• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.19-27
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• 2012

When two speakers read a text together, the produced speech has been shown to reduce a high degree of variability (e.g., pause duration and placement, and speech rate). This paper provides a quantitative analysis of speech rate variation exhibited in synchronous speech by examining the global and local patterns in two dialects of Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan and Shanghai). We analyzed the speech data in terms of mean speech rate and the reference of "Just Noticeable difference (JND)" within a subject and across subjects. Our findings show that speakers show lower and less variable speech rates when they read a text synchronously than when they read alone. This global pattern is observed consistently across speakers and dialects maintaining the unique local variation patterns of speech rate for each dialect. We conclude that paired speakers lower their speech rates and decrease the variability in order to ensure the synchrony of their speech.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.300-308
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• 2010

This paper describes the development of a low-power electrocardiogram (ECG) touch sensor intended for the use with two dry metal electrodes. An equivalent ECG extraction circuit model encountered in a ground-free two-electrode configuration is investigated for an optimal sensor read-out circuit design criteria. From the equivalent circuit model, (1) maximum sensor resolution is derived based on the electrode's background thermal noise, which originates from high electrode-skin contact impedance, together with the input referred noise of instrumentation amplifier (IA), (2) 60 Hz electrostatic coupling from mains and motion artifact are also considered to determine minimum requirement of common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) and input impedance of IA. A dedicated ECG read-out front end incorporating chopping scheme is introduced to provide an input referred circuit noise of 1.3 ${\mu}V_{rms}$ over 0.5 Hz ~ 200 Hz, CMRR of IA > 100 dB, sensor resolution of 7 bits, and dissipating only 36 ${\mu}W$. Together with 8 bits synchronous successive approximation register (SAR) ADC, the sensor IC chip is implemented in 0.18 ${\mu}m$ CMOS technology and integrated on a 5 cm $\times$ 8 cm PCB with two copper patterned electrodes. With the help of proposed touch sensor, ECG signal containing QRS complex and P, T waves are successfully extracted by simply touching the electrodes with two thumbs.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.83-91
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• 2014

The passive UHF RFID tags for item-level tagging are now explosively used in the supply chain and retail applications as they have several advantages, the two most relevant are cost and a longer read range. However, the signal interference problem between RFID tags and smart devices in real world is expected according to the smart-phone and tablet market growth together. The performance of RFID tags can be significantly less. The popular examples are the read-success rates and read range reduction. Especially, KT Corp. recently emphasized the serious signal interference at 900 MHz of LTE and old RFID frequencies through their public demonstration. By popular demands, this paper suggests the interference tolerance measurement method between the passive UHF RFID tag and the transmitted signal from a smart device. In addition, we selected three passive UHF RFID tags(Inlay) available on the market and quantitatively evaluated read range reduction results by interference signals using the PCR(Performance Change Rates) index. As a result, the LTE system is about three times as effective as the WCDMA system in terms of interference effects, and the read range performance of two RFID tags about 60 % drop.

• Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.95-105
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• 2015

We developed a test of English silent word reading, following work by Mather, Hammill, Allen and Roberts (2004) and Bell, McCallum, Krik, Fuller, and McCane-Bowling (2007), in order to tap Hong Kong Chinese children's reading of English as a foreign language. We created one subtest of individual word reading and another of word reading contextualized within sentences; together, these tests require no more than 10 minutes for administration. In Study 1, we administered the entire test to 552 second grade Hong Kong Chinese children between the ages of 70 and 121 months old, from five different primary schools. The association between the subtests of English silent word reading and contextual reading was positively correlated (.78). In Study 2, 77 Hong Kong Chinese second graders were tested on our newly developed English silent word reading test, together with non-verbal IQ, an English word reading and a Chinese character recognition test (both read aloud). With age and non-verbal IQ statistically controlled, there was a significant correlation between English silent word reading and the more standard English word reading, read aloud, (.78); the association between English silent word reading and Chinese character recognition was also positively correlated (.49). This newly created test is a quick and reliable measure, suitable for both educators and researchers to use to identify poor readers who learn English as a foreign or second language.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Information Technology Applications Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.285-288
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• 2005

We propose a novel programmable miniature vision module based on a custom designed analog VLSI (aVLSI) chip. The vision module consists of the optical flow vision sensor embedded with commercial off-the-shelves digital hardware; in our case is the Intel XScale PXA270 processor enforced with a programmable gate array device. The aVLSI sensor provides gray-scale imager data as well as smooth optical flow estimates, thus each pixel gives a triplet of information that can be continuously read out as three independent images. The particular computational architecture of the custom designed sensor, which is fully parallel and also analog, allows for efficient real-time estimations of the smooth optical flow. The Intel XScale PXA270 controls the sensor read-out and furthermore allows, together with the programmable gate array, for additional higher level processing of the intensity image and optical flow data. It also provides the necessary standard interface such that the module can be easily programmed and integrated into different vision systems, or even form a complete stand-alone vision system itself. The low power consumption, small size and flexible interface of the proposed vision module suggests that it could be particularly well suited as a vision system in an autonomous robotics platform and especially well suited for educational projects in the robotic sciences.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2016

The goal of the current study is to investigate how the sound change is reflected in production or in perception, and what the effect of lexical frequency is on the loss of sound contrasts. Specifically, the current study examined whether the vowel length contrasts are retained in Korean speakers' productions, and whether Korean listeners can distinguish vowel length minimal pairs in their perception. Two production experiments and two perception experiments investigated this. For production tests, twelve Korean native speakers in their 20s and 40s completed a read-aloud task as well as a map-task. The results showed that, regardless of their age group, all Korean speakers produced vowel length contrasts with a small but significant differences in the read-aloud test. Interestingly, the difference between long and short vowels has disappeared in the map task, indicating that the speech mode affects producing vowel length contrasts. For perception tests, thirty-three Korean listeners completed a discrimination and a forced-choice identification test. The results showed that Korean listeners still have a perceptual sensitivity to distinguish lexical meaning of the vowel length minimal pair. We also found that the identification accuracy was affected by the word frequency, showing a higher identification accuracy in high- and mid- frequency words than low frequency words. Taken together, the current study demonstrated that the speech mode (read-aloud vs. spontaneous) affects the production of the sound undergoing a language change; and word frequency affects the sound change in speech perception.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.18
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• pp.65-104
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• 2002

With the current evolution from paper to electronic records the documentary credit market has been looking to ICC to provide guidance in this transition. To allow bankers and traders to familiarize themselves with this trend, eUCP has come into force from April 1st 2002. The eUCP provides definitions to allow current UCP terminology to accommodate the presentation of the equivalent of paper documents electronically and to provide necessary rules to allow the UCP and eUCP to work together. It is important to understand that many of the Articles of the UCP are not impacted by the presentation of electronic equivalent of paper documents and do not require any changes to accommodate electronic presentation. When read together the UCP and the eUCP will be broad enough to allow for developing practice in this area. The eUCP is not a revision of the UCP. The UCP will continue to provide the industry with rules for paper letters of credit in conjunction with the eUCP. This study comments that some characteristics of the eUCP have unique properties, such as juncture, envelope, homotheticity functions, and some applicable interpretations including abstraction of letter of credit, notice of completeness, notice of discrepancies and corruption of electronic records.

• Journal of English Language & Literature
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.1027-1045
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• 2010

What does an Irish modernist have in common with a contemporary Canadian classicist? The present paper attempts an unlikely comparison to bring out previously unnoticed facets of meaning by analyzing James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) and Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse (1998) together. While Joyce and Carson write at different times and in different places, I suggest that they are also remarkably similar. First, both of these authors can be said to have re-invented the genre of the novel in the two aforementioned works. Second, they both set themselves the task of re-writing a Greek text, in Joyce's case Homer's Odyssey, in Carson's case Stesichoros's Geryoneis, transferring it to their own present reality. The focus of the article is to read Ulysses and Autobiography of Red together in light of their engagement with colonialism. This concept is central to both novels, as literary critics have noted. However, rather than examining the concept in the traditional sense, I use it as a platform to examine the roles that sociolinguistic colonialism, and what I call literary colonialism, play in these two innovative and groundbreaking novels. Finally, I analyze the ways in which these authors position themselves against the tradition. Comparing works by Carson and Joyce allows me to arrive at conclusions that transcend their time and apply to humanity in general.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.399-425
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• 2016

The dynamical requirements are obtained for airplanes to travel on inclined circular trajectories. Formulas are provided for determining the load factor, the bank angle, the lift coefficient and the thrust or power required for the motion. The dynamical properties of the airplane are taken into account, for both, airplanes with internal combustion engines and propellers, and airplanes with jet engines. A procedure is presented for the construction of tables from which the flyability of trajectories at a given angle of inclination can be read, together with the corresponding minimum and maximum radii allowed. Sample calculations are shown for the Cessna 182, a Silver Fox like unmanned aerial vehicle, and a F-16 jet airplane.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.187-193
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• 2009

For this study, the external laryngeal lengths of 9 females and 9 males with normal voices were measured together with their ages, heights, and weights, and after they read aloud sentences for 3 minutes, their habitual speaking fundamental frequencies, speaking low pitches, speaking high pitches, and vocal fold closed quotients were measured. The Spearman rank correlation analysis on these data showed a significant negative correlation between the external laryngeal length and the habitual speaking fundamental frequency for both females and males, a significant negative correlation between the external laryngeal length and the speaking high pitch for only males, a significant negative correlation between the external laryngeal length and the speaking low pitch for both females and males, and a significant positive correlation between the external laryngeal length and the vocal fold closed quotient for only males.