Persian vowels formants; an investigation and comparison between Persian children 7-9 years old and Persian adults 18-22 years old

Introduction: Formant structure is one of the most important acoustical characteristics of sound. the relationship between first three formants is the main component of perceptual categorization by the listener. The quality and the kind of one vowel is related to its formant . Material and methods: The goal of this descriptive-analytical study was to assign and compare formant structure of Persian vowels between 50 Persian children 7-9 years old from two separate schools in Tehran (25 boys and 25 girls) and 50 adults aged between 18 and 22 from persian students and employees at the rehabilitation sciences faculty of Iran (25 men and 25 women). Six persian vowels (/i/,/e/,/æ/,/a/,/o/,/u/) were produced using simple sample. The first three formant of persian language vowels were obtained and compared between two groups of male adults and school boys and also female adults and school girls. Results: Fundamental frequency, first three formants of each vowel (F1, F2, F3), band frequency of each formant, and the intensity of each formant in each vowel were obtained and recorded by speech studio software and laryngograph device Conclusion: In all groups, /æ /vowel was the lowest height vowel and /i/ vowel is the highest high one. In addition, /i/ vowel was the high front vowel and /u/ vowel was the high back vowel one in all groups. The results of comparison of formant structure of Persian language vowels in two groups of male adults and school boys, and female adults and school girls suggested that all quantities of formant frequency of the Persian vowels in adults is lower than children, by what it says that male and female adults had lower formant frequencies in compare with boys and girls. These findings were similar to pervious same studies. The differences observed between children and adults are due to different vocal tract length and different size of resonator cavities

Persian vowel formants; an investigation and comparison between Persian children 7-9 years old and persian adult 18-22 years old

Introduction: Formant structure is one of the most important acoustical characteristics of sound. the relationship between first three formants is the main component of perceptual categorization by the listener. The quality and the kind of one vowel is related to its formant . Material and methods: The goal of this descriptive-analytical study was to assign and compare formant structure of Persian vowels between 50 Persian children 7-9 years old from two separate schools in Tehran (25 boys and 25 girls) and 50 adults aged between 18 and 22 from persian students and employees at the rehabilitation sciences faculty of Iran (25 men and 25 women). Six persian vowels (/i/,/e/,/æ/,/a/,/o/,/u/) were produced using simple sample. The first three formant of persian language vowels were obtained and compared between two groups of male adults and school boys and also female adults and school girls. Results: Fundamental frequency, first three formants of each vowel (F1, F2, F3), band frequency of each formant, and the intensity of each formant in each vowel were obtained and recorded by speech studio software and laryngograph device Conclusion: In all groups, /æ /vowel was the lowest height vowel and /i/ vowel is the highest high one. In addition, /i/ vowel was the high front vowel and /u/ vowel was the high back vowel one in all groups. The results of comparison of formant structure of Persian language vowels in two groups of male adults and school boys, and female adults and school girls suggested that all quantities of formant frequency of the Persian vowels in adults is lower than children, by what it says that male and female adults had lower formant frequencies in compare with boys and girls. These findings were similar to pervious same studies. The differences observed between children and adults are due to different vocal tract length and different size of resonator cavities

The effect of hearing loss on acoustic parameters of voice in children

Introduction: By means of normal hearing system and appropriate auditory feedback, we can control acoustic parameters of voice such as phonation, quality of voice, pitch and intensity. Materials and Methods: The aim of this cross-sectional study was investigation and comparison of some acoustic parameters of voice including: mean of intensity range, frequency range, shimmer, and harmonic to noise ratio between 2 groups of children (17 hearing impaired and 17 normal children). These groups were matched with respect to age and sex. The mean of each parameters were calculated using collection of speech studio software and electrolaryngograph apparatus and were compared between two groups of children. Results: The mean of intensity range between two groups was not statistically different (P=0.462). The mean of frequency range between two groups was not statistically different either (P=0.277). The mean of Shimmer in children with hearing loss was higher than normal children (P=0.010). The mean of Harmonic to noise ratio (HNR) in children with hearing loss was lower than normal children (P=0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that most susceptible acoustic parameters of voice for improving by hearing aids and speech therapy services are frequency and intensity range. The higher mean of shimmer and lower mean of harmonic to noise ratio (HNR) in hearing impaired children in comparison with normal group is caused by excessive pressure that these children are bearing on the larynx and related structures

Effects of smoking cigarette on some acoustic voice parameters and elements of speech pattern of male subjects

Introduction: The harmful effects of smoking cigarette on body organs are well documented. There are more than 40 acoustic voice parameters and the effects of smoking cigarette on them are still studied. The aim of this study was to examine and compare some acoustic voice parameters between smoker and non smoker men. Material and Methods: In this cross–sectional study, some acoustic voice parameters including; fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, irregularity, contact quotient and elements of speech pattern were compared between 2 groups of men consisting of 20 smokers and 20 non-smokers. Each parameter was calculated using speech studio software and an electrolaryngograph. Results: The men’s voices differed on several parameters. The mean fundamental frequency in smokers was significantly lower (P<0.001) than this one in non-smokers. The mean jitter, shimmer and irregularity of men who smoke were significantly higher (P<0.001) than those mean in the men who did not. The mean silence among smokers was significantly higher (P<0.001) than that mean among nonsmokers. In contrast, the mean of voicing in the men who smoke was significantly lower (P<0.001). No significant difference was observed between the two groups with respect to contact quotient, nasality, and friction. Conclusion: Fundamental frequency is the most vulnerable acoustic parameter of voice in smokers. The higher means for jitter shimmer and irregularity of voice in men who smoke is most likely related to epithelial changes in the vocal folds, inflammation caused by cigarette smoking, and the neurologic effects of nicotine and other chemical materials of cigarettes. It seems that the increased time of silence during connected speech of smokers is related to the defective quality of the closed phase of vocal cords movement

Effects of healthy lingual local sense on formant frequencies of Persian vowels

Introduction: In order to evaluate the effects of healthy lingual local sense on the phonetic quality of Persian vowels, changes in their main acoustic features were analyzed following local anesthesia the surface and sides of the tongue to partly block the normal neural feedback mechanisms in speech. Materials and Methods: Six Persian vowels (/a/, /o/, /u/, /e/, /i/, /æ/) were prolonged 3 times using habitual loudness with and without lingual local anesthesia (Lidocaine Hydrochloride Oral Topical Solution, USP (Viscous) 2) by 5 male speakers. The formant frequencies of vowels (F1and F2) were analyzed and compared using the Speech Studio Package (Laryngograph Ltd). Results: The difference between mean values of F1 and F2 before and after lingual local anesthesia were not statistically different for the /a/, /æ/ and /u/ vowels (p0. 05). The mean value of F2 for this vowel was decreased to 262 Hz. The difference between the mean values of F1 and F2 before and after local anesthesia were also significantly different for the /e/ and /i/ vowels (p>0. 05). Conclusion: According to our results, lingual local sense has effects on the production of some Persian vowels. Perhaps the healthy local sense of the tongue and normal articulatory models has an important role in the production of vowels

The relationship between attachment style and perception of parental affection with test anxiety in gifted students

Background and Aim: Given the importance of test anxiety among gifted students, the present research was conducted to study the relationship between perception of parent’s affection and attachment styles with test anxiety. Materials and Methods: By means of simple random sampling, 300 subjects were selected out of all the gifted students in Khorramabad. Test Anxiety, perception of parents affection, and attachment styles questionnaires were used for collection data. Results: To analyze the data, Pearson correlation and regression were applied. The results showed that anxiety and avoidant attachment style and perception of father love predict test anxiety among both boys and girls in gifted student's school. However, there was not a meaningful relationship between attachment style and perception of mother love with test anxiety. Moreover, totally the results indicated that 9 percent of changes in test anxiety were predicted by attachment styles and perception of parent’s affection. And anxiety attachment style and perception of father love predict test anxiety. &zwj;Conclusion: According to the results if an individual has an avoidant attachment style he will experience the higher level of test anxiety

Lifestyle and hypertension in rural population of Tangestan town, Iran

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is an important health problem in developed countries and the risk factors of this complication are related to the individuals’ lifestyle, with most of them being modifiable. The present study was conducted with the aim to investigate the relationship between lifestyle and primary hypertension among the people referring to health centers of Tangestan Town, Iran, in 2017.METHODS: This study was a case-control study carried out on 100 patients with hypertension and 100 subjects as the control group living in the villages of Tangestan who had a health record in health centers. Data were collected through the international health promoting behaviors (HPLP-II) questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics in SPSS software.RESULTS: The mean and standard deviation (SD) of the body mass index (BMI) scores were 26.27 ± 4.09 and 26.20 ± 4.30 in the case and control groups, respectively, and there was no significance difference between the two groups (P &gt; 0.050). The mean total score of overall health promotion behavior in the case and control groups was respectively 133.27 ± 29.72 and 135.84 ± 29.39 out of 208. In the case and control groups, the highest and lowest scores in the subgroups were associated with the nutritional status and physical activity, respectively. However, there was no significant difference between the lifestyle dimensions of the two groups (P &gt; 0.050).CONCLUSION: Regarding overweight and lack of activity among the studied participants, it is necessary to perform the intervention based on psychological principles for the people prone to hypertension, especially those having positive history among their family members

Dictation errors among students of primary schools in Iranian populations

Introduction: Dictation as an important academic ability involves divers cortical processes so that any problem in one of them may lead to a dictation error. Identifying current dictation errors helps specialists to understand its causes more comprehensively and to use the most effective interventional approaches. The aim of this study was to compare the most common dictation errors between primary students of Semnan and Babol cities in Iran. Material and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, dictation samples of 2215 Semnan’s primary students and 1664 Babol’s primary students were collected. All of participants had normal I.Q, hearing skills and cranial nerves functions. Dictation materials were chosen from their books and dictated by their teachers. All of errors were categorized according to error kinds. Results: There were significant differences between Semnan’s and Babol’s primary students according to the frequency of dictation errors and their grades. Some of errors such as visual memory, educational and dysgraphia errors were significantly common between groups and all grades. Semnan’s primary students had more dictation errors in first and second grades than Babol’s primary students, although this condition reversed in other grades. Conclusion: Dialect may influence dictation and its errors so there should be various therapeutic and educational focuses for different dialects. The highest levels of visual memory, educational and accuracy errors mean that it is necessary to pay more attention on their prerequisites developmental skills to prevent and to treat them

Internal evaluation of speech therapy department of Semnan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Using students' view for teacher evaluation is a common method. This study was designed to investigate the view of faculties and medical students about faculty teaching experiences. Materials and Methods: 100 medical students and 35 faculties from Jahrom University of Medical Sciences were participated in this study. Two separate questionnaires were designed for this purpose and after determining validity and reliability completed by teachers and students. Results: 70.9 percent of faculties reported that they are satisfied with evaluation by students. 48.6 percent of them reported that feedback from this evaluation improved their teaching. 48.8 percent of them thought that some students behave spitefully. 60 percent reported self assessments as a useful method for evaluation of their own teaching. The majority of medical students (76.6%) reported that teachers' communication skills are one of the important factors in teacher evaluation. 67.4 percent of them reported that they completed the teachers' evaluation forms carefully and 60.9 percent of them asserted that teachers, who take difficult examinations, have lower grades in evaluation forms. Conclusion: In general, most teachers are agreed with teacher evaluation. Since students' opinion about their teachers is influenced by some factors which have no close relationship with the evaluation subject and is merely related to other factors, using other evaluation methods such as self evaluation and peer evaluation seems to be necessary. In addition, we should establish a single national and standard method for teacher evaluation all over the country

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens