Automatic stress exaggeration by prosody modification to assist language learners perceive sentence stress

In this paper, we propose a set of automatic stress exaggeration methods that can enlarge the differences between stressed and unstressed syllables. Our stress exaggeration methods can be used in computer-aided language learning systems to assist second language learners perceive stress patterns. The intention of our automatic stress exaggeration methods is to support hyper-pronunciation training which is commonly used in classrooms by teachers. In hyper-pronunciation training, exaggeration is used to help learners increase their awareness of acoustic features and effectively apply these features into their pronunciation. Duration, pitch and intensity have been claimed to be the main acoustic features that are closely related to stress in English language. Thus, four stress exaggeration methods are proposed in this paper: (i) duration-based stress exaggeration, (ii) pitch-based stress exaggeration, (iii) intensity-based stress exaggeration, and (iv) a combined stress exaggeration method that integrates the duration-based, pitch-based and intensity-based exaggeration methods. Our perceptual experimental results show that resynthesised stimuli by our proposed stress exaggerated methods can help learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) better perceive English stress patterns significantly.     

Gas atomization of cobalt ferrite-phosphate melts

A rapidly solidified (Co, Fe)₃O₄ spinel was formed in a cobalt-iron-phosphate glass matrix by gas atomization of melts of composition 37.5% mol % CoO, 37.5%Fe₂O₃, 25% P₂O₅; and 40% CoO, 40% Fe₂O₃, 20% P₂O₅, and the material has been characterized using size analysis, X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.In the 20 mol % P₂O₅ composition, atomized powder 50–100m in diameter contained 33 wt % (Co, Fe)₃O₄. The ferrite crystallized as randomly oriented, faceted dendrites parallel to 100, and the growth was apparently diffusion controlled. Unlike the ferrite, where iron is in both tetrahedral and octahedral coordination, the iron in the glassy matrix was predominantly in distorted octahedral coordination. Overall particle size distributions were broad (15–700m), with 50 wt % smaller than 200m. The maximum in the size distribution shifted from 150 to 80m on increasing the atomizing pressure from 7 to 20 bar (100 to 300 psi). Calculations have shown that the cooling rates obtained with oxide melts vary strongly with droplet size, and less strongly with melt temperature.     

Assessing the usefulness of bibliometric indicators for the humanities and the social and beha vioural sciences: A comparative study

An evaluation was made of the use of bibliometric indicators for five disciplines in the humanities (social history, general linguistics, general literature, Dutch literature, and Dutch language) and three disciplines in the social and behavioural sciences (experimental psychology, anthropology, and public administration) in the Netherlands. Articles in journals were the predominant outlet in all disciplines. Monographs and popularizing articles were more important outlets in softer fields than in harder ones. The enlightenment function of scholarship was especially evident in Dutch literature and language, and public administration. Only some of the humanities disciplines are locally oriented. Although many publications were written in English, only experimental psychology, general linguistics, anthropology, and genrral literature were internationally oriented regarding output media. The impact of departments differed greatly both within and between disciplines. For all disciplines, bibliometric indicators are potentially useful for monitoring international impact, as expert interviews confirmed. Especially in Dutch language, Dutch literature and public administration, ISI-citation data are not very useful for monitoring national impact.     

Crystal structure of synthesized CuGaTe2 determined by X-ray powder diffraction using the Rietveld method

A full profile X-ray powder diffraction structure refinement has been carried out on a sample of synthesized CuGaTe₂ using graphite monocromatized CuK step-scan data and a profile shape of the Pearson VII type. The most satisfactory convergence was achieved at R _p = 0.0666, R _wp = 0.0884, R _B = 0.0106 and R _F = 0.0102. The derived structural parameters at 26.5°C are: a = 0.602348(7), c = 1.193979(2) nm and x(Te) = 0.256(6). The ratio between lattice parameters, = c/2a = 0.9911 (0), differs from 1.0, indicating a tetragonal distortion, and non-ideal anion displacements, x(Te)1/4, is manifested by the existence of bond alternation of Cu-Te and Ga-Te with interatomic distances of 0.262(5) and 0.2578(5) nm, respectively. These results show a light tetrahedral deformation produced by four-fold tetrahedra of the copper cation in the CuGaTe₂ chalcopyrite-type structure.     

Accurate determination of the mean relative humidity in controlled climates at high humidities (new method)

The measurement of the relative humidity (RH) at high levels to the desired accuracy is still a problem, especially for levels above 90% RH. The reasons for this are:

• i The accuracy of the standard apparatus is lower at high RH than at moderate and low RH;
• ii The need for accurate measurement of the RH in moisture controlled rooms is greater at high RH than at lower RH, because for moisture sensitive products, such as fibreboard boxes and certain horticultural products, the influence of a minor deviation in RH on the properties of these products is considerably greater at high RH than at moderate and low RH.

     

Seven-pinhole tomography of the thyroid

In this paper we introduce a new application of the sevenpinhole (7P) collimator: tomographic imaging of the thyroid. The collimator design has been reoptimized for this particular application by diminishing the distance from the collimator plate to the crystal and by choosing a smaller pinhole diameter. To reconstruct thyroid images from the two-dimensional projection data we use a method which we developed for 7P tomographic imaging of the heart [1]. Phantom experiments and patient studies demonstrate that this new device is capable of producing tomographic images of good quality and high resolution. Therefore, it seems to offer a promising alternative to conventional planar imaging of the thyroid (using a single-pinhole collimator).     

Time-coded aperture tomography: experimental results

In this paper, we discuss the applicability of a time-coded aperture system especially designed for thyroid tomography on the basis of phantom experiments. Our studies show that 1) the quality of the reconstructions is high (e.g., a cold spot of 6 mm diameter in a thyroid phantom can easily be detected), and 2) the reconstruction can be carried out in less than 11 min on a standard 16 bit minicomputer (HP1000). It is therefore concluded that the clinical potentiality of the device is good.     

Beam profile measurement of a solar-pumped iodine laser

Beam profile measurements have been made as a function of time within the laser pulse and C2F5I pressure. Measurements indicate that the profile is determined directly by the optical excitation volume, produced by the solar simulator, and that media distortion plays a minor role compared to the build up of quenching species during the lasing pulse.     

A 2-D five-noded finite element to model power singularity

A 2-D five-noded finite element which contains a singularity is developed. The new element is compatible with cubic standard isoparametric elements. The main advantage of using cubic isoparametric elements over quadratic elements is to reduce the number of elements required to model a structure for results of comparable accuracy. The element is tested on two different examples. In the first example, an edge crack problem is analyzed using two different meshes. The second example is a crack perpendicular to the interface problem which is solved for two different specific composites. The results obtained using the proposed element are compared with those obtained using other existing elements in the literature. Those comparisons demonstrate the superiority of the present technique in using less number of elements and nodes to produce accurate results.