2,192 research outputs found
Speech Enhancement Guided by Contextual Articulatory Information
Previous studies have confirmed the effectiveness of leveraging articulatory
information to attain improved speech enhancement (SE) performance. By
augmenting the original acoustic features with the place/manner of articulatory
features, the SE process can be guided to consider the articulatory properties
of the input speech when performing enhancement. Hence, we believe that the
contextual information of articulatory attributes should include useful
information and can further benefit SE in different languages. In this study,
we propose an SE system that improves its performance through optimizing the
contextual articulatory information in enhanced speech for both English and
Mandarin. We optimize the contextual articulatory information through
joint-train the SE model with an end-to-end automatic speech recognition (E2E
ASR) model, predicting the sequence of broad phone classes (BPC) instead of the
word sequences. Meanwhile, two training strategies are developed to train the
SE system based on the BPC-based ASR: multitask-learning and deep-feature
training strategies. Experimental results on the TIMIT and TMHINT dataset
confirm that the contextual articulatory information facilitates an SE system
in achieving better results than the traditional Acoustic Model(AM). Moreover,
in contrast to another SE system that is trained with monophonic ASR, the
BPC-based ASR (providing contextual articulatory information) can improve the
SE performance more effectively under different signal-to-noise ratios(SNR).Comment: Will be submitted to TASL
The association between problematic cellular phone use and risky behaviors and low self-esteem among Taiwanese adolescents
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cellular phone use (CPU) is an important part of life for many adolescents. However, problematic CPU may complicate physiological and psychological problems. The aim of our study was to examine the associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 11,111 adolescent students in Southern Taiwan were randomly selected into this study. We used the Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire to identify the adolescents with problematic CPU. Meanwhile, a series of risky behaviors and self-esteem were evaluated. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the associations between problematic CPU and risky behaviors and low self-esteem regarding gender and age.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results indicated that positive associations were found between problematic CPU and aggression, insomnia, smoking cigarettes, suicidal tendencies, and low self-esteem in all groups with different sexes and ages. However, gender and age differences existed in the associations between problematic CPU and suspension from school, criminal records, tattooing, short nocturnal sleep duration, unprotected sex, illicit drugs use, drinking alcohol and chewing betel nuts.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There were positive associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents. It is worthy for parents and mental health professionals to pay attention to adolescents' problematic CPU.</p
Commentary on: Are we overpathologizing everyday life? A tenable blueprint for behavioral addiction research : Excessive behaviors are not necessarily addictive behaviors
Background and Aims
The commentary aims to provide clarity to the article “Are we overpathologizing everyday life? A tenable blueprint for behavioral addiction research.”
Methods
We provide another viewpoint for the important issues of behavior addiction.
Result
The course of behavior addiction should be further studied. The criteria of withdrawal and tolerance of behavior addiction are ill-defined and need to be further evaluated.
Conclusions
The etiology, course, presentation, and functional impairment of behavior addiction should be validated by evidencebased data before being defined as a disorder
Cyclic Alopecia and Abnormal Epidermal Cornification in Zdhhc13-Deficient Mice Reveal the Importance of Palmitoylation in Hair and Skin Differentiation
Many biochemical pathways involved in hair and skin development have not been investigated. Here, we reported on the lesions and investigated the mechanism underlying hair and skin abnormalities in Zdhhc13skc4 mice with a deficiency in DHHC13, a palmitoyl-acyl transferase encoded by Zdhhc13. Homozygous affected mice showed ragged and dilapidated cuticle of the hair shaft (CUH, a hair anchoring structure), poor hair anchoring ability, and premature hair loss at early telogen phase of the hair cycle, resulting in cyclic alopecia. Furthermore, the homozygous affected mice exhibited hyperproliferation of the epidermis, disturbed cornification, fragile cornified envelope (CE, a skin barrier structure), and impaired skin barrier function. Biochemical investigations revealed that cornifelin, which contains five palmitoylation sites at cysteine residues (C58, C59, C60, C95, and C101), was a specific substrate of DHHC13 and that it was absent in the CUH and CE structures of the affected mice. Furthermore, cornifelin levels were markedly reduced when two palmitoylated cysteines were replaced with serine (C95S and C101S). Taken together, our results suggest that DHHC13 is important for hair anchoring and skin barrier function and that cornifelin deficiency contributes to cyclic alopecia and skin abnormalities in Zdhhc13skc4 mice
Identifying Individuals in Need of Help for Their Uncontrolled Gaming: A Narrative Review of Concerns and Comments Regarding Gaming Disorder Diagnostic Criteria
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Measurements of Natural Carbonate Rare Earth Elements in Femtogram Quantities by Inductive Coupled Plasma Sector Field Mass Spectrometry
A rapid and precise standard-bracketing method has been developed for measuring femtogram quantity rare earth element (REE) levels in natural carbonate samples by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry that does not require chemical separation steps. A desolvation nebulization system was used to effectively reduce polyatomic interference and enhance sensitivity. REE/Ca ratios are calculated directly from the intensities of the ion beams of 46Ca, 139La, 140Ce, 141Pr, 146Nd, 147Sm, 153Eu, 160Gd, 159Tb, 163Dy, 165Ho, 166Er, 169Tm, 172Yb, and 175Lu using external matrix-matched synthetic standards to correct for instrumental ratio drifting and mass discrimination. A routine measurement time of 3 min is typical for one sample containing 20-40 ppm Ca. Replicate measurements made on natural coral and foraminiferal samples with REE/Ca ratios of 2-242 nmol/mol show that external precisions of 1.9-6.5% (2 RSD) can be achieved with only 10-1000 fg of REEs in 10-20 μg of carbonate. We show that different sources for monthly resolved coral ultratrace REE variability can be distinguished using this method. For natural slow growth-rate carbonate materials, such as sclerosponges, tufa, and speleothems, the high sample throughput, high precision, and high temporal resolution REE records that can be produced with this procedure have the potential to provide valuable time-series records to advance our understanding of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental dynamics on different time scales
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