Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emotion Recognition from Audio and Visual Data using F-score based Fusion

Emotion recognition has been one of the cornerstones of human-computer interaction. Although decades of work has attacked the problem of automatic emotion recognition from either audio or video signals, the fusion of the two modalities is more recent. In this paper, we aim to tackle the problem when both audio and video data are available in a synchronized manner. We address the six basic human emotions, namely, anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. We employ an automatic face tracker to extract the different facial points of interest from a video. We then compute feature vectors for each video frame using distances and angles between the tracked points. For audio data, we use the pitch, energy and MFCC to derive feature vectors for each window as well as the entire audio signal. We use two standard techniques, GMM-based HMM and SVM, as the base classifiers. We then design a novel fusion method using the F-score of the base classifiers. We first demonstrate that our fusion approach can increase the accuracy of the base classifiers by as much as 5%. Finally, we show that our fusion-based bi-modal emotion recognition method achieves an overall accuracy of 54% on a publicly available database, which is an improvement upon the current state-of-the-art by 9%.
Design of bowtie-slot on-chip antenna backed with E-shaped FSS at 94 GHz

To meet the growing demand for miniaturization and compactness, antennas are being designed over CMOS chips. On-chip antennas (OCAs) suffer from low gains and radiation efficiency due to high dielectric constant and low resistivity of Silicon. Artificial magnetic conductors (AMC) are used in OCAs to increase gain and reduce power confinement in the substrate. In this paper, a bowtie slot antenna is presented whose gain is enhanced by an array of back-to-back E-shaped (B2BE) frequency selective surface (FSS). The operating frequency of antenna is 94 GHz where its gain is boosted from -2.71 dBi to -1.94 dBi. Designed in a standard IHP 130nm BiCMOS process without any extra post-processing step, the S11 is below -10dB from 90 GHz to 105 GHz with an antenna size of 710×310×650 μm3.
Modulation of liposomal membrane fluidity by flavonoids and isoflavonoids.

The polyphenolic structures of flavonoids and isoflavonoids confer them with the ability to scavenge free radicals and to chelate transition metals, a basis for their potent antioxidant abilities. Another possible contributory mechanism toward their antioxidant activities is their ability to stabilize membranes by decreasing membrane fluidity. In this study, the effects of representative flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and their metabolites on membrane fluidity and their preferential localization in the membrane were investigated using large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) as the membrane models. These results were compared with those of cholesterol and alpha-tocopherol. Changes in fluorescence anisotropy values for a series of n-(9-anthroyloxy) fatty acid probes (n = 6, 12, 16) upon addition of the test compounds were used to monitor alterations in membrane fluidity at graded depths in lipid bilayer. The results of the study suggest that the flavonoids and isoflavonoids, similar to cholesterol and alpha-tocopherol, partition into the hydrophobic core of the membrane and cause a dramatic decrease in lipid fluidity in this region of the membrane. Localization of flavonoids and isoflavonoids into the membrane interiors and their resulting restrictions on fluidity of membrane components could sterically hinder diffusion of free radicals and thereby decrease the kinetics of free radical reactions.
A Nonresidual Estimation of Welfare Gains from Research: The Case of Public R&D in a Forest Product Industry

ment. ' Since the increases in economic welfare measured by this method are presumed to be generated by the shifting of the supply curve due to a new technology, this type of study will be referred to as the supply function or SF approach. In practice, this approach has been applied to particular innovations in particular industries in a "residual" manner: Any observable outward shift of the supply curve is attributed to the particular innovation so that the benefit of the R&D is calculated residually in a manner to be made clear later. The other type of approach involves the estimation of a production function where research effort or expenditures are used in the econometric estimation so that the effects of R&D are measured directly. For this reason this method may be called a "nonresidual" approach. This approach allows the researcher to estimate the marginal productivity of research and the value of the marginal product of research investment or the marginal internal rate of return on research investment. ' This approach is referred to as the production function or PF approach. Economists have been critical of the residual SF approach. Griliches [9, 92-3] faults the usual SF approach for its use of historical case studies of particular innovations since they tend to
Rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus Decay in Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)-Experienced Children after Starting Mega-HAART

ABSTRACT Increasing numbers of patients are treated with mega-highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), or multiple-combination antiretroviral therapy, in an attempt to overcome the viral resistance that has contributed to treatment failure. Studies of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral dynamics are used to quantify the potency of a given regimen. While mega-HAART is expected to provide potent therapy, its potency among heavily experienced HIV-infected children who have failed previous treatment is untested. HIV dynamics studies performed in children have provided minimal information on viral dynamics during mega-HAART. The present study estimates first- and second-phase viral dynamics in six children on mega-HAART, following failure of combination therapy. The first phase of viral decay was rapid, relative to rates reported in previous pediatric studies (median δ = 0.778d−1, range = 0.583 to 1.088, half-life 1 [t11/2] = 0.894d), while the second phase revealed results similar to those of previous studies (median μ = 0.026d−1, range = −0.005 to 0.206, t21/2 = 9.316d). This indicates that mega-HAART can provide potent therapy among heavily experienced pediatric patients.
Impact of heavy metals on the female reproductive system.

INTRODUCTION It has been recognized that environmental pollution can affect the quality of health of the human population. Heavy metals are among the group of highly emitted contaminants and their adverse effect of living organisms has been widely studied in recent decades. Lifestyle and quality of the ambient environment are among these factors which can mainly contribute to the heavy metals exposure in humans. OBJECTIVE A review of literature linking heavy metals and the female reproductive system and description of the possible associations with emission and exposure of heavy metals and impairments of female reproductive system according to current knowledge. RESULTS The potential health disorders caused by chronic or acute heavy metals toxicity include immunodeficiency, osteoporosis, neurodegeneration and organ failures. Potential linkages of heavy metals concentration found in different human organs and blood with oestrogen-dependent diseases such as breast cancer, endometrial cancer, endometriosis and spontaneous abortions, as well as pre-term deliveries, stillbirths and hypotrophy, have also been reported. CONCLUSIONS Environmental deterioration can lead to the elevated risk of human exposure to heavy metals, and consequently, health implications including disturbances in reproduction. It is therefore important to continue the investigations on metal-induced mechanisms of fertility impairment on the genetic, epigenetic and biochemical level.
Alterations in hepatocytes of mice fed a gallstone‐inducing diet: Occurrence of nuclear and cytoplasmic lipids

Mice fed a high cholesterol‐cholic acid (lithogenic) diet for one year develop fatty livers in addition to gallstones. Light and electron micrographs demonstrate large amounts of lipids in liver parenchymal cells, often to the exclusion of most other cytoplasmic organelles. In addition, some hepatocytes exhibit nuclear lipid pseudo‐ and true inclusions. Other prominent features of hepatocytes after lithogenic diet include segregation of nucleolar granular and fibrillar material. Accumulation of considerable collagen in extracellular spaces is also noted. Observations suggest changes induced by the cholesterol diet are comparable to cytologic alterations seen in spontaneous and drug induced hepatic tumors, as well as to more general “fatty metamorphosis” of the liver.
Are Jobs More Polarized in ICT Firms?

We perform decompositions and regression analyses that test the routinization hypothesis and implied job polarization at the firm level. Prior studies have focused on the aggregate, industry or local levels. Our results for the abstract and routine occupation groups are consistent with the routinization hypothesis at the firm level. The observed changes are linked to ICT adoption. Thus, disappearing middle-level (routine) work can be traced to firm-level technological change.
Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Potentiates Autoimmune-Mediated Neuroinflammation

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a multipotent cytokine that is associated with clinical worsening and relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The mechanism through which MIF promotes MS progression remains undefined. In this study, we identify a critical role for MIF in regulating CNS effector mechanisms necessary for the development of inflammatory pathology in a mouse model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Despite the ability to generate pathogenic myelin-specific immune responses peripherally, MIF-deficient mice have reduced EAE severity and exhibit less CNS inflammatory pathology, with a greater percentage of resting microglia and fewer infiltrating inflammatory macrophages. We demonstrate that MIF is essential for promoting microglial activation and production of the innate soluble mediators IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and inducible NO synthase. We propose a novel role for MIF in inducing microglial C/EBP-β, a transcription factor shown to regulate myeloid cell function and play an important role in neuroinflammation. Intraspinal stereotaxic microinjection of MIF resulted in upregulation of inflammatory mediators in microglia, which was sufficient to restore EAE-mediated inflammatory pathology in MIF-deficient mice. To further implicate a role for MIF, we show that MIF is highly expressed in human active MS lesions. Thus, these results illustrate the ability of MIF to influence the CNS cellular and molecular inflammatory milieu during EAE and point to the therapeutic potential of targeting MIF in MS.
MHC class I-restricted presentation of exogenous antigen by thymic antigen-presenting cells in vitro and in vivo.

We have used a T-T hybridoma, RF33.70, to detect the MHC class I-restricted presentation of exogenous native OVA by thymic APC in vitro. Presentation of OVA with class I molecules by thymic APC requires intracellular processing. Phenotypic analyses indicated that low bouyant density, MHC class II+, FcR+ cells are capable of using this presentation pathway. In order to determine whether thymic APC have this function in vivo, thymic APC were isolated from mice after i.v. injection of native OVA. We find that OVA is presented in association with MHC class I, but not class II, molecules in the thymus. This is in contrast to splenic APC, which present exogenous OVA with both class I and class II molecules under these conditions. Our findings have implications for the repertoire of self-peptides that might be presented by thymic APC to developing T lymphocytes.
ABNER: an open source tool for automatically tagging genes, proteins and other entity names in text

ABNER (A Biomedical Named Entity Recognizer) is an open source software tool for molecular biology text mining. At its core is a machine learning system using conditional random fields with a variety of orthographic and contextual features. The latest version is 1.5, which has an intuitive graphical interface and includes two modules for tagging entities (e.g. protein and cell line) trained on standard corpora, for which performance is roughly state of the art. It also includes a Java application programming interface allowing users to incorporate ABNER into their own systems and train models on new corpora.
Comparison of the sensitivity limits for GPS and Galileo receivers in multipath scenarios

The global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) market is anticipated by most market researchers to experience exponential growth in the consumer segment, to the largest extend through the introduction of location based services (LBS). LBS - including the U.S. E-911 mandate - require position fixes at demanding rural sites, such as urban canyon, moderate indoor, and in vehicles without external antennae. The satellite signals are not only attenuated, but also subjected to strong multipath fading. Developing GPS/Galileo receivers for high-volume markets requires support for LBS, which in turn necessitates enhanced receiver sensitivity and multipath robustness. Which business cases are feasible is therefore partially determined by the maximally achievable sensitivity under various multipath scenarios. These sensitivity limits form a baseline for the receiver design. This paper algebraically derives the sensitivity limits for acquisition (i.e. synchronization) of direct sequence spread spectrum positioning signals under multipath propagation conditions. The derived formulas are then evaluated exemplarily for the parameters of the openly accessible L1-band GPS and Galileo signals, while they are also valid for other positioning signals. As commonly applied in wireless communications, the multipath environment is modelled with stochastic Ricean fading processes. The derived sensitivity limits are based on the stochastic models for multipath and noise, being transformed by RF-downconversion, despreading, coherent integration, envelope detection, noncoherent integration, and Neyman-Pearson detection. These results are also provided as plots of probability of detection versus carrier power to noise power spectral density, parameterized for various noncoherent integration times and Ricean factors.
The central Onodi cell: A previously unreported anatomic variation

Preoperative recognition of the Onodi cell is necessary to avoid injury to closely associated structures, including the internal carotid artery and the optic nerve. This article describes the central Onodi cell, a variation in which a posterior ethmoid cell lies superior to the sphenoid sinus in a midline position with at least one optic canal bulge. To our knowledge, this anatomic variation has not been previously reported in the literature. Radiographic and endoscopic imaging of this unique variation is provided.
N-Glycoform Diversity of Cellobiohydrolase I from Penicillium decumbens and Synergism of Nonhydrolytic Glycoform in Cellulose Degradation*

Background: Information on the role of N-glycosylation is limited. Results: The site and structure of N-glycosylation have evident effects on the activity and stability of CBH. Conclusion: N-Glycosylation affects the characteristics of CBHI and also brings a new function to CBHI as a nonenzymatic synergism factor. Significance: Understanding the effects of N-glycosylation is important for improvement of enzyme technology. Four cellobiohydrolase I (CBHI) glycoforms, namely, CBHI-A, CBHI-B, CBHI-C, and CBHI-D, were purified from the cultured broth of Penicillium decumbens JU-A10. All glycoforms had the same amino acid sequence but displayed different characteristics and biological functions. The effects of the N-glycans of the glycoforms on CBH activity were analyzed using mass spectrum data. Longer N-glycan chains at the Asn-137 of CBHI increased CBH activity. After the N-glycans were removed using site-directed mutagenesis and homologous expression in P. decumbens, the specific CBH activity of the recombinant CBHI without N-glycosylation increased by 65% compared with the wild-type CBHI with the highest specific activity. However, the activity was not stable. Only the N-glycosylation at Asn-137 can improve CBH activity by 40%. rCBHI with N-glycosylation only at Asn-470 exhibited no enzymatic activity. CBH activity was affected whether or not the protein was glycosylated, together with the N-glycosylation site and N-glycan structure. N-Glycosylation not only affects CBH activity but may also bring a new feature to a nonhydrolytic CBHI glycoform (CBHI-A). By supplementing CBHI-A to different commercial cellulase preparations, the glucose yield of lignocellulose hydrolysis increased by >20%. After treatment with a low dose (5 mg/g substrate) of CBHI-A at 50 °C for 7 days, the hydrogen-bond intensity and crystalline degree of cotton fibers decreased by 17 and 34%, respectively. These results may provide new guidelines for cellulase engineering.
Look-ahead techniques for micro-opportunistic job shop scheduling

Scheduling deals with the allocation of resources over time to perform a collection of tasks. Scheduling problems arise in domains as diverse as manufacturing, computer processing, transportation, health care, space exploration, education, etc. Scheduling problems are conveniently formulated as Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) or Constrained Optimization Problems (COPs). A general paradigm for solving CSPs and COPs relies on the use of backtrack search. Within this paradigm, the scheduling problem is solved through the iterative selection of a subproblem and the tentative assignment of a solution to that subproblem. Because most scheduling problems are NP-complete, even finding a solution that simply satisfies the problem constraints could require exponential time in the worst-case. This dissertation demonstrates that the granularity of the subproblems selected by the backtrack search procedure critically affects both the efficiency of the procedure and the quality of the resulting solution. A so-called micro-opportunistic search procedure is developed, in which subproblems can be as small as a single operation. Look-ahead techniques are presented that constantly track the evolution of so-called bottleneck resources. These look-ahead techniques enable the scheduler to take advantage of the fine granularity of its search procedure by opportunistically revising its scheduling strategy as bottlenecks shift from one part of the problem space to another. More specifically, two variations of the job shop scheduling problem are successively studied: (1) The first variation is one in which operations have to be performed within nonrelaxable time windows. Heuristics to guide a micro-opportunistic scheduler are presented that are shown to outperform both generic CSP heuristics as well as specialized heuristics developed for similar scheduling problems. (2) The second part of this work deals with the factory scheduling problem. A micro-opportunistic factory scheduler, called MICRO-BOSS, is described that explicitly accounts for both tardiness and inventory costs. MICRO-BOSS is shown to outperform several competing scheduling techniques. In both studies, experimental results also indicate that search efficiency and schedule quality deteriorate as the granularity of the search procedure increases thereby demonstrating the superiority of a micro-opportunistic approach to job shop scheduling over coarser search procedures such as those implemented in ISIS, OPT, and OPIS.
The utility of spoken dialog systems

The commercial successes of spoken dialog systems in the developed world provide encouragement for their use in the developing world, where speech could play a role in the dissemination of relevant information in local languages. We investigate the evolution of spoken dialog system research in the developed world, and show that the utility of speech is based on user factors and application factors (amongst others). After adjusting the factors for the developing world context and plotting their interactions, we offer several predictions for the field. In particular, we show that the field of spoken dialog system for the developing world is in a nascent stage and will likely take another decade to have an impact similar to that in the developed world.
DNA Photodamage, Repair, Gene Induction and Genotoxicity Following Exposures to 254 nm UV and 8‐Methoxypsoralen Plus UVA in a Eukaryotic Cell System

The induction and repair of different types of photodamage and photogenotoxicity in eukaryotic cells have been the subject of many studies. Little is known about possible links between these phenomena and the induction of DNA damage‐inducible genes. We explored this relationship using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a pertinent eukaryotic model. Previous results showed that the photogenotoxic potential of 8‐methoxypsoralen (8‐MOP) plus UVA is higher than that of UV (254 nm). Moreover, the induction of the ribonucleotide reductase gene RNR2 by UV and 8‐MOP plus UVA in an RNR2‐LACZ fusion strain and the formation of DNA double‐strand breaks (dsb) as repair intermediates after such treatments suggest that the latter process could involve a signal for gene induction. To further substantiate this, we measured the induction of the DNA repair gene RAD51 in RAD51‐LACZ fusion strains using the dsb repair and recombination deficient mutant rad52 and the corresponding wild type, and we determined the formation of dsb by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis. After treatments, the resealing of dsb formed as repair intermediates was impaired in the rad52 mutant. At equal doses, i.e. the same number of lesions, the induction of the RAD51 gene by UV or 8‐MOP plus UVA was significantly reduced in the rad52 mutant as compared with the wild type. The same was true when equitoxic doses were used. Thus, the RAD52 repair pathway appears to play an important role not only in dsb repair but also in gene induction. Furthermore, the signaling pathways initiated by DNA damage and its processing are somewhat linked to the photogenotoxic response.
Economic and optimal dispatching of power microgrid with renewable energy

This paper proposes a stochastic optimization model considering the volatility of wind power and photovoltaic power in microgrid. The model optimizes the economic operation of a microgrid as well as minimizes the flow deviation at the point of common coupling(PCC) from scheduled values. First, the Latin hypercube sampling(LHS) and Simultaneous Backward Reduction(SBR) technique are introduced to describe the stochastic nature of wind power and photovoltaic power. Then the random characteristic is introduced into the objective function of the stochastic model which is solved based on the Genetic algorithm(GA). Simulation results demonstrate its rationality and effectiveness for day-ahead scheduling of a microgrid.