bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges in urban data center design
Authors: Hamilton Scott
Published: July 2024

The data center market is experiencing significant growth, with each new facility requiring increased power density and cooling needs. This growth brings new challenges, including noise pollution and its impact on nearby communities, which becomes excessively difficult in urban environments. This presentation will explore the issues faced by data centers in urban environments and discuss potential solutions to create quieter facilities. Key points include:—Physical challenges: Every site design faces numerous physical constraints, including limited rooftop and equipment room space, tight and complex adjacencies of neighboring sites, and design and performance standards for equipment.—Political issues: Every site and community have a different set of laws and regulations that a site needs to meet, and often go beyond to ensure that the community will accept the site.—People issues: Data centers must navigate contentious relationships with neighbors and address noise concerns to maintain a positive reputation. By addressing these challenges, data centers can minimize noise pollution and maintain positive relationships with surrounding communities, ensuring a sustainable future for the industry in urban environments.
Active cancellation of oblique noise entering a window
Authors: Nelson Robert , Thompson Stephen C.
Published: July 2024

Environmental noise propagating through an open window may be cancelled by a sparse array of transducers placed in the window frame. This approach towards global noise cancellation mitigates noise pollution at its source while retaining the light and ventilation received from an open window. Heretofore the array’s performance has been studied with a normally incident noise source; however, oblique noise sources must be considered to fully illustrate the array’s viability as a commercial product. Analytical and finite element models were used to perdict the array’s global noise cancellation capabilities with regards to oblique noise sources, and these results were verified via experimental implementation. Flaws inherent to the current array, including cross bar vibrations and nonoptimal transducer placement, will be discussed along with how they will be circumvented in a future array iteration.
Mapping past and future shipping noise in European seas
Authors: Racca Roberto , Ainslie Michael A. , Bosschers Johan , Hermans Marjolein , Lloyd Thomas , MacGillivray Alexander , Pace Federica , Schuster Max , Sertlek Özkan , Wood Michael
Published: July 2024

Against the backdrop of a steadily increasing demand for sea transport of goods and people, the development of a reliable marine shipping soundscape model is an essential planning requirement to assess the effect on ocean noise of operational and technological changes aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of the shipping sector. The NAVISON (Navis Sonus) project, conducted with the support of the European Maritime Safety Agency, employs a specially developed parametric vessel source model with the objective of producing shipping sound maps in European seas for past, present, and potential future conditions over a time span from 2016 to 2050. The source model is combined with historical ship tracking data from the automated identification system (AIS), or projected shipping densities and mitigation scenarios, to calculate spatial ship noise emissions data for input to a sound mapping tool. The mapping tool computes underwater sound propagation using the parabolic-equation method, drawing upon ocean-scale databases of bathymetric, oceanographic, and sediment properties. Project outputs are provided as map layers of sound pressure level and sound energy according to vessel type, season, region, year, and operational conditions; from these layers, maps can be generated for user-specified combinations of mitigation measures. Maps are presented in two frequency bands (centred at 63 Hz and 125 Hz) selected for assessing Good Environmental Status in the context of the European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
The statistical characteristics of the atmospheric anisotropic inhomogeneities and their effect on the intensity fluctuations of infrasound field
Authors: Chunchuzov Igor P. , Kulichkov Sergey , Popov Oleg , Perepelkin Vitaly
Published: July 2024

The influence of anisotropic wind velocity and temperature inhomogeneities on the attenuation of infrasound field intensity with increasing distance from a point source and on its altitude distribution is studied. The field is calculated as a function of receiver height and horizontal distance from the source using method of the pseudo-differential parabolic equation for the atmosphere with model realizations of anisotropic effective sound speed fluctuations. These realizations are obtained from the nonlinear shaping model for the gravity wave perturbations which produces the fluctuations with both the vertical and horizontal spectra consistent with the observed spectra. When propagating in the stratospheric and thermospheric wave guides the multiple scattering of infrasound field from the anisotropic fluctuations results in certain vertical wave number spectra and probability density functions of infrasound intensity fluctuations in the stratospheric (altitudes 30–40 km) and mesospheric layers (50–70 km). The statistical characteristics of the intensity fluctuations as a function of distance from the source (up to 2200 km) were studied. The same characteristics were obtained for the infrasound field scattered from the inhomogeneities whose vertical profile was retrieved from the infrasound signals from surface explosions detected in the shadow zone.
Low frequency sounds from tornadoes
Authors: Alexander Aaron , Fox Douglas , KC Real J. , Elbing Brian R.
Published: July 2024

It has been well established that tornadic storms can generate infrasound (i.e., sound at frequencies below human hearing) signals, but the mechanism of sound generation is still a mystery. There is speculation that these infrasound signals have the potential to serve as an alternative method for alerting and/or tracking of life-threatening tornadoes. Yet, until the mechanism for infrasound generation is understood, it remains a possibility that the infrasound signals are present due to other storm effects and would be improper to use for tornado warning or tracking. One possible explanation for the infrasound signals is an amplification of turbulent fluctuations due to latent heat production. This presentation will detail laboratory efforts to isolate noise production from turbulent structures with and without latent heat production due to condensation of water in saturated warm air. [This work was supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, grant DOI 10.37807/gbmf11559.]
Age-related changes in gap detection thresholds in adult cochlear-implant users: Effects of stimulus level and electrode-to-neural interface
Authors: Cleary Miranda , Goupell Matthew J.
Published: July 2024

Aging is associated with reduced sensitivity to brief temporal gaps in auditory stimuli. Although gap detection is a relative strength among late-deafened cochlear-implant users, aging and electrode-to-neural interface (ENI) factors may contribute to temporal processing difficulties. Because aging may negatively impact perception particularly at very low and very high input levels, we hypothesized larger gap detection thresholds (GDTs) at poor-ENI electrodes and an interaction between age and level such that GDT improvement with increased level would be less evident in older listeners. GDTs were measured on three electrodes selected to span a range of good-to-poor ENI based on electrically-evoked compound action potential amplitude growth or threshold sensitivity to increased pulse rate. GDTs were assessed using constant-amplitude single-electrode 1000-pps pulse trains presented at 40/60/80/100% dynamic range. In preliminary data (N = 4), GDTs averaged 3 ms at 100%DR and 40 ms at 40%DR. Listeners with better average ENI metrics displayed better GDTs. Within-subject, an advantage for best-ENI electrode over poorer-ENI electrodes was evident only at low levels. Finding an interaction between age and level such that temporal processing is impaired at both low and high (but not mid) levels for older listeners may help elucidate the contributions of peripheral versus central factors.
Estimating the high-frequency extent of binaural sensitivity to temporal fine structure across listeners
Authors: Goupell Matthew J. , Bilokon Anhelina , Williams Brittany T. , Tollin Daniel J. , Stecker G. Christopher
Published: July 2024

Füllgrabe et al. [2017, Int. J. Audiol. 56:926-35] developed a novel procedure to estimate the frequency dependence of listeners’ sensitivity to temporal fine structure in the form of interaural phase differences (IPD). Whereas traditional approaches fixed tone frequency and varied IPD, the new “TFS-AF” test fixed the IPD and varied frequencies adaptively so as to estimate the upper frequency limit (UFL) of IPD sensitivity, even in listeners who struggle with traditional tests. UFL estimates for young normal hearing listeners were consistently 1200–1400 Hz, with notable exceptions of lower UFL (e.g. 800–1000 Hz) in a small subset. The consistency of UFL and abrupt loss of IPD sensitivity above it remain among the most puzzling aspects of binaural hearing, unexplained by the (rather shallow) frequency dependence of audibility, neuronal phase locking, or internal noise in this region. Recently, our group adapted a version of the TFS-AF test to measure UFL as a function of sound level, comparing the resulting slope to predictions of candidate mechanisms. The limitation closely matches the upper edge of an auditory filter centered at ∼700 Hz, suggesting that IPD sensitivity is mediated exclusively by neurons tuned to that frequency or below. [Work supported by NIH R01DC014948, R01DC016643, and R01DC017924.]
Impact of background noise and dysphonia on elementary students' listening comprehension and listening effort
Authors: Murgia Silvia , Flaherty Mary M. , Federmeier Kara , Bottalico Pasquale
Published: July 2024

This project investigated how background noise and dysphonic voice impact elementary students' listening comprehension and effort. Listening comprehension is essential for academic success, and this study explored the extent to which adverse conditions hinder sentence comprehension and the mental resources utilized. The experiment used speech material recorded by an actress with normal and dysphonic voice quality. Nineteen 8–12 year-old children participated, using a computer in a laboratory with a talkbox for stimuli and loudspeakers for classroom noise at two signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of + 6 dB and 0 dB. Listening effort was measured subjectively on a 5-point scale and objectively through response time, the seconds taken to select a figure onscreen. Executive functions like working memory, attention, and inhibitory control were also assessed. Results showed that lower SNR and dysphonia significantly affected comprehension accuracy and increased perceived listening effort. Inhibitory control correlated with increased perceived effort. Similarly, both factors significantly lengthened response times. However, no significant correlations with executive functions were observed for comprehension or response time. In conclusion, background noise and dysphonia significantly affect listening comprehension and effort among elementary students. These findings emphasize the need for educators and policymakers to mitigate these factors for optimal classroom learning conditions.
Building a real-time convolution system for assessing vocal health of teachers
Authors: Wu Bethany , Anderson Brian E.
Published: July 2024

Due to prevalent vocal health issues in teachers, the acoustics of K-12 classrooms has become a common topic of study in acoustics. One way to understand the impact of a classroom’s acoustics on speech is through real-time convolution of speech with a binaural room impulse response (BRIR). This is done by having a talker seated in an anechoic chamber and their vocal effort can be assessed while using the real-time convolution system to simulate the acoustics of a variety of classroom conditions. Keeping the talker in one physical space provides more control over the testing environment. A system that can successfully execute convolution in real-time requires parameters to be fine-tuned, an optimized algorithm, and appropriate hardware. Current efforts and lessons learned during the development of this system are shared. Goals for a finished real-time convolution system include specific testing to determine the effects of background noise and reverberation on a teacher’s vocal effort.
Performance of an approximate Bayes factor based detector for environmentally informed active sonar
Authors: Bowers Kenneth , Gendron Paul J.
Published: July 2024

Developed here are a space of approximate Bayes Factor (BF) inference processors for high frequency broadband active sonar with short vertical arrays operating in shallow water ocean waveguides that exploit relatively depth invariant modes of propagation. The relevant information regarding the refractive media, rough surface and volume reverberation are incorporated to build the marginal likelihoods under each of the composite hypotheses of null and alternative. Acoustic scattering from a mobile object of interest under depth uncertainty characterizes the compound alternative hypothesis. Approximations are presented and inferences regarding the presence of the mobile body of interest are determined against a composite null hypothesis of reverberation and ambient acoustic noise. The approximate BF processor is shown to be a time-varying quadratic form of array observations over the beam-delay space. We demonstrate the sub-space processing of depth invariant modes at range and illustrate the BF inferential approach on a few representative waveguides. Performance in classic terms of probability of detection as a function of false alarm rate are presented. [This work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]
Case study: Computer modeling the noise produced by a future food court radiated to nearby existing offices
Authors: Tong Hong
Published: July 2024

Lately, there’s an increase in the co-existence of spaces of different usage with acoustical challenge. Throughout 2016 to 2018, the 2nd floor of the Complexe Les Ailes, in Montreal, underwent a fit-out to become a food court. At its center, there is an elliptical atrium where all levels are can be viewed. There are existing offices above the food court separated by a glass pane. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the noise generated by human activities in the future food court to the adjacent offices and recommend noise control elements if needed. Multiple sound samples were taken at existing food courts to quantify the sound level. Simulations were done with ODEON, a room acoustic software, to evaluate the sound level produced by different activities. On-site measurements were conducted to calibrate the existing conditions with the 3D ODEON model. Finally, noise reduction tests were undertaken to determine the sound levels that would be radiated in the offices by the activities in the food court. To reduce noise disturbance in the offices, acoustical treatment under the ceiling of the food court was recommended and the 3rd and 4th floor glass panes composition would have to be improved.
Listening to the structure: Mass-timber construction at the Groton Hill Music Center
Authors: Giegold Carl P. , Kamper Laurie , Cudequest Brandon , Skarha Matt
Published: July 2024

Historically, Western music spaces were built with massive masonry-bearing walls. While these designs offer structural and acoustical benefits, today’s construction culture is conscious of more fluid forms and embodied carbon, which influences how consultants think about the design of spaces for music. The recently completed Groton Hill Music Center is unique for its use of mass timber’s sculptural capabilities to shape performance space acoustic volumes forthrightly, with little additional finish treatment. The center features studio classrooms for students of all ages, an orchestral rehearsal space, a 300-seat recital hall for soloists and small ensembles, and a grand 1000-seat concert hall that opens to view for a 500-seat lawn audience. Structure and architecture are largely unified, with one’s acoustic experience defined by the sculpted mass timber structure. The comparatively light-weight timber/concrete composite structure represents a significant and somewhat acoustically risky reduction in mass to provide an acoustically warm environment. This presentation will explore how the structure was optimized to provide stiffness and multi-scale diffusion, taking the ideals of classic concert hall design, and embracing contemporary construction technologies and acoustical analyses.
An open-source acoustic detector for beluga whales, with evaluations in the Western Canadian Arctic
Authors: Frazao Fabio , Mikus Marie-Ana , Vergara Valeria , Halliday William D. , Dowd Mike
Published: July 2024

Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) face threats from various sources, including noise from oil and gas exploration, vessel traffic, and other human activities. Here we present the development of a deep learning-based acoustic detector to automatically detect the species, and measure its performance when applied to study sites in the western Canadian Arctic. We used over 20,000 individually annotated beluga vocalizations to train deep learning models in the binary task of classifying 3-second audio clips into containing beluga vocalizations or not. Approximately 7,000 annotated vocalizations were reserved for testing, and models were evaluated on their ability to correctly label audio clips of two lengths: 3 s and 60 s. The average F1 score (across 10 models) on 3 s clips was 0.82 with a standard deviation of 0.027, with the best model achieving 0.86. When applied to 60 s clips, the best model achieved an F1 score of 0.96. We used the trained classifier to build a detector that processes longer recordings and will make it available as an open-source tool.
A robotic platform for integrating biomimetic sonar and AI
Authors: Westcott Ben , Eshera Ibrahim M. , Müller Rolf
Published: July 2024

To gain a first-hand view of the biosonar inputs that a bat receives when operating in a complex natural environment, a bioinspired sonar head to mimic the auditory periphery of the bats' biosonar system is currently under development. The sonar head seeks to replicate the static geometric complexity of the baffles that emit the biosonar pulses and receive the returning echoes in horseshoe bats. Furthermore, some of the dynamic deformations of these structures are mimicked using tension-driven soft-robotics actuated by a set of 12 motors (two for the noseleaf and five for the each pinna). The periphery has been interfaced with acoustic emission and reception systems as well as a modular system control system for the acoustic input and output as well as the motors. Besides low-level control, the sonar head has onboard computing resources that can support deep-learning inference in the loop with acoustic data acquisition and pulse generation. All functional components have been integrated into a custom-designed shell that allows operating the system in natural outdoor environments. A wireless user interface allows remote control over the system so that the tasks of carrying and orienting the sonar head and controlling its function can be shared between two individuals.
Competing effects of ultrasound absorption and scattering in porous bone
Authors: McCandless Brett A. , Raum Kay , Muller Marie
Published: July 2024

The mechanisms and effects of ultrasonic attenuation in porous cortical bone are poorly understood, and it is necessary to better understand them to evaluate bone porosity noninvasively using ultrasound. A finite-difference time domain numerical study was conducted in which ultrasound propagation was simulated in human femur cross-sections obtained via scanning acoustic microscopy. The effect of absorption on overall attenuation was studied by varying the nominal absorption level attributed to the solid matrix. Ultrasound pulses were emitted with a central frequency of 8 MHz in through-transmission and backscattering configurations. From these data, the respective extinctions lengths due to overall attenuation, scattering, and absorption were obtained. Two regimes seem to exist depending on the nominal absorption value. At low absorption values, scattering dominates overall attenuation, scattering and absorption appear to have a synergistic effect on overall attenuation, and the diffusion constant decreases with increasing average pore diameter. At high absorption values, absorption dominates overall attenuation, the extinction length for scattering increases with pore diameter, and the diffusion constant increases with increasing average pore diameter. These regimes affect how ultrasound parameters, such as the extinction lengths due to scattering, absorption, and overall attenuation, should be used to evaluate the porosity of cortical bone.
Electrical potentials in bone induced by ultrasound propagation
Authors: Matsukawa Mami , Kitajima Shouta , Hosokawa Atsushi
Published: July 2024

Bone with complex geometry is hard, heterogeneous and anisotropic tissue, which makes ultrasound diagnosis very difficult. Therefore, the simulation of wave propagation is often performed to understand the complicated wave propagation in bone, where we find solid-liquid coexisting conditions. In addition to the diagnosis, one of the recent topics of bone studies are ultrasound fracture healing. The low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is popular as a fracture treatment technique in the field of orthopedic surgery, although how bones detect high frequency ultrasound is still under discussion. In this study, we focus on the weak piezoelectricity of bone as one of the key properties for the LIPUS treatment. According to the piezoelectric finite difference time-domain (PE-FDTD) method, we have investigated ultrasound propagation and generation of electrical potentials in bone. First, we verified the PE-FDTD method by comparing the simulated electric fields with the experimental data obtained by an ultrasound receiver using bone as the piezoelectric element. Next, we have tried to understand the wave propagation and generation in a real bone model (the radius of a 66-year-old woman). The generation of electrical potentials in the cancellous bone was also studied by simulation and experiments. The use of human bone to fabricate a model was permitted by the ethical committee at Doshisha University.
Predicting excess attenuation: An investigation of turbulence in a littoral environment
Authors: Vecchiotti Andrea , Turo Diego , Stengrim Matthew , Foeller Jeff , Ryan Teresa J. , Vignola Joseph
Published: July 2024

This work presents an effort to effectively represent turbulence in a numerical model of atmospheric sound propagation in a near-shore environment. Model results are compared with a set of atmospheric transmission loss measurements made in a pitch-catch configuration with a stationary source 500 m from shore. High resolution temperature profiling and scanning Doppler LIDAR wind profiling measurements in the source-to-receiver direction are concurrent with the acoustic transmission loss measurements at the shoreline. These meteorological measurements inform the input parameters used in the parabolic equation. The numerical predictions are compared to the measured transmission loss values to evaluate model performance with a variety of different approaches to implement turbulence parameters.
The influence of atmospheric variability on predicted sonic boom metrics
Authors: Lympany Shane V. , Page Juliet A.
Published: July 2024

As part of the Quesst mission, NASA will fly the X-59 aircraft over selected communities to survey community responses to low sonic booms. Previously, we developed a Kalman filter method to estimate the loudness metrics experienced by each survey participant during each flight. The Kalman filter fuses acoustic measurements with predictions from PCBoom, a sonic boom propagation model. PCBoom requires vertical profiles of the temperature, humidity, and wind to propagate sonic booms through the atmosphere and predict the loudness metrics at the ground. Prior to each X-59 flight, NASA will launch weather balloons to measure the vertical atmospheric profile. However, the atmosphere changes continually with geographic location and time. The purpose of this work is to determine where and when to launch these weather balloons to minimize the uncertainty in the predicted loudness metrics caused by atmospheric variability. We analyzed the effect of atmospheric variability on the predicted Perceived Level in three communities in different climate zones in the United States. To achieve acceptable uncertainty in the Perceived Level, weather balloons should be launched from at least two different sites within the survey area within one hour of each X-59 flight.
What pandemic era travel restrictions revealed about aircraft noise, complaints and annoyance—SONICC 2020
Authors: Jovanovic Julia , Novak Colin
Published: July 2024

At the start of COVID-19 travel restrictions, Toronto Pearson International Airport experienced an approximate 80% reduction in traffic. This gave an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the impacts that a drastic reduction in aircraft noise would have on the communities surrounding the airport. Using the results of the Survey of Noise Impacts on Canadian Communities (SONICC) distributed in the summer of 2020, this research evaluated pre-pandemic and amidst pandemic aircraft noise annoyance in neighbourhoods surrounding Pearson Airport. The research investigated the effects of air traffic reduction on noise levels, complaint behaviour and annoyance. Complaint volumes correlated closely to the number of operations, experiencing a significant reduction. Despite the notable reduction in complaints, many complainants continued to vigorously complain, and some locations even experienced an increase in complaints. Pre-pandemic compared to amidst pandemic annoyance experienced reductions proportional to the average reduction in noise exposure. Despite significant reductions in noise, 33% of pre-pandemic highly annoyed (HA) respondents, remained highly annoyed, suggesting that anything short of a complete halt of operations would result in severe annoyance amongst a portion of the population.
Experimental studies with parallel phase-shifting interferometry
Authors: Oikawa Yasuhiro , Tanigawa Risako , Akutsu Mariko , Ishikawa Kenji , Hermawanto Denny
Published: July 2024

One of the most popular of devices currently used for acousto-optic sensing is the laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV), an interferometer originally designed to measure the vibration velocity of objects. LDVs are a popular way to measure and visualize acoustic fields, however it requires scanning the laser, which limits the measurement sound field. Recently, as the camera captures 2D images of the sound field on thousands of pixels simultaneously, the sound fields that can be measured are no longer limited to those that can be repeated. A high-speed camera captures 2D sound fields with tens or hundreds of thousands of frames per second, making it possible to film a slow-motion video of propagating sound in real time. The parallel phase-shifting interferometry (PPSI) with polarized high-speed cameras has been developed and introduced in the acoustics field as well. It has demonstrated impressive visualizations of airborne acoustic phenomena due to its high sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution. It has also found many applications in recent years. This paper presents our experimental studies, especially measurement of aerodynamic sound, sound radiated from fast-moving sources or musical instruments, determination of acoustic center, etc.
Enhancing sarcasm detection through multimodal data integration: A proposal for augmenting audio with text and emoticon
Authors: Gao Xiyuan , Nayak Shekhar , Coler Matt
Published: July 2024

Sarcasm detection presents unique challenges in speech technology, particularly for individuals with disorders that affect pitch perception or those lacking contextual auditory cues. While previous research [1, 2] has established the significance of pitch variation in sarcasm detection, these studies have primarily focused on singular modalities, often overlooking the potential synergies of integrating multimodal data. We propose an approach that synergizes auditory, textual, and emoticon data to enhance sarcasm detection. This involves augmenting sarcastic audio data with corresponding text using Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), supplemented with emoticons based on emotion recognition and sentiment analysis. Emotional cues from multi-modal data are mapped to emoticons. Our methodology leverages the strengths of each modality: emotion recognition algorithms analyze the audio data for affective cues, while sentiment analysis processes the text generated from ASR. The integration of these modalities aims to compensate for limitations in pitch perception by providing complementary cues essential for accurate sarcasm interpretation. Our approach is expected to significantly improve sarcasm detection, especially for those with auditory processing challenges. This research highlights the potential of multimodal data fusion in enhancing the subtleties of speech perception and understanding, thus contributing to the advancement of speech technology applications.
Monitoring the build history of a wire-arc additively manufactured part using structural resonances
Authors: Fisher Karl A. , Elmer John , Candy James
Published: July 2024

Wire arc additively manufactured parts can take a significant amount of time to fabricate from several hours to days. During this process, the part is exposed to a steady localized heating at the build zone, and rapid cooling away from the arc contact point. The heated zone is constantly moving across the part geometry during the build resulting in spatially localized heating and cooling throughout the part geometry. In this investigation, we utilize the broadband emission signal from the wire arc to measure the acoustic response of the part build. Experimental results are obtained using contact emission transducers mounted such that they are isolated from the direct heat to avoid damage. Transient acoustic signals are recorded throughout the entire build process and evaluated using Fourier analysis. Acoustic spectra are utilized to capture modal data which slowly track the parts construction. In a second effort the modal response of the part is modeled as a function of each build layer and the two modal structures are compared. The emphasis is to understand and track the modal response of the structure of the part as it is fabricated and develop a real time process monitoring capability.
Effects of printer variation on vibration response of fused deposition modeling-fabricated elastic beams with symmetric and asymmetric resonators: A round robin study
Authors: Naify Christina J. , Cushing Colby W. , Geib Nathan P. , Wash Matthew , Allison Jared , Sieck Caleb F. , Ikei Alec K. , Ware Amelia , Bowling Thomas , Beck Benjamin S. , Zawaski Callie , Juhl Abigail T.
Published: July 2024

Additive manufacturing has expanded rapidly as a production tool due to its ease of use for rapidly producing parts. The most common polymer-based additive approach is fused deposition modeling (FDM) which uses plastic filament to build parts additively, one line at a time, to build a 3D shape. FDM printers are ubiquitous in university, government and industry settings, making them ideal for mass-production of shared designs across institutions. While it is commonly known that FDM finished products have variations due to differences in printer model and slicing and extrusion settings, little has been done to quantify the effects of these variations on elasto-dynamic response. In this study, a multi-institutional round robin approach is used to quantify the printer-to-printer variations of a structure comprised of a thin beam with attached resonators. The parameters of the round robin study involve printing the same geometry, with the same base material, on whatever FDM-type printers are available at each of six contributing institutions. All samples were then sent to a common location and tested on the same apparatus to limit experimental variability. This presentation will discuss the design of the study, test and modeling efforts, and a summary of results.
Acoustics and ice hockey: The sociophonetic impact of Canadian English on American-Born players
Authors: Bray Andrew R.
Published: July 2024

My research utilizes sociophonetic analysis to document the linguistic identity construction process that is ongoing in the sport of ice hockey. I argue that American-born players are constructing a hockey-based identity influenced by Canadian English (CE) due to the historical Canadian dominance of the sport. This identity incorporates Canadian Raising, FACE and GOAT monophthongization, both commonly attributed to CE and largely unexplainable based on players’ regional dialects, and altered vowel production in hockey-specific terminology, most notably in the word hockey itself, unique to the hockey community. To document this variation, I analyze vowel formant values taken from sociolinguistic interviews with professional hockey players. I assess F1 and F2 values throughout vowel durations to establish if players are converging in production away from regional dialectal variants towards shared hockey-based variants. I argue these variants have gained indexical value linked to an emerging hockey-based identity that, although influenced by CE, is unique to the hockey community. In ongoing research, I aim to further document that this variation is most evident in hockey-specific terminology and that lexical diffusion occurs outwardly from these terms over time leading to players developing a more prevalent hockey-based identity as the sport gains more importance in their lives.
How rhythmic cues influence perception of accent distance across L1 and L2 English speakers
Authors: Lind-Combs Holly , Holt Rachael F. , Bent Tessa , Henry Malachi
Published: July 2024

Segmental and suprasegmental cues can both contribute to listeners’ accent strength and distance judgments. This study examined the influence of a suprasegmental cue—rhythm—on listeners’ judgments of accent distance. Rhythm was quantified using two measures of variability in vocalic interval duration: normalized pairwise variability index (nPVI) and VarcoV. Thirty adults ranked productions from female and male speakers from six L1 and six L2 English varieties (24 speakers) across six sentences based on their perceived distance from Midland American English (the local dialect). Linear mixed effect models predicted accent distance ratings from rhythm measures—specifically, differences in nPVI and VarcoV between the L1/L2 speakers and Midland speakers, with speaking rate and sentence length as covariates. Differences between L1/L2 speakers’ and Midland speakers’ nPVI and VarcoV scores did not significantly predict accent distance rankings. However, significant interactions between nPVI and certain accents (e.g., Irish, Southern American, Cantonese-accented English) suggest that rhythmic properties may significantly impact accent distance judgements for some accent varieties. These results provide further insight into how rhythmic cues contribute to accent perception. [Work supported by NSF grants 1941691 and 1941662].
Neural oscillation to music processing in children with different language backgrounds
Authors: Rodgers Maxfield , Reyes Kristal , Chai Faith , Gill Blessy , Cheng Angela , Yu Yan H.
Published: July 2024

Musical experience and tonal language experience are both associated with structural and functional changes in the brain that underlie facilitated pitch perception. We investigated whether neuronal oscillations in response to music were correlated with musical expertise and whether they reflected the language backgrounds (tonal versus nontonal, monolingual versus bilingual). We measured music processing in bilingual children (5–10 years old) from Mandarin (a tone language) households and three groups of age-matched children from non-tone language households (Bilingual Spanish-English, monolingual mainstream American English (MAE), and African American English (AAE)). Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded in an oddball paradigm with six types of music changes. We analyzed the phase locking and amplitude modulations of ongoing oscillations in the theta (4–8 Hz) alpha (8–14 Hz), beta- (14–30 Hz), and gamma- (30– 80 Hz) bands to music changes. Preliminary results suggest that musical expertise was associated with strengthened phase locking of neural oscillations to most music features. Tonal language experience was also associated with more robust phase locking. Bilingual experience alone does not show any enhancement in neural oscillation. There were no clear advantages of music processing for the bilingual experience.
Intelligibility, recall, and voice evaluation across accents
Authors: Lloy Line , Schwarz-Acosta Nikolai A. , Babel Molly
Published: July 2024

Speech elicits variable responses from listeners. Voices can vary in their intelligibility, how well listeners can recall messages produced by the voice, and what kind of social evaluation it explicitly or implicitly evokes. These different responses may be due to individual-specific attributes within a voice or the accent it carries. For example, familiar or more standard language varieties may be more intelligible producing more easily recalled, and eliciting more positive social evaluations from listeners. The current study uses 35 English-speaking voices from 7 different language backgrounds that vary in familiarity and prestige to the listener (n = 430) population, which is a representative heterogeneous sampling from the local university community. Specific voices were chosen from a larger data set based on their acoustic similarity. Listeners either completed a speech transcription task (quantifying intelligibility) or a cloze task (quantifying recall) and all listeners provided an evaluation of the voices’ likability and perceived comprehensibility. Bayesian data analysis is used to quantify and characterize the relationship between a voice’s intelligibility and how well it is recalled, and whether this relationship is predicted by social evaluation and listener experience. These results have implications for theories of speech recognition and how listeners process accents.
Polynomial chaos expansions for modelling the statistics of acoustic propagation in random waveguides
Authors: LePage Kevin D.
Published: July 2024

The use of Polynomial Chaos expansions to model the transfer of the statistical properties of the sound speed in ocean waveguides to those of acoustic waves passing through them is described. A perturbational framework approximating the interaction of acoustic normal modes with fluctuations around a background sound speed is used, with the fluctuations being represented vertically by empirical orthogonal functions and horizontally by correlation functions. The Polynomial Chaos expansions are derived to second order in the uncorrelated random variable representing the sound speed fluctuations for the generalized phase of the complex modal amplitudes, and to third order for the modal amplitudes themselves. The ability of the second order polynomial chaos expansion for the generalized model phase to accurately model acoustic propagation statistics is closely coupled to the accuracy of the adiabatic approximation in light scattering regimes. The weights of the Polynomial Chaos expansions are obtained using both direct (theoretical) and indirect (least-squares fit) methods. Divergence between these two sets of weights increases with combinations of increasing strength of sound speed fluctuations, increasing frequency, or increasing range, indicating where a higher order expansion may be necessary. Modelling results for the first and second moments of the acoustic intensity and the Scintillation Index in random waveguides are presented and compared to Monte Carlo results.
The Acoustic Laboratory for Marine Applications (ALMA) applied to fluctuating environment analysis
Authors: Pinson Samuel , Quilfen Victor , Le Courtois Florent , Real Gaultier , Fattaccioli Dominique
Published: July 2024

The Acoustic Laboratory for Marine Applications (ALMA) has been used to address problems in underwater acoustics, such as sound propagation in fluctuating environments. In this work, data from the ALMA-2016 at-sea campaign are used to analyze the ocean fluctuation's influence on sound propagation in a shallow-water waveguide. The experiment took place in November 2016 on the continental shelf of the eastern coast of the island of Corsica. A source and a receiver array were 9.3 km apart in a nearly constant water depth of 100 m. A thermistor chain was moored near the source to monitor sound speed fluctuations. The source emitted a variety of signals from which the chirp (1–13 kHz) is used to extract the waveguide eigenrays. To do so, a time-domain beamforming is performed on the match-filtered received signals with an automatic detection of local maxima in the time of arrival/direction of arrival (TOA/DOA) domain. A 2 min acquisition period of more than 13 h duration shows significant fluctuations in eigenray TOAs/DOAs. Qualitative comparisons with synthetic signals obtained from simulations permit reproduction of the observed eigenray fluctuations without including range dependence of the sound-speed profile. In addition, the joint analysis of the probability density function of the normalized acoustic intensity and of the thermistor chain data highlights the time dependence of the received signal characteristics.
Using large language models in the analysis of urban sound environments
Authors: Botteldooren Dick , Vercoutter Tiebe , Hou Yuanbo
Published: July 2024

In recent years, Large Language Models such as Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT) have revolutionized Artificial Intelligence (AI). Such models are extremely successful in imitating general intuitive knowledge. Such knowledge is applied by humans in assessing the urban sound environment in different ways. Firstly, it helps to create expectations on the sound environment based on general knowledge of the place. Secondly, it allows to assess the plausibility and consistency of the verbal description of a sound environment. Hence, we propose to combine a GPT with a sound event and scene recognition AI to (1) contrast the recognized sounds with expectations based on geographical information on traffic infrastructure and points of interest near the measurement location; (2) create verbal soundscape annotations including perceived liveliness, calmness, etc. Prompt engineering, that is pre-conditioning and asking precise questions to the GPT, requires some domain knowledge and precise definition of the objective. Results show that labeling of sound events is improved, and in particular labels that would not be used by a human can be excluded by including contextual knowledge on the location with GPT. They also show that a plausible soundscape description is obtained.
A non-linear model approach for predicting soundscape perception of study areas
Authors: Yilmazer Semiha , Şahin Zekiye
Published: July 2024

A large majority of the studies use linear regression-based models for soundscape modeling due to their easy applicability. Only a few studies have chosen non-linear structures, such as neural networks. Moreover, students' perceptions of soundscape quality in study areas have yet to be explored. We aimed to predict soundscape perception of study areas by applying neural network models. We also compared our results with models applying linear approaches. Perceptual dimensions were obtained by applying the Principal Component Analysis. In this study, we used the data from a two-phase experiment to find Turkish soundscapes' affective quality attributes. The experiment was conducted in a well-insulated, quiet laboratory room at Bilkent University, and most of the participants were university students and Bilkent University faculty members.
Mining user reviews, crowdsourced noise measurements, and metadata to inform design thresholds for acoustic conditions in restaurants
Authors: Underwood Samuel H. , Wang Lily M.
Published: July 2024

High levels of noise are a well-known source of occupant discomfort in restaurants. While much previous work has focused on assessing subjective perceptions of restaurant soundscapes through survey instruments, less attention has been given to mining online user reviews for keywords related to psychoacoustic predictors. In this study, a dataset of online user reviews for over 2,500 restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in New York City has been obtained and compared against crowd-sourced measurements of noise levels within the same establishments. Analyses of review scores and the occurrence rate of acoustically relevant keywords in review text have been conducted using machine learning techniques to suggest design thresholds for restaurants across different categorizations. Results from this work can be used by consultants and owners to design restaurant soundscapes which may be more favorably reviewed.
The effect of angle of incidence on exterior façade isolation
Authors: Dong Wayland , Lo Verde John
Published: July 2024

A common acoustical task is the design and specification of the acoustical performance of the exterior façade system to protect building occupants from road and railroad noise. This involves calculating the outdoor-to-indoor noise reduction of the façade. The incident sound wave from a roadway will often approximate a plane wave from a specific angle of incidence, but the only data usually available is the diffuse field transmission loss of the assemblies as measured in the laboratory. While it is understood that there can be significant differences between the transmission loss at a given angle of incidence compared to the diffuse field value, a detailed and quantitative understanding of the effect is lacking. Measuring the transmission loss from plane waves at varying angles of incidence is difficult, and a combination of theoretical analysis and field measurements may allow a better understanding of the relationship and hence more accurate calculations of the interior noise level from transportation sources. The literature is reviewed, and data from field measurements is analyzed to begin to evaluate this effect.
Ultrasound responsive multi-layered emulsions for drug delivery
Authors: Khan Aaqib H. , Bisht Sapna , Mistry Nishita , Mercado-Shekhar Karla Patricia , Dalvi Sameer V.
Published: July 2024

Vaporizable double emulsions, characterized by a central aqueous core, have demonstrated effectiveness in encapsulating hydrophilic drugs. This study aims to investigate the potential of incorporating an additional oil- layer in the double emulsions to encapsulate hydrophobic drugs. Vaporizable multi-layered emulsions were produced in three steps using perfluoropentane (PFP), phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and sunflower oil. Curcumin, a natural anti-inflammatory drug, was dispersed in the oil phase. Krytox, polyglycerol polyricinoleate, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were used as surfactants. PFP was sonicated in PBS (1:6) for 1 minute to create emulsion-1. Subsequently, emulsion-1 (1:4) was homogenized in oil to make emulsion-2. Emulsion-2 was homogenized in BSA (1:4) to yield emulsion-3 at 8000 rpm for 30 seconds. The vaporization pressure threshold was determined using 2 MHz focused ultrasound with a single-element transducer (f/# of 1.27, 0.5% duty cycle). B-mode imaging was conducted using a Verasonics Vantage 128 system with an L11-5v array to determine the droplet vaporization threshold, which was found to be 6.7 MPa. Curcumin-loading (0.87 ± 0.1 mg) was significantly higher in the multi-layered emulsions than in single-layered BSA-shelled microbubbles (0.019 ± 0.004 mg) (p < 0.00001), indicating that multi-layered emulsions exhibit higher drug loading capacity.