Intonation in neurogenic foreign accent syndrome

Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is a motor speech disorder in which changes to segmental as well as suprasegmental aspects lead to the perception of a foreign accent in speech. This paper focuses on one suprasegmental aspect, namely that of intonation. It provides an in-depth analysis of the intonation system of four speakers with FAS with the aim of establishing the intonational changes that have taken place as well as their underlying origin. Using the autosegmental-metrical framework of intonational analysis, four different levels of intonation, i.e. inventory, distribution, realisation and function, were examined. Results revealed that the speakers with FAS had the same structural inventory at their disposal as the control speakers, but that they differed from the latter in relation to the distribution, implementation and functional use of their inventory. In contrast to previous findings, the current results suggest that these intonational changes cannot be entirely attributed to an underlying intonation deficit but also reflect secondary manifestations of physiological constraints affecting speech support systems and compensatory strategies. These findings have implications for the debate surrounding intonational deficits in FAS, advocating a reconsideration of current assumptions regarding the underlying nature of intonation impairment in FAS

End-to-side nerve suture – a technique to repair peripheral nerve injury

End-to-side nerve suture (ETSNS) has until recently been extensively researched in the laboratory animal (rat and baboon). Lateral sprouting from an intact nerve into an attached nerve does occur, and functional recovery (sensory and motor) has been demonstrated. We have demonstrated conclusively that ETSNS in the human is a viable option in treating peripheral nerve injuries, including injuries to the brachial plexus. Among the many advantages of this new technique are: (i) simple and short operation; (ii) shorter recovery time - suture is done closer to the target organs; (iii) nerve grafts to bridge injured gaps are eliminated, reducing the morbidity·of nerve surgery to a minimum; (iv) innervation of paralysed muscles, for which there was previously thought to be no hope of recovery; opens up many new treatment options; and (v) certain aspects of nerve function and regeneration, unknown until recently, open new horizons and understanding. ETSNS has given us new dimensions in the management of peripheral nerve injuries

Clinical and Physiological Analysis of Very Long Apneas in Premature Infants

Apnea is common in premature infants, and in severe cases it may impair development. Data recorded during apnea events by hospital monitors at the University of Virginia Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) include EKG, chest impedance, and pulse oximetry signals. In previous work, an apnea detection algorithm was developed that filtered the cardiac artifact from the chest impedance signal to improve detection of apneas [1]. An unexpected result was the discovery that Very Long Apneas (VLAs) lasting more than 60 seconds are not rare. We use this findings in our research to provide new information about these apneas and to test a model describing the rate of decrease of blood oxygen in apneas of various lengths. We study 86 very long apneas, along with 285 shorter apneas (10 - 40 s duration), to analyze the properties of VLAs. We begin with a quantitative measure of the oxygen deficit or the heartbeat deficit resulting from the apnea, concluding that both are roughly proportional to the duration of the apnea. We observe that heart rate and oxygen saturation decrease much more slowly in a VLA than in a short apnea, and the initial oxygen saturation prior to VLAs is unusually high. This raises the question of whether babies are hyperventilating before a VLA. To answer this, we have analyzed respiration rates preceding apneas of various durations, and have shown that VLAs are associated with a significantly increased respiration rate immediately prior to the apnea. Lastly, we have used the theory provided by [2] to model the rate of decrease in oxygen saturation during individual apnea events. The resulting model confirms our observation that higher initial levels of oxygen saturation result in slower rates of decrease

Speech Melody Properties in English, Czech and Czech English: Reference and Interference

Two major objectives were set for the present study: to provide reference data for the description of Czech and English F0 contours, and to investigate the limits of the ‘interference hypothesis’ on Czech English data. Altogether, the production of 40 speakers in 2392 breath-group F0 contours was analyzed. The speech of 32 professional speakers of English and Czech provides reference values for various acoustic correlates of pitch level, pitch span and downtrend gradient. These values were subsequently used as a benchmark for a confirmation of the interference hypothesis through comparison with a further sample of 8 non-professional speakers of English and Czech-accented English. The native English speakers of both genders produced significantly higher pitch level indicators, wider pitch span and a steeper downtrend gradient than the reference native speakers of Czech. Although the pitch level of the Czech-accented material lies in between the two reference groups, the pitch span of this group is the narrowest, which indicates that factors of foreign-accentedness other than simply interference are in effect

Wade McCree\u27s Michigan Legacy

A Tribute to Wade H. McCree, Jr

Assessing the Learning Needs of Adults with Acquired Physical Disability in Vocational Rehabilitation

It is difficult to ascertain the learning needs of adults with acquired physical disability in vocational rehabilitation. The onset of the disability reactivates and/or creates various psychological, social, and educational problems in the learner’s life, which makes assessing his learning needs more complex. This study discusses the particular challenges of assessing the learning needs of this population. It also describes the development and use of a screening tool with which to make objective decisions in selecting assessments for this population

The Relationship of Race, Socioeconomic Status And Marital Status to Kin Networks

Data from a purposive sample of families of elementary school children in New Orleans regarding contact and assistance with extended family members was analyzed to see if race, socioeconomic status or marital status predicted involvement in a kin network. Analysis of variance revealed that black and lower class families had higher levels of contact and black families had higher levels on one of the assistance measures. However when the distance from the extended family was used as a covariate the relationship disappeared. Marital status had no ability to predict

Cross-Linguistic Differences in Bilinguals’ Fundamental Frequency Ranges

Accepted December 13, 2016Purpose We investigated cross-linguistic differences in fundamental frequency range (FFR) in Welsh-English bilingual speech. This is the first study that reports gender-specific behavior in switching FFRs across languages in bilingual speech. Method FFR was conceptualized as a behavioral pattern using measures of span (range of fundamental frequency—in semitones—covered by the speaker's voice) and level (overall height of fundamental frequency maxima, minima, and means of speaker's voice) in each language. Results FFR measures were taken from recordings of 30 Welsh-English bilinguals (14 women and 16 men), who read 70 semantically matched sentences, 35 in each language. Comparisons were made within speakers across languages, separately in male and female speech. Language background and language use information was elicited for qualitative analysis of extralinguistic factors that might affect the FFR. Conclusions Cross-linguistic differences in FFR were found to be consistent across female bilinguals but random across male bilinguals. Most female bilinguals showed distinct FFRs for each language. Most male bilinguals, however, were found not to change their FFR when switching languages. Those who did change used different strategies than women when differentiating FFRs between languages. Detected cross-linguistic differences in FFR can be explained by sociocultural factors. Therefore, sociolinguistic factors are to be taken into account in any further study of language-specific pitch setting and cross-linguistic differences in FFR