Fundamental Frequency F0 Research Articles

Monolayer Oxidized‐MXene Piezo‐Resonators with Single Resonant Peak by Interior Schottky Effect

AbstractNanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) of 2D nanomaterials are potent exploration devices for high‐sensitive mechanical coupling, mass testing, and biosensing. Nevertheless, the internal interference from the multiple resonant states easily causes the deviation and overlap of the target signal. Here, an oxidized‐MXene resonant system performs the unique response peak at the fundamental frequency f0,1 of 3.37 ± 0.04 MHz within the ultrawide frequency up to 400 MHz, due to the ferroelectric‐conductive structure. This unique resonant peak can effectively avoid the dispute of indistinguishable vibratal states. The resonator exhibits advanced performances with a large dynamic range of 70.41 ± 0.15 dB and low thermomechanical motion spectral density of . The molecular sensing mechanisms of the oxidized‐MXene system are systematically studied to achieve repeatable detection with high mass resolution (low to 8.00 ± 0.01 × 10‐19 g). These consequences can afford potential guidelines for the NEMS devices in terms of the credible and legible sensors for ultra‐accurate and interference‐free measurements.

Associations of acoustic parameters and gender dysphoria in transmasculine individuals

Gender dysphoria refers to a feeling of discomfort due to a mismatch between a person’s biological sex and gender identity. Voice is a secondary sex marker, and it may contribute to feelings of unease or dissatisfaction if the voice does not match a person’s gender identity. The Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale—Gender Spectrum (UGDS-GS) was designed to measure a person's degree of gender dysphoria. Transmasculine individuals were assigned female at birth and identify as male or masculine non-binary, and acoustic studies focusing on transmasculine voices are notably sparse. In a study including 20 transmasculine individuals, we compared UGDS-GS results to the following acoustic parameters: vocal tract length (VTL) estimates, fundamental frequency (f0), standard deviation of f0, and cepstral peak prominence smoothed (CPPS). We found a significant positive correlation between each acoustic measure and gender dysphoria. We also found robust associations between each of these measures and a voice-related quality of life measure. These findings indicate that the sound of one’s voice may be a strong predictor of gender dysphoria.

Clear speech adaptations and effortful speaking and listening in background noise across the lifespan

Our study investigates strategies speakers use to clarify their speech and compensate for the impact of background noise in everyday settings. We recorded 114 individuals (8-80 years) while they carried out an interactive problem-solving task (diapix) in quiet, background speech and background non-speech noise. A secondary bell-press task was added to increase cognitive load. We measured (i) articulation rate, median fundamental frequency (f0) and intensity which reflect clear speech adaptations and speaking effort; (ii) subjective ratings of listening effort; and iii) secondary task performance reflecting distractibility (d-prime). Regardless of age, speakers increased their f0 and intensity more in non-speech noise than in quiet or background speech. However, they made more errors in the secondary task and reported greater listening effort when the background noise was speech. Older participants (>50 years) increased speaking effort in both noise types, but younger children (<13 years) increased speaking effort only in background speech. These results indicate that, in terms of speaking effort, background speech (more cognitively demanding) is effortful for children and older adults. However, background noise (more peripheral interference) is mostly effortful for older adults. In terms of listening effort and distractibility, we observed greater interference in background speech regardless of participant age.

Learning and controlling the source-filter representation of speech with a variational autoencoder

Understanding and controlling latent representations in deep generative models is a challenging yet important problem for analyzing, transforming and generating various types of data. In speech processing, inspiring from the anatomical mechanisms of phonation, the source-filter model considers that speech signals are produced from a few independent and physically meaningful continuous latent factors, among which the fundamental frequency f0 and the formants are of primary importance. In this work, we start from a variational autoencoder (VAE) trained in an unsupervised manner on a large dataset of unlabeled natural speech signals, and we show that the source-filter model of speech production naturally arises as orthogonal subspaces of the VAE latent space. Using only a few seconds of labeled speech signals generated with an artificial speech synthesizer, we propose a method to identify the latent subspaces encoding f0 and the first three formant frequencies, we show that these subspaces are orthogonal, and based on this orthogonality, we develop a method to accurately and independently control the source-filter speech factors within the latent subspaces. Without requiring additional information such as text or human-labeled data, this results in a deep generative model of speech spectrograms that is conditioned on f0 and the formant frequencies, and which is applied to the transformation speech signals. Finally, we also propose a robust f0 estimation method that exploits the projection of a speech signal onto the learned latent subspace associated with f0.

Perturbation analysis of second-order nonlinearity and its effectiveness for radiofrequency bulk acoustic wave devices

Suppression of nonlinear signal generation in radiofrequency (RF) surface and bulk acoustic wave devices is one of the most important subjects for the RF front-end modules of recent cellular handsets. In particular, issues with second-order nonlinear products of bulk acoustic waves are well known. In this work, we succeeded in extracting the dominant parameters for second-order nonlinear analysis proposed by Hashimoto et al. [Joint Conf. European Frequency and Time Forum and IEEE Freq. Cont. Symp., 2017, p. 538] and verified that it is applicable in a wide frequency range and also effective for film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) device design. Combining the extracted nonlinear coefficients on the perturbation analysis by driving near the fundamental frequency (f0) and half resonant frequency (1/2f0) of the FBAR could reproduce second-order nonlinear characteristics in a wide frequency range. It was also confirmed that the proposed simulations are in good agreement with measurement results for various types of resonators and FBAR filters.

Regional-scale site characterization mapping in high impedance environments using soil fundamental resonance (f0): New England, USA

In this work, we develop regional-scale site characterization maps of New England, a glaciated region in the Eastern United States, using site fundamental frequency (f0). Due to the strong impedance contrast that creates strongly resonant site response behavior in New England, f0 is the preferred site response proxy for the region and best characterizes spatial variability in soil amplification. We first develop a database of 1577 f0 values collected from the literature (1313) and picked from HVSR curves collected during an additional field campaign (487). Using the surficial geologic units from the conterminous US surficial geology map, we compute distributions of f0 for each of the surficial geologic units mapped in New England. We find that the thick glaciofluvial ice-contact sediments and thick proglacial sediments of Cape Cod and Long Island are characterized by f0 distributions with the lowest medians (1.06 and 1.03 Hz respectively) and narrowest interquartile ranges (0.23 and 0.28 Hz respectively) in New England, which we interpret as being the thickest sediments in the region. The f0 distribution of the thin, proglacial sediments, mostly fine-grained in the Boston Basin, the coast of Lake Champlain and the Maine coast has a relatively low median (2.70 Hz), however it has high variability (3.65 Hz interquartile range) since the sediment thickness varies widely in this geologic unit. The f0 distribution of the thin alluvial sediments of the Connecticut River Valley also has a low f0 median (1.83 Hz) however, it has less variability than the proglacial sediments, mostly fine-grained thin (1.59 Hz). We present maps of the median and interquartile range of the f0 distributions and their corresponding Vs30 distribution approximations. Vs30 distributions are developed for each of the surficial geologic units by assuming a layer-over-halfspace model for site response and establishing estimates of sediment average shear-wave velocity (Vsavg) for each of the units based on a limited number of shear wave velocity profiles from the region. We compare our results against two existing site characterization maps for the region, Wald and Allen (2007) and Becker et al. (2011) and find that our updated maps result in median Vs30 values that tend to be higher than Becker et al. (2011) except in geologies with consistently deep profiles, and lower than Wald and Allen (2007) median values, with the exception of coastal zone sediments.

Do We Get What We Need from Clinical Acoustic Voice Measurements?

Instrumental acoustic measurements of the human voice have enormous potential to objectively describe pathology and, thereby, to assist clinical treatment decisions. Despite the increasing application and accessibility of technical knowledge and equipment, recent research has highlighted a lack of understanding of physiologic, speech/language-, and culture-related influencing factors. This article presents a critical review of the current state of the art in the clinical application of instrumental acoustic voice quality measurements and points out future directions for improving its applications and dissemination in less privileged populations. The main barriers to this research relate to (a) standardization and reporting of acoustic analysis techniques; (b) understanding of the relation between perceptual and instrumental acoustic results; (c) the necessity to account for natural speech-related covariables, such as differences in speaking voice sound pressure level (SPL) and fundamental frequency f0; (d) the need for a much larger database to understand normal variability within and between voice-disordered and vocally healthy individuals related to age, training, and physiologic factors; and (e) affordable equipment, including mobile communication devices, accessible in various settings. This calls for further research into technical developments and optimal assessment procedures for pathology-specific patient groups.

Application of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment to Understand the Earthquake Hazard in Attock City, Pakistan: A Step towards Linking Hazards and Sustainability

Within the last three decades, twelve major earthquakes (Mw > 6.0) have jolted Pakistan and contributed to a heavy death toll and an economic loss of billions of dollars, which is immense for any underdeveloped country. Despite the generalized description of seismic hazards in various regions of Pakistan, densely populated cities still require a detailed and integrated vulnerability analysis to overcome the impact of a significant earthquake. This study aims to integrate seismic hazard assessment schemes to understand the vulnerability of Attock city against an earthquake. It initially evaluates the threat from an earthquake due to tectonic activity in the region, splits the region (about 200 km radius) into six seismic zones and uses area source parameters. The ground motion prediction equations compatible with the study area’s seismotectonic environment are also used in this study. Peak horizontal ground acceleration (PGA) and 5% damped spectral acceleration are critical features of ground motions. The site classification is carried within Attock city, indicating the presence of SB (foundation condition with Vs30 = 760 m/s), SC (foundation condition with Vs30 = 400 m/s) and SD (foundation condition with Vs30 = 300 m/s). The peak ground accelerations for a return period of 475 years at the SB, SC and SD sites are estimated as 0.23 g, 0.28 g and 0.30 g, respectively. Uniform hazard spectra are obtained for each site classification at three return periods (475, 975 and 2475 years). Another possible threat can be the local site conditions of the study area, as Attock city exists on the unlithified sediments of upper Pleistocene to Recent alluvial deposits. That is why microtremor recordings are conducted at 20 sites within Attock city to understand the fundamental frequency (f0), horizontal to vertical spectral amplitude (A0) and Kg parameter, a seismic vulnerability index. The values of f0 are found between 0.6 and 9 Hz and A0 is observed between 2.1 and 5 Hz, whereas the Kg is estimated between 0.24 and 20 Hz. Despite evidence of the seismic vulnerability of Attock city, the current building designs and infrastructure development are not synchronized with the uniform hazard response spectra and the soil amplification, thus enhancing the exposure of the study area to disaster during a major earthquake. This study will be instrumental in pre-disaster mitigation strategies for urban planners and policymakers.

Comparação entre a frequência fundamental acústica da voz e a frequência de vibração das pregas vocais analisada pela videoquimografia digital

ABSTRACT Purpose To compare the frequency of vocal fold opening variation, analyzed by digital kymography, with the fundamental voice frequency obtained by acoustic analysis, in individuals without laryngeal alteration. Methods Observational analytical cross-sectional study. The participants were forty-eight women and 38 men from 18 to 55 years of age. The evaluation was made by voice acoustic analysis, by the habitual emission of the vowel /a/ for 3 seconds, and days of the week, and digital kymography (DKG), by the habitual emission of the vowels /i/ and /ɛ/. The measurements analyzed were acoustic fundamental frequency (f0), extracted by the Computerized Speech Lab (CSL) program, and dominant frequency of the variation of right (R-freq) and left (L-freq) vocal fold opening, obtained through the KIPS image processing program. The mounting of the kymograms consisted in the manual demarcation of the region by vertical lines delimiting width and horizontal lines separating the posterior, middle and anterior thirds of the Rima glottidis. In the statistical analysis, the Anderson-Darling test was used to verify the normality of the sample. The ANOVA and Tukey tests were performed for the comparison of measurements between the groups. For the comparison of age between the groups, the Mann-Whitney test was used. Results There are no differences between the values of the frequency measurement analyzed by digital kymography, with the acoustic fundamental frequency, in individuals without laryngeal alteration. Conclusion The values of the dominant frequency of the vocal folds opening variation, as assessed by digital kymography, and the acoustic fundamental frequency of the voice are similar, allowing comparison between these measurements in the multidimensional evaluation of the voice, in individuals without laryngeal alteration.

VoxMore: artefato tecnológico para auxiliar a avaliação acústica da voz no processo ensino-aprendizagem e prática clínica

ABSTRACT Purpose to present a technological artifact, the VoxMore plugin, to assist the academic teaching of voice acoustic assessment, as well as to optimize the speech therapy intervention in the practice of vocal clinics. Methods this is a multidisciplinary methodological study for the development of a technological artifact, a plugin, to be used in the Praat software. This tool performs vocal acoustic analysis and generates a report, with information and images referring to the domains of time, frequency, time-frequency, and que-frequency, as well as values of acoustic measures related to fundamental frequency (f0), period measures, disturbance measures of the period of f0, f0 amplitude perturbation measurements, spectral measurements, glottal noise measurements and cepstral measurements. Results in the VoxMore acoustic report, four files are generated with the following information: oscillograms of the voice signal and traces of f0 and intensity; images related to the frequency domain, Fourier spectrum and LPC spectrum, and to the time-frequency domain, spectrogram; information on cepstral and cepstrogram analysis; the values of all acoustic measurements, in numerical results format and in vertical bar graphs. Conclusion VoxMore can contribute both to the teaching-learning process, acting as an auxiliary tool with a formative character in the undergraduate and graduate courses in Speech-Language Pathology, as well as to the clinical practice process, making the use of acoustic analysis in the vocal clinic feasible and supporting decision-making by speech-language pathologist.

Compact Green Harmonic Transponders for Parcel Tracking

This article presents a harmonic transponder, designed to minimize the tag sensitivity to the materials close to it. The tag is based on a dual-frequency dual-port patch antenna and a frequency doubler. The tag is designed to be interrogated by the fundamental frequency f0 equal to 2.4 GHz and it backscatters a signal at 2f0=4.8 GHz. The patch is realized on cardboard, while the frequency doubler and the feedlines are manufactured on a flexible polylactic acid (PLA) substrate. The feed lines are electromagnetically coupled to the patch through H slot apertures. A complete prototype with an area occupation of 5×10 cm was manufactured and directly integrated in a parcel. The antenna features a front-to-back ratio higher than 12 dB at both operating frequencies. The tag could be read up to a distance of 6 m with a transmitted power of 25 dBm Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP), regardless of the object placed in the parcel close to the tag. This work opens the door to a new class of harmonic transponders for tracking applications, characterized by low environmental impact, high integrability, compactness and reliability, which can find application in many Internet of Things emerging applications.

Vocally-Encoded Emotional Arousal as a Marker of Callous-Unemotional Traits in a Sample of Justice-Involved Adolescents.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with severe and persistent juvenile offending. CU traits are also associated with dampened emotional arousal, which suggests that fundamental frequency (f0), a measure of vocally-encoded emotional arousal, may serve as an accessible psychophysiological marker of CU traits in youth. This study investigated the associations between f0 range measured during an emotionally evocative task, CU traits, and emotion dysregulation in a mixed-gender sample of 168 justice-involved youth. For boys, after controlling for covariates, wider f0 range-indicating greater emotional arousal-was negatively associated with CU traits and positively associated with emotion dysregulation. For girls, no significant associations with f0 range emerged; however, CU traits were positively associated with emotion dysregulation. Findings suggest that f0 range may serve as a valid indicator of CU traits in JJ-involved boys, and that detained boys and girls with high CU traits are characterized by different profiles of emotion dysregulation.

Fundamental Frequency Contour (Melody) of Infant Vocalizations across the First Year

Introduction: The fundamental frequency contour (melody) of cry and non-cry utterances becomes more complex with age. However, there is a lack of longitudinal analyses of melody development during the first year of life. Objective: The aim of the study was to longitudinally analyze melody development in typical vocalization types across the first 12 months of life. The aim was twofold: (1) to answer the question whether melody becomes more complex in all vocalization types with age and (2) to characterize complex patterns in more detail. Methods: Repeatedly recorded vocalizations (n = 10,988) of 10 healthy infants (6 female) over their first year of life were analyzed using frequency spectrograms and fundamental frequency (f0) analyses (PRAAT). Melody complexity analysis was performed using specific in-lab software (CDAP, pw-project) in a final subset of 9,237 utterances that contained noise-free, undisturbed contours. Generalized mixed linear models were used to analyze age and vocalization type effects on melody complexity. Results: The vocalization repertoire showed a higher proportion of complex melodies from the second month onward. The age effect was significant, but no difference was found in melody complexity between cry and non-cry vocalizations across the first 6 months. From month 7–12, there was a further significant increase in complex structures only in canonical babbling not in marginal babbling. Melody segmentations by laryngeal constrictions prevailed among complex shapes. Conclusion: The study demonstrated the regularity of melody development in different vocalization types throughout the first year of life. In terms of prosodic features of infant sounds, melody contour is of primary importance, and further studies are required that also include infants at risk for language development.

Relative pitch representations and invariance to timbre

Information in speech and music is often conveyed through changes in fundamental frequency (f0), perceived by humans as “relative pitch”. Relative pitch judgments are complicated by two facts. First, sounds can simultaneously vary in timbre due to filtering imposed by a vocal tract or instrument body. Second, relative pitch can be extracted in two ways: by measuring changes in constituent frequency components from one sound to another, or by estimating the f0 of each sound and comparing the estimates. We examined the effects of timbral differences on relative pitch judgments, and whether any invariance to timbre depends on whether judgments are based on constituent frequencies or their f0. Listeners performed up/down and interval discrimination tasks with pairs of spoken vowels, instrument notes, or synthetic tones, synthesized to be either harmonic or inharmonic. Inharmonic sounds lack a well-defined f0, such that relative pitch must be extracted from changes in individual frequencies. Pitch judgments were less accurate when vowels/instruments were different compared to when they were the same, and were biased by the associated timbre differences. However, this bias was similar for harmonic and inharmonic sounds, and was observed even in conditions where judgments of harmonic sounds were based on f0 representations. Relative pitch judgments are thus not invariant to timbre, even when timbral variation is naturalistic, and when such judgments are based on representations of f0.

Computational Estimates of Pitch Height and Pitch Strength in Dysphonic Voices

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To evaluate the utility of automated computational estimates of pitch height and pitch strength in characterizing dysphonic voices that have glottal (i.e., true vocal folds) and supraglottal (e.g., false vocal folds), vibratory sources (GVS and SGVS). Furthermore, the utility of such pitch-based measures (Zwicker & Fastl, 1990) in characterizing and differentiating these voice signals that vary in periodicity (Type I, II, and III) was also tested (Titze, 1994). <h3>Design</h3> Repeated measures. <h3>Setting</h3> University. <h3>Participants</h3> Dysphonic voice samples (sustained /a/ and sentence) from 30 adults with GVS (10 per signal type) and 30 adults with SGVS (10 per signal type) were selected from a large database through stratified-random sampling. Pitch height and pitch strength were estimated from Auditory-Sawtooth Waveform Inspired Pitch Estimator Prime (Aud-SWIPE', Camacho, 2012) algorithm and compared with conventional fundamental frequency (f0) estimates from PRAAT software (Boersma, 2022). <h3>Interventions</h3> Not Applicable. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> It is hypothesized that dysphonic voices with SGVS will have lower pitch height and pitch strength than GVS due to the inherent differences in anatomical structures of vibration and their associated physiological properties (Alipour & Karnell, 2014; Schwarz et al., 2011). It is also hypothesized that there will be a significant difference in pitch height and pitch strength between the Type I, II, and III voice signals varying in periodicity (Anand et al., 2021). <h3>Results</h3> Pitch height and pitch strength were higher in GVS compared to SGVS. Estimates of pitch height and f0 from were highly correlated and were in close agreement for Type I signals compared to other signal types where PRAAT was unable to provide f0 trace for some voices. Pitch strength was highest for Type I signals and lowest for Type III signals. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Pitch height and pitch strength can be measured in all dysphonic voices irrespective of signal periodicity. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> Supraja Anand receives salary from the University of South Florida.

Методика исследования вибрационной активности голосовых связок

In order to develop equipment for diagnosing the state of the human vocal folds (VF) and monitoring their activity during treatment, a complex of studies of animal VF samples (rabbits) was performed. A highly sensitive non-contact laser-optical equipment and a technique for recording VF vibrations in an air flow with controlled pressure have been developed. For a group of rabbits of the same age, data are given on the registration of vibrational frequencies in healthy VFs and received as a result of therapeutic effects ("treated" VFs). It was found that when air is passed through the trachea under a slight pressure of 10-20 mm Hg. three peaks of the characteristic frequencies of natural mechanical vibrations of the VF appear in the range of ~ 200 - 1000 Hz. As a rule, this is the fundamental frequency f1 and its two harmonics f2 = 2 f1 and f3 = 3 f1. Best of all, these oscillations are excited at the end of the outflow of air under a pressure of 1 - 5 mm Hg. A difference was found in the excited vibrations at low frequencies in healthy VF and VF with defects in the form of a scar on one ligament. The frequencies of the lowest natural vibrations in a defective VF are somewhat higher compared to the lowest frequency in a healthy VF, which is explained by an increase in its rigidity during the formation of scar tissue. The technique is characterized by ease of registration, sensitivity and informativeness during treatment by methods of regenerative medicine. Diagnosis of the state of the VF during treatment in comparison with the data for a healthy VF seems to be informative and useful for restoring the vibrational properties of the vocal cords during the treatment.

Performance analysis of various fundamental frequency estimation algorithms in the context of pathological speech.

Reliable fundamental frequency (f0) extraction algorithms are crucial in many fields of speech research. The current bulk of studies testing the robustness of different algorithms have focused on healthy speech and/or measurements of sustained vowels. Few studies have tested f0 estimations in the context of pathological speech, and even fewer on continuous speech. The present study evaluated 12 available pitch detection algorithms on a corpus of read speech by 24 speakers (8 healthy speakers, 8 speakers with Parkinson's disease, and 8 with head and neck cancer). Two fusion methods' algorithms have been tested: one based on the median of algorithms and one based on the fusion between the best algorithm for voicing detection and the algorithm that generates the most accurate f0 estimations on voiced parts. Our results show that time-domain algorithms, like REAPER, are best for voicing detection while deep neural network algorithms, like FCN- f0, yield better accuracy for the f0 values on voiced parts. The combination of REAPER and FCN- f0 yields the best ratio performance/implementation complexity, since it generates less than 4% errors on voicing detection and less than 5% of gross errors in the estimation of the f0 values for all speaker groups.

Estimation of site response function using Nakamura technique: a case study from Kumaun Himalaya

The aim of this study is accomplished by utilizing the H/V spectral ratio method (Nakamura technique) to investigate the site response at fifteen seismic site stations. Regarding this method, some significant local site parameters such as the fundamental frequencies (f0) of soft sediments, peak amplitudes (A0) corresponding to H/V spectral ratios, spectrum amplitude, and spectrum rotation were computed over fifteen seismic site stations in the study area. A site response study has been done by using microtremor data from fifteen seismic site stations. The fundamental frequency response varies from 0.67 to 11.54 Hz within the study area. Resulting from this analysis, the fundamental frequency response is low in and around the KHAT, PNGL, and SBLA seismic site stations, which indicates the possibility of thick sedimentary soil cover at greater depth. Similarly, the peak amplification at these seismic site stations is found to be in the range of 2–4. Further, the contour map is prepared with the help of fundamental frequency response values obtained from the H/V curve to observe the area of seismic hazard potential in the study region. Also, obtained H/V results from different seismic site stations were verified by considering the SESAME guidelines and conditions for reliability. Then, spectrum rotation and spectrum amplitude analysis were carried out to know the characteristics of H/V with respect to azimuth and frequency in the sedimentary soil.

Syllable complexity in 24-month-old infants resulting from spontaneous mother–child vocal interactions

Infant Directed Speech (IDS) influences language development via caregiver–child interactions and can promote early speech and language outcomes in some cultures (Golinkoff et al., 2015). IDS is characterized by a higher, more dynamic fundamental frequency (f0) as well as shorter caregiver utterances and simplified phono-lexical structures (Ramirez-Esparza et al., 2014). In line with social feedback theories of early vocal development (Warlaumont et al. 2014), this study proposes that certain acoustic aspects of IDS, when produced contingently with infant speech, will promote infants’ early vocal maturity. N = 84 infant-caregiver dyads were recorded during semi-naturalistic play sessions at 7, 10, 18, and 24 months. Infant vocal maturity was quantified as syllable complexity at 24-months where syllables with consonant-vowel (CV or VC) transitions were more complex than syllables with only a nucleus (V). The complexity of children’s syllables produced within 5 sof contingent caregiver speech will be compared to those produced outside of 5-swindows of caregiver speech. Infants’ syllable production will also be related to acoustic characteristics of IDS including f0 height, modulation, and caregiver speaking rate. Positive correlations between IDS characteristics and infant syllable complexity will provide additional evidence that socially contingent IDS spurs early speech development.

Gauging Stakeholder Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence in Gender-Affirming Voice Care.

As the main objective outcome measure used in gender-affirming voice care (GAVC), fundamental frequency (f0 ) often fails to accurately reflect patient perceptions of their voice. Our team developed an artificial intelligence (AI) program that provides an alternative objective outcome measure that has the potential to more accurately align with patient perceptions. To gauge stakeholder receptivity to the use of AI in GAVC before employing a novel outcome measure in transgender and nonbinary communities. This prospective qualitative study used online focus groups composed of speech-language pathologists (SLPs), transgender men (TGM), transgender women (TGW), and nonbinary (NB) individuals. Participant age, race, gender, and geographic location were recorded. Each cohort participated in a series of two focus group sessions. The first session focused on participant experiences in GAVC, whereas the second ascertained participant perspectives on the use of AI in GAVC. Transcripts of each discussion were coded using Nvivo to perform inductive thematic analysis. Seven SLPs, seven TGW, three TGM, and two NB individuals (mean [range] age, 35.5 [26-48] years) participated. Transgender and nonbinary participants were generally amenable to the technology, whereas SLPs were more hesitant about its use. Positive findings included appreciation for AI as an objective outcome measure and enthusiasm for its potential to longitudinally track progress. Hesitations concerned the actionability of using the AI and unease about the black box nature of the AI's analysis. Transgender and NB individuals were receptive to the use of AI technology in GAVC, whereas SLPs were more apprehensive about using AI. NA Laryngoscope, 133:1698-1705, 2023.