Aerodynamic, laryngoscopic, and perceptual-acoustic characteristics in dysphonic females with posterior glottal chinks: A retrospective study

The relationships of posterior glottal chink magnitude and nodule size with phonatory flow rate, resistance, and breathiness were investigated in 70 women in a retrospective study. Results demonstrated a strong relationship between chink size airflow, but no relationship between nodule size and airflow. Resistance and nodule size were moderately correlated. Breathiness was not explained by airflow, nodule size, or chink magnitude. Subjects in therapy demonstrated concurrent reductions in airflow and chink size. For the laryngeal magnitude measures, visual-perceptual ratings were compared with computer-based measurements. The discussion includes a critical analysis of measurement methods and directions for future research.     

自由旋涡气动窗口全流场的数值模拟

建立自由旋涡气动窗口全流场仿真模型,对大密封压比气动窗口的全流场展开数值研究,得到自由旋涡气动窗口的流场结构,发现大密封压比气动窗口形成的自由旋涡射流在光束输出通道内无明显的波系结构.根据模拟结果对自由旋涡气动窗口的性能进行优化,对自由旋涡喷管上壁面型线进行二次粘性修正.优化自由旋涡射流场后,激光器输出光束通道内压力分布稳定上升;增加扩压器外端壁吹气1.19MPa、内端壁吹气1.68MPa时,自由旋涡射流总能提高,气动窗口密封压力从37.5torr降低至6torr.该研究结果对自由旋涡气动窗口技术的发展具有参考意义.     

Aerodynamic measurements of patients with parkinson''s disease

Patients with Parkinson's disease commonly complain of voice dysfunction. Most of these complaints can be attributed to the known muscular control disorders that occur with Parkinson's disease. However, the manifestations of Parkinson's disease muscular dysfunction on parameters of phonation such as airflow, laryngeal resistance, and subglottal pressure necessary to sustain phonation have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to examine the aerodynamic characteristics of flow, laryngeal resistance, and phonation pressure threshold in a heterogeneous population of patients with Parkinson's disease who had varying voice complaints and to compare the data to similar studies for human subjects who have no voice complaints. The studies used a noninvasive method of detecting flow and acoustic signal from the lips, oral cavity and nose during phonation and used an external flow interruption technique to estimate subglottal pressure and phonation threshold pressure. About one third of the patients could not produce phonation at regular and loud intensities that were comfortable for normal subjects. The mean subglottal pressure (SGP) of patients with Parkinson disease who could produce 3 levels of intensity comparable to normal subjects was significantly higher than the mean SG-Ps for normal subjects for the same intensities of vocal production. The mean flow rates measured from patients with Parkinson's disease at the same 3 intensities of phonation was not significantly greater than in normal subjects. This indicated that the mean laryngeal resistance calculated for patients with Parkinson's disease was notably and significantly greater than mean laryngeal resistance calculated for normal subjects at the same intensity levels. The mean vocal efficiency (VE) for normal subjects was not significantly different than the mean VE for patients with Parkinson's disease, because greater pressure was used to generate similar flow and acoustic energy. These findings correlate with the perception of patients with Parkinson's disease that they are working harder to produce phonation. The observation of notably greater laryngeal resistance and phonation threshold pressure in patients with Parkinson's disease suggests that further studies of the glottic aperture in patients with Parkinson' disease may be useful for understanding how this common motor disorder disturbs phonation.     

Aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of the adult AfricanAmerican voice

Laryngeal aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of African American voice production were examined from vowel samples produced by ten adult female and ten adult male speakers. The data were compared with that for a control group consisting of ten adult female and ten adult male White speakers, matched for age, height, and weight. All measures were analyzed using Cspeech 4.0. Aerodynamic measurements, extracted from a glottal airflow waveform, included maximum flow declination rate, alternating glottal airflow, minimum glottal airflow, and airflow open quotient. Acoustic measures included fundamental frequency and sound pressure level. No significant mean differences between the African American and White speakers were found, except for maximum-flow declination rate. The White speakers produced significantly higher declination rates than the African American speakers. The factor of sex for the African American speakers was statistically significant for the measures of maximum-flow declination rate, alternating glottal airflow, open quotient, and fundamental frequency, consistent with the functioning of the White speakers. The results suggest that during vowel production, where the vocal tract is in a fairly static position, acoustic and aerodynamic characteristics for African American and White Speakers are comparable.     

Continuous and Discrete Adjoint Approach Based on Lattice Boltzmann Method in Aerodynamic Optimization Part I: Mathematical Derivation of Adjoint Lattice Boltzmann Equations

The significance of flow optimization utilizing the lattice Boltzmann (LB) method becomes obvious regarding its advantages as a novel flow field solution method compared to the other conventional computational fluid dynamics techniques. These unique characteristics of the LB method form the main idea of its application to optimization problems. In this research, for the first time, both continuous and discrete adjoint equations were extracted based on the LB method using a general procedure with low implementation cost. The proposed approach could be performed similarly for any optimization problem with the corresponding cost function and design variables vector. Moreover, this approach was not limited to flow fields and could be employed for steady as well as unsteady flows. Initially, the continuous and discrete adjoint LB equations and the cost function gradient vector were derived mathematically in detail using the continuous and discrete LB equations in space and time, respectively. Meanwhile, new adjoint concepts in lattice space were introduced. Finally, the analytical evaluation of the adjoint distribution functions and the cost function gradients was carried out.     

Aerodynamic characteristics and parameters of the cone base region at transonic speeds

Aerodynamic characteristics of a sharp cone with the semi-apex angle of 15° are investigated by the methods of ballistic modelling in the Mach number range from 0.5 to 3.7, which are computed under the assumption of their almost linear behavior at the angles of attack up to 10°. Using the direct shadow pictures the geometric characteristics of near wake are measured and analyzed within the considered transonic and supersonic range. They provide the basis for semi-empirical computation of integral parameters of the base cavity: the pressure, density, and temperature.     

Outcome of Resonant Voice Therapy for Female Teachers With Voice Disorders: Perceptual, Physiological, Acoustic, Aerodynamic, and Functional Measurements

Teachers have a high percentage of voice problems. For voice disordered teachers, resonant voice therapy is hypothesized to reduce voice problems. No research has been done on the physiological, acoustic, and aerodynamic effects of resonant voice therapy for school teachers. The purpose of this study is to investigate resonant voice therapy outcome from perceptual, physiological, acoustic, aerodynamic, and functional aspects for female teachers with voice disorders. A prospective study was designed for this research. The research subjects were 24 female teachers in Taipei. All subjects received resonant voice therapy in groups of 4 subjects, 90 minutes per session, and 1 session per week for 8 weeks. The outcome of resonant voice therapy was assessed from auditory perceptual judgment, videostroboscopic examination, acoustic measurements, aerodynamic measurements, and functional measurements before and after therapy. After therapy the severity of roughness, strain, monotone, resonance, hard attack, and glottal fry in auditory perceptual judgments, the severity of vocal fold pathology, mucosal wave, amplitude, and vocal fold closure in videostroboscopic examinations, phonation threshold pressure, and the score of physical scale in the Voice Handicap Index were significantly reduced. The speaking Fo, maximum range of speaking Fo, and maximum range of speaking intensity were significantly increased after therapy. No significant change was found in perturbation and breathiness measurements after therapy. Resonant voice therapy is effective for school teachers and is suggested as one of the therapy approaches in clinics for this population.     

Comparison of the Raman pressure shift and the Raman temperature shift of benzene and diamond with the ruby soale

Abstract

In order to serve as substitute for the pressure ruby scale at high temperature, the breathing mode of bemsens (990 cm^?1) and the first order Raman mode of diamond (1333 cm^?1) have been studied as a function of pressure and temperature in the range of 0–15 GPa and 25–400°C. The diamond and bensene Raman frequency shifts are shoft to be of valuable use as a pressure scale at high temperature. A further advantage of bensene is to remain a suitable pressure transmitting medium up to 350°C and 15 GP.     

三维同振球型矢量水听器的特性及其结构设计

本文介绍了一种新型水声接收换能器－三维同振球型矢量水听器,这种水听器可以用来获取水下声场的矢量信息,文中概括地描述了矢量水听器的结构类型及其特性的表征;详细叙述了同振型三维矢量水听器的设计方法,给出了作者所研制的三维同振球型矢量水听器样器的声学特性测试结果。     

Pressure broadening and shifting parameters for the spectral lines in the fundamental vibration-rotation bands of HBr and HI in mixtures with rare gases

We report measurements of the line broadening and shifting coefficients in the (1 ← 0) fundamental absorption bands of the HBr and HI molecules in mixtures with rare gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe. Comparison is given with the published data on other HHal-Rg systems. The measured line shifts are separated into terms symmetric and asymmetric in the line number m. The magnitudes of the symmetric shifts change in a regular manner in the series of rare gases and reach perturber-specific asymptotic values at higher ∣m∣. It is found that the asymptotic values of the symmetric line shifts linearly correlate with the respective C₆ potential energy constants and that the slopes of these correlations are proportional to the vibrational ground state dipole moments squared of the hydrogen halide molecules.     

Pressure broadening and shifting parameters for the spectral lines in the first overtone vibration-rotation bands of HBr and HI in mixtures with rare gases

We present experimental data on the previously unknown line broadening and shifting coefficients in the (2 ← 0) overtone vibration-rotation bands of the HBr and HI molecules in mixtures with several rare gases. The vibrational dependence of the isotropic and anisotropic components of the binary interaction potential is probed by separating the measured line shifts into parts symmetric and asymmetric in the line number m and by comparing with the previously published similar data for the fundamental bands of the same molecules. It is shown that the line shifts are dominated by the vibrational dependence of the isotropic potential. A linear correlation is found between the asymptotic values of the symmetric shifts in the overtone bands for all HX-Rg (X = F, Cl, Br, I) pairs and the respective C₆ long-range potential energy constants. Line broadening parameters in the overtone band of pure HBr are also reported.     

Laboratory measurement of the acoustical and airflow performance of interior natural-ventilation openings and silencers

This paper discusses laboratory measurements of the acoustical and airflow performance of interior natural-ventilation openings and silencers (‘ventilators’). The objective was to create and characterize a purpose-built test facility, and use it to measure the combined acoustical and airflow performance of a number of ventilators of interest, to understand and optimize it, and provide design guidelines to practitioners. The paper discusses the characterization of ventilator performance, and methods and theory for measuring it. The design and performance of a purpose-built, two-room laboratory facility are described. The facility was used to investigate the performance of a non-acoustical grille, an acoustical louver, slot ventilators, crosstalk silencers and a novel door-vent silencer. The results identify a number of best practices for successful ventilator design: non-acoustical grilles should be avoided; the addition of a glass-fiber absorptive liner to the surface adjacent to a slot ventilator increases acoustical performance by STC 3–6; acoustically-lined crosstalk silencers can be very effective – the straight configuration is best and performance increases with the length of the flow path; acoustical liners should be at least 50-mm thick. A prototype door-vent silencer showed very promising performance, but needs to be optimized.     

Aerodynamic characteristics for a passenger aircraft model with harmonic oscillations on rolling and yawing angles at high angles of attack

Experimental values of complexes of aerodynamic derivatives were obtained in a wind tunnel and analyzed for subsonic flow of a passenger aircraft model with harmonic oscillations on the rolling and yawing angles. It was demonstrated that for near-critical angles of attack, the complexes of aerodynamic derivatives taken for rolling and yawing have a string dependency on the normalized oscillation frequency. It was proven that this dependency is driven by derivatives with respect to angular velocities and angular acceleration. A mathematical model for aerodynamic loads was developed; it can be applied for aircraft flight dynamic problems and has satisfactory approximation to experimental aerodynamic characteristics.     

The influence of crack breathing and imbalance orientation angle on the characteristics of the critical speed of a cracked rotor

By analyzing the limitations of weight dominance and by taking the complicated whirl of the rotor into account, general equations of motion have been developed in case of a Jeffcott rotor with a transverse crack. The angle between the crack direction and the shaft deformation direction is used to determine the closing and opening of the crack, allowing one to study the dynamic response without assuming weight dominance. Using the new equations, the dynamic response of a cracked rotor near its critical speed has been computed via a numerical method to investigate the influence of nonlinear breathing of the crack and that of the imbalance orientation angle β on the stability, critical speed and peak response of the rotor. The results show that nonlinear breathing can improve the stability of a rotor in contrast to a rotor with an open crack, and, with a reversed imbalance (70°<β<270°), that it can reduce the vibration response in contrast to an uncracked rotor. The basic characteristics of a cracked rotor near its critical speed are similar to those of an uncracked rotor. The critical speed can be determined by measuring the rotation of the center of gravity. The critical speed of a cracked rotor is located between the natural frequencies of the fully open crack and those of the fully closed crack and depends on the imbalance orientation angle. Its value is lowest at β≈90° and highest at β≈270°. The peak in the response at the critical speed is mainly determined by the imbalance orientation angle. At β≈0° and 180°, the peak corresponds to the maximum and minimum response, respectively.     

Acoustic analysis of the singing and speaking voice in singing students

The singing power ratio (SPR) is an objective means of quantifying the singer's formant. SPR has been shown to differentiate trained singers from nonsingers and sung from spoken tones. This study was designed to evaluate SPR and acoustic parameters in singing students to determine if the singer-intraining has an identifiable difference between sung and spoken voices. Digital audio recordings were made of both sung and spoken vowel sounds in 55 singing students for acoustic analysis. SPR values were not significantly different between the sung and spoken samples. Shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratio were significantly higher in spoken samples. SPR analysis may provide an objective tool for monitoring the student's progress.     

Aerodynamic characteristics of passenger and transport aircraft models at harmonic oscillations on the pitch angle for high angles of attack

A systematic analysis has been performed for many-years experimental data obtained in the wind tunnel T-203 (SibNIA) for testing the models of passenger and transport aircraft for the case of harmonic oscillation at the pitch angle for low subsonic velocities. The key features of behavior of aerodynamic derivatives coefficients and dependencies of current values of normal force coefficient and longitudinal moment coefficient on the angle of attack have been demonstrated for the stalling modes of streamlining. It was demonstrated that at near-critical angles of attack, we have a strong dependency of aerodynamic derivatives of pitch moment on the normalized oscillation frequency for the range of natural values; this makes the traditional mathematical model of aerodynamic loads (uses the aerodynamic derivatives at fixed frequencies of oscillation) unfit for the considered scope of experimental tasks.     

Predicting the sound absorption of natural materials: Best-fit inverse laws for the acoustic impedance and the propagation constant

Natural materials are becoming a valid option for sound absorption treatments. In particular, among them, natural fibers have received increasing attention given their good thermal insulation properties, lack of harmful effects on health, and availability in large quantities. This paper discusses an inverse method to predict the acoustical properties of nine natural fibers. Six vegetative fibers: kenaf, wood, hemp, coconut, straw, and cane; one animal fiber, sheep wool; recycled cardboard; and granular cork are investigated. The absorption coefficient and the flow resistance for samples of different thickness have been measured. Moving from the Delany-Bazley model, this study compares the impedance tube results with the theoretically predicted ones. Then, using a least-square fit procedure based on the Nelder-Mead method, the coefficients that best predict both the acoustic impedance and the propagation constant laws are calculated. The inverse approach used in this paper allows to determine different physical parameters and to obtain formulas to include the investigated natural fibers in software modelling for room acoustics applications.