Acoustic Analysis of Consonants in Whispered Speech

An acoustic analysis of whispered consonants in comparison to normally phonated consonants was conducted in time and intensity domains. Consonant duration and average root mean square intensity were measured for six speakers in both articulation modes. Each of 25 Serbian consonants (C) was sited between the vowel /a/ forming a syllable of /aCa/ type. Such a syllable was placed in initial, medial, and final position in the carrier sentence. Results showed that whispered consonants have a prolonged duration of about 10% on average (statistically significant, ANOVA test), and that the unvoiced consonants have a smaller time dimension extension (5.8%) than voiced ones (15.3%). Examination at subphonemic level showed that there is no difference in voice-onset-time and affrication duration in unvoiced plosives and affricates, in both whispered and phonated mode of articulation, but the difference is significant for voiced ones. Analysis of consonant duration versus place of articulation showed that palatal place is most sensitive in the process of whispering. In all experiments, the results are very consistent with respect to the subjects and test material (Pearson's correlation was between 0.6 and 0.9). In intensity domain, all unvoiced consonants in whispered mode of articulation have almost unchanged intensity in comparison to phonated mode (the difference is maximum 3.5 dB). On the contrary, voiced consonants in the whispered mode were reduced in intensity by as much as 25 dB, as nasals and semivowels. Average intensity of whispered consonants is lowered by 12d B in comparison to phonated ones, and does not depend on syllabic position inside the sentences.     

Structural and Metabolic Pattern Classification for Detection of Glioblastoma Recurrence and Treatment-Related Effects

Artificial neuronal network (ANN) in classification of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) recurrence from treatment effects using advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques was evaluated. In 56 patients with treated GBM, normalised minimal and mean apparent-diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, vessels number on susceptibility-weighted images (SWI) and Cho/Cr ratio were analysed statistically and by ANN. Significant correlation exists between normalised minimal and mean ADC values, and no correlation between ADC and Cho/Cr values. Cut-off values for tumour presence were: 1.14 for normalised minimal ADC (54% sensitivity, 71% specificity), 1.13 for normalised mean ADC (51% sensitivity, 71% specificity), 1.8 for Cho/Cr ratio (92% sensitivity, 82% specificity), grade 2 for SWI (87% sensitivity, 82% specificity). An accurate prediction of ANN to classify patients into GBM progression or treatment effects group was 99% during the training and 96.8% during the testing phase. Multi-parametric ANN allows distinction between GBM recurrence and treatment effects, and can be used in clinical practice.     

On high intensity ultrasound focusing by optimal acoustic lens design

Shape optimization of an acoustic lens is considered. The problem comes from the usage of ultrasound in medical treatment of kidney stones. Since it can be assumed that no topology changes take place and only small geometry modifications have to be taken into account, we can work with gradient type optimization methods on a parameterization of the lens shape. For this purpose, the lens is parameterized by cubic splines and as a first step, the linear wave equation with jumping coefficients is used to represent wave propagation through the entire domain consisting of the fluid region (i.e., the human tissue) and the lens region. I.e. our model consists of the equation u_tt – c²Δu = 0, where the speed of sound c is piecewise constant taking different values inside and outside of the lens. The cost functional is of tracking type to achieve an acoustic pressure distribution that exhibits a point focus at the desired location and has low amplitudes elsewhere. A sensitivity analysis is performed whose results are used in the numerical computations based on gradient methods using adjoint techniques for efficient gradient evaluation. Numerical results are presented. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On wellposedness in nonlinear acoustics

Motivated by a medical application from lithotripsy, we study the initial–boundary value problem given by Westervelt equation (1) in a bounded domain Ω. This models the nonlinear evolution of the acoustic pressure u excited at a part Γ₀ of the boundary. Along with the excitation given by Neumann boundary condition as in (1) , we also consider the Dirichlet type of excitation. Whereas shock waves are known to emerge after a sufficiently large time interval for appropriate initial and boundary conditions, we here prove existence and uniqueness as well as stability of a solution u for small data g, u₀ and u₁ or short time T, using a fixed point argument. Moreover we extend the result to the more general model given by the Kuznetsov equation (2) for the acoustic velocity potential ψ. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Electron spray ionization mass spectrometry and 2D 31P NMR for monitoring 18O/16O isotope exchange and turnover rates of metabolic oligophosphates

A new method was here developed for the determination of ¹⁸O-labeling ratios in metabolic oligophosphates, such as ATP, at different phosphoryl moieties (α-, β-, and γ-ATP) using sensitive and rapid electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The ESI-MS-based method for monitoring of ¹⁸O/¹⁶O exchange was validated with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and 2D ³¹P NMR correlation spectroscopy, the current standard methods in labeling studies. Significant correlation was found between isotopomer selective 2D ³¹P NMR spectroscopy and isotopomer less selective ESI-MS method. Results demonstrate that ESI-MS provides a robust analytical platform for simultaneous determination of levels, ¹⁸O-labeling kinetics and turnover rates of α-, β-, and γ-phosphoryls in ATP molecule. Such method is advantageous for large scale dynamic phosphometabolomic profiling of metabolic networks and acquiring information on the status of probed cellular energetic system.     

Composition and antimicrobial activity of Seseli montanum subsp. tommasinii essential oil

The essential oil isolated from Seseli montanum L. subsp. tommasinii Reich. f. was analyzed by GC/MS and the most abundant components were beta-pinene (30.2%), germacrene D (10.1%), sabinene (8.0%), alpha-pinene (7.2%) and limonene (6.6%). The antimicrobial effect of the essential oil was evaluated against four bacterial and four fungal species among which were food contaminants, spoilage fungi, and plant, fungal and animal pathogens. The oil possessed moderate to strong antimicrobial activity.     

Captured Orientational Order in Polymer Network Assemblies

Abstract

The “marriage” between low molecular weight liquid crystals and polymers burgeoned in the 1980s with the idea of dispersing liquid crystal droplets in a rigid polymer matrix to create an electrically controllable light scattering medium. The orientation of the liquid crystal droplets, and hence the refractive index match and scattering, can be systematically controlled with an electric field. Today, dispersions of liquid crystals and polymers are found in many forms depending on the concentration of polymer, which can be as large as 70% or as small as 1%. The systems most understood are those of larger concentration where the liquid crystal is segregated out in the form of droplets randomly distributed throughout the surrounding polymer (see page 2). Dispersions of liquid crystals and polymers differ from macroscopic bulk liquid crystals because of the large surface-to-volume ratio and symmetry breaking non-planar geometry imposed by the polymer. Their composite nature profoundly affects the ordering of the liquid crystal, and their susceptibility to external fields makes them suitable for many new electro-optic applications, as well as intellectually challenging to study from the basic science perspective.     

Synthesis of aliphatic polyesters by controlled ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters. Characterization,properties, transesterification reactions

The polymerization of (D,L)-Lactide at room temperature in solution using Y(OCH₂CH₂OiPr)₃ and Ln₅(μ-O)(OiPr)₁₃ with Ln = La, Sm, Y, Yb as initiators was studied. According to kinetic data, a controlled type polymerization is observed for most of the systems. La μ-oxoisopropoxide is the most reactive initiator, but leads to a substantial broadening of molecular weight distribution at high conversions. The nature of transesterification reactions was studied by SEC, ¹³C NMR and MALDI-TOF MS techniques. For Sm and Y-μ-oxo initiators only limited intermolecular ester exchange occurs, while with La μ-oxoinitiator and with Y(OCH₂CH₂OiPr)₃ initiator, but after a long time of the polymerization reaction, both inter and intramolecular transesterification occur with formation of cyclics.