Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Speaker recognition based on the combination of GMM and SVDD

Score-level combination of subsystems can yield significant performance gains over individual subsystems in speaker recognition. A novel speaker verification method based on support vector data description (SVDD) is proposed to remedy the defect of Gaussian mixture model (GMM) to some extent, and then using the theory of multiple classifier systems (MCS),a new speaker recognition system based on the combination of GMM and SVDD is proposed. Experiments on TIMIT speech database show that the GMM-SVDD model fully utilizes the complementarities of GMM and SVDD to improve the performance obviously in speaker verification, closed-set speaker identification and speaker recognition. Streszczenie. Zaproponowano nowa metode rozpoznawania glosu bazującą na systemie SVDD jako alternatywe dla modelu GMM. Nastepnie wykorzystując teorie wielokrotnego systemu klasyfikacji MCS zaproponowano wykorzystanie polączenia systemow GMM i SVDD. Eksperymenty potwierdzily ze nowy model GMM-SVDD umozliwia ulepszone rozpoznawanie glosu. (Rozpoznawanie glosu bazujące na kombinacji systemow GMM i SVDD)
3D photonic integrated circuits for WDM applications

The wafer fusion technique for realization of compact waveguide switches, filters and 3D photonic integrated circuits is investigated theoretically and experimentally. Calculations based on the beam propagation method show that very short vertical directional couplers with 40-220 μm coupling lengths and high extinction ratios from 20 to 32 dB can be realized. These extinction ratios can be further improved using a slight asymmetry in waveguide structure. The optical loss at the fused interface was investigated by comparison of the transmission loss in InGaAsP-based ridge-loaded waveguide structures with and without a fused layer near the core region. This reveals an excess loss of 1.1 dB/cm at 1.55 μm wavelength due to the fused interface. Fused straight vertical directional couplers have been fabricated and characterized. Waveguides separated by 0.6 μm gap layer exhibit a coupling length of 62 μm and a switching voltage of about 12 volts. Since GaAs and InP have different material dispersion at 1.55 μm wavelength, a combination of InP and GaAs couplers is used to demonstrate an inherent polarization independent and narrowband filter.
Distributed integral simplex for clustering

Clustering is the subject of active research in several fields such as operations research, statistics, pattern recognition, and machine learning. The range of applications is very wide: scheduling, vehicle routing, pattern recognition, etc. Depending on the specific needs of the community, the methods used to solve these problems vary from heuristics of rather primal nature (improving of clustering iteratively by relocation moves for instance) to exact methods of a rather dual nature where we generally solve the continuous relaxation by releasing the integrality constraints and restoring it by implicit enumeration (branch and cut or branch and cut and price). In this paper, we propose the integral simplex, an exact primal method that could be suitable for both major classes. More interestingly, it could be distributedly solved better than the dual approach. Consequently, this work aims to propose a distributed version of the integral simplex, called DISUD, using some decompositions and multiple agents. Each agent dynamically splits the overall set partitioning (clustering) problem into sub-problems and solve them in parallel on a single machine. The new algorithm DISUD improves at each iteration the current clustering until (near) optimality is reached. It works much better on real set partitioning instances from the airline industry than DCPLEX, the distributed version of the state of the art commercial solver CPLEX.
The economic impact of climate driven changes in water availability in Switzerland

Switzerland is already and will continue to be affected by climate change. In its fourth assessment report, the IPCC indeed predicts a temperature increase of approximately 2 °C during winter and 2.5 °C during summer until 2050 compared to 1990 levels. By then, precipitation is estimated to increase by about 8% during winter and decrease by 15% in summer. These changes are bound to affect the hydrological cycle and alter both water supply and demand in multiple ways, thus highlighting the importance of understanding the hydrological consequences of climate change and their impact on the Swiss economy. Indeed, the broad objective of this study is to estimate the economic impact of changes in water availability due to climate change at a 2050 time horizon in Switzerland. This study employs GEMINI-E3, a computable general equilibrium model that is specifically designed for the analysis of climate change and energy policies. This model originally comprises 28 regions, including Switzerland, and 18 different sectors. The sectoral structure of the model is being extended in order to assess the economic impacts of climate change on particularly sensitive sectors and to study the role of specific adaptation measures for alleviating climate change costs. To assess the consequences of changes in water availability, raw water resources are introduced as a production factor into GEMINI-E3. Further, a drinking water distribution sector is specified for Switzerland and a more detailed representation of agriculture is proposed to allow for a precise analysis of the economic consequences of restricted water supply. Predictions of water availability in 2050 are taken from a hydrological model developed for Switzerland and alternative climate change scenarios from the EU-ENSEMBLES project are considered. Simulations show that possible restrictions in water resource availability will increase raw water prices substantially compared to the benchmark scenario. Sectors most affected are drinking water distribution and agricultural sectors that use irrigation. However, the global economic impact for Switzerland is small due to the low price of raw water in Switzerland and its small value in the benchmark scenario. Finally, the simulation of scenarios featuring alternative levels of endogenous adaptive capacity of the economy reveals the possible economic impact of adaptation to climate change.
GomX-1: A Nano-satellite Mission to Demonstrate Improved Situational Awareness for Air Traffic Control

Since the launch of the first Cubesats in 2003 significant resources are now being invested worldwide in developing technologies and capabilities that allows nano-satellites to perform more meaningful missions in space. In November 2012 GomSpace will launch the GomX-1 nano-satellite, which features a payload capable of tracking from space trans-oceanic flights by reception of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signal emitted by the aircraft. The future potential uses for space based ADS-B are many and range from the optimization of air space procedures based on statistical data from a few nano-satellites to an operational real-time system for operational air traffic management. The GomX-1 mission will be the first ADS-B demonstration from space. INTRODUCTION Since the launch of the first cubesats in 2003 significant resources are now being invested worldwide in developing technologies and capabilities that allows nano-satellites to perform more meaningful functions in space other than being a great educational resource for young engineers. On this basis we are now starting to see very interesting science and technology demonstration missions based on nano-satellite platforms being launched. The growth in the number and maturity of nano-satellite projects is well documented and a recent forecast prepared by SpaceWorks Commercial show evidence that the number of missions will continue to grow rapidly. In the coming years we expect that commercial applications of nano-satellites will follow where niches can be found that can be well served by nano-satellites, but are too expensive to address with traditional satellite systems. In November 2012 GomSpace will launch the GomX-1 nano-satellite, which features a payload capable of tracking from space trans-oceanic flights by reception of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signal emitted by the aircraft. The ADS-B signal is in use today for air traffic control in areas covered by terrestrial based receivers, but is currently not of use over the oceans due to its limited range. The GomX-1 satellite with its sensitive Software Defined Radio (SDR) payload will be the first demonstration that the ADS-B signals can be received from space and utilized to provide increased global situational awareness for key stakeholders in air traffic control. The future potential uses for space based ADS-B are many and range from the optimization of air space procedures based on statistical data from a few nanosatellites to an operational real-time system (utilizing geo-stationary satellites for data relay) of 40-70 active nano-satellites. One application of a fully deployed constellation could be the reduction of required separation of trans-oceanic flight allowing up to, in theory, 16 times as many aircraft on the most fuelefficient routes.
Total protein, DNA and RNA content in the abdominal muscles of mice treated with Immunex DS and Hepatitis B Vaccine

Total protein, DNA and RNA was estimated in the abdominal muscles of experimental and control male swiss albino mice (6-8 wks old; 23-26 g wt). Immunex DS (IDS) was orally administered (@150mg/mouse) as a single dose in mice of group I. In a set of 6 experimental groups, IDS was orally administered @150mg/mouse in a single dose on day 0 and injected with Gene Vac B vaccine on day 4 of experiment (@ 0.07ml/mouse, A; 0.1ml/mouse, B; 0.2ml/mouse, C; 0.4ml/mouse, D; 0.8ml/mouse, E, and 1ml/mouse, F). A single group was kept as control (untreated and uninfected). Two mice from all the eight groups were sacrificed on day 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 after vaccine treatment. Muscle tissue (abdominal) was separated and analysed for total protein, DNA and RNA using standard methods. The level of protein, DNA and RNA showed much alteration in all the experimental groups of mice throughout the infection period when compared with controls and IDS treated mice; this abnormality might be due to IDS and/or pathogenic stress caused by reaction oxygen species.
The Impact of Cross-Border M&As on Target Company Performance: Evidence from Turkey

This study investigates the changes in the performance of Turkish companies which were the target of acquisitions by foreign companies. Pre-acquisition and post-acquisition accounting ratios are compared by parametric t-tests. The results show an insignificant decline in the ratios. We conclude that the cross-border M&As examined in this study did not synergy or improved the performance of target companies involved.
Stable Adaptive IIR System Identification Using Particle Swarm Optimization

This paper presents an adaptive IIR system identification method using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). System identification is a method for estimating characteristic of an unknown system using the measured input and output signals. In PSO, potential solutions called particles are updated according to simple mathematical formulas of particle’s positions and velocities. However, the IIR system identification methods using PSO have a problem that it is very difficult to get the global optimum solution when the adaptive filter becomes once unstable during system identification. Moreover, the standard PSO has a problem that it tends to converge to local optimal solution because of its strong directivity. In the proposed method, the particle’s velocities are updated using plural better solutions in order to avoid the convergence to local optimal solution and the output signal of an unknown system is used as the feedback signal of the adaptive filter in order to achieve stable system identification. Some simulation results show that the proposed method has higher identification accuracy than conventional methods.
Demand for Secondhand Goods and Consumers' Preference in Developing Countries: An analysis using the field experimental data of Vietnamese consumers

Using the data from a series of field experiments that were carried out in in Hanoi, Thai Ping, and Thai Hong in Vietnam, we examined the relationship between consumers' preference for secondhand products and consumers' and products' attributes. In particular, we extracted their risk, time, and social cooperative preferences through the experiments. In addition, we surveyed their personal attributes and conducted a type of conjoint questionnaire about motorbikes and fridges. Regarding product attributes, we focused on the age, brand, size, quality labeling, origin, and so on. We found that product attributes influence consumer utility as expected. For example, the Honda brand positively influences consumer utility. Moreover, we obtained several important results about the relationship between personal attributes and demand, in particular, about preference for secondhand products. For example, consumers who are more far-sighted and/or older have stronger preference for secondhand goods compared with the less far-sighted and/or younger consumers; the older and/or male consumers have stronger preference for Japanese brands as compared with the younger and/or female consumers. It is also possible that environmental consciousness affects the preference for secondhand products. We also provide policy implications on quality certification and international trade of secondhand goods.
Tourist destination image formed by the cinema : Barcelona positioning through the feature film Vicky Cristina Barcelona

The image formed by the movie industry often represents an added value for certain destinations because it works as a real tool for promotion at an international level and as a factor that induces travel. The representations and images of tourist destinations developed through the mass media, such as cinema, television and literature play a truly significant role which influences in the process of vacation spot decision. These media are very influential in promoting, confirming and reinforcing images, opinions and the destination identity, and play an outstanding role in the image construction of tourist destinations. In other words, the way in which the destination is represented in films and television series can have an enormous influence worldwide in perpetuating a particular image and vision of the country. Barcelona as a destination, in recent years, has been positioning itself in a number of full -length feature films to be internationally promoted. The latest cinematographic promotional action can be witnessed in the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Woody Allen, 2008), which has contributed to placing this city strategically in the mind of the potential consumer. The present paper analyses the principal images film lovers have perceived in this destination through the film.
Weak elastic anisotropy

Most bulk elastic media are weakly anisotropic. -The equations governing weak anisotropy are much simpler than those governing strong anisotropy, and they are much easier to grasp intuitively. These equations indicate that a certain anisotropic parameter (denoted 6) controls most anisotropic phenomena of importance in exploration geophysics. some of which are nonnegligible even when the anisotropy is weak. The critical parameter 6 is an awkward combination of elastic parameters, a combination which is totally independent of horizontal velocity and which may be either positive or negative in natural contexts.
DSPWM multilevel technique of 27‐levels based on FPGA for the cascaded DC/AC power converter operation

Summary In this paper, a digital sinusoidal pulse width modulation (DSPWM) multilevel technique of 27-levels based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) is introduced, as an alternative to control of the direct current/alternating current multilevel power converters. The implementation of this technique with an FPGA XC3S500E model is achieved in the Xilinx Spartan-3E FPGA platforms. An experimental prototype is implemented by 3-cascaded H-bridges controlled by the DSPWM multilevel technique, generating high efficiency, low cost, and lower harmonic content. The efficiency of the DSPWM multilevel technique using R, RL, RC, and RLC loads connected to the power network is verified.
Synecology of Semi-Steppe Vegetation in Relation to Some Ecological Factors in Polour Rangelands of Mazandaran Province, Iran

This research investigates the vegetation of 4600 ha of Polour semi-steppe rangelands in relation to edaphic and physiographical parameters in Mazandaran Province. For this purpose, 23 land units were selected from overlaying slope, aspect and elevation maps using geographic information system (GIS). Within each unit, 3 parallel transects with 100 m length, each containing 10 quadrates (according to vegetation variation) were established. Sampling method was random systematic. Measured soil properties included texture, organic matter, pH, electrical conductivity, nitrogen, phosphorus, and litter. Soil and plant data were analyzed with redundancy analysis (RDA) and SHAZAM 10 package. RDA analysis suggesting that there was a relatively high correspondence between vegetation and environmental factors that explained 93% of the total variance in data set. RDA results showed that soil slope, aspect, soil texture, acidity, phosphorus, and litter were the major environmental factors responsible for variations in vegetation patterns. Furthermore, results also showed that for F. ovina and P. bulbosa, acidity and nitrogen, for A. gossypinus, organic matter and salinity and for D. glomerata, nitrogen had the most important role in plant presence and absence probability.
Diffusion Dynamics of Sustainable Innovation - Insights on Diffusion Patterns Based on the Analysis of 100 Sustainable Product and Service Innovations

There is a growing consensus about the urgent necessity to green the economy and to decouple economic growth from environmental pressure. Against this background, the article explores three questions: (1) What are key factors influencing diffusion dynamics of sustainable product and service innovations? (2) To what extent do diffusion processes of sustainable product and service innovations differ from each other, and can different groups of diffusion processes be identified? (3) Which factors, actors, and institutional settings are characteristic of different groups of diffusion processes? While diffusion research on sustainable innovation so far has been limited to case studies with just one or a small number of cases or has been focused on individual sectors, the empirical data presented here cover a large number of cases from a broad variety of product fields. This allows for generalizations as well as relevant insights and conclusions for sustainability, environmental and innovation policies. The empirical investigation of 100 sustainable product and service innovations revealed that diffusion processes of sustainable innovations differ substantially: The cluster analysis showed that five groups of sustainable innovations can be differentiated which differ significantly in terms of the factors influencing the diffusion process. The empirical results thus both support the assumption that different types of diffusion paths do in fact exist and also permit characterization of the various types of diffusion paths. The evolutionary concept of diffusion paths develops significant explanatory power on the basis of which faster or slower cases of diffusion and the success or failure of sustainable innovations can be better understood.
Estudo sobre a associação de cerâmica a plasma rico em plaquetas na coluna vertebral de ratos

OBJECTIVE: To assess the osteoinductive action of platelet-rich plasma when associated to ceramics in the spine of rats. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Laminectomy was performed in 16 isogenic Lewis rats for posterior ceramic grafting. PRP was prepared intraoperatively using blood collected from two other rats. Study and control groups were set by randomization, with the study group receiving ceramics associated to PRP, and the control group receiving only ceramics. The animals were sacrificed for histopathological analysis after 10 weeks. RESULTS: Strong osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity and full re-absorption of ceramics were found on study group. In control group, small bone islands across fibrous tissue and non-reabsorbed were seen. Discussion: growth factors released by platelets bind to osteoblasts and fibroblasts surfaces, stimulating collagen synthesis to form bone matrix. Activated macrophages keep releasing growth factors and stimulating osteogenesis. CONCLUSION: The use of PRP associated to ceramics showed stronger osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity and full ceramics re-absorption compared to standalone grafting on the spine of rats.
‘Did you enjoy your holiday?’ Can residential outdoor learning benefit mainstream schooling?

In the United Kingdom there is a long tradition of residential outdoor learning provision, but to date there is limited research evidence for the direct educational benefits of such experiences, and to both critics and supporters the distinction between such visits and ‘holidays in school time’ is not always apparent. This paper summarises an evaluation of one such programme used by a Scottish council as part of an initiative to raise pupils’ achievement, and considers the direct educational benefits in relation to the current educational framework within Scotland. A mixed-methods evaluation involving over 800 pupils combined psychometric analysis, participant observation, group and individual interviews, and was conducted before, during and up to three months after each residential experience. Aspects were repeated over the course of two years. The personal ‘dispositions’ concept prominent in the National Curriculum Guidelines for 5–14 year olds (in place during the fieldwork) provided an overarching analytical framework. The findings were then related to the development of the personal ‘capacities’ specified in the current curriculum in Scotland (Curriculum for Excellence). This paper therefore performs three functions: first, it examines the educational relationship between residential outdoor learning and mainstream education in Scotland; second, it considers the contemporary significance and continued relevance of outdoor learning more generally; and third, it examines the relationship between qualitative and quantitative approaches to such studies. The aim of fostering positive ‘dispositions’ or ‘capacities’ is now prevalent in the curricula of many countries and so the findings may have significance beyond the United Kingdom.
Continuous time mean-variance portfolio optimization through the mean field approach

A simple mean-variance portfolio optimization problem in continuous time is solved using the mean field approach. In this approach, the original optimal control problem, which is time inconsistent, is viewed as the McKean–Vlasov limit of a family of controlled many-component weakly interacting systems. The prelimit problems are solved by dynamic programming, and the solution to the original problem is obtained by passage to the limit.