The effects of vowels on voice perturbation measures

This study examines voice perturbation parameters of the sustained [a] in English and of the eight vowels in Turkish to discover whether any difference exists between these languages, and whether a correlation exists between voice perturbation parameters and articulatory and acoustic properties of the Turkish vowels. Eight Turkish vowels uttered by 26 healthy nonsmoker volunteer males who are native Turkish speakers were compared with a voice database that includes samples of normal and disordered voices belonging to American English speakers. Fundamental frequencies, the first and second formants, and perturbation parameters, such as jitter percent, pitch perturbation quotient, shimmer percent, and amplitude perturbation quotient of the sustained vowels, were measured. Also, the first and second formants of the sustained [a] in English were measured, and other parameters have been obtained from the database. When the voice perturbation parameters in Turkish and English were compared, statistically significant differences were not found. However, when Turkish vowels compared with each other, statistically significant differences were found among perturbation values. Categorical comparisons of the Turkish vowels like high-low, rounded-unrounded, and front-back revealed significant differences in perturbation values. In correlation analysis, a weak linear inverse relation between jitter percent and the first formant (r=-0.260, p<0.05) was found.     

Comparison of fundamental frequency and perturbation measurements among three analysis systems

The need for standardization of procedures in approaches to voice measurement has been recently emphasized. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the acoustic perturbation measurements from three different analysis systems agree when standardized recording and analysis procedures are used. High-quality acoustic voice recordings from 20 patients were analyzed. The results showed that, although fundamental frequency measurements were in strong agreement among the three systems tested, frequency and amplitude perturbation measurements were not in agreement. The underlying approaches to perturbation measurement appeared to be sufficiently different to produce different results. An argument is made for a standardized set of acoustic signals representing normal, dysphonic, and synthesized voices with known characteristics to facilitate testing of new acoustic analysis systems and confirm measurement accuracy and sensitivity.     

Multimodal Standardization of Voice Among Four Multicultural Populations: Fundamental Frequency and Spectral Characteristics

A stratified random sample of 20 males and 20 females matched for physiological factors and cultural-linguistic markers were examined to determine differences in fundamental frequency and spectral characteristics during prolongation of three vowels: [a], [i], and [u]. The ethnic-gender breakdown included four sets of five male and five female subjects comprised of Caucasian and African-American speakers of standard American English, native Hindi Indian speakers, and native Mandarin Chinese speakers. Acoustic measures were analyzed using the Multidimensional Voice Program (Kay Elemetrics, Lincoln Park, NJ) (Model 4305) from which fundamental frequency and associated acoustic spectra were extracted from a 200-ms sample of each vowel token. Statistically significant group differences for the main effects of culture, race, and gender were found. The acoustic differences found are attributed to biomechanical, physiological, cultural, and linguistic factors.     

Comparisons of jitter, shimmer, and signal-to-noise ratio from directly digitized versus taped voice samples

The purpose of this study was to compare jitter, shimmer, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measures obtained from tape-recorded samples with the same measures made on directly digitized voice samples, with use of the CSpeech acoustic analysis program. Subjects included 30 young women who phonated the vowel /a/ at a comfortable pitch and loudness level. Voice samples were simultaneously recorded and digitized, and the resulting perturbation measures for the two conditions were compared. Results indicated that there were small but statistically significant differences between percent jitter, percent shimmer, and SNR calculated from taped samples compared with the same measures calculated from directly digitized samples. It was concluded that direct digitization for clinical measures of vocal perturbation was most desirable, but that taped samples could be used, if necessary, with some caution.     

Judgments of voice quality and preference: Acoustic interpretations

Previous studies have shown that trained listeners are highly reliable in making perceptual judgments of several parameters of normal and pathologic voices. This study investigated objective measures of acoustic characteristics of high and low preference voices as determined by previous perceptual study. Four acoustic parameters were measured including harmonics-to-noise ratio, autocorrelation function, average jitter, and the standard deviation of the fundamental frequency. Useful correlations between perceptual and measured results were identified. Normal voices differ from pathologic voices in terms of the acoustic-perceptual relationships.     

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.     

Irregularity of vocal period and amplitude: A first approach to the fractal analysis of voice

Fractal geometry, a relatively young branch of mathematics, offers new ways of evaluating the irregularity of the physiologic and acoustic aspects of speech. The validity and reliability of a box-counting method for estimating the fractal dimension (D_F) of the period and amplitude of vocal signals were demonstrated, and the method was applied to sustained vowels produced by four men and four women. Mean D_F of the fundamental period was 1.46; D_F of the amplitude records averaged a slightly, but significantly, higher 1.54. The potential of D_F as a research and clinical tool is considered.     

The interrelationship of subglottic air pressure, fundamental frequency, and vocal intensity during speech

In this study we have simultaneously measured subglottic air pressure, airflow, and vocal intensity during speech in nine healthy subjects. Subglottic air pressure was measured directly by puncture of the cricothyroid membrane. The results show that the interaction between these aerodynamic properties is much more complex that previously believed. Certain trends were seen in most individuals, such as an increase in vocal intensity with increased subglottic air pressure. However, there was considerable variability in the overall aerodynamic properties between subjects and at different frequency and intensity ranges. At certain frequencies several subjects were able to generate significantly louder voices without a comparable increase in subglottic air pressure. We hypothesize that these increases in vocal efficiency are due to changes in vocal fold vibration properties. The relationship between fundamental frequency and subglottic pressure was also noted to vary depending on vocal intensity. Possible mechanisms for these behaviors are discussed.     

Time-shift, trial, and gender effects on vocal perturbation measures

Three jitter and three shimmer measures were examined for: (1) the stability of the measured values with respect to shifts in sample site (starting point of window in the token) and (2) the effects of trial and gender. The perturbation measures and their coefficients of variation for windows starting from five different but adjacent cycles showed a dependence on sample size. Their variability with regard to shifts in sample site decreased asymptotically with increasing size. The data suggested no statistically significant trial effect except for APQ and no statistically significant gender effect except for absolute jitter. It is speculated that relatively long smoothing windows for shimmer (such as the one used for APQ) would allow the effects of slow vocal modulations (e.g., tremor) to accentuate, especially for lower pitch speakers.     

Fraunhofer diffraction on a polygon and calculation of binary mask images

A simple analytical formula for the spectrum of spatial harmonic components of a diffracted field is derived. It is used for construction of an effective algorithm of image calculation in photolithography.     

全息光栅光刻胶掩模槽形演化及其规律研究

为了控制全息光栅光刻胶掩模槽形,运用曝光模型和显影模型模拟了掩模的槽形形成过程和变化规律。实验对比了不同曝光量,不同显影浓度,不同空频条件下的掩模槽形,特别是占宽比(光栅齿宽度与光栅周期的比)的情况。实验结果表明,实际槽形与模拟槽形很接近。模拟和实验均发现,在大曝光量、高浓度显影、高空频的光栅条件下所得槽形占宽比较小,槽深主要由原始胶厚决定。     

Effects of consonant manner and vowel height on intraoral pressure and articulatory contact at voicing offset and onset for voiceless obstruents

In obstruent consonants, a major constriction in the upper vocal tract yields an increase in intraoral pressure (P(io)). Phonation requires that subglottal pressure (P(sub)) exceed P(io) by a threshold value, so as the transglottal pressure reaches the threshold, phonation will cease. This work investigates how P(io) levels at phonation offset and onset vary before and after different German voiceless obstruents (stop, fricative, affricates, clusters), and with following high vs low vowels. Articulatory contacts, measured using electropalatography, were recorded simultaneously with P(io) to clarify how supraglottal constrictions affect P(io). Effects of consonant type on phonation thresholds could be explained mainly in terms of the magnitude and timing of vocal-fold abduction. Phonation offset occurred at lower values of P(io) before fricative-initial sequences than stop-initial sequences, and onset occurred at higher levels of P(io) following the unaspirated stops of clusters compared to fricatives, affricates, and aspirated stops. The vowel effects were somewhat surprising: High vowels had an inhibitory effect at voicing offset (phonation ceasing at lower values of P(io)) in short-duration consonant sequences, but a facilitating effect on phonation onset that was consistent across consonantal contexts. The vowel influences appear to reflect a combination of vocal-fold characteristics and vocal-tract impedance.     

Effects of pressure and temperature fluctuations on near-infrared measurements of methane in underground coal mines

This paper presents the findings of an investigation into the effects of pressure and temperature variations on methane concentrations measurements in near-infrared spectrum. A wavelength band was found where the spectral absorbance of methane is free from the interference of other common mine gases. The pressure and temperature variations that are expected in underground coal mines were found to have negligible effects on the uncertainty of spectroscopic measurement of methane concentration.     

High-resolution measurements of line intensity, broadening and shift of CO around m

Fundamental spectroscopical parameters of CO₂ are reported using a high resolution, direct absorption spectrometer, based on a distributed feed-back diode laser emitting at 2 μm. Line intensity, self- and foreign broadening and shift, with N₂ and O₂ as foreign gases, have been measured with high accuracy in the combination band of CO₂, for 13 lines of the R branch, from R(22) up to R(46). Comparison with available data is made, when possible, and a generally good agreement has been found. Received: 24 April 1998 / Received in final form: 28 October 1998     

Effects of prolonged oral reading on F0, SPL, subglottal pressure and amplitude characteristics of glottal flow waveforms

The effects of prolonged (5x45 minute) reading (vocal loading) on fundamental frequency (F0), sound pressure level (SPL), subglottal (intraroral) pressure (p), and two glottal flow waveform parameters (AC amplitude of glottal flow, f, and negative peak amplitude of differentiated flow (d) of normal female and male subjects (N = 80) were studied. Two rest (morning and noon) and three loading (two in the morning and one in the afternoon) samples were recorded and analyzed. The glottal waveforms were obtained by inverse filtering of the acoustic pressure waveforms of speaking voice samples. The analyses were based on measurement and inverse filtering of the first stressed syllable of "paappa" words repeated 3x5 times for normal, as soft as possible, and as loud as possible phonation. In normal phonation the parameter values changed statistically significantly due to loading. In many cases the values obtained in the morning samples changed after the first loading session. This is interpreted as a vocal "warming-up effect." Especially in soft phonation p, d, and f were sensitive indicators of vocal loading. In both normal and soft phonation, the SPL, p, d, and f values tended to rise due to prolonged reading in the morning and afternoon samples, indicating increased effort (normal phonation) and a rise in the phonatory threshold (soft phonation). The lunch break vocal rest ("rest effect") considerably affected the parameter values in many cases.     

A computational simulation study on the acoustic pressure generated by a dental endosonic file: Effects of intensity,file shape and volume

One of the uses of ultrasound in dentistry is in the field of endodontics (i.e. root canal treatment) in order to enhance cleaning efficiency during the treatment. The acoustic pressures generated by the oscillation of files in narrow channels has been calculated using the COMSOL simulation package. Acoustic pressures in excess of the cavitation threshold can be generated and higher values were found in narrower channels. This parallels experimental observations of sonochemiluminescence. The effect of varying the channel width and length and the dimensions and shape of the file are reported. As well as explaining experimental observations, the work provides a basis for the further development and optimisation of the design of endosonic files.     

Identification and intensity analysis on forbidden magnetic dipole emission lines of highly charged Al, Ar, Ti and Fe ions in LHD

Forbidden lines arising from magnetic dipole (M1) transitions in ground and 2s2p excited configurations of highly charged Al, Ar, Ti and Fe ions have been observed in the large helical device (LHD). Argon was puffed using a piezo-electronic valve and other metallic materials were injected using an impurity pellet injector into LHD plasma for the observation. The M1 transitions in vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and visible regions are identified by analyzing their Doppler broadening, temporal intensity behavior and spatial intensity distribution. Wavelengths of these M1 transitions are determined with high accuracy and compared with previous experimental and calculated values. The line intensity ratios of the M1 transition to the allowed (E1) transition such as (ArX 5533 Å/165 Å, TiXIV 2118 Å/122 Å and FeXVIII 975 Å/94 Å) and 2s2p - (ArXV 5944 Å/221 Å) are measured as a function of electron density. Results on the ArX and ArXV are compared with a simple level-population calculation. As a result, the density dependence of the ratio is well explained mainly by a competition between two decay processes of the collisional de-excitation and the radiative decay due to the forbidden line emission, although a clear discrepancy between the experimental and calculated absolute values appears for the ArX ratio. Contribution of fast proton impact excitation, which is brought by 180 keV neutral beam injection (NBI) for plasma heating, is also analyzed with the calculation for the F-like ions of ArX, TiXIV and FeXVIII.