A quantum vocal theory of sound

Concepts and formalism from acoustics are often used to exemplify quantum mechanics. Conversely, quantum mechanics could be used to achieve a new perspective on acoustics, as shown by Gabor studies. Here, we focus in particular on the study of human voice, considered as a probe to investigate the world of sounds. We present a theoretical framework that is based on observables of vocal production, and on some measurement apparati that can be used both for analysis and synthesis. In analogy to the description of spin states of a particle, the quantum-mechanical formalism is used to describe the relations between the fundamental states associated with phonetic labels such as phonation, turbulence, and supraglottal myoelastic vibrations. The intermingling of these states, and their temporal evolution, can still be interpreted in the Fourier/Gabor plane, and effective extractors can be implemented. The bases for a quantum vocal theory of sound, with implications in sound analysis and design, are presented

Patent Production at a European Research University: Exploratory Evidence at the Laboratory Level

Most studies of academic patenting focus on the university as the unit of analysis. In contrast, we examine this phenomenon at the laboratory level. Based on a sample of 83 research laboratories of Louis Pasteur University (ULP, Strasbourg, France) from 1993 to 2000, we constructed a panel data set that allows us to discriminate between patents that are owned by the university and those that are owned by firms and other organizations but invented by faculty members. We use these data to estimate a patent production function and find that university-owned patents are more responsive to specific public funding, while non-university-owned patents are more responsive to industrial funding. Our results also highlight the importance to control for disciplinary and institutional differences, since they significantly affect the production of the different kinds of ULP patents. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006university patent, European university, laboratory, contractual funding, O31, O32, O34, O38, O39,