Decoding visemes: improving machine lip-reading

To undertake machine lip-reading, we try to recognise speech from a visual signal. Current work often uses viseme classification supported by language models with varying degrees of success. A few recent works suggest phoneme classification, in the right circumstances, can outperform viseme classification. In this work we present a novel two-pass method of training phoneme classifiers which uses previously trained visemes in the first pass. With our new training algorithm, we show classification performance which significantly improves on previous lip-reading results

Unemployment, Disequilibrium, and the Short Run Phillips Curve: An Econometric Approach

The paper specifies a disequilibrium model for the aggregate labor market consisting of demand and supply functions for labor, an adjustment equation for wages as well as for prices, a transactions equation and, finally, an equation that relates measured unemployment to vacancies and to excess demand. The model has a more sophisticated treatment of dynamics than earlier disequilibrium models, and uses measured unemployment as an endogenous variable. Two of the error terms are assumed to be serially correlated and the coefficients are estimated by maximum likelihood. The parameter estimates and the goodness-of-fit are satisfactory and the model's implications for the behavior of several important variables are sensible. Excess demand estimates computed in various ways are reasonable. The model is used to estimate the natural rate of unemployment as well as a short run Phillips curve. Finally, the stability properties ofthe model are analyzed by considering the eigenvalues of the system; they are found to have moduli less than one.

Regulatory and monetary policies meet "too big to fail"

In 2010, the U.S. economy has been showing signs of pulling out of its tailspin. But questions remain about why it took so much monetary policy firepower to deal with the crisis.Global financial crisis ; Monetary policy ; Regulation ; Bank failures ; Financial institutions

Explorations in Hybrid Rocket Technology: Arc-Track Ignition in 3D-Printed Rockets

A new rocket ignition mechanism developed at Utah State University, arc-track ignition, is very promising, but its underlying physics are poorly understood. An engineering/physics joint team was formed to investigate the process and suggest avenues for improvement of the technology. The objectives of the team evolved over the course of seven months of research. By the nature of this approach, understanding was extended in many ways, but few results were conclusive. Two accomplishments overshadow the others: the discovery of a new arc-track ignition method, and cataloging of materials compatible with arc-track ignition technology. Thin film arc-track ignition has the promise of reducing energy needs many-fold and increasing the range of materials compatible with arc-track ignition. The material properties database will enable organizations to determine which materials they should use in constructing their own arc-ignition systems, based on their facilities’ capabilities