Tone Values Research Articles

Color reproduction on varnished cardboard packaging by using lower ink coverages due to the gray component replacement image processing

AbstractEven in these challenging times, cardboard packaging industry is increasing its revenue with stable annual increase prediction, but customers are increasing demands on the packaging with respect to environmental protection, attractiveness, and branding. This article aims to determine the influence of image processing in terms of gray component replacement and overprint varnishing on the color reproduction on a cardboard packaging material. A test chart with tertiary colors was defined and modified by different gray component replacement levels. It was printed in accordance with ISO norm on coated and uncoated cardboard and finished by overprinting water based, offset, and UV varnish. The prepared samples were evaluated by measuring surface coverage, tone value increase (dot gain) of primary colors and calculating ΔE00 of defined tertiary colors. The results showed that gray component replacement application reduces ink consumption. Higher gray component replacement applied results in lower ink surface coverage, but the decrease is also dependent on the image content. The TVI (dot gain) is significantly influenced only by applying UV varnish, resulting with higher TVI. The color differences of the tertiary colors showed that increased level of the gray component replacement applied did not cause significant color differences, even decreased color difference in some cases. Additionally, applying gray component replacement decreased color differences in “reddish” part of the gamut. This research proved that lowering the ink consumption due to the gray component replacement will not cause significant differences in the color reproduction. Furthermore, varnishing with commercial offset or water‐based varnish will not cause higher deviations in color reproduction, but use of the UV varnish would.

Disclosure tone, corporate governance and firm value: evidence from Egypt

ABSTRACT This study examines the extent to which corporate governance (CG) affects disclosure tone (DT) and assesses the impact of DT on firm value (FV). It also tests the effect of CG on FV using DT as an intermediary variable. Content analysis is used to measure DT level. CEO duality, board size, gender diversity, and board independence are used as proxies for CG. Tobin’s Q is used to measure FV. The empirical analysis shows significant positive impact of CG on DT and FV. We also find a highly significant association between disclosure of good/bad news with leverage, audit quality, firm growth, and abnormal accruals. The results also indicate that DT along with the profitability of the firm (ROA) and Abnormal Accruals are significantly associated with FV. Finally, the results of the structure equation modeling show that gender diversity, ROA, leverage, revenue growth, and abnormal accruals are the most influential variables that run from CG and DT into FV. The novelty of this study stems from its empirical analysis that tests the association between CG, DT from one side and DT and FV from the other side, and then measures the impact of CG on FV using DT as an intermediary variable.

The effect of negotiators’ role, leadership tone, and social value orientation on expected transfer prices: additional evidence

The effect of negotiators’ role, leadership tone, and social value orientation on expected transfer prices: additional evidence

Sharp Changes in Muscle Tone in Humans Under Simulated Microgravity

A decrease in muscle tone induced by space flight requires a standardized assessment of changes to control the state of the neuromuscular system. This study is a step toward the development of a unified protocol, aimed at determining the initial effect of the presence or withdrawal of support on muscle tone, the effects of a 2-h supportlessness in Dry Immersion (DI) experiments, and the changes in muscle tone depending on the site of measurement. To perform measurements of changes in muscle tone, we used a MyotonPRO device. The list of muscles that we assessed includes: trunk – mm. deltoideus posterior, trapezius, erector spinae; leg – mm. biceps femoris, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, soleus, gastrocnemius; foot – m. flexor digitorum brevis, tendo Achillis, aponeurosis plantaris. The study involved 12 healthy volunteers (6 men, 6 women) without musculoskeletal disorders and aged 32.8 ± 1.6 years. At the start of DI, there was a significant decrease in muscle tone of the following muscles: mm. tibialis anterior (−10.9%), soleus (−9.6%), erector spinae (−14.4%), and the tendo Achillis (−15.3%). The decrease continued to intensify over the next 2 h. In contrast, the gastrocnemius muscle demonstrated an increase in muscle tone (+7.5%) 2 h after the start of DI compared to the immediate in-bath baseline. Muscle tone values were found to be site-dependent and varied in different projections of mm. erector spinae and soleus. In previous experiments, we observed a high sensitivity of the myotonometry technique, which was confirmed in this study. To make it possible to compare data from different studies, a standardized protocol for measuring muscle tone for general use in gravitational physiology needs to be developed.

The effect of paper surface‐coating pigments and binders on colour gamut and printing parameters

AbstractOne of the most important factors affecting the printing quality of printing processes is the surface structure of the printing material. The surface structure of the paper formed by fibres can be modified and smoothed out using coatings that make it more suitable for printing. In this study, three different types of coating pigments were prepared and applied onto an 80 g/m2 base paper surface. Styrene butadiene latex and polyvinyl alcohol were used as binders, and three different types of pigments, precipitated calcium carbonate, clay and zeolite, were used as pigments in the prepared coatings. The physical and optical properties of all calendered and non‐calendered papers were measured and compared. All the prints were produced with an ink‐jet digital printing machine upon the coated and calendered papers for recording the printability parameters. The ΔE00 differences between colours, tone values, colour gamuts and colour gamut volumes were measured from the surfaces of the printed papers. The results showed that the coating type had a better effect on print quality, and that the printability properties of coated papers and even calendered papers were very good.

An Experimental Study on the Development of Chinese Tones of Korean Learners

The error analysis is based on an experiment among Korean learners in three Chinese language levels, and Chinese native speakers are taken as the reference.<BR> It is found that Korean learners have not only the phasic characteristics of tone acquisition in different stages but also the common characteristics of different stages. The front T2 word and the back word tone produce assimilation and coarticulation in the tonal pattern, and the reverse coarticulation in the tonal value. The correlation between tone listening and articulating performance is related to Chinese language proficiency. The causes of listening and mispronunciation were related to the learners’ tendency to choose the acoustic features of the Chinese tones.

The Effects of Plyometrics and Weight Training on Power, Agility and Muscle Tone of Quadriceps and Hamstring

Purpose: This study compared the changes in power and agility and muscle tone of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles after 10 weeks of plyometrics or weight training to strengthen the leg muscles. The following conclusions were obtained. Methods: Subjects were randomly assigned to a plyometrics group (n = 10) and a weight training group (n = 10) from male college students who did not recently participate in a regular exercise program. Plyometrics and weight training were performed three times a week for 10 weeks with 60 minutes a day. The exercise intensity was divided into 3 stages, and the weight training group and the plyometrics group performed 3 sets of 1 repetition maximum (RM) of 60, 70, 80%, and 10, 12, 15 repetitions (rep), respectively. Results: First, there was an interaction effect between the group and time period on power. The plyometrics group showed a greater increase in power than the weight training group. Second, there was an interaction effect between the group and time period on agility. While agility improved in the plyometrics group, no significant difference was observed in the weight training group. Third, there was an interaction effect between the group and time period on the muscle tones of the left and right quadriceps muscles. The muscle tone increased more in the weight training group than in the plyometrics group. Fourth, there was an interaction effect between the group and time period on the muscle tones of the left and right hamstring muscles. The muscle tone increased more in the weight training group than in the plyometrics group. Conclusion: The change in muscle tone value was found to have a significant relationship with the increase in muscle strength and power through plyometrics and weight training, and additional research should be conducted to investigate the relationship between exercise performance ability and muscle tone.

Black tonal level reproduction in pulse‐width‐modulated high dynamic range displays

AbstractHigh dynamic range (HDR) workflows provide increased peak luminance and lower black levels leading to a significantly enhanced quality of experience. HDR pixels also represent more tonal values across the dynamic range by using a higher bit‐depth along with different perceptual transfer functions. However, many light‐emitting display devices modulate light using a limited bit‐depth in the linear domain. It is thus challenging for such display systems to achieve simultaneously high peak luminance and high amount of information in the shadows. In this paper, we summarize pulse‐width modulation (PWM) principles and its impact on low black level reproduction. We then assess the required bit‐depth to accurately reproduce shadow information of an HDR signal for different display capabilities. Finally, we describe several technology improvements that could improve the tonal level reproduction of PWM‐driven displays.

Learning Mandarin tones through pitch-time diagrams: A computer-assisted visual approach

Abstract A notable feature of spoken Mandarin by many non-tonal language learners of Mandarin is incorrect or inaccurate tones. This contributes to significant impediments to effective communication by creating confusion, due to the fact that tones in Mandarin serve a lexical purpose. The problem is exacerbated by the relatively small number of Mandarin syllables. Traditionally, tones are taught by the classical aural process of “listen and repeat” in the classroom with the help of a language instructor and supplemented by out-of-classroom practice using model audio recordings. Both modes require learners to aurally detect the differences between tones and to imitate what they hear. With the wide availability of personal computers, computer-aided tone acquisition is an alternative to the “listen and repeat” method. The aim is to display and correlate the phonetic counterpart of tones, namely their pitch-time diagrams (also known as Fo diagrams). This provides visual feedback to guide learners to produce the correct tones through imitation of the correct pitch-time diagrams. While the pitch range of the Mandarin tones is well defined by Chao’s 5-level tone value scale for the four full tones, their corresponding pitch-time diagrams are not exactly the same as Chao’s tone diagrams. With disyllabic and trisyllabic Mandarin words, the pitch-time diagrams of the constituent syllables deviates even more from their tone diagram counterparts due to various coarticulation effects. This paper reports on a quantitative study of the tone values of single syllable, disyllabic and trisyllabic Mandarin words extracted from their pitch-time diagrams. The understanding of the results based on previous phonological studies is also provided. The results point to the effectiveness of pitch-time diagrams as a visual feedback tool for tone acquisition.

Influence of Some Flexographic Printing Process Conditions on the Optical Density and Tonal Value Increase of Overprinted Plastic Films

The print quality of prints performed with flexographic printing technology is influenced by various parameters such as viscosity of the printing inks, printing substrates, plates, anilox rolls, etc. The aim of this work is to analyze the influence of ink viscosity, printing plate and printing base on selected properties of print quality, such as optical density of full tone area and the increase of tonal value (TVI). Additionally, the printed dots on 5, 15, 30, 50 and 75% of half tone area were investigated using digital microscopy. The least square fitting method in a matrix form was successfully used in order to confirm the influence of printing process parameters on print quality. The results obtained reveal the significant influence of the printing plate and printing substrate characteristics and the lesser influence of printing ink viscosity for 40–100% coverage area. The values of the optical densities of full tone areas are mainly influenced by the properties of the printing plate and the printing base. Furthermore, the optical density decreases when the value of flow time decreases, which is related to the lower thickness of dried ink film. The TVI on light tones (0 to 20%) is mainly influenced by the ink viscosity.

A preliminary phonology of Brokpa

Author(s): Funk, Damian | Abstract: A preliminary synchronic analysis of Brokpa phonology finds eleven vowel phonemes, including two degrees of vowel length; 35 consonant phonemes; and three tonal values (level low, level high, and contour falling). Based on a sample of 134 words, the phonological description is supported by a phonetic analysis investigating the acoustic correlates of phonemic distinctions: formant values for vowel quality, length measurements for vowel length, pitch measurements for tone, and voice onset time for aspiration in plosives and affricates. A presentation of the basic phonotactic patterns of the language concludes the sketch. Some noteworthy features of Brokpa phonology include its developing tonal system; the relative lack of open vowels, front rounded vowels, and voiced fricatives; the presence of five series of plosives; and some archaic consonant clusters.

The Possibility of Increasing the Achromatic Tone Values of FOGRA 51 Standards Achieved by the Modification of in Line Pre-Treatment of the Printing Substrate

The Possibility of Increasing the Achromatic Tone Values of FOGRA 51 Standards Achieved by the Modification of in Line Pre-Treatment of the Printing Substrate

Fast Prediction of Contrast Detection Probability

Contrast detection probability (CDP) is proposed as an IEEE P2020 metric to predict camera performance intended for computer vision tasks for autonomous vehicles. Its calculation involves comparing combinations of pixel values between imaged patches. Computation of CDP for all meaningful combinations of m patches involves approximately 3/2(m2-m).n4 operations, where n is the length of one side of the patch in pixels. This work presents a method to estimate Weber contrast based CDP based on individual patch statistics and thus reduces to computation to approximately 4n2m calculations. For 180 patches of 10×10 pixels this is a reduction of approximately 6500 times and for 180 25×25 pixel patches, approximately 41000. The absolute error in the estimated CDP is less than 0.04 or 5% where the noise is well described by Gaussian statistics. Results are compared for simulated patches between the full calculation and the fast estimate. Basing the estimate of CDP on individual patch statistics, rather than by a pixel-to-pixel comparison facilitates the prediction of CDP values from a physical model of exposure and camera conditions. This allows Weber CDP behavior to be investigated for a wide variety of conditions and leads to the discovery that, for the case where contrast is increased by decreasing the tone value of one patch and therefore increasing noise as contrast increases, there exists a maxima which yields identical Weber CDP values for patches of different nominal contrast. This means Weber CDP is predicting the same detection performance for patches of different contrast.

Analysis and Research on the Tone of Yi Nuo Dialect and Sheng Zha Dialect of Liangshan Nationality

The Yi language belongs to the Branch of the Tibeto-Burman language of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The Yi language is called mu33pi44do21 or mu33di44ho21, which means “local dialect”. Every dialect area or every place has a different tone. Among the four dialects of Liangshan Yi nationality, Yi nuo and A du dialects are very different from Shengzha and Suodi dialects, especially in tone value. The author mainly selects common words from the two native languages for comparison, analyzes the changes of their tones, and draws the similarities and differences between Yinuo dialect and Shengzha dialect. In Yinuo dialect 33 tones or 35 tones are combined with 35 tones, and the previous one becomes 31 tones. When the two syllables of key 33 are connected, the key value of the previous syllable read out is slightly lower than the latter.

The Phonetic System and Its Characteristics of Hancheng in Shanxi

Hancheng, located in the eastern part of Shanxi province, is an ancient city that has lasted for thousands of years and is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Hancheng, known as the "pearl of the Yellow River", has the geographical location of the "east gate" hub in shaanxi, which determines that its economic development has distinct regional advantages, but also highlights its strategic position. Hancheng dialect belongs to Fenhe area of Haizhou small area of central plains mandarin, which has certain commonality with central plains mandarin, but more is that it has unique personality. Different from the official dialect of central plains, the initials of Hancheng dialect have the full voiced fricative [v], and the zhuang group reads [ʦ], [ʦʰ], [s], instead of [tʂ], [tʂʰ], [ʂ]; Finals change regularly, but there are many special cases. For example, [ᴇ] only matches the initials of [tʂ] group and forms a complementary state with [iᴇ] group ; Although there is light tone, the tone value of 1 is low and short. It is based on this that it is necessary to carry out the fieldwork of hancheng dialect. In the process of investigation and arrangement, it not only records its primary phonological corpus, systematically and objectively describes and analyzes its phonology and characteristics, but also reveals its phonological coordination rules. There is no doubt that it is meaningful to understand the basic features of Hancheng dialect and to study its folk culture.

Analysis of colorimetric parameters of international commission on illumination L*a*b* system in the color of maxillary central incisors

Introduction. Tooth color can be represented in a three-dimensional color system by applying L* (lightness), a* (red-green color tone) and b* (yellow-blue color tone) coordinates. Clinically significant color difference, Delta-E, can be expressed in units that are correlated with visual perception using the International Commission on Illumination L*a*b* system. The aim of the study was spectrophotometric analysis of the natural maxillary central incisor color, and to establish any gender-related differences in lightness, red-green tone, and yellow-blue tone coordinates. Material and Methods. The study included 80 students (40 male and 40 female, with an average age of 22 years). The color of the maxillary right central incisor was determined using an intraoral spectrophotometer and VITAPAN Classical and VITA 3D-Master color shade guides. Lightness, red-green tone, and yellow-blue tone values were recorded for each result. The obtained data were processed by using ?2, Student?s t-test and Mann-Whitney test. Results. Results showed no statistically significant gender-related difference in color according to the VITApan Classical and VITA 3D-Master color key. No difference was found in the lightness of the central maxillary incisor between genders, or in terms of red-green tone (p = 0.860573). A statistically significant difference was found when observing the sex-related yellow-blue tone of the color of the central maxillary incisor. Conclusion. The analysis of colorimetric parameters of the International Commission on Illumination L*a*b* system provides useful information about the tooth color in the examined population, while potentially revealing differences in lightness, red-green tone and yellow-blue tone between genders.

A quantitative analysis of tone sandhi in Standard Mandarin and Nanjing Mandarin based on surface pitch contours and underlying pitch targets

Abstract Two statistical modelling methods are first used to quantify the third tone sandhi in Standard Mandarin in which the first falling-rising T3 becomes a rising T2 in the T3 + T3 disyllabic context. Growth curve analysis suggests non-neutralization of the surface F0 contours of the sandhi tone and its corresponding citation tone (T2), whereas a quantitative F0 target approximation model reveals neutralization of their underlying pitch targets, congruent with the stable and categorical tone shift properties of tone sandhi processes. The same statistical procedure is successfully extended to examine tone sandhi rules in Nanjing Mandarin. Our analysis leads to a proposal to change tonal values based on the Chao’s number system of some Nanjing Mandarin monosyllabic tones. The transformation method from acoustic data to Chao’s number applies well to our data and proves superior to those previously described in the literature.

The influence of pre-treatment by priming on the CMY reproduction quality printed with ElectroInk

In order to achieve high-quality colour prints by using an electrophotography printing machine, it is necessary to prepare the printing substrate. Additional treatment may be needed to achieve the better substrate surface tension for optimally attaching the liquid electrophotography ink to the fine art paper. To ensure good adhesion of the ink to the printing substrate, a pre-treatment by application of surface tension regulating fluids (priming) may be used. In this paper, we will determine the possibility of realization of the CMY prints and the possibility of achieving an increased range of tone value in electrophotography digital printing. Based on the results, the new possible values of reproduced CMY tones will be determined so that a higher print quality can be achieved. The application of primers changes the optical properties of the paper printing substrate, which directly affects the colour reproduction. An additional 100 % increase of primer application will result in total colour changes of ΔEC (0,5g/m2 &amp;amp; 1g/m2) = 0,06, ΔEM (0,5g/m2 &amp;amp; 1g/m2) = 0,42, ΔEY (0,5g/m2 &amp;amp; 1g/m2) = 0,08. In this scenario, 1 g/m2 application of primer will produce the most intense full tones and therefore the highest quality prints for all three ElectroInk process colours.

Correlation of ink viscosity and printability in offset lithography process on paperboard used in packaging

In the recent years, the demands for offset inks with better flow ability and viscosity have risen higher with the improvements of printing techniques. To ensure uniformity in printability sheet after sheet it is very important to maintain certain print conditions for that print job as approved by customers and use this data for future reference of printing. The quality of offset printing process depends on many chemical and physical specifications of the ma­terials and components involved in the process. Most important being printing inks and its rheology. In this work, three process color cyan inks have been formulated with varying levels of viscosity with use of certain rheology modifiers. Trials on the printing machine were conducted using a systematic layout of test elements on a fully automatic offset lithography printing machine using a Solid Bleached Sulphite Board (SBS) and the print results were correlated to rheological parameters such as viscosity and thixotropy. The tone value increase (TVI) was measured and was correlated to viscosity and index of thixotropy. Higher viscosity yields lower dot gain and better color reproducibility. A mathematical relation has been established between ink viscosity, dot area and tone value increase. As the demands for packaging increases, the study about the ink rheology and its effect on print performance can help printers and ink manufacturers with better ink formulations to achieve precise print results.

Rates of success in hearing and grafting in the perichondrium-preserved palisade island graft technique

IntroductionVarious graft materials have been used in the tympanoplasty technique. Cartilage grafts are being used increasingly in recent years. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to present the comparative outcomes of the perichondrium-preserved palisade island graft technique previously defined by ourselves. MethodsWe retrospectively compared the hearing and graft success rates in 108 patients with chronic otitis media, who had undergone cartilage tympanoplasty, where both island and perichondrium-preserved palisade graft techniques were used. ResultsThe success rates among the study and the control groups with regard to graft take were 97% and 93%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the groups with regard to the postoperative mean pure tone values, improvement in air-bone gaps and reduction in air-bone gaps to under 20dB. However, better results were observed in the study group. ConclusionThe perichondrium-preserved palisade island graft technique is an easy method with high graft success rates and hearing outcomes.