This paper describes version 2 of the Festival speech synthesis system. Festival 2 provides a development environment for concatenative speech synthesis, and now includes a general purpose unit selection speech synthesis engine. We discuss various aspects of unit selection speech synthesis, focusing on the research issues that relate to voice design and the automation of the voice development p...

N ature interpretation centers are a romantic expression of the desire to understand and experience nature without giving up the comforts of civilization. Advances in digital technologies let us collect and store masses of data about our natural environment, but we are more removed from it than ever. As a society, we find ourselves trading experience-based knowledge for comfort. Interpretation ...

to recognize and introduce the excellence works in the field of holy defense, the holy defense book festival is held yearly by bonyad-e hefz-e asar va arzshha-ye defae moqaddas. of the 2563 works published during the years 2011 to 2013, 9 titles from the publications of the center for holy defense documentation and research have nominated and commended to the jury to be rewarded or appreciated ...

During the last two weeks of July 1992, twenty researchers at Digital Equipment Corporation’s Systems Research Center participated in the 1st Annual SRC Algorithm Animation Festival. Only two of the researchers had previously animated an algorithm, and not too many more had ever written an application that involved graphics. In this paper, we report on the Animation Festival, describing why we ...

During the last two weeks of July 1992, twenty researchers at Digital Equipment Corporation’s Systems Research Center participated in the 1st Annual SRC Algorithm Animation Festival. Only two of the researchers had previously animated an algorithm, and not too many more had ever written an application that involved graphics. In this paper, we report on the Animation Festival, describing why we ...

The ambient air quality monitoring network involves measurement of a number of air pollutants. A variety of methods exist to measure particulate matter in air. This study evaluates the effects of particulate air pollution associated short-term exposure of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) in Diwali festival. Fireworks display during festive celebrations can cause acute short term air pollutio...

The paper presents an assessment of the effect of the Chinese Spring Festival on urban air quality in a southern China city. Various trace gases and aerosols were measured over three consecutive winters (2014-2016), including both the Spring Festival (SF) and non-Spring Festival (non-SF) periods, at an urban site of Shenzhen city. By comparing the concentrations of these pollutants in different...

We report 52 cases of measles linked to music and arts festivals in England and Wales, between mid-June and mid-October 2016. Nearly half were aged 15 to 19 years. Several individuals who acquired measles at one festival subsequently attended another festival while infectious, resulting in multiple interlinked outbreaks. Transmission within festivals resulted in a geographical spread of cases n...

Festivals have been proliferating worldwide, and local authorities are either supporting, or organizing small, local festivals to enhance the attractiveness of the destination for non-local visitors. Festivals are also very effective tools for developing destination image, revitalizing economy, culture, traditions, building civic pride, raising funds for special, civic or charitable projects, a...