The presented paper introduces principal component analysis application for dimensionality reduction of variables describing speech signal and applicability of obtained results for the disturbed and ...fluent speech recognition process. A set of fluent speech signals and three speech disturbances-blocks before words starting with plosives, syllable repetitions, and sound-initial prolongations-was transformed using principal component analysis. The result was a model containing four principal components describing analysed utterances. Distances between standardised original variables and elements of the observation matrix in a new system of coordinates were calculated and then applied in the recognition process. As a classifying algorithm, the multilayer perceptron network was used. Achieved results were compared with outcomes from previous experiments where speech samples were parameterised with the Kohonen network application. The classifying network achieved overall accuracy at 76% (from 50% to 91%, depending on the dysfluency type).
Display omitted
•Quantitative content of selected elements in the sediments was analysed.•Recognition of water reservoir type and the nature of surrounding area was done by ANN.•Multilayer perceptron ...was used as the statistical model.•Constructed models proved to be useful in analysed problem.
Presented work reports on the use of artificial neural networks to recognize and classify water reservoir types (lakes, rivers) and the nature of their surroundings (forests, fields, meadows) based on the chemical composition of sediments. The quantitative content of a selection of elements (Ag, As, Ba Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sr, TOC – Total Organic Cabon, V and Zn) in the sediments of lakes and rivers in the Lublin Province (Poland) were taken and used as working data file. Statistical analysis suggested that both reservoir types and area usage differ in terms of the quantity of studied determinants (elements) and thus might be distinguished on their basis. Artificial neural networks were then examined with respect to their ability to recognize and classify the data. Multilayer perceptron was used as the statistical model. Constructed models were able to give correct answers in 74% of cases when classifying reservoir’s area usage and 100% for the type of body of water.
This study was conducted to examine the effect of dietary rye inclusion and xylanase supplementation on the bone quality of ISA Brown laying hens. Ninety-six laying hens were assigned to four groups: ...fed with wheat–corn diet or rye–wheat–corn diet (25% of hybrid rye inclusion) or nonsupplemented or supplemented with xylanase (200 mg/kg of feed) for a period of 25 weeks, from the 26th to the 50th week of age. X-ray absorptiometry, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to provide comprehensive information about the structural organization of bone constitutive phases of the tibia mid-diaphysis in hens from all treatment groups. Bone hydroxyapatite size was not affected by diet. Xylanase supplementation influenced the carbonate-to-phosphate ratio and crystallinity index in hens fed with both diets. Xylanase had more pronounced effects on bone mineral density and collagen maturity in hens fed with the rye–wheat–corn diet versus those fed with the wheat–corn diet. The results of this study showed that modern rye varieties, when supplemented with exogenous xylanase, can be introduced to the diet of laying hens without any adverse effects on bone structure.
Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of whole body vibration (WBV) treatment as an non-pharmacological method of treatment for early osteopenia in ovariectomized female rats. In total, 48 female ...Wistar rats were assigned to two groups: sham-operated control (SHAM,
= 12) and ovariectomized (
= 36). Four weeks after ovariectomy, the animals were divided into three experimental groups (
= 12 each): ovariectomized (OVX), ovariectomized subjected to whole body vibration with acceleration level of 0.3 g (OVX + WBV), or ovariectomized subjected to i.m. injection of Zoledronic acid at a dose of 0.025 mg/kg (OVX + ZOL). After the 8th and 16th week of treatment
= 6 rats from each group were euthanized and isolated femora were subjected to histological examination of trabecular bone and analysis of the expression of collagen 1 (Col1), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) involved in bone turnover. The obtained results indicated that widespread vibration therapy can provide negative outcomes such as deterioration of trabecular bone histomorphometry.
Hierarchical ANN system for stuttering identification SWIETLICKA, Izabela; KUNISZYK-JOZKOWIAK, Wieslawa; SMOLKA, Elzbieta
Computer speech & language,
January 2013, 2013, 2013-1-00, Volume:
27, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
► Three disfluency types classification process was conducted. ► Speech samples recognition and identification was processed with the use of hierarchical artificial neural networks. ► Artificial ...neural networks are able to recognize and categorize non-fluent speech utterances.
The presented work covers the issue of applying neural networks to the recognition and categorization of non-fluent and fluent utterance records. Speech samples containing three types of stuttering episodes (blocks before words starting with plosives, syllable repetitions, and sound-initial prolongations) were applied. The proposed system, built with hierarchical neural network framework, was used and then evaluated with respect to its ability to recognize and classify disfluency types in stuttered speech. The purpose of the first network was to reduce the dimension of vector describing the input signals. The result of the analysis was the output matrix consisting of neurons winning in a particular time frame. This matrix was taken as an input for the next network. Various types of MLP networks were examined with respect to their ability to classify utterances correctly into two, non-fluent and fluent, groups. Good examination results were accomplished and classification correctness exceeded 84–100% depending on the disfluency type.
In this paper, stability of chlorophyll
monomers encapsulated into the Cremophor EL nano-micelles was studied under dark and moderate light conditions, typical of a room with natural or artificial ...lighting, in the presence of oxygen. The pigment stability against visible light was determined using the dynamic light scattering and molecular spectroscopy (UV-Vis absorption and stationary fluorescence) methods. Chlorophyll
, at the molar concentration of 10
M, was dissolved in the 5 wt% Cremophor emulsion for comparison in the ethanolic solution. The stability of such a self-assembly pigment-detergent nano-system is important in the light of its application on the commercial-scale. The presented results indicate the high stability of the pigment monomeric molecular organization in the nano-emulsion. During the storage in the dark, the half-lifetime was calculated as about 7 months. Additionally, based on the shape of absorption and fluorescence emission spectra, chlorophyll aggregation in the Cremophor EL aqueous solution along with the time was excluded. Moreover, the average size of detergent micelles as chlorophyll carriers was not affected after 70 days of the nano-system storage. Pigment stability against the moderate white light (0.1 mW) did not differ significantly from storage conditions in the dark. The photooxidation products, detected by occurrence of new absorption and fluorescence emission bands, was estimated on the negligible level. The stability of such a self-assembly pigment-detergent nano-system would potentially broaden the field of chlorophyll
(chl
) application in the food industry, medicine or artificial photosynthesis models.
Kynurenic acid (KYNA) is a neuroactive metabolite of tryptophan. KYNA naturally occurs in breast milk and its content increases with lactation, indicating the role of neonatal nutrition in general ...growth with long-term health effects. KYNA is also an antagonist of ionotropic glutamate receptors expressed in bone cells. The aim of this study was to establish the effects of chronic KYNA supplementation on bone homeostasis in young rats, using mandible as a model bone. Female and male newborn Wistar rats were divided into control and KYNA-administered groups until 60 days of age (25x101 mg/L or 25x102 mg/L in drinking water). Hemimandibles were subjected to densitometry, computed tomography analysis and mechanical testing. Rats supplemented with KYNA at both doses showed a decrease in body weight. There were no effects of KYNA administration and mandible histomorphometry. In males, a significant quadratic effect (P < 0.001) was observed in the densitometry of the hemimandible, where BMD increased in the group supplemented with 2.5x101 mg/L of KYNA. Analysis of mechanical tests data showed that when fracture forces were corrected for bone geometry and rats body weight the improvement of bone material properties was observed in male and female rats supplemented with lower dose of KYNA. This study showed that chronic supplementation with KYNA may limit weight gain in the young, without adversely affecting the development of the skeleton.
Ovarian cancer ranks as the second most prevalent genital malignancy in women and leads to higher rates of mortality among gynecological cancers, often diagnosed at advanced stages with extensive ...metastases. Historically, treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) has focused on managing peritoneal metastases, typically through aggressive surgery followed by systemic chemotherapy. Recent advancements have included secondary cytoreductive surgery and the use of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), aimed at improving survival but still debated due to variable outcomes in prior studies. This study conclusively finds that factors such as radical surgery, good performance status, platinum sensitivity, a positive AGO score, and a low Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Index (PCI) significantly enhance survival rates for patients with ROC undergoing HIPEC. It also highlights the predictive importance of platinum resistance and the AGO score in determining outcomes. Given these results, there is a strong recommendation for further prospective studies to validate these findings and to refine the criteria for selecting patients suitable for HIPEC, aiming to improve the treatment strategies and survival outcomes in this patient group. Background: Recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) significantly challenges gynecological oncology due to its poor outcomes. This study assesses the impact of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) on ROC survival rates. Materials and Methods: Conducted at the Medical University of Lublin from April 2011 to November 2022, this retrospective observational study involved 71 patients with histologically confirmed ROC who underwent CRS and subsequent HIPEC. Results: The median overall survival (OS) was 41.1 months, with 3-year and 5-year survival rates post-treatment of 0.50 and 0.33, respectively. Patients undergoing radical surgery for primary ovarian cancer had a median OS of 61.9 months. The key survival-related factors included the Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Index (PCI) score, AGO score, platinum sensitivity, and ECOG status. Conclusions: The key factors enhancing ROC patients’ survival include radical surgery, optimal performance status, platinum sensitivity, a positive AGO score, and a lower PCI. This study highlights the predictive value of the platinum resistance and AGO score in patient outcomes, underlining their role in treatment planning. Further prospective research is needed to confirm these results and improve patient selection for this treatment approach.
The presented work covers the problem of developing a method of extruded bread classification with the application of artificial neural networks. Extruded flat graham, corn, and rye breads ...differening in water activity were used. The breads were subjected to the compression test with simultaneous registration of acoustic signal. The amplitude-time records were analyzed both in time and frequency domains. Acoustic emission signal parameters: single energy, counts, amplitude, and duration acoustic emission were determined for the breads in four water activities: initial (0.362 for rye, 0.377 for corn, and 0.371 for graham bread), 0.432, 0.529, and 0.648. For classification and the clustering process, radial basis function, and self-organizing maps (Kohonen network) were used. Artificial neural networks were examined with respect to their ability to classify or to cluster samples according to the bread type, water activity value, and both of them. The best examination results were achieved by the radial basis function network in classification according to water activity (88%), while the self-organizing maps network yielded 81% during bread type clustering.
The current study examined the effects of exposure of pregnant dams to fumonisins (FBs; FB1 and FB2), from the seventh day of pregnancy to parturition, on offspring bone metabolism and properties. ...The rats were randomly divided into three groups intoxicated with FBs at either 0, 60, or 90 mg/kg b.w. Body weight and bone length were affected by fumonisin exposure, irrespective of sex or dose, while the negative and harmful effects of maternal FBs' exposure on bone mechanical resistance were sex and dose dependent. The immunolocalization of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL), in bone and articular cartilage, indicated that the observed bone effects resulted from the FB-induced alterations in bone metabolism, which were confirmed by the changes observed in the Western blot expression of OPG and RANKL. It was concluded that the negative effects of prenatal FB exposure on the general growth and morphometry of the offspring bones, as a result of the altered expression of proteins responsible for bone metabolism, were dose and sex dependent.