Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rapid transition to new spoken dialogue domains: language model training using knowledge from previous domain applications and web text resources

In generic automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems, typically, language models (LMs) are trained to work within a broad range of input conditions. ASR systems used in domain-specific spoken dialogue systems (SDSs) are more constrained in terms of content and style. A mismatch in content and/or style between training and operating conditions results in performance degradation for the dialogue application. The main focus of this paper is to develop tools to facilitate rapid development of spoken dialogue applications within the context of language model training by focusing on the problem of automatically collecting text data that is useful to train accurate language models for the new target domain without manually collecting any in-domain data. We investigate a framework to extract useful information from previous domains and World Wide Web (WWW). We collect data by submitting queries to a search engine and then clean the resulting text via syntactic and semantic filtering. This is followed by artificial sentence generation. Without using any in-domain data, our system achieved a word error rate (WER) of 19.33%, a performance comparable to that achieved by a language model trained on manually collected 32K in-domain sentences. Using less than 1% of in-domain data along with the automatically generated text, our system achieved an ASR performance close to a language model trained on 60K in-domain sentences.
Is Music an Archaic Form of Thinking?

The central idea of this article is based on the assumption that there is a close parallel between the forms of music and ‘archaic’ forms of thinking. The article discusses the Piagetian developmental model of assimilation and accommodation processes and their resemblance to the increasing and decreasing inner tensions caused by music. At the most general, pervasive level, music can be viewed as being parallel to bodily experienced, non-verbal forms of meaning, and, as such, may be described as ‘archaic thinking’. This dimension of musical experience is common to all known cultures, and it is similar to the body schemas and ‘bodily forms of thinking’ of an infant. Forms of ‘archaic thinking’ as a hierarchy are also discussed. Theories concerning the different developmental phases of thinking are considered. The cognitive and psychoanalytical theories of Eva Basch-Kahre shed new light on the phenomenon of music, as do the infant developmental research and writings of Daniel Stern. Basch-Kahre distinguishes different forms of thinking according to the different developmental stages of the individual, e.g. chaotic, emotional-sensomotoric and operational thinking processes. Stern considers developmental stages of the infant in an interpersonal dimension, the dynamic processes of which manifest ‘musically’, or in ‘musical’ forms. This author's thesis is that, by using music and musical symbols in the therapeutic situation, for example, it is possible to meet and address all these developmental stages within the individual.
A novel adaptive algorithm for the blind separation of periodic sources

An adaptive algorithm for the blind separation of periodic sources is proposed in this paper. The method uses only the second order statistics of the data, and exploits the periodic nature of the source signals. Simulation results show that the proposed approach has the ability to restore statistical independence, and its performance is comparable to that of a well-established, higher order, blind source separation method.
On Atmospheric Loss of Oxygen Ions from Earth Through Magnetospheric Processes

In Earth's environment, the observed polar outflow rate for O+ ions, the main source of oxygen above gravitational escape energy, corresponds to the loss of ∼18% of the present-day atmospheric oxygen over 3 billion years. However, part of this apparent loss can actually be returned to the atmosphere. Examining loss rates of four escape routes with high-altitude spacecraft observations, we show that the total oxygen loss rate inferred from current knowledge is about one order of magnitude smaller than the polar O+outflow rate. This disagreement suggests that there may be a substantial return flux from the magnetosphere to the low-latitude ionosphere. Then the net oxygen loss over 3 billion years drops to ∼2% of the current atmospheric oxygen content.
Efficient Cross-Domain Image Retrieval by Multi-Level Matching and Spatial Verification for Structural Similarity

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) technique is important for browsing the rapidly growing Web images. However, traditional CBIR methods usually fail when the query and database images are in different domains. Instead of focusing on a specific domain, we propose a method to solve the general cross-domain image retrieval problem. This method focuses on the structure of image content but not the detail at pixel level, so it is particularly useful for matching the images across different visual domains e.g., paintings, hand-drawn sketches or photographs. To provide an efficient and effective solution, we analyze the bag-of-words (BoW) matching procedure to find out what causing it to fail in the cross-domain setting. We observe that it is necessary to apply different matching constraints for cross-domain image retrieval; therefore, we propose a multi-level matching process which dynamically selects the most suitable matching constraint for feature matching and adopt a fast spatial verification to describe the structure similarity. Finally, our method is much faster than the state-of-the-art solution and achieves better performance in the experiments.
To schematize images through texture segmentation

In Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR), images have to be segmented into the main semantic parts describing the objects present in the image. The texture is one of important features which identify and characterize the objects of an image. So, we propose a method based on wavelet decomposition. This technique delivers a schematic description of an image : that is to say, it provides the main regions generally associated to the objects of the images. The process divides images into (2 × 2) blocks. Then it tracks texture through levels of wavelet decomposition to form texture vectors. When vectors are calculated, a Kmeans algorithm partitions these vectors into clusters and a connected component extraction delivers the final schema. Experiments on real images are exhibited.
Diagnosis of Normal and Abnormal Color Vision with Cone-Specific VEPs

Purpose Normal color vision depends on normal long wavelength (L), middle wavelength (M), and short wavelength sensitive (S) cones. Hereditary “red-green” color vision deficiency (CVD) is due to a shift in peak sensitivity or lack of L or M cones. Hereditary S cone CVD is rare but can be acquired as an early sign of disease. Current tests detect CVD but few diagnose type or severity, critical for linking performance to real-world demands. The anomaloscope and newer subjective tests quantify CVD but are not applicable to infants or cognitively impaired patients. Our purpose was to develop an objective test of CVD with sensitivity and specificity comparable to current tests. Methods A calibrated visual-evoked potential (VEP) display and Food and Drug Administration-approved system was used to record L, M, and S cone-specific pattern-onset VEPs from 18 color vision normals (CVNs) and 13 hereditary CVDs. VEP amplitudes and latencies were compared between groups to establish VEP sensitivity and specificity. Results Cone VEPs show 100% sensitivity for diagnosis of CVD and 94% specificity for confirming CVN. L cone (protan) CVDs showed a significant increase in L cone latency (53.1 msec, P < 0.003) and decreased amplitude (10.8 uV, P < 0.0000005) but normal M and S cone VEPs (P > 0.31). M cone (deutan) CVDs showed a significant increase in M cone latency (31.0 msec, P < 0.000004) and decreased amplitude (8.4 uV, P < 0.006) but normal L and S cone VEPs (P > 0.29). Conclusions Cone-specific VEPs offer a rapid, objective test to diagnose hereditary CVD and show potential for detecting acquired CVD in various diseases. Translational Relevance This paper describes the efficacy of cone-specific color VEPs for quantification of normal and abnormal color vision. The rapid, objective nature of this approach makes it suitable for detecting color sensitivity loss in infants and the cognitively impaired.
Poster Abstract: Teaching Wireless Sensor Networks through Testbed Development

The rapid development of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and the increasing complexity of the deployed applications force researchers to turn to testbeds to test their communication and application related algorithms and protocols. On the other side, industries’ demand for young professionals with WSN expertise is growing too. These two factors motivated us to develop a highly modular and extensible testbed, called Atelier, as part of our bachelor level course on WSNs. In this paper we share our testbed design and describe its main requirements and challenges.
Distinguishing simulation games from simulators by considering design characteristics

The advent of powerful personal computers has made it possible for home users to experience simulation technology through Simulation Games (a.k.a. Sims). In recent years, the cross-boundary transfusion of technology along with other reasons has contributed towards the confusion, as to what makes a Simulation Game and what makes a Simulator. This paper provides a definitive comparison of the similarities and differences involved in Simulation Game and Simulator design. This paper also introduces a way to distinguish Simulation Games from Simulators using the design characteristics. As there are many different types of Simulation Games and Simulators available, this paper also provides methods to help identify the various types of Simulation Games and Simulators available.
Enhancing TCP RAPID using IGI

Several Tranmission Control Protocols have been proposed to address the significant problem on congestion control avoidance in order to be efficient in achieving high throughput on high-speed network in non-intrusive manner. TCP RAPID has recently been proposed as a new TCP that can search and adapt to the available bandwidth within a few RTT. RAPID is an outstanding protocol in many aspects especially rapidly search for dynamic available bandwidth, queue friendliness, and fairness. The bandwidth estimation technique used in RAPID is based on queuing delay. The delay based protocol maintains high speed in bandwidth estimation and in non-intrusive manner. However, we found that RAPID cannot co-exist with other loss based protocols such as NewReno, which is commonly-used TCP version on the Internet. In this paper, we propose a solution to address this problem for TCP RAPID that is to derive the Initial Gap Increasing (IGI) algorithm to increase the stability of TCP RAPID. This can cause TCP RAPID to survive in the aggressive environment as it is in the today Internet.
Image quilting for texture synthesis: a revisit & a variation

The current trends in computer animations, virtual reality and augmented reality applications have resulted in the problem of texture synthesis receiving considerable attention from the computer graphics and image processing research community. In this paper we revisit the well-known texture synthesis method, image quilting, first proposed by Efros and Freeman and propose improvements to its algorithms and implementation. Further, we outline its application within a multiresolution framework, particularly suited for modern imaging applications associated with compressed image data. We provide experimental results to prove the effectiveness of the proposed modifications and variation.
IDENTIFICATION OF PRESSURE AND VELOCITY CORRECTION COEFFICIENTS ALONG BLOCK-STONES RAMP

Along a non-uniform flow in a stream or river, the pressure, energy, and momentum coefficients tend to vary from section to section. These coefficients also tend to vary with the water depth and discharge. Although some researchers provided some values of these coefficients for special conditions, their spatial variability in accelerated flow has not been adequately investigated. To simplify calculations, the values of these coefficients are usually assumed to be constants. This implies that the cross-sectional velocity and pressure distributions do not change with space. Values of these constants are often regarded as unity, which implies that the velocity is uniformly distributed over the cross section while the pressure distribution is hydrostatic. However, effect of these coefficients on the solution of non-uniform flow equations is not well understood. In this study, a new simple method for computing the pressure, energy, and momentum correction coefficients from the water surface profile for accelerating flow over block stones ramp was developed. This method is based on the assumption that the water depth at the beginning of the ramp is equal to the critical depth. The study revealed that the maximum deviation in the pressure is at the ramp crest and decreases in the downstream direction until it reaches to uniform flow condition at some distance from the ramp crest. Values of energy correction coefficient and momentum correction coefficient are nearly constant at the ramp crest and increase by increasing the distance from the ramp crest. Along the ramp, the velocity correction coefficient increases by decreasing the discharge.
Selection of Alternatives of Investment in Information for Oilfield Development Using Evolutionary Real Options Approach Version Date : April 28 , 2001 By :

Consider an undeveloped oilfield with uncertainty about the size and quality of its reserves. There are some alternatives to invest in information to reduce the risk and to reveal some characteristics of the reserve. This paper presents an evolutionary real options model of optimization under uncertainty with genetic algorithms and Monte Carlo simulation, to select the best alternative of investment in information. There is a legal time to expiration of the option to start the investment for the oilfield development. The model considers both the technical uncertainties revealed by the information and the market uncertainty using two different stochastic processes for the oil prices, which are simulated. Monte Carlo simulations evaluate the decision rule curves generated in the evolutionary process. The process evolves toward a near optimum solution, giving the real option value and the optimal decision rule. The evolutionary programming under uncertainty was performed in C++ environment with good results and a description of the programming procedure is provided.
Fractional order models for a cryogenic separation column

The chemical processes developed in the 13C-isotope separation plant are very complex and many details are not yet known in totality. The authors are concerned with the problem of developing effective and readily useful techniques for modeling and control of the isotope separation plant. In the present paper is presented a variant of continuous linear model. Recent studies show that fractional control methods are widely used and that non integer models describe completely the distributed system's behavior. Based on these studies the authors propose two fractional models of the isotope separation plant. The results are validated and compared by simulation, based on experimental data.
Software-Based Online Monitoring of Cache Contents on Platforms without Coherence Fabric

In favor of smaller chip areas and associated fabrication costs, designers of embedded multi-core systems on occasion decide not to include cache coherence logic in the hardware design. However, handling all cache coherence exclusively in software is error-prone, and there are presently no tools supporting developers in this task. Thus, we propose a new software testing method, based on online inspection of the cache contents, to pinpoint programming mistakes related to cache handling. This concept helps localizing the causing data symbol even for complicated cache handling errors, e.g. where the causing and manifesting code-location of an error differ. Our solution is a pure software solution and does not require any specialized hardware. We evaluate our approach by using it in a large application, and show that we can detect typical cache-related errors.
E-R Model to an Abstract Mathematical Model for Database Schema using Reference Graph

Graphs have many applications in the field of computer science. As a data structure it plays a very important role in database management system design. In this paper we discuss how the references among the database tables can be easily described by graphs. In the new approach, unlike E- R model, the reference graph model can describe the references occurred among the database tables or among various databases of diverse platforms more precisely and clearly. The reference graphs, unlike the schema diagrams, do not show the details about the attributes of the entities, rather it gives the references available among the entities and the attributes through which these references are made. Reference graphs model, derived from the E-R model or from the intermediate graph, directly developed by analyzing the context system, is used to develop an abstract mathematical model of the database schema, from which we develop the Database Requirements Specifications (DRS). The DRS can be used as a design document in RDBMS and OODBMS paradigm.
Analysis of a Third-Order Charge-Pump Phase-Locked Loops used for Wireless Sensor Transceiver

The evaluation of integrated circuits such as Phase Locked Loops is a challenge in mixed-signal design. In most cases, these circuits are evaluated with electrical stimulations. To verify the proper operation of system before moving on to the design process, it is necessary to model these performances parameters with a hardware description language. At behavioral level, the performances of circuits are optimized without considering its transistor level structure. This paper, present an exact s-domain model analysis of a Third-Order Charge-Pump Phase-Locked Loops (CP-PLLs) used for wireless sensor transceiver using state equations of Phase Frequency Detector. Both the state equations and the transfer functions behavior modeling are described using this analysis. The linear state equations and s-domain transfer functions are provided. Critical advantage of illustrated methodology is a shortened PLL operating process due to the use of fastsimulating models at behavioral level. The analysis is verified using behavioral simulations with VHDL-AMS in Simplorer.
A Modified GrabCut Using a Clustering Technique to Reduce Image Noise

In this paper, a modified GrabCut algorithm is proposed using a clustering technique to reduce image noise. GrabCut is an image segmentation method based on GraphCut starting with a user-specified bounding box around the object to be segmented. In the modified version, the original image is filtered using the median filter to reduce noise and then the quantized image using K-means algorithm is used for the normal GrabCut method for object segmentation. This new process showed that it improved the object segmentation performance a lot and the extract segmentation result compared to the standard method.
Performance Comparison of DTN Routing Protocols in Vehicular-DTN Environment

The Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) aims to provide inter-operable communications with wide range of networks which have poor performance characteristics. In this paper, we propose a message suppression method for Vehicular DTN (VDTN). The simulations for two scenarios are conducted considering obstacles (buildings), where Message Suppression with Road Side Units (MSRs) are present or not present. We consider 802.11p standard and send bundle messages in a realistic scenario of east side of Tokyo station area in Japan imported from open street map. We use the packet delivery ratio, duplicated bundle messages and end-to-end delay as evaluation metrics. We can observe that our proposed method can reduce the duplicated bundle messages, even if the number of vehicles is increased. Moreover, our message suppression method has almost the same packet delivery ratio with the Epidemic conventional method.
Wither Childhood? Child Trafficking in India

© 2007 International Consortium for Social Development This article reviews the current research on domestic trafficking of children in India. Child trafficking in India is a highly visible reality. Children are being sold for sexual and labor exploitation, adoption, and organ harvesting. The article also analyzes the laws and interventions that provide protection and assistance to trafficked children. There is no comprehensive legislation that covers all forms of exploitation. Interventions programs tend to focus exclusively on sex trafficking and to give higher priority to rehabilitation than to prevention. Innovative projects are at a nascent stage.
A Viral Branching Model for Predicting the Spread of Electronic Word of Mouth

In a viral marketing campaign, an organization develops a marketing message and encourages customers to forward this message to their contacts. Despite its increasing popularity, there are no models yet that help marketers to predict how many customers a viral marketing campaign will reach and how marketers can influence this process through marketing activities. This paper develops such a model using the theory of branching processes. The proposed viral branching model allows customers to participate in a viral marketing campaign by 1 opening a seeding e-mail from the organization, 2 opening a viral e-mail from a friend, and 3 responding to other marketing activities such as banners and offline advertising. The model parameters are estimated using individual-level data that become available in large quantities in the early stages of viral marketing campaigns. The viral branching model is applied to an actual viral marketing campaign in which over 200,000 customers participated during a six-week period. The results show that the model quickly predicts the actual reach of the campaign. In addition, the model proves to be a valuable tool to evaluate alternative what-if scenarios.
Natural Disaster and Women’s Mental Health

Based on a case study in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, this article examines women’s vulnerability to the June 2013 floods in constructing mental health outcomes. By means of qualitative research and diverse vulnerability approaches such as entitlement, livelihood and political economy, the study draws attention to the initial well-being, livelihood resilience, self-protection, societal protection and social capital of women and underlines how their lack of capacity to avoid, cope with and recover from disasters increased mental health exposure to risk. To this point, women’s vulnerability and mental disorders are reciprocally related to each other. In conclusion, while physical exposure to the flood was a necessary element, it was women’s pre-existing symptoms and developmental processes that were most influential in generating mental health consequences after the disaster.
Key Activities for Introducing Software Product Lines into Multiple Divisions: Experience at Hitachi

This paper reports introducing software product lines (SPLs) into multiple divisions at Hitachi. For any divisions developing software for product families that have many variations, an SPL is the key to improving quality, cost, and development efficiency. To introduce SPLs into multiple business divisions from small embedded systems to large power control systems, we organized an SPL project across organizations. Throughout the project, we have successfully introduced SPLs into multiple divisions and identified common and useful activities such as evaluating legacy systems, training domain experts, and sharing experiences with SPL experts. We also report the lessons learned from our experiences about SPL adoptions.