The collection of speech data suitable for speech technology development is a challenge for under-resourced languages. Factors such as cost, availability of mother-tongue speakers and vast geographic distances call for techniques to optimise the data collection process in order to reduce re-collection of data. The use of mobile devices facilitate remote speech data collection. Although mobile (...

This work presents a cost-effective base station deployment model based on artificial immune systems. It uses a multiobjective algorithm based on artificial immune systems (MOAIS) as an optimiser. MO-AIS algorithms are a new class of evolutionary algorithms. The Binary-coded Multi-objective Optimisation Algorithm (BRMOA) is inspired by the clonal selection theory and the immune network theory. ...

This paper is an empirical attempt verifying the interplay between political change, fleet nationality, and the evolution of shipping networks. North Korea offers a good example of a socialist maritime country that experienced much contrasted geopolitical contexts during the last two decades. A database of vessel movements between North Korean ports and other ports is analyzed. Main results sho...

By applying advanced Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL) and BigTIFF technology in a Geographical Information System (GIS) with Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), this study has derived global datasets using tile-based input data and implemented Virtual Web Map Service (VWMS) and Virtual Web Coverage Service (VWCS) to provide software tools for visualization and acquisition of global d...

Eight years after DNA barcoding was formally proposed on a large scale, CO1 sequences are rapidly accumulating from around the world. While studies to date have mostly targeted local or regional species assemblages, the recent launch of the global iBOL project (International Barcode of Life), highlights the need to understand the effects of geographical scale on Barcoding's goals. Sampling has ...

We investigate the influence of language on the accuracy of geolocating Twitter users. Our analysis, using a large corpus of tweets written in thirteen languages, provides a new understanding of the reasons behind reported performance disparities between languages. The results show that data imbalance has a greater impact on accuracy than geographical coverage. A comparison between micro and ma...

News materials are reports on events occurring in a given time and location. Looking at the influence of individual event, an event that has news reported worldwide is strategically more important than one that is only covered by local news agencies. In fact, news coverage of an event can accurately determine the event’s importance and potential impact on the society. In this paper, we present ...

While theoretical models on long-term care decisions assume that the health production function of dependent elderly depends positively on the care received, it has not received much attention in the empirical literature. We estimate the effects of both informal and formal home care on the mental health of elderly individuals in France needing help with daily activities. We adjust for the endog...

Statistical analyses for small populations or small domains of interest can be challenging. To obtain reliable estimates, only very large surveys such as the Canadian Community Health Survey can be considered. However, despite its good geographical and temporal coverage, the analysis of small populations in smaller regions (e.g., health regions) and in regards to specific health issues remains ...