Speaker verification

The most significant developments impacting on the speaker verification sector appear to be the surge in support for speech recognition technology and the convergence of the telecom and datacom markets. In this survey, Btt looks at how the technology and markets are changing and examines the issues the sector is facing.     

Selective multinationality how environmental management helps high-tech SMES identify high-growth,low-risk markets

Background  Small and medium sized enterprises in developed regions, as well as larger ‘Southern’ firms are more exposed to risk in regards to allocation decisions. This includes expenditures on fixed assets, R&D and environmental management, as well as the choice of suitable markets for the product or service at hand. For either type of firm, the consequences of not selecting, or timing, suitable markets can lead to bankruptcy. Objectives  This paper examines means for SMEs to expand internationally given the current fiscal climate, and rapid advances in certain enabling technologies. The goal is to identify a set of criteria which smaller firms can use to globalize which reduce risk and increase access to capital. Methods  Case studies are presented of a European Start-Up as well as a century-old Latin American firm, both in the water-treatment sector. The similarities in the risk-reward profiles are used to identify some key strategic guidelines for enterprises wishing to be, selectively, multinational. Results and Discussion  Selective multinationality is an immediate plan for international expansion which identifies the most appropriate markets, independent of their proximity to the firm’s production base or headquarters. At the base of selective multinationality, is the goal to impose the firm’s product in regions of high growth, high selling price and low risk of price dumping. Therefore, this requires theto resist the temptation to expand to markets based on merely geographical proximity. The globalization strategy should be established, along with environmental management, from the outset of the creation of the firm. It will be shown, herein, to be a key driver in the valuation of High Tech industrial SMEs, in particular those with high risk-high reward tradeoffs. Selective multinationality can best be implemented if the firm in question has a technology which addresses unmet needs in niche markets, where there is an expanding customer base focusing on client relationships and cost effectiveness, and where the multinationals enter from outside the sector via resellers. It will be demonstrated to be effective for startups from developed regions, as well as SMEs from developing/emerging countries, to both of whom the consequences of sub-optimal resource allocation can risk the future of the firm itself. Therefore, SMEs can, with appropriate planning and the integration of marketing and environmental strategies, become, selectively, global firms, with better credit access and sales growth, concomitant with lower risks. The High Tech industrial SME will succeed better if, from the outset, they behave like the organization they want to become, with globalization a key element of strategy, from the business plan foreword. Two case studies are presented, one documenting the water sector and die other the cost savings possible by integrating environmental management into die firm’s strategy.     

The biotech equipment and supplies sector in Europe-is it European?

Socio-economic research on biotechnology is dealing mainly with the sectors of biopharmaceuticals, agro-food or environmental technologies. In contrast, the equipment and supplies sector seems to be largely ignored. This is surprising because this sector provides important input in terms of technology and material for the development of biotechnology in general. Our comparative analysis of the sector in eight countries indicates that there exists no specific science base for the sector and that it is largely neglected by public research funding. Commercial activities are concentrated in countries with a large general science base in biotechnology and strong multinational pharmaceutical or chemical companies. There is a rather broad diversity in the way the sector has developed in the eight countries. Our data support the notion that national peculiarities seem dominant for explaining this picture. We anticipate growing business opportunities for European firms to step into large markets of equipment and supplies for functional genomics and protein analyses where Europe maintains a strong science base.     

Economics and politics of the ethanol market

Ethanol is a commodity with potential in both the car fuel sector, thanks to its properties of transportability and efficient combustibility, and in the chemical sector because of its chemical structure and reactivity. However, because the compound is competing with established fuels and chemicals for existing markets rather than creating entirely new ones, there are many practical constraints on its widespread use. If it could be produced cheaply enough in large quantities, and if technology could be developed for its efficient use, then ethanol's potential might be realised. However, potential users of ethanol would be unlikely to develop new processes without a guaranteed supply of cheap ethanol. On the other hand, producers of ethanol have little incentive to improve processes radically without the incentive of a large market. This vicious circle could be broken by political intervention but the intervention must have a valid basis in technology — and not be merely based on political expediency.     

Occurrence of microorganisms of public health and spoilage significance in fruit juices sold in retail markets in Greece

Fruit juices are an important part of the modern diet in many countries. However, few data are available concerning the microbiological quality of the fruit juices sold in Greece. Using standard microbiological procedures, we conducted a bacteriological survey of commercially sold, pasteurized, shelf-stable fruit juices from retail markets. A total of 120 samples of fruit juices sold in various retail markets were examined for their bacteriological quality. The pH of the tested juices was 2.4–4.8. Bacteria were isolated from 51 samples (42.5%) and fungi from 78 samples (65%). Escherichia coli O157:H7 was detected in four of the analyzed samples (3.34%), and Staphylococcus aureus was detected in four different samples (3.34%). In 11 samples (9.1%), the total number of microorganisms detected was as high as 125 colony-forming units (CFU). Acidophilic microorganisms were isolated from 26 samples (21.7%) and Blastomyces was detected in 46 samples (38.3%). All samples were negative for Lactobacillus, Clostridium perfrigens, Salmonella spp., Bacillus cereus, total coliforms, E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes.Many of the microorganisms detected may cause disease in humans; thus, a number of the tested samples did not meet the Greek guidelines for the microbiological quality of juices. Use of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system should be generally introduced into the juice industry sector to improve the quality of fruit juices, as well as other manufactured foods.     

New commercial opportunities for advanced reproductive technologies in horses,wildlife, and companion animals

As advanced reproductive technologies become more efficient and repeatable in livestock and laboratory species, new opportunities will evolve to apply these techniques to alternative and non-traditional species. This will result in new markets requiring unique business models that address issues of animal welfare and consumer acceptance on a much different level than the livestock sector. Advanced reproductive technologies and genetic engineering will be applied to each species in innovative ways to provide breeders more alternatives for the preservation and propagation of elite animals in each sector. The commercialization of advanced reproductive techniques in these niche markets should be considered a useful tool for conservation of genetic material from endangered or unique animals as well as production of biomedical models of human disease.     

Size and usage patterns of private TB drug markets in the high burden countries

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) control is considered primarily a public health concern, and private sector TB treatment has attracted less attention. Thus, the size and characteristics of private sector TB drug sales remain largely unknown.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We used IMS Health data to analyze private TB drug consumption in 10 high burden countries (HBCs), after first mapping how well IMS data coverage overlapped with private markets. We defined private markets as any channels not used or influenced by national TB programs. Private markets in four countries – Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia and India – had the largest relative sales volumes; annually, they sold enough first line TB drugs to provide 65–117% of the respective countries'' estimated annual incident cases with a standard 6–8 month regimen. First line drug volumes in five countries were predominantly fixed dose combinations (FDCs), but predominantly loose drugs in the other five. Across 10 countries, these drugs were available in 37 (loose drug) plus 74 (FDCs) distinct strengths. There were 54 distinct, significant first line manufacturers (range 2–11 per country), and most companies sold TB drugs in only a single study country. FDC markets were, however, more concentrated, with 4 companies capturing 69% of FDC volume across the ten countries. Among second line drugs, fluoroquinolones were widely available, with significant volumes used for TB in India, Pakistan and Indonesia. However, certain WHO-recommended drugs were not available and in general there were insufficient drug volumes to cover the majority of the expected burden of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

Conclusions/Significance

Private TB drug markets in several HBCs are substantial, stable, and complicated. This calls for appropriate policy and market responses, including expansion of Public-Private Mix (PPM) programs, greater reach, flexibility and appeal of public programs, regulatory and quality enforcement, and expansion of public MDR-TB treatment programs.     

Identification of ungulates used in a traditional Chinese medicine with DNA barcoding technology

Horns of Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) have always been an ingredient of “Lingyangjiao”, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Persistent hunting for Saiga antelope has already threatened the survival of critical endangered populations in wild. To control the growing pressure, CITES and Chinese government have legislated for monitoring the trade of Saiga horns. However, similar ungulate horns are difficult to identify by their morphological characteristics, which has impeded the law enforcement. Besides Saiga antelope, other seven ungulate species which have similar horns are also sold and marked as “Lingyangjiao” in TCM markets to offset shortage of Saiga antelope horns. Such species are Gazella subgutturosa, Pantholops hodgsonii, Procapra picticaudata, Procapra gutturosa, Procapra przewalskii, Capra hircus, and Ovis aries. Our study aimed at implementing DNA barcoding technology to diagnose Saiga horns and the substitutes. We successfully extracted genomic DNA from horn samples. We recovered COI sequences of 644 bp with specific primers and 349 bp with nested PCR primers designed for degraded horn samples. The mean interspecific genetic distance of data set of the 644‐bp full barcodes and the 349‐bp mini‐barcodes was 14.96% and 15.38%, respectively, and the mean intraspecific distance was 0.24% and 0.20%, respectively. Each species formed independent clades in neighbor‐joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree of the two data sets with >99% supporting values, except P. gutturosa and P. przewalskii. The deep genetic distances gap and clear species clades in NJ tree of either full barcodes or mini‐barcodes suggest that barcoding technology is an effective tool to diagnose Saiga horns and their substitutes. Barcoding diagnosis protocol developed here will simplify diagnosis of “Lingyangjiao” species and will facilitate conservation of endangered ungulates involved in TCM “Lingyangjiao” markets, especially the Saiga antelope.     

Relevance of genetically modified crops in light of future environmental and legislative challenges to the agri-environment

A key challenge for countries like Ireland up to 2030 is to produce sufficient supplies of food, feed and fuel, without compromising on public health or negatively impacting the environment. As we progress through the technology era, certain agricultural technologies [e.g. genetically modified (GM) crops] have been championed to maximise production while minimising environmental impact. Yet, multiple arguments have been made to counter such a claim, which has led to a polarisation of opinions and a plethora of generic commentaries being made in regard to the impact of this technology. Yet, few studies within the European Union (EU) have conducted a critical needs analysis to assess the potential of specific GM traits in light of issues, such as climate change, increased environmental legislation (e.g. EU Water Framework, Nitrates Directive, proposed reform to the Pesticide Directive and Common Agricultural Policy reform), mitigating biodiversity loss and sustainable biofuel production. The goal of this study is to collate a register of GM traits such that a list of potential GM crops could be prioritised against the backdrop of the challenges facing the tillage sector. Clearly, the crops with the most significant potential for genetic modification are those that are grown widely and/or receive high applications of pesticides and fertilisers (e.g. potato, wheat, barley and maize). GM traits with significant agronomic potential include late blight resistant potato, Fusarium head blight resistant wheat and Septoria resistant wheat and herbicide‐tolerant winter oilseed rape and maize. Following on from these, crops with enhanced nitrogen‐use efficiency could provide significant input to the tillage sector in light of EU‐based restrictions on nitrogen usage, crops with elevated protein content could offset the costs of imported animal feed and crops with modified oil content/lignocellulose composition could assist in biodiesel/bioenergy production at a regional level. This study is relevant to other European countries that cultivate similar crops and like Ireland, are facing multiple challenges to their tillage sector in the near future.     

Sectors of activity,topography, and parasitism in home areas of New Guinea coarse-haired rats,and Trombiculidae (Acarina)

Home areas of hosts are, in effect the gardens in which parasite populations grow. The parasites flourish in response to the kind and amount of host activity modified, of course, by the habitat, and become microcommunities supported by their host and its artifacts. When scatter diagrams of points at which hosts have been observed are divided by median major and minor axes, and when the resulting four quarters, designated A, B, C, D, corresponding to concentration of points in the quarters, the relative concentration usually is: A>B>C>D. The concentration of observed points also is generally greatest nearest the major axis and frequently, but not always, near the median center. Nests of hosts, hence nest-parasites, appear generally to be near the center. For the host examined in detail here, the New Guinea coarse-haired rat, most Leptotrombidium deliensis appear to have been acquired in the AB sector of the host's home areas but a greater diversity of chiggers is acquired in the CD sector. It is postulated that, if L. akamushi had been present, it would have occurred in the CD sector where, though the observed concentration of host activity was least, the mixed grassforb and shrub habitat would have been more suitable than in the AB sector. Gahrliepia pingue, C. ewingi, Schoengastia blestowei and S. schueffneri, appear also to be more abundant in the CD sector than in the AB sector. The chiggers themselves have home clusters, or lairs, and adjacent areas of activity (home areas) somewhat resembling those of the hosts.     

Constructed Wetlands for Tannery Wastewater Treatment in Portugal: Ten Years of Experience

Wastewaters from tannery industry are complex in composition and providing adequate treatment can be difficult. Constructed wetlands (CW) are regarded as an alternative treatment to the conventional biological systems, as a developing cost-effective and environmentally friendly phytoremediation technology. The present review compiles and integrates information on CWs technology for the needs of the tannery sector. The following issues arise as crucial for the implementation of such systems, namely i) an accurate wastewater characterization and an effective pretreatment before reaching the CW, ii) choosing the plants species better adapted to the imposed conditions, iii) substrate selection and iv) range of organic loadings applied. The examples practiced in Portugal give indication that horizontal subsurface flow systems, with expanded clay media, are a suitable option to be considered when dealing with high organic loading tannery wastewater (up to c.a. 3800 kgCODha^?1d^?1), being resilient to a wide range of hydraulic variations. Plants such as Phragmites and Typha have shown to be adequate for tannery wastewater depuration, with Arundo donax proving resilient to high salinity wastewaters. The flexibility of implementation allows the CW to be adapted to different sites with different configurations, being suitable as main secondary or tertiary treatment stage.     

Analyzing the Long Term Cohesive Effect of Sector Specific Driving Forces

Financial markets are partially composed of sectors dominated by external driving forces, such as commodity prices, infrastructure and other indices. We characterize the statistical properties of such sectors and present a novel model for the coupling of the stock prices and their dominating driving forces, inspired by mean reverting stochastic processes. Using the model we were able to explain the market sectors’ long term behavior and estimate the coupling strength between stocks in financial markets and the sector specific driving forces. Notably, the analysis was successfully applied to the shipping market, in which the Baltic dry index (BDI), an assessment of the price of transporting the major raw materials by sea, influences the shipping financial market. We also present the analysis of other sectors—the gold mining market and the food production market, for which the model was also successfully applied. The model can serve as a general tool for characterizing the coupling between external forces and affected financial variables and therefore for estimating the risk in sectors and their vulnerability to external stress.     

A case of genome partition in polyploid oats

Summary At the second generation of the interspecific cross between the cultivated hexaploid (2n = 42) oat A. Sativa and the wild tetraploid (2n = 28) A. Murphyi, a plant having hexaploid and diploid (2n = 14) sectors was selected. Meiosis was highly regular in the diploid sector but the tillers failed to proceed beyond the boot stage and no seeds were produced. It is suggested that this diploid sector represents an entire genome of one of the diploid progenitors of the hexaploid oat.     

Technology gap and CO2 emission reduction potential by technical efficiency measures: A meta-frontier modeling for the Chinese agricultural sector

The purpose of this paper is to explore CO₂ emission efficiency in china’s agricultural sector during the period 2001–2012. We also analyze the CO₂ emission reduction potential as well as its two main contributors (i.e. technology gap inefficiency and managerial failure). The meta-frontier framework is adopted to reflect technology heterogeneities in China’s agricultural sector among the eastern, central and western regions. Based on the DEA (data envelopment analysis) method, the models are estimated by means of linear programming. Empirical results indicate that CO₂ emission efficiency of the agricultural sector in western China is the lowest compared with eastern and central China; stemming from the fact that most provinces in western China generally fall behind in terms of technology. The total potential agricultural CO₂ emissions reduction is estimated at 1161.33 million tons, which can be attributed to managerial failure in the case of eastern and central China. For western China, it can be attributed to both technological gap inefficiency and managerial failure.     

The surface structure of Antarctic fish eggs and its use in identifying fish eggs from the Southern Ocean

Summary The surface structure of eggs of Notothenia neglecta, Nototheniops larseni, Nototheniops nudifrons (Nototheniidae), Champsocephalus gunnari and Chaenocephalus aceratus (Channichthyidae), collected near Elephant Island (Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean) and of Notothenia rossii rossii (Nototheniidae) from Kerguelen waters (Indian sector of the Southern Ocean) was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Eggs of N. larseni differed from the other species by containing a micropyle with two micropyle pits. External morphological characteristics of the egg envelope such as the ultrastructure of the zona radiata, its interpore distances and the diameter of the micropyle were species-specific and could aid in the identification of fish eggs collected from the Southern Ocean.     

Under what circumstances can the forest sector contribute to 2050 climate change mitigation targets? A study from forest ecosystems to landfill methane emissions for the province of Quebec,Canada

Meeting climate change mitigation targets by 2050, as outlined in international pledges, involves determining optimal strategies for forest management, wood supply, the substitution of greenhouse gas-intensive materials and energy sources, and wood product disposal. Our study quantified the cumulative mitigation potential by 2050 of the forest sector in the province of Quebec, Canada, using several alternative strategies and assessed under what circumstances the sector could contribute to the targets. We used the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector to project ecosystems emissions and sequestration of seven alternative and one baseline (business-as-usual [BaU]) forest management scenarios over the 2018–2050 period. Three baskets of wood products were used in a Harvested Wood Products model to predict wood product emissions. The mitigation potential was determined by comparing the cumulative CO₂e budget of each alternative scenario to the BaU. The proportion of methane emissions from landfills (RCH₄%) and the required displacement factor (RDF) to achieve mitigation benefits were assessed both independently and jointly. The fastest and most efficient way to improve mitigation outcomes of the forest sector of Quebec is to reduce end-of-life methane emissions from wood products. By reducing methane emissions, the RDF for achieving mitigation benefits through intensification strategies can be reduced from 1.2–2.3 to 0–0.9 tC/tC, thus reaching the current provincial mean DF threshold (0.9). Both a reduction and an increase in the harvested volume have the potential to provide mitigation benefits with adequate RCH₄% and RDF. Increased carbon sequestration in ecosystems, innovations in long-lived wood products, and optimal substitution in markets offer potential avenues for the forest sector to contribute to mitigation benefits but are subject to significant uncertainties. Methane emission reduction at the end of wood product service life is emerging as a valuable approach to enhance mitigation benefits of the forest sector.     

Dosage effect of a gene with a regulating effect on anthocyanin synthesis in a trisomic Petunia hybrida

A Petunia hybrida inbred line (W 28) has white flowers with red spots on the corolla. These spots are the result of back mutations of an unstable allele of the gene Anl for anthocyanin synthesis. Among the progeny of a population of selfed plants a primary trisomic with red-spotted white flowers was found. The reversion frequency was more than twice as high as compared with disomic plants of the same family.It was found that the chromosome in triplicate was not the chromosome on which the gene Anl is localized. It can be concluded that there is an independently segregating factor which influences the frequency of back mutations of the Anl locus. Twin spots were found among the flowers of the trisomic. They consisted of two adjacent sectors, one with a spot frequency equal to that of the flowers of disomic plants, and the other with a spot frequency more than twice as high as that of the trisomic. Probably an irregular distribution of the extra chromosome resulted in one sector with the normal diploid number of chromosomes, and an adjacent sector with two extra chromosomes. The reversion frequencies in the sector suggest that the factor which affects the reversion frequency of the unstable alleles of Anl exhibits a dosage effect.     

Survey of Grauer's Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri) and Eastern Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthi) in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park Lowland Sector and Adjacent Forest in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

We describe the distribution and estimate densities of Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri) and eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthi) in a 12,770-km ² area of lowland forest between the Lowa, Luka, Lugulu, and Oku rivers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the site of the largest continuous population of Grauer's gorillas. The survey included a total of 480 km of transects completed within seven sampling zones in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park lowland sector and adjacent Kasese region and approximately 1100 km of footpath and forest reconnaissance. We estimate total populations of 7670 (4180–10,830) weaned gorillas within the Kahuzi-Biega lowland sector and 3350 (1420–5950) individuals in the Kasese survey areas. Within the same area, we estimate a population of 2600 (1620–4500) chimpanzees. Ape nest site densities are significantly higher within the Kahuzi-Biega lowland sector than in the more remote Kasese survey area in spite of a significantly higher encounter rate of human sign within the lowland sector of the park. Comparison of our data with information obtained by Emlen and Schaller during the first rangewide survey of Grauer's gorillas in 1959 suggests that gorilla populations have remained stable in protected areas but declined in adjacent forest. These findings underscore the key role played by national parks in protecting biological resources in spite of the recent political and economic turmoil in the region. We also show that forest reconnaissance is a reliable and cost-effective method to assess gorilla densities in remote forested areas.     

Economic issues for the UK biotechnology sector

This paper examines the economic prospects for the biotechnology industry, focusing on the UK position. I discuss some economic issues relating to the structure of the biotechnology industry and examine whether these factors can account for the relative success of the biotechnology sector in the UK compared to other European countries. I emphasize the importance of the science base, pharmaceutical companies and capital markets in giving the UK an advantage. Looking ahead I argue that prospects are good for the global growth of the industry due to supply and demand side factors. The UK is in a leading position in Europe but faces significant dangers, especially from the public towards biotechnology.     

Life cycle inventories of electricity generation and power supply in version 3 of the ecoinvent database—part II: electricity markets

Purpose

Representative, consistent and up-to-date life cycle inventories (LCI) of electricity supply are key elements of ecoinvent as an LCI background database since these are often among the determining factors with regard to life cycle assessment (LCA) results. ecoinvent version 3 (ev3) offers new LCI data of power supply (electricity markets) in 71 geographies. This article gives an overview of these electricity markets and discusses new ecoinvent features in the context of power supply.

Methods

The annual geography- and technology-specific electricity production for the year 2008 specifies the technology shares on the high-, medium- and low-voltage level electricity markets. Data are based on IEA statistics. Different voltage levels are linked by transformation activities. Region-specific electricity losses due to power transmission and voltage transformation are considered in the market and transformation activities. The majority of the 71 power markets are defined by national boundaries. The attributional ecoinvent system model in ev3 with linking to average current suppliers results in electricity markets supplied by all geography-specific power generation technologies and electricity imports, while the consequential system model generates markets only linked to unconstrained suppliers.

Results and discussion

The availability of LCI data for 71 electricity markets in ev3 covering 50 countries reduces the “Rest-of-the-World” electricity supply not covered by country- or region-specific inventories to 17 % for the year 2008. Specific power supply activities for all countries contributing more than 1 % to global electricity production are available. The electricity markets show large variations concerning contributions from specific technologies and energy carriers. Imports can substantially change the national/regional power mix, especially in small markets. Large differences can also be observed between the electricity markets in the attributional and the consequential database calculation. Region-specific total power losses between production on the high voltage level and consumer on the low voltage level are on the order of 2.5–23 %.

Conclusions

Electricity supply mixes (electricity markets) in the ecoinvent database have been updated and substantially extended for v3. Inventories for electricity supply in all globally important economies are available with geography-specific technology and market datasets which will contribute to increasing quality and reducing uncertainties in LCA studies worldwide and to allow more accurate estimation of environmental burdens from global production chains. Future work should focus on improving the details of country-specific data, implementation of more countries into the database, splitting of large countries into smaller regions and on developing a more sophisticated approach specifying country-specific electricity mixes in consequential system models.