Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of reverberant speech using the CELP postfilter

In this paper we investigate the application of adaptive postfiltering for the enhancement of reverberant speech. The considered method is commonly used in Code Excited Linear Prediction (CELP) speech coding to lower the impact of quantization noise in the excitation signal and the spectral envelope. We show that the underlying additive noise model is accurate enough to enhance speech which is recorded in an enclosed space where the resulting early reflections are usually modeled as a convolutive distortion. By means of adaptive filtering, the amplitudes of the unwanted peaks in the excitation signal are attenuated and the signal components at the harmonic peaks are emphasized. Both, single- and multi-channel dereverberation algorithms are proposed having a moderate computational complexity. Experiments have shown that this approach is capable of reducing early reverberation and attenuate the “distance-effect” arising from room reflections.
Analysis of the influence of communication between researchers on experiment replication

The replication of experiments is a key undertaking in SE. Successful replications enable a discipline's body of knowledge to grow, as the results are added to those of earlier replications. However, replication is extremely difficult in SE, primarily because it is difficult to get a setting that is exactly the same as in the original experiment. Consequently, changes have to be made to the experiment to adapt it to the new site. To be able to replicate an experiment, information also has to be transmitted (usually orally and in writing) between the researchers who ran the experiment earlier and the ones who are going to replicate the experiment. This article examines the influence of the type of communication there is between experimenters on how successful a replication is. We have studied three replications of the same experiment in which different types of communication were used.
Preinvasive and Invasive Cervical Adenocarcinoma: Preceding Low-Risk or Negative Pap Result Increases Time to Diagnosis

Objectives The aims of the study were to investigate screening histories of women with adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and adenocarcinoma (AdCa) of the cervix and to further evaluate screening for glandular disease. Materials and Methods Screening histories were retrospectively collected for patients with AIS or AdCa at a single large-volume academic institution from 2005 to 2015. Fisher exact and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare AIS with AdCa patient characteristics, distribution of preceding Pap (i.e., trigger Pap) results, and high-risk human papillomavirus testing. The association between Pap result and time to diagnosis was evaluated. Results Eighty-seven cases, 50 AIS and 37 AdCa, met study criteria; median age was 31 and 43 years, respectively. Among the AIS cohort, 52.0% had a negative or low-risk trigger Pap result versus 24.3% of those with AdCa (p = .001). The time to diagnosis of AIS ranged from 8.4 to 18.8 weeks for those with high- versus low-risk or negative trigger Pap results, respectively (p = .002). The time to diagnosis of AdCa ranged from 14.6 to 44.7 weeks for those with high- versus low-risk or negative trigger Pap results, respectively (p = .003). Among those with high-risk human papillomavirus testing, 89.7% tested positive at the time of trigger Pap with 100% positivity among those with low-risk or negative trigger Pap results. Conclusions Cervical AIS and AdCa affect many young nulliparous women and commonly preceded by low-risk or negative Pap testing. The interval to diagnosis increases with low-risk and negative Pap results, and therefore, further investigation into optimal screening for glandular lesions is needed.
Following Gaze in Video

Following the gaze of people inside videos is an important signal for understanding people and their actions. In this paper, we present an approach for following gaze in video by predicting where a person (in the video) is looking even when the object is in a different frame. We collect VideoGaze, a new dataset which we use as a benchmark to both train and evaluate models. Given one frame with a person in it, our model estimates a density for gaze location in every frame and the probability that the person is looking in that particular frame. A key aspect of our approach is an end-to-end model that jointly estimates: saliency, gaze pose, and geometric relationships between views while only using gaze as supervision. Visualizations suggest that the model learns to internally solve these intermediate tasks automatically without additional supervision. Experiments show that our approach follows gaze in video better than existing approaches, enabling a richer understanding of human activities in video.
Nuclear Genome Sequence Survey of the Dinoflagellate Heterocapsa triquetra

ABSTRACT. Dinoflagellates have among the largest nuclear genomes known, but we know little about their contents or organisation. Given the interest in dinoflagellate ecology, cell biology, and evolutionary biology, there are many reasons to thoroughly investigate the contents of dinoflagellate genomes, but because of their large size the only thorough samples to date have relied on expressed sequence tag surveys to analyse cDNAs. To complement this, there are some studies of the physical properties of dinoflagellate chromosomes, but no direct survey of the nature of the sequences contained within them. To start to build a picture of the contents of these genomes, we have sequenced over 230,000 bp from the nuclear genome of Heterocapsa triquetra, which has been estimated to be 18–23 billion base pairs in total. The survey includes one putative gene with two relict spliced leaders, one putative pseudogene, and a small number of low‐complexity repeats, transposons, and other putative selfish elements, all of which account for about 5% of the survey. Another 5% of the survey was long, complex repeats, some highly represented. By far the greatest fraction of the survey (89.5%) is made up of non‐repeated sequence with no similarity to any other known sequence.
Music in Times of Economic Distress

Months before the economic crisis that overwhelmed worldwide finan cial markets in the fall of 2008, I was asked by the Wall Street Journal to write a piece that could put an optimistic face on the state of so-called classical music. The idea was to counter the seemingly never-ending jeremiads about the future of music and arguments against the relevance of classical music and the equally distressing number of books that seek to defend it. The volumes that have argued the virtues of classical music are defensive. They assume that there is reason to question why the practices and institutions associated with classical music should be supported and continued. For readers of the Musical Quarterly I am providing a longer, unedited version of the piece that ran in the WSJ on October 3, 2008. But before doing so, I would like to reflect on the context that has evolved since it was published. First, there never was a reason to doubt the relevance of classical music and its traditions. The continued expansion in the numbers of young people who learn to play instruments all around the world, particularly in Asia, Latin America, and Europe, defies the notion of irrelevance. The capacity of the traditions of classical music to adapt to cultural contexts radically different from the historical conditions in European culture that gave rise to it suggests continued significance. Second, as I indicate in the essay that follows, the criterion for the worth of classical music should not be its capacity to draw a mass audi ence. Neither should it be the capacity of practices of music making to be financially self-supporting. What has plagued classical music are the consequences of a blind acceptance of free market logic. This logic had a renaissance beginning in the 1980s with the election of Ronald Reagan to the American presidency and the aura that surrounded Margaret Thatcher's tenure as British prime minister. It was assumed that the quality of cultural institutions could be measured by their success in making profits. Culture, in other words, suffered from the enthusiasm for the privatization of functions that under a different public policy might properly be considered the province of government.
Educational Reform in Russia and the USA: where are the troops?

Summary To determine the level of support that differing concepts of educational reform had among the actual practitioners of public education in the former Soviet Union and the USA, a sample of teachers was surveyed to measure the value they placed on divergent educational goal statements as well as their respective philosophical orientations. This study found that US teachers were most committed to educational goals related to basic skills development and critical thinking and least supportive of goals related to creativity and enculturation; Russian teachers on the other hand were most supportive of interpersonal understanding and human relations, moral and ethical well‐being, and critical thinking, and least supportive of the goal related to citizenship and civic responsibility. With regard to educational philosophical orientation, US teachers were divided between maintaining order and stability, developing individual interests and abilities, and improving society. Russian teachers were more united in.
The effect of blue-blocking intraocular lenses on circadian biological rhythm: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (CLOCK-IOL colour study)

Introduction Blue light information plays an important role in synchronising internal biological rhythm within the external environment. Circadian misalignment is associated with the increased risk of sleep disturbance, obesity, diabetes mellitus, depression, ischaemic heart disease, stroke and cancer. Meanwhile, blue light causes photochemical damage to the retina, and may be associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). At present, clear intraocular lenses (IOLs) and blue-blocking IOLs are both widely used for cataract surgery; there is currently a lack of randomised controlled trials to determine whether clear or blue-blocking IOLs should be used. Methods and analysis This randomised controlled trial will recruit 1000 cataract patients and randomly allocate them to receive clear IOLs or blue-blocking IOLs in a ratio of 1:1. The primary outcomes are mortality and the incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and AMD. Secondary outcomes are fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, glycated haemoglobin, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness depressive symptoms, light sensitivity, the circadian rhythm of physical activity, wrist skin temperature and urinary melatonin metabolite. Primary outcomes will be followed until 20 years after surgery, and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline and 1 year after surgery. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been obtained from the Institutional Review Board of Nara Medical University (No. 13-032). The findings of this study will be communicated to healthcare professionals, participants and the public through peer-reviewed publications, scientific conferences and the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) home page. Trial registration number UMIN000014680.
The antibody configurations of cardiac troponin I assays may determine their clinical performance.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown superior clinical performance of the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assay from Beckman-Coulter Diagnostics. This assay had a unique combination of monoclonal antibodies with 2 monoclonal antibodies directed against epitopes near the NH(2) terminus of the heart-specific region of troponin I. The approach has been adopted by the new cTnI assay from Abbott Diagnostics. The aim of our study was to investigate whether this approach affects the clinical performance of cTnI assays. METHODS Cardiac troponin concentrations were measured in a random sample of patients with unstable coronary artery disease included in the GUSTO IV trial (n = 696) by the AccuTnI (Beckman-Coulter Diagnostics), Architect cTnI (Abbott Diagnostics), Immulite 2500 cTnI (Diagnostics Products Corporation), and Elecsys 2010 cTnT (Roche Diagnostics) assays and related to the 1-year mortality. The primary cutoff concentrations were based on the 99th percentile upper reference limits and an imprecision (CV) < or =10%. RESULTS The sensitivities of the AccuTnI and Architect cTnI assays in identifying patients who died within 1 year were equal and were significantly higher (P <0.05) than those of the Immulite 2500 cTnI and the Elecsys cTnT assays. The concordance between the AccuTnI and Architect cTnI assays was 97%, but concordances between the Architect cTnI and the Elecsys cTnT assays were 89%-92% with more at-risk patients (P <0.01 to P <0.001) identified by the Architect cTnI assay. CONCLUSIONS The Architect cTnI assay has clinical performance similar to that of the AccuTnI, probably as a result of the inclusion of a monoclonal antibody against troponin I epitope 41-49 in the assay.
Improved Radiation Characteristics of Small Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna for Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Imaging Applications

A small antipodal Vivaldi antenna with rectangular slits at sun-shaped configuration and a half elliptical-shaped dielectric lens is designed for microwave and millimeter-wave imaging applications. The slits are developed to extend low end of frequency band and increase antenna gain at lower frequencies, while the lens is applied to this antenna to feature high gain at higher frequencies, high front-to-back ratio, low sidelobe and cross-polarization levels, narrow half-power beamwidth, and modification on E-plane tilt of beam. A prototype of the antenna with small size of 30 × 55 × 0.508 mm3 is fabricated and employed as a part of microwave and millimeter-wave imaging system. Applicability of the proposed antenna for 3-D and 2-D images of targets such as rubber discs and metal rods at different depths inside construction materials including foam and plasterboard sheet-layered structures is demonstrated. High-range resolution images are achieved by applying synthetic aperture radar algorithm.
TNIK, a Novel Member of the Germinal Center Kinase Family That Activates the c-Jun N-terminal Kinase Pathway and Regulates the Cytoskeleton*

Germinal center kinases (GCKs) compose a subgroup of the Ste20 family of kinases. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of a novel GCK family kinase, Traf2- and Nck-interacting kinase (TNIK) that interacts with both Traf2 and Nck. TNIK encodes a polypeptide of 1360 amino acids with eight spliced isoforms. It has 90% amino acid identity to the Nck-interacting kinase in both the N-terminal kinase domain and the C-terminal germinal center kinase homology region. The homology drops to 53% in the intermediate region. TNIK specifically activates the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway when transfected into Phoenix-A cells (derivatives of 293 cells), similar to many GCKs. However, in contrast to other GCKs, this activation is mediated solely by the GCK homology region of TNIK. In addition, in Phoenix-A, NIH-3T3, and Hela cells, overexpression of wild type TNIK, but not the kinase mutant form of TNIK, results in the disruption of F-actin structure and the inhibition of cell spreading. Furthermore, TNIK can phosphorylate Gelsolin in vitro. This is the first time that a GCK family kinase is shown to be potentially involved in the regulation of cytoskeleton.
DAG Scheduling on Cluster of Workstations Using Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization

Task Scheduling is one of the core steps to effectively exploit the capabilities of resources in cluster computing environment. Scheduling of applications modeled by Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) is a key issue in this type of environment. The task scheduling problem has been shown to be a NP Complete in general as well as in several restricted cases. This paper presents a List Scheduling algorithm using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based on the concept of Tabu Search (TS). This approach combines the excellence of both PSO and TS. This is different from the existing methods since the procedure adaptively incorporates information about Tabu lists into PSO algorithm. The proposed algorithm outperforms other algorithms in the aspects of performance and scalability. The experimental results manifest that the proposed hybrid method is effective and efficient in finding near optimal schedule length.
The t(8;21) fusion protein interferes with AML-1B-dependent transcriptional activation

The AML-1/CBF beta transcription factor complex is targeted by both the t(8;21) and the inv(16) chromosomal alterations, which are frequently observed in acute myelogenous leukemia. AML-1 is a site-specific DNA-binding protein that recognizes the enhancer core motif TGTGGT. The t(8;21) translocation fuses the first 177 amino acids of AML-1 to MTG8 (also known as ETO), generating a chimeric protein that retains the DNA-binding domain of AML-1. Analysis of endogenous AML-1 DNA-binding complexes suggested the presence of at least two AML-1 isoforms. Accordingly, we screened a human B-cell cDNA library and isolated a larger, potentially alternatively spliced, form of AML1, termed AML1B. AML-1B is a protein of 53 kDa that binds to a consensus AML-1-binding site and complexes with CBF beta. Subcellular fractionation experiments demonstrated that both AML-1 and AML-1/ETO are efficiently extracted from the nucleus under ionic conditions but that AML-1B is localized to a salt-resistant nuclear compartment. Analysis of the transcriptional activities of AML-1, AML-1B, and AML-1/ETO demonstrated that only AML-1B activates transcription from the T-cell receptor beta enhancer. Mixing experiments indicated that AML-1/ETO can efficiently block AML-1B-dependent transcriptional activation, suggesting that the t(8;21) translocation creates a dominant interfering protein.
Interior Point Cutting Plane Methods in Integer Programming

This thesis presents novel approaches that use interior point concepts in solving mixed integer programs. Particularly, we use the analytic center cutting plane method to improve three of the main components of the branch-and-bound algorithm: cutting planes, heuristics, and branching. First, we present an interior point branch-and-cut algorithm for structured integer programs based on Benders decomposition. We explore using Benders decomposition in a branch-and-cut framework where the Benders cuts are generated using the analytic center cutting plane method. The algorithm is tested on two classes of problems: the capacitated facility location problem and the multicommodity capacitated fixed charge network design problem. For the capacitated facility location problem, the proposed approach was on average 2.5 times faster than Benders-branch-and-cut and 11 times faster than classical Benders decomposition. For the multicommodity capacitated fixed charge network design problem, the proposed approach was 4 times faster than Benders-branch-and-cut while classical Benders decomposition failed to solve the majority of the tested instances. Second, we present a heuristic algorithm for mixed integer programs based on interior points. As integer solutions are typically in the interior, we use the analytic center cutting plane method to search for integer feasible points within the interior of the feasible set. The algorithm searches along two line segments that connect the weighted analytic center and two extreme points of the linear programming relaxation. Candidate points are rounded and tested for feasibility. Cuts aimed to improve the objective function and restore feasibility are then added to displace the weighted analytic center until a feasible integer solution is found. The algorithm is composed of three phases. In the first, points along the two line segments are rounded gradually to find integer feasible solutions. Then in an attempt to improve the quality of the solutions, the cut related to the bound constraint is updated and a new weighted analytic center is found. Upon failing to find a feasible integer solution, a
Smoking Habit and Psychological Distress in Adolescent Female Students

The authors administered a package containing some smoking-related questions and a psychiatric inventory, the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), to 564 young women students (14–17years old) to obtain information on the strength of the association between smoking and psychological distress in women smokers. Somatization, anxiety, hostility, and paranoid ideation scores were higher in teenage women smokers than in nonsmokers. Smokers generally have higher levels of minor psychiatric disturbance, but the data show that these symptoms are already present among young women at the start of their smoking careers.
The cytoarchitecture and some efferent projections of the centromedian‐parafascicular complex in the lesser bushbaby (Galago senegalensis)

The morphology of neurons in the centromedian (CM) and parafascicular (PF) nuclei in the lesser bushbaby (Galago senegalensis) is described in coronal and horizontal brain sections using Golgi‐, horseradish peroxidase (HRP)‐, and Nissl‐staining procedures. The CM contains two types of cells referred to as principal neurons and Golgi type II (like) neurons. Cell bodies of principal neurons are relatively large in cross‐sectional area (mean = 130.42 μm2), round to spindle in shape, support short somatic spines, and give rise to three to five primary dendrites. The dendrites branch in a “radiate” pattern and possess numerous appendages consisting of narrow, stalk‐supported swellings. The presumed axons of these cells are impregnated only in their initial segments. On the basis of the similarity of principal neuron soma shapes and cross‐sectional areas with those of HRP‐reactive somata following cortical HRP implantation, it is concluded that at least some of the principal neurons in Galago CM project to somatic sensory‐motor cortex. Golgi type II (like) neurons have small (mean = 79.43 μm2), round somata which support several spines and give rise to three to four small‐diameter dendrites. The dendrites are infrequently branched, sinuous in their courses, and give rise to complex appendages and beaded processes. However, the axons of these cells could not be seen to ramify in the immediate vicinity of the dendritic field or soma, and there is considerable overlap in the cross‐sectional areas of Golgi type II (like) neurons seen in Golgi preparations and HRP‐stained cells following cortical implant of HRP pellets. Consequently, although Golgi type II (like) cells have traits characteristic of classically described intrinsic neurons, a cortical projection of these cells cannot be ruled out by the present study.
Analysis of technology scaling impact on CMOS, CPL, and Domino logic styles using 0.8-, 0.6-, 0.35- and 0.25µm technologies

This paper describes challenges of technology scaling on different CMOS logic styles, implemented using 0.8-, 0.6-, 0.35- and 0. 25µm CMOS technologies. Technology scaling impact is more adverse related with velocity saturation, Mobility degradation, leakage current, VDD/ VTH ratio, Hot carrier effect, Drain induced barrier lowering effect. Three popular logic families namely: Conventional CMOS, Complementary Pass Logic and Domino logic are implemented for different micron technologies and they are analyzed for optimum energy delay product, that analysis provides right choice of logic style for different applications.