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Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the acoustic differences associated with the presence of speech sound disorder (SSD) and/or cognitive ability. Methods: Medical records from 2016 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The study included children aged 4 to 8 years who had undergone developmental assessments. Based on the assessment results, participants were divided into three groups: children with SSD without intellectual disability (ID), children with SSD and ID, and typically developing (TD) children. Voices were analyzed using the Multidimensional Voice Program (MDVP). Results: The average ages of children with SSD, those with SSD and ID, and those categorized as TD were 61.0±11.4, 62.3±10.7, and 64.2±9.4 months, respectively (P=0.482). The proportion of children with SSD and ID who also had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was significantly higher (53.3%) than in the other groups (P=0.010). In the MDVP analysis, among values related to fundamental frequency, the number of segments computed was significantly lower in children with SSD and ID compared to the other groups (SSD, 25.0; SSD with ID, 17.0; TD, 19.0; P=0.001). Similarly, the total number of pitch periods detected was significantly lower among those with both SSD and ID (SSD, 230.0; SSD with ID, 152.5; TD, 187.0; P=0.001). No other parameters significantly differed across groups. Conclusion: Acoustic analysis can reflect voice changes in children with SSD and ID compared to both those with SSD and TD children. Therefore, voice analysis may serve as a supportive screening tool for patients with SSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A speech sound disorder (SSD) is defined as the presence of a problem with articulation and phonological processes in a child. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of Korean patients with functional SSDs without any neuromuscular abnormalities. Methods: The medical records of patients aged 36 to 72 months old who were diagnosed with SSDs were retrospectively reviewed. SSD patients who scored less than 85 in the U-Tap test were divided into two groups according to their receptive language scores on the Preschool Receptive-Expressive Language Scale (PRES)/the Sequenced Language Scale for Infants (SELSI). Results: Sixty-seven percent of patients with language impairment (LI) who were diagnosed with an SSD initially visited the hospital for a delay in language development (n=18, 66.7%). Among children with only an SSD, 26.7% (n=8) of the patients recognized it as a language developmental problem. All SSD patients had substitution errors in the onset of initial syllables (SSD, SSD+LI: 100%; typical development [TD]: 37.5%). Of particular note, SSD children with LI had more omission errors (55.6%) than patients with SSD only (16.7%). SSD patients had higher error rates than TD children in all consonants except for the glottal element (P<0.01). The lower the U-Tap score of SSD patients, the lower their expressive language score (P<0.001). Conclusion: A high percentage of children with SSD initially visited the hospital for the treatment of language development delays. Articulation tests are essential for children who suffer from language delay. Furthermore, since incorrect articulation can lead to delays in expressive language development, early interventions should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational design of nanostructures for efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts is necessary for their application to advanced rechargeable Zn–air batteries (ZABs). Particularly, a three-dimensional (3D) porous architecture with a high surface area enhances electrolyte transport and the charge transfer efficiency. Herein, 3D porous microspheres composed of Ni nanoparticle-embedded bamboo-like carbon nanotubes (bCNTs) with a high surface area are prepared via spray pyrolysis and post-treatment with dicyandiamide (DCDA). During the heat treatment, the thermally stable MgO matrix restricts the crystal growth of the metallic Ni nanocatalysts, which controls the thickness and length of the bCNTs. A higher MgO ratio in the MgO–Ni microspheres leads to smaller metallic Ni nanocrystals, resulting in the growth of thinner and shorter bCNTs. Through thickness and length control of the bCNTs, morphology-optimized microspheres with a high surface area exhibit a high electrochemical surface area (ECSA) and improved oxygen redox activity, especially for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). To compensate for the low oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, flower-like Co3O4 nanoparticles are decorated on the microspheres by a simple bottom-up process. The resultant composite microspheres (Co/CNT_10Mg/Ni) exhibit superior ORR and OER activities in KOH-based electrolyte compared to those of Pt/C and RuO2, respectively. Furthermore, as an air cathode for ZABs, Co/CNT_10Mg/Ni shows lower polarization, higher power density (181 mW cm−2), and a more stable cycle performance (250 h) than those of the Pt/C–RuO2 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]