•Data from a listening test with aircraft takeoff noise stimuli were analysed.•The noise stimuli varied in the extent of unpleasantness.•Sound quality factors related to the unpleasantness variance ...exist in the noise.•The descriptor groups contributing to unpleasantness are presented in the article.•The factors are currently not considered in aircraft noise assessment.
The article presents the results of a study on the sound quality factors of environmental noise which relate to its perceived unpleasantness, with a special focus on the noise of taking-off aircraft. Data from a listening test with in-situ recordings of aircraft noise at an exposed location were analysed and the resulting perceptual attributes relevant to noise unpleasantness are presented. The results show a considerable unpleasantness variance related to the sound quality of the noise in the loudness-matched aircraft noise stimuli set. The cutting, buzzing, screeching, narrow, sharp, high and metallic, ringing descriptor groups had the largest positive contribution to the observed unpleasantness. The results are confirmed by a regression model. The stated sound quality factors are of importance to the accuracy of the assessment and evaluation of environmental aircraft noise and its impacts.
One of the consequences of the pandemic is a transition to remote education and the use of network audiovisual communication tools for education in musical disciplines. The circumstances of such ...education can differ and might influence the perceived sound or the education. The research observes the ratings of perceived aspects in singing lessons taught in three settings (common, reference, and direct). A variance of several aspects that relate to the perceived sound (temporal qualities and qualities of the sound and room) is observed in the remote forms, suggesting that these can be impaired in some settings and significant in the experience. The findings are discussed in relation to the perceived conditions and present practice.
The study presents the results of a controlled auditory evaluation of two parts of a W. A. Mozart Non mi dir aria from Don Giovanni. The aria was selected based on a higher technical difficulty of ...the role which includes both dramatic and difficult coloratura sections. The research has therefore focused on individually evaluating the recordings of the slower and coloratura excerpts of the aria (referred to as rondo and coloratura). Recordings of 17 performers (dated from 1907) were used in the listening tests. Twenty respondents participated in the evaluation (5 university singing pedagogues, 7 other pedagogues, 5 amateur singers and one student of sound production). The properties of extent of bright and dark components, voluminosity of voice and vibrato adequacy were assessed in the tests. Dramatic aspects of suitability of the voice were evaluated in the rondo excerpt and musical rendition, flexibility of the voice and vowel quality were evaluated in the coloratura part. Verbal descriptions of the recordings by the respondents were also collected. The results show a relatively low agreement of the professional groups on evaluations in the rondo section and a considerably higher agreement in the evaluation of coloratura. It was also possible to divide the respondents in two basic groups according to the relationships of the assessments: a group with preference in evaluating dark components and voluminosity (which were dominant in the slower part), and a group associating evaluated suitability of the voice with vibrato adequacy. Adequate vibrato was also found as significantly associated with flexibility of the voice in coloratura. The study also shows dark and bright components are not polar opposites of one perceptual dimension and their evaluation is context dependent.
V práci byl proveden rozbor a stavu výzkumu problematiky hlukové zátěže leteckým hlukem i současné situace v praxi. Byly realizovány záznamy leteckého hluku proudových letadel během vzletu v ose ...dráhy letiště Václava Havla v Praze a následně byl proveden poslechový test s těmito zvuky. Předkládané podněty se lišily mírou nepříjemnosti. V poslechovém testu byla hodnocena míra nepříjemnosti, míra drsnosti, preference zvuků a byly získány popisné slovní popisy vjemů, které respondenti při poslechu leteckého hluku měli. Výstupem práce je slovník slovních deskriptorů popisujících vjemy. Byl nalezena úměrnost mezi pocitem nepříjemnosti a mírou drsnosti a byla nalezena souvislost drsnosti a dalšími charakteristikami popisujícími vnímané zvuky.: The thesis contains overview of the current reseach state and current practice in the area of environmental noise. Aircraft noise recordings of jet engined aircraft were recorded on site in the Vaclav Havel Prague airport runway axis, and a listening tests were performed. The judged stimuli deffered in the extent of unpleasantness. Listeners evalueted the level of unpleasantness, roughness, the extent of preference and also the descriptors of the judged noise (a dictionary of verbal descriptors is also one of the results of the thesis). The results indicate a link...
Abstract Objectives To compare the clinical results of three minimally invasive hysterectomy techniques: vaginal hysterectomy (VH), laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH), and total ...laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). Study design A prospective, randomized study was performed at a tertiary care center between March 2004 and October 2005. A total of 125 women indicated to undergo hysterectomy for benign uterine disease were randomly assigned to three different groups (40 VH, 44 LAVH, and 41 TLH). Outcome measures, including operating time, blood loss, rate of complications, inflammatory response, febrile morbidity, consumption of analgesics, and length of hospital stay, were assessed and compared between groups. Results Vaginal hysterectomy had the shortest operating time (66 min) and smallest drop in hemoglobin. However, there were technical problems with salpingo-oophorectomy from the vaginal approach (3/20 cases) and this group had a significantly higher rate of febrile complications (20%) compared to LAVH (2.3%) and TLH (7.3%). The increase in inflammatory markers was higher in vaginal hysterectomy patients. Laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy had an acceptable operating time (85 min), a low complication rate, lack of severe post-operative complications, and the lowest consumption of analgesics. However, it had the highest blood loss. Total laparoscopic hysterectomy had the longest operating time (111 min) and severe complications occurred only in this group. Conversions to another hysterectomy method occurred in all three groups, most of these conversions were to LAVH. Conclusions Based on our results, in women with non-malignant disease of the uterus, LAVH and VH seem to be the preferred hysterectomy techniques for general gynecological surgeons. Vaginal hysterectomy had the shortest operating time and least drop in hemoglobin, making it a suitable method for women for whom the shortest duration of surgery and anesthesia is optimal. LAVH is a versatile procedure, combining the advantages of both the vaginal and laparoscopic approach, and is preferable in cases when oophorectomy is required. Total laparoscopic hysterectomy did not appear to offer any significant benefits over the other two methods and should be strictly indicated in women where neither VH nor LAVH are feasible and should only be performed by very experienced laparoscopists.
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