Is the reliability of a visual analog scale higher than an ordinal scale? An experiment with the GRBAS scale for the perceptual evaluation of dysphonia

Perceptual evaluation of 14 pathological voices was performed by 29 listeners using the GRBAS scale. To evaluate scale effects on the judgments, 2 versions of the scale were presented: the original 4-point scale and a visual analog scale. Each listener used the same voice samples for both versions of the scale with an interval of 2 weeks. Agreement was found to be higher with the original 4-point scale than with the visual analog version for all scale items G, R, B, A and S. Although a visual analog scale seems to enable a finer judgment of voice quality, this study showed that, with increased freedom of judgment, the interrater agreement decreased considerably. Therefore, we recommend the use of the original 4-point version of the GRBAS scale.     

Possible Critical Orientations of Interacting Composite Particles

We obtain possibly valuable information about the phase diagram linked to the critical orientations for composite matter subjected to interactions at high fermion as well as boson number density but low temperature, which is not easily accessible to experiments. Our results qualitatively resemble those proposed before by using other theories once we can calibrate our results by tuning the critical orientation and the rarefaction measure (relevant to the temperature).     

H_2S_2的构型及其异构化的量子化学研究

采用量子化学中的二阶微扰(MP2)方法,在6-311+G(3df,2p)水平上,利用Gaussian软件优化反应物,过渡态和生成物的几何结构,在相同水平上对反应物,过渡态和生成物进行了频率分析,同时完成了内禀反应坐标(IRC)分析.进而利用过渡态理论,计算了温度在300K时的H迁移异构化反应的速率常数.研究结果表明,H2S2的构型有两种,分别为:线型和分叉型,其中线型HSSH的能量较低,为稳定结构;平衡常数很小,为2.2×10-20,不利于平衡从线型向分叉型异构体转化,反之,分叉型向线型转化较容易,因此分     

Crystal and molecular structure of a steroidal spirocyclic lactone, C29H34O4

The X-ray crystal structure of the title compound, as crystallized from methanol–methylene chloride was determined. The asymmetric unit contains two steroid molecules, which differ primarily in the orientation of the aromatic rings of the benzyl ethers. The title compound crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric space group P2(1), with a = 7.558(2), b = 16.673(3), c = 18.735(4) Å, = 97.610(10)°, and D _calc = 1.268 g cm^–1 for Z = 4.     

Synthesis and structure of 2-[(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalene)]-5-benzimidazole ethylcarboxylate monohydrate

As part of a program investigating the conformations of potential anticarcinogens and antioxidants, the structure of the title compound C₂₄H₂₈N₂O₂·H₂O is reported. The monohydrate crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2/c with unit cell parameters a = 16.184(1),b = 7.937(1), c = 16.968(1), = 92.788(7)°, and Z = 4. The benzimidazole and tetrahydrotetramethylnaphthalene ring systems are inclined to one another by approximately 26°. The water molecule plays an important role in the crystal structure by hydrogen bonding to different functional groups of three organic moieties. Additional crystal stabilization is dueto – stacking of benzimidazole rings.     

A Reactive Molecular Dynamics Study of Chlorinated Organic Compounds. Part II: A ChemTraYzer Study of Chlorinated Dibenzofuran Formation and Decomposition Processes

In our two-paper series, we first present the development of ReaxFF CHOCl parameters using the recently published ParAMS parametrization tool. In this second part, we update the reactive Molecular Dynamics – Quantum Mechanics coupling scheme ChemTraYzer and combine it with our new ReaxFF parameters from Part I to study formation and decomposition processes of chlorinated dibenzofurans. We introduce a self-learning method for recovering failed transition-state searches that improves the overall ChemTraYzer transition-state search success rate by 10 percentage points to a total of 48 %. With ChemTraYzer, we automatically find and quantify more than 500 reactions using transition state theory and DFT. Among the discovered chlorinated dibenzofuran reactions are numerous reactions that are new to the literature. In three case studies, we discuss the set of reactions that are most relevant to the dibenzofuran literature: (i) bimolecular reactions of the chlorinated-dibenzofuran precursors phenoxy radical and 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene, (ii) dibenzofuran chlorination and pyrolysis, and (iii) oxidation of chlorinated dibenzofurans.     

Nonlinear magneto-optical effects and photomagnetism of electrochemically synthesized molecule-based magnets

This article describes novel optical functionalities such as photomagnetic effects and magnetization-induced second harmonic generation (MSHG) in several cyano-bridged metal assemblies. Single crystal- and film-types of a cyano-bridged Cu–Mo bimetallic assembly, , were electrochemically prepared. When this compound was irradiated with light, spontaneous magnetization with a Curie temperature (T _C) of 23 K was observed. Electrochemically prepared Fe^II[Cr^III(CN)₆]_2/3·5H₂O thin film, which was a ferromagnet with T _C=21 K, showed photoreduced magnetization. This photomagnetism is due to the change of ferromagnetic coupling between Fe^II and Cr^III. MSHG was observed in Cs^ICo^II[Cr^III(CN)₆]·0.5H₂O. This -type Prussian blue analog-based magnet is proven to be a piezoelectric ferromagnet, i.e., condensed matter with both piezoelectric and ferromagnetism. This MSHG is due to the coupling between a piezoelectric structure of and ferromagnetism with a T _C of 46 K.

Voice characteristics, effects of voice therapy, and long-term follow-up of contact granuloma patients

This study evaluates the laryngoscopic findings and voice characteristics of male contact granuloma patients before and after voice therapy and at a follow-up about 9 years later. Pre- and posttherapy recordings as well as follow-up recordings were made for 19 granuloma patients. Pretherapy revealed the most salient perceptual voice characteristics were low pitch, monotony, and a high degree of vocal fry and hyperfunction. Interjudge reliability for these traits was high. Immediately following therapy the healed patients (n = 10) had a decrease in hyperfunction, vocal fry, and monotony, while the unhealed patients (n = 9) had an increase in hyperfunction and vocal fry decreased only marginally. Monotony decreased significantly in this group. As regards the acoustic analyses, no significant differences were found in mean fundamental frequency (F₀) or perturbation. At the follow-up assessment 4 patients had granuloma while 15 had normal laryngeal status. Perceptually their voice characteristics resembled those pretherapy independently of the laryngeal findings. The results suggest that reduced hyperfunction and decreased vocal fry may create better circumstances for the healing process at the posterior glottis.     

基于系统动力学的产业集群对企业绩效的影响机制分析

以系统动力学为基础,研究了产业集群对企业绩效的影响机制。分别建立了外部资源环境、发展规模及科研创新能力对企业绩效的影响系统因果图,在此基础上开展了产业集群对企业绩效影响的全过程动力分析。以上海市医药制造产业集群为例开展了实证研究,使用Vensim模拟软件进行了模拟仿真,详尽探讨了影响机制中正负反馈回路。结果表明,产业集群的外部资源环境、产业集群的发展规模和产业集群的科研创新能力对集群内企业的发展有着正向影响,政府和集群内企业可以通过加大对集群科研实力的投资力度、改善产业集群外部环境、扩大产业集群发展规模三个方面来提高产业集群内的企业绩效,促进产业集群内企业的可持续性发展。     

An analogue front-end ASIC prototype designed for PMT signal readout

The Water Cherenkov Detector Array(WCDA) is one of the core detectors in the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory(LHAASO),and it consists of 3600 photomultiplier tubes(PMTs).Both high resolution time and charge measurement are required over a large dynamic range from 1 photoelectron(P.E.) to 4000 P.E.The prototype of an analogue front-end Application Specific Integrated Circuit(ASIC) fabricated using Global Foundry 0.35 μm CMOS technology is designed to read out the PMT signal in the WCDA.This ASIC employs leading edge discrimination and an(RC)~4 shaping structure.Combined with the following Time-to-Digital Converter(TDC) and Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC),both the arrival time and charge of the PMT signal can be measured.Initial test results indicate that time resolution is better than 350 ps and charge resolution is better than 10% at 1 P.E.and better than 1% with large input signals(300 P.E.to 4000 P.E.).Besides,this ASIC has a good channel-to-channel isolation of more than 84 dB and the temperature dependency of charge measurement is less than 5% in the range 0-50°C.