In this paper we study low-variance multi-taper spectrum estimation methods to compute the mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) features for robust speech recognition. In speech recognition, MFCC features are usually computed from a Hamming-windowed DFT spectrum. Although windowing helps in reducing the bias of the spectrum, but variance remains high. Multitaper spectrum estimation methods...

INTRODUCTION Pulpectomy of primary teeth is mostly carried out with hand files and broaches which is tricky and time consuming procedure. The development of new design features like varying tapers, non-cutting safety tips and varying length of cutting blades have resulted in new generation of rotary instruments. AIM To compare and evaluate cleaning efficacy, canal preparation and volumetric f...

BACKGROUND Previous studies regarding modular head-neck taper corrosion were largely based on cobalt chrome (CoCr) alloy femoral heads. Less is known about head-neck taper corrosion with ceramic femoral heads. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES We asked (1) whether ceramic heads resulted in less taper corrosion than CoCr heads; (2) what device and patient factors influence taper fretting corrosion; and (3) w...

A nonuniform-shape photonic crystal taper integrated with a single-mode optical fiber and a photonic crystal waveguide for high-efficiency mode coupling is presented. The curvature of the tapering section is varied by the parameter alpha. For values of alpha set to 2 and 0.5, concave and convex tapers are obtained, respectively. Numerical calculations yield an average coupling efficiency greate...

A Nyquist filter can have any odd symmetric taper as a transition between its pass band and stop band. The most well known taper is the raised cosine (RC) taper specified in most communication standards. The square root (SRRC) Nyquist filter formed from this prototype exhibits high spectral side lobe levels that fail to meet severe spectral mask requirements. This paper presents a SR Nyquist fi...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the length of dentinal microcracks observed prior to and following root canal preparation with different single-file nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) systems using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis. A total of 80 mesial roots of mandibular first molars presenting with type II Vertucci canal configurations were scanned at an isotropic resolution of...

BACKGROUND Material loss at the taper junction of metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasties has been implicated in their early failure. The mechanisms of material loss are not fully understood; analysis of the patterns of damage at the taper can help us better understand why material loss occurs at this junction. METHODS We mapped the patterns of material loss in a series of 155 metal-on-metal ...

It has been speculated that material loss, either as corrosion or wear, at the head-stem taper junction is implicated in the high revision rates reported for metal-on-metal total hip replacements. We measured the volume of material loss from the taper and bearing surfaces of retrieved devices, and investigated the associations with blood metal ion levels and the diagnosis of a cystic or solid p...