Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stochastic Feature Transformation with Divergence-Based Out-of-Handset Rejection for Robust Speaker Verification

The performance of telephone-based speaker verification systems can be severely degraded by linear and nonlinear acoustic distortion caused by telephone handsets. This paper proposes to combine a handset selector with stochastic feature transformation to reduce the distortion. Specifically, a Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-based handset selector is trained to identify the most likely handset used by the claimants, and then handset-specific stochastic feature transformations are applied to the distorted feature vectors. This paper also proposes a divergence-based handset selector with out-of-handset (OOH) rejection capability to identify the "unseen" handsets. This is achieved by measuring the Jensen difference between the selector's output and a constant vector with identical elements. The resulting handset selector is combined with the proposed feature transformation technique for telephone-based speaker verification. Experimental results based on 150 speakers of the HTIMIT corpus show that the handset selector, either with or without OOH rejection capability, is able to identify the "seen" handsets accurately (98.3% in both cases). Results also demonstrate that feature transformation performs significantly better than the classical cepstral mean normalization approach. Finally, by using the transformation parameters of the seen handsets to transform the utterances with correctly identified handsets and processing those utterances with unseen handsets by cepstral mean subtraction (CMS), verification error rates are reduced significantly (from 12.41% to 6.59% on average).
Novel electrical properties of extruded LDPE-GnP filled nanocomposites

This work presents the impact of shear rate variation during extrusion process of nanocomposite of low density polyethylene (LDPE) filled with graphene nanoparticles on its electrical properties. The obtained nanocomposites show, independently of the shear rate used during extrusion, field dependent non-linear behavior of the electric transport, which starts dominating the conduction current at about 20 kV/mm and become stronger with increasing filler content. However, at electric field strength below 20 kV/mm the nanocomposites extruded at higher shear rate exhibit increased level of conduction current as compared to those extruded at lower one.
COMPLEX WAVELET TRANSFORM BASED DENOISING AND RESOLUTION ENHANCEMENT OF NOISY IMAGES

A dual tree complex wavelet transform (DT -CWT)based directional interpolation scheme for denoising of noisy images is proposed . The problems of denoising and interpolation are modeled as to estimate the noiseless and missing samples under the same framework of optimal estimation. Initially, DT -CWT is used to decompose an input low-resolution noisy wage irito low and high frequency subbands. The highfrequency subband images are interpolated by linear minimum mean square estimation (LMMSE) based interpolation, which preserves the edges of the interpolated images. For each noisy LR image sample, we compute multiple estimates of it along different directions and then fuse those directional estimates for a more accurate denoised LR image. The estimation parameters calculated in the denoising processing can be readily used to interpolate the missing samples. The inverse DT-CWT is applied on the denoised input and interpolated high frequency subband images to obtain the high resolution image. Compared with the conventional schemes that perform denoising and interpolation in. tandem, the proposed DT -CWT based noisy image interpolation method can reduce many noisecaused interpolation artifacts and preserve well the image edge structures. The visual and quantitative results show that the proposed technique outperforms many of the existing denoising and interpolation methods.
Pre-Clinical Development of BCG.HIVACAT, an Antibiotic-Free Selection Strain, for HIV-TB Pediatric Vaccine Vectored by Lysine Auxotroph of BCG

In the past, we proposed to develop a heterologous recombinant BCG prime-recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) boost dual pediatric vaccine platform against transmission of breast milk HIV-1 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In this study, we assembled an E. coli-mycobacterial shuttle plasmid pJH222.HIVACAT expressing HIV-1 clade A immunogen HIVA. This shuttle vector employs an antibiotic resistance-free mechanism based on Operator-Repressor Titration (ORT) system for plasmid selection and maintenance in E. coli and lysine complementation in mycobacteria. This shuttle plasmid was electroporated into parental lysine auxotroph (safer) strain of BCG to generate vaccine BCG.HIVACAT. All procedures complied with Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs). We demonstrated that the episomal plasmid pJH222.HIVACAT was stable in vivo over a 20-week period, and genetically and phenotypically characterized the BCG.HIVACAT vaccine strain. The BCG.HIVACAT vaccine in combination with MVA.HIVA induced HIV-1- and Mtb-specific interferon γ-producing T-cell responses in newborn and adult BALB/c mice. On the other hand, when adult mice were primed with BCG.HIVACAT and boosted with MVA.HIVA. 85A, HIV-1-specific CD8+ T-cells producing IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2 and CD107a were induced. To assess the biosafety profile of BCG.HIVACAT-MVA.HIVA regimen, body mass loss of newborn mice was monitored regularly throughout the vaccination experiment and no difference was observed between the vaccinated and naïve groups of animals. Thus, we demonstrated T-cell immunogenicity of a novel, safer, GLP-compatible BCG-vectored vaccine using prototype immunogen HIVA. Second generation immunogens derived from HIV-1 as well as other major pediatric pathogens can be constructed in a similar fashion to prime protective responses soon after birth.
SENSOR NETWORK TEST-BED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Sensor networks consist of embedded devices deployed in different types of environments in order to sense its surroundings. Disaster management and rehabilitation is very important for all human beings. Environmental monitoring is the most important issue for everyday emergency situations and a significant driver for wireless sensor network research. Recent advances in electronics and communication technologies enable the devices to produce micro-sensors capable of performing a variety of different environmental applications. An implementation of a wireless sensor network test-bed is presented in this paper. This test-bed is a reactive network for environmental monitoring and evaluates the effectiveness of the network for data gathering using both laboratory and field tests. This sensor network test-bed monitors the environment: temperature and humidity in real-time. This paper deals with a test-bed that consists of a personal computer (PC) where an end-user can communicate with the sensor nodes through a base station (BS), which is implemented by combining HyBus kit (Hybus kit2420).
Kalai-Smorodinsky bargaining solution for optimal resource allocation over wireless DS-CDMA visual sensor networks

Surveillance applications usually require high levels of video quality, resulting in high power consumption. The existence of a well-behaved scheme to balance video quality and power consumption is crucial for the system's performance. In the present work, we adopt the game-theoretic approach of Kalai-Smorodinsky Bargaining Solution (KSBS) to deal with the problem of optimal resource allocation in a multi-node wireless visual sensor network (VSN). In our setting, the Direct Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA) method is used for channel access, while a cross-layer optimization design, which employs a central processing server, accounts for the overall system efficacy through all network layers. The task assigned to the central server is the communication with the nodes and the joint determination of their transmission parameters. The KSBS is applied to non-convex utility spaces, efficiently distributing the source coding rate, channel coding rate and transmission powers among the nodes. In the underlying model, the transmission powers assume continuous values, whereas the source and channel coding rates can take only discrete values. Experimental results are reported and discussed to demonstrate the merits of KSBS over competing policies.
What We Know and Do Not Know about the Functions of the Orbitofrontal Cortex after 20 Years of Cross-Species Studies

When Pat Goldman-Rakic described the circuitry and function of primate prefrontal cortex in her influential 1987 monograph (Goldman-Rakic, 1987), she included only a few short paragraphs on the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). That year, there were only nine papers published containing the term “orbitofrontal,” an average of less than one paper per month. Twenty years later, this rate has increased to 32 papers per month. This explosive growth is partly attributable to the remarkable similarities that exist in structure and function across species. These similarities suggest that OFC function can be usefully modeled in nonhuman and even nonprimate species. Here, we review some of these similarities.
Intel® atom™ processor core made FPGA-synthesizable

We present an FPGA-synthesizable version of the Intel Atom processor core, synthesized to a Virtex-5 based FPGA emulation system. To make the production Atom design in SystemVerilog synthesizable through industry standard EDA tool flow, we transformed and mapped latches in the design, converted clock gating, and replaced nonsynthesizable constructs with FPGA-synthesizable counterparts. Additionally, as the target FPGA emulator is hosted on a PC platform with the Pentium-based CPU socket that supports a significantly different front side bus (FSB) protocol from that of the Atom processor, we replaced the existing bus control logic in the Atom core with an alternate FSB protocol to communicate with the rest of the PC platform. With these efforts, we succeeded in synthesizing the entire Atom processor core to fit within a single Virtex-5 LX330 FPGA. The synthesizable Atom core runs at 50Mhz on the Pentium PC motherboard with fully functional I/O peripherals. It is capable of booting off-the-shelf MS-DOS, Windows XP and Linux operating systems, and executing standard x86 workloads.
Intelligent Uplink Bandwidth Allocation Based on PMP Mode for WiMAX

Bandwidth allocation is always an important element in both fixed and wireless networks. Despite this, IEEE 802.16e-2005 does not have a bandwidth allocation algorithm or mechanism to support WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) network presently. This includes both uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) directions. Thus, most of the research initiatives are focusing in this area. In order to satisfy the users and multi-type services, the total capacity of WiMAX system must be optimized. In this research, a new Intelligence bandwidth allocation of uplink (IBAU) mechanism for UL direction in WiMAX is proposed. The proposed mechanism has a design of the management module in subscribe station (SS), which is for intelligent management UL bandwidth. This includes UL bandwidth allocation and service flow schedule. The IBAU mechanism has a great potential to decrease the delay time, different service flow interference and to improve the throughput of WiMAX.
Male infertility microsurgical training

A strong foundation in microsurgical techniques is imperative for urologists and clinical andrologists specializing in male infertility. Laboratory-based microsurgical training enhances surgical skills, improves surgeon confidence, and reduces stress and operating time, thereby benefiting both the patient and the surgeon. The laboratory environment additionally allows for the development of novel and innovative techniques. This review provides guidelines for setting up a microsurgical laboratory to develop and enhance microsurgical skills using synthetic and animal models.
Benchmarking Block Ciphers for Wireless Sensor Networks (Extended Abstract)

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for electrolytic refining of copper and the production of copper wires for electrical purposes on a continual basis which produces round copper wires directly from impure copper anodes and to treat such wires in order to impart the desired characteristics as electrical conductors. The apparatus handles copper anodes of customary size refining them at normal current densities of less than 55 amps/foot2 onto starting wires of adequate tensile strength which is done continuously, the wire being provided to an electrolytic bath and, after withdrawal from the bath, the wires are finished by drawing and annealing.
A β-Strand in the γ2 Subunit Lines the Benzodiazepine Binding Site of the GABAA Receptor: Structural Rearrangements Detected during Channel Gating

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) exert their effects in the CNS by binding to a modulatory site on GABAA receptors. Individual amino acids have been implicated in BZD recognition and modulation of the GABAA receptor, but the secondary structure of the amino acids contributing to the BZD binding site has not been elucidated. In this report we used the substituted cysteine accessibility method to understand the structural dynamics of a region of the GABAA receptor implicated in BZD binding, γ2Y72–γ2Y83. Each residue within this region was mutated to cysteine and expressed with wild-type α1 and β2 subunits inXenopus oocytes. Methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents were used to modify covalently the engineered cysteines, and the subsequent effects on BZD modulation of the receptor were monitored functionally by two-electrode voltage clamp. We identified an alternating pattern of accessibility to sulfhydryl modification, indicating that the region γ2T73–γ2T81 adopts a β-strand conformation. By monitoring the ability of BZD ligands to impede the covalent modification of accessible cysteines, we also identified two residues within this region, γ2A79 and γ2T81, that line the BZD binding site. Sulfhydryl modification of γ2A79C or γ2T81C allosterically shifts the GABA EC50 of the receptor, suggesting that certain MTS compounds may act as tethered agonists at the BZD binding site. Last, we present structural evidence that a portion of the BZD binding site undergoes a conformational change in response to GABA binding and channel gating (opening and desensitization). These data represent an important step in understanding allosteric communication in ligand-gated ion channels.
Dialogue Management based on Sentence Clustering

Dialogue Management (DM) is a key issue in Spoken Dialogue System (SDS). Most of the existing studies on DM use Dialogue Act (DA) to represent semantic information of sentence, which might not represent the nuanced meaning sometimes. In this paper, we model DM based on sentence clusters which have more powerful semantic representation ability than DAs. Firstly, sentences are clustered not only based on the internal information such as words and sentence structures, but also based on the external information such as context in dialogue via Recurrent Neural Networks. Additionally, the DM problem is modeled as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDP) with sentence clusters. Finally, experimental results illustrate that the proposed DM scheme is superior to the existing one.
Model-Based Error Correction for Instrument Flexion in Robotic Surgery

Surgical robots can improve the safety of minimally invasive surgeries through image guidance and motion filtering, but design choices that reduce patient trauma (e.g., thin instrument shafts) lead to intraoperative variation in kinematic parameters. The resulting kinematic errors can degrade image-guidance methods and cause instrument motions in undesired directions. This work addresses the most significant kinematic errors: quasi-static instrument shaft flexion and motion of the port through which the instrument is introduced into the patient. First, a metric is presented to determine the impact of kinematic errors on instrument motions. The metric quantifies how closely an erroneous robot controller will move the instrument to its desired position in a single step, as well as the worst-case angular difference between desired motions and actual motions. Simulations and experiments demonstrate results for kinematic errors due to port motion. Uses for the measure include predicting monotonic convergence, path planning, and robot design.
Specifying and checking protocols of multithreaded classes

In the Design By Contract (DBC) approach, programmers specify methods with pre and postconditions (also called contracts). Earlier work added protocols to the DBC approach to describe allowed method call sequences for classes. We extend this work to deal with a variant of generic classes and multithreaded classes. We present the semantical foundations of our extension. We describe a new technique to check that method contracts are correct w.r. t. to protocols. We show how to generate programs that must be proven to show that method contracts are correct w.r. t. to protocols. Because little support currently exists to help writing method contracts, our technique helps programmers to check their contracts early in the development process.
Types, Frequency, and Effectiveness of Responses to Unwanted Pursuit and Stalking

This study investigated the types, frequency, and effectiveness of responses to unwanted pursuit (UP) and stalking after relationship termination. Participants included female and male college students who were either pursued by a former partner or who pursued an ex-partner. Factor analyses of targets’ responses to pursuit yielded four factors, similar to Cupach and Spitzberg’s (2004) proposed response types. Targets reported engaging in Avoidance/ Minimization and Support-Seeking responses more often than Approach or Assertion/Aggression, and Approach more often than Assertion/Aggression; pursuers reported that targets engaged in Common Responses more often than Assertion/Aggression responses. Generally, targets rated more assertive but less frequently used responses such as “took legal action” or “made geographic change” as most effective, whereas pursuers rated threats and assertive or aggressive verbal confrontations as most effective. Analysis of qualitative data indicate that a combination of target avoidance and the passage of time provides an opportunity for the pursuer to move on from the relationship, which results in the cessation of UP. Implications for stalking prevention and intervention are discussed.
Evaluation of curing distance of high intensity led curing units on microleakage of ceramic restorations

Background: To assess the microleakage in slot shaped cavities restored with IPS e.max Press inlays luted with a resin cement that cured with two types of high intensity LEDs units at 0 or 9 mm distances. Methods: Forty-eight extracted human premolars were used in this study. The proximal surfaces of the teeth were prepared for the slot shaped cavities using an inlay preparation set (Komet, Germany). IPS e.max Press (Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Liechtenstein) ceramic restorations were fabricated. Two different LED units; high power intensity LED (HPIL; Demi Ultra, Kerr) and high intensity LED (HIL; Valo Cordless) were used to polymerize the dual cure resin cement (NX3 Nexus, Kerr). The curing tip distances to the restoration of 0 or 9 mm were used and controlled by using the plastic rings. The teeth were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1: No distance between the HPIL tip and the restoration, Group 2: No distance between the HIL tip and the restoration, Group 3: The distance between the HPIL tip and the restoration was 9 mm, Group 4: The distance between the HIL tip and the restoration was 9 mm. After curing, the specimens were thermocycled for 5000 cycles between 5 and 55 ˚C using a dwell time of 30 s. The specimens were sealed with nail varnish, coloured by 0.5 % basic-fuchsine for 24 hours, sectioned and examined under a stereomicroscope, and scored for microleakage gingival margins. Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-tests. Results: There were no significantly statistically differences among the groups 1, 2 and 3 (p >.05), however, the microleakage in the group 4 was greater than the other groups (p <.05). Conclusions: Increase in the distance between the HIL light source and the restoration surface resulted in an increase in microleakage values.
SPaDES/Java: object-oriented parallel discrete-event simulation

We describe the design, implementation and performance optimizations of SPaDES/Java, a process-oriented discrete-event simulation library in Java that supports sequential and parallel simulation. Parallel event synchronization is facilitated through a hybrid carrier-null, demand-driven flushing conservative null message mechanism. Inter-processor message communication is coordinated by a shared persistent memory implemented using Java Jini/JavaSpaces. We present the stepwise performance optimizations we have carried out, focusing mainly on reducing the cost of multithreading, null message synchronization overhead, and the cost of inter-processor communication. Two benchmark programs consisting of an open linear pipeline system and PHOLD representing a closed system are used. For PHOLD(16/spl times/6, 16), our optimization reduces the null message ratio from 0.94 to 0.29 on eight processors. Based on our time and space instrumentation, we observed that the memory cost of null message synchronization accounts for less than 10% of the total memory required by the PHOLD simulation.
Synthesis Of Aligned Carbon Nanotubes From Waste ChickenFat Using Thermal Chemical Vapour Deposition MethodFor Field Emission Devices

This study aimed to synthesise carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from waste chicken fat as a carbon precursor and ferrocene as a catalyst. The method used in this study was thermal chemical vapour deposition. Several parametric studies were conducted to optimise the growth of CNTs from waste chicken fat. A new carbon precursor from gutter oil was also explored. The samples were characterised using electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Field emission properties of the selected samples were analysed using field electron emission (FEE) measurements. The findings showed that the oil extracted from the mixture of fat-skin that were chopped into pieces and heated using oven was able to produce a dense vertically aligned CNTs (VACNTs) with small diameter (18.1-31.2 nm) and high crystallinity. Meanwhile, heating rate of 70 °C min-1, synthesis and vaporisation temperature of 800 and 570 °C, respectively, catalyst concentration of 5.33 wt%, synthesis time of 60 minutes and precursor volume of 6 ml were considered as optimum parameters for the production of VACNTs from waste chicken fat, with carbon conversion of 51.94%. The composite of VACNTs with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures were also fabricated using sol-gel immersion method in order to enhance their FEE performances. The growth of ZnO nanostructures on VACNTs improved FEE performances significantly as compared to other structures. In conclusion, VACNTs synthesised from waste chicken fat as well as their composite materials with ZnO nanostructures were good candidates to be used in field emission devices such as flat panel display. Implication of the study is that it offers a new innovation in green technology through the production of cheap and high quality VACNTs using the waste chicken fat.