Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generating Nontrivial Melodies for Music as a Service

We present a hybrid neural network and rule-based system that generates pop music. Music produced by pure rule-based systems often sounds mechanical. Music produced by machine learning sounds better, but still lacks hierarchical temporal structure. We restore temporal hierarchy by augmenting machine learning with a temporal production grammar, which generates the music's overall structure and chord progressions. A compatible melody is then generated by a conditional variational recurrent autoencoder. The autoencoder is trained with eight-measure segments from a corpus of 10,000 MIDI files, each of which has had its melody track and chord progressions identified heuristically. The autoencoder maps melody into a multi-dimensional feature space, conditioned by the underlying chord progression. A melody is then generated by feeding a random sample from that space to the autoencoder's decoder, along with the chord progression generated by the grammar. The autoencoder can make musically plausible variations on an existing melody, suitable for recurring motifs. It can also reharmonize a melody to a new chord progression, keeping the rhythm and contour. The generated music compares favorably with that generated by other academic and commercial software designed for the music-as-a-service industry.
Comparison of mechanical properties of different single vegetable fibers

The object of this paper was to investigate the tensile properties of single fibers bamboo,Chinese fir,kenaf and ramie by a newly designed micro tension tester (SF-I). The load-deflection curve of single fiber testing showed that a linear behavior presented to failure.The average values of tensile strength of bamboo,Chinese fir,kenaf and ramie single fibers were 1 710,1 258,1 019,1 001 MPa,respectively,and their tensile modulus were 27.1,19.9,30.8,11.4 GPa,elongation were 7.0 %,6.6 %,3.2 %,8.9 %,respectively.It showed that the mechanical properties of the four fibers were different.Among the fibers investigated,the bamboo fiber had the biggest tensile strength with the peak value reaching 2 708 MPa.The ramie fiber had the biggest fracture strain and the best flexibility but the smallest tensile strength and stiffness.The toughness of the kenaf fiber was the poorest but the elastic modulus value was significantly higher than others,its stiffness was the best.Bamboo fiber is the best from comprehensive mechanical properties.
Value and Relation Display for Interactive Exploration of High Dimensional Datasets

Traditional multidimensional visualization techniques, such as glyphs, parallel coordinates and scatterplot matrices, suffer from clutter at the display level and difficult user navigation among dimensions when visualizing high dimensional datasets. In this paper, we propose a new multidimensional visualization technique named a value and relation (VaR) display, together with a rich set of navigation and selection tools, for interactive exploration of datasets with up to hundreds of dimensions. By explicitly conveying the relationships among the dimensions of a high dimensional dataset, the VaR display helps users grasp the associations among dimensions. By using pixel-oriented techniques to present values of the data items in a condensed manner, the VaR display reveals data patterns in the dataset using as little screen space as possible. The navigation and selection tools enable users to interactively reduce clutter, navigate within the dimension space, and examine data value details within context effectively and efficiently. The VaR display scales well to datasets with large numbers of data items by employing sampling and texture mapping. A case study on a real dataset, as well as the VaR displays of multiple real datasets throughout the paper, reveals how our proposed approach helps users interactively explore high dimensional datasets with large numbers of data items
A Service-Oriented Peer-to-Peer Architecture for a Digital Ecosystem

Service-oriented computing is becoming an increasingly popular paradigm for modelling and building distributed systems in heterogeneous, decentralised, and open environments. However, proposed service-oriented architectures are usually based on centralised components, such as service registries or service brokers, that introduce reliability, management, and performance issues. In this paper, we present a fully decentralised service-oriented architecture built on top of a self-organising peer-to-peer infrastructure. This architecture is especially designed to support digital ecosystems due to its low deployment and maintenance cost and inherently decentralised nature.
A learning framework for automation and optimization of document binarization methods ( The supplementary material )

B The multilevel maps 4 B.1 Color maps . 5 B.2 Stroke map (SM) and gray stroke map (GSM) . 5 B.3 Stroke gray map (SGM) . 8 B.4 Stroke gray level (SGL) . 8 B.5 Background gray level (BGL) . 10 B.6 Estimated background (EB) . 11
Prevalence of overweight and obesity in an Italian Prison and relation with average term of detention: a pilot study.

INTRODUCTION Obesity and overweight are universally recognized as risk factors for cardiovascular disease, stroke and other chronic diseases. The few studies of overweight and obesity in inmate populations suggest that the prevalence of obesity in an institution is associated with the prevalence of the region. The goal of the study is to describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a sample of prisoners. METHODS In a sample of prisoners of Busto Arsizio prison, weight and height were measured with standard method. , Once collected information about nationality, age and duration of detention, we proceeded to calculate BMI and the prevalence of overweight and obesity. RESULTS The subjects enrolled were 142, all males, aged 19-66 years, with a holding period of between 30 days and two years. From the survey, the total of obese or overweight subjects was 66.9%. In the comparison between Italian and Foreign prisoners, the latter showed the highest weight gain. The analysis of the correlation between increased BMI and length of detention has not shown a statistical association during detention, but it could depend on the number of inmates enrolled. CONCLUSION The prevalence of obesity and overweight among inmates (66.9%) was higher than the Italian general population (54.8%, adult males, ISTAT, 2015). The decreasing physical activity typical of the detention, the psycho-physical discomfort (incarceration trauma) and the prison meals could have had a significant importance in increasing weight. Desirable therefore more investigations (calculation of caloric needs, ethnic and religious diets, eating disorders) in order to establish appropriate preventive interventions.
Examining Cervical Cancer Screening Utilization Among African Immigrant Women: A Literature Review

Background: Globally, 530,000 women per year are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and approximately 275,000 die from the disease. Routine cervical cancer screening may reduce the burden of cervical cancer morbidity and mortality through early detection and improved treatment outcome. Immigrant women in the United States (U.S.) may be disproportionately affected by cervical cancer; however, there is scarce literature addressing cervical cancer screening in African immigrants (AIs) when compared to other immigrant groups. This systematic review evaluates the state of cervical cancer screening research in AIs and identifies current gaps. Materials and methods: Through a comprehensive literature search, we identified 16 studies published between 2005 and 2015 that focused on cervical cancer screening among AIs. Results: From this review, we found a low screening adherence rate among AIs. The common factors influencing cervical cancer screening practices among AIs included immigration status, health care interactions, knowledge deficiency, religiosity and certain personal characteristics. Discussion: A multilevel approach to address the factors influencing screening practices among AIs is essential for improving adherence to screening guidelines. Implementation of grassroots enlightenment and screening programs are warranted in this population to decrease the screening disparity experienced by this burgeoning population. Conclusions: Based on the findings from this review, African Immigrant (AI) women should be targeted for education about the importance of cervical cancer screening to bridge the knowledge gaps and multilevel initiatives could lead to improved access and utilization of screening services among this growing immigrant population.
Homogeneous Pin-Through-Hole Component Inspection Using Fringe Tracking

Automated visual inspection (AVI) systems are playing important roles in ensuring manufacturing quality in the electronic industry especially in the assemblage of printed circuit boards (PCB). Most existing AVIs that are used for PCB inspection are categorized as non-contact inspection systems consisting of a single overhead camera. Such systems, which can be manual or automated, are incapable of detecting 3D pin-through-hole (PTH) component placement defects and reporting them. By considering an assembled PCB as a textured surface with a predefined depth map, we propose to apply an angled fringe projection to detect defects in PTH component placement. It has been found that angled fringe projection can be used for surface analysis by applying phase shifting and phase unwrapping obtained from several images. However, the turnover time for PCB inspection is very crucial in the electronic industry. In other words, an alternative improved method that speeds up the inspection process is always desirable. This paper describes a method of applying an angled fringe projection for 3D height measurement using a single captured image and a direct triangulation technique. The main focus of this paper has been made on the development of a fringe tracking algorithm and its practical implementation details. This algorithm allows us to obtain the depth map of the surface under analysis with just one image. The simulated data and calibration process of the tracking algorithm are discussed and an experimental result is given for Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) component insertion in computer motherboards. With proper system calibration and accurate image processing, we demonstrate the successful manipulation of a structured collimated light source for height measurement using a single captured image. Key-Words: Automated Visual Inspection, Fringe Projection, PCB Inspection.
Genomic Diversity and Evolution of the Head Crest in the Rock Pigeon

Coo Coo Charles Darwin was fascinated by the domestic rock pigeon and used this dramatic example of diversity within a species to communicate his ideas about natural selection. Many derived traits in domestic pigeons converge on ecologically and evolutionarily relevant traits in wild species. Shapiro et al. (p. 1063, published online 31 January; see the cover) sequenced the genome of the domestic rock pigeon (Columba livia), along with those of 36 breeds and two feral accessions and its sister species, the hill pigeon (C. rupestris). The results reveal the underlying genetics of the head crest and suggest that all crested breeds may have originated from a single mutational event. From Piazza San Marco to Trafalgar Square, pigeons have captured the attention of tourists from around the world. The geographic origins of breeds and the genetic basis of variation within the widely distributed and phenotypically diverse domestic rock pigeon (Columba livia) remain largely unknown. We generated a rock pigeon reference genome and additional genome sequences representing domestic and feral populations. We found evidence for the origins of major breed groups in the Middle East and contributions from a racing breed to North American feral populations. We identified the gene EphB2 as a strong candidate for the derived head crest phenotype shared by numerous breeds, an important trait in mate selection in many avian species. We also found evidence that this trait evolved just once and spread throughout the species, and that the crest originates early in development by the localized molecular reversal of feather bud polarity.
Extracellular LDLR repeats modulate Wnt signaling activity by promoting LRP6 receptor endocytosis mediated by the Itch E3 ubiquitin ligase

The LOW-density lipoprotein related protein 6 (LRP6) receptor is an important effector of canonical Wnt signaling, a developmental pathway, whose dysregulation has been implicated in various diseases including cancer. The membrane proximal low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor repeats in LRP6 exhibit homology to ligand binding repeats in the LDL receptor (LDLR), but lack known function. We generated single amino acid substitutions of LRP6-LDLR repeat residues, which are highly conserved in the human LDLR and mutated in patients with Familial Hypercholesteremia (FH). These substitutions negatively impacted LRP6 internalization and activation of Wnt signaling. By mass spectrometry, we observed that the Itch E3 ubiquitin ligase associated with and ubiquitinated wild type LRP6 but not the LDLR repeat mutants. These findings establish the involvement of LRP6-LDLR repeats in the regulation of canonical Wnt signaling.
Relations of total physical activity and intensity to fitness and fatness in children: the European Youth Heart Study.

BACKGROUND It is unclear how the amount and intensity of physical activity (PA) are associated with cardiovascular fitness (CVF) and body fatness in children. OBJECTIVE We aimed to examine the associations of total PA and intensity levels to CVF and fatness in children. DESIGN A cross-sectional study of 780 children aged 9-10 y from Sweden and Estonia was conducted. PA was measured by accelerometry and was expressed as min/d of total PA, moderate PA, and vigorous PA. CVF was measured with a maximal ergometer bike test and was expressed as W/kg. Body fat was derived from the sum of 5 skinfold-thickness measurements. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the degree to which variance in CVF and body fat was explained by PA, after control for age, sex, and study location. RESULTS Lower body fat was significantly associated with higher levels of vigorous PA, but not with moderate or total PA. Those children who engaged in >40 min vigorous PA/d had lower body fat than did those who engaged in 10-18 min vigorous PA/d. Total PA, moderate PA, and vigorous PA were positively associated with CVF. Those children who engaged in >40 min vigorous PA/d had higher CVF than did those who accumulated <18 min vigorous PA/d. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that PA of vigorous intensity may have a greater effect on preventing obesity in children than does PA of lower intensity, whereas both total and at least moderate to vigorous PA may improve children's CVF.
Real-time semi-partitioned scheduling of fork-join tasks using work-stealing

This paper extends the work presented in Maia et al. (Semi-partitioned scheduling of fork-join tasks using work-stealing, 2015) where we address the semi-partitioned scheduling of real-time fork-join tasks on multicore platforms. The proposed approach consists of two phases: an offline phase where we adopt a multi-frame task model to perform the task-to-core mapping so as to improve the schedulability and the performance of the system and an online phase where we use the work-stealing algorithm to exploit tasks’ parallelism among cores with the aim of improving the system responsiveness. The objective of this work is twofold: (1) to provide an alternative scheduling technique that takes advantage of the semi-partitioned properties to accommodate fork-join tasks that cannot be scheduled in any pure partitioned environment and (2) to reduce the migration overheads which has been shown to be a traditional major source of non-determinism for global scheduling approaches. In this paper, we consider different allocation heuristics and we evaluate the behavior of two of them when they are integrated within our approach. The simulation results show an improvement up to 15% of the proposed heuristic over the state-of-the-art in terms of the average response time per task set.
Improved performance of amorphous silicon solar cells via scattering from surface plasmon polaritons in nearby metallic nanoparticles

An engineered enhancement in short-circuit current density and energy conversion efficiency in amorphous silicon p-i-n solar cells is achieved via improved transmission of electromagnetic radiation arising from forward scattering by surface plasmon polariton modes in Au nanoparticles deposited above the amorphous silicon film. For a Au nanoparticle density of ∼3.7×108cm−2, an 8.1% increase in short-circuit current density and an 8.3% increase in energy conversion efficiency are observed. Finite-element electromagnetic simulations confirm the expected increase in transmission of electromagnetic radiation at visible wavelengths, and suggest that substantially larger improvements should be attainable for higher nanoparticle densities.
Identification of Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Streptococcus thermophilus Strains Present in Artisanal Raw Cow Milk Cheese Using Real-time PCR and Classic Plate Count Methods

Abstract The aim of this paper was to detect Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Streptococcus thermophilus using real-time quantitative PCR assay in 7-day ripening cheese produced from unpasteurised milk. Real-time quantitative PCR assays were designed to identify and enumerate the chosen species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in ripened cheese. The results of molecular quantification and classic bacterial enumeration showed a high level of similarity proving that DNA extraction was carried out in a proper way and that genomic DNA solutions were free of PCR inhibitors. These methods revealed the presence of L. delbrueckii and S. thermophilus. The real-time PCR enabled quantification with a detection of 101–103 CFU/g of product. qPCR-standard curves were linear over seven log units down to 101 copies per reaction; efficiencies ranged from 77.9% to 93.6%. Cheese samples were analysed with plate count method and qPCR in parallel. Compared with the classic plate count method, the newly developed qPCR method provided faster and species specific identification of two dairy LAB and yielded comparable quantitative results.
Decreased expression of mucin 18 is associated with unfavorable postoperative prognosis in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND MUC18 is correlated with tumor progression and metastasis in types of malignancy. But the role of MUC18 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression of MUC18 and its correlation with clinical outcomes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Immunohistochemical staining was performed in samples from 288 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. We used Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models to value the association between MUC18 expression and clinical outcome. Nomogram was constructed to predict overall survival at 5 and 8 years after nephrectomy. RESULTS MUC18 expression was significantly decreased in tumor compared to non-tumor tissue (P<0.001). Lower MUC18 expression in tumor predicted a shorter survival time (P=0.007). By multivariate cox analysis, MUC18 was defined as an independent prognostic factor (P=0.006). The nomogram performed better in predicting 5- and 8-year overall survival than the TNM stage alone in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION MUC18 is an independent prognostic factor for clear cell renal cell carcinoma and could be incorporated with the other parameters to predict 5- and 8-year overall survival for clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients.
The hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum and its active ingredient salvinorin A inhibit enteric cholinergic transmission in the guinea‐pig ileum

Abstract Salvia divinorum is a widespread hallucinogenic herb traditionally employed for divination, as well as a medicament for several disorders including disturbances of gastrointestinal motility. In the present study we evaluated the effect of a standardized extract from the leaves of S. divinorum (SDE) on enteric cholinergic transmission in the guinea‐pig ileum. SDE reduced electrically evoked contractions without modifying the contractions elicited by exogenous acetylcholine, thus suggesting a prejunctional site of action. The inhibitory effect of SDE on twitch response was abolished by the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone and by the κ‐opioid antagonist nor‐binaltorphimine, but not by naltrindole (a δ‐opioid receptor antagonist), CTOP (a μ‐opioid receptor antagonist), thioperamide (a H3 receptor antagonist), yohimbine (an α2‐receptor antagonist), methysergide (a 5‐hydroxytryptamine receptor antagonist), NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (an inhibitor of NO synthase) or apamin (a blocker of Ca2+‐activated K+ channels). Salvinorin A, the main active ingredient of S. divinorum, inhibited in a nor‐binaltorphimine‐ and naloxone‐sensitive manner electrically induced contractions. It is concluded that SDE depressed enteric cholinergic transmission likely through activation of κ‐opioid receptors and this may provide the pharmacological basis underlying its traditional antidiarrhoeal use. Salvinorin A might be the chemical ingredient responsible for this activity.
Fundus Autofluorescence in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Definitions Fluorescence is the capability of absorbing light at a specific wavelength and releasing it at a longer, less energetic wavelength. This phenomenon raises an especial interest when the released radiation is found within the spectrum of visible light permitting its visualization, recording and measurement. Autofluorescence is the spontaneous fluorescence that some substances present naturally. Fluorophore is the part of a molecule that makes it fluoresce. The human eye contains autofluorescent substances in the retina, especially within the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The main autofluorescent component of the RPE is lipofuscin (LF), containing at least ten different fluorophores presenting discrete emission spectra within the green, golden-yellow, yellowgreen, and orange-red emitting range(1). When LF granules are stimulated with light within the blue range, a characteristic yellow fluorescence is emitted(2).
Effects of breed, haemoglobin and potassium polymorphism on blood biochemical profiles of agro-pastoral goats

This study was conducted to determine the effects of breed, haemoglobin (Hb) and potassium (k) types on blood profiles of agro-pastoral goat herds in North-Western Nigeria. A total of two hundred and fifty (250) agropastoral lactating does comprising of 109 Red Sokoto (RS), 26 Sahel (SH), 34 Kano Brown and 81 Crosses (CRS) were involved in the study. Blood was sampled from all the animals and analysed for packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration [Hb], sodium (Na), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), globulin (Glob) and glucose (Glu). The effects of breed, haemoglobin and potassium types on blood biochemical profile were determined using General Linear Model (GLM) procedures of SAS, significant means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test. The electrophoretic analysis showed three haemoglobin genotypes HbAA, HbAB and HbBB and two potassium types were observed; low potassium (LK) and high potassium (HK). The results showed that all the blood parameters measured were within the range of normal values of serum electrolytes of goats. The breeds of goats had no significant influence on blood biochemical profiles sampled except Sahel goats which had higher Total Protein (64.44±0.49 g/l) and Albumin (31.12±0.37 g/l). It was concluded that haemoglobin and potassium types had no influence on blood biochemical profile of the herd of goat studied.