Including Pitch Accent Optionality in Unit Selection Text-to-Speech Synthesis

A significant variability in pitch accent placement is found when comparing the patterns of prosodic prominence realized by different English speakers reading the same sentences. In this paper we describe a simple approach to incorporate this variability to synthesize prosodic prominence in unit selection text-to-speech synthesis. The main motivation of our approach is that by taking into account the variability of accent placements we enlarge the set of prosodically acceptable speech units, thus increasing the chances of selecting a good quality sequence of units, both in prosodic and segmental terms. Results on a large scale perceptual test show the benefits of our approach and indicate directions for further improvements. Index Terms: speech synthesis, unit selection, prosodic prominence, pitch accent

Towards Hierarchical Prosodic Prominence Generation in TTS Synthesis

We address the problem of identification (from text) and generation of pitch accents in HMM-based English TTS synthesis. We show, through a large scale perceptual test, that a large improvement of the binary discrimination between pitch accented and non-accented words has no effect on the quality of the speech generated by the system. On the other side adding a third accent type that emphatically marks words that convey ”contrastive” focus (automatically identified from text) produces beneficial effects on the synthesized speech. These results support the accounts on prosodic prominence that consider the prosodic patterns of utterances as hierarchical structured and point out the limits of a flattening of such structure resulting from a simple accent/non-accent distinction. Index Terms: speech synthesis, HMM, pitch accents, focus detection 1

Heavy-atom effects on intramolecular singlet fission in a conjugated polymer

A chief aim in singlet fission research is to develop new materials concepts for more efficient singlet fission. The typical approaches such as tuning π-overlap and charge-transfer interactions, enhancing delocalization, altering diradical character, or extending the conjugation length have profound effects simultaneously on the singlet and triplet energetics and the couplings between them. While these strategies have resulted in a handful of high-efficiency materials, the complex interplay of these factors makes systematic materials development challenging, and it would be useful to be able to selectively manipulate the properties and dynamics of just part of the singlet fission pathway. Here, we investigate the potential of heteroatom substitution as just such a selective tool. We explore the influence of heavy atoms within the main backbone of polythienylenevinylene and its selenophene and tellurophene derivatives. We find no significant effects on the prompt <300 fs intramolecular singlet fission dynamics but a clear heavy-atom effect on longer time scales

The impact of deep-sea fisheries and implementation of the UNGA Resolutions 61/105 and 64/72. Report of an international scientific workshop

The scientific workshop to review fisheries management, held in Lisbon in May 2011, brought together 22 scientists and fisheries experts from around the world to consider the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions on high seas bottom fisheries: what progress has been made and what the outstanding issues are. This report summarises the workshop conclusions, identifying examples of good practice and making recommendations in areas where it was agreed that the current management measures fall short of their target

A model for interaction between conduits and surrounding hydraulically connected distributed drainage based on geomorphological evidence from Keewatin, Canada

© 2020 Author(s). We identify and map visible traces of subglacial meltwater drainage around the former Keewatin Ice Divide, Canada, from high-resolution Arctic Digital Elevation Model (ArcticDEM) data. We find similarities in the characteristics and spatial locations of landforms traditionally treated separately (i.e. meltwater channels, meltwater tracks and eskers) and propose that creating an integrated map of meltwater routes captures a more holistic picture of the large-scale drainage in this area. We propose the grouping of meltwater channels and meltwater tracks under the term meltwater corridor and suggest that these features in the order of 10s-100sm wide, commonly surrounding eskers and transitioning along flow between different types, represent the interaction between a central conduit (the esker) and surrounding hydraulically connected distributed drainage system (the meltwater corridor). Our proposed model is based on contemporary observations and modelling which suggest that connections between conduits and the surrounding distributed drainage system within the ablation zone occur as a result of overpressurisation of the conduit. The widespread aerial coverage of meltwater corridors (5%-36% of the bed) provides constraints on the extent of basal uncoupling induced by basal water pressure fluctuations. Geomorphic work resulting from repeated connection to the surrounding hydraulically connected distributed drainage system suggests that basal sediment can be widely accessed and evacuated by meltwater

Don't Believe The Hype!:White Lies of Conversational User Interface Creation Tools

The 2nd International Conference on Conversational User Interfaces (CUI 2020), Bilbao, Spain, 23-24 July 2020Following the initial hype and high expectations of conversational user interfaces (CUIs), a number of creation tools have emerged to simplify development of these complex systems. These have the potential to democratise and expand application development to those without programming skills. However, while such tools allow end-user developers to build language understanding and dialog management capability into a CUI application, actually fulfilling or executing an action still requires programmatic API integration. In this paper, we look at how CUI builders that claim to be ``no code required'' struggle to yield more than toy examples, with an aim to provoke the community to develop better tools for CUI creation.Trinity College Dublin (TCD

Running biomechanics: shorter heels, better economy

Better running economy (i.e. a lower rate of energy consumption at a given speed) is correlated with superior distance running performance. There is substantial variation in running economy, even among elite runners. This variation might be due to variation in the storage and reutilization of elastic energy in tendons. Using a simple musculoskeletal model, it was predicted that the amount of energy stored in a tendon during a given movement depends more critically on moment arm than on mechanical properties of the tendon, with the amount of stored energy increasing as the moment arm gets smaller. Assuming a link between elastic energy reutilization and overall metabolic cost of running, a smaller moment arm should therefore be associated with superior running economy. This prediction was confirmed experimentally in a group of 15 highly trained runners. The moment arm of the Achilles tendon was determined from standardized photographs of the ankle, using the position of anatomical landmarks. Running economy was measured as the rate of metabolic energy consumption during level treadmill running at a speed of 16 km