A Bayesian Network View on Acoustic Model-Based Techniques for Robust Speech Recognition

This article provides a unifying Bayesian network view on various approaches for acoustic model adaptation, missing feature, and uncertainty decoding that are well-known in the literature of robust automatic speech recognition. The representatives of these classes can often be deduced from a Bayesian network that extends the conventional hidden Markov models used in speech recognition. These extensions, in turn, can in many cases be motivated from an underlying observation model that relates clean and distorted feature vectors. By converting the observation models into a Bayesian network representation, we formulate the corresponding compensation rules leading to a unified view on known derivations as well as to new formulations for certain approaches. The generic Bayesian perspective provided in this contribution thus highlights structural differences and similarities between the analyzed approaches

Making Policy on the Front Page: How the National Media Shape Indian Foreign Policy Toward Pakistan

This thesis explains how national media shape Indian foreign policy toward Pakistan. I use empirical research to explore the contribution of national media to the formulation of policy during the 1999 Kargil War and 2001 Agra Summit between India and Pakistan. I created a database of news articles in the leading national English newspapers—The Times of India and Hindustan Times and then coded and analyzed them. I analyze the media’s role by identifying trends in media strategies such as framing, agenda setting, and manufacturing consent. In addition, I analyze government documents and parliamentary debates to gather information on the policy processes and on government- media relations. I suggest that the media’s role in shaping policy depends on the level of internal dissent, understood as disagreement between the government and the opposition parties. I argue that national dissent allows the media to emerge as an independent actor, influencing the formulation of foreign policy by presenting their own opinions and policy suggestions. This was the case during the Agra Summit. On the other hand, as seen in the case of the Kargil War, during times of national consensus, the media echo the government’s voice and garner public support for the government’s actions. As such, this thesis contributes to existing scholarship and primary fieldwork by providing an original analysis of the intersection of media and foreign policy

Making power visible for museum educators : a theoretical framework for multicultural museum education

The central guiding question of this study is how can museum educators (and volunteers) effectively engage multicultural audiences, who may face langauge and socioeconomic barriers, with objects of art in museum galleries?

Analysis and Evaluation Risks of Special Flood on Central Bohemia Region

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá tématem zvláštních povodní a plány ochrany území pod vodními díly. Je členěna na teoretickou a praktickou část. V teoretické části je popsána historie vodních děl ve světě a v České republice, příklady vybudovaných vodních děl v České republice a jejich poruch. Další téma teoretické části práce je legislativní vymezení problematiky a základní informace o povodních. V praktické části diplomové práce byla prostudována vodní díla Orlík, Klíčava a Obecnice a jejich plány ochrany území pod vodními díly. Byly srovnány s povodňovými plány obcí nacházejících se jako první na daném vodním toku pod vodním dílem. Záměrem této práce bylo zhodnocení údajů uváděných v plánech ochrany území pod vodními díly a posouzení jejich aktuálnosti. Výsledkem tohoto hodnocení je zjištění určitých nesouladů a zastaralých informací týkající se inundačních oblastí. Pomocí SWOT analýzy byly posouzeny plány ochrany území pod vodními díly a byla navržena možná opatření pro využití v praxi.This diploma thesis deals with the special flood theme and the protection plans of the area under the dams. It´s divided into a theoretical and a practical part. The theoretical part deals with the dam history in the world and in the Czech Republic as well. The theoretical part shows examples of dams in the Czech Republic and their failures. Another theme in the theoretical part is a legislation definition of this issue and basic information about floods. In the practical part Orlík, Klíčava and Obecnice Dam and their plans of the area under the dam were studied. There were compared with municipal flood plans of the villages, situated on the first line under the dam on the river. The purpose of this diploma thesis was evaluate data provided in plans of the area under the dams and assess of their currency. The detection of not current data and information disagreements concerning inundation areas under the dams were the result of this evaluation. The plans of the area under the dams were analysed by SWOT analysis. Some measures which can be practically used were designed