Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mixture of Gaussian process experts for predicting sung melodic contour with expressive dynamic fluctuations

We present a generative model for predicting the sung melodic contour, i.e., F0 contour, with expressive dynamic fluctuations, such as vibrato and portamento, for a given musical score. Although several studies have attempted to characterize such fluctuations, no systematic method has been developed for generating the F0 contour with them in connection with musical notes. In our model, the relationship between a musical note sequence and F0 contour is directly learned by a mixture of Gaussian process experts. This approach allows us to automatically characterize the fluctuations by utilizing the kernel function for each Gaussian process expert and predict the F0 contour for an arbitrary musical note sequence. Experimental results show that our model can better predict the F0 contour than a baseline method can. Additionally, we discuss the effective musical contexts and the amount of training data for the prediction.
Dynamic Efficiency of Direct Control Based Maximum Power Point Trackers

Due to stringent standards for efficiency of maximum power point tracker (MPPT) of photovoltaic (PV) system, the performance of MPPT in PV system under dynamic environmental conditions is very crucial. Thus, this paper evaluates the performance of perturb & observe (P&O) and incremental conductance (IC) MPPT techniques using the European Efficiency Test, EN 50530, which is specifically devised for the dynamic performance of PV system. Both MPPT techniques are implemented in direct control structure in conjunction with a buck-boost converter, which is used for tracking device. Experiments are conducted using a custom designed PV array simulator. Results reveal that both methods yield almost equivalent MPPT efficiency, however, in average, the performance of IC method is found to be slightly better that gives 98.5% efficiency compare to 98.3% in P&O. It is also seen that the performance of IC method is very sensitive to its perturbation size, especially at low insolation levels.
An Emotion Generation Model for Interactive Virtual Robots

Making a computer generate its own emotion is an important part of the affective computing, and this would have wide applications in human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence. In this paper, we will describe an emotion generation model for a multimodal virtual human. The relationship among the emotion, mood and personality are discussed firstly, and the PAD (pleasure-arousal-dominance) emotion space is used to define the emotion and the mood. Then, we use a random graphical model to generate emotion based on the evaluation of the overall influence of mood, previous emotion and the outside stimulations. Finally, a 3D virtual human head with facial expressions is designed to show the emotion generation outputs. Experimental results demonstrate that the emotion generation model based on random graphs works effectively and meets the basic principle of human emotion generation.
Histopathological Muscle Findings May Be Essential for a Definitive Diagnosis of Suspected Sharp Trauma Associated with Ship Strikes in Stranded Cetaceans

Ship strikes are a major issue for the conservation of may cetacean species. Certain gross and microscopic criteria have been previously reported for establishing a diagnosis of death due to ship strikes in these animals. However, some ship-strike injuries may be masked by advanced carcass decomposition and may be undetectable due to restricted access to the animals. In this report we describe histopathological muscular findings in 13 cetaceans with sharp trauma from ship strikes as the cause of death. Skeletal muscle samples were taken from the incision site and from the main locomotor muscle, the longissimus dorsi, in areas not directly affected by the sharp injury. The microscopic findings in tissues from both sites mainly consisted of haemorrhages; oedema; flocculent, granular or/and hyalinised segmentary degeneration; contraction band necrosis; and discoid degeneration or fragmentation of myofibres. We propose that skeletal muscle histopathology provides evidence of ante-mortem injuries even if the sample was taken elsewhere in the carcass and not only within or adjacent to the sharp trauma site and despite the advanced decomposition of some of the carcasses. This method helps to establish the diagnosis of ship strike as the cause of death.
An adaptive output impedance gate drive for safer and more efficient control of Wide Bandgap Devices

This paper presents an adaptive gate drive circuit to provide a safer and more efficient control of Wide Bandgap Devices (WBD). The gate drive circuit fabricated in AMS0. 35μm HV CMOS technology has an adaptive output impedance for optimal turn-on/off driving conditions and a gate side power transistor switching transition detection. Its impedance can be precisely adjusted from 0. 7Ω to 12. 5Ω during transition time accordingly to the switched current to reduce overvoltage due to parasitic inductances. It can also be set to maintain the same transition times of WBD over operating point and temperature variations. Therefore, in an 800 kHz switching frequency synchronous buck converter based on WBD, the proposed gate drive circuit demonstrates secure but drastic dead-time reduction with a peak performance gain of 20% compared to a fixed dead-time of 50ns.
Classification of environmental microorganisms in microscopic images using shape features and support vector machines

Environmental Microorganisms (EMs) are currently recognised using molecular biology (DNA, RNA) or morphological methods. The first ones are very time-consuming and expensive. The second ones require a very experienced laboratory operator. To overcome these problems, we introduce an automatic classification method for EMs in the framework of content-based image analysis in this paper. To describe the shapes of EMs observed in microscopic images, we use Edge Histograms, Fourier Descriptors, extended Geometrical Features, as well as introduce Internal Structure Histograms. For classification, multi-class Support Vector Machine is applied to EMs represented by the above features. In order to quantitatively evaluate discriminative properties of the feature spaces we have introduced, we perform comprehensive experiments with a ground truth of manually segmented microscopic EM images. The best classification result of 89.7% proves a high robustness of our method in this application domain.
Breast cancer diagnosis from biopsy images by serial fusion of Random Subspace ensembles

Accurate and reliable classification of microscopic biopsy images is an important issue in computer assisted breast cancer diagnosis. In this paper, we investigated the effectiveness of a feature description approach by combining LBP texture analysis with Curvelet Transform and proposed a cascade Random Subspace ensembles with rejection options for microscopic biopsy images classification. While the LBP efficiently describes texture properties, the Curvelet Transform is particularly appropriate for the representation of piece-wise smooth images rich of edge information. A combined feature description can thus provide comprehensive image characteristics by taking advantages of their complementary strengths. The classification system is built as a serial fusion of two different Random Subspace classifier ensembles with rejection options to enhance the classification reliability. The first ensemble consists of SVM classifiers, with set of binary SVMs converting the original k-class classification problem into a K 2-class problems. The second ensemble, consisting of random subspace ensemble of MLPs, focus on the rejected samples from the first ensemble. For both of the ensembles, rejection option is implemented by relating the consensus degree from majority voting to confidence measure and abstaining to classify ambiguous samples if the consensus degree is lower than a threshold. Using a microscopic biopsy images dataset from Israel Institute of Technology, a high classification accuracy 97% is obtained with rejection rate 0.8% from the proposed system consisting of 30 base classifiers in each ensemble.
Social Democrats and Education Spending: A Refined Perspective on Supply-Side Strategies

This paper builds on the arguments developed by Carles Boix (1997, 1998) about partisan differences in supply-side oriented strategies. The original Boix model argues that social democrats in government prefer to increase public investment in human capital formation, while conservatives are opposed to this. The model is presented and subjected to a comprehensive empirical test. It is argued that it is necessary to determine the dynamics of spending in each educational sector separately. In addition, economic internationalization is not treated as a background variable as with Boix (1997, 1998), but fully included in the analysis. Finally, instead of relying on a simple dichotomy of leftist and rightist parties, the impact of government participation on the part of social democrats, Christian democrats and conservatives is analysed. The empirical test supports the Boix model only on a very general level. Social democrats are found for the most part to increase spending on higher education, which is at odds with the predictions of the Boix model and partisan theory in general. The paper concludes with a discussion of the consequence of the findings for the development of partisan theory.
A Framework for Mobile Robot Concurrent Path Planning &: Execution in Incomplete &= Uncertain Environments

Sensor-based discovery path planning is problematic because the path needs to be continually recomputed as new information is discovered. A process-based clientserver approach is presented that permits concurrent sensor-based map and localization-correction updates as well as concurrent path computation and execution. Laplace’s equation is constantly solved (i.e., a harmonic function) by using an iteration kernel convolved with an occupancy-grid representation of the current free space. The path produced (i.e., by steepest gradient descent on the harmonic function) is optimal in the sense of minimizing the distance to the goal as well as a hitting probability. This helps alleviate the influence of uncertainty on path planning. An initial heuristic estimate provides the path planner with instantaneous response (i.e., reactive), but with some deliberation it able to produce optimal paths. In addition, the computation time for generating the path is insignificant provided that the harmonic function has converged. On a regular grid, the computation of the harmonic function is linear in the total number of grid elements. A quad-tree representation is used to minimize the computation time by reducing the number of grid elements and minimally representing large spaces void of obstacles and goals.
Non-Photorealistic Rendering of Hair for Animated Cartoons

In cartoon drawings, hair is a strong vehicle of personality, emotions and style. In this paper, we present a powerful procedure to imitate the appearance of cartoon-like hair with a small set of parameters. Our approach is inspired by an inking technique called feathering, which consists of drawing hatches along the hair orientation while emphasizing the highlights with ink stains. Our system provides a set of tools to facilitate the positioning of the generated hair over the hand-drawn hair while keeping an intuitive interface for the artists. We can also achieve hair animation by inter-polating various keyframes set by the user. Our approach has proven successful and ﬂexible enough to adapt itself to diﬀerent styles and is particularly well-suited for traditional animators.
A Novel Approach for Inventory Classification in Two-Stage Supply Chain System

This research applied Selective Regeneration Particle Swarm Optimization (SRPSO) for two-stage supply chain inventory classification problems. In SRPSO, In order to increase the efficiency, suggestion on parameter settings is made and a mechanism is designed to prevent particles fall into the local optimal. This research is assumed that an inventory classification is performed to properly categorize items into a number of groups. Items in the same group are then jointly replenished. That is, items in the same group have the same order interval at the warehouse and the retailer. The goal of this study is to classify a known set of items into a number of groups and determine the optimal order interval of each classification group to minimize the total relevant cost of the supply chain system. This study tests a real dataset and two article datasets to compare the results to other known classification and non-classification methods. The outcomes fully demonstrate that SRPSO is an efficient, accurate, and robust method for inventory classification in supply chain problems. The SRPSO performs comparatively better than other grouping and non-grouping techniques. Keywords-Particle Swarm Optimization; Selective Regeneration Particle; Inventory Classification
Melatonin Action and Signal Transduction in the Rat Suprachiasmatic Circadian Clock : Activation of Protein Kinase C at Dusk and Dawn *

Nocturnal synthesis of the pineal hormone melatonin (MEL) is regulated by the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. We examined the hypothesis that MEL can feed back to regulate the SCN using a brain slice preparation from rat. We monitored the SCN ensemble firing rate and found that MEL advanced the time of peak firing rate by more than 3 h at restricted circadian times (CTs) near subjective dusk [CT 10–14 (10–14 h after lights on)] and dawn (CT 23–0) on days 2 and 3 after treatment. The effect of MEL at CT 10 was blocked by pertussis toxin. The protein kinase C (PKC) activator, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, reset the SCN firing rate rhythm with a profile of temporal sensitivity congruent with that of MEL. Two specific PKC inhibitors, calphostin C and chelerythrine chloride, independently blocked MEL-induced phase advances at each sensitive period. Furthermore, MEL administration increased PKC phosphotransferase activity transiently to 200% at CT 10 and CT 23, but not at CT 6. These data demonstrate that 1) MEL can directly modulate the circadian timing of the SCN within two windows of sensitivity corresponding to dusk and dawn; and 2) MEL alters SCN cellular function via a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein pathway that activates PKC. (Endocrinology 138: 627–634, 1997) A CENTRAL component for regulating daily, estrual, and seasonal changes in the endocrine state of mammals is the circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus (1–3). This biological clock generates approximate 24-h rhythms in the behavior, physiology, and metabolism of the animal. It is subject to external entrainment signals that adaptively synchronize the organism to environmental change. In addition to integrating signals that produce circadian adjustments, the SCN has been implicated in the regulation of seasonal adaptations. SCNlesioned hamsters are incapable of adjusting their reproductive axis in response to changing photoperiod (3, 4). This loss of functional response has been hypothesized to be due to the loss of SCN-directed synthesis of the pineal hormone, me-
Loopy Belief Propagation in Image-Based Rendering

Belief propagation (BP) is a local-message passing technique that solves inference problems on graphical models. Though [12] proved BP converges to a unique fixed point on singly connected graphs, researchers have shown that BP can also produce great results on graphs with loops. Most notable are the near Shannon-limit of error-correcting decoding and unwrapping of phase images [13, 2]. Since images can be easily represented as loopy graphs, where graph nodes are associated with pixels or image patches, many image-based rendering researchers have experimented with BP, with promising results. In this paper, I discuss an implementation that uses BP for noise removal in images. The following sections survey other image-based rendering applications of BP.
Solid lipid based nanocarriers: An overview / Nanonosači na bazi čvrstih lipida: Pregled

In the era of nanoparticulate controlled and site specific drug delivery systems, use of solid lipids to produce first generation lipid nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), became a revolutionary approach in the early nineties. The present review is designed to provide an insight into how SLN are finding a niche as promising nanovectors and forms a sound basis to troubleshoot the existing problems associated with traditional systems. Herein, authors had tried to highlight the frontline aspects prominent to SLN. An updated list of lipids, advanced forms of SLN, methods of preparation, characterization parameters, and various routes of administration of SLN are explored in-depth. Stability, toxicity, stealthing, targeting efficiency and other prospectives of SLN are also discussed in detail. The present discussion embodies the potential of SLN, now being looked up by various research groups around the world for their utility in the core areas of pharmaceutical sciences, thereby urging pharmaceutical industries to foster their scale-up. Pojava nanočestica za kontroliranu i ciljanu isporuku lijekova izrađenih iz čvrstih lipida (SLN) imala je ranih devedesetih godina revolucionarno značenje. U ovom preglednom radu opisani su SLN sustavi kao korisni nanovektori za isporuku lijekova. Autori ističu prednosti SLN sustava, daju pregled lipida za njihovu izradu, opisuju metode priprave, karakterizacijske parametre i različite načine primjene SLN-a. Osim toga, detaljno se raspravlja o njihovoj stabilnosti, toksičnosti te mogućnosti ciljane isporuke. Istaknute su mogućnosti koje pružaju SLNi u području farmaceutskih znanosti i njihova moguća primjena u farmaceutskoj industriji.
Refractive error in children in a rural population in India.

PURPOSE To assess the prevalence of refractive error and related visual impairment in school-aged children in the rural population of the Mahabubnagar district in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. METHODS Random selection of village-based clusters was used to identify a sample of children 7 to 15 years of age. From April 2000 through February 2001, children in the 25 selected clusters were enumerated in a door-to-door survey and examined at a rural eye center in the district. The examination included visual acuity measurements, ocular motility evaluation, retinoscopy and autorefraction under cycloplegia, and examination of the anterior segment, media, and fundus. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent refractive error of at least -0.50 D and hyperopia as +2.00 D or more. Children with reduced vision and a sample of those with normal vision underwent independent replicate examinations for quality assurance in seven clusters. RESULTS A total of 4414 children from 4876 households was enumerated, and 4074 (92.3%) were examined. The prevalence of uncorrected, baseline (presenting), and best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or worse in the better eye was 2.7%, 2.6%, and 0.78%, respectively. Refractive error was the cause in 61% of eyes with vision impairment, amblyopia in 12%, other causes in 15%, and unexplained causes in the remaining 13%. A gradual shift toward less-positive values of refractive error occurred with increasing age in both boys and girls. Myopia in one or both eyes was present in 4.1% of the children. Myopia risk was associated with female gender and having a father with a higher level of schooling. Higher risk of myopia in children of older age was of borderline statistical significance (P = 0.069). Hyperopia in at least one eye was present in 0.8% of children, with no significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS Refractive error was the main cause of visual impairment in children aged between 7 and 15 years in rural India. There was a benefit of spectacles in 70% of those who had visual acuity of 20/40 or worse in the better eye at baseline examination. Because visual impairment can have a significant impact on a child's life in terms of education and development, it is important that effective strategies be developed to eliminate this easily treated cause of visual impairment.
Mirror Neurons Underpinnings of Communication Aspects: Inter-subjectivity and Socio-cultural Dimensions

The central aim of this article is to account for communication’s diverse behavioral aspects: actional, motional, audio-visual, emotional, and intentional and their neural underpinnings. Based on neural substrates, the aforementioned aspects will be illuminated in terms of their interpersonal and socio-cultural dimensions active in human interaction. Culture in this context is to be approached, on the one hand, as a guideline identifying a given group or society in a given neuro-social space and taken, on the other hand, as a universal catalogue of synchronized human behavior. The framework we draw on our lines of reasoning incorporates Mirror Neurons theory and Neural Networks conception, equally referring to an interdisciplinary-grounded perspective.
Dependence of ventricular distensibility on filling of the opposite ventricle.

TAYLOR, ROGER R. , JAMES W. COVELL, EDMUND H. SONNENBLICK, AND JOHN Ross, JR. Dependence of ventricular distensibility on jilling of the opposite ventricle. Am. J. Physiol. 2 13 (3) : 7 1 l-7 18. 1967. -The influence of filling one ventricle on distensibility of the opposite ventricle was examined in dogs. Distensibility of the left or right ventricle was consistently decreased in proportion to the filling of the opposite chamber. To quantify the effect of right ventricular (RV) filling on left ventricular (LV) distensibility in the intact circulation the coexisting LV and RV end-diastolic pressures (EDP) were determined over a wide range of ventricular filling induced by blood infusion. LV pressure-volume relations were then obtained in the arrested heart and each level of LV filling pressure was matched with the RV filling pressure found to coexist in vivo. The effect of RV filling on the LV volume when LVEDP was low (3 mm Hg) was not discernible. The effect was apparent when LVEDP was 5 mm Hg with the appropriate RV filling, the LV volume being decreased by 1.8 =t 1.2 (SD) ml. At an LVEDP of 20 mm Hg the reduction was 3.9 & 2.4 ml or 7.1 it 4.7 (35 of LV volume; LV volume at an LVEDP of 20 mm Hg therefore was 7.1 y0 smaller with the RV full than with the RV empty. This effect is considered to result from the sharing of a common septum and fiber bundles. The effect should be considered when the passive diastolic pressurevolume relation is compared with that in the beating heart and whenever ventricular function is examined over a range of cardiac filling pressures. It may also play an important role when either ventricle is acutely distended in disease states.