Electroglottographic analysis of actresses and nonactresses' voices in different levels of intensity

Background: Previous studies with long-term average spectrum (LTAS) showed the importance of the glottal source for understanding the projected voices of actresses. In this study, electroglottographic (EGG) analysis was used to investigate the contribution of the glottal source to the projected voice, comparing actresses and nonactresses' voices, in different levels of intensity. Method: Thirty actresses and 30 nonactresses sustained vowels in habitual, moderate, and loud intensity levels. The EGG variables were contact quotient (CQ), closing quotient (QCQ), and opening quotient (QOQ). Other variables were sound pressure level (SPL) and fundamental frequency (F0). A KayPENTAX EGG was used. Variables were inputted in a general linear model. Results/Discussion: Actresses showed significantly higher values for SPL, in all levels, and both groups increased SPL significantly while changing from habitual to moderate and further to loud. There were no significant differences between groups for EGG quotients. There were significant differences between the levels only for F0 and CQ for both groups. Conclusion: SPL was significantly higher among actresses in all intensity levels, but in the EGG analysis, no differences were found. This apparently weak contribution of the glottal source in the supposedly projected voices of actresses, contrary to previous LTAS studies, might be because of a higher subglottal pressure or perhaps greater vocal tract contribution in SPL. Results from the present study suggest that trained subjects did not produce a significant higher SPL than untrained individuals by increasing the cost in terms of higher vocal fold collision and hence more impact stress. Future researches should explore the difference between trained and nontrained voices by aerodynamic measurements to evaluate the relationship between physiologic findings and the acoustic and EGG data. Moreover, further studies should consider both types of vocal tasks, sustained vowel and running speech, for both EGG and LTAS analysis. © 2013 The Voice Foundation.

Saddle points and rare collisions under scaling approach in a Fermi accelerator with two nonlinear terms

Rare collisions of a classical particle bouncing between two walls are studied. The dynamics is described by a two-dimensional, nonlinear and area-preserving mapping in the variables velocity and time at the instant that the particle collides with the moving wall. The phase space is of mixed type preventing diffusion of the particle to high energy. Successive and therefore rare collisions are shown to have a histogram of frequency which is scaling invariant with respect to the control parameters. The saddle fixed points are studied and shown to be scaling invariant with respect to the control parameters too. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Commutative group codes in R4, R6, R8 and R16-Approaching the bound

Spherical codes in even dimensions n = 2m generated by a commutative group of orthogonal matrices can be determined by a quotient of m-dimensional lattices when the sublattice has an orthogonal basis. We discuss here the existence of orthogonal sublattices of the lattices A2, D3, D4 and E8, which have the best packing density in their dimensions, in order to generate families of commutative group codes approaching the bound presented in Siqueira and Costa (2008) [14]. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adsorption of polyelectrolytes onto oppositely charged cylindrical macroions

In this work we investigate the adsorption of polyelectrolyte chains onto uniformly charged cylindrical macroions by means of the Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations and weighted histogram analysis method. Adopting a simplified model for macromolecules and treating the electrolytic solution in the Debye-Hückel level, conformational properties of the adsorbed chain, such as the radius of gyration and the thickness of the adsorbed layer, are provided as a function of ionic strength and macroion charge density. By analysis of the free energy profile as a function of the radius of gyration it was possible to identify first-order-like transitions between adsorbed and desorbed states and obtain a macroion charge density dependence of the critical ionic strength in good agreement with experiments. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

The use of elevation map histograms for topographic heterogeneity analysis

Surface defects are extremely important in mechanical characterization of several different materials. Therefore, the analysis of surface finishing is essential for a further simulation of surface mechanical properties in a customized project in materials science and technology. One of the methods commonly employed for such purpose is the statistical mapping of different sample surface regions using the depth from focus technique. The analysis is usually performed directly from the elevation maps which are obtained from the digital image processing. In this paper, the possibility of quantifying the surface heterogeneity of Silicon Carbide porous ceramics by elevation map histograms is presented. The advantage of this technique is that it allows the qualitative or quantitative verification of all surface image fields that cannot be done by using the Surface Plot plugin of image J™ platform commonly used in digital image processing. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Vocal Economy in Vocally Trained and Untrained Female Subjects

Objectives: Vocally trained actresses are expected to have more vocal economy than nonactresses. Therefore, we hypothesize that there will be differences in the electroglottogram-based voice economy parameter quasi-output cost ratio (QOCR) between actresses and nonactresses. This difference should remain across different levels of intensity. Methods: A total of 30 actresses and 30 nonactresses were recruited for this study. Participants from both groups were required to sustain the vowels /a/, /i/, and /u/, in habitual, moderate, and high intensity levels. Acoustic variables such as sound pressure level (SPL), fundamental frequency (F0), and glottal contact quotient (CQ) were obtained. The QOCR was then calculated. Results: There were no significant differences among the groups for QOCR. Positive correlations were observed for QOCR versus SPL and QOCR versus F0 in all intensity levels. Negative correlation was found between QOCR and CQ in all intensity levels. Considering the differences among intensity levels, from habitual to moderate and from moderate to loud, only the CQ did not differ significantly. The QOCR, SPL, and F0 presented significant differences throughout the different intensity levels. Conclusion: The QOCR did not reflect the level of vocal training when comparing trained and nontrained female subjects in the present study. Both groups demonstrated more vocal economy in moderate and high intensity levels owing to more voice output without an increase in glottal adduction. © 2013 The Voice Foundation.

Escape beam statistics and dynamical properties for a periodically corrugated waveguide

Some escape and dynamical properties for a beam of light inside a corrugated waveguide are discussed by using Fresnel reflectance. The system is described by a mapping and is controlled by a parameter δ defining a transition from integrability (δ = 0) to non integrability (δ ≠ 0). The phase space is mixed containing periodic islands, chaotic seas and invariant tori. The histogram of escaping orbits is shown to be scaling invariant with respect to δ. The waveguide is immersed in a region with different refractive index. Different optical materials are used to overcame the results. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ajuste radiométrico de imagens aéreas digitais

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Respostas metabólicas e da técnica de nado durante o exercício realizado na velocidade correspondente à máxima fase estável de lactato sanguíneo determinada de forma contínua e intermitente

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estudo por simulação computacional da interação entre polieletrólitos fracos e macroíons esféricos

Pós-graduação em Biofísica Molecular - IBILCE

Adaptação de um instrumento para classificação de pacientes baseado nas necessidades individualizadas no cuidado de enfermagem do paciente pediátrico oncológico

Pós-graduação em Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (Biotecnologia Médica) - FMB

Plantas daninhas, atributos biológicos e elementos-traço em latossolo tratado com lodo de esgoto por treze anos consecutivos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Biomassa microbiana e atividade enzimática em solos do Estado de São Paulo sob vegetação nativa e cultivados

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeito da radioterapia sobre o estado nutricional, gasto energético e níveis corpóreos de minerais em pacientes com câncer de cabeça e pescoço

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fatores relacionados ao gasto e consumo energético de mulheres obesas com e sem síndrome metabólica

Pós-graduação em Alimentos e Nutrição - FCFAR