Age-related hearing loss accelerates the decline in fast speech comprehension and the decompensation of cortical network connections

Patients with age-related hearing loss face hearing difficulties in daily life.The causes of age-related hearing loss are complex and include changes in peripheral hearing,central processing,and cognitive-related abilities.Furthermore,the factors by which aging relates to hearing loss via changes in audito ry processing ability are still unclear.In this cross-sectional study,we evaluated 27 older adults(over 60 years old) with age-related hearing loss,21 older adults(over 60years old) with normal hearing,and 30 younger subjects(18-30 years old) with normal hearing.We used the outcome of the uppe r-threshold test,including the time-compressed thres h old and the speech recognition threshold in noisy conditions,as a behavioral indicator of auditory processing ability.We also used electroencephalogra p hy to identify presbycusis-related abnormalities in the brain while the participants were in a spontaneous resting state.The timecompressed threshold and speech recognition threshold data indicated significant diffe rences among the groups.In patients with age-related hearing loss,information masking(babble noise) had a greater effect than energy masking(speech-shaped noise) on processing difficulties.In terms of resting-state electroencephalography signals,we observed enhanced fro ntal lobe(Brodmann’s area,BA11) activation in the older adults with normal hearing compared with the younger participants with normal hearing,and greater activation in the parietal(BA7) and occipital(BA19) lobes in the individuals with age-related hearing loss compared with the younger adults.Our functional connection analysis suggested that compared with younger people,the older adults with normal hearing exhibited enhanced connections among networks,including the default mode network,sensorimotor network,cingulo-opercular network,occipital network,and frontoparietal network.These results suggest that both normal aging and the development of age-related hearing loss have a negative effect on advanced audito ry processing capabilities and that hearing loss accele rates the decline in speech comprehension,especially in speech competition situations.Older adults with normal hearing may have increased compensatory attentional resource recruitment represented by the to p-down active listening mechanism,while those with age-related hearing loss exhibit decompensation of network connections involving multisensory integration.

Evaluation of the intraoperative trauma degree and postoperative speech function of low-temperature plasma radiofrequency surgery treatment of children with OSAHS

Objective:To evaluate the intraoperative trauma degree and postoperative speech function of low-temperature plasma radiofrequency surgery treatment of children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).Methods: A total of 118 children with OSAHS were divided into the control group (n=59) who received general surgery and the observation group (n=59) who received the low-temperature plasma radiofrequency surgery according to the random number table. Before operation and 24 h after operation, serum levels of stress hormones, acute phase proteins and inflammatory markers of two groups of children were determined, and the speech function parameter levels were assessed.Results:Before operation, differences in serum contents of stress hormones, acute phase proteins and inflammatory factors as well as speech function parameter levels were not statistically significant between two groups of patients. 24 h after operation, serum stress hormones adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), angiotensin-2 (Ang-2), norepinephrine (NE), cortisol (Cor) contents of observation group were lower than those of control group, serum acute phase proteins haptoglobin (HP), ceruloplasmin (CER), and prealbumin (PA) contents were lower than those of control group, and serum inflammatory factors interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-27 (IL-27), tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α) contents were lower than those of control group;speech function parameters NNE and NHR levels of observation group were higher than those of control group.Conclusion:Compared with routine surgery, low-temperature plasma radiofrequency surgery treatment of children with OSAHS causes less surgical trauma and more greatly improves the postoperative speech level.

Evaluation of speech function on repairing defects of maxilla and palate with temporalis muscle flap

Objective： To evaluate the speech function on repairing defects of maxilla and palate with temporalis muscle flap after benign or malignant turmor resection. Methods： The lateral cephalogram and speech intelligibility were detected in 19 cases with the operations of repairing defects of maxilla and palate by temporalis muscle flap, and their recovery of the speech function were analyzed. Results： Among the 19 patients, there were 15 cases （78.00%） with complete velopharynx, 3 cases （15.80%） with mafiginal velopharynx, and 1 case （5.26%） with insufficient velopharynx. The average speech intelligibility was 94.3%, close to the normal speech intelligibility. Conclusion： The operation of repairing defects of maxilla and palate with temporalis muscle flap can reconstruct the phonatory structure, preserve the palate function and restore the speech function after operation.

An Analysis of Interpersonal Function of the Dialogues in the Film The King's Speech

Based on the framework of Halliday's theory of interpersonal function, this study intends to analyze the dialogues in the film The King's Speech from the three aspects of mood type, modal operator and vocative address by adopting both quantitative and qualitative methods. The significances of successful realizations of interpersonal function to the role characterization, plot development and thematic construction in the film are also demonstrated, thus deepening the understanding and appreciation of the film.

Void Formation and Growth for a Class of Compressible Hyper-Elastic Sphere

In this paper, the strain energy function proposed by Shang and Cheng was generalized by introducing a nonlinear term. Void formation and growth in the interior of a sphere composed of compressible hyper-elastic material, subjected to a prescribed uniform displacement, was examined. A parametric cavitated bifurcation solution for the radial deformed function was obtained. Stability of the solution of the cavitated bifurcation equation was discussed. With the appearance of a cavity, an interesting feature of the radial deformation near the deformed cavity wall is the transition from extension to compression.

Formation mechanism of methane during coal evolution:A density functional theory study

The formation mechanism of methane （CH4） during coal evolution has been investigated by density functional theory （DFT） of quantum chemistry. Thermogenic gas, which is generated during the thermal evolution of medium rank coal, is the main source of coalbed methane （CBM）. Ethylbenzene （A） and 6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1-hydroxynaphthalene （B） have been used as model compounds to study the pyrolysis mechanism of highly volatile bituminous coal （R）, according to the similarity of bond orders and bond lengths. All possible paths are designed for each model. It can be concluded that the activation energies for H-assisted paths are lower than others in the process of methane formation; an H radical attacking on β-C to yield CH4 is the dominant path for the formation of CH4 from highly volatile bituminous coal. In addition, the calculated results also reveal that the positions on which H radical attacks and to which intramolecular H migrates have effects on methyl cleavage.

Gap formation around Ω_e/2 and generation of low-band whistler waves by Landau-resonant electrons in the magnetosphere: Predictions from dispersion theory

In this paper we show that two significant phenomena of magnetospheric chorus emission can be explained by the participation of beam-like electron structures,created by Landau-resonant interaction with growing oblique whistler waves.The first concerns the widely observed spectral gap near half the electron cyclotron frequency Ωe;the second is related to the observation of very obliquely propagating lower-band waves that cannot be directly generated by temperature anisotropy.Concerning the gap,kinetic dispersion theory reveals that interference of the beam-related cyclotron mode ω~Ωe-kVb with the conventional whistler mode leads to mode splitting and the appearance of a ’forbidden’ area in the ω-k space.Thereby the beam velocity appears as an essential parameter.It is directly related to the phase velocity of the most unstable whistler wave mode,which is close to VAe/2 for sufficiently hot electrons(VAe is the electron Alfven velocity).To clarify the second point,we show that Landau-resonant beams with Vb Vb<VAe/2,which arise in cold plasmas from unstable upper-band waves,are able to generate lower-band whistler mode waves at very oblique propagation(θ≥60°).Our studies demonstrate the important role of Landau-resonant electrons in nonlinear whistler wave generation in the magnetosphere.

Formation of integral fins function-surface by extrusion-ploughing process

An extrusion-ploughing process was presented to fabricate the integral fin function-surface. Cutting edge inclination angle and rake angle can be calculated from the tool’s geometry relationship. The description of fins’ geometry characters was standardized. The experiments show that, when the middle cutting edge’s inclination angle η is less than 35°, continuous fin will come out; when η is between 35° and 55°, the fins will be saw-tooth ones, and the fins will be torn when this angle is above 55°; when the extrusion angle θ is between 60° and 150°, the fins will appear, or else, the fins will be torn into chips from the base. Forming angle and clearance angle have little effect on fin’s formation. For continuous fin, its height is close to cutting depth when it is small, but it will become approximately constant as cutting depth grows; for saw-tooth fins, the width, the height, as well as the clearance will increase with the increase of cutting depth, but the increment of clearance is small; neither for continuous fin, nor for saw-tooth ones, cutting velocity has little influence on their structure parameters.

Speech,language,and hearing function in twins with Alport syndrome:A seven-year retrospective case report

Alport syndrome is an X-linked syndrome that results in nephritis, renal failure, sensorineural hearing loss, and eye deficits. As a result of sensorineural hearing loss, these individuals are likely to experience difficulties in the area of speech and language. While studies in the past have examined the speech and language characteristics of children with syndromic sensorineural hearing loss, to our knowledge there are no previous studies to have documented the speech and language characteristics of these children on a long-term basis. The current study addresses this limitation by reporting speech, language, hearing, and function of twin brothers with X-linked Alport syndrome across a seven-year period.Information was collected by examining the medical records of the participants as well as through a verbal interview with the participants' guardian. Results revealed that the participants' hearing abilities gradually deteriorated over the seven-year period which affected their speech and language development as well. The kidney function tests revealed significant presence of hematuria(blood in the urine) as well as proteinuria(protein in the urine) suggesting chronic kidney dysfunction. This longitudinal study demonstrates the functional relationship between the kidneys and the cochlea, although they appear to be independent of one another. As individuals with Alport syndrome exhibit systemic complications, interdisciplinary collaboration is essential among health care providers including audiologists, speech-language pathologists,nephrologists, and ophthalmologist to promote evidence-based practice.

Oxygen vacancy formation and migration in Sr- and Mg-doped LaGaO_3:a density functional theory study

Oxygen vacancy formation and migration in La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-5 （LSGM） with various crystal symmetries （cubic, rhombohedral, orthorhombic, and monoclinic） are studied by employing first-principles calculations based on density functional theory （DFT）. It is shown that the cubic LSGM has the smallest band gap, oxygen vacancy formation energy, and migration barrier, while the other three structures give rise to much larger values for these quantities, implying the best oxygen ion conductivity of the cubic LSGM among the four crystal structures. In out calculations, one oxygen vacancy migration pathway is considered in the cubic and rhombohedral structures due to all the oxygen sites being equivalent in them, while two vacancy migration pathways with different migration barriers are found in the orthorhombic and monoclinic symmetries owing to the existence of nonequivalent O1 and 02 oxygen sites. The migration energies along the migration pathway linking the two 02 sites are obviously lower than those along the pathway linking the O1 and 02 sites. Considering the phase transitions at high temperatures, the results obtained in this paper can not only explain the experimentally observed different behaviours of the oxygen ionic conductivity of LSGM with different symmetries, but also predict the rational crystal structures of LSGM for solid oxide fuel cell applications.

Correlative Analysis of Data and Functions of Neuronal Synapse

Until recently, the synaptic transmission and excitatory amino acid transporters activation of neurons are very well discussed in the previous studies and are considered to be the two distinct features of Synapse. It is also found that a large number of interactions take place in the domain of ionic exchanges and protein interactions in synapses. It is evolutionary to have destined to release of Neurotransmitters to conduct an impulse to the other consecutive neurons, which forms the most important characteristic of synapse. From the popular perspective, it has been identified that detailed theoretical closer correlation of data produced through various studies about synapse can unravel many mysteries related to functions of synapse. Hence, this research paper tries to concentrate on a selected group of prominent characteristics and properties of synapse and also highlights some noteworthy discoveries, emphasizing the influential capabilities of them in the thought process and improving the knowledge of the field. It also highlights the expressive properties and forms of synapse brought out through the evidences available in sparse to dense data in a correlational way.

Numerical and physical simulations of array laterolog in deviated anisotropic formation

Due to the tremendous amount of high-resolution measurement information,array laterolog is widely used in evaluations of deviated anisotropic reservoirs.However,the precision of a complementary numerical simulation should be improved as high as the core of fine-scale reservoir evaluation.Therefore,the 3D finite element method(3D-FEM)is presented to simulate the array laterolog responses.Notably,a downscaled physical simulation system is introduced to validate and calibrate the precision of the 3D-FEM.First,the size of the downscaled system is determined by COMSOL.Then,the surrounding and investigated beds are represented by a sodium chloride solution and planks soaked in solution,respectively.Finally,a half-space measurement scheme is presented to improve the experimental efficiency.Moreover,the corresponding sensitivity function and separation factor are established to analyze the effects of the formation anisotro py and dipping angle on the array laterolog responses.The numerical and experimental results indicate that the half-space method is practical,and the mean relative error between the numerical and experimental results is less than 5%,which indicates that the numerical simulation is accurate.With the proposed approach,the reversal angle of array laterolog response curves in anisotropic formations can be observed,and this range is determined to be 50°-62°.

Necessity of structural rearrangements for O-O bond formation between O5 and W2 in photosystemⅡ

Numerous aspects of the water oxidation mechanism in photosystemⅡhave not been fully elucidated,especially the O-O bond formation pathway.However,a body of experimental evidences have identified the O5 and W2 ligands of the oxygen-evolving complex as the highly probable substrate candidates.In this work,we studied O-O bond formation between O5 and W2 based on the native Mn4 Ca cluster by density functional calculations.Structural rearrangements before the formation of the S_(4) state were found as a prerequisite for O-O bond formation between O5 and W2,regardless if the suggested pathways involving the typical Mnl(Ⅳ)-O·species or the recently proposed Mn4(Ⅶ)(O)2 species.Possible alternatives for the S2→S_(3) and S_(3)→S_(4) transitions accounting for such required rearrangements are discussed.These findings reflect that the structural flexibility of the Mn4 Ca cluster is essential to allow structural rearrangements during the catalytic cycle.

A Comparative Study on Obama's Speeches from the Perspective of Interpersonal Function

This paper attempts to conduct a comparative study on Obama’s two speeches—his second inaugural address and his commencement speech in The Ohio State University in 2013 based on Halliday’s theory of Interpersonal Function.The author finds that mood,modality and personal pronouns are the major language means used to realize the interpersonal function;in his two speeches,Obama makes different choices of those resources,and different choices indicate different attitudes and intentions.

排比在英语演讲词中的应用——以The Urgency of Doing:MIT and the Spirit of Leonardo da Vinci (Part I& Part II)为例

引起听众的共鸣是演讲词的主要功能之一,而排比因其具有语言美和气势强的辅助作用受到了众多演讲者的偏爱。本文以The Urgency of Doing:MIT and the Spirit of Leonardo da Vinci(Part I&Part II)这篇文章为例,简要论述排比在英语演讲词中的应用和作用。

The figures of speech in Song of Solomon

The Song of Solomon is a series of love poems which contain 6 pieces of love poems and most part in the form of songs addressed by a man to a woman, and by the woman to the man, in order to express the love between them.Figures of speech are ways of making our language figurative. They can be divided into three parts, they are syntactical, semantic and phonetic rhetorical devices. These rhetorical devices can help us to heighten effect and to make the writing figuratively and vividly.These figures of speech used in the Song of Solomon make great contribution to the success description of these long songs.This essay will center on the figures of speech in the Song of Solomon.

Safe formation control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles:control design and safety-stability analysis

Both safety and stability are primary performance criteria for multi-unmanned aerial vehicle(multi-UAV)systems in many coordination tasks.Existing approaches often consider safety and stability separately.It is necessary and urgent to develop a safety-stability control strategy to merge these two performance criteria.In this paper,a unified approach is developed to consider safety and stability for multi-UAV formation control.The stability criterion is represented by a Lyapunov function and safety criterion is represented by a barrier function and then a relaxed converse control Lyapunov-barrier theorem is obtained.With the help of a relaxed converse control Lyapunov-barrier function(RCCLBF),a distributed safety-stability formation control strategy is proposed for the multi-UAV system.By transforming the solution of RCCLBF to a Lyapunovlike stabilization problem,we show that the proposed formation control strategy can drive the UAVs staying within a specified safe set.Simulation results are provided to validate the proposed safety-stability formation control strategy.

Insight into the formation mechanism of levoglucosenone in phosphoric acid-catalyzed fast pyrolysis of cellulose

The catalytic fast pyrolysis of cellulose impregnated with phosphoric acid (H3PO4) offers a promising method for the selective production of levoglucosenone (LGO),a valuable anhydrosugar product.However,the fundamental mechanism for selective LGO formation is unclear.Herein,quantum chemistry calculations and catalytic fast pyrolysis experiments were performed to reveal the formation mechanism of LGO in H3PO4-catalyzed cellulose pyrolysis.H3PO4 significantly decreased the energy barriers of the pyrolytic reactions and altered the competitiveness of the LGO formation pathways,promoting LGO formation.Through different pathways in the non-catalytic and H3P04-catalyzed conditions,LGO is mainly produced from the primary decomposition of glucose units of cellulose and secondary conversion of levoglucosan.The major catalytic formation pathways of LGO comprise similar reactions,with dehydration at the 3-OH+2-H site as the rate-determining step.Importantly,secondary conversion of 1,4;3,6-dianhydro-α-D-glucopyranose is not feasible for LGO formation,in contrast to previous reports.In addition,a high degree of polymerization is beneficial for the selectivity of LGO formation in the catalytic process,because the glycosidic bond is important for the formation of the bicyclic structure (1,5-and1,6-acetal rings).

Mandarin Digits Speech Recognition Using Support Vector Machines

A method of applying support vector machine (SVM) in speech recognition was proposed, and a speech recognition system for mandarin digits was built up by SVMs. In the system, vectors were linearly extracted from speech feature sequence to make up time-aligned input patterns for SVM, and the decisions of several 2-class SVM classifiers were employed for constructing an N-class classifier. Four kinds of SVM kernel functions were compared in the experiments of speaker-independent speech recognition of mandarin digits. And the kernel of radial basis function has the highest accurate rate of 99.33%, which is better than that of the baseline system based on hidden Markov models (HMM) (97.08%). And the experiments also show that SVM can outperform HMM especially when the samples for learning were very limited.

SPEECH EMOTION RECOGNITION USING MODIFIED QUADRATIC DISCRIMINATION FUNCTION

Quadratic Discrimination Function （QDF） is commonly used in speech emotion recognition, which proceeds on the premise that the input data is normal distribution. In this paper, we propose a transformation to normalize the emotional features, emotion recognition. Features based on prosody then derivate a Modified QDF （MQDF） to speech and voice quality are extracted and Principal Component Analysis Neural Network （PCANN） is used to reduce dimension of the feature vectors. The results show that voice quality features are effective supplement for recognition, and the method in this paper could improve the recognition ratio effectively.