Evaluation of fundamental frequency in individuals with normal voice and those with vocal nodules

Introduction: Vocal nodules are non-malignant lesions of vocal cords caused by vocal misuse and abuse. Nodules can be viewed as the reaction of vocal tissue to a constant stress induced by frequent and severe movements. Acoustic signs of people with vocal fold nodules somehow differ from those with normal voice. However, there is no universal agreement on the exact amount difference between acoustics of normal voice and pathologic voice heard at the presence of vocal nodule and this, in turn, has resulted in different reported acoustic measurements. In this study, we used the standardized Rangin Kaman passage for vocal assessment of normal people and patients with voice nodule. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional descriptive– analytical study, 20 people with normal voice (10 males and 10 females) and 20 patients with vocal nodules (10 males and 10 females) with an age range of 40 to 59 years were randomly assigned into two age groups of 40 to 59 and 50 to 59 years. Each of these age groups included 10 subjects with normal voice (5 males and 5 females) and 10 ones with bilateral vocal nodules (5 males and 5 females). Thus, 20 voice samples were obtained from each age group. These voice samples were acoustically compared to each other on the basis of fundamental frequency and fundamental frequency variation range. Results: Results showed that the differences in fundamental frequencies was significant when all samples were considered (P = 0.043). For detecting local differences, repeated analysis of variance was performed for men and women separately. In men, significant differences of fundamental frequency were neither observed between normal and pathological samples nor between two age groups as a whole (P = 0.59). In women, differences of mean in fundamental frequency between two age groups were significant (P = 0.007). Conclusion: Mean fundamental frequency analysis can discriminates between normal voice and voice with nodules only in 50 to 59-year age group. Although nodules were recognizable through stroboscope, acoustic signs varied depending on the amount of influence exerted by the nodule on the voice. Keywords: Speech fundamental frequency, Fundamental frequency variation range, Voice, Nodule

Intonation and Duration Curve in Persian Interrogative Sentences

Background and Aim: prosody is a very important factor in communication and includes such parameters as: duration, intonation, pitch, stress, rhythm etc. Intonation is the pitch variation in one sentence. Duration is the time taken to utter a voice. The aim of the present study was to evaluate some parameters of prosody such as duration and intonation curve in interrogative sentences among normal Farsi speaking adults in order to determine the characteristics of this aspect of language with an emphasis on laboratory testing.Methods: This study was performed as a cross-sectional one. The participants included 134 male and female Farsi speaking individuals aging between 18-30 years. In this study two interrogative sentences with open and closed answers were used. The voice samples were analyzed by Dr.speech -real analysis software. Data analysis incorporated unilateral analysis of variance and an intonation curve was drawn for each sentence.Results: The parameter of duration among men and women was significantly different (p≤0.001). Duration in open questions was significantly longer than yes/no questions (p≤0.001). The intonation curve of the two groups were similar.Conclusion: Men and women use duration changes, for making difference in prosody. On the whole, duration among women is longer than men. In open questions, the duration of sentences is mostly due to the question word. The intonation curve in open questions has more amplitude. Women show much more changes in basic frequency for transferring interrogative state in their expressions

The Effect of Maternal Thyroid Disorders (Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism) During Pregnancy and Lactation on Skin Development in Wistar Rat Newborns

Objective(s): Previous studies have shown that thyroid hormones are necessary for normal development of many organs and because of the importance of skin as the largest and the most important organ in human body protection in spite of external environment, the study of thyroid hormones effects on skin development is considerable. In this survey we have tried to study the effects of maternal hypothyroidism on skin development in fetus during pregnancy and lactation by immunohistochemistry technique.   Materials and Methods: Rats were divided into 4 groups, hypothyroids, hyperthyroids, hypothyroids are treated with levothyroxin and a control group. The rat mothers were exposed to PTU with 50 mg/lit dosage and levothyroxin with 1 mg/lit dosage and PTU and levothyroxin simultaneously and with the same dosage respectively in hypothyroid, hyperthyroid and treated hypothyroids with levothyroxin groups. After 14 days, blood sample was taken from mothers, and if thyroid hormones level had change well, mating was allowed. After pregnancy and delivery, 1th day dorsal skin (as the sample for pregnancy assay) and 10th day skin (as for lactation assay) was used for immunohystochemical and morphometric studies. Results: In this study it was observed that maternal hypothyroidism during pregnancy and lactation causes significant increase in laminin expression, in most areas of skin, and maternal hyperthyroidism during pregnancy and lactation causes significant decrease in laminin expression. Also significant decrease was observed in hair follicles number and epidermis thickness in hypothyroidism groups. Conclusion: This study showed maternal hypothyroidism causes significant decrease in epidermis thickness and hair follicles number and it causes less hair in fetus. Also maternal hypothyroidism causes large changes in laminin expression in different parts of skin. At the same time,maternal hyperthyroidism causes opposite results. In fact, thyroid hormones regulate laminin expression negatively which means increase in thyroid hormone level, decreases laminin expression. So changes in thyroid hormones level can influence skin development significantly

Evaluation of the effects of Salvia hypoleuca on the cAMP-responsive element modulator (CREM) gene expression and spermatogenesis in rat

Objective: Salvia species which are medicinal herbs have been used to improve male reproductive functions in traditional medicine. They also, have been used to treat several diseases. In this present study, effects of Salvia hypoleuca on male rat reproductive function were investigated by sperm analysis and assessment of CREM expression at mRNA and protein levels. Materials and methods: Two hundred and fifty mg/kg/day of S. hypoleuca as treatment was given to 10-week old male wistar rats for 56 consecutive days. Sperm analysis, RT-PCR and western blot were carried out to investigate rat reproductive function. Results: Results indicated significant increase in the weights of testis, epididymal sperm counts, and sperm motility compared to control group. RT-PCR and western blot showed an increase in the expression of both CREM mRNA and protein levels. Conclusion: The findings in this study showed S. hypoleuca induced spermatogenesis by CREM activation in testis and improved male fertility

Raw data. 23 Urine Samples (OAB & Controls).rar

In the current study, we aimed to compare the urine microbiota of female patients with overactive bladder syndrome and healthy control by 16s rRNA metagenomic sequencing.</p