Monaural speech segregation using synthetic speech signals

When listening to natural speech, listeners are fairly adept at using cues such as pitch, vocal tract length, prosody, and level differences to extract a target speech signal from an interfering speech masker. However, little is known about the cues that listeners might use to segregate synthetic speech signals that retain the intelligibility characteristics of speech but lack many of the features that listeners normally use to segregate competing talkers. In this experiment, intelligibility was measured in a diotic listening task that required the segregation of two simultaneously presented synthetic sentences. Three types of synthetic signals were created: (1) sine-wave speech (SWS); (2) modulated noise-band speech (MNB); and (3) modulated sine-band speech (MSB). The listeners performed worse for all three types of synthetic signals than they did with natural speech signals, particularly at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values. Of the three synthetic signals, the results indicate that SWS signals preserve more of the voice characteristics used for speech segregation than MNB and MSB signals. These findings have implications for cochlear implant users, who rely on signals very similar to MNB speech and thus are likely to have difficulty understanding speech in cocktail-party listening environments.     

Spectroscopic study ofβ-Ni(OH)2 under pressure

Infrared absorption and Raman study ofβ-Ni(OH)₂ has been carried out up to 25 GPa and 33 GPa, respectively. The frequency ofA _2u internal antisymmetric stretching O-H mode decreases linearly with pressure at a rate of −0.7 cm⁻1/GPa. The FWHM of this mode increases continuously with pressure and reaches a value of ∼ 120 cm⁻¹ around 25 GPa. There was no discernible change observed in the frequency and width of the symmetric stretchingA _1g O-H Raman mode up to 33 GPa. The constancy of the Raman mode is taken as a signature of the repulsion produced by H-H contacts in this material under pressure. Lack of any discontinuity in these modes suggests that there is no phase transition in this material in the measured pressure range.     

Pairing and superconductivity driven by strong quasiparticle renormalization in two-dimensional organic charge transfer salts

We introduce and analyze a variational wave function for quasi-two-dimensional kappa-(ET)(2) organic salts containing strong local and nonlocal correlation effects. We find an unconventional superconducting ground state for intermediate charge carrier interaction, sandwiched between a conventional metal at weak coupling and a spin liquid at larger coupling. Most remarkably, the excitation spectrum is dramatically renormalized and is found to be the driving force for the formation of the unusual superconducting state.     

Pd‐Catalyzed Csp2H Functionalization of Heteroarenes via Isocyanide Insertion: Concise Synthesis of Di‐(Hetero)Aryl Ketones and Di‐(Hetero)Aryl Alkylamines

We report herein an efficient Pd‐catalyzed direct C?H bond functionalization of heteroarenes via an isocyanide insertion strategy for the synthesis of di‐(hetero)aryl ketones and di‐(hetero)aryl alkylamines. The methodology involves a three component reaction between an azole, a haloarene and an isocyanide resulting in the formation of an imine, which in turn is either hydrolyzed or reduced to get the desired product.     

Photoreactions with a Twist: Atropisomerism‐Driven Divergent Reactivity of Enones with UV and Visible Light

Light‐induced transformation of atropisomeric and achiral enones displays divergent reactivity. Photocyclization leading to 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2‐one was observed with achiral enone carboxamide, whereas the atropisomeric enone carboxamides underwent hydrogen abstraction leading to spiro‐β‐lactams. Detailed photochemical, photophysical, and theoretical investigations have provided insight into this divergent reactivity and selectivity.     

Base promoted facile route to functionalized benzo[b][1,8]naphthyridin-2-(1H)-ones from N-benzyl-N-(3-cyanoquinolin-2-yl)acetamides

A facile synthesis of 4-amino-N-benzylbenzo[b][1,8]naphthyridin-2(1H)-ones 3 is described from N-benzyl-N-(3-cyanoquinolin-2-yl)acetamides 2 with t-BuOK in excellent yields in mild conditions. These reactions proceeded at room temperature under aerobic atmosphere in very short period. The cyclization reactions were also extended with N-alkyl amino acetamide analogues affording the products in good yields.     

Amperometric hydrogen peroxide and cholesterol biosensors designed by using hierarchical curtailed silver flowers functionalized graphene and enzymes deposits

Novel flower-like silver particles with triangular plates as building block along with functionalized graphene (straggled sheets) and enzymes horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or cholesterol oxidase (ChOx), were obtained on graphite electrode by galvanostatic electrodeposition method. The morphology of the electrodeposits has been characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray. The resulting biosensors named Nf/(HRP-f-graphene-Ag)/Gr and Nf/(ChOx-f-graphene-Ag)/Gr were evaluated for electrochemical activity using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and chronoamperometry. Optimization of the interdependent experimental parameters such as pH and temperature were achieved and maintained constant throughout the experiments. An activation energy of 2.5 kJ mol^?1 was obtained for Nf/(HRP-f-graphene-Ag)/Gr electrode while Nf/(ChOx-f-graphene-Ag)/Gr showed an activation energy of 2.06 and 3.12 kJ mol^?1. Furthermore, the former electrode demonstrated a good linear range of 25 μM to 19.35 mM with rapid response time of 3 s and detection limit of 5 μM for hydrogen peroxide. Similarly, the Nf/(ChOx-f-graphene-Ag)/Gr electrode revealed a linear range of 0.1–4.5 mM with rapid response time of 3 s and an excellent detection limit of 0.514 mM for cholesterol. Besides this, the Nf/(HRP-f-graphene-Ag)/Gr and Nf/(ChOx-f-graphene-Ag)/Gr electrodes displayed a Michaelis–Menten constant of 0.26 and 0.57 mM, respectively, suggesting high affinity and enzymatic activity. The enhanced performance of biosensors towards detection of substrate and rejection of interferents, provided an evidence for its high anti-interference ability. Additionally the biosensors exhibit long term storage stability and reproducibility with antifouling properties.     

Carbonylrhodium complexes of pyridine ligands and their catalytic activity towards carbonylation of methanol

The cis‐[Rh(CO)₂ClL] (1) complexes, where L = 2‐methylpyridine (a), 3‐methylpyridine (b), 4‐methylpyridine (c), 2‐phenylpyridine (d), 3‐phenylpyridine (e), 4‐phenylpyridine (f), undergo oxidative addition reactions with various electrophiles, like CH₃I, C₂H₅I, C₆H₅CH₂Cl or I₂, to yield complexes of the types [Rh(CO)(COR)ClXL] (2) (where R = CH₃ (i), C₂H₅ (ii), X = I; R = C₆H₅CH₂ (iii), X = Cl) or [Rh(CO)ClI₂L] (3) and [Rh(CO)₂ClI₂L] (4). The pseudo‐first‐order rate constants of CH₃I addition with complexes 1 containing pyridine (g) and 2‐substituted pyridine (a and d) ligands were found to follow the order pyridine >2‐methylpyridine >2‐phenylpyridine. The catalytic activity of complexes 1 containing different pyridine ligands (a–g) on carbonylation of methanol was studied and, in general, a higher turnover number was obtained compared with that of the well‐known species [Rh(CO)₂I₂]^?. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Oxidative behavior and relative reactivities of some unsaturated compounds towards hexachloroiridate(IV) in perchloric acid medium

The kinetics of the oxidation of styrene, cinnamic acid, and some of their substituted derivatives by hexachloroiridate(IV) in dimethyl formamide–water mixtures and in the presence of perchloric acid have been investigated. The reactions appear to proceed via the formation of an unstable intermediate 1:1 complex between iridium(IV) and the substrate, followed by the decomposition of the complex in the rate‐determining step. Correlation with σ yielded ρ values of ?4.0 and ?3.5 which suggests the formation of a cationic intermediate in the rate‐determining step of the reaction. Subsequent cleavage of the carbon–carbon bond yielded the product aldehydes. Thermodynamic and activation parameters associated with the equilibrium and the rate‐determining steps were also evaluated. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 411–417, 2002     

Metal-dependent global folding and activity of the 8-17 DNAzyme studied by fluorescence resonance energy transfer

The 8-17 DNAzyme is a DNA metalloenzyme catalyzing RNA transesterification in the presence of divalent metal ions, with activity following the order Pb2+ > Zn2+ >Mg2+. Since the DNAzyme has been used as a metal ion sensor, its metal-induced global folding was studied by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) by labeling the three stems of the DNAzyme with the Cy3/Cy5 FRET pair two stems at a time in order to gain deeper insight into the role of different metal ions in its structure and function. FRET results indicated that, in the presence of Zn2+ and Mg2+, the DNAzyme folds into a compact structure, stem III approaching a configuration defined by stems I and II without changing the angle between stems I and II. Correlations between metal-induced folding and activity were also studied. For Zn2+ and Mg2+, the metal ion with higher affinity for the DNAzyme in global folding (Kd(Zn) = 52.6 microM and Kd(Mg) = 1.36 mM) also displays higher affinity in activity (Kd(Zn) = 1.15 mM and Kd(Mg) = 53 mM) under the same conditions. Global folding was saturated at much lower concentrations of Zn2+ and Mg2+ than the cleavage activities, indicating the global folding of the DNAzyme occurs before the cleavage activity for those metal ions. Surprisingly, no Pb2+-dependent global folding was observed. These results suggest that for Pb2+ global folding of the DNAzyme may not be a necessary step in its function, which may contribute to the DNAzyme having the highest activity in the presence of Pb2+.