bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategies for preprocessing speech to enhance neural model efficiency in speech-to-text applications
Authors: Czyzewski Andrzej
Published: January 2025

A comprehensive study on the impact of advanced speech preprocessing strategies on the performance of speech-to-text models is presented. Our approach incorporates noise augmentation, speech rate descreasing, and anonymization to create a more robust training dataset. Additionally, we utilized voice cloning techniques to generate thousands of supplementary recordings, significantly expanding our dataset. These preprocessing strategies aim to improve the accuracy and efficiency of speech recognition systems. Our experiments demonstrate a notable reduction in Word Error Rate (WER) by an average of 3.5% and Character Error Rate (CER) by 4.5%. These results indicate that the applied preprocessing methods effectively enhance the model ability to generalize across diverse and challenging speech inputs. We provide insights into the preprocessing techniques, their implementation, and the subsequent impact on model performance, offering valuable guidance for future advancements in speech-to-text technologies. [The Polish National Center for Research and Development (NCBR) supported the project “ADMEDVOICE” (INFOSTRATEG4/0003/2022), focusing on voice processing applications in the healthcare sector.]
Nonlinear classification and regression in underwater sonar applications using convex-complex neural networks
Authors: Christensen Andrew J. , Sen Gupta Ananya , Kirsteins Ivars
Published: January 2025

Recently, the sonar signal processing community has seen increased interest in neural networks for nonlinear classification and regression. While innovative neural network architectures have achieved remarkable results in other fields such as computer vision and natural language processing, their application to sonar data presents challenges. The multiple nonlinearities in these networks make it difficult to interpret results. Recent works such as Grad-CAM and Layer-wise Relevance Propagation attempt to empirically visualize what features are being selected by the network, but there has been little theoretical work to explain why neural networks perform so well. However, recent work by Pilanci et al. has shown that two-layer neural networks with a ReLU activation function can be reformulated as a convex optimization that can be solved optimally in polynomial time. Their results rely on the observation that ReLU neural networks are piece-wise linear models that lift the original data into a higher dimensional feature space. Using a valid activation function, we show that this Convex Neural Network framework can be extended to applications where the input data is complex-valued. We evaluate our algorithm on simulated sonar data. [This talk will present research funded by DoD Navy (NEEC) Grant number N001742010016 and the ONR grant numbers N000142112420 and N000142312503.]
Achieving LEED acoustics credits: Three project case studies
Authors: Thede Josh
Published: January 2025

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a widely recognized green building standard. This presentation will highlight three completed LEED buildings that successfully earned acoustics credits or prerequisites as part of their certification. Each project will discuss the strategies, solutions, and documentation provided to meet the acoustics requirements. Discussion includes an overview of various LEED scorecards including building design and construction (BD+C), interior design and construction (ID+C), LEED for schools, and LEED for Healthcare. Acoustics requirements from previous LEED versions v3 and v4.1 will be summarized. Future trends and the proposed LEEDv5 changes will be discussed. Together we’ll explore the relationship between acoustics and sustainability and ponder the appropriate noise control and acoustics requirements for high performance green buildings.
Ultrasound-responsive collagen scaffolds for tissue engineering
Authors: Lucian Veronica , Lyons Brian , Gray Michael , Coussios Constantin , Nair Malavika
Published: January 2025

Homogeneous nutrient distribution throughout three-dimensional (3-D) scaffolds remains a key challenge in tissue engineering. The buildup of cells on scaffold edges and rapid nutrient uptake along the periphery often cause large regions of the centre to be left unoccupied by cells. Microstreaming associated with acoustic cavitation has been exploited to enhance mass transport in oncological drug delivery and transdermal vaccination, making it an attractive mechanism for promoting nutrient and oxygen distribution in tissue engineering scaffolds. In this work, we seek to use protein cavitation nuclei to synthesize ultrasound-responsive collagen scaffolds. Cavitation nuclei were embedded into the scaffold during fabrication and then exposed to 0.5 MHz focused ultrasound at peak negative pressures ranging from 0.5 to 2.7 MPa to induce inertial cavitation. Acoustic data was collected using passive cavitation detection (PCD) and post processed to isolate harmonics and broadband emissions. We compare the benefits and disadvantages of including cavitation nuclei in the scaffold fabrication process versus adding them to surrounding media during ultrasound exposure, discussing potential use of embedded protein nuclei to induce cell migration and differentiation. Additionally, we examine the effects of cavitation, exposure time, and peak negative pressure on the microstructure of collagen scaffolds, namely, pore size, interconnectivity, and percolation diameter.
Evaluation of nonlinear imaging strategies for histotripsy monitoring
Authors: Shekhar Himanshu , Trivedi Vishwas , Wallach Emily , Flores Basterrechea Katia , Bader Kenneth B.
Published: January 2025

Real-time monitoring is necessary for histotripsy to ensure accurate targeting of tumors. Delineating the bubble cloud can be challenging when the tumors are deep-seated. In this talk, I will discuss collaborative work on harnessing nonlinear signal processing to visualize the histotripsy-induced bubble cloud. Specifically, we employed chirp-coded excitation, Volterra filtering, and the subharmonic component of the scattered signal to visualize the bubble cloud relative to the background. Histotripsy exposures were performed on agarose and red-blood cell-doped phantoms. The bubble cloud was visualized at ultrafast frame rates and tracked over time. Our results showed the ability of the nonlinear imaging approach to improve bubble cloud visualization relative to the background. Further, the detected cloud sizes were consistent with the treatment zone. These findings could enable the use of histotripsy for patients where the bubble cloud is not clearly visible in standard B-mode ultrasound images.
Distributed acoustical meshes on the Internet
Authors: Chafe Chris
Published: January 2025

An acoustical mesh distributed over the Internet is constructed of scattering junction nodes with bidirectional audio streaming between them. Components of common network music performance (NMP) applications like JackTrip can be adapted for experimentation with the concept. In the usual context of ensemble NMP, an audio hub server accepts bidirectional audio connections from multiple clients. The clients are located apart from each other physically and the hub server handles audio to and from the ensemble of sites, typically comprising a band or choir. The usual spoke and wheel topology (single hub server/mulitple hub clients) requires some modifications to run as a mesh of interconnected scattering juntions. The resulting waveguide mesh topology is explored for its properties, some of which resemble extensions of waveguide mesh physical model simulations of musical instruments and rooms. The acoustical medium that this creates is a live, vibrating acoustic mesh across Internet space. Unique properties, such as non-uniform distribution of nodes, are described in an experiment that explores analogies to plates and membranes and is characterized by the inherently anisotropic propagation of the network.
Sound travels: Exploring the effects and meanings of sound across variable free-choice learning environments
Authors: Hristov Nickolay , Hayde Donnelley , Meyer Justin Reeves , Kawczinski Kim , Weiss Laura , Levin-Güracar Elise , Heimlich Joe , Shanahan Daniel , Merson Martha
Published: January 2025

Sound Travels is a US-based, federally-funded collaboration between sound researchers, learning researchers, and educational practitioners working to understand the role of soundscapes on free-choice, out-of-school learning experiences. In this paper, members of our research team describe how we have combined approaches from acoustic ecology and visitor studies to navigate the affordances and challenges of studying sound across several complex leisure settings (a science museum, a botanic garden, a park, and a zoo). As an exploratory and transdisciplinary project, our initial work has involved significant deliberation about how to meaningfully and effectively gather data in highly variable acoustic environments, as well as what types and characteristics of sound data are most salient to understanding visitors’ experiences of sound. In addition to grappling with these technical questions, we have also worked to ensure that our research does not detract from positive visitor experiences in these spaces and that it directly engages perspectives from practitioners and visitors about cognition, affect, and culture. We will describe the logic of the methods we have used to date (stationary ambient recordings, a post-experience visitor questionnaire, and a “sound search” in which visitors record video clips), as well as our plans for further study.
Relating self-reported auditory difficulties, suprathreshold auditory processing, and cognition after brain injury
Authors: Koerner Tess K. , Gallun Frederick J.
Published: January 2025

The Portable Automated Rapid Testing (PART) app increases access to psychophysical tasks that are not typically available outside of specialized laboratory settings. PART contains a wide array of suprathreshold auditory and cognitive processing measures that can be completed in a short amount of time, making it attractive to audiologists who are interested in clinically assessing different aspects of auditory function. This may be particularly useful for testing normal-hearing patients with auditory complaints that are not well predicted by standard audiometric tests, such as those with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). To begin exploring this possibility, this study aimed to identify whether performance on a battery of PART tests is predictive of auditory complaints in participants with (n = 27) and without (n = 28) a history of mTBI. Regression modeling was used to determine relationships between self-reported auditory difficulties and performance on measures of spectrotemporal modulation detection, frequency modulation detection, spatial release from masking, as well as memory and attention. Findings contribute to our understanding of the effects of mTBI on auditory processing. The importance of integrating remote testing platforms into research on understudied patient populations and of interdisciplinary collaboration with clinicians will also be discussed.
Tongue shape variations in laughter and speech: Exploring movement patterns
Authors: Choi Da Yeon , Loganathan Ragul , Wong Victor , Islam Jahurul , Gick Bryan
Published: January 2025

Laughter is a common non-verbal communicative function of the vocal tract [Krepsz et al., 2024, CognitiveProcessing, 25(1)]. Previous studies using real-time magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI) of the vocal tract found spontaneous (natural) laughter to be less speech-like compared to volitional (induced) laughter [Belyk & McGettigan, 2022, Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. B, 377(1863)]. Expanding on prior research on laughter production [Belyk & McGettigan, 2022] and ultrasound imaging comparing the production of spoken vowels to trombone notes [Heyne & Derrick, 2019, Frontiers in Psych., 10(2597)], the present study employs ultrasound imaging to analyze tongue shape variations between spontaneous and induced laughter, to ascertain whether laughter draws on the speech movement inventory. Video stimuli were presented to elicit spontaneous laughter, and vowels [i, ɪ, e, ɛ, æ, ʌ, ə, ʊ, u, o, ɔ, ɑ] were produced to compare articulatory postures. Acoustic analyses using Praat [Boersma & Weenink, 2024] and ultrasound data will be presented comparing spontaneous vs. natural laughter and their similarity to vowels in the speech inventory. Induced laughter is predicted to draw on speech-like behaviour, exhibiting similar tongue postures to speech compared to natural laughter. Implications will be discussed regarding similarities and differences in tongue positioning between spontaneous, volitional laughter, and speech.
Within speaker rate variability limits habitual speech rate tracking
Authors: Kapp Sarah , Severijnen Giulio , Hanulikova Adriana , Bosker Hans Rutger
Published: January 2025

Listeners track the habitual speech rate of talkers and use this information to resolve temporal ambiguities in vowels by normalizing vowel length for the surrounding speech rate. Previous studies supporting this effect have also shown that the habitual rate of one talker is perceived relative to the habitual rate of another talker. These studies mainly involved speakers with constant habitual rates. However, given the large within-speaker variability in speech rate, it remains unclear whether this mechanism is applicable in natural conversation. This study, therefore, assessed the influence of within-speaker rate variability of one talker on the perception of the Dutch vowel contrast /ɑ/–/a:/ in a second talker. 38 Dutch speakers heard two talkers speaking at different rates. Half of the participants heard Talker A speak at a normal rate and Talker B at a fast rate intermixed with normal rate trials. The other half heard the same Talker A but Talker B at a slow rate and normal rate. Contrary to previous studies, we did not find that Talker B's rate affected perception of Talker A's ambiguous vowels. Therefore, habitual rate tracking seems to be hindered by within-speaker variability in speech rate.
Localizing North Atlantic Right Whales using a deformable sonobuoy grid
Authors: Thebeau Kamden P. , Barclay David R. , Binder Carolyn
Published: January 2025

In 2018, a large-scale data collection effort was conducted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a known feeding ground for North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW), over two days. On each day, visual surveys were conducted, 32 sonobuoys were deployed to gather directional acoustic time series, and a Slocum glider operated in the area to collect oceanographic data. Following the collection phase, the acoustic data were manually annotated with a focus on NARW vocalizations. This project uses the multi-modal dataset to test and compare the results of three localization algorithms for NARW calls. The first method of localization used the directionality of the calls, where probability density maps were created by overlapping the bearing statistics across each of the relevant sonobuoys, commonly referred to as cross-fixing. To improve the bearing distributions, the signals were isolated with thresholding after using a conditional whitener and power-law statistic on its short-time Fourier transform. In the next approach, localization was performed using a spherical interpolation method to initialize a maximum likelihood time-difference-of-arrival algorithm. Finally, matched-field processing was used to model replica fields at potential source locations and correlate the replicas with the received pressure on the hydrophones.
Honing data and calculations with scrutiny, judgment, and experience
Authors: Hoover K. Anthony
Published: January 2025

Noise control evaluations should involve more than simply inputting received data into an algorithm. If the data looks suspect, it deserves further review. Each element in the system might deserve some judgment about how it fits into a calculation scheme. There are usually several possible approaches to evaluate a particular system. Various added concerns, such as pressure drops, and space limitations, need to be considered. Scrutiny, judgment, and experience tend to enhance each other, leading to evaluations that become much more efficient and reliable.
Analysis of methods for converting mechanical equipment manufacturers' sound pressure spectra to sound power spectra
Authors: Zack Spencer , Christian Matthew , Holst Peter
Published: January 2025

To accurately predict mechanical noise levels, obtaining mechanical unit sound power spectra is critical. However, some mechanical equipment manufacturers only publish sound pressure level data. Furthermore, the measurement standards ISO 3745 and JIS 8616, used by many international HVAC equipment providers (e.g., LG, Daikin, Mitsubishi), combine radiated, inlet, and discharge noise into a single dataset. It becomes necessary to determine the sound power level for each path (i.e., discharge, inlet, and radiated) from this single set of sound data. As a result, sound pressure-to-power conversion methods can frequently yield inaccurate results. A more robust calculation procedure is required to increase the precision of the sound pressure to sound power conversion. This study focuses on the methods used to estimate sound power spectra from international HVAC manufacturer-provided sound pressure levels by applying acoustic principles and standards. This presentation discusses the development process of these tools, the theoretical basis of the conversion method, and the validation results.
Welcome to the Bat Lab at Johns Hopkins University!
Authors: Finger Nikita , Drieskens Davi , Moss Cynthia F.
Published: January 2025

Welcome to a virtual tour of the JHU BatLab! Meet the animals at the heart of our research, echolocating bats, and get an inside look into our research on auditory perception, attention, memory, and the processes enabling social interactions, target tracking, and navigation in complex 3D environments. Echolocating bats coordinate sonar signal production with flight maneuvers in response to dynamic echo information and exhibit a rich array of natural sensory-guided behaviors. In this tour, we demonstrate the use of equipment, such as microphone arrays and high-speed video cameras, to quantify and analyze adaptive echolocation behaviors and 3D flight kinematics in two bat species, the insectivorous big brown bat and the Egyptian fruit bat. These species differ in their natural behaviors and modes of echolocation. Egyptian fruit bats navigate long distances to their foraging sites and use tongue-click echolocation, along with vision, to find food and travel to roosts. Big brown bats typically forage close to their roosting sites and use echoes from sonar vocalizations to find small insect prey in the dark. Join us to explore bat’s use of echolocation and gain a deeper appreciation for the research that unlocks the secrets of these remarkable creatures and their sensory-guided behaviors.
Bioacoustic studies of amphibious mammals at the Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory
Authors: Aldana Seri , Jagait Kiran , Jackson Hannah , Packard Noah , Jones Ryan A. , Ruscher Brandi , Casey Caroline , Sills Jillian M. , Reichmuth Colleen
Published: January 2025

The Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory at the University of California Santa Cruz is a unique facility dedicated to exploring the acoustic biology of amphibious marine mammals. For over 40 years, our laboratory has combined psychoacoustic and bioacoustic approaches to study marine mammal sound reception and production. Through collaboration with colleagues and facilities around the world, we have used behavioral methods to evaluate hearing and masking profiles for seals, sea lions, walruses, and sea otters. We also work to understand vocal behavior in the lab and field by classifying the acoustic repertoires of pinnipeds, describing temporal patterns of call production, and documenting the behavioral contexts in which calls are produced. Our work demonstrates how these acoustically reliant species are able to overcome the conflicting sensory demands that are inherent to their amphibious lifestyles. Furthermore, much of our research informs predictions of how noise influences hearing and communication in free-ranging animals and supports efforts to mitigate potentially harmful effects of anthropogenic noise in the marine environment. In tandem with its research objectives, this program plays a crucial role in fostering the careers of young scientists who are involved in every aspect of our work.
Conveyor noise assessment and control
Authors: Antonio Nick , Luong Destinee
Published: January 2025

This paper provides details of conveyor belt noise measurements and assessment of noise, with predicted sound power levels. Conveyor sources include motors, belts, rollers, hoppers and alarms, and power generation. Conveyors have both point and line sources. The paper also describes control measures to reduce noise impact.
A comparative study of flutes I
Authors: Ramsey Gordon P. , Newton Amanda
Published: January 2025

This is part one of two presentations on the same project. Various types of flutes have been used for centuries and they are popular in many genres of music. We have done a comparative study of six different flute type instruments to determine what factors play a role in their differences in timbre. The effects of flute geometry, type of mouthpiece, body size, and material were considered on how each affected their sounds. The study included an orchestral flute, a piccolo, two Native American flutes, and two recorders. Measurements were taken at the Loyola acoustics lab and the anechoic chamber at Northwestern. This talk will present theoretical basis for our measurements, including impedance calculations, and will discuss the observations for the individual instruments. The following talk will discuss the comparative study and how our results contribute to selection of the appropriate flute to use in different genres.
Unsupervised detection and classification of fish vocalizations in coral reefs
Authors: Duane Daniel , Kroeger Nicholas , Freeman Simon , Freeman Lauren
Published: January 2025

Typical convolutional neural network detectors for acoustic signals rely on large quantities of labeled data, which can be expensive and time-intensive to generate. Unsupervised neural network architectures allow for the automatic detection and classification of acoustic signals, which may be especially useful for classifying underwater signals that a typical human labeler may not be familiar with. Here, we used a convolutional autoencoder to automatically detect and classify fish vocalizations in a coral reef off the coast of Hawaii Island. A database of more than 2 million spectrogram segments were generated with durations of one second and frequency ranges of 30–700 Hz, corresponding to the timescale and spectrum of a significant portion of fish calls. The autoencoder was successful in recreating the features of input spectrograms, and k-means clustering was applied to the latent feature space of each sample to automatically generate classes. Visual inspection of example spectrograms within each class confirms that the autoencoder was successful in classifying fish calls, including differentiating between separate call types.
Human listening and psychoacoustics skills through Ski-hill Graph Pedagogy Meter Fundamentals explored in music education
Authors: Calilhanna Andrea
Published: January 2025

Acoustics is central to music education, and listening should be ubiquitous in any pedagogical approach. Listening to music and learning meter theory is not always compatible with recent research. This paper provides insight into meter fundamentals education and the usual methods and offers a modern solution, Ski-hill Graph Pedagogy Meter Fundamentals. Cohn's (2020) ski-hill graphs provide students with meter mathematics they need to apply to timing and expression of music to learn the basics of music for performance. The comprehensive contemporary meter theory offers teachers an alternative to meters understood as time signatures, one notated pulse grouped in a measure. Students require meter fundamentals pedagogy based on the sound that supports their developing awareness of the meter. Also, the meter theory requires the capacity for all meters, not just a surface level or one that focuses on Western music and notation. Ski-hill graphs offer valuable contributions to education, and the paper provides details of new ways forward in acoustics for listening in student education.
Frugal infrasound: Low-cost, low-power, low-weight, and low-effort
Authors: Anderson Jacob F. , Johnson Jeffrey B.
Published: January 2025

It is possible to acquire high fidelity array infrasound data at low cost. Recording infrasound economically requires sensors and acquisition systems that are inexpensive to buy or build, and efficient to transport, power, deploy, and maintain. A variety of engineering tools and design practices can help scientists economize on cost and effort from design to data collection. The design and prototyping process is streamlined by clearly defining design priorities and intended applications, selecting user-friendly components, libraries, and platforms, and using free CAD software and low-volume manufacturers for printed circuit boards. Custom enclosures built with 3-D printing and off-the-shelf watertight boxes facilitate production of sensor packages at any production scale. The cost and effort of fieldwork can be reduced by designing for portability (to reduce cost of transport and the number of field assistants needed), ease of use (facilitating use by new field assistants), and low power (to make power systems simpler, more portable, and requiring fewer maintenance visits). We describe how all of these frugal practices were implemented in the Gem infrasound logger and how they helped support new infrasound practitioners and applications that would be impractical with other infrasound systems.
Which cross-language acoustic model to choose: Assessing tonality and phonemic inventories effects
Authors: Wu Hongchen , Gu Yixin
Published: January 2025

Cross-language forced alignment techniques, i.e., using a high-resource language acoustic model to automatically align audio files with transcripts for another language, present a promising and feasible approach for expediting the acoustic analysis of low-resource languages (Chodroff, Ahn, and Dolatian 2024). However, the factors influencing the effectiveness of cross-language forced alignment remain underexplored. Mandarin and Japanese share more similarities in phonemic inventories and syllable structures, while Japanese and English are both non-tonal languages. Comparing the alignment results generated by Mandarin and English acoustic models on Japanese audio data can help us explore whether tonality and phonemic inventory similarity have an equal influence on cross-language alignment performance. The present study used 30,975 Japanese audio files from Common Voice datasets as input and Montreal Forced Aligner Mandarin, English, and Japanese acoustic models to generate forced alignment output. In the 1.5 million data points across different comparison pairs, we found that when performing a cross-language alignment on a non-tonal language, a non-tonal language acoustic model is the optimal choice, but a tonal language acoustic model could also work decently if assigning vowels to a falling tone. These findings suggest tone matters in cross-language alignment and offer methodological insights for implementing cross-language alignment in low-resource languages.
Perceptual learning of plain-ejective contrast
Authors: Mahlmann Jack , Kang Yoonjung
Published: January 2025

A recent cross-linguistic study finds that the presence of post-burst silence versus aspiration is a primary cue for ejective-plain stop contrast while VOT plays a minor role (Percival, 2024). This study explores whether English listeners can acquire this release cue after a short exposure and distributional training: “natural correlation” or “inhibition” (Kondaurova and Francis, 2010). Target words were created from Q’anjob’al /tu/ and /t’u/, distinguished by both VOT (short versus high) and release (aspiration versus silence). In the exposure phase, listeners heard stimuli along with pseudo-orthographic forms,  or . In the training phase, listeners categorized stimuli and were given feedback: the “natural correlation” group (n = 31) was trained on the same stimuli as the exposure phase; for the “inhibition” group (n = 29), only the release cue distinguished the stops and VOT varied from short to long for both stops. The pre-test and post-test, completed before and after the training phase, show that the release cue, already a primary cue prior to training for most listeners, especially with longer VOT, became stronger after training. No group difference was found. The novel release cue likely makes ejectives poor exemplars of English stops, therefore, easy to distinguish from plain stops (Best et al. 2001).
Can explainable AI increase trust in seabed predictions from ship noise?
Authors: Neilsen Tracianne B.
Published: January 2025

The recent increase of artificial intelligence (AI) systems has led to several questions, including “Can AI assessments or predictions be trusted?” and “How can people be encouraged to accept AI-based recommendations?” These questions have led to the rise of explainable AI. This short talk presents a scenario in which AI could provide information about the seabed to a sonar operator. In this scenario, received ship noise is input to a deep learning model trained to predict a seabed class. The predicted seabed class is then used to calculate transmission loss (TL) as a function of range. These TL curves from the predicted seabed class are compared to those obtained using the seabed information stored in a database. This comparison could allow the sonar operator to evaluate the applicability of the seabed database for their present location. Adoption of this type of AI tool depends on the attitude of the sonar operator about the AI and its predictions. Ideas are given for how this attitude could be improved by adoption of explainable AI techniques. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research grant #N00014-22-12402.]
On the role of model resolution for the prediction of ocean sound speed variability in submesoscale-rich flows
Authors: Bracco Annalisa
Published: January 2025

I will summarize a body of recent work performed to investigate the role that mesoscale and submesoscale circulations have on the prediction of ocean sound speed. I will use a suite of regional simulations performed at horizontal resolution varying between 500 m and 1 km, with 30 to 200 vertical levels. Regions of interest are the DeSoto Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico, where strong density gradients fuel submesoscale instabilities year around, and the Atlantis II Sea Mount in the North Atlantic, where flow-topographic interactions constrain the dynamics. The simulations partially resolve submesoscale dynamics with different degrees of realism. I will briefly introduce how eddies, fronts, salt fingering, and lee waves can affect circulation and sound propagation at different depths in the water column, and present challenges associated with their representation in ocean models.
Searching for subcortical indications of interaction between dynamic pitch and timbre cues via the frequency-following response
Authors: Anderson Ryan , Shen Yi , Shofner William P.
Published: January 2025

Pitch and timbre cues, specifically the fundamental frequency (F0) and spectral centroid (SC), respectively, interact in listeners’ perception. For example, changes in SC can influence the perceived pitch. F0 and SC appear to interact in the auditory cortex. We investigated whether these cues interact in the auditory brainstem, via frequency-following responses (FFRs). Four dynamic stimuli were constructed with either congruent (both ascending or descending) or incongruent movements of F0 and SC across their 400-ms duration. The nominal values for F0 and SC were 150 and 750 Hz, and the ranges of F0 and SC movements corresponded to 10 times the just noticeable difference. Dynamically varying F0s were encoded faithfully in the FFRs, independent of cue congruency. This suggests a lack of interaction between F0 and SC in FFR. Furthermore, although the two congruent stimuli were time-reverse of each other, the cross-correlation function between FFRs to the two stimuli exhibited temporal asymmetry for some participants. Similar asymmetry was also observed for FFRs to incongruent stimuli. The asymmetry in cross-correlations of FFRs was not observed for the corresponding cross-correlations of the stimuli. This suggests a temporal asymmetry in the stimulus-encoding processes of the subcortical auditory system, which is heterogenous across listeners.
Echoes of impact: Unraveling the sonic boom
Authors: Wangui Toni
Published: January 2025

This study examines the impact of sonic booms on urban communities and architectural structures, specifically focusing on how these intense sound waves interact with buildings. Sonic booms, typically generated by aircraft exceeding the speed of sound, pose potential risks and disturbances to structural integrity and community well-being. To better understand these interactions in detail, this study employs advanced ray tracing methods, a technique used in acoustics to model how sound waves propagate through different environments. A few modifications and additions were made thorough python to the existing ray tracing code that allowed for a more precise simulation of the waves’ behavior when encountering buildings. The study’s findings aim to provide deeper insight into the mitigation strategies that can be employed to protect structures and/or build better aircraft that can minimize sonic boom or better yet produce sonic thump.
The acoustics of voice
Authors: Kreiman Jody
Published: January 2025

Recent decades have seen rapid growth in our understanding of the production and perception of the human voice and of the acoustic features that critically link production and perception in communication. This review describes some of the many acoustic measures of voice (and voice quality) that have been proposed to quantify these features, with attention to major changes over the years in what has been measured and why. Linkages between acoustic measurement systems and voice production and perception will be explored, and the current state of the art will be reviewed.
The added value of radio-acoustic virtual environment
Authors: Ouaknine-Beaulieu Gabriel , Zhang Xinyi , Voix Jeremie , Bouserhal Rachel , Giard Pascal
Published: January 2025

As hearing protection devices (HPDs) also attenuate voice, workers tend to remove them to talk to each other, disabling their protection. Radio-acoustic virtual environment (RAVE) proposes an ideal situation, where workers can communicate in noisy environments while being protected. The voice is recorded with in-ear microphones (IEM), denoised, and transmitted within a certain communication radius determined by the talker's vocal effort. The audio is played at a comfortable level with directionality. Many articles addressed elements necessary for RAVE, such as voice activity detection [N. Lezzoum et al., in IEEE JCE, 2014, pp. 737–744], wearer induce disturbances detection [F. Bonnet et al., in JERGON, 2019, pp. 102862], and communication radius [R. Bouserhal et al., in JSLHR, 2017, pp. 3393–3403]. This pioneering research integrated them and tested a mock-up version of RAVE in live scenarios. In groups of three, twenty-one participants completed manual tasks that required communication. They used RAVE's mock-up and a broadcasting push-to-talk device, with and without noise presence, totaling four scenarios. Participants completed a questionnaire after each scenario, and their speech and motion were recorded. This research contributed with a mock-up version of RAVE with improved signal treatment for real-time purposes. Our results confirm RAVE's added value and illustrates its potential.
Evaluation of two MALDI-TOF MS systems and extraction methods for identification of filamentous fungi recovered from clinical specimens
Authors: Ransom Eric M. , Wallace Meghan A. , Wiederhold Nathan P. , Cañete-Gibas Connie , Burnham Carey-Ann D.
Published: January 2025

Rapid and accurate identification of cultured molds is important to determine clinical significance and therapeutic decision-making. Conventional mold identification uses phenotypic macroscopic and microscopic characterization; however, this can take days or weeks for colony maturity and definitive microscopic structure formation, be limited to genus-level identification, and be misidentified due to morphologic mimics or similarities between closely related species. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI–TOF MS) revolutionized bacterial and yeast identification but remains uncommon for molds in part because of limited reference libraries. Here, a retrospective 5-year review at a large teaching hospital found that 88.6% of identified molds were in the Bruker Filamentous Fungi Library 3.0 and 91.5% in the VITEK Knowledge Base Library 3.2.0. A prospective evaluation was also performed on early growth from 205 consecutive, working clinical isolates. Each mold was processed using the VITEK chemical extraction method and modified NIH chemical plus bead-beating extraction method; both extractions were tested on both systems. When compared to conventional identification, more molds were identified using VITEK extractions over NIH extractions using the VITEK (65 and 59%) and Bruker (56 and 54%) systems, respectively, using the ≥1.5 log Bruker threshold. VITEK MS identified more molds, regardless of the extraction method. Isolates without consensus agreement (
n
= 116) underwent sequence-based identification, which demonstrated that conventional identification had the highest genus-level (84%) but lowest species-level (3%) identification rates compared to VITEK (59 and 52%, respectively) and Bruker (52 and 36%) using VITEK extractions. Taken together, our findings suggest both MALDI-TOF systems can supplement conventional mold identification to optimize identification rates with species-level distinction.

IMPORTANCE

Mold identification using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) remains uncommon in clinical laboratories. Contributing concerns include limited genus/species spectra in the MALDI-TOF MS libraries, varying success rates in the literature regarding extraction methods and instrumentation, and the lack of practical performance evaluations using early mold colony growth, which would be used in a clinical mycology laboratory. This study used multiple approaches to improve our understanding of the clinical utility and performance of MALDI-TOF MS mold identification.
Pulmonary granuloma formation during latent
Cryptococcus neoformans
infection in C3HeB/FeJ mice involves progression through three immunological phases
Authors: Betancourt Jovany J. , Ding Minna , Yoder J. Marina , Mutyaba Issa , Atkins Hannah M. , De la Cruz Gabriela , Meya David B. , Nielsen Kirsten
Published: January 2025

Cryptococcus neoformans
is a fungal pathogen that can cause lethal disease in immunocompromised patients. Immunocompetent host immune responses, such as formation of pulmonary granulomas, control the infection and prevent disseminated disease. Little is known about the immunological conditions establishing the latent infection granuloma in the lungs. To investigate this, we performed an analysis of pulmonary immune cell populations, cytokine changes, and granuloma formation during infection with a latent disease-causing clinical isolate in C3HeB/FeJ mice over 360 days. We found that latently infected mice progress through three phases of granuloma formation where different immune profiles dominate: an early phase characterized by eosinophilia, high IL-4/IL-13, and
C. neoformans
proliferation in the lungs; an intermediate phase characterized by multinucleated giant cell formation, high IL-1α/IFNγ, granuloma expansion, and increased blood antigen levels; and a late phase characterized by a significant expansion of T cells, granuloma condensation, and decreases in lung fungal burden and blood antigen levels. These findings highlight a complex series of immune changes that occur during the establishment of granulomas that control
C. neoformans
in the lungs and lay the foundation for studies to identify critical beneficial immune responses to
Cryptococcus
infections.

IMPORTANCE

Cryptococcus neoformans
is a fungal pathogen that disseminates from the lungs to the brain to cause fatal disease. Latent C.
neoformans
infection in the lungs is controlled by organized collections of immune cells called granulomas. The formation and structure of
Cryptococcus
granulomas are poorly understood due to inconsistent human pathology results and disagreement between necrotic granuloma-forming rat models and non-necrotic granuloma-forming mouse models. To overcome this, we investigated granuloma formation during latent
C. neoformans
infection in the C3HeB/FeJ mouse strain which forms necrotic lung granulomas in response to other pathogens. We found that latent
C. neoformans
granuloma formation progresses through phases that we described as early, intermediate, and late with different immune response profiles and granulomatous characteristics. Ultimately, we show that C3HeB/FeJ mice latently infected with
C. neoformans
form non-necrotic granulomas and could provide a novel mouse model to investigate host immune response profiles.
Complete genome sequence of a novel classical swine fever virus subgenotype 1.1 detected from a live Japanese encephalitis virus vaccine in South Korea
Authors: Jang Guehwan , Lee Changhee
Published: January 2025

A novel classical swine fever virus (CSFV) strain GNU-240601 was identified from a commercial live Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) vaccine. The whole-genome sequence of GNU-240601 shared the highest similarity with strains belonging to subgenotype 1.1. This is the first identification and complete genome sequence of CSFV from the JEV vaccine.
A sensitivity analysis of methodological variables associated with microbiome measurements
Authors: Forry Samuel P. , Servetas Stephanie L. , Dootz Jennifer N. , Hunter Monique E. , Kralj Jason G. , Filliben James J. , Jackson Scott A.
Published: January 2025

The experimental methods employed during metagenomic sequencing analyses of microbiome samples significantly impact the resulting data and typically vary substantially between laboratories. In this study, a full factorial experimental design was used to compare the effects of a select set of methodological choices (sample, operator, lot, extraction kit, variable region, and reference database) on the analysis of biologically diverse stool samples. For each parameter investigated, a main effect was calculated that allowed direct comparison both between methodological choices (bias effects) and between samples (real biological differences). Overall, methodological bias was found to be similar in magnitude to real biological differences while also exhibiting significant variations between individual taxa, even between closely related genera. The quantified method biases were then used to computationally improve the comparability of data sets collected under substantially different protocols. This investigation demonstrates a framework for quantitatively assessing methodological choices that could be routinely performed by individual laboratories to better understand their metagenomic sequencing workflows and to improve the scope of the datasets they produce.

IMPORTANCE

Method-specific bias is a well-recognized challenge in metagenomic sequencing characterization of microbiome samples, but rigorous bias quantification is challenging. This report details a full factorial exploration of 48 experimental protocols by systematically varying microbiome sample, iterations of material production, laboratory personnel, DNA extraction kit, marker gene selection, and reference databases. Quantification of the biases associated with each parameter revealed similar magnitudes of variation arising from real biological differences and from varied analysis procedures. Furthermore, these measurement biases varied substantially with taxa, even between closely related genera. However, computational correction of method bias using a reference material was demonstrated that significantly harmonized metagenomic sequencing results collected using different analysis protocols.
Radiofrequency ablation in tumour-induced osteomalacia: a therapeutic challenge
Authors: Jayaraj Mangala Sanjana , Paidakula Ramakrishna Manjunath , Achar Shashidhar , Narayanaswamy Srikanth
Published: January 2025

Tumour-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is an uncommon, debilitating disorder often characterised by non-specific clinical manifestations, posing a significant diagnostic challenge. The tumours causing TIO can be minuscule and occur in unusual areas, further complicating diagnosis. This report details the case of a woman in her early 30s presenting with chronic pain who subsequently developed fragility fractures. The evaluation revealed hypophosphataemia with evidence of renal phosphate wasting demonstrated by a low ratio of tubular maximum reabsorption of phosphate to the glomerular filtration rate for her age. Ga-68 DOTANOC positron emission tomography/CT successfully localised the fibroblast growth factor-23-secreting tumour at the lower table of the mandible close to the mentum. Given the overall general health condition of the patient, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a minimally invasive approach, was performed despite surgical resection remaining the traditional gold standard treatment. Following RFA, the patient reported significant symptomatic improvement and regained mobility through rehabilitative measures.
Refractory pyoderma gangrenosum-like ulcerations in granulomatosis with polyangiitis treated successfully with rituximab
Authors: Tran Vanessa , Chatfield Simon , Ramirez Ann , Scardamaglia Laura
Published: January 2025

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a small-to-medium vessel vasculitis that can affect the skin, respiratory tract, kidneys and other organs. A rare cutaneous manifestation of GPA is pyoderma gangrenosum (PG)-like ulcerations, which can have debilitating and disfiguring consequences. We report the case of a man in his 40s with refractory PG-like ulcerations secondary to GPA, not responsive to conventional immunosuppression, who was successfully treated with rituximab. This case emphasises the need for early recognition of this rare manifestation to allow for prompt initiation of treatment.
Documenting drone remote sensing: a reality-based modelling approach for applications in cultural heritage and archaeology
Authors: Waagen Jitte
Published: January 2025

This paper addresses the design of open, reproducible, and transferable workflows for remote sensing data processing in archaeology, the specific case being drone (UAS) remote sensing data. In the context of increased application of remote sensing, stimulated by both recent technological developments, as well as threats to the buried archaeological record by developments such as agricultural intensification and climate change, it is important to allow the archaeological community to really benefit from the multitude of remote sensing applications and their diverging modalities. With the ever-increasing remote sensing datasets spread throughout the field of cultural heritage and archaeology, it has become even more important to be able to clearly communicate the process from data capture to the eventual visualised data model, and further archiving and dissemination. This is crucial to scientific transparency required for the assessment of data quality, for example to allow for evaluating interpretations, comparative research, and replication studies. The ultimate goal is to permit data publication adhering to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, for which a good metadata documentation is a cornerstone.