Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A unified approach to real time audio-to-score and audio-to-audio alignment using sequential Montecarlo inference techniques

We present a methodology for the real time alignment of music signals using sequential Montecarlo inference techniques. The alignment problem is formulated as the state tracking of a dynamical system, and differs from traditional Hidden Markov Model - Dynamic Time Warping based systems in that the hidden state is continuous rather than discrete. The major contribution of this paper is addressing both problems of audio-to-score and audio-to-audio alignment within the same framework in a real time setting. Performances of the proposed methodology on both problems are then evaluated and discussed.
Inflammatory, atherothrombotic aspects of type 2 diabetes

ABSTRACT Background: There is a tight association between diabetes and cardiovascular disease – both occur more commonly together than independently. The development of vascular disease is dependent upon complex interactions between a number of metabolic pathways involving both fluid phase proteins and cellular components. Inflammation and coagulation are two intimately linked processes that are co-regulated. The characteristic cluster of risk factors – hypertension, hyperinsulinaemia, hyperglycaemia and lipid abnormalities, which are associated with insulin resistance – have been expanded to include inflammation and thrombotic risk. Studies in patients with diabetes indicate a higher prevalence of both inflammatory cells and thrombosis in coronary plaques in comparison to non-diabetic subjects and measures of C-reactive protein predict the development of both diabetes and cardiovascular disease in prospective studies. Scope: This review (based on MEDLINE searches, 1990 to 2005) looks at the inflammatory, atherothrombotic aspects of type 2 diabetes that may be involved in the accelerated development of vascular disease in the population with diabetes.
Purinoceptor‐coupled Cl− channels in mouse heart: a novel, alternative pathway for CFTR regulation

1 P2‐purinoceptors couple extracellular ATP to the activation of a Cl− current (ICl,ATP) in heart. We studied the molecular mechanism and intracellular signalling pathways of ICl,ATP activation in mouse heart. 2 Extracellular adenosine‐5′‐O‐(3‐thiotriphosphate) (ATPγS; 100 μM) activated ICl,ATP in both atrial and ventricular myocytes. A specific PKC inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide blocked the effect of ATPγS while a PKC activator, phorbol 12,13‐dibutyrate (PDBu) activated a current with identical properties to ICl,ATP. Maximal activation of ICl,ATP by ATPγS or PDBu occluded further modulation by the other agonist, suggesting that they may activate the same population of Cl− channels. 3 Isoprenaline increased ICl,ATP pre‐activated by ATPγS or PDBu, while isoprenaline or forskolin alone failed to activate any Cl− current in these myocytes. Adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphothionate, a PKA inhibitor, prevented ATPγS or PDBu activation of ICl,ATP. Thus, ICl,ATP is regulated by dual intracellular phosphorylation pathways involving both PKA and PKC in a synergistic manner similar to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl− channels. 4 Glibenclamide (50 μM) significantly blocked ICl,ATP activated by ATPγS or by the CFTR channel activator, levamisole. 5 The slope conductance of the unitary ICl,ATP in cell‐attached patches was 11·8 ± 0·3 pS, resembling the known properties of CFTR Cl− channels in cardiac myocytes. 6 The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot analysis revealed CFTR mRNA expression in mouse heart. 7 We conclude that ICl,ATP in mouse heart is due to activation of CFTR Cl− channels through a novel intracellular signalling pathway involving purinergic activation of PKC and PKA.
A New Control Approach for a Robotic Walking Support System in Adapting User Characteristics

This paper proposes a new control approach for a robotic walking support system to adapt a user's controlling characteristic. The control approach will be implemented by changing the kinematic structure of the robotic walking support system based on a variable center of rotation. This new control approach aims to help users who have difficulties in controlling their walking support system. In this study, we have a training stage to evaluate and adapt user's controlling characteristics. This will be implemented by allowing the user to follow some training paths. In the event a large path error occurs, a learning algorithm will vary the center of rotation of the support system until the user can successfully follow the training path. The relationship between the user intent in the form of applied force/torque and the new center of rotation will be taken by considering several training paths. This relationship will be used in actual control of the robotic walking support system. Experimentation and evaluation are presented to show the validity of the proposed control algorithm
Advanced simulation of statistical variability and reliability in nano CMOS transistors

Increasing CMOS device variability has become one of the most acute problems facing the semiconductor manufacturing and design industries at, and beyond, the 45 nm technology generation. Most problematic of all is the statistical variability introduced by the discreteness of charge and granularity of matter in transistors with features already of molecular dimensions [i]. Two transistors next to each other on the chip with exactly the same geometries and strain distributions may have characteristics from each end of a wide statistical distribution. In conjunction with statistical variability [ii], negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) and/or hot carrier degradation can result in acute statistical reliability problems. It already profoundly affects SRAM design, and in logic circuits causes statistical timing problems and is increasingly leading to hard digital faults. In both cases, statistical variability restricts supply voltage scaling, adding to power dissipation problems [iii]. In this invited paper we describe recent advances in predictive physical simulation of statistical variability using drift diffusion (DD), Monte Carlo (MC) and quantum transport (QT) simulation techniques.
DNA cleavage within the MLL breakpoint cluster region is a specific event which occurs as part of higher-order chromatin fragmentation during the initial stages of apoptosis

A distinct population of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) is strongly associated with prior administration of topoisomerase II (topo II) inhibitors. These t-AMLs display distinct cytogenetic alterations, most often disrupting the MLL gene on chromosome 11q23 within a breakpoint cluster region (bcr) of 8.3 kb. We recently identified a unique site within the MLL bcr that is highly susceptible to DNA double-strand cleavage by classic topo II inhibitors (e.g., etoposide and doxorubicin). Here, we report that site-specific cleavage within the MLL bcr can be induced by either catalytic topo II inhibitors, genotoxic chemotherapeutic agents which do not target topo II, or nongenotoxic stimuli of apoptotic cell death, suggesting that this site-specific cleavage is part of a generalized cellular response to an apoptotic stimulus. We also show that site-specific cleavage within the MLL bcr can be linked to the higher-order chromatin fragmentation that occurs during the initial stages of apoptosis, possibly through cleavage of DNA loops at their anchorage sites to the nuclear matrix. In addition, we show that site-specific cleavage is conserved between species, as specific DNA cleavage can also be demonstrated within the murine MLL locus. Lastly, site-specific cleavage during apoptosis can also be identified at the AML1 locus, a locus which is also frequently involved in chromosomal rearrangements present in t-AML patients. In conclusion, these results suggest the potential involvement of higher-order chromatin fragmentation which occurs as a part of a generalized apoptotic response in a mechanism leading to chromosomal translocation of the MLL and AML1 genes and subsequent t-AML.
Comparing Acceptance and Refusal Rates of Virtual Reality Exposure vs. In Vivo Exposure by Patients with Specific Phobias

The present survey explored the acceptability of virtual reality (VR) exposure and in vivo exposure in 150 participants suffering from specific phobias. Seventy-six percent chose VR over in vivo exposure, and the refusal rate for in vivo exposure (27%) was higher than the refusal rate for VR exposure (3%). Results suggest that VR exposure could help increase the number of people who seek exposure therapy for phobias.
Analysis of Smoothing Techniques for Subspace Estimation with Application to Channel Estimation

In this paper, we present a thorough investigation on the impact of spatial smoothing and forward-backward averaging techniques for subspace-based channel estimation. The spatial smoothing technique requires the selection of a window size, which, if not selected properly, leads to dramatically performance breakdown of the subspace-based methods. We aim to provide an explanation of the performance drop for certain window sizes and subsequently an understanding of a proper window size selection. In particular, we describe the behavior of the magnitude of the least signal eigenvalue as a function of the window size employed. Through simulations we show that the magnitude of this eigenvalue is of particular importance for estimating the subspace and the entailing performance of the channel estimator.
Optimal Sampling and Remote Estimation of the Wiener Process over a Channel with Random Delay

In this paper, we consider a sampling and remote estimation problem, where samples of a Wiener process are forwarded to a remote estimator via a channel with queueing and random delay. The estimator reconstructs an estimate of the real-time signal value from causally received samples. We obtain the jointly optimal sampling and estimation strategy that minimizes the mean-square estimation error subject to a maximum sampling rate constraint. We prove that a threshold-based sampler and a minimum mean-square error (MMSE) estimator are jointly optimal, and the optimal threshold is found exactly. Our jointly optimal solution exhibits an interesting coupling between the source and channel, which is different from the source-channel separation in many previous information theoretical studies. If the sampling times are independent of the observed Wiener process, the joint sampling and estimation optimization problem reduces to an age-of-information optimization problem that has been recently solved. Our theoretical and numerical comparisons show that the estimation error of the optimal sampling policy can be much smaller than those of age-optimal sampling, zero-wait sampling, and classic periodic sampling.
Demographic noise can reverse the direction of deterministic selection

Significance Demographic stochasticity—the population-level randomness that emerges when the timing of birth, death, and interaction events is unpredictable—can profoundly alter the dynamics of a system. We find that phenotypes that pay a cost to their birth rate to modify the environment by increasing the global carrying capacity can be stochastically selected for, where they would otherwise be deterministically disfavored. Our results hold for a general class of mathematical models but we use a model of public good production for illustration. In this case, demographic stochasticity is exploited by populations of cooperators to turn selection in their favor; it therefore operates as a mechanism that supports the evolution of public good production. Deterministic evolutionary theory robustly predicts that populations displaying altruistic behaviors will be driven to extinction by mutant cheats that absorb common benefits but do not themselves contribute. Here we show that when demographic stochasticity is accounted for, selection can in fact act in the reverse direction to that predicted deterministically, instead favoring cooperative behaviors that appreciably increase the carrying capacity of the population. Populations that exist in larger numbers experience a selective advantage by being more stochastically robust to invasions than smaller populations, and this advantage can persist even in the presence of reproductive costs. We investigate this general effect in the specific context of public goods production and find conditions for stochastic selection reversal leading to the success of public good producers. This insight, developed here analytically, is missed by the deterministic analysis as well as by standard game theoretic models that enforce a fixed population size. The effect is found to be amplified by space; in this scenario we find that selection reversal occurs within biologically reasonable parameter regimes for microbial populations. Beyond the public good problem, we formulate a general mathematical framework for models that may exhibit stochastic selection reversal. In this context, we describe a stochastic analog to r−K theory, by which small populations can evolve to higher densities in the absence of disturbance.
Identifying overlapping communities in folksonomies or tripartite hypergraphs

Online folksonomies are modeled as tripartite hypergraphs, and detecting communities from such networks is a challenging and well-studied problem. However, almost every existing algorithm known to us for community detection in hypergraphs assign unique communities to nodes, whereas in reality, nodes in folksonomies belong to multiple overlapping communities e.g. users have multiple topical interests, and the same resource is often tagged with semantically different tags. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to detect overlapping communities in folksonomies by customizing a recently proposed edge-clustering algorithm (that is originally for traditional graphs) for use on hypergraphs.
Anesthetic experience of patients with Fournier's syndrome

Fournier’s syndrome is defined as a suppurative bacterial infection of the perineal, genital, or perianal regions. Those conditions often lead to thrombosis of subcutaneous vessels and with infection, resulting in the development of gangrene of the overlying skin and subcutaneous tissue [1]. This rare syndrome is a rapidly progressive and potentially lethal necrotizing fasciitis caused by invasive infections of the lower part of the genitourinary tract, anorectal soft tissue, and genital skin [1,2]. The devastating rapidity is typical, as evidenced by the fact that the mean duration of symptoms to become the target of emergency operation is just a few days, and a majority of patients are seriously ill at the time of admission. Anesthetic management of patients with this syndrome is often difficult, due to its devastating nature as well as significant comorbid diseases. However, because of the infrequency of the syndrome, there is limited information regarding the anesthetic management of this disease. We recently encountered the anesthetic management in three cases of patients with Fournier’s syndrome. There were three initial emergency and six additional elective operations under general anesthesia, except one spinal anesthesia in an elective case. Therefore, we report these cases and review the relevant literatures. Immediate and, if required, repetitive operation is important for saving lives in patients with this syndrome [1-3]. Fournier’s syndrome is frequently associated with certain diseases and conditions. Diabetes mellitus is probably the most common comorbid disease, as evidenced by our cases [1]. Even when the patient has diabetes, as in our two patients, Fournier’s syndrome might be the first clinical disease to be detected. The second common condition is alcoholism, such as in all our patients, because any disorder that compromises the immunity
Home Energy Management Using Multi Agent System for Web Based Grids

Smart grids can be regarded as the revolution in traditional power grids due to integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Distributed systems and Computational Intelligence (CI) algorithms in existing infrastructure. Such advancements make it possible to monitor real time power patterns, articulate numerous Demand Response (DR) programs for demand side management and manage/ monitor energy by distributed sources, i.e., networked grid environment. A big centralized grid is in process of replacement with distributed small scale grids that are interconnected together forming a networked grid. Multi Agent System (MAS) is a mature technique that offers flexibility, portability and reusability as key features and has taken focus of researchers for smart grid applications. In this paper, considering futuristic approach and MAS technology, a review of state of the art literature is presented.
Detection of Gastric Cancer with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Support Vector Machine Classification

Early diagnosis and early medical treatments are the keys to save the patients' lives and improve the living quality. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy can distinguish malignant from normal tissues at the molecular level. In this paper, programs were made with pattern recognition method to classify unknown samples. Spectral data were pretreated by using smoothing and standard normal variate (SNV) methods. Leave-one-out cross validation was used to evaluate the discrimination result of support vector machine (SVM) method. A total of 54 gastric tissue samples were employed in this study, including 24 cases of normal tissue samples and 30 cases of cancerous tissue samples. The discrimination results of SVM method showed the sensitivity with 100%, specificity with 83.3%, and total discrimination accuracy with 92.2%.
Onderzoek naar de kwaliteit van de dienstverlening en de communicatie van Algemeen Pensioenfonds Wegener

The SERVPERF questionnaire, based on the work of Parasuraman et al. (1988) was already tested in a lot of different situations. However, until now, it was not tested in a non-commercial business in which communication is merely through writing. In this study was investigated if the SERVPERF questionnaire was suited to examine the quality of service in a retirement fund. Also was investigated if a self-developed questionnaire was suited to exanine the quality of communication in a retirement fund. The studies were performed with both active participants (participants which are still building up their pension) and retired participants as respondents.
Centrosome positioning in vertebrate development

Summary The centrosome, a major organizer of microtubules, has important functions in regulating cell shape, polarity, cilia formation and intracellular transport as well as the position of cellular structures, including the mitotic spindle. By means of these activities, centrosomes have important roles during animal development by regulating polarized cell behaviors, such as cell migration or neurite outgrowth, as well as mitotic spindle orientation. In recent years, the pace of discovery regarding the structure and composition of centrosomes has continuously accelerated. At the same time, functional studies have revealed the importance of centrosomes in controlling both morphogenesis and cell fate decision during tissue and organ development. Here, we review examples of centrosome and centriole positioning with a particular emphasis on vertebrate developmental systems, and discuss the roles of centrosome positioning, the cues that determine positioning and the mechanisms by which centrosomes respond to these cues. The studies reviewed here suggest that centrosome functions extend to the development of tissues and organs in vertebrates.
BASAL GANGLIA PATHWAYS: BEYOND THE CLOSED-LOOP CIRCUITS WITH THE CEREBRAL CORTEX

Concepts of basal ganglia (BG) functions have been strongly influenced by their anatomical interconnections with the cerebral cortex. Views regarding these interconnections have changed dramatically over the past century. Specifically, advances in transneuronal tracing with neurotropic viruses have demonstrated that the BG participate in parallel closed-loop circuits with cerebral cortical areas that underlie motor and cognitive functions (Middleton and Strick, 2000b). Using transneuronal tracing techniques, we have identified two new pathways that allow the BG to influence motor and cognitive processes. First, we used the retrograde transneuronal transport of rabies virus (RV) to show that the BG participates in open-loop circuits with the dorsal prefrontal cortex (PFC). Specifically, the ventral striatum (VStr) projects to the dorsal PFC, but does not receive input back from the dorsal PFC. Our results expand on the finding that there exist open-loop circuits between the BG and motor cortical areas (Kelly and Strick, 2004; Miyachi et al., 2006; Saga et al., 2011). These open-loop circuits provide a pathway for BG limbic processing to influence both motor and cognitive functions. Second, we used retrograde transneuronal transport of RV to reveal a pathway that enables BG output to influence cerebellar (CB) function. Specifically, the subthalamic nucleus (STN) sends a disynaptic projection to the CB cortex. These results are important because until recently, it was generally accepted that the BG and the CB were not directly connected. The pathway from the BG to the CB complements the recent discovery that the CB sends a disynaptic projection to the striatum (Hoshi et al., 2005). Together, these pathways provide the anatomical substrate for substantial interactions between the BG and the CB, in both the motor and nonmotor domains. Overall, we identified two novel output pathways from the BG: from the VStr to the dorsal PFC and from the STN to the CB cortex. These pathways provide the BG with the potential to influence motor and nonmotor processes, outside of the traditional closed-loop circuits with the cerebral cortex. Considerable evidence suggests that these pathways are likely to have important effects on both normal and abnormal aspects of behavior.
Gabriel Graphs in Arbitrary Metric Space and their Cellular Automaton for Many Grids

Gabriel graphs are subgraphs of Delaunay graphs that are used in many domains such as sensor networks and computer graphics. Although very useful in their original form, their definition is bounded to applications involving Euclidean spaces only, but their principles seem to be applicable to a wider range of applications. In this article, we generalize this construct and define metric Gabriel graphs that transport the principles of Gabriel graphs on arbitrary metric space, allowing their use in domains like cellular automata and amorphous computing, or any other domains where a non-Euclidean metric is used. We study global/local properties of metric Gabriel graphs and use them to design a cellular automaton that draws the metric Gabriel graph of its input. This cellular automaton only uses seven states to achieve this goal and has been tested on hexagonal grids, 4-connected, and 8-connected square grids.
Analysis of NAT-Based Internet Connectivity for Multi-Homed On-Demand Ad Hoc Networks

A prerequisite for a widespread and successful deployment of on-demand ad-hoc networking technology is its ability to provide easy access to the Internet. Existing solutions for Internet access are mainly based on modifying Mobile IPv4 (MIPv4). An easier approach, yet poorly documented in published material, is to implement Network Address Translation (NAT) on Internet Gateway nodes in the ad hoc network. In this paper we describe problems experienced by simulations of common NAT-based solutions under the condition of site multi-homing. Based on our results, we propose a working alternative solution for multihomed ad hoc networks.