gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Text-independent F0 transformation with non-parallel data for voice conversion (2010)

In voice conversion, frame-level mean and variance normal- ization is typically used for fundamental frequency (F0) trans- formation, which is text-independent and requires no parallel training data. Some advanced methods transform pitch con- tours instead, but require either parallel training data or syllabic annotations. We propose a method which retains the simplic- ity and text-independence of the frame-level conversion while yielding high-quality conversion. We achieve these goals by (1) introducing a text-independent tri-frame alignment method, (2) including delta features of F0 into Gaussian mixture model (GMM) conversion and (3) reducing the well-known GMM oversmoothing effect by F0 histogram equalization. Our ob- jective and subjective experiments on the CMU Arctic corpus indicate improvements over both the mean/variance normaliza- tion and the baseline GMM conversion. Index Terms: Voice conversion, F0 transformation, GMM, his- togram equalization, text-independence <br/><br/>
Dense Parity Check Based Secrecy Sharing in Wireless Communications (2007)

It is generally believed harmful to have transmission errors in the wireless communications. The high decoding complexity of dense parity check codes is unfavorable. This paper proposes to apply these two "negative" facts to enable the secrecy sharing with the information theoretical security. We claim that the secrecy sharing is always possible if the wiretap channel is not error-free, regardless of the main channel performance. Particularly, the proposed secrecy sharing protocol can provide provable and testable security using the existing wireless technologies.
Seed Coat Ruthenium Red Staining Assay (2014)

The goal of this protocol is to assay for defects in synthesis/secretion/release of seed coat mucilage by ruthenium red staining of mature whole seeds.The mucilage secretory cells of the Arabidopsis seed coat synthesize and secrete a large quantity of primarily pectinaceous mucilage to a ring-shaped apical domain during their differentiation. This makes them an excellent model system to identify genes involved in both cell wall synthesis and secretion (et al., 2000). When wild-type seeds are incubated in ruthenium red stain, hydrated mucilage is extruded from epidermal cells and a ‘halo’ of red-stained mucilage is observed surrounding the seed (Western et al., 2000). Reduced mucilage staining may result from defects in cell wall biosynthesis, secretion, or impaired release upon hydration.
A nanoparticulate indium tin oxide field-effect transistor with solid electrolyte gating (2008)

Reversible tuning of the transport properties of metallic conducting systems is not reported widely in the literature. Here, we report a junction field-effect transistor (FET) based on a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) nanoparticle channel and a solid polymer electrolyte as a gate. The device principle is based on the variation of the drain current induced by the capacitive double layer charging at the electrolyte/nanoparticle interfaces. A device with a metallic conducting channel made of indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles exhibits an on/off ratio of 2 × 10(3) even when the gate potential is limited within the electrochemical capacitive region to avoid redox reactions at the interface. An FET device with metal-like conductance is always favored for the low dimensions of the device and a high on-state current. The field-effect mobility is calculated to be 24.3 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). A subthreshold swing between 230 and 425 mV dec(-1) is observed.
Estimating relative abundances of proteins from shotgun proteomics data (2012)

With the crux spectral-counts command, Crux provides open-source modular methods to analyze mass spectrometry data for identifying and now quantifying peptides and proteins. The C++ source code, compiled binaries, spectra and sequence databases are available at http://noble.gs.washington.edu/proj/crux-spectral-counts.
Axonal growth of embryonic stem cell-derived motoneurons <i>in vitro</i> and in motoneuron-injured adult rats (2004)

We generated spinal motoneurons from embryonic stem (ES) cells to determine the developmental potential of these cells in vitro and their capacity to replace motoneurons in the adult mammalian spinal cord. ES cell-derived motoneurons extended long axons, formed neuromuscular junctions, and induced muscle contraction when cocultured with myoblasts. We transplanted motoneuron-committed ES cells into the spinal cords of adult rats with motoneuron injury and found that approximately 3,000 ES cell-derived motoneurons (25% of input) survived for >1 month in the spinal cord of each animal. ES cell-derived axonal growth was inhibited by myelin, and this inhibition was overcome by administration of dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) or a Rho kinase inhibitor in vitro and in vivo. In transplanted rats infused with dbcAMP, approximately 80 ES cell-derived motor axons were observed within the ventral roots of each animal, whereas none were observed in transplanted rats not treated with dbcAMP. Because these cells replicate many of the developmental and mature features of true motoneurons, they are an important biological tool to understand formation of motor units in vitro and a potential therapeutic tool to reconstitute neural circuits in vivo.
Automatic Layerwise Acquisition of Thermal and Geometric Data of the Electron Beam Melting Process using Infrared Thermography (2014)

Layerwise monitoring has become an area of interest in the field of additive manufacturing because of potential to further enable part qualification during every stage of fabrication. Spatial monitoring and qualification during part fabrication has never before been possible with traditional manufacturing processes such as milling or casting. An IR camera has been externally annexed atop an EBM system to obtain layerwise thermographs throughout the fabrication process. This paper demonstrates a process to compare each layer of fabrication using automatically acquired thermal images to the corresponding CAD file for each fabricated object. Two different methods of image analysis for part detection were compared (analysis on the basis of color and analysis by edge detection). Detection allowed the quantification of processing information (average temperature and surface anomalies) and geometric information (surface area and perimeter). A percent error of the compared surface area was found to range from 5%- 17%, and automatically acquired temperature measurements were within 7.8K of the recorded thermograph. The methods presented in this research showcase the beginning steps of integrated metrology in advanced manufacturing systems and automatic monitoring of per-part thermal behavior and part quality.
Synthesis and cytotoxicity of novel steroidal C-20 oxime ester derivatives from 16-DPA (2015)

A series of novel steroidal C-20 oxime ester derivatives were prepared from 16-DPA, and their structures were characterized by IR, 1D-NMR and ESI-MS methods. The compounds were tested against NB4, PC-3 and HeLa cancer cells in vitro, five of which showed potent cytotoxicity. Preliminary results indicated that structure modification of C-20 oxime ester may have potential cytotoxicity. Keywords: 16-DPA, Steroidal, Oxime ester, Cytotoxicity
An extract (THC‐002) of Ba‐Wei‐Die‐Huang‐Wan inhibits expression of tachykinins, and P2X3 and TRPV1 receptors, and inhibits ATP‐induced detrusor overactivity in spontaneously hypertensive rats (2009)

In SHRs, THC-002 reduced the bladder expression of tachykinins and P2X3 and TRPV1 receptors, and inhibited ATP-induced detrusor overactivity. These effects may explain part of its beneficial effects on LUTS.
Polymer strategies in perovskite solar cells (2017)

ABSTRACT Since their emergence in 2013, perovskite solar cells have reached remarkable efficiencies exceeding 22%. Such rapid development of this technology has been possible, in part, due to the feed of ideas from previous research in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and light emitting diodes (OLEDs). This comprehensive review discusses the various polymer strategies that have led to the success of perovskite devices: from hole and electron transporting materials to polymer templating agents. This review further covers how these strategies potentially serve to overcome the two major obstacles that stand in the way of global implementation of perovskite solar cells; stability and J‐V curve hysteresis. Through reference and comparison of OPV, OLED, and perovskite technologies, we highlight the need for a unified approach to establish appropriate control systems and ageing protocols that are necessary to further research in this exciting direction. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55 , 549–568
Reaction of Hydrogen Fluoride Gas at High Temperatures with Silicon Oxide Film and Silicon Surface (1998)

The chemical nature of hydrogen fluoride gas at high temperatures, 523–1173 K, for etching silicon dioxide in hydrogen ambient at atmospheric pressure is studied, for the first time. Although only a slight decrease in the silicon dioxide film thickness can be observed below 1000 K, its surface is significantly etched above 1000 K. Hydrogen fluoride gas in the temperature range of 500-1000 K in hydrogen ambient is experimentally shown to be nonreactive with silicon dioxide. The existence of water molecules is necessary for hydrogen fluoride gas to etch silicon dioxide even at high temperatures. At temperatures above 873 K, hydrogen fluoride gas can react to roughen the surface of the silicon substrate. The corrosion of silicon carbide by hydrogen fluoride gas is also observed as the formation of pits at the surface.
Progress in metal organic cluster EUV photoresists (2018)

Most advanced microelectronic devices are made by using 193 nm immersion lithography systems, but it is difficult to follow the rapid development of semiconductors due to their approaching physical limits. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography which uses a shorter wavelength (i.e., 13.5 nm) light source can offer a way to print features under a 20 nm HP. EUV lithography requires photoresists that utilize EUV photons because photons generated by EUV exposure are fewer than photons generated by 193 nm light exposure. In this paper, our recent progress in metal oxide photoresist research will be discussed.
Endoscopy of GI Tract (2013)

Endoscopy has had a major impact in the development of modern gastroenterology and other medical specialties. The field of endoscopic procedure has developed over the last decade. By using different data it provided a better understanding of pathogenic mechanisms, described new entities and used for early detection, diagnostic procedures and therapeutic procedures. The advantages of many technical advances and modern-endoscopic equipments, endoscopy has had a developed spectacularly. Furthermore, endoscopy has surpassed its function as an examination tool and it became a rapid and efficient therapeutic tool of low invasiveness. The efficacy and usefulness of endoscopy has yet been established.
Targeting Mycolic Acid Transport by Indole-2-carboxamides for the Treatment of <i>Mycobacterium abscessus</i> Infections (2017)

Mycobacterium abscessus is a fast-growing, multidrug-resistant organism that has emerged as a clinically significant pathogen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The intrinsic resistance of M. abscessus to most commonly available antibiotics seriously restricts chemotherapeutic options. Herein, we report the potent activity of a series of indolecarboxamides against M. abscessus. The lead compounds, 6 and 12, exhibited strong activity in vitro against a wide panel of M. abscessus isolates and in infected macrophages. High resistance levels to the indolecarboxamides appear to be associated with an A309P mutation in the mycolic acid transporter MmpL3. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that while de novo mycolic acid synthesis remained unaffected, the indolecarboxamides strongly inhibited the transport of trehalose monomycolate, resulting in the loss of trehalose dimycolate production and abrogating mycolylation of arabinogalactan. Our data introduce a hereto unexploited chemical structure class active against M. abscessus infections with promising translational development possibilities for the treatment of CF patients.
Fruitiers sauvages du Cameroun (1988)

Description botanique, répartition, utilisation et multiplication des fruitiers sauvages du Cameroun : Césalpiniacées, Chrysobalanacées, Connaracées, Clusiacées, Cucurbitacées et Ebénacées
FOLLOW ME, SAFE INFRASTRUCTURE-GUIDED LANE MERGING (2001)

Merging lanes on a motorway often form a serious bottleneck. Not only because capacity decreases downstream of the merging location, but also as the result of non-optimal merging behavior of the drivers. The competitive merging environment furthermore easily leads to unsafe conditions. By guiding the drivers with moving light signals embedded in the motorway road surface, the merging capacity can be increased significantly. The guiding algorithms together with the surrounding infrastructure, such as variable road markings, can be optimized for traffic safety.
Circulating cytokines and CD30 in normal human pregnancy and recurrent spontaneous abortions (2000)

Concentrations of the T-helper (Th) 1 cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) -alpha, TNF-beta and interferon-gamma, Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10 as well as those of soluble CD30 in sera have been examined during the three trimesters of gestation, at delivery in normal pregnancy, and at the time of spontaneous abortion in women with a history of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Significantly higher concentrations of the Th2 cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 were found at normal delivery than in women with RSA, and conversely significantly increased concentrations of the Th1-type cytokine TNF-alpha were found in RSA as compared with successful pregnancy. In abortion-prone women who had a successful pregnancy, significantly higher concentrations of IL-6 and significantly lower concentrations of TNF-alpha were found as compared with abortion-prone women who had another abortion, supporting the notion that Th2- and Th1-bias are associated with successful and unsuccessful pregnancy respectively. Serum CD30 concentrations did not correlate with the outcome of pregnancy. These findings support observations drawn from experiments on the cytokine secretion profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and decidual lymphocytes which suggest that normal pregnancy is Th2-biased and that unexplained RSA is associated with Th1-type reactivity.
Head Injury Induces Increased Prostaglandin Synthesis in Rat Brain (1987)

Head injury was induced in the left hemisphere of rats. The rats were killed at various time intervals after trauma (immediately, 15 min, 1 and 18 h, and 4 and 10 days), and the rates of synthesis and release of prostaglandin PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, and thromboxane TXB2 from cortical slices of both hemispheres were studied. The rate of synthesis of PGE2 after 18 h was six and four times higher than control in the contused and contralateral hemispheres, respectively. By 10 days post-trauma, both hemispheres had normal rate of PGE2 release. TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha synthetases were affected already 15 min after the injury, and a similarly elevated rate of synthesis was found in both hemispheres. The maximal effect was detected after 1 or 18 h with return to normal after 4 or 10 days for TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, respectively. Tissue specific gravity was determined for both hemispheres using linear gradient columns. The results of these determinations indicate that development of edema occurs in the contused hemisphere as early as 15 min post trauma; it reaches its maximal level at 18 h and returns to normal at 10 days. Arterial pressure was monitored, and a transient increase was found at 10 min post trauma. We suggest that the production of edema after brain injury may be related to the increased rate of PGE2 and PGI2 synthesis, which occurs at similar time intervals after injury.
Supporting Collaboration in Heterogeneous Environments (2004)

Heterogeneous sharing in synchronous collaboration is important with the proliferation of diverse computing environments, such as wearable computers and handheld devices. We present here a data-centric design for synchronous collaboration of users with heterogeneous computing platforms. Our approach allows clients with different capabilities to share different subsets of data in order to conserve communication bandwidth. We have built a robust middleware consisting of a distributed repository of shared data objects and a client-server-based infrastructure. Using the middleware, we have developed a framework for building collaborative applications for clients with different display and processing capabilities. We discuss the design and implementation of our middleware and framework and evaluate them by building four complex sample applications that demonstrate scalability, good performance, and high degree of code reusability.
Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review of Disease-Causing Mutations in Myosin Heavy Chain 7 and Their Phenotypic Manifestations (2009)

This study suggests that mutation location in the MYH7 gene and changes in amino acid composition can have a negative impact on the disease outcome in individuals with cardiomyopathy.
Improving the Conductivity of Sulfonated Polyimides as Proton Exchange Membranes by Doping of a Protic Ionic Liquid (2014)

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are a key component of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Sulfonated polyimides (SPIs) were doped by protic ionic liquid (PIL) to prepare composite PEMs with substantially improved conductivity. SPIs were synthesized from diamine, 2,2-bis[4-(4-amino-phenoxy)phenyl]propane (BAPP), sulfonated diamine, 4,4'-diamino diphenyl ether-2,2'-disulfonic acid (ODADS) and aromatic anhydride. BAPP improved the mechanical and thermal properties of SPIs, while ODADS enhanced conductivity. A PIL, 1-vinylimidazolium trifluoromethane-sulfonate ([VIm][OTf]), was utilized. [VIm][OTf] offered better conductivity, which can be attributed to its vinyl chemical structure attached to an imidazolium ring that contributed to ionomer-PIL interactions. We prepared sulfonated polyimide/ionic liquid (SPI/IL) composite PEMs using 50 wt% [VIm][OTf] with a conductivity of 7.17 mS/cm at 100 °C, and in an anhydrous condition, 3,3',4,4'-diphenyl sulfone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (DSDA) was used in the synthesis of SPIs, leading to several hundred-times improvement in conductivity compared to pristine SPIs.
[Choice of a scleroplasty method in progressive myopia in children]. (1992)

Dynamic analysis of the results of sclera-fortifying interventions (scleroplasty and sclera-fortifying injection) in children aged 8 to 12 has demonstrated that in many cases myopia stabilized but temporarily after sclera fortification in children with progressive myopia. Repeated sclera-fortifying interventions reduced the rate of postoperative myopia progress approximately twofold, the myopia stabilization period lasting for 1 to 2 years; in some cases myopia progress ceased after a repeated intervention. In 67% of patients myopia on the second eye did not progress for 6 months after sclera-fortifying injection and for a year after scleroplasty on the first eye. Sclera fortification in the paired eye is advisable within these periods. Analysis of the results from the viewpoint of the general mechanisms of scleroplasty effect has lead the authors to a conclusion that sclera-fortifying therapy of children with high progressive myopia should be carried out in several stages. A system of sclera-fortifying treatment of progressive myopia has been developed, and the continuity of methods used for this purpose validated. Effects of this treatment scheme on refraction and status of the fundus oculi are estimated.
Increased Urinary Hydrogen Peroxide Levels Caused by Coffee Drinking. (2002)

Experiments with volunteers in Singapore have demonstrated that coffee drinking increases urinary hydrogen peroxide levels (Long, Halliwell, Free Rad. Res., 32, 463-467 (2000)). We re-examined the effect of coffee drinking of healthy Japanese subjects on urinary hydrogen peroxide levels. A cup of brewed or canned coffee commercially available in Japan generated 120-420 micro mol hydrogen peroxide in incubation in a neutral medium at 37 degrees C for 6 h. The increased levels were higher than those obtained from a cup of green tea extract or a glass of red wine. After the subject drank a cup of coffee, apparent hydrogen peroxide levels (micro mol/g creatinine) in urine collected 1-2 h after coffee drinking increased 3-10-fold compared to the levels before coffee drinking. The increased urinary hydrogen peroxide levels are likely derived mainly from 1,2,4-benzenetriol excreted in urine, because the major component that generates hydrogen peroxide is found to be 1,2,4-benzenetriol, and storing urine collected after coffee drinking increased hydrogen peroxide levels in a time-dependent fashion. Total hydrogen peroxide equivalent levels excreted in 3 h-urine after coffee drinking were estimated to be 0.5-10% that of coffee consumed. A residual amount of hydrogen peroxide may be retained or consumed in human bodies.
Unstructured Road Edge Detection and Initial Positioning Approach based on Monocular Vision (2012)

This paper proposes two complementary road edge detection methods for unstructured roads. The methods can be used for visual navigation and intelligent control of mobile robots. One method is color-based, which is applicable to the circumstance that the road and off-road areas have obvious color difference; the other is based on threshold segmentation and can be applied even the road boundary is not clear. On the other hand, shadow has enormous impact on threshold segmentation method, but color-based method is not sensitive to it. These make the two methods complementary. Furthermore, on the basis of edge detection, inverse perspective projection transformation is carried out to calculate running state of the robots. Through experiments on mobile robot platform, verifications that the two proposed methods complement each other in different road environments well are made. The experiments also show that the methods achieve high accuracy in initial positioning and meet requirement of real-time.
Genomic DNA preparation enabling multiple replicate reads for accurate nanopore sequencing (2015)

Abstract Sequencing at single-nucleotide resolution using nanopore devices is performed with reported error rates 10.5–20.7% (Ip et al., 2015). Since errors occur randomly during sequencing, repeating the sequencing procedure for the same DNA strands several times can generate sequencing results based on consensus derived from replicate readings, thus reducing overall error rates. The method presented in this manuscript constructs copies of a nucleic acid molecule that are consecutively connected to the nucleic acid molecule. Such copies are useful because they can be sequenced by a nanopore device, enabling replicate reads, thus improving overall sequencing accuracy.