Segmental Durations of Speech

This dissertation considers the segmental durations of speech from the viewpoint of speech technology, especially speech synthesis. The idea is that better models of segmental durations lead to higher naturalness and better intelligibility. These features are the key factors for better usability and generality of synthesized speech technology. Even though the studies are based on a Finnish corpus the approaches apply to all other languages as well. This is possibly due to the fact that most of the studies included in this dissertation are about universal effects taking place on utterance boundaries. Also the methods invented and used here are suitable for any other study of another language. This study is based on two corpora of news reading speech and sentences read aloud. The other corpus is read aloud by a 39-year-old male, whilst the other consists of several speakers in various situations. The use of two corpora is twofold: it involves a comparison of the corpora and a broader view on the matters of interest. The dissertation begins with an overview to the phonemes and the quantity system in the Finnish language. Especially, we are covering the intrinsic durations of phonemes and phoneme categories, as well as the difference of duration between short and long phonemes. The phoneme categories are presented to facilitate the problem of variability of speech segments. In this dissertation we cover the boundary-adjacent effects on segmental durations. In initial positions of utterances we find that there seems to be initial shortening in Finnish, but the result depends on the level of detail and on the individual phoneme. On the phoneme level we find that the shortening or lengthening only affects the very first ones at the beginning of an utterance. However, on average, the effect seems to shorten the whole first word on the word level. We establish the effect of final lengthening in Finnish. The effect in Finnish has been an open question for a long time, whilst Finnish has been the last missing piece for it to be a universal phenomenon. Final lengthening is studied from various angles and it is also shown that it is not a mere effect of prominence or an effect of speech corpus with high inter- and intra-speaker variation. The effect of final lengthening seems to extend from the final to the penultimate word. On a phoneme level it reaches a much wider area than the initial effect. We also present a normalization method suitable for corpus studies on segmental durations. The method uses an utterance-level normalization approach to capture the pattern of segmental durations within each utterance. This prevents the impact of various problematic variations within the corpora. The normalization is used in a study on final lengthening to show that the results on the effect are not caused by variation in the material. The dissertation shows an implementation and prowess of speech synthesis on a mobile platform. We find that the rule-based method of speech synthesis is a real-time software solution, but the signal generation process slows down the system beyond real time. Future aspects of speech synthesis on limited platforms are discussed. The dissertation considers ethical issues on the development of speech technology. The main focus is on the development of speech synthesis with high naturalness, but the problems and solutions are applicable to any other speech technology approaches.

Yrittäjyyden laajat sfäärit ja idea toimivasta subjektista

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Elintarvikekelpoisten painovärien vertailu offsetpainatuksessa

Tässä diplomityössä tutkittiin kolmen eri painovärivalmistajan elintarvikekelpoisia arkkioffsetpainovärisarjoja ja verrattiin niitä keskenään. Tavoitteena oli löytää optimaalinen elintarvikekartonkipakkausten painamiseen soveltuva arkkioffsetpainoväri. Työn kirjallisessa osassa selvitettiin yleisesti offsetpainatusprosessia, painovärien koostumusta ja elintarvikekelpoisten painovärien eroavaisuutta verrattuna perinteisiin offsetpainoväreihin. Kirjallisuusosassa tuotiin esille myös niitä tekijöitä, joilla elintarvikekelpoisuus määritellään. Näistä yksi tärkeä osa-alue on migraatio-ongelmat, joka on lainsäädännön kannalta ajankohtainen. Kokeellista osaa varten koepainovärejä painettiin taivekartongille arkkioffsetpainokoneella. Painetuista arkeista tehtiin mittauksia, joissa käytettiin densitometrisia, kolorimetrisia, kromatografisia ja aistinvaraisia menetelmiä. Näillä pyrittiin tuomaan esille eroavaisuuksia tutkittavana olleiden painovärien välille. Koeajojen ja mittausten perusteella analysoitiin painatuksen laatua, painettavuutta, painovärien elintarvikekelpoisuutta ja kestävyyttä. Työn tulosten perusteella ei voida suoraan osoittaa, että jokin painovärisarja olisi toimivampi kuin toinen. Yksi johtopäätös olikin, että painovärien koostumusta ja painatusprosessia on mahdollista modifioida monella tavalla, jolloin voidaan parantaa joitakin painovärin ominaisuuksia. Yleisesti kokeet osoittivat, että perinteinen aistinvarainen tapa testata painovärin elintarvikekelpoisuutta on hyvin subjektiivinen ja antaa arveluttavia tuloksia. Koetuloksista oli kuitenkin havaittavissa, että uuden sukupolven vähemmän migraatiota aiheuttavat painovärit ovat elintarvikekelpoisempia kuin aikaisempien kehitysasteiden painovärisarjat.

Idea- ja innovaatioporfolion hallinta

Tässä kandidaatintyössä tarkastellaan idea- ja innovaatioportfolion hallintaa, portfoliojohtamista sekä näihin soveltuvia erilaisia menetelmiä yrityksen näkökulmasta. Tavoitteena on luoda yleiskatsaus yleisimpiin käytettyihin menetelmiin ja viitekehyksiin. Lähteinä työssä on käytetty sähköisiä tietokantoja ja alan kirjallisuutta. Käytetyimmät portfolion hallintamenetelmät voidaan jakaa neljään ryhmään: taloudelliset ja rahamääräiset mittarit, liiketoimintastrategiat, portfoliokartat tai kupla-diagrammit, scorecard:it eli pisteytystaulukot sekä tarkistuslistat. Idea- ja innovaatioportfolion hallinnan tavoitteena on luoda yrityksen kannalta mahdollisimman tehokas ja tuottava portfolio, joka on kuitenkin linjassa yrityksen strategian kanssa. Portfolion projekteille jaettavissa olevat resurssit ovat niukat, joten resurssien jakoon ja tehokkaaseen hyödyntämiseen tulee kiinnittää huomiota. Portfolion tasapainottamiseksi on hyvä tarkastella kehitys- ja tutkimusprojektien määrää, kokoa ja riskiä. Teknologiatiekartta on yrityksen strateginen työkalu, jolla se voi suunnata toimintaansa kohti sen visiota. Teknologiatiekartta koostuu yrityksen valitsemista markkinoista, niille suunnatuista tuotteista tai palveluista, sekä näiden vaatimista tuotekehitysprojekteista ja teknologioista. Projektien etenemistä voidaan tarkastella stage-gate -mallin avulla. Stage-gate jakaa projektin porteilla eri vaiheisiin. Jokaisen portin läpäistäkseen projektin tulee täyttää sille asetetut vaatimukset. Menetelmät eivät takaa menestystä, vaan yrityksen on valittava itselleen sopivat menetelmät siten, että ne tukevat portfoliojohtamista ja sopivat yhteen yrityskulttuurin kanssa. Pelkkä mittareihin tuijottaminen ei riitä, vaan niiden taakse on myös osattava katsoa ja huomioida yrityksen strategia.

Comparison Structure Analysis

This study presents an automatic, computer-aided analytical method called Comparison Structure Analysis (CSA), which can be applied to different dimensions of music. The aim of CSA is first and foremost practical: to produce dynamic and understandable representations of musical properties by evaluating the prevalence of a chosen musical data structure through a musical piece. Such a comparison structure may refer to a mathematical vector, a set, a matrix or another type of data structure and even a combination of data structures. CSA depends on an abstract systematic segmentation that allows for a statistical or mathematical survey of the data. To choose a comparison structure is to tune the apparatus to be sensitive to an exclusive set of musical properties. CSA settles somewhere between traditional music analysis and computer aided music information retrieval (MIR). Theoretically defined musical entities, such as pitch-class sets, set-classes and particular rhythm patterns are detected in compositions using pattern extraction and pattern comparison algorithms that are typical within the field of MIR. In principle, the idea of comparison structure analysis can be applied to any time-series type data and, in the music analytical context, to polyphonic as well as homophonic music. Tonal trends, set-class similarities, invertible counterpoints, voice-leading similarities, short-term modulations, rhythmic similarities and multiparametric changes in musical texture were studied. Since CSA allows for a highly accurate classification of compositions, its methods may be applicable to symbolic music information retrieval as well. The strength of CSA relies especially on the possibility to make comparisons between the observations concerning different musical parameters and to combine it with statistical and perhaps other music analytical methods. The results of CSA are dependent on the competence of the similarity measure. New similarity measures for tonal stability, rhythmic and set-class similarity measurements were proposed. The most advanced results were attained by employing the automated function generation – comparable with the so-called genetic programming – to search for an optimal model for set-class similarity measurements. However, the results of CSA seem to agree strongly, independent of the type of similarity function employed in the analysis.

Utilizing online demand generation in an engineering company

Työn tarkoituksena on selvittää miten sähköistä kysynnän herättämistä voidaan hyödyntää Mantsinen Group Ltd Oy:ssä siten, että sillä pystytään tukemaan myyntiä. Lisäksi sähköisen kysynnän herättämisen tehokkuutta tutkitaan, jotta saadaan selville onko se kannattavaa ja kuinka hyvin se sopii yritykselle. Kysynnän herättämisjärjestelmän käyttö on määritelty kirjallisuuteen perustuen ja sen jälkeen järjestelmän käyttö on aloitettu. Sähköisen kysynnän herättämisen tehokkuus mitataan kolmen kuukauden tarkastelujakson todellisella datalla. Sähköisen kysynnän herättämisen sopivuutta arvioidaan perustuen sen kustannustehokkuuteen ja tuloksiin. Työn tulokset osoittavat, että sähköinen kysynnän herättäminen on kannattavaa ja se sopii yritykselle. Sillä voidaan parhaiten tukea myyntiä järjestelmän tuottaessa laadukkaita myyntimahdollisuuksia tasaisena virtana myynnille. Myös aiemmin manuaalisesti tehtyjä työtehtäviä voidaan automatisoida ja näin vähentää myyjien työtaakkaa.

Did Jesus cite Isa 6:9-10? : Jesus’ saying in Mark 4:11-12 and the Isaianic idea of hardening and remnant

Mark 4:11-12 innehåller en av Jesu mest gåtfulla utsagor. När Jesus citerar Jes 6:9-10, ser det ut som om han skulle mena att han använder liknelserna för att hindra vissa människor att förstå vad han säger, ända därhän att de därigenom utesluts från möjligheten att göra bättring och att få förlåtelse av Gud. Men utryckte Jesus sig verkligen på detta sätt? Formulerades inte utsagan snarare av den tidiga kyrkan eller evangelisten? Eller gav utsagan - vare sig den härstammade från Jesus eller kyrkan - från början alls uttryck åt tanken att liknelserna hade en förstockande funktion? Under mera än ett århundrade har forskarna ställt frågor av detta slag. Denna forskning syftar till att undersöka om man kan finna en plausibel jesuansk mening hos utsagan. Den utgår från förutsättningen att den mening och funktion som man gav åt Jes 6:9-10 i den palestinska, judiska kontexten under andra Templets period är avgörande för att hitta en jesuansk mening hos utsagan.

Forest Biomass Resources and Technological Prospects for the Production of Second-generation Biofuels in Finland by 2020

Introduction of second-generation biofuels is an essential factor for meeting the EU’s 2020 targets for renewable energy in the transport sector and enabling the more ambitious targets for 2030. Finland’s forest industry is strongly involved in the development and commercialising of second-generation biofuel production technologies. The goal of this paper is to provide a quantified insight into Finnish prospects for reaching the 2020 national renewable energy targets and concurrently becoming a large-scale producer of forest biomass based second-generation biofuels feeding the increasing demand in European markets. The focus of the paper is on assessing the potential for utilising forest biomass for liquid biofuels up to 2020. In addition, technological issues related to the production of second-generation biofuels were reviewed. Finland has good opportunities to realise a scenario to meet 2020 renewable energy targets and for large-scale production of wood based biofuels. In 2020, biofuel production from domestic forest biomass in Finland may reach nearly a million ton (40 PJ). With the existing biofuel production capacity (20 PJ/yr) and national biofuel consumption target (25 PJ) taken into account, the potential net export of biofuels from Finland in 2020 would be 35 PJ, corresponding to 2–3% of European demand. Commercialisation of second-generation biofuel production technologies, high utilisation of the sustainable harvesting potential of Finnish forest biomass, and allocation of a significant proportion of the pulpwood harvesting potential for energy purposes are prerequisites for this scenario. Large-scale import of raw biomass would enable remarkably greater biofuel production than is described in this paper.

Integration of microgrids into electricity distribution networks

Existing electricity distribution system is under pressure because implementation of distributed generation changes the grid configuration and also because some customers demand for better distribution reliability. In a short term, traditional network planning does not offer techno-economical solutions for the challenges and therefore the idea of microgrids is introduced. Islanding capability of microgrids is expected to enable better reliability by reducing effects of faults. The aim of the thesis is to discuss challenges in integration of microgrids into distribution networks. Study discusses development of microgrid related smart grid features and gives estimation of the guideline of microgrid implementation. Thesis also scans microgrid pilots around the world and introduces the most relevant projects. Analysis reveals that the main focus of researched studies is on low voltage microgrids. This thesis extends the idea to medium voltage distribution system and introduces challenges related to medium voltage microgrid implementation. Differences of centralized and distributed microgrid models are analyzed and the centralized model is discovered to be easiest to implement into existing distribution system. Preplan of medium voltage microgrid pilot is also carried out in this thesis.

Generation and Characterization of Knockout Mice and Analysis of Patient Material Demonstrates a Role for Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases 4 (Timp4) in the Cardiovascular System and Tumor Metastasis

This thesis focuses on tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 4 (TIMP4) which is the newest member of a small gene and protein family of four closely related endogenous inhibitors of extracellular matrix (ECM) degrading enzymes. Existing data on TIMP4 suggested that it exhibits a more restricted expression pattern than the other TIMPs with high expression levels in heart, brain, ovary and skeletal muscle. These observations and the fact that the ECM is of special importance to provide the cardiovascular system with structural strength combined with elasticity and distensibility, prompted the present molecular biologic investigation on TIMP4. In the first part of the study the murine Timp4 gene was cloned and characterized in detail. The structure of murine Timp4 genomic locus resembles that in other species and of the other Timps. The highest Timp4 expression was detected in heart, ovary and brain. As the expression pattern of Timp4 gives only limited information about its role in physiology and pathology, Timp4 knockout mice were generated next. The analysis of Timp4 knockout mice revealed that Timp4 deficiency has no obvious effect on the development, growth or fertility of mice. Therefore, Timp4 deficient mice were challenged using available cardiovascular models, i.e. experimental cardiac pressure overload and myocardial infarction. In the former model, Timp4 deficiency was found to be compensated by Timp2 overexpression, whereas in the myocardial infarct model, Timp4 deficiency resulted in increased mortality due to increased susceptibility for cardiac rupture. In the wound healing model, Timp4 deficiency was shown to result in transient retardation of re-epithelialization of cutaneous wounds. Melanoma tumor growth was similar in Timp4 deficient and control mice. Despite of this, lung metastasis of melanoma cells was significantly increased in Timp4 null mice. In an attempt to translate the current findings to patient material, TIMP4 expression was studied in human specimens representing different inflammatory cardiovascular pathologies, i.e. giant cell arteritis, atherosclerotic coronary arteries and heart allografts exhibiting signs of chronic rejection. The results showed that cardiovascular expression of TIMP4 is elevated particularly in areas exhibiting inflammation. The results of the present studies suggest that TIMP4 has a special role in the regulation of tissue repair processes in the heart, and also in healing wounds and metastases. Furthermore, evidence is provided suggesting the usefulness of TIMP4 as a novel systemic marker for vascular inflammation.

En generation intellektuella i uppror

Kirjallisuusarvostelu