汉语四声的数学奥秘——频率变比3∶2

本论文采用音乐物理和数学方法揭示了汉语四声的奥秘——频率变比3∶2,这个比例被命名为“宝石配比”.这一发现为语音研究、语音教学以及计算机语音识别提供了一条重要的科学依据.

特大地震激发地球自由振荡的数值模拟研究

Large earthquakes, such as the Chile earthquake in 1960 and the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake on Dec 26, 2004 in Indonesia, have generated the Earth’s free oscillations. The eigenfrequencies of the Earth’s free oscillations are closely related to the Earth’s internal structures. The conventional methods, which mainly focus on calculating the eigenfrequecies by analytical ways, and the analysis on observations can not easily study the whole processes from earthquake occurrence to the Earth’s free oscillation inspired. Therefore, we try to use numerical method incorporated with large-scale parallel computing to study on the Earth’s free oscillations excited by giant earthquakes. We first give a review of researches and developments of the Earth’s free oscillation, and basical theories under spherical coordinate system. We then give a review of the numerical simulation of seismic wave propagation and basical theories of spectral element method to simulate global seismic wave propagation. As a first step to study the Earth’s free oscillations, we use a finite element method to simulate the propagation of elastic waves and the generation of oscillations of the chime bell of Marquis Yi of Zeng, by striking different parts of the bell, which possesses the oval crosssection. The bronze chime bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng are precious cultural relics of China. The bells have a two-tone acoustic characteristic, i.e., striking different parts of the bell generates different tones. By analysis of the vibration in the bell and the spectrum analysis, we further help the understanding of the mechanism of two-tone acoustic characteristics of the chime bell of Marquis Yi of Zeng. The preliminary calculations have clearly shown that two different modes of oscillation can be generated by striking different parts of the bell, and indicate that finite element numerical simulation of the processes of wave propagation and two-tone generation of the chime bell of Marquis Yi of Zeng is feasible. These analyses provide a new quantitative and visual way to explain the mystery of the two-tone acoustic characteristics. The method suggested by this study can be applied to simulate free oscillations excited by great earthquakes with complex Earth structure. Taking into account of such large-scale structure of the Earth, small-scale low-precision numerical simulation can not simply meet the requirement. The increasing capacity in high-performance parallel computing and progress on fully numerical solutions for seismic wave fields in realistic three-dimensional spherical models, Spectral element method and high-performance parallel computing were incorporated to simulate the seismic wave propagation processes in the Earth’s interior, without the effects of the Earth’s gravitational potential. The numerical simulation shows that, the results of the toroidal modes of our calculation agree well with the theoretical values, although the accuracy of our results is much limited, the calculated peaks are little distorted due to three-dimensional effects. There exist much great differences between our calculated values of spheroidal modes and theoretical values, because we don’t consider the effect the Earth’ gravitation in numerical model, which leads our values are smaller than the theoretical values. When , is much smaller, the effect of the Earth’s gravitation make the periods of spheroidal modes become shorter. However, we now can not consider effects of the Earth’s gravitational potential into the numerical model to simulate the spheroidal oscillations, but those results still demonstrate that, the numerical simulation of the Earth’s free oscillation is very feasible. We make the numerical simulation on processes of the Earth’s free oscillations under spherically symmetric Earth model using different special source mechanisms. The results quantitatively show that Earth’s free oscillations excited by different earthquakes are different, and oscillations at different locations are different for free oscillation excited by the same earthquake. We also explore how the Earth’s medium attenuation will take effects on the Earth’s free oscillations, and take comparisons with the observations. The medium attenuation can make influences on the Earth’s free oscillations, though the effects on lower-frequency fundamental oscillations are weak. At last, taking 2008 Wenchuan earthquake for example, we employ spectral element method incorporated with large-scale parallel computing technology to investigate the characteristics of seismic wave propagation excited by Wenchuan earthquake. We calculate synthetic seismograms with one-point source model and three-point source model respectively. Full 3-D visualization of the numerical results displays the profile of the seismic wave propagation with respect to time. The three-point source, which was proposed by the latest investigations through field observation and reverse estimation, can better demonstrate the spatial and temporal characteristics of the source rupture processes than one-point source. Primary results show that those synthetic signals calculated from three-point source agree well with the observations. This can further reveal that the source rupturing process of Wenchuan earthquake is a multi-rupture process, which is composed by at least three or more stages of rupture processes. In conclusion, the numerical simulation can not only solve some problems concluding the Earth’s ellipticity and anisotropy, which can be easily solved by conventional methods, but also finally solve the problems concluding topography model and lateral heterogeneity. We will try to find a way to fully implement self-gravitation in spectral element method in future, and do our best to continue researching the Earth’s free oscillations using the numerical simulations to see how the Earth’ lateral heterogeneous will affect the Earth’s free oscillations. These will make it possible to bring modal spectral data increasingly to bear on furthering our understanding of the Earth’s three-dimensional structure.

A型、D型人格影响冠心病预后的心理生理机制

Coronary heart disease （CHD）is a common cardiovascular disease in the elderly, is also a typical psychosomatic disease. Personality factors are very important in many psychological factors impacting on the prognosis of patients with CHD. The most influential personality factors to CHD are Type A and Type D personality. The previous research has shown that although Type A personality increased the prevalence of CHD, it cannot predict the development and prognosis after diagnosis. In contradict, Type D personality can predict prognosis. There is still no clinic-based or theory-based answer to the question: Why Type A personality cannot predict the outcome while Type D personality could predict the prognosis independently. The current research conducted a systematic investigation to the above question, which included one comparison study between CHD patients and control group, and four studies on reaction experiment and answered the question: why Type A personality cannot predict whereas Type D personality could effectively predict prognosis of CHD. The findings of the current research were: Type A and Type D personality influence CHD prognosis through different psychological mechanisms: both dimensions of Type D personality have direct influence on social support, whereas neither dimensions of Type A personality related to social support, directly of indirectly. Negative affection component of Type D personality significantly related to anxiety and depression, Social repression significantly related to anxiety but not depression. Both dimensions of Type A personality significantly related to anxiety but not depression. Neither under rest or diaphragmatic breathing conditions, Type A personality had no significant influence on vestibular autonomic reaction among healthy young males. Neither Type A nor Type D personality had significant influence on vestibular autonomic reaction among old CHD patients under rest condition. Type D personality predicted lower sympathetic excitation under rest condition, and lower cardiac vagal tone under diaphragmatic breathing condition among healthy young males. When actively reacted to stimuli (math calculation) under rest condition, Type A personality increased sympathetic excitation among healthy young males. When actively reacted to stimuli (math calculation) under diaphragmatic breathing condition, Type A personality increased cardiac vagal tone among the same group of subjects. When actively reacted to stimuli under neither condition, Type D personality showed no significant influence on vestibular autonomic reaction among young males. When passively reacted to stimuli under neither condition, Type A personality showed no significant influence on vestibular autonomic reaction among young males. When passively stimulated followed rest, Type D personality increased sympathetic excitation and decreased cardiac vagal tone among young males. When passively stimulated followed diaphragmatic breathing, Typed showed no significant influence on vestibular autonomic reaction among young males. The above results indicated that Type A and Type D personalities had different psychological mechanisms to the outcome of CHD treatment: neither dimensions of Type A personality had direct or indirect effects on social support; both dimensions of Type D personality had direct and indirect effects on social support. Negative affection component of Type D personality significantly related to anxiety and depression, Social repression significantly related to anxiety but not depression. Both dimensions of Type A personality significantly related to anxiety but not depression. Social support positively related to the outcome after CHD treatment. The biological mechanisms of Type A and Type B personality to CHD prognosis differed in the following ways: Type A personality increased sympathetic excitation when actively stimulated, but had no influence when passively stimulated among young male subjects. When passively stimulated after rest, Type D personality predicted high sympathetic excitation and low cardiac vagal tone among young males, but not vestibular autonomic reaction among young males. Key words: Type A personality, Type D personality, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), Prognosis, Psychobiological Mechanisms

The Internet and the Human Right to Food: The European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed

Salmon, Naomi, 'The Internet and the Human Right to Food: The European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed', Information and Communications Technology Law, (2005) 14 (1), pp. 43-57 Special Issue: GATED COMMUNITIES RAE2008

Quantitative evaluation of electron beam writing in passivated gold nanoclusters

Jenkins, Tudor; Hayton, D.J.; Bedson, T.R.; Palmer, R.E., (2001) 'Quantitative evaluation of electron beam writing in passivated gold nanoclusters', Applied Physics Letters (78) pp.1921-1923 RAE2008

La idiosincrasia del lenguaje almodovariano y su repercusión sobre la traducción. Analisis de algunas de las soluciones en el campo de la variación lingüística del subtitulado en polaco de “Volver” (2006)

The identification of an original and idiosyncratic style in the work of the Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar provides the tone of the speech with a semantic function: linguistic variation and specific registers help to transmit the message and intention of the author. As a consequence of this, the possibilities for the translation being carried away in similar linguistic terms to those of the original text will be higher than in texts without linguistic peculiarities or stylistically unmarked. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the influence exerted by the original author in the reception of his work abroad and, consequently, in its translation. In this sense, we will analyse the informative value of certain linguistic uses as well as the importance of enriching stylistically the subtitles in these connotative texts through the example of Almodóvar’s film "Volver" and its translation into Polish (2006).

Campanhas publicitárias de prevenção rodoviária em Portugal

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências da Comunicação, com especialização em Marketing e Comunicação Estratégica.

Tectonics Inversions & Emerald Deposits

In spite of the great amount of emerald deposits throughout the world, the priorities in quality and volume of extracted rough material are the sites of Colombia (Muzo and Chivor emerald belts). This sites are know even before the Spanish conquistadores. Emeralds were extracted from Somondoco mine (today Chivor) since 1537 and from Muzo in 1567. Contrariwise to the majority of the emerald deposits of the world, which are associated with granitic rocks, the Colombian emerald deposits are associated with hydrofracturing (the main factor controlling emerald mineralization) and hydrothermal fluids, rich in beryl, chrome and vanadium, induced by a tectonic inversion of the deep Mesozoic backarc basin, which is also responsible of the majority of the petroleum systems of the foredeep and foldbelt areas (maturation of the source-rocks andcreation of structural traps). The host rocks of the emeralds are carbonaceous calsiltites (calcareous schists) rich in organic matter of Lower Cretaceous age, which are cut by calcite veins, which, often, contain emeralds, particularly when they are folded. Indeed, since long time (Cheilletz, A. and Giulliani, G., 1996) suggested a two-stage model for the formation of the Colombian emeralds : (i) Stage I is characterized by décollement planes (early compressional tectonic regime) within the carbonaceous calsiltites, hydrothermal fluid infiltration and wall-rock metasomatic alteration ; (ii) Stage II (late tectonic regime) deforms the previous veins by thrust-related folds (development of stratiform and hydraulic breccia), which are synchronous of the emerald mineralization. The resulting tectonic structures are complex fold patterns characterized by propagation anticlines with emerald veins and emerald hydraulic breccia in the apexes, as in Quipama, Tendenquema and Chivor mines. Otherwise stated, since all emerald exploitations are, presently underground, exhaustive geological and particularly structural studies are required to reduce the probability of disappointments. The color of emeralds is from light green to thick green with obvious pleochroism. They appears with different colors when observed at different angles, especially with polarized light. The emeralds from Coscuez deposits have a homogeneous intensive color and bluish tone. At Muzo deposit, the emeralds have middle or dark green color with yellowish tone. At the Chivor deposits, the emeralds have less intensive green color with slight bluish tone. The typical inclusions are albite and pyrite, as well as long bubbles with three phase-inclusions according the zones of growth and along the crystal shapes.

Quantitative Particle Characterization by Scattered Ultrasound

The topic of this thesis is an acoustic scattering technique for detennining the compressibility and density of individual particles. The particles, which have diameters on the order of 10 µm, are modeled as fluid spheres. Ultrasonic tone bursts of 2 µsec duration and 30 MHz center frequency scatter from individual particles as they traverse the focal region of two confocally positioned transducers. One transducer acts as a receiver while the other both transmits and receives acoustic signals. The resulting scattered bursts are detected at 90° and at 180° (backscattered). Using either the long wavelength (Rayleigh) or the weak scatterer (Born) approximations, it is possible to detennine the compressibility and density of the particle provided we possess a priori knowledge of the particle size and the host properties. The detected scattered signals are digitized and stored in computer memory. With this information we can compute the mean compressibility and density averaged over a population of particles ( typically 1000 particles) or display histograms of scattered amplitude statistics. An experiment was run first run to assess the feasibility of using polystyrene polymer microspheres to calibrate the instrument. A second study was performed on the buffy coat harvested from whole human blood. Finally, chinese hamster ovary cells which were subject to hyperthermia treatment were studied in order to see if the instrument could detect heat induced membrane blebbing.

AIRSTREAM: A Neural Network Model of Auditory Scene Analysis and Source Segregation

Multiple sound sources often contain harmonics that overlap and may be degraded by environmental noise. The auditory system is capable of teasing apart these sources into distinct mental objects, or streams. Such an "auditory scene analysis" enables the brain to solve the cocktail party problem. A neural network model of auditory scene analysis, called the AIRSTREAM model, is presented to propose how the brain accomplishes this feat. The model clarifies how the frequency components that correspond to a give acoustic source may be coherently grouped together into distinct streams based on pitch and spatial cues. The model also clarifies how multiple streams may be distinguishes and seperated by the brain. Streams are formed as spectral-pitch resonances that emerge through feedback interactions between frequency-specific spectral representaion of a sound source and its pitch. First, the model transforms a sound into a spatial pattern of frequency-specific activation across a spectral stream layer. The sound has multiple parallel representations at this layer. A sound's spectral representation activates a bottom-up filter that is sensitive to harmonics of the sound's pitch. The filter activates a pitch category which, in turn, activate a top-down expectation that allows one voice or instrument to be tracked through a noisy multiple source environment. Spectral components are suppressed if they do not match harmonics of the top-down expectation that is read-out by the selected pitch, thereby allowing another stream to capture these components, as in the "old-plus-new-heuristic" of Bregman. Multiple simultaneously occuring spectral-pitch resonances can hereby emerge. These resonance and matching mechanisms are specialized versions of Adaptive Resonance Theory, or ART, which clarifies how pitch representations can self-organize durin learning of harmonic bottom-up filters and top-down expectations. The model also clarifies how spatial location cues can help to disambiguate two sources with similar spectral cures. Data are simulated from psychophysical grouping experiments, such as how a tone sweeping upwards in frequency creates a bounce percept by grouping with a downward sweeping tone due to proximity in frequency, even if noise replaces the tones at their interection point. Illusory auditory percepts are also simulated, such as the auditory continuity illusion of a tone continuing through a noise burst even if the tone is not present during the noise, and the scale illusion of Deutsch whereby downward and upward scales presented alternately to the two ears are regrouped based on frequency proximity, leading to a bounce percept. Since related sorts of resonances have been used to quantitatively simulate psychophysical data about speech perception, the model strengthens the hypothesis the ART-like mechanisms are used at multiple levels of the auditory system. Proposals for developing the model to explain more complex streaming data are also provided.

A Spectral Network Model of Pitch Perception

A model of pitch perception, called the Spatial Pitch Network or SPINET model, is developed and analyzed. The model neurally instantiates ideas front the spectral pitch modeling literature and joins them to basic neural network signal processing designs to simulate a broader range of perceptual pitch data than previous spectral models. The components of the model arc interpreted as peripheral mechanical and neural processing stages, which arc capable of being incorporated into a larger network architecture for separating multiple sound sources in the environment. The core of the new model transforms a spectral representation of an acoustic source into a spatial distribution of pitch strengths. The SPINET model uses a weighted "harmonic sieve" whereby the strength of activation of a given pitch depends upon a weighted sum of narrow regions around the harmonics of the nominal pitch value, and higher harmonics contribute less to a pitch than lower ones. Suitably chosen harmonic weighting functions enable computer simulations of pitch perception data involving mistuned components, shifted harmonics, and various types of continuous spectra including rippled noise. It is shown how the weighting functions produce the dominance region, how they lead to octave shifts of pitch in response to ambiguous stimuli, and how they lead to a pitch region in response to the octave-spaced Shepard tone complexes and Deutsch tritones without the use of attentional mechanisms to limit pitch choices. An on-center off-surround network in the model helps to produce noise suppression, partial masking and edge pitch. Finally, it is shown how peripheral filtering and short term energy measurements produce a model pitch estimate that is sensitive to certain component phase relationships.

The gut microbiota as a contributing factor to antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic dysfunction

Schizophrenia represents one of the world’s most devastating illnesses due to its often lifelong course and debilitating nature. The treatment of schizophrenia has vastly improved over recent decades with the discovery of several antipsychotic compounds; however these drugs are not without adverse effects that must be addressed to maximize their therapeutic value. Newer, atypical, antipsychotics are associated with a compilation of serious metabolic side effects including weight gain, insulin resistance, fat deposition, glucose dysregulation and ensuing co-morbidities such as type II diabetes mellitus. The mechanisms underlying these side effects remain to be fully elucidated and adequate interventions are lacking. Further understanding of the factors that contribute these side effects is therefore required in order to develop effective adjunctive therapies and to potentially design antipsychotic drugs in the future with reduced impact on the metabolic health of patients. We investigated if the gut microbiota represented a novel mechanism contributing to the metabolic dysfunction associated with atypical antipsychotics. The gut microbiota comprises the bacteria that exist symbiotically within the gastrointestinal tract, and has been shown in recent years to be involved in several aspects of energy balance and metabolism. We have demonstrated that administration of certain antipsychotics in the rat results in an altered microbiota profile and, moreover, that the microbiota is required for the full scale of metabolic dysfunction to occur. We have further shown that specific antibiotics can attenuate certain aspects of olanzapine and risperidone–induced metabolic dysfunction, in particular fat deposition and adipose tissue inflammation. Mechanisms underlying this novel link appear to involve energy utilization via expression of lipogenic genes as well as reduced inflammatory tone. Taken together, these data indicate that the gut microbiota is an important factor involved in the myriad of metabolic complications associated with antipsychotic therapy. Furthermore, these data support the future investigation of microbial-based therapeutics for not only antipsychotic-induced weight gain but also for tackling the global obesity epidemic.

Summer Sprite for Orchestra

Summer Sprite for Orchestra was completed in December, 2004. The piece originated from a singular encounter with little angels at Chang-Kyung Palace, which is the oldest and the most beautiful palace in Korea, and where the kings of the Chosun Dynasty (1393-1897) lived. This encounter was in the summer of 2002. I certainly could not prove that those angels I met were real. Possibly they were the reflection of drops of water after a sudden shower on that summer day. However, I definitely remember that short, unforgettable, and mysterious moment and the angels' beautiful dance-like celebration. Summer Sprite is based on these special memories and the encounter with the little angels that summer. Summer Sprite consists of 3 movements: "Greeting," "Encounter," and "Celebration." These follow the course of my encounter with the little angels. In Summer Sprite, I wished to describe the image of the angels as well as the progression of greeting, encounter, and celebration with them. The moods that follow in Summer Sprite are by turns lyrical, poetic, fantastic, mysterious, and dream-like. In each movement, I describe the meeting of angels and composer through the use of the soloists -- violin (sometimes viola) and cello. As suggested by the subtitle of the first movement, "Greeting" portrays the moment when a surprised I met the angels. It begins with tam-tam, marimba, harp, and piano and sets a mysterious and dark mood. The second movement, "Encounter," is shorter than the first movement. This movement provides a more tranquil mood as well as more unique timbres resulting from the use of mutes and special instruments (English horn, harp, crotales, suspended cymbal, and celesta). The delicate expression of the percussion is particularly important in establishing the static mood of this movement . The last movement, °?Celebration,°± is bright and energetic. It is also the longest. Here, I require the most delicate changes of dynamics and tempo, the most vigorous harmonies, and the fastest rhythmic figures, as well as the most independent, lyrical, and poetic melodies. For bright orchestral tone color, I used various kinds of percussion such as timpani, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, cymbals, side drum, tambourine, triangle, and bass drum. This last movement is divided rondo-like into five sections: The first (mm.1-3), second (mm.4 - rehearsal number 1), third (rehearsal numbers 2-4), fourth (rehearsal numbers 5-7), and fifth, (rehearsal numbers 8 -18). To sum up, Summer Sprite describes an unforgettable and mysterious moment in a my life. My intention was to portray this through a concerto-like framework. A model for this would be Brahms°Ø °?Double Concerto°± in A minor, op.102, in which the solo cello stands for my angel and the solo violin (sometimes solo viola) for me.

Major and minor music compared to excited and subdued speech.

The affective impact of music arises from a variety of factors, including intensity, tempo, rhythm, and tonal relationships. The emotional coloring evoked by intensity, tempo, and rhythm appears to arise from association with the characteristics of human behavior in the corresponding condition; however, how and why particular tonal relationships in music convey distinct emotional effects are not clear. The hypothesis examined here is that major and minor tone collections elicit different affective reactions because their spectra are similar to the spectra of voiced speech uttered in different emotional states. To evaluate this possibility the spectra of the intervals that distinguish major and minor music were compared to the spectra of voiced segments in excited and subdued speech using fundamental frequency and frequency ratios as measures. Consistent with the hypothesis, the spectra of major intervals are more similar to spectra found in excited speech, whereas the spectra of particular minor intervals are more similar to the spectra of subdued speech. These results suggest that the characteristic affective impact of major and minor tone collections arises from associations routinely made between particular musical intervals and voiced speech.

Development of hemispheric specialization for lexical pitch-accent in Japanese infants.

Infants' speech perception abilities change through the first year of life, from broad sensitivity to a wide range of speech contrasts to becoming more finely attuned to their native language. What remains unclear, however, is how this perceptual change relates to brain responses to native language contrasts in terms of the functional specialization of the left and right hemispheres. Here, to elucidate the developmental changes in functional lateralization accompanying this perceptual change, we conducted two experiments on Japanese infants using Japanese lexical pitch-accent, which changes word meanings with the pitch pattern within words. In the first behavioral experiment, using visual habituation, we confirmed that infants at both 4 and 10 months have sensitivities to the lexical pitch-accent pattern change embedded in disyllabic words. In the second experiment, near-infrared spectroscopy was used to measure cortical hemodynamic responses in the left and right hemispheres to the same lexical pitch-accent pattern changes and their pure tone counterparts. We found that brain responses to the pitch change within words differed between 4- and 10-month-old infants in terms of functional lateralization: Left hemisphere dominance for the perception of the pitch change embedded in words was seen only in the 10-month-olds. These results suggest that the perceptual change in Japanese lexical pitch-accent may be related to a shift in functional lateralization from bilateral to left hemisphere dominance.