text:
\section{Introduction}

Speech enhancement (SE) has been widely studied for various edge devices and as preprocessing steps for various automatic systems \citep{gannot2017consolidated}.
In particular, as remote work using virtual meetings with cellular devices becomes more common, SE for the mobile meeting applications is essential.

The classical SE was driven by signal processing methods, such as Wiener filtering and spectral subtraction \citep{boll1979suppression, scalart1996speech}.
However, recent studies have revealed the efficiency of data-driven methods, including deep learning \citep{lu2013speech, xu2014regression, weninger2014single, weninger2015speech, zhao2018convolutional}.

\begin{figure}[b!]%
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{fig/intro.png}
    \caption{Data acquisition process of t-DNS}
    \label{fig:intro}
\end{figure}

The Deep Noise Suppression (DNS) Challenge dataset of \textit{Interspeech} 2020 has been released for data-driven SE research \citep{reddy2020interspeech}.
Recent DL-based SE studies have been conducted with the DNS dataset \citep{weninger2015speech, chen2017long, li2020online, hao2021fullsubnet}. However, the DNS dataset does not reflect the effect of transmission loss in the real-world network communication process.

In this project, we newly collect a transmitted DNS (t-DNS) dataset through the process shown in Figure \ref{fig:intro}.
The t-DNS data set contains data traversed by T-mobile network.
We aims to propose deep learning models that enhance the speech in the t-DNS dataset scoring better than \textit{`auto'} mode of Zoom's built-in background noise suppression model in terms of perceptual metrics and acoustic metrics.
With two baseline models, Demucs \citep{defossez2020real} and FullSubNet \citep{hao2021fullsubnet}, we introduce an auxiliary loss in terms of acoustic metrics known as the extended Geneva Minimalistic Acoustic Parameter Set (eGeMAPS) \citep{eyben2015geneva} to make the eGeMAPS features well-preserved in the denoised speech.
To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to propose the SE dataset and model for virtual meetings over cellular networks in the real world.
When all data processing work is completed, it is expected that the t-DNS dataset and model will be published online and used for future SE studies.

\section{Literature Review}

Recent studies on SE have contributed to enhancing the perceptual quality of denoised speech~\citep{zhao2018perceptually, hsieh21_interspeech, yang2022improving}.

The methods to obtain great perceptual quality are divided into metric-based learning and feature-based learning.
The metric-based learning aims to train a model that outputs denoised speech that results in good evaluation when a certain perceptual metric is calculated with target speech.
\citep{zhao2018perceptually} used an auxiliary loss of Short Time Objective Intelligibility (STOI).

The feature-based learning aims to train a model that outputs denoised speech, which has similar features to the clean or target speech.
This can be achieved by designing a loss function that captures the divergence between the target and denoised speech with respect to features of interest.
\citep{hsieh21_interspeech} proposed a phone-fortified
perceptual loss to use the phonetic information in speech in training models.
\citep{yang2022improving} proposed an auxiliary eGeMAPS loss to prevent the output speech from being distorted compared to the target speech in regard to eGeMAPS features.

\section{Model Description}
We select two baseline models: Demucs \citep{defossez2020real} and FullSubNet \citep{hao2021fullsubnet}.
The main difference is that the Demucs is an end-to-end model while the FullSubNet is a separate learning model.
The Demucs takes a raw time-domain waveform input and outputs denoised speech, which is also in the time domain.
By contrast, the FullSubNet takes a time-frequency-domain input and outputs values to compose the final denoised speech, which requires pre- and post-processing models for inputs and outputs.

\subsection{Demucs}
In the Demucs \citep{defossez2020real}, noisy speech $\mathbf{x}\in\mathbb{R}^T$ is considered as the sum of the clean speech $\mathbf{s}\in\mathbb{R}^T$ and noise $\mathbf{n}\in\mathbb{R}^T$ as follows:
\begin{align}
    \mathbf{x}=\mathbf{s}+\mathbf{n}.
\end{align}
The Demucs model $f$ is trained so that $f(\mathbf{x})=\hat{\mathbf{s}}\approx \mathbf{s}$.
The architecture of the SE model consists of a multi-layer convolutional encoder-decoder network with a sequence modeling LSTM network, which transforms the latent output of the encoder into a nonlinear transformation.
The model $f$ is trained with two types of loss functions: time-domain and time-frequency-domain losses.
The time-domain loss $L_\text{time}$ is the L1 loss between the clean and denoised output speech of $f$, i.e.,
\begin{align}
    L_\text{time}=\frac{1}{T}\vert\vert\mathbf{s}-\hat{\mathbf{s}}\vert\vert_1.
\end{align}
The time-frequency-domain loss $L_\text{T-F}$ consists of the spectral convergence loss $L_\text{sc}$ and magnitude loss $L_\text{mag}$, i.e., $L_\text{T-F}=L_\text{sc}+L_\text{mag}$, where
\begin{align}
    L_\text{sc}&=\frac{\vert\vert\vert S\vert-\vert\hat{S}\vert\vert\vert_F}{\vert\vert\vert S\vert\vert\vert_F},
    \\
    L_\text{mag}&=\frac{1}{T}\vert\vert\log\vert S\vert-\log\vert \hat{S}\vert\vert\vert_1,
\end{align}
with $S$ and $\hat{S}$ are the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) of $\mathbf{s}$ and $\hat{\mathbf{s}}$, respectively.
Moreover, multiple time-frequency-domain losses can be used with respect to different STFT resolution for the number of fast Fourier transform bins, hop sizes, and lastly window lengths.

The end-to-end property of the Demucs is beneficial in transfer learning and in that less domain knowledge is required to use the Demucs.
The performance of the causal/noncausal Demucs with proper data augmentation skills, such as reverbing with two sources and partial dereverberation, reached state-of-the-art models in both objective and subjective measures.
Also, the Demucs enhanced automatic speech recognition systems without retraining on noisy conditions.

\subsection{FullSubNet}
The FullSubNet \citep{hao2021fullsubnet} is a fusion model of SE models that independently utilize fullband and subband information on short-time Fourier transform (STFT) of speech data.
Fullband models take the full band, up to the Nyquist frequency, of the STFT data and capture the global cross-band spectral characteristics of input speech.
By contrast, subband models take data in a partial frequency band and model local spectral patterns with fewer model parameters than fullband models.

As in the time domain, the STFT of noisy speech can also be represented with the STFT of the clean speech and noise, as follows:
\begin{align}
    X = S + N,
\end{align}
where $X$, $S$, and $N$ are the STFT of $\mathbf{x}$, $\mathbf{s}$, and $\mathbf{n}$, respectively.
Let $A(t,f)$ denote the $(t,f)$th component of an STFT matrix $A\in\mathbb{C}^{T\times F}$, where $T$ is the number of frames and $F$ is the number of frequency bins of STFT.
In the FullSubNet architecture, the fullband LSTM model $g_{\text{fullband}}$ takes $\mathbf{X}_t=\left[\vert X(t,0)\vert,\vert X(t,1)\vert,\cdots,\vert X(t,F-1)\vert\right]^T\in\mathbb{R}^F$ as an input and extracts the fullband feature.
The subband LSTM model $g_{\text{subband}}$ takes an augmented input, which is the concatenation of the fullband output and subband spectra, i.e., $\left[\vert X(t,f-N)\vert,\cdots,\vert X(t,f)\vert,\cdots,\vert X(t,f+N)\vert, g_{\text{fullband}}(X)\right]^T\in\mathbb{R}^{2N+2}$, and predicts the complex ideal ratio mask (cIRM), $M(t,f)\in\mathbb{C}$, which measures the energy ratio of the target speech to the entire noisy input speech for each time-frequency bin, i.e., $S(t,f) = M(t,f) * X(t,f)$.
The real and imaginary parts of the cIRM, $(M_r, M_i)$, for $X(t,f)=X_r+iX_i$ and $S(t,f)=S_r+iS_i$ is defined as follows \citep{williamson2015complex}:
\begin{align}
    M_r=K\tanh(\frac{C}{2}\cdot\frac{X_rS_r+X_iS_i}{X_r^2+X_i^2}), \\
    M_i=K\tanh(\frac{C}{2}\cdot\frac{X_rS_i-X_iS_r}{X_r^2+X_i^2}),
\end{align}
where $K$ and $C$ are hyperparameters.
The ground truth cIRM, $M$, can be calculated from the clean and noisy speech pair, and the final denoised speech can be constructed from the output cIRM values and input noisy speech.
Thus, the FullSubNet model $g$ is trained so that $g(X)=\hat{M}\approx M$.
The $g$ is trained with $L_{\text{cIRM}}$, which measures the mean squared error between the true and estimated cIRMs.
It is shown in \citep{hao2021fullsubnet} that the FullSubNet outperforms state-of-the-art models on the DNS dataset, and the information obtained in the fullband and subband models is complementary.

\section{Dataset}
The t-DNS dataset will be created based on the DNS Challenge dataset \citep{reddy2020interspeech}. The DNS Challenge dataset aims to provide an extensive and representative dataset to train the speech enhancement models. It contains 500 hours of clean speech from 2,150 speakers and a noise data set with at least 500 clips for 150 audio classes. Also, it contains test data with and without reverberation, and we will focus on the test data without the reverberation. Noisy speech is generated by synthesizing clean and noise speech data. The synthesized noisy speech is then sent across a virtual microphone, Zoom Meetings, T-mobile network and finally to cellular devices, as shown in Figure \ref{fig:intro}. In the Zoom Meetings, a low-level built-in noise suppression model will be used to minimize the impact of the speech enhancement with using it. The data sent to each cellular device is collected by the computer through the audio interface.

\section{Evaluation Metric}
This section introduces the metrics for estimating the performance of our SE model. We explain target metrics utilizable in our project. All three metrics are classified as relative metrics, which require a reference signal to compare a given signal.

\begin{itemize}[leftmargin=*]
\item \textbf{Frequency weighted Segmental Signal to Noise Ratio (fwSegSNR)}
\vspace{.5em}\\
Time-domain and frequency-weighted measurements, Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and fwSegSNR are both based on a clean signal $X$ enhanced signal $\hat{X}$. This is given a different weight for each frequency. $W(j,m)$ is the weight on the frequency band of $j$th, and $K$ is the number of bands. $M$ is the total number of frames in the signal. $X(j,m)$ is critical critical band magnitude of clean signal at $m$th frame, $j$th frequency frequency band.

\begin{align}
\mathrm{fwSegSNR}=\frac{10}{M}\sum^{M-1}_{m=0}\frac{\sum^K_{j=1}W(j,m)\log_{10}\frac{X(j,m)^2}{(X(j,m)-\hat{X}(j,m))^2}}{\sum^K_{j=1}W(j,m)}
\label{stoi eq1}
\end{align}

\end{itemize}

\begin{itemize}[leftmargin=*]
    \item \textbf{Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ)}
    \vspace{.5em}\\
    PESQ performs well in a wide range of codecs and network conditions. The core part consists of aggregating the disturbance to measure the audible error in three steps each by using $p$ norm as Equation (\ref{pesq eq}); frame-by-frame disturbance, split second disturbance, and speech length averaged disturbance. The notation $N$ in Equation (\ref{pesq eq}) indicates the total number of data in each norm-calculating part. PESQ returns a mean opinion score (MOS) from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating better quality. Usually, PESQ indicates WB-PESQ, a wide band PESQ, and NB-PESQ indicates a narrow band PESQ. WB-PESQ, which has the benefit of transferring higher data rates, reads the input signal with input filter of 2 while NB-PESQ, which has the benefit of better sensitivity and range, does it as 1.

    \begin{align}
    L_p = \left(\frac{1}{N}\sum_{m=1}^{N} \text{disturbance}[m]^p\right)^\frac{1}{p}
    \label{pesq eq}
    \end{align}
\end{itemize}
\begin{itemize}[leftmargin=*]
\item \textbf{Short-Time Objective Intelligibility (STOI)}
\vspace{.5em}\\
STOI is a function to calculate the linear correlation coefficient of clean speech and denoised speech data. In Equation (\ref{stoi eq1}), $X$ indicates a decomposed clean speech, and $Y$ is a decomposed noisy speech after DFT-based 1/3 octave band decomposition. In Equation (\ref{stoi eq1}), $d$ means the correlation coefficient of $X$ and $Y$ corresponds to each frame $m$ and one-third octave band $j$. In Equation (\ref{stoi eq2}), This $d$ is averaged as a single scalar value indicating the voice intelligibility, where $M$ represents the total number of frames and $J$ represents the number of one-third octave bands.

\begin{align}
        d_j(m)=\frac{\sum_n\bigg(X_j(n)-\frac{1}{N}\sum_lX_j(l)\bigg)\bigg(Y_{j'}(n)-\frac{1}{N}\sum_lY_{j'}(l)\bigg)}{\sqrt{\sum_n\bigg(X_j(n)-\frac{1}{N}\sum_lX_j(l)\bigg)^2\sum_n\bigg(Y_{j'}(n)-\frac{1}{N}Y_{j'}(l)\bigg)^2}}
\label{stoi eq1}
\end{align}
\begin{align}
    d = \frac{1}{JM} \sum_{j,m}d_j(m)
\label{stoi eq2}
\end{align}
\end{itemize}

\section{Loss Function}
\subsection{Temporal Acoustic Parameter Estimator}
As a training boost, we fine-tune the two baseline models with temporal acoustic parameter (TAP) loss. This aims to minimize the temporal divergence between clean and enhanced acoustic parameters. Its availability in both time domain and time-frequency domain enables us to use it to both Demucs and FullSubNet models.

For a given signal $\mathbf{y}$, let $\mathbf{A}_{\mathbf{y}} \in \mathbf{R}^{T \times 25}$ indicate the 25 temporal acoustic parameters in T discrete time frames, and $A_{\mathbf{y}}(t, p)$ indicate it by each parameter $p$ and discrete time frame $t$. Then, TAP parameter gives an estimate of $\mathbf{A}_{\mathbf{y}}$ as $\hat{\mathbf{A}}_{\mathbf{y}}$ as in Equation (\ref{TAP-eq1}).

\begin{equation}
\hat{\mathbf{A}}_{\mathbf{y}}=\mathcal{T} \mathcal{A} \mathcal{P}(\mathbf{y})
\label{TAP-eq1}
\end{equation}

TAP estimator is obtained from a pretrained recurrent neural network which minimizes the mean absolute error defined as Equation (\ref{TAP-eq2}).

\begin{equation}
\operatorname{MAE}\left(\mathbf{A}_{\mathbf{y}}, \hat{\mathbf{A}}_{\mathbf{y}}\right)=\frac{1}{T P} \sum_{t=0}^{T-1} \sum_{p=0}^{P-1}\left|A_{\mathbf{y}}(t, p)-A_{\hat{\mathbf{y}}}(t, p)\right| \in \mathbb{R}
\label{TAP-eq2}
\end{equation}

Using TAP estimators makes end-to-end learning possible by overcoming the non-differentiable properties of acoustic parameters.

\subsection{Temporal Acoustic Parameter Loss}

Temporal acoustic parameter loss, $\mathcal{L}_{\mathrm{TAP}}$, minimizes divergence between each TAP estimators of the clean and enhanced speech. The mathematical term is expressed in in Equation (\ref{TAP-eq3}). $\sigma(\boldsymbol{\omega})$ indicates the smoothed energy weights that emulates human hearing with bounded scales. Our loss function is a combination of the L1 loss and the acoustic loss. We control the weight of the acoustic loss by a parameter $\alpha$.

\begin{equation}
\mathcal{L}_{\mathrm{TAP}}(\mathbf{s}, \hat{\mathbf{s}})=\operatorname{MAE}(\mathcal{T} \mathcal{A}(\mathbf{s}) \odot \sigma(\boldsymbol{\omega}), \mathcal{T} \mathcal{A} \mathcal{P}(\hat{\mathbf{s}}) \odot \sigma(\boldsymbol{\omega}))
\label{TAP-eq3}
\end{equation}

\section{Experiments}

\subsection{Metric evaluation}
Table \ref{table:evaluation_trans} summarizes the results of 150 noise data in the DNS 2020 dataset after speech enhancement. We inserted the raw waveform form into the processes of Demucs and FullSubNet without additional training. Both methods show high speech enhancement performance. However, in the case of FullSubNet, the performance is better than that of Demucs in PESQ metrics, and in the rest of the metrics, the performance of Demucs is better.

\begin{table}[h]
\caption{Evaluation on enhancement in denoised speech compared to noisy speech}
\centering

\begin{tabular}{l|ccccccc}
\hline
           & WB-PESQ  & STOI(\%)     & fwSNRseg(dB) \\ \hline
Noisy      & 1.582  & 91.51  & 12.62   \\ \hline
Demucs     & 2.647  & 96.52  & 17.17   \\
FullSubNet & 2.888  & 96.41  & 16.96   \\ \hline
\end{tabular}}
\label{table:evaluation_trans}
\end{table}

\subsection{Acoustic improvement}
In addition to speech-level metric evaluation of denoised speech, the acoustic parameters-improving abilities of the SE models were analyzed.
We used 25 acoustic parameters defined in the eGeMAPS.
The acoustic parameters include frequency-related parameters, energy or amplitude-related parameters, spectral balance parameters, and temporal parameters.
We denote the $i$th acoustic parameter vector of speech $\mathbf{u}$ as $A_\mathbf{u}^{(i)}\in\mathbb{R}^{T_\mathbf{u}}$ for $i=1,2,\cdots,25$, where $T_\mathbf{u}$ is the total number of time frames of $\mathbf{u}$.
To consider all denoised speech of an SE model $m$, let $\mathbf{A}_m^{(i)}$ be the augmented acoustic parameter vector such that $\mathbf{A}_m^{(i)}=\left[(A_\mathbf{u}^{(i)})^T\right]^T_{\mathbf{u}\in \mathcal{S}_m}\in\mathbb{R}^T$, where $\mathcal{S}_m$ is the set of all denoised speech of $m$ and $T=\sum_{\mathbf{u}\in \mathcal{S}_m}T_\mathbf{u}$.
For better interpretation, augmented acoustic parameter vectors were standardized with some specific mean $\mu_i$ and standard deviation $\sigma_i$ values obtained in a large speech dataset for each acoustic parameter $i$, as follows:
\begin{align}
    \mathbf{A}_m^{(i)}=\frac{\mathbf{A}_m^{(i)}-\mu_i\mathbf{1}_T}{\sigma_i},
\end{align}
where $\mathbf{1}_T$ is $T$-dimensional all-ones vector.

\begin{figure}[t!]%
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{fig/lld.png}
    \caption{Improvement in the acoustic parameters of the denoised speech of two SE models}
    \label{fig:lld}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[t!]%
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{fig/ftnls.png}
    \caption{Improvement in the statistics of acoustic parameters of the denoised speech of two SE models}
    \label{fig:functionals}
\end{figure}

To see the acoustic improvement of $m$, We first evaluate the mean absolute error (MAE) of the acoustic parameter of denoised speech to the acoustic parameters of the corresponding clean speech for every $i$th parameter, as follows:
\begin{align}
    \text{MAE}_m^{(i)} = \frac{1}{T} \sum_{t=1}^{T} \left\vert \mathbf{A}_\text{clean}^{(i)}(t)-\mathbf{A}_m^{(i)}(t)\right\vert,
\end{align}
where $\mathbf{A}_m^{(i)}(t)$ is the $t$th component of $\mathbf{A}_m^{(i)}$ and $\mathbf{A}_\text{clean}^{(i)}$ denotes the augmented acoustic parameter vector of clean speech.
We then evaluated the acoustic improvement $I_m^{(i)}$ of an SE model $m$ for the $i$th acoustic parameter, as follows:
\begin{align}
    I_m^{(i)}=\frac{\text{MAE}^{(i)}_\text{noisy} - \text{MAE}^{(i)}_{m}}{\text{MAE}^{(i)}_\text{noisy}}\times 100,
\end{align}
where $\text{MAE}^{(i)}_\text{noisy}$ denotes the MAE for noisy speech.
The acoustic improvement in Demucs and FullSubNet, i.e., $I_\text{Demucs}$ and $I_\text{FullSubNet}$, is shown in Fig. \ref{fig:lld}, where the $y$-axis represents the 25 acoustic parameters in the eGeMAPS.
Moreover, the improvement with respect to the statistics for each acoustic parameter is also evaluated in Fig. \ref{fig:functionals}.
The SE models improved almost all acoustic parameters, as shown in Figs. \ref{fig:lld} and \ref{fig:functionals}.
Some acoustic parameters, such as `spectralFlux\_sma3' and `Loudness\_sma3', however, are degraded by the FullSubNet, which requires further analysis of the denoised speech of the FullSubNet.

\section{Results}
\subsection{Perceptual Evaluation}
\begin{table}
\caption{Metrics of speech enhancement quality}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{l|ccccccc}
\hline
           & fwSNRseg(dB) & PESQ & STOI(\%) \\ \hline
Clean       & - & - & - \\
Noisy      & 12.629  & 1.582  & 91.52   \\
Noisy Relay (Low)      & 4.804  & 1.549  & 79.76   \\ \hline
Industrial Denoising (Auto)      & 5.636  & 1.701  & 81.06   \\ \hline
Demucs (Baseline)     & 5.611  &  1.375 & 76.51   \\
Demucs (Fine-tuned)     & 6.772  &  1.397 & 80.18   \\
Demucs (Ours)     & 8.959  &  1.557 & 84.52   \\ \hline
FullSubNet (Baseline) & 5.712  & 1.511  & 78.2   \\
FullSubNet (Fine-tuned) & 6.546  & 1.496  & 80.27   \\
FullSubNet (Ours) & 8.897  & 1.631  & 84.01   \\ \hline
\end{tabular}
    \vspace{.5em}\\

\label{table2}
\end{table}

Table \ref{table2} shows the evaluation of each model in three metrics: fwSNRseg, PESQ and STOI. \textit{Noisy} is the raw noisy data before entering zoom. \textit{Noisy Relay} indicates the speech transmitted through zoom with 'low' mode of built-in background noise suppression. \textit{Industrial Denoising} indicates the speech transmitted through zoom with 'auto' mode of built-in background noise suppression. For each Demucs and FullSubNet, the three different models are used. \textit{Baseline} model is same as the provided model from the paper. \textit{Fine-tuned} model is further trained model with the training data. As the higher metrics means the better speech, there exists a degradation due to the transmission loss. The metrics of fine-tuned Demucs are better than those of the built-in low noise suppression model. However, the best Demucs model is worse than the auto mode in terms of PESQ for now. This is because the hyperparameter tuning is currently in progress. When the hyperparameter working is done, the metrics will be get much better.
The results from FullSubNet show similar trends to those from Demucs.

\subsection{Acoustic Evaluation}

The improvement of acoustic metrics is measured as how well the input noisy speech is processed into enhanced speech.
The left portion of Figure \ref{fig:eGeMAPS_Zoom} is the improvement of each Zoom's Low and Auto modes over untransmitted noisy speech. The right portion is about the improvement of auto mode over the low mode which shows that the auto mode is more powerful than the low mode. Even when using the Zoom's built-in noise suppression, noise added to the speech due to transmission on cellular networks degrades its speech in almost all aspects of eGeMAPS. In Figure \ref{fig:egemaps_demucs}, y-axis is for 25 acoustic parameters. The green and red bars represent the improvement of baseline and our models, repectively, compared to the Zoom's auto denoising mode. The blue bar represents how much our model is better than the baseline.
Our model showed better improvements in most of the acoustic parameters.

\section{Future Works}
As the rest of the dataset is being processed, we only can investigate the dataset transmitted through T-moblie network.
Once processing is done on the other 3 networks, we will compare the data from each of the 4 network provider and use SE to make the worst one the best.
Also, we are considering to analyze the acoustic characteristics of t-DNS. Then, we can optimize the acoustic parameters using characteristics that will make the noisy speech even better than the enhanced speech in this project.

\section{Conclusion}
The main contribution of our work is that we provide the t-DNS dataset which reflects the effect of transmission loss in the real-world cellular network communication. Also, we applied temporal acoustic loss function to fine tune the two baseline models, Demucs and FullSubNet. Our model beats the baseline models and the industrial denoised model, showing the effect of training on t-DNS dataset and temporal acoustic loss function.

\label{gen_inst}
\section{Division of work}
The project work was evenly distributed, and all team members participated in report writing and regular meetings throughout the semester.
\begin{itemize}
    \item \textbf{Hojeong Lee}: Results analysis, metric evaluation
    \item \textbf{Minseon Gwak}: FullSubNet implementation and experiments
    \item \textbf{Kawon Lee}: Demucs implementation and experiments, presentation
    \item \textbf{Minjeong Kim}: Results analysis, metric evaluation
\end{itemize}

\section{Github repository}
https://github.com/Minseon-Gwak/Speech-enhancement-zoom-phone

\bibliographystyle{plain}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


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In regards to engine, Rio allows you to pick from a range of small diesel and petrol engines. However, if you follow the experts, it would be worthy to go for more powerful & smoother 1.4 litre diesel option. It would return you around 74mpg. Kia Rio is certainly one of the best cars for young drivers in regards to its standard safety features. Kia is suitably armed up with a solid kit, comprising of stability control, anti-lock brakes, several airbags & traction. Finally, you will be glad to know that EuroNCAP has already awarded the car a full rating of 5 stars.
This list on cars for young drivers would be incomplete if there is no mention of Toyota iQ. Same as the size of Smart, the car assures a 4-seater cabin & not just a couple of seats. You definitely want to assure a fantastic driving experience for your son with his first and in this context, the iQ scores high among cars for young drivers - thanks to its impressive stability & reliability record so that you can have your peace of mind. The experts recommend taking to the basic 1 l engine that arrives with manual gearbox and given its just 99g/km CO2 emission, it's tax free.


text:
Q: Finite field-like structure with non-associative addition. I have found the following structure which curiously satifies all the field axioms except for associativitiy of addition.
$\begin{array}{c|cccccc}
\ + & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5\\
\hline
0 & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5\\
1 & 1 & 0 & 5 & 4 & 2 & 3\\
2 & 2 & 5 & 0 & 1 & 3 & 4\\
3 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 0 & 5 & 2\\
4 & 4 & 2 & 3 & 5 & 0 & 1\\
5 & 5 & 3 & 4 & 2 & 1 & 0
\end{array}$
$\begin{array}{c|cccccc}
\ \cdot & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5\\
\hline
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0\\
1 & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5\\
2 & 0 & 2 & 4 & 1 & 5 & 3\\
3 & 0 & 3 & 1 & 5 & 2 & 4\\
4 & 0 & 4 & 5 & 2 & 3 & 1\\
5 & 0 & 5 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2
\end{array}$
Has anyone seen this type of structure before? If so, could one provide a reference for its use or more information about them?
For the curious, the addition table was derived from a symmetric coloring of the edges of $K_6$, and the multiplication comes from the fact that coloring has a symmetry of order $5$, though I think it would be too much to write up the full details within the question.

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text:
/ News articles
Britain uncovered – the average UK household now owns £35,000 worth of 'stuff'
The value of possessions owned by all UK households now totals nearly £1 trillion (that's more than the government spent last year).
Average amount of stuff owned, at £35,000, is worth more than the average annual UK salary of £27,000
Over a quarter of households - 7.5 million - have no contents insurance, leaving possessions worth over £266 billion unprotected and at risk.
The jaw-dropping value of possessions owned by the UK's 27 million households, and the amount that is uninsured is laid bare today by the ABI. The value of the UK's household contents is now nudging towards £1 trillion (one million million: £1,000,000,000,000), with the value of possessions owned by all UK households now worth £9501. billion – that is:
More than central government's entire spending last year (£675 billion) 2.
More than the combined value of all homes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (£630 billion) 3.
Eleven times greater than the wealth of the world's richest man – Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon (£84 billion).
Greater than the Government bail out of the banks following the financial crisis of 2008 (£850 billion).
Worryingly, with over a quarter (28%) of households without home contents insurance, this could leave £266 billion worth of possessions uninsured against risks such as theft, fire, flooding and accidental damage. This despite the fact that the average cost of home contents insurance, at £141 a year, works out at less than £3 a week, with the weekly cost of a combined buildings and contents policy less than £6 a week.
These figures will feature in the ABI's The State of the Market report that will be published at the ABI's Annual Conference next Tuesday, 27 February.
Mark Shepherd, Head of Property at the ABI, said:
"The value of possessions owned by the average household will come as a shock to many. But with the list of 'must haves', such as electrical gadgets, ever expanding it can be easy to under-estimate the worth of your contents. These figures further highlight what can be at stake for many who have no contents insurance. With a wide variety of policies available, including no-frills policies tailored to people on limited budgets, insuring your possessions can mean that if the worst happens you are not left counting the cost for years to come."
"And make sure that when your policy is due for renewal that you review the value of your possessions to ensure that you are adequately covered."
Notes for Editors
Enquiries to:
Malcolm Tarling 020 7216 7410 Mobile: 07776 147 667
Sarah Cordey 020 7216 7375 Mobile: 07860 189 071
Dominic Stannard 020 7216 7350 Mobile: 07889 641 702
Melanie Fernandes 020 7216 7660 Mobile: 07720 497 617
1. Office for National Statistics, Wealth and Assets survey.
2. Office for National Statistics, Public sector finances tables, central government spending.
3. Halifax report on the Value of UK Private Housing Stock, November 2017
2. The Association of British Insurers is the voice of the UK's world leading insurance and long-term savings industry.
A productive, inclusive and thriving sector, we are an industry that provides peace of mind to households and businesses across the UK and powers the growth of local and regional economies by enabling trade, risk taking, investment and innovation.
3. An ISDN line is available for broadcast
4. More news and information from the ABI is available on our web site, www.abi.org.uk.
ABI responds to the publication of the FCA General Insurance Pricing Practices Market Study
Commenting on today's publication of the FCA's General Insurance Pricing Practices Market Study, Huw Evans, ABI's Director General, said...
The ABI (Association of British Insurers) is reassuring people that its home insurance members are offering enhanced help and support to all their customers who may be affected by the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Insurance pay outs to help customers recover from Storms Ciara and Dennis set to top £360 million
Insurance pay outs to help customers recover from Storms Ciara and Dennis set to top £360 million says the ABI Average household flood claim expected to be £32,000. Insurers expect to…
Pension Schemes Bill completes parliamentary stages
Association of British Insurers Director of Policy, Long-Term Savings and Protection, Yvonne Braun comments on the Pension Schemes Bill completing its parliamentary stages.
Supreme Court verdict on business interruption insurance test case
Association of British Insurers responds to the Supreme Court verdict on business interruption insurance test case.
ABI comments on the Government's intention to introduce a short delay to the implementation of the Whiplash Reform Programme and therefore the new Official Injury Claims Portal
The Government has today announced its intention to introduce a short delay to the implementation of the Whiplash Reform Programme and therefore the new Official Injury Claims Portal.

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text:
Tilbud til gymnasier og skoler
Øvelser, foredrag og materialer
Lav din SRP-øvelse på DTU
Experiments of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2022, quantum entanglement & more
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2022 was given to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger "for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science". Want to try to demonstrate entanglement yourself? Or perhaps violate Bell inequalities yourself? Or have a hands-on experience with some of the other groundbreaking quantum experiments? In our lab, you will make such experiments with photons!
Hvad går øvelsen ud på?
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2022 was given to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger "for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science".
Want to try to demonstrate entanglement yourself? Or perhaps violate Bell inequalities yourself? Or have a hands-on experience with some of the other groundbreaking quantum experiments?
In our lab, you will make such experiments with photons:
quantum superposition, implying that an object can be at two different places at the same time;
quantum entanglement, that two objects can stay in sync without talking, without delay, and even when very far from each other.
On the way you will also figure out how to distinguish indistinguishable photons, and you will learn how these basic experiments make a technology of tomorrow.
Hvordan foregår øvelsen?
All the experiments will be "hands-on" – you will be conducting them, taking the data and analyzing the results.
Entanglement is a peculiar phenomenon in physics — it keeps particles "connected" even when they are very far from each other (e.g., one here, another on the Moon).
Here you will generate two photons that are polarization-entangled. In easy words, it means that the polarizations of two photons are correlated. For instance, if the first photon is horizontally polarized, then the second one will be vertically polarized. And the opposite, if the first photon is vertically polarized, then the second one will be horizontally polarized.
But it is not only this. The intriguing part is that the polarization of the photons is not known before you measure them. Your measurement will, in fact, define the polarization of the photon.
And you need to measure only one photon to define the polarization of both of them. How does the second photon know which polarization "to take" when the first photon was measured? How fast does this happen? And what if the two photons are very far from each other (for example on different planets)? Does the process still work and how fast?
To find out – try to answer the questions below.
Entanglement is an indispensable resource in forthcoming quantum technology. For instance, it lies in the core of the forthcoming Quantum Internet
Two-photon interference
A beam-splitter has two input ports and two output ports. If a single photon enters a beam-splitter from one of the input ports it can exit from any of the two output ports. We do not know which one, and there is a 50% chance for each of the outputs. But what if two identical (indistinguishable) photons enter the beam-splitter at the same time from the different input ports? Will they still have each 50% chance of exiting from any of the two output ports? Or will they make a "joint decision" regarding of which port to exit?
Indistinguishability
Indistinguishability is one of the key properties of single photons required for the forthcoming quantum technologies, and this experiment is the way to test it!
Try to answer, or at least to think about the questions below before the exercise. You can use Wikipedia to learn about the topics and find the answers. We will discuss the questions during the exercise
What is a single photon?
What is a single photon source?
How does a beam-splitter work with single photons?
What is quantum entanglement?
What is the difference between classical and quantum correlations?b.
Why quantum entanglement looks like a paradox?
What are the Bell inequalities?
What is a polarizer?
How does a waveplate work?
What is the Hong–Ou–Mandel effect?
Hvilke faciliteter kommer du til at bruge?
The students will see a state-of-the-art quantum optical lab, where quantum phenomena with photons and many new physics can be explored.
Tilmeldingen til SRP-øvelser 2023 er lukket
Faglige vinkler
The experiments that you will work with are the very foundation of many quantum technologies, such as quantum communication and quantum cryptography.
Photons are very suitable for transferring quantum information since they fly at the speed of light, and photons have many attributes that can be used to carry quantum information for instance their polarization.
So the theory behind these experiments can be applied to the whole emerging field of quantum technologies.
09:00-10:00 Introduction to the lab and to the experiments
10:00-11:30 Experiment 1: Quantum entanglement
11:30-12:30 Lunch (bring your own or have some money for the canteen)
12:30-13:30 Experiment 2: Two-photon interference
13:30-14:30 Experiment 3: Quantum random numbers (bonus experiment)
14:30-15:00 Final discussions
Note: This is a tentative program, we might deviate from it if needed.
Hvad får jeg med hjem?
In the Quantum Entanglement experiment, you will work with a setup (from quTools) to generate entangled photon pairs. Using photodetectors and coincidence counters, coincidence events are recorded and accumulated. The count rates can be used to test if Bell's inequality is obeyed or broken (the Nobel prize experiment).
In the Two-photon Interference experiment, you will work with an optical beamsplitter together with the entangled photon pair source used in the first experiment.
By changing the arrival time of one photon relative to another, we can decide whether the entangled photon pair will meet up at the beamsplitter. When they do, they begin to interfere in a very counter-intuitive way (the quantum way), but only if they are identical photons, that is, if they have the same energy and polarization.
You will collect and analyze the coincidence count rate in different scenarios: when the photons are completely identical, partially identical or completely distinguishable.
Forslag til litteratur, du kan bruge i din opgave og som baggrund for øvelsen:
Program baggrundsinformation og forberedelse
Experiment 1: Entanglement demonstration, baggrund og beskrivelse af eksperimentet
Sample Experiments – Particle Nature of Photons, yderligere baggrundsinformation og teori
Entanglement:
youtube.com/watch?v=CC_XES4xQD4
youtube.com/watch?v=1zD1U1sIPQ4
Bell's Inequality:
youtube.com/watch?v=qd-tKr0LJTM
Wikipedia is a good starting point:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-photon_source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beam_splitter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarizer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waveplate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong-Ou-Mandel_effect
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell's_theorem
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHSH_inequality
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_test_experiments
NB: Når du har tilmeldt dig, vil du få besked, hvis der er litteratur, du skal læse som forberedelse til øvelsen.
Relevante gymnasiefag
Faglige nøgleord
Bell's inequality
Quantum optics
Tidspunkt og varighed
All the experiments take place on the same day:
Onsdag den 1. februar
Opfølgende møde
- hvor du kan du få hjælp til din databehandling og stille spørgsmål:
Den 15. februar kl. 15.00
Arrangør og adresse
Lyngby Campus
Kyv Kyvsgaard Kommunikation og Outreach Institut for Elektroteknologi og Fotonik makyv@dtu.dk


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I'm alive. So is the film.
The reason why there's no big news is that editing really is quite mundane. That's not to say that it's boring or unenjoyable to do. It really is the opposite and I'm grateful that I am in a position to make this film. But it's not something that I can write anything exciting about or chart its progress in a way that translates well into words.
It's a thinking process – of coming up with ideas, developing and shaping them, and sometimes discarding them. Often it requires taking long breaks to distance myself from the editing I've done so that I can go back to it with fresh eyes and maybe see things differently.
People sometimes ask me how much I have edited or how long the film is. I might say I've edited (vaguely) 2 hours worth, but then go on to say that it doesn't really mean anything in terms of the edit's progress to say that. It's meaningless because those 2 hours may become bigger or smaller as the editing timeline ebbs and flows.
I didn't start editing the film by telling myself I'd edit x number of minutes per day from start to closing credits of the film. Indeed, much of the process has been working out what the start and end are going to be and all of what comes in between. In many ways it's been a writing process using images, conversations and voiceover to give the film structure. Normally a film is written before shooting it. I've done the reverse, and it's taken some time.
Meanwhile – not that I'm making any excuses – I don't have the time to work full time on the film. I also spend a fair amount of time doing paid freelance work. And it's good to have some kind of life beyond the film too. I've been on a few walking trips back to the hills since finishing my big journey. I like to revisit landscapes I've walked and discover new ones and remind myself of the environment, feelings and way of life that I experienced on my journey. Walking, as mentioned in the previous update (see below), offers a way to think through ideas too. So I consider such trips into the wild very much part of the editing and film making process despite being far from a computer screen.
I've taken a break from it for a while now due to so many other things going on over the past couple of months so I'm excited to get back to it and see how it looks with fresh eyes. The main things I'll be working on straight away will be to finish writing the voiceover and pin down some loose parts of the structure. So that's really all the update I can give you right now. Nothing exciting, but the film is taking shape whenever I work on it. It's around 2 hours long. But that doesn't mean anything, right?
I can't say when it'll be finished. But I promise to let you know when it is.
One Response to I'm alive. So is the film.


To level up fast in Rift-Planes of Telara, it is best for you to look for a Rift guide that will give you the full understanding of the Rift quests. Understanding all quests in Rift is crucial, as it will provide you with the best weapons and armours that are going to assist you level up fast and easy.
However, some of these quests can be very confounding, making you take a lot more time and put extra work just to finish it. With a right Rift leveling guide in hand, you will be taken to the right direction that are going to help you level up much faster and easier.
Below are a couple of guidelines that can help increase your leveling speed.
You will be required to head out to a map in several quests that you have not explored early on. The size of these maps are big, so make sure to make notes of important places, which includes the location of monsters that ought to be killed as well as the location of NPCs that you meet, whom you should talk to.
And don't forget to write down the names of the NPCs that you come across. Some of the quests requires you to talk to many NPCs, and knowing the name of each one will avoid you from getting puzzled by which NPC you need to talk to so you can move ahead with the quests much faster.
When questing, concentrate in only one particular zone or even hub rather than going back and forth to two separate areas simultaneously. This will save you valuable time and are going to significantly accelerate your speed to level up. Doing this alone are going to increase you leveling speed so much that it's going to shock you.
Finishing several easier quests instead of squandering time on a single tough one is going to help you level up even faster. Even though experience will probably be an advantage here, you can begin by going through the list of quests to check out a few that you should skip.
You probably may have heard that you need to take the same path of the high level players, completing all the quests as they did to be able to level up faster in Rift. Bear in mind that as you proceed with each quests, things will only harder, and you may not have the equal strength and ability to go through the same quests as what the more experienced players have completed.
Need more insider tips that will increase your leveling speed? Visit: Rift Guide blog.
You'll find more powerful Rift guide, tips and strategies to help get you on the right path of gaining the power leveling ability that will significantly increase your leveling speed, so you can reach the maximum level fast. . . very fast.


Auditor Leon Costello and Middle Township Chief Financial Officer Susan Anastasio-Quinones discuss this year's budget with Township Committee. Middle joined other municipalities in Cape May County in avoiding an increase in the tax rate, while several others kept increases relatively low.
Rising property values and increased development have helped Cape May County towns, giving them a little more spending power with the same tax rate, according to auditor Leon Costello.
Municipal property-tax rates are based on two variables: How much the governing body plans to raise in property taxes and the assessed value of the taxable property, known as ratables.
"Ratables have increased in every town," Costello said, adding that appeals of property-tax assessments have fallen at the same time, which he sees as an indication that the assessments are close to true market value.
He said wage increases to employees have stabilized at about 2 percent, which he sees as helping municipalities plan for this year and future budgets. Pension costs have increased across the board, he said, putting some pressure on spending, while most towns are also seeing a greater return on investments and other income in addition to the anticipated tax revenue.
An Ocean City resident employed by the accounting firm of Ford, Scott and Associates, Costello is the auditor for most municipalities in Cape May County. As the guiding hand for many governing bodies, he's had a grueling few weeks as cities, boroughs and townships finalize their spending plans for the year.
Rising values have not allowed every municipality to avoid an increase in the tax rate, but, according to Costello, in many towns an increase in the total assessed value has meant more money for local budgets without changing the local-purpose tax rate.
For instance, in Ocean City, where City Council unanimously approved the budget April 11, the total ratable base increased by more than $133.5 million, for a total assessed value of $11.8 billion. That meant without changing the tax rate from last year, 45.9 cents per $100 of assessed value, the city will have more tax revenue this year.
The approved budget for Ocean City totals $78.88 million, one of the largest spending plans for any municipality in the county.
Avalon also reported an increase in ratables this year, helping support its budget of $27.9 million. Officials there say the tax rate is 19.9 cents per $100 of assessed value. As with other rates included in this story, the Avalon tax rate does not include school or county taxes.
In Stone Harbor, the approved budget came in at $16.36 million. Officials there say the rate will increase by half a penny, to 25 cents per $100 of assessed value. Budget documents show an increase in ratables of more than $43 million.
Sea Isle City is one of the few towns to see a tax-rate decrease this year. In his $24.6 million budget for 2019, Mayor Leonard Desiderio proposed a tax rate of 38 cents per $100 of assessed value, down slightly from 2018.
Upper Township recently finalized a $13.72 million budget this year, which includes a municipal tax rate of 19.5 cents per $100 of assessed value. Much of the township budget — more than $6 million — is covered by state energy tax receipts paid for the township hosting the B.L. England electric generating station. For years, the township had no local-purpose tax, with municipal operations entirely funded through energy-tax receipts. The current tax rate is up 1.25 cents compared to the year before, 19.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Members of the Township Committee were pleased with the budget, after looking at a much larger increase at the start of the year.
It was a similar story in North Wildwood, where City Council approved a $29.57 million budget March 19, including an increase of 2.7 cents on the tax rate. The approved rate came in at 73.7 cents per $100 of assessed value.
"That still keeps it as the lowest average property-tax bill of any shore community in the state of New Jersey," said Mayor Patrick Rosenello.
Lower Township Council has approved a $28.19 million budget, which increased the tax rate by nine-tenths of a cent, which township officials described as a hike of $20 a year for the average homeowner. There, too, the township saw an increase in the total assessed value by more than $7 million, according to a budget summary presented to Township Council in February. The total township tax rate is 58.36 cents per $100 of assessed value.
In Woodbine, officials have again avoided a tax-rate increase, which makes it 29 years in a row, said Mayor William Pikolycky. On April 4, Borough Council introduced a $2.5 million budget with a tax rate of 23.4 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Middle Township Committee on Monday unanimously approved a $22.17 million budget that does not include an increase to the local tax rate, set at 48.3 cents per $100 of assessed value.
In Wildwood Crest, the $24.9 million budget included a rate increase of a half-cent compared with the rate of 67.1 cents per $100 of assessed value in 2018.
Spending in Cape May County towns varies widely. Cape May has approved a $19.35 million budget for 2019, one that anticipates more than $1 million in revenue from room taxes, while in nearby West Cape May, the budget as approved in March is $2.7 million, still higher than the $1.88 million budget in Cape May Point.
Some municipalities have not completed the budget process. Wildwood's public hearing and final vote on its $30.9 million budget is planned for 3:30 p.m. May 8 at City Hall, 4400 New Jersey Ave. Spending is down slightly compared to last year, according to a budget summary provided by the city, and there are fewer city employees this year. The budget calls for more than $20 million to be raised through property taxes.
On Tuesday, Dennis Township residents have a chance to have their say on the proposed $4.8 million budget, one township Finance Director Jessica Bishop said will not increase the tax rate compared with last year's 23 cents per $100 of assessment. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Township Hall, 571 Petersburg Road.
West Wildwood does not yet have budget information for 2019 posted to its website, and there was no response to a request for comment from Borough Hall. Last year, taxpayers slammed the $2.69 million budget, primarily over a plan to pay a court settlement and legal fees of $1.7 million to police Chief Jacquelyn Ferentz and her attorney.
Brandon Lin carries the cross from the sanctuary ending the Stations of the Cross service on Good Friday at St. John's Lutheran Church in Ocean City.
Janet Oberg delivers one of the Stations of the Cross during a Good Friday service at St. John's Lutheran Church in Ocean City.
Pastor Mark Bruesehoff leads the service at St. John's.
Alexia French reads her lines from the altar during the service.


Citizens Advice Surrey Heath assumes no responsibility for the contents of linked websites. The inclusion of any link should not be taken as endorsement of any kind by Citizens Advice Surrey Heath, of the linked website or any association with its operators. Further, we have no control over the availability of the linked pages.


text:
Thoughts on the first 100 days of the next government
This content relates to the following topics:
Posted:08 July 2014
Related details
Richard Humphries
As part of the Local Government Association's new campaign, Investing in our nation's future: the first 100 days of the next government, Richard Humphries details what the Fund would like from the next government in its first 100 days in office.
The NHS will be near the top of the in tray for the next government and social care will not be far behind. The King's Fund has led the warnings about the perilous financial prospects facing local government and the NHS from 2015. All parts of the system of health, care and wellbeing are already under sustained financial stress. Maintaining financial balance whilst protecting the standards and quality of care for patients and people receiving support is becoming an increasingly thankless task for managers, clinicians and other front line professionals.
Read the full article on the first 100 days of the next government
General election 2015: Our work on health and social care issues in the 2015 general election
The NHS productivity challenge: Experience from the front line
This report describes how six trusts have been grappling with the productivity challenge. It also suggests ways to divert the NHS and social care from their current trajectory, which is heading towards a major crisis.
By John Appleby et al - 1 May 2014
Counting down to the general election: a key year in the politics of the NHS
With a year to go until the general election, our infographic explores some key facts and figures around public satisfaction with the NHS and whether the NHS will be a big election issue this time around.
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The politics of NHS funding and taxation in the new parliament
If promised spending increases do not materialise soon, and ministers insist on the NHS regaining control of its finances, then urgent action will be needed, says Chris Ham.
By Professor Sir Chris Ham - 3 July 2015
Beyond the manifestos: prospects for the NHS after the election
What then are we to make of the commitments made by the three main political parties?
By Professor Sir Chris Ham - 17 April 2015
Three challenges and a big uncertainty for the NHS in 2015
The NHS faces three major challenges in 2015: preparing for the spending review, achieving much closer integration of health and social care, and ensuring that the NHS has the leadership in place to deliver the highest possible standards of care within available resources.
Our priorities for the next government
With the general election coming at a pivotal time for health and social care, we set out our view of the key challenges and priorities for the next government.


Impact Radius will be attending and presenting at Affiliate Management Days in Fort Lauderdale, FL on October 9th and 10th. Todd Crawford, Impact Radius co-founder, will be on a panel discussing the "The Role of the Network" and later presenting "New & Improved Best Practices to Take Your Performance Marketing Channels to the Next Level". Both days are packed with great content and we highly recommend all advertisers and agencies to attend.
As a friend of Impact Radius, you can also receive 20% off your registration! Simply message us for the discount. Early bird registration ends this Friday (September 7th) so register today!


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Kanye West and Julia Fox Continue Week-Long Romance
Jan 8, 2022 Cinderella's tale, Julia Fox, Kanye West, rapper
Kim Kardashian has shared pictures of Kanye West and Julia Fox in New York City, where the two enjoyed a romantic dinner at Carbone restaurant. The two later attended a photo shoot in front of the restaurant's patrons. While they were in the city, Kanye presented Fox with a hotel suite filled with clothes. While she was in the room, Kanye directed her to model the outfits.
After their initial rendezvous in New York City, Kanye West surprised Julia Fox with a hotel suite filled with clothes. The couple's first date took place in Manhattan, and the singer and entrepreneur presented Fox with a full wardrobe of clothing by Diesel. According to a spokesperson for the company, the clothes were from Diesel's Spring 2022 runway collection and its Pre-Fall 2022 line.
The rapper surprised the actress with a hotel suite packed with clothes and a dinner date. Their romantic gesture was the stuff of Cinderella's tale. After dinner at Carbone, Kanye styled her and fitted her into a diamond-studded jacket. Then, they made out in the dressing room. A few days later, the two confirmed their relationship.
Despite the scandal surrounding Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, the two had a wonderful date. During their night out in New York, the rapper and Fox had the photographer follow them around and take pictures of them. The photos captured the moment they made out. The upcoming film "The Interview" will be released on March 31 and will feature the couple as their model in it.
The photoshoot was done on a hotel's wooden floor in front of a clothing rack. The two were spotted kissing on the floor, with the former straddling Kanye while the latter pinning her on the floor. The couple were wearing a black thong high above their pants and the rapper wrapped her arms around the model.
Also Read: Mel B Visits Her Father's Grave To Tell Him About Her MBE Honour
The two met in Miami on New Year's Eve and spent several days in New York City. The couple watched the Broadway play "Slave Play" and ate at Carbone in Greenwich Village. The couple had been dating for nearly four years, but the romance has been a little rocky. During their stay in New York, Kanye West made it clear that he loves his new girlfriend. In the end, they even managed to sneak out with some extra items as gifts.
The love-bombing was an obvious sign of a love-bomb. The two were spotted attending a theater production in New York City. While this was the first public appearance of the two, the love-bombing is a clear indication of manipulation in the future. The couple's relationship is not in jeopardy, and neither did the love-bombing.
Selena Gomez Loves Growing Up
Towie's Chloe Brockett shares on night partying with Jack Grealish at his villa
Jan 18, 2022 Luna Mike


Moscow, Camden & San Augustine operates a 7 mile line headquartered in the small town of Camden in east Texas. The line extends west from Camden to a connection with the UP Lufkin Subdivision at Moscow. The line's traffic is primarily related to the east Texas timber industry, and consists of lumber and lumber-related projects.
The MC&SA is owned by International Paper Co. International Paper acquired the line's previous owner -- Champion International -- in 2000. The line's major source of traffic is the IP lumber mill in Camden.
Moscow, Camden & San Augustine's hand-painted logo adorns the side of MC&SA's shop building in Camden, Texas. Photographed May 19, 2000.
Moscow, Camden & San Augustine # 3, an SW900, switches the Champion International lumber mill in Camden, Texas on May 19, 2000.
MC&SA SW1200 # 1 switches Champion International's lumber mill in Camden, Texas on May 19, 2000.
Having completed its switching duties, MC&SA SW1200 # 1 rests outside MC&SA's shop building in Camden, Texas on May 19, 2000.
Having completed its switching duties, Moscow Camden & San Augustine SW1200 # 1 rests outside MC&SA's shop building in Camden, Texas on May 19, 2000. An MC&SA employee has opened the door to the shop building and prepares to put the # 1 to bed for the weekend.
MC&SA SW1200 # 1 disappears inside the railroad's engine house on May 19, 2000. The MC&SA seems to have a habit of keeping their locomotives stored indoors when they are not in use.
Moscow Camden & San Augustine's "business car" occupies a spur track near the MCSA engine house in Camden, Texas on May 19, 2000.
This Texas historical marker is displayed on MC&SA property near the engine house at Camden, Texas. Photographed May 19, 2000.
All images on the Southwest Railfan © 2000 - 2005 by Wes Carr.


text:
Q: DJANGO: Get a parent queryset from a child queryset Say I have the following for my models.py:
from django.db import models

class Department(models.model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=255)

class User(models.model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=255)
    department = models.ForeignKey(
        Department, related_name="department_users", on_delete=models.CASCADE
    )
    ...

So I am doing a lot of complex filtering on my User queryset to get to a subset of Users who are considered "active" but now I need to generate a list of Departments who have at least one "active" user.
I know that I can use a reverse lookup like: Department.objects.filter(department_users__name__contains=...) etc and do the filtering all over again but I wanted to know if there was a way to get that information directly from the "active" User queryset.
I tried using .values() but that gives me a queryset of dictionaries and I really wanted a queryset of django Models so I can do further filtering for the Department queryset.
Do you guys know if there is a way to do that?

A: If you have a queryset of Users, you can load the users and query the departments with:
Department.objects.filter(department_users__in=list(queryset_of_users)).distinct()
you can also do this without materializing the list of users with:
Department.objects.filter(department_users__in=queryset_of_users).distinct()
here your queryset_of_users will be a subquery, but that means that the database will do the work to determine the active users a second time.
The .distinct() clause will prevent returning the Department as many times as there are Users in the queryset_of_users for that department.


text:
Big Nate: I Can't Take It! (Paperback)
This is book number 7 in the Big Nate series.
#1: Big Nate: In a Class by Himself (Paperback): $7.99
#2: Big Nate Out Loud (Paperback): $9.99
#3: Big Nate and Friends (Paperback): $9.99
#4: Big Nate Makes the Grade (Paperback): $11.99
#5: Big Nate Flips Out (Paperback): $7.99
#6: Big Nate: Game On! (Paperback): $9.99
#8: Big Nate: Great Minds Think Alike (Paperback): $11.99
#9: Big Nate: The Crowd Goes Wild! (Paperback): $9.99
#10: Nate el Grande: ¡Hola! (Big Nate #10) (Hardcover): $37.99
#11: Big Nate's Greatest Hits (Paperback): $12.99
#12: Big Nate: Say Good-bye to Dork City (Paperback): $11.99
#13: Big Nate: Welcome to My World (Paperback): $9.99
#14: Big Nate: Thunka, Thunka, Thunka (Paperback): $9.99
#15: Big Nate: Revenge of the Cream Puffs (Paperback): $9.99
#16: Big Nate: What's a Little Noogie Between Friends? (Paperback): $9.99
#17: Big Nate: A Good Old-Fashioned Wedgie (Paperback): $9.99
#18: Big Nate: Silent But Deadly (Paperback): $11.99
#19: Big Nate Goes Bananas! (Paperback): $9.99
#20: Big Nate: Payback Time! (Paperback): $9.99
#21: Big Nate: Hug It Out! (Paperback): $9.99
#22: Big Nate: Blow the Roof Off! (Paperback): $11.99
#23: Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework (Paperback): $11.99
#24: Big Nate: In Your Face! (Paperback): $11.99
#25: Big Nate: Aloha! (Paperback): $11.99
#26: Big Nate: Beware of Low-Flying Corn Muffins (Paperback): $11.99
Soon to be an animated series with Paramount+ and Nickelodeon!
Big Nate. He thinks big. He talks big. He acts big. And the Big Nate: I Can't Take It, featuring our mischievous middle-school hero, is big fun.
Life can be stressful for Nate Wright. At school, Mrs. Godfrey makes every day a nightmare. At home, he's stuck between Ellen, his incredibly annoying older sister, and Dad, perhaps the most clueless parent of all time. And don't get him started on Gina, the ultimate teacher's pet, or Artur, the unassuming exchange student who bests him at every turn. It's enough to make even a can-do kid like Nate scream: "I CAN'T TAKE IT!"
Lincoln Peirce has been drawing the Big Nate comic strip for more than 20 years. Born in Ames, Iowa, Peirce grew up in Durham, New Hampshire. As a kid, he began creating his own strips in the sixth grade. Peirce taught high school in New York City and has created several animated pilots for Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. He lives in Portland, Maine, with his family.
"In addition to the graphic storytelling, Nate's cartoons interspersed among Peirce's panels could provide teachers and librarians with great opportunities to incorporate this series into programs or lessons on cartooning and writing." (Snow Wildsmith, Booklist)
"…if you're looking for a new series to introduce your kids to this upcoming holiday season, chances are they'll really like these collections." (Rich Johnston, Bleeding Cool)
"Big Nate is super funny. I love these books." (Appeal-Democrat)
Series: Big Nate
Juvenile Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels / Media Tie-In
Juvenile Fiction / School & Education


Spring is time for weddings so the couple' friends often look for new ideas to organize unforgettable stag and hens parties!
The groups of friends who decide to celebrate this special occasion organizing for the couple something really different from everyday life are more and more numerous. And what is there more different than a day on the river?
Rafting, canyoning, hydrospeed or inflatable canoes: all the river activities which we organize are simply perfect to spend with the best friends an exciting day (or a week end) adventuring together in an unforgettable outdoor experience.
The river is funny, exciting, makes you feel good and requires courage: an excellent test for the newly-weds who facing the rapids with their friends' help will be able to get ready for the true adventure waiting for them.
At the end of the descent, our centre presents all the features to properly go on with the celebration. Our centre is situated on a large green ground near the river and it is equipped with a nice bar, simple but well stocked, a lot of outdoor space and facilities to organize barbecues and picnics. There are also beach volley and soccer grounds to use up surplus energy. Moreover there is a campsite where you can stay and spend the night in case nobody would like to drive.
And if you decide to complete your week end with other activities,you can find a large range of initiatives in the section "not only river" of this site. For example some hours of relax at a wellness centres we have an agreement with or, if you are not yet tired of adrenaline, an excursion by bob, mountain bike, trekking or horse riding.
to get any information and suggestion to organize your unforgettable party!
*Valid for groups of at least 6 participants.
Organize wth us your party!
Have you read this page but you are looking forward to celebrating on the river, but you are not going to be married? No fear! We are happy to help you and organize any party you are thinking of: a birthday, a degree, the departure of a friend... whatever the occasion you have in mind just contact us and we'll do our best to help you in the organization of a memorable day!


The Humboldt Crabs have adopted the stretch of Highway 101 from Giuntoli to Central Avenue to help keep California beautiful.
The term "cleanup hitter" is taking on a whole new meaning for Humboldt Crabs Baseball this summer. In an effort to give the team added name recognition in Humboldt County, and to give back to the community, the Crabs have joined forces with Caltrans and the Adopt-A-Highway program.
And that means the club is responsible for maintaining a section of southbound Highway 101 running from just north of Central Avenue in McKinleyville to Giuntoli Lane, including removing any litter on the roadside. "We plan to do it on the second Saturday of each month, depending on the weather," said new Crabs president Matt Filar (pictured, right). The agreement with Caltrans, which runs for three years, began in mid-March and the team has already made a difference with several board members and season ticket holders spending a recent Saturday morning cleaning up the roadside on their sponsored section. During the summer months, several of the players will also be involved. "It's not only a good thing for us to do, but it's also good for the community," said Filar. "People can see that the Crabs are doing something for the community other than just playing baseball." As part of the agreement, the Crabs will be featured on a roadside sign just north of the Central Avenue onramp in McKinleyville on the southbound side of 101.
It's also a way for board members, fans, and players to interact in a different environment.
"It's a good thing for everyone and it gets members of the board and people interested in the Crabs together in different ways other than the board room or the ballpark," said Filar. "It's a social type of thing."
The Adopt-A-Highway program was initiated in 1989 and has been a tremendous success for Caltrans, with more than 120,000 Californians involved over the years, helping to keep highways clean of litter and graffiti, while also planting trees and wildflowers.
And for the Crabs it's not the only way the team name will be in the public eye in the coming months.
With the summer season now less than two months away, the Crabs will also feature in promotional televised spots on Fox Channel 28 as well as some advertisements on Channel KAEF 23, the local ABC affiliate. The promotional spots on Fox will feature Crabs manager Matt Nutter and Humboldt Steelheads manager Grant Manzi, while three different commercials on KAEF will promote the team's annual preseason dinner on June 4, the Crabs summer camps, and opening day on Saturday, June 5.
"We're looking into some different things," said Filar. "I'd like to get as much publicity for the team as possible to get the name out into the community more."
Filar is also hoping to move the team's adopted section of 101 closer to the Arcata Ball Park, although for now the Central Avenue/Giuntoli Lane section is the closest available.
"We'd love to have it closer to the Ball Park, and if something becomes available at some future point we may be able to move," said Filar.
ARCATA (Dec. 6, 2009) — December marks the beginning of Crab season — in more ways than one. And you can celebrate even if you don't like seafood.
That's because tickets for the Humboldt Crabs 2010 baseball season are now on sale. Season passes and 10-strips of single-game tickets are now on sale. And through the end of December, the season passes are only $76.50, a 10 percent discount from the normal price of $85.
The tickets can be purchased at Ray's Food Place locations in Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville and Fortuna, the Eureka and Arcata Chambers of Commerce, Solo Sports in Arcata and the Times-Standard. They will also be available soon at Blue Lake Casino.
You can also purchase tickets from the Crabs directly, by downloading this form. For more Crabs ticket information, click here.
The 66th season of Crabs baseball begins on Saturday, June 5 against the Fairfield Indians. The annual season-opening dinner is scheduled for Friday, June 4 at the Arcata Community Center. Check out the complete 2010 schedule!


POOL is a duo composed of Léa Padovani (1981) french of Iranian-Italian heritage and Sébastien Kieffer (1982), French, based in Paris. In 2010, POOL create a collective concept, whose goal is to explore associations between objects, architecture and images. Beyond the obvious presence of an object, its beauty and function, the designers search for a multiplicity of meanings and highlight the emotions and reference points. In 2012 they were nominated «Talents à la carte» during Maison&Objet, «Young New Talent» for the price AD and received the «LABEL VIA» for the W&W lighting ceiling system manufactured by ALTER. They have since been edited by La Chance, Habitat and have created numerous scenographies and projects for Cassina, Café Craft, Biennale de Kortrijk... Nowadays, POOL works on a self-edited furnitures collection coming from craftsmanship, and keep going on their collaborations with Bensimon, Petite Friture and other editors. 2015 will be the year of new interior design projects and of artistic direction about art craft.
"The effect of the object, whether that be in the form or the function takes great importance in our work. In order to develop this we like to tap into the immediate environment of the story in which we want to become part of, without hierarchy, nor references, rare materials or popular reference as this reference serves for the understanding of the object. Through recognisable typologies and references we like to construct strong identities around our objects. Simple without being simplified."
The Grid coffee table and the Grid ottoman complete the Grid modular furniture system, with its armchairs, sofas and daybeds. As with the rest of the Grid range, the thin, black tubular legs are topped with an oak or walnut structure, giving it an elegant and refined look. The cushion of the Ottoman is removable.


text:
Dublin chamber surveys effects of coronavirus on businesses
SARAH SOLE THISWEEKNEWS.COM @ThisWeekSarah
Apr 20, 2020 at 5:05 PM Apr 21, 2020 at 11:46 AM
As the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic continues, nearly half of Dublin businesses surveyed by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce said they are experiencing significant losses.
The chamber conducted an online business-impact survey of area businesses during the week of March 18 to 25, and 282 responded, said Jenny Amorose, chamber chief operating officer.
Amorose said the chamber and its board of directors decided to survey businesses every four to six weeks to capture how businesses are handling the pandemic.
"Things are changing so fast," she said.
Forty-six percent of those surveyed said they are experiencing significant losses, according to survey results. Thirty-five percent said the pandemic has had a minimal impact on their business; 10% said they are not affected; and 9% said they are on the verge of losing their business.
Some businesses also reported an effect on their supply chains.
According to survey results, 44% said the pandemic significantly has affected their supply chain; 37% reported minimal impact; and 19% reported no impact.
Businesses from a variety of industries responded to the survey, Amorose said. The top respondents were within professional services (20%) and information technology (12%), she said.
Forty-seven percent of respondents had one to nine employees; 28% had 10-49 employees; 8% had 50-99 employees; 8% had 100-250 employees; and 9% had more than 251 employees.
She said she wants to conduct another survey by the end of the month and plans to share results from both surveys with local elected officials, as well as with state and federal officials.
Understanding how businesses are faring is important, Amorose said, to help make state and federal legislators aware of how Dublin has been affected by the pandemic.
Amorose said she wants government leaders to be aware of how small businesses are faring in case opportunities should come for resources to be directed toward them. She said the chamber organized a task force, including community leaders, city government officials, Ohio University leaders, the Dublin Convention & Visitors Bureau, local large developers and business leaders to work together to help businesses bounce back after they open.
"We want to reboot our economy as soon as our doors open," she said.
"It's just really important that we all stay connected" and continue sharing information, she said.
Many businesses have been hurt, Amorose said, and some are holding their own. Depending on the industry, some of them could be booming.
But Amorose said she believes the business community will get through the crisis.
"I believe in the spirit of Dublin businesses and our residents," she said.
Carol Boll, office manager for RJ Boll Realty Ltd. and RJ Boll Management, 485 Metro Place S., said she thinks business will come back, albeit a little slower than she and fellow staff members had thought.
Boll said they've still managed to keep all of their staff on payroll and, for the most part, everyone is working from home.
Agents haven't received as many calls to lease or purchase property or look at spaces, Boll said, and some transactions that were in progress were put on hold.
ssole@thisweenews.com
@ThisWeekSarah


One of my favorite things we did in Tokyo was actually visiting the Gucci Four Rooms art exhibition in the Ginza store. We arrived right at 11am when the store opened and got the whole exhibit to ourselves! It was awesome. The first room we entered was the Gucci Words Room, featuring a light show of sorts, music, and even an interactive segment that allowed you control where digital "paint" was splattered over Gucci pieces on the wall. So neat! The second was the Gucci Herbarium Room, featuring a forest of red – this was my favorite space! It was difficult to take photos that truly captured the look of the red forest room, but it was very cool to see. This room is actually what captured my attention after seeing someone post about it on Instagram while researching for the trip – it's what inspired me to add Gucci Four Rooms to the itinerary! The third room was the Gucci Garden, featuring graffiti, life-size anime characters, and various Gucci pieces showcased throughout the room. The 4th room was actually housed at a different location and the exhibition for that room had already ended, so we didn't get to see that one. Unfortunately the Gucci Four Rooms art exhibit ends today, but hopefully you enjoy some of my photos from the experience!
Another thing you must add to your list when visiting Tokyo is experiencing Shibuya Crossing (and the neighborhood), and walking around Shinjuku. If you do nothing else in Shibuya, you at least need to experience the "scramble" at Shibuya Crossing – you've probably seen photos or heard about this famous intersection? There's really nothing like it. All the lights turn red in every direction, halting vehicles, and then people cross the street every which way. It's fascinating! Not to mention it's covered in big screens, ads and signs that will make you think you're looking at Times Square.
If you're hoping to capture photos of crazy neon lights, head over to Shinjuku. This area is known as the entertainment district, and in one particular section, the red light district of Tokyo. Given that, I wouldn't recommend walking around Shinjuku at night – it's a pretty seedy crowd. With that said, it's definitely worth checking out! One might call it a sensory overload with all of the lights, sounds and people.
Check out more of my travel content here, and stay tuned for more from Japan and Hong Kong!
I'm dying to visit Japan and China!


text:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">

<title>TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder</title>
<meta name="date" content="2021-04-16">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../../../stylesheet.css" title="Style">

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Class TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder

java.lang.Object

com.solidfire.element.api.TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder

Enclosing class:

TestAddressAvailabilityRequest

public static class TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder
extends java.lang.Object

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TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder
address(java.lang.String address)

TestAddressAvailabilityRequest
build()

TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder
iface(java.lang.String iface)

TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder
optionalTimeout(java.lang.Long timeout)

TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder
optionalVirtualNetworkTag(java.lang.Long virtualNetworkTag)

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clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

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build

public TestAddressAvailabilityRequest build()

iface

public TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder iface(java.lang.String iface)

address

public TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder address(java.lang.String address)

optionalVirtualNetworkTag

public TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder optionalVirtualNetworkTag(java.lang.Long virtualNetworkTag)

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public TestAddressAvailabilityRequest.Builder optionalTimeout(java.lang.Long timeout)

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text:
How one micro cap is using social media for investor relations and attracting new audiences
If planned and implemented correctly, social media communications as part of your overall investor relations program can be an effective and inexpensive way for attracting new audiences to your investment story. Social media helps level the playing field for smaller public companies, offering a cost-effective opportunity to build deeper relationships with investors and other investment community stakeholders by facilitating interaction and feedback.
The following is a snapshot of Critical Outcome Technologies' use of social media for investor relations and attracting new audiences.
Since embarking on the use of social media for investor relations in late April 2013, Critical Outcome has begun using Twitter, Facebook, SlideShare and YouTube. These four social channels will be used to share the company's story with new and potentially much larger audiences.
As much as possible, these channels will be used to build a following with targeted audiences such as investment advisors, portfolio managers, sell-side analysts, angel investors, investment bankers and potential partners for CHEMSAS deals and/or licensees.
When looking at Critical Outcome's followers on Twitter, it is interesting to notice how targeted the audiences appear to be. A very high proportion of the company's Twitter followers are either identified as investors (brokers, traders, VC or bankers), life sciences companies, doctors, researchers and/or cancer centers - all very relevant groups for this company.
Given its online traffic and popularity, YouTube is an important channel for increasing awareness. To date, the company has uploaded and shared three brief but informative videos. SlideShare enables Critical Outcome Technologies to share its investor presentation (and potentially other materials) with a larger audience rather than just the people met during in person investor meetings. While not having had much traction with Facebook as of yet, it is important to point out that it is still early and the company only began using Facebook a month ago.


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