Singing voice correction using canonical time warping

Expressive singing voice correction is an appealing but challenging problem. A robust time-warping algorithm which synchronizes two singing recordings can provide a promising solution. We thereby propose to address the problem by canonical time warping (CTW) which aligns amateur singing recordings to professional ones. A new pitch contour is generated given the alignment information, and a pitch-corrected singing is synthesized back through the vocoder. The objective evaluation shows that CTW is robust against pitch-shifting and time-stretching effects, and the subjective test demonstrates that CTW prevails the other methods including DTW and the commercial auto-tuning software. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method in a practical, real-world scenario

Productivity Change in Taiwan's Farmers' Credit Unions: A Nonparametric Risk-Adjusted Malmquist Approach

This article proposes an extended three-stage DEA methodology similar to Fried et al. (2002) to improve the measurement of productivity growth then the assumption of free disposability of undesirable outpu t does not apply. A directional distance function is used to construct adjusted Malmquist-Luenberger productivity indexes which simultaneously account for the impacts of undesirable outputs, environmental variables, and statistical noise. Panel data for 264 farmers' credit unions (FCUs) in Taiwan covering the 1998-2000 period are employed to illustrate the advantages of this method. On average, the productivity of Taiwan's FCUs is found to have deteriorated over the 1998-2000 period. Although an improvement in efficiency has been observed, the major reason for the deterioration is found to be due to the regression of techno logy.Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index, three-stage DEA, undesirable outputs, directional distance function, Agricultural Finance, Productivity Analysis,

Retraction: Estimation of progression of multi-state chronic disease using the Markov model and prevalence pool concept

This article [1] has been retracted because the Editors are unable to ensure the scientific veracity of the findings or the ethical conduct of the authors despite an extensive investigation

OPAAS: a web server for optimal, permuted, and other alternative alignments of protein structures

The large number of experimentally determined protein 3D structures is a rich resource for studying protein function and evolution, and protein structure comparison (PSC) is a key method for such studies. When comparing two protein structures, almost all currently available PSC servers report a single and sequential (i.e. topological) alignment, whereas the existence of good alternative alignments, including those involving permutations (i.e. non-sequential or non-topological alignments), is well known. We have recently developed a novel PSC method that can detect alternative alignments of statistical significance (alignment similarity P-value <10(−5)), including structural permutations at all levels of complexity. OPAAS, the server of this PSC method freely accessible at our website (), provides an easy-to-read hierarchical layout of output to display detailed information on all of the significant alternative alignments detected. Because these alternative alignments can offer a more complete picture on the structural, evolutionary and functional relationship between two proteins, OPAAS can be used in structural bioinformatics research to gain additional insight that is not readily provided by existing PSC servers

Butylidenephthalide antagonizes cromakalim-induced systolic pressure reduction in conscious normotensive rats

Merged planning photographs of [284] southern pavilion rubble fill removed to reveal ditch fill and natural; facing west; linked as external references to excavation plan 'Thwing_4-2_excavation_plan.dwg

The Contribution of Commitment Value in Internet Commerce: An Empirical Investigation

Exploring what makes Internet customers satisfied is perhaps one of the most important challenges facing customer relationship managers in this decade. It is important because prior studies suggest that happy customers make repeat purchases and develop brand loyalty. However, there is not enough accumulated knowledge to understand specifically the determinants of customer satisfaction in Internet commerce. To more accurately understand the determinants that may enhance a customer\u27s satisfaction with their Internet shopping experience, this study looks at the customer\u27s commitment value and examines its relationships with the customer\u27s satisfaction. Commitment value is defined as a total value perception from a buyer and is composed of three components: sociopsychological, economic, and product values. The results from this study show that the sociopsychological value (i.e., shopping enjoyment and convenience in purchasing) and the product value (i.e., product quality) contribute significantly to the attainment of customer satisfaction. The economic value (i.e., reduction of time spent in Internet shopping), however, has no significant positive impact on customer satisfaction. Explanations are presented along with the implications

Podem as técnicas de imagem molecular identificar biomarcadores nos distúrbios neuropsiquiátricos?

Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Neurociências ClínicasInstituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert EinsteinSINAPSE InstituteUNIFESP, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Neurociências ClínicasSciEL

The Influence of Type 2 Diabetes and Glucose-Lowering Therapies on Cancer Risk in the Taiwanese

Objective. To investigate the association between type 2 diabetes, glucose-lowering therapies (monotherapy with either metformin, sulphonylurea or insulin) and cancer risk in Taiwan. Methods. Using Taiwan's National Health Research Institutes database of 1,000,000 random subjects from 2000–2008, we found 61777 patients with type 2 diabetes (age ≥20 years) and 677378 enrollees with no record of diabetes. Results. After adjusting for age and sex, we found patients with diabetes to have significantly higher risk of all cancers (OR: 1.176; 95% CI: 1.149–1.204, P < 0.001). Diabetic patients treated with insulin or sulfonylureas had significantly higher risk of all cancers, compared to those treated with metformin (OR: 1.583; 95% CI: 1.389–1.805, P < 0.001 and OR: 1.784; 95% CI: 1.406–2.262, P < 0.001). Metformin treatment was associated with a decreased risk of colon and liver cancer compared to sulphonylureas or insulin treatment. Sulfonylureas treatment was associated with an increased risk of breast and lung cancer compared to metformin therapy. Conclusions. Taiwanese with type 2 diabetes are at a high risk of breast, prostate, colon, lung, liver and pancreatic cancer. Those treated with insulin or sulfonylureas monotherapy are more likely to develop colon and liver cancer than those treated with metformin

Staggered intercalation of DNA duplexes with base-pair modulation by two distinct drug molecules induces asymmetric backbone twisting and structure polymorphism

The use of multiple drugs simultaneously targeting DNA is a promising strategy in cancer therapy for potentially overcoming single drug resistance. In support of this concept, we report that a combination of actinomycin D (ActD) and echinomycin (Echi), can interact in novel ways with native and mismatched DNA sequences, distinct from the structural effects produced by either drug alone. Changes in the former with GpC and CpG steps separated by a A:G or G:A mismatch or in a native DNA with canonical G:C and C:G base pairs, result in significant asymmetric backbone twists through staggered intercalation and base pair modulations. A wobble or Watson-Crick base pair at the two drug-binding interfaces can result in a single-stranded 'chair-shaped' DNA duplex with a straight helical axis. However, a novel sugar-edged hydrogen bonding geometry in the G:A mismatch leads to a 'curved-shaped' duplex. Two non-canonical G:C Hoogsteen base pairings produce a sharply kinked duplex in different forms and a four-way junction-like superstructure, respectively. Therefore, single base pair modulations on the two drug-binding interfaces could significantly affect global DNA structure. These structures thus provide a rationale for atypical DNA recognition via multiple DNA intercalators and a structural basis for the drugs' potential synergetic use

Understanding Potential Cyber-Armies in Elections: A Study of Taiwan

Currently, online social networks are essential platforms for political organizations to monitor public opinion, disseminate information, argue with the opposition, and even achieve spin control. However, once such purposeful/aggressive articles flood social sites, it would be more difficult for users to distinguish which messages to read or to trust. In this paper, we aim to address this issue by identifying potential “cyber-armies/professional users” during election campaigns on social platforms. We focus on human-operated accounts who try to influence public discussions, for instance, by publishing hundreds/thousands of comments to show their support or rejection of particular candidates. To achieve our objectives, we collected activity data over six months from a prominent Taiwan-based social forum before the 2018 national election and applied a series of statistical analyses to screen out potential targets. From the results, we successfully identified several accounts according to distinctive characteristics that corresponded to professional users. According to the findings, users and platforms could realize potential information manipulation and increase the transparency of the online society