Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Vector Quantized Variational Autoencoder (VQ-VAE) Autoregressive Neural $F_0$ Model for Statistical Parametric Speech Synthesis

Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) can predict fundamental frequency (F0) for statistical parametric speech synthesis systems, given linguistic features as input. However, these models assume conditional independence between consecutive <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$F_0$</tex-math></inline-formula> values, given the RNN state. In a previous study, we proposed autoregressive (AR) neural <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$F_0$</tex-math></inline-formula> models to capture the causal dependency of successive <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$F_0$</tex-math></inline-formula> values. In subjective evaluations, a deep AR model (DAR) outperformed an RNN. Here, we propose a Vector Quantized Variational Autoencoder (VQ-VAE) neural <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$F_0$</tex-math></inline-formula> model that is both more efficient and more interpretable than the DAR. This model has two stages: one uses the VQ-VAE framework to learn a latent code for the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$F_0$</tex-math></inline-formula> contour of each linguistic unit, and other learns to map from linguistic features to latent codes. In contrast to the DAR and RNN, which process the input linguistic features frame-by-frame, the new model converts one linguistic feature vector into one latent code for each linguistic unit. The new model achieves better objective scores than the DAR, has a smaller memory footprint and is computationally faster. Visualization of the latent codes for phones and moras reveals that each latent code represents an <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$F_0$</tex-math></inline-formula> shape for a linguistic unit.
The allocation of assimilated carbon to shoot growth in natural grasslands

In grasslands, sustained nitrogen loading would increase the proportion of assimilated carbon allocated to shoot growth (Ashoot), because it would decrease allocation to roots [4] and also encourage the contribution of fast-growing species with inherently high Ashoot. However, in situ measurements of carbon allocation are scarce. Hence, it is unclear to what extent species that coexist in grasslands actually differ in their allocation strategy or in their response to nitrogen [5]. In this study, we validated a C-labeling approach for estimating Ashoot in individuals growing in field stands, and used it to assess Ashoot
SOME FAMILIES OF MITTAG-LEFFLER TYPE FUNCTIONS AND ASSOCIATED OPERATORS OF FRACTIONAL CALCULUS (SURVEY)

Our main objective in this survey-cum-expository article is essentially to present a review of some recent developments involving various classes of the Mittag-Leffler type functions which are associated with several family of generalized Riemann-Liouville and other related fractional derivative operators. Specifically, we consider various compositional properties, which are associated with the Mittag-Leffler type functions and the Hardy-type inequalities for a certain generalized fractional derivative operator. We also present solutions of many different classes of fractional differential equations with constant coefficients and variable coefficients and some general Volterra-type differintegral equations in the space of Lebesgue integrable functions as well as a number of interesting particular cases of these general solutions and certain recently investigated fractional kinetic differintegral equations.
’ endothélium : un nouvel organe he endothelium : A new organ

U689, Inserm, centre de recherche cardiovasculaire Lariboisière, 41, boulevard de la chapelle, 75010 Paris, France Service de réanimation médicale, hôpital Saint-Antoine, AP—HP, 184, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, 5571 Paris cedex 12, France UMR S707, faculté de médecine Saint-Antoine, université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, Paris-6, 27, rue de Chaligny, 5012 Paris, France U707, Inserm, faculté de médecine Saint-Antoine, université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, Paris-6, 27, rue de Chaligny, 5012 Paris, France
Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Anxiety disorders cause people to feel excessively frightened, distressed, and uneasy during situations in which most others would not experience these symptoms. Left untreated, these disorders can dramatically reduce productivity and significantly diminish an individual’s quality of life. Anxiety disorders in children can lead to poor school attendance, low self-esteem, deficient interpersonal skills, alcohol abuse, and adjustment difficulty.
Status and Prospects of Fisheries Self Help Group in Kabirdham District, Chhattisgarh, India

The present study analyzed the status and performance of women’s Self Help Groups in fisheries of Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh state. Two blocks namely Kawardha and Bodla blocks of Chhattisgarh, India were selected for the study. Total 140 numbers of respondents from twenty SHGs were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion. It has been revealed that women participation in Self Help Groups made a significant impact on their empowerment despites the majority of them were being illiterate (42.85%). The performance analysis conducted using NABARD checklist revealed that sixty percent of the SHGs fall under the category of good and 20 percent as very good. Nevertheless, the major constraints that deter the activities of the SHGs were reported as political biasness existing in the study area followed by lack of capital and awareness among the members. And hence, it has been concluded that the women SHGs in the study area have greater influence and benefitted the respondent members both socially and economically.
Ion Exchange of One-Pot Synthesized Cu-SAPO-44 with NH4NO3 to Promote Cu Dispersion and Activity for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3

Cu-containing CHA type (Cu-CHA) zeolites have been widely investigated owing to their excellent low-temperature activity and high hydrothermal stability in selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR). Herein, a series of Cu-SAPO-44 zeolites were prepared by one-pot method with dual-amine templates and the subsequent ion exchange (IE) with NH4NO3. The effect of NH4NO3 treatment on Cu species was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, inductively coupled plasma (ICP); field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), and H2-temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR). The results indicated that—besides the main SAPO-44 structure—the CuO phase was detected by XRD in original samples. After IE with NH4NO3, the Cu contents decreased greatly from ICP analysis. The removal of CuO agglomerations and the presence of highly dispersed CuO nanoparticles (~2.36 nm) were confirmed by SEM, TEM and H2-TPR. Furthermore, a significant increase in the proportion of isolated Cu2+ was derived from XAFS. As a result, the activity at higher temperature (≥350 °C) was improved a lot.
IJSRD-International Journal for Scientific Research & Development| Vol. 4, Issue 01, 2016 | ISSN (online): 2321-0613

This work presents removal of COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) from Textile wastewater by Electrocoagulation (EC) process using Iron as a sacrificial electrode which is currently used for the purification of many types of water and wastewater. The effecting parameters such as applied voltage, electrolysis time and initial pH are studied to achieve higher removal. The performance of EC process is carried out in batch reactor. In this process, samples are taken out from the batch reactor at regular interval of 20 minutes. Results obtained show that the most effective removal efficiency is achieved at 1 A of applied current at 16V. Moreover, the experimental results also show that the COD removal is strongly influenced by the initial pH. EC is found to be very efficient at pH 9. The highest COD removal efficiency of 93.5% occurred at 16V at electrolysis time of 80 minutes with optimum pH 9. In this study, the EC process is proved effective and is capable in removing COD efficiently.
Index for Measurement of the Level of Tertiary Education in Developing Countries: Theory and Application

A new index for measurement of the level of tertiary education in developing countries is constructed. This index shows the level of readiness of the new generation to function in a developed country. In other words, this indicator characterizes the degree of intimacy of knowledge and competencies of the new generation for the conditions, which the domestic country strives to achieve. Index is based on the calculation of the quantity of talents in science, who are able to adapt to the conditions of working and living in developed countries. An example of the index calculation using the available statistical data is presented. Surprisingly, the values of the index for the level of tertiary education in Russia and Ukraine are extremely low. Empirical evidences suggest that the index correctly characterizes the state of the system of tertiary education in these countries too.
Instructions for Preparing Camera-Ready Summaries for SSDM 2003

Fig.1 XRD spectra of Y-doped and undoped HfO2 films annealed at (a) 600oC and (b) 1000oC. At 600oC, the Y-doped HfO2 films show a sharp peak around 30o whereas the undoped HfO2 film shows the peaks corresponding to monoclinic phase structure. The peak around 30o can be assigned to the diffraction from cubic (111), tetragonal (111), or orthorhombic (211). In the case of 4at. % doped film, the monoclinic phase appears at 1000oC by a phase separation.
The Effects of Exenatide Once Weekly (EXQW) and Exenatide Twice a Day (EXBID) on Beta-Cell Function in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Background In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and poor glycemic control receiving metformin (MET), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are recommended as the adjunctive therapy. However, there are only a few studies involving the comparative effects of exenatide twice a day (EXBID) and exenatide once weekly (EXQW) on HOMA-β. This meta assessed the comparative effects of EXQW and EXBID on HOMA-β among T2DM patients. Materials and Methods PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Network meta-analysis was performed, and network diagrams were constructed to evaluate the effects. The primary outcome is HOMA-β, and the secondary outcomes are fasting blood glycose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and weight loss. Results A total of 8 studies with 3506 subjects were included. Compared with other antidiabetic agents, EXQW has a greater improvement in HOMA-β than EXBID (weight mean difference (WMD) = ‐0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-0.64, -0.28], P = 0.001). The effect of EXQW on HbA1c is superior to that of sitagliptin (SITA) (WMD = 0.51, 95% CI [0.03, 0.99], P = 0.037). The significant reduction of weight was detected for EXBID in comparison with EXQW (WMD = ‐0.73, 95% CI [-1.13, -0.33], P = 0.001), and no significant difference was found between EXQW and MET. Conclusions EXQW shows a greater improvement in HOMA-β than EXBID. Moreover, the efficacy of EXQW on glycemic control is similar to other antidiabetic agents including EXBID. It is an advisable treatment for diabetic patients to improve HOMA-β and has an advantage of fewer number of injections compared with EXBID, to increase patients' adherence and quality of life.
Translations into English of several chapters from the book "Interpretación en contextos de violencia de género" published by the Speak Out for Support (SOS-VICS) project and supervised by Prof. Jim Hlavac from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

For several decades now, many countries have had a strong track record in the fight against gender violence (GV). GV or violence against women refers to “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life” (United Nations 1993). It is one of the most tragic consequences of the inequality between men and women.
WST 49.9 T1.1 corr

Taste and smell work together to identify the chemical composition of what we intend to ingest. In recent years, our understanding of the mammalian physiology of taste and smell has greatly increased. In addition to its intrinsic value, this increased understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of flavor recognition provides also a new view on our behavioral response to edible matter.
pywebaudioplayer: Bridging the gap between audio processing code in Python and attractive visualisations based on web technology

Lately, a number of audio players based on web technology have made it possible for researchers to present their audio-related work in an attractive manner. Tools such as wavesurfer.js, waveform-playlist and trackswitch.js provide highly-configurable players, allowing a more interactive exploration of scientific results that goes beyond simple linear playback. However, the audio output to be presented is in many cases not generated by the same web technologies. The process of preparing audio data for display therefore requires manual intervention, in order to bridge the resulting gap between programming languages. While this is acceptable for one-time events, such as the preparation of final results, it prevents the usage of such players during the iterative development cycle. Having access to rich audio players already during development would allow researchers to get more instantaneous feedback. The current workflow consists of repeatedly importing audio into a digital audio workstation in order to achieve similar capabilities, a repetitive and timeconsuming process. In order to address these needs, we present pywebaudioplayer, a Python package that automates the generation of code snippets for the each of the three aforementioned web audio players. It is aimed at use-cases where audio development in Python is combined with web visualisation. Notable examples are Jupyter Notebook and WSGI-compatible web frameworks such as Flask or Django.
The Ontology of Creativity in Industrial Cleaning by Frederik Hertel and Michelle Wicmandy

Creativity is (e.g. Gadner, 1993) often associated with the arts, science, technology, high-end products developed (cf. Plucker, Beghetto & Dow, 2004) by a genius working through long, complicated, isolated, arduous and mythical procedures. But, what about ordinary people doing ordinary work in their everyday organizational life? Would it make sense to describe them as creative as well? Would it e.g. make sense to claim that industrial cleaners are regularly being creative? In this article, we will analyze a case study that examines industrial cleaning workers in the food-industry services. The article belongs to (Clark II & Fast, 2008) qualitative economics and is based on ideographic methodology. This analysis collected data though participatory observation, formal and informal qualitative interviews during a period of three years. Based on analyses, we conclude that industrial cleaners regularly produce everyday creativity, also known as small “c”. We also conclude that it is rare to find examples of big “C,” creativity leading to radical change. In this study, only one example of creativity outside of small “c” was observed. This creative act was produced by an external consultant rather than the industrial cleaners being studied.
Comparative anatomy of acromion process and its association with prevalence and prevention of impingement syndrome

The objective of this study is to compare the morphometric features of, acromion process of humans with that of other vertebrates, and find its association with impingement syndrome. This study also aims to prevent the incidence of impingement syndrome by using various prevention techniques. For the comparative study, human scapulae were morphometrically measured and compared with the scapulae of other vertebrates. The influence of physical activities over modification of growth of acromion into various types was studied among the swimmers' population with radiographic evidence. The acromion process of 90 scapulae collected from the Anatomy Department of Saveetha Medical College and the scapula of other vertebrates like- canine, bovine, equine and apes collected from the Anatomy Department of Madras Veterinary College were studied and measured. The mean breadth of the right side and left side curved acromion is 24.26mm and 23.84mm, respectively. And for the right side and left side flat acromion it is 25.26mm and 25.36mm respectively. For canine, it is 14.87mm and 14.34mm, respectively. For bovine it is 20.33mm and 19.94mm respectively. It is concluded that apes do not have impingement syndrome due to the cranially oriented spinous and acromion process. This study also gives evidence that physical activities influence the growth of acromion into its various types, which is one of the important factors causing impingement syndrome.
Role of nitric oxide in the control of cerebral microcirculation under physiological and pathological condition

Effect of nitric oxide (NO) on vasomotor tone of cerebral parenchymal arterioles was studied in rats. Then, the role of NO was clinically investigated in the pathogenesis of progressive cerebral vascular occlusive disease, moyamoya disease. In rat, the cerebral arterioles, about 30-60 μm in diameter, were dilated by L-arginine, a precursor of NO, at concentrations as low as 0.1 μmol with maximal dilation of 14% at 100 μmol. The arterioles were constricted by N G -monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), a NO synthesis inhibitor. Superoxide dismutase, which seems to protect NO from inactivation, increased sensitivity of L-arginine. Compared with control specimens of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) obtained from 16 patients, concentrations NO metabolites in the CSF of 23 patients with moyamoya disease were significantly higher. NO metabolites concentrations obtained during initial surgery decreased during a second, contralateral procedure. NO plays an important role in the regulation of basal tone of cerebral parenchymal arterioles and contributes to the increase in collateral circulation in cerebral occlusive disease like moyamoya disease. Vascular bypass surgery can reduce NO metabolites together with abnormal collateral circulation.
The triple assessment in the pre-operative evaluation of patients with breast cancer in Mulago Hospital, Kampala – Uganda

Background: Triple assessment has been recommended in diagnosis of Breast cancer in Uganda. This review analyses its diagnostic value in patients presenting with clinically malignant breast lumps. Objective: To establish the validity and reliability of the triple assessment in the pre-operative evaluation of patients with breast cancer in Mulago Hospital. Methods: A total of 200 patients suspected to have breast cancer were evaluated. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, mammography and fine needle aspiration cytology. Histology was done to confirm the diagnosis. Results: A total of 200 patients were studied. The age ranged from 19 to 88 years. Sixty-six patients had benign lesions. There were 134 were breast cancer cases. With triple assessment, 84 patients were diagnostic for malignancy and 30 benign, respectively confirmed by histology. The Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value, Negative Predictive Value and Accuracy were respectively 100.0%. Error was 0.0%. The Kappa statistic for the combination was 1.0. Conclusions and Recommendations: The triple assessment is valid and reliable. Breast masses can be diagnosed with a high degree of accuracy by the triple assessment. Diagnostic open biopsy is mandated if the triple assessment results show a lack of concordance.
High Power Factor vs. High zT—A Review of Thermoelectric Materials for High-Temperature Application

Energy harvesting with thermoelectric materials has been investigated with increasing attention over recent decades. However, the vast number of various material classes makes it difficult to maintain an overview of the best candidates. Thus, we revitalize Ioffe plots as a useful tool for making the thermoelectric properties of a material obvious and easily comparable. These plots enable us to consider not only the efficiency of the material by the figure of merit zT but also the power factor and entropy conductivity as separate parameters. This is especially important for high-temperature applications, where a critical look at the impact of the power factor and thermal conductivity is mandatory. Thus, this review focuses on material classes for high-temperature applications and emphasizes the best candidates within the material classes of oxides, oxyselenides, Zintl phases, half-Heusler compounds, and SiGe alloys. An overall comparison between these material classes with respect to either a high efficiency or a high power output is discussed.
The Perception of Countries and Currencies Revisited: "Changing Places?"

Abstract: According to Wish, Deutsch & Biener (1972), the perceived similarities of familiar countries (large in size or in population and sampled from across the world) depend upon their respective similarities on political, economic, geographical and cultural attributes. They established this by using geometric modelling designed for multiple proximity matrices, viz., INDSCAL. In the present work, we attempted to extend such an approach to the perception of currencies including the euro, but we also aimed to revisit the perception of countries in a contemporary, European context. Given some initial doubt about the extent of people's knowledge of currencies as compared to countries, we undertook a simulation study making use of Latent Semantic Analysis. This involved simulating three semantic proximity matrices: for 21 countries (Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Belgium, Austria, Norway, Finland, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Spain, France, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Netherlands, Portugal, Luxembourg, Hungary, & Sweden) plus Europe; for 22 currencies represented by adjective noun phrases (e.g. British Pound); and for 22 nationality items. INDSCAL analysis suggested that in the case of nationality currency phrases the currency component contributed little if anything to the similarity of their meanings, since the semantic structure appeared to be indistinguishable from that obtained for nationalities. In second and third studies, we collected real proximity data for 21countries and for 22 nationality currency phrases (including the European euro). Our aim in both studies was to assay the potential impact of changes associated with the arrival of the euro on the psychological representations for both the set of countries and the set of nationality currency phrases. Using fresh UK undergraduate samples each time and testing just after the New Year, we collected freesort proximity data at approximately two-yearly intervals for countries and annually for nationality currency phrases between 1999 and 2003, thereby covering the arrival of euro notes and coins in 12 of the nations in 2002. Our preliminary findings for countries appear to be consistent with Wish et al.'s (1972) work. However, the extension to the perception of currencies proved to be more problematic than anticipated, and the yield from attempting to track the impact of the arrival of the euro has been less rewarding than we hoped.