Effects of a vocally fatiguing task and systemic hydration on phonation threshold pressure

Phonation threshold pressure (PTP), effort for speaking, and vibratory closure pattern were assessed in 4 women with normal untrained voices after 2 hours of loud reading. PTP generally increased after this vocally fatiguing task at conversational pitch and 10%, 50%, and especially 80% of the pitch range. Increased systemic hydration by drinking water appeared to attenuate and/or delay the elevation of PTP for 3 subjects, at least at the highest pitch tested. Effort for speaking increased consistently throughout the loud reading task and subsequently decreased after 15 minutes of vocal silence. Upon videostroboscopic examination of the larynx, 3 subjects demonstrated spindle-shaped vibratory closure patterns on occasion after loud reading. The results provide preliminary support for increasing water consumption to reduce or delay some vocal-function changes after prolonged loud phonation in untrained speakers.     

Studying edge effects near rectangular mine workings weakened by a crack

Edge effects in a rock mass near a system of periodic mine workings crossed by a crack (fold fault) are considered. The stress state near the mine workings is determined by solving an elastic problem using the piecewise-homogeneous medium model. The original differential problem is reduced to a discrete problem based on the concept of a base scheme. Methods are proposed to solve the discrete problem, and the issue of optimizing the numerical analysis is discussed. The stress distribution around mine workings is analyzed. The stress isolines that represent the boundaries of edge effect zones and indicate their maximum decay length are plotted __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 74–78, January 2008.     

走滑式断层地震的折迭突变模型

利用过势函数微分形式的途径,计入远场外力功的影响,对走滑式断层地震机制进行分析．研究表明:突变理论中折迭突变模型展示的性状,与走滑式断层地震的主要特征之间一一对应．折迭突变可对包括震前、震后围岩-断层系统稳定性描述在内的断层失稳起、终点位置、断层失稳错距等作出描述．给出3种性状可相互印证的断层失稳围岩弹性能释放量图解．走滑式断层地震强度与围岩压力及围岩断层的刚度比等有关,围岩压力大、刚度比小、主切应力轴与发震断层面夹角大,则地震强度大．     

Deviant Vocal Fold Vibration as Observed During Videokymography: The Effect on Voice Quality

Videokymographic images of deviant or irregular vocal fold vibration, including diplophonia, the transition from falsetto to modal voice, irregular vibration onset and offset, and phonation following partial laryngectomy were compared with the synchronously recorded acoustic speech signals. A clear relation was shown between videokymographic image sequences and acoustic speech signals, and the effect of irregular or incomplete vocal fold vibration patterns was recognized in the amount of perceived breathiness and roughness and by the harmonics-to-noise ratio in the speech signal. Mechanisms causing roughness are the presence of mucus, phase differences between the left and right vocal fold, and short-term frequency and amplitude modulation. It can be concluded that the use of simultaneously recorded videokymographic image sequences and speech signals contributes to the understanding of the effect of irregular vocal fold vibration on voice quality.     

Laryngeal Myasthenia Gravis: Report of 40 Cases

Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction, is usually recognized because of ocular complaints or generalized weakness. We report a series of 40 patients who presented with dysphonia as their initial and primary complaint. Diagnostic testing included strobovideolaryngoscopy, electromyography (EMG) with repetitive stimulation and Tensilon testing, and laboratory and radiographic evaluation. Strobovideolaryngoscopy most commonly revealed fluctuating impairment of vocal fold mobility, either unilateral or bilateral. EMG detected evidence of neuromuscular junction abnormalities in all patients. Only one patient had evidence of antiacetylcholine receptor (ACh-R) antibodies, but many other abnormalities suggestive of autoimmune dysfunction were present. Pyridostigmine therapy was initiated in 34 patients but was not tolerated in 4. Of the remaining 30 patients, 23 reported improvement of symptoms. We conclude that myasthenia gravis can present with symptoms confined primarily to the larynx and should be included in the differential diagnosis of dysphonia.     

Minifenestration Type I Thyroplasty Using an Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Implant

Several methods have been used to treat laryngeal incompetence, but no ideal technique has been identified. This paper describes a clinical experience with minifenestration type I thyroplasty using a new device made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). The device, a thin ribbon of ePTFE, is inserted through a 4-mm fenestration to produce vocal fold medialization. At our center, 26 of these devices have been implanted in the past 3 years. Good or satisfactory results were achieved in 96% of cases. Advantages of this technique include easy insertion of the implant, nominal cost and biocompatibility of the ePTFE device, ready availability of all instruments required for the procedure, and elimination of the need to perform arytenoid adduction.     

Singer's Formant in Sopranos: Fact or Fiction?

Although it is generally agreed that the singer's formant (F_S) is a prerequisite for successful stage performance, the results of this research do not support its presence in the soprano voices of trained female singers. Results are based on a recent investigation testing 10 advanced/professional sopranos in two groups singing sustained vowels at three frequencies: high (932 Hz), mid (622 Hz), and low (261 Hz). Spectrographic analysis shows that the nature of harmonic energy varies in relation to pitch. A resonance band somewhat resembling the tenor F_S was usually evident in vowels sung at low and mid pitch. However, unlike the F_S of typically less than 1 kHz bandwidth associated with tenors, sopranos singing similar pitches produced corresponding bandwidths which were significantly broader, usually at least 2-kHz wide. Vowels sung by sopranos at high-pitch levels exhibited strong fundamental frequency production with strong reinforcement of adjacent harmonics extending to 5 kHz and beyond. This type of production in essence nullifies the necessity for a typical F_S. Absence of the F_S in strong soprano voices might also imply the adaptation of a sufficiently different overall vocal tract configuration, so that techniques geared to developing maximal projection should not be the same as those developed to maximize the F_S in other voices.     

蝙蝠喉部发声组织建模及发声机理*

建立蝙蝠发声组织模型对超声机理研究及在智能设备的应用具有重要意义。根据蝙蝠喉部发声组织结构特点,通过有限元方法构建了蝙蝠的3种不同发声组织模型,分析了尺寸、材料力学参数、组织结构和张力4个因素对发声组织特征频率的影响。结果表明,如果用人类声带,按比例缩小构建蝙蝠喉部组织模型,蝙蝠无法发出超声波。构建组织结构含甲状软骨和声带的半鼓状模型和只含声带的条状模型,两种模型的特征频率相近且在合理的参数域内均无法达到超声范围。而含膜条状模型的特征频率可以通过张力进行超声频率的调节,这与文献的实验结果一致。因此,可基于含膜条状模型对蝙蝠喉管发声组织进行建模及其发声机理研究。