MnTTS: An Open-Source Mongolian Text-to-Speech Synthesis Dataset and Accompanied Baseline

This paper introduces a high-quality open-source text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis dataset for Mongolian, a low-resource language spoken by over 10 million people worldwide. The dataset, named MnTTS, consists of about 8 hours of transcribed audio recordings spoken by a 22-year-old professional female Mongolian announcer. It is the first publicly available dataset developed to promote Mongolian TTS applications in both academia and industry. In this paper, we share our experience by describing the dataset development procedures and faced challenges. To demonstrate the reliability of our dataset, we built a powerful non-autoregressive baseline system based on FastSpeech2 model and HiFi-GAN vocoder, and evaluated it using the subjective mean opinion score (MOS) and real time factor (RTF) metrics. Evaluation results show that the powerful baseline system trained on our dataset achieves MOS above 4 and RTF about $3.30\times10^{-1}$, which makes it applicable for practical use. The dataset, training recipe, and pretrained TTS models are freely available \footnote{\label{github}\url{https://github.com/walker-hyf/MnTTS}}.Comment: Accepted at the 2022 International Conference on Asian Language Processing (IALP2022

Examining Scientific Writing Styles from the Perspective of Linguistic Complexity

Publishing articles in high-impact English journals is difficult for scholars around the world, especially for non-native English-speaking scholars (NNESs), most of whom struggle with proficiency in English. In order to uncover the differences in English scientific writing between native English-speaking scholars (NESs) and NNESs, we collected a large-scale data set containing more than 150,000 full-text articles published in PLoS between 2006 and 2015. We divided these articles into three groups according to the ethnic backgrounds of the first and corresponding authors, obtained by Ethnea, and examined the scientific writing styles in English from a two-fold perspective of linguistic complexity: (1) syntactic complexity, including measurements of sentence length and sentence complexity; and (2) lexical complexity, including measurements of lexical diversity, lexical density, and lexical sophistication. The observations suggest marginal differences between groups in syntactical and lexical complexity.Comment: 6 figure

Value Gaps in the Planetary Matrix of the World Community as a Limitrophe of War and Peace

The article describes the problem of spontaneous transformation of the planetary matrix of the social world, moving from the cell to the network structure, resulting not only in the changes of the world system of the planetary community, the shapes of national states are melting out gradually, the need for cosmopolitan world perception and thinking of the political elite arises, the managing processes come into the picture, hybrid planetary policy is formed, and finally, qualitatively new conflict forms and even hybrid wars appear. With the change in the planetary matrix structure, there are several fundamental changes in the life-plan of a planetary human being, since the fundamentally different segments of archetypes are activated in the world community's subconsciousness, the values-semantic substrates are mixed in the consciousness, and completely different logical schemes and algorithms of influence on a person are activated in the noosphere. At the same time, this means that in the sphere of national powers the emphasis of state policy, state regulation and public administration tends to shift from the territorial horizon into the plane of regulation of world planetary processes. This tendency also transfers the focus of their organizational efforts from the national and state levels to the political space of interstate and supra-state entities. The most intense points of relations between the actors of the modern integral process are the so-called limitrophes and frontiers

”The energy of Chinggis Khaan and his wrestlers will be there” : Key religious elements in becoming a successful Mongolian wrestler

Mongoliassa paini on kansallisurheilulaji ja sillä on yhteyksiä buddhalaisuuteen, shamanismiin ja Tšingis-kaanin kulttiin. Tässä opinnäytetyössä tutkin näitä yhteyksiä ja vastaan kysymykseen: minkälaiset uskonnolliset elementit ovat merkittävässä asemassa, kun pyritään menestymään Mongolipainissa? Mongolipainin suhteesta uskontoon on hyvin vähän aiempaa englanninkielistä tutkimusta ja aiempi tutkimus ei pysty vastaamaan asettamaani tutkimuskysymykseen. Tämän vuoksi tein kenttämatkan Mongoliaan, jossa keräsin uutta aineistoa. Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoitus on yhdistää aiempi tutkimus uuteen aineistoon. Tässä tutkielmassa käytettävä uusi etnografinen kenttäaineisto on kerätty kesällä 2017 Mongoliassa. Aineisto on kerätty haastattelemalla viittä henkilöä, jotka olivat joko Mongolipainin tai Mongolian uskontojen asiantuntijoita. Haastattelut äänitettiin, litteroitiin ja lopuksi käännettiin englanniksi. Haastatteluaineisto kategorisoitiin käyttämällä teoriasidonnaista sisällönanalyysiä Atlast.ti:n avulla. Uusi materiaali analysoitiin suhteessa aiempaan tutkimukseen, joka osittain tuki ja osittain oli ristiriidassa uuden aineiston kanssa. Analyysi antaa kuvan, jossa useat erilaiset uskonnolliset elementit ovat merkittäviä painijan menestykselle. Tärkeimmät näistä ovat: karma, hiimori (onni), oikeanlainen mielentila, hyvä eettinen toiminta, suojaavat rituaalit, syntymäaika ja sukulaisuussuhteet. Kerätyt haastattelut olivat osittain ristiriidassa keskenään ja ne myös haastoivat aiemman tutkimuksen tuloksia. Tämän vuoksi tulokset sisältävät johtopäätöksiä, jotka eivät ole kaikkien haastateltavien hyväksymiä. Aineistoni antaa uuden näkökulman Mongolipainin ja uskonnon suhteen tutkimukselle. Tutkimuksesta nousee useita uusia ja mielenkiintoisia kysymyksiä, joita ei olisi voinut kysyä ilman keräämääni aineistoa.In Mongolia wrestling is the national sport and it is connected to Buddhism, Shamanism and the cult of Chinggis Khaan. This thesis explores these connections and answers the question: What religious elements are key to becoming a successful Mongolian wrestler? There is very little prior research done in English on Mongolian wrestling and its relation to religion, and the research question could not be answered using existing materials. Because of this I made a field trip to Mongolia where I collected new material. The aim of this study is to not only answer the question, but also to incorporate new data into the larger field of studies on Mongolian wrestling. The ethnographic material of my study was collected during the summer of 2017, when I visited Mongolia and interviewed five men who were experts in either wrestling or religion. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and translated. The translations were categorized using theory directed content analysis with the help of Atlas.ti. New data was introduced and analyzed alongside contradicting and supporting elements of prior research. The analysis paints a picture where various religious elements are deemed necessary to becoming a successful Mongolian wrestler. The most relevant are karma, hiimori (luck and fortune), the right state of mind, proper ethical conduct, protective rituals, date of birth and bloodlines. The interviews were contradicting on many occasions, and the prior research was on some points in conflict with the new material. Because of this the results have elements which were not accepted by all of my interviewees. My material provides a new point of view to the research of the relationship between Mongolian wrestling and religion, which were not covered by previous studies. Many new and interesting questions arise from the research project

Bi-phonic voice: a study of the potential for using the extended vibrational qualities of overtone chanting and singing as an intervention in training the speaking voice

Research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Coursework and research report School of Arts, Drama Division University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaThis study examines human vocal production through the lens of vibration. The needs of the speaking voice in terms of communication are explored, with particular emphasis on the vocal needs of the professional speaker, where extended range and resonance will ensure optimum communicative effect. As this goal may require training, a comparative study is presented of approaches to vocal training that have the aim of improving resonance and range while minimising damage to the vocal apparatus. These approaches include the quest to overcome physical, societal and emotional blocks to effective vocal production. This comparative study is based on the writings of a selection of popular vocal training theorists’ writings. To enhance the study of effective vocal production, the physical and physiological means of meeting the needs of producing voice are explored, by an interrogation of what vibration is in terms of vocal production. To investigate this, I have examined the physical nature of vibration, followed by the physiological aspect of this vibration as it relates to vocal production. Included in this investigation is an appreciation of what might affect the vibrations of speech that relate to resonance and range, to either enhance or hinder them. Because Bi-phonic voice, or Overtone singing and chanting, uses extended vibrational qualities, this study explores the possibility of using these vibrational qualities in vocal training to extend range and resonance. A brief ethnological study of Bi-phonic voice is presented followed by an examination of its functioning with emphasis on the manner in which the vibrations used may differ from those in western vocal techniques. Experiential reports of Bi-phonic vocal production, obtained through interviews, are presented, which in conjunction with literature on the practice will contribute to ascertaining whether there is in fact potential for using the techniques, without endangering the vocal apparatus, as an adjunct to current vocal training trends

Timbre-based composition:exploration of drone-overtone singing with reference to Tuvan and Mongolian sonorities and its integration into Western contemporary compositions.

This doctoral research in composition focuses on investigating Tuvan throat singing (khöömei), in comparison with Mongolian throat singing (khöömii) and its application in Western contemporary classical composition. This has been achieved through a survey ofethnomusicology and the inclusion of timbre-centrism in my compositions. The ethnomusicological angle aims to discover exemplary research methods for khöömei bridging the oppositions of outsider (etic) and insider (emic) perspectives. Based on this goal, this research explores two examples of research approaches: an etic approach by A. N. Aksenov and the combination of etic and emic approach by Theodore Levin with Valentina Süzükei. Ultimately, this exploration underlines the importance of combining etic and emic approaches giving priority to emic perspective in the research of khöömei and its integration into experimental compositional practices. Additionally, this research finds that the political changes in Inner Asia have influenced the cultural maintenance transforming the art form and practice of khöömei. This ends up with developing khöömei as state or national art in each state that practises khöömei. This actuality is investigated not only by noticing the dispute over the ownership of khöömei among its holders but also by looking into the stylistic difference between Tuva Republic and Mongolia. However, this research concentrates more on intrinsic personal diversity and creativity of khöömei performance supporting this idea with graphic analyses, which have become an influential vehicle in my music-making process. Finally, an in-depth study of Tuvan aesthetic in music “timbre-centred listening” is undertaken, and then methods of imbuing the sounds of nature into European-style composition are minutely traced.On the compositional side, Tuvan ethnomusicologist Valentina Süzükei’s theory “timbrecentralism” has been tested as a valid musical system for contemporary classical music looking at the potential that hybrid music surmounts cultural appropriation. Various musical experiments with khöömei have been conducted in practical ways based on Tuvan musical aesthetics, new notation and technique applications, interdisciplinary approaches, and becoming a khöömei practitioner myself. Additionally, other ethnic and extended vocal techniques such as the Inuit vocal game katajjaq, vocal fry and "drone-partials vocal technique" (see Pegg 2024 forthcoming for the latter), as Stockhausen demands in his piece Stimmung, have been experimented with by myself and versatile vocalists within my compositions. This practical research is demonstrated in the concert recordings that accompany and should be considered as a part of this portfolio