Static features in real-time recognition of isolated vowels at high pitch

This paper addresses the problem of automatic identification of vowels uttered in isolation by female and child speakers. In this case, the magnitude spectrum of voiced vowels is sparsely sampled since only frequencies at integer multiples of F0 are significant. This impacts negatively on the performance of vowel identification techniques that either ignore pitch or rely on global shape models. A new pitch-dependent approach to vowel identification is proposed that emerges from the concept of timbre and that defines perceptual spectral clusters (PSC) of harmonic partials. A representative set of static PSC-related features are estimated and their performance is evaluated in automatic classification tests using the Mahalanobis distance. Linear prediction features and Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) coefficients are used as a reference and a database of five (Portuguese) natural vowel sounds uttered by 44 speakers (including 27 child speakers) is used for training and testing the Gaussian models. Results indicate that perceptual spectral cluster (PSC) features perform better than plain linear prediction features, but perform slightly worse than MFCC features. However, PSC features have the potential to take full advantage of the pitch structure of voiced vowels, namely in the analysis of concurrent voices, or by using pitch as a normalization parameter.     

Finite Integral Transform Solutions for Free Vibrations of Rectangular Thin Plates With Mixed Boundary Constraints北大核心CSCD

Analytical solutions, with unique research value, can serve as benchmarks for empirical formulas and numerical methods, a tool for rapid parameter analysis and optimization, and a theoretical basis for experimental designs. Conventional analytical methods, e.g., the Lévy solution method, are only applicable to mechanical problems of plates and shells with opposite simply-supported edges, which, however, may fail to obtain analytical solutions for the issues with complex boundary constraints. In recent years, the finite integral transform method for plate and shell problems was developed to deal with non-Lévy-type plates and shells, but it is still infeasible to solve the mixed boundary constrains-induced complex boundary value problems of higher-order partial differential equations. Herein, for the first time, the finite integral transform method was combined with the sub-domain decomposition technique to solve the free vibrations of rectangular thin plates with mixed boundary constraints. The rectangular plate was first divided into 2 sub-domains according to the mixed boundary constraints, and the 2 sub-domains were solved analytically with the finite integral transform method. Finally, the continuity conditions were introduced to obtain the analytical solution of the original problem. Based on the side spot-welded cantilever plates commonly used in engineering, the free vibration problem of a rectangular thin plate with 1 edge subjected to clamped-simply supported constraints and the other 3 edges free, was analyzed. The obtained natural frequencies and mode shapes are in good agreement with those from the finite element method as well as the solutions in literature, thus verifying the accuracy of the proposed method. The solution procedure of the finite integral transform method can be implemented based on the governing equations without any assumption of the solution form. Therefore, this strict analytical method is widely applicable to complex boundary value problems of higher-order partial differential equations for such mechanical problems of plates and shells. © 2023 Editorial Office of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics. All rights reserved.     

Multiphonon Bundle Emission in a Strong-Coupling Cavity Optomechanical System

Nonclassical effects in mesoscopic systems have attracted much attention recently. In this paper, it is shown that multiphonon bundle emission can be observed in a strong-coupling cavity optomechanical system. Theoretical analysis shows that when the driving field is adjusted to nth-order sideband excitation, the coupling between the cavity mode and the vibrational mode leads to super-Rabi oscillations, and finally results in an n-phonon bundles emission. Based on the current technology, this process can work in a wide range of parameters. Numerical simulation confirms the validity of the derivation. It is thought that this physical mechanism broadens the applications of cavity optomechanical system in realm of quantum phononics, such as in quantum metrology and phonon laser.     

圆宝山隧道炭质板岩大变形段初期支护结构受力特性研究

为了准确掌握丽香铁路圆宝山隧道炭质板岩大变形段初期支护结构受力特性,结合深埋炭质板岩隧道大变形特点,通过调查分析发现炭质板岩具有显著的各向异性特征,在地下水、高地应力及施工扰动等复杂因素作用下表现出显著的蠕变特性,从而导致隧道发生大变形。同时,对圆宝山隧道展开围岩变形及初期支护受力监测,监测结果表明,薄层炭质板岩段围岩的变形速率、变形量整体上较中厚层炭质板岩段围岩大,且达到稳定所需的时间更长;围岩压力与钢拱架应力基本呈从拱顶到拱脚减小的趋势,且围岩压力最大值出现在拱肩,而钢拱架应力最大值分布位置不固定,常见分布位置为两侧拱墙上下,这与钢拱架因发生扭曲而设置横支撑基本吻合;变更支护参数后,围岩的时效特性有明显改善,尤以薄层炭质板岩段围岩最为明显,同时围岩压力分布更加均匀,钢拱架出现拉应力现象不再集中。基于上述研究成果,选择I18型工字钢焊制钢架、设置间距为0.6m、喷射厚为27cm的C25混凝土作为初期支护,同时采用"弱爆破、短进尺"的掘进方式,以达到控制深埋炭质板岩隧道围岩变形的目的。     

条带式太阳帆的结构动力学分析

依靠光压推进,太阳帆被认为是最可行的星际探测航天器,太阳帆结构总体方案主要有两类:桅杆式和旋转式,其中,帆膜被分割成窄条的条带式太阳帆在桅杆式太阳帆中具有较为理想的结构效率,如何准确计算条带式太阳帆的结构动力学特性值得研究.本文对条带式太阳帆结构的振动特性和结构稳定性进行研究,将太阳帆看作是由若干个桅杆-膜带组件依次连接而成的整体结构,桅杆-膜带组件由4根桅杆段和4条薄膜条带组成,分段轴压作用下的桅杆与薄膜条带耦合振动.考虑帆面薄膜条带与支撑桅杆之间的耦合振动,采用分布传递函数法建立了的条带式太阳帆的结构动力学模型,推导了条带式太阳帆结构自由振动和失稳载荷的求解方法.研究表明:条带式太阳帆构型有利于提高太阳帆结构的整体刚度和结构稳定性,随着帆面薄膜条带数目的增加,太阳帆结构的振动频率和失稳载荷增大;随着帆面薄膜预应力的增大,太阳帆结构振动的基频减小,稳定性变差;随着支撑桅杆刚度的提高,太阳帆结构整体的振动频率和失稳载荷增大.本文建立的解析求解方法具有求解效率快和精度高的特点,为条带式太阳帆的结构设计和姿态控制提供了有力的分析工具.      

Fetal hematopoietic stem cells express MFG-E8 during mouse embryogenesis

The milk fat globule-EGF-factor 8 protein (MFG-E8) has been identified in various tissues, where it has an important role in intercellular interactions, cellular migration, and neovascularization. Previous studies showed that MFG-E8 is expressed in different cell types under normal and pathophysiological conditions, but its expression in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) during hematopoiesis has not been reported. In the present study, we investigated MFG-E8 expression in multiple hematopoietic tissues at different stages of mouse embryogenesis. Using immunohistochemistry, we showed that MFG-E8 was specifically expressed in CD34⁺ HSCs at all hematopoietic sites, including the yolk sac, aorta-gonad-mesonephros region, placenta and fetal liver, during embryogenesis. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting and polymerase chain reaction analyses demonstrated that CD34⁺ cells, purified from the fetal liver, expressed additional HSC markers, c-Kit and Sca-1, and that these CD34⁺ cells, but not CD34⁻ cells, highly expressed MFG-E8. We also found that MFG-E8 was not expressed in HSCs in adult mouse bone marrow, and that its expression was confined to F4/80⁺ macrophages. Together, this study demonstrates, for the first time, that MFG-8 is expressed in fetal HSC populations, and that MFG-E8 may have a role in embryonic hematopoiesis.     

Synthesis,Thermal Properties,and Thermoresponsive Behaviors of Cyclic Poly(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl Methacrylate)s

This study aims at physicochemical properties of thermo‐ and pH/CO₂‐responsive cyclic homopolymers. Three examples of cyclic poly(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)s (PDMAs) are synthesized by combining the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer process and the Diels–Alder ring‐closure reaction. After cyclization, the glass transition temperature significantly increases (ΔT_g = 51.8–59.7 °C) due to the different configurational entropy and end groups, and the maximum decomposition temperature to lose the pendent groups is drastically decreased from 309 to 278 °C. Effects of polymerization degree, polymer concentration, additive of NaCl, and pH/CO₂ on lower critical solution temperature behaviors of PDMA aqueous solutions are investigated. The cloud points (T_c) of ring PDMAs are usually higher than their linear precursors, and the ΔT_c values obtained under a fixed condition can reach up to 20.7 °C, revealing the crucial role of the topology effect. This study paves the way for unique properties and applications of smart cyclic polymers and their derivatives.