AVATecH ― automated annotation through audio and video analysis

In different fields of the humanities annotations of multimodal resources are a necessary component of the research workflow. Examples include linguistics, psychology, anthropology, etc. However, creation of those annotations is a very laborious task, which can take 50 to 100 times the length of the annotated media, or more. This can be significantly improved by applying innovative audio and video processing algorithms, which analyze the recordings and provide automated annotations. This is the aim of the AVATecH project, which is a collaboration of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) and the Fraunhofer institutes HHI and IAIS. In this paper we present a set of results of automated annotation together with an evaluation of their quality

Application of audio and video processing methods for language research

Annotations of media recordings are the grounds for linguistic research. Since creating those annotations is a very laborious task, reaching 100 times longer than the length of the annotated media, innovative audio and video processing algorithms are needed, in order to improve the efficiency and quality of annotation process. The AVATecH project, started by the Max-Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) and the Fraunhofer institutes HHI and IAIS, aims at significantly speeding up the process of creating annotations of audio-visual data for humanities research. In order for this to be achieved a range of state-of-the-art audio and video pattern recognition algorithms have been developed and integrated into widely used ELAN annotation tool. To address the problem of heterogeneous annotation tasks and recordings we provide modular components extended by adaptation and feedback mechanisms to achieve competitive annotation quality within significantly less annotation time

Severe hydrops in the infant of a Rhesus D-positive mother due to anti-c antibodies diagnosed antenatally: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Rhesus haemolytic disease of the newborn is a prototype of maternal isoimmunisation and fetal haemolytic disease. There are other rare blood group antigens capable of causing alloimmunisation and haemolytic disease such as c, C, E, Kell and Duffy. In India, after the confirmation of a newborn's blood group, antibodies are screened only if the mother is Rehsus D-negative negative and the father is Rhesus D-positive. Hydrops in Rhesus positive women are investigated along the lines of non-immune hydrops.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a patient from India where irregular antibodies were requested for an O-positive 26-year-old mother in order to investigate fetal hydrops. Anti-c antibody was revealed and the fetus was treated successfully with compatible O negative and c negative intrauterine blood transfusions. The baby was treated postnatally with double volume exchange transfusion with the same compatible blood, and was discharged 30 days after birth.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We highlight the importance of conducting irregular antibody screening for women with significant obstetric history and fetal hydrops. This could assist in diagnosing and successfully treating the fetus with appropriate antigen negative cross-matched compatible blood. We note, however, that anti-c immunoglobulin is not yet readily available.</p

STAG2 is a clinically relevant tumor suppressor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a highly lethal cancer characterized by complex aberrant genomes. A fundamental goal of current studies is to identify those somatic events arising in the variable landscape of PDA genomes that can be exploited for improved clinical outcomes. Methods We used DNA content flow sorting to identify and purify tumor nuclei of PDA samples from 50 patients. The genome of each sorted sample was profiled by oligonucleotide comparative genomic hybridization and targeted resequencing of STAG2. Transposon insertions within STAG2 in a KRASG12D-driven genetically engineered mouse model of PDA were screened by RT-PCR. We then used a tissue microarray to survey STAG2 protein expression levels in 344 human PDA tumor samples and adjacent tissues. Univariate Kaplan Meier analysis and multivariate Cox Regression analysis were used to assess the association of STAG2 expression relative to overall survival and response to adjuvant therapy. Finally, RNAi-based assays with PDA cell lines were used to assess the potential therapeutic consequence of STAG2 expression in response to 18 therapeutic agents. Results STAG2 is targeted by somatic aberrations in a subset (4%) of human PDAs. Transposon-mediated disruption of STAG2 in a KRASG12D genetically engineered mouse model promotes the development of PDA and its progression to metastatic disease. There was a statistically significant loss of STAG2 protein expression in human tumor tissue (Wilcoxon-Rank test) with complete absence of STAG2 staining observed in 15 (4.3%) patients. In univariate Kaplan Meier analysis nearly complete STAG2 positive staining (>95% of nuclei positive) was associated with a median survival benefit of 6.41 months (P = 0.031). The survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy was only seen in patients with a STAG2 staining of less than 95% (median survival benefit 7.65 months; P = 0.028). Multivariate Cox Regression analysis showed that STAG2 is an independent prognostic factor for survival in pancreatic cancer patients. Finally, we show that RNAi-mediated knockdown of STAG2 selectively sensitizes human PDA cell lines to platinum-based therapy. Conclusions Based on these iterative findings we propose that STAG2 is a clinically significant tumor suppressor in PDA

Towards automated annotation of audio and video recordings by application of advanced web-services

In this paper we describe audio and video processing algorithms that are developed in the scope of AVATecH project. The purpose of these algorithms is to shorten the time taken by manual annotation of audio and video recordings by extracting features from media files and creating semi-automated annotations. We show that the use of such supporting algorithms can shorten the annotation time to 30-50% of the time necessary to perform a fully manual annotation of the same kind

The application of semiconductor epitaxy supporting software in MOCVD technology

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie oprogramowania komputerowego obejmującego szereg zadań związanych z epitaksją związków półprzewodnikowych. Wśród zadań tych znalazły miejsce: 1. zarządzanie przepływami prekursorów, 2. wspomaganie wytwarzania struktur ze studnią kwantową, 3. analiza struktur fotonicznych, 4. analiza potencjału elektrycznego w strukturach. Weryfikacja oprogramowania podczas pracy z systemem epitaksji MOCVD wykazała, że stanowi ono pozytywny przykład rozwiązania problemu numerycznego wspomagania procesu epitaksji.Several areas of semiconductor epitaxy can be efficiently assisted by computer recipes, some of these areas are already covered by well developed software units, other still needs such approach. The presentation of a software package combining most important tasks in one utility and some tests with MOCVD are included in this publication. The studied software overcomes following topics: 1. Flow corrections computing for ternary, quaternary or higher order compounds. 2. Analysis of quantum wells in semiconductor structures. 3. Analysis of Bragg reflectors and other 1- dimensional photonic structures. 4. Electrical potential profiling. 5. Calculators for minor epitaxy-related problems. Evaluation of flow corrections computing was tested on MOCVD with InGaAsP/InP, InGaAsP/GaAs, and other quaternaries and ternaries. Beside first order approximation, the process-flows response was exercised with application of "software-learning" empirical approach. Results indicated these functions as comfortable and efficient. The semiconductor quantum well structure analysis performed on AlGaAs/GaAs, InGaAs/GaAs, InGaAs/InP and other structures enabled to determine quantum well parameters with high accuracy. The algorithm developed for strained quantum wells was capable to resolve both QW thickness and composition in multiple PL test. The 1- dimensional photonic structure study with InGaAs/InP Bragg reflectors allowed to fit experimental data and resolve structure parameters and uniformity, technological problems with resonant cavities epitaxy have manifested as reduced by application of compiled numerical recipes. The next software area - electrical potential profiling - offered possibility to investigate HEMT structures, prepare potential data for semiconductor quantum well analysis or to forecast depletion regions of test structures. With few other numerical units all algorithms compose a solution of the problem of computer support for epitaxy