Machine learning for audio on the web

In this report, we present our Capstone project for the Course of Computer Science and Management at Polytech Montpellier that we developed in partnership with the SigSep team (Inria, LIRMM) [1]. The project consists of creating an application that allows a user to unmix a song, i.e. to separate each instrument (such as guitar, bass, vocals) from a song, on the web, straight on their browser. In this context, we use JavaScript to develop a program that uses both Digital Signal Processing (DPS) and machine learning techniques and can be run completely on the browser without the need for a server. Our approach consists of manually implementing DSP operations that do not exist in JavaScript, converting a pre-trained model to TensorFlowJS [2] and creating an intuitive and minimalistic UI using Vue.Dans ce rapport, nous présentons notre Projet de Fin d’études pour le cursus Informatique et Gestion à Polytech Montpellier. Nous avons développé ce projet en partenariat avec l'équipe SigSep (Inria, LIRMM). Le projet consiste à créer une application qui permet à un utilisateur de démixer une chanson, c'est-à-dire de séparer chaque instrument (comme la guitare, la basse, le chant) d'une chanson, sur le web, directement sur son navigateur. Dans ce contexte, nous utilisons JavaScript pour développer un programme qui utilise à la fois le traitement numérique du signal et les techniques d'apprentissage machine et qui peut être exécuté entièrement sur le navigateur sans avoir besoin d'un serveur. Notre approche consiste à implémenter manuellement des opérations DSP qui n'existent pas en JavaScript, à convertir un modèle écrit en TensorFlowJS et à créer une interface utilisateur intuitive et minimaliste à l'aide du framework JavaScript Vue

Flying together towards EFL teacher development as language learners and professionals through genre writing

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras/Inglês e Literatura Correspondente, Florianópolis, 2009This qualitative study on the inter-relation between English as a Foreign Language Teacher Education (EFLTE) and the teaching of writing follows, mainly, the theoretical-methodological approach of Socio-discursive Interactionism (Bronckart, 2003, 2006, 2008a and his followers). Its general objective is to investigate in what aspects and to what extent an interventionist practice concerning the teaching of writing can contribute to EFL teachers development as language learners and professionals. Specifically, the aims of this study are: a) to identify which elements related to the language capacities of action, discursive and linguistic-discursive can be taught for the writing of an academic summary (AS); b) to investigate in what aspects and to what extent the process of writing an AS by means of a didactic sequence (DS) can contribute to teachers development; c) to investigate in what aspects and to what extent the process of planning a DS to the teaching of writing of specific genres can contribute to the teachers' development; and d) to investigate which individual representations were constructed during the processes of writing an AS and planning DS for the teaching of writing specific genres. Four main sets of data are analyzed: a corpus of ten ASs produced by the participant-teachers of an EFLTE course, participant-teachers DS plans, and participant-teachers direct self-confrontation texts. The results of the analysis of each set of data reveals that: 1) the elements related to the three language capacities to be studied for writing an AS should be: the thematic content and context of production of the academic article, descriptive type of sequence and theoretical type of discourse, affirmative sentences, present simple tense and present passive, nominal group, nominal and pronominal anaphora, logic modalization, connectors and reporting verbs; 2) the participants substantially developed as language learners, since they made considerable progress in the three language capacities from the first to the last AS versions; 3) the participants knowledge development related to the three language capacities in the task of planning DSs was partially adequate. Crossing the results from the second and third sets of data with the teaching knowledge base dimensions (Richards, 1998), named Theories of Teaching, Teaching Skills, Communication Skills, Pedagogical Knowledge Skills and Decision Making and Contextual Knowledge reveals that the participants developed in the six dimensions; 4) the participants also developed in the reflective dimensions named Epistemological, Ontological, Pedagogical, Linguistic and Axiological. The overall findings, therefore, reveal that a genre-based perspective for the teaching of writing through the use of the procedure of DS can be seen as an adequate theoretical, methodological and reflexive mechanism for EFLTE.Este estudo qualitativo sobre a inter-relação entre formação de professores de inglês como língua estrangeira e ensino de escrita segue, principalmente, a abordagem teórico-metodológica do Interacionismo Sociodiscursivo (Bronckart, 2003; 2006; 2008a e seus seguidores). Seu objetivo geral é investigar em que aspectos e até que ponto uma prática intervencionista relacionada ao ensino de escrita pode contribuir no desenvolvimento de professores de Inglês como língua estrangeira como aprendizes e profissionais. Especificamente, este estudo objetiva: a) identificar quais elementos relacionados às capacidades de linguagem de ação, discursiva e lingüístico-discursiva podem ser ensinados na escrita de um resumo acadêmico (RA); b) investigar de que forma e até que ponto o processo de escrita de um RA através do procedimento de sequência didática (SD) pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de professores; c) investigar de que forma e até que ponto o processo de planejamento de uma SD para o ensino de escrita pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de professores; e d) investigar que representações individuais foram construídas durante o processo de escrita de um RA e planejamento de uma SD para ensino de escrita de gêneros específicos. Quatro conjuntos de dados são analisados: um corpus de dez RAs, resumos acadêmicos produzidos por professores de inglês participantes de um curso de formação continuada, planos de SD dos professores participantes, e textos de auto-confrontação simples dos participantes. Os resultados da análise de cada conjunto de dados mostram que: 1) os elementos, relacionados às três capacidades de linguagem, a serem estudados na escrita de RAs devem ser: o conteúdo temático e o contexto de produção do artigo acadêmico, tipo de sequência descritiva e tipo de discurso teórico, orações afirmativas, presente simples e voz passiva no presente, grupo nominal e anáfora nominal e pronominal, modalização lógica, conectores e verbos de dizer; 2) os participantes se desenvolveram substancialmente como aprendizes da língua inglesa, pois progrediram consideravelmente nas três capacidades de linguagem da primeira à última versão dos RAs; 3) o desenvolvimento dos participantes com relação às três capacidades de linguagem na tarefa de planejamento de SDs foi parcialmente adequado. O cruzamento dos dados do segundo e terceiro conjuntos com as seis dimensões básicas de conhecimento de ensino (Richards, 1998), nomeadamente, Teorias de Ensino, Habilidades de Ensino, Habilidades de Comunicação, Habilidades Pedagógicas e Poder de Decisão e Conhecimento do Contexto revela que os participantes se desenvolveram nas seis dimensões; 4) os participantes também se desenvolveram nas dimensões reflexivas Epistemológica, Ontológica, Pedagógica, Linguística e Axiológica. Os resultados gerais deste estudo revelam que uma perspectiva de ensino de escrita baseada em gêneros textuais através do procedimento de SD pode ser um mecanismo teórico, metodológico e reflexivo adequado para o desenvolvimento de professores de inglês como língua estrangeira

Psychology in Education and Health- Proceedings of the II Leipzig-Évora Scientific Meeting in Psychology

This ebook contains several papers on the application applied psychology in education, health and well-being, personality,family interactions and emotional and epistemological development.The aim of this volume is to inform the scientific community on the research on Psychology mainly made at Évora and Leipzig Universities, but also in other contexts like Mexico or Brazil.FC

Highway Tolls in Brazil and the Lawfulness Principle

Brazil’s toll-highway system is among the most extensive tolling systems on the planet. This extensive toll-highway system affects millions of Brazilians, particularly because it is increasingly difficult for Brazilians to move between work and home without passing through a number of toll gates. Moreover, most toll roads in Brazil have been conceded from the government to private actors, and regulations governing the actions of these private actors (and the rates they charge to highway users) are sparse. This thesis will examine the nature of the highway toll industry in Brazil, the laws conceding toll roads to private actors, and the general lack of regulation of privately operated toll roads in Brazil. It will conclude that the current regulatory regime amounts to a violation of the Lawfulness principle of the Brazilian Constitution

Can the use of English as a medium of instruction promote a more inclusive and equitable higher education in Brazil?

In this paper, we present the status quo and challenges regarding the use of additional languages as a medium of instruction in Brazilian higher education. We begin by contextualizing the importance of the process of internationalization at home (IaH) and additional languages in higher education. Next, the teaching of additional languages in Brazil, which has been until very recently relegated to the private sector and accessible only to an elite, is introduced. We then provide an overview of the present state of affairs of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in the country, which is still in its infancy. We move on to describe different ways in which language and content can be integrated in higher education, as well as how EMI can be introduced in disciplinary courses. We finish concluding that EMI can maximize the learning of academic English by Brazilian students and content instructors, as well as encourage a more international higher education and balanced academic mobility by allowing foreign students to study in Brazil while preserving and even increasing the international interest in the Portuguese language. In a country located in the periphery of knowledge production and dissemination, we understand that the adoption of EMI can potentially foster the inclusion of more Brazilians in the global academic and research scenario. It gives them access to the knowledge produced internationally and, at the same time, enables the research produced in the country to be disseminated globally

Suicide study : a psychological autopsy

RESUMO: O'suicídio'é'atualmente'um'problema'de'saúde'pública.'Estimarse'que'um'milhão'de'pessoas' morra'anualmente'devido'ao'suicídio.'De'acordo'com'diversas'agências'e'organizações'estimar 'que'ocorram'entre'20'a'40'tentativas'de'suicídio'por'cada'suicídio'consumado.'Os'custos'associados'ao'suicídio,'quer'humanos'quer'económicos'são'enormes'e'estendemrse'à'família,'emprego,'economia'e'finanças.'Os'números'oficiais'do'suicídio'em'Portugal'indicam'uma'taxa ligeiramente'acima'dos'10'por' cada'100'000'habitantes'mas' comportando' regiões'onde' são'observadas' taxas' muito' elevadas,' como' no' Sudoeste' de' Portugal' onde' se' observam particularmente taxas 3'vezes'acima'da'média'nacional.' Investigámos' o' fenómeno' com' os' objetivos' de' validar' a' técnica' de' autópsia' psicológica' em' contexto' comunitário' nunca' realizado' em' Portugal,' e' dar' um' contributo' para' uma' compreensão'mais'alargada'deste'problema'de'saúde'pública,'especialmente'nesta'região'de' Odemira.' A' autópsia' psicológica' consiste' em' reunir' detalhadamente' informação' sobre' a'personalidade' e' vida' de' alguém' que' morreu' em' circunstâncias' equívocas' (por' suicídio,' homicídio' ou' acidente)'recorrendo'ainda'a'registos'e'documentação,'bem'como'procedendo'a entrevistas' com' familiares,' colegas' ou' amigos.' Foi' feita' uma' adaptação' de' uma' entrevista' semirestruturada' para' o' efeito.' Foram' recrutados' 2' grupos' de' participantes:' um' grupo' de familiares de pessoas que cometeram'suicídio'(n=30)'e'um'grupo'de'familiares'de'pessoas'que morreram de causas' naturais' (n=24).' O' estudo' decorreu' em' 3' momentos' com' sessões' de' apresentação' (i),' sessões' de' preparação' (ii)' e' entrevistas' para' recolha' de' informação' e'monitorização.'' Os' principais' resultados'mostram' que' existiram' dificuldades' na' obtenção' da' informação' a'partir' dos' entrevistados,' a'maioria' dos' suicidas' eram'homens' acima' dos' 40' anos' de' idade,' afetados' por' lesões' graves' ou' doenças' graves' ' no' período' adulto' embora' apresentassem'condições' válidas' para' trabalhar,' reformados,' vivendo' em' família,' com' traços' de'personalidade' amargurados,' tristes' ou' pessimistas,' com' escassas' atividades' nos' tempos' de' lazer,' sem' problemas' somáticos' significativos' ou' perturbações'mentais' que' comunicaram' a intenção de morrer previamente'e'provenientes'de'famílias'sem'dificuldades'económicas'ou'relações'familiares'desadequadas.' Tendo'em'conta'a'literatura,'algumas'das'características'parecem'ser'muito'particulares'desta'população.'Aparentemente'o'suicídio'poderá'ter'implicações'genéticas'que'deveriam'ser'tidas'em'conta'em'futuras'investigações.' A'integração'da'saúde'mental'nos'cuidados'de'saúde'primários'afigurarse'urgente'tendo'em' conta' que' a' escassez' de' profissionais' de' saúde'mental' é' enorme' numa' parte' do' país' onde'ocorre' o'maior'número'de' suicídios.'Mudar'de'modelo'e'reorganizar'os' serviços'de' forma'a' poder' dar' uma' resposta' ao' défice' de' tratamento' de' saúde' mental' e' ter' em' conta' os' determinantes'sociais'da'saúde'para'fazer'face'ao'isolamento'é'fundamental.' ---------------ABSTRACT: Suicide' is,'nowadays,' a'public'health'problem.'A'million'dies' annually'by' suicide'worldwide.' According'to'several'agencies'and'organizations'an'estimation'of'20'to'40'suicide'attempts'is advanced for each complete' suicide. Associated'costs'to'suicide,'both'human'and'economic,'are' huge' and' spread' on' family,' jobs,' economy,' and' finances.' Official' available' figures' for' suicide' in' Portugal' indicate' a' rate' slightly' over' 10' for' each' 100' 000' inhabitants,' but' with'regions'where'one' can' actually' find'extremely'high' rates,' like' for' instance' in' the'Southwest' part' of' the' country,' where' are' regularly' found' rates' 3' times' higher,' when' compared' to'national'average.'' We' have' investigated' the' phenomenon' aiming' to' validate' the' technique' of' psychological'autopsy' in' a' community' context' never' explored' before' in' Portugal' and' to' contribute' for' a' wider' understanding' of' this' public' health' problem,' especially' in' this' region' of' Odemira.' Psychological'autopsy'consists'into'a'detailed'gathering'of'information'about'the'personality'and' life' of' someone' died' in' equivocal' circumstances' (suicide,' homicide,' accident),' registries and other'documentation'as'well'as'interviews'with'family'members,'corworkers'and'friends.' An' adaptation' of' a' semirstructured' interview' was' made.' Two' groups' of' participants' were'recruited: a'group of'relatives'of'people'committing'suicide'(n=30),'and'a'group'of'relatives'of'people' whose' death' was' after' natural' causes' (n=24).' Study' was'made' in' 3'moments' with'presentation'sessions;'(i)'preparation'sessions;'(ii)'interviewing'data'collection'and'monitoring' iii).'' Main'results'showed'difficulties'to'obtain'information'from'interviewees,'most'suicides'were' from males over 40 years old, affected'by'serious'illness'or'severe'injury'in'adulthood'but'valid'to'work,'retired,'living'in'family,'with'bitterness,'sad'or'pessimistic'as'personality'traits,'with'few' leisure' activities,' without' significant' health' somatic' problems' or' mental' disorders,'communicating'intention'to'die'previously,'coming'from'families'with'no'indication'of'financial'distress'or'inadequate'family'relationship.' Taking'into'account'the'literature'it'looks'like'some'features'seem'to'be'quiet'particular'from'this'population.'Apparently'one'might'say'that'suicide'could'have'genetic'implications'which'further'research'should'account'in'the'future.' Integration' of'mental' health' into' primary' care' is' urgent' once' the' scarcity' of'mental' health' professionals' is' enormous' in' a' part' of' the' country' where' most' suicides' occur.' Scaling' up services must go in order'to'address'to'treatment'gap'and'social'determinants'of'health'should'be'taken'into'account'to'face'isolation.' Results' show' that' the' profile' of' the' suicidal' in' the' region' of' Odemira' is' particular' and'implications' of' genetics' should' be' taken' into' account.' Moreover' much' can' be' done' in'organization' of' services' in' the' region' where' we' performed' the' present' study' in' order' to'address'to'treatment'gap'for'mental'disorders'and'to'the'social'determinants'of'health

Nuevas perspectivas para un viejo problema: la edición crítica del romancero de fuente tradicional

Este estudio presenta, de forma muy sintética, las bases para una edición crítica del Romanceiro del escritor romántico portugués Almeida Garrett. Se fundamenta, en este trabajo, la perspectiva ecdótica escogida de cara a preparar dicha edición, teniendo en cuenta la naturaleza de los materiales garrettianos acopiados hasta el día de la fecha, y actualizados en la recensio. Se problematiza la naturaleza de los materiales reseñados, teniendo en cuenta las características de los romances de Almeida Garrett recogidos en la tradición oral, parte importante de los romances pertenecientes a la colección de este poeta y por él reelaborados según los gustos románticos de la época. Sin embargo, la aplicación de la crítica textual a la edición de estos textos tiene características muy específicas que aquí se plantearán y discutirán. Si, por un lado, se desea ofrecer una buena edición, conjeturándose lo que habrá sido la última voluntad del autor y la finalidad de su Romanceiro, por otro, para cada tema, siguiendo métodos de la ecdótica, se establecerá un arquetipo de la versión tradicional que el poeta conoció y a partir de cuyos versos edificó cada romance que edita y modifica, con mayor o menor parsimonia. Para ejemplificar la metodología utilizada, se presenta, en este estudio, el romance “Gaiferos”

Nuevas perspectivas para un viejo problema: la edición crítica del romancero de fuente tradicional

This essay offers a synthetic presentation of the foundations for a critical edition of the Romanceiro by the Portuguese Romantic writer Almeida Garrett. This work will be based on textual criticism, a view which will be followed to carry out this edition, which will be related with the nature of Garrett’s materials which we now possess, after the updating of their recensio. We shall put into question the nature of the materials under scrutiny, connecting them with the characteristics of Garrett’s “romances” of traditional origin, related to a substantial part of the “romances” which the poet owned and re-elaborated in accordance with the then current Romantic taste. Therefore, the application of a methodology of textual criticism to the edition of these texts will acquire very specific outlines which will be here discussed. If on the one hand one should offer a reliable edition of the texts, following what can be assumed as the latest wish of the poet and the purposes of his Romanceiro as an opus, one can just as well - through ecdotical procedures which will be here outlined – propose for each theme, an archetype of the traditional version which the poet would have come across and from whose lines he would have constructed each text which he would edit and transfigure, some more, others less (according to his personal taste). To illustrate this method, we shall give the example of the Garrettian “romance” Gaifeiros.Nuevas perspectivas para un viejo problema:  la edición crítica del romancero de fuente tradiciona