Applying Audio Problem Detection Algorithms to Sounds on Freesound Web Platform

With the domination of music broadcasting through the internet, detecting audio problems on sound files became more important. Essentia and other similar sound libraries enabled to detect audio problems automatically, which made the detection process faster, cheaper, and more accurate. These algorithms were mostly applied on music files which are usually recorded with adequate equipment in studio environment, and afterwards that are mixed and mastered. But there are many types of sounds other than music that can be recorded and uploaded to web. Freesound is a web platform that has currently the largest collection of sounds that are recorded in different environments, using different equipment, and tagged with suitable keywords. FSD50K is the dataset that includes 51,197 carefully annotated sounds gathered from Freesound Platform. In this study, five of the mostly used automatic audio problem detection algorithms were selected. These are discontinuity, gap, click, hum, and clipping problems. Using Essentia, these algorithms were applied on FSD50K. Some bugs in the algorithms were detected and fixed, or some limitations were identified in their usage. For each audio problem, the sound classes that have the most problematic audio file percentages were detected. Besides these already implemented algorithms, a detection algorithm for asymmetry, that is another property of sound, and which does not always have to be a problem, was implemented and results were analyzed. An audio analyzer was implemented and added to Freesound Platform that allows users to filter the sound they are looking for based on whether the sound is problematic or not, according to the audio problem detection algorithms tested in the study

Distinct encoded records join operator for distributed query processing

Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Computer Engineering, Izmir, 2012Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 41-43)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishix, 49 leavesNowadays distributing data among different locations is very popular due to needs of business environment. In today's business environment, accessible, reliable, and scalable data is a critical need and distributed database system provides those advantages. It is a need to transfer data between sites while processing query in distributed database system, if the connection speed between sites is low then transmitting data is very time consuming. Optimizing distributed query processing is different from optimizing query processing in local database system. Most of the algorithms generated for distributed query processing focus on reducing the amount of data transferred between sites. Join operation in database system is for combining different tables with a common join attribute value, if the tables that are put in a join operation are at different locations then some of the tables are needed to be transferred to between sites. Join operation optimization algorithms in distributed database system focus on reducing the amount of data transfer by eliminating redundant tuples from relation before transmitting it to the other site. This thesis introduces a new distributed query processing technique named distinct encoded records join operation (DERjoin) which considers duplicated join attributes in a relation and eliminates them before sending the relation to another site

Turkey’s Diyanet under AKP rule: from protector to imposer of state ideology?

This article focuses on the complex relations between Turkey’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (the Diyanet) and the AKP in the last decade. It claims that the Diyanet, under AKP rule, has been transformed into a pliable state apparatus geared towards implementing the political ideology of the ruling cadre. In exploring this recent transformation, it analyses the ways in which this institution’s role has become synchronized with the ruling party’s discourses and actions, by giving examples from recent discussions on gender, social media, political economy, and relations with other social groups

Adverse effects of Interbank funds on bank efficiency: evidence from Turkish banking sector

This paper investigates the relationship between interbank funds and efficiencies is for the commercial banks operating in Turkey between 2001-2006. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is executed to find the efficiency scores of the banks for each year, and fixed effects panel data regression is carried out, with the efficiency scores being the response variable. It is observed that interbank funds (ratio) has negative effects on bank efficiency, while bank capitalization and loan ratio have positive, and profitability has insignificant effects. Our study serves as an illustrative evidence that interbank funds can have adverse effects in an emerging market

Turkey’s draft constitutional amendments: a critical perspective

Although Turkey has largely maintained the constitutional tradition inherited from the Ottomans, and has been ruled by the parliamentary system since its establishment, in 1923, the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi-AKP), which is one of the most controversial political structures in Turkish political history, has changed the accustomed system into a Turkish type of presidential one. Furthermore, this important decision was taken in a plebiscite held under state of emergency conditions, after the failed coup attempt and in an authoritarian political atmosphere that has been gradually increasing for more than half a decade. In this regard, this article explains two major points; the constitutional history of contemporary Turkey with its Ottoman background, and the AKP’s political journey that is a swing from hope to oppression. Yet, additionally, the article clarifies the minuteae of the amended constitution which are related to human rights and liberties. Lastly, it argues that the proposed constitution will neither reveal a new system, nor will it constitute a democratic socio-political environment and an advanced human rights constitution

Severe thermoregulatory deficiencies in mice with a gene deletion in titin

Muscular dystrophy with myositis (mdm) mice, which carry a deletion in the muscle protein titin, shiver at a lower than expected frequency for their body size, have body temperatures that decrease below ambient temperatures of 34°C, and have reduced active muscle stiffness in vivo compared to their wild type siblings. The impairment in shivering thermogenesis could be due to the N2A deletion in the titin protein leading to more compliant muscles and lower shivering frequency. I hypothesized that the ability of mdm mice to use the other heat production mechanism, nonshivering thermogenesis (NST), may also be impaired and contribute to their hypothermic state. To assess the response to cold exposure, body temperature and metabolic rate were measured in wild type and mdm mice using open-flow respirometry at four ambient temperature ranges: 19-21°C, 23-25°C, 27-30°C, and 33-35°C. Following the temperature experiment, NST was maximally stimulated by administering 1.2 mg kg-1 of norepinephrine subcutaneously. In the temperature experiment, there was a significant interaction between genotype and temperature, with mdm mice having significantly higher metabolic rates at 27-30°C and lower metabolic rates at 23-25°C compared to wild type mice. After correcting metabolic rate for Q10 effects, mdm mice had lower metabolic rates compared to size-matched Perognathus longimembris (little pocket mouse). In addition, the capacity for NST estimated by area underneath the metabolic response curve was also reduced in mdm mice compared to wild type littermates. When comparing mdm mice to other mice with similar body mass (7g), the effects of low metabolic rate and capacity for NST were exacerbated because predicted values of metabolic rate and capacity for NST are larger for smaller animals. These results indicate that a deletion in N2A titin causes severe thermoregulatory defects at every level of thermoregulation, including NST. Direct effects of the titin mutation likely lead to the lower shivering frequency observed. Indirect effects likely lead to a lower capacity for NST and metabolism in general. Future studies should investigate effects on oxidative phosphorylation or other signaling pathways

The Repertoire of Extraterritorial Repression: Diasporas and Home States

This article scrutinises the extraterritorial repression strategies of contemporary non-democracies, as evidenced by the Turkish Justice and Development Party's efforts to purge the Gülen Movement globally after the 2016 coup attempt. Adopting "repertoire", as conceptualised by Charles Tilly, this article explores it in light of "extraterritorial repression," which includes the diverse skills and tactics mobilised to stifle dissent beyond national borders. This set of repressive measures is further directed at making claims on individuals and movements in the diaspora. By bringing attention to the repressive side of diaspora engagement, this article shows that diasporas are also shaped by repressive policies from their home countries

Experimental investigation of an Al2O3/distilled water nanofluid used in the heat pipes of heat exchangers

This study investigates the thermal performance of a heat pipe heat recovery system in air-to-air heat recovery systems using a nanofluid of Al2O3 (aluminum oxide) particles and distilled water. The experimental setup used 15 wickless vacuumed copper pipes with a length of 1000 mm, a 10.5 mm inner diameter and a 12 mm outer diameter. The evaporator section consists of 450 mm of heat pipes, the condenser section is 400 mm, and the adiabatic section is 150 mm. In experimental studies, 33% of the evaporator volume of the heat pipes was filled with working fluids. Experiments were carried out at temperatures between 25 degrees C and 90 degrees C by using five different cooling air flows (40 g/s, 42 g/s, 45 g/s, 61 g/s and 84 g/s), and two different heating powers (3 kW and 6 kW) for the evaporation section, to determine the heat removed from the condensation section. Experiments were performed for distilled water and Al2O3 nanofluid, respectively, and the results were compared with each other. As a result of the experiments, it was observed that using a nanofluid as the working fluid increased the efficiency of the heat pipe. The highest efficiency (eta = 59%) was obtained in the experiments carried out using an Al2O3 nanofluid at a heating power of 3 kW and an air flow of 112 g/s.This work was supported by Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Karabuk University. Project Number: "KBU-BAP-14/2-DR-018"