Acoustic Scene Clustering Using Joint Optimization of Deep Embedding Learning and Clustering Iteration

Recent efforts have been made on acoustic scene classification in the audio signal processing community. In contrast, few studies have been conducted on acoustic scene clustering, which is a newly emerging problem. Acoustic scene clustering aims at merging the audio recordings of the same class of acoustic scene into a single cluster without using prior information and training classifiers. In this study, we propose a method for acoustic scene clustering that jointly optimizes the procedures of feature learning and clustering iteration. In the proposed method, the learned feature is a deep embedding that is extracted from a deep convolutional neural network (CNN), while the clustering algorithm is the agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC). We formulate a unified loss function for integrating and optimizing these two procedures. Various features and methods are compared. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms other unsupervised methods in terms of the normalized mutual information and the clustering accuracy. In addition, the deep embedding outperforms many state-of-the-art features.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 11 tables. Accepted for publication in IEEE TM

Transcriptomic variation of hepatopancreas reveals the energy metabolism and biological processes associated with molting in Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis

Molting is a critical developmental process for crustaceans, yet the underlying molecular mechanism is unknown. In this study, we used RNA-Seq to investigate transcriptomic profiles of the hepatopancreas and identified differentially expressed genes at four molting stages of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis). A total of 97,398 transcripts were assembled, with 31,900 transcripts annotated. Transcriptomic comparison revealed 1,189 genes differentially expressed amongst different molting stages. We observed a pattern associated with energy metabolism and physiological responses during a molting cycle. In specific, differentially expressed genes enriched in postmolt were linked to energy consumption whereas genes enriched in intermolt were related to carbohydrates, lipids metabolic and biosynthetic processes. In premolt, a preparation stage for upcoming molting and energy consumption, highly expressed genes were enriched in response to steroid hormone stimulus and immune system development. The expression profiles of twelve functional genes detected via RNA-Seq were corroborated through real-time RT-PCR assay. Together, our results, including assembled transcriptomes, annotated functional elements and enriched differentially expressed genes amongst different molting stages, provide novel insights into the functions of the hepatopancreas in energy metabolism and biological processes pertaining to molting in crustaceans

Rh(III)-Catalyzed C7-Thiolation and Selenation of Indolines

The rhodium­(III)-catalyzed intermolecular C7-thiolation and selenation of indolines with disulfides and diselenides were developed. This protocol relies on the use of a removable pyrimidyl directing group to access valuable C-7 functionalized indoline scaffolds with ample substrate scope and broad functional group tolerance

Research status and development trend on wear of impregnated diamond bits

Significance Impregnated diamond bits (IDBs) have been widely used in various hard rock drilling activities, especially deep drilling. Drilling process with IDBs relies on diamond edge wrapped by metal matrices to break the rock formation, which means the wear pattern of the diamond bit reflects the interaction between bits and rock, as well as the existence form of broken particles, which directly determine the drilling efficiency and service life of the drilling tools. But up to now there have not been so much in-depth study on its wear mechanism and analysing method in geological drilling. Progress and Analysis Therefore, this paper reviews the research literature on IDBs wear in the field of geological drilling, summarizes the abnormal bit wear problem according to engineering project experineces and industrial standards. Firstly, based on the experiences of geological drilling activities and industry standards, different types of abnormal bit wear of drill bits were summarized. Then, the evaluation methods of drill bit wear were introduced from the aspects of wear images and drilling signals. The wear mechanism and influencing factors of the drill bit in the drilling process were sorted out from three aspects: The overall drill bit, diamond, and metal matrix. In addition, mainstream methods of controlling drill bit wear performance were listed, and the research progress of wear analysis equations was introduced, besides, how machine learning methods can assist in the study of drill bit wear was discussed. Conclusion and Prospect Thus, IDBs have great potentials in deep hard rock drilling, and their wear performance is the key influnencing the whole drilling activity. To this end, research directions such as artificial intelligence assisting data analysis, microscale computational simulation, additive manufacturing, and material processing modification were analyzed and discussed, aiming to explore advanced methods for monitoring, analyzing, and regulating the wear of diamond drill bits, so as to meet the needs of remote monitoring and controlling in drilling activities such as geological deep drilling and extraterrestrial drilling

Tissue expression profiles unveil the gene interaction of hepatopancreas, eyestalk, and ovary in the precocious female Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis

Abstract Background Sexual precocity is a common biological phenomenon in animal species. A large number of precocity individuals were identified in Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis, which caused huge economic loss annually. However, the underlying genetic basis of precocity in E. sinensis remains unclear to date. Results In this study, morphological and histological observation and comparative transcriptome analysis were conducted among different stages of precocious one-year-old and normal two-year-old sexually mature E. sinensis. The expression profiles of the ovary, hepatopancreas, and eyestalk tissues were presented and compared. Genes associated with lipid metabolic process, lipid transport, vitelline membrane formation, vitelline synthesis, and neuropeptide hormone-related genes were upregulated in the ovary, hepatopancreas, and eyestalk of precocious E. sinensis. Our results indicated that the eyestalk was involved in the neuroendocrine system providing neuropeptide hormones that may induce vitellogenesis in the hepatopancreas and further stimulate ovary development. The hepatopancreas is a site for energy storage and vitellogenin synthesis, and it may assist oogenesis through lipid transport in precocious E. sinensis. Conclusion We provided not only an effective and convenient phenotype measurement method for the identification of potential precocious E. sinensis detection but also valuable genetic resources and novel insights into the molecular mechanism of precocity in E. sinensis. The genetic basis of precocity in E. sinensis is an integrated gene regulatory network of eyestalk, hepatopancreas, and ovary tissues

Molecular characteristic of activin receptor IIB and its functions in growth and nutrient regulation in Eriocheir sinensis

Activin receptor IIB (ActRIIB) is a serine/threonine-kinase receptor binding with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily ligands to participate in the regulation of muscle mass in vertebrates. However, its structure and function in crustaceans remain unknown. In this study, the ActRIIB gene in Eriocheir sinensis (Es-ActRIIB) was cloned and obtained with a 1,683 bp open reading frame, which contains the characteristic domains of TGF-β type II receptor superfamily, encoding 560 amino acids. The mRNA expression of Es-ActRIIB was the highest in hepatopancreas and the lowest in muscle at each molting stage. After injection of Es-ActRIIB double-stranded RNA during one molting cycle, the RNA interference (RNAi) group showed higher weight gain rate, higher specific growth rate, and lower hepatopancreas index compared with the control group. Meanwhile, the RNAi group displayed a significantly increased content of hydrolytic amino acid in both hepatopancreas and muscle. The RNAi group also displayed slightly higher contents of saturated fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid but significantly decreased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid compared with the control group. After RNAi on Es-ActRIIB, the mRNA expressions of five ActRIIB signaling pathway genes showed that ActRI and forkhead box O (FoxO) were downregulated in hepatopancreas and muscle, but no significant expression differences were found in small mother against decapentaplegic (SMAD) 3, SMAD4 and mammalian target of rapamycin. The mRNA expression s of three lipid metabolism-related genes (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1β (CPT1β), fatty acid synthase, and fatty acid elongation) were significantly downregulated in both hepatopancreas and muscle with the exception of CPT1β in muscles. These results indicate that ActRIIB is a functionally conservative negative regulator in growth mass, and protein and lipid metabolism could be affected by inhibiting ActRIIB signaling in crustacean

Effect of sintering pressure on the performance of Fe-based pre-alloyed bit matrix with low liquid phase

The hot-pressing sintering experiments were carried out under the conditions of sintering temperature of 950 ℃, holding time of 5 mins and different sintering pressures. The effects of sintering pressure on the properties of three kinds of low liquid phase Fe-based pre-alloyed bit matrix and one traditional Fe-based bit matrix were compared and studied, including the hardness, the bending strength, the relative density, the diamond embedding strength of the matrix, the thermal damage of diamond. as well as the microstructure and the morphology of drill bit matrix. The results show that with the increase of sintering pressure, the indentation hardness, the bending strength and the relative density of blank matrix with low liquid phase gradually increase, but the hardness and the bending strength of traditional Fe-based pre-alloyed blank matrix increase at first and then decrease, and the relative density increases. For the matrix containing diamonds, the bending strength of low liquid phase and traditional Fe-based matrix increases with the increase of sintering pressure. When the sintering pressure is 20 MPa, the bending strength of the diamond containing matrix with low liquid phase tends to be stable, while the bending strength of the traditional Fe-based matrix containing diamond decreases slightly. At the same time, with the increase of sintering pressure, the homogeneity of the low liquid phase matrix is enhanced, but the thermal damage of the diamond is gradually aggravated. According to the analysis of the mechanical properties and the fracture morphology of the matrix, the optimal sintering pressure is 20MPa. At this time, the hardness and the bending strength of the low liquid phase Fe-based pre-alloy matrix can meet the requirements of impregnated diamond bits

Evolutionary relationship of three mitten crabs (Eriocheir sp) revealed by mitogenome and 5S ribosomal DNA analysis

To reveal the evolutionary relationship of three mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis, E. hepuensis, and E. japonica), complete mitogenomes and nuclear 5S rDNA sequences were analyzed. Sequencing revealed that the mitogenomes analyzed shared conserved organization of the coding and non-coding regions but genetic variation was identified. Among the three mitten crabs distinct tandem repeats were identified in the mitochondrial D-loop region. The 5S gene (5S rDNA) sequence was highly conserved across the three species, whereas non-transcribed spacer (NTS) region exhibit high levels of variation including insertions, deletions and point mutations. Cluster analysis suggested that the three mitten crabs had their own independent 5S rDNA sequence variation and evolutionary pattern. Both mitogenome and 5S rDNA sequence analysis revealed significant genetic variation across the mitten crabs species. Phylogenetic analysis using mitogenome and 5S rDNA sequences demonstrated that E. japonica was relatively more distant from E. sinensis and E. hepuensis. This study extended our previous knowledge and confirmed that the three mitten crabs are likely to be genetically differentiated species. In addition, our study also provided insights into the conservation of pure natural resources of E. sinensis, an important aquaculture species

Effect of Carbon Fiber and Potassium Titanate Whisker on the Mechanical and Impact Tribological Properties of Fe-Based Impregnated Diamond Bit Matrix

Various contents of carbon fibers (CFs) and potassium titanate whiskers (PTWs) were added to an Fe-based impregnated diamond bit (IDB) matrix to enhance its adaptability to percussive–rotary drilling. A series of mechanical tests were conducted successively to find the effects of the reinforcing materials on the properties of the Fe-based IDB samples. Then, the fracture surfaces of the samples were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and the worn surfaces and abrasive debris of the samples were analyzed using a laser scanning confocal microscope and SEM. The results show that both the CF and PTW can effectively improve the hardness and bending strength of an Fe-based IDB matrix, and those parameters reached their maximum values at the additive amount of 1 wt%. However, the CF had a better enhancement effect than the PTW. Furthermore, the CF improved the impact wear resistance of the IDB matrix, with a minimum wear rate of 2.38 g/min at the additive amount of 2 wt%. However, the PTW continuously weakened the impact wear resistance of the IDB matrix with increases in its content. Moreover, the morphologies of the worn surfaces indicated that the minimum roughness of the CF-reinforced IDB matrix decreased significantly to as low as 4.91 μm, which was 46.16% lower than that without CF, whereas the minimum roughness of the PTW-reinforced samples decreased by 11.31%. Meanwhile, the abrasive debris of the CF-reinforced samples was more uniform and continuous compared to that of the PTW-reinforced samples. Overall, the appropriate addition of CF or PTWs can enhance the mechanical properties of Fe-based IDB matrices, which can be used on different formations based on their impact wear resistance