Hierarchical ANN system for stuttering identification

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.     

The adhesive contact problem for a piezoelectric half-space

The problem of adhesive contact for a piezoelectric half-space is considered. The problem is reduced to the solution of two coupled integral equations and one given separately. These equations are solved exactly. Explicit expressions are found for the contact stresses, the displacement outside the contact region and for electric physical quantities. The numerical results presented for some piezoelectric materials show that the influence of anisotropy on the analysed physical quantities is significant.     

Sarcoplasmic Protein Profile from Drip Loss in Relation to Pork Quality

The aim of this research was to correlate the sarcoplasmic protein profile of the natural drip loss of muscle with the technological and sensory quality of pork meat. Material for analysis was taken from 14 PenArLan pigs. Simple analysis of relationships between the test protein and meat quality traits showed that they adopt a range of from –0.58 to 0.72. It has been shown that the significance of glycolysis expressed as level of glycogen and lactic acid may be 86% (coefficient of correlations, C_R = 0.93), explained by the amount of certain enzymes. The higher relation has been obtained between studied enzymes and value of pH₂₄, L^* and b^* parameters of raw meat (98%; C_R = 0.99). By contrast, L^* and a^* parameters, sour flavor, and tenderness of grilled meat in 79% can be explained based on the content of the enolase, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, and phosphoglycerate mutase (C_R = 0.89). The results of the multiple regression showed that amount of lactic acid was related to the quantity of the 3 enzymes: phosphofructokinase, AMP deaminase, phosphorylase b/phosphorylase b kinase (r = 0.88).     

SOME REMARKS ON SURFACE FREE ENERGY OF POLISH COALS

ABSTRACT

On the basis of the studies concerning the determination of the surface free energy of Polish coals published earlier analyses of the equilibrium state of three-phase system were carried out. The three-phase systems were:

1) coal - liquid drop - air, 2) coal - water drop -air, 3) coal - water drop - hydrocarbon, 4) coal -hydrocarbon drop - water and 5) coal - air bubble -water.

Analysing the measured values of the contact angles in the systems studied the occurrence of a liquid film on the coal surface was taken into account. The surface free energy. of Polish coals results from both dispersion (T_s ^d) and nondispersion (T_s ⁿ) intermolecular interaction. A distinct relationship was found between the dispersion components of the surface free energy and coal ranks.     

The perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) contamination of fruits and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables play a major role in human nutrition due to richness of nutrients, dietary fibre, and phytochemicals. As dietary intake is identified as one of the dominant exposure pathways to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), a cross-sectional study involving determination of their levels in food of plant origin has been conducted. Locally-grown and imported fruit and vegetable samples, collected in 2016 were inspected for 10 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) using QuEChERS as sample pre-treatment procedure followed by micro-HPLC-MS/MS. Three of 10 target analytes, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were quantitatively determined. The detection frequency for PFASs across the 55 samples analysed was less than 10%. The major contributor of the total PFASs concentration in the investigated group was PFBA for which the concentration, reported only for banana, apple and orange samples, was 50.740 ng g^?1 ww. The most often detected compound was PFOA. The origin and growing region are possible factors with the potential to influence PFASs distribution profile and their levels in food.     

Electric properties of monophase polycrystalline sinters SiC, B4C, TiC and their composites as non-inductive volume resistors

Monophase polycrystalline SiC, B₄C, TiC and their SiC-TiC, SiC-B₄C composite sinters with a theoretical density of 97% are characterized by good mechanical and thermal durability as well as a wide range of electrical conductivity values. SiC, which has semiconductor conductivity and negative TCR, was combined with TiC, which has metallic conductivity and positive TCR. Produced in this way resistive elements, within a temperature range from 293 K to 348 K, exhibit a TCR close to zero, and an impedance independent of frequency within a range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz. The combination SiC with 40 wt% of B₄C has been produced resistive elements, which are resistive to oxidation. This combination has also completly resistive character, within a range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz. Most of the investigated materials are suitable for high temperature, noninductive volume resistors.     

Technological and sensory pork quality in relation to muscle and drip loss protein profiles

Fifteen meat samples collected from pigs (Neckar hybrid line) were selected from 75 animals on the basis of their technological quality traits, and the samples were classified as normal, PSE, and acid meat. Sensory analysis was performed on the three meat categories. Total meat protein and drip loss protein were analyzed by electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), mass spectrometry, and image analysis. From a sensory point of view, PSE meat was characterized by lower color intensity, and acid meat was characterized by the lowest score of juiciness. Certain soluble proteins derived from the drip loss were associated with meat quality, especially phosphoglucomutase and the B chain of hemoglobin in the case of PSE and acid meat. Low quantities of myofibrillar proteins (myosin LC1, troponin T (TnT) and troponin C (TnC)) in meat with high glycogen levels and low pH levels resulted in a higher rate of proteolysis of myofibrillar proteins due to higher enzymatic proteolysis activity in the meat. The results of this study showed that the TnC/TnI ratio may be a pertinent marker of postmortem muscle metabolism and that this ratio is related to textural properties.     

Synthesis,photoluminescence properties and thermal investigation by TG-MS of RE(DAS)_3·xH_2O(RE=Eu~(3+),Tb~(3+))

Rare earth(Ⅲ) diphenyl-4-amine sulfonates(RE(DAS)_3·xH_2O,RE=Eu~(3+),Tb~(3+))phosphors were synthesized by precursor method from barium diphenyl-4-amine sulfonate and rare earth sulfates.FTIR,TG/DSC coupled to mass spectrometry(TG/DSC/MS),X-ray powder diffraction(XPD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and photo luminesce nce(PL) spectroscopy were utilized to structurally and morphologically characterize the samples.Thermal decomposition of Eu(DAS)_3·7H_2O and Tb(DAS)_3·2H_2O at 973 K under dynamic air atmosphere results in crystalline Eu_2O_2SO_4 and Tb_2O_2SO_4 materials,respectively.Accordingly,MS spectra reveal the liberation of thermal decomposition products of precursors,largely as CO_2,NO_2 and SO_2 gases.The diphenyl-4-amine sulfonate(DAS) ligand demonstrats a good stabilizing property for Eu~(3+) and Tb~(3+) ions.The Eu(DAS)_3·7H_2O and Tb(DAS)_3·2H_2O compounds display efficient red and green emissions,under UV excitation,arising from the ~5D_0→~7F_J(J=0-4) and ~5D_4→~7F_J(J=0-6) transitions of the Eu~(3+) and Tb~(3+) ions,respectively.