37,379 research outputs found
Waveguide physical modeling of vocal tract acoustics: flexible formant bandwidth control from increased model dimensionality
Digital waveguide physical modeling is often used as an efficient representation of acoustical resonators such as the human vocal tract. Building on the basic one-dimensional (1-D) Kelly-Lochbaum tract model, various speech synthesis techniques demonstrate improvements to the wave scattering mechanisms in order to better approximate wave propagation in the complex vocal system. Some of these techniques are discussed in this paper, with particular reference to an alternative approach in the form of a two-dimensional waveguide mesh model. Emphasis is placed on its ability to produce vowel spectra similar to that which would be present in natural speech, and how it improves upon the 1-D model. Tract area function is accommodated as model width, rather than translated into acoustic impedance, and as such offers extra control as an additional bounding limit to the model. Results show that the two-dimensional (2-D) model introduces approximately linear control over formant bandwidths leading to attainable realistic values across a range of vowels. Similarly, the 2-D model allows for application of theoretical reflection values within the tract, which when applied to the 1-D model result in small formant bandwidths, and, hence, unnatural sounding synthesized vowels
Developed Country Trade Barriers and the Least Developed Countries: The Economic Results of Freeing Trade
Least Developed Countries, Generalized System of Preferences, Doha Round
Chemistry of Tropical Root Crops: Significance for Nutrition and Agriculture in the Pacific
Crop Production/Industries,
Influence of friction forces on the motion of VTOL aircraft during landing operations on ships at sea
Equations describing the friction forces generated during landing operations on ships at sea were formulated. These forces depend on the platform reaction and the coefficient of friction. The platform reaction depends on the relative sink rate and the shock absorbing capability of the landing gear. The friction coefficient varies with the surface condition of the landing platform and the angle of yaw of the aircraft relative to the landing platform. Landings by VTOL aircraft, equipped with conventional oleopneumatic landing gears are discussed. Simplifications are introduced to reduce the complexity of the mathematical description of the tire and shock strut characteristics. Approximating the actual complicated force deflection characteristic of the tire by linear relationship is adequate. The internal friction forces in the shock strut are included in the landing gear model. A set of relatively simple equations was obtained by including only those tire and shock strut characteristics that contribute significantly to the generation of landing gear forces
Soot formation and burnout in flames
The amount of soot formed when burning a benzene/hexane mixture in a turbulent combustor was examined. Soot concentration profiles in the same combustor for kerosene fuel are given. The chemistry of the formation of soot precursors, the nucleation, growth and subsequent burnout of soot particles, and the effect of mixing on the previous steps were considered
A control system formulation of the mechanism that controls the secretions of serum group hormone in humans during sleep
Plasma growth hormone concentrations during sleep were determined experimentally. An elevated level of plasma growth hormone was observed during the initial phase of sleep and remained elevated for approximately 3 hr before returning to the steady-state level. Moreover, subsequent to a prolonged interruption of sleep, of the order of 2-3 hr, an elevated level of plasma growth hormone was again observed during the initial phase of resumed sleep. A control system formulation of the mechanism that controls the secretions of serum growth hormone in humans was used to account for the growth hormone responses observed
The MOSS camera on H-1NF
We have configured the modulated optical solid-state spectrometer, a recently developed high-resolution instrument for plasma Dopplerspectroscopy, as an imaging spectroscopiccamera. The camera features a wide field of view (∼10°), large aperture (40 mm), and high spectral resolution ν/Δν greater than 10 000. The camera installation on the H-1NF Heliac is described, together with the steps in the design process, including field widening. Calibration and characterization of the instrument function is discussed and the instrument performance is illustrated with some sample results of spatially resolved ion temperature measurements in H-1NF
Simplification of the tug-of-war model for cellular transport in cells
The transport of organelles and vesicles in living cells can be well
described by a kinetic tug-of-war model advanced by M\"uller, Klumpp and
Lipowsky. In which, the cargo is attached by two motor species, kinesin and
dynein, and the direction of motion is determined by the number of motors which
bind to the track. In recent work [Phys. Rev. E 79, 061918 (2009)], this model
was studied by mean field theory, and it was found that, usually the tug-of-war
model has one, two, or three distinct stable stationary points. However, the
results there are mostly obtained by numerical calculations, since it is hard
to do detailed theoretical studies to a two-dimensional nonlinear system. In
this paper, we will carry out further detailed analysis about this model, and
try to find more properties theoretically. Firstly, the tug-of-war model is
simplified to a one-dimensional equation. Then we claim that the stationary
points of the tug-of-war model correspond to the roots of the simplified
equation, and the stable stationary points correspond to the roots with
positive derivative. Bifurcation occurs at the corresponding parameters, under
which the simplified one-dimensional equation exists root with zero derivative.
Using the simplified equation, not only more properties of the tug-of-war model
can be obtained analytically, the related numerical calculations will become
more accurate and more efficient. This simplification will be helpful to future
studies of the tug-of-war model
Human factors in space telepresence
The problems of interfacing a human with a teleoperation system, for work in space are discussed. Much of the information presented here is the result of experience gained by the M.I.T. Space Systems Laboratory during the past two years of work on the ARAMIS (Automation, Robotics, and Machine Intelligence Systems) project. Many factors impact the design of the man-machine interface for a teleoperator. The effects of each are described in turn. An annotated bibliography gives the key references that were used. No conclusions are presented as a best design, since much depends on the particular application desired, and the relevant technology is swiftly changing
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