Vowel Intelligibility in Classical Singing

Vowel intelligibility during singing is an important aspect of communication during performance. The intelligibility of isolated vowels sung by Western classically trained singers has been found to be relatively low, in fact, decreasing as pitch rises, and it is lower for women than for men. The lack of contextual cues significantly deteriorates vowel intelligibility. It was postulated in this study that the reduced intelligibility of isolated sung vowels may be partly from the vowels used by the singers in their daily vocalises. More specifically, if classically trained singers sang only a few American English vowels during their vocalises, their intelligibility for American English vowels would be less than for those classically trained singers who usually vocalize on most American English vowels. In this study, there were 21 subjects (15 women, 6 men), all Western classically trained performers as well as teachers of classical singing. They sang 11 words containing 11 different American English vowels, singing on two pitches a musical fifth apart. Subjects were divided into two groups, those who normally vocalize on 4, 5, or 6 vowels, and those who sing all 11 vowels during their daily vocalises. The sung words were cropped to isolate the vowels, and listening tapes were created. Two listening groups, four singing teachers and five speech-language pathologists, were asked to identify the vowels intended by the singers. Results suggest that singing fewer vowels during daily vocalises does not decrease intelligibility compared with singing the 11 American English vowels. Also, in general, vowel intelligibility was lower with the higher pitch, and vowels sung by the women were less intelligible than those sung by the men. Identification accuracy was about the same for the singing teacher listeners and the speech-language pathologist listeners except for the lower pitch, where the singing teachers were more accurate.     

纺织锭杆超精机PLC控制系统的设计研究

简要介绍了纺织锭杆超精机的设计思想，给出了自动控制系统的软硬件结构的设计方法，对纺织企业具有一定的参考价值．     

金属工件内部残余应力的振动消除研究

本文针对传统的消除金属工作内部残余应力的热时效处理法的不足，从激振角度，运用材料力学、动力学中的振动理论等知识，并通过大量试验验证，研究了振动消除应力的方法－－振动时效法的原理及其有关问题。说明这种新的方法具有节能、高效等一系列优点。     

频率受随机过程调制的体系中的光谱扩散

通过在Bloch方程中增加描述对频率微扰的随机过程项{ω(t)},我们讨论了系统在窄谱带的光激发后的光谱扩散。特别是以下两种情况:1)如果ω以相同的概率变化为系综中的任一ω’,光谱是一个指数式衰减的定域峰和指数式增长的动态非均匀背底的叠加。2)如果ω'到ω的概率仅与|ω’-ω|有关,非定域峰随时间变宽。作为一个例子,我们讨论了频率受多个独立随机电报过程调制的系统中的光谱扩散。     

高频MOS－CV特性的界面态形变及其测量

讨论了工艺过程中产生的界面态陷阱电荷Ｑ（ｉｔ）对高频ＭＯＳ－ＣＶ特性线的形变规律，提出了一种沿电压方向形变的数据处理方法，以此算出Ｑ（ｉｔ）密度在禁带中的分布，并对常规高频ＣＶ法的测量误差作了讨论和修正，由于数据的采集和处理可以由微机完成，使这种方法变得简便、准确并易于在工艺线上推广使用。     

Average speaking fundamental frequency in soprano singers with and without symptoms of vocal attrition

Nineteen trained soprano singers aged 18–30 years vocalized tasks designed to assess average speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) during spontaneous speaking and reading. Vocal range and perceptual characteristics while singing with low intensity and high frequency were also assessed, and subjects completed a survey of vocal habits/symptoms. Recorded signals were digitized prior to being analyzed for SFF using the Kay Computerized Speech Lab program. Subjects were assigned to a normal voice or impaired voice group based on ratings of perceptual tasks and survey results. Data analysis showed group differences in mean SFF, no differences in vocal range, higher mean SFF values for reading than speaking, and 58% ability to perceive speaking in low pitch. The role of speaking in too low pitch as causal for vocal symptoms and need for voice classification differentiation in vocal performance studies are discussed.     

Interval parameter perturbation method for evaluating the bounds on natural frequencies of structures with interval parameters

For structural parameters with uncertainties, interval mathematics can, in the case where the probabilistic distribution density of uncertain variables is unavailable, deal with the influence of uncertainties in structural parameters on the response of structures. In order to evaluate the region containing natural frequencies of structures with interval parameters, the interval parameter perturbation method is presented in this paper. The advantage of the present method is its computational efficiency in evaluating the region containing natural frequencies. A numerical example is used to illustrate the efficiency of the method proposed. The project is supported by National Youth Natural Science Foundation of China and National Outstanding Youth Science Foundation of China.     

The Büttiker-Landauer model generalized

Büttiker and Landauer studied scattering off an oscillating rectangular barrier in order to shed light on the time aspects of tunneling. The expression for the traversal time resulting from this study is controversial. In addition, doubts have recently been expressed on technical aspects of their work. In an attempt to clarify these issues, we investigate a generalization of their model to arbitrary oscillating barriers,V(x, t)=V ₀(x)+V ₁(x)cos t. In the process, we confirm that Büttiker and Landauer's work is technically sound. However, we show, by several examples, that no direct general relation exists between the characteristic frequency of an oscillating barrier and the duration of the tunneling process. For a wide range of realistic parameters this characteristic frequency does not even exist.This paper is dedicated to E. G. D. Cohen.     

1-烃基-1-硅杂环丁烷的合成及其Si—H键伸缩振动频率与结构关系的研究

硅杂环丁烷在有机硅化学中是一类非常重要的小分子环系化合物。由于硅杂环丁烷和环丁烷的环张力相似,因而显示出较高的反应活性。例如能与某些试剂作用,生成开环产物;在光解或热解条件下,产生具有Si=C结构的高活性中间体,可用以合成多种有机硅化合物。     

Novel simulated moving-bed adsorber for the fractionation of gas mixtures

The separation of propylene-propane mixture is an energy intensive operation commercially practiced using cryogenic distillation. The separation by pressure swing adsorption has been studied as an alternative. A fixed-bed pressure swing adsorption yields the heavy component as a pure product. The product recovery and the productivity are not high. In a moving-bed process, because of the counter-current solid-gas contact, the separation achieved is similar to that of the fractionation by distillation. Although the moving-bed operation offers the upper limit for the performance of a cyclic adsorptive process, due to mechanical complexities in the handling of solids the 'simulated' moving-bed is preferred. By moving the inlet and outlet ports of streams located along the length of the bed, a moving-bed process can be realized in a fixed bed. We describe here a 'moving-port' system which permits injection or withdrawal of the fluid along the axial direction in a fixed bed. A fixed bed embedded with the moving-port systems emulates a simulated moving-bed adsorber. The proposed adsorber can fractionate a binary gas mixture into two product streams with high purities. It is similar to the Sorbex process of UOP but does not have the eluent as an additional separating agent. A parametric study indicates that high purity products and a higher productivity by an order of magnitude can be achieved with simulated moving-beds compared to the fixed beds.