bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frequency modulation detection for Mandarin congenital amusics and tone agnosics
Authors: Li Mingshuang , Liu Chang , Nan Yun , Tang Wei , Wang Wenjing , Dong Qi
Published: November 2016

Previous studies showed that congenital amusia affected music pitch and lexical tone processing, as well as the pitch contour discrimination. The current study aimed at exploring whether the deficit in musical and/or tone processing also influenced frequency modulation (FM) detection. Thresholds of frequency modulation detection were examined among three Mandarin Chinese-native listeners groups: tone agnosics (amusics with deficits in lexical tone processing), pure amusics (with normal tone processing) and normal controls. Three acoustic parameters were manipulated: duration (250 and 500 ms), carrier frequency (250 and 1000 Hz), and modulation frequency (2, 8, and 32 Hz). Preliminary results showed that thresholds were higher for pure amusics and tone agnosics than for the control group in most conditions. Auditory model related to the musical and tonal processing for these listener groups will be discussed.
Effect of temporal asynchrony on children’s detection performance in a random-frequency, multi-tonal masking task
Authors: Flaherty Mary M. , Buss Emily , Leibold Lori J.
Published: November 2016

This study examined the degree to which children can use temporal onset/offset asynchronies to improve performance in a random-frequency, multi-tonal masking task. Normal-hearing school-age children (5-10 years) and adults were tested in two experiments. In Experiment 1, masked thresholds were measured in a 3IFC adaptive procedure. A 1000-Hz pure-tone signal was presented with a random-frequency, 4-tone masker played at 60 dB SPL. Onset/offset asynchrony was manipulated across conditions by fixing the signal duration at 200 ms and examining performance for masker durations of 200, 280, and 400 ms. The signal, when present, was temporally centered in the masker, resulting in asynchronies of 0, 40 and 100 ms. In Experiment 2, asynchrony was manipulated by holding masker duration constant and varying signal duration to be 200, 320, or 400 ms. Preliminary results suggest that children can use temporal onset/offset asynchrony to segregate a fixed-frequency signal tone from a tonal masker. Potential developmental differences in the ability to use a variety of temporal asynchronies in the presence of competing sounds will be discussed.
What ability is measured in “infant psychophysics”?
Authors: Nizami Lance
Published: November 2016

The magazine American Scientist recently celebrated Davida Teller’s “forced-choice preferential looking,” a psychophysical method that yields a detection/discrimination function for human infant vision. The method was soon adopted and modified for auditory detection/discrimination. Eventually, sufficient data accumulated for a retrospective (“Human auditory development,” L. Werner et al.). In the auditory trials, an assistant holds an infant exposed to auditory stimuli, and a hidden observer records the infant’s behavior, from which an analyst constructs a psychometric function or other quantifier of detection/discrimination. But whose detection/discrimination is quantified, exactly? Consider the roles of the laboratory personnel. The analyst (a receptor) interprets the data (stimulus) supplied by the hidden observer, who is an interpreter (receptor) of the behavior (stimulus) of the infant/infant-holder duo, who constitute a probe (receptor) of the acoustical environment. Altogether, the detection/discrimination ability being inferred is that of the entire Laboratory. In particular, infants’ apparent capabilities should improve with the observer’s ability to interpret infant behavior, and/or with the observer’s expectations, both of which may increase with infant age. Substitute methods, e.g., some already-employed non-invasive physiological recordings such as electro-encephalograms, likewise represent the ability of the Laboratory to probe the environment by way of the infant.
Womb-like sounds: An intervention for apnea of prematurity
Authors: Parga Joanna J. , Bhatt Ravi R. , Kesavan Kalpashri , Sim Myung-Shin , Karp Harvey , Harper Ronald M. , Zeltzer Lonnie K.
Published: November 2016

We hypothesized that premature infants exposed to womb-like sounds would show decreased apneic, hypoxemic, and bradycardic events. We believed these findings could be explained by the auditory system exerting influence over the autonomic system and potentially enhancing parasympathetic tone in neonates. Twenty premature infants without comorbidities, 32 to 37 weeks corrected, were their own controls. Infants were exposed to four 6-hour blocks of alternating womb-like sounds with intervening silence. Continuous ECG, respiratory, and oxygen saturation data were collected. Cortisol and alpha amylase salivary samples were obtained at study onset and offset during the 24-hour study period. Intermittent hypoxemic episodes significantly decreased from study onset (p = 0.03), along with bradycardic episodes (p = 0.05). No reductions in apneic events, cortisol levels, alpha amylase levels, or changes in heart rate variability were found. Exposing premature infants to womb-like sounds reduces hypoxemic and bradycardic events, indicating the potential influence of familiar auditory input on breathing and autonomic output. The sound exposure may provide a low-cost, non-invasive intervention for apnea of prematurity.
Auditory and tactile senses for perceiving the hardness of wood board
Authors: Amimoto Yuri , Arai Takayuki
Published: November 2016

The purpose of the present research is to explore the relationship between auditory and tactile senses on hardness perception. To testify this relationship, this research used a comparative judgment on knocking between two wood boards which have different levels of hardness. The participants were asked to knock the pair of wood boards, and compare the hardness in two conditions: knock with or without auditory information. In the condition with auditory information, sounds were heard directly, or through a sound system, which consists of the frequency filters and soundproof box. The other condition without auditory information masks the knocking with white noise. In short, the participants compared hardness through these conditions, and the correctness of their judgement were used to measure the contribution of auditory and tactile senses toward perceiving hardness. Consequently, there are differences in judgement between with and without the knocking sound. This suggests the possibility of auditory information affects tactile perception.
A study on the summer forest sound acoustic characteristics using psychoacoustics parameters in South Korea
Authors: Bae Seonggeon , Bae Myungjin
Published: November 2016

In this paper, summer forest sound acoustic characteristics has been analyzed through psychoacoustics Parameters. Forest sound is closely related to Psychological factors of the human which are analyzed variously. Forest sound is applied to the improvement of depression and anxiety of psychology characteristics. Thus, we study efficient method to apply acoustic properties of forest sound using psychoacoustics parameters.
Investigating the effect of selective attention and the spatial relationships of competing auditory stimuli on the sound-induced flash illusion
Authors: Kishline Lindsey R. , Lee Adrian K. C. , Maddox Ross K.
Published: November 2016

The sound-induced flash illusion (SIFI) provides a way of testing multisensory integration through perceptual illusion. Studies disagree on the influence of auditory-visual spatial (in)congruence on SIFI. To better assess the possible influence of spatial proximity, we manipulated the spatial congruence of competing auditory stimuli. Study participants were presented with two timbrally distinct concurrent auditory stimuli of one or two beeps and a visual stimulus composed of one or two flashes. One auditory stimulus always matched the number of visual flashes, and the other did not. The auditory-matching stimulus was manipulated to either be spatially congruent or not with the visual flashes, which could occur centrally or to the left or right. Participants were instructed to report the number of flashes they saw. For half of each session participant’s attention was not directed and had no knowledge of flash location on the coming trial, while in the other half there was a visual spatial cue prior to the trial to the location of the visual flashes. We compare and contrast the results with and without spatial attention cueing in order to examine the effect of spatial attention on this multisensory illusion.
Influence of simultaneous grouping mechanisms in the loudness judgment of a multi-tone mixture
Authors: Vannier Michaël , Grimault Nicolas , Misdariis Nicolas , Susini Patrick
Published: November 2016

Our main concern is to understand how the perceptual organization of an acoustical mixture into distinct auditory objects (known as an ASA mechanism) can affect the judgments of loudness. Three main questions have been raised: Is the loudness of one auditory object influenced by concurrent objects? How the partial loudness of different auditory objects are combined into one global loudness percept? Does global loudness depend on the perceptual organization of the mixture? In the present experiment, the mixtures consisted of frequency-modulated harmonic complexes. The same or different modulation frequencies have been applied to the odd and even harmonics to ensure that participants perceived either one or two auditory objects, respectively. As a first result, when two objects were well segregated (without spectral masking), the loudness of one object in the mixture equaled the loudness of the same object presented alone. It suggests that spectral grouping mechanisms prevail over loudness. Then, the global loudness pattern obtained for two auditory objects as a function of their partial loudness will be drawn up. Global loudness modeling for two auditory objects will be discussed with regards to the predictions given by classical loudness models. [Research supported by the chair “MOUVIE”, carried by the UPMC.]
Role of static and dynamic interaural differences in the localization of spatially segregated sounds
Authors: Morikawa Daisuke
Published: November 2016

We clarify the role of interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD) in the localization of spatially segregated sounds. Listeners were asked to distinguish between two sources of white noise having various ITDs/ILDs under head-still and head-rotating conditions. For the former, the segregated rate reached 80% for an ITD of 0.3 ms, when the ITD of other sound source corresponded to the other side. The segregated rate also reached 80% when the ILD between the two noise sources corresponded to an angular difference of 30°. Under head-rotating conditions, the segregated rate reached almost 100%, regardless of the ITDs of the two noise sources. This was because when only one white noise source was used, it was perceived as separate high and low sound images. In confirmations with low- and high-pass noises, the lower-frequency sound image was contained for <1.7 kHz and the higher-frequency one was contained for >1.2 kHz. In addition, the segregated rate was essentially the same for the ILD under head-still conditions when the ILDs of two noise sources corresponded to the separate side. The sound image was integrated into a single one when the ILDs of two noise sources corresponded to the same side.
Binaural processing in adults with a history of traumatic brain injury
Authors: Roup Christina M. , Powell Julie
Published: November 2016

An auditory processing deficit is a perceptual issue affecting how the central auditory nervous system understands and makes use of auditory information. Auditory processing deficits are typically associated with the pediatric population; however, anecdotal clinical evidence and the recent focus on central auditory effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) suggests that auditory processing deficits may be prevalent among adults with a history of TBI. Individuals with symptoms of an auditory processing deficit often score within the normal range on standard clinical assessments. The objectiveof the current study, therefore, was to target measures of binaural processing to identify and characterize auditory processing deficits among adults with a history of TBI. Two groups were recruited: adults with a history of TBI and a control group. Binaural processing was measured with: 1) the Revised Speech Perception in Noise test measured in soundfield; 2) dichotic word recognition without and with low-pass filtering measured in the free recall and directed recall conditions; 3) the 500-Hz masking level difference; and 4) the Listening in Spatialized Noise Sentences Test. Results suggest that individuals with a history of TBI have lower than normal binaural performance.
Buildup of contextual plasticity in sound localization
Authors: Kopco Norbert , Andrejkova Gabriela
Published: November 2016

Contextual plasticity (CP) is a form of plasticity in sound localization induced by preceding stimulation. CP is observed as shifts in responses to a click stimulus when, on interleaved trials, the target click is preceded by an identical distractor click coming from a known location. This study examines temporal properties of CP by analyzing behavioral data from two previous experiments [Kopčo, Best, Shinn-Cunningham (2005), ARO Abstract #965; Tomoriová, Kopčo and Andoga (2010), ARO Abstract #827]. In the experiments, the distractor type (single click, train of 8 clicks, or noise), consistency (distractor type fixed within block vs. varying from trial to trial), and location (frontal vs. lateral) were manipulated. The results show that contextual plasticity buildup duration depends on the distractor location. Also, the buildup was stronger with 8-click distractor than 1-click distractor. When distractor type varied, the context type on immediately preceding trial influenced performance in the middle of the run, such that trials following an 8-click context exhibited shifts up to 5° larger than the trials following a 1-click context. No such bi-stable percept was observed in other parts of the run. These results show that CP has complex temporal profile on time scales of seconds to minutes. [Work supported by APVV-0452-12.]
Using pupillometry to investigate the better ear advantage
Authors: Kan Alan , Winn Matthew B.
Published: November 2016

The dichotic digit span (DDS) task involves listening to and repeating back strings of different digits that are presented to the right and left ears. Listeners with normal hearing typically show better recall of the digits that are presented to the right ear (called the ear advantage, or EA), for reasons that are not fully understood. Conventional measures of intelligibility are sometimes not sensitive enough to reveal a right EA, making it difficult to explore potential explanations for the effect (e.g., whether it is driven by attention or anatomical differences, etc.). In this study, we used pupillometry to investigate the EA because it has been shown to be able to detect subtle differences in speech processing (or listening effort) in cases that are not well distinguished by intelligibility scores. Pupillary responses to various conditions of the DDS test were measured in a group of people with no suspected hearing loss to establish baseline data. Results were at times variable within listeners, which opposes a strict anatomical basis for the EA. Interestingly, the responses showed a sustained period of effort after the end of the stimuli, suggesting the EA could involve working memory rather than the perceptual auditory system alone.
Behavioral and neural sensitivity to changes in large interaural level differences: Implications for sound localization
Authors: Brown Andrew D. , Benichoux Victor , Jones Heath G. , Tollin Daniel J.
Published: November 2016

Sound localization acuity depends on source azimuth: minimum audible angles (MAAs) are smallest for sources near the frontal midline. The azimuthal dependence of MAAs can be partially accounted for by the decreasing rate of change in the acoustic cues to sound location (interaural time and level differences [ITDs and ILDs]) with increasing azimuth. Previous work has shown that changes in low-frequency MAAs across azimuth are well-accounted for by changes in physical ITD alone. Here we consider whether acoustical constraints are sufficient to account for the azimuthal dependence of MAAs for high-frequency tones, which are localized on the basis of ILDs. Psychophysical data were obtained from human subjects tested in two different headphone ILD tasks (discrimination and lateralization) and compared to previously published measurements of psychophysical MAAs and acoustical ILDs across azimuth. We conclude that acoustic factors alone are not sufficient to account for the azimuthal dependence of high-frequency MAAs: rather, the increase in MAAs for off-midline positions arises from a combination of reduced ILD information and reduced precision of behavioral ILD sensitivity at large reference ILDs. Further, we show that this psychophysical effect is consistent with the responses of ILD-sensitive neurons, which tend to be weakly modulated at large ILDs.
Minimal local signal-to-noise ratio for glimpsing
Authors: Apoux Frederic , Carter Brittney L. , Healy Eric W.
Published: November 2016

Glimpsing models assert that speech recognition in noise relies on the ability to detect and combine time-frequency (T-F) units with “usable” speech information. A factor typically used to determine the usability of a unit is the local signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Determining the SNR below which a unit stops contributing to overall intelligibility, however, is challenging and most approaches have consisted of varying the local SNR criterion. Here we implemented a new approach in which all the units exhibited the same local SNR. In order to prevent glimpsing within a T-F unit, their time and frequency span was lower than the subjects’ resolution. Stimuli were created by mixing two sentences at a given overall SNR and retaining only those units with the desired local SNR. This procedure was iterated at various overall SNRs with the same two sentences until we were able to reconstruct 50% of the mixture with only T-F units at the desired local SNR. Sentence recognition was measured for mixtures with a variable (VAR) or constant (CON) local SNR. Our results showed a systematic drop in performance in CON of up to 40% points. More importantly, they suggest a limited contribution of T-F units below -3 dB.
Comparing speaking fundamental frequency in bilingual and L2-accented speech
Authors: Jung Ye-Jee , Lim Soo Bin , Lee Goun , Rhee Seok-Chae
Published: November 2016

This study investigates how speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) represents linguistic communities (Korean vs. English) between bilingual and monolingual speakers, and whether speech mode influences SFF. Twelve Korean-English sequential bilingual speakers (6 males, mean age = 26, SD = 4) and twelve Korean L2 learners of English (6 males, mean age = 26, SD = 3) participated in this study. In the controlled speech mode, subjects were recoded producing 22 declarative sentences as well as a short fable; in the spontaneous speech mode, subjects were asked to elaborate on well-known tales. Mean F0 and F0 range were measured for each sentence. The findings established a significant cross-linguistic difference in mean F0, with higher F0 in Korean than in English. We also found that the F0 range is influenced by speech mode, with lower mean F0 and greater F0 range in spontaneous mode. Interestingly, the F0 range differences between the two speech modes were greater in Korean than in English productions only for bilingual speakers. Regarding the L2 effect, inconsistently with the previous findings (Zimmer et al., 2016) we did not find a compressed F0 range in L2. These findings confirm that pitch profile can characterize language identity and demonstrate the effect of speech mode on bilingualism.
Speech-on-speech recognition in children and adults: Effect of whispered speech
Authors: Miller Margaret K. , Leibold Lori J. , Calandruccio Lauren , Buss Emily
Published: November 2016

The harmonic structure of speech appears to provide adults with a robust auditory grouping cue, improving speech-on-speech recognition performance. This study evaluated the effect of harmonicity on speech-on-speech recognition in normal-hearing children (5-7 yrs) and adults (19-35 yrs). Masked word recognition was evaluated using a 3AFC procedure with a picture-pointing response. Targets were one-syllable words that lent themselves to illustration, and maskers were samples of two-talker speech. All stimuli were recorded by female talkers in two styles: whispered and natural. Thresholds corresponding to 70.7% correct word recognition were estimated adaptively by adjusting SNR while holding the overall level of the signal-plus-masker at 60 dB SPL throughout testing. Performance was evaluated for whispered target words presented in a whispered two-talker masker and for naturally produced target words presented in a naturally produced two-talker masker. Consistent with previous reports, adults required a more advantageous SNR to achieve criterion performance using whispered compared with natural speech. Children performed more poorly than adults in all conditions, and tended to show a smaller effect of speaking style than adults. These results suggest that children may be less adept than adults at using the harmonic structure of speech to segregate simultaneously presented voices.
Testing a computational model for detection of “real-world” sounds
Authors: Hoglund Evelyn M. , Klyn Niall A. , Lerud Karl , Oh Yonghee , Large Edward , Feth Lawrence L.
Published: November 2016

Hoglund (et al., 2010) reported the ability of listeners to detect a recorded signal masked by nine different ambient sounds. Signals were selected from 410 recordings of two different helicopters; maskers were selected from nine outdoor field recordings from three different locations. Signal and masker levels were randomized from trial to trial in a 2I,2AFC adaptive procedure to produce psychometric functions. Signal-to-masker ratios (SNR) ranged from -22 to -4 dBA for 70% correct detections. The Hoglund et al. results were used to tune a network of non-linear oscillators to optimize its performance. To evaluate the model, recordings of three fixed-wing aircraft were obtained for use as signals in the same nine environmental backgrounds. Signal and masker recordings were pre-processed to ensure that overall RMS voltage measures reflected the sound pressure level measured in a flat-plate coupler at the headphone used by the listeners. Model predictions for complete psychometric functions were obtained before experimental results were available for comparison. This poster presents details of the pre-processing of signals and maskers, and of the adaptive, single-interval procedure used to obtain the SNR for P(C) = 66.5%, 75%, and 87.5% by 16 listeners. Good agreement was found between model predictions and listener performance. [Work supported by a SBIR grant from AFOSR.]
Measurement of tone-burst-evoked oto-acoustic emissions under various band-noise conditions
Authors: Kidani Shunsuke , Unoki Masashi , Miyauchi Ryota
Published: November 2016

Oto-acoustic emission (OAE), which is reflected by the outer hair cells (OHCs) function, varies depending on the presence of noise. Because it is unclear under what noise conditions the OAE varies, this study investigates the amplitude of the OAEs under various noise conditions. Tone-burst-evoked (TBE)-OAEs were measured at probe frequency with/without band noise in which the bandwidth was 4 ERBN. The noise was presented at either high or low frequency side of the probe to study how the frequency area affects the TBE-OAEs. In addition, the difference between the noise and the probe frequency was varied to investigate how the presence of the noise inside or outside 1/4 ERBN from the probe frequency affects the TBE-OAEs. The results indicated that the amplitude of TBE-OAEs decreased when noise was presented to the higher side of the probe frequency and the inside of 1/4 ERBN from the probe frequency. Interestingly, these results suggest that the amplitude of TBE-OAEs was varied when the noise was presented at the frequency area that has many efferent pathways to the OHCs. [Work supported by JSPS KAKENHI (15K13158).]
Development of cartilage conduction receiver available in noisy condition
Authors: Shimokura Ryota , Hosoi Hiroshi , Nishimura Tadashi
Published: November 2016

Sound information is known to travel to the cochlea via either air or bone conduction. However, a vibration signal, delivered to the aural cartilage via a transducer, can also produce a clearly audible sound. This type of conduction has been termed “cartilage conduction.” The aural cartilage forms the outer ear and is distributed around the exterior half of the external auditory canal. In cartilage conduction, the cartilage and transducer play the roles of a diaphragm and voice coil of a loudspeaker, respectively. A benefit of using the cartilage conduction is to be able to amplify the sound in the canal by pushing the transducer on the cartilage more strongly. And when the pushed ear tragus obscures the canal, the sound pressure in the canal reaches a maximum and the environmental noise is blocked at the same time. In our study, participants could catch a speech clearly in this way in different kinds of noise condition (speech noise, road noise, station noise, and cleaner noise in 50, 60, 70, and 80 dB). This benefit can be applied for a smartphone for workers who have to answer the phone no matter what noisy condition they are in.
Real rooms vs. artificial reverberation: An evaluation of actual source audio vs. artificial ambience in the rear height channels of immersive audio systems
Authors: King Richard L. , Leonard Brett , Howie Will
Published: November 2016

Many spatial audio researchers and content producers agree that the best source material for height channels in immersive audio is provided by the capture of actual elevated channels in the room. Particularly for music recording, this technique is preferred as opposed to signal processing, providing a more natural and realistic impression of immersion. While previous work has proven this to be the case in the front channels of various 3D playback systems such as 22.2, the content of the rear height channels has not been specifically evaluated in this respect. Multichannel audio recording, specifically 3D recording, can be a cumbersome task as the channel counts expand—and so the question arises—is it really necessary to capture discrete rear height information? This research compares four height channel capture points are compared to two capture points applied to the front height channels in conjunction with artificial reverberation in the rear channels. A two-part study is employed—the first is a simple ABX test to determine discriminability between the real rooms and the artificially generated version. Part two is a preference test, based on several standard acoustic/perceptual descriptors, revealing the subtle differences between real and artificial rear height channel information.
Externalization of sounds with non-individualized head-related transfer functions and without visual information
Authors: Leclère Thibaud , Lavandier Mathieu , Perreaut Kevin , Perrin Fabien
Published: November 2016

A sound produced by a real source is perceived as “externalized,” i.e., outside the head, meaning that it is part of the sound environment of the listener. Conversely, when listening to sounds over headphones, they are generally perceived as “internalized,” i.e., inside the head. In the framework of a research project dealing with the evaluation of comatose patients using sounds reproduced over headphones, it is aimed to investigate the influence of the realism of auditory stimulation through some degree of externalization. Experiments were conducted with non-patients (normal-hearing, awake) while conserving the constraints related to the clinical evaluation (non-individualized head-related transfer functions and no visual reference). A first experiment investigated sound externalization using four types of signals (pink noise, music, speech, and bottles clinging) convolved with different non-individualized binaural room impulse responses measured at different azimuths in different rooms. Diotic reference sounds were also tested. A second experiment investigated the influence of direct-to-reverberant ratio and interaural differences by varying these parameters artificially. The results indicated that externalization was affected by both binaural information and reverberation, suggesting the implication of a temporal binaural mechanism. The data were used to seek an acoustical correlate for the degree of non-individualized externalization.
Head-related transfer function range extrapolation and near-field compensated high-order Ambisonics
Authors: Xie Bo-sun
Published: November 2016

Head-related transfer function range extrapolation (HRTF-RE) predicts HRTFs at various source distances from the known HRTFs at a fixed source distance and discrete directional grid. Near-field-compensated higher order Ambisonics (NFC-HOA) recreates virtual source at various distances by using a set of loudspeakers arranged on a spherical surface with fixed radius. HRTF-RE and NFC-HOA seem to be two different fields and were studied individually in previous works. The present work analyzes the relationship between HRTF-RE and NFC-HOA. Based on the spherical harmonics-Bessel expansion of sound field, it is proved that HRTF-RE and NFC-HOA are mathematically equivalent and therefore share some common characters and limitations. Based on the equivalence, the interchanging some of the methods used by the two fields is discussed. [This work was supported by the Guangzhou Science and Technology Plan Projects under No. 2014Y2-00021.]
Subjective attributes of realistic sound fields: What makes acoustic environments complex?
Authors: Weisser Adam , Buchholz Jorg M.
Published: November 2016

Real-life acoustic environments are commonly considered to be complex, because they contain multiple sound sources in different locations, room reverberation, and movement—all at continuously varying levels. In comparison, most laboratory-generated sound fields in hearing research are much simpler. However, the continuum between simple and complex fields is likely to be a function of multiple instrumental as well as perceptual factors. Although most of the applied knowledge has been gathered about simple, controlled, and synthetic acoustic environments, inferring listeners’ performance and perception from that to realistic scenarios is non-trivial. In order to clarify some of these relationships, subjective responses to twelve virtualized acoustic environments were examined using exploratory questionnaires with both descriptive and rating questions. These were specifically designed for the purpose of identifying attributes that may correlate with perceived acoustic complexity. Environments were recorded and processed using higher-order ambisonics, and reproduced in a 41-loudspeaker array in an anechoic chamber. Eleven environments spanned from a quiet library to a loud food court and diffuse noise was used as a control environment. Attributes included questions about busyness, variability, reverberance, annoyance, and others. The results enable us to break down the perceived complexity to its constituent factors.
Control of a sound image to the rearward direction using band-stop filters and laterally located loudspeakers
Authors: Hasegawa Tomomi , Oode Satoshi , Ono Kazuho , Iida Kazuhiro
Published: November 2016

The ability to control the sound image to the rearward direction using front or lateral loudspeakers is an important step to popularize multichannel 3D audio systems in the home environment. Rear “directional bands” were found for narrow-band signals which are perceived only in the rearward direction, but any kind of directional bands for wide-band signals, which are perceived only in the rearward direction, have not been reported. It is known that spectral notches in head-related transfer functions are important cues for a sound image localization in the median plane. In the present study, the possibility of sound image control to the rearward direction was investigated using wide-band noise of which frequency components adjacent to the rear directional bands were eliminated. A total of 56 kinds of band-stop filters were used to eliminate one to the ten consecutive 1/3-octave bands with center frequencies of 1.6 to 12.5 kHz. In-phase stimuli were emitted from a pair of loudspeakers located at azimuth angles of ±90° in an anechoic room. The results showed that the probability of perceiving a sound image to be in the rearward direction was 95% when consecutive frequency bands, which were customized to individual subject, were eliminated.
INCE/J Vibration Measurement Manual for Buildings—Part 5: Mounting method for vibration pick-up on ground-borne vibration measurements
Authors: Yamamoto Kozo , Oishi Chikara , Hirao Yoshihiro
Published: November 2016

In order to avoid the negative effect of contact resonance caused by the vibration system consisting of the vibration damping spring (ground surface) and the mass (vibration pick-up) in ground-borne vibration measurements, the vibration pick-up is put on the hard ground surface. However, when it must measure on the soft ground, after removing dry soil and grass, it is necessary to fully tread on the ground surface. In addition, the mounting method using the vibration pick-up stand with quad-peg is recommended in “The Vibration Measurement Manual for Buildings” proposed by the Technical Subcommittee of Environmental Vibration Evaluation of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering of Japan. We verified that new single-peg type vibration pick-up stand was a practical and useful tool via comparison with quad-peg type vibration pick-up stand. Moreover, we verified that the suitable hardness treading on the ground surface was acquired from the support strength of ground surface.
Predicting and explaining second language speech through individual differences: Insights from testing and extending the Second Language Linguistic Perception model
Authors: Escudero Paola
Published: November 2016

In this talk, I will present five studies aimed at demonstrating that individual native production and perception abilities predict and explain success in L2 sound perception and word recognition. These studies tested and extended the theoretical and computational framework of the Second Language Linguistic Perception (L2LP) model was tested and extended. The model’s main claim states that accurate predictions for L2 success should be based on individual learners’ native production and perception as well as their responsiveness to rapid perception training. In Study 1, we show how differences in how listeners produce native vowel sounds are predictive of their discrimination accuracy when perceiving L2 vowel contrasts. The predictive power of individual native and L2 vowel perception on the learning of novel L2 words are reported in Studies 2 and 3. Study 4 shows that distributional training, based on the frequency distributions of difficult non-native contrasts, leads to short and long term improvement of difficult non-native contrasts and whether this improvement generalizes the contrasts produced in different contexts and by multiples speakers. Finally, Study 5 tests whether the perception training in Study 4 has short and long term impact on the L2 word learning. A discussion of the findings and their implications for the L2LP proposal and that of other models of L2 speech will be presented.
Perception of American English alveolar stops and flaps by Japanese learners of English: Does allophonic variation matter?
Authors: Kitahara Mafuyu , Tajima Keiichi , Yoneyama Kiyoko
Published: November 2016

A lexical decision experiment was conducted with Japanese learners of English with relatively low English proficiency to investigate whether second-language (L2) learners utilize allophonic variation when recognizing words in L2. The stimuli consisted of 36 isolated bisyllabic words containing word-medial /t/, half of which were flap-favored words (e.g., better, city) and the other half were [t]-favored words (e.g., faster, custom). All stimuli were recorded with two surface forms: /t/ as a flap (e.g., better with a flap) or as [t] (e.g., better with [t]). The stimuli were counterbalanced in the lists using a Latin Square design, so that participants only heard one of the two surface forms. The accuracy data indicated that flap-favored words pronounced with a flap (e.g, city with a flap) were recognized significantly less accurately than [t]-favored words with a flap (e.g., faster with a flap) and [t]-favored words with [t] (e.g., faster with [t]). These results suggest that Japanese learners prefer canonical forms over allophonic variants, a result which is inconsistent with Pitt et al.’s (2011) study with native American English listeners. The results’ implications for the role of allophonic variation in L2 learning will be discussed. [Work supported by JSPS KAKENHI 26370508, 15K02492, and 16K02646.]
Goodness evaluation by L1 Spanish speakers of various allophones, made by human and by vocal tract models, of the Spanish phonemes /l/ and /r/
Authors: Kimura Takuya , Arai Takayuki
Published: November 2016

The present study reports the results of two perceptive experiments, in which L1 speakers of Peninsular Spanish were asked to listen to a series of sound stimuli and to evaluate the goodness of each stimulus as a realization of Spanish consonant /l/ or /r/. The stimuli were made of natural human voice in the first experiment, and with a set of vocal tract models in the second experiment. The results were similar for the two experiments. The lateral approximant stimuli were highly evaluated as allophones of /l/. Some lateral approximant stimuli were longer than others, but the duration difference caused little effect on the evaluation. The flap stimuli obtained low scores as /l/. Conversely, for the phoneme /r/, only the flap stimuli acquired high evaluations, while all the lateral approximant stimuli obtained extremely low scores. The retroflex approximant stimuli, similar to English /r/, obtained low evaluations for both /l/ and /r/ in the first experiment using a human voice, while they were evaluated slightly higher as /l/ than as /r/ in the second experiment using the vocal tract models. These results are expected to provide L2 Spanish learners with useful knowledge in their pronunciation learning.
Consolidation during sleep stabilizes non-native speech sound learning
Authors: Myers Emily
Published: November 2016

Learning to perceive non-native speech sound categories is a challenge for many adult listeners. Even after successful learning, individuals vary in the degree to which they can successfully retain and consolidate learned perceptual categories in memory. In this talk, I describe a recent line of work from our lab showing that sleep plays a greater role in perceptual learning of non-native speech sounds than previously supposed. Specifically, we find that consolidation processes during overnight sleep protect learned phonetic information from interference from similar sounds from one's native language. I will discuss the potential sources of native language interference by reviewing a series of studies that test the low-level acoustic and abstract phonological contributions to interference. Finally, overnight gains in performance can be specifically linked to the duration and quality of sleep, suggesting a key role for sleep, per se, in the retention of non-native speech categories over multiple sessions. Taken together, this line of research suggests that individual variability in non-native speech sound learning may in part be linked to individual differences in sleep behavior and differences in the degree of pre-sleep exposure to competing native-language phonetic contrasts.
A personal history of Doppler sonar development at the Marine Physical Laboratory, SIO
Authors: Pinkel Rob
Published: November 2016

In the early 1970s, the possibility of remotely measuring oceanic and atmospheric flows was becoming appreciated. By then, techniques for information extraction from sets of discrete targets were well advanced. Inferring fluid motion from the echo off a random cloud of independent scatterers was a different issue, as illustrated by the abject failure of contemporary matched-filter technology. Conceptual as well as hardware challenges were addressed over time, leading to the variety of Doppler sonars and sodars available commercially today. In this talk, I focus on systems developed at the Marine Physical Laboratory of Scripps over the past 42 years. Both pulse-to-pulse coherent and incoherent backscatter systems are reviewed with an emphasis on real-world problems encountered. Presently, under-exploited techniques based on sea-surface scattering or bi-static geometries are discussed. While many quality Doppler sonar manufacturers are now active, a large gap exists between what is technically possible and what is commercially available. The continuing vitality of university-based development groups that create scientifically significant (but not necessarily commercially profitable) systems is critical to advancing the state of the art.
Testing the feasibility of a concurrent comparison of continuous and pulsed active sonar
Authors: Murphy Stefan M. , Coffin Matthew , Hines Paul C. , McCammon Diana F.
Published: November 2016

The performance of continuous active sonar (CAS) was compared to conventional pulsed active sonar (PAS) during the TREX13 (Target and Reverberation Experiment 2013) sea trial. The approach was to execute a one-hour CAS run followed closely by a one-hour PAS run to limit the environmental variability between runs and allow a fair comparison. This approach was possible because the sonar source and receiver were fixed to the seabed. A different approach was required for a more recent sea trial, LCAS15 (Littoral Continuous Active Sonar 2015), where the source and receiver were towed from a ship. Ship motion increases variability in sonar performance, therefore a simultaneous comparison of CAS and PAS was desired so that any motion effects were the same for both waveforms. The approach of transmitting CAS and PAS concurrently in two separate frequency bands was taken. The risk with this approach is that potential differences in propagation in the two bands could bias the comparison. A run in which equivalent CAS waveforms were transmitted simultaneously in the two bands was therefore performed to establish a baseline for the performance difference between the bands. Doppler-corrected replicas were required in all of the correlation processing due to the high Doppler sensitivity of the long-duration, wideband CAS waveforms. Preliminary results from the LCAS15 sea trial will be presented.
High resolution systems: The resolution argument
Authors: Pailhas Yan , Petillot Yvan
Published: November 2016

Resolution comes from the Latin word resolvo, which literally means “untie a knot.” The meaning evolved, in optics, toward the capability to distinguish two scattering points. For the MCM (Mine Counter Measure) problem, the introduction of synthetic aperture systems, and the resulting drastic increase in resolution, has been a game changer, as the useful information shifts from shadows to highlights. If SAS resolution has been well studied, new SAS reacquisition patterns have emerged, in particular circular acquisitions known as CSAS. In this talk, we will derive the theoretical resolution of such systems based on a PSF (point spread function) energy leakage interpretation rather than the traditional Rayleigh resolution criteria. We will compare the CSAS resolution capability with the newly developed MIMO paradigm. The statistical framework of MIMO systems greatly differs from the deterministic approach of synthetic aperture systems, and offers certain advantages in term of resolution. All these coherent systems approach the imaging problem without any priors, other than the presence of scatterers. Going back to the original meaning of resolvo however, we will show that, by introducing priors such as target shape, wideband sonars shift the analysis into the phase domain and are able to outperform imagery.
Eigenray complexity in harbor environments
Authors: Keenan Ruth E.
Published: November 2016

Acoustic eigenray complexity patterns will be demonstrated in a simulated harbor environment. Using bistatic surface and bottom scattering strength models, reverberation levels will be estimated for the same environmental parameterization. Eigenrays are the basis of any acoustic simulation, especially an active acoustics simulation, that requires high fidelity arrival time and arrival angle information. The sensitivity of cross harbor acoustic links, ranges 1 to 5 km, will be examined for their response to fresh water intrusions (as evidenced by sharp temperature and salinity changes due to river outflow and rain events) as well as the diurnal surface heating and wind effects. The optimal acoustic frequency will be examined for its’ sensitivity to the temperature and salinity changes which can significantly influence the volume attenuation. Harbors are typically very shallow water environments and the effect of the tidal cycle on the propagation will be examined as well. The spatial bathymetry and sediment composition variability over the acoustic links will also be examined.
Building a practical model for acoustic harbor surveillance
Authors: Dall'Osto David R. , Thorsos Eric I. , Tang D. J.
Published: November 2016

The ability to simulate acoustic field in very shallow and confined environments is essential for both design and for successful operation of harbor protection sonar systems. In order to predict the acoustic field, which includes scattering from targets and the environment, a model has been developed to simulate active sonar operations. This paper uses this model to investigate the effects of environmental features common to most harbors, including sloped bathymetry from dredged areas, a variable sound-speed profile, and the effect of tides. These features are discussed in terms of their effect on detection of targets of interest, and the model is used to predict the best remedy for the adverse features. Guidelines for adequate planning of a harbor security sonar system are provided in response to specific harbor features. These include what sonar signals, beam-patterns, and multi-static deployment geometry will provide optimal detection.
Bioacoustics of fishes (and invertebrates) in harbors
Authors: Popper Arthur N.
Published: November 2016

Harbors can be noisy places. While some sounds are natural, there is often a cacophony of transient and continuous man-made sound from boating, shipping, construction, bridge traffic, near-by roadways, tunnels, etc. The question is whether these sounds potentially interfere with the behavior of resident and transient fish and invertebrate populations. The greatest effect may result from acoustic masking which would shorten the distances over which animals can communicate and detect sounds of biological importance such as from potential predators and prey. In order to understand potential effects of man-made sounds on harbor animals, much needs to be known about such sounds. However, the nature and extent of man-made sound has rarely been measured in harbors. Even when studied, focus has often been either on frequencies outside of the hearing range of the fishes and invertebrates and/or done for very short time periods so that a real sample of the daily and seasonal cycle of sounds is not examined. Finally, studies are usually limited to sound pressure, whereas most fishes and invertebrate primarily detect particle motion. This paper will discuss the man-made sounds of harbors and relate these to potential effects on the aquatic inhabitants.