Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Speech-to-text development for Slovak, a low-resourced language

Development of an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system for low-resourced languages is an important research topic in ASR. This paper reports on t\ he development of a speech-to-text (STT) system targeting broadcast news and broadcast conversation transcription for the low-resourced Slovak language. Context-dep\ endent acoustic models are trained without any manually transcribed audio data via cross-language transfer and unsupervised training. In addition, a pronunciation d\ ictionary for Slovak language is created using efficient rule-based pronunciation modeling. For language modeling, large N-gram language models were estimated on 63M words of texts downloaded from the Internet. The system uses MLP (multilayer perceptron) features imported from English which are concatenated with cepstral PLP (perceptual linear prediction) and F0 (pitch) features. These techniques were applied to develop a Slovak STT system with performance similar to that obtained by state-of-the-art systems for other languages. Furthermore, we propose to reduce the dimension of the MLP+PLP+F0 features from 81 to 50, using principal component analysis (PCA), in order to reduce the redundancy between the MLP and the PLP+F0 features. This feature reduction makes it possible to reduce the word error rate (WER) and the recognition time while reducing the CMLLR adaptation time by a factor of 3.
Improving response time after resuming by reorganizing swap space

The swap-before-hibernate (SBH) swaps out all swappable pages before the system enters hibernation mode, thus reducing the memory used by the system and the size of hibernation file. However, when the system resumes, the program must be reloaded into the main memory by swap-in; hence, the response time of program depends on the swap-in speed. This study experimentally proved that the present swap-in/swap-out mechanism of Linux is not acceptable to the SBH algorithm. Moreover, it proposed the method of reordering all the requests to be written out to the swap space. The proposed method was proven to increase the efficiency of swap space by 1/2 to 1/3.
The Influence of Learning on Cortical Activation Patterns.

This investigation is concerned with psychological and neurobiological aspects of music learning that is understood as a process of incrementally differentiating mental representations. Because mental representation is reflected by cortical activation patterns, different learning and teaching strategies will act on specific changes of cortical activation. Those changes were assessed prior to and after a learning phase during which 9 subjects had undergone distinct teaching strategies for developing different modes of mental representation. DC-potentials were recorded from bilateral electrode positions while subjects listened to 60 unaccompanied melodies. Data of all trials were compared using a repeated measurement ANO VA. Listening produces a pronounced activation especially over bilateral brain areas without preponderance of the right or left hemisphere. After training, both trained subgroups performed better in solving the tasks, but differed as to their activation patterns: the verbally trained exhibited an increase over the left cortex (p < 0.01), whereas the musically trained showed an increase over the right and bilateral brain areas (p<0. 01). In contrast, the untrained control group revealed a global decrease of activation in almost all cortical regions. Genuine musical learning significantly affects mental representation and neural connectivity, and it also acts on the stability of musical achievment.
Better Binarization for the CKY Parsing

We present a study on how grammar binarization empirically affects the efficiency of the CKY parsing. We argue that binarizations affect parsing efficiency primarily by affecting the number of incomplete constituents generated, and the effectiveness of binarization also depends on the nature of the input. We propose a novel binarization method utilizing rich information learnt from training corpus. Experimental results not only show that different binarizations have great impacts on parsing efficiency, but also confirm that our learnt binarization outperforms other existing methods. Furthermore we show that it is feasible to combine existing parsing speed-up techniques with our binarization to achieve even better performance.
Graphene-Based Non-Boolean Logic Circuits

Graphene revealed a number of unique properties beneficial for electronics. However, graphene does not have an energy band-gap, which presents a serious hurdle for its applications in digital logic gates. The efforts to induce a band-gap in graphene via quantum confinement or surface functionalization have not resulted in a breakthrough. Here we show that the negative differential resistance experimentally observed in graphene field-effect transistors of “conventional” design allows for construction of viable non-Boolean computational architectures with the gapless graphene. The negative differential resistance—observed under certain biasing schemes—is an intrinsic property of graphene, resulting from its symmetric band structure. Our atomistic modeling shows that the negative differential resistance appears not only in the drift-diffusion regime but also in the ballistic regime at the nanometer-scale—although the physics changes. The obtained results present a conceptual change in graphene research and indicate an alternative route for graphene’s applications in information processing. VC 2013 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx.doi. org/10.1063/1.4824828]
Evaluation of predicted knee‐joint muscle forces during gait using an instrumented knee implant

Musculoskeletal modeling and optimization theory are often used to determine muscle forces in vivo. However, convincing quantitative evaluation of these predictions has been limited to date. The present study evaluated model predictions of knee muscle forces during walking using in vivo measurements of joint contact loading acquired from an instrumented implant. Joint motion, ground reaction force, and tibial contact force data were recorded simultaneously from a single subject walking at slow, normal, and fast speeds. The body was modeled as an 8‐segment, 21‐degree‐of‐freedom articulated linkage, actuated by 58 muscles. Joint moments obtained from inverse dynamics were decomposed into leg‐muscle forces by solving an optimization problem that minimized the sum of the squares of the muscle activations. The predicted knee muscle forces were input into a 3D knee implant contact model to calculate tibial contact forces. Calculated and measured tibial contact forces were in good agreement for all three walking speeds. The average RMS errors for the medial, lateral, and total contact forces over the entire gait cycle and across all trials were 140 ± 40 N, 115 ± 32 N, and 183 ± 45 N, respectively. Muscle coordination predicted by the model was also consistent with EMG measurements reported for normal walking. The combined experimental and modeling approach used in this study provides a quantitative framework for evaluating model predictions of muscle forces in human movement. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 27:1326–1331, 2009
Ex Ante Costs of Violating Absolute Priority in Bankruptcy

A basic question for the design of bankruptcy law concerns whether value should be divided in accordance with absolute priority. Research done in the past decade has suggested that deviations from absolute priority have beneficial ex ante effects. In contrast, this paper shows that ex post deviations from absolute priority also have negative effects on ex ante decisions taken by shareholders. Such deviations aggravate the moral hazard problem with respect to project choice - increasing the equityholders' incentive to favor risky projects - as well as with respect to borrowing and dividend decisions.
Diamond Schottky structures

Since Element Six reported in 2002 extremely high holes and electrons mobilities in intrinsic single crystal layers, synthetic diamond emerged as a promising semiconductor suitable for active electronic devices. Having the best physical and electrical theoretical properties among wide band gap semiconductors, diamond might become a serious competitor for silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) in the field of power electronics and switching devices. This paper presents the most significant properties and applications of diamond, together figures of merit showing its immense potential. Experimental results on several diamond-based device structures confirm its capacity to withstand breakdown voltages in excess of 1kV and to commute with frequencies in excess of 100GHz.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting agricultural management for climate change in developing countries: providing the basis for action

Agriculture in developing countries has attracted increasing attention in international negotiations within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for both adaptation to climate change and greenhouse gas mitigation. However, there is limited understanding about potential complementarity between management practices that promote adaptation and mitigation, and limited basis to account for greenhouse gas emission reductions in this sector. The good news is that the global research community could provide the support needed to address these issues through further research linking adaptation and mitigation. In addition, a small shift in strategy by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and ongoing assistance from agricultural organizations could produce a framework to move the research and development from concept to reality. In turn, significant progress is possible in the near term providing the basis for UNFCCC negotiations to move beyond discussion to action for the agricultural sector in developing countries.
Impact of Simulated Central Scotomas on Visual Search in Natural Scenes

Purpose. In performing search tasks, the visual system encodes information across the visual field at a resolution inversely related to eccentricity and deploys saccades to place visually interesting targets upon the fovea, where resolution is highest. The serial process of fixation, punctuated by saccadic eye movements, continues until the desired target has been located. Loss of central vision restricts the ability to resolve the high spatial information of a target, interfering with this visual search process. We investigate oculomotor adaptations to central visual field loss with gaze-contingent artificial scotomas. Methods. Spatial distortions were placed at random locations in 25° square natural scenes. Gaze-contingent artificial central scotomas were updated at the screen rate (75 Hz) based on a 250 Hz eye tracker. Eight subjects searched the natural scene for the spatial distortion and indicated its location using a mouse-controlled cursor. Results. As the central scotoma size increased, the mean search time increased [F(3,28) = 5.27, p = 0.05], and the spatial distribution of gaze points during fixation increased significantly along the x [F(3,28) = 6.33, p = 0.002] and y [F(3,28) = 3.32, p = 0.034] axes. Oculomotor patterns of fixation duration, saccade size, and saccade duration did not change significantly, regardless of scotoma size. Conclusions. There is limited automatic adaptation of the oculomotor system after simulated central vision loss.
Entering the Heart of Design: Relationships for Tracing Claim Evolution

Designers need guidance in tracing knowledge to support the iterative development of interactive software interfaces. Claims show promise in capturing design knowledge with concise descriptions of an artifact’s psychological effects on users, but adoptions and modifications made during design processes result in new claims. The manner in which new claims are created based on previous claims establishes unique knowledge relationships not well captured by existing research. This paper proposes six claim relationship types presented with general concepts and examples, allowing a more robust claims analysis process to emerge. The definition of relationships acknowledges claim evolution methods inherent in design, facilitating knowledge reuse and providing structure to advance the science of design.
Representational shifts made visible: movement away from the prototype in memory for hue

In four experiments, a total of 205 participants studied individual color patches and were given an old-new recognition test after a brief retention interval (0.5 or 5.0 s). The pattern of hue sensitivity (d′) revealed hue memory shifting away from the prototype of the hue's basic color category. The shifts demonstrate that hue memory is influenced by categorization early in processing. The shifts did not depend on intentional categorization; the shifts were found even when participants made preference ratings at encoding rather than labeling judgments. Overall, we found that categorization and memory are deeply intertwined from perception onward. We discuss the impact of the results on theories of memory and categorization, including the effects of category labels on memory (e.g., Lupyan, 2008). We also put forward the hypothesis that atypical shifts in hue are related to atypical shifts that have previously observed in face recognition (Rhodes et al., 1987).
Early conflict prevention in ethnic conflicts, 1990-1998 : a New Data Set

n this article we present a new dataset: the Early Conflict Prevention in Ethnic Crises dataset (ECPEC). It contains data on operational conflict prevention in 67 ethnic crises in the period 1990—98 that vary in terms of both preventive action and crisis outcomes. The new dataset thus allows for the evaluation of the effects of different types of preventive measures and also gives an overview of who takes what measures and in what conflicts. The global overview shows some interesting patterns. Preventive activity in the escalatory phase of ethnic conflict is dominated by verbal attention and facilitation. Coercive measures are rarely employed prior to the outbreak of war. Preventive action is most common in Europe and the Middle East, while crises in Asia tend to receive comparatively little attention. Most of the preventive action is focused on a relatively small number of high profile cases like those in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Major Powers (with the exception of China), neighboring states, the UN, and regional organizations are the most active interveners. To illustrate the usefulness of a large-N dataset on preventive measures, we also present a first analysis of the effects of different types of measures. The findings suggest that diplomatic measures and relief efforts both have conflict dampening effects, while carrots (inducements) increase the likelihood of escalation to war. Other measures show no significant effects in this sample. The findings also show that third parties are more likely to intervene in conflicts that are more prone to escalate to war. This implies that unless we account for the propensity of third parties to intervene in the more difficult cases, we risk underestimating the effects of preventive measures.
Concept Classification with Bayesian Multi-task Learning

Multivariate analysis allows decoding of single trial data in individual subjects. Since different models are obtained for each subject it becomes hard to perform an analysis on the group level. We introduce a new algorithm for Bayesian multi-task learning which imposes a coupling between single-subject models. Using the CMU fMRI dataset it is shown that the algorithm can be used for concept classification based on the average activation of regions in the AAL atlas. Concepts which were most easily classified correspond to the categories shelter, manipulation and eating, which is in accordance with the literature. The multi-task learning algorithm is shown to find regions of interest that are common to all subjects which therefore facilitates interpretation of the obtained models.
Baseline platelet count and clinical outcome in acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND It is unclear whether platelet count (PLT) is independently associated with clinical outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS AND RESULTS MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane library clinical trials registry, ISI Science Citation Index, and ISI Web of Knowledge were searched, supplemented by hand-scanning of references of relevant publications and contacting content experts. Eight studies including 39,324 patients were identified that addressed the following issues: major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and mortality were defined as endpoints; the relative risk (RR) or relative odds and their variance with MACE associated with PLT; studies in which only PLT was quantified. Two investigators independently abstracted information on study design, study and participant characteristics, PLT, clinical outcomes, control for potential confounding factors and risk estimates using a standardized protocol. At 1-month follow-up, compared with the bottom PLT group (< 150 × 10(9)/L), the pooled RRs of mortality and MACE were 1.78 (P=0.14) and 1.63 (P<0.001) for the upper PLT (> 350 × 10(9)/L), respectively. At long-term follow-up (≥ 1 year), the pooled RRs of mortality and MACE were 1.48 (P=0.02) and 1.28 (P=0.02) for the upper PLT, respectively. Moreover, the pooled RR of longitudinal mortality was 1.024 (P=0.03) when PLT was used as a continuous variable. CONCLUSIONS Higher PLT at baseline increases the RR of mortality and MACE in ACS patients.
Parameters Acquisition Optimization Actuation Parameters Material Thickness Fabrication Final Skin

We propose a complete process for designing, simulating, and fabricating synthetic skin for an animatronics character that mimics the face of a given subject and its expressions. The process starts with measuring the elastic properties of a material used to manufacture synthetic soft tissue. Given these measurements we use physicsbased simulation to predict the behavior of a face when it is driven by the underlying robotic actuation. Next, we capture 3D facial expressions for a given target subject. As the key component of our process, we present a novel optimization scheme that determines the shape of the synthetic skin as well as the actuation parameters that provide the best match to the target expressions. We demonstrate this computational skin design by physically cloning a real human face onto an animatronics figure.
Resource Allocation for OFDMA Relay Networks with Wireless Information and Power Transfer

In this paper, we investigate the resource allocation for orthogonal frequency division multiple access relay networks, where the relay does not have embedded energy supply and needs to first harvest energy from the received signals from the source before forwarding transmission. The relay uses time switching scheme for wireless information and power transfer. We aim to maximize the weighted sum rate under several constraints by varying the source transmission power, the relay transmission power, and the time switching ratio. We formulate the joint resource allocation problem as an optimization problem, which is non-convex. Although it is difficult to solve the non-convex problem, we derive its closed-form solution by exploiting its special structure. We also prove that the closed- form solution is a partial optimum. Finally, simulations verify the proposed closed-form solution is superior to the equal power solution.
Maximum flow trees in overlay multicast: Modeling and optimization

Recently, peer-to-peer (P2P) multicast has become more and more popular approach of simultaneous content delivery to a group of users. It is especially valuable for multimedia applications realized in the Internet. Apart from network-based IP multicast, P2P multicast forms an overlay structure of routing where end-hosts actively contribute to the network by sharing their data streams across other receivers. The overlay structure is routed then via IP network using well-defined unicast flows. This paper focuses on modeling and optimization of content routing in overlay multicast systems. Having a set of overlay nodes interested in joining the same, single source multicast transmission, where every node is subject to limited upload and download access link capacity, we aim at providing an optimal overlay multicast in order to maximize the total system throughput and we formulate maximum flow trees problem related to multicast in overlay network. We also present an original Greedy Algorithm and Golden Ratio Heuristic for solving the problem. These algorithms are evaluated in relation to optimal results yielded by CPLEX solver and random benchmarks.
Revealing the Dynamics of the 20 S Proteasome Phosphoproteome

The 20 S proteasomes play a critical role in intracellular homeostasis and stress response. Their function is tuned by covalent modifications, such as phosphorylation. In this study, we performed a comprehensive characterization of the phosphoproteome for the 20 S proteasome complexes in both the murine heart and liver. A platform combining parallel approaches in differential sample fractionation (SDS-PAGE, IEF, and two-dimensional electrophoresis), enzymatic digestion (trypsin and chymotrypsin), phosphopeptide enrichment (TiO2), and peptide fragmentation (CID and electron transfer dissociation (ETD)) has proven to be essential for identifying low abundance phosphopeptides. As a result, a total of 52 phosphorylation identifications were made in mammalian tissues; 44 of them were novel. These identifications include single (serine, threonine, and tyrosine) and dual phosphorylation peptides. 34 phosphopeptides were identified by CID; 10 phosphopeptides, including a key modification on the catalytically essential β5 subunit, were identified only by ETD; eight phosphopeptides were shared identifications by both CID and ETD. Besides the commonly shared phosphorylation sites, unique sites were detected in the murine heart and liver, documenting variances in phosphorylation between tissues within the proteasome populations. Furthermore the biological significance of these 20 S phosphoproteomes was evaluated. The role of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) to modulate these phosphoproteomes was examined. Using a proteomics approach, many of the cardiac and hepatic 20 S subunits were found to be substrate targets of PKA. Incubation of the intact 20 S proteasome complexes with active PKA enhanced phosphorylation in both existing PKA phosphorylation sites as well as novel sites in these 20 S subunits. Furthermore treatment with active PKA significantly elevated all three peptidase activities (β1 caspase-like, β2 trypsin-like, and β5 chymotrypsin-like), demonstrating a functional role of PKA in governing these 20 S phosphoproteomes.