Mandarin Chinese tone patterns vary in one of the four ways, i.e, (1) high level; (2) rising; (3) low falling and rising; and (4) high falling. The present study is to examine the efficacy of an artificial neural netw...Mandarin Chinese tone patterns vary in one of the four ways, i.e, (1) high level; (2) rising; (3) low falling and rising; and (4) high falling. The present study is to examine the efficacy of an artificial neural network in recognizing these tone patterns. Speech data were recorded from 12 children (3-6 years of age) and 15 adults. All subjects were native Mandarin Chinese speakers. The fundamental frequencies (F0) of each monosyllabic word of the speech data were extracted with an autocorrelation method. The pitch data(i.e., the F0 contours) were the inputs to a feed-forward backpropagation artificial neural network. The number of inputs to the neural network varied from 1 to 16 and the hidden layer of the network contained neurons that varied from 1 to 16 in number. The output of the network consisted of four neurons representing the four tone patterns of Mandarin Chinese. After being trained with the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization, the neural network was able to successfully classify the tone patterns with an accuracy of about 90% correct for speech samples from both adults and children. The artificial neural network may provide an objective and effective way of assessing tone production in prelingually-deafened children who have received cochlear implants.展开更多
Two discriminative methods for solving tone problems in Mandarin speech recognition are presented. First, discriminative training on the HMM （hidden Markov model） based tone models is proposed. Then an integration t...Two discriminative methods for solving tone problems in Mandarin speech recognition are presented. First, discriminative training on the HMM （hidden Markov model） based tone models is proposed. Then an integration technique of tone models into a large vocabulary continuous speech recognition system is presented. Discriminative model weight training based on minimum phone error criteria is adopted aiming at optimal integration of the tone models. The extended Baum Welch algorithm is applied to find the model-dependent weights to scale the acoustic scores and tone scores. Experimental results show that tone recognition rates and continuous speech recognition accuracy can be improved by the discriminatively trained tone model. Performance of a large vocabulary continuous Mandarin speech recognition system can be further enhanced by the discriminatively trained weight combinations due to a better interpolation of the given models.展开更多
Aiming at difficulties for Chinese students to learn English,based on phonology theory,this article compares the Chinese tone with English intonation from various aspects,the finding is that the two language families ...Aiming at difficulties for Chinese students to learn English,based on phonology theory,this article compares the Chinese tone with English intonation from various aspects,the finding is that the two language families have a great difference in intonation;intonation is put to use without high proficiency for students due to the influence of Chinese tone and its simplified pedagogy.展开更多
For those who are going to work with English at an advanced level as English-majored students,teachers or researchers,a deeper understanding about intonation is very important.At this level,intonation deals with more ...For those who are going to work with English at an advanced level as English-majored students,teachers or researchers,a deeper understanding about intonation is very important.At this level,intonation deals with more complicated features such as prominence,key,termination,tone,pitch sequence,and orientation in interactions.As a matter of fact,knowledge of these aspects is of crucial importance for advanced learners of English:It can help language users gain more confidence and proficiency in speaking the target language as well as in arriving at a complete understanding of English interactions.Based on the qualitative and quantitative data,the survey reveals the effect of teaching tones on developing speaking skills for advanced students of the language.Regarding the practical applications,this study serves to build up students’awareness and provide useful practice of the knowledge of tones they have to deal with in speech,thus outlining ways to improve speaking skills for students in Vietnamese contexts.展开更多
The aim of the study was to verify the efficacy of the Tone-Control method in inducing a reduction in the tension of the muscles of the shoulder girdle,and therefore a normalisation of posture in the segment.The autho...The aim of the study was to verify the efficacy of the Tone-Control method in inducing a reduction in the tension of the muscles of the shoulder girdle,and therefore a normalisation of posture in the segment.The authors analysed the change in posture,which was related to the muscle tension of the pectoralis major muscle and the trapezius muscle,resulting from the administration of a programme of encoded exercises known as the Tone Control method.The study was conducted on 70 patients with postural back pain,aged between 25 and 81 years and with a mean age of 61.9 years,11 male patients and 59 female patients,who attended group rehabilitation for a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 sessions.Acute phase patients,patients on anti-inflammatory pharmacological treatment and patients with hernias or bulging causing thecal sac impingement were excluded from the study.Measurements were taken of the angles of the joints in the scapulohumeral segment during the first and last sessions.The NRS(numeric rating scale)pain scale was administered at the start and end of the cycle of sessions.Conclusions:Patients in the study group experienced improvements in the angle measurements that were proportionally greater than those of the control group,together with a considerable reduction in perceived pain,with an overall improvement in posture and shoulder girdle function.展开更多
The asymmetric behaviour of the mid tone has been reported in the Yoruboid literature and previous accounts of tone behaviour in Iṣẹkírìsuggest that a low tone is always deleted in favour of others at word b...The asymmetric behaviour of the mid tone has been reported in the Yoruboid literature and previous accounts of tone behaviour in Iṣẹkírìsuggest that a low tone is always deleted in favour of others at word boundary.However,synchronic data have shown that this is not the case.This paper investigates tonal asymmetry and the non-participation of the mid tone in some phonological processes in Iṣẹkírì.The study adopts an Optimality Theory(OT)version that incorporates the grounding conditions to develop constraints of implicational statements into faithfulness constraints.Data are elicited from eight speakers of the language,recordings are with the aid of a digital audio device and the tool used for our acoustic measurement is Praat 6.0.30.The analysis reveals that tonal asymmetry in this language always deletes the Mid-tone at word boundary and not the Low tone,also noting that the Low tone may be deleted in some cases.The lack of participation of the M tone in some phonological processes such as vowel elision,glide formation and vowel assimilation reveals the unstable nature of this tone in Iṣẹkírì.This paper concludes that the M tone is in asymmetry to the H and L tones in Iṣẹkírìand demonstrates the need for more perceptual and acoustic studies of tonal behaviour in Iṣẹkírì.展开更多
This paper presents a method to characterize asphalt pavement macrotexture using the gray-tone difference matrix （GTDM）and discusses the potentials of the GTDM indicators for skid resistance evaluation.There are 37 ...This paper presents a method to characterize asphalt pavement macrotexture using the gray-tone difference matrix （GTDM）and discusses the potentials of the GTDM indicators for skid resistance evaluation.There are 37 field sites included in the data collection,which cover 6 types of asphalt pavement surfaces. The mean profile depth derived from 3-D macrotexture measurements （MPD3 ） has a significant relationship with the mean texture depth （MTD ）,which can be described by a logarithm model with R2 of 0.962.There is no significant linear relationship between the friction coefficient at a speed of 60 km/h （DFT60 ）and macrotexture indicators.A nonlinear model with British pendulum number （BPN ） incorporated can relate DFT60 to MTD or indicator fcon .A comparison with MTD shows that GTDM-based fcon has a potential to be a macrotexture indicator for skid resistance evaluation,which describes the general height difference and the average local height difference of pavement macrotexture. A relatively high fcon is helpful for improving asphalt pavement skid resistance.展开更多
In this paper, a novel signal-to-clipping noise ratio and least squares approximation tone reservation scheme(SCR-LSA TR) is proposed to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio for orthogonal frequency division multipl...In this paper, a novel signal-to-clipping noise ratio and least squares approximation tone reservation scheme(SCR-LSA TR) is proposed to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems. During the SCR procedure, only the element with the maximal amplitude is picked for processing, which not only decreases the algorithm complexity, but also helps to overcome the BER deterioration. With the LSA method, the amplitude of the peak-cancelling signals can approximate to that of the original clipping noise as much as possible. Through the combination of the optimization factor in the LSA method, the classic SCR method can achieve better PAPR reduction with faster convergence. Simulation results show that the proposed SCR-LSA TR scheme has less in-band distortion and smaller out-of-band spectral radiation. The BER of the proposed scheme shows a better performance especially under the 16-QAM over the additive white Gaussian noise channel.展开更多
This study investigates the relationship between the tone of financial disclosures and managers’earnings management behavior using Form 20-F filings of Chinese firms listed in the U.S.during 2002–2014.The results sh...This study investigates the relationship between the tone of financial disclosures and managers’earnings management behavior using Form 20-F filings of Chinese firms listed in the U.S.during 2002–2014.The results show that the proportion of positive,uncertain,or modal words used in financial disclosures is positively related to corporate earnings management,implying that managers attempt to conceal earnings management behavior by manipulating the tone of their financial reports.In addition,robustness tests are conducted using an alternative proxy for earnings management that considers the effects of the financial crisis and separately examines the information and non-information technology industries.The results suggest that the tone used in financial disclosures has informative value,and textual analysis can be an effective tool for identifying earnings management.展开更多
The starting point of this study is the theory of tonal consonance by Plomp and Levelt. The major reference point is the theory of Critical Band and its use for evaluating consonance of simple tones. On the basis of s...The starting point of this study is the theory of tonal consonance by Plomp and Levelt. The major reference point is the theory of Critical Band and its use for evaluating consonance of simple tones. On the basis of such empirical criterion, our aim consists in providing a method of estimating the value of consonance of complex tones, by taking account not only of the number of harmonics, but also of the intensity of the partials which contribute to forming the tone. By introducing a specific algorithm, the level of consonance of a chord of complex tones is expressed in terms both of frequency differences and sound intensity of the partials. The results give rise to a series of considerations and applications, ranging from displaying the order of consonance of all intervals within the octave up to evaluating the hierarchy of chords in the frame of a musical scale.展开更多
The proposed scheme is based on Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) domain processing. The key technology of this scheme is jamming parameters' accurate estimation and jamming reconstruction. Compared with the 't...The proposed scheme is based on Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) domain processing. The key technology of this scheme is jamming parameters' accurate estimation and jamming reconstruction. Compared with the 'threshold exciser' scheme the proposed scheme can eliminate more jamming energy on the whole frequency band with the minimum loss of useful signal energy. As shown in the research and simulation, the proposed scheme is much better than the 'threshold exciser' scheme, especially in the case of high power jamming whereas the 'threshold exciser' scheme might be invalid.展开更多
Objective To assess the utility of low- and high-frequency tympanometry in the diagnosis of middle ear dysfunction in Chinese infants. Methods Tympanograms were obtained with 226 Hz, 678 Hz and 1000 Hz probe tones fro...Objective To assess the utility of low- and high-frequency tympanometry in the diagnosis of middle ear dysfunction in Chinese infants. Methods Tympanograms were obtained with 226 Hz, 678 Hz and 1000 Hz probe tones from infants aged 5-25 weeks with normal auditory brainstem responses(ABRs)(15 infants, 30 ears) and with prolonged wave I latencies(17 infants, 20 ears), suggesting middle ear dysfunction, using a GSI Tympstar middle ear analyzer Version II. Results The single-peaked tympanogram was the most characteristic type in both groups and seen in 25 ears (83.3%) in the normal ABR group and in 18 ears (90%) in the delayed wave I group, respectively. The peak pressure, peak compensated static acoustic admittance and gradient of 226 Hz tympanometry were of no significant differences between the two groups. The 678 Hz tympanograms of admittance, susceptance and conductance demonstrated non-peak, single-, double- and tri-peaked patterns in both groups. The agreement between ABRs and 678 Hz tympanograms of admittance,susceptance and conductance were 70.0%, 58.0% and 64.0%(kappa=0.324, 0.234 and 0.118) respectively. For 1000 Hz probe tone, admittance, susceptance and conductance tympanograms showed single peaked patterns in 28(93.3%), 25 (83.3%) and 26(86.7%) of the 30 normal ears. Admittance, susceptance and conductance tympanograms using the 1000 Hz probe tone were flat in 15 (75%), 17(85%) and 13 (65%) of the ears in infants with prolonged wave I latencies. For 1000 Hz admittance, susceptance and conductance Tympanograms, the agreement between tympanometry and ABR results were 90.0%, 92.0% and 86.0% with kappa at 0.783, 0.831 and 0.690, respectively. Conclusion 1000 Hz probe tone tympanometry is a promising middle ear function test for infants of 1-6 months age, while 226 Hz and 678 Hz probe tones are less efficient in detecting middle ear dysfunction in infants.展开更多
文摘Mandarin Chinese tone patterns vary in one of the four ways, i.e, (1) high level; (2) rising; (3) low falling and rising; and (4) high falling. The present study is to examine the efficacy of an artificial neural network in recognizing these tone patterns. Speech data were recorded from 12 children (3-6 years of age) and 15 adults. All subjects were native Mandarin Chinese speakers. The fundamental frequencies (F0) of each monosyllabic word of the speech data were extracted with an autocorrelation method. The pitch data(i.e., the F0 contours) were the inputs to a feed-forward backpropagation artificial neural network. The number of inputs to the neural network varied from 1 to 16 and the hidden layer of the network contained neurons that varied from 1 to 16 in number. The output of the network consisted of four neurons representing the four tone patterns of Mandarin Chinese. After being trained with the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization, the neural network was able to successfully classify the tone patterns with an accuracy of about 90% correct for speech samples from both adults and children. The artificial neural network may provide an objective and effective way of assessing tone production in prelingually-deafened children who have received cochlear implants.
文摘Two discriminative methods for solving tone problems in Mandarin speech recognition are presented. First, discriminative training on the HMM （hidden Markov model） based tone models is proposed. Then an integration technique of tone models into a large vocabulary continuous speech recognition system is presented. Discriminative model weight training based on minimum phone error criteria is adopted aiming at optimal integration of the tone models. The extended Baum Welch algorithm is applied to find the model-dependent weights to scale the acoustic scores and tone scores. Experimental results show that tone recognition rates and continuous speech recognition accuracy can be improved by the discriminatively trained tone model. Performance of a large vocabulary continuous Mandarin speech recognition system can be further enhanced by the discriminatively trained weight combinations due to a better interpolation of the given models.
文摘Aiming at difficulties for Chinese students to learn English,based on phonology theory,this article compares the Chinese tone with English intonation from various aspects,the finding is that the two language families have a great difference in intonation;intonation is put to use without high proficiency for students due to the influence of Chinese tone and its simplified pedagogy.
文摘For those who are going to work with English at an advanced level as English-majored students,teachers or researchers,a deeper understanding about intonation is very important.At this level,intonation deals with more complicated features such as prominence,key,termination,tone,pitch sequence,and orientation in interactions.As a matter of fact,knowledge of these aspects is of crucial importance for advanced learners of English:It can help language users gain more confidence and proficiency in speaking the target language as well as in arriving at a complete understanding of English interactions.Based on the qualitative and quantitative data,the survey reveals the effect of teaching tones on developing speaking skills for advanced students of the language.Regarding the practical applications,this study serves to build up students’awareness and provide useful practice of the knowledge of tones they have to deal with in speech,thus outlining ways to improve speaking skills for students in Vietnamese contexts.
文摘The aim of the study was to verify the efficacy of the Tone-Control method in inducing a reduction in the tension of the muscles of the shoulder girdle,and therefore a normalisation of posture in the segment.The authors analysed the change in posture,which was related to the muscle tension of the pectoralis major muscle and the trapezius muscle,resulting from the administration of a programme of encoded exercises known as the Tone Control method.The study was conducted on 70 patients with postural back pain,aged between 25 and 81 years and with a mean age of 61.9 years,11 male patients and 59 female patients,who attended group rehabilitation for a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 sessions.Acute phase patients,patients on anti-inflammatory pharmacological treatment and patients with hernias or bulging causing thecal sac impingement were excluded from the study.Measurements were taken of the angles of the joints in the scapulohumeral segment during the first and last sessions.The NRS(numeric rating scale)pain scale was administered at the start and end of the cycle of sessions.Conclusions:Patients in the study group experienced improvements in the angle measurements that were proportionally greater than those of the control group,together with a considerable reduction in perceived pain,with an overall improvement in posture and shoulder girdle function.
文摘The asymmetric behaviour of the mid tone has been reported in the Yoruboid literature and previous accounts of tone behaviour in Iṣẹkírìsuggest that a low tone is always deleted in favour of others at word boundary.However,synchronic data have shown that this is not the case.This paper investigates tonal asymmetry and the non-participation of the mid tone in some phonological processes in Iṣẹkírì.The study adopts an Optimality Theory(OT)version that incorporates the grounding conditions to develop constraints of implicational statements into faithfulness constraints.Data are elicited from eight speakers of the language,recordings are with the aid of a digital audio device and the tool used for our acoustic measurement is Praat 6.0.30.The analysis reveals that tonal asymmetry in this language always deletes the Mid-tone at word boundary and not the Low tone,also noting that the Low tone may be deleted in some cases.The lack of participation of the M tone in some phonological processes such as vowel elision,glide formation and vowel assimilation reveals the unstable nature of this tone in Iṣẹkírì.This paper concludes that the M tone is in asymmetry to the H and L tones in Iṣẹkírìand demonstrates the need for more perceptual and acoustic studies of tonal behaviour in Iṣẹkírì.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.50908004,51178013)
文摘This paper presents a method to characterize asphalt pavement macrotexture using the gray-tone difference matrix （GTDM）and discusses the potentials of the GTDM indicators for skid resistance evaluation.There are 37 field sites included in the data collection,which cover 6 types of asphalt pavement surfaces. The mean profile depth derived from 3-D macrotexture measurements （MPD3 ） has a significant relationship with the mean texture depth （MTD ）,which can be described by a logarithm model with R2 of 0.962.There is no significant linear relationship between the friction coefficient at a speed of 60 km/h （DFT60 ）and macrotexture indicators.A nonlinear model with British pendulum number （BPN ） incorporated can relate DFT60 to MTD or indicator fcon .A comparison with MTD shows that GTDM-based fcon has a potential to be a macrotexture indicator for skid resistance evaluation,which describes the general height difference and the average local height difference of pavement macrotexture. A relatively high fcon is helpful for improving asphalt pavement skid resistance.
基金support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (61401360)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (3102017zy026)+1 种基金the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China (2016JM6017)the Scientific Research Program Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Education Department (16JK1702)
文摘In this paper, a novel signal-to-clipping noise ratio and least squares approximation tone reservation scheme(SCR-LSA TR) is proposed to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems. During the SCR procedure, only the element with the maximal amplitude is picked for processing, which not only decreases the algorithm complexity, but also helps to overcome the BER deterioration. With the LSA method, the amplitude of the peak-cancelling signals can approximate to that of the original clipping noise as much as possible. Through the combination of the optimization factor in the LSA method, the classic SCR method can achieve better PAPR reduction with faster convergence. Simulation results show that the proposed SCR-LSA TR scheme has less in-band distortion and smaller out-of-band spectral radiation. The BER of the proposed scheme shows a better performance especially under the 16-QAM over the additive white Gaussian noise channel.
基金supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China(Grant No.17BJY019).
文摘This study investigates the relationship between the tone of financial disclosures and managers’earnings management behavior using Form 20-F filings of Chinese firms listed in the U.S.during 2002–2014.The results show that the proportion of positive,uncertain,or modal words used in financial disclosures is positively related to corporate earnings management,implying that managers attempt to conceal earnings management behavior by manipulating the tone of their financial reports.In addition,robustness tests are conducted using an alternative proxy for earnings management that considers the effects of the financial crisis and separately examines the information and non-information technology industries.The results suggest that the tone used in financial disclosures has informative value,and textual analysis can be an effective tool for identifying earnings management.
文摘The starting point of this study is the theory of tonal consonance by Plomp and Levelt. The major reference point is the theory of Critical Band and its use for evaluating consonance of simple tones. On the basis of such empirical criterion, our aim consists in providing a method of estimating the value of consonance of complex tones, by taking account not only of the number of harmonics, but also of the intensity of the partials which contribute to forming the tone. By introducing a specific algorithm, the level of consonance of a chord of complex tones is expressed in terms both of frequency differences and sound intensity of the partials. The results give rise to a series of considerations and applications, ranging from displaying the order of consonance of all intervals within the octave up to evaluating the hierarchy of chords in the frame of a musical scale.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.60172029)
文摘The proposed scheme is based on Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) domain processing. The key technology of this scheme is jamming parameters' accurate estimation and jamming reconstruction. Compared with the 'threshold exciser' scheme the proposed scheme can eliminate more jamming energy on the whole frequency band with the minimum loss of useful signal energy. As shown in the research and simulation, the proposed scheme is much better than the 'threshold exciser' scheme, especially in the case of high power jamming whereas the 'threshold exciser' scheme might be invalid.
文摘Objective To assess the utility of low- and high-frequency tympanometry in the diagnosis of middle ear dysfunction in Chinese infants. Methods Tympanograms were obtained with 226 Hz, 678 Hz and 1000 Hz probe tones from infants aged 5-25 weeks with normal auditory brainstem responses(ABRs)(15 infants, 30 ears) and with prolonged wave I latencies(17 infants, 20 ears), suggesting middle ear dysfunction, using a GSI Tympstar middle ear analyzer Version II. Results The single-peaked tympanogram was the most characteristic type in both groups and seen in 25 ears (83.3%) in the normal ABR group and in 18 ears (90%) in the delayed wave I group, respectively. The peak pressure, peak compensated static acoustic admittance and gradient of 226 Hz tympanometry were of no significant differences between the two groups. The 678 Hz tympanograms of admittance, susceptance and conductance demonstrated non-peak, single-, double- and tri-peaked patterns in both groups. The agreement between ABRs and 678 Hz tympanograms of admittance,susceptance and conductance were 70.0%, 58.0% and 64.0%(kappa=0.324, 0.234 and 0.118) respectively. For 1000 Hz probe tone, admittance, susceptance and conductance tympanograms showed single peaked patterns in 28(93.3%), 25 (83.3%) and 26(86.7%) of the 30 normal ears. Admittance, susceptance and conductance tympanograms using the 1000 Hz probe tone were flat in 15 (75%), 17(85%) and 13 (65%) of the ears in infants with prolonged wave I latencies. For 1000 Hz admittance, susceptance and conductance Tympanograms, the agreement between tympanometry and ABR results were 90.0%, 92.0% and 86.0% with kappa at 0.783, 0.831 and 0.690, respectively. Conclusion 1000 Hz probe tone tympanometry is a promising middle ear function test for infants of 1-6 months age, while 226 Hz and 678 Hz probe tones are less efficient in detecting middle ear dysfunction in infants.
