Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling Sound Changes in Mandarin Spontaneous Speech Using Deleted In- terpolation of Mixture Component Weights *

文 摘：The high error rate of recognition accuracy in spontaneous speech is due in part to the poor modeling of pronunciations variations. An analysis of the acoustic data reveals that the variations include both phone changes and sound changes. Sound changes are the variations within the phoneme, such as nasalization, centralization, voiceless, voiced, etc. Sound changes are flexible and include diacritics that have to be explicitly hand-labeled by linguists. Annotating such corpus is time consuming and the available hand-labeled samples of sound changes are very limited. In this paper, based on standard phonetic unit inventory, we use dynamic programming alignment together with data-driven method to extend the phone set automatically for sound change description. We propose using deleted interpolation to interpolate baseline models and the more refined, but less well-trained sound change models, with the goal of improving the robust ability of sound change models to cover the diversity of sound variations in spontaneous speech. The effectiveness of this approach is evaluated on the 1997 Hub4NE Mandarin Broadcast News Corpus (1997 MBN) with different styles of speech. It gives a significant 1.98% absolute syllable error rate reduction in spontaneous speech. Additional 1.04% absolute syllable error rate reduction is achieved compared to Gaussian mixture sharing method.
Evaluation of a global ensemble flood prediction system in Peru

ABSTRACT Flood early warning systems play a more substantial role in risk mitigation than ever before. Hydrological forecasts, which are an essential part of these systems, are used to trigger action against floods around the world. This research presents an evaluation framework, where the skills of the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) are assessed in Peru for the years 2009–2015. Simulated GloFAS discharges are compared against observed ones for 10 river gauges. Forecasts skills are assessed from two perspectives: (i) by calculating verification scores at every river section against simulated discharges and (ii) by comparing the flood signals against reported events. On average, river sections with higher discharges and larger upstream areas perform better. Raw forecasts provide correct flood signals for 82% of the reported floods, but exhibit low verification scores. Post-processing of raw forecasts improves most verification scores, but reduces the percentage of the correctly forecasted reported events to 65%.
Modern seismic is illuminating the depths

Minerals exploration is at a point when many targets are increasingly deeper than before and often blind to the surface. Geochemistry, magnetics and many other geophysical methods are valuable and remain key tools in regional targeting. However, since they rapidly lose resolution with depth, they are still essentially 2D exploration methods. Reflection seismic provides at least an order of magnitude with greater resolution in depth than other remote sensing techniques we use to map the third dimension – the primary subsurface imaging method in the oil and gas (O&G) sector. While 3D surveys have dominated since the 1990s, seismic in hard-rock environments is now being widely accepted as a revolutionary tool, unlocking potential for both regional and detailed mine-scale projects.
Medical Query Expansion using UMLS

Internet users have grown in recent years and they demand answers for many through online. Searching and retrieving documents is one of the most frequent thing most of the people do today. For retrieving medical related documents, we have to be extra careful and precise in the process of retrieval. Even though separate search engines are there to retrieve medical documents with care, the users are not well-known with MeSH terms (Medical Subject Heading). MeSH terms are terms used by medical professionals to retrieve documents. So the query has to be framed in such a way that only correct documents should be produced to the user. In this work, we proposed a method that deals with enriching the user query with the use of UMLS. The enriched user query after expansion is used to get accurate documents with less amount of time.
Health effects of airborne particulate matter related to traffic in Urmia, NW Iran

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate exposure to PM10 related to traffic and drying Lake Urmia and its effects on human health in north-west of Iran. Materials and methods: Sampling and analysis was done during 2015 to 2016 using AirQ 2.2. 3. Results: The annual mean of PM10 concentrations were 106 μg/m3, which was too higher than 20 μg/m3 recommended by WHO guideline. The maximum seasonal mean concentration of PM10 was observed in winter (138 μg/ m3). Attributable proportion (AP) due to exposure to PM10 were estimated 5.487% (95%CI: 3.726-7.185%) of non-accidental mortality cases, 8.011% (95%CI; 4.615-11.174%) of cardiovascular mortality, and 11.174% (95%CI; 4.615-16.215%) of respiratory mortality, for Urmia inhabitants. With every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10 concentrations, relative risk (RR) for total mortality increased by 0.6%. Conclusion: The total cases numbers for hospital admission due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in central RR were 257 and 666 cases, respectively. Since incineration fossil fuel, the salty dust storms caused by climate change and drying Urmia Lake is natural, therefore, increasing green space and extensive activities such as desertification are need to control this phenomenon that is extremely challenging.
Arboreal behaviour in the Stuart’s burrowing snake Adelphicos veraepacis (Dipsadinae) in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala

A veraepacis Stuart, 1941 is a little known snake species that is endemic to the mountain regions of Guatemala, occurring only in Sierra de las Minas, Cuilco Mountains, Sierra de los Cuchumatanes and Sierra de Xucaneb (Acevedo et al., 2014). It inhabits cloud, rain and pine forests from 1,200 to 2,200 meters asl. Snakes in this genus are encountered infrequently due to their predominantly fossorial and terrestrial lifestyle. Consequently, there are few published observations of their ecology or natural history. According to the IUCN Red List, A. veraepacis is classified as vulnerable due to its restricted distribution and the associated threat of habitat loss. The cloud forests from the Verapaces region, where this snake was observed, are currently threatened owing to the increased cultivation of leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) for export to Japan and Europe, pine plantations and intentional fires (Acevedo et al., 2014). During the second week of September 2014, a field trip was made to Ranchitos del Quetzal, Purulha, Baja Verapaz (15.215489°N, 90.219249°W, 1,682 m asl). During a night time visual encounter survey at 21:30 h, a female A. veraepacis (Fig.1) was found approximately 3 m up a tree in a cloud forest habitat. Previous accounts of this genus have noted the behaviour of Adelphicos to be highly fossorial and terrestrial (Acevedo et al., 2014). However, arboreal behaviour has been recorded in a closely related species, A. quadrivirgatum. In this case, clutches of eggs were found 1.5 m above the ground in a termite nest (Pérez-Higareda & Smith, 1989). Our observation was made in September but the egg laying season in A. veraepacis is reported to be from May to June (Campbell, 1998). While we have no evidence, it remains possible that the reproduction of this species is not seasonally restricted, and that the observed female specimen had laid eggs. Alternatively, facultative use of arboreal habitats while foraging has been described for numerous terrestrial and presumably fossorial snakes (Keller & Heske 2000; Brown et al., 2018). Snakes of the genus Adelphicos are known to prey on earthworms and other invertebrates (Dos Santos et al., 2017; Stafford & Meyer, 2000), so arboreal foraging remains a possibility.
Dreidimensionale und tiefengemittelte Large-Eddy-Simulation von Flachwasserströmungen

In dieser Arbeit wird ein tiefengemitteltes Large-Eddy-Simulationsverfahren fur Flachwasserstromungen entwickelt. Dazu liefern umfangreiche dreidimensionale LES-Rechnungen Informationen uber die in den tiefengemittelten Gleichungen zu modellierenden Terme. Als Anwendungen werden unter anderem die ausgebildete Gerinnestromung, die Zylinderumstromung, eine Mischungsschicht sowie die Stromung in einem Buhnenfeld betrachtet.
Analysis of real time social tweets for opinion mining

We developed the indigenous Windows based user friendly application in Java to extract, process and classify the real time social network tweet using unstructured models. The meaningful real time tweets are obtained and the same is used for sentimental analysis. The processed meaningful tweets are classified into three different opinion mining classes positive, negative and neutral by using unstructured algorithms such as EEC, IPC and SWNC model. The SWNC Model gave better results over the EEC and IPC model. Their results are compared using the confusion matrix, precision and accuracy parameters. The results are also visualized using pie graph. Keyword: Real time social tweets, Unstructured algorithms, classification, opinion mining.
Mechanism and Simulation Analysis of Mechanical Self-adaptive Pipe-Robot

Locomotion interference will happen when wheel pipe-robot passes through bent pipes or irregular pipes.In order to solve this problem,tri-axial differential wheels are incorporated into the drive system of pipe-robot,which will make the wheel pipe-robot adapt to the pipe environment automatically.The mechanical structure of the mechanical self-adaptive pipe-robot is designed and studied.Meanwhile,kinematical simulation and analysis have been made on the the 3dimensional model of the pipe-robot,and it is validated that the pipe-robot with tri-axial differential wheels can accommodate the bent pipes better and have better stability in the pipe.Strong self-adaptability,compact structure,high drive efficiency,reliability and low cost are the characteristics of the robot.
Numerical Modeling of Industrial-Scale Pulsed Bed Adsorber for Colorant Removal in Sugar Refining

Because pulsed bed adsorbers are preferred when the high fluid flow rate is expected, pulsed bed adsorbers are used in many industries; for example, waste water treatment and food industries. However, few attempts have been focused on modeling of pulsed bed adsorbers. In this paper, the mathematical model of an industrial-scale pulsed bed adsorber has been developed. By using the data on adsorption equilibrium constant, mass transfer and axial dispersion in a lab-scaled fixed-bed adsorber, the numerical analysis of an industrial-scale pulsed bed adsorber for colorant removal in sugar refining process is performed and the numerical results are analyzed to gain the better understanding of this unit operation. The optimum cycle time depended on the fraction of adsorbent being removed and replaced in each pulse; the optimum cycle time increases from 4 hours at 5 % pulse to 12 hours at 14% pulse. In addition, the fluctuation of feed flow rate would affect the performance of pulsed bed adsorbers; for example, the 10% increase of flow rate would make the colorant in the syrup at the outlet higher than its specification. The finding of this paper would allow engineers to optimize an industrial-scale pulsed bed adsorber more efficiently.
Business Intelligence in Higher Education: An Ontological Approach

The chapter presents an ontology-based knowledge management system developed for a Romanian university. The starting point for the development knowledge management system is the classic Information Management System (IMS), which is used for the education & training and research portfolio management. The knowledge management system has a general ontology, containing terms which are valid for a public institution, and specific ontology for the main two process categories, didactical and research. The ontologies were implemented using Protege. The chapter presents the usage scenario of the knowledge management system for the research area. The results are very encouraging and suggest several future developments.
The opioid epidemic in North America: Implications for Australia

The opioid epidemic in North America has attracted considerable international concern because of the scale of the problem and the high rate of overdose deaths. This paper explores the factors that have contributed to the opioid epidemic in the United States and Canada, and reviews the current situation in Australia.There is little evidence that Australia is on the same trajectory as the United States or Canada, or that fentanyl, particularly illicit fentanyl, has penetrated the Australian drug market as it has overseas. There is, however, evidence of an increase in harm associated with pharmaceutical opioids and heroin, despite a fall in heroin use. This paper highlights the importance of being vigilant about the potential for similar problems in Australia, and continuing to monitor key indicators of opioid availability, use and harm. Responses to opioid misuse and overdose must be relevant to the Australian context.
Tropical Atlantic Cooling and Freshening in the Middle of the Last Interglacial From Coral Proxy Records

The last interglacial (LIG; Marine Isotope Substage 5e, ~127–117 ka) experienced globally warmer than modern temperatures; however, profound differences in regional climate occurred that are relevant to the assessment of future climate change scenarios. Tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) and hydrology are intrinsic to the spatiotemporal evolution of past and future climate. We present eight monthly resolved coral Sr/Ca and δ18O records (130–118 ka) to reconstruct mean western tropical Atlantic SST and seawater δ18O changes during the LIG. Cooler and fresher than modern surface waters are indicated for the middle of the LIG at ~126 ka. This was followed by a rapid transition to modern‐like SSTs and salinities that characterized the remaining part of the LIG. Our results, which account for differences found among corals, proxies, and SST calibration uncertainties, agree with western tropical Atlantic sediment records. Together, they suggest that an oceanic regime existed that differed from today.
Imperforate Larger Benthic Foraminifera from Shallow-water Carbonate Facies (middle and Late Eocene), Zagros Mountains, Iran

We studied the architecture and biostratigraphical distribution of the imperforate larger benthic foraminifera from the upper part of the Jarhum Formation in the Fars Interior (Zagros, Iran) and identified 15 taxa belonging to the families Coskinolinidae, Orbitolinidae, Austrillinidae, Praerhapydioninidae and Soritidae. This foraminiferal assemblage indicates deposition in warm, shallow (upper photic zone), relatively oligotrophic conditions compatible with an inner-ramp setting. The age attributed to the assemblage is Bartonian-earliest Priabonian.
A Novel Method for Estimating the Vertical Velocity of Air with a Descending Radiosonde System

Knowledge of vertical air motion in the atmosphere is important for both meteorological and climate studies due to its impact on clouds, precipitation and the vertical transport of air masses, heat, momentum, and composition. The vertical velocity (VV) of air is among the most difficult and uncertain quantities to measure due to its generally small magnitude and high temporal and spatial variability. In this study, a descending radiosonde system is developed to derive VV at the low and middle troposphere in north China during the summer months. The VV is estimated from the difference between the observed radiosonde descent speed and the calculated radiosonde descent speed in still air based on the fluid dynamic principle. The results showed that the estimated VV generally ranged from −1 m/s to 1 m/s, accounting for 80.2% of data points. In convective conditions, a wider distribution of the VV was observed, which was skewed to large values relative to those in nonconvective conditions. The average VV throughout the entire profile was close to 0 m/s under nonconvective conditions. In contrast, distinctive vertical air motions below 5 km above the ground were recorded under convective activities. Vigorous air motions with an absolute VV >2 m/s were occasionally observed and were often associated with the occurrence of cloud layers. Moreover, the detailed structure of the instant air motion near the cloud boundaries (i.e., top and base), with an absolute VV >10 m/s in convective weather systems, was clearly revealed by this technique. The uncertainty estimation indicated that this method has the potential to capture and describe events with vertical air motions >0.69 m/s, which is useful for a convective weather study. Further studies are required to carefully assess the accuracy and precision of this novel VV estimation technique.
The concept of socio-environmental transformations in prehistoric and archaic societies in the Holocene: An introduction to the special issue

Transformations of human societies and environments are closely interwoven. Due to improved possibilities of paleoecological reconstruction and archaeological methods, we are now in a position to empirically collect detailed data from a variety of records. The Collaborative Research Centre 1266 ‘Scales of Transformation’ has developed a concept in which both deductive and inductive transformation dimensions are compared on different temporal and spatial scales. This concept includes the connection between the environmental and social spheres, which are often inseparable. Accordingly, a holistic principle of socio-environmental research is developed, which is exemplified by the contributions to this special issue of The Holocene.
Introduction to Ontology Engineering

This chapter provides an introduction to ontology engineering discussing the role of ontologies in informative systems, presenting a methodology for ontology design, and introducing ontology languages. The chapter starts by explaining why ontologies are needed in informative systems, then it introduces the reader to ontologies by leading him/her in a stepwise guide to ontology design. It concludes by introducing ontology languages and standards. This is a primer reading aimed at preparing novice readers of this book to understanding more complex dissertations; for this reason it can be avoided by expert readers.
An evaluation of fingerprint quality across an elderly population vis-à-vis 18--25 year olds

This study evaluated the effectiveness quality of fingerprint images obtained from two populations interacting with two commercially available fingerprint recognition sensors (one capacitance, one optical). Currently, there is a lack of information within the biometric community pertaining to fingerprint image quality and an elderly population. Therefore, this study specifically examined the fingerprint image quality of an elderly population (55+) to that of an 18-25 year old population baseline.
Improving Thermal Management of Electric Vehicles by Prediction of Thermal Disturbance Variables

In addition to the powertrain, heating and airconditioning represents the second-largest energy consumer in electric vehicles. Optimization in this area can therefore contribute significantly to enhance the range of these vehicles. A new approach exploiting this optimization potential is the use of a model predictive controls. These controllers are based on a mathematical process model, which predicts the trajectories of the output variables. The predicted output variable trajectories are then evaluated by a non-linear cost function in order to find the corresponding optimal manipulated variable trajectory. Since external disturbances also affect the system in addition to manipulated variable, it is also necessary to predict these disturbances with sufficient precision. This is the core problem of this control approach and is not adequately addressed in previous approaches. For vehicle cabin heating and air-conditioning, the disturbances correspond to the thermal loads. These loads are mainly caused by the energy input of solar radiation, outside temperature, wind speed and humidity. In the following work, we will show how the coupling of methods of machine learning with Car2X technologies can lead to a high-precision prediction of thermal disturbances for an electric vehicle. KeywordsModel Predictive Control; BEV; Applied Machine Learning; HVAC; Mobile Data Mining
A Research On Android Technology With New Version Naugat(7.0,7.1)

Android “Naugat” (codenamed Android N in development) is the seventh major version of Android Operating System called Android 7.0. It was first released as a Android Beta Program build on March 9 , 2016 with factory images for current Nexus devices, which allows supported devices to be upgraded directly to the Android Nougat beta via over-the-air update. Nougat is introduced as notable changes to the operating system and its development platform also it includes the ability to display multiple apps on-screen at once in a splitscreen view with the support for inline replies to notifications, as well as an OpenJDK-based Java environment and support for the Vulkan graphics rendering API, and "seamless" system updates on supported devices.
A “Critical Factor”: Facilitating the Success of Students from Low Socioeconomic Status Backgrounds at Australian Regional Universities Through Technology

This chapter reports on the findings from an Australian study exploring how best to facilitate the success of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds who are studying at regional universities. Interviews with 69 successful students from low SES backgrounds and with 26 stakeholders experienced in supporting these students were carried out across six regional universities. The chapter focuses on one of the key findings to emerge from the study – the criticality of the technology use in facilitating the success of these particular equity group students. The ways in which the use of technology enables flexibility and facilitates connectedness for students are foregrounded as research-based strategies for improving practice within universities.
Pore water transport and microbial activity in intertidal Wadden Sea sediments

We studied pore water seepage and associated nutrient release in the intertidal sand flat “Janssand” (North Sea) during exposure at low tide. The hydraulic gradient developing at ebb tide between the pore water level in the elevated sand flat and the water level in the tidal gully generated interstitial water flows towards the seepage zone with velocities ranging from 0.54 (March) to 0.86 cm h (July). Pore water was discharged from a ca. 20 m wide release zone near the seaward margin of the flat at rates of 2.4 (March) and 4.2 L m d (July). Nutrient and DIC concentrations of the seepage water exceeded those measured in the pore water of the upper section of the flat by 10and 5-fold, respectively. Nutrient effluxes through seepage reached 1074 and 5078 μmol m d for NH4, 280 and 1668 μmol m d for PO4 and 141 and 1142 μmol m d for Si(OH)4 in March and July, respectively. Benthic flux chambers revealed that nutrients and DIC were released from the still submerged sediment as soon as the ebb tide exposed the upper section of the elevated flat. A conservative estimate based on our measurements suggests that 84,000 L (March) to 147,000 L (July) pore water are discharged each tidal cycle from the sandy northeast margin of the Janssand (3.5 km length). Nutrients contained in this water corresponded to 6 – 25 kg d carbon mineralized during March and 42 – 223 kg d during July. Our study indicates that the Janssand intertidal flat does not accumulate organic matter but releases mineralization products that can account for all the organic matter that is potentially filtered through the permeable beds during a tidal cycle. Nutrient fluxes associated with seepage exceeded 5 to 8-fold those fluxes caused by the combined effects of diffusion, advection and bioirrigation during inundation, emphasizing the importance of sand flat drainage for the nutrient cycles in the Wadden Sea. Chapter 2: Intertidal flat nutrient release 55