Spectral analysis for nonstationary audio

A new approach for the analysis of nonstationary signals is proposed, with a focus on audio applications. Following earlier contributions, nonstationarity is modeled via stationarity-breaking operators acting on Gaussian stationary random signals. The focus is on time warping and amplitude modulation, and an approximate maximum-likelihood approach based on suitable approximations in the wavelet transform domain is developed. This paper provides theoretical analysis of the approximations, and introduces JEFAS, a corresponding estimation algorithm. The latter is tested and validated on synthetic as well as real audio signal.Comment: IEEE/ACM Transactions on Audio, Speech and Language Processing, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, In pres

Nitrogen management of organic winter wheat Decision-making through model-based explorations

In organic wheat, nitrogen is one of the key limiting factors responsible for irregular productivity and low quality (David et al, 2005b), 5 to 50 % less than conventionally managed crops (Nieberg and Schulze Pals, 1996). On arable farms, the decreasing use of N-organic sources such as forage legumes, manures and composts relative to mixed-farms requires the development of suitable fertility strategies based on the use of off-farm organic fertilizers. Numerous mechanistic crop models simulating the dynamics of crop requirements and N supply in the soil (e.g. CERES, EPIC, APSIM, ARCWHEAT STICS) have previously been developed (Whisler et al, 1996). Although these models are highly used in research, their complexity and input requirements have limited their practical use for farmers and advisers. The aim of this study was to develop an engineering approach (Passioura, 1996) by the development of a decision-making tool for assessing N management of organic wheat on commercial farms. Azodyn-Org crop model was developed in organic agriculture to predict the influence of spring N fertilization strategies on grain yield, grain protein content, mineral N in the soil at harvest and gross margin (David et al., 2004). This simpler model requires little input data, which are easily measured in farmers’ fields (soil characteristics, climatic data, crop biomass and mineral N in the soil at the end of winter). The performance of Azodyn-Org was relevant for selecting appropriate strategies in a large range of environment and crop management conditions (David et al., 2005a). This paper focuses on the potential contribution of model-based explorations from Azodyn-Org for managing N fertilization in organic wheat crops at the regional scale

Le dessin au service d’une poétique stendhalienne de la description romanesque

Stendhal often says he hates describing, especially in novels: he prefers to be suggestive and vague when he describes a place. But he knows very well how important descriptions of places can be in the narrative. In that he doesn’t hesitate to give precise descriptions that sometimes lean on drawings and maps, and consequently allow the reader to observe the interactions of the elements of the scenery and even the movements of the characters

Stendhal et la province

Paris et l\u27Italie sont généralement considérés comme les deux pôles orientant la vie et l\u27écriture de Stendhal. La province occupe pourtant une place de choix dans sa géographie personnelle. Pour lui, c\u27est un univers méconnu du grand public, qui reste à découvrir et à décrire. Même s\u27il pose un regard fort critique sur ce monde "asphyxié", il lui reconnaît des qualités parfois inattendues. Au-delà d\u27une simple expression cathartique du fantasme faisant de la province à la fois une mère et une marâtre, l\u27utilisation du concept présente aussi pour Stendhal un intérêt d\u27ordre poétique car il peut structurer la fiction et inspirer une technique d\u27écriture particulière. Enfin, et surtout, cet objet suscite l\u27amusement, voire une intense jubilation. De la nausée provoquée par la province au plaisir d\u27écrire sur elle, c\u27est un Stendhal inattendu qui se révèle ainsi au fil de la lecture dans toute sa dimension d\u27inventeur de la province moderne aux côtés de Balzac

Fan Shouyi, A Bridge Between China And The West Under The Rite Controversy

Much has been written about Matteo Ricci and others Western missionaries in China, and less attention has been given to Chinese Catholics. We present here the fascinating story of Fan Shouyi, a Chinese Catholic who came to Europe and decided to become a Jesuit. Returning to China, he played a role in the relations between pope Clement XI and the emperor Kangxi, a role not easy but quite constructive. Much has been written about Matteo Ricci and others Western missionaries in China, and less attention has been given to Chinese Catholics. We present here the fascinating story of Fan Shouyi, a Chinese Catholic who came to Europe and decided to become a Jesuit. Returning to China, he played a role in the relations between pope Clement XI and the emperor Kangxi, a role not easy but quite constructive.

For the record: The Canton exile of the missionaries (1666-1671) by the Polish Jesuit Szpot Dunin

The Chinese Rites Controversy definitively shaped the history of Christianity in China. When some missionaries were exiled in Canton from 1666 to 1671, they sought to resolve their disagreement on whether certain Confucian rituals could be practiced by Chinese Christian converts but their differences ended up even more entrenched. In his unpublished history of the China mission covering the period from 1640 to 1700, the Polish Jesuit Tomasz Ignacy Szpot Dunin (1644-1713) gives an account of the discussions held in Canton. His account not only reveals previously known materials but also offers new insights on the Controversy.The Chinese Rites Controversy definitively shaped the history of Christianity in China. When some missionaries were exiled in Canton from 1666 to 1671, they sought to resolve their disagreement on whether certain Confucian rituals could be practiced by Chinese Christian converts but their differences ended up even more entrenched. In his unpublished history of the China mission covering the period from 1640 to 1700, the Polish Jesuit Tomasz Ignacy Szpot Dunin (1644-1713) gives an account of the discussions held in Canton. His account not only reveals previously known materials but also offers new insights on the Controversy