Purging of silence for robust speaker identification in colossal database

The aim of this work is to develop an effective speaker recognition system under noisy environments for large data sets. The important phases involved in typical identification systems are feature extraction, training and testing. During the feature extraction phase, the speaker-specific information is processed based on the characteristics of the voice signal. Effective methods have been proposed for the silence removal in order to achieve accurate recognition under noisy environments in this work. Pitch and Pitch-strength parameters are extracted as distinct features from the input speech spectrum. Multi-linear principle component analysis (MPCA) is is utilized to minimize the complexity of the parameter matrix. Silence removal using zero crossing rate (ZCR) and endpoint detection algorithm (EDA) methods are applied on the source utterance during the feature extraction phase. These features are useful in later classification phase, where the identification is made on the basis of support vector machine (SVM) algorithms. Forward loking schostic (FOLOS) is the efficient large-scale SVM algorithm that has been employed for the effective classification among speakers. The evaluation findings indicate that the methods suggested increase the performance for large amounts of data in noise ecosystems

Retrospective study of Ct brain imaging findings indicated for infants at a tertiary care hospital

Computed tomography in the diagnosis of pathologies in children is becoming increasingly popular. The aim: to study findings of referrals for CT scans (Computerised Tomography) of the brain in children in the department of Radiology in a developing environment. Materials and methods: retrospective imaging observational study was done in a 1000 bedded tertiary care hospital in South India in the year 2022 from April to August for 5 months under 16 slice CT scan. Cases are referred from the department of Pediatrics to the department of Radiology as part of the routine clinical evaluation and treatment protocol. Results: Our sample includes 100 infants; after exclusion criteria total of 60 infants' brain CTs were taken into account, and analysed their imaging from radiology department records. Of 60 cases, 18 (30 %) showed HIE Pattern, and 42 (70 %) had normal plain CT Brain findings. However, due to clinical signs and symptoms, they are evaluated under сontrast CT imaging (after checking creatinine levels), showing 20 cases (33.3 %) are standard, 10 cases (16.6 %) show meningitis, and 2 cases (3.3 %) show SOL. Out of 18 cases of HIE, 10 cases (16.6 %) are under less than 6 months and they undergone neuro sonogram showing 4 cases (6.6 %) normal NSG, 2 cases (3.3 %) showing grade IV HIE, another 2 cases (3.3 %) showing grade II, III HIE Findings. Conclusions: Our study concluded that plain CT brain showed normal in the majority of the cases which came to the department of Radiology after admission to the hospital. Those cases with strong clinical history are evaluated with contrast CT and evaluated the findings. After contrast imaging, most cases showing their infective, obstructive, and other causes of illness are interpreted. However, its role is minimal for seizures in which CT/CECT shows normal study. Under 6 months, NSG is a suitable method for evaluating and screening the infant's brain

Design of PID, FLC and Sliding Mode Controller for 2-DOF Robotic Manipulator: A Comparative Study

Controlling the manipulators in a precise manner is a challenging task. To overcome this difficulty around the world, many researchers have developed various control algorithms but are not providing optimal results. To obtain the optimal results in the current research the authors designed a proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controller, fuzzy logic controller (FLC), and sliding mode controller (SMC) for a 2-DOF manipulator. The concept of forward and inverse kinematics was initially solved after assigning the D-H parameters for each joint. The purpose of forward or direct kinematics is to obtain the position and orientation of the end effector. Further, the concept of inverse kinematics is used to estimate the joint angles. Later on, the Lagrange-Euler formulation was used to calculate the dynamics of the 2-DOF manipulator, which is required to estimate the torque required for each joint of the robotics arm. The main goal of this research problem is to optimize the angular error between the two successive events. Finally, the developed algorithm is compared with the existing algorithms such as PID and Fuzzy logic controller

CHARGE TRANSFER COMPLEX METHOD FOR THE ESTIMATION OF ETORICOXIB IN TABLETS

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method employing acid-dye technique was developed for the estimation of etoricoxib in pharmaceutical dosage form. The proposed method is based on the formation of ion-pair complex of etoricoxib with an acid dye, which is extracted into chloroform and the absorbance measured at the λmax of the complex. The λmax of the ion-pair complex was found to be 414nm. Beer’s law was obeyed in the concentration range of 10-80 µg/ml .The proposed method is statistically validated and found to be useful for the routine determination of etoricoxib in tablets. Keywords: Etoricoxib, Spectrophotometry, Charge transfer complex, Tablets, Validation

Whole genome sequence analysis of blood lipid levels in \u3e66,000 individuals

Blood lipids are heritable modifiable causal factors for coronary artery disease. Despite well-described monogenic and polygenic bases of dyslipidemia, limitations remain in discovery of lipid-associated alleles using whole genome sequencing (WGS), partly due to limited sample sizes, ancestral diversity, and interpretation of clinical significance. Among 66,329 ancestrally diverse (56% non-European) participants, we associate 428M variants from deep-coverage WGS with lipid levels; ~400M variants were not assessed in prior lipids genetic analyses. We find multiple lipid-related genes strongly associated with blood lipids through analysis of common and rare coding variants. We discover several associated rare non-coding variants, largely at Mendelian lipid genes. Notably, we observe rare LDLR intronic variants associated with markedly increased LDL-C, similar to rare LDLR exonic variants. In conclusion, we conducted a systematic whole genome scan for blood lipids expanding the alleles linked to lipids for multiple ancestries and characterize a clinically-relevant rare non-coding variant model for lipids

Fertilizer best management practices by SSNM and customized fertilizers for elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) cultivation in India

Elephant foot yam [Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson] is an important tuber crop grown in many parts of India for its starchy corm and the average yield of this crop is far below the potential productivity of 100 tonnes/ha. One of the reasons attributed to the lower yield is the imbalanced application of essential plant nutrients. Site specific nutrient management (SSNM) is the application of plant nutrients based on the soil and crop need, yield target and developed with the aid of models such as QUEFTS. This paper gives the result of four year study conducted to calibrate and validate the QUEFTS model for elephant foot yam cultivation and the development of SSNM zonation maps and secondary and micronutrient fortified customised fertilizers for the crop in major growing environments of India. Data collected from different field experiments conducted in major elephant foot yam-production regions of India during 1968 to 2011 were used to calibrate the model. The derived parameters of minimum and maximum accumulation of N (130 and 460), P (900 and 2100) and K (100 and 170) are proposed as standard borderline values in the QUEFTS model for elephant foot yam. A linear increase in corm yield was suggested by the model with N, P and K uptakes of 3.97, 0.71, and 7.05 kg N, P and K/1 000 kg corm. The average NPK ratio in total plant dry matter was 5.56:1:9.88. Based on these results, the model was calibrated using historical data as well as by conducting field experiments. It can be observed that fertilizer best management practices by SSNM resulted in an average actual corm yield of 33.45 tonnes/ha, whereas, the model predicted a yield of 35 tonnes/ha. The results of the study showed good agreement between predicted and measured corm yields during the four years, which indicated that the calibrated model can be used to improve NPK fertilizer recommendations for elephant foot yam in India. Based on the results and using soil fertility maps and agro ecological unit maps, SSNM zonation maps and secondary and micronutrient fortified customised fertilizers were developed for major elephant foot yam growing environments of India

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Attitudes of Indian and Polish teachers towards inclusion of children and youth with disabilities in regular classrooms. A comparative analysis

Education of children with disabilities across the globe has been gradually evolving from segregation towards inclusion. The systems in Poland and India have also been following this path, yet due to their own unique historical, cultural, and social contexts, these countries have adopted rather dissimilar approaches to the process of inclusion. What is presented in this report are the results of the study, which aimed to explore both the attitudes of Polish and Indian teachers towards inclusive education of students with special educational needs resulting from mild to moderate disabilities and the significance of selected factors for their differentiation. Polish teachers generally declared more positive attitudes than Indian teachers. Two variables in Indian teachers (the location of the school where the respondents worked and personal contacts with people with disabilities) and one variable in Polish teachers (seniority) turned out to be important in differentiating their attitudes towards inclusion. Implication for practice and further research are discussed