Acoustic Measures and Self-reports of Vocal Fatigue by Female Teachers

This study investigated the relation of symptoms of vocal fatigue to acoustic variables reflecting type of voice production and the effects of vocal loading. Seventy-nine female primary school teachers volunteered as subjects. Before and after a working day, (1) a 1-minute text reading sample was recorded at habitual loudness and loudly (as in large classroom), (2) a prolonged phonation on [a:] was recorded at habitual speaking pitch and loudness, and (3) a questionnaire about voice quality, ease, or difficulty of phonation and tiredness of throat was completed. The samples were analyzed for average fundamental frequency (F0), sound pressure level (SPL), and phonation type reflecting alpha ratio (SPL [1-5 kHz]-SPL [50 Hz-1 kHz]). The vowel samples were additionally analyzed for perturbation (jitter and shimmer). After a working day, F0, SPL, and alpha ratio were higher, jitter and shimmer values were lower, and more tiredness of throat was reported. The average levels of the acoustic parameters did not correlate with the symptoms. Increase in jitter and mean F0 in loud reading correlated with tiredness of throat. The results seem to suggest that, at least among experienced vocal professionals, voice production type had little relevance from the point of view of vocal fatigue reported. Differences in the acoustic parameters after a vocally loading working day mainly seem to reflect increased muscle activity as a consequence of vocal loading.     

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate in wine: a comparison of headspace solid phase microextraction and solid phase extraction methods

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was established using headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) as the sampling procedure to analyse 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3-MH) and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3-MHA), two molecules with a tropical fruit aroma, in wine at trace level. This method offers important advantages, as it neither requires time-consuming sample preparation nor uses dangerous organic compounds, thus making control of wine aroma easier and suitable for routine analysis. As a comparison, a solid phase extraction (SPE) method, already described elsewhere for aroma analysis, was applied to quantify these analytes, extending this exhaustive enrichment to two important thiols. Detection limits for both the approaches were close to the sensory threshold value, resulting lower for the HS-SPME procedure and suitable for requirements in the oenological field. The application of the two proposed methods to 52 wines of different varieties gave similar results.     

Solid phase extraction of chromium(VI) using Aliquat336 immobilized on a thin film of multiwall carbon nanotubes

We report on a novel and selective method for the preconcentration and determination of Cr(VI) in aqueous samples. Cr(VI) is adsorbed - in a “batch mode” - on multiwalled carbon nanotubes covered with Aliquat 336 and then determined directly, i.e., on the solid, by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. This reduces the number of reagents and minimizes sample handling. The method combines the advantages of solid-phase extraction with the benefits of the XRF method in that the large areas required by the carbon nanotubes make them a promising solid sorbent for preconcentration. The enrichment factor was calculated after considering that the thin film obtained from the 10?mL solution of 1?mg?L^?1 of Cr(VI) has a real thickness of 0.04?mm and a final diameter of 16.7?mm, so that the volume deposited on the pellet is 0.0088 cm³ and the preconcentration factor is 1000.

Optical properties of single wall carbon nanotubes dispersed in biopolymers

In this paper we report the optical studies of single wall carbon nanotubes dispersed in biomaterials. We have obtained very stable suspensions of SWNTs, which allowed us to get good photoluminescence signal from the individually dispersed nanotubes. These new hybrid systems may find some applications in bionanocomposites with photoluminescence properties and in biosensors. Furthermore, the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in these biocompatible materials is important for evaluating the toxicity of either isolated or lightly bundled single wall carbon nanotubes.     

Deviant Vocal Fold Vibration as Observed During Videokymography: The Effect on Voice Quality

Videokymographic images of deviant or irregular vocal fold vibration, including diplophonia, the transition from falsetto to modal voice, irregular vibration onset and offset, and phonation following partial laryngectomy were compared with the synchronously recorded acoustic speech signals. A clear relation was shown between videokymographic image sequences and acoustic speech signals, and the effect of irregular or incomplete vocal fold vibration patterns was recognized in the amount of perceived breathiness and roughness and by the harmonics-to-noise ratio in the speech signal. Mechanisms causing roughness are the presence of mucus, phase differences between the left and right vocal fold, and short-term frequency and amplitude modulation. It can be concluded that the use of simultaneously recorded videokymographic image sequences and speech signals contributes to the understanding of the effect of irregular vocal fold vibration on voice quality.     

Identification of Transverse Crack Position and Depth in Rotor Systems

This paper introduces a method for the identification of the position and the depth of a transverse crack in a rotor system, by using vibration measurements. As it is reported in literature and from field experience, a transverse crack modifies the dynamic behaviour of the rotor, generating in a horizontal axis shaft periodical vibrations with 1x, 2x and 3x rev. components. A model-based diagnostic approach and a least-squares identification method in the frequency domain are used for the crack localisation along the rotor. The crack depth is calculated by comparing the static bending moment, due to the rotor weight and to the bearing alignment conditions, to the identified 'equivalent' periodical bending moment, which simulates the crack. Finally, the validation of the proposed method is carried out statically and dynamically by means of experimental results obtained on a test-rig.     

NMR and X‐ray crystallographic studies of linear and cyclic aminomethanephosphinates

We report the preparation of four diastereoisomeric pairs of ethyl {[(3‐hydroxypropyl)‐ amino](aryl)methyl}phenylphosphinates. In two cases, the phosphinates were transformed to 1,4,2‐oxazaphosphepane heterocycles through one‐pot intramolecular esterification. The analogous reaction with formaldehyde gave the six‐membered ethyl (1,3‐oxazinan‐3‐ylmethyl)phenylphosphinate, which could be transformed in a posterior reaction to the corresponding aminomethanephosphinic acid. The new compounds were characterized by IR, ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 17:81–87, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20179     

Wormlike micelles mediated by polyelectrolyte

Aqueous solutions of the anionic surfactant potassium oleate (K-oleate) were studied using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), steady-state rheology, and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The micellar structural changes induced by the addition of potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) of different molecular weights were investigated. Upon addition of KCl, a transition from spherical to wormlike micelles was detected from the SANS data and confirmed by the cryo-TEM pictures. The rheological measurements revealed a strong dependence of the low-shear viscosity on the concentration of salt: a broad maximum in the viscosity curve was observed upon addition of KCl, characteristic of the growth of micelles into long worms, followed by branching. The addition of PSS to salt-free solutions of K-oleate had a significant effect on the scattering patterns, revealing partial growth of the spherical micelles into rodlike micelles. In contrast, in the presence of high salt concentrations, addition of PSS to solutions of wormlike micelles did not bring any noticeable modifications in the scattering. However, in the same salt conditions, a clear effect was observed on the low shear viscosity upon addition of PSS, which was found to depend significantly on molecular weight. This suggests a novel way of impacting the viscosity of solutions of wormlike micelles.     

Non-linear and non-constant variance calibration curves in analysis of volatile organic compounds for testing of water by the purge-and-trap method coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Currently used operating conditions for analysing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by purge-and-trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) produced non-linear calibration curves with non-uniform variance. Second-order polynomial models therefore had to be used in weighted regression analysis of measurements of replicates spiked at various concentrations. A transparent procedure based on a reported method of very low computational complexity allowed calculation of the parameters of second-order models, confidence bands of regression lines, prediction bands, and confidence intervals of discriminated analyte concentrations. Tolerance intervals were introduced for this last purpose. Critical, detection and quantification levels drawn from the calibration curves were compared with those calculated by the EPA method.     

A comparison between the use of a redox mediator in solution and of surface modified electrodes in the electrocatalytic oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Cyclic voltammetry was successfully applied to study the oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) both in homogeneous and heterogeneous phase. The first case was realized with a solution containing p-methylamino-phenolsulphate (MAP) as redox mediator and the diaphorase (DI) from Clostridium kluveri as enzyme while the second one by using both a glassy carbon (GC) and a carbon nanotube paste (CNTP) electrode modified with electrodeposited films derived from 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (3,4-DHB). Such systems were successively coupled with glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) reaction to realize the redox chain present in glucose biosensors. A critical comparison of the two systems was also reported.