Glottal airflow and electroglottographic measures of vocal function at multiple intensities

Ten normal female subjects produced syllables at 5 dB increments from soft to loud. The differentiated electroglottogram (dEGG) open and speed quotients were compared to similar quotients from the inverse-filtered airflow waveform. The latter were measured according to objective and subjective criteria. The data indicate that the open quotient from the airflow waveform decreased as the intensity increased. The dEGG open quotient did not demonstrate this trend. The speed quotient from airflow increased initially with vocal intensity and decreased again as the intensity ceiling was approached. The ratio of closing to opening slopes calculated from peaks in the dEGG signal followed a similar pattern. While the trends across intensity conditions were found to correspond for several of the measures, the absolute values obtained using the different methodologies were not comparable.     

Simultaneous videofluorographic and dual-channel electroglottographic registration of the vertical laryngeal position in various phonatory tasks

Simultaneous tracking of the vertical laryngeal position in various phonatory tasks was performed for 2 subjects (one male, one female) using dual-channel electroglottography (EGG) and videofluorography (videofluoroscopy). The tasks included phonation on [a:] with voluntary repeated (1) heightening and (2) lowering of the laryngeal position; alternation between [a:] and phonation on (3) [b], (4) [m], and (5) the voiced bilabial fricative [beta:]; and (6) production of the corner vowels [a, i, u]. EGG and videofluorography agreed about the direction of changes in the vertical laryngeal position in most cases. Most disagreements were found in the amount of changes. Reasons for the discrepancies, including, for example, changes in the resting position of the larynx and anteroposterior movements of the cartilages, are discussed. It can be concluded that dual-channel EGG is a valuable clinical and pedagogical tool for the analysis of the vertical displacement of larynx in well-specified phonatory tasks. The method should act most reliably on separately phonated vowels. Its applicability for studying laryngeal biomechanics more wholistically, however, is limited.     

On the use of the derivative of electroglottographic signals for characterization of nonpathological phonation

Electroglottography is a common method for providing noninvasive measurements of glottal activity. The derivative of the electroglottographic signal, however, has not attracted much attention, although it yields reliable indicators of glottal closing instants. The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide to the usefulness of this signal. The main features that are to be found in this signal are presented on the basis of an extensive analysis of a database of items sung by 18 trained singers. Glottal opening and closing instants are related to peaks in the signal; the latter can be used to measure glottal parameters such as fundamental frequency and open quotient. In some cases, peaks are doubled or imprecise, which points to special (but by no means uncommon) glottal configurations. A correlation-based algorithm for the automatic measurement of fundamental frequency and open quotient using the derivative of electroglottographic signals is proposed. It is compared to three other electroglottographic-based methods with regard to the measurement of open quotient in inverse-filtered derived glottal flow. It is shown that agreement with the glottal-flow measurements is much better than most threshold-based measurements in the case of sustained sounds.     

Gender differences in vocal fold contact computed from electroglottographic signals: the influence of measurement criteria

EGGW is a phonatory parameter that can be derived from electroglottographic (EGG) signals and used to infer the relative degree of vocal fold contact. Vocal fold models predict that men will exhibit medial bulging of their vocal folds during phonation but women will not. These models lead us to expect gender differences in the magnitude of EGGW. Nevertheless, significant gender differences in EGGW for adults with normal voices have not been documented in previous studies when EGGW was computed from criterion lines placed at 25%-40% of the amplitude of the uninverted EGG wave form. We hypothesized that EGGW would better reflect gender differences in vocal fold adductory patterns if EGGW was computed from portions of the wave form that were associated with more vocal fold contact. EGGW was measured for seven men and seven women with normal voices. When EGGW was computed from segments of the wave form that were associated with relatively greater vocal fold contact (i.e., using criterion levels of > or = 55%), findings were consistent with the gender-specific adductory patterns that have been proposed from vocal fold models. Guidelines for appropriate placement of criterion lines when computing EGGW are discussed.     

Stroboscopic and acoustic measures of inspiratory phonation

Inspiratory phonation (IP) is the production of voice as air is taken into the lungs. Although IP is promoted as a laryngeal assessment and voice treatment technique, it has been described quantitatively in very few speakers. This study quantified changes in laryngeal adduction, fundamental frequency, and intensity during IP relative to expiratory phonation (EP). We hypothesized that IP would increase laryngeal abduction and fundamental frequency. The experiment was a within-subjects, repeated measures design with each subject serving as her own control. Participants were 10 females (ages 19-50 years) who underwent simultaneous transoral videostrobolaryngoscopy and acoustic voice recording. We found that membranous vocal fold contact decreased significantly during IP relative to EP, while the trends for change of ventricular fold squeeze during IP varied across individuals. Vocal fundamental frequency increased significantly during IP relative to EP, but intensity did not vary consistently across conditions. Without teaching or coaching, changes that occurred during IP did not carry over to EP produced immediately following IP within the same respiratory cycle.     

Covariation among vowel height effects on acoustic measures

Covariation among vowel height effects on vowel intrinsic fundamental frequency (IF(0)), voice onset time (VOT), and voiceless interval duration (VID) is analyzed to assess the plausibility of a common physiological mechanism underlying variation in these measures. Phrases spoken by 20 young adults, containing words composed of initial voiceless stops or /s/ and high or low vowels, were produced in habitual and voluntarily increased F(0) conditions. High vowels were associated with increased IF(0) and longer VIDs. VOT and VID exhibited significant covariation with IF(0) only for males at habitual F(0). The lack of covariation for females and at increased F(0) is discussed.     

湍流大气传输中跟踪抖动对远场影响的仿真研究

分析了跟踪抖动对湍流大气传输远场光斑的影响。基于麦克斯韦电磁场理论,采用大气相干长度对大气湍流进行描述,推导了发射光束因跟踪抖动导致光轴偏离的远场表达式。在此基础上,利用相位屏法模拟抖动引起的倾斜相位和大气折射率起伏引起的相位调制,并采用低频补偿的功率谱反演法对传输过程进行了数值仿真。分析了不同跟踪抖动、湍流强度条件下远场光斑质心脱靶量的变化,以及不同尺寸模拟目标的回波概率。分析结果表明,在传输距离为10 km时,强湍流造成的远场光斑脱靶量可达几十μrad;当跟踪抖动较大时,湍流强弱对脱靶量影响差别很小。最后,对一定尺寸的模拟目标,从探测回波概率的角度给出了发射系统跟踪抖动量的控制范围。     

随钻声波测井隔声体刻槽影响的数值模拟研究

针对随钻声波测井中钻铤波干扰以及刻槽后散射波问题,该文利用时域有限差分法模拟钻铤波在随钻隔声体中的传播规律,首先考察在无限大流体中钻铤波在凹槽分界面处的散射特征,利用波场快照直观显示了钻铤波会有一部分能量在刻槽的固液界面转化为斯通利波。同时在有地层时分别对比了均匀内刻槽和外刻槽对钻铤波的衰减效果,发现在选择均匀内刻槽还是外刻槽时结果不仅与频率范围有关,而且与刻槽的深度也有关系。最后对比了槽宽较大的均匀凹槽隔声体和槽宽较小的渐变凹槽隔声体。可以得出结论,在设计随钻隔声体时,在10 kHz以下选择均匀外刻槽方式相对于内刻槽隔声效果会更好。随着刻槽槽深增加,外刻槽在10 kHz以下相比于内刻槽隔声性能优势更加明显。渐变刻槽在满足衰减钻铤波幅度要求的同时,散射波对后续地层波和斯通利波影响也更小。     

Accuracy and variability of acoustic measures of voicing onset

Five commonly used methods for determining the onset of voicing of syllable-initial stop consonants were compared. The speech and glottal activity of 16 native speakers of Cantonese with normal voice quality were investigated during the production of consonant vowel (CV) syllables in Cantonese. Syllables consisted of the initial consonants /ph/, /th/, /kh/, /p/, /t/, and /k/ followed by the vowel /a/. All syllables had a high level tone, and were all real words in Cantonese. Measurements of voicing onset were made based on the onset of periodicity in the acoustic waveform, and on spectrographic measures of the onset of a voicing bar (f0), the onset of the first formant (F1), second formant (F2), and third formant (F3). These measurements were then compared against the onset of glottal opening as determined by electroglottography. Both accuracy and variability of each measure were calculated. Results suggest that the presence of aspiration in a syllable decreased the accuracy and increased the variability of spectrogram-based measurements, but did not strongly affect measurements made from the acoustic waveform. Overall, the acoustic waveform provided the most accurate estimate of voicing onset; measurements made from the amplitude waveform were also the least variable of the five measures. These results can be explained as a consequence of differences in spectral tilt of the voicing source in breathy versus modal phonation.     

Synchronized videostroboscopic and electroglottographic examination of glottal opening

Interpretation of electroglottography (EGG) as an index of glottal contact area has been complicated by difficulty obtaining independent validation measures. The purpose of this research was to implement a new simultaneous EGG/videostroboscopic technique for the evaluation of the relationship between a discontinuity in the opening phase of the EGG waveform with the onset of glottal opening viewed via videostroboscopy. The results support previous suggestions that this EGG discontinuity, when observed in nonpathologic individuals, usually marks the onset of glottal opening along the superior surface of the vocal folds.     

Effects of simulated source of tremor on acoustic and airflow voice measures

To test the effects of different sources of tremor on the voice, tremor was simulated by external rhythmic perturbation of structures at the subglottal, glottal, and supraglottal levels in 10 healthy subjects. The acoustic and airflow signals simultaneously recorded during sustained phonation in the normal and the 3 simulated tremor conditions were analyzed and compared. Voice measures included: fundamental frequency, 2 short-term perturbation measures (jitter and shimmer), and 3 long-term tremor measures (prominence ratios of the spectral peaks of the acoustic frequency contour, acoustic amplitude contour, and airflow contour). Measures of fundamental frequency and percent shimmer were not significantly affected by the simulated tremors. Measures of percent jitter and the amplitudes of the long-term frequency and amplitude modulations were most prominently increased when respiratory drive was perturbed by simulated tremor. Spectral analysis of the acoustic amplitude contour was most useful in distinguishing the 3 sites of simulated tremor.     

Controllability and observability measures of structural vibration and acoustic radiation

This paper studies the controllability and observability measures of structural vi?bration and acoustic radiation and proposes a measure of modal observability based on acoustic pressure outputs and measures of controllability and observability of acoustic radiation by combining the measures of modal controllability and observability of vibration modes with corresponding modal acoustic radiation efficiencies. A plate with control force inputs and vibrational response outputs and acoustic pressure outputs is involved to show the modal controllability and observability measures of vibration modes and measures of controllability and observabil?ity of structural vibration and acoustic radiation. Observability measures based on vibrational response outputs and acoustic pressure outputs are compared and the emphasis is on the mea?sures based on the acoustic pressure outputs. Finally the application and usefulness of the controllability and observability measures to active control of structural vibration and acous?tic radiation are illustrated and compared. It shows that the controllability and observability measures provide useful guidance for active control design especially in optimal actuator and sensor placement.     

结构振动和声辐射的可控性和可观性指标

结构振动和声辐射的可控性和可观性指标对有源控制系统作动器/传感器的布置具有重要意义。对结构振动和声辐射的可控性和可观性指标进行了研究,提出了基于声压输出的振动模态可观性指标,在振动模态可控性和可观性指标的基础上,结合振动模态的声辐射效率,提出了结构声辐射的可控性和可观性指标和基于声压输出的可观性指标。以板结构为例,对结构振动和声辐射的可控性和可观性指标进行了计算分析和讨论,比较了基于声压输出和基于振动响应输出的振动模态可观性,重点研究了基于声压输出的振动模态可观性和结构振动及声辐射的可观性特点,最后对指标值在结构声有源控制中输入(输出)位置选择上的应用进行了讨论和比较,通过数值仿真对指标的有效性进行了验证。     

结构振动和声辐射的可控性和可观性指标

结构振动和声辐射的可控性和可观性指标对有源控制系统作动器/传感器的布置具有重要意义。对结构振动和声辐射的可控性和可观性指标进行了研究,提出了基于声压输出的振动模态可观性指标,在振动模态可控性和可观性指标的基础上,结合振动模态的声辐射效率,提出了结构声辐射的可控性和可观性指标和基于声压输出的可观性指标。以板结构为例,对结构振动和声辐射的可控性和可观性指标进行了计算分析和讨论,比较了基于声压输出和基于振动响应输出的振动模态可观性,重点研究了基于声压输出的振动模态可观性和结构振动及声辐射的可观性特点,最后对指标值在结构声有源控制中输入(输出)位置选择上的应用进行了讨论和比较,通过数值仿真对指标的有效性进行了验证。     

Speech task effects on acoustic and aerodynamic measures of women with vocal nodules

Vowel prolongation is often used to evaluate disordered voice production. In light of previous findings showing that co-articulation has significant influence on laryngeal function measures, the practice of using prolonged vowels to represent a speech sample is questioned. To test whether disordered and normal voice during vowel production is generalizable to connected speech, three speaking tasks were investigated: sustained vowel prolongation, syllable repetition and reading. Statistical differences were found between these tasks for certain amplitude and time based laryngeal function measures for adult women with disordered and normal voice. However, for the specific measures which were statistically different, the actual numerical and perceptual differences may be quite small. From a clinical assessment standpoint, the choice of the speech task may not make an apparent difference in the objective evaluation of disordered voice.     

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.     

气体物理性质对近场超声悬浮特性的影响研究

在利用近场超声悬浮技术搬运晶圆的过程中,为提高近场超声悬浮力,该文研究了气体物理性质与近场超声悬浮力之间的关系。利用声辐射压理论与流体力学理论对不同气体介质下的悬浮力进行建模与求解。搭建了可测量不同气体环境中悬浮力的实验平台。实验发现氩气环境下超声悬浮力平均值相对空气环境下提升24.8%。结合实验与理论计算分析了气体密度、比热容比、声速与动力黏度对悬浮力的影响,推断气体的比热容比为影响近场超声悬浮力的主要参数。该方法为晶圆搬运的环境适用性提供了参考价值。     

Marx发生器建立时间及抖动实验研究

 Marx发生器建立时间及抖动与Marx发生器中球隙开关的工作状态有关，同时与开关的触发电压幅值及极性有关。通过实验获得了Marx发生器建立时间及抖动最小时最佳工作状态的相关参数。天光一号电子束加速器从同步机发出指令信号至主Marx输出，总的延时及抖动为（1629±8.4）ns，满足MOPA系统建立时间抖动小于20ns的要求。     

体育馆声学设计探讨

本文分析了我国综合性体育馆共同的体形特征及其所导致的运用建筑本学时出现的若干问题，探讨了有关的声学标准，并以工程实践为例，说明必须依靠建筑产学设计和电声设计的结合，才能作好体育馆的声学设计．