Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for open-domain voice-enabled searching that is speaker sensitive. Techniques include using speech information, speaker information, and information associated with a spoken query to enhance open voice search results. This includes integrating a textual index with a voice index to support the entire search cycle. Given a voice query, the system can execute two matching processes simultaneously. This can include a text matching process based on the output of speech recognition, as well as a voice matching process based on characteristics of a caller or user voicing a query. Characteristics of the caller can include output of voice feature extraction and metadata about the call. The system clusters callers according to these characteristics. The system can use specific voice and text clusters to modify speech recognition results, as well as modifying search results.

Abstract: In a method of making a generating device, a plurality of spaced apart elongated seed members are deposited onto a surface of a flexible non-conductive substrate. An elongated conductive layer is applied to a top surface and a first side of each seed member, thereby leaving an exposed second side opposite the first side. A plurality of elongated piezoelectric nanostructures is grown laterally from the second side of each seed layer. A second conductive material is deposited onto the substrate adjacent each elongated first conductive layer so as to be coupled the distal end of each of the plurality of elongated piezoelectric nanostructures. The second conductive material is selected so as to form a Schottky barrier between the second conductive material and the distal end of each of the plurality of elongated piezoelectric nanostructures and so as to form an electrical contact with the first conductive layer.

Abstract: A method is described for use with automatic speech recognition using discriminative criteria for speaker adaptation. An adaptation evaluation is performed of speech recognition performance data for speech recognition system users. Adaptation candidate users are identified based on the adaptation evaluation for whom an adaptation process is likely to improve system performance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for aligning texts. The method includes acquiring a target text and a reference text and aligning the target text and the reference text at word level based on phoneme similarity. The method can be applied to automatically archiving a multimedia resource and a method of automatically searching a multimedia resource.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of (3S,4S)-3-hexyl-4-((R)-2-hydroxytridecyl)-oxetan-2-one and a product of the method. The method includes the following steps: a) reducing a substance represented by formula (II) to obtain a substance represented by formula (III), and then oxidizing the substance represented by formula (III) to form a substance represented by formula (IV); b) acylating n-octanoic acid to obtain n-octanoyl chloride using thionyl dichloride, then condensing the obtained n-octanoyl chloride with 2-mercapto-pyridine under basic condition to form a substance represented by formula (V), and then converting the substance represented by formula (V) to a substance represented by formula (VI); c) reacting the substance obtained in the step a) with the substance obtained in the step b) under catalytic condition of Lewis acid to generate a substance represented by formula (VII), and then reacting with a Lewis acid.

Abstract: This invention discloses a novel compound with the structure of formula I, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts or solvates thereof. In addition, the invention further discloses a method for preparing the compound, a pharmaceutical composition containing the compound, and use thereof in the preparation of a hypoglycemic medicament.

Abstract: A method and system for achieving emotional text to speech. The method includes: receiving text data; generating emotion tag for the text data by a rhythm piece; and achieving TTS to the text data corresponding to the emotion tag, where the emotion tags are expressed as a set of emotion vectors; where each emotion vector includes a plurality of emotion scores given based on a plurality of emotion categories. A system for the same includes: a text data receiving module; an emotion tag generating module; and a TTS module for achieving TTS, wherein the emotion tag is expressed as a set of emotion vectors; and wherein emotion vector includes a plurality of emotion scores given based on a plurality of emotion categories.

Abstract: A method for performing speech synthesis on textual content at a client. The method includes the steps of: performing speech synthesis on the textual content based on a current acoustical unit set Scurrent in a corpus at the client; analyzing the textual content and generating a list of target units with corresponding context features, selecting multiple acoustical unit candidates for each target unit according to the context features based on an acoustical unit set Stotal that is more plentiful than the current acoustical unit set Scurrent in the corpus at the client, and determining acoustical units suitable for speech synthesis for the textual content according to the multiple unit candidates; and updating the current acoustical unit set Scurrent in the corpus at the client based on the determined acoustical units.

Abstract: The present invention provides a speech analysis method comprising steps of obtaining a speech signal and a corresponding DEGG/EGG signal; regarding the speech signal as the output of a vocal tract filter in a source-filter model taking the DEGG/EGG signal as the input; and estimating the features of the vocal tract filter from the speech signal as the output and the DEGG/EGG signal as the input, wherein the features of the vocal tract filter are expressed by the state vectors of the vocal tract filter at selected time points, and the step of estimating is performed using Kalman filtering.

Abstract: A system and method for real-time network communications provides a session identifier as a public key for group communication between clients, and provides a channel identifier representing a private key for each of a plurality of clients. The channel identifier includes client-specific attributes, which function to indicate grouping criteria for the group communication. A dynamic communication link is created over a network between a client and a service based upon the public and private key combination such that group communication is enabled based upon the attributes of the private key and the public key. Communications are translated using a translation service which employs the attributes associated with the private key and the public key combination to provide response information in a designated language to enable multi-lingual real-time communications.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical cuvette for use in a flow-type particle analyzer, wherein the cuvette includes a removable flow tube containing a flow channel oriented coaxially.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for voice conversion. The method includes performing speech analysis on the speech of a source speaker to achieve speech information; performing spectral conversion based on said speech information, to at least achieve a first spectrum similar to the speech of a target speaker; performing unit selection on the speech of said target speaker at least using said first spectrum as a target; replacing at least part of said first spectrum with the spectrum of the selected target speaker's speech unit; and performing speech reconstruction at least based on the replaced spectrum.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method and apparatus for significantly improving the quality of voice morphing and guaranteeing the similarity of converted voice. The invention sets several standard speakers in a TTS database, and selects the voices of different standard speakers for speech synthesis according to different roles, wherein the voice of the selected standard speaker is similar to the original role to a certain extent. Then the invention further performs voice morphing on the standard voice similar to the original voice to a certain extent, in order to accurately mimic the voice of the original speaker, so as to make the converted voice closer to the original voice features while guaranteeing the similarity.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a search-based segmentation method and device for a language without a word boundary tag. The inventive method includes the steps of: a. providing at least one search engine with a segment of a text including at least one segment; b. searching for the segment through the at least one search engine, and returning search results; and c. selecting a word segmentation approach for the segment in accordance with at least part of the returned search results. The invention solves the problems of word segmentation for a language without a word boundary tag, and thus combat the limitations of the prior art in terms of flexibility, dependence upon coverage of dictionaries, available training data corpuses, processing of a new word, etc.

Abstract: A method, system and computer readable storage medium for assessing speech prosody. The method includes the steps of: receiving input speech data; acquiring a prosody constraint; assessing prosody of the input speech data according to the prosody constraint; and providing assessment result where at least of the steps is carried out using a computer device.

Abstract: A small scale electrical generator includes an elongated substrate and a first piezoelectric fine wire. The first piezoelectric fine wire is disposed along a surface of the substrate. The first piezoelectric fine wire has a first end and a spaced-apart second end. A first conductive contact secures the first end of the fine wire to a first portion of the substrate and a second conductive contact secures the second end of the fine wire to a second portion of the substrate. A fabric made of interwoven strands that includes fibers from which piezoelectric nanowires extend radially therefrom and conductive nanostructures extend therefrom is configured to generate electricity.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for identifying a ligand that binds to a macromolecular target. The methods involve (a) attaching an antenna moiety to a first ligand, wherein the ligand binds specifically to a macromolecular target; (b) providing a sample comprising the macromolecular target, the first ligand and a candidate second ligand under conditions wherein the first ligand and the macromolecular target form a bound complex; (c) detecting a subset of magnetization transfer signals between the antenna moiety of the first ligand and the second candidate ligand, wherein the signals are obtained from an isotope edited NOESY spectrum of the sample; thereby determining that the two ligands are proximal in a bound complex, and identifying a second ligand that binds to the macromolecular target.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for identifying a ligand that binds to a macromolecular target. The methods involve (a) attaching an antenna moiety to a first ligand, wherein the ligand binds specifically to a macromolecular target; (b) providing a sample comprising the macromolecular target, the first ligand and a candidate second ligand under conditions wherein the first ligand and the macromolecular target form a bound complex; (c) detecting a subset of magnetization transfer signals between the antenna moiety of the first ligand and the second candidate ligand, wherein the signals are obtained from an isotope edited NOESY spectrum of the sample; thereby determining that the two ligands are proximal in a bound complex, and identifying a second ligand that binds to the macromolecular target.

Abstract: In a method of making a generating device, a plurality of spaced apart elongated seed members are deposited onto a surface of a flexible non-conductive substrate. An elongated conductive layer is applied to a top surface and a first side of each seed member, thereby leaving an exposed second side opposite the first side. A plurality of elongated piezoelectric nanostructures is grown laterally from the second side of each seed layer. A second conductive material is deposited onto the substrate adjacent each elongated first conductive layer so as to be coupled the distal end of each of the plurality of elongated piezoelectric nanostructures. The second conductive material is selected so as to form a Schottky barrier between the second conductive material and the distal end of each of the plurality of elongated piezoelectric nanostructures and so as to form an electrical contact with the first conductive layer.

Abstract: An optical chromatic dispersion compensator (60) betters optical communication system performance. The dispersion compensator (60) includes a collimating means (61) that receives a spatially diverging beam of light from an end of an optical fiber (30). The collimating means (61) converts the spatially diverging beam into a mainly collimated beam that is emitted therefrom. An optical phaser (62) receives the mainly collimated beam from the collimating means (61) through an entrance window (63), and angularly disperses the beam in a banded pattern that is emitted from the optical phaser (61). A light-returning means (66) receives the angularly dispersed light and reflects it back through the optical phaser (62) to exit the optical phaser near the entrance window (63) thereof.