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Present speech recognition of cochlear implant is still low for situation of noisy environment or under mismatch condition, and more researches focus on improving front-end signal acquisition and speech recognition. To simplify signal acquisition and algorithm research, we develop an intelligent terminal-based signal acquisition system for cochlear implant, in which the electric relay and many sensors are adopted to implement system monitoring function. The proposed system platform is helpful to actualize algorithm research and intelligent monitoring, adding to its value of further research of speech recognition improvement.

The cutting mechanical properties of impregnated diamond bit depend on the performance of its cutting elements. Aiming at the factors affecting the cutting element performance of impregnated diamond bit, the laboratory rock breaking experiment of impregnated micro bit is carried out. The results show that the breaking work ratio and unit wear first decrease and then increase with the increase of diamond particle size and concentration when drilling sandstone; the rock breaking efficiency and wear resistance are the highest when the concentration is 125 %. The breaking work ratio first decreases and then increases with the increase of diamond particle size when drilling limestone; the rock cutting efficiency is the highest when the concentration is 100 %. With the increase of diamond particle size, the breaking work ratio increases and the unit wear decreases when drilling granite; the rock cutting efficiency and wear resistance are the highest when the concentration is 150 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Improvement of the cochlear implant (CI) front-end signal acquisition is needed to increase speech recognition in noisy environments. To suppress the directional noise, we introduce a speech-enhancement algorithm based on microphone array beamforming and spectral estimation. The experimental results indicate that this method is robust to directional mobile noise and strongly enhances the desired speech, thereby improving the performance of CI devices in a noisy environment. Methods The spectrum estimation and the array beamforming methods were combined to suppress the ambient noise. The directivity coefficient was estimated in the noise-only intervals, and was updated to fit for the mobile noise. Results The proposed algorithm was realized in the CI speech strategy. For actual parameters, we use Maxflat filter to obtain fractional sampling points and cepstrum method to differentiate the desired speech frame and the noise frame. The broadband adjustment coefficients were added to compensate the energy loss in the low frequency band. Discussions The approximation of the directivity coefficient is tested and the errors are discussed. We also analyze the algorithm constraint for noise estimation and distortion in CI processing. The performance of the proposed algorithm is analyzed and further be compared with other prevalent methods. Conclusions The hardware platform was constructed for the experiments. The speech-enhancement results showed that our algorithm can suppresses the non-stationary noise with high SNR. Excellent performance of the proposed algorithm was obtained in the speech enhancement experiments and mobile testing. And signal distortion results indicate that this algorithm is robust with high SNR improvement and low speech distortion.

A novel offset and finite-gain compensated differential switched-capacitor(SC) amplifier is presented. Incorporating the correlated double sampling (CDS) technique and input correlated level shifting (CLS) technique together, the DC offset and DC gain error of SC amplifier are further reduced by a factor of op-amp DC gain compared with the conventional offset and finite-gain compensated SC amplifier. The effectiveness of the new scheme has been analyzed and verified by extensive simulations. An SC amplifier with the proposed scheme is designed in 130 nm CMOS technology. Simulated results show that with an op-amp having a low DC gain of 30 dB and an input offset of 10 mV, the proposed SC amplifier achieves an output offset and DC-gain error of 154 µV and 0.05%, respectively, which are significantly improved compared with 1.155 mV and 0.42% achieved in the conventional SC amplifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and to suppress directional noise in front-end signal acquisition, microphone array technologies are being applied in the cochlear implant (CI). Due to size constraints, the dual microphone-based system is most suitable for actual application. However, direct application of the array technology will result in the low frequency roll-off problem, which can noticeably distort the desired signal.Methods: In this paper, we theoretically analyze the roll-off characteristic on the basis of CI parameters and present a new low-complexity compensation algorithm. We obtain the linearized frequency response of the two-microphone array from modeling and analysis for further algorithm realization. REALIZATION AND RESULTS: Linear method was used to approximate the theoretical response with adjustable delay and weight parameters. A CI dual-channel hardware platform is constructed for experimental research. Experimental results show that our algorithm performs well in compensation and realization.Discussions: We discuss the effect from environment noise. Actual daily noise with more low-frequency energy will weaken the algorithm performance. A balance between low-frequency distortion and corresponding low-frequency noise need to be considered.Conclusions: Our novel compensation algorithm uses linear function to obtain the desired system response, which is a low computational-complexity method for CI real-time processing. Algorithm performance is tested in CI CIS modulation and the influence of experimental distance and environmental noise were further analyzed to evaluate algorithm constraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we expanded Acer sect. Rubra Pax to include A. sect. Hyptiocarpa Fang. Traditionally, section Rubra comprises two iconic species, Acer rubrum Linnaeus (red maple) and A. saccharinum Linnaeus (silver maple), of eastern North American forests as well as the rare Japanese montane species, A. pycnanthum K. Koch. Section Hyptiocarpa consists of A. laurinum Hasskarl and A. pinnatinervium Merrill, which occur in subtropical and tropical regions of southwestern China to southeast Asia. Here, we confirm prior phylogenetic results showing the close relationship between sects. Rubra and Hyptiocarpa , and we use scanning electron microscopy to demonstrate that leaves of species within these sections have similar arrangements of cuticular waxes, which account for the silvery color of their abaxial surfaces. We describe that the sections also share labile sex expression; inflorescences that range from compound racemose thyrses, to racemes or umbels and that may have undergone evolutionary reduction; and several features of their fruits, such as seed locules without keels, basal portion of wings straight, acute attachment angle between mericarps, and production of some mericarps that are seedless and partially developed at maturity. Our expansion of sect. Rubra to include sect. Hyptiocarpa better elucidates the biogeographic and evolutionary history of these species. Additionally, we show that A. laurinum and A. pinnatinervium have intergrading morphology and are probably synonymous, but we note that further studies are required to conclude their taxonomic status.