Acoustic Analysis Findings in Objective Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Patients

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of objective laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) on the acoustic parameters of patients by comparing their voice samples with that of control subjects. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study in two tertiary reference hospitals. METHODS: 48 consecutive patients with symptoms related to LPR and 64 control subjects were included in the study. Suspected LPR patients underwent a 24-hour ambulatory pH monitoring, and 25 (52%) of them were shown to have objective LPR. Acoustical evaluation results of objective LPR patients were compared with that of symptomatic LPR patients and control subjects. RESULTS: All frequency perturbation values obtained from objective and symptomatic LPR patients were higher than the control subjects (P<0.01). Mean fundamental frequency, amplitude perturbation measures, and noise-to-harmonics ratio were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION: LPR patients have significantly different frequency perturbation values than control subjects.     

Study of nonlinear dissipative pulse propagation under the combined effect of two-photon absorption and gain dispersion: A variational approach involving Rayleigh’s dissipation function

We try to derive some explicit equations for predicting the laws which govern the evolution of different parameters of a propagating optical pulse in a nonlinear medium under the combined influence of two-photon absorption and gain dispersion. Using the generalized Euler-Lagrange equation, the dynamics of different pulse parameters are generated. The Rayleigh’s dissipation function is incorporated in order to take recourse to the dissipative part, with an analogy with the non-conservative frictional problem in classical mechanics. It appears from the study that the influence of the dissipative part can well be explained using the proposed model. The analytically predicted results are compared with the numerical data obtained from direct simulation of the Ginzburg-Landau equation and the results are found to be quite satisfactory, supporting the prediction.     

Reduction of acoustic radiation by perforated board and honeycomb layer systems

A perforated system, proposed previously for reducing the radiated sound from a plate at arbitrary frequencies, is applied to three-dimensional problem. Plates are assumed to be supported in a duct of a finite cross-section and excited by a harmonic point force. The sound radiation is investigated from the viewpoint of acoustic power and it is discussed whether the attenuation effect shown previously in the one-dimensional system can be obtained with the three-dimensional system. The effect of support conditions on attenuation characteristics is discussed by using clamped and simply supported circular models. Allowing for the effect, a simply supported rectangular model is studied in detail and its problems are revealed. In order to overcome the problems, a new system including subdivided air cavities in the form of a honeycomb layer instead of a undivided backing cavity is proposed. Each of the honeycomb cells can create local one-dimensional sound fields. Calculated theoretical results are compared to data obtained in a 1/5th scale reverberation chamber. The results for the reduction effect, which are in good agreement, show that the honeycomb layer system can achieve the same reduction of the radiated sound power at arbitrary frequencies as the one-dimensional perforated system.     

The identification of tyre induced vehicle interior noise

Sound transmission into a vehicle is classified as either airborne or structure borne sound. From the point view of noise control, the reduction of noise transferred by different paths requires different solutions. Coherence function analysis is often used to identify transmission paths. However it can be difficult to separate the airborne from structure borne components. The principle of acoustic reciprocity offers a convenient method for overcoming this difficulty. The principal states that the transfer function between an acoustic volume velocity source and an acoustic receiver is independent of a reversal of the position of source and receiver. The work done on this study involves exciting a stationary tyre and measuring the surface velocity of the tyre at a number of discrete points. The acoustic transfer functions between each point on the tyre and a receiver point are measured reciprocally. Two sets of measurements are then combined to yield a measure of the sound pressure due to a point force on the tyre via the acoustic transmission path only. This technique also provides information on the relative contributions of various regions of the tyre wall to the resultant noise. Also the sound radiation characteristics, the horn effect, and resonance at the wheel housing are identified through the reciprocal measurement.     

The concept of minimized integrated exponential error for low dispersion and low dissipation schemes

We devise two novel techniques to optimize parameters which regulate dispersion and dissipation effects in numerical methods using the notion that dissipation neutralizes dispersion. These techniques are baptized as the minimized integrated error for low dispersion and low dissipation (MIELDLD) and the minimized integrated exponential error for low dispersion and low dissipation (MIEELDLD) . These two techniques of optimization have an advantage over the concept of minimized integrated square difference error (MISDE) , especially in the case when more than one optimal cfl is obtained, out of which only one of these values satisfy the shift condition. For instance, when MISDE is applied to the 1‐D Fromm's scheme, we have obtained two optimal cfl numbers: 0.28 and 1.0. However, it is known that Fromm's scheme satisfies shift condition only at r=1.0. Using MIELDLD and MIEELDLD , the optimal cfl of Fromm's scheme is computed as 1.0. We show that like the MISDE concept, both the techniques MIELDLD and MIEELDLD are effective to control dissipation and dispersion. The condition ν²>4µ is satisfied for all these three techniques of optimization, where ν and µ are parameters present in the Korteweg‐de‐Vries‐Burgers equation. The optimal cfl number for some numerical schemes namely Lax–Wendroff, Beam–Warming, Crowley and Upwind Leap‐Frog when discretized by the 1‐D linear advection equation is computed. The optimal cfl number obtained is in agreement with the shift condition. Some numerical experiments in 1‐D have been performed which consist of discontinuities and shocks. The dissipation and dispersion errors at some different cfl numbers for these experiments are quantified. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energy Decay for the Cauchy Problem of the Linear Wave Equation of Variable Coeffcients with Dissipation

Decay of the energy for the Cauchy problem of the wave equation of variable coeffcients with a dissipation is considered.It is shown that whether a dissipation can be localized near infinity depends on the curvature properties of a Riemannian metric given by the variable coeffcients.In particular,some criteria on curvature of the Riemannian manifold for a dissipation to be localized are given.     

Direct numerical simulation of stationary particles in homogeneous turbulence decay: Application of the k–ε model

This study focuses on understanding how the presence of particles, in homogeneous turbulence decay, affects the dissipation of dissipation coefficient within the volume averaged dissipation transport equation. In developing this equation, the coefficient for dissipation of dissipation was assumed to be the sum of the single phase coefficient and an additional coefficient that is related to the effects of the dispersed phase. Direct numerical simulation was used to isolate the effect of stationary particles in homogeneous turbulent decay at low Reynolds numbers (Re_L = 3.3 and 12.5). The particles were positioned at each grid point and modeled as point forces and a comparison was made between a 64³ and 128³ domain. The results show that the dissipation of dissipation coefficient correlates well with a dimensionless parameter called the momentum coupling factor.