Effects of signal-to-noise ratio, signal periodicity, and degree of hearing impairment on the performance of voice-separation algorithms

Procedures for enhancing the intelligibility of a target talker in the presence of a co-channel competing talker were evaluated in tests involving (i) continuously voiced sentences spoken on a monotone, (ii) continuously voiced sentences with time-varying intonation, and (iii) noncontinuously voiced sentences produced with natural intonation. The procedures were based on the methods of harmonic selection and cepstral filtering [R.J. Stubbs and Q. Summerfield, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 87, 359-372 (1990)]. Target and competing voices were combined at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) between -10 dB and +10 dB. Subjects were a group with normal hearing and a heterogeneous group with mild-moderate cochlear hearing impairments. Processing enhanced the target voice over a range of SNRs for each type of sentence and for most listeners. Enhancement was greatest at negative SNRs. Among the impaired listeners, benefit was generally greater for those with milder losses. These results consolidate and extend previous demonstrations that voice-separation algorithms that exploit the harmonic structure of the voiced portions of speech can enhance intelligibility. However, practical application of such algorithms depends on a solution to the problem of tracking the fundamental-frequency contour of one voice in the presence of a competing voice.     

Hydromagnetic instability of streaming fluids in porous medium

The instability of the plane interface between two uniform, superposed, electrically conducting and counter-streaming fluids through a porous medium is considered in the presence of a horizontal magnetic field. In the absence of surface tension, perturbations transverse to the direction of streaming are found to be unaffected by the presence of streaming if perturbations in the direction of streaming are ignored. For perturbations in all other directions there exists instability for a certain wavenumber range. The instability of this system is postponed by the presence of magnetic field. The magnetic field and surface tension are able to suppress this Kelvin-Helmholtz instability for small wavelength perturbations and the medium porosity reduces the stability range given in terms of a difference between the streaming velocities and the Alfvén velocity.This research forms a part of the research project awarded to the first author (R.C.S.) by the University Grants Commission.     

Quasi-extremality for control systems

A full exposition of the authors' previously announced results about the extremality index of controls in smooth control systems and a generalization of these results to systems with constraints on the controls.Translated from Itogi Nauki i Tekhniki, Seriya Sovremennye Problemy Matematiki, Noveishie Dostizheniya, Vol. 35, pp. 109–134, 1989.     

Behavior of Aluminum in Its Electric-Spark Dispersion in Aqueous Solutions of Some Acids

The influence exerted by the nature and concentration of a number of organic and mineral acids on the composition of products formed in electric-spark dispersion of aluminum was studied.     

Frequency dependence of ionic conductivity and dielectric relaxation studies in Na3H(SO4)2 single crystal

Electrical impedance measurements of Na₃H(SO₄)₂ were performed as a function of both temperature and frequency. The electrical conductivity and dielectric relaxation have been evaluated. The temperature dependence of electrical conductivity reveals that the sample crystals transformed to the fast ionic state in the high temperature phase. The dynamical disordering of hydrogen and sodium atoms and the orientation of SO₄ tetrahedra results in fast ionic conductivity. In addition to the proton conduction, the possibility of a Na⁺ contribution to the conductivity in the high temperature phase is proposed. The frequency dependence of AC conductivity is proportional to ω^s. The value of the exponent, s, lies between 0.85 and 0.46 in the room temperature phase, whereas it remains almost constant, 0.6, in the high-temperature phase. The dielectric dispersion is examined using the modulus formalism. An Arrhenius-type behavior is observed when the crystal undergoes the structural phase transition.     

ON THE ROLES OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ADMISSIBLE BOUNDARY CONSTRAINTS IN FOURIER SOLUTIONS TO THE BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS OF COMPLETELY COUPLED r TH ORDER PDES

A heretofore unavailable double Fourier series based approach, for obtaining non-separable solution to a system of completely coupled linear r th order partial differential equations with constant coefficients and subjected to general (completely coupled) boundary conditions, has been presented. The method has been successfully implemented to solve a class of hitherto unsolved boundary-value problems, pertaining to free and forced vibrations of arbitrarily laminated anisotropic doubly curved thin panels of rectangular planform, with arbitrarily prescribed (both symmetric and asymmetric with respect to the panel centerlines) admissible boundary conditions and subjected to general transverse loading.Existing solutions such as those due to Navier or Levy are based on the well-known method of separation of variables. Such solutions represent particular solutions whenever the method of separation of variables work, and when these particular solution functions fortuitously satisfy the boundary conditions. For derivation of the complementary solution, the complementary boundary constraints are introduced through boundary discontinuities of some of the particular solution functions and their partial derivatives. Such discontinuities form sets of measure zero.Various cases of lamination, geometry and dynamic response (forced and free vibrations) of a class of thin anisotropic laminated shells (curved panels) have been shown to follow from the above. Six sets of boundary conditions are used to illustrate the present method for the derivation of complementary solutions. Navier-type solutions whenever available form special cases of the present general solution.     

Raman spectroscopy of topotecan, an inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase I

Topotecan (TPT), a water-soluble derivative of camptothecin (inhibitor of human DNA topoiomerase I), has found wide application in cancer chemotherapy. The central problem in using topotecan is the presence of lactone rings in its molecules, which undergo hydrolysis at a physiological pH yielding an inactive and even toxic form of the drug. The analysis of Raman spectra of TPT in H₂O and D₂O solutions made it possible to assign the spectral bands to the vibrations of particular molecular groups. Spectral features indicative of the opening of the lactone rings of the TPT molecules, deprotonation of the hydroxyl groups in their quinoline fragments, and of possible participation of the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in H bonding are found. The data obtained are necessary to study the molecular mechanisms of TPT-DNA interaction and the formation of ternary complexes between TPT, DNA, and DNA topoisomerase I.