Causes and consequences of voice disorders among teachers

Abstract Voice disorders are a major problem among teachers. However, the reported prevalence of these disorders have a wide range, and the natural variation of voice disorders among teachers is unknown due to the lack of longitudinal studies. Moreover, there is not a consensus about the best approach for assessing voice disorders among teachers at work. Results on prevalence of voice disorders in this occupational group are based on different sources (questionnaires, perceptual assessment, clinical assessment, acoustical assessment), which make difficult the comparison of these results. On the other hand, associated factors of voice disorders among teachers include individual factors, such as sex and age; and work-r

Objective voice parameters in Colombian school workers with healthy voices

Objectives: To characterize the objective voice parameters among school workers, and to identify associated factors of three object

Associations between Objectively-measured Acoustic Parameters and Occupational Voice Use among Primary School Teachers☆

Abstract Previous studies on voice disorders among teachers have reported that this multidimensional phenomenon is associated with individual factors, external factors related with the audience and with the type of task and the occupation. This work deals with the long-term monitoring (1 to 4 days) of 31 primary school teachers and with the determination of the relationship between conversational and occupational voice parameters. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between voice parameters and room acoustics-related factors

On the Change of Substances of Strawberry Fruit

1. 水田裏作として栽培されたオランダイチゴ, ダナー種の完熟果実を室温中に貯蔵し, その含有成分の変化の過程を調査した。収穫当日に含まれていた80%エタノール可溶性N化合物, 糖類の含有量は次第に減少したが, 有機酸の量は殆んど変化がなかった。しかし, 収穫後の水分含有率の低下は収穫後の日数と共に著しく。従って各成分の濃度(含有率)は相対的に高くなり, その結果N化合物の含有率の低下は比較的緩慢となり, 糖類の含有率は殆んど変化なく, 有機酸は上昇した。糖の種類は, グルコース, フラクトース, キシロース及び蔗糖であるが, 収穫後次第にグルコース及び蔗糖が減少し, キシロースがやゝ増加した。有機酸は大部分がクエン酸で, リンゴ酸, コハク酸及び痕跡の酒石酸が認められたが, 減少したのはリンゴ酸のみであった。2. 排水良き砂壌土の圃場に於て, 栽培された4品種のオランダイチゴ(紅露・幸玉, アメリカ・ダナー)の果実について収穫後に於ける諸成分の含有率の変化を比較した。N化合物・糖類・有機酸についてみると, その含有率自体は品種の特性を示し, 夫々非常に異なっているが, 含有率の貯蔵中の変化は互に平行的に推移し同様の傾向を示した。この実験の果実成分のペーパークロマトグラフィーの結果は, 水田裏作のダナー種に比べて, 糖類の内, フラクトースが特に多く, 蔗糖が少かった。品種間差異は特にグルコースに認められた。有機酸では, 酒石酸がかなり多く, 紅露及び幸玉ではα-ケトグルタル酸を認めた。品種間の差異は, 大部分をクエン酸に, 次いで酒石酸によって影響された。 / 1. The studies were conducted to obtain the fundamental information on the change of the substances in the postharvest strawberry fruit, which was cultivated for the second crop on the rice field (heavy clay soil). The amounts of soluble total-N (in 80% ethanol), amino-N, total sugar and reducing sugar were decreased in the postharvest period. But the organic acid was constant. In the postharvest period, the water content of the strawberry fruit was decreased extremely. Therefore the percentage of the N-compounds and the sugars were not so low, and the organic acid became high percentage after the harvested. On the paperchromatography in the extracts of the strawberry fruit, glucose, fractose, xylose and sucrose were found. And the xylose was increased and the glucose and sucrose were decreased after the harvested. The most of organic acid was citric acid and there were also found succinic acid, malic acid and trace of tartaric acid. The malic acid was decreased after the harvested. 2. The differences of the contents in the fruit were studied among four varieties of the strawberry (Koro, Kogyoku, America and Danner) cultivated on the field of sandy loam soil. Each % of the substances in the fruit was very different among the four varieties, but the processes of the changing had parallel tendency during the postharvest period. The results of paperchromatographic study were compared with them of strawberry fruit cultivated on the rice field. Consequently, more fractose was recognized and the sucrose was slightly. There were much tartaric acid and the trace of α-keto gulutaric acid

Assessment of indoor ambient noise level in school classrooms

Previous studies have shown that poor acoustic conditions inside classrooms interfere with an optimal teaching-learning process. Since high background noise levels and long reverberation times cause higher vocal use among teachers, and lower understanding among students, it is recommended to guarantee physical conditions inside the classrooms that ensure optimal conditions for teaching and learning. To reach this goal, it is important to characterize and control two main factors, namely reverberation and noise. This work focuses on measurement and analysis procedures of indoor ambient noise level during primary school classroom activities, with the main objective to optimize the measurement procedure (data acquisition and elaboration) of background noise in real environments. The presented noise levels were measured in three classrooms in a primary school in Torino (before and after acoustical treatment). They were monitored for the entire duration of classroom activities by positioning a sound level meter near to the teacher’s desk, at least one meter far from every surface. From every long-term measurements (LTMs), short-term measurements (STMs) of one, five and 15 minutes were extracted randomly. LTMs and STMs were elaborated in terms of A-weighted equivalent sound pressure level (LAeq) and of A-weighted statistical sound pressure level (LA90 that corresponds to the level which is overtaken for the 90% of the measurement duration). After every monitored activity teachers filled in a questionnaire on work-related conditions. Associations between self-reports and objective LTMs and STMs of noise during teaching hours were determined using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEEs)

Four-day follow-up study on the self-reported voice condition and noise condition of teachers: relationship between vocal parameters and classroom acoustics

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the changes in self-reported voice and noise condition over a follow-up of 4 days (equivalent to one working week), to define the relationship between the objective voice parameters and the self-reported voice condition, as well as to characterize the relationship between classroom acoustics and the self-reported noise condition. Study design: This is a cohort study. Methods: We performed voice monitoring of 27 teachers for four working days using the Voice-Care device, which provides information on the fundamental frequency, vocal sound pressure level, and phonation time percentage. The participants performed a pre-monitoring, which consisted of a brief conversation, before each monitoring session, and filled in a questionnaire after each monitored lesson, in which they indicated their opinions about their voice condition and the classroom noise conditions. Results: The teachers who, during the pre-monitoring, showed a higher standard deviation of the vocal sound pressure level and a greater phonation time percentage difference between the entire monitoring and the pre-monitoring sessions, reported fewer voice complaints. Decay time, a reverberation measure from the speakers' perspective, resulted to be associated with the self-reporting of the noise condition. Conclusion: Voice disorders at work prevention programs should include strategies to exercise the respiratory and laryngeal components of voice production, because these elements may influence the variation in the vocal sound pressure level, which was found to be significantly associated with the self-reported voice condition. This study also highlights the importance of including reverberation measures, from the speakers' perspective, in the design of schools

Associations between self-perceived voice disorders in teachers, perceptual assessment by speech-language pathologists, and instrumental analysis

Purpose: The three aims of this study were to assess agreement between self-perceived voice disorders, perceptual and instrumental assessment; to determine factors associated with perceptual voice assessment; and to determine which associated factors would serve as an initial screening tool for ascertainment of the presence or absence of voice disorders among teachers. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 574 Colombian teachers. Participants filled in a questionnaire and recorded a voice sample. The voice samples were perceptually evaluated by a speech-language pathologist with the Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain (GRBAS) scale and objectively with an automated voice analysis for fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer and maximum phonation time. Agreements between GRBAS scale, self-reported voice disorders and instrumental analysis were determined by unweighted Coheńs Kappa coefficients and receiver operating characteristic curves. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables associated with the perceptual assessment. Diagnostic performance of these variables was assessed by the area under the curve. Result: There was no agreement between self-reported voice disorders and GRBAS assessments. Maximum phonation time showed a slight agreement with perceptual assessment of voice disorders. Conclusion: Since these three methods offer different information, it is advisable to include all methods in ascertainment of voice disorders among teachers at work