Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis Applied To Voice Conversion

Abstract-In our model for voice conversion, we represent the joint probabilistic acoustic space of the source and target speakers with a mixture of Probabilistic Principal Component Analyzers (PPCAs). We present a finer resolution of options to the user of the voice conversion system than traditional Gaussian Mixture Model based conversion. Objective experiments demonstrate that the dimension of the PPCA directly impacts resulting objective performance but saves both time and memory complexity. Subjective tests imply that incremental removal of information does not affect the listener perceptually. Thus, the end user can select with more freedom how well the system should perform

Course of FEV1 after Onset of Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome in Lung Transplant Recipients

Rationale: Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), defined by loss of lung function, develops in the majority of lung transplant recipients. However, there is a paucity of information on the subsequent course of lung function in these patients. Objectives: To characterize the course of FEV1 over time after development of BOS and to determine the predictors that influence the rate of functional decline of FEV1. Methods: FEV1% predicted (FEV1%pred) trajectories were studied in 111 lung transplant recipients with BOS by multivariate, linear, mixed-effects statistical models. Measurements and Main Results: FEV1%pred varied over time after BOS onset, with the steepest decline typically seen in the first 6 months (12% decline; p < 0.0001). Bilateral lung transplant recipients had significantly higher FEV1%pred at BOS diagnosis (71 vs. 47%; p < 0.0001) and at 24 months after BOS onset (58 vs. 41%; p = 0.0001). Female gender and pretransplant diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were associated with a steeper decline in FEV1%pred in the first 6 months after BOS diagnosis (p = 0.02 and 0.04, respectively). A fall in FEV1 greater than 20% in the 6 months preceding BOS (termed “rapid onset”) was associated with shorter time to BOS onset (p = 0.01), lower FEV1%pred at BOS onset (p < 0.0001), steeper decline in the first 6 months (p = 0.03), and lower FEV1%pred at 2 years after onset (p = 0.0002). Conclusions: Rapid onset of BOS, female gender, pretransplant diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and single-lung transplantation are associated with worse pulmonary function after BOS onset.Supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants K23 HL077719 (V.N.L.) and K24 HL04212 (F.J.M.), and by a grant from the American Society of Transplantation/ Chest Foundation (V.N.L.).Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91969/1/2007 AJRCCM Course of FEV1 after Onset of Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome in Lung Transplant Recipients.pd

Computational universality of fungal sandpile automata

Hyphae within the mycelia of the ascomycetous fungi are compartmentalised by septa. Each septum has a pore that allows for inter-compartmental and inter-hyphal streaming of cytosol and even organelles. The compartments, however, have special organelles, Woronin bodies, that can plug the pores. When the pores are blocked, no flow of cytoplasm takes place. Inspired by the controllable compartmentalisation within the mycelium of the ascomycetous fungi we designed two-dimensional fungal automata. A fungal automaton is a cellular automaton where communication between neighbouring cells can be blocked on demand. We demonstrate computational universality of the fungal automata by implementing sandpile cellular automata circuits there. We reduce the Monotone Circuit Value Problem to the Fungal Automaton Prediction Problem. We construct families of wires, cross-overs and gates to prove that the fungal automata are P-complete

The ISLAndS project II: The Lifetime Star Formation Histories of Six Andromeda dSphs

The Initial Star formation and Lifetimes of Andromeda Satellites (ISLAndS) project uses Hubble Space Telescope imaging to study a representative sample of six Andromeda dSph satellite companion galaxies. The main goal of the program is to determine whether the star formation histories (SFHs) of the Andromeda dSph satellites demonstrate significant statistical differences from those of the Milky Way, which may be attributable to the different properties of their local environments. Our observations reach the oldest main sequence turn-offs, allowing a time resolution at the oldest ages of ~ 1 Gyr, which is comparable to the best achievable resolution in the MW satellites. We find that the six dSphs present a variety of SFHs that are not strictly correlated with luminosity or present distance from M31. Specifically, we find a significant range in quenching times (lookback times from 9 to 6 Gyr), but with all quenching times more than ~ 6 Gyr ago. In agreement with observations of Milky Way companions of similar mass, there is no evidence of complete quenching of star formation by the cosmic UV background responsible for reionization, but the possibility of a degree of quenching at reionization cannot be ruled out. We do not find significant differences between the SFHs of the three members of the vast, thin plane of satellites and the three off-plane dSphs. The primary difference between the SFHs of the ISLAndS dSphs and Milky Way dSph companions of similar luminosities and host distances is the absence of very late quenching (< 5 Gyr ago) dSphs in the ISLAndS sample. Thus, models that can reproduce satellite populations with and without late quenching satellites will be of extreme interest.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables, submitted to the Ap

Fungal Automata

We study a cellular automaton (CA) model of information dynamics on a single hypha of a fungal mycelium. Such a filament is divided in compartments (here also called cells) by septa. These septa are invaginations of the cell wall and their pores allow for flow of cytoplasm between compartments and hyphae. The septal pores of the fungal phylum of the Ascomycota can be closed by organelles called Woronin bodies. Septal closure is increased when the septa become older and when exposed to stress conditions. Thus, Woronin bodies act as informational flow valves. The one dimensional fungal automata is a binary state ternary neighbourhood CA, where every compartment follows one of the elementary cellular automata (ECA) rules if its pores are open and either remains in state `0' (first species of fungal automata) or its previous state (second species of fungal automata) if its pores are closed. The Woronin bodies closing the pores are also governed by ECA rules. We analyse a structure of the composition space of cell-state transition and pore-state transitions rules, complexity of fungal automata with just few Woronin bodies, and exemplify several important local events in the automaton dynamics

Gravitating Instantons In 3 Dimensions

We study the Einstein-Chern-Simons gravity coupled to Yang-Mills-Higgs theory in three dimensional Euclidean space with cosmological constant. The classical equations reduce to Bogomol'nyi type first order equations in curved space. There are BPS type gauge theory instanton (monopole) solutions of finite action in a gravitational instanton which itself has a finite action. We also discuss gauge theory instantons in the vacuum (zero action) AdS space. In addition we point out to some exact solutions which are singular.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, title has changed, gravitational instanton actions are adde

An integrative approach unveils FOSL1 as an oncogene vulnerability in KRAS-driven lung and pancreatic cancer

KRAS mutated tumours represent a large fraction of human cancers, but the vast majority remains refractory to current clinical therapies. Thus, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms triggered by KRAS oncogene may yield alternative therapeutic strategies. Here we report the identification of a common transcriptional signature across mutant KRAS cancers of distinct tissue origin that includes the transcription factor FOSL1. High FOSL1 expression identifies mutant KRAS lung and pancreatic cancer patients with the worst survival outcome. Furthermore, FOSL1 genetic inhibition is detrimental to both KRAS-driven tumour types. Mechanistically, FOSL1 links the KRAS oncogene to components of the mitotic machinery, a pathway previously postulated to function orthogonally to oncogenic KRAS. FOSL1 targets include AURKA, whose inhibition impairs viability of mutant KRAS cells. Lastly, combination of AURKA and MEK inhibitors induces a deleterious effect on mutant KRAS cells. Our findings unveil KRAS downstream effectors that provide opportunities to treat KRAS-driven cancers