New Features Using Robust MVDR Spectrum of Filtered Autocorrelation Sequence for Robust Speech Recognition

This paper presents a novel noise-robust feature extraction method for speech recognition using the robust perceptual minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) spectrum of temporally filtered autocorrelation sequence. The perceptual MVDR spectrum of the filtered short-time autocorrelation sequence can reduce the effects of residue of the nonstationary additive noise which remains after filtering the autocorrelation. To achieve a more robust front-end, we also modify the robust distortionless constraint of the MVDR spectral estimation method via revised weighting of the subband power spectrum values based on the sub-band signal to noise ratios (SNRs), which adjusts it to the new proposed approach. This new function allows the components of the input signal at the frequencies least affected by noise to pass with larger weights and attenuates more effectively the noisy and undesired components. This modification results in reduction of the noise residuals of the estimated spectrum from the filtered autocorrelation sequence, thereby leading to a more robust algorithm. Our proposed method, when evaluated on Aurora 2 task for recognition purposes, outperformed all Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) as the baseline, relative autocorrelation sequence MFCC (RAS-MFCC), and the MVDR-based features in several different noisy conditions

Effectiveness of Stress Management With Cognitive-Behavioral Approach on Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Mothers of Children With Cancer

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of stress management therapy with a cognitive-behavioral approach to cognitive emotion regulation in mothers of children with cancer.Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test, and follow up design as well as the control group. The statistical population of this study included all mothers of children with cancer who referred to the Qods children’s hospital located in Qazvin province. A sample of 30 subjects was selected through purposive sampling and assigned to two groups of experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15). Both groups were pre-tested using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Then, the experimental group received 8 sessions of training in stress management skills with cognitive-behavioral approach while the control group did not receive any intervention. Subsequently, both groups administered post-test, and the data were analyzed by SPSS 21 software using single variable one-way ANOVA.Results: The results showed improvement in the scores of the experimental group mothers in cognitive emotion regulation variable and components of self-blame, acceptance, rumination, positive refocusing, refocus on planning, perspective-taking, catastrophization, and other-blame. However, no significant improvement observed in the component of positive reappraisal in parents of children with cancer (P < 0.01) and this maintained at the follow-up stage.Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study it can be concluded that teaching stress coping strategies with a cognitive-behavioral approach is an effective way to teach emotion regulation strategies to mothers of children with cancer suffering from emotional distress

Effectiveness of Stress Management with Cognitive-Behavioral Approach on Anxiety Sensitivity of the Mothers with Cancerous Children

Background and Purpose: Cancer is considered as one of the most radical hygienic issues in children. It threats the health and active lives of children and their parents causing numerous personal, familiar and social damages in physical, mental and social dimensions. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of stress management with cognitive-behavioral approach on the anxiety sensitivity of the mothers with cancerous children.Methods: In a quasi-experimental with pretest- posttest study, 30 mothers with cancerous children were selected using purposeful sampling and divided into case and control groups. Both groups were given pretest using the 16 questions questionnaire of anxiety sensitivity. Then, the skills of stress management with cognitive-behavioral approach were taught to the case group for 8 sessions and the control group didn’t receive any intervention. Finally both groups were given posttest and the data were analyzed using one-way and single variable variance analysis through SPSS21 software.Results: Mothers in case group showed reduction in the anxiety compared to the control one and it was maintained in the following period (p < 0.01). The highest reduction was in the parameter of the fear of physical concerns (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Teaching the methods of coping with stress with cognitive-behavioral approach is an effective strategy for helping mothers with cancerous children due to its high efficiency especially when it is held in groups

Construction of single domain camel antibody library against breast cancer cellular antigens

زمینه و هدف: آنتی بادی های زنجیره سنگین شتری Camelied-derived heavy chain) (VHH= یک آنتی بادی شتری بوده و کوچک ترین واحد باند شونده به آنتی ژن است. اندازه کوچک نانوبادی ها بزرگ ترین مزیت آن ها می باشد که سبب دستکاری ژنتیکی راحت آن ها می شود. این مطالعه با هدف ساخت کتابخانه ی آنتی بادی تک دمین از شتر ایمن شده با یک رده سلولی آدنوکارسینومای سینه ی انسان (SKBR3) طراحی و اجرا شد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی ابتدا عصاره سلول SKBR3 طی سه نوبت به صورت زیر پوستی به یک شتر تزریق گردید. سپس RNA کامل از طحال شتر استخراج و قطعات VHH به کمک روش RT-PCR ساخته و تکثیر شدند. قطعات VHH در درون فاژمید Pcomb3x قرار گرفتند و به روش الکتروپوریشن قطعات نوترکیب وارد باکتری های DH5α شدند. تنوع کتابخانه ی تهیه شده توسط تکنیک انگشت نگاری آنزیمی مورد بررسی قرار گرفت و در نهایت بیان VHH با روش SDS-PAGE ارزیابی شد. یافته ها: در این پژوهش کتابخانه آنتی بادی شتری با بیش از 105 کلونی ساخته شد. همچنین انگشت نگاری آنزیمی نشان داد که کتابخانه ی آنتی بادی حاصل دارای تنوع بالایی می باشد. بررسی های اولیه بوسیله SDS-PAGE مشخص کرد که پروتئین VHH با وزن مولکولی 15 کیلو دالتون در باکتری های ترانسفورم شده بیان می شود. نتیجه گیری: تهیه ی کتابخانه ی آنتی بادی ایمن بر ضد رده سلولی SKBR3، امکان جداسازی آنتی بادی های اختصاصی VHH بر ضد آنتی ژن های مختلف سرطان سینه را فراهم می کند

Haplotype analysis of hemochromatosis gene polymorphisms in chronic hepatitis C virus infection : A case control study

Funding/Support: This study was financially supported by the research council of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran (Grant No. 901012).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Nanoparticles of Conjugated Methotrexate-Human Serum Albumin: Preparation and Cytotoxicity Evaluations

Methotrexate-human serum albumin conjugates were developed by a simple carbodiimide reaction. Methotrexate-human serum albumin conjugates were then crosslinked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide HCl (EDC) to form nanoparticles. The size of nanoparticles determined by laser light scattering and TEM was between 90–150 nm. Nanoparticles were very stable at physiologic conditions (PBS pH 7.4, 37∘C) and after incubation with serum. The effect of amount of EDC used for crosslinking on the particle size and free amino groups of nanoparticles was examined. The amount of crosslinker showed no significant effect on the size of nanoparticles but free amino groups of nanoparticles were decreased by increasing the crosslinker. The physicochemical interactions between methotrexate and human serum albumin were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Nanoparticles were more cytotoxic on T47D cells compared to free methotrexate. Moreover, methotrexate-human serum albumin nanoparticles decreased the IC50 value of methotrexate on T47D cells in comparison with free methotrexate

Comparison of Interferon-Gamma (IFNG) +874 T/A single nucleotide polymorphism in hepatitis C virus infected patients and non-infected controls in Mashhad, Iran

This study was financially supported by Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran (Grant No. 900513).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Bayesian and predictive techniques for speaker adaptation

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