Purpose: The vowel space area (VSA) has been used as an acoustic metric of dysarthric speech, but with varying degrees of success. In this study, the authors aimed to test an alternative metric to ...the VSA--the "formant centralization ratio" (FCR), which is hypothesized to more effectively differentiate dysarthric from healthy speech and register treatment effects. Method: Speech recordings of 38 individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and dysarthria (19 of whom received 1 month of intensive speech therapy Lee Silverman Voice Treatment; LSVT LOUD) and 14 healthy control participants were acoustically analyzed. Vowels were extracted from short phrases. The same vowel-formant elements were used to construct the FCR, expressed as (F2u + F2a + F1i + F1u ) / (F2i + F1a ), the VSA, expressed as ABS(F1i x (F2a - F2u ) + F1a x (F2u - F2i ) + F1u x (F2i - F2a ) / 2), a logarithmically scaled version of the VSA (LnVSA), and the F2i /F2u ratio. Results: Unlike the VSA and the LnVSA, the FCR and F2i /F2u ratio robustly differentiated dysarthric from healthy speech and were not gender sensitive. All metrics effectively registered treatment effects and were strongly correlated with each other. Conclusion: Albeit preliminary, the present findings indicate that the FCR is a sensitive, valid, and reliable acoustic metric for distinguishing dysarthric from unimpaired speech and for monitoring treatment effects, probably because of reduced sensitivity to interspeaker variability and enhanced sensitivity to vowel centralization.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Jennifer L. Spielman
National Center for Voice and Speech, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Colorado
Lorraine O. Ramig
University of Colorado, Boulder, and National Center for Voice and Speech, ...Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Brad H. Story
University of Arizona, Tucson
Cynthia Fox
National Center for Voice and Speech, Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Contact author: Shimon Sapir, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 39105, Israel. E-mail: sapir{at}research.haifa.ac.il .
Purpose: To evaluate the effects of intensive voice treatment targeting vocal loudness (the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment LSVT) on vowel articulation in dysarthric individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD).
Method: A group of individuals with PD receiving LSVT ( n = 14) was compared to a group of individuals with PD not receiving LSVT ( n = 15) and a group of age-matched healthy individuals ( n = 14) on the variables vocal sound pressure level (VocSPL); various measures of the first (F1) and second (F2) formants of the vowels /i/, /u/, and /a/; vowel triangle area; and perceptual vowel ratings. The vowels were extracted from the words key, stew, and Bobby embedded in phrases. Perceptual vowel rating was performed by trained raters using a visual analog scale.
Results: Only VocSPL, F2 of the vowel /u/ (F2u), and the ratio F2i/F2u significantly differed between patients and healthy individuals pretreatment. These variables, along with perceptual vowel ratings, significantly changed (improved) in the group receiving LSVT only.
Conclusion: These results, along with previous findings, add further support to the generalized therapeutic impact of intensive voice treatment on orofacial functions (speech, swallowing, facial expression) and respiratory and laryngeal functions in individuals with PD.
KEY WORDS: Parkinson's disease, voice treatment, articulatory acoustics, vowels
CiteULike Connotea Del.icio.us Digg Facebook Reddit Technorati Twitter What's this?
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Given associations between facial movement and voice, the potential of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) to alleviate decreased facial expressivity, termed hypomimia, in Parkinson's disease ...(PD) was examined. Fifty-six participants--16 PD participants who underwent LSVT, 12 PD participants who underwent articulation treatment (ARTIC), 17 untreated PD participants, and 11 controls without PD--produced monologues about happy emotional experiences at pre- and post-treatment timepoints ("T1" and "T2," respectively), 1 month apart. The groups of LSVT, ARTIC, and untreated PD participants were matched on demographic and health status variables. The frequency and variability of facial expressions (Frequency and Variability) observable on 1-min monologue videorecordings were measured using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). At T1, the Frequency and Variability of participants with PD were significantly lower than those of controls. Frequency and Variability increases of LSVT participants from T1 to T2 were significantly greater than those of ARTIC or untreated participants. Whereas the Frequency and Variability of ARTIC participants at T2 were significantly lower than those of controls, LSVT participants did not significantly differ from controls on these variables at T2. The implications of these findings, which suggest that LSVT reduces parkinsonian hypomimia, for PD-related psychosocial problems are considered.
Celestite (SrSO4) precipitation is a prevalent example of secondary sulfate mineral scaling issues in hydraulic fracturing systems, particularly in basins where large concentrations of naturally ...occurring strontium are present. Here, we present a validated and flexible geochemical model capable of predicting celestite formation under such unconventional environments. Simulations were built using CrunchFlow and guided by experimental data derived from batch reactors. These data allowed the constraint of key kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for celestite precipitation under relevant synthetic hydraulic fracturing fluid conditions. Effects of ionic strength, saturation index, and the presence of additives were considered in the combined experimental and modeling construction. This geochemical model was then expanded into a more complex system where interactions between hydraulic fracturing fluids and shale rocks were allowed to occur subject to diffusive transport. We find that the carbonate content of a given shale and the presence of persulfate breaker in the system strongly impact the location and extent of celestite formation. The results of this study provide a novel multicomponent reactive transport model that may be used to guide future experimental design in the pursuit of celestite and other sulfate mineral scale mitigation under extreme conditions typical of hydraulic fracturing in shale formations.
The idea that multiple traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have a cumulative detrimental effect on functioning is widely accepted. Most research supporting this idea comes from athlete samples, and it ...is not known whether remote history of previous TBI affects functioning after subsequent TBI in community-based samples. This study investigates whether a previous history of TBI with loss of consciousness (LOC) is associated with worse health and functioning in a sample of individuals who require emergency department care for current TBI. Twenty-three percent of the 586 individuals with current TBI in the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury study reported having sustained a previous TBI with LOC. Individuals with previous TBI were more likely to be unemployed (χ(2)=17.86; p=0.000), report a variety of chronic medical and psychiatric conditions (4.75≤χ(2)≥24.16; p<0.05), and report substance use (16.35≤χ(2)≥27.57; p<0.01) before the acute injury, compared to those with no previous TBI history. Those with a previous TBI had less-severe acute injuries, but experienced worse outcomes at 6-month follow-up. Results of a series of regression analyses controlling for demographics and acute injury severity indicated that individuals with previous TBI reported more mood symptoms, more postconcussive symptoms, lower life satisfaction, and had slower processing speed and poorer verbal learning, compared to those with no previous TBI history. These findings suggest that history of TBI with LOC may have important implications for health and psychological functioning after TBI in community-based samples.
In adult mammals, skin wounds typically heal by scarring rather than through regeneration. In contrast, “super-healer” Murphy Roths Large (MRL) mice have the unusual ability to regenerate ear punch ...wounds; however, the molecular basis for this regeneration remains elusive. Here, in hybrid crosses between MRL and non-regenerating mice, we used allele-specific gene expression to identify cis-regulatory variation associated with ear regeneration. Analyzing three major cell populations (immune, fibroblast, and endothelial), we found that genes with cis-regulatory differences specifically in fibroblasts were associated with wound-healing pathways and also co-localized with quantitative trait loci for ear wound-healing. Ectopic treatment with one of these proteins, complement factor H (CFH), accelerated wound repair and induced regeneration in typically fibrotic wounds. Through single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we observed that CFH treatment dramatically reduced immune cell recruitment to wounds, suggesting a potential mechanism for CFH’s effect. Overall, our results provide insights into the molecular drivers of regeneration with potential clinical implications.
Display omitted
•Super-healer MRL mice regenerate multiple tissue types without fibrosis•cis-regulatory differences associated with regeneration are identified•CFH applied ectopically accelerates wound repair and induces regeneration•CFH treatment dramatically reduced immune cell recruitment to wounds
In adult mammals, skin wounds typically heal by scarring. Mack, Talbott, Griffin, and colleagues identify cis-regulatory changes associated with ear wound regeneration in a murine model. They implicate the gene CFH in accelerated wound repair and regeneration in typically fibrotic wounds, providing insights into the molecular drivers of regeneration.
Purpose: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a newly developed assistive technology system, Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Companion (LSVTR CompanionTM, hereafter referred to as ..."Companion"), to support the delivery of LSVTRLOUD, an efficacious speech intervention for individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Method: Sixteen individuals with PD were randomized to an immediate ( n = 8) or a delayed ( n = 8) treatment group. They participated in 9 LSVT LOUD sessions and 7 Companion sessions, independently administered at home. Acoustic, listener perception, and voice and speech rating data were obtained immediately before (pre), immediately after (post), and at 6 months post treatment (follow-up). System usability ratings were collected immediately post treatment. Changes in vocal sound pressure level were compared to data from a historical treatment group of individuals with PD treated with standard, in-person LSVT LOUD. Results: All 16 participants were able to independently use the Companion. These individuals had therapeutic gains in sound pressure level, pre to post and pre to follow-up, similar to those of the historical treatment group. Conclusions: This study supports the use of the Companion as an aid in treatment of hypokinetic dysarthria in individuals with PD. Advantages and disadvantages of the Companion, as well as limitations of the present study and directions for future studies, are discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate how a child's fundamental frequency (F0) and estimated voice level (dB SPL) change in distinct speaking environments. Method: A child age 5;7 ...(years;months) wore a National Center for Voice and Speech voice dosimeter for 4 days. The 2 parameters measured were F0 and dB SPL. During analysis, the F0 and dB SPL data were segmented to represent 4 typical speaking environments of school-age children: (a) free-play (2.5 hr), (b) preschool (3 hr), (c) home (10.7 hr), and (d) adult (5.6 hr). Unique to this study, the child's voice data were presented as voice use profiles. Results: The child's F0 and dB SPL patterns within an adult environment were similar to that found in the literature but showed much greater variation in the free-play environment. The preschool environment elicited speech of a lower modal F0 than did the home, but a higher median and mean F0, as well as a somewhat elevated mean dB SPL. Conclusion: The child produced significantly different F0 and dB SPL patterns across 4 different speaking environments. If future studies substantiate this pattern, clinicians and researchers must be aware of this difference when working with children.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Hydraulic fracturing of unconventional hydrocarbon resources involves the sequential injection of a high-pressure, particle-laden fluid with varying pH's to make commercial production viable in low ...permeability rocks. This process both requires and produces extraordinary volumes of water. The water used for hydraulic fracturing is typically fresh, whereas 'flowback' water is typically saline with a variety of additives which complicate safe disposal. As production operations continue to expand, there is an increasing interest in treating and reusing this high-salinity produced water for further fracturing. Here we review the relevant transport and geochemical properties of shales, and critically analyze the impact of water chemistry (including produced water) on these properties. We discuss five major geo-chemical mechanisms that are prominently involved in the temporal and spatial evolution of fractures during the stimulation and production phase: shale softening, mineral dissolution, mineral precipitation, fines migration, and wettability alteration. A higher salinity fluid creates both benefits and complications in controlling these mechanisms. For example, higher salinity fluid inhibits clay dispersion, but simultaneously requires more additives to achieve appropriate viscosity for proppant emplacement. In total this review hiighlights the nuances of enhanced hydrogeochemical shale stimulation in relation to the choice of fracturing fluid chemistry.
Despite its rapidly increased availability for the study of complex tissue, single-cell RNA sequencing remains prohibitively expensive for large studies. Here, we present a protocol using ...oligonucleotide barcoding for the tagging and pooling of multiple samples from healing wounds, which are among the most challenging tissue types for this application. We describe steps to generate skin wounds in mice, followed by tissue harvest and oligonucleotide barcoding. This protocol is also applicable to other species including rats, pigs, and humans.
For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Stoeckius et al. (2018),1 Galiano et al. (2004),2 and Mascharak et al. (2022).3
Display omitted
•Oligonucleotide barcoding for the tagging and pooling of multiple scRNA-seq samples•Mouse wound healing using a splinted excisional model•Optimized tissue processing for cell viability throughout barcoding process
Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.
Despite its rapidly increased availability for the study of complex tissue, single-cell RNA sequencing remains prohibitively expensive for large studies. Here, we present a protocol using oligonucleotide barcoding for the tagging and pooling of multiple samples from healing wounds, which are among the most challenging tissue types for this application. We describe steps to generate skin wounds in mice, followed by tissue harvest and oligonucleotide barcoding. This protocol is also applicable to other species including rats, pigs, and humans.
PDF
