Aerial scene classification through fine-tuning with adaptive learning rates and label smoothing

Remote Sensing (RS) image classification has recently attracted great attention for its application in different tasks, including environmental monitoring, battlefield surveillance, and geospatial object detection. The best practices for these tasks often involve transfer learning from pre-trained Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). A common approach in the literature is employing CNNs for feature extraction, and subsequently train classifiers exploiting such features. In this paper, we propose the adoption of transfer learning by fine-tuning pre-trained CNNs for end-to-end aerial image classification. Our approach performs feature extraction from the fine-tuned neural networks and remote sensing image classification with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model with linear and Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernels. To tune the learning rate hyperparameter, we employ a linear decay learning rate scheduler as well as cyclical learning rates. Moreover, in order to mitigate the overfitting problem of pre-trained models, we apply label smoothing regularization. For the fine-tuning and feature extraction process, we adopt the Inception-v3 and Xception inception-based CNNs, as well the residual-based networks ResNet50 and DenseNet121. We present extensive experiments on two real-world remote sensing image datasets: AID and NWPU-RESISC45. The results show that the proposed method exhibits classification accuracy of up to 98%, outperforming other state-of-the-art methods

Using data-driven and phonetic units for speaker verification

Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. A. E. Hannani, D. T. Toledano, D. Petrovska-Delacrétaz, A. Montero-Asenjo, J. Hennebert, "Using Data-driven and Phonetic Units for Speaker Verification" in Odyssey: The Speaker and Language Recognition Workshop, San Juan (Puerto Rico), 2006, pp.1 - 6Recognition of speaker identity based on modeling the streams produced by phonetic decoders (phonetic speaker recognition) has gained popularity during the past few years. Two of the major problems that arise when phone based systems are being developed are the possible mismatches between the development and evaluation data and the lack of transcribed databases. Data-driven segmentation techniques provide a potential solution to these problems because they do not use transcribed data and can easily be applied on development data minimizing the mismatches. In this paper we compare speaker recognition results using phonetic and data-driven decoders. To this end, we have compared the results obtained with a speaker recognition system based on data-driven acoustic units and phonetic speaker recognition systems trained on Spanish and English data. Results obtained on the NIST 2005 Speaker Recognition Evaluation data show that the data-driven approach outperforms the phonetic one and that further improvements can be achieved by combining both approache

Problems of the youth segment in the labor market in modern conditions

В статті проаналізовано сучасний стан безробіття молоді на ринку праці в Україні у порівнянні з країнами ЄС. Розглянуто проблеми, які стосуються зайнятості та працевлаштування молоді, її місце на ринку праці України та визначення основних напрямів формування й регулювання механізмів цього ринку на основі ситуації в країні, що склалася сьогодні. Реалізація ефективної молодіжної політики, в частині подолання молодіжного безробіття, можлива лише завдяки співпраці між державою, роботодавцями, навчальними закладами і самою молоддю.В статье проанализировано современное состояние безработицы молодежи на рынке труда в Украине по сравнению со странами ЕС. Рассмотрены проблемы, касающиеся занятости и трудоустройства молодежи, ее место на рынке труда Украины и определение основных направлений формирования и регулирования механизмов этого рынка на основе ситуации в стране, сложившейся сегодня. Реализация эффективной молодежной политики, в части преодоления молодежной безработицы, возможна только благодаря сотрудничеству между государством, работодателями, учебными заведениями и самой молодежью.The article analyzes the current state of youth unemployment on the labor market in Ukraine in comparison with EU countries. The problems concerning employment and employment of young people, its place on the labor market of Ukraine and determination of the main directions of formation and regulation of the mechanisms of this market on the basis of the situation in the developed country today are considered. Implementation of an effective youth policy in terms of overcoming youth unemployment is possible only through cooperation between the state, employers, educational institutions and the youth itself

Motivation as a component of personnel management and factors of competitive advantages

У статі представлено дослідження динаміки змін мотиваційної сфери випускників вишу в період формування у них практичних навичок роботи. Виявлені та описані значущі відмінності в особистісній сфері випускників економічного вишу через аналіз показників невротичності, врівноваженості, відкритості, внутрішньої мотивації, зовнішньої позитивної та негативної мотивації, смисложиттєвих орієнтацій.The article presents investigation of the dynamics of changes in the motivational sphere of graduates from Universities during the period of their practical professional development. Significant differences in the personal field of graduates of higher education are revealed and described due to the analysis of indicators of neuroticism, balance, openness, internal motivation, external positive and negative motivation, meaning of life orientations

Whole-genome sequencing for national surveillance of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli O157

Background. National surveillance of gastrointestinal pathogens, such as Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli O157 (STEC O157), is key to rapidly identifying linked cases in the distributed food network to facilitate public health interventions. In this study, we used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) as a tool to inform national surveillance of STEC O157 in terms of identifying linked cases and clusters and guiding epidemiological investigation. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 334 isolates randomly sampled from 1002 strains of STEC O157 received by the Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit at Public Health England, Colindale, in 2012. The genetic distance between each isolate, as estimated by WGS, was calculated and phylogenetic methods were used to place strains in an evolutionary context. Results. Estimates of linked clusters representing STEC O157 outbreaks in England and Wales increased by 2-fold when WGS was used instead of traditional typing techniques. The previously unidentified clusters were often widely geographically distributed and small in size. Phylogenetic analysis facilitated identification of temporally distinct cases sharing common exposures and delineating those that shared epidemiological and temporal links. Comparison with multi locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) showed that although MLVA is as sensitive as WGS, WGS provides a more timely resolution to outbreak clustering. Conclusions. WGS has come of age as a molecular typing tool to inform national surveillance of STEC O157; it can be used in real time to provide the highest strain-level resolution for outbreak investigation. WGS allows linked cases to be identified with unprecedented specificity and sensitivity that will facilitate targeted and appropriate public health investigations

Аналіз поліморфізму IL-6-174C/G у мешканців України як перспектива біомедичних та фармакогенетичних варіантів застосування

It is reliably determined that the presence of the G allele in the 174C/G polymorphic region of the IL-6 gene promoter and a higher level of IL-6 are more commonly observed among patients suffering from various metabolic disorders and obesity, malignant tumors, type 2 diabetes, periodontitis, oxidative stress. Over time, muscle damage and inflammation processes develop. Aim. To study the frequency of the IL-6-174C/G single nucleotide polymorphism in the Ukrainian population. Materials and methods. Buccal swab samples for the DNA analysis were collected from 102 healthy volunteers (48 males, 54 females, Ukrainian residents, predominantly ethnical Ukrainians). Genotyping to determine the IL-6-174C/G polymorphism was performed on DNA samples from the buccal epithelium using the polymerase chain reaction followed by RELP. Control of the genotype distribution for compliance with the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was performed using the χ2 criterion. Results and discussion. The distribution of genotypes of the IL-6-174C/G polymorphism in the Ukrainian population samples was as follows: CC – 46 %, CG – 49 %, and GG – 5 % of residents. The frequency of the IL-6-174C/G polymorphism allele in the population was pС – 0.71 and qG – 0.29. The population structure did not deviate from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium since there was no difference between the theoretically expected and actual frequencies of three genotypes. Conclusion. The data obtained demonstrates the presence of the IL-6-174C/G polymorphism in the Ukrainian population.Достовірно доведено, що наявність алеля G у поліморфній ділянці 174C/G промотора гена IL-6 та більш високий рівень IL-6 частіше спостерігають у пацієнтів із різними метаболічними розладами та ожирінням, злоякісними пухлинами, цукровим діабетом 2 типу, пародонтитом, окислювальним стресом. Згодом розвиваються ураження м’язів і запальні процеси. Метою нашого дослідження було вивчити частоту однонуклеотидного поліморфізму IL-6-174C/G в українській популяції. Матеріали та методи. У 102 здорових добровольців (48 чоловіків, 54 жінки, жителі України, переважно етнічні українці) взято букальні мазки для аналізу ДНК. Генотипування для визначення поліморфізму IL-6-174C/G проводили на зразках ДНК букального епітелію за допомогою полімеразної ланцюгової реакції з подальшим RELP. Контроль розподілу генотипу на відповідність рівновазі Гарді–Вайнберга здійснювали за критерієм χ2. Результати. Розподіл генотипів поліморфізму IL-6-174C/G у популяційних вибірках України був такий: CC – 46 %, CG – 49 %, GG – 5 % жителів. Частота алеля поліморфізму IL-6-174C/G у популяції становить pС – 0,71 та qG – 0,29. Структура популяції не відхилялася від рівноваги Гарді–Вайнберга, бо немає різниці між теоретично очікуваною та фактичною частотами трьох генотипів. Висновок. Отримані дані свідчать про наявність поліморфізму IL-6-174C/G в українській популяції

Applying phylogenomics to understand the emergence of Shiga Toxin producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains causing severe human disease in the United Kingdom

Shiga Toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a recently emerged zoonotic pathogen with considerable morbidity. Since the serotype emerged in the 1980s, research has focussed on unravelling the evolutionary events from the E. coli O55:H7 ancestor to the contemporaneous globally dispersed strains. In this study the genomes of over 1000 isolates from human clinical cases and cattle, spanning the history of STEC O157:H7 in the United Kingdom were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis reveals the ancestry, key acquisition events and global context of the strains. Dated phylogenies estimate the time to the most recent common ancestor of the current circulating global clone to 175 years ago, followed by rapid diversification. We show the acquisition of specific virulence determinates occurred relatively recently and coincides with its recent detection in the human population. Using clinical outcome data from 493 cases of STEC O157:H7 we assess the relative risk of severe disease including HUS from each of the defined clades in the population and show the dramatic effect Shiga toxin complement has on virulence. We describe two strain replacement events that have occurred in the cattle population in the UK over the last 30 years; one resulting in a highly virulent strain that has accounted for the majority of clinical cases in the UK over the last decade. This work highlights the need to understand the selection pressures maintaining Shiga-toxin encoding bacteriophages in the ruminant reservoir and the study affirms the requirement for close surveillance of this pathogen in both ruminant and human populations

Using data-driven and phonetic units for speaker verication

Abstract Recognition of speaker identity based on modeling the streams produced by phonetic decoders (phonetic speaker recognition) has gained popularity during the past few years. Two of the major problems that arise when phone based systems are being developed are the possible mismatches between the development and evaluation data and the lack of transcribed databases. Data-driven segmentation techniques provide a potential solution to these problems because they do not use transcribed data and can easily be applied on development data minimizing the mismatches. In this paper we compare speaker recognition results using phonetic and data-driven decoders. To this end, we have compared the results obtained with a speaker recognition system based on data-driven acoustic units and phonetic speaker recognition systems trained on Spanish and English data. Results obtained on the NIST 2005 Speaker Recognition Evaluation data show that the data-driven approach outperforms the phonetic one and that further improvements can be achieved by combining both approaches

Cmr1/WDR76 defines a nuclear genotoxic stress body linking genome integrity and protein quality control

DNA replication stress is a source of genomic instability. Here we identify ​changed mutation rate 1 (​Cmr1) as a factor involved in the response to DNA replication stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and show that ​Cmr1—together with ​Mrc1/​Claspin, ​Pph3, the chaperonin containing ​TCP1 (CCT) and 25 other proteins—define a novel intranuclear quality control compartment (INQ) that sequesters misfolded, ubiquitylated and sumoylated proteins in response to genotoxic stress. The diversity of proteins that localize to INQ indicates that other biological processes such as cell cycle progression, chromatin and mitotic spindle organization may also be regulated through INQ. Similar to ​Cmr1, its human orthologue ​WDR76 responds to proteasome inhibition and DNA damage by relocalizing to nuclear foci and physically associating with CCT, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved biological function. We propose that ​Cmr1/​WDR76 plays a role in the recovery from genotoxic stress through regulation of the turnover of sumoylated and phosphorylated proteins

Functional Importance of the DNA Binding Activity of Candida albicans Czf1p

The human opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans undergoes a reversible morphological transition between the yeast and hyphal states in response to a variety of signals. One such environmental trigger is growth within a semisolid matrix such as agar medium. This growth condition is of interest because it may mimic the growth of C. albicans in contact with host tissue during infection. During growth within a semisolid matrix, hyphal growth is positively regulated by the transcriptional regulator Czf1p and negatively by a second key transcriptional regulator, Efg1p. Genetic studies indicate that Czf1p, a member of the zinc-cluster family of transcriptional regulators, exerts its function by opposing the inhibitory influence of Efg1p on matrix-induced filamentous growth. We examined the importance of the two known activities of Czf1p, DNA-binding and interaction with Efg1p. We found that the two activities were separable by mutation allowing us to demonstrate that the DNA-binding activity of Czf1p was essential for its role as a positive regulator of morphogenesis. Surprisingly, however, interactions with Efg1p appeared to be largely dispensable. Our studies provide the first evidence of a key role for the DNA-binding activity of Czf1p in the morphological yeast-to-hyphal transition triggered by matrix-embedded growth