Automatic Cluster Complexity and Quantity Selection: Towards Robust Speaker Diarization

Abstract. The goal of speaker diarization is to determine where each participant speaks in a recording. One of the most commonly used tech-nique is agglomerative clustering, where some number of initial models are grouped into the number of present speakers. The choice of com-plexity, topology, and the number of initial models is vital to the final outcome of the clustering algorithm. In prior systems, these parameters were directly assigned based on development data, and were the same for all recordings. In this paper we present three techniques to select the parameters individually for each case, obtaining a system that is more robust to changes in the data. Although the choice of these values de-pends on tunable parameters, they are less sensitive to changes in the acoustic data and to how the algorithm distributes data among the differ-ent clusters. We show that by using the three techniques, we achieve an improvement up to 8 % relative in the development set and 19 % relative in the test set over prior systems.

A comparative study of polyurethane nanofibers with different patterns and its analogous nanofibers containing MWCNTs

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field that has evolved in various dimensions in recent years. One of the main aspects in this field is the proper adjustment and final compatibility of implants at the target site of surgery. For this purpose, it is desired to have the materials fabricated at the nanometer scale, since these dimensions will ultimately accelerate the fixation of implants at the cellular level. In this study, electrospun polyurethane nanofibers and their analogous nanofibers containing MWCNTs are introduced for tissue engineering applications. Since MWCNTs agglomerate to form bundles, a high intensity sonication procedure was used to disperse them, followed by electrospinning the polymer solutions that contained these previously dispersed MWCNTs. Characterization of the produced nanofibers has confirmed production of different non-woven mats, which include random, semi-aligned and mostly aligned patterns. A simultaneous and comparative study was conducted on the nanofibers with respect to their thermal stability, mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Results indicate that the mostly aligned nanofibers pattern presents higher thermal stability, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. Furthermore, incorporation of MWCNTs among the different arrangements significantly improved the mechanical properties and cell alignment along the nanofibers

Imaging, Spectroscopy, Mechanical, Alignment and Biocompatibility Studies of Electrospun Medical Grade Polyurethane (Carbothane™ 3575A) Nanofibers and Composite Nanofibers Containing Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

In the present study, we discuss the electrospinning of medical grade polyurethane (Carbothane™ 3575A) nanofibers containing multi-walled-carbon-nanotubes (MWCNTs). A simple method that does not depend on additional foreign chemicals has been employed to disperse MWCNTs through high intensity sonication. Typically, a polymer solution consisting of polymer/MWCNTs has been electrospun to form nanofibers. Physiochemical aspects of prepared nanofibers were evaluated by SEM, TEM, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy, confirming nanofibers containing MWCNTs. The biocompatibility and cell attachment of the produced nanofiber mats were investigated while culturing them in the presence of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. The results from these tests indicated non-toxic behavior of the prepared nanofiber mats and had a significant attachment of cells towards nanofibers. The incorporation of MWCNTs into polymeric nanofibers led to an improvement in tensile stress from 11.40 ± 0.9 to 51.25 ± 5.5 MPa. Furthermore, complete alignment of the nanofibers resulted in an enhancement on tensile stress to 72.78 ± 5.5 MPa. Displaying these attributes of high mechanical properties and non-toxic nature of nanofibers are recommended for an ideal candidate for future tendon and ligament grafts

Imaging, Spectroscopic, Mechanical and Biocompatibility Studies of Electrospun Tecoflex® EG 80A Nanofibers and Composites Thereof Containing Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

The present study discusses the design, development and characterization of electrospun Tecoflex® EG 80A class of polyurethane nanofibers and the incorporation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to these materials. Scanning electron microscopy results confirmed the presence of polymer nanofibers, which showed a decrease in fiber diameter at 0.5% wt. and 1% wt. MWCNTs loadings, while transmission electron microscopy showed evidence of the MWCNTs embedded within the polymer matrix. The fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to elucidate the polymer-MWCNTs intermolecular interactions, indicating that the C-N and N-H bonds in polyurethanes are responsible for the interactions with MWCNTs. Furthermore, tensile testing indicated an increase in the Young’s modulus of the nanofibers as the MWCNTs concentration was increased. Finally, NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were seeded on the obtained nanofibers, demonstrating cell biocompatibility and proliferation. Therefore, the results indicate the successful formation of polyurethane nanofibers with enhanced mechanical properties, and demonstrate their biocompatibility, suggesting their potential application in biomedical area

Plan de negocios sobre atenci?n oftalmol?gica a domicilio

La esperanza de vida a nivel mundial se ha incrementado, pasando de 50 a?os en 1950 a 75 a?os en 2015 en Am?rica Latina y es un poco mayor en los pa?ses en desarrollo. Las tendencias mundiales de vida saludable, los descubrimientos m?dicos, mejores estilos de vida, aumento de la tecnolog?a han contribuido a aumentar la esperanza de vida en la poblaci?n mundial. Esta sobrevida genera una mayor demanda de servicios m?dicos en adultos y adultos mayores, lo que hace que el cuidado de estos pacientes vaya en aumento y sean m?s solicitados. El presente Plan de Negocios Atenci?n Oftalmol?gica a Domicilio tiene como objetivo analizar la viabilidad t?cnica, financiera y de ?xito en la implementaci?n de este servicio El uso de tecnolog?a m?dica port?til oftalmol?gico, la socializaci?n y publicidad de este plan de negocios por medio de redes sociales y la implementaci?n de convenios y asociaciones con los Stakeholders involucrados (Geriatras, Endocrin?logos, Cardi?logos, M?dicos de Familia, Gerentes de Casas de Reposo) son considerados como factores de ?xito de nuestro plan de negocios. En nuestro plan financiero estimamos un VAN S/49,398.50 y una TIR de 13% por lo que este plan de negocios resulta financieramente viable

An?lisis de la libertad econ?mica en el contexto del comercio formal peruano

La b?squeda e implementaci?n de pol?ticas y programas que signifiquen alcanzar la prosperidad y mayores niveles de calidad de vida de los individuos, es constante; sin embargo, las medidas que se han planteado en el Per? a nivel estatal que permitan crear riqueza; como podr?a ser la promoci?n o impulso del emprendimiento formal, han sido, infructuosas a corto y a largo plazo. Una clara muestra se evidencia en la mantenci?n del alto ?ndice de informalidad de las empresas en nuestro pa?s; siendo que, de acuerdo a la C?mara de Comercio de Lima, aproximadamente el 75% de empresas dedicadas al sector comercio son informales. Frente a la evidente superioridad del n?mero de unidades productivas informales que operan al margen de la ley, sin los beneficios de la misma; como es la protecci?n jur?dica, acceso al financiamiento y participaci?n para prestar incluso, servicios al estado, se muestra que las pol?ticas, normas o instituciones jur?dicas vigentes, pueden no funcionar; resulta de suma urgencia cuestionar, si los motivos que han llevado hasta la actualidad a la daci?n de dichas normas, son adecuados o no

Cytotoxic Acetogenins from the Roots of Annona purpurea

Annona purpurea, known in Mexico as "cabeza de negro" or "ilama", belongs to the Annonaceae family. Its roots are employed in folk medicine in several regions of Mexico. Taking that information into account, a chemical and biological analysis of the components present in the roots of this species was proposed. Our results demonstrated that the dichloromethane (DCM) extract was exclusively constituted by a mixture of five new acetogenins named annopurpuricins A-E (1-5). These compounds have an aliphatic chain of 37 carbons with a terminal \u3b1,\u3b2 unsaturated \u3b3-lactone. Compounds 1 and 2 belong to the adjacent bis-THF (tetrahydrofuran) \u3b1-monohydroxylated type, while compounds 3 and 4 belong to the adjacent bis-THF \u3b1,\u3b1'-dihydroxylated type; only compound 5 possesses a bis-epoxide system. Complete structure analysis was carried out by spectroscopy and chemical methods. All compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity on three human tumor cell lines (MSTO-211H, HeLa and HepG2). Compounds 1-4 inhibited significantly the growth of HeLa and HepG2 cells, showing GI50 values in the low/subnanomolar range, while 5 was completely ineffective under the tested conditions. The investigation of the mechanism of action responsible for cytotoxicity revealed for the most interesting compound 1 the ability to block the complex I activity on isolated rat liver mitochondria (RLM)

Increased urinary markers of kidney damage in the institutionalized frail elderly due to recurrent urinary tract infections.

Objective: To characterize the impact on kidney injury of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI) in the frail elderly. Methods: Prospective observational study in 200 frail elderly subjects for 1 year. Groups: GA (n = 100): subjects without RUTI, GB (n = 100): subjects with RUTI. Variables: age, concomitant diseases, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) at the beginning (NGAL-1) and end (NGAL-2) of the study, urine N-acetyl glucosaminidase (NAG) at the beginning (NAG-1) and the end (NAG-2) of the study, urine transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFbeta-1). Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney test, Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, and multivariate analysis were used. Results: Mean age was 84.33 (65-99) years old, with no difference between GA and GB. Mean NGAL-1 was 1.29 ng/ml (0.04-8). There was lower in GA than in GB. Mean NGAL-2 was 1.41 ng/ml (0.02-9.22). NGAL-2 was lower in GA than in GB. Mean NAG-1 was 0.38 UU.II/ml (0.01-2.63. NAG-1 in GA was lower than in GB. Mean NAG-2 was 0.44 UU.II/ml (0-3.41). NAG-2 was lower in GA compared with GB. Mean TGFbeta-1 was 23.43 pg/ml (0.02-103.76). TGFbeta-1 was lower in GA than GB. There were no differences in the presence of secondary diagnoses between GA and GB. NAG-2 and NGAL-1 were the most determining factors of renal function; in GA it was NGAL-2, followed by NAG-1; in GB it was NGAL-1, followed by NAG-2. Conclusion: Frail elderly with RUTI have higher urinary levels of renal injury markers, specifically NGAL, NAG, and TGFbeta-1, chronically in periods between urinary tract infection (UTI). Urinary markers of renal injury, specifically NGAL, NAG, and TGFbeta-1, identify early deterioration of renal function, compared with serum creatinine, or albuminuria, in frail elderly with recurrent urinary infections

A new wildland fire danger index for a Mediterranean region and some validation aspects

Wildland fires are the main cause of tree mortality in Mediterranean Europe and a major threat to Spanish forests. This paper focuses on the design and validation of a new wildland fire index especially adapted to a Mediterranean Spanish region. The index considers ignition and spread danger components. Indicators of natural and human ignition agents, historical occurrence, fuel conditions and fire spread make up the hierarchical structure of the index. Multi-criteria methods were used to incorporate experts¿ opinion in the process of weighting the indicators and to carry out the aggregation of components into the final index, which is used to map the probability of daily fire occurrence on a 0.5-km grid. Generalised estimating equation models, which account for possible correlated responses, were used to validate the index, accommodating its values onto a larger scale because historical records of daily fire occurrence, which constitute the dependent variable, are referred to cells on a 10-km grid. Validation results showed good index performance, good fit of the logistic model and acceptable discrimination power. Therefore, the index will improve the ability of fire prevention services in daily allocation of resources.The authors acknowledge the support received from the Ministry of Science and Innovation through the research project Modelling and Optimisation Techniques for a Sustainable Development, Ref. EC02008-05895-C02-01/ECON.Vicente López, FJD.; Crespo Abril, F. (2012). A new wildland fire danger index for a Mediterranean region and some validation aspects. 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International Journal of Wildland Fire, 18(6), 640. doi:10.1071/wf07136Maingi, J. K., & Henry, M. C. (2007). Factors influencing wildfire occurrence and distribution in eastern Kentucky, USA. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 16(1), 23. doi:10.1071/wf06007Martell, D. L., Otukol, S., & Stocks, B. J. (1987). A logistic model for predicting daily people-caused forest fire occurrence in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 17(5), 394-401. doi:10.1139/x87-068Martínez, J., Vega-Garcia, C., & Chuvieco, E. (2009). Human-caused wildfire risk rating for prevention planning in Spain. Journal of Environmental Management, 90(2), 1241-1252. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.07.005Moffett, A., Garson, J., & Sarkar, S. (2005). MultCSync: a software package for incorporating multiple criteria in conservation planning. Environmental Modelling & Software, 20(10), 1315-1322. doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2004.10.001Nieto, H., Aguado, I., Chuvieco, E., & Sandholt, I. (2010). Dead fuel moisture estimation with MSG–SEVIRI data. Retrieval of meteorological data for the calculation of the equilibrium moisture content. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 150(7-8), 861-870. doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2010.02.007Noble, B. F., & Christmas, L. M. (2007). Strategic Environmental Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Options in the Canadian Agricultural Sector. Environmental Management, 41(1), 64-78. doi:10.1007/s00267-007-9017-yNúñez-Regueira, L. (1997). Calorific values and flammability of forest species in galicia. Continental high mountainous and humid Atlantic zones. Bioresource Technology, 61(2), 111-119. doi:10.1016/s0960-8524(97)00053-9Padilla, M., & Vega-García, C. (2011). On the comparative importance of fire danger rating indices and their integration with spatial and temporal variables for predicting daily human-caused fire occurrences in Spain. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 20(1), 46. doi:10.1071/wf09139Pendergast, J. F., Gange, S. 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Wildland fire probabilities estimated from weather model-deduced monthly mean fire danger indices. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 17(3), 305. doi:10.1071/wf06162Romero-Calcerrada, R., Novillo, C. J., Millington, J. D. A., & Gomez-Jimenez, I. (2008). GIS analysis of spatial patterns of human-caused wildfire ignition risk in the SW of Madrid (Central Spain). Landscape Ecology, 23(3), 341-354. doi:10.1007/s10980-008-9190-2Saaty, T. L. (1987). RANK GENERATION, PRESERVATION, AND REVERSAL IN THE ANALYTIC HIERARCHY DECISION PROCESS. Decision Sciences, 18(2), 157-177. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5915.1987.tb01514.xSahin, Y. G., & Ince, T. (2009). Early Forest Fire Detection Using Radio-Acoustic Sounding System. Sensors, 9(3), 1485-1498. doi:10.3390/s90301485López, A. S., San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., & Burgan, R. E. (2002). Integration of satellite sensor data, fuel type maps and meteorological observations for evaluation of forest fire risk at the pan-European scale. 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Real Wage Responsiveness to Unemployment in Spain: Asymmetries Along the Business Cycle

We estimate real wage cyclicality in the period compressed between 1987 and 2013 using a large administrative dataset of workers in Spain. Real wages are weakly procyclical in Spain and focusing on differences in different phases of the business cycle, we find that differences across expansions and recessions are significant, with an even lower real wage cyclicality in recessions. Furthermore, higher levels of unemployment do not translate into additional real wages adjustments when the economy is contracting, while lower levels of unemployment during expansions have incremental effects on wage elasticity. This general result holds after accounting for differences in tenure, type of contract and age categories. Nevertheless, wages of newly-hired workers are the most sensitive to the business cycle and exhibit the lowest asymmetric pattern between expansions and recessions. At the other end, wages of workers with more than six years of tenure can be characterized as the most protected against economic downturns. The same is true for fixed-term vs. permanent workers, as well as for young vs. older workers