bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
North Atlantic right whale calls monitoring: Signal processing meets deep learning
Authors: Durgam Abhilash , Haider Zafaryab , Aremu Samuel , Najishabahang Mersedeh , Al-Badrawi Mahdi
Published: April 2023

The monitoring of marine mammals, such as North Atlantic Right whales (NARW), via their acoustic signatures, can contribute to the protection of these endangered species. The monitoring via passive acoustics, however, may deteriorate, due to the propagation properties of the underwater channel, whereas these signals are susceptible to noise masking and/or mixing as they travel long distances. A day (July 30th, 2018) of NARW annotated recordings (Provided by DCLDE), including seven imbalanced call types, were explored for detection, classification, and density estimation purposes. The call types involved right whale upcall, gunshot, moan, scream, minke whale pulse train, low-frequency pulse, and low-frequency down sweep. Classifying these imbalanced call types represented a real challenge for classical signal processing approaches and conventional deep learning networks (e.g.,Convolutional Neural Networks). The remedy to these challenges involved data preprocessing (spectrogram cleaning/sifting) and the use of a state-of-the-art deep learning transform, self-supervised, that accounts for the imbalances in the dataset. The preprocessed spectrograms boosted the classification score at the deep learning network. The accuracy results for the training set exceeded 90% while the accuracy scored 81% for the testing set.
Grid-agnostic personalized head-related transfer function modeling with neural fields
Authors: Zhang You , Wang Yuxiang , Bocko Mark , Duan Zhiyao
Published: April 2023

The spatial filtering effect brought on by sound propagation from the sound source to the outer ear is referred to as the head-related transfer function (HRTF). The personalization of HRTF is essential to enhance the personalized immersive audio experience in virtual and augmented reality. Our work aims to employ deep learning to predict the customized HRTF from anthropometric measurements. However, existing measured HRTF databases each employ a different geographic sampling, making it difficult to combine these databases into training data-hungry deep learning methods while each of them only contains dozens of subjects. Following our previous work, we use a neural field, a neural network that maps the spherical coordinates to the magnitude spectrum to represent each subject’s set of HRTFs. We constructed a generative model to learn the latent space across subjects using such a consistent representation of HRTF across datasets. In this work, by learning the mapping of the anthropometric measurements to the latent space and then reconstructing the HRTF, we further investigate the neural field representation to carry out HRTF personalization. Thanks to the grid-agnostic nature of our method, we are able to train on combined datasets and even validate the performance on grids unseen during training.
How do autistic people experience sound?
Authors: Davies William J.
Published: April 2023

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition diagnosed by differences in social interaction, communication, and imagination. Most autistic people also experience atypical sensory processing (e.g., a heightened sensitivity to sound or texture). The literature includes evidence of autistic hearing differences including hyperacusis, enhanced pitch perception, difficulties with speech in noise, and auditory attention. Most of these can make the classroom a challenging environment for an autistic child. However, despite the rapid growth of autism research, the autistic hearing experience remains poorly understood. Reasons for this may include the lack of involvement of autistic people in research, the medicalised deficit model of most research and a dominant intervention model which seeks to suppress behavioural responses in children. Anecdotal evidence from autistic people suggests a more nuanced and complete picture of autistic hearing will include strengths as well as weaknesses, variation with context and between individuals, and a need for more accessible design. This paper will synthesise the main features from peer-reviewed and anecdotal evidence on autistic experience of sound, with particular consideration to classroom acoustics.
How can anyone learn or teach? Experiences of autistic people with sound in schools and universities
Authors: Rosas-Pérez Carmen , Galbrun Laurent , Stewart Mary E. , Payne Sarah R.
Published: April 2023

An inadequate sound environment in schools and universities can lead to poorer learning, higher levels of stress and worse overall well-being, ultimately affecting people’s careers and opportunities. These short- and long-term impacts can be more accentuated in autistic students, teachers, and lecturers, as autistic and other neurodivergent people tend to have significant perceptual and sensory processing differences. This paper presents the data from our study on the experience of autistic people in daily life acoustic environments related to this topic. The study explored the experiences of 12 autistic adults through reflective thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, providing much-needed first-hand perspectives on main challenges, impact, and common coping strategies. The results highlight the crucial importance that good acoustics has for the participants, some of whom are or have been teachers and lecturers. They also illustrate how the lack of better acoustic practices and understanding of their experiences, together with some trends like open-plan schools and offices, have had a disabling impact throughout their life since childhood.
Out of the bat lab and into the field: Sensorimotor strategies of bats at high-speed flight
Authors: Kloepper Laura , Bentley Ian , Harding Christian , Brighton Caroline , Izadi Mohammad , Stevenson Robert , Taylor Graham
Published: April 2023

The experiments performed by James Simmons helped pave the way for our understanding of bat biosonar processing and “what it’s like to be a bat.” By conducting experiments with trained bats, he discovered key information on how bats use temporal and spectral cues in their echoes to perceive their environment. After spending my postdoc with Dr. Simmons in his lab, he encouraged me to venture to the field to explore the sonar behavior of bats in their natural environment. This talk will summarize my recent work exploring sensorimotor behavior of free-tailed bats when returning to their cave roost at speeds exceeding 60 km/h. By combining acoustic recordings with multiple-camera recordings, we reconstructed the 3D path of bats in flight both during and in-between pulse emission. From these data we examined how acoustic behavior changed depending on altitude and velocity, and whether changes in flight trajectory or kinematics coincided with the reception of echoes. Our results demonstrate that when echolocating at fast flight speeds, bats use a predictable, open-loop sensing strategy to navigate their environment. This may be advantageous for bats flying at fast speeds and experiencing high g forces, as the physiological consequences of closed-loop sensing may be too demanding.
Discrimination of simulated two-highlight echoes including phase manipulations by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Authors: Mulsow Jason , Accomando Alyssa W. , Christman Katie A. , Lally Katelin , O'Kelley Austin , Houser Dorian , Finneran James
Published: April 2023

Dolphins potentially use spectral cues to discriminate inter-highlight interval (IHI) for passively presented, simulated two-highlight echo stimuli. To investigate this potential, dolphins were trained to listen to repetitive two-highlight “background” echoes and respond upon a change to “target” echoes with increased IHI. In the first experimental task, all highlights had the same phase, and the target differed from the background only in terms of IHI. In the second task, highlights within both background and target echoes had random phase angles. This resulted in a spectral interference pattern for the two-highlight echo with the same notch spacing as the first condition, but different absolute positions of the notches along the frequency axis. Discrimination thresholds for the constant-phase task were lower than those for the random-phase task at IHIs of 250 μs and lower. Thresholds for both tasks increased with increasing background IHI and were comparable at 375 and 500 μs. Within the dolphin auditory temporal window of ∼250 μs, IHI discrimination is therefore likely related to—but not strictly based on—the spacing of notches in the complex echo spectrum. Above 250 μs, IHI is likely determined through direct encoding of highlight timing in the auditory periphery. [Work funded by ONR.]
Jeffrey Nystuen: An innovator in the field of ocean ambient sound
Authors: Siderius Martin
Published: April 2023

It is a testament to Jeff Nystuen’s pioneering research that many of us now think about ocean ambient sound rather than ocean ambient noise. The term noise makes us think of this as a nuisance factor that needs to be overcome by a useful signal. However, Jeff changed this paradigm and showed how valuable environmental information can be extracted from the ambient sound field. Specifically, hedeveloped the acoustic rain gauge and expanded our understanding of the sound rain generates in the ocean. He spent many years bringing this idea from a concept to a mature device that could be practically used in the ocean to estimate rainfall and measure other important ambient sound events. Following Jeff’s early work, many other techniques that use ambient sound for environmental characterization have been developed. In this talk, we will pay tribute to Jeff’s groundbreaking research. We will also explore how this work has led to improved models for ambient sound as well as applications to environmental sensing.
Sonothrombolysis
Authors: Holland Christy K.
Published: April 2023

Cardiovascular disease and stroke are the two leading causes of death worldwide (doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.118.005375). Sonothrombolysis, ultrasound which accelerates thrombus breakdown in combination with thrombolytic drugs, has been under extensive investigation in the last two decades. An overview of in vitro, preclinical, and clinical sonothrombolysis studies will be provided. In a xenographic porcine cerebral thromboembolism model employing retracted human clots, 220 kHz ultrasound, in conjunction with Definity® increased the probability of early successful reperfusion with rt-PA. Combined treatment with rt-PA, Definity®, and ultrasound invivo increased the rate of reperfusion up to 45 min faster than clots treated with rt-PA or saline alone. Tsivgoulis et al. (doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.030960) performed a meta-analysis of sonothrombolysis safety and efficacy data in patients with acute ischemic stroke from 7 randomized-controlled clinical trials. Sonothrombolysis was associated with a 2-fold increase in the odds of complete recanalization compared with intravenous lytic alone. The likelihood of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was not significantly different between the 2 groups (7.3% versus 3.7% odds ratio). However, in spite of the higher recanalization rates no difference in 3-month clinical outcomes was uncovered, though this conclusion might have been underpowered statistically. Strategies to improve clinical sonothrombolysis outcomes will be discussed.
Analysis of microvasculature morphological features for prediction of metastatic lymph nodes in breast cancer patients via contrast-free ultrasound imaging
Authors: Sabeti Soroosh , Ferroni Giulia , Larson Nicholas B. , Fazzio Robert T. , Fatemi Mostafa , Alizad Azra
Published: April 2023

Axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) are generally among the first to be impacted by the metastatic spread of breast tumors. Consequently, evaluating their condition is of great importance as the removal of affected ALNs can potentially curtail the further spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body. Conventional ultrasound imaging suffers from low sensitivity and specificity and does not provide a comprehensive picture of the status of the node. In this work, we utilize an ultrasound microvessel imaging technique to visualize vascular structures within ALNs and, through several image processing steps, characterize the morphology of these structures. Several morphological metrics are used as biomarkers to differentiate between reactive and metastatic lymph nodes of patients with suspicious ALNs. A group of 68 patients is included in this study. Pathology examination results are used as the gold-standard reference for data labeling. A support vector machine (SVM) model is trained, and its performance is evaluated. Statistical analysis of the discriminative potential of individual biomarkers and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of the trained model are presented. Preliminary results suggest that a sensitivity of 0.88, specificity of 0.88, and area under the curve of 0.94 are achievable. Work supported by NIH-R01CA239548.
Toward the clinical application of ultrasound molecular imaging in the early detection of breast cancer
Authors: Dahl Jeremy , Bam Rakesh , Hyun Dongwoon , Natarajan Arutselvan , Tabesh Farbod , Paulmurugan Ramasamy
Published: April 2023

Ultrasound molecular imaging has large potential in the early detection of breast cancer, particularly in women with radiographically dense breasts. In ultrasound molecular imaging, a molecularly-targeted ligand attached to a microbubble binds to proteins expressed on the tumor neovasculature to produce contrast that can identify cancer at an early stage. Keys to successful ultrasound molecular imaging are: (1) a molecular target highly specific to breast cancer; and (2) a sensitive imaging system that can visualize bound microbubbles while suppressing bubble signal from the background. In addition, the system must integrate with existing ultrasound imaging workflow in breast imaging clinics. We present our current progress on the development of a real-time ultrasound molecular imaging platform that consists of a novel microbubble targeted to the B7-H3 biomarker (a vascular biomarker highly specific to breast cancer and not expressed in benign disease processes) alongside a nondestructive and real-time imaging technology, based on a neural network design for contrast imaging to enable real-time high-sensitivity imaging of the novel targeted contrast agent. Although we present the results and current status of this system in preclinical models of breast cancer, the targeted microbubble is designed to be pharmaceutical grade to allow it to be injected in humans, and the imaging technology is designed such that it is compatible with current clinical workflow and operation of breast ultrasound imaging.
Miniature optical MEMS microphone with 14dBA noise floor
Authors: Vennerod Jakob , Lacolle Matthieu
Published: April 2023

This paper explains the fundamental technology used to create an optical microphone transducer. In recent years, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) capacitive microphones have demonstrated improved performance. State-of-the-art capacitive MEMS microphones can achieve SNR in the order of 73 dBA (21 dBA noise floor) with overall dynamic range in the order of 101 dB. There are fundamental challenges to driving the performance of capacitive MEMS microphone technology in very small packages to new heights. Piezoelectric MEMS microphones have not demonstrated SNR performance >65 dBA. The next breakthrough in miniature microphone technology will come from optical MEMS microphone technology. 80dB SNR (14 dBA noise floor) with 132 dB dynamic range (146dB maximum sound pressure level) has been achieved in a very small package. This paper will review the fundamentals of optical acoustic transduction and describe some of the approaches to miniaturization of the technology.
Design and testing of ultraminiature microelectromechanical systems middle ear accelerometers
Authors: Kitsopoulos Panagiota , Hake Alison E. , Stucken Emily Z. , Welch Christopher M. , Grosh Karl
Published: April 2023

Moderate to severe hearing loss is a debilitating condition that affects over 5% of the world’s population. Hearing aids and cochlear implants positively impact the lives of those who suffer from sensorineural hearing loss. However, both display numerous limitations that affect their adoption and use rates, notably including those associated with the external elements of these devices (e.g., microphone and signal processor). These external components impact device safety, appearance, acoustic performance, and ease-of-use. A totally implantable auditory prosthesis would help to address these issues by eliminating external components. A major barrier to progress toward this goal is the lack of a completely implantable acoustic sensor capable of matching or exceeding the performance of commercial external microphones. Our previous studies have indicated that piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers have the potential to function as implantable sensors within the middle ear meeting a 20-phon noise floor over a 100–8 kHz range. In this paper, we describe a process to design and fabricate dual and tri-resonance devices that are comprised of piezoelectric cantilever bimorph beams tip-loaded by a proof mass, can meet or exceed the 20-phon noise floor, and can produce a measurable voltage output when deflected by sound-induced ossicular vibrations.
Early development of a vibrations concept inventory for undergraduate acoustics education
Authors: Jasinski Christopher M.
Published: April 2023

Vibrations I is a required course for all mechanical engineering majors at the University of Hartford (including those in the Acoustics concentration). This builds upon a mechanics sequence from the second-year curriculum including Statics and Dynamics. While the current course layout has proven successful in achieving the program’s intended outcomes for accreditation, some non-Acoustics majors have been observed to be missing some important concepts that are not routinely evaluated in exam questions. In order to understand these issues more clearly, a concept inventory for vibrations is being developed. A concept inventory is a multiple-choice assessment designed to evaluate students’ understanding of the underlying concepts regarding course material. The assessment is designed in such a way that the student is challenged to determine the outcome of a scenario related to course material, and many questions will specifically target common misconceptions held by students in mechanical engineering programs. This type of assessment has been used frequently since the original Force Concept Inventory from Hestenes et al. (1985). This presentation will describe some of the initial work towards developing this inventory, discuss alternative assessments, and will welcome input from the Education in Acoustics community on how to best move forward with this idea.
Comparison of annoyance of tones predicted from sound power versus sound pressure measurements
Authors: Meeuwsen Gregory , Knight Derrick P. , Edmonds Dave
Published: April 2023

ASHRAE 1707-TRP provides a means by which to predict the annoyance of tones in noise as related to building services equipment. The scope is limited to sound pressure measurements taken in a classroom, office, or other occupied space. However, product manufactures rely on sound power measurements taken in reverberation chambers to quantify noise emissions. This case study will show how sound power data taken in accordance with AHRI 260 performs in predicting tonal annoyance.
Predicting tonal noise problems in HVAC systems
Authors: Lilly Jerry G.
Published: April 2023

Current indoor noise criteria for occupied spaces in buildings can be found in Table 1 of the 2019 ASHRAE Applications Handbook. Table 1 of this handbook provides design guidelines for recommended NC, RC, dBA, and dBC ratings for a wide variety of interior spaces, but there is nothing in the table or the table notes that mentions the issue of audible tones in the background noise spectrum. There is a comment in the handbook text that essentially states that ideally, there should be no audible tones such as hum or whine. However, no guidance is provided as to how to predict or even measure (after the fact) if an audible tone is present. This presentation provides some guidance as to how a person might go about predicting the presence of an audible tone in the background noise of the HVAC system, including an example of a fully installed system.
Optimizing building designs for mechanical equipment tones
Authors: Wowk Roman
Published: April 2023

Poor noise conditions in buildings often involve tones from mechanical equipment. However, noise criteria generally neglect tones due to (1) lack of agreement on what constitutes a tone; (2) lack of acoustical data from equipment and noise treatment manufacturers in ⅓-octave or better resolution; and (3) limited design tools and resources to act on detailed information even if it were available. Since building designs also cannot be tested and optimized prior to production like cars, appliances and other mass-produced products, problems can remain hidden until final occupancy. Therefore, design strategies usually involve a variety of conservative and/or safe “best practice” approaches that avoid certain space adjacencies or equipment types altogether, often at significant cost. This is unsurprising when considering the complexity and risks associated with many tonal noise control problems, often including sound-structure interaction. However, a path for innovation exists through wider use of frequency-response-function (FRF) measurements (or measurements with otherwise known inputs) and the ability to analyze, share and incorporate the findings into source-path-receiver designs. This presentation will propose steps to gather, standardize and distribute such information and use case studies to illustrate how this is an enormous opportunity for optimizing building designs for cost and performance.
Interaction of acoustic and electromagnetic waves for thermoacoustic imaging and vibration sensing
Authors: Ma Chu , Evans Audrey L. , Zhang Dajun
Published: April 2023

Acoustic wave and electromagnetic wave can interact and lead to rich physical phenomenon to be used for applications such as medical diagnosis, non-destructive material characterization, and remote sensing. In this talk, I will present our research studies on two ways acoustic and electromagnetic waves interact with each other: (1) When pulsed microwave is absorbed by tissue, thermoacoustic waves are generated through thermal expansion. We explored the sensing and processing of thermoacoustic waves generated by a pulsed microwave ablation antenna as a potential way for monitoring the ablation process in real time. (2) Electromagnetic waves such as Wi-Fi signals and light can be modulated by acoustic/mechanical vibrations in the environment. We developed non-contact vibration sensing systems based on such modulations, and also developed a metamaterial-based vibration amplification device that can enhance the vibration magnitude sensitivity over a broad range of vibration frequencies.
All-optical, non-contact, local measurement of both Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio in metals using a combination of Rayleigh and leaky surface acoustic waves
Authors: Pelivanov Ivan , Canfield Ryan , Ziaja-Sujdak Aleksandra , Pitre John , O'Donnell Matthew , Ambrozinski Lukasz
Published: April 2023

In non-destructive evaluation (NDE), measuring ultrasound (US) longitudinal and shear wave speeds is the main method to determine two independent mechanical moduli (Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio). Most US techniques use time-of-flight measurements. However, when the local sample thickness is unknown or the sample geometry is complex, bulk-wave propagation speeds cannot be accurately defined. Here we show that a properly shaped beam of nanosecond laser pulses can be used to efficiently excite (without material ablation) two types of surface acoustic waves. In addition to a conventional surface, or Rayleigh, wave, a leaky surface wave (LSAW) can be launched in the near field of the excitation region. We present the theoretical background, numerical simulations, and experimental results clearly showing that both elastic constants can be reconstructed locally by tracking Rayleigh and LSAW waves. Spatially resolved elastic properties can be obtained using local values of wave speeds obtained by sample scanning. Non-contact optical detection of propagating waves at the sample surface, in which a fiber-optic Sagnac interferometer was used, is a key piece of the method. It does not require acoustic coupling and allows remote measurements in the near field of the laser source with micron-scale resolution.
Usability and perceived benefit of hearing assistive features in Apple AirPods Pro
Authors: Hammond Emily A. , Diedesch Anna C.
Published: April 2023

Individuals with hearing loss face high personal costs for hearing aids, making over-the-counter hearing aids, or headphones featuring custom audio control, alternative options. Apple Inc.’s AirPods Pro contain a variety of headphone accommodations designed to help people hear better. Recent research has evaluated electroacoustic properties of AirPods Pro demonstrating good ability to fit prescriptive targets for different hearing losses. Here, we examine the usability and perceived benefit from engaging custom audiogram-driven features in AirPods Pro. Listeners with self-assigned hearing profiles ranging from normal hearing to a moderate degree of hearing loss take a hearing screener (Mimi Hearing Test). AzBio sentences are presented in quiet and in noise while enabling and disabling the custom features in Apple’s Accommodation settings. Listeners then complete a questionnaire targeting usability of the features and perceived benefit. Overall, listeners found the features easy to use and to be at least a little helpful, regardless of hearing status. Listeners with suspected or known hearing impairment reported slightly greater benefit than normal hearing listeners when listening in noise with the custom audio features. Headphone Accommodations in AirPods Pro may be an affordable option for an improved listening experience. [Work supported by Western Washington University.]
Addressing auditory processing challenges and accessibility in live music settings
Authors: White Kai
Published: April 2023

With the social media boom connecting people worldwide and easing the sharing of experiences, the everyday lives and struggles of people who are considered neurodivergent as well as those with invisible disabilities suddenly became widely known and the accessibility of even casual excursions such as grocery shopping and movie viewings came into question. As understanding of sensory processing disorders increases and disability advocacy moves to the forefront of conversations about public spaces, it's not surprising that live music and the entertainment industry would become the next target of scrutiny. While the creation of sensory-friendly concerts is beneficial and highly valuable as a stepping stone to a greater and more widespread understanding of accessibility for those whose needs are often ignored by society, the limited scope and availability of these events largely excludes a multitude of music enthusiasts. This study aims to highlight the experiences and desires of concertgoers who have auditory sensitivities while also providing potential solutions to these barriers to entry.
Loudness in rooms and the sound strength parameter: Linking perception and physical acoustics
Authors: Holmes Ann , Neal Matthew , Zahorik Pavel
Published: April 2023

Loudness as a perceptual phenomenon has been extensively studied within psychoacoustics. In room acoustics, however, the psychoacoustical factors influencing loudness have yet to be incorporated into standard parameters such as sound strength (G). G is the decibel ratio of the integrated energy of a room impulse response (RIR) compared to the same source located 10m away in a free field. The purpose of this study was to determine how the physical RIR properties measured by G relate to perceived loudness in the same room. Listeners were asked to match pink noise presented anechoically to the perceived loudness of the same noise in a simulated room. Listeners could continuously adjust the level of the anechoic reference. Room simulations were rendered over a 36-channel loudspeaker array in an anechoic chamber. Loudness matches were performed for different room types, source-receiver distances, and source powers, which produced received sound levels between 35 and 85 dBA. Results show a relatively linear relationship between loudness and G. However, it is clear that G underpredicts loudness ratings at higher sound levels. This demonstrates a more complex relationship between G and loudness. Effects of room type and source-receiver distance appear to introduce additional complexity not represented by G.
Cognitive performance on a neuropsychological battery with accommodations for hearing loss by listeners with cochlear implants
Authors: Kelly Rebecca S. , Cleary Miranda , Inscore Anjeli , Dux Moira , Nguyen Nicole , Blumenthal Jacob , Tinnemore Anna , Goupell Matthew J.
Published: April 2023

A relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline has emerged across multiple studies. Hearing aids and cochlear implants (CIs) may slow down the progression of cognitive decline. Cognitive factors may also influence performance with a CI. However, cognitive tests often assume perfect sensory perception, underestimating performance in individuals with hearing loss. The purpose of this study is to determine how CI listeners perform on a cognitive battery when accommodations for hearing loss are provided. Twenty-eight older adults with CIs completed a neuropsychological test battery created by an interdisciplinary team which assessed six cognitive domains and included accommodations for hearing loss. Participants also completed sentence recognition tests in quiet and in noise, and several subjective questionnaires. Preliminary data revealed that the performance of CI listeners with accommodations on tests of processing speed (p < 0.001) and visuospatial ability (p = 0.002) was significantly poorer compared to the normative sample. Performance on measures assessing memory, executive function, attention, and language was not significantly different. In conclusion, when neuropsychological test instructions and stimuli are adapted for hearing loss and functional speech performance is accounted for, individuals with CIs perform similarly to normal-hearing peers but not in all domains, suggesting a more accurate assessment of cognitive functioning.
Assessing the challenge of accented speech using effort discounting
Authors: Teuscher Grace E. , McLaughlin Drew J. , Van Engen Kristin J.
Published: April 2023

The subjective ease of understanding accents that differ from a listener’s has typically been assessed using self-reports. This approach, however, relies on metacognitive judgments that are difficult to interpret and may not converge with objective measures of effort. To address this challenge, this study utilizes effort discounting, a paradigm borrowed from behavioral economics. In the experiment, participants are familiarized with one L1 English speaker and three L2-accented speakers. During the task, participants choose between listening to the L1-accented speaker for a smaller monetary reward or to one of the L2-accented speakers for a larger reward. By varying the reward offered for the easier option based on previous choices, the subjective value of the effort expended for each L2 speaker can be determined. Data collection is ongoing. We expect participants will remain willing to listen to highly intelligible L2-accented speakers. However, as speakers become less intelligible, participants will be less willing to expend the required additional effort and will choose the easier speaker. We also predict that participants who rate L2-accented speakers lower on an affect and attitudes questionnaire will be more likely to discount their reward to avoid the effort required by the L2-accented speech.
Daily sound level exposure for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit
Authors: Vicencio Lauren A. , Ananthanarayana Rohit M. , Khudr Jana , Monson Brian B.
Published: April 2023

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides lifesaving care to premature neonates. During this vulnerable time of life, infants are exposed to a variety of sounds uncharacteristic of the womb. Within the NICU, sound pressure levels have the potential to vary across days. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended an hourly noise exposure limit for NICUs of less than 45 dBA. The aim of this study is to assess daily sound pressure level exposures for preterm infants in the NICU. Sound pressure levels were measured using 24-hour audio recording devices (LENA). The device was placed inside the crib or incubator with the infant or moved to the area of care if the infant was removed from the crib or incubator. We collected 672 24-hour recordings from 36 very preterm infants (≤32 weeks gestational age). Preliminary analysis indicates the average daily exposures ranged from 53.4 to 68.6 dB SPL across subjects and days. Ongoing analyses are examining potential environmental and medical factors contributing to high levels of noise exposure for these infants. [Work supported by NIH Grant R21-DC017820.]
Band importance for speech-in-speech recognition in the presence of extended high-frequency cues
Authors: Ananthanarayana Rohit M. , Buss Emily , Monson Brian B.
Published: April 2023

Extended high-frequency (EHF; 8–20 kHz) cues support speech recognition in noisy backgrounds, particularly when the masker has reduced EHF levels relative to the target. This scenario can occur in natural auditory scenes when the target talker is facing the listener, but the masker talkers are not. The EHF benefit stands in contrast to past studies that have focused on lower frequencies and presumed that EHFs play no role in speech intelligibility. Although EHF cues improve speech recognition, it is unclear how the magnitude of benefit compares to that of other portions of the speech spectrum. In this ongoing study, we measure band importance functions (BIFs) for a female target and two-talker masker by notch filtering individual contiguous bands from 40 to 20 000 Hz. With the target facing the listener, two masking conditions were tested: (1) masker facing the listener; (2) masker facing 56.25°. Preliminary data indicate an interaction between the filtered band and masker head orientation. For the facing condition, the BIF shows a peak between 0.4 and 3 kHz and drops sharply at higher frequencies, resembling previous data. When the masker faces away, however, the benefit of EHFs increases relative to the lower bands, somewhat flattening the BIF. [Work supported by NIH grant R01-DC019745].
Speech in noise performance in individuals with misophonia and hyperacusis using behavioral and auditory brainstem response
Authors: Kim Gibbeum , Lindberg Ragnar , Jain Namitha , Husain Fatima T.
Published: April 2023

Hyperacusis is reduced tolerance to everyday environmental sounds, whereas misophonia is a relatively unknown disorder in which characterized by intense and excessive emotional responses to specific “trigger” sounds. Few studies have investigated ability of speech in noise (SiN) and examined them using auditory brainstem responses (ABR)—which is used to measure early auditory processing and overall hearing function in human listeners, in particular for the sound sensitivity disorders of misophonia and hyperacusis. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between SiN performance and ABR components, specifically for group differences. A total of 60 participants were categorized into three groups: 13 with misophonia, 12 with hyperacusis, and 35 control group. Our findings indicated that (1) the misophonia group showed poor speech in noise performance than control and hyperacusis groups at 20 and 5 SNR; (2) both hyperacusis and misophonia groups showed enhanced wave I amplitude compared with the control group; and (3) the misophonia group showed prolonged wave V latency compared to the other two groups. Additionally, delayed ABR wave V latency in misophonia group was correlated with decreased speech-in-noise performance score, suggesting possible delays in processing of speech sounds in this group leading to poorer performance.
Aerospace grade acoustic metamaterial design, modeling, and experimental validation
Authors: Sheikh Ali , Mechefske Chris , Kone Charly , Laly Zacharie , Ghinet Sebastian
Published: April 2023

Vertical Take-Off and Landing Urban Aerial Mobility vehicle propulsion systems use rotors and blades to achieve lift, which results in heightened noise at the blade passing frequency. These frequencies must be attenuated to reduce cabin discomfort and comply with noise exposure limits. The design must absorb 350 Hz noise, be fire retardant to comply with aviation standards, and be maximally one inch thick. This paper outlines the design, computational simulation, and experimental validation of a novel aerospace-grade acoustic metamaterial. It contributes to the field of computational analysis of new metamaterial structures and experimental validation using prototype Helmholtz unit cells. Achieving maximum sound absorption with the aerospace requirements of minimal mass and fire safety led to the consideration of Nomex honeycomb Helmholtz resonator acoustic panels. Their sub-wavelength attenuation, tunability, lightweight and fire resistance make them an optimal fit for this application. A novel phenomenon was observed in experimental impedance tube testing where multiple Nomex honeycomb cells acted as one resonator cavity. This discovery allowed for samples of only one inch in thickness (cell depth) to achieve 83% sound absorption at 348 Hz. Experimental values match well with the calculated analytical solution using the Helmholtz equation and simulated sound absorption in COMSOL MultiPhysics. The acoustic metamaterial achieves tunable noise attenuation with minimal thickness, weight, and fire suppression using a novel design.
Dispersion behaviour of a non-resonant elastic metamaterial
Authors: Clarke Claudia L.
Published: April 2023

Metamaterials are of great interest on account of their tunable material proper-ties, arising from an internal microstructure, which can often be chosen to give a desired behaviour. The behaviours of acoustic metamaterials are often derived via analogy with electromagnetic metamaterials, and typically described using Willis relations. Here an elastic metamaterial consisting of a series of elastic plates interspaced by ﬂuid is considered. It is found that the effective constitutive equations contain higher derivative terms than would normally be present in the Willis (or elastic) constitutive equations for an anisotropic material. This leads to behaviour that is highly dispersive due to an “emergent scale” associated with bending on the constitutive equations for an anisotropic material. This leads to behaviour that is highly dispersive due to an “emergent scale” associated with bending on the constituent plates. The existence of this scale is due to the boundary conditions on the plate-ﬂuid interfaces and appears to be a purely elastic phenomena. The metamaterial in this case has no resonant inclusions; nevertheless, the ef-fective behaviour leads to broadband dispersion and is different from anisotropic elasticity. The dependence of the dispersion curves on the material properties of the constituents is examined and the connection with fractional derivative theories and rotons considered.
Highly-efficiency low-frequency acoustic energy harvesting with PDMS-modified loudspeakers
Authors: Peng Xiuyuan , Li Junfei , Cummer Steven
Published: April 2023

Noise is everywhere in our lives. Low-frequency noise in particular has a conspicuous if not disturbing presence since thicker materials are required to absorb or block it. Meanwhile, the very ubiquitousness of noise in our environment makes it a good candidate as a potential power source for micro-devices. Here we present an acoustic energy harvester (AEH) capable of achieving 99% sound absorption coefficient and 67% of energy conversion ratio at 58 Hz, with a fractional bandwidth of more than 34 %. The peak power conversion efficiency is nearly three times the previous state of the art. The harvester is made from an electrodynamic loudspeaker driver retrofitted with a custom-made PDMS surround for lower mechanical loss on the diaphragm. The low cost (<$50) makes our AEH suitable for large-scale deployment.
Impact of clear face masks on audiovisual speech intelligibility and subjective listening effort with normal hearing young adults
Authors: Kocins Kate E. , Van Engen Kristin J. , Brown Violet A. , McClannahan Kate , Peelle Jonathan
Published: April 2023

During the COVID-19 pandemic, facemask use made people suddenly aware of the importance of both visual information and acoustic clarity in speech perception. Masks with transparent panels can provide listeners with visual speech information, but such masks tend to introduce more acoustic distortion than other opaque masks. Thus, their value for improving speech recognition (at least for listeners with normal hearing) is not clear. In the current study we investigated the ability of three different clear face masks to improve speech intelligibility relative to an opaque surgical mask. Normal hearing young adult participants (N = 180) were presented with audiovisual recordings of 150 sentences from a female speaker in 5 different mask conditions (no mask, surgical mask, and three different clear masks) and at three different signal-to-noise ratios (no noise, –5 dB SNR, and −9 dB SNR). After each condition, participants also completed the NASA-TLX survey for subjective effort. Participants also completed an independent lipreading task. Preliminary data suggest decreased subjective effort and improved performance of the clear masks relative to the opaque mask at high SNR. This implies a potential for visual information to make up for decreased acoustic clarity, making clear masks a better choice in difficult listening conditions.
Acoustical impacts of blindness on speech production strategies linked to Lombard speech and audiovisual interaction
Authors: Trudeau-Fisette Pamela , Vidou Camille , Uribe Cristina , MENARD Lucie
Published: April 2023

This paper investigates the acoustical correlates of Lombard speech and audiovisual interaction, in blind and sighted adults. Ten blind and nine sighted adults were recorded while producing repetitions of the French vowels /i/, /u/, /a/ in a “pVp” context. Sentences were produced under four conditions, varying in terms of interaction type (whether the speaker could be heard and seen—audiovisual interaction—or only heard— auditory interaction—by the interlocutor) and presence/absence of noise. Inter-vocalic and intra-vocalic formant dispersion as well as fundamental frequency (F0), intensity and vowel duration values were measured. Results of linear mixed effects models showed that blind speakers increased their inter-vocalic distances in noise, but decreased it when they were told they were seen by the interlocutor (audiovisual interaction). Blind speakers decreased F0 in the audiovisual conditions while sighted speakers increased F0 in noise. Finally, sighted speakers produced louder vowels in the noisy conditions and in the auditory interactive conditions. This pattern was only found for unrounded vowels in blind speakers. These results highlight the role of vision on speech production and show that sighted speakers likely use active strategies to enhance visual cues in audiovisual interactions, compared to auditory only interactions.
Examining acoustics and intelligibility of people with dysarthria in communicative interactions
Authors: Krajewski Elizabeth , Lee Jimin , Olmstead Anne J. , Viswanathan Navin
Published: April 2023

A comprehensive understanding of the speech capabilities of speakers with dysarthria requires an examination of speech produced in true interactions. Intelligibility in such interactions may reflect joint contributions of speakers and listeners (Olmstead et al., 2020). In this study, nine people with dysarthria secondary to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) participated in an interactive word-matching task with nine typical individuals. In experiment one, we examined speech produced by the people with dysarthria in the interactive task and compared it to speech produced in two non-interactive tasks (baseline and clear speech). Specifically, we measured F1, F2, and vowel duration of the vowels /æ, ɛ, ɪ, and i/. We found task-related differences such that acoustic contrast was greater in the interactive task than baseline. Notably, speech in the interactive task was similar to clear speech in its spectral but not temporal patterns. In experiment two, we obtained perceptual judgements of these productions from 54 naïve listeners. We found a concordant pattern: the vowels from the matching task were easier for listeners to identify than baseline. Overall, results of these studies indicate that speakers with dysarthria can make speech adjustments in communicative tasks that are beneficial for listeners.
Individual differences in older adults’ perception of speech in hospital noise
Authors: Crockett Shelemiah , Bent Tessa , Ryherd Erica E. , Baese-Berk Melissa M. , Manley Natalie
Published: April 2023

Hospital noise is associated with negative patient outcomes and staff performance issues. One understudied challenge is how hospital noise impacts healthcare provider—patient communication, particularly for information exchanges including less familiar or frequent medical terminology. This issue is of particular importance for older adults who are more likely to be hospitalized and also have greater challenges with speech in noise compared to younger adults. Here, older adults' perception of sentences containing medical terminology varying in word frequency and familiarity was tested in three listening conditions: quiet, speech-shaped noise, and hospital noise. Additionally, a range of individual factors that may predict performance were assessed. Preliminary results suggest an interaction between listening condition and lexical characteristics with larger impacts of both lexical frequency and familiarity in the noise conditions than quiet. The word frequency effect was larger in hospital noise than speech-shaped noise. Follow-up analyses will assess how age, hearing thresholds, cognitive decline, vocabulary size, and experience with hospital environments and medical terminology contribute to individual differences in speech intelligibility across the listening conditions and sentence types. [Work supported by the IU Institute for Advanced Study and the James S. McDonnell Foundation https://doi.org/10.37717/2021-3028.]