The Relative Contributions of Speaking Fundamental Frequency and Formant Frequencies to Gender Identification Based on Isolated Vowels

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy with which listeners could identify the gender of a speaker from a synthesized isolated vowel based on the natural production of that speaker when (1) the fundamental frequency was consistent with the speaker's gender, (2) the fundamental frequency was inconsistent with the the speaker's gender, and (3) the speaker was transgendered. Ten male-to-female transgendered persons, 10 men and 10 women, served as subjects. Each speaker produced the vowels /i/, /u/, and //. These vowels were analyzed for fundamental frequency and the first three formant frequencies and bandwidths. Formant frequency and bandwidth information was used to synthesize two vowel tokens for each speaker, one at a fundamental frequency of 120 Hz and one at 240 Hz. Listeners were asked to listen to these tokens and determine whether the original speaker was male or female. Listeners were not aware of the use of transgendered speakers. Results showed that, in all cases, gender identifications were based on fundamental frequency, even when fundamental frequency and formant frequency information was contradictory.     

“Hot Potato Voice” in Peritonsillitis: A Misnomer

The "hot potato voice" is widely recognized as a symptom of peritonsillar cellulitis or abscess; yet there have been no studies assessing the resonance characteristics of the vocal tract in peritonsillitis. Analysis was undertaken of formant frequencies in the articulation of the vowels /i:/. /a:/ and /u:/ in six subjects with peritonsillitis and compared with articulation once the peritonsillitis had settled. Significant variation was found in F1 when articulating /i:/ and in F2 when articulating /a:/, which are explainable by dyskinesis of the peritonsillar musculature. These findings were compared with six subjects articulating the same vowels with and without a hot potato in their mouth. Variation was found in both F1 and F2 when articulating /i:/, which can be related to interference of the potato with movement of the anterior tongue. The changes in the vocal tract differ in these two cases and the title "hot potato voice" in peritonsillitis is a misnomer.     

Intraspeaker variability in fundamental frequency stability: an age-related phenomenon?

The purpose of this investigation was to gather information on the extent to which intraspeaker variability on measures of jitter (%) and fundamental frequency standard deviation (F0 s.d.) is age related in women. Fifteen repeat productions of the vowels /i/, /a/, and /u/ from 22 young women (18-22 years) were analyzed for F0 s.d. and jitter. Findings for these young speakers were compared with those for elderly speakers tested previously (Linville and Korabic, 1987). Results indicate that the aging process brings about increases in the variability individual women demonstrate on measures of F0 stability when producing sustained vowels as steadily as possible. Further, young speakers differed markedly from elderly speakers in the pattern of frequency instability variations observed across the three vowels tested.     

Effects of laryngeal endoscopy on the vocal performanceof young adult females with normal voices

This study investigated changes in maximum phonation time andacoustic and perceptual measures of voice following topical anesthesia and laryngeal endoscopy with the flexible endoscope. Forty-four females, aged 18–33 years and with normal voices, performed four vocal tasks: (a) 3-second /i/ prolongation, (b) maximum phonation time on /i/, (c) stepwise scale-singing, and (d) reading a standard passage. Subjects performed these tasks prior to anesthesia, after anesthesia, and again during laryngeal endoscopy. Voice samples were analyzed for jitter, shimmer, harmonic-to-noise ratio, speaking fundamental frequency, maximum phonational frequency range, maximum phonation time, harshness, and breathiness. Results demonstrated significant reductions in maximum phonational frequency range following anesthesia and, during laryngeal endoscopy, reductions in maximum phonation time and increases in speaking fundamental frequency, minimum fundamental frequency on scale-singing, and breathiness. Clinicians using laryngeal endoscopy for evaluation and management of vocal dysfunction should, therefore, consider the possible effects of these procedures on vocal functioning.     

Intra- and intersubject variability in acoustic measures of normal voice

Twenty-four normal adult women read part of the Rainbow Passage and sustained vowels three trials each. Utterances were assessed for selected parameters measured by Visi-Pitch (average and SD of fundamental frequency (F₀), average and SD of dBA, perturbation, and percent voiced/unvoiced/pause). Assessment of each parameter included measures of central tendency, dispersion, and distribution characteristics (skewness and kurtosis) of the data and of the ranges of values that would include 95% of the scores (95% fiduciary limits). Generally, differences for the group between the three trials were not significant. Intersubject variability for only a few parameters was less than 20% of the parameter's mean. For vowels, variability of jitter was 30–48% of the mean. Eight subjects provided performances 2 months later to obtain an estimate of intrasubject variability over time. There were desirable intrasubject correlations between performances for mean F₀, jitter in reading and on vowels /i/ and /a/, and percent of voicing. Inter- and intrasubject variability seems restricted and the data appear to resemble a normally distributed function for mean F₀ on reading, jitter on /i/, and percent of voicing. Thus, these parameters may have statistical merit for use in vocal testing.     

Fundamental frequency stability characteristics of elderly women's voices

The purpose of this investigation was to gather information on how much variability on measures of jitter and fundamental frequency standard deviation (F0 s.d.) can be expected within individual elderly women when phonating sustained vowels "as steadily as possible." Fifteen repeat productions of the vowels /i/, /a/, and /u/ from 18 elderly women (69-90 years) were analyzed for F0 s.d. and jitter. Results indicate that intraspeaker variability on jitter and F0 s.d. measures in elderly women's sustained vowel productions can be quite considerable in some cases. This is a factor which needs to be considered in establishing normative data on elderly speakers' vocal capabilities.     

高功率钕玻璃激光三倍频脉冲时间波形的研究

基于目前国内规模最大的激光驱动器——“神光Ⅱ”八路基频光已经实现功率平衡运行，通过改变其中若干路三倍频系统各调谐量的偏离，对输出三倍频波形进行束与束之间的横向对比研究.研究发现，对于Ⅱ类-Ⅱ类偏振失配三倍频系统，在影响转换效率的三个调谐量中，偏振分配角失配Δθ_p对三倍频波形影响最大；在入射基频功率密度约为1.0GW/cm²情况下，当三倍频系统三个调谐量都处在最佳匹配时，三倍频波形半峰全宽τ最小.研究工作为最终实现“神光Ⅱ”八路光束三倍频功率平衡输出提供了晶体调试 关键词： 三倍频 时间波形 功率平衡     

Differences in Self-Rated, Perceived, and Acoustic Voice Qualities Between High- and Low-Fatigue Groups

Objectives

The present study was performed to examine which factors among self-rated scales, perceptual evaluations, and acoustic parameters, calculated from sustained vowels, are reliable indicators of physical and mental fatigues.

Methods

A total of 73 volunteers (male:female, 52:21), aged 19–24 years, were enrolled in this study. We defined the high- and low-fatigue groups using the Chalder Fatigue Scale score. For assessment of self-rated symptoms, each subject was asked to complete Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and Voice Rating Scale (VRS). For perceptual evaluations, three clinicians assessed each subject’s vocal quality on the Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain Scale. For acoustic analysis, each subject was asked to produce sustained vowels /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/ for 3 seconds. Then, the habitual fundamental frequency (F₀), jitter, shimmer, F₀ tremor, mean F₀, standard deviation of F₀, maximum F₀, minimum F₀, normalized noise energy, harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), amplitude tremor, and ratio within 2–4 kHz were calculated using Dr. Speech software.

Results

In men, VHI, VRS, F₀ tremor, shimmer, HNR, SNR, and amplitude tremor were related to mental fatigue. In women, only VHI was related to physical fatigue, and none of the acoustic parameters was related to the fatigue score. Perceptual evaluations were not related to fatigue in men or women.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that self-rated symptoms and acoustic parameters related to voice quality are indicative of mental fatigue, and these features are prominent in men.     

Vowel Effect on Glottal Parameters and the Magnitude of Jaw Opening

This study investigated the relationship among the magnitude of jaw opening, intrinsic fundamental frequency (F0), and glottal parameters in natural speech. Acoustic, jaw opening, and electroglottographic (EGG) signals were simultaneously recorded. The subjects were 10 healthy men with New Zealand English as their native language. Subjects were asked to repeat a standard nonemphasized sentence in which one of the target vowels (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/) was embedded in various contexts. The glottal parameters F0, open quotient (OQ), and speed quotient (SQ) were measured from the EGG signal. Results of a series of one-way repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant vowel effect on the magnitude of jaw opening [F(4, 24) = 25.512, P < .001], F0 [F(4, 28) = 45.415, P < .001] and speed quotient [F(4, 28) = 5.233, P = .003], but not on the open quotient [F(4, 28) = 0.501, P = .735]. The magnitude of jaw opening was found to be inversely related with F0 (r = -0.624, n = 25, P = .0009). These findings showed that the magnitude of jaw opening was related to F0 and that jaw opening might be a control signal for simulation of long-term F0 variation to achieve a higher degree of naturalness in artificial voice.     

Formant frequencies in Estonian folk singing.

Formant frequencies in an old Estonian folk song performed by two female voices were estimated for two back vowels /a/ and /u/, and for two front vowels /e/ and /i/. Comparison of these estimates with formant frequencies in spoken Estonian vowels indicates a trend of the vowels to be clustered into two sets of front and back ones in the F1/F2 plane. Similar clustering has previously been shown to occur in opera and choir singing, especially with increasing fundamental frequency. The clustering in the present song, however, may also be due to a tendency for a mid vowel to be realized as a higher-beginning diphthong, which is characteristic of the North-Estonian coastal dialect area where the singers come from. No evidence of a "singer's formant" was found.