Candidate selection based on significance testing and its use in normalisation and scoring

ABSTRACT Log likelihood ratio normalisation and scoring methods have been studied by many researchers and have improved the performance of speaker identi cation systems. However, these studies have disadvantages: the recognised distorted speech segments are di erent for each speaker. Also the background model in log likelihood ratio normalisation is changed in each speech segment e v en for the same speaker. This paper presents two techniques. Firstly, candidate selection based on signi cance testing, which designs the background speaker model more accurately. And secondly, the scoring method, which recognises the same distorted speech segments for every speaker. We perform a n umber of experiments with the SPIDRE database

Development of real-time monitoring system and Data-driven digital twin models for forecasting multi-step ahead cell culture performance

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CCA Security for Self-Updatable Encryption: Protecting Cloud Data When Clients Read/Write Ciphertexts

Self-updatable encryption (SUE) is a new kind of public-key encryption, motivated by cloud computing, which enables anyone (i.e. cloud server with no access to private keys) to update a past ciphertext to a future ciphertext by using a public key. The main applications of SUE is revocable-storage attribute-based encryption (RS-ABE) that provides an efficient and secure access control to encrypted data stored in cloud storage. In this setting, there is a new threat such that a revoked user still can access past ciphertexts given to him by a storage server. RS-ABE solves this problem by combining user revocation and ciphertext updating functionalities. The mechanism was designed with semantic security (CPA). Here, we propose the first SUE and RS-ABE schemes, secure against a relevant form of CCA, which allows ciphertexts submitted by attackers to decryption servers. Due to the fact that some ciphertexts are easily derived from others, we employ a different notion of CCA which avoids easy challenge related messages (we note that this type of idea was employed in other contexts before). Specifically, we define time extended challenge (TEC) CCA security for SUE which excludes ciphertexts that are easily derived from the challenge (over time periods) from being queried on (namely, once a challenge is decided by an adversary, no easy modification of this challenge to future and past time periods is allowed to be queried upon). We then propose an efficient SUE scheme with such CCA security, and we also define similar CCA security for RS-ABE and present an RS-ABE scheme with this CCA security

PDZ-based adaptor proteins in epithelial anion transport and VIP receptor regulation

Polarized protein deposition at the apical and basolateral membranes of epithelial cells is critical for the asymmetrical transport of ions and fluids across the epithelia. PDZ-based modular adaptor proteins are expressed in the junctional areas in epithelial cells and are generally part of a molecular scaffold that determines the localization and activity of ion channels, receptors, and other signaling molecules to their correct spatial arrangement for proper response to diverse stimuli. Hence, understanding the regulatory mechanisms of channels and receptors via PDZ-based adaptors will provide valuable insights into the physiology of epithelial cells as well as pathophysiology of many human diseases including cystic fibrosis

Self-Updatable Encryption: Time Constrained Access Control with Hidden Attributes and Better Efficiency

Revocation and key evolving paradigms are central issues in cryptography, and in PKI in particular. A novel concern related to these areas was raised in the recent work of Sahai, Seyalioglu, and Waters (Crypto 2012) who noticed that revoking past keys should at times (e.g., the scenario of cloud storage) be accompanied by revocation of past ciphertexts (to prevent unread ciphertexts from being read by revoked users). They introduced revocable-storage attribute-based encryption (RS-ABE) as a good access control mechanism for cloud storage. RS-ABE protects against the revoked users not only the future data by supporting key-revocation but also the past data by supporting ciphertext-update, through which a ciphertext at time $T$ can be updated to a new ciphertext at time $T+1$ using only the public key. Motivated by this pioneering work, we ask whether it is possible to have a modular approach, which includes a primitive for time managed ciphertext update as a primitive. We call encryption which supports this primitive a ``self-updatable encryption\u27\u27 (SUE). We then suggest a modular cryptosystems design methodology based on three sub-components: a primary encryption scheme, a key-revocation mechanism, and a time-evolution mechanism which controls the ciphertext self-updating via an SUE method, coordinated with the revocation (when needed). Our goal in this is to allow the self-updating ciphertext component to take part in the design of new and improved cryptosystems and protocols in a flexible fashion. Specifically, we achieve the following results: - We first introduce a new cryptographic primitive called self-updatable encryption (SUE), realizing a time-evolution mechanism. In SUE, a ciphertext and a private key are associated with time. A user can decrypt a ciphertext if its time is earlier than that of his private key. Additionally, anyone (e.g., a cloud server) can update the ciphertext to a ciphertext with a newer time. We also construct an SUE scheme and prove its full security under static assumptions. - Following our modular approach, we present a new RS-ABE scheme with shorter ciphertexts than that of Sahai et al. and prove its security. The length efficiency is mainly due to our SUE scheme and the underlying modularity. - We apply our approach to predicate encryption (PE) supporting attribute-hiding property, and obtain a revocable-storage PE (RS-PE) scheme that is selectively-secure. - We further demonstrate that SUE is of independent interest, by showing it can be used for timed-release encryption (and its applications), and for augmenting key-insulated encryption with forward-secure storage

Clear-cut observation of clearance of sustainable upconverting nanoparticles from lymphatic system of small living mice

The significance of lymphatic system has gathered great attention for immunotechnology related to cancer metastasis and immunotherapy. To develop innovative immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy in in vivo environments, it is very important to understand excretion pathways and clearance of injected cargoes. Herein, we employed Tm3+-doped upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) with versatile advantages suitable for long-term non-invasive in vivo optical imaging and tracking. Transport and retention of the UCNPs in the lymphatic system were evaluated with high-quality NIR-to-NIR upconversion luminescence (UCL) imaging. We obtained their kinetic luminescence profiles for the injection site and sentinel lymph node (SLN) and observed luminescence signals for one month; we also examined UCL images in SLN tissues, organs, and faeces at each time point. We speculate that the injected UCNPs in a footpad of a small mouse are transported rapidly from the lymphatic system to the blood system and then eventually result in an efficient excretion by the hepatobiliary route. These results will support development of novel techniques for SLN biopsy as well as immunotechnology

Giant nonlinear optical responses from photon avalanching nanoparticles

Avalanche phenomena leverage steeply nonlinear dynamics to generate disproportionately high responses from small perturbations and are found in a multitude of events and materials, enabling technologies including optical phase-conjugate imaging, infrared quantum counting, and efficient upconverted lasing. However, the photon avalanching (PA) mechanism underlying these optical innovations has been observed only in bulk materials and aggregates, and typically at cryogenic temperatures, limiting its utility and impact. Here, we report the realization of PA at room temperature in single nanostructures--small, Tm-doped upconverting nanocrystals--and demonstrate their use in superresolution imaging at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths within spectral windows of maximal biological transparency. Avalanching nanoparticles (ANPs) can be pumped by continuous-wave or pulsed lasers and exhibit all of the defining features of PA. These hallmarks include excitation power thresholds, long rise time at threshold, and a dominant excited-state absorption that is >13,000x larger than ground-state absorption. Beyond the avalanching threshold, ANP emission scales nonlinearly with the 26th power of pump intensity. This enables the realization of photon-avalanche single-beam superresolution imaging (PASSI), achieving sub-70 nm spatial resolution using only simple scanning confocal microscopy and before any computational analysis. Pairing their steep nonlinearity with existing superresolution techniques and computational methods, ANPs allow for imaging with higher resolution and at ca. 100-fold lower excitation intensities than is possible with other probes. The low PA threshold and exceptional photostability of ANPs also suggest their utility in a diverse array of applications including sub-wavelength bioimaging, IR detection, temperature and pressure transduction, neuromorphic computing, and quantum optics.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

The Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: The Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndrome (SIPS) from Yale University is intended to diagnose prodromal syndrome of psychosis and to measure the severity of prodromal symptoms. Here, a Korean version of SIPS is presented, and its reliability, validity, and factor structures are examined using a representative Korean sample. METHODS: The Korean version of SIPS was administered to 40 participants over a period of 1 year. The inter-rater reliability and internal consistency of the SIPS were then evaluated. In addition, its factor structure was investigated using principal-axis factor analysis. Concurrent validity was explored using Pearson correlation coefficients with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: Of the 40 subjects, 12.5% developed psychotic disorders during the 1-year follow-up period. Inter-rater reliability was good (intra-class correlations=0.96), and internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha=0.83). A three-factor resolution displayed the best simple structure and accounted for 52.6% of all item variance. Factors 1 and 2 showed strong correlations with negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction, respectively, on the PANSS. Factor 3 was not correlated with any factor on the PANSS. CONCLUSION: The Korean version of SIPS is a reliable instrument for the assessment of prodromal symptoms in subjects and may be used to evaluate prodromal psychosis.ope