Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
10 years of phondat-II: a reassessment

In this paper we conduct an evaluation as well as a reassessment of the PhonDatII spoken language resource. 10 years after the record of PhonDatII it is time to summarize and to look into its future. At present, the corpus comprises 39612 manually labelled phone tokens and 15083 syllable tokens of read German utterances. We describe the corpus in detail, and then we present a new method to evaluate segmentation boundaries. Finally, we ask the question as to how we can reﬁne the PhonDatII database for the future. The mean phone duration results of this study, which are based on a corrected and extended version of the PhonDatII corpus, are in correspondence with earlier research. Consequently, the actual size of this spoken language resource seems to be sufﬁcient for generalization of results on the segmental level.
Social media and corporate dialog: the response of the global financial institutions

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyse the extent to which global financial institutions are using Web 2.0 technologies and social media initiatives to transform the way in which they perform their corporate disclosure, that is, if these entities are opening a real corporate dialogue.Design/methodology/approach – The web sites of 132 major global financial entities – in Europe (54 entities), the Asia‐Pacific region (55) and the Americas (23) – have been scored according to a Sophistication Index, considering various relevant Web 2.0 technologies and social media implementations. The analysis, by means of least squares and logistic regression models, is consistent across both techniques.Findings – Web 2.0 technologies and social media are not fully available in the corporate reporting arena. Nonetheless, a significant influence is detected. The size of each entity and the region in which it operates influence the scored utilisation of Web 2.0 and social media initiatives.Research limitation/implicat.
Alcohol consumption and lipoprotein subclasses in older adults.

CONTEXT Limited evidence suggests that alcohol intake may be associated with lipoprotein subclass distribution, which could mediate its relationship with coronary heart disease. OBJECTIVES The objective was to determine the relationship of alcohol intake with lipoprotein particle subclasses. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The study included a cross-sectional analysis of 1850 participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study aged 65 yr and older and free of clinical cardiovascular disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Lipoprotein subclass distribution was measured with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, according to self-reported alcohol intake. RESULTS Alcohol intake was associated with total low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles in a U-shaped manner. Consumers of one or more drinks per week had the highest number of large LDL particles, whereas consumers of 7-13 drinks per week had the lowest number of small LDL particles. Alcohol intake was strongly positively associated with large- and medium-sized high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles but had an inverse relationship with concentrations of small HDL particles and small- and medium-sized very-low-density lipoprotein particles. Average particle sizes of all three lipoproteins were positively associated with alcohol intake. Associations were generally stronger among women than men but in similar directions. Beverage type did not consistently modify these findings. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol intake is associated with less total LDL particles, lower levels of small LDL, HDL, and very-low-density lipoprotein particles, and higher levels of large LDL and medium- and large-sized HDL particles in older adults free of prevalent clinical cardiovascular disease.
Leucine-rich Repeat-containing G-protein-coupled Receptor 5 Marks Short-term Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells during Mouse Embryonic Development*

Background: Lgr5 was shown to mark proliferating stem cells in several adult organs. Results: Lgr5 expression was detected in proliferating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) at the early stage of hematopoiesis. Conclusion: Lgr5 marks short-term (ST) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells during the embryonic and fetal hematopoiesis. Significance: Extending Lgr5 as a HSPC marker into the hematopoietic system during development. Lgr5 is a marker for proliferating stem cells in adult intestine, stomach, and hair follicle. However, Lgr5 is not expressed in adult hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Whether Lgr5 is expressed in the embryonic and fetal HSPCs that undergo rapid proliferation is unknown. Here we report the detection of Lgr5 expression in HSPCs in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) and fetal liver. We also found that a portion of Lgr5+ cells expressed the Runx1 gene that is critical for the ontogeny of HSPCs. A small portion of Lgr5+ cells also expressed HSPC surface markers c-Kit and CD34 in AGM or CD41 in fetal liver. Furthermore, the majority of Lgr5+ cells expressed Ki67, indicating their proliferating state. Transplantation of fetal liver-derived Lgr5-GFP+ cells (E12.5) demonstrated that Lgr5-GFP+ cells were able to reconstitute myeloid and lymphoid lineages in adult recipients, but the engraftment was short-term (4–8 weeks) and 20-fold lower compared with the Lgr5-GFP− control. Our data show that Lgr5-expressing cells mark short-term hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, consistent with the role of Lgr5 in supporting HSPCs rapid proliferation during embryonic and fetal development.
Nonsurgical Care of Intestinal and Multivisceral Transplant Recipients

Intestinal and multivisceral transplantation has evolved from an experimental procedure to the treatment of choice for patients with irreversible intestinal failure and serious complications related to long-term parenteral nutrition. Increased numbers of transplant recipients and improved survival rates have led to an increased prevalence of this patient population in intensive care units. Management of intestinal and multivisceral transplant recipients is uniquely challenging because of complications arising from the high incidence of transplant rejection and its treatment. Long-term comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney failure, and neurological sequelae, also develop in this patient population as survival improves. This article is intended for intensivists who provide care to critically ill recipients of intestinal and multivisceral transplants. As perioperative care of intestinal/multivisceral transplant recipients has been described elsewhere, this review focuses on common nonsurgical complications with which one should be familiar in order to provide optimal care. The article is both a review of the current literature on multivisceral and isolated intestinal transplantation as well as a reflection of our own experience at the University of Miami.
Image-Based Computer-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty Leads to Lower Variability in Coronal Alignment

In a prospective randomized controlled trial, one group of 50 patients had total knee arthroplasty using conventional instruments; another group of 50 patients had total knee arthroplasty using a fluoroscopy-based computer navigation system. The variability of postoperative alignment of the lower limb in the coronal and saggital plane, early clinical outcome scores, and morbidity of the procedure were compared. In addition, the image-based computer navigation system was used to assess the following presumptions: the accuracy of the calculation of the kinematic center of rotation of the hip and the reliability of full-leg standing xrays in determining overall coronal alignment of the lower limb. Variability in the coronal plane was significantly reduced in the computer-assisted surgery group compared with the conventional group (p < 0.0001). Early clinical outcome and complication rates were similar for both groups. The correlation between full-leg standing xrays and the computer navigation system for determining the mechanical alignment of the lower limb in the coronal plane was high (r = 0.987). The maximum deviation between the calculated kinematic center of rotation of the hip and the fluoroscopically determined anatomic center of the hip was 5 mm (mean, 1.6 mm). An image based computer-assisted system can be safely used and leads to a consistent and perfect postoperative alignment in the coronal plane.
Kidney transplantation in the elderly--the Norwegian experience.

BACKGROUND Elderly patients are the fastest growing population requiring renal replacement therapy. With increasing scarcity of organs, old patients are likely to remain in dialysis. We have had an active transplant program with elderly patients (i.e. > or = 70 years) and present results from our experiences. METHODS From 1990 throughout 2005, we performed 301 first kidney transplantations in elderly patients. Data were compared with 513 senior patients aged 60-69 years and 512 control patients, aged 45-54 years, transplanted during the same time period. Time in dialysis prior to transplantation, number of patients receiving a living donor (LD) kidney, donor age, HLA mismatch, rejections, patient- and graft survival data were collected. RESULTS The 5-year actuarial patient survival was 56% in elderly patients, 72% in senior patients; P < 0.001 versus elderly and 91% in control patients; P < 0.001 versus elderly. Death censored graft survival was similar in the different groups, 89% in elderly, 88% in senior and 90% in control patients. LD was used in 35%; 17% in elderly patients, 34% in senior patients; P < 0.001 and 47% in control patients; P < 0.001. Pre-emptive transplantation was performed in 19% of the patients; 10% in elderly patients, 18% in senior patients; P = 0.003 and 25% in control patients; P < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS Our data show no difference in death censored graft survival between the age groups. Given the poor prognosis during dialysis treatment, selected elderly patients may successfully be offered a kidney transplant.
Robust visual tracking using feature selection

Visual tracking has become a very important component in computer vision, but achieving a robust, reliable and real time tracking remains a real challenge. In order to improve the actual state-of-the-art, we choose to study and improve one of the most performing adaptive tracker by detection. We selected Struck [27] for this quality performance and his low computational cost that makes it real time. Inspired by the great successes of binary keypoint descriptors, we choose to apply binary description to a patch. We propose to use Multi-Block Local Binary Pattern (MB-LBP), based on its great success in face detection and description. In this work we present a technique for selecting the best features for tracking. In combination with the feature selection we propose a technique to take into account contextual information in order to increase the robustness of the tracker. We propose a solution to add scale adaptation to the algorithm, and suggest to transpose this technique to add rotation adaptation. Experimentally we validate these techniques showing that we outperform the state-of-art tracking algorithms. To do that we use a benchmarking tool using 51 videos and compare our algorithm to 29 algorithms.
Carmichaelite, a new hydroxyl-bearing titanate from Garnet Ridge, Arizona

Carmichaelite [MO2-x(OH)x, where M includes Ti, Cr, Fe, Mg, and Al] is a new hydrous titanate from Garnet Ridge, an ultramafic diatreme on the Colorado Plateau in Arizona. It is named in honor of Ian S.E. Carmichael, Professor of Geology at the University of California, Berkeley, in recognition of his many contributions to petrology, especially his studies of Fe-Ti oxides in volcanic rocks. The new mineral occurs as platy, cinnamon-brown inclusions in mantle-derived pyrope crystals, which also contain inclusions of rutile, srilankite, ilmenite, minerals of the crichtonite group, spinel, and olivine. Carmichaelite is commonly in contact with rutile and occasionally with srilankite. The average composition is TiO2 = 62.16, Cr2O3 = 18.43, Al2O3 = 1.88, V2O3 = 0.87, Nb2O5 = 0.37, FeO = 7.61, MgO = 2.80, H2O (calc) = 5.76, total 99.89 wt%, giving an empirical formula close to Ti0.62Cr0. 19Fe0.09Mg0. 06Al0.03V0. 01O1.5(OH)0.5. A cation (non-H) to (O+OH) ratio of 1:2 was confirmed by microprobe analysis of oxygen, and the presence of the hydroxyl component was supported by IR data. Carmichaelite is monoclinic, space group P21/c, with a = 7.706(1), b = 4.5583(6), c = 20.187(3) Å, β = 92.334(2)°, V = 708.5(3) Å3, and Z = 22. The calculated density is 4.13 g/cm3. The strongest diffraction lines [d(I, h k l)] from a calculated powder pattern are 2.842 (100, 1̅15), 3.773 (94, 013), 2.664 (70, 213), 1.688 (54, 1̅22), 1.679 (44, 226), 1.661 (44, 1̅28), and 1.648 (34, 1.1.11). The crystal structure, which has been determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, consists of stacked chains of cation octahedra within layers of hexagonal closest-packed anions. The arrangement of cation octahedra within a single chain has the same basic structural unit of five edge-sharing octahedra found in olivine, the humite group, and leucophoenicite. Carmichaelite is inferred to have co-precipitated with its pyrope host and other titanates in the presence of a fluid or melt phase (i.e., mantle metasomatism) at temperatures of 650-750 °C and pressures of 20-25 kbar. It contains the highest OH content reported for titanates of mantle origin and offers a potential storage site for water and high field strength elements in the upper mantle. The new mineral is probably stabilized by high pressure and the high concentration of Cr. Certain features of the carmichaelite structure raise the possibility of a similar high-pressure phase in the Si-Al- O-H system.
Quality‐based charging solutions for wireless multimedia services

The evolution of mobile telecommunication networks and access bandwidth has enabled operators to deliver IPTV services for mobile customers; however, the existing mobile charging solutions are not effectively addressing the billing requirements of multimedia streams. This paper develops a quality‐based charging solution for 3GPP wireless networks with the aim of providing a fair pricing solution for multimedia services. An appropriate business model is selected and a streaming proxy‐based charging architecture is developed based on the quality of the multimedia service. The proposed algorithms are theoretically evaluated by the derivation of the formulas of the distribution and the expected value of the price discount. A testbed is built and the findings are evaluated and compared with traditional charging functions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ontology applied in the judicial sentences

The aim of this paper is to introduce a semantic methodology using ontology in order to improve results of data mining in judicial decisions database. An intelligent and automatic method to search for sentences in lawsuits related to the one in trial is presented. A judicial ontology is built with and without rules from experts. The method can provide judiciary celerity, seeking to solve the yearning of society, as it can be able to simulate the judicial advisers work on judicial decisions preparation.
Analysis of Leaf Development in fugu Mutants of Arabidopsis Reveals Three Compensation Modes That Modulate Cell Expansion in Determinate Organs1[W]

In multicellular organisms, the coordination of cell proliferation and expansion is fundamental for proper organogenesis, yet the molecular mechanisms involved in this coordination are largely unexplored. In plant leaves, the existence of this coordination is suggested by compensation, in which a decrease in cell number triggers an increase in mature cell size. To elucidate the mechanisms of compensation, we isolated five new Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants (fugu1–fugu5) that exhibit compensation. These mutants were characterized together with angustifolia3 (an3), erecta (er), and a KIP-RELATED PROTEIN2 (KRP2) overexpressor, which were previously reported to exhibit compensation. Time-course analyses of leaf development revealed that enhanced cell expansion in fugu2-1, fugu5-1, an3-4, and er-102 mutants is induced postmitotically, indicating that cell enlargement is not caused by the uncoupling of cell division from cell growth. In each of the mutants, either the rate or duration of cell expansion was selectively enhanced. In contrast, we found that enhanced cell expansion in KRP2 overexpressor occurs during cell proliferation. We further demonstrated that enhanced cell expansion occurs in cotyledons with dynamics similar to that in leaves. In contrast, cell expansion was not enhanced in roots even though they exhibit decreased cell numbers. Thus, compensation was confirmed to occur preferentially in determinate organs. Flow cytometric analyses revealed that increases in ploidy level are not always required to trigger compensation, suggesting that compensation is only partially mediated by ploidy-dependent processes. Our results suggest that compensation reflects an organ-wide coordination of cell proliferation and expansion in determinate organs, and involves at least three different expansion pathways.
The value of quality

The significance of quality production and quality improvement is widely acknowledged by many but few specify what should be improved and what quality should be produced. The reason may be that there are different quality categories in the process of the value chain. Moreover, the issue of quality costs, i.e. economically optimal quality has not yet been explored yet. The present study raises problems in the pigmeat verticum, but similar studies are needed in other animal husbandry sectors as well. It is reasonable to treat the quality categories of animal products in a complex way, as this allows the full satisfaction of consumer expectations at the certain stages of the value chain and solvent demand as well.
Experimental performance of 4D optimized constellation alternatives for PM-8QAM and PM-16QAM

Sensitivity and reach of soft-decoded PM-8QAM was improved by 1.2-dB and 35%, respectively, by moving to a 64 point 4D constellation and iterative decoding. Replacing PM-16QAM by 256 4D points led to 0.3-dB gain only.
Comparative study of two algorithms for reference model direct fuzzy adaptive control for a class of SISO nonlinear systems

The continuous SISO nonlinear system is presented by the Takgi-Sugeno type fuzzy state model. The strategy of reference model direct adaptive control theory is presented then two adaptive fuzzy adjustment algorithms have been proposed. The control law which includes two terms is computed at each sampling time. The single synchronous generator coupled to the infinite-bus power system is used to check performances of the proposed algorithms.
Single‐particle visualization of assembly: I. Dimerization in a planar zone

Single‐particle fluorescence microscopy of association/dissociation is required for analysis of biological assembly reactions. Toward achieving this goal, Wang et al. (J. Microsc., 2004, 213, 101–109) used molten agarose to concentrate thermally diffusing particles in a thin zone of solution next to the surface of a coverglass (plane of concentration). The present study details the first real‐time, single‐particle analysis of the association/dissociation of thermally diffusing particles in the plane of concentration. The test particles were procapsids of bacteriophage λ (radius = 31 nm). Quantification of thermal motion was developed and used to determine whether co‐diffusing particles were bound to each other. The data are explained by (1) the presence of a molten agarose‐generated barrier that is 93–155 nm from the coverglass surface, and (2) non‐random orientation of procapsid dimers in the plane of concentration.
Mouse Mammary Tumor MÃ © tastasesin Lung : An Electron Microscopic Study 1

The ultrastructure of mammary carcinoma metastatic to the lungs of old, female (C57L X A/He)F, hybrid and C3H/Crgl mice is described and illustrated. Metastatic mammary tumor nodules in lung were usually separated from lung tissue by a thickened basement membrane and loose connective tissue. Connective tissue reaction to the metastatic nodules was minimal and in some places com pletely absent. Where mammary tumor cells were seen within alveolar air spaces, the tumor cells shared the same basement membrane with extant alveolar lining cells. Type A alveolar cells could not be identified within tumor cell-filled alveoli, but surviving type B alveolar cells were observed, although most appeared to be degenerating. A narrow, compact zone of lung tissue surrounded the metastatic nodules. This zone was characterized by the presence of hyperplastic type B alveolar cells. The hyperplasia took the form of small acinar structures lined by type B cells. Metastatic mammary tumor cells grew in multiple layers within lung. The stroma of the outermost layers consisted, at least in part, of existent alveolar septal elements. Cells of the innermost layers appeared to grow around small, cyst-like spaces characterized by the presence of multiple layers of membranes resembling basal lamina.
A novel compact SIW cavity-backed antenna sub-array and its application in large-scale array design

A novel technique to design broadband and compact SIW cavity-backed array antenna is presented in this paper. The proposed array consists of SIW cavities connected by inductive windows as feeding network and wide slots on the surface of each cavity as radiating part. The SIW cavities are not only used as radiating elements, but also the feeding network. Without loading with extra feeding network, the array is compact. To validate this concept, a 2×2 array and a 4×4 array are designed and fabricated at the 20-GHz bands. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed arrays have large bandwidth, compact structure and can be used as sub-array for large-scale array design. Using the proposed 2×2 array antenna, a 16×16 large-scale SIW cavity-backed array antenna is designed and fabricated with PCB technique. On the top layer, the 2×2 sub-arrays are employed as radiating elements. On the bottom layer, 8×8 SIW corporate-feed network is constructed to feed the sub-arrays. This compact sub-array structure can significantly reduce the separation distance of elements to alleviate the grating lobes.
Precise Interprocedural Side-Effect Analysis Technical Report

A side-effect analysis computes for each program phrase a set of memory locations that may be read or written to when executing this phrase. Our analysis expresses abstract objects, points-to and aliasing information, escape information, and side effects all in terms of a single novel abstract domain, generalized access graphs. This abstract domain represents sets of access paths precisely and compactly. It is suitable for intraprocedural analysis as well as for constructing method summaries for interprocedural analysis. We implement the side-effect analysis for Java on top of the SOOT framework and report on its application to selected examples.