Mandarin Singing Voice Synthesis Based on Harmonic Plus Noise Model and Singing Expression Analysis

The purpose of this study is to investigate how humans interpret musical scores expressively, and then design machines that sing like humans. We consider six factors that have a strong influence on the expression of human singing. The factors are related to the acoustic, phonetic, and musical features of a real singing signal. Given real singing voices recorded following the MIDI scores and lyrics, our analysis module can extract the expression parameters from the real singing signals semi-automatically. The expression parameters are used to control the singing voice synthesis (SVS) system for Mandarin Chinese, which is based on the harmonic plus noise model (HNM). The results of perceptual experiments show that integrating the expression factors into the SVS system yields a notable improvement in perceptual naturalness, clearness, and expressiveness. By one-to-one mapping of the real singing signal and expression controls to the synthesizer, our SVS system can simulate the interpretation of a real singer with the timbre of a speaker.Comment: 8 pages, technical repor

A model of electroweak-scale right-handed neutrino mass

If neutrino masses are realized through the see-saw mechanism, can the right-handed neutrinos be produced and detected at present and future colliders? The answer is negative in the most popular see-saw scenarios for the simple reason that they are too heavy in these models. However, a simple extension of the Standard Model (SM) particle content, including mirror fermions, two $SU(2)_L$ triplet and one singlet Higgs fields, leads to a scenario in which the see-saw mechanism is realized with the Majorana mass $M_R$ of the right-handed neutrino being of the order of the electroweak scale or smaller. A custodial SU(2) symmetry arising from the two triplet Higgs fields ensures that $\rho=1$ at tree level even when their vacuum expectation values (VEV) which determine the value of $M_R$, can be as large as the electroweak scale. $M_R$ is found to obey the bound $\frac{M_Z}{2} \leq M_R < 246 GeV$ which makes it accessible experimentally (Tevatron, LHC or ILC) since, in our scenario, $\nu_R$'s can couple directly to the Standard Model (SM) gauge bosons.Comment: 5 double-column pages. Version to appear in Phys. Lett.

Topological phase transition in a generalized Kane-Mele-Hubbard model: A combined Quantum Monte Carlo and Green's function study

We study a generalized Kane-Mele-Hubbard model with third-neighbor hopping, an interacting two-dimensional model with a topological phase transition as a function of third-neighbor hopping, by means of the determinant projector Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) method. This technique is essentially numerically exact on models without a fermion sign problem, such as the one we consider. We determine the interaction-dependence of the Z2 topological insulator/trivial insulator phase boundary by calculating the Z2 invariants directly from the single-particle Green's function. The interactions push the phase boundary to larger values of third-neighbor hopping, thus stabilizing the topological phase. The observation of boundary shifting entirely stems from quantum {\deg}uctuations. We also identify qualitative features of the single-particle Green's function which are computationally useful in numerical searches for topological phase transitions without the need to compute the full topological invariant

Improving media decisions in China a targetability and cost-benefit analysis

This study examines two central issues underlying effective media decisions in China. We pay particular attention to the issue in reaching China's upscale and status-seeking consumers and the cost/benefits of so doing. In this study, we analyzed syndicated secondary data involving 48,000 respondents in 15 cities in China, and compared the extent to which television, newspapers, and general and special interest magazines reach particular consumer segments effectively. The study then used a second database containing cost information on media vehicles, and compared their efficiency in reaching segments of upscale/status-seeking consumers in China. As hypothesized, and in accord with findings in developed economies, we found that magazines have the highest targetability among the three most popular mass media. Among special interest magazines, fashion magazines are significantly more costly to advertise in, while they reach the same income segments as travel and business magazines. The implications of these findings on advertising research and practices are discussed. © 2005 American Academy of Advertising. All rights reserved.postprin

Unified picture for Dirac neutrinos, dark matter, dark energy and matter-antimatter asymmetry

We propose a unified scenario to generate the masses of Dirac neutrinos and cold dark matter at the TeV scale, understand the origin of dark energy and explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe. This model can lead to significant impact on the Higgs searches at LHC.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Title changed. Abstract, introduction and summary revised. References added. Model and conclusion unchange

Neutrino Condensate as Origin of Dark Energy

We propose a new solution to the origin of dark energy. We suggest that it was created dynamically from the condensate of a singlet neutrino at a late epoch of the early Universe through its effective self interaction. This singlet neutrino is also the Dirac partner of one of the three observed neutrinos, hence dark energy is related to neutrino mass. The onset of this condensate formation in the early Universe is also related to matter density and offers an explanation of the coincidence problem of why dark energy (70%) and total matter (30%) are comparable at the present time. We demonstrate this idea in a model of neutrino mass with (right-handed) singlet neutrinos and a singlet scalar.Comment: 5 pages, no figure

Model of Mass Varying Neutrinos in SUSY

We discuss the mass varying neutrino scenario in the supersymmetric theory. In the case of the model with the single superfield, one needs the soft SUSY breaking terms or the $\mu$ term. However, fine-tunings of some parameters are required to be consistent with the cosmological data. In order to avoid the fine-tuning, we discuss the model with two superfields, which is consistent with the cosmological data. However, it is found that the left-handed neutrino mixes with the neutrino of the dark sector maximally. Adding a right- handed neutrino, which does not couple to the dark sector, we obtain a favorable model in the phenomenology of the neutrino experiments. In this model, the deceleration of the cosmological expansion converts to the acceleration near $z\simeq 0.5$. The speed of sound $c_s$ becomes imaginary if we put $\omega_0=-0.9$, which corresponds to m_\nu^0=3.17\eV. On the other hand, if we take $\omega_0=-0.998$, which leads to m_\nu^0=0.05\eV, $c_s^2$ becomes positive since $\omega$ evolves rapidly near the present epoch in our model.Comment: references are added, to be published in Physics Letters