Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling Structural Topic Transitions for Automatic Lyrics Generation

By adopting recent advances in music creation technologies, such as digital audio workstations and singing voice synthesizers, people can now create songs in their personal computers. Computers can also assist in creating lyrics or generating them automatically, although this aspect has been less thoroughly researched and is limited to rhyme and meter. This study focuses on the structural relations in Japanese lyrics. We present novel generation models that capture the topic transitions between units peculiar to the lyrics, such as verse/chorus and line. These transitions are modeled by a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for representing topics and topic transitions. To verify that our models generate contextsuitable lyrics, we evaluate the models using a log probability of lyrics generation and fill-in-the-blanks-type test. The results show that the language model is far more effective than HMM-based models, but the HMM-based approach successfully captures the inter-verse/chorus and inter-line relations. In the result of experimental evaluation, our approach captures the inter-verse/chorus and inter-line relations.
64Cu-Labeled Inhibitors of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen for PET Imaging of Prostate Cancer

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a well-recognized target for identification and therapy of a variety of cancers. Here we report five 64Cu-labeled inhibitors of PSMA, [64Cu]3–7, which are based on the lysine–glutamate urea scaffold and utilize a variety of macrocyclic chelators, namely NOTA(3), PCTA(4), Oxo-DO3A(5), CB-TE2A(6), and DOTA(7), in an effort to determine which provides the most suitable pharmacokinetics for in vivo PET imaging. [64Cu]3–7 were prepared in high radiochemical yield (60–90%) and purity (>95%). Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies of [64Cu]3–7 revealed specific accumulation in PSMA-expressing xenografts (PSMA+ PC3 PIP) relative to isogenic control tumor (PSMA– PC3 flu) and background tissue. The favorable kinetics and high image contrast provided by CB-TE2A chelated [64Cu]6 suggest it as the most promising among the candidates tested. That could be due to the higher stability of [64Cu]CB-TE2A as compared with [64Cu]NOTA, [64Cu]PCTA, [64Cu]Oxo-DO3A, and [64Cu]DOTA chelates in vivo.
Fusion of remote sensing images based on Principal Component Analysis and Nonsubsampled Contourlet Transform

A novel fusion method is proposed for multispectral (MS) and panchromatic (PAN) satellite images using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Nonsubsampled Contourlet Transform (NSCT). This method first performs PCA on MS, and NSCT on PAN and the first principal component (PC1) to get corresponding low-frequency and high-frequency coefficients, then fuses the approximation coefficients using PCA again for the tradeoff between the spectral and spatial information, and fuses the subbands coefficients based on Universal Image Qualigy Index (UIQI) and local sobel gradient for the spatial detail information, finally a fused image is formed through inverse NSCT and inverse PCA. Experimental results show that the proposed fusion method can effectively preserve spectral information while improving the spatial quality, and outperforms the general IHS-, PCA-, wavelet-, contourlet-based fusion methods.
Perimicrovillar membrane assembly: the fate of phospholipids synthesised by the midgut of Rhodnius prolixus

In this study, we describe the fate of fatty acids that are incorporated from the lumen by the posterior midgut epithelium of Rhodnius prolixus and the biosynthesis of lipids. We also demonstrate that neutral lipids (NL) are transferred to the haemolymphatic lipophorin (Lp) and that phospholipids remain in the tissue in which they are organised into perimicrovillar membranes (PMMs). 3H-palmitic acid added at the luminal side of isolated midguts of R. prolixus females was readily absorbed and was used to synthesise phospholipids (80%) and NL (20%). The highest incorporation of 3H-palmitic acid was on the first day after a blood meal. The amounts of diacylglycerol (DG) and triacylglycerol synthesised by the tissue decreased in the presence of Lp in the incubation medium. The metabolic fates of 3H-lipids synthesised by the posterior midgut were followed and it was observed that DG was the major lipid released to Lp particles. However, the majority of phospholipids were not transferred to Lp, but remained in the tissue. The phospholipids that were synthesised and accumulated in the posterior midgut were found to be associated with Rhodnius luminal contents as structural components of PMMs.
Vise: A System for Visualizing Salient Events in a Text Stream

In this paper, we present a system called Vise for visualizing salient events in a text stream according to the users' interests. A text stream is a sequence of chronological ordered documents. News articles, email and newsgroup postings are some typical examples of text stream. Through Vise, a user can visualize the events resides in a text stream by providing a set of keywords that are related to the events. A graph will be displayed to denote for the underlying patterns of the events. Yet, retrieving events in a text stream is a very difficult task due to the sparsity and noisiness of the features (keywords) in there. We solve these problems with the help of binomial distribution and some statis- tical theories. We have archived a stream of two-year news articles to evaluate the usability and the effec- tiveness of Vise. According to a subjective evaluation, the patterns of the events identified are justifiable and match our expectation. These favorable results indi- cated that our proposed system is highly effective and practical.
A performance enhanced dual-switch Network-on-Chip architecture

Network-on-Chip (NoC) is an attractive solution for future systems on chip (SoC). The network performance depends critically on the performance of packets routing. However, as the network becomes more congested, packets will be blocked more frequently. It would result in degrading the network performance. In this article, we propose an innovative dual-switch allocation (DSA) design. By introducing two switch allocations, we can make utmost use of idle output ports. Experimental results show that our design significantly achieves the performance improvement in terms of throughput and latency at the cost of very little power overhead.
Stratégie d’entreprise et partenariats innovants pour le développement durable : un guide pour la construction d’une stratégie d’entreprise responsable

Un nombre croissant d'organisations veut s'engager pleinement dans une pratique plus responsable des affaires, et tente de reformer profondement leur mode de fonctionnement. Pour ceux-ci, ce projet fait l’hypothese que la societe toute entiere a le devoir de mettre en œuvre les mesures, attitudes et initiatives qui favoriseront le changement de comportement et de pratique. Alors que le public accroit son exigence quant a l’ethique associee aux produits qu’il consomme et que les gouvernements s’attellent a etablir des limites reglementaires pour encadrer les pratiques, ce travail participe a apporter la contribution de la communaute academique en proposant des conseils aux organisations sur la facon de rompre avec les pratiques usuelles pour creer et s'approprier une strategie d'entreprise qui integre les parametres de soutenabilite. A cette fin, il etudie comment les organisations peuvent integrer efficacement les parametres de soutenabilite dans leur strategie d'entreprise, et identifie de nouvelles ressources, processus et incitateurs qui peuvent favoriser le changement vers une pratique plus responsable des affaires.
Priority based MAC scheme for cognitive radio network: A queuing theory modelling

In the cognitive radio networks (CRNs), primary user (PU) has higher priority to access the spectrum band over the secondary user (SU). In this paper, new multichannel priority based cognitive radio (CR) architecture is presented for medium access control (MAC). This multichannel CRN architecture is designed with pre-emptive, non-preemptive resume, and pooling priority based systems. Main objective of this modelling is to minimize the overall transmitting or processing time for all the users. We have derived the optimal system time, waiting time, and channel selection probability (conditional, and unconditional probabilities) for the priority-based spectrum decision schemes. We have also designed and simulated multichannel priority CRN system with various cases, i.e., multichannel with priorities and opportunistic selection of best available channel from multichannel systems. Simulation results and observations verify our mathematical model that, system or processing time depends on the number of users in the system and queue, and number of channels in the CRN system. Moreover, processing time for the primary users is much lower than the secondary users, because waiting time of secondary users is higher than the primary users.
Dynamics of the TCP Traffic Over the ABR Service of ATM Networks by Means of OPNET Simulations

This paper discusses the performance of mass storage applications (i.e., backup sessions) over long-haul high-speed networks, being serviced by multiple Available Bit Rate (ABR) connections. In particular, the work undertaken has taken into consideration simultaneous ABR connections in the presence of competitive traffic in the network. More precisely, we (a) evaluate the performance of multiple ABR connections end-to-end, using both the Explicit Forward Congestion Indication (EFCI) and Explicit Rate (ER) mechanisms, (b) study the adaptation of the ABR sources under the presence of competitive traffic in the network by applying a dynamic fairness scheme and (c) study the dynamics and performance of the TCP/IP protocol over the ABR service of an ATM network. Moreover, we consider how to improve the performance of TCP over ABR, using an “interworking” function between the TCP end-to-end flow control and the ABR rate-based control as well as examine the effect of the “use-it-or-lose-it” function. Furthermore, we compare the different levels of performance so as to select the optimum values for the various ABR service parameters, e.g., the maximum number of cells between the Resource Management (RM) cell generation (Nrm) and the factors controlling the increase/decrease of the cell transmission rate (RIF : Rate Increase Factor and RDF : Rate Decrease Factor). Finally, we introduce the concept of a dynamic UPC mechanism that monitors the ABR traffic contract.
Assisted hatching of human embryos: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND Assisted hatching (AH) is a manipulation of zona pellucida aiming to facilitate embryo implantation. METHODS Systematic review and meta-analysis of medical literature was used to evaluate the effect of AH on assisted reproduction outcomes: clinical pregnancy, live birth, multiple pregnancy and miscarriage. Additional analysis was performed in these subgroups: (i) fresh embryos transferred to unselected or non-poor prognosis women; (ii) fresh embryos transferred to women with previous repeated failure; (iii) fresh embryos transferred to women of advanced age; (iv) frozen-thawed embryos transferred to unselected or non-poor prognosis women. Analyses were based on risk ratio and 95% confidence intervals (RR, 95% CIs) using Mantel-Haenszel random effects model. RESULTS There were 28 studies (5507 participants) included. AH was related to a trend toward increased clinical pregnancy for all participants (RR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.00-1.24), with a significant increase in subgroups 2 (RR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.37-2.17) and 4 (RR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.08-1.72, P< 0.01), but not for subgroups 1 and 3. For multiple pregnancy, a significant increase was observed for all participants (RR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.11-1.90) and for subgroups 2 (RR = 2.53; 95% CI = 1.23-5.21) and 4 (RR = 3.40; 95% CI = 1.93-6.01). No significant heterogeneity was observed in subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS AH was related to increased clinical pregnancy and multiple pregnancy rates in women with previous repeated failure or frozen-thawed embryos. However, AH is unlikely to increase clinical pregnancy rates when performed in fresh embryos transferred to unselected or non-poor prognosis women or to women of advanced age. Due to the small sample evaluated by the pool of included studies, no proper conclusions could be drawn regarding miscarriage or live birth.
Hyperlink of Men

Hand-made hyperlinks are increasingly outnumbered by automatically generated links, which are usually based on text similarity or some sort of recommendation algorithm. In this paper we explore the current linking and appreciation of automatically generated links. To what extent do they prevail on the Web, in what forms do they appear, and do users think those generated links are just as good as human-created links? To answer these questions we first propose a model for extracting contextual information of a hyperlink. Second, we developed a hyperlink ranker to assigned relevance to each existing human generated link. With the outcomes of the hyperlink ranker, together with another two recommendation strategies, we performed a user study with over 100 participants. Results indicate that automated links are "good enough", and even preferred in some user contexts. Still, they do not provide the deeper knowledge as expressed by human authors.
Use of an Insulin Bolus Advisor Improves Glycemic Control in Multiple Daily Insulin Injection (MDI) Therapy Patients With Suboptimal Glycemic Control

OBJECTIVE Use of automated bolus advisors is associated with improved glycemic control in patients treated with insulin pump therapy. We conducted a study to assess the impact of using an insulin bolus advisor embedded in a blood glucose (BG) meter on glycemic control and treatment satisfaction in patients treated with multiple daily insulin injection (MDI) therapy. The study goal was to achieve >0.5% A1C reduction in most patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a 26-week, prospective, randomized, controlled, multinational study that enrolled 218 MDI-treated patients with poorly controlled diabetes (202 with type 1 diabetes, 16 with type 2 diabetes) who were 18 years of age or older. Participants had mean baseline A1C of 8.9% (SD, 1.2 [74 mmol/mol]), mean age of 42.4 years (SD, 14.0), mean BMI of 26.5 kg/m2 (SD, 4.2), and mean diabetes duration of 17.7 years (SD, 11.1). Control group (CNL) patients used a standard BG meter and manual bolus calculation; intervention group (EXP) patients used the Accu-Chek Aviva Expert meter with an integrated bolus advisor to calculate insulin dosages. Glucose data were downloaded and used for therapy parameter adjustments in both groups. RESULTS A total of 193 patients (CNL, n = 93; EXP, n = 100) completed the study. Significantly more EXP than CNL patients achieved >0.5% A1C reduction (56.0% vs. 34.4%; P < 0.01). Improvement in treatment satisfaction (Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire scale) was significantly greater in EXP patients (11.4 [SD, 6.0] vs. 9.0 [SD, 6.3]; P < 0.01). Percentage of BG values <50 mg/dL was <2% in both groups during the study. CONCLUSIONS Use of an automated bolus advisor resulted in improved glycemic control and treatment satisfaction without increasing severe hypoglycemia.
Ocular Surface Temperature in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Background. The aim of this study is to investigate the ocular thermographic profiles in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) eyes and age-matched controls to detect possible hemodynamic abnormalities, which could be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Methods. 32 eyes with early AMD, 37 eyes with atrophic AMD, 30 eyes affected by untreated neovascular AMD, and 43 eyes with fibrotic AMD were included. The control group consisted of 44 healthy eyes. Exclusion criteria were represented by any other ocular diseases other than AMD, tear film abnormalities, systemic cardiovascular abnormalities, diabetes mellitus, and a body temperature higher than 37.5°C. A total of 186 eyes without pupil dilation were investigated by infrared thermography (FLIR A320). The ocular surface temperature (OST) of three ocular points was calculated by means of an image processing technique from the infrared images. Two-sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test were used for statistical analyses. Results. ANOVA analyses showed no significant differences among AMD groups (P value >0.272). OST in AMD patients was significantly lower than in controls (P > 0.05). Conclusions. Considering the possible relationship between ocular blood flow and OST, these findings might support the central role of ischemia in the pathogenesis of AMD.
Identifying User Actions from HTTP(S) Traffic

When understanding modern web usage and providing optimized personalized service, it is important to identify the HTTP(S) requests directly caused by user actions like clicks and typing web addresses. With a majority of HTTP(S) requests being due to content that has not been explicitly requested by a user, the problem of identifying user actions at proxies or middleboxes becomes non-trivial. We present an automated evaluation framework for identifying user actions while also automatically providing a "ground truth" of the user actions. We utilize the framework to compare the performance of timing-based and HTTP-aware request classifiers, including timing-based classifiers operating on both per-request and per-connection basis to identify user actions. We emphasize the value of diverse information used by the classifiers when comparing identification accuracy both among classifiers and relative to the browser-based ground truth. Our classifiers can be useful to better understand users' web usage and connection prioritization.
Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership: A Review of Empirical Studies

There is an ongoing debate between the proponents and skeptics of emotional intelligence (EI) with regard to its contribution to leadership effectiveness in organizational settings. Not aiming to address all the leadership styles exhaustively, this research looked into the relationship between EI and transformational leadership (TL) by reviewing the accumulated research assets in the existing literature. After the staged review, 20 empirical studies covering five different continents were chosen for an in-depth analysis. The results show that most studies provide empirical support of the relationship, with variances in identifying subfactors of EI and TL that further explicate the EI–TL relationship. At the same time, the remaining studies are found to be skeptical, not fundamentally denying the relationship, but commonly pointing out the problem with EI measures and emphasizing the need for more valid and reliable assessment tools. Building on these findings, the present research suggests implications for practice and research in the human resource development (HRD) field.
An Architecture for Vision and Action

Vision systems that have successfully supported nontrivial tasks have invariably taken advantage of constraints derived from the task and environment to increase reliability and lower the complexity of perception. We propose that it is possible to build a general purpose vision system, that is, one that can support a wide variety of tasks, and take advantage of such constraints. The central idea within our proposed architecture is the reactive skill. Skills are concurrent control routines assembled at run time using instructions from a symbolic execution system. Visual modules are used as resources in the construction of these skills. Skills control the agent as continuous feedback loops but are constructed using discrete, symbolic instructions. The key to general-purpose vision is the ability to parametrize the primitive elements of the vision system and to compose visual and control routines in a variety of ways. We demonstrate the architecture in the context of an implemented example task of a robot collecting trash off a floor and depositing it in a garbage can.
Expansion Strategies of European Banks to Brazil and Their Impacts on the Brazilian Banking Sector

ABSTRACT This paper aims at analyzing the main determinants and impacts of the recent wave of European banks entering Brazil. The principal hypothesis of the paper is that this wave can only be understood if one considers both external and internal determinants. External determinants concern the process of banking consolidation in the European financial system under the EMU that has stimulated some banks to expand abroad. Internal determinants are mainly related to the gradual flexibilisation of legal restrictions with respect to the presence of foreign banks in the Brazilian banking sector. Finally, the paper evaluates the impacts of the recent entry of European banks into the retail banking market in Brazil. In this particular matter, it shows that foreign entry has affected the national banking market forcing domestic banks to operate more efficiently, and also to expand their activities organically or by mergers and acquisitions. The paper concludes that there is no clear evidence that foreign banks h.
Privacy Protection for Social Networking Platforms

Social networking platforms integrate third-party content into social networking sites and give third-party developers access to user data. These open interfaces enable popular site enhancements but pose serious privacy risks by exposing user data to third-party developers. We address the privacy risks associated with social networking APIs by presenting a privacy-by-proxy design for a privacy-preserving API. Our design is motivated by an analysis of the data needs and uses of Facebook applications. We studied 150 popular Facebook applications and found that nearly all applications could maintain their functionality using a limited interface that only provides access to an anonymized social graph and placeholders for user data. Since the platform host can control the third party applications’ output, privacy-by-proxy can be accomplished by using new tags and data transformations without major changes to either the platform architecture or applications.
Robust Mvdr Beamformer for Nulling Level Control via Multi-Parametric Quadratic Programming

MVDR beamformer is one of the well-known adaptive beamforming techniques that offers the ability to resolve signals that are separated by a fraction of an antenna beamwidth. In an ideal scenario, the MVDR beamformer can not only minimize the array output power but also maintain a distortionless mainlobe response toward the desired signal. Unfortunately, the MVDR beamformer may have unacceptably low nulling level, which may lead to significant performance degradation in the case of unexpected interfering signals. A new robust MVDR beamforming is presented to control the nulling level of adaptive antenna array. In this proposed approach, the beamforming optimization problem is formulated as a multi-parametric quadratic programming (mp-QP) problem such that the optimal weight vector can be easily obtained by real-valued computation. The presented method can guarantee that the nulling level are strictly below the prescribed threshold. Simulation results are presented to verify the efficiency of the proposed method. Received 25 February 2011, Accepted 21 March 2011, Scheduled 25 March 2011 Corresponding author: Fu Lai Liu (fulailiu@126.com). † F. L. Liu is also with School of Automation, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.