Showing papers on "Naturalness published in 2003"

TeV symmetry and the little hierarchy problem

Abstract: Constraints from precision electroweak measurements reveal no evidence for new physics up to 5–7 TeV, whereas naturalness requires new particles at around 1 TeV to address the stability of the electroweak scale. We show that this ``little hierarchy problem'' can be cured by introducing a symmetry for new particles at the TeV scale. As an example, we construct a little Higgs model with this new symmetry, dubbed T-parity, which naturally solves the little hierarchy problem and, at the same time, stabilize the electroweak scale up to 10 TeV. The model has many important phenomenological consequences, including consistency with the precision data without any fine-tuning, a stable weakly-interacting particle as the dark matter candidate, as well as collider signals completely different from existing little Higgs models, but rather similar to the supersymmetric theories with conserved R-parity.

The role of the concept of the natural (naturalness) in organic farming

Abstract: Producers, traders, and consumers oforganic food regularly use the concept of thenatural (naturalness) to characterize organicagriculture and or organic food, in contrast tothe unnaturalness of conventional agriculture.Critics sometimes argue that such use lacks anyrational (scientific) basis and only refers tosentiment. In our project, we made an attemptto clarify the content and the use of theconcepts of nature and naturalness in organicagriculture, to relate this conception todiscussions within bioethical literature, andto draw the implications for agriculturalpractice and policy. Qualitative interviews were executed with arange of people in the field of organicagriculture and with consumers of organicproducts, on the basis of a list of statementsabout the meaning of the concept of naturalnessformulated by the authors. Based on the resultsof the interviews, we distinguished 3 aspectsof the concept of naturalness: natural as theorganic (life processes), natural as theecological, and natural as referring to thecharacteristic nature of an entity. We relatedthese conceptual aspects to three mainapproaches within the field of organicagriculture: the no chemicals approach, theagro-ecological approach, and the integrityapproach. It became clear that these approachescan also be recognized in the change ofattitude of farmers as they convert fromconventional to organic agriculture, and in theattitudes of consumers of organic foodproducts. We conclude that the idea of ``naturalness'' canbe used to characterize organic agriculture andto distinguish it from conventionalagriculture, but only if naturalness not onlyrefers to not using chemicals but also toecological principles and respect for theintegrity of life. Thus perceived, theprinciple of naturalness can also serve as aguide to future developments in the field oforganic agriculture. As part of the holocentricethics of organic farming the value ofnaturalness has three dimensions: a cognitiveone, an emotive one, and a normative one.

TeV Symmetry and the Little Hierarchy Problem

Abstract: Constraints from precision electroweak measurements reveal no evidence for new physics up to 5 - 7 TeV, whereas naturalness requires new particles at around 1 TeV to address the stability of the electroweak scale. We show that this "little hierarchy problem" can be cured by introducing a symmetry for new particles at the TeV scale. As an example, we construct a little Higgs model with this new symmetry, dubbed T-parity, which naturally solves the little hierarchy problem and, at the same time, stabilize the electroweak scale up to 10 TeV. The model has many important phenomenological consequences, including consistency with the precision data without any fine-tuning, a stable weakly-interacting particle as the dark matter candidate, as well as collider signals completely different from existing little Higgs models, but rather similar to the supersymmetric theories with conserved R-parity.

Combining ‘Naturalness Concepts’with Close-to-Nature Silviculture

Abstract: This paper summarizes key aspects of ‘naturalness concepts’ and their relationships to ‘close-to-nature silviculture’. For perhaps 20—30 years, associated with concerns over apparently increasing biological and ecological problems (floods, avalanches, forest die-back, and other calamities) there has been an increasing debate in forestry centered on efforts to bring forest and woodland management back to more ‘natural’ approaches. Conservation and other management in parallel to these arguments are flawed unless based on sound conceptual foundations, and to this end basic principles and concepts have been developed. ‘Naturalness’ is one such concept. However, whilst this is an important term in helping to understand the key processes at work it has proved difficult to integrate with ideas of ‘close-to-nature silviculture’. This paper explores the issues and proposes more effective integration of approaches. Possible ways in which the concept can aid conservation management of woods and forests are suggested.

On the practical significance of critical international relations theory

Abstract: The question of relevance of international relations theory must be approached through an awareness of the distinctiveness of various perspectives’ relations to existing structures of power. It becomes, in effect, a matter of asking for whom and for what purposes of practical action the theory is or is not relevant. Critical theories of international relations, ranging from modernist to post‐structural forms, share a commitment to challenging the naturalness of the existing world order and the acceptability of its dominant relations and practices of power. Critical theory focuses analysis on the effects of power on the differential ability of actors to control their own circumstances. It also goes beyond that theoretical contribution to provide impetus for practical political action in challenging, confronting, and disrupting existing relations of power. Thus, in the contemporary era, critical IR theory is relevant, among other ways, as a stimulus to resist empire in its many guises.

Custom-tailoring TTS voice font - keeping the naturalness when reducing database size.

Abstract: This paper presents a framework for custom-tailoring voice font in data-driven TTS systems. Three criteria for unit pruning, the prosodic outlier criterion, the importance criterion and the combination of the two, are proposed. The performance of voice fonts in different sizes which are pruned with the three criteria is evaluated by simulating speech synthesis over large amount of texts and estimating the naturalness with an objective measure at the same time. The result shows that the combined criterion performs the best among the three. The preestimated curve for naturalness vs. database size might be used as a reference for custom-tailoring voice font. The naturalness remains almost unchanged when 50% of instances are pruned off with the combined criterion.

Using DSP-based parametric physical synthesis models to study human sound perception

Abstract: A series of studies in human auditory perception, memory, attention, discrimination, and learning are described, based on the use of physical synthesis models. The use of realistic sounding DSP-based physical models allows individual parameters to be isolated and tested, while still keeping an "ecological" approach to the experiments. Partly due to the flexibility of the model parameters, and due to the large numbers of subjects tested, and also due to the large collections of sounds we have been able to use, the studies described have provided much new evidence about the nature of human cognitive auditory mechanisms. A new research agenda has been born out of this work, endeavoring to answer difficult questions about the subjective nature of sonic "reality", "naturalness", "presence", "immersion", etc.

Rewriting via coinserters

Abstract: This paper introduces a semantics for rewriting that is independent of the data being rewritten and which, nevertheless, models key concepts such as substitution which are central to rewriting algorithms. We demonstrate the naturalness of this construction by showing how it mirrors the usual treatment of algebraic theories as coequalizers of monads. We also demonstrate its naturalness by showing how it captures several canonical forms of rewriting.

Phonological Reduction in Swedish

Abstract: In this paper, the importance of pronunciation varia- tion modelling is discussed. As a first step in devel- oping a model of Swedish pronunciation variation due to speaking style and speech rate, a tentative reduc- tion rule system has been developed. An assessment experiment testing the impact of phonological reduc- tion, as defined by this system, on the perceived natu- ralness of speech synthesis was conducted. Canonical and reduced synthetic speech stimuli with three differ- ent speech rates were presented to na¨ ive subjects. The reduced pronunciations were significantly more often perceived as more natural than the canonical pronun- ciations at the higher speech rates, while there was no significant general difference in perceived naturalness depending on reduction level for the lowest rate. The dependence on speech rate for perceived naturalness was significant. A possible cause for some observed differences in perceived naturalness depending on the nature of specific stimuli is discussed. For a general description of speaking style dependent pronunciation variation in Swedish, both phonological and phonetic level rules will have to be developed. For this purpose, data-driven methods will be used on an- notated spontaneous speech corpora. The focus will be on general aspects of pronunciation variation, rather than on variation due to dialect or individual factors. As a starting point, a tentative knowledge-based phonological level rule system has been developed. The purpose of this rule system is to form a base from which a more elaborate rule system can be built. The rule system has some empirical grounds, since it is based partly on empirical results reported by Garding (1). The result of applying the rule system to canonical (maximally detailed) transcriptions can be compared to what can be observed in spontaneous speech cor- pora and the rules updated, if systematic deviations are found. The phonological rules can also serve as a skeleton to which more detailed phonetic rules can be added. In this paper, an assessment experiment testing the impact on the perceived naturalness of speech synthesis of the tentative rule system is reported. The specific questions asked are: 1) What is the impact on the perceived naturalness of synthesis output of applying the rule system to the input transcriptions, 2) What is the correlation between the perceived naturalness of the rule-processed stimuli and synthesis speech rate and 3) Are there differences in perceived naturalness depending on the rules applied and, if so, how can these differences be explained? 1.1 BACKGROUND

Softening the naturalness problem

Abstract: It was observed by Veltman a long time ago that a special value for the Higgs boson mass could lead to a cancellation of the quadratically divergent corrections to the Higgs boson’s squared mass which appear at one loop. We present a class of low energy models that allow one to soften the naturalness problem in the sense that there can be a cancellation of radiative corrections appearing at one loop. The naturalness problem is shifted from the 1 TeV region to the 10 TeV region. Depending on the specific model under consideration, this scale can even be shifted to a higher energy scale. Signatures of these models are discussed.

Corpus-based modeling of naturalness estimation in timing control for non-native speech

Abstract: In this paper, aiming at automatic estimation of naturalness in timing control of non-native’s speech, we have analyzed the timing characteristics of non-native’s speech to correlate with the corresponding subjective naturalness evaluation scores given by native speakers. Through statistical analyses using English speech data spoken by Japanese with temporal naturalness scores ranging one to five given by natives, we found high correlation between their scores and the differences from native’s speech. These analyses provided a linear regression model where naturalness in timing control is estimated by differences from native’s speech in durations of overall sentences, individual content and function words and pauses. The proposed naturalness evaluation model was tested its estimation accuracy using open data. The root mean square errors 0.64 between scores predicted by the model and those given by the natives turned out to be comparable to the differences 0.85 of scores among native listeners. Good correlation between model prediction and native’s judgments confirmed the appropriateness of the proposed model.

Why grammar is beyond belief

Abstract: This paper divides into four uneven parts and moves from description to theory to practice. I hope the theory will not deter the applied linguist nor the application the descriptive or theoretical linguist, since they are intimately related in my mind. In the first part of the paper I shall sketchily suggest that most descriptions of English and most language teaching materials published handle grammar and lexis separately. In the second, as evidence for doubting the wisdom of this separation, I shall present a small piece of naturally occurring language and explore the factors that lead to its sounding natural. I will argue that a description of a language should account for both what is possible and what is natural. Accordingly, in the third I will put forward a tentative theory of naturalness, intended to account for the features described in the second part. If it is correct, it also carries the implication that traditional conceptions of grammar are inadequate as an account of the way language is stored and used. My data are drawn from English, but it is hoped that the argument put forward will be felt to apply, albeit with differences in detail, to other languages. Finally, I will return to the learner's plight and suggest what the implications of this theory are for language learning.

Naturalness: Some English (Morpho)syntactic Examples

Abstract: In Slovenia, the natural syntax of the Klagenfurt brand has been extended to the study of the behaviour of (near-)synonymous syntactic expressions, here called syntactic variants Below our work is illustrated with (morpho)syntactic eases from English (Naturalness Theory applied to English has so far not received much attention) About a half of the examples deal with the syntactic behaviour of objects; the other half considers raising phenomena The language material is divided into consecutively numbered deductions in each of which the existence of a (morpho)syntactic state of affairs is predicted on the basis of apposite assumptions and Andersen's markedness alignment rules ********** The subject-matter of my paper is a (language-universal) theory developed in Slovenia by a small group of linguists (under my guidance), who mainly use English, German, and Slovenian language material as the base of verification Our work owes much to, and exploits, the (linguistic) Naturalness Theory as elaborated especially at some Austrian and German universities; cf Mayerthaler (1981), Wurzel (1984), Dressier et al (1987), Dressler (2000) Naturalness Theory has also been applied to syntax, notably at the University of Klagenfurt; the basic references are Dotter (1990), Mayerthaler and Fliedl (1993), Mayerthaler et al (1993, 1995, 1998) Within the natural syntax of the Klagenfurt brand, the Slovenian work group has built an extension which studies the behaviour of (near-)synonymous syntactic expressions, here called syntactic variants Whenever two syntactic variants are included in the same naturalness scale, and consequently one variant can be asserted to be more natural than the other, something can be said about some grammatical properties of the two variants Within Naturalness Theory Mayerthaler (1981: 10) distinguishes sem- and sym-naturalness Since the present paper utilizes sem-naturalness only, Mayerthaler's distinction will not be discussed Sem-naturalness will simply be called naturalness in the continuation of the paper The predicate "natural" will be defined as simple (for the speaker) from the cognitive point of view This kind of naturalness is similar to traditional markedness, and the following approximate equation can be stated as a first orientation of the reader: [alpha]markedness = -[alpha]naturalness It is practically impossible to compare markedness and naturalness in (morpho)syntax seeing that the application of both in that field is in a state of flux Naturalness values will be stated in naturalness scales The basic scale format is >nat (A, B)--ie with respect to cognitive complexity, A is more natural than B This is the speaker's viewpoint It is further assumed that, from the hearer's viewpoint, B is more natural than A (This is based on the assumption that the interests of the speaker and the hearer in a communicative situation are as a rule antagonistic) A consequence of this that will play an important role in the continuation: the scale >nat (A, B) can be substantiated by showing that A is more natural than B for the speaker, and/or by showing that B is more natural than A for the hearer To cover any optional usage of A or B, this framework assumes the following two additional formats derived from the basic format: i) >nat (A + B, B), ie admitting both the more and the less natural variant is more natural than admitting only the less natural variant; ii) >nat (A, A + B), ie admitting only the more natural variant is more natural than admitting both the more and the less natural variant Any scale in one of the two derived formats (i-ii) is asserted to be true whenever the corresponding scale in the basic format >nat (A, B) is asserted to be true Therefore, when a scale couched in a derived format is used, it suffices to back up the corresponding scale in the basic format …

Is there something like bio-dynamic breeding?

Abstract: In this paper the differentiation made within the concept of naturalness will be used to explain the different approaches in breeding within the organic movement. The differentiation of the concept will result into a framework, which will be used as a tool to describe and explain the elements of bio-dynamic animal breeding. Bio-dynamics is a practical result out of the anthroposophical worldview. Bio-dynamics developed its own way to judge about relationships in the physical world, used its own language to express the holistic approach in agriculture and focused on additional relationships within the world.