Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AUTOMATIC LANGUAGE RECOGNITION USING DEEP NEURAL NETWORKS – TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER –

In recent years, deep learning has been arisen as a new paradigm within machine learning field. In particular, Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) are an important part of this new paradigm. This set of architectures has properties that make them suitable for difficult tasks among which it can be highlighted automatic language recognition (or Spoken Language Recognition, SLR). Their capability to model complex functions in high-dimensional spaces and to get a good representation of the input data makes these architectures and algorithms proper for processing complex signals as, for instance, the voice signal. Thereby, they can be used as a technique to provide an automatic way to distinguish the language that has been used in a specific segment of speech. This Master Thesis is intended to provide a new approach that, combining both deep learning and automatic language recognition fields, improves the SLR task by getting a better representation of voice signals for classification purposes so that it can be identified which language has been used in that voice signal. In order to do this, both DNNs and state-of-art SLR systems have been studied thoroughly. Firstly, it has been reviewed the application of DNNs to speech recognition tasks. Then, convolutional deep neural networks, in particular, have been adapted to the language recognition problem and their performance has been evaluated on a challenging dataset such as NIST LRE 2009 (National Institute of Standards and Technology Language Recognition Evaluation). Although some results do not always outperform the reference system that has been considered in the experimental part of this work, the new approach based on DNNs can be seen as a starting point to improve current SLR systems. A mis padres. A mi hermana. A mis abuelas.
Copper Etching: New Chemical Approaches

There is a tremendous demand for improved performance and speed in consumer electronics that is likely to continue as new applications and developments occur. This demand necessitates a reduction in the critical dimensions and an increase in the density of devices in microelectronic circuits. As a result, new materials must be considered for integration into microelectronics technology. In particular, the metal wiring or interconnects that connect different components in silicon-based semiconductor devices is a subject of great interest. As the dimensions of transistors shrink below the 0.5 μm level, their speed will become limited by the delays in the existing interconnect material, Al-Si-Cu alloy ( p ~ 3 μΩ cm). Therefore, to avoid problems associated with RC (“resistance/capacitance”) time delays and voltage drops, it will be necessary to construct interconnections of materials that possess lower resistivities, resistance to electromigration and hillock formation, and resistance to diffusion into other materials (see Table I). A number of materials are possible candidates to replace the Al-Si-Cu alloy, including W, Ag, Au, and Cu. Tungsten has excellent resistance to electromigration and hillock formation, but has higher resistivity compared with the Al-Si-Cu alloy. Thus, applications of W are likely to be found where short interconnection distances are necessary. Silver has the lowest resistivity of all metals, but is easily corroded and diffuses rapidly into many materials used in semiconductor devices. However, some specific applications for silver are viable, such as the formation of contacts on ceramic superconductors. Gold has a lower resistivity than the Al-Si-Cu alloy and is inert to chemical corrosion. As a result Au is used where device reliability is the primary concern-for example, for wiring in GaAs-based semiconductors and electrical contacts in packaging.
Attachment, exploration, and separation: illustrated by the behavior of one-year-olds in a strange situation.

cussed. As an illustration of these concepts, a study is reported of 56 white, middle-class infants, 49-51 weeks of age, in a strange situation. The presence of the mother was found to encourage exploratory behavior, her absence to depress exploration and to heighten attachment behaviors. In separation episodes such behaviors as crying and search increased. In reunion episodes proximity-seeking and contact-maintaining behaviors were heightened. In a substantial proportion of Ss, contact-resisting behaviors were also heightened in the reunion episodes, usually in conjunction with contactmaintaining behaviors, thus suggesting ambivalence. Some Ss also displayed proximity-avoiding behavior in relation to the mother in the reunion episodes. These findings are discussed in the context of relevant observational, clinical, and experimental studies of human and nonhuman primates, including studies of mother-child separation. In conclusion, it is urged that the concepts of attachment and attachment behavior be kept broad enough to comprehend the spectrum of the findings of this range of studies.
Active Video Games and Health Indicators in Children and Youth: A Systematic Review

Background Active video games (AVGs) have gained interest as a way to increase physical activity in children and youth. The effect of AVGs on acute energy expenditure (EE) has previously been reported; however, the influence of AVGs on other health-related lifestyle indicators remains unclear. Objective This systematic review aimed to explain the relationship between AVGs and nine health and behavioural indicators in the pediatric population (aged 0–17 years). Data sources Online databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, psycINFO, SPORTDiscus and Cochrane Central Database) and personal libraries were searched and content experts were consulted for additional material. Data selection Included articles were required to have a measure of AVG and at least one relevant health or behaviour indicator: EE (both habitual and acute), adherence and appeal (i.e., participation and enjoyment), opportunity cost (both time and financial considerations, and adverse events), adiposity, cardiometabolic health, energy intake, adaptation (effects of continued play), learning and rehabilitation, and video game evolution (i.e., sustainability of AVG technology). Results 51 unique studies, represented in 52 articles were included in the review. Data were available from 1992 participants, aged 3–17 years, from 8 countries, and published from 2006–2012. Overall, AVGs are associated with acute increases in EE, but effects on habitual physical activity are not clear. Further, AVGs show promise when used for learning and rehabilitation within special populations. Evidence related to other indicators was limited and inconclusive. Conclusions Controlled studies show that AVGs acutely increase light- to moderate-intensity physical activity; however, the findings about if or how AVG lead to increases in habitual physical activity or decreases in sedentary behaviour are less clear. Although AVGs may elicit some health benefits in special populations, there is not sufficient evidence to recommend AVGs as a means of increasing daily physical activity.
Stress Analytics in Education

During the years of college and university education students are exposed to different kinds of stress, especially during the difficult studying periods like final exams weeks or project deadlines. Stress on a long run is dangerous and can contribute to illness through its physiological effects or maladaptive health behaviors. Many students admit, or are self-aware, that they become stressed under different circumstances and have some clues about their potential stressor. Still, even for such students, the monitoring and awareness of stress are not systematic and based on subjective data, i.e. someone's feelings. In our work we aim at providing means to students to become aware of the past, current and expected (objectively measured) stress and its correlation with their performance, to understand their stressors, to cope with and prevent stress - thus, to live healthier and happier lives and better organize their studies.
Unfair competition governs the interaction of pCPI-17 with myosin phosphatase (PP1-MYPT1)

The small phosphoprotein pCPI-17 inhibits myosin light-chain phosphatase (MLCP). Current models postulate that during muscle relaxation, phosphatases other than MLCP dephosphorylate and inactivate pCPI-17 to restore MLCP activity. We show here that such hypotheses are insufficient to account for the observed rapidity of pCPI-17 inactivation in mammalian smooth muscles. Instead, MLCP itself is the critical enzyme for pCPI-17 dephosphorylation. We call the mutual sequestration mechanism through which pCPI-17 and MLCP interact inhibition by unfair competition: MLCP protects pCPI-17 from other phosphatases, while pCPI-17 blocks other substrates from MLCP’s active site. MLCP dephosphorylates pCPI-17 at a slow rate that is, nonetheless, both sufficient and necessary to explain the speed of pCPI-17 dephosphorylation and the consequent MLCP activation during muscle relaxation. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.24665. 001
Niche conservatism as an emerging principle in ecology and conservation biology.

The diversity of life is ultimately generated by evolution, and much attention has focused on the rapid evolution of ecological traits. Yet, the tendency for many ecological traits to instead remain similar over time [niche conservatism (NC)] has many consequences for the fundamental patterns and processes studied in ecology and conservation biology. Here, we describe the mounting evidence for the importance of NC to major topics in ecology (e.g. species richness, ecosystem function) and conservation (e.g. climate change, invasive species). We also review other areas where it may be important but has generally been overlooked, in both ecology (e.g. food webs, disease ecology, mutualistic interactions) and conservation (e.g. habitat modification). We summarize methods for testing for NC, and suggest that a commonly used and advocated method (involving a test for phylogenetic signal) is potentially problematic, and describe alternative approaches. We suggest that considering NC: (1) focuses attention on the within-species processes that cause traits to be conserved over time, (2) emphasizes connections between questions and research areas that are not obviously related (e.g. invasives, global warming, tropical richness), and (3) suggests new areas for research (e.g. why are some clades largely nocturnal? why do related species share diseases? ).
Environmental correlates of walking and cycling: Findings from the transportation, urban design, and planning literatures

Research in transportation, urban design, and planning has examined associations between physical environment variables and individuals’ walking and cycling for transport. Constructs, methods, and findings from these fields can be applied by physical activity and health researchers to improve understanding of environmental influences on physical activity. In this review, neighborhood environment characteristics proposed to be relevant to walking/cycling for transport are defined, including population density, connectivity, and land use mix. Neighborhood comparison and correlational studies with nonmotorized transport outcomes are considered, with evidence suggesting that residents from communities with higher density, greater connectivity, and more land use mix report higher rates of walking/cycling for utilitarian purposes than low-density, poorly connected, and single land use neighborhoods. Environmental variables appear to add to variance accounted for beyond sociodemographic predictors of walking/cycling for transport. Implications of the transportation literature for physical activity and related research are outlined. Future research directions are detailed for physical activity research to further examine the impact of neighborhood and other physical environment factors on physical activity and the potential interactive effects of psychosocial and environmental variables. The transportation, urban design, and planning literatures provide a valuable starting point for multidisciplinary research on environmental contributions to physical activity levels in the population.
Research on Sentiment Analysis of Micro-blog's Topic Based on TextRank's Abstract

The widespread rise of social media makes the social network more complex, and the development of Web2.0 technology makes the users' online participation greatly increased. According to the psychological research, the groups are easier to establish extreme positions than members that is what is called the group polarization phenomenon. If we do not control and guide the network rumors, the network group events and even the violences are easy to occur. In order to stop the unexpected event, the positive and negative events should be discerned in time. Due to the widespread use of micro-blog platform, the speed and breadth of propagation of the micro-blog hot topics is not expected, so it is important to distinguish the sentiment properties of topics. In order to solve this problem, the spam filtering mechanism based on TextRank is proposed, and the sentiment of the micro-blog hot topics after filtration is analyzed. Compared to the classifier based on sentiment dictionary and the classifier based on Naive Bayesian, the proposed algorithm improves the accuracy of sentiment analysis and recall rate effectively.
Linking indoor environment conditions to job satisfaction: a field study

Physical and questionnaire data were collected from 95 workstations at an open-plan office building in Michigan, US. The physical measurements encompassed thermal, lighting, and acoustic variables, furniture dimensions, and an assessment of potential exterior view. Occupants answered a detailed questionnaire concerning their environmental and job satisfaction, and aspects of well-being. These data were used to test, via mediated regression, a model linking the physical environment, through environmental satisfaction, to job satisfaction and other related measures. In particular, a significant link was demonstrated between overall environmental satisfaction and job satisfaction, mediated by satisfaction with management and with compensation. Analysis of physical data was limited to the lighting domain. Results confirmed the important role of window access at the desk in satisfaction with lighting, particularly through its effect on satisfaction with outside view. Des données physiques et des données obtenues par questionnaire ont été recueillies auprès de 95 postes de travail dans un immeuble de bureaux décloisonnés du Michigan, aux Etats-Unis. Les mesures physiques comprenaient des variables thermiques, acoustiques et relatives à l'éclairage, les dimensions des meubles, ainsi qu'une évaluation de la vue extérieure potentielle. Les occupants ont répondu à un questionnaire détaillé portant sur la satisfaction à l'égard de leur environnement et de leur travail, et sur des aspects relatifs au bien-être. Ces données ont été utilisées pour tester, au moyen d'une régression médiatisée, un modèle liant l'environnement physique, par la satisfaction à l'égard de l'environnement, à la satisfaction dans le travail et aux autres mesures liées. Il a en particulier été démontré qu'il existe un lien important entre la satisfaction globale à l'égard de l'environnement et la satisfaction dans le travail, médiatisé par la satisfaction vis-à-vis de la direction et de la rémunération. L'analyse des données physiques a été limitée au domaine de l'éclairage. Les résultats ont confirmé que le fait de pouvoir accéder à une fenêtre au bureau joue un rôle important dans la satisfaction à l'égard de l'éclairage, en particulier par son effet sur la satisfaction vis-à-vis de la vue extérieure. Mots clés: satisfaction à l'égard de l'environnement, satisfaction dans le travail, éclairage, perception par les occupants, bureaux, productivité organisationnelle, vue, bien-être
GSS-VC: A game-theoretic approach for service selection in vehicular cloud

Vehicular Cloud Computing (VCC) exploits resources at vehicles, such as computing, storage and internet connectivity to provide services for applications supporting different ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) services. Current Vehicular Cloud (VC) systems allow Consumer Vehicles (CVs) to discover and consume offered services by nearby mobile cloud servers (vehicles). However, to consume the required services, the CVs must first select the most suitable service provider, given that each of providers is characterized by specific features, limitations and prices. To the best of our knowledge, no work to date addresses the critical question of how to select the best provider fitting the quality of services and costs requirements of the consumer vehicles. Similarly, Provider Vehicles (PVs) should adjust the provided services' features and prices under certain conditions such as the rate of consumers' requests which makes this issue even harder. In this paper, we propose GSS-VC as a new distributed game theory-based approach to manage the service provisioning in vehicular cloud. Our approach takes into account the benefit of each player and allows the CVs to find the most suitable PV based on the probability interaction between them. Simulation results are carried out using urban mobility model and illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach to answer the raised questions: what is the best condition under which the CVs may request the PVs for services? and how to select the best service with respect to the CV preferences? Results from extensive simulations on up to 1, 500 vehicles show that GSS-VC is a an efficient and reliable service selection scheme while achieving high QoS.
Hochauflösende Röntgenlithografie zur Herstellung polymerer Submikrometerstrukturen mit großem Akspektverhältnis

In this work the process for X-ray lithography in PMMA was further developed to generate structures in PMMA layers with lateral dimensions in the submicron range and heights of several micrometers resulting in aspect ratios of 10 and higher. PMMA films of 2 ÷ 10 μm could be structured with aspect ratios up to more than 12 using Synchrotron radiation with λ c = 0.4 nm after the systematic analysis and optimization of the development- and exposure process. An X-ray mask technique using a free suspended membrane of 1 μm thick silicon nitride with 2 pm high gold absorbers was introduced. After optimizing the entire process for mask production, the limits of electron beam lithography could be determined. Due to the proximity effect, CAD data of lateral dimensions need to be shrunken by -100 ÷ 150 nm per edge in order to receive nominal values in the PMMA structures produced via lithography. Locally minimized walls of resist may be used as templates for electroplating to reproducible create minimal slit sizes down to 75 nm in 2 μm high gold absorbers with tolerances of ± 25 nm on the same substrate. To spincoat the requested PMMA films, resist systems offered for electron beam lithography were used. Both examined resists, MicroChem 950k PMMA A11 and All Resist AR SX-P 6540, have a higher contrast in the dose regime above 1 kJ/cm 3 compared to the dose regime below this value. Surface tension during drying as part of the development process limits the achievable aspect ratio as function of the actual structure height for walls and columns. Rising the pre-bake temperature of MicroChem 950k PMMA A11 from 111°C to 180°C results in more stable structures. Adding 10 ppm fluoride tenside to the rinse bath during the wet development process reduces the structure collapse. Using an adhesion layer out of polyimide avoids cracks in the resist even for lateral dimensions of several 10 pm. The proximity gap during X-ray exposure influences the structure quality via diffraction effects significantly. Reducing this gap from 100 μm to 15 μm minimizes the influence of this effect. The process optimized in this study could be used to generate submicron structures for fluidic applications with aspect ratios more than 10. It enables the creation of polymer moulds and masks for the production of submicron structures in metals. By electroforming, e.g. gold structures with aspect ratios more than 12 and lateral dimensions around 500 nm were fabricated. This allows for batch-fabrication of SAW-filters for frequencies above the presently used ones. In addition the optimized process can be used to build metallic filters with high aspect ratios for the use as band-pass filters with sharp cut-off-frequencies in the infrared.
Stopping set distribution of LDPC code ensembles

Stopping sets determine the performance of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes under iterative decoding over erasure channels. We derive several results on the asymptotic behavior of stopping sets in Tanner-graph ensembles, including the following. An expression for the normalized average stopping set distribution, yielding, in particular, a critical fraction of the block length above which codes have exponentially many stopping sets of that size. A relation between the degree distribution and the likely size of the smallest nonempty stopping set, showing that for a /spl radic/1-/spl lambda/'(0)/spl rho/'(1) fraction of codes with /spl lambda/'(0)/spl rho/'(1)<1, and in particular for almost all codes with smallest variable degree >2, the smallest nonempty stopping set is linear in the block length. Bounds on the average block error probability as a function of the erasure probability /spl epsi/, showing in particular that for codes with lowest variable degree 2, if /spl epsi/ is below a certain threshold, the asymptotic average block error probability is 1-/spl radic/1-/spl lambda/'(0)/spl rho/'(1)/spl epsi/.
Impact of intracranial self-expanding stents in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke: efficacy and limitations

In recent years, endovascular self-expanding stents have become a viable option for neurointerventionalists treating acute ischemic stroke. Timely intervention for stroke could mean the difference between complete recovery and significant morbidity or death. Since 2006, a handful of clinical trials have demonstrated the potential of self-expanding stents in dependably achieving quick revascularization. These devices are expanding in utilization as new designs offer greater procedural flexibility and better clinical results. We discuss these clinical investigations, focusing on the procedural capabilities and limitations of each self-expanding stent design.
CD4 memory T cells survive and proliferate but fail to differentiate in the absence of CD40

Secondary T cell responses are enhanced because of an expansion in numbers of antigen-specific (memory) cells. Using major histocompatibility complex class II tetramers we have tracked peptide-specific endogenous (non–T cell receptor transgenic) CD4 memory T cells in normal and in costimulation-deficient mice. CD4 memory T cells were detectable after immunization for more than 200 days, although decay was apparent. Memory cells generated in CD40 knockout mice by immunization with peptide-pulsed wild-type dendritic cells survived in the absence of CD40 and proliferated when boosted with peptide (plus adjuvant) in a CD40-independent fashion. However, differentiation of the memory cells into cytokine-producing effector cells did not occur in the absence of CD40. The data indicate that memory cells can be generated without passing through the effector cell stage.