Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The MLLP system for the 4 th CHiME Challenge

The MLLP CHiME-4 system is presented in this paper. It has been built using the transLectures-UPV toolkit (TLK) developed by the MLLP research group which makes use of stateof-the-art automatic speech recognition techniques. Our best system built for the CHiME-4 challenge consists on the combination of two different sub-systems in order to deal with the variety of acoustic conditions. Each sub-system in turn, follows a hybrid approach with different acoustic models, such as Deep Neural Networks or BLSTM Networks.
Test Selection Practices in a Large IT Company. (Les pratiques de sélection de test dans une grande entreprise d'informatique)

Nowadays, Worldline, a major IT company, develops application that are dealing with an increasing amount of critical data with a source code is more and more complex. To the stay in the race against its competitors, Worldline has to increase the quality of its projects. One transversal team of the company has for main mission to enhance project quality. By joining this team, we performed an audit of several projects of the company to identify how to avoid project failure. Relying on project metadata analysis, interviews, survey, and literature study, this audit drew no final conclusion. However, it highlighted a need to enhance testing usage. To test every piece of code is compulsory to avoid project failure. In industry and more specifically in Worldline, automation of tests has begun to ensure the proper behavior of their applications. But, ensuring the execution of all tests after a change can be a costly operation requiring several hours. However, in a daily development process, developers can not run all the tests after a change to check the impact of their modifications. Feedback on the changed code is delayed and developer have to spent time to discover the potential bugs. A late feedback can potentially lead to the failure of a project. The solution generally proposed in literature consists in reducing the number of tests to run by selecting only the ones related to the last changes made by the developer. The approach selects a suitable and small set of tests to detect potential regression in the application behavior. Test selection approaches have their own advantages and drawbacks. These approaches need to be studied in the context of Worldline and consequently adapted to suit developers habits. Before integrating such an adapted test selection approach, a study of the testing behavior of the developers have been done to get their current test selection usage. This study will monitor all the tests launched by the developers during their everyday development tasks. Based on the study of the Worldline environment, we developed a tool for the developers aiming to perform test selection. It is adapted to the developers habits and is directly usable by them. The goal is also to study the impact of this tool on their behavior. We hope that the test selection approach that is packaged in a tool adapted to the Worldline developers will bring a change in their development process.
Fractional-N frequency synthesis: Overview and design perspectives

This paper gives an overview of fractional-N frequency synthesis with design perspectives focusing on ΔΣ fractional-N phase-locked loops (PLLs). Spur generation and nonlinearity issue in the ΔΣ fractional-N PLLs are discussed with hardware results. High-order ΔΣ modulation with embedded FIR filtering is considered for low noise frequency generation. Also, various architectures of finite-modulo fractional-N PLLs are reviewed for alternative low noise design.
Augmentation index and pulse wave velocity in normotensive and pre‐eclamptic pregnancies

Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy remain a major health burden. Normal pregnancy is associated with systemic cardiovascular adaptation. The augmentation index and pulse wave velocity measures may serve as surrogate markers of cardiovascular pathology, including pre‐eclampsia. We evaluated these parameters during and after normotensive and pre‐eclamptic pregnancies.
Synchronous Machine Modeling and Analysis for Internal Faults Detection

In this paper, the modeling and analyzing of synchronous machines, when the single and double phase internal fault happens is explained. Results show recognition of faults that happen near the center of star connection of winding by means of ordinary traditional protections is very hard. Disability to detect those faults will reduce the usual life and performance of machine. Here, a new method for analysis and evaluating insensible short circuit is shown.
Quantized image patches co-occurrence matrix: a new statistical approach for texture classification using image patch exemplars

The statistical distribution of image patch exemplars has been shown to be an effective approach to texture classification. In this paper, the joint distribution of pairs of patches for texture classification from single images is investigated. We developed a statistical method of examining texture that considers the spatial relationship of image patches, which is called the quantized patches co-occurrence matrix (QPCM). In our method, the images are first slipt into small image patches, and then the patches are quantized to the closest patch cluster centers (textons) which is learned form training images. By calculating how often pairs of patches with specific quantized values (texton labels) and in a specified spatial relationship occur in an image, we create the QPCM for images representation. Moreover, we developed a fusion framework for texture classification by fusing 4 QPCM functions with specified neighboring spatial relationship and 3 other statistical representations of image patches, which is called QPCM-SVM classifier. The effectiveness of the proposed texture classification methodology is demonstrated via an extensive consistent evaluation in standard benchmarks that clearly shows better performance against state-of-the-art statistical approach using image patch exemplars.
Sliceplorer: 1D slices for multi‐dimensional continuous functions

Multi‐dimensional continuous functions are commonly visualized with 2D slices or topological views. Here, we explore 1D slices as an alternative approach to show such functions. Our goal with 1D slices is to combine the benefits of topological views, that is, screen space efficiency, with those of slices, that is a close resemblance of the underlying function. We compare 1D slices to 2D slices and topological views, first, by looking at their performance with respect to common function analysis tasks. We also demonstrate 3 usage scenarios: the 2D sinc function, neural network regression, and optimization traces. Based on this evaluation, we characterize the advantages and drawbacks of each of these approaches, and show how interaction can be used to overcome some of the shortcomings.
Small G-protein activation in articular chondrocytes by interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and osteogenic protein-1

The studies outlined in this honor’s thesis were designed to better understand the mechanisms at both the cellular and molecular levels associated with the onset of osteoarthritis. The horse was used as a model organism, and the experiments were performed on normal equine chondrocytes cultured in vitro. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) are known to have catabolic effects on the cartilage matrix while osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) is a known anabolic factor. There is no complimentary information regarding the effects of these peptides on small G-protein (Cdc42, Rac, and Rho) activation in articular chondrocytes. The objectives of the present study were to determine the activation status of Cdc42, Rac, and Rho after treatment with IL-6, IL-8, or OP-1. The G-proteins play an important role in the maintenance of the actin cytoskeleton and chondrocyte phenotype, so they are of interest because of their clinical relevance in regards to osteoarthritis. To determine a suitable dose for use in these activation assays, chondrocytes were treated in vitro with varying concentrations of IL6, IL-8, or OP-1, and changes in RNA transcripts of MMP-3, MMP-13, Col2A1, and Aggrecan were quantified using RT-PCR. In the case of IL-6, IL-8, and OP-1, it was determined that a dose of 100ng/mL media stimulated catabolism/anabolism. Chondrocytes were also examined using confocal microscopy following treatment with IL-6, IL-8, or OP-1 to determine if a correlation exists between the normal vs fibroblastic phenotypes and the activation status of the small G-proteins. Our initial hypothesis was that IL-6 and IL-8 would increase Cdc42 and Rac and decrease Rho activity, while OP-1 would have an opposite effect. Activity of the small G-proteins was determined through an affinity binding assay and subsequent western analysis. To date, our experiments indicate that treatment of the chondrocytes with IL-6 and IL-8 resulted in a decreased activity status of Cdc42 and Rac, which is contrary to the initial hypothesis. Studies to determine the effects of OP-1 and the activation status of Rho in response to all treatments are nearing completion.
Tubular injury and regeneration in the rat kidney following acute exposure to gentamicin: a time-course study.

Aminoglycoside antibiotics act as nephrotoxic drugs, inducing a lysosomal phospholipidosis and necrotic lesions essentially in convoluted proximal tubules. Previous studies have demonstrated that tubular injury caused by these compounds elicits a process of renal tissue repair (tubular regeneration) involving an increase of cell turnover in tubular epithelium. The present study was performed in order to: (i) achieve further insight into the temporal relationship between aminoglycoside-induced phospholipidosis, tubular necrosis, and tubular regeneration; and (ii) approach the control of tubular regeneration after nephrotoxin-induced insult. To investigate the latter point, we examined by immunocytochemistry the intrarenal distribution of epidermal growth factor (EGF) during tubular regeneration. Five groups of female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 5) were treated for 4 days with gentamicin i.p. at a daily dose of 50 mg/kg delivered in 2 injections per day. Sham-treated animals (n = 5) received an equivalent amount of vehicle (0.9% NaCl) according to the same protocol. Groups of treated rats, and controls, were terminated 16 h (day 1), 4 days, 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days after the end of gentamicin administration. One hour prior to necropsy, each animal was given an i.p. injection of 40 mg 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) for the immunocytochemical demonstration of S-phase cells, using an anti-BrdU monoclonal antibody. Renal tissue was processed for light microscopy analysis, namely: a computer-aided morphometry of lysosomes in proximal tubular cells, a single-blind evaluation of gentamicin-induced tubular injury, the measurement of cell proliferation by immunocytochemical detection of BrdU-labeled nuclei, the demonstration of EGF-like immunoreactive material in renal tissue by using anti-rat EGF antiserum and immunogold-silver staining. As revealed by the morphometry of lysosomes in proximal tubular epithelium, the degree of gentamicin-induced phospholipidosis was maximum at day 1 (relative area occupied by lysosomes was increased 25-fold over mean control value) and declined thereafter. In contrast, tubular necrosis reached a peak 4 days after the end of drug administration. In proximal tubular epithelium, the stimulation of cell turnover associated with tubular regeneration showed a peak at day 7 (15-fold the mean control value). Tubular regeneration was also accompanied by mild interstitial hyperplasia. Three weeks after treatment with gentamicin, morphological evidence of drug-induced injury had disappeared due to the tissue repair process, except for the occasional presence of small hyperplastic foci in renal cortex interstitium. In both treated animals and controls, EGF immunoreactivity as revealed by immunocytochemical staining was associated with distal tubules (renal cortex and outer medulla). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Development of a Conservative Protocol to Return Children and Youth to Activity Following Concussive Injury

Background. Consensus-based guidelines exist for adult athletes returning to play after concussion, but there are no protocols developed specifically for children. The goal of this knowledge translation research was to develop evidence-based materials to inform physicians about pediatric concussion. Methods. A pediatric concussion protocol was developed based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence procedures. Results. This return to activity protocol was developed to guide management when children/youth sustain a concussion. The protocol incorporated 3 main themes: (a) a protocol must include return to all activity, including sport and school; (b) existing consensus-based adult protocols are not appropriate for children; and (c) a more conservative protocol is needed. After pilot testing, the developed protocol is being used across Ontario. Conclusion. Implementation of these new pediatric recommendations is an important addition to prevention of subsequent concussions during vulnerable recovery periods, with potential to facilitate recovery by preventing prolonged symptomatology, and secondary sequelae.
Confinement-dependent damping in a layered liquid

We present atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements of the conservative oscillatory solvation forces and the damping in confined films of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane using small amplitude modulation with magnetic driving. We find distinct maxima in the interaction damping upon probing the discrete molecular layers, supporting earlier observations of the same phenomenon using AFM with an acoustic driving scheme. The maxima in the damping are located at the same tip–surface separation as the maxima in the conservative oscillatory interaction stiffness.
Contemporary imaging of mild TBI: the journey toward diffusion tensor imaging to assess neuronal damage

Abstract Objectives: To follow the progression of neuroimaging as a means of non-invasive evaluation of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in order to provide recommendations based on reproducible, defined imaging findings. Methods: A comprehensive literature review and analysis of contemporary published articles was performed to study the progression of neuroimaging findings as a non-invasive ‘biomarker’ for mTBI. Results: Multiple imaging modalities exist to support the evaluation of patients with mTBI, including ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These techniques continue to evolve with the development of fractional anisotropy (FA), fiber tractography (FT), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Discussion: Modern imaging techniques, when applied in the appropriate clinical setting, may serve as a valuable tool for diagnosis and management of patients with mTBI. An understanding of modern neuroanatomical imaging will enhance our ability to analyse injury and recognize the manifestations of mTBI.
Microheterogeneity of N-glycosylation on a stylar self-incompatibility glycoprotein of Nicotiana alata.

Gametophytic self-incompatibility, a mechanism that prevents inbreeding in some families of flowering plants, is mediated by the products of a single genetic locus, the S-locus. The products of the S-gene in the female sexual tissues of Nicotiana alata are an allelic series of glycoproteins with RNase activity. In this study, we report on the microheterogeneity of N-linked glycosylation at the four potential N-glycosylation sites of the S2-glycoprotein. The S-glycoproteins from N.alata contain from one to five potential N-glycosylation sites based on the consensus sequence Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr. The S2-glycoprotein contains four potential N-glycosylation sites at Asn27, Asn37, Asn38 and Asn 150, designated sites I, II, IV and V, respectively. Site III is absent from the S2-glycoprotein. Analysis of glycopeptides generated from the S2-glycoprotein by trypsin and chymotrypsin digestions revealed the types of glycans and the degree of microheterogeneity present at each site. Sites I (Asn27) and IV (Asn138) display microheterogeneity, site II (Asn37) contains only a single type of N-glycan, and site V (Asn150) is not glycosylated. The microheterogeneity observed at site I on the S2-glycoprotein is the same as that observed at the only site, site I, on the S1-glycoprotein (Woodward et al., Glycobiology, 2, 241-250, 1992). Since the N-glycosylation consensus sequence at site I is conserved in all S-glycoproteins from other species of self-incompatible solanaceous plants, glycosylation at this site may be important to their function. No other post-translational modifications (e.g. O-glycosylation, phosphorylation) were detected on the S2-glycoprotein.
Phase Shifted Carrier Modulation technique for Modular Multilevel Inverter

This paper presents a Phase Shifted Carrier Modulation technique for Modular Multilevel Inverter (MMI). MMI is composed of a number of half bridge units and each unit consists of a floating dc capacitor. Voltage balancing of these floating capacitors is an important issue in MMI. Reverse Polarity (RP) and Bypass Bridge (BB) are the two schemes introduced for capacitor voltage balancing. Both the schemes use an assorting based algorithm with Phase Shifted Carrier Modulation (PSCM). According to this algorithm, one capacitor is chosen within each phase, which complies a prearranged case. The case is associated to the provisional voltage difference within the sub module's capacitor. As a result of which, the minimum charged capacitors are charged, and the maximum charged capacitors are discharged, relying on the direction of transitory power flow. Simulations are carried out using Matlab-Simulink model, and the results show that MMI is effective with the control strategy for balancing the capacitor voltages.
An aperture coupled 5-element microstrip patch array for 35 GHz with ridge gap waveguide feeding

A 5-element microstrip patch array with aperture coupling is presented for 35 GHz applications. To decrease the transmission loss, the feed network is realized by ridge gap waveguide. The excitation of the upper patches comes from the ridge gap waveguide layer through a coupling aperture, which locates in the ground plane of the substrate. A starlike array is designed to take advantage of the spurious radiation from the feed lines while enhance the gain. The simulation results show about 25.7% of reflection coefficient bandwidth (|S11|<−10dB) covering 32–41 GHz frequency range. The simulated gain of the array is more than 14 dB in the desired band.
A metabolic signature for long life in the Caenorhabditis elegans Mit mutants

Mit mutations that disrupt function of the mitochondrial electron transport chain can, inexplicably, prolong Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan. In this study we use a metabolomics approach to identify an ensemble of mitochondrial‐derived α‐ketoacids and α‐hydroxyacids that are produced by long‐lived Mit mutants but not by other long‐lived mutants or by short‐lived mitochondrial mutants. We show that accumulation of these compounds is dependent on concerted inhibition of three α‐ketoacid dehydrogenases that share dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD) as a common subunit, a protein previously linked in humans with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. When the expression of DLD in wild‐type animals was reduced using RNA interference we observed an unprecedented effect on lifespan – as RNAi dosage was increased lifespan was significantly shortened, but, at higher doses, it was significantly lengthened, suggesting that DLD plays a unique role in modulating length of life. Our findings provide novel insight into the origin of the Mit phenotype.
SURGERY PLANNING SIMULATION FOR CLOSED REDUCTION AND INTERNAL FIXATION

Careful planning of operations is critical to success of the closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF) surgery to fix proximal femur fractures. This paper presents a novel surgery planning simulation for the CRIF. The developed simulation employs 3D femur model reconstructed from actual patient's CT data, and enables the user to make a plan on the model using 2D mouse. A projection scheme is developed to map a selected point on the monitor screen onto the 3D femur model. A centerline of the femur neck and cross section images are provided to help the user make optimal planning. The centerline of the femur neck is extracted by connecting two center points of cross sections selected by the surgeon. The cross section image is generated using intersection points between the femur model and a plane selected by the user. The simulation also displays post-operative appearance of the femur using 3D implants models.
A New Teaching Model for Resident Training in Regional Anesthesia

The adequacy of resident education in regional anesthesia is of national concern. A teaching model to improve resident training in regional anesthesia was instituted in the Anesthesiology Residency in 1996 at Duke University Health System. The key feature of the model was the use of a CA-3 resident in the preoperative area to perform regional anesthesia techniques. We assessed the success of the new model by comparing the data supplied by the Anesthesiology Residency to the Residency Review Committee for Anesthesiology for the training period July 1992–June 1995 (pre-model) and the training period July 1998–June 2001 (post-model). During the 3-yr training period, the pre-model CA-3 residents (n = 12) performed a cumulative total of 80 (58–105) peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs), 66 (59–74) spinal anesthetics, and 133 (127–142) epidural anesthetics. The CA-3 post-model residents (n = 10) performed 350 (237–408) PNBs, 107 (92–123) spinal anesthetics, and 233 (221–241) epidural anesthetics (P < 0.0001). All results are reported as median (interquartile range). We conclude that our new teaching model using our CA-3 residents as block residents in the preoperative area has increased their clinical exposure to PNBs.
Connecting proximate mechanisms and evolutionary patterns: pituitary gland size and mammalian life history

At the proximate level, hormones are known to play a critical role in influencing the life history of mammals, including humans. The pituitary gland is directly responsible for producing several hormones, including those related to growth and reproduction. Although we have a basic understanding of how hormones affect life history characteristics, we still have little knowledge of this relationship in an evolutionary context. We used data from 129 mammal species representing 14 orders to investigate the relationship between pituitary gland size and life history variation. Because pituitary gland size should be related to hormone production and action, we predicted that species with relatively large pituitaries should be associated with fast life histories, especially increased foetal and post‐natal growth rates. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that total pituitary size and the size of the anterior lobe of the pituitary significantly predicted a life history axis that was correlated with several traits including body mass, and foetal and post‐natal growth rates. Additional models directly examining the association between relative pituitary size and growth rates produced concordant results. We also found that relative pituitary size variation across mammals was best explained by an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck model of evolution, suggesting an important role of stabilizing selection. Our results support the idea that the size of the pituitary is linked to life history variation through evolutionary time. This pattern is likely due to mediating hormone levels but additional work is needed. We suggest that future investigations incorporating endocrine gland size may be critical for understanding life history evolution.