19,877 research outputs found
Modeling spectral changes in singing voice for pitch modification
We present an advanced method to achieve natural modifications when applying a pitch shifting process to singing voice by modifying the spectral envelope of the audio ex- cerpt. To this end, an all-pole spectral envelope model has been selected to describe the global variations of the spectral envelope with the changes of the pitch. We performed a pitch shifting process of some sustained vowels with the envelope processing and without it, and compared both by means of a survey open to volunteers in our website.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech. This work has been funded by the Ministerio de EconomĂa y Competitividad of the Spanish Government under Project No. TIN2013-47276-C6-2-R and by the Junta de AndalucĂa under Project No. P11-TIC-7154
Quantum computational tensor network on string-net condensate
The string-net condensate is a new class of materials which exhibits the
quantum topological order. In order to answer the important question, "how
useful is the string-net condensate in quantum information processing?", we
consider the most basic example of the string-net condensate, namely the
gauge string-net condensate on the two-dimensional hexagonal lattice, and show
that the universal measurement-based quantum computation (in the sense of the
quantum computational webs) is possible on it by using the framework of the
quantum computational tensor network. This result implies that even the most
basic example of the string-net condensate is equipped with the correlation
space that has the capacity for the universal quantum computation.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Personal relatedness and attachment in infants of mothers with borderline personality disorder
The principal aim of this study was to assess personal relatedness and attachment patterns in 12-month-old infants of mothers with borderline personality disorder (BPD). We also evaluated maternal intrusive insensitivity toward the infants in semistructured play. We videotaped 10 mother-infant dyads with borderline mothers and 22 dyads where the mothers were free from psychopathology, in three different settings: a modification of Winnicott's Set Situation in which infants faced an initially unresponsive ("still-face") stranger, who subsequently tried to engage the infant in a game of give and take; the Strange Situation of Ainsworth and Wittig; and a situation in which mothers were requested to teach their infants to play with miniature figures and a toy train. In relation to a set of a priori predictions, the results revealed significant group differences as follows: (a) compared with control infants, toward the stranger the infants of mothers with BPD showed lower levels of "availability for positive engagement," lower ratings of "behavior organization and mood state," and a lower proportion of interpersonally directed looks that were positive; (b) in the Strange Situation, a higher proportion (8 out of 10) of infants of borderline mothers were categorized as Disorganized; and (c) in play, mothers with BPD were rated as more "intrusively insensitive" toward their infants. The results are discussed in relation to hypotheses concerning the interpersonal relations of women with BPD, and possible implications for their infants' development
Hyperonic crystallization in hadronic matter
Published in Hadrons, Nuclei and Applications, World Scientific, Singapore,
Proc.of the Conference Bologna2000. Structure of the Nucleus at the Dawn of the
Century, G. Bonsignori, M. Bruno, A. Ventura, D. Vretenar Editors, pag. 319.Comment: 4 pages, 2figure
Detection of Symmetry Protected Topological Phases in 1D
A topological phase is a phase of matter which cannot be characterized by a
local order parameter. It has been shown that gapped phases in 1D systems can
be completely characterized using tools related to projective representations
of the symmetry groups. We show how to determine the matrices of these
representations in a simple way in order to distinguish between different
phases directly. From these matrices we also point out how to derive several
different types of non-local order parameters for time reversal, inversion
symmetry and symmetry, as well as some more general cases
(some of which have been obtained before by other methods). Using these
concepts, the ordinary string order for the Haldane phase can be related to a
selection rule that changes at the critical point. We furthermore point out an
example of a more complicated internal symmetry for which the ordinary string
order cannot be applied.Comment: 12 pages, 9 Figure
Compositional uniformity, domain patterning and the mechanism underlying nano-chessboard arrays
We propose that systems exhibiting compositional patterning at the nanoscale,
so far assumed to be due to some kind of ordered phase segregation, can be
understood instead in terms of coherent, single phase ordering of minority
motifs, caused by some constrained drive for uniformity. The essential features
of this type of arrangements can be reproduced using a superspace construction
typical of uniformity-driven orderings, which only requires the knowledge of
the modulation vectors observed in the diffraction patterns. The idea is
discussed in terms of a simple two dimensional lattice-gas model that simulates
a binary system in which the dilution of the minority component is favored.
This simple model already exhibits a hierarchy of arrangements similar to the
experimentally observed nano-chessboard and nano-diamond patterns, which are
described as occupational modulated structures with two independent modulation
wave vectors and simple step-like occupation modulation functions.Comment: Preprint. 11 pages, 11 figure
Pinworms of the red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus) in Colombia. Gathering the pieces of the pinworm-primate puzzle
Pinworms of primates are believed to be highly host specific parasites, forming co-evolutionary associations with their hosts. In order to assess the strength and reach of such evolutionary links, we need to have a broad understanding of the pinworm diversity associated with primates. Here, we employed an integrative taxonomic approach to assess pinworm diversity in red howler monkeys in Colombia. Molecular and morphological evidence validate the presence of at least four different species of Trypanoxyuris occurring in red howler monkeys: T. minutus, a widely distributed species, and three new species, T. seunimiii n. sp., T. kemuimae n. sp. and T. kotudoi n. sp. The mitochondrial COI gene and the 28S ribosomal gene were used for phylogenetic assessments through Bayesian inference. The three new species were morphologically distinct and formed reciprocally monophyletic lineages. Further molecular lineage subdivision in T. minutus and T. kotudoi n. sp. without morphological correspondence, suggests the potential scenario for the existence of cryptic species. Phylogenetic relationships imply that the different species of Trypanoxyuris occurring in each howler monkey species were acquired through independent colonization events. On-going efforts to uncover pinworm diversity will allow us to test the degree of host specificity and the co-phylogenetic hypothesis, as well as to further unravel the primate-pinworm evolutionary history puzzle
The effects of competition between larvae of stored-product moths
The competition between Idaea inquinata, Corcyra cephalonica, and Plodia interpunctella on an artificial diet was investigated. The experiments were carried out with eggs laid within 24 hours. In the first experiment, 20 eggs of one species were placed in a ventilated Petri dish with 10 g of diet and 20 eggs of one of the other species; in the second experiment, 20 eggs of one species and, after 7 days, 20 eggs of one of the other species were added. Experiments were carried out at 27\ub11 \ub0C, 70\ub15% R.H. Each experiment was replicated 5 times and the number of days to complete the development and the number of emerged adults were recorded. The number of P. interpunctella adults was not affected by the presence of C. cephalonica or I. inquinata. A delay in the development was only observed when P. interpunctella eggs were added to the medium already colonized by the other species. I. inquinata was the less competitive, as the number of adults decreased and the days to complete the cycle increased. The development of I. inquinata was prevented if P. interpunctella eggs were started at the same time. Larvae of this last species cannibalized eggs of the other two species. I. inquinata was the least competitive due to the longer cycle, the lower mobility and the aggressiveness of the larvae of the other two species that cannibalized its eggs
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