Voice Training and Changing Weight—Are They Reflected in Speaking Fundamental Frequency, Voice Range, and Pitch Breaks of 13-Year-Old Girls? A Longitudinal Study

Objective

Assessment of the voice-change progress of 20 girls (12–13 years) over 1 year by observing changes in speaking fundamental frequency (SFo), voice range, and register pitch breaks in the context of weight, height, voice training, and self-perception.

Study Design

One-year longitudinal collective case study.

Method

Twenty girls were recorded at the beginning and end of a year; nine girls were recorded another three times. SFo, vocal range, and characteristics were analyzed and interactions between these data assessed against weight and height to indicate pubertal development, and to test the hypothesis that changes in weight, height, SFo, and pitch breaks were related. Effects of training and the girls' self-perception of their voice use were also assessed.

Results

Vocal characteristics changed as the girls passed through different weight ranges. During 47.5–52.4 kg (called band 2) and 52.4–57.5 kg (band 3), there was progressive contraction of vocal range and in some girls a slight rise in SFo between recording times 1 and 5. Both high- and low-pitch breaks were present in 45% of girls' voices. Girls in band 4 (<57.5 kg) had an increased vocal range, and pitch breaks in vocal-range areas that indicated the development of adult vocal registers. In this study, voice-trained girls were heavier, had higher SFo, used wider speech-range inflection, had a higher vocal range, and greater voice-use confidence; all girls lost confidence in their voice use over the year.

Conclusions

In this longitudinal study of twenty 13-year-old girls, voice changes in SFo, vocal range, and pitch-break frequency were synchronous with certain weight ranges. Girls with training registered higher maximum phonational frequency and were more confident in their voice use than girls without training.     

Analyses of lepidopteran sex pheromones by mass spectrometry

Lepidoptera, including about 150,000 species in the world, comprise the second largest insect group, and sex pheromones have been identified from virgin female moths of more than 600 species. The chemical structures are simple, but diverse, because species-specific pheromones play an important role in the reproductive isolation of each species. The pheromone content in each female is quite low, and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is most frequently utilized to reveal the chemical structure. Almost all pheromone components are straight-chain compounds and are classified into two major groups [i.e. unsaturated C₁₀-C₁₈ fatty alcohols and their derivatives (Type I) and C₁₇-C₂₃ polyenyl hydrocarbons and their epoxides (Type II)]. In addition to the unbranched compounds, some species secrete methyl-branched compounds (e.g., 2-ketones). For the identification of these compounds, determining the positions of the double bond, the epoxy ring, and the methyl group is an important key step. Copious spectral information measured by electron-impact ionization (70 eV) has been accumulated for these compounds. This review therefore deals with their spectral characteristics, namely, diagnostic ions, to apply them to pheromone studies on new target insects.     

Antioxidant activity,phytochemical screening,and total phenolic content of extracts from three genders of carob tree barks growing in Morocco

We evaluated the in vitro antioxidant property and phytochemical constituents of the crude ethyl acetate and methanol extract of the three genders of carob tree barks (spontaneous male, spontaneous female, and grafted female). The scavenging activity on DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) was determined, as well as the phenolic contents (Folin–Ciocalteu method) of both the extracts. The highest antioxidant activity and the higher amounts of total phenols were shown in methanol crude bark extract for the three genders. Variety significantly affected the phenol content and the antioxidant activity, with the spontaneous male variety globally showed a higher polyphenol concentration and antioxidant activity than the grafted female and spontaneous female.     

离体正常乳腺组织350～850 nm波段光谱特性

采用带有积分球附件的紫外/可见/近红外分光光度计测量了离体正常乳腺组织在350～850 nm光谱范围的反射率和透射率,运用反向倍加法得到了离体正常乳腺组织在相应光谱范围的光学参数,分析了正常乳腺组织的光学穿透深度随波长的变化情况。实验结果表明：350～850 nm波段正常乳腺组织的约化散射系数μ′_s大于吸收系数μ_a。μ′_s随着波长的增加而减小,即从350 nm波长值为9.731 mm-1～850 nm波长值为1.476 mm-1。μ_a从350 nm波长值为0.798 mm-1～850 nm波长值为0.102 mm-1,410 nm波长处存在一个吸收峰,其值为0.506 mm-1。光学穿透深度随着波长的增加而增大,从350 nm波长值为0.199 mm-1～850 nm波长值为1.439 mm。基于反向倍加法计算获得乳腺组织的光学参数,采用Monte Carlo模拟得到其相应光谱范围的反射率和透射率,并与实际测量值进行比较,二者的一致性较好。实验结果为乳腺组织的光活检及其光学治疗提供重要参考。     

松毛虫赤眼蜂雌性触角五种感器的超微结构(膜翅目:赤眼蜂科)

利用透射电镜研究了松毛虫赤眼蜂(Trichogramma dendrklimi)雌性触角5种感器。观察到毛形感器远端神经树状突膨大成为外节,外节的端部有细管体,说明它是属于机械感器,具有触觉的功能。刺形感器和坛形感器是化学感器,前者的角质壁上见有嗅孔分布,后者角质壁出现11～13条纵列狭窄的凹沟,每条凹沟都通向内部的大室。ⅰ型感器有两种形态:ⅰ型Ⅰ占绝大多数,在其角质壁上无嗅孔,感觉神经树状突分布在感器的内腔中,可能是一种具有触觉作用的机械感器,极少数为ⅰ型Ⅱ,在毛的内腔出现大室和小室,感觉神经树状突只伸向内腔的小室,根据有大、小室的存在,它们具有味觉作用,但从它的基部收缢的特点,说明又有触觉的功能,所以是具有双重性质的感器。至于栓锥感器,树状突出现在内腔,但从结构上没有嗅孔这一特征分析,可以归属为机械感器。     

The effects of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) on the female singer

A review of the medical literature concerning the psychological, physical, and vocal effects of premenstrual syndrome reveals a wide range of significant effects for the female singer and a larger number of proposed treatments. A survey was conducted to evaluate the frequency and severity of 67 general physical and psychological symptoms and 20 vocal symptoms experienced by 104 female singers. The variables of age, menstrual history, voice type, and performing experience were examined. The average number of general symptoms was 33 and the average number of vocal symptoms three. The most frequently reported general symptom was abdominal bloating, while the most frequently reported vocal symptom was difficulty in singing high notes. The subjects reported that symptoms occurred with moderate regularity and severity. At age 35 symptoms decreased in number and severity.     

Influence of glottal closure configuration on vocal efficacy in young normal-speaking women

Posterior closure insufficiency of the glottis is often mentioned in connection with permanent voice disorders. Recently published studies have revealed that an incomplete closure of the glottis can be found also in normal-speaking voices, especially in women. However, the effect of glottal closure configuration on vocal efficacy is not sufficiently clarified. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of glottal closure configuration on singing and speaking voice characteristics. Overall, 520 young female normal-speaking subjects were examined by videostroboscopy for different phonation conditions in the combination of soft, loud, low, and/or high phonation and by voice range profile measurements. According to the videostroboscopic analysis, the subjects were subdivided into four groups: complete closure of the vocal folds already in soft phonation (group 1), closure of the vocal fold with increasing intensity (group 2), persistent closure insufficiencies despite increasing intensity (group 3), and hourglass-shaped closure in subjects with vocal nodules (group 4). Subjects in which the glottal closure could not be evaluated sufficiently were subclassified into group 5 (missing values).

Selected criteria of the singing and speaking voice were evaluated and statistically processed according to the mentioned subclassification. Group 1 reached significantly the highest sound pressure levels (SPL_max) for the singing voice as well as for the shouting voice. Group 3 showed a limited capacity to increase the intensity of the singing and speaking voice. The results gathered in this study objectify the relationship of insufficient glottal closure and reduced vocal capabilities. As long as no conclusive data on long-term consequences of insufficient glottal closure are available, a prophylactic improvement of the laryngeal situation especially in female professional voice users by voice therapy should be recommended.     

Effects of environmental noise on computer-derived voice estimates from female speakers

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of noise on voice profile statistics from female samples. Six young adult females served as subjects. Five had normal voices; one had a pathological voice with accompanying bilateral vocal nodules. Each female subject was required to match a generated 235 Hz tone (+/- 2 Hz) while maintaining a constant output level of 70 dB SPL (+/- 5 dB). Data collected from a previous study involving a normal male subject were included for comparative purposes. Noise was generated from a personal computer fan which had a strong center frequency component at 235 Hz. Six different A-weighted signal-to-noise [S/N(A)] conditions were created, ranging in 5 dB increments from 25 to 0 dB. Results revealed that fundamental frequency was reasonably resistant to the effects of noise and to the effects of the noisy (pathological) voice signal. Jitter and shimmer estimates generally increased as noise floors elevated. The greatest amount of measurement error was found for the pathological female voice when captured in the presence of environmental noise. Findings are discussed relative to clinical issues surrounding measurement error.     

Relationship between subjective voice complaints and acoustic parameters in female teachers'' voices

The aim of the study was to identify the acoustic correlates of female teachers' subjective voice complaints by recording their voices in their working environment. The subjects made recordings during lessons (N = 10) and breaks (N = 11). The subjects were divided into 2 groups: those with few voice complaints (FC group) and those with many voice complaints (MC group). The speech sample made in the breaks was maximally sustained /a/, from which fundamental frequency (F0), jitter, and shimmer were analyzed. The classroom samples were analyzed for F0, sound pressure level (SPL), and F0 time (the active vibration time of the vocal folds). Additionally, an index for assessing voice loading is presented. The results revealed a tendency of the MC group to have higher F0 and lower SPL and perturbation values than the FC group. The index values correlated moderately with the subjective vocal complaints.