New Technique to Enhance the Performance of Spoken Dialogue Systems by Means of Implicit Recovery of ASR Errors

This paper proposes a new technique to implicitly correct some ASR errors made by spoken dialogue systems, which is implemented at two levels: statistical and linguistic. The goal of the former level is to employ for the correction knowledge extracted from the analysis of a training corpus comprised of utterances and their corresponding ASR results. The outcome of the analysis is a set of syntactic-semantic models and a set of lexical models, which are optimally selected during the correction. The goal of the correction at the linguistic level is to repair errors not detected during the statistical level which affects the semantics of the sentences. Experiments carried out with a previouslydeveloped spoken dialogue system for the fast food domain indicate that the technique allows enhancing word accuracy, spoken language understanding and task completion by 8.5%, 16.54% and 44.17% absolute, respectively.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología TIN2007-64718 HAD

Estimation of Burned Area in the Northeastern Siberian Boreal Forest from a Long-Term Data Record (LTDR) 1982–2015 Time Series

A Bayesian classifier mapped the Burned Area (BA) in the Northeastern Siberian boreal forest (70°N 120°E–60°N 170°E) from 1982 to 2015. The algorithm selected the 0.05° (~5 km) Long-Term Data Record (LTDR) version 3 and 4 data sets to generate 10-day BA composites. Landsat-TM scenes of the entire study site in 2002, 2010, and 2011 assessed the spatial accuracy of this LTDR-BA product, in comparison to Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MCD45A1 and MCD64A1 BA products. The LTDR-BA algorithm proves a reliable source to quantify BA in this part of Siberia, where comprehensive BA remote sensing products since the 1980s are lacking. Once grouped by year and decade, this study explored the trends in fire activity. The LTDR-BA estimates contained a high interannual variability with a maximum of 2.42 million ha in 2002, an average of 0.78 million ha/year, and a standard deviation of 0.61 million ha. Going from 6.36 in the 1980s to 10.21 million ha BA in the 2010s, there was a positive linear BA trend of approximately 1.28 million ha/decade during these last four decades in the Northeastern Siberian boreal forest

Signalling in voice over IP Networks

Voice signalling protocols have evolved, keeping with the prevalent move from circuit to packet switched networks. Standardization bodies have provided solutions for carrying voice traffic over packet networks while the main manufacturers are already providing products in workgroup, enterprise, or operator portfolio. This trend will accrue in next years due to the evolution of UMTS mobile networks to an “all-IP” environment. In this paper we present the various architectures that are proposed for signalling in VoIP, mainly: H.323, SIP and MGCP. We also include a brief summary about signalling in classical telephone networks and, at the end, we give some ideas about the proposed “all-IP” architectures in UMTS 3G mobile networks.Publicad

One- and two-photon scattering from generalized V-type atoms

The one- and two-photon scattering matrix S is obtained analytically for a one-dimensional waveguide and a point-like scatterer with N excited levels (generalized V -type atom). We argue that the two-photon scattering matrix contains sufficient information to distinguish between different level structures which are equivalent for single-photon scattering, such as a V -atom with N = 2 excited levels and two two-level systems. In particular, we show that the scattering with the V -type atom exhibits a destructive interference effect leading to two-photon Coupled-Resonator-Induced Transparency, where the nonlinear part of the two-photon scattering matrix vanishes when each incident photon fulfills a single-photon condition for transparency

Single photons by quenching the vacuum

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle implies that the quantum vacuum is not empty but fluctuates. These fluctuations can be converted into radiation through nonadiabatic changes in the Hamiltonian. Here, we discuss how to control this vacuum radiation, engineering a single-photon emitter out of a two-level system (2LS) ultrastrongly coupled to a finite-band waveguide in a vacuum state. More precisely, we show the 2LS nonlinearity shapes the vacuum radiation into a nonGaussian superposition of even and odd cat states. When the 2LS bare frequency lays within the band gaps, this emission can be well approximated by individual photons. This picture is confirmed by a characterization of the ground and bound states, and a study of the dynamics with matrix product states and polaron Hamiltonian methods.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure

Determinant factors of pull up performance in trainedathletes

Aim: to investigate the relationship among pull up and lat pull exercises and differentanthropometric dimensions in trained athletes. Methods: twenty-five males were evaluated for maximum number of pull ups, one-repetitionmaximum lat pull (1RM Lat Pull), lat pull repetitions at 80% 1RM (Lat Pull at 80% 1RM), latpull repetitions at a load equivalent to body mass (Lat Pull at BM-load), and differentanthropometric variables. Furthermore, the subjects were divided in higher (HPG, n = 12) andlower pull up performance (LPG, n = 13) to compare the differences in the variables analyzedbetween both levels. Results: pull ups were significantly correlated with Lat Pull at BM-load (r = .62, P < .01) butneither with 1RM Lat Pull (r = .09) nor with Lat Pull at 80% 1RM (r = -.15). Pull ups showed asignificant (P < .05) negative relationship with body mass (BM, r = -.55), lean body mass(LBM, r = -.51), and fat mass (FM, r = -.52), while BM and LBM were significantly correlatedwith 1RM Lat Pull (r = .55, P < .05). HPG showed significantly (P < .05) lower BM (0/3/97%),FM (1/3/97%) and LBM (1/4/95%) than LPG. Furthermore, HPG attained significantly (P < .05– .001) greater performance in Lat Pull at BM-load (100/0/0%) and 1RM Lat Pull•BM-1(96/3/2%) than LPG. Conclusion: these findings suggest that pull up and lat pull exercises have common elements.Moreover, the anthropometric dimensions seem to influence differently on both exercises,depending on the strength indicator evaluated

Innovation for environmental sustainability: longitudinal effects of an education for sustainable development intervention on university students’ pro-environmentalism

Purpose Although education for sustainable development (ESD) is a key tool in the transition to a more sustainable society, its integration in higher education remains scarce. One reason for this is that more evidence is needed about the effectiveness of ESD interventions. This study aims to address this gap in the literature by examining the immediate and long-term effects of an ESD intervention on university students' pro-environmental knowledge, personal environmental norm and pro-environmental behaviors. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quasi-experimental design that examined to what extent participating in an ESD intervention influenced university students' self-reported pro-environmentalism (i.e. experimental group), compared to those who did not participate in the ESD intervention (i.e. control group). The authors also examined the longitudinal effects of the ESD intervention by recording students' pro-environmentalism (both in the experimental and control group) 1 year after the intervention. Findings The findings showed that participation in the ESD intervention enhanced students' pro-environmental knowledge, personal environmental norms and pro-environmental behaviors relative to the no-participation control group. The positive effects of the ESD intervention remained 1 year after the program finished. Originality/value This work explores the effects that ESD interventions have on university students. Its findings provide evidence about the effectiveness of the intervention and, therefore, support the inclusion of ESD at higher educational levels

Strong versus weak embodiment: Spatial iconicity in physical, abstract, and social semantic categories

Background Perceptual and action systems seem to be related to complex cognitive processes, but the scope of grounded or embodied cognition has been questioned. Zwaan and Yaxley (2003) proposed that cognitive processes of making semantic relatedness judgments can be facilitated when word pairs are presented in ways that their referents maintain their iconic configuration rather than their reverse-iconic configuration (the spatial iconicity effect). This effect has been observed in different semantic categories using specific experiments, but it is known that embodiment is highly dependent on task demands. Method The present study analyzed the spatial iconicity effect in three semantic categories (physical, abstract, and social) using the same experimental criteria to determine the scope of embodied cognition. In this reaction-time experiment, 75 participants judged the semantic relatedness of 384 word pairs whose experimental items were presented in their iconic or reverse-iconic configurations. Results Two mixed-effects models with crossed random effects revealed that the interaction between word meaning and spatial position was present only for physical concepts but neither for abstract nor social concepts. Conclusions Within the framework of strong and weak embodiment theories, the data support weak embodiment theory as the most explicative oneThe work reported in this article was supported by Grant PSI2013-47219-P from the Ministry of Economic and Competitiveness (MINECO) of Spai

Emergent Causality and the N-photon Scattering Matrix in Waveguide QED

In this work we discuss the emergence of approximate causality in a general setup from waveguide QED -i.e. a one-dimensional propagating field interacting with a scatterer. We prove that this emergent causality translates into a structure for the N-photon scattering matrix. Our work builds on the derivation of a Lieb-Robinson-type bound for continuous models and for all coupling strengths, as well as on several intermediate results, of which we highlight (i) the asymptotic independence of space-like separated wave packets, (ii) the proper definition of input and output scattering states, and (iii) the characterization of the ground state and correlations in the model. We illustrate our formal results by analyzing the two-photon scattering from a quantum impurity in the ultrastrong coupling regime, verifying the cluster decomposition and ground-state nature. Besides, we generalize the cluster decomposition if inelastic or Raman scattering occurs, finding the structure of the S-matrix in momentum space for linear dispersion relations. In this case, we compute the decay of the fluorescence (photon-photon correlations) caused by this S-matrix

La estrategia del caracol. Un breve recorrido por la cooperación cinematográfica de la UE con otras regiones

El presente trabajo defiende la idea de que la política audiovisual europea debe aprender a mirar hacia fuera, replanteando necesariamente sus relaciones externas, ya que hasta el momento ha buscado definir su identidad conforme a una serie de condicionantes que pudiesen hacerla competitiva frente a la estadounidense, ignorando de este modo que el nuevo imaginario cultural (internacional-popular) impone nuevos espacios de cooperación e intercambio de productos que superan las actuales fronteras nacionales y regionales. En esta vuelta de tuerca, reclamamos para la Unión Europea no sólo el papel de potencia económica competitiva frente a los Estados Unidos, sino también el ejercicio de una función de liderazgo en la defensa por la diversidad cultural de nuestras pantallas. Dicho ejercicio pasa necesariamente por fortalecer las políticas nacionales de cultura, así como por avanzar en procesos de integración y cooperación interregionales, donde la industria cinematográfica puede jugar un papel esencial. En este articulo, llevaremos a cabo una evaluación de los programas de cooperación audiovisual que la UE mantiene hoy en día con otras regiones del planeta, un espacio aún por desarrollar, lastrado por todo tipo de condicionantes e intereses, pero que ofrece una salida viable y un complemento necesario e interesante a su política proteccionista