bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paradoxes, uncertainty, and resistance: A psychology of meaning‐making at the margins
Authors: Covarrubias Rebecca , Laiduc Giselle
Published: June 2024

The college transition is a multifaceted experience. Navigating the unfamiliar terrain of college allows for tremendous growth and self‐discovery while simultaneously evoking fear and uncertainty as students encounter new struggles. How students come to make sense of their transition experiences, especially moments of struggle, informs how they come to define who they are, who they can become, and where they belong. Robust psychological investigation has advanced three motivations for making sense of struggle: the need to understand, the need for self‐integrity, and the need to belong. Scholars target these motivations to design educational interventions and improve outcomes for students from marginalized backgrounds. What is missing is an exploration of how the uncertainty and marginalization arising from negotiating multiple social worlds can incite paradoxical expectations, messages, and cues that shape these three motivations for meaning‐making. In this paper, we aim to nuance these three motivations by attending to paradoxes. Unearthing the paradoxes lurking within each motivation advances a better understanding of what it means to make meaning from the margins and, consequently, offers new directions and possibilities for psychological research.
Mortgage Financing and Affordable Housing Nexus: Evidence from Developing Countries
Authors: Ofori Peres
Published: June 2024

The study investigated the relationship between mortgage financing and affordable housing in Kumasi, Ghana. It explores how mortgage financing influences affordable housing supply. It identified 23 banking institutions of which 11 of them are into mortgage financing. Adopting the exploratory sequential mixed method research design, the study selected banks households and, realtors as respondents using both purposive and accidental sampling techniques. The study found that, in Kumasi and Ghana, housing is affordable on paper but very expensive on the ground as none of the houses supplied on affordable housing projects are affordable to middle- and low-income earners. The study acknowledged that the high level of LtVR has made mortgage financing very expensive to ordinary Ghanaians and such calls for government-insured mortgages to make housing supply less expensive. It found that the ANOVA results from a regression analysis with a multiple R of 0.240 and R square of 0.058 shows that only 5.8% of the total mortgage lending rates are influenced by the interest rate pegged by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and hence there is a very weak relationship between interest rate and mortgage lending rate in Ghana. The study concludes based on the findings that in Kumasi and Ghana, housing units that are supplied using mortgage financing by the government realtors are more expensive than those built by private estate developers with or without mortgages. Hence a complete reform of the mortgage policy to include government-insured mortgages to make the secondary mortgage market attractive was recommended.
Effect of Micro Economic Factors on Residential Property Value in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria
Authors: Ibrahim Isyaku , Daud Dzurllkanian , Sa'ad Usman Bello , Yaro Hamza Umar , Oluwole Adebayo Oyekanmi , Bello Rilwanu , Remilekun Shakirat Abdulazeez , Oyewale Shittu Wasiu
Published: June 2024

The research aims to assess the microeconomic factors affecting residential property values in Birnin Kebbi. Property serves as an asset for any individual, as real estate is one of life's primary goals. Besides the need to eat and drink, property also plays a crucial role in daily life. Property values are influenced by various factors, which can be either microeconomic or macroeconomic in nature, or both. Many microeconomic variables are related to property attributes and buyer demographic profiles. To achieve this aim, two objectives were formulated: (i) to examine the types of property and microeconomic factors affecting property values in the study area, and (ii) to assess the effect of microeconomic factors on residential property values. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used for data collection. Out of 377 questionnaires administered, 321 were retrieved. Simple random sampling and stratified random sampling methods were employed. Quantitative methods were used for data analysis, and all data gathered were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Likert scale. The study found that physical characteristics of residential properties, such as types of materials used, building design, room sizes, parking spaces, building age, and landscape, significantly influence property values. Additionally, the types of finishes (roofs, walls, ceilings, and floors), infrastructural facilities, and social amenities (number of toilets, electricity fittings, waste disposal and sewage, potable water supply, and various sanitation facilities) also play a role. The effects of microeconomic variables on property values in the study area include insecurity, increased traffic, property price changes, nuisances, environmental quality, property demand, and time consumption. The study recommends that prospective property developers ensure the use of standard building finishes to maximize returns on their investment in property value. Additionally, the government should introduce policies to ease difficulties in importing housing materials and promote the manufacture of local ones.
Al-Rāghib Al-Iṣfahānī Dan Sumbangannya Terhadap Falsafah Ilmu/ Al-Rāghib Al-Iṣfahānī and His Contribution Towards Philosophy of Knowledge
Authors: Mohd Nasir Amar Ismat , Mohd Salleh Norsaleha , Yama Phayilah , Soroni Mohd Khafidz
Published: June 2024

This study delves into the life and intellectual contributions of Al-Rāghib Al-Iṣfahānī, a figure whose unique philosophy and thoughts have been relatively understudied. Despite the limited historical accounts detailing his biography and the disputes among scholars regarding his creed and jurisprudential school, his potential impact on the philosophy field is significant. This study employs a descriptive qualitative methodology, analyzing primary texts such as 'al-Dharīʿah ilā Makārim al-Sharīʿah' and 'Tafsīl al-Nasy'atain wa Tahsīl al-Sa'ādatain,' along with secondary sources that discuss Al-Iṣfahānī's life and philosophy. The findings reveal Al-Iṣfahānī as a multifaceted scholar proficient not only in Arabic language, literature and exegesis but also in philosophy. His notable contribution lies in the philosophy of knowledge, particularly the concept of the integration of reason and revelation. This idea had a lasting impact on subsequent scholars such as al-Ghazālī, al-Rāzī, al-Baiḍāwī, and al-Alūsī. Through this research, a comprehensive understanding of Al-Iṣfahānī's intellectual legacy is unveiled, shedding light on his individual contributions and their influence on the broader intellectual landscape of his era. Furthermore, his philosophy, which advocates the integration of reason and revelation, offers valuable insights for addressing modern challenges concerning theology and ideology.
Discontinuous homomorphisms on C(X) with the negation of CH and a weak forcing axiom
Authors: Aoki Yushiro
Published: June 2024

In this paper, I introduce the properties and for forcing notions and show that it is consistent that the forcing axiom for forcing notions holds, the continuum hypothesis fails, and an ultrapower of the field of reals has the property . This provides a partial solution to H. Woodin's question concerning the existence of discontinuous homomorphisms on the Banach algebra of all complex‐valued continuous functions on a compact space. Furthermore, we prove that the uniformization of a coloring of a ladder system on a stationary–costationary set is an example of an forcing notion. As a corollary, it is consistent that a nonfree Whitehead group exists, the continuum hypothesis fails, and an ultrapower of the field of reals has the property .
The four-dimensional curriculum framework: 10 years on
Authors: Steketee Carole , Monica Moran , Brewer Margo , Rogers Gary
Published: June 2024

The Four-Dimensional Curriculum Framework (4DF) was first published in Focus on Health Professional Education in 2013. It was created in response to a gap in the literature for a curriculum development tool for interprofessional health that could navigate the challenges associated with conceptualising shared educational opportunities across siloed health professional programs. Its four interconnecting dimensions emphasise the dynamic interplay between curricular elements, highlighting the fact that curriculum design is rarely linear. As a theoretical curriculum framing tool, it facilitates the articulation of big picture considerations when designing learning and teaching activities. Since 2013, it has been cited 60 times by researchers and educators across the globe, indicating that it has been used largely as it was originally intended—to interrogate the purpose and effectiveness of a curriculum in broad terms. This paper revisits the features of the 4DF and, in the light of its application in the literature, explores opportunities to expand its functionality from a theoretical framing tool to one that also provides a practical application of the framework.
Paramedic student and preceptor experiences of a clinical facilitator model during ambulance clinical placements: A qualitative study
Authors: Langford Liam , Pearce James , Lenson Shane
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Ambulance service clinical placements are fundamental to paramedicine student education, but the quality and safety of these placements can be highly variable. Inspired by positive results from a nursing facilitator model, this study reports on a collaboration between an Australian university and ambulance service that introduced a paramedic clinical facilitator for undergraduate paramedic students during their ambulance clinical placements. This article describes the experiences of a clinical facilitator model for paramedicine students and their preceptors during the study period.  
Methods: This study follows an exploratory qualitative research methodology. After implementation of the paramedic clinical facilitator model, two focus groups with paramedicine student participants and two semi-structured interviews with their paramedic preceptors were conducted. Intimate observations were recorded in a reflexive logbook by the facilitator, which was kept for data analysis. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants, and thematic analysis was used to code data and conceptualise themes.
Results: Three broad overarching themes were conceptualised from the data: 1) increased educational opportunities, 2) improved clinical placement management and 3) greater student support and welfare. Both paramedicine students and paramedic preceptors felt that the paramedic clinical facilitator model improved the quality of ambulance clinical placements for undergraduate paramedicine students.
Conclusion: This study suggests that a paramedic clinical facilitator model improved the safety and quality of ambulance clinical placement experience for paramedicine students and preceptors. Universities and ambulance services could consider implementing a paramedic facilitator model for ambulance clinical placements in their local contexts.
Two new larval species of Abrolophus and Marantelophus (Acari: Erythraeidae) from edible wild mushrooms in Türkiye

Authors: Sevsay Sevgi , Ozyurek Onur , Balci Çağrı , Ozman-sullivan Sebahat
Published: June 2024

Abrolophus boleticolus sp. nov. and Marantelophus kastamonuensis sp. nov. are described and illustrated from larvae collected from the wild, edible mushrooms, Boletus aereus (Boletaceae) and Marasmius oreades (Marasmiaceae), respectively, in Türkiye. Both of these erythraeid genera, which belong to the subfamily Abrolophinae, have comb-like seta on the palptarsus. In addition, Marantelophus viticolus, which was earlier synonymized with M. rudaensis, was determined to be a valid species.
Evaluating the perceived annoyance from impact sounds: Validation of previous experiments with an expanded set of recordings
Authors: Skoda Sabrina , Mueller-Trapet Markus , Mahn Jeffrey , Batista da Cunha Iara
Published: July 2024

Impact noise from neighbors in multi-unit residential buildings is commonly seen as an annoyance that may reduce the quality of life of building occupants. A project at the National Research Council of Canada has been evaluating the perceived annoyance from different types of impact sound, through the implementation of listening experiments in Canada, Korea, and Germany. A comparison among the countries revealed that test participants agreed on the relative annoyance of different impact sources, but the absolute levels of the annoyance were different between participants from the three countries. To explain the differences between the participants from the three countries, moderating factors, such as the test participants’ housing situation and noise sensitivity, were taken into account. In order to validate the previous findings, the results from a further listening experiment conducted at the National Research Council using the same methodology but with a new set of impact sounds recorded on a wider variety of floor-ceiling assembly types will be presented.
An introduction to psychological and physiological acoustics
Authors: Stecker G. Christopher
Published: July 2024

The technical committee on Psychological and Physiological acoustics (P&P) is concerned with a wide and multidisciplinary range of topics. P&P members address questions of how the auditory system transforms and processes incoming sound and how sound is used to facilitate behaviors like communication and navigation. Physiological acoustics concerns topics, such as the mechanical and acoustical mechanisms of the middle and inner ear and neurophysiology of peripheral and central auditory systems. Psychological acoustics concerns, for example, behavioral studies of auditory perception and cognition. Within these topics, research covers the basic science of normal function and hearing disorders, as well as clinical, translational, and applied questions related to hearing aids, cochlear implants, and audio technology. Membership and activities of P&P overlap heavily with several other technical committees in ASA, especially Architectural Acoustics, Animal Bioacoustics, Noise, and Speech Communication. This presentation will feature a brief overview and several examples of P&P research.
Commissioning of National Research Council Canada’s four room flanking facility
Authors: Sabourin Ivan , Mahn Jeffrey , Mueller-Trapet Markus , Batista da Cunha Iara , Skoda Sabrina
Published: July 2024

The National Research Council Canada has built a new four room flanking facility to expand its capability to test flanking noise transmission across junctions of typical multi-dwelling units. The cast-in-place concrete structure is configured to construct two rooms on top of two rooms. This facility allows various configurations to measure flanking noise: one continuous or two discontinuous floors (or walls) and a common façade (side wall). With the overhead crane, it is possible to install heavy monolithic elements such as precast concrete and cross-laminated timber panels such that are used in mid and high-rise buildings. There are structural breaks between the rooms to reduce unwanted structural transmission and the addition of shielding panels makes this facility capable of measuring flanking of high performing junctions/assemblies. The facility has been designed to meet the requirements of ISO 10848 for both airborne and impact noise transmission. Facility design details and commissioning data will be presented.
Focused shear wave beam propagation through a 3D printed human rib cage
Authors: Chao Yu-Hsuan , Cormack John M. , Archer Branch T. , Spratt Kyle S. , Hamilton Mark F. , Kim Kang
Published: July 2024

Transient elastography (TE) is used in clinical screenings for liver fibrosis. TE generates shear wave motion in the liver by vibration of a piston at the skin. The small, flat piston in current devices radiates shear waves that diverge from the liver, resulting in low SNR and high failure rates, especially in obese patients. Our group recently introduced focused shear wave beams for TE [Cormack et al., IEEE TBME (2024)], in which vibration of a concave piston generates shear waves that converge towards the focal region, thereby increasing SNR for liver stiffness estimation. However, because piston sizes needed for efficient shear wave focusing are larger than the typical intercostal space, the rib cage that lies between the skin and the liver may cause shear wave aberration and influence stiffness measurement. Here, we present measurements of broadband focused shear wave propagation in tissue-mimicking gel in which are embedded 3D printed human ribs. Both straight elliptical rods and anatomically realistic 3D printed ribs are used as aberrators. Measurements are compared to 3D simulations of shear wave beam propagation [Archer et al., JASA (2023)]. Effects of shear wave aberration by the rib cage depend on shear wavelength, piston-to-rib distance, and piston radius and curvature.
Deep-brain imaging with 3D integrated photoacoustic tomography and ultrasound localization microscopy
Authors: Yao Junjie
Published: July 2024

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is a proven technology for imaging hemodynamics in deep brain of small animal models. PACT is inherently compatible with ultrasound (US) imaging, providing complementary contrast mechanisms. While PACT can quantify the brain’s oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (sO2), US imaging can probe the blood flow based on the Doppler effect. Furthermore, by tracking gas-filled microbubbles, ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) can map the blood flow velocity with sub-diffraction spatial resolution. In this work, we present a 3D deep-brain imaging system that seamlessly integrates PACT and ULM into a single device, 3D-PAULM. Using a low ultrasound frequency of 4 MHz, 3D-PAULM is capable of imaging the whole-brain hemodynamic functions with intact scalp and skull in a totally non-invasive manner. Using 3D-PAULM, we studied the mouse brain functions with ischemic stroke. Multi-spectral PACT, US B-mode imaging, microbubble-enhanced power Doppler (PD), and ULM were performed on the same mouse brain with intrinsic image co-registration. From the multi-modality measurements, we future quantified blood perfusion, sO2, vessel density, and flow velocity of the mouse brain, showing stroke-induced ischemia, hypoxia, and reduced blood flow. We expect that 3D-PAULM can find broad applications in studying deep brain functions on small animal models.
Diffusion equation modeling in room-acoustic applications
Authors: Xiang Ning , Sü Gül Zühre
Published: July 2024

The diffusion equation application in room acoustic simulations can be traced back to 1969. However, much attention from room-acoustic community to the diffusion equation was given in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. In the literature, the acoustic diffusion equation may be considered as an approximation of the acoustic transport equation. The diffusion equation modeling has been considered suitable for applications in enclosed spaces with proportionate dimensions. The most intriguing features of the diffusion equation are its computational efficiency due to a sparse meshing condition and its capability of energy flux solutions due to Fick’s law. Since the late 2000s, the diffusion equation modeling has evolved with boundary conditions formulated by the rigorous physical–mathematical theory [Jing and Xiang, JASA 123, 145–153 (2008]] and its validity has also been systematically investigated [Xiang et al., JASA 133, 3975–3985 (2013)]. This paper reviews the vibrant development in the room-acoustics during this era and discusses wide range of applications from coupled-volume systems, historically significant worship spaces to recent investigations on sound absorption measurements in reverberation chambers. This paper also discusses its link to the acoustic transport equation and compares the modeling results of both. Different numerical approaches to solving the diffusion equations will also be reviewed.
Navigating the bioacoustic landscape: Standardization and interoperability of acoustic data products
Authors: Roch Marie A. , Baumann-Pickering Simone , Gillespie Douglas , Kanes Jasper , Kim Katherine , Klinck Holger , Mouy Xavier , Sirovic Ana
Published: July 2024

The importance of bioacoustics for understanding and protecting the natural world has grown significantly over the last few decades. Our capacity to monitor the acoustical landscape has increased with lower cost instrumentation, improved communication, infrastructure, and storage, as well as the development of reliable machine learning methods for analysis. Understanding long-term trends in animal populations as well as the impacts of anthropogenic noise requires the ability to retain and interpret records over decadal time scales, record in detail what type of analysis has been performed and understand when multiple analyses may be combined and when they should not be. This is not possible without a well-defined set of terms and meanings. In this talk, we will provide an overview of the work of Acoustical Society of America’s working group S3-SC1-WG7 that has been charged with developing an American National Standards Institute standard for bioacoustics information derived from acoustic recordings. The proposed standard details what information should be recorded for bioacoustics recording and analysis effort, ranging from specification of data to be noted about instrumentation to information gleaned from recordings such as noise levels, animal calls, and acoustic source locations.
Modeling nonlinearities and thermal effects in moving coil speakers
Authors: Thompson Stephen C.
Published: July 2024

Simple explanations of moving coil speaker behavior assume that the magnetic force factor, the mechanical spring stiffness and the coil electrical inductance are all constants of the design. The work of Klippel identifies all of these as varying with speaker cone displacement. The electrical resistance also varies with temperature, which varies because of electrical heating in the coil. Methods of measuring these nonlinearities are available in commercial equipment. Using this data to model speaker performance requires a model that considers behavior I the electrical, mechanical, thermal and acoustical domains. This paper describes an open source method to use the measured nonlinear parameters to calculate the time waveform of radiated pressure with large signal excitation for speakers.
Power and good music: The Indigenous southern plains flute tradition
Authors: Conlon Paula
Published: July 2024

In traditional Indigenous southern plains culture, a young man could not talk to a young woman alone when they were not yet married. Instead, he would play his flute at the edge of the encampment in the evenings, and each young man had his own love song. In southern plains flute origin stories, power is attributed to good music. If a flute song achieves its intended goal of convincing the young woman to marry the flute player, one can assume the song would be considered “good.” But what criteria distinguish good from bad? Which elements typify a “good” flute song? What about the flute itself? Which features epitomize the quintessential flute? Another set of possible criteria in determining that quality is information about the flute player. In her chapter, “Culture and Aesthetics,” ethnomusicologist Marica Herndon (1980) observes the community-centered perspective of Indigenous North America. Our last set of criteria involves an assessment of the moral character of the flute player regarding service to their tribal community. This talk discusses the “good music” of two master Indigenous southern plains flute players—Belo Cozad (1864-1950) (Kiowa) and Doc Tate Nevaquaya (1932-1996) (Comanche).
A soundwalk tutorial and exercise in Sydney, Australia
Authors: Woolworth David s.
Published: July 2024

The previous Acoustical Society of America’s meeting #185 in Sydney, Australia joint with Australian Acoustical Society (AAS), Western Pacific Commission for Acoustics (WESPAC) and Pacific Rim Underwater Acoustical Conference (PRUAC) provided an opportunity to for an introductory tutorial on soundwalks followed by a walk through the city to gather measurement data and perceptive feedback from the participants. This presentation will provide the structure of the tutorial and preparation and results of the walk with analysis.
A modular neural network to quickly approximate the modal dispersion in coastal waters
Authors: Varon Arthur , Mars Jérome , Bonnel Julien
Published: July 2024

Low-frequency acoustic propagation modeling in coastal waters usually relies on numerical models based on modal theory such as Kraken and Orca. These models compute the modal parameters (e.g., modal wavenumbers and depth functions) that can be used in the calculation of the acoustic field. Their repeated use in broadband applications, or for inversion purposes, comes with a notable computational cost. To mitigate this, a modular neural network (NN) was trained to approximate modal parameters for varying modes and frequencies, across diverse environments, with variable water sound speed profile and variable seabed geoacoustic parameters. The training dataset is generated using Kraken and the NN is evaluated on many environments not seen during training. Once trained, the NN can make broadband predictions without prior knowledge on the number of modes, even when the number of modes changes over the frequency-band of interest. This approach reduces computation time compared to the original forward propagation model, while maintaining high precision. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated through transmission loss calculations and a simulated geoacoustic inversion scenario.
Tony Embleton—Distinguished researcher, successful manager, consummate acoustician
Authors: Brooks Bennett M.
Published: July 2024

Tony F. W. Embleton was a distinguished researcher in acoustics. His early career focused on practical noise control projects and experimental non-linear acoustics. Later, Tony made important contributions to the understanding of sound propagation outdoors. Tony spent much of his career at the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC). His professional homes were the ASA and the CAA. Tony received numerous awards from the ASA for his work, including the R. Bruce Lindsay Award in 1964, the ASA Silver Medal in Noise in 1986, and the ASA Gold Medal in 2002 “For fundamental contributions to understanding outdoor sound propagation and noise control and for leadership in the Society.” Tony recognized the value of professional organizations and served the ASA as Vice-President (1977–78) and President (1980–81). He also understood the importance of practical applications in acoustics serving as ASA Standards Director (1993–97), navigating the organization through a tough period, and growing the program toward a solid future. Most importantly, Tony was known for his kind and generous spirit, and his outreach and inspiration to newer colleagues. Many of us are the grateful beneficiaries of his gentle enthusiasm.
Vibroacoustic metamaterial for enhanced Sound Transmission Loss with variable frequency range designed for serial production
Authors: Chojnacka Klara , Kras Aleksander , Kamisinski Tadeusz
Published: July 2024

Recently, vibroacoustic metamaterials have been broadly investigated, especially for noise and vibration mitigation. By creating a band gap effect in flexural wave propagation in a base element, metamaterials improve its vibroacoustic parameters in low and mid frequency range while preserving low mass and structure dimensions. While the foundational assumptions and lab validations highlight the advantages of these metamaterials, the practical application of these structures in real-world scenarios remains a challenge. The main aspect that is widely investigated is achieving maximum effectiveness while maintaining the simplicity of geometry to optimize mass production costs. This work presents a vibroacoustic metamaterial design with geometry adapted to serial production using injection molding. The proposed geometry allows for adjusting the effective frequency range of the structure after the production process. Due to the distinctive configuration of the elements and the grouping of unit cells, the design facilitates the generation of broadband and multi-band structures as well. Numerical simulations were employed to assess the impact of the proposed metamaterial on Sound Transmission Loss and other vibroacoustic parameters. Experimental validation of prototype effectiveness was conducted through Sound Reduction Index measurements in a diffuse field.
Creaky voice across language and gender: A study of Canadian English-French bilingual speech
Authors: Brown Jeanne , Sonderegger Morgan
Published: July 2024

This study addresses how non-contrastive creaky voice varies among languages and across speakers (as a function of gender). Spontaneous speech from 9 English-French bilingual speakers born and raised in Ontario/Québec was collected from publicly available online data sources, amounting to roughly 5 min of speech per speaker-language pair and 13 992 vowels total. This corpus will reach 40 speakers by the conference. Acoustic analysis consisted of pitch tracking in Praat, providing a proportion of unreliable f0 tracks for each vowel as well as one spectral slope measure (H1*-H2*) and two Harmonics-to-Noise Ratios (CPP and HNR05) as acoustic correlates of creaky voice. Statistical significance was tested using mixed-effects regression models, with fixed effects of language, gender, and utterance position, and maximal by-word and by-speaker random effects. The main results for gender show that men's vowels have more unreliable f0 tracks, lower H1*-H2*, lower HNR05 and somewhat lower CPP, suggesting that male speakers are creakier overall. Regarding language, English displays more unreliable pitch tracking compared to French, providing some evidence for language-dependent vocal settings. Other acoustic correlates of creak, however, do not show consistent cross-linguistic differences.
Urban background sound recordings for virtual acoustics under various weather conditions
Authors: Llorca-Bofi Josep , Heck Jonas , Dreier Christian , Vorlaender Michael
Published: July 2024

One of the major challenges in the auralization of complex urban simulations is the presence of ambience, for example background sounds. Omitting them can result in a sterile and implausible impression. In this work we present a dataset of spatially recorded ambient sounds with metadata on meteorological and acoustical parameters. The recordings are ready to be admixed with simulated soundscapes corresponding to various weather conditions. In particular, 28 soundscapes have been recorded at the IHTApark (green space next to the Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics) in Aachen (Germany) in winter and spring. They have been segmented into 30-s auralizable snippets. Moreover, the database contains a statistical and psychoacoustical evaluation of the recordings.
Reducing noise with augmented reality in indoor soundscapes
Authors: Misdariis Nicolas , Lagrange Mathieu , Serizel Romain
Published: July 2024

Noise pollution has a significant impact on quality of life. In indoor soundscapes like open offices, noise exposure creates stress that leads to reduced performance, provokes annoyance and changes in social behaviour. The ReNAR project aims at studying two augmented reality approaches, targeted towards additional sound sources which levels are below or equal to the noise sources ones The first approach tend to conceal the presence of unpleasant sources by adding some spectro-temporal cues which will seemingly convert it into a more pleasant one. Adversarial machine learning techniques will be considered to learn correspondences between noise and pleasing sounds and to train a deep audio synthesiser able to generate an effective concealing sound of moderate loudness. The second approach tend to tackle a common issue encountered in open offices, where the ability to concentrate on the task at hand is made harder when people are speaking nearby. We propose to reduce the intelligibility of nearby speech by the addition of sound sources whose spectro-temporal properties are specifically designed or synthesised with a generative model to conceal important aspects of the nearby speech. The formal position, general frame and expected outcomes of the project will be developed and discussed.
Characteristics of courtship calls that could provide clues to physiological state or genetics of the emperor penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri: A case study of analysis using the Teager-Kaiser energy operator
Authors: Seger Kody C. , Seger Kerri D. , Brackett Justin , Bowles Ann E.
Published: July 2024

Vocal behavior can be an indicator of physiological state or genetic make-up, but has not been developed as a diagnostic tool in seabirds. Aptenodytes penguins lack external sexual dimorphism, but the sexes have dimorphic courtship calls. We present a case study in which unique call structure of an emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) was associated with a same-sex bonded pair. Typical males produce lower frequency calls with proportionally more long bursts, while typical females produce slightly higher frequency calls with proportionally more short bursts. We recorded two male emperor penguins (E-79 and E-81) at SeaWorld San Diego that behaved as a bonded pair. E-79 produced a call that was qualitatively different from the male type to human listeners. Using the Teager-Kaiser Energy Operator to visualize bursts, we calculated and compared burst rates of E-79 and E-81 to other emperor penguins in the SeaWorld colony and a colony at Cape Crozier, Antarctica. Analysis showed E-79’s calls had a unique burst rate structure that was intermediate between typical male and female patterns. Our results suggest that while emperor courtship calls are usually strongly sexually dimorphic, it is not always the case. The exceptions could provide interesting insights into call development, physiology, and/or genetics.
Synthetically non-Hermitian nonlinear wave-like behavior in a topological mechanical metamaterial
Authors: Xiu Haning , Frankel Ian , Liu Harry , Qian Kai , Sarkar Siddhartha , MacNider Brianna , Chen Zi , Boechler Nicholas , Mao Xiaoming
Published: July 2024

Topological mechanical metamaterials have enabled new ways to control stress and deformation propagation. Exemplified by Maxwell lattices, they have been studied extensively using a linearized formalism. Herein, we study a two-dimensional topological Maxwell lattice by exploring its large deformation quasi-static response using geometric numerical simulations and experiments. We observe spatial nonlinear wave-like phenomena such as harmonic generation, localized domain switching, amplification-enhanced frequency conversion, and solitary waves. We further map our linearized, homogenized system to a non-Hermitian, nonreciprocal, one-dimensional wave equation, revealing an equivalence between the deformation fields of two-dimensional topological Maxwell lattices and nonlinear dynamical phenomena in one-dimensional active systems. Our study opens a regime for topological mechanical metamaterials and expands their application potential in areas including adaptive and smart materials and mechanical logic, wherein concepts from nonlinear dynamics may be used to create intricate, tailored spatial deformation and stress fields greatly transcending conventional elasticity.
Dissipation estimation for the impedance tube measurement using Bayesian inference
Authors: Chen Ziqi , Xiang Ning
Published: July 2024

Although air dissipation is usually neglected in the impedance tube measurement, it affects the accuracy of the measurement results. Multiple effects contribute to the sound dissipation in an impedance tube, like the boundary layer effect or relaxation effect. This work formulates a transfer function model incorporating different dissipation. Bayesian inference is applied to estimate the acoustic dissipation in an impedance tube. Critical parameters in dissipation models are estimated based on the transfer function measured from an empty impedance tube. Nested sampling is applied to get an accurate approximation of parameters. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the critical parameters estimated by the Bayesian method are accurate. The accurate estimated dissipation helps improve the accuracy of impedance measurement with the material under test.
Parameter estimation and sensitivities of a Bayesian source localization method in an urban environment
Authors: Meyer Aaron , Doran Adrian , Wilson D. Keith , Kamrath Matthew J.
Published: July 2024

Acoustic signals propagating in urban environments are influenced by rough-surface scattering, multipath reflections, and diffraction. The performance of conventional source localization algorithms often suffers when these effects are present. Bayesian approaches, however, are particularly well suited to incorporating physics-based statistical models for the signal propagation. Previously, we found that the complex Wishart distribution, which describes fully saturated scattered signals across a network of receivers, can be readily employed in a Bayesian framework. In this presentation, a new source localization algorithm based on the Wishart distribution signal model is described and tested on real acoustic data. The experimental data were collected within a mock urban environment as part of a NATO urban acoustics-seismics experiment in Walenstadt, Switzerland. Four acoustic arrays recorded signatures from gunshots and ground vehicles. The present study uses the measured signals to investigate the sensitivity and relative importance of the model parameters, including source and noise amplitudes, frequency band, prior signal sampling, and sensor-sensor correlation behavior. Results are presented in the form of source location probability maps and localization error metrics. Interpretations of the study, including strengths and weaknesses of the new method, are discussed.
Vibrotactile perception of music
Authors: Russo Frank A.
Published: July 2024

While music is primarily experienced through audition, many aspects of music can also be experienced through somatosensation. Vibrotactile stimulation occurs when a tactile stimulus displaces the skin at a specific carrier frequency. When the carrier is frequency modulated, it can create a complex waveform and when it is amplitude modulated, it can create a rhythmic pulse. These vibrotactile aspects of music have long been recognized as important by music performers, providing a valuable source of non-auditory feedback that may support musical expression. Critically, these same vibrotactile aspects of music may also support the perception of music and voice in individuals with hearing loss. This paper will provide an overview of research conducted over the last decade that has clarified the aspects of music and voice that may be perceived through somatosensation along with some insight into neural underpinnings of these perceptions. Specific features of music considered will include pitch, rhythm, and timbre. Also considered will be the manner by which sensitivity to these features may change as a function of hearing loss, experience, and the properties of stimulation.
The effect of cavitation-induced pressure on bubble cloud density in histotripsy
Authors: Maxwell Adam , Vlaisavljevich Eli
Published: July 2024

Tissue ablation in histotripsy is achieved by generating clouds of cavitation or boiling bubbles in the tissue. The rate of tissue ablation increases for clouds with a greater number density of nucleated bubbles. Therefore, controlling density may offer a mechanism to improve treatment efficacy. Experiments demonstrate several trends in density with ultrasound frequency, transducer f-number, and other variables. This presentation will describe one potential mechanism governing the density of cavitation bubbles nucleated during a focused ultrasound pulse. In particular, the rapid expansion of a cavitation bubble generates a partial cancellation of the incident pressure in the vicinity of the bubble, mitigating potential nucleation of other bubbles. We demonstrate this effect through a single-bubble numerical model, and further evaluate dependences of the pressure field with nuclei size, pressure amplitude, pulse frequency, and medium properties. The single-bubble model is further extended to consider the evaluate the effect of transducer focusing, and the combined pressure fields of multiple bubbles during cavitation nucleation. The predictions from simulation show good agreement with experimentally reported trends with frequency and transducer f-number, supporting the role of the mechanism in limiting the nucleation density in histotripsy.
Data and information management for acoustics research
Authors: Hanford Amanda , Dare Tyler P. , Rice Keith , Wixom Andrew S.
Published: July 2024

A critical part of verification and validation in academic research includes the important consideration of data and information management. As researchers grapple with escalating volumes of data, effective data management becomes imperative for optimizing operational processes and ensuring reproducibility and archivability. Data management involves the organization, storage, and retrieval of information to support research advancements and strengthen the foundation of decision making and scientific knowledge. Key components also include data operations, which involves the orchestration of data workflows, and data quality management, which focuses on maintaining accurate and reliable data. This talk explores the multifaceted aspects of data management, emphasizing its significance in ensuring data quality, accuracy and accessibility.
The applications of dynamic time warping in the source separation of percussive sounds
Authors: Grabow Christopher , Dare Tyler P.
Published: July 2024

Music source separation (MSS) is the process of splitting various components of a musical piece into individual tracks. This process combines the fields of acoustics and machine learning to extract useful data from music, which assists in a variety of music information retrieval tasks. In the past decade, many methods have been employed to perform MSS with varying levels of success. This research explores the use of dynamic time warping (DTW) for MSS tasks in the time domain. DTW is an algorithm that performs a temporal alignment of two time series to measure their similarity. It is unique in that the algorithm will minimize the Euclidean distance between the two sequences by stretching or compressing them to optimize similarity. This makes DTW a distinctive method for MSS, as it operates entirely in the time domain and classifies sounds without the interference of time warping. The research performed focuses only on the separation of transient, percussive sounds. Measurements taken with a drum kit and a selection of digital drum sounds served as the foundation for tests of the algorithm. The results of this research illustrate the potential of DTW in time domain MSS applications.
Antiquated Canadian Aircraft Noise Guidance—Setting the grounds for encroachment and adverse community impacts
Authors: Jovanovic Julia , Novak Colin
Published: July 2024

A comprehensive research project at the University of Windsor entitled Prediction and Management of Aircraft Noise Annoyance Around Canadian Airports reviewed multiple components of Canada’s TP 1247 Land Use in the Vicinity of Aerodromes. Using noise, complaints and survey data from Toronto Pearson International Airport, researchers evaluated the Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) system as a tool for aircraft noise annoyance prediction and management. The NEF metric and its correlation to annoyance was examined as well as applicability of the NEF 30 threshold for the onset of significant annoyance. Further, the guideline for expected community response to noise was tested. The research found that most components of the NEF system are antiquated and in need of revision. A lack of prompt action to update Canadian guidelines for aircraft noise is setting the grounds for conflicts between stakeholders with competing interests and increasing the risks for greater noise impacts on future communities.
Intelligibility of British and American English in different listening conditions
Authors: Young Elizabeth D. , Faulkner Kayleena , McHugh Isabella , Ferguson Sarah H.
Published: July 2024

Communication specialists frequently hear complaints from patients that unfamiliar accents are more difficult to understand, particularly in background noise. Previous work (Schilaty et al., 2021) has indeed shown that when presenting American listeners with both American and British accents, intelligibility in noise is poorer for the unfamiliar accent across age and hearing status. However, Schilaty et al. (2021) examined relatively easy sentence materials (Basic English Lexicon [BEL] sentences; Calandruccio & Smiljanic, 2012) in only one type of noise. The current study expands on previous work by comparing the intelligibility of American and British accents for a more difficult sentence set (Harvard sentences; Rothauser et al., 1969) in young adult American listeners across two noise types (speech-shaped noise and 12-talker babble). Stimuli consisted of 180 Harvard sentences produced by two male talkers: one with an American (Northwestern) dialect and one with a Southern British dialect. Young adult listeners with normal hearing transcribed the sentences in quiet, in speech-shaped noise at −3 dB SNR, and in 12-talker babble at −3 dB SNR. Listeners also completed a dialect familiarity questionnaire. The results will shed additional light on the interactions between talker and listener dialect, dialect familiarity, and background noise type.
Speech detection models for effective communicable disease risk assessment in air travel environments
Authors: Kone Tenon Charly , Ghinet Sebastian , Dana Sayed Ahmed , Grewal Anant
Published: July 2024

In environments characterized by elevated noise levels, such as airports or aircraft cabins, travelers often find themselves involuntarily speaking loudly and drawing closer to one another in an effort to enhance communication and speech intelligibility. Unfortunately, this unintentional behaviour increases the risk of respiratory particles dispersion, potentially carrying infectious agents like bacteria which makes the contagion control more challenging. The accurate characterization of the risk associated to speaking, in such a challenging noise environment with multiple overlapping speech sources, is therefore of outmost importance. Among the most advanced signal processing strategies that can be used to accurately determine who spoke when and with whom and for how long but most importantly how loudly, at one location, artificial intelligence-based speaker diarization approaches were considered and adapted for this task. This article details the implementation of speaker diarization algorithms, customized to extract speaker and speech parameters discreetly. Validation and preliminary study results are also provided. The algorithms calculate speech duration and sound pressure level for each sentence and speaker, aiding in assessing viral contaminant spread. The paper focuses on applying these algorithms in noisy environments, particularly in confined spaces with multiple speakers. The findings contribute to proactive measures for containing and managing communicable diseases in air travel settings.