bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying crowd engagement with machine learning
Authors: Bickmore Jason D. , Cutler Mitchell C. , Transtrum Mark K. , Gee Kent L.
Published: July 2024

Inferring a crowd’s engagement at a sporting event using only acoustic signals is difficult for humans to do precisely, but it may be a great job for machine learning. This presentation will summarize the results of using acoustic data from crowds at four types of college sporting events to train a random forest machine-learning model to identify behaviors such as cheering, chanting, and distracting the opposing team. The model uses spectral data and other features derived from acoustic measurements such as spectral slope, spectral kurtosis, and zero cross rate to quantify the level of crowd engagement. This presentation will then discuss an ongoing investigation of how the model performs at predicting crowd engagement from acoustic data collected with a new data-collection system. It will discuss specific challenges and opportunities associated with incorporating new data into an existing machine-learning pipeline.
Modeling the relationship between listener factors and signal modification: A pooled analysis spanning a decade
Authors: Rallapalli Varsha H. , Crukley Jeff , Lundberg Emily , Kates James M. , Arehart Kathryn , Souza Pamela E.
Published: July 2024

The overarching goal of our work is to understand how listeners respond to hearing aid processing and consequently inform individualized hearing aid treatment. Our previous work demonstrated that individual cognitive abilities, age, and hearing loss contribute to variability in response to cumulative signal modifications introduced by hearing aid processing and background noise. Specifically, older individuals with poorer working memory and more hearing loss were more susceptible to signal modifications introduced by hearing aid processing. These relationships were established in independent studies involving systematic manipulations of compression, digital noise reduction, frequency lowering, or microphone directionality. In this study, we present a hierarchical pooled analysis of data collected from six previous studies to develop a unified statistical model of the relationships between response to signal modification and individual listener variables. Across studies, signal modification is quantified using a cepstral correlation metric that accounts for cumulative envelope distortions arising from hearing aid processing and background noise. The statistical model will determine how working memory, age, and degree of hearing loss mediate the relationship between signal modification and speech intelligibility in noise across a large dataset. Both inferential and predictive applications of the combined data and model will be discussed. [Work supported by NIDCD.]
Perceptual benefits of implicit auditory learning of rule-based nonspeech sound patterns in younger and older adults
Authors: Gygi Brian , Füllgrabe Christian , Shafiro Valeriy
Published: July 2024

Sounds in everyday environments typically precede and follow one another in systematic ways determined by the properties and interactions of corresponding sound sources. Familiar and predictable contextual relationships between consecutive sounds are known to provide perceptual benefit under adverse listening conditions. Previous work has demonstrated implicit learning of arbitrary rule-based sound patterns by young normal hearing adults. However, the role of such rule-based learning on identification of individual sounds within a sound pattern and the effect of listener age has not been investigated. Here younger and older adults with age-appropriate hearing were first familiarized with a set of rule-based nonspeech sound sequences produced by a finite-state machine. Subsequently, they identified individual target sounds within sequences under a range of signal-to-noise ratios (0 to -15 dB). The test sequences were (a) familiar, rule-based; (b) novel, rule-based; or (c) novel, non rule-based. The results for both younger and older listeners revealed superior sound identification in sequences versus in isolation, and a greater overall accuracy of rule-based versus non rule-based sequences. Younger listeners significantly outperformed older listeners. Implicit learning benefit did not correlate with measures of working memory processing. Current findings have implications for audiologic rehabilitation and auditory display design.
Behavioral evidence of the modulation filterbank in an avian animal model of complex-sound perception
Authors: Henry Kenneth S. , Abrams Kristina , Youngman Margaret
Published: July 2024

Behavioral detection of amplitude modulation (AM) can be adversely affected by competing AM “noise” present in the acoustic environment. Called AM masking, human studies suggest the existence of a modulation filterbank that separates sounds (signal from noise) based on differences in AM frequency. The modulation filterbank is an important theoretical advancement in hearing science because in addition to explaining AM masking, the model successfully predicts differences in speech perception across noisy listening environments with different AM statistics. Currently, there are no behavioral animal models of the modulation filterbank, presenting a serious impediment to understanding neural underpinnings. We trained budgerigars, a parakeet species, to detect AM frequencies from 64 to 400 Hz in the presence of narrowband AM maskers applied to a 2.8-kHz carrier signal. AM masker center frequencies spanned a >2 octave range centered on the target AM frequency. Behavioral AM sensitivity was evaluated with operant conditioning, a single-interval two-alternative discrimination task, and two-down one-up adaptive threshold tracking procedures. Budgerigar AM masking functions had a band-pass characteristic, consistent with the modulation filterbank and with human AM masking results for the same stimuli. To our knowledge, these are the first behaviorally estimated modulation filter shapes in a nonhuman species. [Funding: NIDCD R01-DC017519.]
Evaluating years in hours
Authors: Smith Robert W.
Published: July 2024

The Graduate Program in Acoustics (GPA) at Penn State requires prospective Ph.D. candidates to pass a qualifying exam consisting of written and oral components. Objectives are to evaluate mastery and integration of some key concepts, and to determine if students have developed a fluency with acoustic concepts. The over-riding goal is to evaluate if the students have emergent qualities and understanding to potentiate success as researcher. Most of the exam is focused on the content of two required graduate courses—one primarily on vibrations in solids, and the second in fluids; these provide a common foundation to supplement the diverse undergraduate backgrounds of students, characteristic of students attracted to attend the GPA. We strive to avoid esoterica, but problems are often intentionally unfamiliar and often inspired by applications encountered in research. The author has participated as one of four on the committee that administers the exam for the past 7 years; each member is charged with developing two problems for the exam, typically offered twice per year. This talk will describe some illustrative problems developed by the author and some of the acoustic concepts they probe we think are important. Some discussion of observations of students’ difficulties will be discussed.
Understanding speech in everyday conditions—Effects of room acoustics and noise
Authors: Park Heui Young , Viswanathan Navin , Vigeant Michelle C.
Published: July 2024

Understanding speech in noisy, indoor settings is a considerable challenge for listeners. Room acoustics, such as reverberation and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) noise, all contribute to such challenges. In the current study, the effects of different backgrounds were examined in anechoic versus reverberant conditions at two different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were examined. 60 monolingual American English listeners transcribed spoken English sentences under different noisy conditions. Overall, we tested two acoustic conditions: anechoic and reverberant, reverberation time = 1.5 s, with four speech conditions (target speech only, or combined with HVAC noise, two-talker babble, or both) and two different SNRs (0 dB and -3 dB). Both the target and babble speech were female voices speaking in English. Complex backgrounds resulted in decreased performance, and the detrimental effects of such masking were accentuated by reverberation and lower SNR. This study serves as a basis for future research exploring the effects of room acoustics on speech intelligibility to gain a more wholistic understanding of speech perception under realistic conditions.
Enhancing speech comprehension in large classrooms: Addressing alignment delay in assistive listening
Authors: Kaufmann Thomas , Foroogozar Mehdi , Liss Julie , Berisha Visar
Published: July 2024

This study investigated the impact of alignment delay between assistive listening audio signals and acoustic signals from loudspeakers in large classrooms. Focusing on speech-in-noise comprehension, subjective comprehension confidence, and listening effort, the research aimed to illuminate auditory processing challenges and suggests improvements for assistive listening technology. Using a modified QuickSIN speech-in-noise hearing test in a simulated large auditorium setting, 53 participants with normative hearing experienced varying signal-to-noise ratios and alignment delays. The findings reveal a significant and progressive impact of alignment delay on speech comprehension. The study emphasizes the importance of compensating for alignment delay in assistive listening system design in large classrooms to enhance speech comprehension and comprehension confidence while minimizing listening effort. These insights are crucial for individuals with hearing disabilities, who likely face greater challenges than listeners with normative hearing. The study advocates for improved standards in assistive listening system design to ensure auditory accessibility and comfort in educational settings.
Parallel tempering in trans-dimensional Bayesian inversion for seabed geoacoustic models with many parameters per layer
Authors: Dosso Stan , Holland Charles W. , Dettmer Jan , Jiang Yong-Min
Published: July 2024

Trans-dimensional (trans-D) Bayesian inversion is a powerful tool for estimating seabed geoacoustic models from ocean-acoustic data, combining quantitative model selection with parameter/uncertainty estimation. The approach applies reversible-jump Markov-chain Monte Carlo methods to sample probabilistically over the number of seabed layers and the corresponding geoacoustic parameters for each layer. Layers are added and removed during sampling, referred to as birth and death moves, respectively, changing the dimension of the model. However, the probability of accepting birth and death moves can approach zero for formulations that include many parameters per layer. This paper considers the use of parallel tempering to mitigate this degradation in efficiency. Parallel tempering employs a series of interacting Markov chains with successfully-relaxed acceptance criteria, achieved by raising the likelihood to powers of 1/T, with T greater than or equal to 1 referred to as the sampling temperature. While only the T = 1 chain provides unbiased sampling, probabilistic interchange between chains provides a robust ensemble sampler that mixes more readily over the trans-D model space. The approach is illustrated for wide-angle reflection-coefficient inversion including compressional and shear parameters in the seabed model, resulting in a total of 5 unknown parameters per layer.
Bayesian optimization for geoacoustic inversion
Authors: Jenkins William F. , Gerstoft Peter , Park Yongsung
Published: July 2024

Geoacoustic inversion of high-dimensional parameter spaces is a computationally intensive procedure, often necessitating thousands of forward model evaluations to accurately estimate the geoacoustic environment, such as Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. This study introduces Bayesian optimization (BO), an efficient global optimization technique, to estimate geoacoustic parameters with significantly fewer evaluations, typically on the order of hundreds. BO involves an iterative search within the parameter space to locate the global optimum of an objective function; in this study, the Bartlett power is used. BO consists of fitting a Gaussian process surrogate model to existing evaluations of the objective function, followed by selecting a new data point for evaluation using a heuristic acquisition function. The effectiveness of BO is showcased through its application to both simulated and real-world data from a shallow-water environment for multidimensional parameter space encompassing source location, array tilt, and seabed properties.
Ongoing confirmation of an objective criterion predicting annoyance linked to wind turbines
Authors: Palmer William K.
Published: July 2024

The 2023 CAA Acoustics Week in Canada introduced a criterion based on an objective acoustic measure to predict annoyance subjectively identified by residents living in the vicinity of wind turbines. That evidence was gathered primarily at a site near constant speed, stall regulated wind turbines. This paper presents subsequent investigations confirming that the criterion is also effective at a site with variable speed pitch regulated wind turbines. The results arise from the analysis of over 400 days of sampling at a site 787 m from the nearest wind turbine, with 18 turbines within 3 km. Verification of the study data was shown by comparison to data collected by an acoustic contractor employed by the provincial Ministry of the Environment. That data was collected through over 70 recording periods to analyze times residents at the site identified annoyance during a Ministry audit. These samples were obtained through a Freedom of Information request purchase. Analysis of the samples confirms the annoyance criterion identified at the CAA 2023 conference applies also for a different turbine type to objectively predict the annoyance subjectively identified by residents. The implications of this confirmation will be discussed.
Diel and tidal cycles in summer habitat use by St. Lawrence Estuary Belugas through a pluriannual passive acoustics monitoring network
Authors: Giard Samuel , Simard Yvan , Roy Nathalie , Aulanier Florian J. , Lesage Véronique
Published: July 2024

A network of 10 passive acoustics monitoring stations is used to examine patterns of habitat use at diel and tidal timescales by St. Lawrence Estuary beluga during summer 2018 and 2019. An occurrence index of vocal activity within the preferred frequency band of communications for belugas is used as a proxy for presence at the stations. Diel and tidal patterns of activity and mean residency time are extracted from statistics of hourly occurrence timeseries at the 10 stations. Spatially, diel and tidal occurrence levels of beluga communication sounds show patterns of variation that differ among the stations, but tend to be locally stable from one summer to next. Mean residency time at the 9 Estuary stations vary between 4 to 15 hours and most have an occurrence maximum during early morning. The Saguenay fjord station shows a distinct profile, with a mean residency time of 30 hours and high level of activity at evening and night. This work underlines the ability of passive acoustics, through continuous monitoring at high spatio-temporal resolution, to reveal the complexity of the habitat use by this confined marine mammal population and understand its responses to diel and tidal forcings of the ecosystem.
An experimental array setup to study the integration of biosonar and maneuvering flight in bats
Authors: Nnoka Chi , Hu Yihao , Grafe Ulmar , Bayandor Javid , Müller Rolf
Published: July 2024

Understanding biosonar-based flight control in bats remains a challenge for fundamental bioacoustics and holds promise for engineered flight-control systems, especially for highly maneuverable drones. To accomplish this, detailed data on bat flight is required that captures the variability across flight situations, individuals, and species. Hence, a flight tunnel has been constructed that provides enough space for natural flight maneuvers. Reconstructing the detailed geometry of freely maneuvering bats requires capturing a flying bat from many different angles to ensure freedom from occlusions. Ideally, this would also be done without placing artificial markers on the bat. Hence, a flight tunnel has been instrumented with arrays of 50 high-speed video cameras and 28 ultrasonic microphones that were all integrated within a modular canvas setup. The optical properties of each camera have been determined from multiple images taken of a panel with a calibration grid seen from different orientations. The spatial relationship between the cameras was estimated based on a large set of images containing random points created with an LED. Reconstructing the 3D geometries of the bats from large numbers of high-speed video frames requires an automated method due to the problem's complexity. To this end, deep-learning methods are currently under development.
Simulation-corrected focusing to the vertebral canal
Authors: Martin David , Xu Rui , O'Reilly Meaghan
Published: July 2024

Phased arrays have long been used to deliver focused ultrasound to the brain, but applications in the spinal cord remain comparatively unexplored. This is largely due to the aberrating effect of vertebral bone on the incoming wavefront, where variable density and complex geometry distort the pressure field in the canal. For controlled focusing, phase and amplitude corrections must therefore be calculated in advance. Here, we validate a previously-developed ray acoustics model for transvertebral focusing with a bilateral spine-specific array. Benchtop trials were conducted with ex vivo human vertebrae and ray acoustics beamforming was compared to a geometric baseline and hydrophone-corrected gold standard. Planar shift in the 90% contour was evaluated via raster scans of the sagittal and coronal planes. Ray acoustics correction reduced mean sagittal shift from 1.76 ± 0.79 mm to 1.63 ± 0.86 mm and reduced mean coronal shift from 0.99 ± 0.54 mm to 0.76 ± 0.63 mm, while hydrophone correction produced mean sagittal and coronal shifts of 1.40 ± 0.83 mm and 0.53 ± 0.47 mm, respectively. Large variance in simulation-corrected results is hypothesized to stem from nonuniform attenuation and intervertebral acoustic windows, a possibility that will be explored in future in silico and benchtop work.
The sound radiation and directivity of glockenspiel bars
Authors: Pavill Hanna , Shepherd Micah
Published: July 2024

The directivity of a musical instrument describes the predominant directions that sound radiates from that instrument when it is being played. The shape of an instrument, as well as the note and playing style, can greatly affect its sound radiation and directivity. The glockenspiel is a percussion instrument made of pitched metal bars of uniform thickness laid out in a keyboard pattern and set on a frame. It produces sound when the player strikes the bars with a mallet. Uniform beam theory is often used to describe the modal behavior of the individual glockenspiel bars. However, when a single bar is stuck, the other surrounding bars and support frame influence the sound radiation and directivity. Therefore, glockenspiel measurements were performed using a directivity measurement system which has previously been used to measure musical instrument directivity. To eliminate strike-to-strike variance, an automatic striking device was used. This work will compare the sound radiation and directivity of a glockenspiel bar in the standard configuration, to an individual glockenspiel bar outside of the frame.
Further investigation of the vibration characteristics and sound radiation of Balinese gamelan gongs
Authors: Harwood Dallin T. , Pavill Hanna , Todd Emma , Bellows Samuel D. , Shepherd Micah
Published: July 2024

Balinese gamelan gongs are percussion instruments of special interest because of their unique shape and sound. Unlike a Chinese tam-tam, the gongs are thick and deep, with a protruding dome in the center and long edges that sharply wrap around the circumference of the gong. When struck, the larger gongs are designed to produce a strong beating pattern. Recent work in both the analytical modeling and high-resolution measurements of the gong has advanced our understanding of the physics of this suite of instruments. However, there is still much to be understood about the influence of the shape of the gong and what boundary conditions to expect from an instrument of the dimensions described. This paper will present measurements and discussion of the nature of both the gong’s boundary conditions and its back cavity. Both will be used to support the continued development of theoretical models of the gong.
Turbulence-induced variability of a far-field Falcon-9 sonic boom measurement
Authors: Nyborg Kaylee , Anderson Mark C. , Gee Kent L.
Published: July 2024

Although aircraft sonic booms have been researched for decades, sonic booms from rocket booster landings are relatively recent events that are less studied. However, as booster landings become more prevalent, a better understanding of the associated sonic booms and community impact is needed. Atmospheric turbulence distorts sonic boom waveforms, affecting both the rise time and peak pressure, and can have a large impact on human perception metrics. As an initial investigation into the impact of turbulence on sonic boom measurements, measurements were made of the reentry sonic boom during the SpaceX Falcon-9 SDA Tranche 0B mission at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. An 11-microphone linear array spanning 150 m (500 ft) recorded the boom 8.5 km from the landing pad. This paper discusses results from this measurement, including variability of human perception metrics. For example, Perceived Level varied by up to 8 dB across the array. [Work supported through a NASA Graduate Research Fellowship.]
Laser interferometer measurement and reconstruction of supersonic projectile acoustic pressure fields
Authors: Blevins Matthew G. , Lyons Gregory W.
Published: July 2024

Sensing acoustic fields with a laser interferometer offers several advantages over conventional techniques: the probe beam does not disturb the medium in which it operates, the interferometer optics can be placed far from the source, and interferometry typically has a wider bandwidth than microphones. These advantages are particularly useful in situations where precise measurements of high-amplitude shock-generating sources are required. In this work we use a laser interferometer to study the generation and propagation of shock wave signatures of ballistic projectiles. A laboratory experiment was conducted to collect interferometer data from a variety of supersonic projectiles over a range of standoff distances. Simultaneously-captured microphone data is compared to the interferometer measurements, and techniques for inversion and reconstruction of the sound pressure field are discussed.
How does voice familiarity affect speech intelligibility?
Authors: Holmes Emma
Published: July 2024

People often face the challenge of understanding speech when other sounds are present ("speech-in-noise perception")—which involves a variety of cognitive processes, such as attention and prior knowledge. We have consistently found that familiarity with a person’s voice improves the ability to understand speech-in-noise, using both naturally familiar (e.g., friends and partners) and lab-trained voices. In this talk, I will describe experiments in which we manipulated voice acoustics (such as fundamental frequency and formant spacing). For example, we have measured the smallest deviations in acoustics that listeners can discriminate for familiar and unfamiliar voices, and have examined how manipulations to voice acoustics affect voice recognition and speech intelligibility for familiar voices. This work has provided insights into the processes underlying the familiar-voice intelligibility benefit—for example, by contrasting explanations based on predictions of voice acoustics with those involving cognitive demands. I will discuss the implications of our findings for theories of speech perception, and the implications for populations who typically find speech perception particularly challenging (e.g., older adults).
Exploring auditory emotion perception in cochlear implant users: Investigating the interplay of speech processing and affective signals
Authors: Paquette Sebastien
Published: July 2024

Human emotions are intricately expressed through vocal sounds, encompassing affective prosody in speech and non-verbal cues such as screams and laughter. Recent evidence indicates that vocalizations take neurophysiological precedence over speech-embedded emotions and are generally easier to identify. However, Cochlear implant (CI) users still face challenges deciphering the subtle nuances in these primal signals. The implant's limited fidelity in transmitting acoustic information results in highly variable levels of emotion perception abilities among its users. Identifying the factors explaining this significant variability in abilities among CI users remains of great interest. Our recent investigations into CI users' abilities to perceive emotions and speaker sincerity have often incorporated diverse aspects of auditory proficiency, including pitch discrimination, music processing, and speech intelligibility. The combination of results from these different projects can help shed light on the intricate interplay between speech processing and emotional recognition in CI users. Surprisingly, even when presented with emotional musical stimuli, CI users' proficiency often leaned toward processes related to speech intelligibility, proposing common mechanisms underlying linguistic and affective processes in CI users that do not readily relate to musical skills or pitch sensitivity. Hence, maintaining a clinical focus on speech processing remains crucial, even when exploring affective skills in CI users.
Portuguese rhotic variation in the Brazilian cities of Salvador and São Paulo
Authors: Jagiella Francis
Published: July 2024

Brazilian Portuguese has two rhotic phonemes: the alveolar flap /ɾ/ and the historically long version which previous publications call velar, uvular, or glottal fricatives, or alveolar trills and approximants. This variation occurs both within and across dialects. Deletion is also common, most notably in word-final position. For the current project, thirty-five participants from Salvador and ten participants from São Paulo were recorded reading predetermined stimuli of isolated words and sentences, creating 6,383 instances of the rhotic phoneme. Productions were classified as exhibiting deletion or for having voicing, frication, flapping, and place characteristics. The results indicate a range of surface forms of the phoneme more variable than previously cited, with palatal fricatives common in Salvador and several flap + fricative variants common in São Paulo, along with other less frequent forms. In Salvador, glottal fricatives predominate across the board with much higher rates of deletion. In São Paulo, glottal fricatives predominate in onset positions, but alveolar trills and approximants and flap + fricative variants predominate in coda position. While deletion is most common word-finally, it occurs in all environments where the phoneme is found.
Stroop task response times: The bilingual advantage
Authors: Siren Kathleen , Killmurray Bridget , Bayer Sarah , Launay-Fallasse Sophia , Stapp Meghan , Fossett Tepanta
Published: July 2024

Bilingual individuals often must focus on one language while suppressing interference of another language and may therefore develop a specialized capacity to selectively attend to the language currently being used, a form of cognitive control. For this investigation, monolingual and bilingual individuals completed a 40-item modified Stroop task. In this task, participants were shown incongruent visual stimuli, with the names of various colors presented in a different ink color. Participants were instructed to respond verbally by naming the ink color instead of reading the written color word. Investigators scored verbal responses for accuracy and measured speed of response. Additionally, investigators measured duration of selected responses. Results demonstrate that monolingual and bilingual individuals were similarly accurate on the task. However, on average, bilingual speakers were faster at responding than monolingual speakers. Further, bilingual speakers were less variable in response time with responses that were shorter in duration than monolingual speakers. These results are discussed with reference to theories of differential brain development and cognitive function in individuals who simultaneously acquire more than one language.
Relating assimilation data to identification data in second language learners
Authors: de Jong Kenneth J. , Lin Yu-Jung , Hao Yen-Chen , Park Hanyong
Published: July 2024

Commonly cited models of bilingual phonology, e.g., the Speech Learning Model and the Perceptual Assimilation Model, project hypotheses about second language (L2) developmental patterns based on hypothetical assimilation patterns between categories in the learner’s first language (L1) and L2, with the addition of a learning component which differentiates an L2 and L1 system. This paper relates two experiments with two participant groups, one native Korean, and one native Taiwan Mandarin. Both groups identify English obstruents /p b t d f v θ ð/ in four prosodic positions (onset, coda, and intervocalic pre-stress and post-stress) using their native non-Roman graphemes in the first experiment, and using English labels in the second. The assimilation results generate predictions for discrimination performance in the second experiment, assuming only the L1 categories. The two groups show large differences in assimilation pattern due largely to the non-sibilant fricative /f/ in Mandarin, in opposition to the Korean system which has only non-sibilant /h/. Analyses reveal a strong correlation between L2 discrimination patterns and predictions based solely on the L2-L1 assimilation results, suggesting that the perceptual system of L2 learners can be surprisingly well-captured as a single perceptual system with a bilingual array of segmental categories.
The perception of (trans)masculine speech: Effects of stimulus acoustics and rater identity
Authors: Munson Benjamin , Dolquist Devin V.
Published: July 2024

A large body of work has examined the acoustic characteristics of cisgender, heterosexual (cishet) men and women’s speech, and the acoustic features that predict listeners’ judgments of binary gender through speech. Considerably less work has examined the diverse ways that non-cishet men, non-cishet women, and people whose gender is neither exclusively male nor exclusively female express gender through speech. Moreover, there is relatively little work on how gender-diverse listener groups perceive gender through speech. This poster presents the results of a perception experiment designed to fill those gaps. Stimuli were multiple sentence productions of 20 masculine-presenting individuals, including cisgender men, transgender men, and transmasculine nonbinary people. These are described and analyzed acoustically in Dolquist (2023). Listeners were 88 cishet men, 62 cishet women, and 50 gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) individuals. Listeners identified gender identity, gender orientation (i.e., cisgender or transgender), and a variety of attributes for each stimulus. GSD listeners were more likely than cishet men and cishet women to identify voices as transgender or nonbinary, and were more likely to evaluate those voices favorably. Moreover, cishet men and women’s judgments of gender were more strongly predicted by sex-dimorphic acoustic characteristics like f0 than were GSD listeners’ judgments.
Perceptual adaptation to unfamiliar dialects in an eye-tracking task
Authors: Bryan Larisa , Clopper Cynthia G.
Published: July 2024

Variation in pronunciation of vowels across American English dialects often creates the strongest distinctions between dialects and leads to lexical ambiguity between minimal pairs within dialects. This lexical ambiguity is stronger for listeners with lifetime exposure to multiple dialects than to a single dialect. In the current study, we investigated the influence of brief, in- lab dialect exposure on lexical competition and perceptual adaptation. Midwestern American English participants were first presented with a familiarization short story told in one of two unfamiliar dialects (Southern American English or a novel accent) and then completed a visual-world eye-tracking task containing both acoustically ambiguous and non-ambiguous words from each dialect in a forced-choice task. The results showed evidence of greater lexical competition for target dialect minimal pairs following familiarization. This pattern of results is consistent with previous work suggesting greater lexical competition following lifetime exposure to dialect variation among geographically mobile listeners, suggesting similarities in the effects of brief in-lab and lifetime exposure to dialect variation on lexical competition and processing.
The Accent Atlas: Effects of long-term exposure to nonnative accents on adaptive speech perception
Authors: Gu Yuting , Cutler Seth , Kurumada Chigusa , Xie Xin
Published: July 2024

As mobility increases and virtual interactions grow, quickly adapting to diverse accents is essential for effective communication. While lab-based accent training promotes rapid adaptation to unfamiliar accents, whether prolonged environmental exposure to linguistic diversity yields similar benefits is unknown. We conducted a large-scale perceptual experiment involving 600 + participants across 15 U.S. states, utilizing a cross-modal word matching task to measure speech recognition in both non-native accented English and native English with background noise. Participants were recruited from linguistically diverse (LD) or linguistically homogeneous (LH) states. Linguistic diversity was defined based on the prevalence of non-English speaking residents (U.S. census data). Our findings were twofold: firstly, consistent with prior studies, only exposure to non-native accented speech—but not exposure to speech in noise—improved recognition of novel talkers with the same accent; secondly, individuals from the LD states outperformed those from LH areas in initial accented speech perception. However, by the end of the experiment, benefits from in-lab accent exposure did not differ significantly between the two groups, suggesting that short-term training could mitigate long-term environmental influences. These results illuminate the interplay between daily linguistic environments and accent adaptation, enhancing our understanding of speech perception's adaptivity in a multilingual context.
Tongue bracing robustness under perturbation: Comparison of L1 versus L2 speech with and without bite-block
Authors: Ibikunle Abiodun , Maitinsky Marcell , Purnomo Annabelle , Xu Chenxi , Liu Yadong , Gick Bryan
Published: July 2024

Lateral tongue bracing is a universal speech posture observed across many languages [Gick et al., 2017, JSLHR 60; Liu et al., 2022, JIPA, Phonetica 79]. Previous work has found that under perturbation by 10 mm bite-blocks, there is less lateral contact during a speaker’s L2 speech compared to their L1 speech [Bengtson et al., 2023, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 154]. However, the research did not investigate lateral contact without bite-blocks and the effect of this perturbation on posture remains unclear. The present study addresses this by comparing a speaker’s L1 and L2 speech both with and without bite-block perturbation, with the hypothesis that posture during speech movement is more robustly maintained under perturbation with more language experience. Participants will read two short texts in their L1 and L2 separately, both with and without 10 mm bite-blocks, and F1/F2 of cardinal vowels will be compared between bite-block conditions for each language. L2 proficiency will be collected for each participant and results will be reported with relevance to posture and speech movement coordination for L1 versus L2, with implications discussed for proficiency. [Work supported by NSERC].
Physics informed sound field interpolation using an acoustic sensor network
Authors: Fernando Rashen , Mittal Manan , Zhuang Yongjie , Corey Ryan M. , Singer Andrew C.
Published: July 2024

Sound field estimation is the process of analyzing and characterizing the distribution of sound waves in a particular physical space. The applications of sound field estimation extend to various areas, including the visualization of acoustic fields, interpolation of room impulse responses, identification of sound sources, capturing sound fields for spatial audio, and spatial active noise control, among other potential uses. In a previous study, a directionally weighted kernel has been used to estimate the sound field, where the priori information of source directions is employed to improve the estimation accuracy. In another separate study, spherical harmonics have been used to represent the sound field. However, the order of spherical harmonic coefficients was limited due to the limited number of microphones. This research introduces a novel method for sound field estimation using multiple microphones to sample a source-free volume. A physics-informed neural network is used to predict the spherical harmonics coefficients and locations of unknown sources to estimate the sound field.
Development of the 2nd Cadenza challenge for improving music listening for people with a hearing loss
Authors: Akeroyd Michael A. , Bannister Scott , Barker Jon P. , Cox Trevor J. , Roa Gerardo , Fazenda Bruno , Firth Jennifer L. , Graetzer Simone , Greasley Alinka , Vos Rebecca , Whitmer William M.
Published: July 2024

The Cadenza project is an ongoing project that aims to improve music quality for those with a hearing loss. The project is running signal-processing and machine-learning challenges to address different listening issues and scenarios. During the first round, the challenge focused on non-causal music source separation to allow remixing for those with hearing loss. This fed into an ICASSP 2024 challenge, which had crosstalk from loudspeaker reproduction included. There are three potential arms to our upcoming 2024 challenge based on reported issues from hearing-impaired music listeners: (1) low-latency causal audio source separation, (2) lyric intelligibility enhancement without loss of timbre or instrumental balance, and (3) loudness/dynamic range control. Each of these potential challenges raise questions as to the appropriate reference signals, as well as the practicalities of deriving the appropriate signals for an open-source machine-learning challenge. [Work supported by UK EPSRC Grant No. EP/W019434/1]
Testing transfer learning for source ranging in a laboratory tank
Authors: Dobbs Corey E. , Neilsen Tracianne B.
Published: July 2024

One difficulty in applying deep learning techniques to ocean acoustics is the spatially and temporally varying environmental properties. Another challenge is the lack of labeled data for training large networks. The overall goal of this work is to develop deep learning approaches that can be adaptable to different conditions. For example, a trained neural network will fail to generalize when the appropriate environmental variability is not included in the training data. To improve network performance, transfer learning can modify a pre-trained network to make predictions on data that was recorded under different conditions than the original dataset. In this work, a convolutional neural network was trained on acoustic data measured in a water tank, while the water was at room temperature, to predict source-receiver range. Transfer learning was used to update the pre-trained model with a smaller set of data measured at different water temperatures. The resulting model better generalizes to measurements at different temperatures. This approach illustrates how transfer learning can be used in ocean acoustics to improve generalizability in a specific area with less labeled data and lower computational cost. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research, Grant N00014-22-12402.]
Toward audio-based sensing for pedestrian detection
Authors: Ding Yiwei , Han Chaeyeon , Seshadri Pavan , Koo Bon Woo , Posner Noah , Guhathakurta Subhro , Lerch Alexander
Published: July 2024

The detection and counting of pedestrians plays a central role for the design of smart cities. Although the use of cameras for this task has been shown to have high accuracy, they come at a high cost and are susceptible to challenges such as poor lighting, fog, and obstructed views. Our study investigates audio-based pedestrian detection, combining potentially low cost sensors with advanced machine learning based audio analysis algorithms. With an audio sensor installed along the walkway, machine learning algorithms can tell from the audio whether there is a pedestrian or not, or how far the pedestrian is from the sensor. Results show the general feasibility of audio-based pedestrian detection but fall short of reaching the accuracy levels of video-based detection.
Extracting and classifying psychoacoustic features from online restaurant reviews
Authors: Mann Martin J. , Underwood Samuel H. , Wang Lily M.
Published: July 2024

Recent work has shown that poor acoustic conditions persist in many restaurants. Owners who receive negative reviews of their establishment's soundscape may struggle to interpret the subjective customer responses into actionable corrective measures. Therefore, further work is needed to taxonomize the acoustically relevant keywords and phrases that occur in user reviews. In this study, an open-source database of restaurant, bar, and coffee shop reviews from across the United States has been obtained. Sentiment analysis and keyword count are used to extract positive, negative, and neutral subjective reviews and subjective features related to acoustics. The resulting subjective features are then categorized, weighed, and linked to objective acoustic parameters using machine learning techniques. Results from this study suggest that owners and consultants may be able to utilize online customer reviews to monitor acoustical comfort and ascertain the nature of an acoustical problem, not only in restaurants, but in any business sector where customers submit online user reviews.
Acoustically rated fenestration products
Authors: Mahon Casey
Published: July 2024

If noise is the enemy, then windows, doors, and other fenestration systems form a front-line of defense in preserving the peace. Starting with basic design elements and the material components of products manufactured to achieve an elevated level of attenuation, we will explore what it takes to reach even higher, especially as acoustic performance moves beyond simple punched openings to storefronts, curtain walls, and other specialty installations. We will see that certified test reports are something every bona fide product manufacturer should have for documentation. In summary, this presentation will explore a check list that acoustic professionals should consider for any project where noise attenuation is a primary performance objective.
Developing and validating analytical tools to predict the aero-acoustic performance of bespoke noise mitigation solutions
Authors: Koukounian Viken
Published: July 2024

The characterization of empirical knowledge from observations is, generally, referred to as the Scientific Method. Most engineering best practices rely on ‘observations’ (e.g., laboratory testing) to make informed decisions for future projects and/or applications. While this approach is still considered to be the ‘state of the art’ in most fields of acoustics, it is especially relevant in the studies of architectural acoustics and environmental noise. Since it is not possible to test every permutation of product (and/or its configurations) and environmental conditions, the results of only common geometries and parameters are reported in databases for use by professionals. However, the described framework is rigid and prohibits true optimization of a solution which should consider the solution’s performance requirements, as well as the various constraints (site, project, multi-physics). A more sophisticated approach is possible, where analytical tools are developed to predict the multi-physics performance of products (such as silencers, plenum-silencers, louvers and enclosures). Numerical methods are relied on to validate these new tools against empirical data. The presented work demonstrates the optimization of a product’s aero-acoustic performance according to multi-variable constraints.
The effects of nonlinear approximation to mass operator on the wave propagation in polycrystalline materials
Authors: Bahreman Marzieh , Roy Anubhav , Kube Christopher M.
Published: July 2024

Existing theoretical models utilize the first or third-order smoothing approximations (FOSA and TOSA) to predict attenuation and wavespeed in polycrystalline materials. The FOSA-based model involves a Born approximation, limiting its application to the stochastic (low-frequency) scattering regime. This restriction is a significant factor contributing to its disagreement with FE-based models. The model based on TOSA was subsequently developed, incorporating two additional multiple scattering terms, and increasing the degree of heterogeneity. To extend into the high-frequency regime, the TOSA-based model was solved using numerical integrations. This presentation highlights the analytical solution of the Dyson equation based on the non-linear approximation, wherein the mass operator expression incorporates the mean dyadic Green’s function. Evaluating this equation with consideration of higher-order correlations addresses potential truncation errors associated with FOSA and TOSA approximations and encompasses the full range of frequencies from Rayleigh to the geometric asymptote. This presentation will also demonstrate a comparison of the results obtained from the nonlinear approximation with those from FOSA and TOSA across a range of polycrystalline metals.
Experimental verifications of perforation-modulated slow-wave phenomenon
Authors: Li Sihui , Yu Xiang , Cheng Li
Published: July 2024

Slow wave phenomenon has been theoretically and numerically predicted inside a in a retarding based on the so-called sonic black hole (SBH). A perforation-modulated SBH (PMSBH) retarding structure is then proposed, in which the two physical processes (sound velocity reduction and absorption) can be balanced to enhance the black hole effects by modulating the perforation parameters. This work presents an experimental effort to confirm the theoretically predicted slow wave phenomenon as well as the ABH-induced sound absorption inside a PMSBH. Alongside some theoretical development, this study brings forward the concept of tunable design to improve the performance of SBH structures, which can benefit the design of sound wave manipulation and noise control devices.