Training Effects on Vowel Production by Two Profoundly Hearing-Impaired Speakers

1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Joe Osberger

Two profoundly hearing-impaired adolescents received systematic speech training to improve their production of the vowels /i/ and /æ/. Acoustic measures of F 1 , F 2 , and duration, and listener judgments of vowel acceptability, were used to quantify vowel production before and after training. Both subjects demonstrated significant changes in their production of the two vowels at the acoustic and perceptual levels following treatment. The changes were highly individualized. For some features, significant improvement occurred posttreatment with differences between the hearing-impaired subject and a control group of subjects with normal hearing no longer present. There was a significant improvement in the acceptability of the two vowels in each subject's speech after training. Vowel duration remained unchanged in the speech of one subject whereas it increased in the speech of the other subject following training. There was a trend toward reduced token-to-token variation in the posttreatment samples. Acoustic and perceptual measures also were obtained on two vowels not directly trained in the program. Significant changes occurred in the production of these segments but some of the changes resulted in greater deviation in the post- than in the pretreatment samples.

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 2081-2088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alin Alexandru Odor ◽  
Edwin Sever Bechir ◽  
Deborah Violant ◽  
Victoria Badea

Moderate and severe periodontitis represents a challenge in the non-surgical periodontal therapy. Due to the lack of evidence regarding the antimicrobial effectiveness of 940 nm diode laser in periodontal treatment, this study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) photolysis performed with 940 nm diode laser in the treatment of moderate and severe periodontitis. Twenty-five patients with 100 teeth were selected for this pilot study. The test teeth were randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups: Group 1: scaling and root planning (SRP) (control group); and the following experimental groups: Group 2: H2O2; Group 3: 940 nm diode laser therapy; Group 4: 940 nm diode laser therapy and H2O2. Clinical examinations, like probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were performed before and after the treatment. The microbiological evaluation, effectuated before and after the treatment, included nine periodontal bacteria species and investigated by means of real-time PCR assay. The clinical and bacterial differences in the tested groups, was assessed between control group and the other three experimental groups, as well as between the experimental groups. The total bacteria load was reduced for all four studied groups. Group 4 (diode laser + H2O2) showed significant bacterial reduction of the major periodontal bacteria like Pg., Tf., Td., Pi., Pm., Fn (p[0.001) than the other 3 groups (p]0.001). Also the periodontal clinical parameters, like PD, CAL and BOP showed a significant reduction after the photolysis of H2O2 with the 940 nm diode laser (p[0.001). Differences between tested groups showed a significant beneficial results in regard to Group 4.It is suggested that the photoactivation of H2O2 with the 940 nm diode laser can be used successfully in adjunctive to the non-surgical periodontal treatment as a bactericidal tool.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Fatih Ocal

Integrating the properties of computer algebra systems and dynamic geometry environments, Geogebra became an effective and powerful tool for teaching and learning mathematics. One of the reasons that teachers use Geogebra in mathematics classrooms is to make students learn mathematics meaningfully and conceptually. From this perspective, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether instruction with Geogebra has effect on students’ achievements regarding their conceptual and procedural knowledge on the applications of derivative subject. This study adopted the quantitative approach with pre-test post-test control group true experimental design. The participants were composed of two calculus classrooms involving 31 and 24 students, respectively. The experimental group with 31 students received instruction with Geogebra while the control group received traditional instruction in learning the applications of derivative. Independent samples t-test was used in the analysis of the data gathered from students’ responses to Applications of Derivative Test which was subjected to them before and after teaching processes. The findings indicated that instruction with Geogebra had positive effect on students’ scores regarding conceptual knowledge and their overall scores. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between experimental and control group students’ scores regarding procedural knowledge. It could be concluded that students in both groups were focused on procedural knowledge to be successful in learning calculus subjects including applications of derivative in both groups. On the other hand, instruction with Geogebra supported students’ learning these subjects meaningfully and conceptually.


2002 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans BARLE ◽  
Anna JANUSZKIEWICZ ◽  
Lars HÅLLSTRÖM ◽  
Pia ESSÉN ◽  
Margaret A. MCNURLAN ◽  
...  

In order to investigate the immediate (i.e. within 3h) response of albumin synthesis to the administration of endotoxin, as a model of a moderate and well controlled catabolic insult, two measurements employing L-[2H5]phenylalanine were performed in 16 volunteers. One group (n = 8) received an intravenous injection of endotoxin (4ng/kg; lot EC-6) immediately after the first measurement of albumin synthesis, whereas the other group received saline. A second measurement was initiated 1h later. In the endotoxin group, the fractional synthesis rate of albumin was 6.9±0.6%/day (mean±S.D.) in the first measurement. In the second measurement, a significant increase was observed (9.6±1.2%/day; P<0.001). The corresponding values in the control group were were 6.6±0.6%/day and 7.0±0.6%/day respectively (not significant compared with first measurement and P<0.001 compared with the second measurement in the endotoxin group). The absolute synthesis rates of albumin were 148±35 and 201±49mg·kg-1·day-1 before and after endotoxin (P<0.01). In the control group, the corresponding values were 131±21 and 132±20mg·kg-1·day-1 (not significant compared with the first measurement and P<0.01 compared with the second measurement in the endotoxin group). In conclusion, these results indicate that albumin synthesis increases in the very early phase after a catabolic insult, as represented by the administration of endotoxin.


2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 910-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Dreisbach ◽  
Marjorie R. Leek ◽  
Jennifer J. Lentz

The ability to discriminate the spectral shapes of complex sounds is critical to accurate speech perception. Part of the difficulty experienced by listeners with hearing loss in understanding speech sounds in noise may be related to a smearing of the internal representation of the spectral peaks and valleys because of the loss of sensitivity and an accompanying reduction in frequency resolution. This study examined the discrimination by hearing-impaired listeners of highly similar harmonic complexes with a single spectral peak located in 1 of 3 frequency regions. The minimum level difference between peak and background harmonics required to discriminate a small change in the spectral center of the peak was measured for peaks located near 2, 3, or 4 kHz. Component phases were selected according to an algorithm thought to produce either highly modulated (positive Schroeder) or very flat (negative Schroeder) internal waveform envelopes in the cochlea. The mean amplitude difference between a spectral peak and the background components required for discrimination of pairs of harmonic complexes (spectral contrast threshold) was from 4 to 19 dB greater for listeners with hearing impairment than for a control group of listeners with normal hearing. In normal-hearing listeners, improvements in threshold were seen with increasing stimulus level, and there was a strong effect of stimulus phase, as the positive Schroeder stimuli always produced lower thresholds than the negative Schroeder stimuli. The listeners with hearing loss showed no consistent spectral contrast effects due to stimulus phase and also showed little improvement with increasing stimulus level, once their sensitivity loss was overcome. The lack of phase and level effects may be a result of the more linear processing occurring in impaired ears, producing poorer-than-normal frequency resolution, a loss of gain for low amplitudes, and an altered cochlear phase characteristic in regions of damage.


2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 17S-29S ◽  
Author(s):  
Liat Kishon-Rabin ◽  
Riki Taitelbaum-Swead ◽  
Ruth Ezrati-Vinacour ◽  
Minka Hildesheimer

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 988-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Cervera ◽  
José L. Miralles ◽  
Julio González-Àlvarez

The purpose of this study was to describe the acoustic characteristics of Spanish vowels in subjects who had undergone a total laryngectomy and to compare the results with those obtained in a control group of subjects who spoke normally. Our results are discussed in relation to those obtained in previous studies with English-speaking laryngectomized patients. The comparison between English and Spanish, which differ widely in the size of their vowel inventories, will help us to determine specific or universal vowel production characteristics in these patients. Our second objective was to relate the acoustic properties of these vowels to the perceptual data obtained in our previous work (J. L. Miralles & T. Cervera, 1995). In that study, results indicated that vowels produced by alaryngeal speakers were well perceived in word context. Vowels were produced in CVCV word context by two groups of patients who had undergone laryngectomy: tracheoesophageal speakers (TES) and esophageal speakers. In addition a control group of normal talkers was included. Audio recordings of 24 Spanish words produced by each speaker were analyzed using CSL (Kay Elemetrics). Results showed that F1, F2, and vowel duration of alaryngeal speakers differ significantly from normal values. In general, laryngectomized patients produce vowels with higher formant frequencies and longer durations than the group of laryngeal subjects. Thus, the data indicate modifications either in the frequency or temporal domain, following the same tendency found in previous studies with English-speaking laryngectomized speakers.


1979 ◽  
Vol 134 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evaristo Gomez ◽  
Adib R. Mikhail

SummaryThe use of cerebral electrotherapy (CET) in methadone detoxification was studied in 28 patients. Fourteen patients received active CET; the other 14 acted as controls and received either simulated CET or only methadone detoxification therapy. One patient dropped out of the study. The Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale were administered before and after the study period. Nine of the patients receiving active CET were drug-free by the end of 8 to 10 days, and all experienced a marked reduction of their symptoms; the control group did not show significant changes. CET was clearly beneficial in the treatment of patients undergoing methadone withdrawal.


1973 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haddon E. Klingberg

An overview is presented of the “small groups movement” which is the context of sensitivity training in general and of this experimental study. Seven problems in the literature on group experiences are delineated. The nature and extent of small groups used in theological education are explored through catalogs of accredited seminaries. A research project is presented in which four groups of theological students were used to evaluate sensitivity training effects on self-actualization (Personal Orientation Inventory), purpose in life (Purpose in Life Test), and theological beliefs (Religious Attitude Inventory). A statistical analysis of data compared the two professionally-directed groups, the self-directed group, and the control group before and after treatment. T-groups did have an effect on the students who participated, but the changes were not consistent. There was no overall significant change in scores as the experimental treatments affected individuals differently.


1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammie Ronen ◽  
Giora Rahav ◽  
Yochanan Wozner

This paper presents the link between self-control and childhood enuresis, assuming that enuresis is maintained by deficiencies in self-control skills, whether caused by physiological, behavioral, or cognitive components. Acquisition of self-control skills is proposed as helping in eliminating enuresis. Seventy-seven enuretic children (aged 7 to 14) were randomly assigned to three treatment modes (bell and pad, token economy, and cognitive therapy) and to one control group. The self-control skills of children and their parents and the frequency of enuresis were measured before and after treatment. Results showed a negative correlation between self-control and enuresis on the one hand and between the acquisition of self-control skills and recovery from enuresis on the other hand. The results also highlighted the need for a follow-up period to determine the different longer-term effects of treatments.


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