cognitive cultural perspective. The research methodology involves a web-based survey on Muslim online user as the cultural case study where 427 usable international responses were accumulated. The construct validation of the multifactor structure of website IA was assessed via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) by using structural equation modeling. AMOS 7.0 was used to evalu- ate the five factor hypothesis goodness fit model. The result revealed that website IA is indeed a multidimensional construct composed of five factors: content-information, content-trust, navigation-traits, navigation-wayfindings and context. We con- clude our study by providing empirical evidence for WA-IM in a form of goodness-fit-structure as part of the localization process towards the creation of cultural information structure.
VERSION SISSA-48 / 2007 / EP M 5-branes and Wilson Surfaces

We investigate the M5-brane description of the Wilson surface operators in sixdimensional (2,0) superconformal field theory from AdS/CFT correspondence. We consider the Wilson surface operators in high-dimensional representation, whose description could be M5-brane string soliton solutions in AdS7×S background. We construct such string soliton solutions from the covariant M5-brane equations of motion and discuss their properties. The supersymmetry analysis shows that these solutions are half-BPS. We also discuss the subtle issue on the boundary terms. ∗On visit of the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics
Solubility Enhancement of Domperidone Fast Disintegrating Tablet Using Hydroxypropyl- β -Cyclodextrin by Inclusion Complexation Technique

Domperidone Maleate (DOM), an antiemetic drug, has been used in treatment of adults and children. It has low aqueous solubility and hence low bioavailability. In present study, an attempt has been made to enhance the solubility of DOM by inclusion complexation with Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) using kneading technique and formulation of fast disintegrating tablets by using Sodium Starch Glycolate as superdisintegrant. Solubility analysis of DOM in different concentrations of HP-β-CD was carried out. Design of experiment (DOE) is done by using MINITAB 15.1 software to find out the variable for dissolution and disintegration time. HP-β-CD and SSG were identified as the variable for disintegration time and dissolution. For optimization of the concentration of HP-β-CD and SSG, two factors at two levels design through central composite design (CCD) were used which gave 13 formulations. All formulations are evaluated for characteristics such as weight variation, hardness, friability, disintegration time and dissolution of drug. Solubility of DOM increases linearly with increase in concentration of HP-β-CD. The optimum concentration of HP-β-CD is found to be in 1:2 molar ratios and SSG of 7%. The In-Vitro dissolution studies of optimized formulation and market sample were carried out in USP type II apparatus at different time intervals of 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes at 50 rpm in 0.1 N HCl. The dissolution and disintegration time of optimized formulation is found better than market sample.
Climate and Demography Dictate the Strength of Predator-Prey Overlap in a Subarctic Marine Ecosystem

There is growing evidence that climate and anthropogenic influences on marine ecosystems are largely manifested by changes in species spatial dynamics. However, less is known about how shifts in species distributions might alter predator-prey overlap and the dynamics of prey populations. We developed a general approach to quantify species spatial overlap and identify the biotic and abiotic variables that dictate the strength of overlap. We used this method to test the hypothesis that population abundance and temperature have a synergistic effect on the spatial overlap of arrowtooth flounder (predator) and juvenile Alaska walleye pollock (prey, age-1) in the eastern Bering Sea. Our analyses indicate that (1) flounder abundance and temperature are key variables dictating the strength of flounder and pollock overlap, (2) changes in the magnitude of overlap may be largely driven by density-dependent habitat selection of flounder, and (3) species overlap is negatively correlated to juvenile pollock recruitment when flounder biomass is high. Overall, our findings suggest that continued increases in flounder abundance coupled with the predicted long-term warming of ocean temperatures could have important implications for the predator-prey dynamics of arrowtooth flounder and juvenile pollock. The approach used in this study is valuable for identifying potential consequences of climate variability and exploitation on species spatial dynamics and interactions in many marine ecosystems.
TCP Self-clocking

We propose a simple queueing model for one or more TCP transfers sharing a bottleneck link and examine its behavior when the buffer at the bottleneck is large compared to the bandwidth-delay product. This model explains anomalies in measurements of HTTP transfers. We describe a self-clocking steady state and show that many of the heuristics that apply in congestion avoidance don’t apply during self-clocking. Finally, we present measurements from a variety of network paths and show that self-clocking is a common state for long TCP transfers in the current Internet.
A wearable piezoelectric rotational energy harvester

This paper discusses the operating principle of a rotational energy harvester for body motion with an eccentric proof mass. A mathematical analysis for the rotor motion under different excitations is performed and the gravitational and inertial operation explained. The transducing mechanism works on the principle of frequency up-conversion that is now widely used to harvest low frequency vibration more efficiently, and uses a piezoelectric beam and magnetic coupling. A miniaturized device with an overall size similar to that of a wristwatch is introduced. The fabrication is entirely done using standard milling and turning processes. Experimental results for this device show significant improvement in the attachment of the piezoelectric beam compared to a previous prototype. Furthermore, there is a good match between the magnetic forces and the proof mass for the tested excitations. A disadvantage of the miniaturized prototype is the higher stiffness of the piezo beam, preventing free oscillation after actuation. Modifications to counteract this problem are provided and experimentally validated.
Formulation Development and Optimization of Ibuprofen Poloxamer Melt Granules Using Hydrophilic Excipients

The focus of this research work was to develop a melt granulation technique to enhance solubility, dissolution rate and associated flowability concerns of Ibuprofen. Hydrophilic excipients like xylitol and lactose anhydrous were added to the binary mixture of conventional low melting surfactant Poloxamer 407 and Ibuprofen. Physical mixtures of Ibuprofen and Poloxamer 407 were prepared in ratios of 1:0.25, 1:0.5 and 1:0.75 using a water-jacketed high shear mixer. For each ratio of Ibuprofen and Poloxamer 407, xylitol and lactose anhydrous were added separately at two levels (75 mg and 150 mg) per unit dose containing 200 mg drug. Phase solubility studies revealed linearity in drug solubility enhancement with Poloxamer 407 concentration. In vitro dissolution studies were carried out for drug, physical mixtures (PM) and melt granules (MG) for all ratios in de-ionized water and 0.1 N HCl (pH=1.2). Solid state characterization was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), modulated differential scanning calorimetry (mDSC) and Original Research Article Gajera et al.; BJPR, 13(6): 1-19, 2016; Article no.BJPR. 29048 2 powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) methodologies. Powder rheology studies were performed conventionally by measuring Carr’s index and Hausner’s ratio. Basic flowability energy values were calculated using a powder rheometer to corroborate flowability data measured by conventional methods. Particle morphological studies were done by Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fluid imaging technologies. In-vitro dissolution studies showed approximately 7 fold drug release in water and 19 fold drug release in acidic media for MG 1:0.75 at hydrophilic excipient level of 150 mg compared to that of neat Ibuprofen in respective dissolution media. mDSC and PXRD data confirms crystalline nature of drug in the formulations. FTIR data confirms no interactions between drug and excipients used during processing. Particle morphology analysis confirms absence of rhombic Ibuprofen crystals in formulations. Dissolution rate and solubility enhancement was seen due to synergistic effects of Poloxamer 407 and hydrophilic excipients incorporated in formulations.