Exploring efficient neural architectures for linguistic-acoustic mapping in text-to-speech

Conversion from text to speech relies on the accurate mapping from linguistic to acoustic symbol sequences, for which current practice employs recurrent statistical models such as recurrent neural networks. Despite the good performance of such models (in terms of low distortion in the generated speech), their recursive structure with intermediate affine transformations tends to make them slow to train and to sample from. In this work, we explore two different mechanisms that enhance the operational efficiency of recurrent neural networks, and study their performance–speed trade-off. The first mechanism is based on the quasi-recurrent neural network, where expensive affine transformations are removed from temporal connections and placed only on feed-forward computational directions. The second mechanism includes a module based on the transformer decoder network, designed without recurrent connections but emulating them with attention and positioning codes. Our results show that the proposed decoder networks are competitive in terms of distortion when compared to a recurrent baseline, whilst being significantly faster in terms of CPU and GPU inference time. The best performing model is the one based on the quasi-recurrent mechanism, reaching the same level of naturalness as the recurrent neural network based model with a speedup of 11.2 on CPU and 3.3 on GPU.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Chemical characterization of an encapsulated red wine powder and its effects on neuronal cells

Red wine polyphenols are known for their implications for human health protection, although they suffer from high instability. For this reason, a red wine powder was prepared by freeze-drying encapsulation in maltodextrin/arabic gum matrix, and its composition was determined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS-QTOF). More than thirty polyphenols, including anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols, phenolic acids and stilbenoids, were identified. Some of the main quantified polyphenols were: malvidin-3-O-glucoside, malvidin 3-O-(6”-acetyl-glucose), petunidin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, syringenin-3-O-glucoside, epicatechin, gallic acid and syringic acid. The biological activity of this de-alcoholized and encapsulated red wine on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells was studied. The results showed that the encapsulated red wine powder has active redox properties, as verified by performing reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis utilizing a neuronal model. This could help explain its action against the neurotoxicity induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA).Fil: Rocha Parra, Diego Fernando. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnologia de Alimentos y Nutrición; España. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Chirife, Jorge. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires"; ArgentinaFil: Zamora, María Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires"; ArgentinaFil: de Pascual Teresa, Sonia. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnologia de Alimentos y Nutrición; Españ

Ressenyes

Index de les obres ressenyades: Miguel ROIZ, Sociología de la comunicación y cultura de masa

L'estudi de les migracions a Catalunya, l'estudi de la societat catalana

La mobilitat humana en l'espai ha ocupat l'atenció dels estudiosos de totes les branques de les ciències de la societat, com correspon a un fenomen que es troba al centre mateix de les experiències vitals de qualsevol individu o grup social. La majoria de les recerques s'ha cenyit a un dels aspectes de la mobilitat: el que es coneix amb el terme migració, i les seves variants emigració i immigració. A Catalunya, aquestes qüestions han estat molt presents en el pensament social. El text que es presenta pretén fer un cert inventari de treballs fets sobre la matèria i el context en què apareixen. Es fa un repàs crític de quines característiques tenen. S'assenyalen uns trets generals que s'aprecien arreu en el tractament de les migracions i uns trets més específics de la producció acadèmica a Catalunya. El text conclou amb algunes propostes.Human mobility has drawn the attention of scholars from all branches of social sciences, as befits a phenomenon that is at the centre of any individual's or social group's life experiences. Most research has concentrated on one aspect of mobility: the one that is known by the term migration and its variants - emigration and immigration. In Catalonia, these issues have been a constant theme in social thinking. The article intends to make an inventory of the work done on this subject and the context in which it appears. The characteristics of this phenomenon are critically reviewed, some general features are observed on the treatment of migration, and some specific features of the academic production in Catalonia are pointed out. The text concludes with some proposals

Ressenyes

Obres ressenyades: Miguel ROIZ CÉLIX, La sociedad persuasora: control cultural y comunicación de masas. Barcelona: Paidós, 2002

Los movimientos migratorios de retorno. Significación y perspectivas

This study involves the analysis of migratory labour movements in Europe, and specially the "return". The case of Spain is considered of prime importance. Following a description of the recent history and various interpretations of such movements, the article concentrates on the study of the present situation and future perspectives. The key questions to be answered are: to what extent, and in what way, will the present changes in capitalist development strategies bring about changes in the role of both international and inter-regional immigration. Counling on the continuing existence of migrant labour, a study is made of the adjustments necessary in the present situation both in Spain and in the rest of Europe. Finally, the author examines the possible effects, at different levels, of return, and reaches the conclusion that such effects are (a) ambivalent and (b) less a result of return than of the actual original movement.Cet article étudie les mouvements migratoires des travailleurs en Europe et, notamment, ce qu'on appelle le mouvement de "retour", le cas espagnol y étant considéré comme essentiel. Après avoir envisagé l'histoire récente de ces mouvements et les interprétations qu'ils ont soulevées on a étudié les circonstances du moment actuel ainsi que les perspectives d'avenir. La question centrale est de savoir à quel point et comment le contexte actuel de changement dans les stratégies du développement capitaliste ménera à une modification du rôle de l'immigration, soit celle en provenance de l'étranger, soit celle en provenance d'autres régions d'un même état. Tout en soutenant la persistance de la mobilisation des travailleurs on envisage l'adaptation du phénomène aux circonstances du moment actuel, autant en Europe qu'en Espagne. La deuxième partie de l'article est consacré à l'étude des conséquences DOSsibles des mouvements de retour à des niveaux différents. On remarque finalement l'ambivalence de ces conséquences tout en soutenant en meme temps qu'elles ne sont pas dues au mouvement de retour autant qu'à la mobilisation elle-même