bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptation to an Electropalatograph Palate: Acoustic, Impressionistic, and Perceptual Data
Authors: McLeod Sharynne , Searl Jeff
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate adaptation to the electropalatograph (EPG) from the perspective of consonant acoustics, listener perceptions, and speaker ratings.

Method

Seven adults with typical speech wore an EPG and pseudo-EPG palate over 2 days and produced syllables, read a passage, counted, and rated their adaptation to the palate. Consonant acoustics, listener ratings, and speaker ratings were analyzed.

Results

The spectral mean for the burst (/t/) and frication (/s/) was reduced for the first 60–120 min of wearing the pseudo-EPG palate. Temporal features (stop gap, frication, and syllable duration) were unaffected by wearing the pseudo-EPG palate. The EPG palate had a similar effect on consonant acoustics as the pseudo-EPG palate. Expert listener ratings indicated minimal to no change in speech naturalness or distortion from the pseudo-EPG or EPG palate. The sounds /t∫, dʒ, ∫, s, z, ʒ/ were most likely to be affected. Speaker self-ratings related to oral comfort, speech, tongue movement, appearance, and oral sensation were negatively affected by the presence of the palatal devices.

Conclusions

Speakers detected a substantial difference when wearing a palatal device, but the effects on speech were minimal based on listener ratings. Spectral features of consonants were initially affected, although adaptation occurred. Wearing an EPG or pseudo-EPG palate for approximately 2 hr results in relatively normal-sounding speech with acoustic features similar to a no-palate condition.
Facilitating Behavioral Change in Voice Therapy: The Relevance of Motivational Interviewing
Authors: Behrman Alison
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to present an exploration of some of the issues surrounding adherence to vocal behavioral change in voice therapy within the context of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and to explore MI’s potential for integration into voice therapy (MI-adapted voice therapy). MI is a style of interpersonal communication in which resistance is minimized through the use of skillful listening in a directive, constructive discussion about behavior change. The goal of MI-adapted voice therapy is to enhance patient adherence to vocal behavioral change.

Method

A narrative review of the literature is presented, together with the experiences of the author with 10 adult patients with voice disorders who participated in MI-adapted voice therapy.

Results

It is shown that the principles of MI can be applied throughout the therapy program. Points of resistance to vocal behavioral change that were common across many patients appeared to be addressed appropriately by specific MI dialogue strategies.

Conclusions

It is concluded that MI-adapted voice therapy holds promise as an approach to address patient adherence to vocal behavioral change. However, research is necessary to define the efficacy of this approach and the factors associated with its efficacy.
A Closer Look at Transcription Intelligibility for Speakers With Dysarthria: Evaluation of Scoring Paradigms and Linguistic Errors Made by Listeners
Authors: Hustad Katherine C.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This study addressed the effects of 3 different paradigms for scoring orthographic transcriptions of dysarthric speech on intelligibility scores. The study also examined whether there were differences in transcription accuracy among words from different linguistic classes.

Method

Speech samples were collected from 12 speakers with dysarthria of varying severity. Twelve different listeners made orthographic transcriptions of each speaker, for a total of 144 listeners. Transcriptions were scored using 3 different paradigms: total word phonemic match, informational word phonemic match, and informational word semantic match. Transcriptions were also coded into 3 linguistic categories: content words, modifiers, and functors. The number of words that each listener transcribed correctly within each category was tallied.

Results

There were significant differences among the 3 scoring paradigms. However, the magnitude of differences was relatively small. In addition, listeners transcribed functor words more accurately than content words or modifiers. They also transcribed free morphemes more accurately than bound morphemes.

Conclusions

The specific scoring paradigm that clinicians employ for measuring speech intelligibility appears to be relatively inconsequential as long as consistent procedures are used. Analyses of the kinds of words that listeners transcribe correctly suggest that interventions focusing on listener processing strategies should be considered for enhancing intelligibility of speakers with chronic dysarthria.
Parents' and Professionals' Perceptions of the Implementation of Family-Centered Practices in Child Assessments
Authors: Crais Elizabeth R. , Roy Vicky Poston , Free Karen
Published: May 2007

Purpose

To determine the degree to which early intervention professionals and families agreed on whether specific family-centered practices were implemented in specific child assessments and which practices were viewed as important to include in future child assessments.

Method

A self-rating instrument was used to survey 134 early intervention professionals (across a variety of disciplines) and 58 family members in triads (2 professionals and 1 family member for each assessment) after they had participated together in a child assessment. Participants were asked to identify across 41 family-centered practices whether the practice was implemented (actual practice) and would be important to include in future assessments (ideal practice).

Results

Agreement between families and professionals and between professionals was high for both actual practices (69% and 78%, respectively) and ideal practices (82% and 84%, respectively). Some practices were frequently implemented, whereas others were seldom implemented. Both professionals and families viewed most of the practices as ideal. However, an implementation gap was seen on almost half of the practices between what families and professionals viewed as actually implemented and what was ideal implementation.

Conclusions

Although a number of family-centered practices were implemented in the child assessments studied, the results pinpointed specific practices that professionals and families agreed should be changed. The results can serve as a guide for enhancing the implementation of, and continued investigation into, family-centered practices in child assessment and can add key information toward the identification of evidence-based practices.
Initial Audiologic Assessment of Infants Referred From Well Baby, Special Care, and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurseries
Authors: Karzon Roanne K. , Lieu Judith E. Cho
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 2-hr initial audiologic assessment appointment for infants referred from area universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) programs to a clinical audiology department in an urban hospital.

Method

A prospective auditory brainstem response (ABR)-based protocol, including clicks, frequency-specific tone bursts, and bone-conducted stimuli, was administered by 10 audiologists to 375 infants. Depending on the ABR findings, additional test options included distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), high-frequency tympanometry, and/or otologic examination.

Results

In 88% of the 2-hr test sessions, at least 4 ABR threshold estimates were obtained (i.e., bilateral clicks and either a 500- or 1000-Hz tone burst and a 4000-Hz frequency tone burst for the better ear). The incidence of hearing loss was significantly different across nursery levels: 18% for Level I (well baby), 29% for Level II (special care), and 52% for Level III (neonatal intensive care unit). Hearing loss type was defined at the initial assessment for 35 of the 51 infants with bilateral hearing loss based on bone-conduction ABR, latency measures, DPOAEs, high-frequency tympanometry, and/or otologic examination.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that a 2-hr test appointment is appropriate for all nursery levels to diagnose severity and type of hearing loss in the majority of infants referred from UNHS. Examination by an otolaryngologist within 24–48 hr further defines the hearing loss and facilitates treatment plans.
A Case Study of an Emerging Community-Based Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program: Part I. Parents’ Compliance
Authors: Danhauer Jeffrey L. , Johnson Carole E.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This is the first of a 2-part series of articles that describe and assess an emerging community-based early hearing detection and intervention program. This study investigated parents’ compliance for accessing services for their infants at 5 levels in the process from referrals through subsequent follow-up during a 3-year period. Compliance was defined as parents’ follow-through with professionals’ recommendations and appointments for their infants’ hearing health care.

Method

Investigators retrospectively reviewed the charts of 51 infants who were referred from a regional hospital’s newborn hearing screening program to a private practice office and were seen from March 2000 to February 2003.

Results

Compliance was 100% for initial hospital inpatient screening and for outpatient rescreening but decreased throughout the referral process. All of the parents of babies with hearing loss complied, and their infants were diagnosed by age 3 months and received audiologic or otologic intervention by age 6 months. Only half of those who needed and opted for hearing aids complied and began habilitative intervention by age 6 months.

Conclusions

Although compliance for initial and follow-up screening was excellent and met goals for national benchmarks, compliance for intervention services showed room for improvement.
A Case Study of an Emerging Community-Based Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program: Part II. Team Building With Otolaryngologists and Pediatricians Using a Survey Approach
Authors: Danhauer Jeffrey L. , Johnson Carole E. , Finnegan Dan , Hansen Katherine , Lamb Marilene , Lopez Ilian Priscilla , Meuel Caitlin , Pecile Angela , Resnick Shelby , Williams Victoria
Published: May 2007

Purpose

Physicians are vital team members of early hearing detection and intervention programs (EHDIPs), particularly in encouraging parents to comply with recommendations for follow-up services for their infants in universal newborn hearing screening programs (UNHSPs). This study describes a survey approach to help audiologists partner with otolaryngologists and pediatricians in EHDIPs.

Method

We developed and mailed a 19-item questionnaire to all 12 otolaryngologists and 66 pediatricians potentially involved in a community-based EHDIP. The questionnaire assessed respondents’ demographic data and knowledge of, experiences with, and attitudes toward the service-delivery continuum of UNHSPs.

Results

The overall response rate was 45%; all 12 otolaryngologists responded (100%; data from 7 were analyzed), and 23 pediatricians responded (34.8%; all were analyzed). Generally, they were positive toward and knowledgeable about UNHSPs and believed that (a) parent/infant bonding is unaffected by screening, (b) hearing reevaluations following medical services are important, (c) audiologists perform their role adequately, (d) it is important that hearing losses be identified and interventions begun before infants reach 6 months of age, (e) UNHSPs deserve funding, and (f) their role is important, but the physicians also wanted improvements in parent education and referral/follow-ups.

Conclusion

The survey method was effective in identifying participating physicians’ informational needs and attitudes toward UNHSPs, and in designing outreach programs for them.
Hearing Screening in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Follow-Up of Referrals
Authors: Lieu Judith E. C. , Karzon Roanne K. , Mange Carole C.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The goal of this study was to examine the rate of diagnostic testing after newborn hearing screening (NHS) referral, evaluate timeliness of follow-up, and evaluate the use of multilevel auditory brainstem response (ABR) in screening of high-risk infants.

Method

Telephone interviews were conducted with parents of infants who had been admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit from 1999 to 2002 and referred on NHS. An ABR screen was combined with a multilevel ABR (40, 70, and 90 dB nHL) for referrals.

Results

Parents of 206 infants participated; 69% of the infants underwent diagnostic follow-up. Of those with follow-up, 37% had normal hearing, 38% had hearing loss, and parents were unsure of hearing test results for 25%. Follow-up by 6 months of age occurred for 13% in 1999, increasing to 31% by 2002. Infants who did not pass their screening in both ears had confirmed hearing loss in 56% vs. 25% in those who passed in 1 ear. Also, 67% of infants with bilateral pass levels of 90 dB nHL or more had confirmed hearing loss, vs. 32% in all others.

Conclusions

Timely follow-up after NHS referral in our program has improved over time. Multilevel ABR may facilitate allocation of appropriate resources to track and ensure follow-up in infants at high risk for hearing loss.
The Development of Proto-Performative Utterances in Deaf Toddlers
Authors: Lichtert Guido F. , Loncke Filip T.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the development of proto-imperative and proto-declarative utterances in normally developing, non-neonatally screened, profoundly deaf toddlers.

Method

Both types of proto-declarative are considered to be the most basic prelinguistic and early linguistic communicative functions. Eighteen normally developing, non-neonatally screened, profoundly deaf toddlers participated in a longitudinal study. All children were enrolled in the same oral–aural home guidance program. At the time of the study, none of the children had received a cochlear implant. At the ages of 18, 24, and 30 months, proto-imperative utterances were elicited using an adapted version of M. Casby and J. A. Cumpata’s (1986) Protocol for the Assessment of Prelinguistic Intentional Communication. For eliciting proto-declarative intentions, a video clip was used.

Results

Results revealed a significant increase in both frequency and level of utterances for both types of proto-performatives. Although there was a clear development from nonlinguistic toward linguistic communication, utterances remained predominantly deictic–gestural for the imperative intentions and referential–gestural for declaratives.

Conclusions

The data support the notion from the literature that both types of performatives are susceptible to elicitation. Results also suggest that after neonatal screening, both total communication and oral–aural approaches might accelerate conventionalization of the earliest communicative utterances of profoundly deaf toddlers.
Tense and Agreement Morphemes in the Speech of Children With Specific Language Impairment During Intervention: Phase 2
Authors: Leonard Laurence B. , Camarata Stephen M. , Pawłowska Monika , Brown Barbara , Camarata Mary N.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The goals of this investigation were to determine whether treatment assists children with specific language impairment (SLI) in the use of grammatical morphemes that mark tense and agreement and whether treatment gains influence the children’s use of other, untreated morphemes.

Method

Twenty-five children with SLI participated in 96 intervention sessions designed to facilitate the children’s use of third-person singular -
s
or auxiliary
is/are/was
.

Results

The children showed significantly larger gains on the target forms than on control forms (e.g., past tense -
ed
) that were monitored but not included in intervention. Along with possible treatment-related generalization across morpheme types, there was also evidence of one morpheme type influencing another when neither was the target of intervention.

Conclusions

Although the results provide clear evidence for intervention effects, it appeared as if maturational factors also played a role. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for treatment and for characterizing development in SLI.
Consistency of Sentence Intelligibility Across Difficult Listening Situations
Authors: Healy Eric W. , Montgomery Allen A.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The extent to which a sentence retains its level of spoken intelligibility relative to other sentences in a list under a variety of difficult listening situations was examined.

Method

The strength of thissentence effectwas studied using the Central Institute for the Deaf Everyday Speech sentences and both generalizability analysis (Experiments 1 and 2) and correlation (Analyses 1 and 2).

Results

Experiments 1 and 2 indicated the presence of a prominent sentence effect (substantial variance accounted for) across a large range of group mean intelligibilities (Experiment 1) and different spectral contents (Experiment 2). In Correlation Analysis 1, individual sentence scores were found to be correlated across listeners in each group producing widely ranging levels of performance. The sentence effect accounted for over half of the variance between listener-ability groups. In Correlation Analysis 2, correlations accounted for an average of 42% of the variance across a variety of listening conditions. However, when the auditory data were compared to speech-reading data, the cross-modal correlations were quite low.

Conclusions

The stability of relative sentence intelligibility (the sentence effect) appears across a wide range of mean intelligibilities, across different spectral compositions, and across different listener performance levels, but not across sensory modalities.
Individual Differences in the Onset of Tense Marking: A Growth-Curve Analysis
Authors: Hadley Pamela A. , Holt Janet K.
Published: May 2007

The purpose of this study was to explore individual differences in children’s tense onset growth trajectories and to determine whether any within- or between-child predictors could account for these differences. Twenty-two children with expressive vocabulary abilities in the low-average to below-average range participated. Sixteen children were at risk for specific language impairment (SLI), and 6 children had low-average language abilities. Spontaneous language samples, obtained at 3-month intervals between 2;0 and 3;0, were analyzed to examine change in a cumulative productivity score for 5 tense morphemes: third person singular present, past tense, copula BE, auxiliary BE, and auxiliary DO. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to model intercept and linear growth at 30 months and quadratic growth overall. A growth model that included mean length of utterance (MLU) and MLU growth better explained within-child productivity score growth trajectories than a parallel model with vocabulary and vocabulary growth. Significant linear growth in productivity scores remained even after a control for MLU was in place. When between-child predictors were added in the final conditional model, only positive family history approached statistical significance, improving the overall estimation of the model’s growth parameters. The findings support theoretical models of language acquisition that claim relative independence of tense marking from other more general aspects of vocabulary development and sentence length. The trends for family history are also consistent with proposals implicating faulty genetic mechanisms underlying developmental language disorders. Systematic use of familial risk data is recommended in future investigations examining the relationship between late-talking children and children at risk for SLI.
Dynamic Assessment of School-Age Children’s Narrative Ability: An Experimental Investigation of Classification Accuracy
Authors: Peña Elizabeth D. , Gillam Ronald B. , Malek Melynn , Ruiz-Felter Roxanna , Resendiz Maria , Fiestas Christine , Sabel Tracy
Published: May 2007

Two experiments examined reliability and classification accuracy of a narration-based dynamic assessment task.

Purpose

The first experiment evaluated whether parallel results were obtained from stories created in response to 2 different wordless picture books. If so, the tasks and measures would be appropriate for assessing pretest and posttest change within a dynamic assessment format. The second experiment evaluated the extent to which children with language impairments performed differently than typically developing controls on dynamic assessment of narrative language.

Method

In the first experiment, 58 1st- and 2nd-grade children told 2 stories about wordless picture books. Stories were rated on macrostructural and microstructural aspects of language form and content, and the ratings were subjected to reliability analyses. In the second experiment, 71 children participated in dynamic assessment. There were 3 phases: a pretest phase, in which children created a story that corresponded to 1 of the wordless picture books from Experiment 1; a teaching phase, in which children attended 2 short mediation sessions that focused on storytelling ability; and a posttest phase, in which children created a story that corresponded to a second wordless picture book from Experiment 1. Analyses compared the pretest and posttest stories that were told by 2 groups of children who received mediated learning (typical and language impaired groups) and a no-treatment control group of typically developing children from Experiment 1.

Results

The results of the first experiment indicated that the narrative measures applied to stories about 2 different wordless picture books had good internal consistency. In Experiment 2, typically developing children who received mediated learning demonstrated a greater amount of pretest to posttest change than children in the language impaired and control groups. Classification analysis indicated better specificity and sensitivity values for measures of response to intervention (modifiability) and posttest storytelling than for measures of pretest storytelling. Observation of modifiability was the single best indicator of language impairment. Posttest measures and modifiability together yielded no misclassifications.

Conclusion

The first experiment supported the use of 2 wordless picture books as stimulus materials for collecting narratives before and after mediation within a dynamic assessment paradigm. The second experiment supported the use of dynamic assessment for accurately identifying language impairments in school-age children.
Articulation Rate and Vowel Space Characteristics of Young Males With Fragile X Syndrome: Preliminary Acoustic Findings
Authors: Zajac David J. , Roberts Joanne E. , Hennon Elizabeth A. , Harris Adrianne A. , Barnes Elizabeth F. , Misenheimer Jan
Published: May 2007

Purpose

Increased speaking rate is a commonly reported perceptual characteristic among males with fragile X syndrome (FXS). The objective of this preliminary study was to determine articulation rate—one component of perceived speaking rate—and vowel space characteristics of young males with FXS.

Method

Young males with FXS (n= 38), developmental age (DA)-matched males (n= 21), and chronological age (CA)-matched males (n= 16) were audiotaped while engaged in spontaneous conversation and a picture-naming task. Articulation rate in syllables per second during intelligible utterances and vowel space area/dispersion measures were acoustically determined for each speaker.

Results

Males with FXS did not articulate significantly faster than CA-matched males. Area and dispersion of the acoustic vowel space also were similar between the 2 groups. Males with FXS, however, used significantly shorter utterances and had a tendency to pause less often than CA-matched males. In addition, males with FXS exhibited greater intraspeaker variability of formants associated with the vowel /a/.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings suggest that articulation rate may not be a primary factor contributing to perceived speaking rate of males with FXS. Limitations of the study relative to speech production tasks and utterance intelligibility are discussed.
Effects of Elicitation Task Variables on Speech Production by Children With Cochlear Implants
Authors: McCleary Elizabeth A. , Ide-Helvie Dana L. , Lotto Andrew J. , Carney Arlene Earley , Higgins Maureen B.
Published: May 2007

Given the interest in comparing speech production development in children with normal hearing and hearing impairment, it is important to evaluate how variables within speech elicitation tasks can differentially affect the acoustics of speech production for these groups. In a first experiment, children (6–14 years old) with cochlear implants produced a set of monosyllabic words either in isolation or while simultaneously signing the word. Acoustical analyses indicated no change in word duration, voice onset time, intensity, or fundamental frequency between isolated and simultaneous signing conditions. In a second experiment, the same children verbally repeated words that were signed by a video model. The model either signed with inflection or without. Words repeated after inflected models were higher in fundamental frequency and intensity and were more intelligible. In addition, children with poorer speech perception skills sometimes produced the monosyllables as 2 syllables, but this only occurred for words that had multiple sign movements. The results have implications for the comparison of speech development between children with normal hearing and those with hearing impairment.
F2 Locus Equations: Phonetic Descriptors of Coarticulation in 17- to 22-Month-Old Children
Authors: Gibson Terrie , Ohde Ralph N.
Published: May 2007

The general purpose of this research was to describe coarticulation across voiced stop consonant place of articulation in 10 children younger than 2 years of age. A total of 1,182 voiced stop CV productions was analyzed using the locus equation metric, which yielded 3 regression lines that described the relation of F2 onset and F2 vowel for /bV/, /dV/, and /gV/ productions. The results revealed significant differential effects for slope and
y
-intercept as a function of stop consonant place of articulation. The ordering of the mean slope values for stop consonant place of articulation was /g/>/b/ and /d/, indicating that /g/ was produced with significantly greater coarticulation than /b/ or /d/. However, the unique vowel allophonic pattern of [g] coarticulation reported in the literature for English-speaking adults was generally not learned by these young children. Group and individual coarticulation trends are described in relation to developmental theories of sound acquisition. Results suggest that early coarticulation patterns are phoneme specific.
Differences in the Nonword Repetition Performance of Children With and Without Specific Language Impairment: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Graf Estes Katharine , Evans Julia L. , Else-Quest Nicole M.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This study presents a meta-analysis of the difference in nonword repetition performance between children with and without specific language impairment (SLI). The authors investigated variability in the effect sizes (i.e., the magnitude of the difference between children with and without SLI) across studies and its relation to several factors: type of nonword repetition task, age of SLI sample, and nonword length.

Method

The authors searched computerized databases and reference sections and requested unpublished data to find reports of nonword repetition tasks comparing children with and without SLI.

Results

Children with SLI exhibited very large impairments in nonword repetition, performing an average (across 23 studies) of 1.27 standard deviations below children without SLI. A moderator analysis revealed that different versions of the nonword repetition task yielded significantly different effect sizes, indicating that the measures are not interchangeable. The second moderator analysis found no association between effect size and the age of children with SLI. Finally, an exploratory meta-analysis found that children with SLI displayed difficulty repeating even short nonwords, with greater difficulty for long nonwords.

Conclusions

These findings have potential to affect how nonword repetition tasks are used and interpreted, and suggest several directions for future research.
Perceptual Weighting of Stop Consonant Cues by Normal and Impaired Listeners in Reverberation Versus Noise
Authors: Hedrick Mark S. , Younger Mary Sue
Published: May 2007

Purpose

To determine if listeners with normal hearing and listeners with sensorineural hearing loss give different perceptual weightings to cues for stop consonant place of articulation in noise versus reverberation listening conditions.

Method

Nine listeners with normal hearing (23–28 years of age) and 10 listeners with sensorineural hearing loss (31–79 years of age, median 66 years) participated. The listeners were asked to label the consonantal portion of synthetic CV stimuli as either /p/ or /t/. Two cues were varied: (a) the amplitude of the spectral peak in the F4/F5 frequency region of the burst was varied across a 30-dB range relative to the adjacent vowel peak amplitude in the same frequency region, (b) F2/F3 formant transition onset frequencies were either appropriate for /p/, /t/ or neutral for the labial/alveolar contrast.

Results

Weightings of relative amplitude and transition cues for voiceless stop consonants depended on the listening condition (quiet, noise, or reverberation), hearing loss, and age of listener. The effects of age with hearing loss reduced the perceptual integration of cues, particularly in reverberation. The effects of hearing loss reduced the effectiveness of both cues, notably relative amplitude in reverberation.

Conclusions

Reverberation and noise conditions have different perceptual effects. Hearing loss and age may have different, separable effects.
The Consistency of Sentence Intelligibility Across Three Types of Signal Distortion
Authors: Healy Eric W. , Montgomery Allen A.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

To examine the extent to which sentences retain their levels of spoken intelligibility relative to other sentences in a set (the
sentence effect
) across different types of signal distortion.

Method

The Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) sentences were rendered difficult to understand through the addition of broadband noise. These intelligibility data were compared with those from previous studies in which the sentences were distorted through filtering and visual-only conditions of speechreading. The extent to which the various sentences retained their intelligibility rankings was examined using an analysis of variance model and by correlating individual sentence means across conditions.

Results

The sentences accounted for a large portion of the variance, and individual sentence scores were highly correlated across conditions involving a single distortion type. However, correlations were lower when conditions involving noise were compared with those involving filtering. Surprisingly, correlations across auditory distortions were almost identical to those observed across auditory and visual modalities. These comparisons, reflecting the consistency of sentence difficulty independent of presentation characteristics, accounted for approximately 25% of the variance in sentence-recognition performance.

Conclusion

There exists a sentence effect that holds across various types of signal distortion, but the strongest form is restricted not only within modalities but within particular forms of distortion.
Perovskite lead zirconium titanate nanorings: Towards nanoscale ferroelectric “solenoids”?
Authors: Zhu X. H. , Evans P. R. , Byrne D. , Schilling A. , Douglas C. , Pollard R. J. , Bowman R. M. , Gregg J. M. , Morrison F. D. , Scott J. F.
Published: May 2007

Rings of perovskite lead zirconium titanate (PZT) with internal diameters down to ∼5nm and ring thicknesses of ∼5–10nm have been fabricated and structurally, crystallographically, and chemically characterized using an analytical transmission electron microscope. Ring fabrication involved conformal solution deposition of a thin layer of PZT on the inside of a thin film of anodized aluminum oxide nanopores, and subsequent sectioning of the coated pores perpendicular to their cylinder axes. Although the starting solution used for the solution deposition was made from morphotropic phase boundary PZT, the nanorings were found to be on the zirconium-rich side of the PZT phase diagram. Nevertheless, coatings were found to be of perovskite crystallography. The dimensions of these nanorings are such that they have the potential to demonstrate polarization vortices, as modeled by Naumov et al. [Nature (London) 432, 737 (2004)], and moreover represent the perfect morphology to allow vortex alignment and the creation of the ferroelectric “solenoid” as modeled by Gorbatsevich and Kopaev [Ferroelectrics 161, 321 (1994)].
Resonant soft x-ray scattering from structured polymer nanoparticles
Authors: Araki Tohru , Ade Harald , Stubbs Jeffrey M. , Sundberg Donald C. , Mitchell Gary E. , Kortright Jeffrey B. , Kilcoyne A. L. D.
Published: May 2007

The application of resonant soft x-ray scattering to chemically heterogeneous soft condensed matter materials is presented. Two structured styrene-acrylic polymer composite latex particles ∼230nm in diameter were utilized to delineate the potential utility of this technique. Angular scans at photon energies corresponding to strong scattering contrast between specific chemical moieties made it possible to infer the effective radii that correspond to the two polymer phases in the nanoparticles. The results show that resonant soft x-ray scattering should be a powerful complementary tool to neutron and hard x-ray scattering for the characterization of structured soft condensed matter nanomaterials.
Structural characterization and potential x-ray waveguiding of a small rolled-up nanotube with a large number of windings
Authors: Deneke Ch. , Schmidt O. G.
Published: May 2007

The cross-section of an InGaAs∕GaAs rolled-up nanotube with an average inner diameter of 18nm and with a large number of windings is prepared by focused ion beam etching and investigated by transmission electron microscopy. This technique provides useful information about the shape and size of the inner as well as outer perimeter of the nanotube. The measured cross-section geometry was used to calculate the mode confinement for hard x-ray radiation inside the tube. The authors find excellent confinement for the fundamental mode inside an idealized as well as the realistic tube structure. Their results imply that rolled-up nanotubes are promising candidates for x-ray waveguiding.
Low-damage atomic layer modification of self-assembled monolayer using neutral beam process
Authors: Ishikawa Yasushi , Samukawa Seiji , Ishida Takao
Published: May 2007

Damage-free surface nitridation of terphenyl methanethiol self-assembled monolayers (TP1-SAMs) was investigated using a novel low-energy N2 neutral beam (NB) irradiation technique. When a conventional inductively coupled plasma process was used, x-ray photoelectron spectra confirmed that the TP1-SAM was quickly broken because ions or ultraviolet (UV) photons enhance the surface decomposition and molecular desorption. Conversely, with the N2 NB radiation process, which is free of ions and UV photons, there was little difference in the atomic ratios of x-ray photoelectron spectra before and after NB irradiation. These results suggest that low-damage surface modification is possible through the authors’ NB technique.
Organic field-effect transistors with reduced contact resistance
Authors: Maeda Takahiko , Kato Hisato , Kawakami Haruo
Published: May 2007

In this letter, the authors report a reduction in the contact resistance between pentacene and Au source/drain electrodes of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). By immersing the Au electrodes in a sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide mixture, the injection barrier between the Au electrodes and pentacene was lowered by approximately 0.2eV and the contact resistance significantly decreased. The fabricated bottom-contact OFETs revealed a field-effect mobility of more than 0.66cm2∕Vs at a channel length ranging from 3to30μm, which is comparable to that of top-contact OFETs with a 50μm channel length.
Low-frequency noise in Josephson junctions for superconducting qubits
Authors: Eroms J. , van Schaarenburg L. C. , Driessen E. F. C. , Plantenberg J. H. , Huizinga C. M. , Schouten R. N. , Verbruggen A. H. , Harmans C. J. P. M. , Mooij J. E.
Published: May 2007

The authors have studied low-frequency resistance fluctuations in shadow-evaporated Al∕AlOx∕Al tunnel junctions. Between 300 and 5K the spectral density follows a 1∕f law. Below 5K, individual defects distort the 1∕f shape of the spectrum. The spectral density decreases linearly with temperature between 150 and 1K and saturates below 0.8K. At 4.2K, it is about two orders of magnitude lower than expected from a recent survey [D. J. Van Harlingen et al., Phys. Rev. B 70, 064510 (2004)]. Due to saturation below 0.8K the estimated qubit dephasing times at 100mK are only about two times longer than calculated by Van Harlingen et al.
Electron backscattered diffraction texture analysis of SmCo5 magnets
Authors: de Campos Marcos F. , Yonamine Taeko , Fukuhara Marcos , Machado Rogerio , Romero Sergio A. , Landgraf Fernando J. G. , Rodrigues Daniel , Missell Frank P.
Published: May 2007

The remanence of sintered SmCo5 magnets is a direct function of their crystallographic texture. The Jr∕Js ratio was determined by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) for SmCo5 magnets which had been oriented in a pulsed field of 6T, compressed isostatically, and then sintered at 1150–1170°C for 1h. The experimentally determined EBSD distribution does not follow a Gaussian or a function of the form f(θ=cosnθ). EBSD measurements provided the same Jr∕Js value (0.91) as a microstructural model plus remanence measurements. X-ray diffraction Schulz pole figures resulted in a slightly higher Jr∕Js value (0.92), probably due to neglecting misaligned grains.
Phase evolution during crystallization of nanocomposite alloys with Co:Fe ratios in the two-phase region of the binary Fe–Co phase diagram
Authors: Ohodnicki P. R. , Park S. Y. , McWilliams H. K. , Ramos K. , Laughlin D. E. , McHenry M. E.
Published: May 2007

A series of alloys was prepared to investigate the crystallization of Co-rich HiTPerm-type alloys [(Co1−xFex)88Zr7B4Cu1] with Fe:Co ratios within or near the two-phase (bcc+fcc) region of the binary phase diagram. The goal of this work is to better understand the phase evolution and crystallization of alloys in which the Fe–Co binary phase diagram predicts more than one transition metal rich primary crystalline phase to be present in equilibrium at the primary crystallization temperature. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and high-temperature vibrating-sample magnetometry have been performed to identify the first phase to crystallize and to follow the evolution of phases during crystallization. The bcc phase appears to be the primary crystalline phase that forms first after annealing at 450°C for 1h, in agreement with previous work on Co-rich nanocomposite alloys. We observe that as the Co concentration is increased, the fcc crystalline phase forms at lower annealing temperatures and its volume fraction increases for a given annealing temperature.
Effect of B on the microstructure and magnetostriction of zoned Dy0.7Tb0.3Fe1.95
Authors: Arout Chelvane J. , Palit Mithun , Pandian S. , Balamuralikrishnan R. , Singh A. K. , Chandrasekharan V. , Narayana Jammalamadaka S. , Markandeyulu G.
Published: May 2007

It had been reported that B has beneficial effects on the magnetostriction of anisotropy compensated Dy0.7Tb0.3Fe2 alloys. In the present work, Dy0.7Tb0.3Fe1.95 and Dy0.7Tb0.3Fe1.95Bx (x=0.1, 0.15, and 0.2) alloys, in the form of 8mm diameter cylindrical rods, were investigated both in the as-cast and zoned conditions. At 5kOe dc magnetic field, magnetostriction of ∼1200 and 900 microstrains was observed for zoned samples with x=0 and 0.1, respectively. For zoned samples with x>0.1 and for the as-cast sample of the parent alloy, magnetostriction of ∼500 microstrains was measured. X-ray diffraction of the zoned x=0 and x=0.1 samples showed a strong prevalence of the ⟨112⟩ and the ⟨110⟩ grain orientations; in contrast, the other samples appeared to possess a random grain orientation. Optical and scanning electron microscopy studies revealed a significant increase in the volume fraction of the RFe3 phase with increasing boron content. This increase in the volume fraction of the (Tb,Dy)Fe3 phase and the reduction in the desired grain orientation of the (Tb,Dy)Fe2 phase are attributed to be the reasons for the large decrease in the magnetostriction of the (Tb,Dy)Fe1.95 alloys with boron addition.
Magnetic domain structure of nanohole arrays in Ni films
Authors: Jaafar M. , Navas D. , Asenjo A. , Vázquez M. , Hernández-Vélez M. , García-Martín J. M.
Published: May 2007

Nanohole arrays in Ni films have been prepared by a replica/antireplica method based on anodic alumina membranes. The nanohole arrays exhibited long range ordering with hexagonal symmetry, the hole distance was kept constant (105nm), and the hole diameter and the film thickness were varied between 50 and 70nm and 55 and 600nm, respectively. The magnetic domain structures of such samples have been studied by analyzing magnetic force microscopy images at remanent state. Different domain structures have been observed depending on the geometrical characteristics of the films. The experimental results have been interpreted with the help of micromagnetic simulations.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of perpendicularly magnetized Permalloy multilayer disks
Authors: de Loubens G. , Naletov V. V. , Viret M. , Klein O. , Hurdequint H. , Youssef J. Ben , Boust F. , Vukadinovic N.
Published: May 2007

Using a magnetic resonance force microscope, we compare the ferromagnetic resonance spectra of individual micron size disks with identical diameter, 1μm, but different layer structures. For a disk composed of a single 43.3-nm-thick Permalloy (Py) layer, the lowest energy mode in the perpendicular configuration is the uniform precession. The higher energy modes are standing spin waves confined along the diameter of the disk. For a Cu (30nm)∕Py (100nm)∕Cu (30nm) multilayer structure, it has been interpreted that the lowest energy mode becomes a precession localized at the Cu/Py interfaces. When the multilayer is changed to Py (100nm)∕Cu (10nm)∕Py (10nm), this localized mode of the thick layer becomes coupled to the precession of the thin layer.
On the continuous spectrum of leaky magnetohydrodynamic modes and the associated quasimodes
Authors: Andries Jesse , Goossens Marcel
Published: May 2007

We aim to clarify the mathematical status of the leaky modes in an unbounded magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) plasma. The initial value problem of a one-dimensional unbounded MHD plasma is solved by means of a Laplace transform in time. It is shown that the MHD operator remains self-adjoint in the sense that a self-adjoint extension of the minimal MHD operator exists and that the eigenfrequencies should therefore be real. However, the classical picture of the MHD spectrum is to be extended with a slow and a fast leaky continuous spectrum when unbounded spatial domains are considered. The inversion integral for the Laplace transform is evaluated in such a way as to recast the continuum contribution in terms of a complete spectral representation. This involves the construction of the spectral measure associated with the continuous spectra. In the case of a slab structure, the spectral measure is not a monotonic function of the frequency, but peaks appear in the spectral measure around specific frequencies. These frequencies correspond to the discrete damped leaky modes described in the context of solar physics. The spectral measure can be interpreted physically in terms of the energy carried in and out by the incoming and outgoing waves.
Superdense core mode in the Large Helical Device with an internal diffusion barrier
Authors: Morisaki T. , Ohyabu N. , Masuzaki S. , Kobayashi M. , Sakamoto R. , Miyazawa J. , Funaba H. , Ida K. , Ikeda K. , Kaneko O. , Morita S. , Mutoh S. , Nagaoka K. , Nagayama Y. , Nakajima N. , Narihara K. , Oka Y. , Osakabe M. , Peterson B. J. , Sakakibara S. , Shoji M. , Suzuki Y. , Takeiri Y. , Tamura N. , Tanaka K. , Tsumori K. , Watanabe K. Y. , Yamada I. , Yamada H. , Komori A. , Motojima O. ,   LHD Experiment Group
Published: May 2007

In reduced recycling discharges using a local island divertor in the Large Helical Device [O. Motojima, H. Yamada, A. Komori et al., Phys. Plasmas 6, 1843 (1999)], a stable high-density plasma develops in the core region when a series of pellets is injected. A core region with ∼5×1020m−3 and temperature of 0.85keV is maintained by an internal diffusion barrier (IDB). The density gradient at the IDB (r∕a∼0.6) is very high, and the particle confinement time in the core region is ∼0.4s. Because of the increase in the central pressure, a large Shafranov shift up to ∼0.3m is observed. The critical ingredients for IDB formation are a strongly pumped divertor to reduce edge recycling, and multiple pellet injection to ensure efficient central fueling. No serious magnetohydrodynamics activity and impurity accumulation have been observed so far in this improved discharge.
Transmission electron microscopy study of multiferroic (Bi1−xLax)FeO3–PbTiO3 with x=0.1, 0.2, and 0.3
Authors: Li Z. A. , Yang H. X. , Tian H. F. , Li J. Q. , Cheng Jinrong , Chen Jianguo
Published: May 2007

Microstructural features of the solid solution series of 0.45(Bi1−xLax) FeO3–0.55PbTiO3 with x=0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The experimental results demonstrate that substituting La for Bi leads to a rich variety of structural phenomena: the typical crystal structure changes gradually from tetragonal (T) to rhombohedral (R) with the increase of La content, all three samples have notable features of coexistence of T and R phases, and two remarkable superstructures, (1∕21∕20) and (1∕21∕21∕2), often appear in x=0.2 and 0.3 samples. The (1∕21∕20) superstructure is likely to be an intermediate state bridging the T-R phase transition. Typical twin domains and ferroelectric polarization in these materials have been extensively discussed.
High-temperature superconducting quantum interference device with cooled LC resonant circuit for measuring alternating magnetic fields with improved signal-to-noise ratio
Authors: Qiu Longqing , Zhang Yi , Krause Hans-Joachim , Braginski Alex I. , Usoskin Alexander
Published: May 2007

Certain applications of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) require a magnetic field measurement only in a very narrow frequency range. In order to selectively improve the alternating-current (ac) magnetic field sensitivity of a high-temperature superconductor SQUID for a distinct frequency, a single-coil LC resonant circuit has been used. Within the liquid nitrogen bath, the coil surrounds the SQUID and couples to it inductively. Copper coils with different numbers of windings were used to cover the frequency range from <1 to nearly 100kHz. A superconducting coil made of YBa2Cu3O7−δ tape conductor was also tested. With the LC circuit, the signal-to-noise ratio of measurements could be improved typically by one order of magnitude or more in a narrow frequency band around the resonance frequency exceeding a few kilohertz. The best attained equivalent magnetic field resolution was 2.5fT∕√Hz at 88kHz. The experimental findings are in good agreement with mathematical analysis of the circuit with copper coil.