bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transformations and invariances in equally tempered scales
Authors: Sevgen Alpar
Published: September 2013

In this work the invariance of the number of accidentals in equally tempered scales (ETSs) under various transformations are proven analytically. ETSs with N semitones, M notes and interval structures n={n1,n2,...,nM}, where ni is the number of semitones between adjacent notes, form multiplets of N scales. Member scales of a multiplet are ordered and indexed by scale labels ck=kM reduced modulo (N), where k=0,1,...,N−1. Ordered members of the multiplets having the interval structures {Cjn} and {CℓMIn} (where C is a cyclical permutation, j,ℓ=0,1,...,M−1, and MI is a mirror image or flip operation on n) are shown to have the same number of sharps and the same number of flats, Nσ(ck,Cjn)=Nσ(ck,CℓMIn) (where σ=♯ or ♭, for all j, ℓ and for any scale label ck). Complementary scales nC related to n by a note ↔ no-note transformation (e.g., major ↔ pentatonic), however, have scale labels with opposite signs, and the number of sharps and flats are interchanged N♯(ck,n)=N♭(−ck,nC). This explains the degeneracy of the complexity parameter defined as the sum of the number of sharps and flats, proposed as a measure for ETS, explored numerically and reported earlier.
The Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI), an electronic musical wind controller for playing synthesizers
Authors: Steiner Nyle A.
Published: September 2013

The Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI) is an electronic musical wind instrument with playing techniques similar to that of a trumpet. Invented by Nyle Steiner in the early 1970’s, it was designed to give the performer control of dynamics from breath pressure and the ability to make a humanly generated vibrato. Other musical paramaters can be controlled as well. It has a playing range of seven octaves (similar to that of a piano). When musical lines are played using this instrument (controller) connected to an electronic music synthesizer, the sound is much more natural sounding and expressive than when a normal musical keyboard is used. The evolution of this instrument from the pre-Midi era to it latest Midi configuration, principles of operation, synthesizer programming, and its wide use in movie and TV scoring will be discussed. The EVI has played featured musical lines in many major movie soundtracks and TV shows such as Apocalypse Now, Witness, Dead Poets Society, Fatal Attraction, No Way Out, Gorillas in the Mist, and many others. The EVI design has also been adapted as an Electronic Woodwind Instrument (EWI) by Nyle Steiner and has been manufactured and sold worldwide by the AKAI Co. in Japan.
Linear and nonlinear acoustic control of accumulated fatigue damage in steel
Authors: Sutin Alexander , Kin Yulian , Johnson Paul
Published: September 2013

We present results of linear and nonlinear acoustic testing of steel samples with different levels of fatigue damage. The steel specimens were tested under programed cyclic loading on a fatigue testing machine and accumulated different levels of fatigue damage. No visible surface-crack formations during fatigue cycling were observed. In other words, the emphasis was placed on the characterization of continued but physically invisible in service life conditions damage in different materials and structures. Both linear and nonlinear acoustic techniques were used to assess damage accumulation. (1) Impulse resonant acoustic spectroscopy (IRAS) is based on analysis of the free-sample vibration after impact excitation. It demonstrated the increasing of the resonance frequencies and Q factor with damage accumulation. (2) Nonlinear resonant acoustic spectroscopy (NRAS) is based on measurement of the resonance response for different levels of acoustic excitation. The amplitude-dependent frequency shift for damaged steel was observed to increased with damage accumulation. (3) Nonlinear wave modulation spectroscopy (NWMS) implies the modulation of ultrasound wave by lower frequency vibration. High level of the side-band components for damaged samples were observed. The comparison of different methods is given.
The perceptual organization of complex sounds by birds
Authors: Dent Micheal L.
Published: September 2013

Birds have proven to be ideal models for the perceptual organization of complex sounds because, like humans, they produce, learn, and use complex acoustic signals for communication. Although conducted in laboratory settings, measures of auditory abilities in birds are usually designed to parallel the acoustic problems faced in their natural habitats, including the location of conspecifics, discrimination among potential mates, prey localization, predator avoidance, and territorial defense. As a result, there is probably more known about hearing in birds under both natural and laboratory conditions than in any other nonhuman organism. Behavioral and/or physiological experiments on complex sound perception in birds have revealed that they exhibit serial pattern perception, can discriminate frequency changes in tones embedded within tonal patterns regardless of stimulus uncertainty conditions, segregate signals into auditory streams, and exhibit comodulation masking release. In addition, binaural experiments have revealed that birds exhibit both the cocktail party effect and the precedence effect. Taken together, these results suggest that, like humans, auditory scene analysis plays a general role in auditory perception in birds and probably other animals that must parse the world into auditory objects. [Work supported by NIH DC006124.]
Asymmetrical perception of dynamic changes in rising and falling sounds
Authors: Kwong Darren , Zeng Fan-Gang
Published: September 2013

Previous studies have demonstrated a perceptual enhancement effect for rising sounds and interpreted at an ecological level the enhancement of rising sounds as a perceptual bias towards an approaching auditory object [Neuhoff, Nature (London) 395, 123 (1998)]. This study has not been independently replicated and both its interpretation and mechanisms are still debatable. The present study was aimed at replicating and extending the Neuhoff study by measuring just-noticeable differences in intensity for rising tone and falling sounds. Pure tones, harmonic complex tones, and white noise were used as the stimuli. Similar to Neuhoff’s study, subjects had to estimate by rating on a scale the loudness changes heard corresponding to rising or falling sounds. In addition, they had to discriminate between either a rising or falling sound and a steady-state sound or discriminate between two rising or falling sounds. Both magnitude estimation and objective discrimination data were consistent with Neuhoff’s results, showing that rising sounds needed 2 and 7 dB less than falling sounds in discriminating them from a steady-state sound and from a similarly dynamically changing sound, respectively. Mechanisms related to this perceptual asymmetry will be discussed.
A theory of three-dimensional auditory perception
Authors: Saifuddin Kazi
Published: September 2013

A theory of auditory dimensions regarding temporal perception is proposed on the basis of the results found from a series of experiments conducted. In all experiments, relationships were investigated between the subjective judgments and the factors extracted from the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the auditory stimuli. The factors were changed by using different properties of pure-tone, complex-tone, white-noise and bandpass-noise stimuli. Experiments by paired-comparison method were conducted in the sound proof chamber except for one in a concert hall. Human subjects were asked to compare the durations of the two successive stimuli in the pair. Subjective durations were obtained in the psychometric function. Auditory stimuli were selected to use on the basis of the measured factors of ACF as parameters. Obtained results showed significant correlation between the factors of ACF and the subjective durations described well by the theory. The theory indicates loudness and pitch as two fundamental dimensions and whether the third one is the duration of the stimuli.
The influence of stiffened plate modifications on the energy balance
Authors: Iwaniec Marek , Panuszka Ryszard
Published: September 2013

The change in plate stiffness introduced by a system of stiffeners slightly changes the whole system mass and results in a significant change in natural frequencies, distribution and values of vibrational energy. Stiffeners can be treated as an additional subsystem that not only changes the plate stiffness but also accumulates and dissipates a part of vibrational energy. The energy balance analysis of a stiffened plate was carried out for a plate treated as an assembly of a homogeneous plate and a system of beams. On the basis of modal participation factors the energies dissipated in plates and system of stiffeners were determined. The natural frequencies and modal participation factors were computed as a solution of an unconstrained optimization problem by the use of the Nelder Mead optimization algorithm and compared to a twice faster genetic algorithm. Theoretical computations of a homogeneous plate and stiffeners energies were verified by energy distribution carried out on the basis of frequency response functions of FEM models. The influence of geometrical and material properties on natural frequencies and energy dissipated by plate and stiffeners was determined.
Hamilton’s principle applied to piezomagnetism and related variational principles
Authors: Dokmeci M. Cengiz , Altay Gulay
Published: September 2013

In piezomagnetism, the fundamental equations have been developed in differential form [e.g., V. I. Alshits and A. N. Darinskii, Wave Motion 15, 265–283 (1992)]. Alternatively, they may be expressed in variational form with its well-known features; this is the topic of this paper. First, the magnetic vector, that is, the gradient of the magnetic potential, is introduced [cf. the authors, Int. J. Solids Struct. 40, 4699–4706 (2003)]. Second, the sufficient conditions based on the energy argument are enumerated for a unique solution in the fundamental equations. Third, Hamilton’s principle is stated and a three-field variational principle is obtained. The principle yields only the divergence equations and some natural boundary conditions, and it has the remaining fundamental equations as its constraint conditions. The conditions are generally undesirable in computation, and they are accordingly removed through an involutory transformation [e.g., the authors, Int. J. Eng. Sci. 40, 457−489 (2002)]. Thus, a unified variational principle operating on all the field variables is derived in piezomagnetism. The principle is shown, as special cases, to recover some of earlier ones. [Work supported by TUBA.]
Lisker and Abramson: Teaching researchers
Authors: Raphael Lawrence J.
Published: September 2013

The ‘‘discovery’’ of voice onset time (VOT) has, perhaps, stimulated more research projects than any other comparable measure. When the fathers of VOT, Leigh Lisker and Arthur Abramson, published their paper in 1964, other researchers were quick to recognize the implications of their findings and of their methodology. Those in the neighborhood of the creation in the mid-1960s were carefully trained in the proper procedures for making VOT measurements and were taught when such measures were, or were not, appropriate. In this regard, the dynamic duo was simply sustaining the tradition of using research as the basis of teaching, a tradition which both Arthur and Leigh have continued to the present. For those of us who have been fortunate enough to associate with them, their legacies as teachers stand as high in their list of accomplishments as anything else. Any academic researcher would do well to emulate their effective and often unique teaching methods, some of which will be described in this paper.
VOT in speech-disordered individuals: History, theory, data, reminiscence
Authors: Weismer Gary
Published: September 2013

Forty years ago Lisker and Abramson published their landmark paper on VOT; the speech-research world has never been the same. The concept of VOT as a measure relevant to phonology, speech physiology, and speech perception made it a prime choice for scientists who saw an opportunity to exploit the techniques and analytic frameworks of ‘‘speech science’’ in the study of speech disorders. Modifications of VOT in speech disorders have been used to draw specific inferences concerning phonological representations, glottal–supraglottal timing, and speech intelligibility. This presentation will provide a review of work on VOT in speech disorders, including (among others) stuttering, hearing impairment, and neurogenic disorders. An attempt will be made to collect published data in summary graphic form, and to discuss their implications. Emphasis will be placed on how VOT has been used to inform theories of disordered speech production. I will close with some personal comments about the influence (unbeknowest to them) these two outstanding scientists had on me in the 1970s, when under the spell of their work I first became aware that the world of speech research did not start and end with moving parts.
A comparison of English versus Spanish voicing perception using natural speech
Authors: Sinnott Joan M. , Camchong Jazmin
Published: September 2013

English versus Spanish voicing perception over the past 30 years has been almost exclusively studied using synthetic VOT continua, and there has been very little research using natural VOT stimuli. This study used a balanced symmetrical design to explore the effects of training English and Spanish listeners to categorize natural tokens of English versus Spanish /b-p/ using four different vowels /i,e,a,u/. Extensive training with feedback was conducted over several months, and percent correct categorization and reaction time were analyzed. Results showed that each language group consistently exhibited enhanced performance for native speech, and this difference persisted with training. For example, reaction times leveled off at approximately 50 ms faster for native versus non-native speech. It was concluded that, while lab training can improve the ability to perceive a non-native voicing contrast, it does not result in native-like perception. Some preliminary results from monkeys using the same stimuli and procedure indicate that, unlike human adults, monkeys are more like human infants and find English and Spanish voicing contrasts equally salient. [Research supported by NIH.]
Using acoustic orthogonal signals in shallow water time-reversal applications
Authors: Folegot Thomas , Roux Philippe , Kuperman William A. , Hodgkiss William S. , Song Hee Chun , Akal Tuncay , Stevenson Mark
Published: September 2013

Orthogonal broadband signals (adaptive instant record, AIR Signals) are constructed that are particularly suitable to shallow water multipath propagation. They have similarities with the multi-carrier code division multiple access (CDMA) methods which have arisen from mobile telephony, and allow communication between several sources and several receivers. The period of the orthogonal signals is related to the channel time spreading in order to provide an exact and simultaneous measure of the transfer function between all sources and receivers on the whole transducer frequency band. This method which optimizes the signal-to-noise ratio is relevant to fluctuating environments and particularly to time reversal applications. The first experimental demonstration at the ultrasonic scale has shown the efficiency of these signals in a stationary environment as well as their robustness to absorption and to bottom reverberation. This presentation describes the experimental use of these signals with a time reversal mirror in the Mediterranean Sea during an April 2003 experiment.
Relating ocean dynamics and sea state to time-angle variability of HF waveforms
Authors: Badiey Mohsen , Forsythe Stephen E. , Porter Michael B.
Published: September 2013

One of the objectives of the Kauai experiment was a better understanding of the ocean dynamics effects on the propagation of high-frequency acoustic signals. Due to a unique oceanographic feature of the shallow water region near the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, a bottom mounted vertical line array containing eight elements was deployed with sufficiently small element spacing to measure the acoustic energy near the bottom. Simultaneous environmental parameters including current, temperature and salinity profiles, directional surface wave spectra, as well as the wind speed and direction above the sea surface were measured. High correlation between the environmental variability and the received acoustic signals is observed. To interpret the results broadband PE and Gaussian beam ray tracing models were utilized. Arrival time-angle statistics are correlated with the environmental variability due to ocean dynamics in this region. It is shown that variations of the sea surface dynamics exhibit different statistical effects than those occurring within the water column. [Work supported by ONR-321OA.] a)Paul Hursky, Martin Siderius (SAIC), Jerald Caruthers (USM), William S. Hodgkiss, Kaustubha Raghukumar (SIO), Dan Rouseff, Warren Fox (APL-UW), Christian de Moustier, Brian Calder, Barbara J. Kraft (UNH), Keyko McDonald (SPAWARSSC), Peter Stein, James K. Lewis, and Subramaniam Rajan (SSI).
Overview of inverse problems in acoustic and seismic signal processing
Authors: Sibul Leon H. , Roan Michael J.
Published: September 2013

An overview of inverse problems in acoustic and seismic signal processing is presented. The main goal of seismic inversion is to determine earth properties from seismic reflections or signals. Acoustic inversion includes ultrasonic imaging, acoustic tomography, acoustic oceanography, and propagation medium modeling. System identification, parameter estimation, image reconstruction from incomplete data, and blind deconvolution are all inverse problems. Most practical inverse problems are underdetermined and their solutions are not unique. The nonuniqueness is addressed by maximum entropy, minimum relative entropy methods, and Bayesian methods. Bayes method determines maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability density estimates of the model. Many inverse problems are numerically unstable. Various regularization methods are used to alleviate numerical instability. Classical least-squares inversion, singular value decomposition, and recent developments of blind deconvolution are reviewed. [Work supported by ONR.]
Transducer research at Bell Labs until 1975
Authors: Sessler Gerhard M.
Published: September 2013

Transducer work in the Acoustics Research Department of Bell Labs from about 1960 to 1975 was focussed on electret-based devices. The first such systems were electret headphones which demonstrated the usefulness of this principle in the sense that no dc-bias was required and that the systems were very sensitive, of high quality, and of simple design. This was followed by the invention of the foil-electret microphone in 1962. Initially, these transducers had polyester electrets which, after a thermal charging procedure, kept their charge only for periods of the order of several months. A search for more stable electrets resulted in 1964 in the discovery of fluoroethylenepropylene as a superior material with time constants of the charge decay of hundreds of years under normal environmental conditions. This electret material is still in use in today’s transducers. Subsequent activities were directed toward a better understanding of the solid-state properties of these materials. This included, among others, studies of thermally stimulated processes, irradiation effects, and new charging techniques. Later work on transducers centered on the design and characterization of directional microphones, microphone arrays, ultrasonic transducers, touch pads, and other devices useful in telecommunications.
Transducer research at Bell Labs 1975 and beyond
Authors: West James E. , Busch-Vishniac Ilene
Published: September 2013

Condenser microphones, invented at Bell Labs by E. C. Wente and reported in the literature in 1917, are well known for their flat frequency and phase response over a broad range, which make them useful whenever high-quality sound measurements or recordings are required. Two drawbacks, the required high-dc bias and the cost of construction, prevent them from being applied in commercial products such as communication devices, toys, hearing aids, and sound-recording devices. The electret condenser microphone (ECM) eliminates both of the above drawbacks by replacing the needed dc bias with a thin polymer film that is given a permanent charge, the electrical analog of a permanent magnet. Cost of construction is reduced mainly because there is no need to guard against high-voltage breakdown. This technology enables the construction of one- and two-dimensional arrays and up to third-order differential systems for both near- and far-field applications. ECMs are also pliable to most any shape or size, so the construction of continuous strip arrays, transducers for cardiovascular monitoring, MEMS devices, and touch sensors becomes practical. We will discuss some of the experimental systems developed at Bell Labs.
Generalized perceptual features for animal vocalization classification
Authors: Clemins Patrick J. , Johnson Michael T.
Published: September 2013

Two sets of generalized, perceptual-based features are investigated for use in classifying animal vocalizations. Since many species, especially mammals, share similar physical sound perception mechanisms which vary in size, two features sets commonly used in human speech processing, mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) and perceptual linear prediction (PLP) analysis, are modified for use in other species. One modification made to the feature extraction process is incorporating the frequency range of hearing and length of the basilar membrane of the animal in order to correctly determine the width and location of the critical band filters used for signal processing. Experimentally determined critical bands (equivalent rectangular bandwidth) and equal loudness curves (audiograms) can also be incorporated directly into the feature extraction process. Experiments are performed on African elephant (Loxodonta africana) vocalizations using a hidden Markov model (HMM) based classifier showing increased classification accuracy when using features sets based on the specific animals perceptual abilities compared to the original human perception-based feature sets.
Acoustic and behavioral analyses of gecker distress vocalizations in young rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)
Authors: Patel Erik R. , Owren Michael J.
Published: September 2013

Loud, pulsed gecker calls have long been known as one of the most common distress vocalizations produced by young rhesus macaques, but have not been systematically investigated. We therefore examined the rates, acoustics, and behavioral contexts associated with geckering, based on audio-recording and focal-animal observations conducted over 4 years at the California National Primate Research Center. The sample analyzed came from 14 young rhesus macaques, with 74 recorded gecker bouts and 556 total pulses. Callers ranged from 1 to 41 months, who in their first year showed most geckering in months 0–2 (26%) and 2–4 (35%). Females geckered longer and at higher rates than males, as well as showing acoustic differences likely to reflect greater vocal effort (e.g., more doubled and tripled pulses, greater noisiness, and higher first frequency peaks). Geckers were associated with 22 differentiable behavioral contexts, typically occurring when with the mother but without obvious antecedents (31.1%), and when the mother broke physical contact with the youngster (13.5%). The most frequent postcedent context of geckering was that most offspring gained the mother’s attention and/or renewed proximity (49%). In combination, the outcomes suggest that geckers primarily function to draw listener attention, and are used by youngsters to elicit maternal response.
Prostate cancer treated with HIFU: A 10-year experience
Authors: Chapelon Jean-Yves , Curiel Laura , Gelet Albert
Published: September 2013

Objectives: To evaluate our overall experience in HIFU in the prostate cancer application, for its two main indications: as a primary care and as a salvage therapy after radiation. Material and method: Group 1: patients treated with HIFU as primary care for localized prostate cancer, with a baseline PSA level lower than 30 ng/ml, and with at least 1 year of follow-up were included in this analysis. Group 2: patients with a local recurrence after radiation. They were all treated using the Ablatherm HIFU device (EDAP S.A., France). Results: Group 1: n=242 patients. The mean nadir PSA was 0.63 sd 1.30 ng/ml, and further follow-up evidenced a 81% negative biopsy rate. These results are influenced by the usual prognostic factors (clinical stage, baseline PSA, Gleason score), and, as for the other treatment option, the nadir allows prediction of the patient outcome. Group 2: n=71 patients. After HIFU treatment, 80% of the patients presented negative biopsies, and 61% had a nadir PSA level lower than 0.5 ng/ml, obtained within 3 months. No rectal injury occurred since the use of specific parameters. Conclusion: Transrectal HIFU is a valuable option for prostate cancer, for primary care as well as for salvage therapy.
A multi-element high intensity focused ultrasound transducer: Design, fabrication, and testing
Authors: Vaezy Shahram , Held Robert , Miller Blake , Fleury Gerard
Published: September 2013

The goal of this project is to develop an intra-cavity image-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) device using piezocomposite technology and commercially available ultrasound imaging. The HIFU array, manufactured by Imasonic Corporation, is an 11-element annular phased array, with a focal length range of 30–60 mm, and operating frequency of 3 MHz (bandwidth of 1 MHz). The imaging probe (C9-5, Philips) is configured such that the focal axis of the HIFU beam was within the image plane. The array includes six complete central rings and five side-truncated peripheral rings, all with the natural radius of curvature of 50 mm. Impedance of all elements is approximately 50 ohms (10% accuracy for real and imaginary parts). Cross coupling between adjacent elements is less than, −40 dB. High power measurements showed more than 75% efficiency, at surface intensity of 2.66 W/cm2. Schlieren imaging showed effective focusing at all focal lengths (30–60 mm). The image-guided HIFU device requires water or hydrogel coupling, and possibly water cooling. The results of the full characterization for lesion formation in tissue-mimicking phantoms and biological tissues will be presented. Possible applications include uterine fibroids, abnormal uterine bleeding, and intraoperative hemostasis of occult hemorrhage.
High-intensity focused ultrasound for liver biopsy hemostasis
Authors: Deng Cheri , Wang Hesheng , Zhou Yun , Dogra Vikram , Exner Agata , Bhatt Shweta , Haaga John , Stowe Nicholas
Published: September 2013

In vivo experiments were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of HIFU application to control postliver biopsy hemorrhage. Yorkshire pigs were anesthetized and their livers were surgically exposed. Core biopsies (n=74) were performed on the exposed hepatic parenchyma with 14-gauge (n=41) and 18-gauge (n=33) core biopsy needles that were inserted 1.5–2 cm deep into the liver. Hemorrhage was determined from the weight of the blood collected from each biopsy puncture site using surgical sponges immediately after biopsy needle retraction. To stop hemorrhage, immediate HIFU was applied to the needle entry site (n=44) after needle retraction. HIFU was generated using a piezoelectric (PZT) transducer (diameter=42 mm, F number=1.2) at 4.23 MHz. Whole-blood clotting times were measured at various times throughout the experiments. Mean blood loss from control biopsy sites using a 14-gauge needle (n=18) was 1.78 g, while mean blood loss using an 18-gauge needle (n=10) was 1.22 g (two 14-gauge-needle control biopsies were excluded). Virtually no blood loss was measured from the biopsy needle entry site after HIFU application for both 14- and 18-gauge-needle biopsies. Ultrasound imaging demonstrated a marked difference between control sites and HIFU-treated sites where successful hemostasis was achieved.
Dosimetry measurement of HIFU field using a fiber-optical probe hydrophone
Authors: Zhai Liang , Zhou Yufeng , Zhong Pei
Published: September 2013

Characterization of the acoustic field of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducers by conventional PVDF membrane and needle hydrophones is problematic due to limited bandwidth, spatial averaging, and damage to the hydrophone. Here, we report the use of a self-calibrated fiber-optical probe hydrophone (FOPH-500) for HIFU dosimetry measure- ment. The hydrophone (0.1-mm sensing element) was scanned in the focal volume of a 1.1-MHz HIFU transducer (F=63 mm, f number=0.9) at 0.2-mm steps using a computer-controlled 3D positioning system. When the input voltage Vp−p applied to the transducer was increased from 28 to 225 volts, the peak compressive and tensile pressure values at the transducer focus were found to be P+=1.7–18.9 MPa and P−=−1.33–−8.14 MPa, respectively. The corresponding spatial peak intensities were calculated to be ISP=69–3968 W/cm2. Nonlinear propagation with harmonics generation was dominant at high intensity levels, leading to a reduced −6-dB beamwidth of the compressive wave from 1.8 to 1.3 mm and an increased −6-dB beamwidth of the tensile wave from 1.6 to 1.8 mm. Overall, FOPH-500 was found to be a reliable tool for characterizing the acoustic field of HIFU transducers.
Acoustic teaching apparatus before 1929 at the Case School of Applied Science
Authors: Hoekje Peter L. , Fickinger William
Published: September 2013

The acoustics apparatus found in the Physics Department of the Case School of Applied Science in the first decades of the 20th century included many items common to other acoustical teaching laboratories, such as organ pipes, tuning forks, Helmholtz resonators, sirens, and manometric flame sound analyzers. The European instrument makers Rudolf Koenig and Max Kohl supplied much of this. Equipment built at Case included the phonodeik, which Dayton C. Miller designed in 1908, and the waveform synthesizer. Miller supplied detailed descriptions of the operations of all this equipment in papers and books. In the phonodeik (to show sound), sound deflects a thin glass diaphragm, which by a silk thread turns a mirror on an axle, causing a spot of light to move across film or a projection screen. A working model of the phonodeik has been reconstructed from pieces of two original ones, and will be demonstrated. Photographs of other extant instruments in the collection, and a selection from Millers lantern slides, will be displayed.
An overview of statistical-model-based techniques for audio restoration
Authors: Wolfe Patrick J.
Published: September 2013

This presentation will describe the state of the art in model-based approaches to audio restoration, with an emphasis on results and an explanation of theory suitable for the nonspecialist. An overview of work conducted over the past several years by members of the Cambridge Signal Processing Group will be presented, including techniques for the detection, correction, and interpolation of degraded or missing audio data. The latest advances in a fully Bayesian statistical methodology for modeling of music and speech signals will also be detailed, including a common unifying framework for the treatment of both global and localized audio degradations.
SmartMusicKIOSK: Music-playback interface based on chorus-section detection method
Authors: Goto Masataka
Published: September 2013

This paper describes SmartMusicKIOSK, a new music-playback interface for trial listening. Traditionally in music stores, customers often search out the chorus or ‘‘hook’’ of a song by repeatedly pressing the fast-forward button, rather than passively listening to the music. This activity is not well-supported by current technology. This research achieves a function for jumping to the chorus section and other key parts of a song, plus a function for visualizing song structure. These functions eliminate the hassle of searching for the chorus and make it easier for a listener to find desired parts of a song, thereby facilitating an active listening experience. This interface, which enables a listener to look for a section of interest by interactively changing the playback position, is useful not only for trial listening but also for more general purposes in selecting and using music. The proposed functions are achieved through an automatic audio-based chorus-section detection method that can detect all the chorus sections by analyzing relationships between various repeated sections in a song. It can also detect modulated chorus sections by introducing an acoustic similarity that enables modulated repetition to be judged correctly. The results of implementing this method in SmartMusicKIOSK have demonstrated its usefulness.
Meaningless artificial sound and its application in urban soundscape research
Authors: De Coensel Bert , Botteldooren Dick
Published: September 2013

Urban areas are increasingly being overwhelmed with uninteresting (traffic) noise. Designing a more matching soundscape for urban parks, quiet backyards, shopping areas, etc., clearly deserves more attention. Urban planners, being architects rather than musical composers, like to have a set of ‘‘objective’’ indicators of the urban soundscape at their disposal. In deriving such indicators, one can assume that the soundscape is appreciated as a conglomerate of sound events, recognized as originating from individual sources by people evaluating it. A more recent line of research assumes that the soundscape as a whole evokes particular emotions. In this research project we follow the latter, more holistic view. Given this choice, the challenge is to create a test setup where subjects are not tempted to react to a sound in a cognitive way, analyzing it to its individual components. Meaningless sound is therefore preferred. After selection of appealing sounds for a given context by subjects, objective indicators can then be extracted. To generate long, complex, but meaningless sound fragments not containing repetition, based on a limited number of parameters, swarm technology is used. This technique has previously been used for creating artificial music and has proved to be very useful.
Subjective soundscapes qualitative research in the experience and evaluation of environmental noise
Authors: Flick Uwe
Published: September 2013

If the subjective experience and evaluation of environmental noise shall be considered and integrated into the current soundscape research, the use of qualitative research methods used in sociology and psychology will become necessary. A triangulation of research methods for measuring objective noise and for the subjective evaluation of noises and sounds on the background of subjective meanings of health and healthy living will be a fruitful way to a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of soundscapes in the context of health and quality of life. In this contribution, a selection of qualitative research methods will be presented that allows for analyzing subjective experiences with environmental noise. Interviews focusing on narratives of episodes and situations (e.g., the episodic interview, Flick, 2002) will be outlined. Issues of how to assess the quality of qualitative research and its results will be addressed and finally the benefits and limits of the triangulation of different methods (e.g., interviews and focus groups or interviews and physical measures) will be discussed. Research experiences from the author’s recent studies on health concepts of health professionals will be used for illustration.
The acoustical diary as an innovative tool in soundscape evaluation
Authors: Schulte-Fortkamp Brigitte , Genuit Klaus
Published: September 2013

A new field study evaluating soundscapes investigates closely the reactions of traffic noise with a particular regard to the street surface. The combination of methods with different sensibilities for the subject’s process of perceiving and evaluating noise in such ambiences is necessary for a reliable and valid analysis and interpretation of data. Acoustic measurements are carried out in critical segments of the street as well as in the respective apartments of the inhabitants, which are questioned in narrative interviews. The acoustic measurements are taken simultaneously in the apartment and on the street. Apartments were selected which issue into the street; outside measurements are performed in front of the buildings on the sidewalk. During the interviews in the apartments the occurring noises are registered by noisebook. As a rule the measurement spot within the apartment is the area in which the interviewed person mostly resides, when he/she takes repose. Further analysis points out the importance of an extended evaluation with an acoustical diary which combines technical and sociological measurement procedures. Performance of the entire data collection process and first results will be discussed.
House attenuation of aircraft and street traffic noise in relation to annoyance: A pilot study
Authors: Kryter Karl D.
Published: September 2013

House barrier sound attenuation was measured as differences between the levels of street traffic and aircraft noise found outdoors near the front (street facing) and rear façades, and in rooms of two one-story houses. Also, attenuation of street traffic and aircraft noise between the front and rear façades of similar one-story houses was calculated in accordance with acoustical models. Findings: (1) relative to levels measured near the front façade, street traffic noise near the rear façade, and in rooms inside the houses, was, on average, 9 max dB and 8 SEL dB more attenuated than was aircraft noise. (2) When attenuation of street traffic noise was measured relative to its level near the front façade, and attenuation for aircraft noise was measured relative to its level near the rear façade, street traffic noise was, on average, 7 max dB and 6 SEL dB more attenuated than aircraft noise. (3) Calculated barrier attenuation of street traffic noise was, on average, 1.3 max dB less than measured; calculated barrier attenuation of aircraft noise differed from measured by ∼0.4 max dB. Implications of the findings for guidelines for assessing impact of these noises on communities and land-use zoning are discussed.
Active noise control of small axial cooling fans
Authors: Monson Brian B. , Sommerfeldt Scott D. , Duke Connor
Published: September 2013

An active noise control system has been developed for the reduction of noise radiated by small axial cooling fans, such as those found in desktop computers. This system, based on a modified version of the filtered-x LMS algorithm, uses four small actuators surrounding the fan in a mock computer casing. Global attenuation of the fan noise has been demonstrated using four-channel control. Due to industry volume constraints, a smaller system is required to replace the existing one, while still maintaining similar performance. The system is designed with a smaller fan with small actuators, so as not to exceed the size of the original fan. In order to maintain comparable air flow, the smaller fan must run at higher speeds, causing potentially greater output noise levels at higher frequencies. Global attenuation of these levels is desired. Implementation and experimental results of the system will be presented. A comparison of the two systems, and the feasibility of the replacement of the larger fan by the active control system with a smaller fan will be discussed.
Limitations on the performance of active noise control systems due to subjective effects
Authors: Mangiante Gerard
Published: September 2013

Although numerous descriptions of the physical effects of active noise control can be found in the literature, there are few papers available about the subjective effects of this control on listeners. Due to these effects, a significant reduction in the sound pressure level of a primary noise may result in a negligible decrease in the signal perceived by a human observer. This paper reports on the performance of an active system, expressed in terms of reduction in loudness level. For that purpose, the equivalent loudness levels before and after active control were computed for various test signals. For pure tones, the calculation of the loudness level was based on Robinson and Dadson equal-loudness contours; for complex signals, this calculation used the ISO Method A. It was shown that the reduction in loudness level due to active control is highly dependent of the sound pressure level of the primary noise: For frequencies lower than 1000 Hz, the subjective reduction decreases with increasing primary noise level. The subjective reduction was also calculated as a function of the difference in amplitude and phase between the primary and secondary pressure variations. The reduction expressed in phons was then compared to that expressed in dB.
The impact of cochlear fine structure on hearing thresholds and DPOAE levels
Authors: Lee Jungmee , Long Glenis , Talmadge Carrick L.
Published: September 2013

Although otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are used as clinical and research tools, the correlation between OAE behavioral estimates of hearing status is not large. In normal-hearing individuals, the level of OAEs can vary as much as 30 dB when the frequency is changed less than 5%. These pseudoperiodic variations of OAE level with frequency are known as fine structure. Hearing thresholds measured with high-frequency resolution reveals a similar (up to 15 dB) fine structure. We examine the impact of OAE and threshold fine structures on the prediction of auditory thresholds from OAE levels. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured with sweeping primary tones. Psychoacoustic detection thresholds were measured using pure tones, sweep tones, FM tones, and narrow-band noise. Sweep DPOAE and narrow-band threshold estimates provide estimates that are less influenced by cochlear fine structure and should lead to a higher correlation between OAE levels and psychoacoustic thresholds. [Research supported by PSC CUNY, NIDCD, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research in U.S. Department of Education, and The Ministry of Education in Korea.]
Can tone-burst otoacoustic emissions be used to measure basilar-membrane response in humans?
Authors: Epstein Michael , Buus So/ren , Florentine Mary
Published: September 2013

Tone-burst otoacoustic emissions (TBOAEs) are a potential tool for examining basilar-membrane activity in humans. However, their use requires knowledge of just how the relation between TBOAEs and basilar-membrane input-output (BM I/O) activity depends on measurement and analysis parameters. The present experiment examined three such parameters: (1) response-window timing, (2) response delinearization, and (3) stimulus frequency. Varying the onset of the post-stimulus-recording analysis window had little effect on the function relating emission amplitude to SPL. Response delinearization, if anything, tended to obscure the relation between TBOAE and stimulus level. Changes in stimulus frequency over a range of 1 Bark had no effect on TBOAE amplitude. Although none of these experimental manipulations had a significant effect on TBOAE measurements, a judicial choice of the experimental parameters can optimize the assessment of BM I/O functions. It is concluded that TBOAEs provide a useful tool for objective BM I/O function analysis in humans. [Work supported by NIH-NIDCD Grant R01DC00187.]
Cross-linguistic experiments in word-form recognition
Authors: Vihman Marilyn
Published: September 2013

When do children first represent word forms without experimental training or contextual support? Both English- and Welsh-learning children were tested, replicating Halle and Boysson-Bardies (1994: French, 11 months.). Twelve children acquiring English showed word-form recognition by 11 months (Vihman et al., in press); 12 Welsh children showed the effect at 12 months but a separate sample of 12 tested at 11 months did not (Vihman and DePaolis, 1999). A subsequent study of 16 children using event-related potentials (ERPs) showed word-form recognition within 250 ms for English at 11 months (Thierry et al., 2003). Attempts to locate the age of onset longitudinally proved problematic: Repeated tests of single samples of English and Welsh monolingual children (12 each) at 9, 10, 11, and 12 months showed that infant episodic memory interferes sufficiently with longitudinal observation based on a single set of stimuli to preclude drawing any conclusions. Cross-sectional samples of monolingual English and Welsh children (24 each) are currently being tested at 9 to12 months, using both head turn and ERPs, as are English/Welsh bilingual children at 11 months. These studies should yield solid information as to the age of onset of spontaneous word form representation. [ESRC support is gratefully acknowledged.]
Speech perception and production in bilinguals and monolinguals: Convergent and divergent patterns in adulthood and development
Authors: Sundara Megha , Polka Linda
Published: September 2013

Most investigations of the role of language experience have looked at monolingual subjects. Data are presented from a series of experiments with consonant contrasts to highlight how bilingual adults exposed to Canadian-English and Canadian-French from birth accommodate two sets of input regularities in their perception and production behavior. Results from these investigations indicate that there are similarities as well as differences between adult simultaneous bilinguals and their monolingual peers. Recent findings from our lab exploring phonetic discrimination and word segmentation in monolingual and bilingual infants and children, which provide insights into the developmental roots of these adult patterns, are also presented. The findings from this work illustrate that during the developmental process bilingual infants and children differ from their monolingual peers in rate as well as pattern of development for some perceptual tasks but not others.
Neural network simulation of habituation and dishabituation in infant speech perception
Authors: Gauthier Bruno , Shi Rushen , Proulx Robert
Published: September 2013

The habituation techniques used in infant speech perception studies are based on the fact that infants show renewed interest towards novel stimuli. Recent work has shown the possibility of using artificial neural networks to model habituation and dishabituation (e.g., Schafer and Mareschal, 2001). In our study we examine weather the self-organizing-feature-maps (SOM) (Kohonen, 1989) are appropriate for modeling short-term habituation to a repeated speech stimulus. We found that although SOMs are particularly useful for simulating categorization, they can be modified to model habituation and dishabituation, so that they can be applied to direct comparisons with behavioral data on infants’ speech discrimination abilities. In particular, we modified the SOMs to include additional parameters that control the relation of input similarity, lateral inhibition, and local and lateral activation between neurons. Preliminary results suggest that these parameters are sufficient for the network to simulate the loss of sensitivity of the auditory system due to the presentation of multiple tokens of a speech stimulus, as well as to model the recovery of sensitivity to a novel stimulus. The implications of this approach to infant speech perception research will be considered.