Psychrotrophs in raw milk: effect on texture, proteolysis index, and sensory evaluation of smoked provolone cheese.

BACKGROUND: Provolone can be fresh or ripened, with its taste varying from sweet to spicy. The high psychrotrophic density of raw milk is associated with thermoresistant enzymes that can change cheese characteristics such as texture, promote sensory defects and decrease industrial yield. Two batches of provolone-type smoked cheese were produced from chilled raw milk with 3 log cfu mL-1 (Treatment 1) and 7 log cfu mL-1 (Treatment 2) of psychrotrophs. The psychrotrophic (21 °C for 25 h) and physical-chemical profile of the raw milk were determined. Cheeses were evaluated by fat level, primary and secondary proteolysis index, yield, protein profile (Urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis), and texture (hardness, cohesiveness, elasticity, and chewiness) at 14, 30, and 60 days of storage time. Sensorially, the cheeses were evaluated (100 tasters/period) using the triangular test. RESULTS: The treatments did not influence proteolysis index, although maturation influenced the proteolytic depth index after 60 days. The psychrotrophic population influenced αs 1- and ß-casein fractions, while maturation time influenced αs 1- and γ-casein fractions. Treatment 2 induced a 3% reduction in cheese yield. Hardness and chewiness showed a linear and positive relationship with the milk's psychrotrophic load. There was a significant difference in the fat content of the cheeses, with Treatment 2 having a lower level. The triangular test showed no difference between the cheeses. CONCLUSION: Although the larger psychrotrophic population in raw milk was associated with superior values of hardness and chewiness, as well as an increase in protein fractions indicating that proteolysis was observed, the tasters did not identify sensorial differences between the cheeses. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quality of life: validation of the Brazilian version of the voice-related quality of life (V-RQOL) measure.

The purpose of this prospective study was to perform the Brazilian Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) version and to check its psychometric measurement properties and the relationship between vocal self-assessment and the instrument's scores. The translation and validation were performed following the guidelines of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Medical Outcomes Trust. The instrument was administered to 234 patients, 114 with vocal complaints, and 120 without vocal complaints. The instrument was submitted to validation, reliability, reproducibility, and responsiveness evaluation. Results showed that internal consistency was demonstrated with high coefficient values (P<0.001) and a statistically acceptable level of reliability (functioning 0.700; social-emotional 0.070; and total 0.108). Pre- and posttreatment results showed a significant responsiveness (Functioning 0.026; Social-Emotional 0.006; and Total 0.008). The study concluded that the Brazilian version of the V-RQOL is valid, reliable, and responsive to change and it can play an important role in the dysphonic patient's voice evaluation.

Lombard's effect's implication in intensity, fundamental frequency and stability on the voice of individuals with Parkinson's disease.

UNLABELLED: Parkinson's disease affects the central nervous system resulting in voice quality alterations. It is typically resistant to drug therapy and often persists despite extensive behavioural speech and language therapy. Previous findings show that masking noise will produce a consistent increase in voice intensity in most normal individuals (Lombard's effect). AIM: we evaluated Lombard's effect's implication in intensity, fundamental frequency and stability on the voice of individuals with Parkinson's disease (N=17). MATERIAL AND METHODS: through acoustic analysis, we evaluated intensity alterations and fundamental frequency, before and after white masking noise 40, 70 and 90 dBSL intensities, as well as variations during each vocalization and compared with a control group (N=16). RESULTS: voice intensity varied according to masking intensity, tending to non-linear increases in both groups and gender. Fundamental frequency varied, tending to non-linear increase in both groups and gender. Improvement stability occurred in fundamental frequency and vocal intensity. CONCLUSION: Lombard's effect increased intensity, fundamental frequency and improves voice stability on these patients. STUDY: clinical and experimental.

Quality of life and voice: study of a Brazilian population using the voice-related quality of life measure.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to characterize a large population of Brazilian individuals using the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) Measure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied a population of 2,214 Brazilian subjects who completed the V-RQOL questionnaire consisting of 10 questions from two domains: physical functioning and social-emotional functioning. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the presence of vocal complaints: group 1, with vocal complaints (1,304 individuals); group 2, without vocal complaints (910 individuals). Subject age ranged from 14 to 90 years in both groups. All subjects self-rated their voice quality upon a five-point categorical scale ranging from poor to excellent. Moreover, the respondents' professions were classified into four categories according to their level of voice usage. RESULTS: Results indicate that the worse the self-assessment of the voice, the lower the V-RQOL scores, with higher significance in the group with vocal complaints. The total V-RQOL score was 97 for excellent voices, 92 for very good, 84 for good, 65 for fair, and 45 for poor voices. Main correlations for both groups were: total and physical scores (0.96), total and social-emotional scores (0.82); physical and social-emotional scores (0.69); self-assessment of the voice and total score (0.61); self-assessment of the voice and physical score (0.58), and self-assessment of the voice and social-emotional score (0.52). Two interesting negative correlations were found between age and self-assessment of the voice (-0.271), and age and social-emotional score (-0.184). Group 1, with vocal complaints, presented lower scores than group 2. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between self-assessment of voice quality and V-RQOL scores was very clear and statistically significant, especially when considering the group with a known voice disorder.

Implicações do efeito Lombard sobre a intensidade, freqüência fundamental e estabilidade da voz de indivíduos com doença de Parkinson / Lombard's effect's implication in intensity, fundamental frequency and stability on the voice of individuals with Parkinson's disease

A Doença de Parkinson afeta o sistema nervoso central resultando em alterações qualitativas da voz que pouco melhoram com o tratamento farmacológico e com a fonoterapia tradicional. Estudos mostram que o mascaramento auditivo leva ao aumento da intensidade da voz em indivíduos normais (Efeito Lombard). OBJETIVO: Avaliar implicações do efeito Lombard sobre a intensidade, freqüência fundamental e estabilidade da voz de indivíduos com doença de Parkinson (N=17). FORMA DE ESTUDO: Estudo clínico e experimental. Material e Métodos: Através de análise acústica, avaliamos as alterações de intensidade e freqüência fundamental, antes e depois da exposição a mascaramento auditivo "white noise", em 40, 70 e 90 dBNS, bem como as variações durante cada emissão e comparamos com um grupo controle (N=16). RESUTADOS: A intensidade de emissão vocal variou de acordo com a intensidade de mascaramento, tendendo a aumento não-linear, ocorrendo também nos grupos Parkinson e controle, não sendo influenciado pelo sexo. A freqüência fundamental da emissão vocal variou, tendendo a aumento não-linear, em ambos os grupos e sexos. Ocorreu melhora da estabilidade, tanto com relação à freqüência quanto à intensidade de emissão vocal. CONCLUSÃO: O Efeito Lombard elevou a intensidade e freqüência fundamental e melhorou a estabilidade da voz desses pacientes.

Parkinson's disease affects the central nervous system resulting in voice quality alterations. It is typically resistant to drug therapy and often persists despite extensive behavioural speech and language therapy. Previous findings show that masking noise will produce a consistent increase in voice intensity in most normal individuals (Lombard's effect). AIM: we evaluated Lombard's effect's implication in intensity, fundamental frequency and stability on the voice of individuals with Parkinson's disease (N=17). MATERIAL AND METHODS: through acoustic analysis, we evaluated intensity alterations and fundamental frequency, before and after white masking noise 40, 70 and 90 dBSL intensities, as well as variations during each vocalization and compared with a control group (N=16). RESULTS: voice intensity varied according to masking intensity, tending to non-linear increases in both groups and gender. Fundamental frequency varied, tending to non-linear increase in both groups and gender. Improvement stability occurred in fundamental frequency and vocal intensity. CONCLUSION: Lombard's effect increased intensity, fundamental frequency and improves voice stability on these patients. Study: clinical and experimental.

Classification Manual for Voice Disorders-I - CMVD-I / x

O Manual de Classificação dos Distúrbios Vocais – CMVD-I é um esforço sistêmico de organizar a literatura das variadas alterações que podem produzir problemas vocais e criar uma referência padrão, tendo como público-alvo profissionais de diversas formações. O manual pretende ainda oferecer uma perspectiva para classificar os distúrbios vocais e facilitar a comunicação entre os profissionais. Cada uma das entradas deste manual contém uma descrição da condição ou lesão, distinguindo as características essenciais das associadas, com a descrição do impacto vocal produzido,aspectos demográficos dos pacientes, curso clínico, fatores desencadeantes, além de dados sobre diagnóstico diferencial e critérios de classificação .

The effects of a specific speech and language training program on students of a radio announcing course.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether individuals show differences in speech and voice during reading of the same news before and after attending a radio announcing course. Twenty-five students of a Radio Announcing Course in Sao Paulo city, 17 men and 8 women, aged 19 to 55 years, participated in this study. The readings were recorded in a professional audio studio, and the speech samples were submitted to perceptual and acoustic analysis. For the perceptual analysis, the samples were randomly presented in pairs and five trained speech pathologists identified each recording as pre- and posttraining, and also justified their choices by indicating what parameters better based their judgment: type of voice, articulation and pronunciation, loudness, pitch, resonance, speech rate, respiratory coordination, and use of emphasis. The acoustic parameters analyzed were mean, minimum, and maximum fundamental frequency, frequency range, text duration, and pause duration. The perceptual analysis showed that the posttraining speech samples were considered the best productions in 80% of the evaluations. Emphasis characterized the readings (70.4%), followed by type of voice (44.8%) and pitch (40.8%). Acoustic analysis showed higher mean fundamental frequency and increase of frequency range posttraining. These results indicated richer modulation in the posttraining readings. There are differences in the readings of the same news pre- and posttraining in a radio announcing course, and the posttraining reading was considered the best production, indicating the positive effect of the training.

Education of speech-language pathologists and audiologists in Brazil.

The field of speech-language pathology (SLP) in Brazil, named 'fonoaudiologia', comprises both a therapeutic approach to communication disorders and audiology and was officially recognized on December 9, 1981 (law No. 6965). University programs exist since the 1960s. The undergraduate level is a 4-year honors Bachelor of Science program and requires at least a 3,700 h of coursework. Since 1996 four areas of specialization were established: language, audiology, voice and oral myology, requiring a minimum of 500 h of course. Graduate programs in the narrower sense,master's degree and doctorate, exist since the 1970s. Brazil is a 180-million inhabitant country with approximately 25,000 speech-language pathologists, of which 2,700 are specialists, 800 masters and 210 doctors. There are almost 100 undergraduate programs and 70 specialization courses; however, for master's degree and doctorate purposes there are only 8.

Experiência na elaboração de estórias com abordagem cognitiva para tratamento de disfonia infantil / Experience in creating cognitive cueing stories approach for voice therapy for children

A terapia cognitiva tem se mostrado eficaz na modificação de certos processos cognitivos, entre eles o desempenho vocal. O objetivo do presente estudo foi desenvolver estórias com pistas cognitivas para serem utilizadas no tratamento de disfonia infantil. Participaram da pesquisa cinco meninos, com idade de 8 a 14 anos, com diagnóstico de disfonia, que estavam em terapia fonoaudiológica em grupo no Ambulatório dos Distúrbios da Comunicação Humana da UNIFESP. Pudemos verificar que o procedimento utilizado na presente pesquisa foi eficaz na produção de estórias infantis.