Serum samples from individuals immunized with a pepsinized or non-pepsinized vaccine and from patients who had recovered from acute hepatitis B or who developed a chronic form of the disease, were analysed for the presence of antibody against the pre-S2 epitope of the hepatitis B virus. Anti-pre-S2 antibody was absent in all but one individual immunized with the pepsinized vaccine. Thirty-eight percent of the subjects who responded by anti-HBs production to the non-pepsinized preparation showed anti-pre-S2 antibody one year after complete vaccination. Among subjects who did not produce anti-HBs after immunization with this vaccine, 1 single individual produced anti-pre-S2 antibody. Anti-preS2 antibody was detectable after one year in 38% of the patients who recovered from acute hepatitis B, but in none of those with chronic hepatitis B. The kinetics of anti-pre-S2 antibody response to a booster injection was also analysed 1 month and 1 year after the 3rd injection and 1 month after the 4th injection of the non-pepsinized vaccine.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Perceptual and acoustic correlates of abnormal voice qualities.

A set of 17 voices representing various voice disorders were presented to a jury of voice experts who rated them on a 5-point scale for each of 28 terms frequently used for describing voices. A statistical treatment of these ratings yielded 5 bipolar factors accounting for 85% of the total variance. Significant correlations were found between four of these factors and certain acoustic data extracted fron long-time-average spectra and fundamental frequency distribution analysis of the same voice sample.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of laryngeal muscle function by quantitative analysis of the EMG interference pattern.

A computerized method for quantitative analysis of the EMG interference pattern was tested in the cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscles with the purpose of evaluating its usefulness for clinical purposes. In a normal male subject the mean amplitude and the number of turns/s were extracted from the EMG signal of sustained chest register phonations, with systematic variation of vocal pitch and intensity. In the cricothyroid, as well as the thyroarytenoid muscle, there was a considerable increase in mean amplitude and turns/s with both increased pitch and increased intensity. Pitch variation was the most effective way to induce changes in turns and amplitude levels in both muscles. In contrast to results from studies of larger muscles, the increase in both amplitude and turns was proportional to muscle force also at the highest loads.

Electromyography↗