Voice Timbre Research Articles

Rehabilitation of Functional Dysphonia Using Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises (SVOTE)

This case study evaluated the efficacy of semi-occluded vocal tract (SVT) therapy as a speech intervention for functional dysphonia in a 53-year-old patient. Laryngoscopic examination revealed mild erythema and mucosal irregularity in the posterior third, edema, slight interarytenoid erythema, and phonatory hiatus in the posterior third of the posterior wall. Vocal assessments were conducted before and after rehabilitation, focusing on the perceptual, acoustic, and aerodynamic aspects. The treatment plan incorporated sustained, oscillatory, and transient occlusions over 10 sessions. The results showed enhanced voice timbre quality and normalization of the fundamental frequency appropriate for the patient's age and sex. The jitter, shimmer, and harmonic noise disturbances decreased, indicating improved wave stability and harmonic structure definition. The maximum expiratory and phonatory times, along with the s/z ratio, increased, leading to improved vocal efficiency. Additionally, the vocal risk indicator decreased, articulatory stability improved, and energy utilization became more efficient, resulting in more stable formants. The study concluded that SVT exercises produce positive vocal changes, suggesting that techniques aimed at modifying the vocal tract are effective for speech therapy rehabilitation in patients with functional dysphonia.

Case Report: Hyperandrogenism in Menopause.

Postmenopausal androgen excess often occurs due to the imbalance between the rapid decline in ovarian estrogen and a relatively gradual decline in androgen secretion. The rapid onset of hirsutism, alopecia, and acne, on the other hand, is a rare occurrence and requires further investigation in order to rule out an underlying neoplasm. A 54-year-old woman arrived at the endocrinology outpatient clinic for the appearance of hirsutism and defluvium capitis in the past 9 months. She had hypertrichosis of the face, trunk, and mammary areolae and reduced timbre of voice. Circulating androgens were higher than normal levels (testosterone: 7.7 ng/mL, DHEAS: 5437 mcg/L, 17-OH-progesterone: 3.1 nmol/L), gonadotropin and prolactin levels were normal, and Nugent test was negative. Abdominal CT scan was negative for adrenal lesions, while transvaginal ovarian ultrasonography revealed a left adnexal formation (19x18x24 mm) compatible with stromal neoplasm. A bilateral hysteroannessiectomy was performed. Histological examination was diagnostic for multiple ovarian Leydig cell tumors. The most frequent cause of postmenopausal hyperandrogenism is polycystic ovary syndrome. It is necessary to exclude the presence of neoplastic causes (ovarian or adrenal androgen- secreting tumors). In case of marked virilization and severe hyperandrogenism, it is useful to perform transvaginal ultrasonography to search for the presence of ovarian hypertrichosis or androgen-secreting ovarian tumors and a CT/RM scan to study the adrenal glands. The best treatment for hyperandrogenism of neoplastic origin is surgery. Patients who are not candidates for this approach are candidates for therapy with GnRH agonists.

Effects of trace element dietary supplements on voice parameters and some physiological and psychological parameters related to stress

Trace elements, often used as dietary supplements, are widely accessible without prescription at pharmacies. Pronutri has pioneered Nutripuncture®, a methodology that utilizes orally consumed trace elements to elicit a physiological response akin to that of acupuncture. Pronutri has empirically observed that the user's voice becomes deeper following an exclusive ingestion procedure. Given that alterations in vocal characteristics are often linked to stress, the Pronutri researchers postulated that the pills have the capacity to promptly alleviate stress upon ingestion. Nevertheless, there is a lack of scientific substantiation about the impact of these supplements on voice (or stress) indicators. The aim of this research was to determine whether there is a consistent impact of trace element ingestion on vocal characteristics, namely the fundamental frequency of the voice, as well as other physiological and psychological stress measurements.In order to achieve this objective, we have devised a unique methodology to examine this hypothesis. This involves conducting a monocentric crossover, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a sample size of 43 healthy individuals.This study demonstrates that compared to placebo tablets, consuming 10 metal traces containing tablets at once is enough to cause noticeable changes in the vocal spectrum in the direction of an improvement of the voice timbre “richness”, and a decrease in the occurrence of spontaneous electrodermal activity, suggesting a stress reduction. However, there were no significant changes observed in the other parameters that were tested. These parameters include vocal measures such as voice frequency F0, standard deviation from this frequency, jitter, and shimmer. Additionally, physiological measures such as respiratory rate, oxygenation and heart rate variability parameters, as well as psychological measures such as self-assessment analogic scales of anxiety, stress, muscle tension, and nervous tension, did not show any significant changes.Ultimately, our research revealed that the ingestion of 10 trace elements pills may promptly elicit a targeted impact on both vocal spectrum and electrodermal activity. Despite the limited impact, these findings warrant more research to explore the long-term effects of trace elements on voice and stress reduction.

A measure of differences in speech signals by the voice timbre

A measure of differences in speech signals by the voice timbre

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ГОЛОСА СОПРАНО И ЕГО ИНТЕРПРЕТАЦИЯ: ТРАДИЦИЯ ПЕНИЯ И ВОЗМОЖНЫЕ ОБРАЗНЫЕ ВОПЛОЩЕНИЯ

The article is devoted to the description of the timbre of the soprano voice and its artistic semantics. It provides the definition of the term and a brief overview of the use of voice in operas by foreign composers. Technical fluency and mastery of the cantilena are put forward as essential properties of the voice. The article examines the coloristic features of the soprano voice, the repertoire for it, the connection of the voice with possible figurative interpretations and the emotional sphere. It is emphasised that the use of coloratura soprano is typical for European opera, while Russian composers prefer the properties of the lyrical timbre. It is noted that the vocal and aesthetic features of the coloratura soprano are suitable for the embodiment of fabulous images. The soprano is often the title character of the opera, the ideal image of a romantic heroine. The performer has to be fluent in singing technique and at the same time be able to creatively interpret a piece of music according to its style. The verbal text in opera is important, as it affects the formation of the musical fabric and can serve as an additional means of expression. In Russian musical art, soprano characters represent beautiful heroines of historical, epic, lyrical, comic, dramatic, psychological works.

Classic techniques used in laser microsurgery of chronic diseases of the larynx: a literature review

The topicality of the issue of treating chronic diseases of the larynx is beyond dispute. Given the increased load on the vocal apparatus, no downward trend in disease incidence is observed. The percentage of patient visits to an otorhinolaryngologist with complaints of prolonged changes in voice timbre, vocal fatigue, and difficulties with voice control is 7–12%. Chronic productive formations of the larynx account for up to 55–70% of pathologies in the proliferative upper respiratory disease pattern. If not treated promptly, chronic diseases of the larynx can significantly affect a person’s ability to speak, swallow and breathe normally. Today, various methods for surgical treatment of chronic diseases of the larynx are used: both classical cold instruments and high-energy laser systems. The history of laser medicine dates from the late 1960s and is associated with the introduction of a high-intensity device emitting a photon stream in the infrared range into medical practice. The first carbon dioxide lasers were difficult to use (they were large in size and had complex technical settings), but at the same time they showed high resection and coagulation qualities, and it earned them their popularity. Over 3 thousand new laser devices representing a practical interest for laryngeal surgery have appeared on the medical market for more than 60-year period. Despite the fact that fundamental research demonstrates the positive results of phonosurgery with high-power devices, many otolaryngologists continue be in awe of lasers. The article presents the results of the use of traditional devices in phonosurgery for chronic diseases of the larynx and draws conclusions about the effectiveness and safety of high-power devices.

A measure of differences in speech signals by the voice timbre

This research relates to the field of speech technologies, where the key problem is the optimization of speech signal processing under conditions of a priori uncertainty of its fine structure. The task of automatic (objective) analysis of voice timbre using a speech signal of finite duration is considered. It is proposed to use a universal information-theoretic approach to solve it. Based on the Kullback-Leibler divergence, an expression is obtained for the asymptotically optimal decision statistic for distinguishing speech signals by voice timbre. Pointed to an acute problem in its practical implementation, namely: synchronization of the sequence of observations with the main tone of speech signals. To overcome the described problem, an objective measure of timbre differences in speech signals is proposed in terms of the acoustic theory of speech production and its model of the speaker’s vocal tract of the “acoustic trumpet” type. The possibilities of practical implementation of a new measure based on an adaptive recursive are considered. A full-scale experiment was set up and carried out. According to its results, two main properties of the proposed measure were confirmed: high sensitivity to differences in speech signals in terms of voice timbre and, at the same time, invariance with respect to the pitch frequency. The results obtained can be used in the design and research of digital speech processing systems tuned to the speaker’s voice, for example, digital speech transmission systems, biometric, biomedical systems, etc.

Microsurgery of chronic laryngeal diseases using fiber optic lasers. A review

Background. The treatment of chronic diseases of the larynx is an urgent issue. Chronic larynx masses account for up to 5570% of the upper respiratory tract proliferative diseases. The incidence of vocal apparatus disorders is stable due to increased load on the vocal apparatus, neuro-emotional stress, non-compliance with voice hygiene (smoking, alcohol consumption), nasal and pharyngeal inflammatory diseases, sensibilization, and gastrointestinal disorders. Dysphonia, voice timbre changes, and vocal fatigue are presented in 712% of otorhinolaryngologist patients. Delayed treatment of chronic larynx diseases can lead to upper respiratory obstruction, reduced exercise and self-care tolerance, and disablement in people with voice and speech professions.
 Aim. To address current treatment methods for chronic diseases of the larynx. Modern surgical and non-surgical treatments of chronic larynx diseases aim to restore voice quality and respiratory function. Over the past 50 years, laser-assisted phonosurgery has gained popularity due to the many benefits of biological tissue exposure to electromagnetic energy and low rates of intra- and postoperative complications.
 Materials and methods. The literature review was performed using electronic medical libraries and professional printed papers. According to local and foreign data, laryngeal laser surgery is highly precise, minimally invasive, associated with no blood loss, and highly effective. Historically, CO2 laser has been used for the longest time in laryngeal surgery. Modern medical technology has recently introduced surgical systems with novel technicalities for clinical use. In such devices, the laser energy is transmitted through a flexible optical fiber instead of a mirror system, as in the CO2 laser, which has made new surgical high-energy systems more affordable for equipping medical institutions. Currently, the following fiber-optic laser systems are most often used to treat chronic diseases of the larynx: potassium-titanyl-phosphate, diode laser, and "blue" laser with a wavelength of 445 nm.
 Results. The literature review and analysis of surgical treatment outcomes using fiber-optic laser devices in patients with chronic larynx diseases showed high safety and effectiveness of modern treatments, providing fast recovery of voice and respiratory function.
 Conclusion. The development of laser devices, including domestic ones, with new wavelengths, makes it possible to work in contact mode in an inert gas environment, which opens up new opportunities for phonosurgery.

Theoretical and practical aspects of professional image formation in the process of development of professional speaking competence of college students

The article updates the problem of professional image formation in the process of developing the professional speech competence of college students. It is emphasized that the study of the student’s image is especially relevant today. It is up-to-date as the requirements for the future professional, as for a modern competitive specialist, are constantly growing. There are analyzed modern scientific approaches to the interpretation of the concepts of “image” and "professional image". It was found that the professional image is the image that must be created purposefully and consciously in order to achieve professional and personal goals, professional growth and self-development. There are defined structural components of the specialist’s image: external, procedural and internal. The external component includes facial expressions, gestures, timbre and strength of voice, clothes, manners, gait. Appearance can create a positive mood at work. Or on the contrary, it can hinder understanding, facilitating or hindering communication and interaction between people. The procedural component of the image is specified by such forms of communication as professionalism, plasticity, expressiveness, etc. The internal component is focused on the inner world of a person, ideas about his spiritual and intellectual development, values, interests, personality in general. It was concluded that a characteristic feature of image training is its communicative orientation. That is why the article proposes to use educational methods focused on contact and interaction. It ensures the construction of a dialogue, in the formation of the professional image of junior professional bachelors. It is suggested using training and dialogue, among the most effective forms of interactive training of college students. The article presents the training “Professional image” aimed at forming a certain image in the process of developing the professional speech competence of college students. It includes verbal and non-verbal parts. The developed training is designed for eight lessons, which do not exclude invariance. They can be replaced, shortened and included in the structure of any lesson from various educational disciplines, in particular “Psychology” or “Ukrainian language (for professional direction”.

Eudora Welty Interviewed by Dick Cavett, 1979

Eudora Welty Interviewed by Dick Cavett, 1979 Eudora Welty and Transcription by Matthew C. Hawk Dick Cavett hosted his eponymous television talk show on ABC at various time slots from 1969 to 1975 and on PBS from 1977 to 1982. Thereafter, Cavett's show aired on USA, ABC, CNBC, and TCM. For a series subtitled Authors, Cavett welcomed Eudora Welty to the studio for two 30-minute shows, May 19 and May 20, 1979. Recordings of the conversations were made publicly available a few years ago. We are pleased to publish a selection of the interviews here with the permission of Eudora Welty, LLC, and we encourage our readers to view the full shows for themselves to enjoy Cavett and Welty's repartee, the timbre of Welty's voice, and the liveliness of her facial expressions.1 The editors of EWR appreciate the excellent work of Matthew Hawk in transcribing The Dick Cavett Show episodes. The Dick Cavett Show: Authors: Eudora Welty May 19, 1979 After introducing Eudora Welty and mentioning her recently published collection of essays, The Eye of the Story, Dick Cavett welcomes the "southern-born and bred" author. He begins by asking Welty if she feels culture shock when she comes to Manhattan. "No, I love Manhattan; I spent all my girlhood trying to get here, coming up here. It used to be you could get on the train, come to New York and live three weeks and go home for $100." A sense of shock does occur, she says, when "I first enter the street and see people's faces that aren't looking at anyone else." [End Page 7] Cavett asks if her writing career would be over if she were "exiled to New York for the rest" of her life. Welty first refuses the premise of the question by indicating that she hopes that would not be the case and also notes that she cannot predict the future. Cavett presses her about the importance of her roots, and she explains. "I can take things for granted [in the South.] All the answers to my questions are right out the window … because if I write about characters that live there, I can take everything for granted. Up here, I feel I wouldn't be quite sure about … I mean, I tried to write some stories about Europe. I wrote some short stories laid there, but they were from the point-of-view of a visitor such as myself." It was not, as Cavett suggested, that it was fashionable to write about Paris but that the stories were from when she had a Guggenheim in 1949. "I went to Europe, and I didn't mean to write there because I was too busy looking, but I did after I got home, things that stayed with me, … on the boat to Italy and Ireland and so on." Are these stories "unsuccessful," wonders Cavett, because they are not set in Mississippi? "Critics used to complain about me, 'Why does she always write about Mississippi?' and when I wrote [about other places] they said, 'Why didn't she stick to what she knows best?' I liked the stories. I was learning a lot by writing them, trying to imagine myself into minds I didn't know." Shortly thereafter, Welty quips, "I don't know a thing about the [Mississippi] Delta," and Cavett comments that "the people have another way of talking," but asks, "What is it that would make you, a native Mississippian, uneasy about being able to authentically write about that part of your state?" "At the time I wrote Delta Wedding, I didn't know how little I knew. I did take the precaution of making my storyteller a nine-year-old child, so if any mistakes were made they could say—'well, she didn't know any better' … every part of Mississippi [is different], I suppose every part of every state is a little world to itself, you know that. But the Delta … was always so much richer, and everybody had so much, did so much, owned so much, spread over so much, and it was flat. All of it was different from Jackson, where I...

Ресайклинг советской эстрады в телешоу «Голос»

The article explores how The Voice re-actualizes the Soviet era songs and symbols. The nature of the show’s interaction with Soviet culture is traced through five parameters: the geography of the participants, the repertoire, the figure of one of the mentors, voice timbres, and specifics of interpretation. The Voice, like the all Union song festivals of the Soviet era, strives for geographical pervasiveness and maximum ethnic diversity within the project. This diversity, however, turns out to be very conditional. It does not imply musical immersion into different cultures, but is limited to a linguistic, and, at most, arranging reworking of the titular nation’s culture. Among the Soviet pop music themes, in the highest demand in the show are dramatic love ballads, songs about nature, and compositions about the artist’s fate. Alexander Gradsky, being one of the mentors, gave newly found relevance to the half-forgotten hits of the Soviet time, creating a new image of the Soviet music stage, far from sterile piety and emotional restraint. The analysis of participants’ timbres and the peculiarities of their vocal technique shows that The Voice brings back the fashion for trained, powerful and velvety voices of the Soviet estrada. Another trait noticed was the two vectors of the performing interpretation of Soviet pop songs. Most of the contestants tend to become completely identical, indistinguishable from the original (canonical) version of the song, while only few dare to radically rethink the Soviet-time songs, striving to show their originality and uniqueness by significantly changing the well-known music.

Vocal92: Audio Dataset With a Cappella Solo Singing and Speech

Singer recognition plays a vital role in music information retrieval systems. Most songs in the singer recognition system are mixed audios of music and voice. In contrast, there is a lack of labeled a cappella solo singing data suitable for singer recognition. Text-independent singer recognition systems successfully encode audio features such as voice pitch, intensity, and timbre to achieve good performance. Most such systems are trained and evaluated using data from music with accompaniment. However, due to the influence of background music, the performance of the singer recognition model was limited. Contrarily, a powerful singer identification system can be trained and evaluated using a cappella solo singing voices with a clear and broad range of qualities. There needs to be labeled clear singing data suitable for singer recognition research. To address this issue, we present Vocal92, a multivariate a cappella solo singing and speech audio dataset spanning around 146.73 hours sourced from volunteers. Furthermore, we use two current state-of-the-art models to construct the singer recognition baseline system. In experiments, the singer recognition model developed by a cappella solo singing data performs well in both single-mode and cross-modal verification data, significantly improving related works. The dataset is accessible to everyone at https://pan.baidu.com/s/1Pn62DHfal2OOZ_5JqgGBdQ with jnz5 as the validation code. For non-commercial use, the dataset will be available free of charge at the IEEE DataPort (after acceptance).

Intonation as Means of Logic-Emotional Expressiveness in Professional Actor’s Verbal Action

The aim of the article is to reveal the peculiar features of intonation as one of the most essential means of a professional actor’s logic-emotional expressiveness, as well as to define the specificity of logical intonation of an utterance in the context of verbal activity. The research methodology. The author has applied typological, systems methods and the method of functional analysis to analyse intonation in the context of verbal activity by a professional actor. The method of terminological analysis has been used to specify basic terms and definitions of the research. The method of cognitive analysis has enabled the extrapolation of theoretical foundations of linguistics to the theatrical art. Scientific novelty. The article presents the research of intonation as the main means of logic-emotional expressiveness in the context of a professional actor’s verbal activity. The author has analysed the functions of intonation, peculiar features of its components, such as logical and verbal stress, pauses, rising and falling tones, speech melody, voice timbre, tempo, as well as intonation constructions in the theatrical speech. Moreover, the author has described some types of utterances with different emotional shades in the context of selecting language means by an actor to make a character expressive/well-marked. Conclusions. Connotative and emotional-stylistic differences in an actor’s speech when in an image appear as a result of cooperation between sentence syntactic structure, the lexis, intonation patterns used and denotative relations in the context. Emotional verbal expressiveness of a professional actor is a result of a complex work at all language levels: lexical, syntactical, and prosodic. Using intonation an actor can express various character’s emotions such as surprise, elation, joy, sadness, fear, and anger. Logical intonation in the professional actor’s speech comprises speech melody, tempo, and timbre. It is an inseparable component of a speech act and a powerful tool of influence on the audience. The spectators can understand through intonation only a specific emotion the actor expresses during the character presentation. Mastering stage speech at the professional level means a thorough selection of intonation means according to their communicative and pragmatic potential in a specific dramaturgic piece. Taking into account the influence of intonation pattern of a character’s mother tongue is one the essential elements of selecting verbal means of an actor’s expressiveness in the process of creating an image.
 Key words: intonation, logical intonation, logic-emotional expressiveness, stage speech, professional actor.

Features of Singing in Chinese Pop and Traditional Music: the Influence of the Music Genre on Vocal Music

Musical compositions require genre-specific sophisticated performance techniques. This paper focuses primarily on the features of Chinese pop and traditional music, based on the music genre’s influence on the vocal music. To achieve this goal, the analysis methods and the Shapiro-Wilk test were used. The study involved 218 music major students from the Beijing International Art School, Shanghai Normal University, and Guangzhou College of Music. The audience and respondents gave less preference to pop music (47% and 39%) compared to the traditional music (53% and 61%). The Shapiro-Wilk test revealed that, when it comes to pop music, the strongest preference was attributed to music geographical spread (0.867), and in the case of traditional music the strongest preference was for higher education (0.927). The paper established the specific features of different genres of music. The most common elements pertaining to pop music include: the option to apply a variety of music elements and singing techniques; rhythm stability; a simple form of vocal performance; extreme sound techniques; preserving the emotionality of the singing; a combination of Western and Chinese elements. Traditional music is characterized by a harmony of music elements and voice timbres, maintenance of the high-pitched voice, natural sound, throat singing, performance quality, preservation of Chinese traditional music elements. Traditional music instruction was the best thing for improving intonation (0.815), maintenance of sound quality (0.806), and development of vocal range (0.718). Pop music is known for a combination of various music elements (0.901), conveyance of the performance style (0.312). The paper’s practical implications boil down to determining the characteristic features of pop and traditional music, as well as elements describing vocal music. Further studies might involve a comparative analysis between Chinese pop music, traditional music, and Western pop and traditional music.

The travestire tradition in the operas by G. F. Handel in the aspect of gender approach (on the example of interpretations of Ariodante’s part)

Formulation of the problem. An analysis of the interpretations of the Ariodante part from the opera of the same name by G. F. Handel through travestire traditions and their incarnations within the modern theatre is offered, which is a relevant perspective for the study of theatrical compositions of the Baroque era. Analysis of recent research and publications. The article is based on the research of the Baroque musical era in the aspects of aesthetics (Calella, Lewis) and performance (Brittain, Oganezova-Grygorenko), the creative work of G. F. Handel (Hogwood, Dean, Dean and Knapp, Cherkashyna-Gubarenko), the study of performing versions through the positions of gender theory (GigolayevaYurchenko), interpretology (Nikolaievska). The purpose of the article is to formulate the principles of genderinterpretative analysis and apply it to the performing versions of Ariodante’s parts from G. F. Handel’s opera «Ariodante». The scientific novelty of the article. is related to the parameters of the genderinterpretative approach involved in the study of the embodiment of Ariodante’s part from the opera of the same name by G. F. Handel. The research methodology. The interpretative approach and the concept of «the performing strategy» (Y. Nikolaievska), in particular – «protective», «modelling», «updating»; gender approach (designed for the specifics of vocal performance by V. Gigolayeva-Yurchenko (in particular, a model of genderperforming analysis aimed at identifying «gender roles», «gender stereotypes», such features as «masculine/feminine type of performance», «gender-performing modulation») have been used; the author’s gender-interpretative approach has been proposed. Results. The travestire tradition has been analysed as a certain performing format that was quite widespread in the opera art of the 17th–18th centuries and continued to exist in later times, being embodied in various forms in other arts: ballet, dramatic theatre, cinematography, and spectacular mass culture. The factors determining the use of travestire are singled out and divided into two groups: 1) related to the historical and cultural norms of the era; 2) determined by specific artistic tasks of the author/director. When analysing the interpretations of the image of Ariodante, masculinity is marked in the embodiment by Sarah Connolly, Anne-Sophie von Otter (appearance, mannerisms, stage movement, timbre of voice), femininity – in the version of Ann Hallenberg (sonorous, bright, light timbre, «feminine» plasticity of movements), androgenicity – in the interpretation of Vesselina Kasarova, Ch. Bartoli (balance of masculinity and femininity traits through voice operation from light, feminine one, to thick, dark low, masculine, presence of men’s and women’s clothes, etc.). Conclusions. The gender-interpretative analysis carried out on the example of the travestire tradition and clearly revealed in the interpretation of Ariodante’s part (performed mainly by women) made it possible to propose a genderinterpretative model as a cognitive structure that should fix the gender markers of the historical tradition and modern performance. Thus, in a stable communicative system, the composer forms a tradition, a role, an affect (a stable complex of expressiveness) and as a result – an established gender type. The director works with the given affects and roles, but can resort to gender modulation. The performer, due to the chosen performing strategy and a set of means for achieving affect, the transformation of timbre-role, represents a mobile gender type (embedded gender stereotypes can be accentuated, as well as change to the opposite). The predominance of female incarnations of the image of Ariodante made it possible to single out all varieties of gender types with an emphasis on femininity/masculinity/androgenicity, which really makes the modern performance-stage process multivariate for the listener.

New objective timbre parameters for classification of voice type and fach in professional opera singers

Voice timbre is defined as sound color independent of pitch and volume, based on a broad frequency band between 2 and 4 kHz. Since there are no specific timbre parameters, previous studies have come to the very general conclusion that the center frequencies of the singer’s formants are somewhat higher in the higher voice types than in the lower ones. For specification, a database was created containing 1723 sound examples of various voice types. The energy distribution in the frequency bands of the singer’s formants was extracted for quantitative analysis. When the energy distribution function reached 50%, the corresponding absolute frequency in Hz was defined as Frequency of Half Energy (FHE). This new parameter quantifies the timbre of a singing voice as a concrete measure, independent of fundamental frequency, vowel color and volume. The database allows assigning FHE means ± SD as characteristic or comparative values for sopranos (3092 ± 284 Hz), tenors (2705 ± 221 Hz), baritones (2454 ± 206 Hz) and basses (2384 ± 164 Hz). In addition to vibrato, specific timbre parameters provide another valuable feature in vocal pedagogy for classification of voice type and fach according to the lyric or dramatic character of the voice.

Copy Number Variation Analysis of 5p Deletion Provides Accurate Prenatal Diagnosis and Reveals Candidate Pathogenic Genes

Objective5p deletion syndrome, that characterized by cat-like cry and peculiar timbre of voice, is believed to be one of the most common pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs). Variable critical regions on 5p involving a variety of genes contribute to the phenotypic heterogeneity without specific correlation. The objective of this study was to examine the genotype–phenotype correlation of 5p deletion syndrome, and to redefine 5p deletion syndrome relevant regions. In addition, we demonstrate the potential use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) to identify chromosomal breakpoints in prenatal diagnosis.MethodsThree families with women undergoing prenatal diagnosis and two children were recruited. Karyotyping, CNV-seq, fluorescence in situ hybridization, WGS, and Sanger sequencing were performed to identify the chromosomal disorder.ResultsWe reported three families and two children with CNVs of 5p deletion or combined 6p duplication. Five different sizes of 5p deletion were detected and their pathogenicity was determined, including 5p15.33-p15.31 [1–7,700,000, family1-variant of uncertain significance (VUS)], 5p15.33 (1–3,220,000, family 2-VUS), 5p15.33-p15.31 (1–7,040,000, family 3-VUS), 5p15.33-p15.31 (1–8,740,000, child 1-pathogenic) and 5p15.31-p15.1 (8,520,001–18,080,000, child 2-pathogenic). One duplication at 6p25.3-p24.3 (1–10,420,000) was detected and determined as likely pathogenic. The chromosomal breakpoints in family 3 were successfully identified by WGS.ConclusionSome critical genes that were supposed to be causative of the symptoms were identified. Relevant region in 5p deletion syndrome was redefined, and the chr5:7,700,000–8,740,000 region was supposed to be responsible for the cat-like cry. The great potential of WGS in detecting chromosomal translocations was demonstrated. Our findings may pave the way for further research on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of related diseases.

라타 망게슈카르(Lata Mangeshkar)의 가창에 드러난 현대 인도음악의 정체성 탐구

Lata Mangeshkar has a unrivaled position in numerous works and musical influence within the Indian film and music industry. Overseas researches that have studied her voice have been discussing femininity mainly in terms of slender tone and high-pitched tone. However, her unique tone technique that moves the compositional melody from left to right and up and down from her voice timbre itself and the vocal style that reproduces the melody based on above things which are distinctive feature in the style of Indian music that has been highly westernized. The purpose of this study is to analyze the musical ornamentation, gamaka, which is the key element that contemporary Indian music becomes more like western popular music. And I would like to point out this as an example and a countermeasure.

Voice Timbre Evaluation of Broadcast Host Based on Extraction of Voice Feature Parameters

Voice Timbre Evaluation of Broadcast Host Based on Extraction of Voice Feature Parameters

Speech Impaired by Half Masks Used for the Respiratory Tract Protection.

Filtering half masks belong to the group of personal protective equipment in the work environment. They protect the respiratory tract but may hinder breath and suppress speech. The present work is focused on the attenuation of sound by the half masks known as “filtering facepieces”, FFPs, of various construction and filtration efficiency. Rather than study the perception of speech by humans, we used a generator of white noise and artificial speech to obtain objective characteristics of the attenuation. The generator speaker was either covered by an FFP or remained uncovered while a class 1 meter measured sound pressure levels in 1/3 octave bands with center frequencies 100–20 kHz at distances from 1 to 5 m from the speaker. All five FFPs suppressed acoustic waves from the octave bands with center frequencies of 1 kHz and higher, i.e., in the frequency range responsible for 80% of the perceived speech intelligibility, particularly in the 2 kHz-octave band. FFPs of higher filtration efficiency stronger attenuated the sound. Moreover, the FFPs changed the voice timbre because the attenuation depended on the wave frequency. The two combined factors can impede speech intelligibility.