Abstract: A speech signal modification and concatenation method is provided, in which spoken messages having different voice characteristics can be concatenated without causing a sense of incompatibility, and it is possible to efficiently perform addition or modification of spoken messages. In the speech signal modification and concatenation method, when two speech signals having different voice characteristics are concatenated, the speech signals are concatenated by modifying a parameter indicating a character of speech signals in a manner such that the parameter is gradually changed from a value indicating a feature of one of the speech signals to a value indicating a feature of the other speech signal over a predetermined period.

Abstract: A polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel has a surface layer comprising a net-like structure formed by entanglement of fiber-like articles having a diameter of 0.1 to 50 .mu.m. This gel has a large surface area and high capability of adhering microorganisms and permeating liquid, thereby exhibiting excellent purifying function. Processes for producing the above hydrogel are also provided.

Abstract: Data in the same range of the fundamental frequency F.sub.0 as speech segments are used as learning data to prepare a reference codebook CB.sub.M for a spectrum envelope. The same learning data for a higher range than F.sub.0 and the same learning data for a lower range are subject to a linear stretch matching with respect to the learning data for the range F.sub.0. For each vector code in the reference codebook CB.sub.M, the spectrum envelope is clustered to prepare a high range codebook CB.sub.H and a low range codebook CB.sub.L. The spectrum envelope of input speech segments are fuzzy vector quantized (S402) with the reference codebook, and depending on the synthesized F.sub.0, a high, middle or low codebooks is selected. The selected codebook is used to decode the fuzzy vector quantized code, and the decoded output is subject to the inverse FFT. Alternatively, codebooks CM.sub.MH and CB.sub.ML each comprising differential vectors for corresponding code vectors between CB.sub.M and CB.sub.H and between CB.

Abstract: A waste water treatment apparatus which is compact, and excellent in durability, has a high treatment performance and can stably operate for a long time is provided. In a waste water treatment apparatus at least comprising a waste water treatment tank in which a carrier particle immobilizing a microbe is charged and decomposing and eliminating an organic matter and/or an inorganic matter contained in a waste water, and a membrane module for filtrating a water to be treated which flows out from said treatment tank, a non-permeating water not passing thorough the membrane module is returned and circulated to said treatment tank. In a waste water treatment apparatus at least comprising a waste water treatment tank in which a carrier particle immobilizing a microbe is charged and decomposing and eliminating an organic matter and/or an inorganic matter contained in a waste water, a carrier immobilizing a microbe is an acetalized polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel.

Abstract: A cylindrical cell is disclosed which is so constructed that an insulating ring is seated on the outside of the sealed part of the opening part of a cell case, the terminal face of a negative electrode plate is depressed below the outer face of a facing label covering the insulating ring, and a gas discharge hole formed in the negative electrode plate is concealed with the insulating ring. This construction prevents the cell from allowing flow of a current to an adjacent cell and consequently from being charged by the adjacent cell. Since the cell uses a thermally shrinkable insulating facing member, it enjoys improved reliability of the outer covering.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus which use actual speech as auxiliary information and synthesize speech by speech synthesis by rule, prosodic information for a phoneme sequence of each word of a word sequence obtained by an analysis of an input text is set by referring to a word dictionary, and a speech waveform sequence is obtained from the phoneme sequence of each word by referring to a speech waveform dictionary. Additional prosodic information is extracted from input actual speech, and at least one of the set prosodic information or at least one of the extracted prosodic information is selected and used to control the speech waveform sequence to create synthesized speech.

Abstract: A heat sensitive jacket label for a battery is disclosed. It comprises a base made of a heat-shrinking film, a metal layer provided on a back surface of the base, a heat-resistant insulating layer provided on the metal layer, and a heat sensitive adhesive on the insulating layer. The base heat-shrinks at a temperature at least 15.degree. C. higher than a temperature for effecting adhesion of the heat sensitive adhesive.

Abstract: A wideband speech signal (8 kHz, for example) of high quantity is reconstructed from a narrowband speech signal (300 Hz to 3.4 kHz). The input narrowband speech signal is LPC-analyzed to obtain spectrum information parameters, and the parameters are vector-quantized using a narrowband speech signal codebook. For each code number of the narrowband speech signal codebook, the wideband speech waveform corresponding to the codevector concerned is extracted by one pitch for voiced speech and by one frame for unvoiced speech and prestored in a representative waveform codebook. Representative waveform segments corresponding to the respective output codevector numbers of the quantizer are extracted from the representative waveform codebook. Voiced speech is synthesized by pitch-synchronous overlapping of the extracted representative waveform segments and unvoiced speech is synthesized by randomly using waveforms of one frame length. By this, a wideband speech signal is produced.

Abstract: Input speech of a reference speaker, who wants to convert his/her voice quality, and speech of a target speaker are converted into a digital signal by an analog to digital (A/D) converter. The digital signal is then subjected to speech analysis by a linear predictive coding (LPC) analyzer. Speech data of the reference speaker is processed into speech segments by a speech segmentation unit. A speech segment correspondence unit makes a dynamic programming (DP) based correspondence between the obtained speech segments and training speech data of the target speaker, thereby making a speech segment correspondence table. A speaker individuality conversion is made on the basis of the speech segment correspondence table by a speech individuality conversion and synthesis unit.

Abstract: Complex microspheres consist of polysiloxane and vinyl polymers which are unistructurally mixed together and substantially free of covalent bonds therebetween. Polysiloxane and vinyl polymer are contained at ratio of 97/3.about.30/70 by weight, the average diameter of the complex microspheres is 0.05.about.30 .mu.m, the standard deviation of their particle size is 1.0.about.2.5, and the ratio between their major and minor axes is 1.0.about.1.2. Thermoplastic films containing such complex microspheres at a specified rate have improved lubricity and anti-blocking properties.