scholarly journals Evaluation of digital watermarking on subjective speech quality

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yann Kowalczuk ◽  
Jan Holub
Keyword(s):  
Social Background ◽  
Speech Quality ◽  
Speech Compression ◽  
Audio Quality ◽  
Speech Watermarking ◽  
Subjective Testing ◽  
Listening Tests ◽  
Subjective Assessments ◽  
Audio Files ◽  
The Impact

AbstractNew methods of securing the distribution of audio content have been widely deployed in the last twenty years. Their impact on perceptive quality has, however, only been seldomly the subject of recent extensive research. We review digital speech watermarking state of the art and provide subjective testing of watermarked speech samples. Latest speech watermarking techniques are listed, with their specifics and potential for further development. Their current and possible applications are evaluated. Open-source software designed to embed watermarking patterns in audio files is used to produce a set of samples that satisfies the requirements of modern speech-quality subjective assessments. The patchwork algorithm that is coded in the application is mainly considered in this analysis. Different watermark robustness levels are used, which allow determining the threshold of detection to human listeners. The subjective listening tests are conducted following ITU-T P.800 Recommendation, which precisely defines the conditions and requirements for subjective testing. Further analysis tries to determine the effects of noise and various disturbances on watermarked speech’s perceived quality. A threshold of intelligibility is estimated to allow further openings on speech compression techniques with watermarking. The impact of language or social background is evaluated through an additional experiment involving two groups of listeners. Results show significant robustness of the watermarking implementation, retaining both a reasonable net subjective audio quality and security attributes, despite mild levels of distortion and noise. Extended experiments with Chinese listeners open the door to formulate a hypothesis on perception variations with geographical and social backgrounds.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting the Accessibility of Voice Telephony for People with Hearing Loss: Audio Encoding, Network Impairments, Video and Environmental Noise

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-35
Author(s):  
Linda Kozma-Spytek ◽  
Christian Vogler
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Packet Loss ◽  
Mental Effort ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Speech Quality ◽  
Audio Quality ◽  
Presentation Modes ◽  
Quality Ratings ◽  
The Impact

This paper describes four studies with a total of 114 individuals with hearing loss and 12 hearing controls that investigate the impact of audio quality parameters on voice telecommunications. These studies were first informed by a survey of 439 individuals with hearing loss on their voice telecommunications experiences. While voice telephony was very important, with high usage of wireless mobile phones, respondents reported relatively low satisfaction with their hearing devices’ performance for telephone listening, noting that improved telephone audio quality was a significant need. The studies cover three categories of audio quality parameters: (1) narrowband (NB) versus wideband (WB) audio; (2) encoding audio at varying bit rates, from typical rates used in today's mobile networks to the highest quality supported by these audio codecs; and (3) absence of packet loss to worst-case packet loss in both mobile and VoIP networks. Additionally, NB versus WB audio was tested in auditory-only and audiovisual presentation modes and in quiet and noisy environments. With WB audio in a quiet environment, individuals with hearing loss exhibited better speech recognition, expended less perceived mental effort, and rated speech quality higher than with NB audio. WB audio provided a greater benefit when listening alone than when the visual channel also was available. The noisy environment significantly degraded performance for both presentation modes, but particularly for listening alone. Bit rate affected speech recognition for NB audio, and speech quality ratings for both NB and WB audio. Packet loss affected all of speech recognition, mental effort, and speech quality ratings. WB versus NB audio also affected hearing individuals, especially under packet loss. These results are discussed in terms of the practical steps they suggest for the implementation of telecommunications systems and related technical standards and policy considerations to improve the accessibility of voice telephony for people with hearing loss.

scholarly journals Predicting the Quality of Synthesized and Natural Speech Impaired by Packet Loss and Coding Using PESQ and P.563 Models

2011 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 852-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Počta ◽  
Jan Holub
Keyword(s):  
Packet Loss ◽  
Speech Quality ◽  
The Other ◽  
Natural Speech ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Synthesized Speech ◽  
Subjective Assessments ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact

This paper investigates the impact of independent and dependent losses and coding on speech quality predictions provided by PESQ (also known as ITU-T P.862) and P.563 models, when both naturally-produced and synthesized speech are used. Two synthesized speech samples generated with two different Text-to-Speech systems and one naturally-produced sample are investigated. In addition, we assess the variability of PESQ's and P.563's predictions with respect to the type of speech used (naturally-produced or synthesized) and loss conditions as well as their accuracy, by comparing the predictions with subjective assessments. The results show that there is no difference between the impact of packet loss on naturally-produced speech and synthesized speech. On the other hand, the impact of coding is different for the two types of stimuli. In addition, synthesized speech seems to be insensitive to degradations provided by most of the codecs investigated here. The reasons for those findings are particularly discussed. Finally, it is concluded that both models are capable of predicting the quality of transmitted synthesized speech under the investigated conditions to a certain degree. As expected, PESQ achieves the best performance over almost all of the investigated conditions.

scholarly journals Causes, Effects and Consequences of Cultural Differences: Reading Nepali Migrants' Literature in West Asia

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 142-154
Author(s):  
Ramji Timalsina
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Open Society ◽  
Traditional Concept ◽  
The Social ◽  
Transnational Migrants ◽  
Social Management ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Islamic Society

This exploratory study deals with the depiction of causes, effects and consequences of cultural differences between the Nepali transnational migrants in West Asia and the citizens of the nations in this locale as seen in the literary creations of Nepali migrant writers. About a million Nepali migrants work in the Middle East. In the three decades of this migration, they have undergone many experiences of awe and shock caused by their cultural differences with the host land societies. Mainly caused by the differences in terms of religion, social management and law, the Nepali migrants feel difficult to adjust in the respective societies and they bear the consequent discomforts. These experiences have been the base of the Nepali literary creations in that transnational locale. The authors have expressed these realities in their poems, novels, stories, essays and memoirs. This article shows how these writings have portrayed the impact of closed Islamic society unlike the open society in Nepal; occupation based social hierarchy unlike the caste based one in Nepal; differences in culinary items and chance of personal freedom; distance between male and female; the traditional concept about the housemaids and workers; and other socio-cultural discriminations on the migrants in West Asia. The texts under analysis show that whatever is the social background back in Nepal, all Nepali migrants have the same culture, i.e. Nepali; and so they try to save it for their solace in the hostland.

scholarly journals Impact of Background Traffic on Speech Quality in VoWLAN

2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Počta ◽  
Peter Kortiš ◽  
Martin Vaculík
Keyword(s):  
Data Transfer ◽  
Speech Quality ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Telecommunication Networks ◽  
Traffic Load ◽  
Critical Conditions ◽  
Test Sequence ◽  
Perceptual Evaluation ◽  
Background Traffic ◽  
The Impact

This paper describes measurements of the impact of background traffic on speech quality in an environment of WLANs (IEEE 802.11). The simulated background traffic consists of three types of current traffics in telecommunication networks such as data transfer service, multimedia streaming service, and Web service. The background traffic was generated by means of the accomplished Distributed Internet Traffic Generator (D-ITG). The impact of these types of traffic and traffic load on speech quality using the test sequence and speech sequences is the aim of this paper. The assessment of speech quality is carried out by means of the accomplished Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ) algorithm. The proposal of a new method for improved detection of the critical conditions in wireless telecommunication networks from the speech quality point of view is presented in this paper. Conclusion implies the next application of the method of improved detection of critical conditions for the purpose of algorithms for link adaptation from the speech quality point of view in an environment of WLANs. The primary goal of these algorithms is improving speech quality in the VoWLAN connections, which are established in the competent link.

Sociodemographic Predictors of Missed Appointments Among Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 1440-1446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy V. Lynn ◽  
Kavitha Ranganathan ◽  
Matthew H. Bageris ◽  
Tami Hart-Johnson ◽  
Steven R. Buchman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Cleft Lip And Palate ◽  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Missed Appointments ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Ann Arbor ◽  
Average Patient ◽  
The Impact

Objective: To identify disparities in compliance of and care for patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) by determining the impact of sociodemographic variables on the rate of missed appointments and Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement. Design: A retrospective, noninterventional quality assessment and quality improvement study were designed. Setting: This institutional study was performed at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Patients: All patients born between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2014, who underwent surgical CL/P repair, excluding those with fewer than 5 appointments (n = 178). Main Outcome Measure: The rate of missed appointments, calculated as the total number of no-show appointments divided by the total number of scheduled appointments. All appointments from CL/P diagnosis to data collection were considered, including those outside of plastic surgery. Results: The average patient was 4.5 years of age and had 49 total scheduled appointments. The overall rate of missed appointments was 9.6%, with 66.8% of patients missing at least 1 scheduled visit. Patients who were black ( P = .04), not affiliated with a religion ( P = .01), Medicaid users ( P = .01), from an unstable social background ( P = .01), or received need-based financial assistance ( P = .00) were significantly more likely to miss appointments. Child Protective Services was involved with 3.9% of patients. Conclusions: Disparities exist in attendance rates among patients with CL/P, and at-risk patient populations have been identified. The allocation of cleft care resources must be efficiently planned in order to enhance the quality of care for at-risk individuals.

scholarly journals What is the impact of socio-economic inequalities on the use of mental health services?

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Amaddeo ◽  
Julia Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Economic Inequalities

AbstractAmartya Sen, who received the Nobel Prize for Economics, has demonstrated that the incidence of deprivation, in terms ofcapability, can be surprisingly high even in the most developed countries of the world. The study of socio-economic inequalities, in relation to the utilisation of health services, is a priority for epidemiological research. Socio-economic status (SES) has no universal definition. Within the international research literature, SES has been related to social class, social position, occupational status, educational attainment, income, wealth and standard of living. Existing research studies have shown that people from a more deprived social background, with a lower SES, are more likely to have a higher psychiatric morbidity. Many studies show that SES influences psychiatric services utilization, however the real factors linking SES and mental health services utilisation remain unclear. In this editorial we discuss what is currently known about the relationship between SES and the use of mental health services. We also make an argument for why we believe there is still much to uncover in this field, to understand fully how individuals are influenced by their personal socio-economic status, or the neighbourhood in which they live, in terms of their use of mental health services. Further research in this area will help clarify what interventions are required to provide greater equality in access to mental health services.

Nierówności edukacyjne i szkolne segregacje czyli szkoła publiczna wobec wyzwań spójności społecznej w lokalnym systemie edukacji

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-53
Author(s):  
Roman Dolata
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Educational Aspirations ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Social Background ◽  
The Other ◽  
Family Status ◽  
Financial Capacity ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The Impact

Challenges that schools face in relation to social cohesion include the need to minimise the impact of students’ social background on their educational career and ensuring that the public school is a place of contact between children from different social groups and class. Research supporting local policy in this area should therefore monitor the social status-based determinants of students’ educational careers and other processes of intentional as well as spontaneous between school and between classroom segregation. The following facts were found in the local educational system analysed. The measures of SES dimensions of students’ family are significantly related to their school achievement. In Ostrołęka, this connection was found to be considerably stronger than the national average. However, which is certainly an optimistic result, the financial resources of the students’ families, with other SES dimensions controlled, did not affect school achievement. Parents’ educational aspirations for their children, on the other hand, are related to all aspects of socio-economic status. In this case, also the financial capacity of the students’ families is significantly related to the level of these aspirations. Including students’ school grades along with the SES dimensions in the analysis of the determinants of educational aspirations shows that they determine aspirations to the same degree as family status does. Sadly, there is no evidence that pre-school education helps low SES students catch up with their peers with high SES families. This means that the key to effectively support the development of children from educationally at-risk backgrounds is in the quality of preschool education and not just its universality. Schools in Ostrołęka differ in their social composition in terms of the parents’ education status and the financial capacity of their families, but the scale of these differences is not considerable. On the other hand, between classroom within school differentiation due to parents’ social status is in some schools much stronger than inter-school differences, which poses a serious problem.

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