bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An open-source implementation of GPU-accelerated Finite-Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations in the Unity game engine to visualize elastic wave propagation and scattering for pedagogical or training scenarios
Authors: Golembeski Seth , Dieckman Eric A.
Published: November 2022

Simulations of elastic wave propagation through solid materials can be realized through industry-standard software or custom implementations in a variety of programming languages. These codes are generally optimized for numerical accuracy and can be difficulty to interact with, slow to run, and often require external processing of results to create 3D visualizations. This is especially true for parallelized or Graphical Processing Unit (GPU)-based simulations which require additional libraries. These factors tend to limit the use of numerical simulations of wave propagation in pedagogical applications to simple 2D implementations of acoustic propagation through fluids. Here we present a fully-3D open-source Finite-Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulation of elastic wave propagation that is implemented in the Unity game development engine. Due to the nature of the engine the simulation code runs entirely on the GPU without additional coding. Additionally the solutions are rendered as the simulation runs which removes the need for saving and post-processing large data files, as well as allowing the user to rotate the viewpoint in real-time to better visualize the wave propagation and scattering in complex geometries.
Acoustic scattering from dynamic rough ocean surfaces using finite-difference time-domain modeling techniques
Authors: Higgins Alex , Siderius Martin
Published: November 2022

Established models for underwater acoustic propagation and scattering typically assume the sea-surface to be either perfectly smooth or rough but static in time. When the sea-surface is rough and moving, received signals show anomalies such as additional transmission losses (due to scattering) and Doppler effects (due to surface motion). Understanding the mechanisms behind these anomalies leads to better sonar system designs without having to perform expensive at-sea experiments. The Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method is ideal to predict these physical phenomena. This work presents a FDTD method implemented to model the impact of both sea-surface roughness and motion on underwater acoustic propagation. The FDTD method allows an arbitrary function to define the rough sea-surface and its time evolution. The surface characteristics are modeled using a Pierson-Moskowitz (PM) frequency spectrum. The PM surface model is simple to implement and fully defined by wind speed and direction. Time-domain results from FDTD simulations of static rough sea-surfaces are compared to an established Helmholtz integral equation (HIE) method to establish the validity of the approach. Broadband signals are used as the source waveform. Results demonstrate the anomalous transmission loss and Doppler in received signals. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]
Creating effective assessment to prepare students for the workforce
Authors: Riegel Kimberly A.
Published: November 2022

Effective assessment is one of the most difficult aspects of instruction. Assessment not only needs to accurately capture the student knowledge and abilities for the instructor but should prepare students for the kind of evaluation that they will face once they enter the field. These connections can help the student better connect with the material and understand the relevance of the assessment. Many common forms of assessment (e.g. tests) require the student to perfume timed and memorized tasks with few available resources for reference. As acoustics students head out into the professional world, the assessment that they encounter during their academic careers should reflect the kind of skills that they will be evaluated on in the workforce. Several examples of assessment that more closely align with industry will be presented. This presentation will include a plea to the industrial partners to help faculty effectively create more of these types of assessments.
Assessing impact of near-ground meteorology on spectral variability in static jet aircraft noise measurements
Authors: Streeter Jacob B. , Christian Matthew A. , Gee Kent L. , Wall Alan T. , Campbell Steven C.
Published: November 2022

ANSI/ASA standard S12.75 (2012) provides guidance on allowable meteorological conditions for acoustical measurements of installed high-performance jet engines. This paper investigates meteorological effects on acoustic data acquisition by analyzing recent measurements of a T-7A-installed GE F404 engine. During this measurement, the aircraft was run up six times at engine powers from idle to full afterburner, with test conditions following those prescribed by S12.75. However, far-field spectra show variability between runs, despite relatively uniform test conditions. Measurements of the vertical temperature gradient show a correlation between the gradient and spectral characteristics. This analysis suggests that local temperature profiles must be considered more carefully in future full-scale measurements. [Work supported by ONR Grant No. N00014-21-1-2069.]
Joint time-frequency domain analysis of F404 engine noise sources using event-based beamforming methods
Authors: Olaveson Tyce , Gee Kent L. , Wall Alan T. , Johnson Jon P.
Published: November 2022

Spatiospectral lobes are features identified in the noise fields surrounding full-scale tactical aircraft that are unseen in most lab-scale experiments. Prior studies have explored their characteristics in the frequency domain, but a joint time-frequency domain (JTFD) analysis has potential to further explore these phenomena and connect them to source-related events. This paper applies the event-based beamforming technique developed by Vaughn et al. [AIAA J. 2021] to acoustical data collected at a 120-microphone array near a T-7A-installed F404 engine. The algorithm correlates time-domain events between pairs of adjacent microphones to find an event propagation direction and then ray traces to the jet nozzle lipline to identify an apparent source location. In addition to the large-derivative events used previously to identify crackle-related phenomena, this paper uses a JTFD wavelet analysis to expand the possible triggers to extract physical insights into the lobes. The lobe directivities are explored and compared to frequency-domain studies. [Work supported by Grant No. N00014-21-1-2069.]
Evaluation of acousto-optic effect in liquid using high-frequency and high-intensity ultrasound
Authors: Harada Yuki , Ishikawa Mutsuo , Inamoto Shuto , Suzuyama Hidehisa , Matsukawa Mami , Koyama Daisuke
Published: November 2022

Piezoelectric thin film transducers that can receive and transmit high-frequency and high-intensity ultrasound are powerful tools for future medical and industrial applications. Our group has developed acousto-optic devices where the refractive index can be controlled at high speed and high precision using ultrasound, but there are few reports on the interaction between high-frequency (tens to hundreds MHz) and high-intensity (MPa) ultrasound and visible light in liquids. In this study, we evaluated the acousto-optic interaction using polarized CW laser (532 nm) and a piezoelectric KNbO3 thin film transducer formed by hydrothermal method. The transducer was driven continuously at the fundamental or higher resonance frequencies (32, 96, 160, or 210 MHz) in a water cell, and the projection light of a laser beam penetrating perpendicularly to the sound axis was observed. The length of the projection light was elongated in the sound axis on the screen as the driving frequency increased. These results implies that the relationship between the wavelength of ultrasound and the laser beam width is the critical parameter for the acousto-optic phenomenon; the profile of the projection light is dependent on a ratio of the wavelength of ultrasound and the beam width of the laser beam.
The third language imitation of Spanish rhotic-lateral contrast by Akan-English bilingual children and adults: The effect of first language transfer, orthography, and age of acquisition
Authors: Ahima Linda , Martinez Loyola Gabriela , Rafat Yasaman
Published: November 2022

This study explores the third language imitation of Spanish rhotics and laterals by Akan-English bilingual children and adults. Specifically, it examines this phenomenon, with respect to (i) first language transfer in the imitation of the Spanish rhotic contrast, (ii) the effect of orthographic input on the imitation of the rhotic-lateral contrast in Spanish as a third language, and (iii) the effect of age of acquisition via the inclusion of a comparative analysis between children and adults. Whereas rhotics and laterals are contrastive in most varieties of Spanish and English, they are in free variation in Akan. The participants in this study consisted of 20 Akan-English bilinguals between the ages of 8–10 years and 18–55. The conditions included an imitation task with auditory input only and another with orthographic input. The results demonstrated evidence of L1 transfer, a positive effect of orthography, and a better performance of children. This study has important implications as it provides data from an understudied population in the field of L2/L3 speech learning.
Perception of English vowel length modulation due to vowel identity and the identity of the following consonant by Korean learners of English
Authors: Chung Juyeon
Published: November 2022

In English, consonant voicing has large effects on the previous vowel duration, as does the status of the vowel as tense or lax. Our aim is to examine the relationship between discrimination and identification of these contrasts by Korean L2 listeners. An ABX discrimination task shows little correlation between the two contrasts, so that listeners who distinguish English consonant voicing contrasts do not tend to do better with the English tense/lax contrasts. An identification task, however, indicates a strong correlation across the two different contrasts such that listeners who identify the correct underlying final consonant are able to identify the correct underlying vowel identity in their English perception. Further, comparing the participants’ performance on the two tasks shows a different relationship between discrimination and identification. For voicing contrasts, discrimination performance needs to reach a level of accuracy before the listeners improve in identification, suggesting that auditory discrimination is a foundation for identification. However, for the tense-lax contrast, the listeners’ performance in the two tasks is entirely uncorrelated, suggesting that part of the difficulty for the listeners acquiring the tense-lax contrast is that they auditorily attend to aspects of the signal which are inappropriate for identification.
“New” sounds detract attention from “similar” sounds: “New” and “similar” L2 sounds for English speakers learning French
Authors: Lombardo Danilo A. , Whalen D. H.
Published: November 2022

The pronunciation of a foreign language (L2) is difficult for adult learners, which has been attributed to two classes of L2 sounds: “New” sounds, with unfamiliar articulatory gestures, and “similar” sounds, which are likely to be replaced by native (L1) sounds. For American English (AE) speakers learning French, /ʁ/ is a “new” sound, while the voicing of stops is a “similar” feature. We hypothesized that both “similar” and “new” sounds require attention for correct pronunciation, and that “new” sounds attract more attention than “similar” ones. We predicted that “similar” sounds will be more L1-like when “new” sounds are in the same utterance. Preliminary results for AE speakers producing French utterances with or without /ʁ/ suggest that the presence of /ʁ/ impacted surrounding sounds. In particular, the VOT of voiceless stops was sometimes longer (i.e., more English-like) in sentences with than without /ʁ/. The “new” sound /ʁ/ appears to require attention that is then less available for controlling details of the L2 stops. This result points, seemingly for the first time in the L2 speech literature, to competition between “new” and “similar” sounds for the learner’s attention, which allows positing a previously unexplored cognitive mechanism in L2 accent.
Bilingual effects on lexical retrieval and performance on a word guessing game
Authors: Pyrih Marta , Vasilita Mariana , Wallace Julia , Shavdia Ketevan , Hinkson Revette
Published: November 2022

Bilingualism has been associated with cognitive disadvantages (compared to monolinguals) in terms of lexical retrieval, even in bilinguals' native language. According to Gollan et al. (2002), a possible source of the disadvantages is cross-language interference. Another potential explanation is that bilinguals process even their first language differently from monolinguals. Higby et al. (2013) suggest that, to understand the advantages and disadvantages of multilingualism, one must consider the linguistic system as a whole and how effective management of more than one language affects all aspects of cognition, both linguistic and nonlinguistic. Our experimental study includes two tasks: a lexical decision task in which participants are shown a single word and have to decide whether it is a real word, and the web-based word game Wordle, which provides six attempts at guessing a 5-letter word. Each participant was tested individually and recorded via Zoom under 1-on-1 supervision, sharing their screen throughout the process. Our measures include reaction times for the lexical decision task, and overall duration, number of trials required to arrive at a correct answer, and accuracy for Wordle. Based on previous findings, we hypothesize slower lexical decision reaction times in bilinguals but higher performance on the word game.
Vowel nasalization and Nasal Coda in Mandarin Chinese
Authors: Chuang Jarry C.
Published: November 2022

Vowel nasalization for onset or coda nasal is a common phenomenon in many languages. As coda nasals belong to the rime and involve syllable timing, the interaction between nucleus vowel and nasal coda might reflect onto duration patterns. In Mandarin, coda nasal [n, ŋ] and coda glide [j,w] are in complementary distribution, while acoustic results have found a coda nasal takes a longer duration than a coda glide. Besides, with the increase in the nasality of vowels (triggered by the nasal coda), the duration of the nasal coda is correspondently longer, accompanied by the durative lenition of vowels. This demonstrates that the nasal coda starts sharing the mora (originally belonging to the vowel), with the help of vowel nasalization.
Reflections on Lisa Zurk as an Educator
Authors: Kniffin Gabriel P.
Published: November 2022

Lisa Zurk was my advisor and mentor through both my masters and doctoral degree programs. I had the pleasure of working with her beginning in 2008; first as her graduate student, then in my subsequent professional career while she was a program manager in the Strategic Technology Office at DARPA. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been part of the Northwest Electromagnetics and Acoustics Research Laboratory (NEAR-Lab), which she founded at Portland State University in 2005. Under her guidance and leadership, the group became a diverse community of tight-knit students, faculty, and other researchers; united in our passion for research in terahertz imaging and spectroscopy, underwater acoustics, and physics-based signal processing. My experience there, and that of my fellow students, paved the way for our future careers in science and engineering in industry, academia, and everywhere in between. Today, NEAR-Lab alumni can be found at top tech companies such as Apple, Boeing, Intel, Tektronix, and Metron; nationally-renowned research organizations like The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; and even internationally at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, and JASCO Applied Sciences. The success of her students speaks volumes about her impact on the generation of innovators that followed her. This talk will reflect on Dr. Zurk as an educator and will present some of the work she coauthored and published with her students.
Ringing tone and drumming sages in the Crevice Cave of Pirunkirkko, Koli, Finland
Authors: Rainio Riitta , Hytönen-Ng Elina
Published: November 2022

Pirunkirkko (“Devil’s Church”) is one of the famous caves in Finland. Tradition says that this Crevice Cave leading inside the Koli mountain was a meeting place for sages, who typically used sound to contact the spirit world. Today, the place is visited by practitioners of shamanism, who organise drumming sessions at the back of the cave. This paper examines Pirunkirkko and the related traditions from the perspective of acoustics, hypothesising that the acoustic characteristics of the narrow crevice might have played a role in the ritualization of the place and the power of its sonic rituals. Methods employed include impulse response recording, spectrum analysis, archival research, and an interview of a shamanic practitioner analysed with discursive psychology. The results indicate that the corridor-like back of the cave houses a distinct resonance phenomenon. A standing wave between the smooth parallel walls generates a ringing tone at 230 Hz that stays audible after sharp impulses or tones vocalised at the same frequency. Surprisingly, the local folklore or the interviewed practitioner do not mention this ringing tone at all. Instead, they speak about the “spirit of the cave,” “special energy,” or “new horizons” opened up by drumming. This leads to reflection on cultural frameworks of thought that guide sensory perceptions leading to differing experiences and interpretations.
Vocal learning, chorusing seal pups, and the evolution of rhythm
Authors: Ravignani Andrea , Anichini Marianna , Sroka Marlene , Varola Mila , Salazar Casals Anna , de Reus Koen , Verga Laura
Published: November 2022

The presence of vocal learning and rhythm capacities in only a few mammals drives a cross-species hypothesis in evolutionary neuroscience: vocal learning and rhythm perception and synchronization may be causally related. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are among these mammals, and their puppyhood is the most active vocal period in their lives. Building on both comparative psychology and animal behavior, this research integrates methods from human cognition with attention to species’ ecological sensory niches. We present data from seal pups in four different setups: recordings of semi-natural vocal interactions in (1) individual and (2) group settings, (3) playback experiments to elicit vocal responses, and (4) perceptual listening experiments to measure behavioral responses. We complement empirical data with agent-based computational modeling aimed at reverse-engineering the putative mechanisms underlying rhythmic vocal interactions. Our data suggest that seal pups have developed capacities to produce and perceive rhythmic patterns. Seals’ vocal exchanges show rhythmic interactivity and antisynchronous coordination. Evidence for antisynchrony, rather than synchrony, in seals suggests that the rhythm-vocal learning link across species is more complex than previously surmised.
Individual variations in vocal and cognitive responses to simulated acoustic environments
Authors: Ishikawa Keiko , Murgia Silvia , Li Hannah , Coster Elisabeth , Harris Elle , Moore Calley , Bottalico Pasquale
Published: November 2022

Humans “automatically” make vocal and speech adjustments in response to room acoustics; however, it is unclear whether these adjustments require additional cognitive load. Beyond this automatic adjustment, speakers may have to employ a speech production technique to enhance their intelligibility in situations such as public speaking. How does room acoustics challenge speakers on such occasions? Understanding the relationship between room acoustics, speech production, and cognitive load has practical implications for various areas, including speech training and room design. This study describes the associated change in cognitive load when speaking with and without a speech production technique at three levels of reverberation time (i.e., 0.05 s, 1.2 s, and 1.83 s at 125 Hz). Ten adult native speakers of American English were asked to read sentences in simulated acoustic environments using two types of speech production: habitual speech and clear speech, an intelligibility-enhancing technique. Cognitive load during the speech tasks was monitored with pupillometry and a subjective self-rating scale. Participants’ speech production behaviors were acoustically assessed via speech rate and alpha ratio. Preliminary results indicate that reverberation time significantly affects speech production behaviors and cognitive load and that the pattern of cognitive response varies substantially among the speakers.
A pipeline to enable large-scale generation of diverse 2D cardiac synthetic ultrasound recordings corresponding to healthy and heart failure virtual patients
Authors: Burman Nitin , Manetti Claudia , Tostes Paulo , Lumens Joost , D'hooge Jan
Published: November 2022

Simulated ultrasound (US) data are widely used in echocardiography to develop and validate rapidly growing convolutional neural networks (CNNs) based learning algorithms for image processing and analysis. In this context, a large and diverse database of synthetic US scans is considered vital for CNN training purposes, as clinical US data are scarce and difficult to access. Major hurdles in creating an extensive database are the long US simulation time and unstable heart models for extreme parameter settings. Here, we developed and implemented a cardiac US simulation pipeline that kinematically connects two state-of-the-art solutions in the field of US simulation (COLE) and cardiac modelling (CircAdapt), benefiting from the fast simulation time of the convolution-based ultrasound simulator and stability of the mechanical heart model to produce 2D synthetic cardiac US recordings. Furthermore, using our pipeline, we generated diverse set of 600 2D synthetic cardiac US recordings of healthy and heart failure virtual patients with variations in the shapes, motion patterns, and functions of the heart, along with their ground truth 2D myocardial velocity profiles and deformation curves. The resulting database is a potential tool for augmenting training databases of machine learning based US image processing algorithms. [Work funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 860745.]
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound to detect active bleeding
Authors: Schoen Scott J. , Kumar Viksit , Telfer Brian , Brattain Laura , Samir Anthony E.
Published: November 2022

Non-compressible internal hemorrhage (NCIH) is the most common cause of death in acute non-penetrating trauma. NCIH management requires accurate hematoma localization and evaluation for ongoing bleeding for risk stratification. The current standard point-of-care diagnostic tool, the focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), detects free fluid in body cavities with conventional B-mode imaging. The FAST does not assess whether bleeding is ongoing, at which location(s), and to what extent. Here, we propose contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) techniques to better identify, localize, and quantify hemorrhage. We designed and fabricated a custom hemorrhage-mimicking phantom, comprising a perforated vessel and cavity to simulate active bleeding. Lumason contrast agents (UCAs) were introduced at clinically relevant concentrations (3.5×108 bubbles/ml). Conventional and contrast pulse sequence images were captured, and post-processed with bubble localization techniques (SVD clutter filter and bubble localization). The results showed contrast pulse sequences enabled a 2.2-fold increase in the number of microbubbles detected compared with conventional CEUS imaging, over a range of flow rates, concentrations, and localization processing parameters. Additionally, particle velocimetry enabled mapping of dynamic flow within the simulated bleeding site. Our findings indicate that CEUS combined with advanced image processing may enhance visualization of hemodynamics and improve non-invasive, real-time detection of active bleeding.
A model-driven approach to ultrasonic detection of state of charge in lithium-ion batteries
Authors: McGee Tyler , Neath Barrett , Matthews Samuel B. , Ezekoye Ofodike A. , Haberman Michael R.
Published: November 2022

Ultrasonic inspection is one non-destructive method to monitor the internal state of lithium-ion battery (LIB) cells. During charging, lithium ions intercalate into the graphite anode, causing moderate volumetric expansion (approximately 10%) and as much as a three-fold increase in Young’s modulus of the anode. Many researchers have observed changes in the time-of-flight (TOF) of through-thickness ultrasonic waves that correlate with changes in the state of charge (SOC). We introduce a transfer matrix method and Bloch-wave formalism for periodically layered media to show that the observed changes in TOF are partially due to the associated changes in anode stiffness. However, more detailed models that consider battery heterogeneity in structure and properties are needed to predict changes in TOF and signal amplitude (SA) for sophisticated ultrasonic measurement configurations and different cell chemistries. We therefore employ a quasi-static homogenization scheme for layered media to estimate the effective anisotropic stiffness of LIB pouch cells as a function of SOC as an input to a time-domain finite element model to determine the influence of changes in the anode, cathode, and separator on the direction-dependent propagation modes. This model is then employed to interpret experimentally obtained TOF and SA data for more robust SOC detection.
Aerodynamic and acoustic characterisitics of glottal closure insufficiency
Authors: Kniesburges Stefan , Falk Sebastian , Jakubaß Bernhard , Maurerlehner Paul , Schoder Stefan , Kaltenbacher Manfred , Echternach Matthias , Schützenberger Anne , Döllinger Michael
Published: November 2022

Glottal closure insufficiency (GCI) and asymmetric oscillations of the vocal folds are often responsible for low voice quality and increased phonation effort for concerned patients. In this study, four clinically observed types of GCI with increasing glottal closure insufficiency were reproduced in the aero-acoustic computer model simVoice. Each type was simulated with symmetric and asymmetric oscillations extracted from high-speed recordings obtained in ex-vivo porcine larynges. The results show a permanent glottal flow throughout the oscillation cycle and an increasing mean flow rate for increasing minimum glottal gap. Consequently, the aerodynamic work exerted onto the vocal folds decreases for an increasing gap corresponding to the reported patient’s effort increase. Moreover, the quality of the computed sound decreases with an increasing gap based on the cepstral-peak-prominence. Even worse, asymmetric oscillations further degrade both, the aerodynamic energy transfer and the acoustic quality. The temporal evolution of energy transfer shows that the main decay occurs during the opening of the glottis. This shows that the blockage of the flow during glottis closure and the resulting large temporal gradients in pressure and velocity in the larynx are the key features for an efficient phonation process which is also visible in the aero-acoustic sound sources.
Syllable complexity in 24-month-old infants resulting from spontaneous mother–child vocal interactions
Authors: Ahmed Farheen A. , Cychosz Margaret , Newman Rochelle S.
Published: November 2022

Infant Directed Speech (IDS) influences language development via caregiver–child interactions and can promote early speech and language outcomes in some cultures (Golinkoff et al., 2015). IDS is characterized by a higher, more dynamic fundamental frequency (f0) as well as shorter caregiver utterances and simplified phono-lexical structures (Ramirez-Esparza et al., 2014). In line with social feedback theories of early vocal development (Warlaumont et al. 2014), this study proposes that certain acoustic aspects of IDS, when produced contingently with infant speech, will promote infants’ early vocal maturity. N = 84 infant-caregiver dyads were recorded during semi-naturalistic play sessions at 7, 10, 18, and 24 months. Infant vocal maturity was quantified as syllable complexity at 24-months where syllables with consonant-vowel (CV or VC) transitions were more complex than syllables with only a nucleus (V). The complexity of children’s syllables produced within 5 sof contingent caregiver speech will be compared to those produced outside of 5-swindows of caregiver speech. Infants’ syllable production will also be related to acoustic characteristics of IDS including f0 height, modulation, and caregiver speaking rate. Positive correlations between IDS characteristics and infant syllable complexity will provide additional evidence that socially contingent IDS spurs early speech development.
Links between language, fluid dynamics, and the airflows that transport pathogens
Authors: Wang Junshi , Mendez Simon , Dong Haibo , Stone Howard A.
Published: November 2022

Growing evidence shows that the airflows that accompany speech during social interactions contribute to the transport of pathogens, such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, it is still elusive how the manners of articulation during speaking, such as time-varying airflow rate, and instantaneous teeth and lip movements, may affect the transport features of airflow exiting the mouth. We combine experimental and numerical approaches to investigate the flow patterns produced by representative vowels, such as /a/, /o/, and /i/, and consonants, such as /p/, /k/, /s/, and /h/, that have distinct articulatory characteristics. A 3D vocal tract is modeled with a temporally varying exit that captures key morphologic and kinematic features of the human vocal tract, including teeth and lips, during speaking. An incompressible flow solver based on a sharp-interface immersed-boundary-method (IBM) is employed to compute the resultant airflow. By comparing representative utterance pairs, like /apa/ and /aha/, we are able to isolate the effect of articulatory features and show significant differences in spatial-temporal patterns of airflow under the influences of a time-varying orifice, different orifice aspect ratios, and different relative lip-teeth positions. This work helps bring insight into the understanding of articulatory phonetics, and the links to different languages, from a fluid dynamics perspective.
Frequency stability of articulatory and acoustic modulation functions
Authors: Campbell Jessica , Byrd Dani , Goldstein Louis
Published: November 2022

During speech perception, neural activity entrains with moments of high acoustic change. For example, periods of high change in speech amplitude envelope magnitude are tracked by neurons in the human superior temporal gyrus. However, it is unknown whether neural entrainment may also be driven by modulation in the articulatory domain. To locate periods of high articulatory change, a spatiotemporal modulation function (Goldstein, 2019) that quantifies change over time in global vocal tract posture can be used to investigate the potential for such entrainment. Here, the frequency patterning and stability of modulation maxima, called “pulses,” are assessed using articulatory point-tracking data. The median frequency of both articulatory and acoustic pulses is found to be only slightly higher than theta band frequencies (6i–8 Hz), at which neural entrainment with speech has been reported. Within- and between-speaker variability of inter-pulse intervals is also compared to the variability of acoustic syllable and acoustic stress foot durations. The results show that intervals between pulses are more stable than syllable and foot durations. In sum, the spatiotemporal modulation function exhibits a stable frequency profile in the articulatory and acoustic domains that could be leveraged in the neurocognitive functions at work in speech perception. [Work supported by the NIH.]
Ambient sound characterization over decadal time scales in the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Al-Badrawi Mahdi H. , Heaney Kevin D.
Published: November 2022

Gaining more knowledge about the variations in the ambient ocean soundscape plays a critical role in assessing the human impact (anthropogenic noise pollution) on marine species’ behavior and habitat choices. Accessing historical recordings is important to understand the long-term changes in the ambient sound and to identify mechanistic drivers influencing the soundscape regionally and globally. Data recorded in the Northwest Indian Ocean (Bearing Stake exercise) in 1977 were compared with more recent (2003 and 2013) data from the north side of Diego Garcia Island. This comparison between datasets 40 years apart showed that the ambient sound levels in that region were not higher in the 2000s than they were in 1977. The spectral levels decreased between 1977 and 2003 and then leveled out between 2003 and 2013. These findings are different from the well-cited 3 dB/decade increase in Pacific Ocean sound levels, but they did align with recent studies that also show declines in sound levels in other regions. Therefore, another comparison between acoustic recordings 40 years apart near Bermuda and from an ADEON site (October 1980 and 2018–2020, respectively) was performed to facilitate a better interpretation of how the soundscape is changing over decadal timescales in the Atlantic Ocean.
Mechanical and acoustical characterization of elastic properties for additively manufactured polymers
Authors: Brown Celeste A. , Vignola Amelia , Sotelo Luz D. , Warner Grant , Guild Matthew D.
Published: November 2022

Recent advances in the additive manufacturing of photopolymers has opened new opportunities for the design and realization of novel acoustic materials, such as metamaterials. Despite the significant advantages additive manufacturing offers for photopolymers, a significant lack of characterization data inhibits their use in design for acoustics applications. This work provides characterization data and establishes a relationship between static and dynamic properties: specifically, the mechanically and ultrasonically derived damping factor and loss tangent for additively manufactured photopolymers. To achieve this, a range of stiff and compliant photopolymers are fabricated using a commercially available Polyjet 3-D printing platform. The elastic loss and storage moduli for each material are characterized under static uniaxial loading conditions. Furthermore, shear and compressional phase velocity and attenuation are measured for each material using ultrasound. The damping factor and loss tangent for each material is then calculated for both the static and ultrasonic case using the complex elastic moduli, and a frequency-based relationship is drawn between the two. The presented results are expected to contribute to improved design and broadband characterization of additively manufactured acoustic materials using photopolymers. [Work funded by the Office of Naval Research.]
An end-capped lead zirconate titanate broadband hydrophone theoretical calculation and electroacoustic measurement for towed array applications
Authors: Schinault Matthew E. , Ratilal Purnima
Published: November 2022

Hydrophone transducers for towed array applications require low self-noise, small form factor and a linear frequency response below 50 kHz for general purpose long-range ocean sensing. The design specification for this hydrophone application has several aspects including acoustic sensitivity, frequency response, dissipation factor, and physical size. A comprehensive noise model informs filter design for pre-amplifiers after the piezoelectric element. Theoretical calculation of pressure to voltage conversion is made here by estimating the Free-Field Voltage Sensitivity (FFVS) using methods from R.A. Langevin and G.W. McMahon. Using these methods to achieve the desired design specification, we use two cylindrical ceramics with a split electrode poled in the radial direction with series stacked ceramics using end caps with air backing to increase sensitivity and reduce overall size. An experiment is carried out to measure the resonant modes using a simple impedance measuring circuit which then can be used to estimate FFVS linearity. These results are compared with theoretical calculation for hydrophone response of resonant modes and results from measurement circuit.
Adapting ocean surface scattering models to accept in-situ environmental data
Authors: Eller Anthony , Hursky Paul , Heaney Kevin D.
Published: November 2022

A renewed examination of the theoretical basis of rough sea surface scattering has unearthed uncertainty over what theoretical approach is best suited for realtime applications, as evaluated in terms of speed, accuracy, and ability to allow greater use of in situ environmental data. The investigation focused primarily on applied models, as related to signal scattering losses and to reverberation modeling. Modeling approaches compared include perturbation theory, the approach by Eckart, and the approaches examined at the University of Washington and the Naval Research Laboratory. Validation by comparisons to data will be cited as available. A design goal of many models is to require only a small number of easily observed environmental parameters, such as wind speed and significant wave height. This presentation explores the insertion of additional inputs that would support predictions more relevant to the specific time and place of the application. These inputs would include measured or simulated surface wave spectrum data and estimates of surface height coherence length.
The Stimulation of Indigenous Bacterial Antagonists by γ-Glutamyl-
S
-Allyl-
l
-Cysteine Increases Soil Suppressiveness to Fusarium Wilt
Authors: Nishioka Tomoki , Suga Haruhisa , Shimizu Masafumi
Published: November 2022

Methods for increasing soil suppressiveness via soil microflora manipulation have long been explored as an ideal strategy to protect plants from soilborne pathogens. However, viable methods offering consistent disease control effects have not yet been developed.
Modified Drug-Susceptibility Testing and Screening Culture Agar for Colistin-Susceptible
Enterobacteriaceae
Isolates Harboring a Mobilized Colistin Resistance Gene
mcr-9
Authors: Kananizadeh Pegah , Tada Tatsuya , Oshiro Satoshi , Hishinuma Tomomi , Tohya Mari , Uehara Yuki , Kumagai Yumi , Nagaoka Isao , Nishi Kanako , Hashimoto Masahito , Watanabe Shin , Kirikae Teruo
Published: November 2022

Three isolates of the
Enterobacter cloacae
complex harboring
mcr-9
, a member of the colistin resistance
mcr
gene family encoded on plasmids, were susceptible to colistin, with MICs of 0.125 to 0.5 μg/mL in standard broth microdilution (BMD) tests using cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (CA-MHB) in accordance with European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing guidelines. In contrast, their MICs for colistin were significantly higher (4 to 128 μg/mL) when BMD tests were performed using brain-heart infusion (BHI) medium, Luria-Bertani (LB) broth, tryptic soy broth (TSB), or CA-MHB supplemented with casein, tryptonen or peptone.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Associated Gut Commensals Degrade Components of the Extracellular Matrix
Authors: Porras Ana Maria , Zhou Hao , Shi Qiaojuan , Xiao Xieyue ,   JRI Live Cell Bank, Longman Randy , Brito Ilana Lauren
Published: November 2022

Healthy gut epithelial cells form a barrier that keeps bacteria and other substances from entering the blood or tissues of the body. Those cells sit on scaffolding that maintains the structure of the gut and informs our immune system about the integrity of this barrier.
Phenotypic Assessment of Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates as an Indicator for Uropathogenic Potential
Authors: Shea A. E. , Frick-Cheng A. E. , Smith S. N. , Mobley H. L. T.
Published: November 2022

Urinary tract infections are the second leading infectious disease worldwide, occurring in over half of the female population during their lifetime. Most infections are caused by uropathogenic
Escherichia coli
(UPEC) strains.
Clinical Risk Factors and Microbiological and Intestinal Characteristics of Carbapenemase-Producing
Enterobacteriaceae
Colonization and Subsequent Infection
Authors: Yuan Wenli , Xu Jiali , Guo Lin , Chen Yonghong , Gu Jinyi , Zhang Huan , Yang Chenghang , Yang Qiuping , Deng Shuwen , Zhang Longlong , Deng Qiongfang , Wang Zi , Ling Bin , Deng Deyao
Published: November 2022

Carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
have emerged as a major threat to modern medicine, and the spread of carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
is a clinical and public health problem. Gastrointestinal colonization by potential pathogens is always a prerequisite for the development of translocated infections, and there is a growing need to assess clinical risk factors and microbiological and intestinal characteristics to prevent the development of clinical infection by carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
.
Multifaceted Defects in Monocytes in Different Phases of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: Lack of Restoration after Antiviral Therapy
Authors: Dey Debangana , Pal Sourina , Chakraborty Bidhan Chandra , Baidya Ayana , Bhadra Soham , Ghosh Ranajoy , Banerjee Soma , Ahammed S. K. Mahiuddin , Chowdhury Abhijit , Datta Simanti
Published: November 2022

Chronic HBV infection (CHI) is a major cause of end-stage liver disease for which pharmacological treatments currently available are inadequate. Chronically HBV-infected patients fail to mount an efficient immune response to the virus, impeding viral clearance and recovery from hepatitis.
Transcriptional Potential Determines the Adaptability of Escherichia coli Strains with Different Fitness Backgrounds
Authors: Kim Kitae , Kwon Soon-Kyeong , Kim Pil , Kim Jihyun F.
Published: November 2022

Predicting the adaptive potential of bacterial populations can be difficult due to their complexity and dynamic environmental conditions. Also, epistatic interaction between mutations affects the adaptive trajectory.
Outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11 Resistant To Ceftazidime-Avibactam Producing KPC-31 and the Novel Variant KPC-115 during COVID-19 Pandemic in Argentina
Authors: Nicola Federico , Cejas Daniela , González-Espinosa Francisco , Relloso Silvia , Herrera Fabián , Bonvehí Pablo , Smayevsky Jorgelina , Figueroa-Espinosa Roque , Gutkind Gabriel , Radice Marcela
Published: November 2022

Klebsiella pneumoniaeis one of the main bacteria that cause infections in health care settings. This pathogen has developed a high level of resistance to many antibiotics.
Changes in UK paediatric long-term ventilation practice over 10 years
Authors: Barker Nicki , Sinha Aditi , Jesson Catherine , Doctor Tahera , Narayan Omendra , Elphick Heather E
Published: November 2022

Objectives

To provide up-to-date information on the use of long-term ventilation (LTV) in the UK paediatric population and to compare the results with data collected 10 and 20 years previously.

Design

A single timepoint census completed by LTV centres in the UK, carried out via an online survey.

Setting and patients

All patients attending paediatric LTV services in the UK.

Results

Data were collected from 25 LTV centres in the UK. The total study population was 2383 children and young people, representing a 2.5-fold increase in the last 10 years. The median age was 9 years (range 0–20 years). Notable changes since 2008 were an increase in the proportion of children with central hypoventilation syndrome using mask ventilation, an increase in overall numbers of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, chronic lung disease of prematurity and cerebral palsy being ventilated, and a 4.2-fold increase in children using LTV for airway obstruction. The use of 24-hour ventilation, negative pressure ventilation and tracheostomy as an interface had declined. 115 children had received a disease-modifying drug. The use of ataluren and Myozyme did not influence the decision to treat with LTV, but in 35% of the children with SMA type 1 treated with nusinersin, the clinician stated that the use of this drug had or may have influenced their decision to initiate LTV.

Conclusion

The results support the need for national database for children and young people using LTV at home to inform future recommendations and assist in resource allocation planning.
Influence of videolaryngoscopy using McGrath Mac on the need for a helper to perform intubation during general anaesthesia: a multicentre randomised video-no-video trial
Authors: Belze Olivier , Coppere Zoé , Ouattara Jonathan , Thion Laurie-Anne , Paqueron Xavier , Devys Jean-Michel , Ma Sabrina , Kennel Titouan , Fischler Marc , Le Guen Morgan
Published: November 2022

Objective

We hypothesised that videolaryngoscopy modifies practice of tracheal intubation.

Design

Randomised single-blinded study (video and no-video groups).

Setting

Three institutions: one academic, one non-profit and one profit.

Participants

Patients >18 years, requiring orotracheal intubation, without predicted difficult intubation. Non-inclusion criterion was patients requiring a rapid-sequence intubation. 300 patients were included, 271 randomised, 256 analysed: 123 in the no-video and 133 in the video groups.

Intervention

Tracheal intubation using a McGrath Mac videolaryngoscope, the sequence being video recorded.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome was the proportion of intubations where assistance is necessary on request of the operator. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative variables (intubation difficulty scale and its components, percentage of glottic opening score, oesophageal Intubation, duration of intubation, removal of the screen cover in the no-video group, global evaluation of the ease of intubation, bispectral index, heart rate and blood pressure), intraoperative and postoperative complications (hoarseness or sore throat) and cooperation of the anaesthesiology team.

Results

Requirement for assistance was not decreased in the Video group: 36.1% (95% CI 27.9 to 44.9) vs 45.5% (95% CI 36.5 to 54.7) in the no-video group, p=0.74; OR: 0.7 (95% CI 0.4 to 1.1) and absolute risk: 0.10 (95% CI −0.03 to 0.22). Intubation difficulty scale was similar in both groups (p=0.05). Percentage of glottic opening score was better in the Video group (median of 100 (95% CI (100 to 100) and 80 (95%CI (80 to 90) in the no-video group; p<0.001) as Cormack and Lehane grade (p=0001). Ease of intubation was considered better in the video group (p<0.001). Other secondary outcomes were similar between groups. Screen cover was removed in 7.3% (95% CI (2.7 to 11.9)) of the cases in the video group. No serious adverse event occurred. Communication and behaviour within the anaesthesia team were appropriate in all cases.

Conclusion

In patients without predicted difficult intubation, videolaryngoscopy did not decrease the requirement for assistance to perform intubation.

Trial registration number

NCT02926144; Results.