bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of hybrid polymer/metal organic framework membranes: mixed matrix membranes versus in situ growth
Authors: Campbell James , Székely György , Davies R. P. , Braddock D. Christopher , Livingston Andrew G.
Published: April 2014

Hybrid polymer/metal organic framework (MOF) membranes have been prepared using either a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) or in situ growth (ISG) approach and were evaluated for application in organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN).
Flexible rechargeable lithium ion batteries: advances and challenges in materials and process technologies
Authors: Hu Yuhai , Sun Xueliang
Published: April 2014

This review summarizes the advances and challenges in materials and process technologies in flexible rechargeable lithium ion batteries research.
Tribological studies of some SAPS-free Schiff bases derived from 4-aminoantipyrine and aromatic aldehydes and their synergistic interaction with borate ester
Authors: Jaiswal Vinay , Kalyani Kalyani , Rastogi Rashmi B. , Kumar Rajesh
Published: April 2014

Tribological performance of sulfur, phosphorous and metal-free Schiff bases and their synergistic formulations with borate ester in paraffin oil has been evaluated using a four-ball tester at optimized concentrations (1% w/v).
From semiconductors to semimetals: bismuth as a photocatalyst for NO oxidation in air
Authors: Zhang Qian , Zhou Ying , Wang Fang , Dong Fan , Li Wei , Li Haimin , Patzke Greta R.
Published: April 2014

Black semimetallic Bi films were found to be active in the photocatalytic oxidation of NO at the indoor air level.
Hydrophilization of polysulfone membranes using a binary graft copolymer
Authors: Yang Yang , Miao Lei , Hu Jiwen , Liu Guojun , Tu Yuanyuan , Lin Shudong , Liu Feng , Li Fei , Wu Yan , Zhang Ganwei , Zou Hailiang
Published: April 2014

Fabrication of hydrophilic polysulfone membranes that exhibit long-term stabilityviaa novel binary amphiphilic graft copolymer-based approach.
Development of supramolecular liquid-crystalline polyurethane complexes exhibiting triple-shape functionality using a one-step programming process
Authors: Chen Shaojun , Yuan Hongming , Chen Shiguo , Yang Haipeng , Ge Zaochuan , Zhuo Haitao , Liu Jianhong
Published: April 2014

Supramolecular shape memory liquid crystalline polyurethanes showing smectic C properties and exhibiting triple-shape functionality using a one-step programming process are prepared.
In vitro and in vivo photothermally enhanced chemotherapy by single-walled carbon nanohorns as a drug delivery system
Authors: Chen Daiqin , Wang Chao , Jiang Feng , Liu Zhuang , Shu Chunying , Wan Li-Jun
Published: April 2014

Single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) have exhibited many special advantages in biomedical applications.
Oligonucleotides as ‘bio-solvent’ for in situ extraction and functionalisation of carbon nanoparticles
Authors: Chen Yu-Cheng , Wen Cheng-Che , Liau Ian , Hsieh You-Zung , Hsu Hsin-Yun
Published: April 2014

We used ssDNA oligonucleotides as a ‘bio-solvent’ for CNP extraction and in situ functionalisation, developing efficient, eco-friendly, biocompatible fluorescence probes.
Facile synthesis of self-assembled spherical and mesoporous dandelion capsules of ZnO: efficient carrier for DNA and anti-cancer drugs
Authors: Kumar Vijay Bhooshan , Kumar Koushi , Gedanken Aharon , Paik Pradip
Published: April 2014

Idiosyncratic self-assembled dandelion mesoporous capsules have been synthesized with ZnO NPs and NRs. The {(ZnO)nδ+–(DOX)m} and {(ZnO)nδ+–(DNA)m} complexes are very useful for delivery of anticancer drugs and genes, respectively.
Development of a spatiotemporal method to control molecular function by using silica-based photodegradable nanoparticles
Authors: Ishizuka Fumi , Liu Xiangsheng , Murayama Shuhei , Santa Tomofumi , Kato Masaru
Published: April 2014

Novel silica-based photodegradable nanoparticles were developed. The nanoparticle is a useful tool for the spatiotemporal control of various molecular functions because they permit the quick and transient release of encapsulated molecules after short-term irradiation.
Structure, photoluminescence and thermal properties of Ce3+, Mn2+ co-doped phosphosilicate Sr7La3[(PO4)2.5(SiO4)3(BO4)0.5](BO2) emission-tunable phosphor
Authors: Ci Zhipeng , Sun Qisheng , Sun Mengxing , Jiang Xiaojing , Qin Shengchun , Wang Yuhua
Published: April 2014

A single phase emission-tunable Sr7La3[(PO4)2.5(SiO4)3(BO4)0.5](BO2):Ce3+,Mn2+ phosphor was synthesized and the photoluminescence, energy-transfer mechanism and thermal properties were investigated.
Mesoporous silica/nanoparticle composites prepared by 3-D replication of highly filled block copolymer templates
Authors: Hendricks Nicholas R. , Kothari Rohit , Wang Xinyu , Watkins James J.
Published: April 2014

Nanoparticle/mesoporous silica composites were created with high loadings of nanoparticles via selective hydrogen bonding between nanoparticles and block copolymer templates.
The combinations of hollow MoS2 micro@nano-spheres: one-step synthesis, excellent photocatalytic and humidity sensing properties
Authors: Tan Yinghua , Yu Ke , Yang Ting , Zhang Qingfeng , Cong Weitao , Yin Haihong , Zhang Zhengli , Chen Yiwei , Zhu Ziqiang
Published: April 2014

Hollow MoS2 micro@nano-spheres were successfully fabricated. The MoS2 nanostructures showed excellent photocatalytic activity and high sensitivity at high RH.
The sea anemone toxin AdE-1 modifies both sodium and potassium currents of rat cardiomyocytes
Authors: Nesher Nir , Zlotkin Eliahu , Hochner Binyamin
Published: April 2014

AdE-1, a cardiotonic peptide recently isolated from the sea anemone Aiptasia diaphana, contains 44 amino acids and has a molecular mass of 4907 Da. It was previously found to resemble other sea anemone type 1 and 2 Na+ channel toxins, enhancing contractions of rat cardiomyocytes and slowing their twitch relaxation; however, it did not induce spontaneous twitches. AdE-1 increased the duration of the cardiomyocyte action potential and decreased its amplitude and its time-to-peak in a concentration-dependent manner, without affecting its threshold and cell resting potential. Nor did it generate the early and delayed after-depolarizations characteristic of sea anemone Na+ channel toxins. To further understand its mechanism of action we investigated the effect of AdE-1 on the major ion currents of rat cardiomyocytes. In the present study we show that AdE-1 markedly slowed inactivation of the Na+ current, enhancing and prolonging the current influx with no effect on current activation, possibly through direct interaction with the site 3 receptor of the Na+ channel. No significant effect of AdE-1 on the Ca2+ current was observed, but, unexpectedly, AdE-1 significantly increased the amplitude of the transient component of the K+ current, shifting the current threshold to more negative membrane potentials. This effect on the K+ current has not been found in any other sea anemone toxin and may explain the exclusive reduction in action potential amplitude and the absence of the action potential disorders found with other toxins, such as early and delayed after-depolarizations.
Detection of Lexical and Morphological Anomalies by Children With and Without Language Impairment
Authors: Pawłowska Monika , Robinson Sarah , Seddoh Amebu
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The abilities of 5-year-old children with and without language impairment (LI) to detect anomalies involving lexical items and grammatical morphemes in stories were compared. The influence of sentence versus discourse context on lexical anomaly detection rates was explored.

Method

The participants were read 3 story scripts and asked to detect the anomalies embedded in them.

Results

Typically developing (TD) children outperformed their peers with LI across the board. For both groups, lexical anomalies were easier to detect than morphological anomalies. Similarly, anomalous nouns were easier for both groups to detect compared with anomalous verbs. The latter presented a particular challenge to the children with LI. Both groups had greater difficulty with lexical anomaly detection in discourse relative to sentence context.

Conclusion

These outcomes suggest that children's ability to detect anomalies is sensitive to the nature of the anomaly and the linguistic context involved in anomaly detection. Future research may address the relative role of linguistic and cognitive factors in anomaly detection.
Vowel Acoustics in Dysarthria: Speech Disorder Diagnosis and Classification
Authors: Lansford Kaitlin L. , Liss Julie M.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which vowel metrics are capable of distinguishing healthy from dysarthric speech and among different forms of dysarthria.

Method

A variety of vowel metrics were derived from spectral and temporal measurements of vowel tokens embedded in phrases produced by 45 speakers with dysarthria and 12 speakers with no history of neurological disease. Via means testing and discriminant function analysis (DFA), the acoustic metrics were used to (a) detect the presence of dysarthria and (b) classify the dysarthria subtype.

Results

Significant differences between dysarthric and healthy control speakers were revealed for all vowel metrics. However, the results of the DFA demonstrated some metrics (particularly metrics that capture vowel distinctiveness) to be more sensitive and specific predictors of dysarthria. Only the vowel metrics that captured slope of the second formant (F2) demonstrated between-group differences across the dysarthrias. However, when subjected to DFA, these metrics proved unreliable classifiers of dysarthria subtype.

Conclusion

The results of these analyses suggest that some vowel metrics may be useful clinically for the detection of dysarthria but may not be reliable indicators of dysarthria subtype using the current dysarthria classification scheme.
Influence of the Perceived Taste Intensity of Chemesthetic Stimuli on Swallowing Parameters Given Age and Genetic Taste Differences in Healthy Adult Women
Authors: Pelletier Cathy A. , Steele Catriona M.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

This study examined whether the perceived taste intensity of liquids with chemesthetic properties influenced lingua-palatal pressures and submental surface electromyography (sEMG) in swallowing, compared with water.

Method

Swallowing was studied in 80 healthy women, stratified by age group and genetic taste status. General Labeled Magnitude Scale ratings of taste intensity were collected for deionized water; carbonated water; 2.7% w/v citric acid; and diluted ethanol. These stimuli were swallowed, with measurement of tongue-palate pressures and submental sEMG. Path analysis differentiated stimulus, genetic taste status, age, and perceived taste intensity effects on swallowing. Signal amplitude during effortful saliva swallowing served as a covariate representing participant strength.

Results

Significant differences (
p
< .05) in taste intensity were seen across liquids: citric acid > ethanol > carbonated water > water. Supertasters perceived greater taste intensity than did nontasters. Lingua-palatal pressure and sEMG amplitudes were correlated with the strength covariate. Anterior palate pressures and sEMG amplitudes were significantly higher for the citric acid stimulus. Perceived taste intensity was a significant mediator of stimulus differences.

Conclusion

These data provide confirmatory evidence that high-intensity sour stimuli do influence swallowing behaviors. In addition, taste genetics influence the perception of taste intensity for stimuli with chemesthetic properties, which modulates behavioral responses.
Improving Child Compliance on a Computer-Administered Nonword Repetition Task
Authors: Polišenská Kamila , Kapalková Svetlana
Published: April 2014

Purpose

A range of nonword repetition (NWR) tasks are used in research and clinical applications, but compliance rates among young children remain low. Live presentation is usually used to improve compliance rates, but this lacks the consistency of recorded stimuli. In this study, the authors examined whether a novel delivery of NWR stimuli based on recorded material could provide improved compliance rates in young children, thereby reducing research bias.

Method

The novel NWR task with 26 recorded items was administered to 391 typically developing children ages 2–6 years. The children were presented with a story that they could influence by repeating “magic” words. The task was administered via computer with animation.

Results

From the 384 children who completed the task, the authors found a noncompliance rate related to age. In line with previous research, no effect of demographic factors was found, but there was a significant main effect of age, syllable length, and phonological complexity on repetition accuracy. Test–retest and interrater scoring showed high levels of reliability.

Conclusion

The task described in this study offers an objective delivery of recorded stimuli that engages young children and provides high compliance rates. The task is inexpensive, requires minimal training, and can be adapted to other languages.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.6170450
Executive Functioning Skills in Preschool-Age Children With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Beer Jessica , Kronenberger William G. , Castellanos Irina , Colson Bethany G. , Henning Shirley C. , Pisoni David B.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine whether deficits in executive functioning (EF) in children with cochlear implants (CIs) emerge as early as the preschool years.

Method

Two groups of children ages 3 to 6 years participated in this cross-sectional study: 24 preschoolers who had CIs prior to 36 months of age and 21 preschoolers with normal hearing (NH). All were tested on normed measures of working memory, inhibition-concentration, and organization-integration. Parents completed a normed rating scale of problem behaviors related to EF. Comparisons of EF skills of children with CIs were made to peers with NH and to published nationally representative norms.

Results

Preschoolers with CIs showed significantly poorer performance on inhibition-concentration and working memory compared with peers with NH and with national norms. No group differences were found in visual memory or organization-integration. When data were controlled for language, differences in performance measures of EF remained, whereas differences in parent-reported problems with EF were no longer significant. Hearing history was generally unrelated to EF.

Conclusions

This is the first study to demonstrate that EF deficits found in older children with CIs begin to emerge as early as preschool years. The ability to detect these deficits early has important implications for early intervention and habilitation after cochlear implantation.
A Longitudinal Study in Adults With Sequential Bilateral Cochlear Implants: Time Course for Individual Ear and Bilateral Performance
Authors: Reeder Ruth M. , Firszt Jill B. , Holden Laura K. , Strube Michael J.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the rate of progress in the 2nd implanted ear as it relates to the 1st implanted ear and to bilateral performance in adult sequential cochlear implant recipients. In addition, this study aimed to identify factors that contribute to patient outcomes.

Method

The authors performed a prospective longitudinal study in 21 adults who received bilateral sequential cochlear implants. Testing occurred at 6 intervals: prebilateral through 12 months postbilateral implantation. Measures evaluated speech recognition in quiet and noise, localization, and perceived benefit.

Results

Second ear performance was similar to 1st ear performance by 6 months postbilateral implantation. Bilateral performance was generally superior to either ear alone; however, participants with shorter 2nd ear length of deafness (<20 years) had more rapid early improvement and better overall outcomes than those with longer 2nd ear length of deafness (>30 years). All participants reported bilateral benefit.

Conclusions

Adult cochlear implant recipients demonstrated benefit from 2nd ear implantation for speech recognition, localization, and perceived communication function. Because performance outcomes were related to length of deafness, shorter time between surgeries may be warranted to reduce negative length-of-deafness effects. Future study may clarify the impact of other variables, such as preimplant hearing aid use, particularly for individuals with longer periods of deafness.
Perception of Consonants in Reverberation and Noise by Adults Fitted With Bimodal Devices
Authors: Mason Michelle , Kokkinakis Kostas
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of a contralateral hearing aid to the perception of consonants, in terms of voicing, manner, and place-of-articulation cues in reverberation and noise by adult cochlear implantees aided by bimodal fittings.

Method

Eight postlingually deafened adult cochlear implant (CI) listeners with a fully inserted CI in 1 ear and low-frequency hearing in the other ear were tested on consonant perception. They were presented with consonant stimuli processed in the following experimental conditions: 1 quiet condition, 2 different reverberation times (0.3 s and 1.0 s), and the combination of 2 reverberation times with a single signal-to-noise ratio (5 dB).

Results

Consonant perception improved significantly when listening in combination with a contralateral hearing aid as opposed to listening with a CI alone in 0.3 s and 1.0 s of reverberation. Significantly higher scores were also noted when noise was added to 0.3 s of reverberation.

Conclusions

A considerable benefit was noted from the additional acoustic information in conditions of reverberation and reverberation plus noise. The bimodal benefit observed was more pronounced for voicing and manner of articulation than for place of articulation.
Differences in the Performance of Children With Specific Language Impairment and Their Typically Developing Peers on Nonverbal Cognitive Tests: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gallinat Erica , Spaulding Tammie J.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

This study used meta-analysis to investigate the difference in nonverbal cognitive test performance of children with specific language impairment (SLI) and their typically developing (TD) peers.

Method

The meta-analysis included studies (a) that were published between 1995 and 2012 of children with SLI who were age matched (and not nonverbal cognitive matched) to TD peers and given a norm-referenced nonverbal cognitive test and (b) that reported sufficient data for an effect size analysis. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the performance of children with SLI relative to their typically developing, age-matched peers on nonverbal IQ tests.

Results

Across 138 samples from 131 studies, on average children with SLI scored 0.69 standard deviations below their TD peers on nonverbal cognitive tests after adjusting for the differences in the tests used, the low-boundary cutoff scores, the age of the participants, and whether studies matched the two groups on socioeconomic status.

Discussion

The lower performance of children with SLI relative to TD children on nonverbal IQ tests has theoretical implications for the characterization of SLI and clinical and political implications regarding how nonverbal cognitive tests are used and interpreted for children with this disorder.
Pronoun Comprehension in Individuals With Down Syndrome: Deviance or Delay?
Authors: Sanoudaki Eirini , Varlokosta Spyridoula
Published: April 2014

Purpose

Results of recent pilot studies suggest that the interpretation of pronouns in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) may follow a pattern unattested in typical development, indicating the presence of a selective deficit targeting the comprehension of reflexive pronouns. These findings come at a time when there is a heated debate surrounding pronoun comprehension in typical development as well. This study aims to contribute to these debates by examining pronoun comprehension in Greek, a language that exhibits unusual patterns in pronoun comprehension in typical development.

Method

Seven Greek-speaking individuals with DS and a control group of 14 typically developing (TD) children were tested. The authors examined the comprehension of strong pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and pronominal clitics, using a picture selection task.

Results

The data reveal evidence of deviant pronoun comprehension in individuals with DS compared with the TD group. The DS group encountered problems in the interpretation of reflexive pronouns when compared with the TD group, while the performance of the two groups was comparable in all remaining conditions.

Conclusions

Findings are in line with the selective deficit model of language comprehension in DS, supporting the presence of a cross-linguistic reflexive deficit.
Prenatal, Perinatal, and Neonatal Risk Factors for Specific Language Impairment: A Prospective Pregnancy Cohort Study
Authors: Whitehouse Andrew J. O. , Shelton W. M. R. , Ing Caleb , Newnham John P.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

Although genetic factors are known to play a causal role in specific language impairment (SLI), environmental factors may also be important. This study examined whether there are prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal factors that are associated with childhood SLI.

Method

Participants were members of the Raine Study, a prospective cohort investigation of pregnant women and their offspring. Parent report indicated that 26 children had received a clinical diagnosis of SLI. Data from antenatal and birth medical records were compared between the children with SLI and typically developing comparison children (
N
= 1,799).

Results

There were no statistically significant differences between the SLI and comparison groups in the individual prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal factors examined. Aggregate risk scores were calculated for each period on the basis of factors known to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorder. There were no group differences in aggregate risk scores in the prenatal and perinatal periods. However, significantly more children in the SLI group (50%) compared with the comparison group (27.6%) experienced 2 or more risk factors during the neonatal period.

Conclusion

The vast majority of prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal complications do not play a clear causal role in childhood SLI. However, poor neonatal health may signify increased risk for SLI.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14963601
Can Children With SLI Detect Cognitive Conflict? Behavioral and Electrophysiological Evidence
Authors: Epstein Baila , Shafer Valerie L. , Melara Robert D. , Schwartz Richard G.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

This study examined whether children with specific language impairment (SLI) are deficient in detecting cognitive conflict between competing response tendencies in a GO/No-GO task.

Method

Twelve children with SLI (ages 10–12), 22 children with typical language development matched group-wise on age (TLD-A), and 16 younger children with TLD (ages 8–9) matched group-wise on language skills (TLD-L) were tested using a behavioral GO/No-GO paradigm with simultaneous collection of event-related potentials. The N2 component was used as a neural index of the ability to detect conflict between GO and No-GO response tendencies.

Results

Hit rates did not differentiate the 3 groups. The TLD-L children demonstrated the highest false-alarm rates. The N2 component was attenuated and showed delayed divergence of GO and No-GO amplitudes in SLI relative to TLD-A children in response to stimuli presented at various probability levels. The N2 effect in children with SLI resembled that of children with TLD who were approximately 3 years younger.

Conclusions

School-age children with SLI exhibit a maturational lag in detecting conflict between competing response alternatives. Deficient conflict detection may in turn hinder these children's ability to resolve conflict among semantic representations that are activated during language processing.
Effect of Posttraumatic Stress on Study Time in a Task Measuring Four Component Processes Underlying Text-Level Reading
Authors: Sullivan Michael P. , Griffiths Gina G. , Moore Sohlberg Mckay
Published: April 2014

Purpose

To investigate the effect of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on 4 components underlying text-level reading comprehension.

Method

A group of 17 veterans with PTSD and 17 matched control participants took part. An experimental task required participants to read and study 3-sentence paragraphs describing semantic features associated with real and unreal objects. Each paragraph was followed by true–false statements that assessed knowledge access, text memory, inference, and integration.

Results

The results revealed that the PTSD group took significantly longer than the control group to study the paragraphs. Although there was no group difference in test statement accuracy, the PTSD group also took significantly longer to respond to the test statements.

Conclusions

Overall, the results provide evidence for the control theory of attention but suggest that more direct measures of task-irrelevant processing during text-level reading are needed. More important, the results begin to lay a foundation for developing not only diagnostic but also intervention strategies.
Acoustic Cues to Perception of Word Stress by English, Mandarin, and Russian Speakers
Authors: Chrabaszcz Anna , Winn Matthew , Lin Candise Y. , Idsardi William J.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

This study investigated how listeners' native language affects their weighting of acoustic cues (such as vowel quality, pitch, duration, and intensity) in the perception of contrastive word stress.

Method

Native speakers (N= 45) of typologically diverse languages (English, Russian, and Mandarin) performed a stress identification task on nonce disyllabic words with fully crossed combinations of each of the 4 cues in both syllables.

Results

The results revealed that although the vowel quality cue was the strongest cue for all groups of listeners, pitch was the second strongest cue for the English and the Mandarin listeners but was virtually disregarded by the Russian listeners. Duration and intensity cues were used by the Russian listeners to a significantly greater extent compared with the English and Mandarin participants. Compared with when cues were noncontrastive across syllables, cues were stronger when they were in the iambic contour than when they were in the trochaic contour.

Conclusions

Although both English and Russian are stress languages and Mandarin is a tonal language, stress perception performance of the Mandarin listeners but not of the Russian listeners is more similar to that of the native English listeners, both in terms of weighting of the acoustic cues and the cues' relative strength in different word positions. The findings suggest that tuning of second-language prosodic perceptions is not entirely predictable by prosodic similarities across languages.
Spatial and Temporal Lingual Coarticulation and Motor Control in Preadolescents
Authors: Zharkova Natalia , Hewlett Nigel , Hardcastle William J. , Lickley Robin J.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

In this study, the authors compared coarticulation and lingual kinematics in preadolescents and adults in order to establish whether preadolescents had a greater degree of random variability in tongue posture and whether their patterns of lingual coarticulation differed from those of adults.

Method

High-speed ultrasound tongue contour data synchronized with the acoustic signal were recorded from 15 children (ages 10–12 years) and 15 adults. Tongue shape contours were analyzed at 9 normalized time points during the fricative phase of schwa-fricative-/a/ and schwa-fricative-/i/ sequences with the consonants /s/ and /ʃ/.

Results

There was no significant age-related difference in random variability. Where a significant vowel effect occurred, the amount of coarticulation was similar in the 2 groups. However, the onset of the coarticulatory effect on preadolescent /ʃ/ was significantly later than on preadolescent /s/, and also later than on adult /s/ and /ʃ/.

Conclusions

Preadolescents have adult-like precision of tongue control and adult-like anticipatory lingual coarticulation with respect to spatial characteristics of tongue posture. However, there remains some immaturity in the motor programming of certain complex tongue movements.
Coupling Dynamics Interlip Coordination in Lower Lip Load Compensation
Authors: van Lieshout Pascal , Neufeld Chris
Published: April 2014

Purpose

To study the effects of lower lip loading on lower and upper lip movements and their coordination to test predictions on coupling dynamics derived from studies in limb control.

Method

Movement data were acquired using electromagnetic midsagittal articulography under 4 conditions: (a) without restrictions, serving as a baseline; (b) with a small carrier device attached to the lower lip; (c) with a 50-g weight added to the device; and, at the end of the session (d) with the weight and device removed. For all conditions, 8 participants repeated nonwords at 2 speaking rates. Movement data were used to derive discrete kinematic measures, a cyclic index of spatiotemporal variability, phase deviations, and standard deviations of relative phase for interlip coupling.

Results

Kinematic variables were not systematically affected by lower lip load. Phase deviations also showed no change, but in contrast, phase variability showed a significant increase for the lower lip load condition at fast rates.

Conclusion

Lower lip load effects are comparable to the reported impact of homologous limb loading, showing evidence for a tight coupling between both lips in line with predictions from coordination dynamics accounts in the literature.
Tissue-Point Motion Tracking in the Tongue From Cine MRI and Tagged MRI
Authors: Woo Jonghye , Stone Maureen , Suo Yuanming , Murano Emi Z. , Prince Jerry L.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

Accurate tissue motion tracking within the tongue can help professionals diagnose and treat vocal tract–related disorders, evaluate speech quality before and after surgery, and conduct various scientific studies. The authors compared tissue tracking results from 4 widely used deformable registration (DR) methods applied to cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with harmonic phase (HARP)–based tracking applied to tagged MRI.

Method

Ten subjects repeated the phrase “a geese” multiple times while sagittal images of the head were collected at 26 Hz, first in a tagged MRI data set and then in a cine MRI data set. HARP tracked the motion of 8 specified tissue points in the tagged data set. Four DR methods including diffeomorphic demons and free-form deformations based on cubic B-spline with 3 different similarity measures were used to track the same 8 points in the cine MRI data set. Individual points were tracked and length changes of several muscles were calculated using the DR- and HARP-based tracking methods.

Results

The results showed that the DR tracking errors were nonsystematic and varied in direction, amount, and timing across speakers and within speakers. Comparison of HARP and DR tracking with manual tracking showed better tracking results for HARP except at the tongue surface, where mistracking caused greater errors in HARP than DR.

Conclusions

Tissue point tracking using DR tracking methods contains nonsystematic tracking errors within and across subjects, making it less successful than tagged MRI tracking within the tongue. However, HARP sometimes mistracks points at the tongue surface of tagged MRI because of its limited bandpass filter and tag pattern fading, so that DR has better success measuring surface tissue points on cine MRI than HARP does. Therefore, a hybrid method is being explored.
The Effects of Indexical and Phonetic Variation on Vowel Perception in Typically Developing 9- to 12-Year-Old Children
Authors: Jacewicz Ewa , Fox Robert Allen
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate how linguistic knowledge interacts with indexical knowledge in older children's perception under demanding listening conditions created by extensive talker variability.

Method

Twenty-five 9- to 12-year-old children, 12 from North Carolina (NC) and 13 from Wisconsin (WI), identified 12 vowels in isolated /hVd/ words produced by 120 talkers representing the 2 dialects (NC and WI), both genders, and 3 age groups (generations) of residents from the same geographic locations as the listeners.

Results

Identification rates were higher for responses to talkers from the same dialect as the listeners and for female speech. Listeners were sensitive to systematic positional variations in vowels and their dynamic structure (formant movement) associated with generational differences in vowel pronunciation resulting from sound change in a speech community. Overall identification rate was 71.7%, which is 8.5% lower than for the adults responding to the same stimuli in Jacewicz and Fox (2012).

Conclusion

Typically developing older children were successful in dealing with both phonetic and indexical variation related to talker dialect, gender, and generation. They were less consistent than the adults, most likely because of less efficient encoding of acoustic-phonetic information in the speech of multiple talkers and relative inexperience with indexical variation.
Characteristics of Vocal Fold Vibrations in Vocally Healthy Subjects: Analysis With Multi-Line Kymography
Authors: Yamauchi Akihito , Imagawa Hiroshi , Sakakibara Ken-Ichi , Yokonishi Hisayuki , Nito Takaharu , Yamasoba Tatsuya , Tayama Niro
Published: April 2014

Purpose

In this study, the authors aimed to analyze longitudinal data from high-speed digital images in normative subjects using multi-line kymography.

Method

Vocally healthy subjects were divided into young (9 men and 17 women;
M
age
= 27 years) and older groups (8 men and 12 women;
M
age
= 73 years). From high-speed digital images of phonation at a conversational frequency kymograms were created at 5 different levels of the vocal fold and were analyzed to determine the opening/closing longitudinal phase difference, open quotient, and speed index. Then age- and gender-related differences of these parameters were analyzed statistically.

Results

Young women frequently showed a pattern of posterior-to-anterior glottal opening and anterior-to-posterior glottal closure, and older women demonstrated various opening and closing patterns. Both young men and older men were similar to older women. The open quotient was maximal at the most posterior glottal level in young women, but it tended to be maximal at the anterior glottis in the other subgroups. The mean value of the 5 open quotients was largest in young women. The mean speed index had a large negative value in older subjects.

Conclusion

This study provides the first information about age-related differences of longitudinal oscillatory characteristics of the vocal folds obtained with high-speed digital imaging.
Modeling the Biomechanical Influence of Epilaryngeal Stricture on the Vocal Folds: A Low-Dimensional Model of Vocal–Ventricular Fold Coupling
Authors: Moisik Scott R. , Esling John H.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

Physiological and phonetic studies suggest that, at moderate levels of epilaryngeal stricture, the ventricular folds impinge upon the vocal folds and influence their dynamical behavior, which is thought to be responsible for constricted laryngeal sounds. In this work, the authors examine this hypothesis through biomechanical modeling.

Method

The dynamical response of a low-dimensional, lumped-element model of the vocal folds under the influence of vocal–ventricular fold coupling was evaluated. The model was assessed for F0 and cover-mass phase difference. Case studies of simulations of different constricted phonation types and of glottal stop illustrate various additional aspects of model performance.

Results

Simulated vocal–ventricular fold coupling lowers F0 and perturbs the mucosal wave. It also appears to reinforce irregular patterns of oscillation, and it can enhance laryngeal closure in glottal stop production.

Conclusion

The effects of simulated vocal–ventricular fold coupling are consistent with sounds, such as creaky voice, harsh voice, and glottal stop, that have been observed to involve epilaryngeal stricture and apparent contact between the vocal folds and ventricular folds. This supports the view that vocal–ventricular fold coupling is important in the vibratory dynamics of such sounds and, furthermore, suggests that these sounds may intrinsically require epilaryngeal stricture.
Articulatory Closure Proficiency in Patients With Parkinson's Disease Following Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus and Caudal Zona Incerta
Authors: Karlsson Fredrik , Olofsson Katarina , Blomstedt Patric , Linder Jan , Nordh Erik , van Doorn Jan
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The present study aimed at comparing the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the caudal zona incerta (cZi) on the proficiency in achieving oral closure and release during plosive production of people with Parkinson's disease.

Method

Nineteen patients participated preoperatively and 12 months after DBS surgery. Nine patients had implantations in the STN, 7 bilaterally and 2 unilaterally (left). Ten had bilateral implantations in the cZi. Postoperative examinations were made off and on stimulation. All patients received simultaneous L-dopa treatment in all conditions. For a series of plosives extracted from a reading passage, absolute and relative measures of duration of frication and amplitude of plosive release were compared between conditions within each treatment group.

Results

Relative duration of frication increased in voiceless plosives in the on-stimulation condition in cZi patients. Similar trends were observed across the data set. Duration of prerelease frication and the release peak prominence increased in voiceless plosives on stimulation for both groups.

Conclusion

The increased release prominence suggests that patients achieved a stronger closure gesture because of DBS but that the increased energy available resulted in increased frication.
The Psychologist as an Interlocutor in Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment: Insights From a Study of Spontaneous Prosody
Authors: Bone Daniel , Lee Chi-Chun , Black Matthew P. , Williams Marian E. , Lee Sungbok , Levitt Pat , Narayanan Shrikanth
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between prosodic speech cues and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) severity, hypothesizing a mutually interactive relationship between the speech characteristics of the psychologist and the child. The authors objectively quantified acoustic-prosodic cues of the psychologist and of the child with ASD during spontaneous interaction, establishing a methodology for future large-sample analysis.

Method

Speech acoustic-prosodic features were semiautomatically derived from segments of semistructured interviews (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, ADOS; Lord, Rutter, DiLavore, & Risi, 1999; Lord et al., 2012) with 28 children who had previously been diagnosed with ASD. Prosody was quantified in terms of intonation, volume, rate, and voice quality. Research hypotheses were tested via correlation as well as hierarchical and predictive regression between ADOS severity and prosodic cues.

Results

Automatically extracted speech features demonstrated prosodic characteristics of dyadic interactions. As rated ASD severity increased, both the psychologist and the child demonstrated effects for turn-end pitch slope, and both spoke with atypical voice quality. The psychologist's acoustic cues predicted the child's symptom severity better than did the child's acoustic cues.

Conclusion

The psychologist, acting as evaluator and interlocutor, was shown to adjust his or her behavior in predictable ways based on the child's social-communicative impairments. The results support future study of speech prosody of both interaction partners during spontaneous conversation, while using automatic computational methods that allow for scalable analysis on much larger corpora.
Stuttering, Temperament, and Anxiety: Data From a Community Cohort Ages 2–4 Years
Authors: Kefalianos Elaina , Onslow Mark , Ukoumunne Obioha , Block Susan , Reilly Sheena
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether and when temperament differences, including precursors of anxiety, emerge before onset and during stuttering development.

Method

The authors prospectively studied temperament characteristics of a community cohort of children who stutter (
N
= 183) and children in the control group (
N
= 1,261).

Results

No significant differences were found at ages 2, 3, or 4 years between children who stutter and control children for
approach
or at ages 3 or 4 years for
easy/difficult
temperament. Both of these measures are precursors of anxiety. Significant differences were found for
reactivity
and
persistence
at age 3 years. Children who stutter were less reactive to environmental stimuli and had a reduced ability to attend to a task until completion. There was no evidence of this difference for
persistence
at age 4 years.
Reactivity
was not measured at age 4 years.

Conclusion

On the basis of parents' responses to the Short Temperament Scale, preschoolers who stutter did not have innately different temperaments from control children on those temperament traits measured from ages 2 to 4 years. They showed no signs of temperament precursors of anxiety before stuttering onset or shortly after. Results suggest, at most, that temperament is influenced somehow during the period after stuttering onset but with a waning developmental influence subsequently.
Reliability of an Automated High-Resolution Manometry Analysis Program Across Expert Users, Novice Users, and Speech-Language Pathologists
Authors: Jones Corinne A. , Hoffman Matthew R. , Geng Zhixian , Abdelhalim Suzan M. , Jiang Jack J. , McCulloch Timothy M.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate inter- and intrarater reliability among expert users, novice users, and speech-language pathologists with a semiautomated high-resolution manometry analysis program. We hypothesized that all users would have high intrarater reliability and high interrater reliability.

Method

Three expert users, 15 novice users, and 5 speech-language pathologists participated in this study. Following a 20-min training session, users analyzed 30 high-resolution manometry plots using an automated analysis program. Output parameters included 2- and 3-dimensional pressure integrals over 5 anatomical regions of interest. Intraclass correlations were used to examine inter- and intrarater reliability. An analysis of variance was also performed to determine any differences in mean output parameter values.

Results

Within-group interrater reliability ranged from 0.54 to 0.99, and intergroup reliability ranged from 0.92 to 0.99. Intrarater reliability ranged from 0.67 to 1.00 across all groups. There were no significant differences of output parameters among groups.

Conclusions

The high reliability observed after a short training session demonstrates that individuals with little to no prior knowledge of swallowing physiology can perform at a similar level as those with expertise. Given the quickness and ease of training in the use of this program, it has the potential for research and clinical utility.
Rhythm as a Coordinating Device: Entrainment With Disordered Speech
Authors: Borrie Stephanie A. , Liss Julie M.
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The rhythmic entrainment (coordination) of behavior during human interaction is a powerful phenomenon, considered essential for successful communication, supporting social and emotional connection, and facilitating sense-making and information exchange. Disruption in entrainment likely occurs in conversations involving those with speech and language impairment, but its contribution to communication disorders has not been defined. As a first step to exploring this phenomenon in clinical populations, the present investigation examined the influence of disordered speech on the speech production properties of healthy interactants.

Method

Twenty-nine neurologically healthy interactants participated in a quasi-conversational paradigm, in which they read sentences (response) in response to hearing prerecorded sentences (exposure) from speakers with dysarthria (n= 4) and healthy controls (n= 4). Recordings of read sentences prior to the task were also collected (habitual).

Results

Findings revealed that interactants modified their speaking rate and pitch variation to align more closely with the disordered speech. Production shifts in these rhythmic properties, however, remained significantly different from corresponding properties in dysarthric speech.

Conclusion

Entrainment offers a new avenue for exploring speech and language impairment, addressing a communication process not currently explained by existing frameworks. This article offers direction for advancing this line of inquiry.
The Effect of Deep Brain Stimulation on the Speech Motor System
Authors: Mücke Doris , Becker Johannes , Barbe Michael T. , Meister Ingo , Liebhart Lena , Roettger Timo B. , Dembek Till , Timmermann Lars , Grice Martine
Published: April 2014

Purpose

Chronic deep brain stimulation of the nucleus ventralis intermedius is an effective treatment for individuals with medication-resistant essential tremor. However, these individuals report that stimulation has a deleterious effect on their speech. The present study investigates one important factor leading to these effects: the coordination of oral and glottal articulation.

Method

Sixteen native-speaking German adults with essential tremor, between 26 and 86 years old, with and without chronic deep brain stimulation of the nucleus ventralis intermedius and 12 healthy, age-matched subjects were recorded performing a fast syllable repetition task (/papapa/, /tatata/, /kakaka/). Syllable duration and voicing-to-syllable ratio as well as parameters related directly to consonant production, voicing during constriction, and frication during constriction were measured.

Results

Voicing during constriction was greater in subjects with essential tremor than in controls, indicating a perseveration of voicing into the voiceless consonant. Stimulation led to fewer voiceless intervals (voicing-to-syllable ratio), indicating a reduced degree of glottal abduction during the entire syllable cycle. Stimulation also induced incomplete oral closures (frication during constriction), indicating imprecise oral articulation.

Conclusion

The detrimental effect of stimulation on the speech motor system can be quantified using acoustic measures at the subsyllabic level.