Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large-Vocabulary Continuous Speech Recognition Systems: A Look at Some Recent Advances

Over the past decade or so, several advances have been made to the design of modern large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) systems to the point where their application has broadened from early speaker dependent dictation systems to speaker-independent automatic broadcast news transcription and indexing, lectures and meetings transcription, conversational telephone speech transcription, open-domain voice search, medical and legal speech recognition, and call center applications, to name a few. The commercial success of these systems is an impressive testimony to how far research in LVCSR has come, and the aim of this article is to describe some of the technological underpinnings of modern systems. It must be said, however, that, despite the commercial success and widespread adoption, the problem of large-vocabulary speech recognition is far from being solved: background noise, channel distortions, foreign accents, casual and disfluent speech, or unexpected topic change can cause automated systems to make egregious recognition errors. This is because current LVCSR systems are not robust to mismatched training and test conditions and cannot handle context as well as human listeners despite being trained on thousands of hours of speech and billions of words of text.
Enhanced septahedral ordering in cold Lennard-Jones fluids.

We report molecular dynamics calculations on a two-component, cold, 15,625 particle, three-dimensional Lennard-Jones fluid. We calculated spherical harmonic components Q(LM) for the density of particles in the first coordination shell of each particle, as well as their spherical invariants , time-correlation functions, and wavelet density decompositions. The spherical invariants show that noncrystalline septahedral () ordering is important, especially at low temperature. While < Q210> could arise from icosahedral ordering, its behavior so closely tracks that of the nonicosahedral that alternative origins for need to be considered. Time correlation functions of spherical harmonic components are bimodal, with a faster temperature-independent mode and a slow, strongly temperature-dependent mode. Volume wavelet decompositions show that when T is reduced, the correlation length of increases, especially below T=0.7 , but that the correlation length of is independent of T .
Ansätze zur Lösung der Integrationsproblematik bei Prozessportalen

A crown seal seal blank of the kind comprising a roof portion with a downwardly extending skirt having a flared and ribbed peripheral portion wherein each rib of said peripheral skirt portion is of substantially the same breadth throughout its length. Upon application to a bottle the blank forms a closure cap wherein each protruding rib has an elongated depression extending from the ribs free end.
Combined Action of Two Transcription Factors Regulates Genes Encoding Spore Coat Proteins of Bacillus subtilis *

During sporulation of Bacillus subtilis, spore coat proteins encoded by cot genes are expressed in the mother cell and deposited on the forespore. Transcription of the cotB, cotC, andcotX genes by ςK RNA polymerase is activated by a small, DNA-binding protein called GerE. The promoter region of each of these genes has two GerE binding sites. 5′ deletions that eliminated the more upstream GerE site decreased expression oflacZ fused to cotB and cotX by approximately 80% and 60%, respectively but had no effect oncotC-lacZ expression. ThecotC-lacZ fusion was expressed later during sporulation than the other two fusions. Primer extension analysis confirmed that cotB mRNA increases first during sporulation, followed by cotX and cotCmRNAs over a 2-h period. In vitro transcription experiments suggest that the differential pattern of cotgene expression results from the combined action of GerE and another transcription factor, SpoIIID. A low concentration of GerE activatedcotB transcription by ςK RNA polymerase, whereas a higher concentration was needed to activate transcription ofcotX or cotC. SpoIIID at low concentration repressed cotC transcription, whereas a higher concentration only partially repressed cotX transcription and had little effect on cotB transcription. DNase I footprinting showed that SpoIIID binds strongly to two sites in thecotC promoter region, binds weakly to one site in thecotX promoter, and does not bind specifically tocotB. We propose that late in sporulation the rising level of GerE and the falling level of SpoIIID, together with the position and affinity of binding sites for these transcription factors incot gene promoters, dictates the timing and level of spore coat protein synthesis, ensuring optimal assembly of the protein shell on the forespore surface.
The Effect of Mentha piperita , Peppermint and Matricaria chamomilla extracts on Agents Causing Bovine Mastitis in Vitro Condition

The aim of this study was to compare the antibacterial effect of plants extract on bacterial caused bovine mastitis in vitro condition. In this study, extracts from Mentha piperita, Peppermint and Matricaria chamomilla were used as anti-microbial agents on Staphylococcus aurus, Escherichia coli and Streptocococus agalactie with agar well diffusion method. Evaluation of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was on base of diameters of the inhibition zones as non-inhibition zone: resistance, moderateinhibition zone: semi sensitive and large-inhibition zone: sensitive. Results indicated that Matricaria chamomilla extract was affected on 10 to 50 μl Staphylococcus aurus and 50 μl Escherichia coli. It was concluded that Matricaria chamomilla extract could be used as teat disinfection and had antibacterial activity on some of the bovine mastitis agents.
HIV-1/HSV-2 Co-Infected Adults in Early HIV-1 Infection Have Elevated CD4+ T Cell Counts

Introduction HIV-1 is often acquired in the presence of pre-existing co-infections, such as Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2). We examined the impact of HSV-2 status at the time of HIV-1 acquisition for its impact on subsequent clinical course, and total CD4+ T cell phenotypes. Methods We assessed the relationship of HSV-1/HSV-2 co-infection status on CD4+ T cell counts and HIV-1 RNA levels over time prior in a cohort of 186 treatment naïve adults identified during early HIV-1 infection. We assessed the activation and differentiation state of total CD4+ T cells at study entry by HSV-2 status. Results Of 186 recently HIV-1 infected persons, 101 (54 %) were sero-positive for HSV-2. There was no difference in initial CD8+ T cell count, or differences between the groups for age, gender, or race based on HSV-2 status. Persons with HIV-1/HSV-2 co-infection sustained higher CD4+ T cell counts over time (+69 cells/ul greater (SD = 33.7, p = 0.04) than those with HIV-1 infection alone (Figure 1), after adjustment for HIV-1 RNA levels (−57 cells per 1 log10 higher HIV-1 RNA, p<0.0001). We did not observe a relationship between HSV-2 infection status with plasma HIV-1 RNA levels over time. HSV-2 acquistion after HIV-1 acquisition had no impact on CD4+ count or viral load. We did not detect differences in CD4+ T cell activation or differentiation state by HSV-2+ status. Discussion We observed no effect of HSV-2 status on viral load. However, we did observe that treatment naïve, recently HIV-1 infected adults co-infected with HSV-2+ at the time of HIV-1 acquisition had higher CD4+ T cell counts over time. If verified in other cohorts, this result poses a striking paradox, and its public health implications are not immediately clear.
High Density Sphere Culture of Adult Cardiac Cells Increases the Levels of Cardiac and Progenitor Markers and Shows Signs of Vasculogenesis

3D environment and high cell density play an important role in restoring and supporting the phenotypes of cells represented in cardiac tissues. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the suitability of high density sphere (HDS) cultures for studies of cardiomyocyte-, endothelial-, and stem-cell biology. Primary adult cardiac cells from nine human biopsies were cultured using different media for up to 9 weeks. The possibilities to favor a certain cell phenotype and induce production of extra cellular matrix (ECM) were studied by histology, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative real-time PCR. Defined media gave significant increase in both cardiac- and progenitor-specific markers and also an intraluminal position of endothelial cells over time. Cardiac media showed indication of differentiation and maturity of HDS considering the ECM production and activities within NOTCH regulation but no additional cardiac differentiation. Endothelial media gave no positive effects on endothelial phenotype but increased proliferation without fibroblast overgrowth. In addition, indications for early vasculogenesis were found. It was also possible to affect the Wnt signaling in HDS by addition of a glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) inhibitor. In conclusion, these findings show the suitability of HDS as in vitro model for studies of cardiomyocyte-, endothelial-, and stem-cell biology.
Influence en conflit de compétences : représentation de la tâche et menace

Cette recherche concerne une dynamique d'influence dans les tâches d'aptitude, plus precisement le rapport d'influence entre deux personnes competentes. Dans cette situation, lorsque deux personnes ont des solutions differentes, prevaut un conflit de competences, ou aucune influence n'est possible. Une cause de cette non-influence est la representation de la tâche. Lors d'un conflit de competences, la representation de la tâche est par defaut contradictoire, c'est-a-dire que lorsque deux personnes donnent des reponses divergentes, l'individu pense que si l'une a raison, l'autre a tort. Ainsi, il faut modifier cette representation afin de pouvoir obtenir de l'influence. La decentration est une maniere de changer cette representation et d'obtenir de l'influence. Deux etudes ont ete realisees. La premiere etude traite de l'aspect de decentration, alors que la deuxieme etude traite du concept de menace. Les resultats montrent pour la premiere etude que c'est bien la decentration qui permet d'obtenir de l'influence et qu'il ne s'agit pas d'un simple effet de consigne. Concernant la deuxieme etude, les resultats refletent ce qui etait attendu : la menace envers l'estime de soi est l'element central dans le conflit de competences, c'est elle qui bloque l'influence et non la competition.
Unsupervised Polarimetric SAR Image Segmentation and Classification Using Region Growing With Edge Penalty

A region-based unsupervised segmentation and classification algorithm for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery that incorporates region growing and a Markov random field edge strength model is designed and implemented. This algorithm is an extension of the successful Iterative Region Growing with Semantics (IRGS) segmentation and classification algorithm, which was designed for amplitude only SAR imagery, to polarimetric data. Polarimetric IRGS (PolarIRGS) extends IRGS by incorporating a polarimetric feature model based on the Wishart distribution and modifying key steps such as initialization, edge strength computation, and the region growing criterion. Like IRGS, PolarIRGS oversegments an image into regions and employs iterative region growing to reduce the size of the solution search space. The incorporation of an edge penalty in the spatial context model improves segmentation performance by preserving segment boundaries that traditional spatial models will smooth over. Evaluation of PolarIRGS with Flevoland fully polarimetric data shows that it improves upon two other recently published techniques in terms of classification accuracy.
Multiplex sequencing of plant chloroplast genomes using Solexa sequencing-by-synthesis technology

Organellar DNA sequences are widely used in evolutionary and population genetic studies, however, the conservative nature of chloroplast gene and genome evolution often limits phylogenetic resolution and statistical power. To gain maximal access to the historical record contained within chloroplast genomes, we have adapted multiplex sequencing-by-synthesis (MSBS) to simultaneously sequence multiple genomes using the Illumina Genome Analyzer. We PCR-amplified ∼120 kb plastomes from eight species (seven Pinus, one Picea) in 35 reactions. Pooled products were ligated to modified adapters that included 3 bp indexing tags and samples were multiplexed at four genomes per lane. Tagged microreads were assembled by de novo and reference-guided assembly methods, using previously published Pinus plastomes as surrogate references. Assemblies for these eight genomes are estimated at 88–94% complete, with an average sequence depth of 55× to 186×. Mononucleotide repeats interrupt contig assembly with increasing repeat length, and we estimate that the limit for their assembly is 16 bp. Comparisons to 37 kb of Sanger sequence show a validated error rate of 0.056%, and conspicuous errors are evident from the assembly process. This efficient sequencing approach yields high-quality draft genomes and should have immediate applicability to genomes with comparable complexity.
Molecular Genetic Advances in Cardiovascular Medicine: Focus on the Myocyte

Stem cell homing and engraftment to the heart and new tissue formation capable of replacing the lost myocardium and improving the functional performance of the damaged heart represent the goals of regenerative medicine in cardiac pathophysiology. Theoretically, this outcome can be achieved by using any source of stem cells, embryonic or adult, or other cell types. In fact, several interventions have been used in an attempt to promote myocardial regeneration. These therapeutic strategies have used fetal cardiomyocytes; skeletal myoblasts; embryonic-derived endothelial cells; bone marrow–derived immature myocytes; fibroblasts; smooth muscle cells; endothelial progenitor cells; and hematopoietic, mesenchymal, and embryonic stem cells.1–3 In all cases, promising results have been obtained, and the amelioration in cardiac performance was, at times, coupled with the structural and functional integration of the graft with the host myocardium.4,5 Despite all these efforts, however, the most appropriate form of cellular therapy for myocardial injury remains to be identified, leaving unanswered the key question: What is/are the optimal cell/cells for cardiac repair? The difficulty encountered in identifying the ideal cell to rebuild the heart is certainly due to the many variables that have to be taken into account, including easy access to the source; the possibility of obtaining a significant number of cells; the time required for the cells to home, grow, and differentiate; and their long-term efficacy. The use of multipotent cells that are not resident in the heart but are derived from other organs such as the bone marrow has raised the problem of transdifferentiation and stem cell plasticity. In addition to the complexity of this issue, it is inevitable that when a strongly ingrained and sincerely believed theory is challenged, a variety of reactions are evoked, ranging from enthusiasm and hope to awe, suspicion, and hostility. Despite the evidence for adult stem cell plasticity, …
Feedback bit allocation for large distributed antenna systems in indoor WLAN

Massive MIMO is a key technique for next generation wireless networks due to its potential for significant capacity improvement. To achieve good performance, accurate channel state information (CSI) is needed, especially at the transmitter, to calculate the beamforming matrices. This problem exists for traditional MIMO systems and becomes more challenging for Massive MIMO as the number of antennas is much larger. In this paper, we focus on Massive MIMO with distributed antenna system (DAS) architecture, which we refer as large DAS. In a large DAS, a large number of remote antenna units (RAUs), each equipped with a small antenna array, are distributed over the service area, cooperatively working for beamforming. Due to the large separation of the RAUs, the large scale fading factors of the RAUs for a given mobile station (STA) is different. This effect can be utilized for optimizing the feedback bit allocation considering that more bits should be allocated to dominant signal paths. So we propose two bit allocation algorithms, one that adaptively allocates different bits to the RAUs according to the large scale fading, termed adaptive allocation; and the other that allocates equal bits to a set of RAUs, termed equal allocation. They are applied for centralized and de-centralized zero-forcing beamforming (C- and D-ZFBF) respectively. The results show that with a proper bit allocation, the data rates can approximate that of perfect CSI with limited feedback rate. For C-ZFBF, adaptive allocation performs better than equal allocation with medium feedback rates, and similarly for low and high feedback rates. For D-ZFBF, adaptive allocation and equal allocation offer similar results.
Williams syndrome: Findings from an integrated program of research

A dual cannula having two adjoining tubes, a leader tube and a follower tube, in staggered arrangement so as to form two separate and distinct passageways for the withdrawal and return of blood to a body. The blood return passageway terminates with a needle aperture and the blood withdrawal passageway has a sheltered aperture. The outer dimensions of the needle portion of the leader tube are substantially the same as the total outer dimensions of the two adjoining tubes for the distance which the cannula is adapted to be inserted into a body, whereby the sheltered aperture is sheltered by the needle portion of the leader tube. Means are provided for shielding the sheltered aperture.
Domingo Badía ('Alî Bey) en Marruecos

Es sorprendente el hecho de que no se hayan aclarado hasta ahora las actividades de Domingo Badia y Leblich (1767-1818) como agente espanol en Marruecos entre los anos 1803 y 1805, sobre todo porque esas actividades estan muy bien documentadas. El diplomatico espanol Eduard Toda y Guell (1855-1941) comenzo a interesarse por Badia durante sus anos de estudiante de derecho en Madrid cuando trabo amistad con Victor Balaguer, quien habia escrito dos versiones novelescas de la vida de Badia en sus Jornadas de gloria de los espanoles en Africa y en Las calles de Barcelona.
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Therapy for Epstein-Barr Virus+ Hodgkin's Disease

Epstein Barr virus (EBV)+ Hodgkin's disease (HD) expresses clearly identified tumor antigens derived from the virus and could, in principle, be a target for adoptive immunotherapy with viral antigen–specific T cells. However, like most tumor-associated antigens in immunocompetent hosts, these potential targets are only weakly immunogenic, consisting primarily of the latent membrane protein (LMP)1 and LMP2 antigens. Moreover, Hodgkin tumors possess a range of tumor evasion strategies. Therefore, the likely value of immunotherapy with EBV-specific cytotoxic effector cells has been questioned. We have now used a combination of gene marking, tetramer, and functional analyses to track the fate and assess the activity of EBV cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) lines administered to 14 patients treated for relapsed EBV+ HD. Gene marking studies showed that infused effector cells could further expand by several logs in vivo, contribute to the memory pool (persisting up to 12 mo), and traffic to tumor sites. Tetramer and functional analyses showed that T cells reactive with the tumor-associated antigen LMP2 were present in the infused lines, expanded in peripheral blood after infusion, and also entered tumor. Viral load decreased, demonstrating the biologic activity of the infused CTLs. Clinically, EBV CTLs were well tolerated, could control type B symptoms (fever, night sweats, and weight loss), and had antitumor activity. After CTL infusion, five patients were in complete remission at up to 40 mo, two of whom had clearly measurable tumor at the time of treatment. One additional patient had a partial response, and five had stable disease. The performance and fate of these human tumor antigen–specific T cells in vivo suggests that they might be of value for the treatment of EBV+ Hodgkin lymphoma.
An Efficient Noise Removal Edge Detection Algorithm Based on Wavelet Transform

In this paper, we propose an efficient noise robust edge detection technique based on odd Gaussian derivations in the wavelet transform domain. At first, new basis wavelet functions are introduced and the proposed algorithm is explained. The algorithm consists of two stage. The first idea comes from the response multiplication across the derivation and the second one is pruning algorithm which improves fake edges. Our method is applied to the binary and the natural grayscale image in the noise-free and the noisy condition with the different power density. The results are compared with the traditional wavelet edge detection method in the visual and the statistical data in the relevant tables. With the proper selection of the wavelet basis function, an admissible edge response to the significant inhibited noise without the smoothing technique is obtained, and some of the edge detection criteria are improved. The experimental visual and statistical results of studying images show that our method is feasibly strong and has good edge detection performances, in particular, in the high noise contaminated condition. Moreover, to have a better result and improve edge detection criteria, a pruning algorithm as a post processing stage is introduced and applied to the binary and grayscale images. The obtained results, verify that the proposed scheme can detect reasonable edge features and dilute the noise effect properly.
Evasion of Network Intrusion Detection System ( NIDS )

Intrusion Detection is the process of monitorin g and analyzing the activity of a network or a computer system in order to detect possible intru sion attacks [1]. The design of a network intrusion detection system (NIDS) is determined by a set of decisions about raw data obtaining, event detection, analysis rules, data st orage and response procedures. Focusing on the analysis techniques, artificial intelligence ha s been widely explored, including approaches based on machine learning, neural networks, evoluti onary computation, etc. Nowadays, Network Intrusion Detection Systems ar e quickly updated in order to prevent systems against new attacks. This situation has pro voked that attackers focus their efforts on new sophisticated evasive techniques when trying to attack a system. Unfortunately, most of these techniques are based on network protocols amb iguities, so NIDS designers must take them into account when updating their tools. In thi s paper, we present a new approach to improve the task of looking for new evasive techniq ues. Signature based Network Intrusion Detection Sy stems (NIDS) apply a set of rules to identify hostile traffic in network segments. Curre ntly they are so effective detecting known attacks that hackers seek new techniques to go unno ticed. Nowadays NIDS are prepared against most of these evasive techniques, as they a re recognized and sorted out. The emergence of new evasive forms may cause NIDS to fa il. In this paper we present an innovative functional framework to evade NIDS.