bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is emotion expressed by people with and without cognitive impairment perceived differently?
Authors: Oh Chorong , Morris Richard J. , Wang Xianhui
Published: November 2022

This study was designed to explore whether neurotypical listeners perceive emotion expressed by people with cognitive impairment differently, compared to that expressed by neurotypical older adults. For this study, speech samples describing the Cookie Theft picture, of 11 people with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type, 9 individuals with mild cognitive impairment, 5 people with vascular dementia, and 10 healthy age- and education-matched older adults were obtained from the Dementia TalkBank. Then, 28 listeners evaluated emotion expressed in each utterance of the speech samples. The listeners differently perceived emotion expressed by the four groups. The outcomes of this study implies possible communication breakdowns among people with cognitive impairments.
“Sounds like home”: The effect of listener on matching guise in regional accent on syntactic acceptability
Authors: Kayali Nour
Published: November 2022

This study unites sociophonetic speech perception and syntax research by matching or mismatching social expectations of participants during a syntactic grammaticality judgement task. I hypothesize that regional syntactic structures are more acceptable when heard in their corresponding local, regional accent compared to a nonlocal accent. The experiment focuses on Southern American English as spoken in western Kentucky as the local accent and personal datives and double modals as matching, regional grammatical structures, along with a set of nonlocal filler sentences. 81 University of Kentucky participants completed a between-subjects matched guise survey. Regional structures are consistently rated more acceptable in the local accent than the nonlocal. Self-identified Kentuckian Participants rated local structures higher than non-Kentuckian participants, regardless of which accent they heard. This is prominent in ratings of the nonlocal audio; Kentuckian participants rated both local structures in the nonlocal accent approximately fifteen points higher than non-Kentuckians. In contrast, non-Kentuckian participants mark filler sentences in the local audio lower than the nonlocal, a variation absent from Kentuckian participants’ ratings. These results suggest that grammaticality judgements result from an interplay of sociocultural expectations with the phonological and syntactic structure of an utterance. Judgement of structural grammaticality is not independent of social expectation.
Textsetting as sequence alignment
Authors: Munshi Hassan , Liberman Mark , Kuang Jianjing
Published: November 2022

We argue that textsetting is better accounted for under the framework of sequence comparison, whereby textsetting is taken to be an instance of sequence alignment. Given a text, a tune, and an alignment procedure, we argue that all one needs is to align strong elements of one sequence (the text) to elements of the other (the tune). We show that, in many cases, the only principle needed to account for textsetting in English folk music is Strength Match, i.e., matching stressed syllables to strong beats. Many constraints proposed by previous treatments are to be discarded if we allow our textsetting model to compare between different possible textsettings and then choose the optimal one. The optimization problem is automated under the framework of dynamic programming, which allows us to create a distance metric to score all possible alignments. Moreover, we show that preferred textsettings always have the highest score, when compared to other textsettings that are either ill-formed or less preferred.
Modern movie sound: reality and simulated reality
Authors: Reed Jeffrey , Woolworth David s.
Published: November 2022

Modern movie sound mixing utilizes impulse responses and convolution to provide a usable reproduction of dialogue and other sounds to align the visual and sonic impression while keeping the viewer engaged in the story. This paper will outline the process by which movie audio is processed to get to the final product, and provide and overview of playback platforms. Furthermore short clips of film with audio will be presented to compare the actual in situ recording to the studio mixed product, and other experimental/virtual approaches to creating impulse responses for use in the studio mix approach.
A new variable acoustics technology and the research behind it
Authors: Adelman-Larsen Niels W.
Published: November 2022

The paper presents the room acoustic research behind the choice of design of a new variable acoustics technology. It discusses measurements from installations in labs and in a concert hall. Performing arts centres face the challenge of providing a good sound-experience for performers and audiences for a wide variety of types of performances. From theatre or amplified music one night to concerts of quiet chamber music the next. This calls, according to for instance ISO 23591, “Acoustic quality criteria for music rehearsal rooms and spaces”, for a variability of the reverberation time of a factor of almost 2 at lower frequencies. This standard, as well as recent research by the author is also debated.
Developing a latent space to describe full-sphere head-related transfer functions
Authors: Sumner Eric M. , Unnþórsson Rúnar , Riedel Morris
Published: November 2022

Several prior studies have used machine-learning techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), to investigate the information content in unidirectional Head-Related Transfer Funcions (HRTFs). This paper builds upon this prior work to investigate the information content in full-sphere, free-field HRTFs. An artificial neural network is trained to reproduce the PCA coefficients of an HRTF from the combination of a direction vector and latent space vector identifying the HRTF. The training data comes from several different HRTF databases; the methods used to combine these databases into a single coherent dataset are described. Hyperparameter optimization techniques are then used to minimize the dimensionality of the latent space vector, providing new information about the information content required to accruately describe a full-sphere HRTF.
On the potential use of infrasound for tornado detection and monitoring
Authors: Waxler Roger M. , Frazier Garth , Talmadge Carrick , Hetzer Claus , Liang Bin , Buchanan Hank
Published: November 2022

The notion that tornadoes emit an infrasonic signal that can be detected from great distances; and thus be used to aid in the detection, monitoring, and potentially tracking of active tornadoes; has been discussed for decades. To test this notion, we deployed a network of infrasound sensor arrays in northern Alabama for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 tornado seasons. Infrasound propagation is complicated by vertical temperature gradients and wind shear. Efficient propagation depends on ducts caused by positive temperature and wind speed gradients. Infrasound signal detection depends on a signal arriving at the detection array with amplitude larger than the turbulent pressure amplitudes (wind noise) in the neighborhood of the array. Focusing on the 1 Hz to 10 Hz frequency band, we show that from each tornado that passed through northern Alabama during that period for which propagation and wind nose analysis suggested that a signal should be detected, a signal was detected. To make a truly convincing argument that the observed signals are produced by active tornadoes two things are needed. One needs to demonstrate that storms from which no tornadoes were spawned do not produce such signals and one must show that there is a physical mechanism related directly to tornadoes through which the infrasound is emitted. We will report on progress on both these fronts.
Noise Pollution in Hospitals and its Impacts on the Health Care Community and Patients
Authors: Coiado Olivia , Vergara Felipe , Vergara Lizandra
Published: November 2022

Noise pollution in hospitals is known to affect the health of patients, but it also impacts the staff. Most of a hospital’s environment is affected by the sounds of equipment and machines with high sound pressure levels (SPL). We directed the study of both quantitative aspects to reduce SPL and qualitative research which considers the soundscapes of hospitals and people's perceptions. The main goal of this study was to do an assessment of the noise pollution in hospitals in Brazil and USA to investigate the effects on the health care community and patients. The objectives were: 1) Implement a sound mapping, day and night, in different units of the hospital; 2) Characterize the variations of the SPL of the various noise sources in the hospital's care units; 3) Develop and apply a qualitative assessment based on the opinion of users of the hospital in relation to the noise perceived by them; 4) Establish/propose an analytical-experimental model based on correlations of objective data and subjective data. This study identified metrics that can be applied as an intervention plan and prevention to reduce noise pollution in hospitals in Brazil and in the USA that could be implemented by other institutions, locally and internationally.
Modeling regional propagation of infrasonic Mach cone energy from a supersonic source
Authors: Blom Philip S.
Published: November 2022

Supersonic sources such as bolides, aircraft, and rocket launches are known to produce a wide range of acoustic and infrasonic signals. The lower frequency infrasonic component of these signals can propagate large distances through the atmosphere due to the decreased thermo-viscous losses at low frequency and presence of temperature and wind induced infrasonic waveguides so that signals are often detected at regional distances of hundreds of kilometers. The dominant radiator of energy from such sources is the Mach cone signal that emanates from the source with very specific geometry. Ray tracing analysis using a Mach cone source model to predict infrasonic signals at regional distances will be presented and several parametric studies and comparisons with observed signals from several representative supersonic sources will be presented.
Numerical modeling of seismically-induced infrasound impacts on ionospheric plasma densities and mesospheric airglow emissions
Authors: Inchin Pavel A. , Nozuka Yoshito , Snively Jonathan B. , Kaneko Yoshihiro , Sabatini Roberto , Zettergren Matthew D.
Published: November 2022

Seismically-induced infrasonic waves (IWs) are known sources of disturbances in the upper layers of the atmosphere. These waves experience growth and potential for nonlinear evolution with height and may ultimately exhibit amplitudes of ten(s) of % of local Mach number following events of sufficient strength and scale. Along with a routine detection of their impacts on the ionospheric plasma, e.g., in GPS signal-based measurements of integrated total electron content (TEC), studies demonstrate opportunities to exploit these observations for the investigation of earthquake sources.We present the results of specific case and parametric studies of the feasibility to infer earthquake source characteristics based on observations of IW impacts on mesospheric airglow emissions and ionospheric densities. Studies include numerical simulations performed with three-dimensional coupled seismic wave propagation, and neutral atmospheric and ionospheric models, covering the chain of processes from earthquake sources to observable signatures. The results suggest that upper-atmospheric/ionospheric measurements of IWs may supplement classical seismic and geodetic observations over complex ruptures or undersea earthquakes, by providing additional independent information. They also reveal key dependencies on model specifications – from physical processes to propagation environments in multiple media – and thus require comprehensive validation to establish their quantitative utility.
Assessment of road surface state with acoustic vector sensor
Authors: Kotus Jozef , Szwoch Grzegorz , Czyzewski Andrzej , Kostek Bozena
Published: November 2022

A method of determining the road surface state based on the sound intensity analysis is presented. The proposed method is designed for the passive, non-contact assessment of a road surface state, especially in dry/wet conditions. The proposed method is intended for monitoring stations utilizing low-cost hardware. The road surface state is determined from the analysis of sound intensity emitted by road vehicles passing by the sensor and recorded with an acoustic vector sensor (AVS). A frequency domain sound intensity analysis included spatial filtering to reduce the environmental interference using the designed amplitude and phase correction algorithms. A test installation in a real-world scenario, consisting of a small AVS constructed from MEMS microphones and a state-of-art optic-based sensor, was used to evaluate the proposed method. A dataset representing many road vehicles moving at different speeds through the observed road section in varying conditions (dry and wet surface) was collected. Compared with the reference data, an evaluation of the proposed method and its accuracy in determining the road surface state is presented and discussed.The project has been subsidized by the Polish National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) from the European Regional Development Fund No. POIR.04.01.04/2019 entitled: INFOLIGHT—“Cloud-based lighting system for smart cities.”
Envelope following responses following partial cochlear deafferentation in guinea pigs
Authors: McGee JoAnn , Lin Xiaohui , Vazquez Ashley , Li Hongzhe , Venezia Jonathan H. , Leek Marjorie R. , Walsh Edward J.
Published: November 2022

The sound-induced loss of ribbon synapses connecting inner hair cells to auditory nerve fibers primarily exhibiting high thresholds has been the subject of numerous investigations. The condition resulting from this inner ear abnormality is commonly referred to as hidden hearing loss, a name that reflects the relative invulnerability of low threshold auditory nerve fibers that survive noise-exposure and function normally. Although auditory sensitivity recovers completely among animals experiencing hidden hearing loss, recovery of auditory brainstem response amplitudes is incomplete. The residual loss of function reflected in diminished response amplitudes to transient stimuli serves as a highly reliable indicator of the condition. The extent to which responses to sustained stimuli might serve as indicators of pathology is less clear. To that end, we will review findings related to differences in spectral magnitudes of envelope following responses to a battery of sinusoidally-amplitude modulated test conditions that include level dependent response growth, modulation transfer functions under a variety of carrier conditions, the influence of varying modulation depths, as well as the influence of maskers on responses acquired from control and noise-exposed animals. [Work supported by the Department of Defense Award #W81XWH-19-1-0862.]
Differential relations of auditory and cognitive functions to speech recognition tasks in adult cochlear implant users
Authors: Moberly Aaron C. , Tamati Terrin N.
Published: November 2022

Clinical testing for assessing adult cochlear implant (CI) candidacy and outcomes relies primarily on tasks of open-set recognition for words and sentences. However, it is not clear in what ways performance on these different tasks relates differentially to auditory and cognitive functions. We tested the hypothesis that auditory and cognitive functions would contribute differentially to performance on recognition of isolated words (CID-W22 words), meaningful sentences (Harvard Standard), nonsense sentences (Harvard Anomalous), and sentences with high talker variability (PRESTO) in adult CI users. Sixty-five experienced CI users completed a battery of auditory and cognitive tests to assess auditory spectro-temporal processing, vocabulary size, working memory capacity, inhibition-concentration, nonverbal reasoning, and speed of lexical access. Findings were that spectro-temporal processing, lexical access speed, and nonverbal reasoning predicted scores across all word and sentence recognition tests. In contrast, inhibition-concentration contributed to nonsense sentence recognition, while vocabulary knowledge contributed to high talker variability sentence recognition. Results suggest that there is a core set of auditory and cognitive functions that contribute broadly to speech recognition, while more specific cognitive functions contribute to performance on some speech recognition tasks. Clinical implications are that individual cognitive abilities should be considered when evaluating CI candidacy and outcomes.
Articulatory response to delayed and real-time feedback based on regional tongue displacements
Authors: Dugan Sarah , Li Sarah R. , Eary Kathryn , Spotts AnnaKate , Schoenleb Nicholas S. , Connolly Ben , Seward Renee , Riley Michael A. , Mast T. Douglas , Boyce Suzanne
Published: November 2022

Speech is one of the most complex motor tasks, due to its rapid timing and necessary precision. The difficulty of measuring articulatory movement in real time has made it difficult to investigate motion-based biofeedback for speech. Previously, we demonstrated the use of an automatic measure of tongue movement accuracy from ultrasound imaging. Using this measure for articulatory biofeedback in a simplified, game-like display may benefit the learning of speech movement patterns. To better understand real-time articulatory biofeedback and improve the design of this display, this study presented articulatory biofeedback for the target word /ɑr/ (“are”) in a game with two conditions for feedback timing (delayed and concurrent, indicating whether the game object started moving after or during speech production) and for difficulty level (easy and hard target width, indicating the articulatory precision necessary for achieving the target). For each participant, two blocks of biofeedback for 20–50 productions were presented (randomizing whether the delayed or concurrent block was presented first) in one collection session, with the difficulty level randomized for each production within each block. Data from nine children with typical speech or residual speech sound disorder were analyzed, showing that response and preference of feedback condition vary among individuals.
Ship noise radiation characteristics observed from an Arctic acoustic array
Authors: Webstey Aaron , Thomson Dugald , Barclay David R. , Topple Jessica
Published: November 2022

A 48-hydrophone bottom-mounted array in the Arctic provides an opportunity to test a novel acoustic frequency tracker on ships of opportunity. The Arctic is is currently experiencing an historic increase in shipping traffic, resulting in an acoustic environmental that is changing rapidly. Through the ice-free study period, ship passes were observed in the multi-channel acoustic recordings, providing an opportunity to compare spectral fluctuations, directionality, and correlation with ship tracks.
Modes selection based on holographic interferometry in presence of intense internal waves in shallow water
Authors: Pereselkov Sergey A. , Kuz'kin Venedikt , Kaznacheeva Elena , Tkachenko Sergey , Rybyanets Pavel
Published: November 2022

A holographic method is proposed for sound field modes selection and estimating their parameters (amplitude, horizontal wavenumber, group velocity, absorption coefficient) in shallow water by single scalar receiver in presence of intense internal waves (IIW). It is taken into account that IIW leads to horizontal refraction and modes coupling. The offered holographic method is based on the two-dimensional Fourier transform (2D-FT) of the real part of the moving-source sound field in time–frequency domain. It is shown in the paper that different sound field modes create different focal spots in the hologram domain in presence of IIW. The relationship of the mode phases and group velocities with the coordinates of focal-spot peaks is derived. The hologram domain allows to reconstruct the selected mode field and mode parameters in presence of IIW. The results of modes selection within framework of the numerical experiments are presented in the paper. The modal parameters are estimated. Analysis of influence of IIW on mode selection and mode parameters estimations is performed. It is shown that the effects of horizontal refraction and modes coupling do not lead to loss of the identity of mode parameters of the received signal. [This study was supported by Russian Science Foundation grant no. 22-79-10233. E.S. Kaznacheeva’s numerical experiment was supported grant no. МК-6144.2021.4]
Simulation versus measurement of acoustical banners
Authors: Jaramillo Ana M. , Cudequest Brandon , Olson Bruce
Published: November 2022

This study compares the results of measurements and simulations for variable acoustical banners in several venues. Reverse calculations of real venues reveal a wide spread of achievable absorption coefficients for banners. When modeling these spaces and materials in pre-design, it is critical to use the correct absorption coefficients for accurate results. This presentation will explore the different ways of modeling banners using classical ray tracing acoustic simulation software and offer recommendations for interpreting absorption coefficients provided by banner manufacturers.
Retooling results of a massive database of home theater measurements
Authors: Holman Tomlinson
Published: November 2022

In 2010 the first results of a large-scale measurement program on home theaters was reported in an AES presentation. More than 1,000 rooms were measured for impulse response from each of a minimum of six loudspeakers to at least four (usually more) listening locations. However, computer processing capacity limited the initial report to 275 rooms. Room acoustics and sound system information was reported: RT and its std. dev. with frequency, room volume statistics for those rooms, and transient and steady-state frequency response for some example rooms were shown. From these few rooms an important item of interest emerged: the Schroeder frequency did not show as a boundary of response deviations between lower and higher frequencies—the average deviation from the average response was more constant with frequency than expected. This work will be briefly reviewd. Now in 2022 a new look at this data plus that which was gathered in the intervening years may be studied with much more advanced math tools such as machine learning so much more can be understood. This presentation is interim describing work to be done and soliciting comments from practitioners.
Observations of Noise due to Nonlinear Internal Waves in the ASIAEX Experiment in the South China Sea
Authors: Jiang Yanyu , Katsnelson Boris , Godin Oleg A.
Published: November 2022

Large, transient increases in underwater noise intensity (noise bursts) were repeatedly observed during the ASIAEX experiment on a 48-hydrophone array consisting of vertical and horizontal line arrays. The arrays were located in the South China Sea in the area known for exceptionally strong nonlinear internal waves (NIWs). The ASIAEX experiment was intended to study sound propagation in the presence of NIWs and featured extensive, concurrent acoustic and oceanographic observations. The NIWs propagating past the acoustic array site were characterized using water temperature measurements with a nearby thermistor chain. Remarkable correlation is found between noise intensity increases on the vertical array hydrophones and the NIW presence. Intensity of the noise bursts strongly depends on the hydrophone depth. The low acoustic frequencies below 30–40 Hz are primarily responsible for the noise enhancement during the NIW passage. Analysis of the spectral properties and the depth dependence of the noise intensity suggests the flow noise due to NIW-induced currents as the physical mechanism of the noise bursts in the South China Sea. [Work was supported, part, by ISF award 946/20.]
Measuring marine gas flux via passive acoustic signals—New field and lab observations
Authors: Roche Ben , White Paul , Bull Jonathan , Leighton Timothy G.
Published: November 2022

In recent years there has been a growing need to refine methods for quantifying the volume of gas released into the water column from marine sediments via seeps/vents. Traditional methods of flux quantification are flawed, being energy intensive techniques that provide single snapshot measurements. As a result, emission estimates across larger areas are very poorly constrained, often ranging across several orders of magnitude, are rarely cross validated and almost never account for temporal variation. Passive acoustic flux inversion techniques, whereby the acoustic signal of such seeps can be used to measure the gas flux, have been identified as a key tool for overcoming these limitations. Several field studies have already demonstrated the potential of such techniques, granting fresh insights into the variability of gas release with tides, surface seiches and even day/night temperature cycles. Here, we discuss our work to further advance passive acoustic flux inversion in order to enable large scale non-specialist adoption. Presenting field observations and our recent work studying the excitation of gas bubbles and the acoustic signature of gas propagating through unconsolidated sediment. Achieved with a combination of high-speed photography, CT imaging, radiography, geophones, fibre optic cables and traditional marine hydrophones.
Effects of sub-seabed characteristics on acoustic transmission loss in seismic reflection surveys
Authors: Douglass Alexander S. , Wood Warren T. , Phrampus Benjamin J. , Abadi Shima
Published: November 2022

Marine seismic reflection surveys are used to study the composition of the seabed and sub-seabed by recording reflections of the field generated by an airgun array from the seafloor with a towed horizontal streamer. The abundance of data within a single survey and the number of publicly available surveys provides substantial opportunity for data-driven acoustic analysis. Here, we consider data from surveys that were conducted off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska, covering portions of the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the Queen Charlotte Fault. Throughout the experiments, data was collected at depths ranging from 200 m to 3 km, typically using a 15 km long towed streamer containing 1200 hydrophone groups with 12.5 m spacing. With these datasets, there is a breadth of opportunity for studying the impacts of various seabed features on acoustic propagation. This talk will explore the impacts of seabed and sub-seabed characteristics, bathymetry, reflectivity, etc., on acoustic transmission loss. The data from these experiments, corrected for array design impacts, will be compared directly with computational propagation models. [Work supported by ONR.]
Robust processing for multipath in acoustic navigation, tomography, and source tracking
Authors: Hursky Paul , Verlinden Christopher , Boyle John , Coelho Emanuel F. , Heaney Kevin D.
Published: November 2022

Because sound travels along many refracted paths through the ocean, passing through many horizontal sound speed layers, it is often challenging to unravel the received multipath to convert arrival times to ranges (e.g., by assigning them to eigenrays calculated by a ray tracer), particularly when it must be automated. This problem is exacerbated when the source and/or receivers are in motion. Assigning the wrong eigenray to an arrival results in the arrival time being modeled for the wrong acoustic path and the wrong range assigned to that arrival, resulting in degraded navigation, tomography, or localization. We will show how to take advantage of redundant measurements to ensure that we avoid spurious eigenray assignments. We use an initial “robust” optimization process whose cost function is less sensitive to spurious measurements or outliers than processes using least squared errors. Such processes both enable outliers to be identified and produce better estimates (than if spurious measurements were admitted). Better estimates allow the assignment of eigenrays to arrivals to be better constrained, often leading to corrected assignments. This virtuous cycle results in fewer spurious assignments and improved forward modeling for applications like navigation, tomography, and source tracking.
Passive and active Doppler methods and metrics to quantify inertial cavitation induced by pulsed focused ultrasound
Authors: Khokhlova Tatiana D. , Song Minho , Williams Randall P. , Hwang Joo Ha , Wang Yak-Nam , Sapozhnikov Oleg A.
Published: November 2022

Inertial cavitation induced by pulses of nonlinearly distorted focused ultrasound (FUS) at moderate intensity can result in mild mechanical disruption of tissue, short of its complete mechanical disintegration—histotripsy. This effect can be used to enhance diffusion of subsequently systemically administered drugs or biologics. Previously, single-element passive cavitation detection (PCD) of broadband noise emissions was successfully used to quantify tissue disruption and enhancement in drug concentration. This metric, however, has limitations: minimal spatial resolution and challenges with calibration when used at large depths in acoustically variable tissue. To address this, we developed a combination of passive and active Doppler-based methods that relied on relative, rather than absolute signal metrics. Specifically, destructive cavitation behaviors were previously linked to substantial motion of the bubbles during the FUS pulse due to acoustic radiation force and shock scattering. This was reflected in the backscattered FUS harmonics as Doppler shift and measurable from PCD. The bubbles were observed to dissolve within milliseconds following each FUS pulse, thus their distribution could be visualized as an area of rapid change via fast plane wave Doppler ensemble following the FUS pulse. The Doppler power distribution was spatially correlated with the area of tissue disruption in the in vivo experiments. [Work supported by NIH R01CA154451, R01EB025187, and R01EB23910.]
Brief overview and demonstration of some commercial off-the-shelf modeling tools
Authors: Wilson Preston S.
Published: November 2022

This paper is intended to lead the special session on “Modeling and Simulation of Physical Effects in Sound Reproduction.” To begin, a brief overview of linear systems theory is presented to set the stage for demonstrating some tools that use impulse responses and convolution to generate various “effects.” This will be followed by a brief overview and demonstration of some commercially available modeling tools, ranging from the emulation of amplifiers and microphones, to reverberation and microphone placement. Some examples of the modeling of electromechanical instruments will be shown as well, including the Hammond organ and the Leslie rotating speaker.
Modeling and correction of piezoelectric string instrument pickups
Authors: Darabundit Champ C. , Rau Mark
Published: November 2022

Under-string piezoelectric pickups are often used to amplify and record stringed instruments such as guitars and violins. The mounting configuration of pickups differ with the most common placements being under the saddle, bridge, or directly under the strings, where the pickup functions as the saddle. Each of these placements, as well as the design of the piezoelectric pickup imparts a particular characteristic on the sound of the instrument. We investigate the equalization imparted by the pickup and present methods to correct for the frequency domain differences to produce a neutral sound. Additionally, piezoelectric sensors can exhibit nonlinear behavior such as hysteresis. Measurements are made with an attempt to model and correct for any nonlinear behavior observed.
Nanoparticle-enhanced photoacoustic diagnosis and photothermal treatment of small-animal early-stage liver cancer
Authors: Lai Puxiang , Huang Xiazi , Zhou Yingying , Pang Weiran
Published: November 2022

Synergy of light and sound, such as photoacoustic imaging, has demonstrated promising potentials in advancing the state-of-the-art of biomedical imaging by ultrasonically detecting the absorption of light, no matter the light is diffusive or not. As a result, optical contrast can be revealed with ultrasound or sub-ultrasound spatial resolution, which can be exploited to map sensitively the early tissue changes associated with the onset and development of early-stage diseases. The sources of photoacoustic emissions, however, could be very complicated within living biological tissue, as many tissue constituents may absorb light and generate heat to emit the ultrasonic waves, which considerably reduces the contrast between the target and the background. Therefore, exogenous agents, such as nanoparticles, that have absorption spectrum distinctive from that of background tissues have been widely used in the field to enhance the photoacoustic detection contrast and sensitivity at selected optical wavelengths. This talk summarizes our recent efforts in this direction that have explored various nanoparticles for more robust and more sensitive diagnosis and treatment of early-stage liver cancer based on photoacoustic imaging and photothermal effect. While the studies are based on merely small animal models, they may inspire further explorations towards preclinical and clinical trials.
Photoacoustic non-human primate brain imaging
Authors: Yang Xinmai , Wang Xueding
Published: November 2022

Non-human primates (NHPs) play significant roles in brain research because of the physiological similarities between humans and NHPs. Current functional brain imaging techniques for NHPs are difficult to meet the required high spatiotemporal resolution for behavior active NHPs. In this presentation, we review our initial study on evaluating the feasibility of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) for monitoring hemodynamic responses in the NHP brains due to various functional activities. PAI systems, including array-based photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system and photoacoustic microscopy (PAM), were used to detect hemodynamic responses in the NHP brains through a cranial window. The NHPs were subjected to different functional stimulations or actively performing behavioral tasks. Strong increases in PA signal amplitude during functional activities can be detected with single-blood-vessel spatial resolution in the cortex and subcortical regions of the NHP brains. Realtime-temporal-resolution hemodynamic response can also be obtained for the detected blood vessels in the brain. Our results demonstrate that PAI can reliably detect brain activations in NHPs with high spatiotemporal resolution.
Errors using the spatially averaged free-field pressure approximation for description of the receiving properties of piezoelectric transducers
Authors: Mosland Eivind N. , Kocbach Jan , Lunde Per
Published: November 2022

In modelling of ultrasonic measurement systems and calculation of diffraction corrections for such systems, it is often assumed that the spatially averaged free-field pressure over the front surface of a piezoelectric transducer, ⟨p⟩, can be used to calculate its voltage output. It is of interest to investigate whether errors due to this ⟨p⟩-approximation are acceptable for piezoelectric transducers applied in high-precision ultrasonic measurements in fluids. 3D-axisymmetric finite element (FE) modelling is used to investigate such errors in a transmit-receive measurement setup employing two identical transducers. The approximate output voltage is found by Vout = ⟨p⟩MV and compared to the output voltage from FE modelling of the transmitter-medium-receiver system, Vout,ref, using the appropriate boundary conditions at the two transducers. MV is the open-circuit free-field receiving voltage sensitivity of the receiver for normally incident plane wavefronts, calculated assuming spherical reciprocity. Two examples of piezoelectric transducer pairs are studied, operated in the frequency range of their lower radial modes. It is shown that the ⟨p⟩-approximation may introduce notable deviations between Vout and Vout,ref, of up to approximately 40° for the phase angle and 2 dB for the magnitude. The deviations depend on the fluid medium, separation distance, frequency, and the transducer’s construction and vibrational characteristics.
Fusion and identification of vowels in the free field
Authors: Martinez Briana N. , Molis Michelle R. , Reiss Lina A.
Published: November 2022

Binaural fusion occurs when signals arriving separately at the two ears are perceived as one sound. Previously, Reiss and Molis (2021) showed that listeners with normal or impaired hearing fused and perceptually averaged dichotic vowels presented through headphones, especially vowels with the same fundamental frequency. To extend these findings to a more real-world listening context, the current study investigated if vowel fusion and averaging would replicate in the free field. Stimuli were good exemplars of /æ/, /a/, /u/ or /i/ synthesized with fundamental frequencies of 106.9, 151.2, or 201.8 Hz. On each trial, vowels were presented simultaneously via speakers located on the left and the right at ±60°. On test trials, vowels presented from the left and right were different; fundamental frequencies could be the same or different. On catch trials, identical non-exemplar vowels were presented from both speakers; these trials reduced the likelihood listeners would notice that different categories were presented on test trials. Listeners indicated which single vowel or two vowels they heard. Preliminary findings from normal-hearing listeners suggest there are fewer single vowel responses—fusion is decreased—in free field compared with headphone presentation. As demonstrated with headphones, vowels with the same fundamental frequency are more often fused. Results indicate that vowel fusion patterns previously observed with headphones can also be observed in the free field. [Work supported by NIH R01DC013307 and CSULA SPROUTS program.]
Statistical regularities of task-irrelevant dimensions impact auditory decisions
Authors: Luor Austin , Luthra Sahil , Shinn-Cunningham Barbara , Tierney Adam , Dick Frederic , Holt Lori
Published: November 2022

Listeners build up statistically driven expectations of what they will hear; however, there is no consensus on how these statistics influence perception, attention, and behavior. Here, we manipulate two statistical properties: global probability (the likelihood of single ‘sound events’) and predictiveness (how often does one sound precede another). We ask how the probability and predictiveness of different acoustic frequencies affect performance on two paradigms where frequency is task-irrelevant: suprathreshold duration identification and near-threshold tone-detection-in-noise. We found that duration decisions are faster and detection decisions are more accurate for high-probability tone frequencies, compared to low-probability tone frequencies. Moreover, when a preceding “cue” tone’s frequency predicts that of a subsequent “target” tone, listeners are faster at judging the duration of the target tone. This latter effect is not solely a result of temporal cueing, as target responses are not facilitated if a cue does not predict the target tone’s frequency. Blending these paradigms to examine the same global and transitional probabilities across duration and detection decisions suggests that statistical learning shapes attention to perceptual dimensions, even when the dimensions are irrelevant to optimal task performance.
Estimating human neural tuning curves at low-level sound from human psychophysical masking data and the cochlea-frequency maps
Authors: Song Xinhang , Allen Jont B.
Published: November 2022

We proposed a three-slope method to estimate human frequency tuning curves at low sound levels. As a starting point, cat neural excitation patterns (Allen and Fahey, 1993) are derived from Liberman’s cat cochlea neural tuning curves data (Liberman, 1978) in a mathematical way. A three-slope structure inspired by (Rhode,1978) is proposed to represent neural excitation patterns. The aim of this paper is to estimate the three-slope structure for human neural excitation patterns and then transform human neural excitation patterns into human tuning curves by using a human cochlea-frequency map (Greenwood, 1990). In 1993, Allen and Fahey introduced the concept of the second cochlea map, which was shown to be highly correlated with both neural excitation patterns and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). Thus, three slopes of human neural excitation patterns may be estimated via the second cochlea map and human masking data (Wegel and Lane, 1924). In the present study, slopes are estimated from limited existing psychophysical data, which can be improved with more accurate experimental data in the future.
Computer model of sensory-motor dilemma in stuttering of spoken sounds
Authors: Biswas Amitava , Cloud Steven , Schaub Mary
Published: November 2022

The reaction time of any typical person is usually noticeable by others but not perceived by the same person. Whenever such an individual performs any activity even if very fast such as eye blinking, the individual apparently perceives simultaneity between the instant of activating the muscles and the instant of receiving a sensory, visual, tactile, or auditory confirmation of accomplishing the task. Obviously, any motor response involves some unavoidable neural processing delay. Any sensory perception involves some unavoidable neural processing delay also. Therefore, the real instant of the sensory perception cannot be perceived to coincide with the perception of the instant of motor action without a very precise neural adjustment of perception in temporal position. This situation reminds of the merging of the two visual perspectives from two eyes merging together to provide a single visual perspective. It appears that there are two clocks maintained in the central nervous system: one clock for recording the time when a motor command was sent, and another clock for recording the time when a sensory confirmation was received. These two clocks must differ by a small delay to give the illusion of zero reaction time to the individual's own activities and sensory feedback. We will discuss implications of disruptions of that neural adjustment of timing perception with a simple computer model.
Monostatic and bistatic acoustic scattering from smooth and rough elastic cylinders insonified by directional sonars
Authors: Al Mursaline Miad , Stanton Timothy K. , Lavery Andone C.
Published: November 2022

Acoustic scattering from cylinders has been previously studied extensively for idealized incident plane waves and point receivers. However, the more realistic case of scattering from cylinders insonified by directional sonars has received limited attention. Operational sonars are directional and transmit waves that spread spherically. Due to the spherical spreading, the overall scattered pressure levels are affected and the cylinder is insonified across a continuum of oblique incident angles, even at broadside incidence. The obliqueness in the incident field, in turn, influences the structure of the scattering spectrum by exciting guided wave natural modes. A recently derived theory, accounting for the above realistic effects, is tested against laboratory measurements involving both smooth and rough elastic cylinders, spanning a range of scattering geometries and roughness profiles. The effects of bistatic angle between the source and receiver on overall scattered pressure levels and resonances are investigated and compared with results from the monostatic geometry. The influence of correlation length and root mean square roughness on the scattered field is also studied.
Highly damped single-chamber pneumatic vibration isolator using effects of thermal conductivity in the air volume
Authors: Ryaboy Vyacheslav M.
Published: November 2022

State-of-the-art pneumatic isolators have a two-chamber design with metered orifices between the chambers. This arrangement produces energy dissipation necessary to avoid excessive resonance vibration [1]. However, this leads to reduced isolation performance at high frequencies compared to a single-chamber isolator of equivalent total volume. Analysis shows that, while the dynamic process of the air compression in the pneumatic chamber is adiabatic for geometric parameters usually employed in vibration isolators, substantial dissipation of mechanical energy can be achieved by introducing certain thermally conductive features into the chamber. That makes practical a single-chamber design with sufficient damping. The paper presents the optimization of the geometry of thermally conductive features aimed at maximizing the loss factor at the resonance frequency of the isolation system. Experimental results illustrate the concept [2] and demonstrate the increased isolation effect. [1] V. M. Ryaboy, Vibration Control for Optomechanical Systems (World Scientific, 2022), p. 280. [2] Vibration isolation apparatus with thermally conductive pneumatic chamber, and method of manufacture, U.S. patent application No. 17/721834, USPTO, 2022.
Tracking in ocean acoustics: Insights from the work of Lisa Zurk
Authors: Michalopoulou Zoi-Heleni
Published: November 2022

Tracking is of paramount importance in ocean acoustics. One of the goals is the continuous location estimation of moving sources. Tracking needs also arise in identifying the structure of dispersion curves for long-range sound propagation and multipath arrival time identification across vertically separated hydrophones. Zurk’s work has shown that tracking can play a significant role in invariance estimation from striation patterns in spectrograms. We investigated ideas from tracking across the spectrum of ocean acoustics and looked into this latter problem. We found novel approaches for the estimation of the passive and active waveguide invariants, building on a seminal contribution of Lisa Zurk in the field of sonar signal processing.
A straightforward method for simulating phase aberration with high fidelity using PDMS phantoms
Authors: Pan Ying-Chun , Khan Christopher , Craft Katelyn , Huneycutt Braden , Hecht Rachel , Tang Eric , Byram Brett
Published: November 2022

Phase aberration arises from the speed of sound heterogeneity in the imaging environment and degrades image quality. Accurate aberration simulation is essential for developing aberration correction methods. Existing works often apply an aberration value at each channel in simulation software, but this approach introduces aberration integration error, assumes a fixed profile across all beams, and does not account for harmonic generation. We propose to address these limitations by making a PDMS aberration phantom. The manufacturing process involves (1) integrating a software-generated profile into a 3D-printed mold, (2) treating the mold with acrylic lacquer to prevent cure inhibition, (3) casting the mold with PDMS and degassing for an hour, and (4) baking at 75 °C for 4 h before demolding. The phantom is smooth and retains software-specified root mean square and full width half max of the autocorrelation function, and can be placed at the transducer to simulate aberration with higher fidelity than software. OCT data suggests that 3D-printed molds are accurate to within 21 μm of the software profiles and beamformed aberrated data exhibits a profile-dependent increase in sidelobes relative to clean data.