Evolutionary algorithms are stochastic optimization techniques based on the principles of natural evolution, and Genetic Programming (GP) belongs to this family. In recent years the study of GP systems has been extended to phenotypic aspects, while previously it was mainly … Read More
S4 (2012-2013)
Brain-Computer Interfacing: More than the sum of its parts
The performance of non-invasive electroencephalogram-based (EEG) brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) has improved significantly in recent years. However, remaining challenges include the non-stationarity and the low signal-to-noise ratio of the EEG, which limit the bandwidth and hence the available applications. Optimization of … Read More
Automatic detection of skin cancer in dermoscopy images: A medically oriented approach
Melanoma (skin cancer) is considered one of the most concerning forms of cancer due to its great potential to metastasize. Furthermore, statistical data show that the incidence rates of melanoma have been steadily growing in the past decades, leading to … Read More
Turning on the Turbo in Turbo Parsing
In the first part of this talk, I will present AD^3 (Alternating Direction Dual Decomposition), a new decoding algorithm for approximate LP-MAP inference in constrained factor graphs. The LP-MAP approximation consists in ignoring global effects caused by the cycles of … Read More
A Framework for Structural Input/Output and Control Configuration Selection of Large-Scale Systems
The structure control system design consists mainly of two steps: input/output (I/O) selection and control configuration (CC) selection. The first one is devoted to the problem of computing how many actuators/sensors are needed and where should be placed in the … Read More
Spectral Algorithms for learning Hidden Markov Models
In this seminar I will talk about the work of Hsu and Kakade (2009) on spectral methods for leaning a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). I will introduce and exemplify this method and describe how we can estimate the best set … Read More
Speech Translation: Modeling and Conversion of speaking style across languages
In this talk I will describe our recent efforts within the PT-STAR project for speech translation across languages. I will begin with brief descriptions about the component systems for speech recognition, machine translation and speech synthesis and talk in greater … Read More
Privacy enhancement in biometrics
Biometrics, as an authentication tool, provides several advantages over conventional what you know (e.g., password, PIN) and what you possess (e.g., keys, tokens) authentication methods. However, a biometrics is an irrevocable password as we can’t change the biometrics easily. If … Read More
Semantics and Fitness Landscapes in Genetic Programming
Moraglio et al. have recently introduced new genetic operators for genetic programming, called geometric semantic operators. It is possible to prove that these operators induce a unimodal fitness landscape for all the problems consisting in matching input data with known … Read More
Effects of Wifi Internet Usage on Academic Performance in a University Setting
The Internet is an essential tool but can be disruptive distraction. Using wifi usage and student grade data from the Faculdade de Engeneharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP) in Portugal, we find a consistent, positive correlation between Internet usage and … Read More