Multi-Modal Automatic Prosody Annotation with Contrastive Pretraining of SSWP

In the realm of expressive Text-to-Speech (TTS), explicit prosodic boundaries significantly advance the naturalness and controllability of synthesized speech. While human prosody annotation contributes a lot to the performance, it is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process, often resulting in inconsistent outcomes. Despite the availability of extensive supervised data, the current benchmark model still faces performance setbacks. To address this issue, a two-stage automatic annotation pipeline is novelly proposed in this paper. Specifically, in the first stage, we propose contrastive text-speech pretraining of Speech-Silence and Word-Punctuation (SSWP) pairs. The pretraining procedure hammers at enhancing the prosodic space extracted from joint text-speech space. In the second stage, we build a multi-modal prosody annotator, which consists of pretrained encoders, a straightforward yet effective text-speech feature fusion scheme, and a sequence classifier. Extensive experiments conclusively demonstrate that our proposed method excels at automatically generating prosody annotation and achieves state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance. Furthermore, our novel model has exhibited remarkable resilience when tested with varying amounts of data.Comment: Submitted to ICASSP 202

TranssionADD: A multi-frame reinforcement based sequence tagging model for audio deepfake detection

Thanks to recent advancements in end-to-end speech modeling technology, it has become increasingly feasible to imitate and clone a user`s voice. This leads to a significant challenge in differentiating between authentic and fabricated audio segments. To address the issue of user voice abuse and misuse, the second Audio Deepfake Detection Challenge (ADD 2023) aims to detect and analyze deepfake speech utterances. Specifically, Track 2, named the Manipulation Region Location (RL), aims to pinpoint the location of manipulated regions in audio, which can be present in both real and generated audio segments. We propose our novel TranssionADD system as a solution to the challenging problem of model robustness and audio segment outliers in the trace competition. Our system provides three unique contributions: 1) we adapt sequence tagging task for audio deepfake detection; 2) we improve model generalization by various data augmentation techniques; 3) we incorporate multi-frame detection (MFD) module to overcome limited representation provided by a single frame and use isolated-frame penalty (IFP) loss to handle outliers in segments. Our best submission achieved 2nd place in Track 2, demonstrating the effectiveness and robustness of our proposed system

Protection of Pentoxifylline against Testis Injury Induced by Intermittent Hypobaric Hypoxia

To investigate the effect of pentoxifylline (PTX) on spermatogenesis dysfunction induced by intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) and unveil the underlying mechanism, experimental animals were assigned to Control, IHH+Vehicle, and IHH+PTX groups and exposed to 4 cycles of 96 h of hypobaric hypoxia followed by 96 h of normobaric normoxia for 32 days. PTX was administered for 32 days. Blood and tissue samples were collected 7 days thereafter. Serum malondialdehyde levels were used to assess lipid peroxidation; ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), superoxide dismutase, and catalase and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activities were assessed to determine antioxidant capacity in various samples. Testis histopathology was assessed after hematoxylin-eosin staining by Johnsen’s testicular scoring system. Meanwhile, testosterone synthase and vimentin amounts were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Sperm count, motility, and density were assessed to determine epididymal sperm quality. IHH treatment induced significant pathological changes in testicular tissue and enhanced serum lipid peroxide levels, while reducing serum FRAP, antioxidant enzyme activities, and testosterone synthase expression. Moreover, IHH impaired epididymal sperm quality and vimentin structure in Sertoli cells. Oral administration of PTX improved the pathological changes in the testis. IHH may impair spermatogenesis function of testicular tissues by inducing oxidative stress, but this impairment could be attenuated by administration of PTX

Total saponins from Trillium tschonoskii Maxim promote neurological recovery in model rats with post-stroke cognitive impairment

Total saponins from Trillium tschonoskii Maxim (TSTT), a bioactive component of local natural herbs in the Enshi area, China, have been demonstrated to have functions of restoring cognitive capacity and promoting axonal regeneration post-stroke, but the mechanism of this process remains unclear. The hippocampus is a critical tissue for controlling learning and memory capacity, and the sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway plays a major role in the patterning and synaptic plasticity of hippocampal neural circuits. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether TSTT could restore learning and cognitive functions by modulating the Shh pathway in rats with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). The ischemia model was established by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in 100 Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats, and the model rats were administered using TSTT (100 mg/kg) or donepezil hydrochloride as the positive control (daily 0.45 mg/kg, DON) for 4 weeks after the operation. As assessed by the Morris water maze test, the cognitive function of PSCI rats was significantly improved upon TSTT treatment. Meanwhile, the cerebral infarct volume reduced with TSTT, as shown by HE and TTC staining, and the number of Nissl bodies and dendritic spine density were significantly increased, as shown by Nissl and Golgi staining. In addition, TSTT upregulated PSD-95, SYN, and GAP-43, and inhibited neuronal apoptosis, as evidenced by increased Bcl-2 levels along with decreased Bax and caspase-3 expression. TSTT could also significantly upregulate Shh, Ptch1, Smo, and Gli1 proteins, indicating the activation of the Shh signaling pathway. Therefore, TSTT can protect PSCI rats by inhibiting apoptosis and promoting neuronal synaptic remodeling. The Shh pathway is also involved

Fabrication of a highly stable Nb2O5@C/CNTs based anolyte for lithium slurry flow batteries

Improving the stability of the anolyte and catholyte is crucial for the fabrication of high-performance lithium slurry flow batteries (LSFBs). To achieve an optimal slurry electrode for LSFBs, an anisotropic Nb2O5@C/CNTs nanocomposite was synthesized. The effects of active material content on the electrical and rheological behaviors of the slurry were studied systematically. An approximate bell-shaped curve depicts the variation trend of electronic conductivity under different Nb-based active material contents. The high aspect ratio of carbon nanotubes was found to be responsible for the formation of a conductive network in the slurry. The optimal matching point between active materials and KB increased from 8 wt% (Nb2O5@C) to 16 wt% (Nb2O5@C/CNTs). Under the condition that a KB percolation network was created, the as-prepared Nb2O5@C/CNTs anolyte delivers a high specific capacity of 217 mA h g(-1) and Coulombic efficiency > 92% in the flow reactor under a static mode. Moreover, the assembled flow reactor could work well under an intermittent flow mode, which indicates the feasibility of the as-prepared anolytes in a flow reactor. The fabrication of the highly stable Nb2O5@C/CNTs based anolyte will be helpful for the development of high energy density LSFBs with ultralong cyclability

Immunoinformatic-Based Multi-Epitope Vaccine Design for Co-Infection of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> and SARS-CoV-2

(1) Background: Many co-infections of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged since the occurrence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This study aims to design an effective preventive multi-epitope vaccine against the co-infection of MTB and SARS-CoV-2. (2) Methods: The three selected proteins (spike protein, diacylglycerol acyltransferase, and low molecular weight T-cell antigen TB8.4) were predicted using bioinformatics, and 16 epitopes with the highest ranks (10 helper T lymphocyte epitopes, 2 CD8+ T lymphocytes epitopes, and 4 B-cell epitopes) were selected and assembled into the candidate vaccine referred to as S7D5L4. The toxicity, sensitization, stability, solubility, antigenicity, and immunogenicity of the S7D5L4 vaccine were evaluated using bioinformatics tools. Subsequently, toll-like receptor 4 docking simulation and discontinuous B-cell epitope prediction were performed. Immune simulation and codon optimization were carried out using immunoinformatics and molecular biology tools. (3) Results: The S7D5L4 vaccine showed good physical properties, such as solubility, stability, non-sensitization, and non-toxicity. This vaccine had excellent antigenicity and immunogenicity and could successfully simulate immune responses in silico. Furthermore, the normal mode analysis of the S7D5L4 vaccine and toll-like receptor 4 docking simulation demonstrated that the vaccine had docking potential and a stable reaction. (4) Conclusions: The S7D5L4 vaccine designed to fight against the co-infection of MTB and SARS-CoV-2 may be safe and effective. The protective efficacy of this promising vaccine should be further verified using in vitro and in vivo experiments

Bioinformatic Analyses of Subgroup-A Members of the Wheat bZIP Transcription Factor Family and Functional Identification of TabZIP174 Involved in Drought Stress Response

Extensive studies in Arabidopsis and rice have demonstrated that Subgroup-A members of the bZIP transcription factor family play important roles in plant responses to multiple abiotic stresses. Although common wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed food crops in the world, there are limited investigations into Subgroup A of the bZIP family in wheat. In this study, we performed bioinformatic analyses of the 41 Subgroup-A members of the wheat bZIP family. Phylogenetic and conserved motif analyses showed that most of the Subgroup-A bZIP proteins involved in abiotic stress responses of wheat, Arabidopsis and rice clustered in Clade A1 of the phylogenetic tree, and shared a majority of conserved motifs, suggesting the potential importance of Clade-A1 members in abiotic stress responses. Gene structure analysis showed that TabZIP genes with close phylogenetic relationships tended to possess similar exon-intron compositions, and the positions of introns in the hinge regions of the bZIP domains were highly conserved, whereas introns in the leucine zipper regions were at variable positions. Additionally, eleven groups of homologs and two groups of tandem paralogs were also identified in Subgroup A of the wheat bZIP family. Expression profiling analysis indicated that most Subgroup-A TabZIP genes were responsive to abscisic acid and various abiotic stress treatments. TabZIP27, TabZIP74, TabZIP138 and TabZIP174 proteins were localized in the nucleus of wheat protoplasts, whereas TabZIP9-GFP fusion protein was simultaneously present in the nucleus, cytoplasm and cell membrane. Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing TabZIP174 displayed increased seed germination rates and primary root lengths under drought treatments. Overexpression of TabZIP174 in transgenic Arabidopsis conferred enhanced drought tolerance, and transgenic plants exhibited lower water loss rates, higher survival rates, higher proline, soluble sugar and leaf chlorophyll contents, as well as more stable osmotic potential under drought conditions. Additionally, overexpression of TabZIP174 increased the expression of stress-responsive genes (RD29A, RD29B, RAB18, DREB2A, COR15A and COR47). The improved drought resistance might be attributed to the increased osmotic adjustment capacity. Our results indicate that TabZIP174 may participate in regulating plant response to drought stress and holds great potential for genetic improvement of abiotic stress tolerance in crops

Structural Properties and Macrophage Activation of Cell Wall Polysaccharides from the Fruiting Bodies of Hericium erinaceus

In this study, water-soluble and alkali-soluble cell wall polysaccharides were obtained from fruiting body extracted residual micropowders of Hericium erinaceus, harvested at seven different growing stages. The structural properties and in vitro immunity activities of cell wall polysaccharides extracted successively by hot water and sodium hydroxide solution were studied, and the results indicated that the yield and content of polysaccharides increased during the reproductive growth stage and decreased with the maturity of the fruiting body. Water-soluble cell wall polysaccharides mainly composed of glucose and galactose at a molar ratio of 3.4&ndash;14:1.0, and also contained a small ratio of glucuronic acid. The alkali-soluble cell wall polysaccharides were glucans with lower molecular weight and higher macrophage activation activity in vitro than water-soluble ones. Our findings suggest that the growth stages (H4 and H5) are suitable for harvesting H. erinaceus fruiting bodies with higher cell wall polysaccharide yield and functional benefits