214 research outputs found
Fuzzy reasoning in confidence evaluation of speech recognition
Confidence measures represent a systematic way to express reliability of speech recognition results. A common approach to confidence measuring is to take profit of the information that several recognition-related features offer and to combine them, through a given compilation mechanism , into a more effective way to distinguish between correct and incorrect recognition results. We propose to use a fuzzy reasoning scheme to perform the information compilation step. Our approach opposes the previously proposed ones because ours treats the uncertainty of recognition hypotheses in terms ofPeer ReviewedPostprint (published version
Contextual confidence measures for continuous speech recognition
This paper explores the repercussion of contextual information into confidence measuring for continuous speech recognition results. Our approach comprises three steps: to extract confidence predictors out of recognition results, to compile those predictors into confidence measures by means of a fuzzy inference system whose parameters have been estimated, directly from examples, with an evolutionary strategy and, finally, to upgrade the confidence measures by the inclusion of contextual information. Through experimentation with two different continuous speech application tasks, results show that the context re-scoring procedure improves the capabilities of confidence measures to discriminate between correct and incorrect recognition results for every level of thresholding, even when a rather simple method to add contextual information is considered.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version
Gene-by-Environment Interaction in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Depression: The Role of Hepatic Transaminases
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a range of liver conditions, from benign fatty accumulation to severe fibrosis. The global prevalence of NAFLD has risen to 25-30%, with variations across ethnic groups. NAFLD may advance to hepatocellular carcinoma, increases cardiovascular risk, is associated with chronic kidney disease, and is an independent metabolic disease risk factor. Assessment methods for liver health include liver biopsy, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE by FibroScan). Hepatic transaminases are cost-effective and minimally invasive liver health assessment methods options.
This study focuses on the interaction between genetic factors underlying the traits (hepatic transaminases and the FibroScan results) on the one hand and the environment (depression) on the other. We examined 525 individuals at risk for metabolic disorders. We utilized variance components models and likelihood-based statistical inference to examine potential GxE interactions in markers of NAFLD, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and the AST/ALT ratio, and Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE by FibroScan). We calculated the Fibroscan-AST (FAST) score (a score that identifies the risk of progressive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and screened for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). We identified significant G x E interactions for AST/ALT ratio x BDI-II, but not AST, ALT, or the FAST score. Our findings support that genetic factors play a role in hepatic transaminases, especially the AST/ALT ratio, with depression influencing this relationship. These insights contribute to understanding the complex interplay of genetics, environment, and liver health, potentially guiding future personalized interventions
Robotic additive manufacturing system featuring wire deposition by electric arc for high-value manufacturing
Increasing demand from the high-value manufacturing industries of quality, productivity, efficiency and security aligns with the ambition and driving need for novel automated robotic systems. This paper describes the motivation, design and implementation phases of the SERFOW project (Smart Enabling Robotics driving Free Form Welding). SERFOW is an automated additive manufacturing arc and wire tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding prototype to support industrial manufacturing requirements of the nuclear, aerospace and automotive industry sectors. Key innovations are found in the integration of a 3D vision system with a robotic manipulator to perform automatic free-form fusion welding for the multiple layer additive material build-up required to expand Additive Manufacturing (AM) with minimum human intervention. Welding trials were performed on samples made of Super Duplex stainless steel alloy. Metallographic observations were performed to analyze the porosity distribution and penetration on the material after welding. Also, temperature, feritescope and tensile measurements were performed. The results showed that the welding and AM process performed with the SERFOW cell are within an acceptable quality tolerance range according to the ISO 5817 and the ASME A789 welding standards
Advantages of virtual reality in the teaching and training of radiation protection during interventions in harsh environments
Human interventions in radioactive environments have high stakes. They are often time-sensitive and radiation exposure must be minimised for the safety of personnel. Existing sites were not developed with remote decommissioning in mind, therefore human intervention remains the preferred approach for dexterous manual labour over robotic systems.For ageing sites, knowledge transfer after retirement is an increasingly relevant problem for maintenance and decommissioning tasks, where new workers lack the in-depth “on the ground” experience of the installation.Virtual Reality provides workers the agency to explore an accurate representation of the area, enabling them to gain experience without undue radiation exposure.This paper explores and discusses the teaching and training applications of a Virtual Reality environment with integrated radiation dose maps, and looks at where the system may be developed further
Pandemia COVID-19 y estrategia de comunicación gubernamental en Panamá
Esta investigación es un aporte para futuros tomadores de decisiones estratégicas en crisis de salud, investigadores sobre los fenómenos generales de la comunicación en salud, profesionales, académicos de la comunicación social y personas interesadas en los avatares de la comunicación gubernamental en Panamá. Un objetivo importante para hacerla fue estudiar la estrategia de comunicación gubernamental para conocer qué se hizo y cómo se hizo en materia de comunicación en salud durante el primer año de la pandemia COVID-19, y que así futuras actuaciones tengan un antecedente documentado y puedan estar sustentadas en la experiencia ganada para gestionar situaciones de salud parecidas en el futuro. El libro recoge evidencia empírica sobre la comunicación gubernamental analizada a través de su estrategia, se aportan datos en tablas y gráficos, se describe el contexto pandémico, las temporalidades del fenómeno en el país, las acciones que realizó el gobierno para afrontar la pandemia, testimonios de la experiencia individual de los actores principales de la salud en las Regiones de Salud, los productos comunicacionales analizados, la desinformación y una evaluación técnica de lo actuado
First record of \u3ci\u3eParatelenomus saccharalis\u3c/i\u3e (Dodd, 1914) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) a natural enemy of the invasive species \u3ci\u3eBrachyplatys subaeneus\u3c/i\u3e (Westwood, 1837) (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) in Panama and the Neotropical region
Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) parasitizing Brachyplatys subaeneus (Westwood) eggs is reported for the first time for Panama. Brachyplatys subaeneus is an invasive species from Asia and is regarded as an important agricultural pest in the Americas.
The family Plataspidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) contains 66 genera and 606 species described (Rider et al. 2018), all distributed in the Old World, with the greatest diversity in Asia and Africa. Within this family, the genus Brachyplatys Boisduval, 1835 (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) has an Asian distribution with about 50 described species. The species Brachyplatys subaeneus (Westwood, 1837) is distributed in the Indo-Malay biogeographic region, being reported from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and is apparently restricted to tropical and subtropical humid deciduous forests (Rédei 2016). Brachyplatys subaeneus has been reported in the Americas from Panama (Aiello et al. 2016), the Dominican Republic (Pérez-Gelabert et al. 2019), Costa Rica (Carmona-Ríos 2019), Ecuador (Añino et al. 2020), and the United States (Eger et al. 2020). In Panama, B. subaeneus was initially identified using molecular methods by Aiello et al. (2016) as Brachyplatys vahlii (Fabricius, 1787). However, Rédei (2016) correctly identified the species morphologically as B. subaeneus. This invasive species is a pest in various legume crops (Fabaceae), including Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth. (Fabaceae), and because it lacks natural enemies in Latin America, could multiply exponentially, affecting legumes on a wide scale (Eger et al. 2020). More research is needed on this crop (Gálvez et al. 2022). A recent survey of pests in Cajanus cajan discovered an egg parasitoid of B. subaeneus. Johnson (1996) reported known hosts for an egg parasitoid, Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd, 1914) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), which includes Brachyplatys subaeneus and Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius, 1798) (Heteroptera: Plataspidae). The objective of this paper is to report on an egg parasitoid of Brachyplatys subaeneus in Panama, and to recommend it as a potential biological control agent for this species
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