Estimation of unknown speaker’s height from speech

In the present study, we propose a regression-based scheme for the direct estimation of the height of unknown speakers from their speech. In this scheme every speech input is decomposed via the openSMILE audio parameterization to a single feature vector that is fed to a regression model, which provides a direct estimation of the persons’ height. The focus in this study is on the evaluation of the appropriateness of several linear and non-linear regression algorithms on the task of automatic height estimation from speech. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated on the TIMIT database, and the experimental results show an accuracy of 0.053 meters, in terms of mean absolute error, for the best performing Bagging regression algorithm. This accuracy corresponds to an averaged relative error of approximately 3%. We deem that the direct estimation of the height of unknown people from speech provides an important additional feature for improving the performance of various surveillance, profiling and access authorization applications.     

Cooking rice in excess water reduces both arsenic and enriched vitamins in the cooked grain

This paper reports the effects of rinsing rice and cooking it in variable amounts of water on total arsenic, inorganic arsenic, iron, cadmium, manganese, folate, thiamin and niacin in the cooked grain. We prepared multiple rice varietals both rinsed and unrinsed and with varying amounts of cooking water. Rinsing rice before cooking has a minimal effect on the arsenic (As) content of the cooked grain, but washes enriched iron, folate, thiamin and niacin from polished and parboiled rice. Cooking rice in excess water efficiently reduces the amount of As in the cooked grain. Excess water cooking reduces average inorganic As by 40% from long grain polished, 60% from parboiled and 50% from brown rice. Iron, folate, niacin and thiamin are reduced by 50–70% for enriched polished and parboiled rice, but significantly less so for brown rice, which is not enriched.     

Non-destructive ultrasonic investigation of the structure state of steam pipelines

The main purpose of the work is to study the dependence of the ultrasonic wave parameters on the structure state in tubes of boilers at thermo-electric power station. The changes of the velocity, spectra and attenuation of ultrasonic surface waves are caused by degradation of the structure and can be used for residual life estimation of the equipment.     

The rheological properties of ketchup as a function of different hydrocolloids and temperature

The flow properties of ketchup were assessed upon addition of commonly used food thickeners: guar, xanthan and CMC gum at three different concentrations (0.5%, 0.75% and 1%) and four temperatures (25, 35, 45 and 55 °C). The ketchup without supplementation served as a control. All ketchup formulations exhibited non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic behaviour at all temperatures and hydrocolloid levels. The Power-law and Herschel-Buckley model were successfully applied to fit the shear stress versus shear rate data. The flow behaviour indices, n and n' , varied in the range of 0.189–0.228 and 0.216–0.263, respectively. The consistency coefficients, k and k' , were in the range of 8.42–27.22 and 6.56–20.10 Pa s ⁿ , respectively. The addition of hydrocolloids increased the yield point (τ₀) and apparent viscosity of the ketchup in comparison to that of the control. The Arrhenius equation was successfully used to describe the effects of temperature on the apparent viscosity of the prepared formulations. The E _a value appeared in the range between 5492.6 and 21475.8 J mol⁻¹.     

Correction to: Matrix spectral factorization for SA4 multiwavelet

Multidimensional Systems and Signal Processing - After a careful review of the published version of our paper, we discovered that some references to the number of multiwavelet decomposition and...     

Immunomodulatory properties of selectively processed prawn protein fractions assessed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Prawn muscles were treated with acetic acid and high-pressure processing (600 MPa) separately to analyse their antigenicity and immunogenicity. The protein fractions were separated and isolated using preparative HPLC, and their antigenicity was analysed using Immunoglobulin G (IgG) ELISA kit. Out of thirty-nine protein fractions, only four (A10, A11, B10 and C9) were detected with antigenic potentials. The immunogenicity of these protein fractions was analysed using human PBMCs, and supernatants were collected at multiple times from 0 to 144 h. The treated fractions (B10 and C9) analysed using Immunoglobulin E (IgE) ELISA kit showed significantly (P < 0.05) lower pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production compared with control (A10). The allergenic fractions were characterised using an LC/MS/MS, which identified nine proteins. Among these, six proteins (tropomyosin, arginine kinase, haemocyanin, enolase, vitellogenin and 14-3-3 zeta) have been established as allergenic in prawn muscle and ovaries. Other three proteins (beta-1,3-glucan-binding protein, translationally controlled tumour protein and farnesoic acid O-methyltransferase short isoform protein) identified in this study need further investigation for their immunogenic properties.     

Preconcentration of yoghurt base by ultrafiltration for reduction in acid whey generation during Greek yoghurt manufacturing

The feasibility of applying ultrafiltration (UF) to concentrate a yoghurt base prior to fermentation during Greek yoghurt manufacturing was studied as a way of minimising acid whey (AW) generation. Two Greek yoghurts were prepared by concentrating a milk base through UF to 13.8% and 17.5% (w/w) (GY‐2, GY‐3). Production of GY‐3 resulted in zero AW discharge, while the GY‐2 production discharged 78% lower AW compared to the control (GY‐1). GY‐2 exhibited a hard gel structure, low syneresis, maximum viscosity properties and a high protein and fat content. Applying both, UF and straining, resulted yoghurts with required structural attributes while substantially reducing the generation of AW.     

Effects of pressurized thermal processing on native proteins of raw skim milk and its concentrate

Heating, pressurization, and shearing can modify native milk proteins. The effects of pressurized heating (0.5 vs. 10 MPa at 75 or 95°C) with shearing (1,000 s^?1) on proteins of raw bovine skim milk (SM, ～9% total solids) and concentrated raw skim milk (CSM, ～22% total solids) was investigated. The effects of evaporative concentration at 55°C and pressurized shearing (10 MPa, 1,000 s^?1) at 20°C were also examined. Evaporative concentration of SM resulted in destabilization of casein micelles and dissociation of α_S1- and β-casein, rendering CSM prone to further reactions. Treatment at 10 MPa and 1,000 s^?1 at 20°C caused substantial dissociation of α_S1- and β-casein in SM and CSM, with some dissociated caseins forming shear-induced soluble aggregates in CSM. The pressure applied at 10 MPa induced compression of the micelles and their dissociation in SM and CSM at 75 or 95°C, resulting in reduction of the micelle size. However, 10 MPa did not alter the mineral balance or whey proteins denaturation largely, except by reduction of some β-sheets and α-helices, due to heat-induced conformational changes at 75 and 95°C.