bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Fibrinogen with Parkinson Disease in Elderly Japanese-American Men: A Prospective Study
Authors: Wong K.T. , Grove J.S. , Grandinetti A. , Curb J.D. , Yee M. , Blanchette P. , Ross G.W. , Rodriguez B.I.
Published: November 2009

Background: The purpose of this prospective study was to examine whether fibrinogen level is associated with Parkinson disease (PD) for both prevalent and incident cases. Methods: The Honolulu Asia-Aging Study is a longitudinal study of Japanese-American men based on the Honolulu Heart Study birth cohort. The original cohort consisted of 8,006 participants with selective service records who were living on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, in 1965. For this analysis, baseline was defined as the 1991–1993 examination (n = 3,845) when men were aged 71–93 years old. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: We identified 61 prevalent cases and 61 incident cases of PD during the follow-up. High fibrinogen level (presence in the top quintile) was associated with higher frequency of PD for both prevalent (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.10–3.88, p = 0.024) and incident cases (HR = 3.05, 95% CI = 1.34–6.97, p = 0.008) among men aged 76–93 years, after adjusting for age, smoking, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusions: These results suggest high fibrinogen level is associated with increased risk of PD among men over 75 years.
Stimulation-Induced Dyskinesia in the Early Stage after Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation
Authors: Zheng Zhe , Li Yongjie , Li Jianyu , Zhang Yuqing , Zhang Xiaohua , Zhuang Ping
Published: November 2009

Background: Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) is a very effective surgical procedure for Parkinson’s disease. It significantly improves cardinal parkinsonian symptoms as well as levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Interestingly, STN-DBS can also provoke or exacerbate dyskinesia. In the present study, stimulation-induced dyskinesia (SID) was found in the early stage (less than 1 month) after STN-DBS in some patients. The aim was to discuss this interesting phenomenon. Methods: Side effects of each electrode contact were tested at 9.0 ± 3.8 days (range, 3–16 days) after STN-DBS, and 40 contacts of 16 electrodes (15 patients) were found to induce dyskinesia. The location of these contacts was calculated in the postoperative magnetic resonance imaging, and was compared to the positions of active contacts and dorsal margin of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Results: Most SID at the threshold manifested as repetitively dystonic involuntary movement, and the most common site was the contralateral lower limb (27/40, 67.5%). The mean location of the 40 contacts with SID was 11.9 ± 0.9 mm lateral, 0.4 ± 1.7 mm anterior, and 1.8 ± 1.9 mm inferior to the midcommissural point. The point was located inferior to the dorsal margin of the STN (p = 0.01, t tests), and no significant difference was found between this point and the location of active contacts (p > 0.05, t tests). Conclusion: In the early stage after STN-DBS, dyskinesia is easily induced by high-frequency stimulation of the upper portion of the STN, which may predict the best site for chronic stimulation.
Laryngotracheal Closure and Cricopharyngeal Myotomy for Intractable Aspiration and Dysphagia Secondary to Cerebrovascular Accident
Authors: Qu Shen-Hong , Li Min , Liang Jian-Ping , Su Zheng-Zhong , Chen Shi-Qiang , He Xiao-Guang
Published: November 2009

Objective: To investigate the clinical value, technique, indications and contraindications of laryngotracheal closure (LTC) and cricopharyngeal myotomy (CPM) for intractable aspiration and dysphagia secondary to a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Materials and Methods: Patients (n = 45) with intractable aspiration and dysphagia secondary to a CVA were treated with LTC and CPM. The LTC was performed by suturing the double cords, and packing the strap muscle flap into the subglottic tracheal cavity. Results: Intractable aspiration was completely eradicated in all patients. The swallowing function was partially improved, and the patients’ quality of life was greatly improved. It became easier to care for these patients after surgery. Conclusions: LTC and CPM are suitable for intractable aspiration and dysphagia secondary to a CVA.
Proton Beam Irradiation Using a Light-Field Technique for the Treatment of Choroidal Hemangiomas
Authors: Chan R.V. Paul , Yonekawa Yoshihiro , Lane Anne Marie , Skondra Dimitra , Munzenrider John E. , Collier J. Michael , Gragoudas Evangelos S. , Kim Ivana K.
Published: November 2009

Background/Aims: To describe the clinical outcomes of patients with circumscribed and diffuse choroidal hemangiomas treated by proton beam irradiation using a nonsurgical light-field technique. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on a series of 19 patients (19 eyes) with choroidal hemangiomas treated with proton beam therapy between July 1988 and August 2005. Choroidal hemangiomas were treated with proton beam irradiation using a light-field technique and doses ranging from 15 to 30 cobalt Gray equivalents (CGE; CGE = proton Gy × relative biological effectiveness 1.1) in 4 fractions. Patients with at least 6 months’ follow-up were included in the study. Tumor regression, visual acuity, absorption of subretinal fluid, and treatment-associated complications were evaluated by clinical examination and ultrasonography. Results: Visual acuity improved or remained stable in 14 of 18 eyes (78%). Subretinal fluid was initially present in 16 of 19 eyes (84%), and completely resolved in all 16 eyes. Tumor height, as measured by B-scan ultrasonography, decreased in 18 of 19 eyes and remained stable in 1 of 19, as of the last examination. Complications of radiation developed in 9 of 19 eyes (47%) with the total applied dose ranging from 15 to 30 CGE for these 9 eyes. Conclusions: Proton beam irradiation using a light-field technique without surgical tumor localization is an effective treatment option in managing both circumscribed choroidal hemangiomas and diffuse hemangiomas associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome. A total proton dose as low as 15 CGE applied in 4 fractions appears to be sufficient to reduce tumor size, promote absorption of subretinal fluid, and improve or stabilize vision in most patients.
Declination: Construct or Intrinsic Feature of Speech Pitch ?
Authors: Cohen A. , Collier R. , ’t Hart J.
Published: November 2009

Declination is taken as the focus of studying pitch phenomena from an acoustic, physiological and perceptual point of view. It is shown that originally declination was no more than a theoretical construct to account for the interpretation of acoustic F₀ recordings. Recently, psycholinguistic considerations have enhanced the domain of application so as to account for this phenomenon. The literature is reviewed and the authors take issue over the various claims put forward by others, such as the dominance of the topline over the baseline approach, and the amount of pre-programming involved in declination, as manifested in its slope and in linguistically determined resetting.
Swedish Prosody
Authors: Gårding Eva
Published: November 2009

The paper summarizes project work on Swedish accents and intonation. One major goal was the development of a generative model for intonation. The input of the model is a text with markings for word and sentence prosody and dialect. The output is a realistic intonation contour. The model was first set up for statement intonation in isolated sentences from five prototype dialects. It was later applied to interrogative intonation, to transitional forms between the prototype dialects, to Greek and French intonation and to prosodic transfer in a foreign accent.
Does the Closed Syllable Determine the Perception of ‘Momentary Tempo’?
Authors: Pompino-Marschall Bernd , Piroth Hans-Georg , Tilk Klaus , Hoole Philip , Tillmann Hans G.
Published: November 2009

Recent investigations on the perception of the temporal course ol speech have dealt with stress-beat phenomena and isochrony and also with ‘momentary tempo’. In our attempts to reproduce and modify some of the experiments undertaken by Ventsov on ‘momentary tempo’ we came to the conclusion that statements on ‘momentary tempo’ cannot be formulated in terms of closed syllable duration or vowel onset to vowel onset interval either, but rather in terms of an articulatory theory similar to the one proposed by Menzerath and de Lacerda using the notion of ‘point of Koartikulation’.
Parameter Interaction in the Perception of French Plosives
Authors: van Dommelen Wlm A.
Published: November 2009

This investigation takes as its point of departure observations on the production of French fortis versus lenis plosive consonants. In a series of perception tests the role of different parameters in the fortis versus lenis distinction found in production (e.g. duration of the pre-consonantal vowel, the consonantal closure, voicing during the closure and intensity of the consonantal release noise) was investigated. Apart from durational and intensity parameters, vowel quality differences (depending on the fortis versus lenis character of the following consonant) are also shown to play a part in phoneme identification. Furthermore it is shown that in obstruent clusters like /tp, dp/ versus /tg, dg/ not only do phonetic parameters like those mentioned above influence perception, but that also the phonemic identity of /p/ versus /g/ as fortis versus lenis contributes to the hearers’ decision about the identity of the first consonant in the cluster. Phonetic as well as contextual factors are shown to interact in a complex manner. Implications of the results for speech perception theory are discussed.
Some Suprasegmental Contours in French Two-Year-Old Children’s Speech
Authors: Allen George D.
Published: November 2009

Six 2-year-old French (Aix-en-Provence) children were tape-recorded as they identified 46 pictures with polysyllabic names (e.g., éléphant, tracteur). Approximately 200 utterances were then analyzed for fundamental frequency (Fo) contours over the word, peak intensity (I) differences between the last two syllables, and absolute and relative nuclear vowel durations (D) between the last two syllables. The principal findings were: (1) falling Fo contours outnumbered rising by about 2.5: 1; (2) rising Fo contours were somewhat narrower, on the average, than falling; (3) nearly half of the I contours were essentially level, and 84% involved differences of 6 dB or less; (4) the final vowel was, on the average, longer than the penultimate vowel by a ratio of about 1.6:1, or an absolute difference of about 70 ms; (5) Fo and I were moderately correlated, with wide rising and falling Fo being associated with wide rising and falling I contours, respectively; (6) there was a similar, though statistically weaker, relationship between Fo and D contours; and (7) there was essentially no statistical relationship between I and D contours. These findings show that French 2-year-olds are influenced by the prosodic shape of their parents’ language yet are also under the control of presumably universal speech production constraints.
An Ethological Perspective on Common Cross-Language Utilization of F₀ of Voice
Authors: Ohala John J.
Published: November 2009

The author suggests that the following seemingly disparate phenomena have an underlying relationship: (a) cross-language similarities in the intonation contours for statements versus questions, (b) cross-cultural similarities in the vocal expression via intonation of attitude and affect, (c) cross-language patterns in the use of tone, vowels, and consonants in ‘sound symbolic’ vocabulary, (d) cross-species use of F₀ in threatening or non threatening vocalizations, (e) cross-cultural and cross-species use of certain facial expressions (involving distinct mouth shape), and (f) the existence of sexual dimorphism in the vocal anatomy of humans (and certain non humans). He argues that all arise due to an innately specified ‘frequency code’, which associates high acoustic frequency with the primary meaning of ‘small vocalizer’ and thus such secondary meanings as ‘subordinate, submissive, non threatening, desirous of the receiver’s goodwill, etc’ and associates with low acoustic frequency the primary meaning of ‘large vocalizer’ and such secondary meanings as ‘dominant, aggressive, threatening, etc’
Zur Frage des visuellen und phonologischen Zugangs zum mentalen Lexikon
Authors: Gfroerer Stefan , Günther Hartmut , Weiss Leonhard
Published: November 2009

In a lexical decision experiment we investigated whether the mental lexicon is accessed directly by a visual code or by phonological mediation. Subjects were asked to make lexical decisions where phonological coding was either beneficial or detrimental. It was found that subjects used phonological coding when it was helpful and abandoned this strategy when it was a hindrance. These results support the hypothesis that lexical decisions can be based on variable coding operations. The fact that subjects were faster in classifying words when they did not rely on phonological codes is consistent with the assumption of faster visual access to the mental lexicon. Taken as a whole, these results are consistent with models which assume phonological coding to take place after lexical access as well as with models postulating parallel access to the mental lexicon. They are not compatible with models postulating mandatory prelexical phonological coding.
Phonetic Explanation in Phonology: The Feature Fortis/Lenis
Authors: Kohler Klaus J.
Published: November 2009

This paper examines the wide spectrum of phonetic properties associated with the phonological distinctions between consonant classes such as /p, t, k/ and /b, d, g/ in a great variety of languages (including languages with multivalued contrasts) and evaluates their relationship to the features [ ± voiced], [ ± aspirated], [ ± fortis]. The discussion separates word-initial, word-medial and word-final positions according to their different production and signalling constraints. A power feature, realized in articulatory timing and/or phonatory power/tension, is set up as the essential differentiator, thus providing a phonetic basis for the fortis/lenis dichotomy. The incorporation of the time dimension into phonology is regarded as a necessary prerequisite to the solution of phonological problems in general and to an adequate treatment of the [ ± voiced] feature in particular, voice onset time being only one temporal aspect.
Articulation Rate and Its Variability in Spontaneous Speech: A Reanalysis and Some Implications
Authors: Miller Joanne L. , Grosjean François , Lomanto Concetta
Published: November 2009

It is by now well established that during normal conversation talkers often produce large variation in the rate at which they speak. However, existing research suggests that this modification is largely due to changes in the amount of pausing during conversation, and much less to actual changes in articulation rate, that is, the rate at which the speech itself is produced. In an attempt to examine this issue further, we used a modified measurement procedure to reanalyze the speech data from 30 talkers in an interview situation. In contrast to the earlier analyses, we found that there was indeed substantial variation in articulation rate for these speakers, even within a single utterance of a single talker. The implications of these findings for theories of segmental perception and for models of speech planning are discussed.
A Study of VOT in Nepali Stop Consonants
Authors: Poon Pamela G. , Mateer Catherine A.
Published: November 2009

Speech samples (720 CVC words) from 10 adult male Nepali speakers are analyzed with the aid of a video spectrograph. The distributions of VOT based on group data for each of four phonemic stop categories show that only three of the categories can be differentiated by VOT alone: voice lead, short-lag and long-lag stops. The fourth category, voiced aspirate, contains VOT values from both pre- and postrelease areas of the VOT timeline. Analysis of individual data reveals marked intersubject variability in the VOT distribution of the voiced aspirate category supporting the necessity of multiple subject samples in acoustically based cross-linguistic studies.
An Acoustic Study of the Effects of Tempo and Stress on Segmental Intervals in Modern Greek
Authors: Fourakis Marios
Published: November 2009

Changes in stress and rate of speech have been shown to have different effects on the durations of speech intervals. We examined the effects of such changes on syllable and intrasyllabic segment durations in the word-initial syllable of three-syllable words in Modern Greek, and in conflict with previously reported results for other languages, found rate and stress to have equal effects. We propose that languages may differ in terms of temporal programming in the same sense as they differ in terms of syntactic or phonological rule systems.
Des clics en français?
Authors: Marchal Alain
Published: November 2009

Sequences of stops are often characterized by a dual closure. According to some authors C1 is released. Our articulatory data (electropalatography) confirm their acoustical findings. In the case of a front-to-back coarticulation, the release of C1 in French is similar to the production of a click.
Effects of Lexical Stress on Phonetic Categorization
Authors: Connine Cynthia M. , Clifton Jr. Charles , Cutler Anne
Published: November 2009

Three experiments investigated the use of lexical stress in auditory word recognition. Speech voicing continua were created in which lexical status resulted in one end-point constituting a real word and the other end a nonword (e.g. diGRESS-tiGRESS, in which digress is a real word, and DIgress-TIgress, in which tigress is a real word). Subjects’ identification of the initial segment of these items was biased in the midrange of the continua in that they were more likely to report a segment that resulted in a real word than one that resulted in a nonword. Alternative acoustically based explanations are discounted in favor of a lexically based account of the data. Possible mechanisms underlying the effect of lexical stress on speech perception are discussed.
How Well Does Average Fundamental Frequency Correlate with Speaker Height and Weight?
Authors: Künzel Hermann J.
Published: November 2009

The purpose of this investigation is to shed some more light on the conflicting views about a number of acoustic parameters which might carry information on some general somatic features of the speaker. In an experiment, average fundamental frequency (F₀) values of 105 male and 78 female adult subjects were correlated with their individual height and weight data. No significant correlations between acoustic and physical parameters were found. The results are discussed with respect to earlier studies with completely different approaches to the issue, namely direct estimation of physical traits from the speech signal by listeners.
P-Center Judgments Are Generally Insensitive to the Instructions Given
Authors: Whalen D.H. , Cooper André M. , Fowler Carol A.
Published: November 2009

The perceptual moment of occurrence of a syllable, its P-center, has frequently been examined by instructing subjects to adjust a series of speech sounds until they sounded isochronous. The present two experiments examined the effect of changing the instructions. In addition to the overall isochrony instructions, we asked subjects to align pairs of syllables so that the syllable onsets, vowel onsets, or syllable offsets sounded isochronous. In the first experiment, 3 of 4 subjects showed no difference among the first three instruction sets, and the changes introduced by the fourth went in the wrong direction. All subjects found it impossible to make alignments with respect to offsets. In the second experiment, vowel durations of two versions of some stimuli differed by 100 ms, to enhance the difference in syllable rhyme durations. Two subjects received the same instruction sets as in Experiment 1, and again found alignment with respect to offsets impossible. These subjects showed differences among the other instruction sets, although the direction and magnitude of the differences indicated that they had not succeeded in changing their timing criteria. The results indicate that P-center alignments are the syllable timing judgments that subjects most naturally make, and they may, indeed, be the only isochrony judgments that subjects can make reliably.
Gradient Effects of Fundamental Frequency on Stop Consonant Voicing Judgments
Authors: Whalen D.H. , Abramson Arthur S. , Lisker Leigh , Mody Maria
Published: November 2009

The post-stop-release rise or fall of fundamental frequency (F₀) is known to affect voicing judgments of syllables with ambiguous voice onset times (VOTs). In 1986, Silverman claimed that the critical factor was not direction of F₀ change but rather its direction relative to the intonational contour. He further claimed that only F₀s that start above and fall to the contour have an effect proportional to the size of the frequency change; F₀s that rise to the contour by different amounts were claimed to be equivalent. In our first experiment, we examined the effect on voicing judgments of five onset F₀s preceding a single, flat contour. Only falling F₀s were differentiated in the first set of judgments, but after increased exposure to the syllables, even F₀s below the contour differentially affected the voicing judgment. In a second experiment, the contour of the final part of the syllable was flat, rising or falling. F₀ contour affected the judgments, as did onset F₀s, but the two factors did not interact, indicating that the onset values were not being judged by reference to the contours. However, the contour which was predicted to result in more voiceless judgments also ended at a higher F₀ in the vowel, and another effect of voicing is that the F₀ is higher throughout the vowel after voiceless stops. In a third experiment, F₀ contours were created to contrast contour and mean F₀. The effect of the F₀ during the vocalic segment appeared to be attributable to the average F₀ rather than the contour. In all three experiments, the F₀ onset values contributed to the voicing judgment whether they were above or below the putative intonation contour. The contribution of the lower F₀s, while significant, was not as great as that of the higher F₀s, which argues for a noncategorical contribution of intonation.
The Stop/Glide Boundary Shift: Modelling Perceptual Data
Authors: Oller D. Kimbrough , Eilers Rebecca E. , Miskiel Edward , Burns Rebecca , Urbano Richard
Published: November 2009

Research in speech perception has suggested that listeners often adjust category boundary locations for differing contexts. The stop/glide (e.g., /ba/ vs. /wa/) boundary shift occurring with changes in syllable duration has been interpreted as reflecting ‘rate normalization’ by some, whereas others have suggested an auditory basis for the shift. Clarification of both the causes and the effects of the stop/glide shift is being sought through experimentation intended to expand our knowledge of variations in the shift across different experimental treatments. The present study extends research on the stop/ glide shift by (1) showing that the shift is not an artifact of a particular stimulus pattern that had been present in all the previous studies of the effect, (2) further demonstrating the nonlinear character of the identification shift, (3) providing additional evidence of the role of presentation format (mixed vs. blocked) in the identification shift, and (4) exploring boundary locations in various discrimination paradigms. The complex outcomes of the studies reported here as well as a variety of previous results are interpreted as compatible with expanded versions of the durational contrast hypothesis. Two versions are considered, one in which the shift is seen as due to a mechanism of contrastive perception that applies to events of comparable duration, and one in which the shift is seen as a perceptual error that occurs when the auditory system attempts to track frequency trajectories that change (i.e., pivot) over time.
The Timing Control of Geminate and Single Stop Consonants in Japanese: A Challenge for Nonnative Speakers
Authors: Han Mieko S.
Published: November 2009

The stop closure durations and voice onset time of geminate and single voiceless stops in Japanese were examined with two groups of subjects: native Japanese and fluent Americans. The two groups were found to have different manners of timing control of these segments. The results indicated that the 10 native speakers distinguished between the geminate and single stops by controlling the closure durations in the mean ratio of 2.8:1.0, while the 4 fluent Americans pronounced the same tokens in diverse and random manners. The timing control of geminate and single stop consonants is a challenge for nonnative speakers who may either miss the contrast, or may pronounce geminate and single stops with the ratio of approximately 2.0:1.0.
The Elusive / Illusive Syllable
Authors: Fokes Joann , Bond Z.S.
Published: November 2009

A common phonological reduction in casual speech is vowel loss in unstressed syllables as in s ‘pose. How the phonetic detail of this reduction is implemented in production and how it is perceived is the focus of the study. Three types of test words were selected for investigation, initial /sp/ and /sk/ clusters, two- and three-syllable words beginning with an unstressed /s/ plus vowel followed by /p/ or /k/ in the stressed syllable, and words with a cluster created by the loss of the vowel. A representative triad is sport, support, and s ‘port. Some speakers differentiated between real clusters and created clusters while others did not. The relationships between production characteristics and word identification were complex in that there were no invariant acoustic cues determining syllabicity.
Effects of Time Pressure on the Phonetic Realization of the Dutch Accent-Lending Pitch Rise and Fall
Authors: Caspers J. , van Heuven V.J.
Published: November 2009

The goal of this experiment is to find the most important phonetic features of Dutch accent-lending pitch movements, in terms of shape, pitch level and alignment with the segmental structure. Time pressure is used as a heuristic method to isolate important phonetic aspects of pitch movements, assuming that under time pressure the speaker will preserve those aspects. In a production experiment, accent-lending rises (‘l’) and falls (‘A’) were realized under various types of time pressure. The pitch rise is time-compressed under all pressure types, which would mean that the shape of the rise is relatively unimportant. The segmental alignment of the rise proved to be more important: the onset of the rise is synchronized with the syllable onset. For the fall no fixed synchronization point was found, but its shape was relatively invariant, indicating that shape rather than exact timing is the more important feature of the fall.
A Gestural Production Model and Its Application to Reduction in German
Authors: Kröger Bernd J.
Published: November 2009

A quantitative speech production model has been computer-implemented based on specifications of gestures as its input. Articulatory gestures serve the central role of phonological/phonetic units in speech organization. The present model is not based on task dynamics, but it still assumes a critically damped linear second-order system. The capability of this model is partially demonstrated by its application to reduction phenomena in conversational speech in German. Explanations in terms of timing and magnitude alterations of gestures in different articulators use only a few general principles for a variety of apparent segmental alterations. Some salient examples have been synthesized based on the current model, which also contributed to the evaluation of the parameter values involved in sample gestures.
Durational Correlates of Quantity in Swedish, Finnish and Estonian: Cross-Language Evidence for a Theory of Adaptive Dispersion
Authors: Engstrand Olle , Krull Diana
Published: November 2009

Audio recordings of lively conversational speech produced by 3 Swedish, 4 Finnish and 3 Estonian speakers were analyzed for durational correlates of quantity distinctions. The data suggest that duration contrasts are maintained more consistently by Finnish and Estonian than by Swedish speakers. This is attributed to the unusually complex structure of the Finnish and Estonian quantity systems, and to the fact that Finnish and Estonian, in contrast to Swedish, do not use vowel quality or diphthongization as correlates to quantity distinctions.
Native Speakers of Spanish Show Rate-Dependent Processing of English Stop Consonants
Authors: Flege James Emil , Schmidt Anna Marie
Published: November 2009

English monolinguals and native Spanish speakers of English used a 9-point scale to rate syllable-initial stops for goodness as realizations of the English /p/ category. Voice onset time (VOT) was varied in a set of short-duration (‘fast-rate’) consonant-vowel (CV) stimuli, and in a set of longer-duration (‘slow-rate’) CV stimuli. The VOT values ranged from values typical for English /b/ to values which exceeded those typical for English /p/. Results for the native English (NE) subjects replicated those obtained previously using the same two continua. Goodness ratings systematically increased, then decreased as VOT values extended beyond the range typical for English /p/. The NE subjects gave their highest ratings to stimuli with VOT values of about 50 ms. For stops with longer VOT values, their ratings were higher for stimuli in the slow-rate than fast-rate continuum. The native Spanish (NS) subjects were assigned to two subgroups based on degree of foreign accent in their pronunciation of English sentences. Both proficient and nonproficient NS subjects gave their highest ratings to stimuli with much the same VOT values as the NE subjects, even though /p/ is realized with short-lag VOT in Spanish. The nonproficient, but not the proficient NS subjects showed significantly smaller rate effects on goodness ratings than did the NE subjects. However, the subjects in both NS groups gave significantly higher ratings to stimuli with short-lag VOT values than did the NE subjects. The results are discussed in terms of the hypothesis that adult learners of a second language may establish new perceptual phonetic categories for phonetic segments not found in the native language.
C-Centers Revisited
Authors: Byrd Dani
Published: November 2009

This report considers the articulatory organization of English consonant sequences with their adjacent vowels. Electropal-atography is used to examine the production of sequences of one to four consonants in length. Two aspects of the production of consonant sequences are investigated. First, the phenomenon of compensatory shortening is addressed. Second, the evidence for a global timing organization for consonant sequences is investigated. This experiment evaluates predictions of Browman and Goldstein [1988] regarding the significance of the C-center in the timing of consonant sequences. Some support for global timing relationships is found; however, underlying syllable affiliations are suggested to be important in the selection of timing arrangements.
Variability of Lip and Jaw Movements in the Speech of Children and Adults
Authors: Smith Bruce L.
Published: November 2009

One purpose of the present study was to examine displacement variability of lower lip and jaw movements to determine whether sounds that are generally learned earlier and should, therefore, have been practiced more (e. g., stops and nasals) would be less variable than sounds that tend to develop later (e. g., fricatives). It was also of interest to determine whether individual articulators such as the lower lip and the jaw show any differences in displacement variability, given that lower lip gestures may need to be more precise than jaw movements. Repetitions of several labial-initial, CVC stimuli embedded in short phrases produced by three groups of children (5––, 8––, and 11––year-olds) and a group of adults were examined to determine the variability of articulatory gestures. No evidence was found to suggest that fricatives were more variable than stops or nasals for any of the groups. For the children but not the adults, lower lip gestures tended to be more variable than jaw movements.
The Acquisition of a Complex Phonological Contrast: Voice Timing Patterns of English Initial Stops by Native French Speakers
Authors: Laeufer Christiane
Published: November 2009

This study examines the acquisition of the glottal and supra-glottal timing patterns of English initial stops by French speakers. French speakers have greater difficulty reducing the duration of glottal pulsing for English /bdg/ than producing long-lag voice onset time (VOT) and the concurrent reduction in closure duration for /ptk/. This is ascribed to the greater articulatory complexity of English /bdg/ for French speakers, the lower degree of perceptual salience of differences in glottal pulsing, compared to differences in VOT, the existence in English of a competing pattern of more fully voiced /bdg/, and the existence in French of aspirated contextual variants of the lingual stops before high vowels. The latter also explains why long-lag VOT is more difficult to acquire for the labial than for the lingual stops. Acquisition of English-like VOT appears to proceed from (1) positive transfer from French of long voicing lag for lingual stops in high vowel contexts, to (2) distributional extension to nonhigh vowel contexts and to the labial stop, and to (3) gradual stretching of the lag to better approximate the English norm. The acquisition of English-like voicing appears to proceed in a similar fashion.
Speaking Rate Effects on Stops Produced by Spanish and English Monolinguals and Spanish/English Bilinguals
Authors: Schmidt Anna Marie , Flege James Emil
Published: November 2009

Four groups of 10 subjects each (English and Spanish monolinguals, and two groups of Spanish/English bilinguals) produced Spanish or English sentences at speaking rates designated ‘normal’, ‘slow’, and ‘fast’. Voice onset time (VOT) was measured in word-initial tokens of /p/ and /t/ found in sentence-initial, -medial, and -final words. The four groups produced comparable changes in sentence duration across the three rates. The speaking rate changes exerted less effect on the VOT in stops spoken by the Spanish than the English monolinguals. Moreover, whereas English monolinguals produced /p, t/ (with shorter VOT at a fast than at a normal rate, many Spanish monolinguals showed a trend in the opposite direction. As expected, all 10 early bilinguals produced English stops with VOT values that were similar to the English monolinguals’. They also showed speaking rate effects on VOT that were similar to those observed for the English monolinguals. The late bilinguals, who had begun learning English as adults, showed smaller effects of speaking rate on VOT than did the English monolinguals. Their mean VOT values for English stops spanned a wide range of values. Just 3 of the late bilinguals produced English stops with VOT values that fell within the range of values observed for the English monolinguals.
Comparative Study of Male and Female Whispered and Phonated Versions of the Long Vowels of Swedish
Authors: Eklund Ingegerd , Traunmüller Hartmut
Published: November 2009

Confusions in vowel quality and in speaker sex for whispered and phonated versions of the long vowels of Swedish have been analysed. The recognition rate was higher than that obtained in other studies, and this is attributed to the use of real words (letter names). The recognition of vowel quality was observed to interact with that of speaker sex in the whispered versions, but not in the phonated ones. The paper also reports on F₀ and the frequency positions of the first three formants, and their dynamics, as well as on the overall spectral shape of the vowels. Intrinsic pitch and the observed upward shift of the lower formants in whispering as well as the spectral level differences agree largely with those found in other languages. Discrepancies and similarities with previous descriptions of the Swedish vowels are discussed.
Effect of Voice Quality on Perceived Height of English Vowels
Authors: Lotto A.J. , Holt L.L. , Kluender K.R.
Published: November 2009

Across a variety of languages, phonation type and vocal-tract shape systematically covary in vowel production. Breathy phonation tends to accompany vowels produced with a raised tongue body and/or advanced tongue root. A potential explanation for this regularity, based on a hypothesized interaction between the acoustic effects of vocal-tract shape and phonation type, is evaluated. It is suggested that increased spectral tilt and first-harmonic amplitude resulting from breathy phonation interact with the lower-frequency first formant resulting from a raised tongue body to produce a perceptually ‘higher’ vowel. To test this hypothesis, breathy and modal versions of vowel series modelled after male and female productions of English vowel pairs /i/ and /i/, /u/ and /ω/, and /λ/ and /a/ were synthesized. Results indicate that for most cases, breathy voice quality led to more tokens being identified as the higher vowel (i.e. /i/, /u/, /ÊŒ/). In addition, the effect of voice quality is greater for vowels modelled after female productions. These results are consistent with a hypothesized perceptual explanation for the covariation of phonation type and tongue-root advancement in West African languages. The findings may also be relevant to gender differences in phonation type.
Phonetic Structures of Banawá, an Endangered Language
Authors: Ladefoged Peter , Ladefoged Jenny , Everett Daniel
Published: November 2009

This paper describes the phonetic characteristics of Banawá, an endangered language spoken in Brazil. The qualities of the Banawá vowels are described in terms of their formant frequencies. The places of articulation of each consonant, the voice onset time and the manner of articulation are documented. The structure of syllables and words is delimited, and the location of stressed syllables is described and verified experimentally.
A History of the Treatment of Hydrocephalus
Authors: McCullough David C.
Published: November 2009

At a time when the intrauterine diagnosis of hydrocephalus is commonplace and pioneering efforts of antenatal therapy are evolving, review of the chronology of treatment of this disorder becomes pertinent. The history of therapy of hydrocephalus may be divided into three phases. The first two largely involved accumulation of basic anatomical and pathophysiological information. The last phase dates only from the 1950s and may be considered an era of rapid technical development. This account discloses the obligatory relationship between useful therapy and basic knowledge.
Gastrointestinal Tract Anomalies: Neonatal Surgical Problems
Authors: Cacciari A.
Published: November 2009

This report deals only with anomalies, treated after prenatal diagnosis, with which we have experience. Other malformations have been intentionally excluded. The neonatal management of duodenal atresia and jejunoileal atresia is briefly outlined. Our early results in 7 cases treated after antenatal diagnosis are compared with 81 cases treated without the benefit of antenatal diagnosis. Antenatal diagnosis appears to improve the outcome in these patients.
Genitourinary Tract Anomalies: Neonatal Medical Problems
Authors: Moretti M. , Magnani C. , Calzolari E. , Roncarati E.
Published: November 2009

The results of a multicentric survey in the Emilia-Romagna area from 1978 to 1984 are given. During the first week of life, 103,484 babies were examined. Anomalies were detected in 1,914 babies, 326 of which had genitourinary malformations. There were 214 cases of hypospadias with a history of exposure to progestogens for threatened abortion, intrauterine growth retardation and early maternal menarche. Ninety-one cases of urinary tract malformations were found and in 66 babies this was the only anomaly. Until 1983 antenatal ultrasound examinations detected only 25% of urinary tract anomalies. In 1984 this figure climbed to 70%.
Intrauterine Growth Retardation: Clinical Problems in the Management of the Small-for-Date Baby
Authors: Salvioli G.P. , Cocchi G. , Alessandroni R.
Published: November 2009

The major neonatal problems of the small-for-date neonate (hypoglycemia, birth asphyxia, hypothermia, pulmonary disease, hematological problems and congenital malformations) are briefly reviewed. A series of 135 small-for-gestational-age neonates is briefly presented. There were 113 survivors (83.7%).
Pregnancy Outcome following Ultrasound Diagnosis of Fetal Urinary Tract Anomalies and/or Oligohydramnios
Authors: Furlong L.A. , Williamson R.A. , Bonsib S. , Epley S. , Pringle K.
Published: November 2009

We have reviewed 49 pregnancies with ultrasound evidence of fetal urinary tract anomalies and/or oligohydramnios. A surprisingly large number of fetuses with urinary tract obstruction had significant other anomalies. Fetuses with urinary tract obstruction, but a normal amount of amniotic fluid, did well without in utero intervention; however, those with oligohydramnios or polyhydramnios fared poorly. Longer periods of oligohydramnios in fetuses with urinary tract obstruction seemed to be associated with pulmonary hypoplasia and renal dysplasia. Oligohydramnios without urinary tract obstruction complicated 28 pregnancies; there were only 10 survivors. Diagnostic pitfalls are described.
Primates and Anencephalics as Sources for Pediatric Organ Transplants
Authors: Fletcher John C. , Robertson John A. , Harrison Michael R.
Published: November 2009

This article discusses some of the medical, legal, and ethical issues in using organs from primates and anencephalics to transplant to infants who will otherwise die. The use of primates is discouraging on ethical grounds due to scarcity of chimpanzees, the preferred species, and to the poor chance of survival. Anencephalic fetuses and newborns are promising sources of organs for pediatric transplants, provided that ethical and legal considerations are met. An argument is made, based on current practice in management of dying donors, that complies with the legal requirement to delay organ removal until after whole brain death; however, this approach requires the compensating step of gradual cooling of the body of the newly delivered anencephalic to save the organs from ischemia.
Intrauterine Exchange Transfusion of the Fetus under Ultrasound Guidance: First Successful Report
Authors: Jacquetin B. , Meyer J.L. , Urbain M.F. , Jouve P. , Vanlieferingen P.
Published: November 2009

The authors report the first successful case of fetal exchange transfusion performed in Rh disease. The patient was a gravida 3, para 1; a first ultrasound guided intrafunicular transfusion was carried out at 28 gestation weeks (Coombs test: 256, Liley’s chart: zone III, fetal hemoglobin: 5.7 g/l). One week later a fetal exchange transfusion was decided because of the appearance of ascites, sinusoidal heart rate pattern, and Manning’s score at 4. At 29 weeks of gestation an ultrasound-guided umbilical cord puncture was performed with a 16-gauge Tuohy needle, a catheter for epidural analgesia (Perifix®) was inserted through the trocar. A total exchange of+ 126/-96 cm3 of 50% hematocrit (Hct) concentrated and irradiated blood without leukocyte and platelet was performed increasing fetal hemoglobin concentration from 3.9 to 11.9 g/l. A 2,040-gram girl was delivered by cesarean section at 33 gestation weeks with Apgar score of 7/9/9 and she was given 4 total exchange transfusions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Two years later her development is normal. This new procedure seems easier than fetoscopy to achieve umbilical cord puncture and avoid excess blood volume while exact correction of anemia is possible. With more concentrated blood (70% Hct) the duration of the procedure is shortened.
Survival of Transfused Adult Cells in the Fetus
Authors: Jones H.M. , Linch D.C. , Nicolaides K. , Rodeck C.H.
Published: November 2009

The survival of adult erythrocytes transfused into the circulation of a severely isoimmunised fetus was assessed. The survival time in the fetus was found to be considerably shorter than in adults.
Bioethical Issues in Perinatology – Is the Future Now?
Authors: Harmon C.R.
Published: November 2009

The rapid progress of the science of perinatology has produced a broad range of capabilities in our approach to the fetus. Advances in diagnostic methodology, both invasive and noninvasive, enable early identification and potentially, early correction, of a multitude of disorders. The laboratory correlates of this progress have kept pace, with possibilities in the areas of fetal surgery and genetic manipulation which seemed fantasy only a few years ago. Important moral issues which had been deferred because of our physical limitations must now be addressed. As instigators of the scientific stampede, perinatologists must assume a major role in the ethical inquiry as well.
Uric Acid-Lowering Treatment With Benzbromarone in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Ogino Kazuhide , Kato Masahiko , Furuse Yoshiyuki , Kinugasa Yoshiharu , Ishida Katsunori , Osaki Shuichi , Kinugawa Toru , Igawa Osamu , Hisatome Ichiro , Shigemasa Chiaki , Anker Stefan D. , Doehner Wolfram
Published: November 2009

Background—

Hyperuricemia is common in chronic heart failure (CHF), and it is a strong independent marker of prognosis. Upregulated xanthine oxidase (XO) activity and impaired renal excretion have been shown to account for increased serum uric acid (UA) levels in CHF. Therapeutic interventions with allopurinol to reduce UA levels by XO inhibition have been shown to be beneficial. Discussions are ongoing whether UA itself is actively involved or it is a mere marker of upregulated XO activity within CHF pathophysiology. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the effect of lowering UA by uricosuric treatment without XO inhibition on hemodynamic and metabolic characteristics of CHF. Impaired renal excretion of UA was taken into account.

Methods and Results—

Serum UA (SUA), urinary UA (uUA) excretion, and renal clearance test for UA (Cl
UA
) were measured in 82 patients with CHF. SUA was significantly increased compared with controls of similar age (control, 5.45±0.70 mg/dL; New York Heart Association I, 6.48±1.70 mg/dL; New York Heart Association II, 7.34±1.94 mg/dL; New York Heart Association III, 7.61±2.11 mg/dL;
P
<0.01). Patients with CHF showed lower uUA excretion and Cl
UA
. On multivariate analysis, insulin, brain natriuretic peptide (
P
<0.01), and creatinine levels (
P
=0.05) showed independent correlation with SUA. The treatment effect of the uricosuric agent benzbromarone was tested in 14 patients with CHF with hyperuricemia in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover study design. Benzbromarone significantly decreased SUA (
P
<0.01). Brain natriuretic peptide, left ventricular ejection fraction, and dimensions in echocardiographic assessment did not change after benzbromarone therapy. In contrast, fasting insulin (placebo, 18.8±8.9 μU/mL; benzbromarone, 11.0±6.2 μU/mL;
P
<0.05), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (placebo, 5.4±2.6; benzbromarone, 3.0±1.7;
P
<0.05), and tumor necrosis factor-α (placebo, 2.59±0.63 pg/mL; benzbromarone, 2.14±0.51 pg/mL;
P
<0.05) improved after benzbromarone, and the changes in tumor necrosis factor-α levels were correlated with reduction of SUA (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

These results show that UA lowering without XO inhibition may not have an effect on hemodynamic impairment in CHF pathophysiology. To the extent that these data are correct, this finding suggests that upregulated XO activity rather than UA itself is actively involved in hemodynamic impairment in CHF.

Clinical Trial Registration—

clinical trials.gov. Identifier: NCT00422318.