PATTERN RECOGNITION APPROACHES FOR SPEECH-TO-SPEECH TRANSLATION

We propose a statistical approach to speech-to-speech translation that uses finite-state models in all levels. Acoustic hidden Markov models (HMMs) model the pronunciation of the input-language phonemes and words, while the input–output word mapping, along with the syntax of the output language, are jointly modeled by means a large stochastic finite-state transducer. This allows for a complete integration of all the models so that the translation process can be performed by searching for an optimal path of states through the integrated network. As in speech recognition, HMMs can be trained from an input-language speech corpus, and the translation model is learned automatically from a parallel (text) training corpus. This approach has been assessed in the framework of the EuTrans project, funded by the European Union. Extensive experiments have been carried out with speech-input translations from Spanish to English and from Italian to English in applications involving the interaction (by telephone) of a customer with the front desk of a hotel. A summary of the most relevant results is presented.     

EFFECT OF STORAGE TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES ON QUESO BLANCO SLICES*

A five‐strain cocktail of Listeria monocytogenes (10⁴ cfu/mL) was inoculated onto individual vacuum‐packaged slices (ca. 50 g each) of a commercial, Hispanic‐style cheese, that being Queso Blanco. Growth was determined at appropriate intervals during storage at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25C. In general, as the incubation temperature increased, a shorter lag phase duration (LPD) and a faster growth rate (GR) were observed. The LPD values at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25C were 65.3, 19.9, 2.1, 8.4 and 11.4 h, respectively. The GR values were 0.011, 0.036, 0.061, 0.090 and 0.099 log cfu/h at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25C, respectively. There were no statistical differences in LPD at 10, 15, 20 and 25C. However, the LPD during growth at 5C was statistically (P ≤ 0.05) longer than at all other temperatures. The GR values at 20 and 25C were not significantly different from each other, whereas the GR values at 5, 10 and 15C were significantly different from each other as well as from the GR at 20 and 25C (P ≤ 0.05). The maximum population density (MPD) showed relatively little variation over the range of storage temperatures tested, with an average of 8.38 log cfu/g (SD = 0.33). The results of this study indicate that not even the lowest trial temperature of 5C prevented growth over time of the inoculated L. monocytogenes on this sliced product, and that proper storage and handling procedures are required to prevent the bacterium from contaminating the product and/or to control its growth.     

Power,Discursive Space and Institutional Practices in the Construction of Housing Problems

A constructionist approach to the study of social problems and housing policy provides a theoretically informed means of analysing the ways in which housing policy is formulated and implemented. Yet despite a strong commitment by housing researchers to policy relevance, constructionist studies of how specific social problems are generated and deployed have so far made only a limited impact on housing research. The paper addresses this lacuna by first discussing important literature and the key conceptual issues in this field of study. This is followed by a discussion of two examples from recent UK housing policy (the shift in the 1980s from defining lone mothers as the victims of housing shortages to a morally questionable group subverting needs-based allocation policies and the re-emergence of anti-social behaviour as a problem on housing estates). The paper's conclusion is that the 'construction of problems' provides a rich source of new material as well as offering significant opportunities to develop a more critically informed housing research agenda.     

EFFECT OF SEASONAL VARIATIONS ON PROTEIN FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF FISH DURING FROZEN STORAGE

Influence of seasonal variation (February, July and October), time elapsed before freezing, and type of processing of the muscle on several functional properties (protein solubility, emulsifying capacity, and viscosity) in two species of fish with differing seasonal behavior (hake and sardine) were studied. Correlations between the changes in these functional properties during frozen storage were established. Although proximate analyses of the hake muscle were similar throughout the year, significant differences were observed in viscosity and protein solubility during storage between lots of fish caught in different seasons. Changes in the functional properties were less evident in sardine, which undergoes wide seasonal variations. The larger differences in the functional proprities of hake muscle, depending on season, were related to differences in the dimethylamine content after the fifth month of frozen storage. High correlations were established between functional properties in fish caught in the same or different seasons. Any of the three functional properties studied can be used as a suitable index of the quality of frozen fish, irrespective of the different conditions studied.     

BRAZILIAN HULL-LESS AND MALTING BARLEY GENOTYPES: I. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION

Barley represents an important source of total dietary fiber (TDF) and β‐glucans. The chemical composition and partial characterization of two Brazilian barley experimental lines, hull‐less and malting, are reported. The range in diameter of the A‐ and B‐type granules was similar in both barley lines, 15 to 28 µm and 8 to 10 µm, respectively. Higher values for total starch, damage starch, ash, TDF and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) were observed in the malting line while β‐glucan content was similar in both samples. The malting barley line had higher values of total isolated starch, as well as residual protein and total lipids in starch. The starch from the hull‐less barley line had lower swelling power and higher solubility than malting barley.     

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF MELANOIDINS

Melanoidins are high molecular weight compounds formed during the final stage of the Maillard reaction. Melanoidins have been studied in recent years because of their nutritional, biological and health implications, apart from their role on the stability during processing and shelf life of foods. A fast and robust microtiter plate‐based assay for a quantitative screening of the antimicrobial activity of melanoidins was applied. Oxytetracyclin was used as reference for assessing the antimicrobial activity of different melanoidins isolated from model systems. The minimum inhibitory concentration was calculated, and activity was related to the antimicrobial activity of an oxytetracyclin solution (100 µg/L). Glucose–lysine melanoidin exerted the highest antimicrobial activity, being at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, equivalent to an oxytetracyclin solution of 170 µg/L.     

The effect of use of freeze-thawed pork on the properties of Bologna sausages with two fat levels

The rheological characteristics, microstructure and thermal stability of meat emulsions, made with two levels of fat (7.6% and 20.3%) and prepared from either fresh meat or meat subjected to one or three freeze-thaw cycles, were measured. Lower fat contents were accompanied by a significant reduction in the binding property, shear force and hardness of the products. Both low fat and use of freeze-thawed meat produced structures with a less dense matrix, freeze-thawing altered the microstructure of the meat sausages and reduced shear force, hardness, chewiness and thermal stability. These effects were particularly apparent in the higher-fat product.