Comparative study of filter-bank mean-energy distance for automated segmentation of speech signals

This paper describes a method of automated segmentation of speech assuming the signal is continuously time varying rather than the traditional short time stationary model. It has been shown that this representation gives comparable if not marginally better results than the other techniques for automated segmentation. A formulation of the 'Bach' (music semitonal) frequency scale filter-bank is proposed. A comparative study has been made of the performances using Mel, Bark and Bach scale filter banks considering this model. The preliminary results show up to 80 % matches within 20 ms of the manually segmented data, without any information of the content of the text and without any language dependence. 'Bach' filters are seen to marginally outperform the other filters.

Credit Default Swaps and Insurance: Against the Potts Opinion

Little attention has been given to the possibility that CDS transactions might be construed as insurance contracts in English law. This article challenges the widespread “Potts opinion”, which states that CDSs are not insurance, because they do not require the protection buyer to sustain a loss or to have an insurable interest in the subject matter. CDSs often do provide protection against loss that the buyer is exposed to; loss indemnity is not a necessary characterisation of an insurance contract; insurable interest does not form part of the definition of insurance, but is an additional requirement of valid insurance; and what matters is the substance not the form of the contract. The situation in the US and Australia is also briefly considered.

Monetary policy rules and estimated reaction functions for the European Central Bank

This thesis studies the interest-rate policy of the ECB by estimating monetary policy rules using real-time data and central bank forecasts. The aim of the estimations is to try to characterize a decade of common monetary policy and to look at how different models perform at this task.The estimated rules include: contemporary Taylor rules, forward-looking Taylor rules, nonlinearrules and forecast-based rules. The nonlinear models allow for the possibility of zone-like preferences and an asymmetric response to key variables. The models therefore encompass the most popular sub-group of simple models used for policy analysis as well as the more unusual non-linear approach. In addition to the empirical work, this thesis also contains a more general discussion of monetary policy rules mostly from a New Keynesian perspective. This discussion includes an overview of some notable related studies, optimal policy, policy gradualism and several other related subjects. The regression estimations are performed with either least squares or the generalized method of moments depending on the requirements of the estimations. The estimations use data from both the Euro Area Real-Time Database and the central bank forecasts published in ECB Monthly Bulletins. These data sources represent some of the best data that is available for this kind of analysis. The main results of this thesis are that forward-looking behavior appears highly prevalent, but that standard forward-looking Taylor rules offer only ambivalent results with regard to inflation. Nonlinear models are shown to work, but on the other hand do not have a strong rationale over a simpler linear formulation. However, the forecasts appear to be highly useful in characterizing policy and may offer the most accurate depiction of a predominantly forward-looking central bank. In particular the inflation response appears much stronger while the output response becomes highly forward-looking as well.

PDB Goodies - a web-based GUI to manipulate the Protein Data Bank file

PDB Goodies is a web-based graphical user interface (GUI) to manipulate the Protein Data Bank file containing the three-dimensional atomic coordinates of protein structures. The program also allows users to save the manipulated three-dimensional atomic coordinate file on their local client system. These fragments are used in various stages of structure elucidation and analysis. This software is incorporated with all the three-dimensional protein structures available in the Protein Data Bank, which presently holds approximately 18 000 structures. In addition, this program works on a three-dimensional atomic coordinate file (Protein Data Bank format) uploaded from the client machine. The program is written using CGI/PERL scripts and is platform independent. The program PDB Goodies can be accessed over the World Wide Web at http:// 144.16.71.11/pdbgoodies/.

Design and Application of a new Multiscale Multidirectional Non-subsampled Filter Bank

We propose a new method for design of computationally efficient nonsubsampled multiscale multidirectional filter bank with perfect reconstruction (PR). This filter bank is composed of two nonsubsampled filter banks, for multiscale decomposition and for directional expansion. For multiscale decomposition, we transform the 1-D equivalent subband filters directly into 2-D equivalent subband filters. The computational cost is considerably reduced by avoiding the computation of 2-D convolutions. The multidirectional decomposition utilizes fan filters. A new method for design of 2-D zero phase FIR fan filter transformation function is developed. This method also aids the transformation of a 1-D filter bank to a 2-D multidirectional filter bank. The potential application of the proposed filter bank is illustrated by comparing the image denoising performance of the proposed filter bank with other design method that exist in available literature.

Iterated stochastic filters with additive updates for dynamic system identification: Annealing-type iterations and the filter bank

A nonlinear stochastic filtering scheme based on a Gaussian sum representation of the filtering density and an annealing-type iterative update, which is additive and uses an artificial diffusion parameter, is proposed. The additive nature of the update relieves the problem of weight collapse often encountered with filters employing weighted particle based empirical approximation to the filtering density. The proposed Monte Carlo filter bank conforms in structure to the parent nonlinear filtering (Kushner-Stratonovich) equation and possesses excellent mixing properties enabling adequate exploration of the phase space of the state vector. The performance of the filter bank, presently assessed against a few carefully chosen numerical examples, provide ample evidence of its remarkable performance in terms of filter convergence and estimation accuracy vis-a-vis most other competing filters especially in higher dimensional dynamic system identification problems including cases that may demand estimating relatively minor variations in the parameter values from their reference states. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluacion de alternativas quimicas y botanicas para el manejo del acaro blanco (Poliphagotarsonemus latus, Bank) en chiltoma (Capsicum annum L.) Tisma, Masaya

El ácaro blanco ( Poliphagotarsonemus latus, Bank) se ha convertido en un severo proble ma fitosanitario y socioeconómico para los productores de chiltoma ( Capsicum annum L.) del municipio de Tisma, Masaya. Esta plaga ha provocado grandes e importantes pérdidas económicas al reducir los rendimientos hasta en un 90%, disminuyendo así la calid ad y aumentando los costos de producción de la chiltoma. Ante la problemática existente en el municipio de Tisma y con el objetivo de encontrar una solución, se realizó un estudio en el periodo comprendido entre el mes de Agosto del 2007 a Enero del 2008, donde se evaluaron cuatro alternativas químicas y una botánica para el manejo del acaro blanco. Las alternativas evaluadas fueron: Oberón, Caldo sulfacálcico, Nim, Azufre y Vertimec en comparación con el testigo (aplicación de agua). Las variables evaluada s en el estudio fueron: Identificación del acaro blanco y sus daños en las plantas de chiltoma, Acaro blanco ( Poliphagotarsonemus latus, Bank ) por planta, Incidencia y Severidad del daño de acaro blanco, rendimiento en (kg ha - 1 ), altura de la planta (cm). Para decidir el momento de las aplicaciones de los productos se realizaron monitoreos semanales con una lupa de 16x tomando como nivel crítico un acaro por hoja tierna. Los resultados obtenidos en el estudio indican que el tratamiento Oberón fue el que pr esentó las poblaciones más bajas del acaro blanco, además de ser el más efectivo en el manejo, ya que las plantas tratadas con este producto presentaron el porcentaje de severidad más bajo en comparación con los demás tratamientos en estudio. El análisis e conómico realizado en este estudio determinó que el tratamiento Oberón fue el que presentó el mayor rendimiento, menor costo variable y fue el que obtuvo el mayor beneficio neto en comparación con los demás tratamientos en estudio

Evaluación de alternativas botánicas y químicas para el manejo del acaro blanco (Poliphagotarsonemus latus, Bank)(Acarina: Tarsonemidae) e insectos plagas en el cultivo de chiltoma (Capsicum annuum L.) Tisma, Masaya

El ácaro blanco (Poliphagotarsonemus latus , Bank), es uno de los problemas fitosanitarios más severos para los productores de chiltoma ( Capsicum annuum , L.) en el municipio de Tisma, Masaya. Esta plaga ha provocado importantes pérdidas económicas, disminuyendo así la calidad de los frutos y aumentando los costos de producción. En vista de este problema en el municipio de Tisma, se realizó un estudio en el periodo comprendido entre los meses de Septiembre a Diciembre del año 2009, donde se evaluaron algunas alternativas botánicas y químicas para el manejo del acaro blanco. Las alternativas evaluadas fueron: Oberon, Chile+Ajo+Jabón, Rienda, Vertimec, Sulfato de Amonio. Los resultados obtenidos en el estudio indican que el tratamiento Rienda fue el tratamiento con mejor control en el manejo del acaro blanco (39%) comparado con el testigo, ya que las plantas tratadas con este producto presentaron el menor número de ácaros por planta (2.73), menor porcentaje de incidencia (33%) y severidad (19%) en comparación con los demás tratamientos evaluados. Los tratamientos que obtuvieron los mejores rendimientos en k/Ha fueron Vertimec con (12237) y Oberon con (10944), Sulfato de Amonio obtuvo (9353). En el análisis de tasa de retorno marginal el tratamiento Vertimec es el que obtuvo mejor resultado con 659.53%.