bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intracochlear overdrive: Characterizing nonlinear wave amplification in the mouse apex
Authors: Altoè Alessandro , Charaziak Karolina K.
Published: November 2023

In this study, we explore nonlinear cochlear amplification by analyzing basilar membrane (BM) motion in the mouse apex. Through in vivo, postmortem, and mechanical suppression recordings, we estimate how the cochlear amplifier nonlinearly shapes the wavenumber of the BM traveling wave, specifically within a frequency range where the short-wave approximation holds. Our findings demonstrate that a straightforward mathematical model, depicting the cochlear amplifier as a wavenumber modifier with strength diminishing monotonically as BM displacement increases, effectively accounts for the various experimental observations. This empirically derived model is subsequently incorporated into a physics-based “overturned” framework of cochlear amplification [see Altoè, Dewey, Charaziak, Oghalai, and Shera (2022), J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 152, 2227–2239] and tested against additional experimental data. Our results demonstrate that the relationships established within the short-wave region remain valid over a much broader frequency range. Furthermore, the model, now exclusively calibrated to BM data, predicts the behavior of the opposing side of the cochlear partition, aligning well with recent experimental observations. The success in reproducing key features of the experimental data and the mathematical simplicity of the resulting model provide strong support for the “overturned” theory of cochlear amplification.
An expanding mechanical role for the tiny mammalian endolymphatic duct: 2. An explanation for the beaching of whales–failure of osmotic pressure counterbalancing mechanism in the cochlea causing acute vertigo attack
Authors: LePage Eric L.
Published: November 2023

Endolymphatic Hydrops (EH) describes a swelling of the endolymphatic duct (ED). It is a key correlate of human Ménière’s disease featuring incapacitating giddy attacks. Direct measurements by micropuncture to be presented support the hypothesis that swelling occurs because water flows through aquaporins into the ED under an osmotic gradient to stabilize basilar membrane position against deep dive pressures. Patients having vestibular attacks often display nystagmus if not also perilymphatic fistulae or dehiscences. As shown by Ketten et al. (2004), stranded whales also exhibit nystagmus and also intracochlear bleeding. Here, EH is modelled as a normal rate-limited osmotic mechanism which likely evolved to cope with synoptic variation. It has been extensively adapted by beaked whales to allow diving to feed on squid at great depths—where they still need to hear. Their more-robust EDs normally cope with very slow equalization against megapascal pressures. An unexpected undersea pressure transient may trigger perilymph-endolymph membrane rupture and consequent vertigo attack, well documented in humans. Due to acoustic spread, whole pods may be variously affected. Humans need to remain stationary while waiting hours for their attack to subside. Marine mammals with limited oxygen stores may panic and surface too quickly, accounting for life-threatening decompression sickness.
The phase shift of the envelope-following response as an indicator of the traveling wave propagation in the beluga cochlea
Authors: Nechaev Dmitry , Supin Alexander
Published: November 2023

Auditory system of the toothed whales features a number of modifications that allow to adapt to aquatic life and echolocation. One of unanswered questions is how the characteristics of the traveling wave changed due to extension of frequency range. We hypothesize that the phase shift of the envelope-following response (EFR) reflects the traveling wave propagation along the basilar membrane in the cochlea. EFRs were non-invasively recorded in the beluga whale. The sound stimuli were tone burst of carrier frequencies of 16 to 128 kHz and envelope frequency of 1 kHz. Thus, all EFR contained the fluctuations with 1 kHz frequency. The EFR phase shift depended on the carrier frequency and the sound intensity: the higher intensity and frequency, the greater the phase shift. If it is accepted that at the EFR threshold the phase depends only on the carrier frequency, the phase shift allows to calculate the time of the traveling wave propagation along the basilar membrane. The travelling wave time between the regions corresponding to 16 and 128 kHz was approximately 0.8 ms.
Thermal control of engineered induced pluripotent stem cells via focused ultrasound
Authors: Bell Kama , Howells Alessandro , Lian Lance , Yun Jing
Published: November 2023

Sonogenetics has drawn significant interest from the neuromodulation community since its inception, due to its non-invasive and targeted modulation of neurons. Simultaneously, stem cell therapy presents a promising avenue for addressing neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease. Central to the field of stem cell therapy is cell fate engineering, which leverages induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate therapeutically relevant cell types capable of combating neurodegeneration. Although the inducible overexpression of transcription factors (TFs) through drug administration can convert neural progenitors into mature neurons, its application in the brain is hindered by systemic side effects and the challenges posed by the blood-brain barrier, impeding efficient drug delivery. In this context, we present our recent in vitro work on a sonogenetics-enabled system that allows for spatial and temporal control of TFs, enabling the direct programming of human stem cells. By incorporating heat shock promotors, we have developed a method to thermally regulate engineered iPSCs using focused ultrasound, thereby directing their differentiation into dopaminergic neurons. Our findings suggest that this approach holds promise as a potential therapeutic strategy for treating Parkinson's disease.
Deep neural network-based speech enhancement for cochlear implants
Authors: Brochier Tim J. , Fullerton Amanda , Hersbach Adam , Krishnamoorthi Harish , Smith Zachary
Published: November 2023

Noisy conditions make understanding speech with a cochlear implant (CI) difficult. Speech enhancement (SE) algorithms based on signal statistics can be beneficial in stationary noise, but rarely provide benefit in modulated multi-talker babble. Current approaches using deep neural networks (DNNs) rely on a data driven approach for training and promise improvements in a wide variety of noisy conditions. In this study a DNN-based SE algorithm was evaluated in CI listeners. The network was trained on a large database of publicly available recordings. A double-blinded acute evaluation was conducted with 10 adult CI users by assessing intelligibility and quality of speech embedded in a range of different noise types. The DNN-based SE algorithm provided significant benefits in speech intelligibility and sound quality in all noise types that were evaluated. Speech reception thresholds, the SNR required to understand 50% of the speech material, improved by 1.8 to 3.5 dB depending on noise type. Benefits varied with the SNR of the input signal and the mixing ratio parameter that was used to combine the original and de-noised signals. The results demonstrate that DNN-based SE can provide benefits in natural, modulated noise conditions, which is critical to CI users in their day-to-day environment.
Peripheral neural synchrony in pediatric cochlear implant users
Authors: He Shuman , Skidmore Jeffrey , Yuan Yi
Published: November 2023

We recently developed a noninvasive method to quantify neural synchrony in the electrically stimulated cochlear nerve (i.e., peripheral neural synchrony) using an index named the phase locking value (PLV). The PLV is a measurement of trial-to-trial phase coherence in the summated activity of cochlear nerve fibers. Larger PLVs indicate better/stronger peripheral neural synchrony. This tool allows for investigating this important phenomenon in cochlear implant (CI) users for the first time in the literature. The aim of this study was to characterize peripheral neural synchrony in a large group of pediatric CI users with various etiologies. To date, study participants included 17 children with cochlear nerve deficiency, 28 children with Gap Junction Beta-2 mutation, nine children with normal inner ear anatomy and idiopathic hearing loss, three children with enlarged vestibular aqueducts, three children with Mondini malformation and two children with Usher syndrome. All participants use Cochlear™ Nucleus® devices in their test ears. For each implanted ear tested in each participant, peripheral neural synchrony was assessed at the maximum comfortable level and multiple electrode locations across the electrode array. Our preliminary results demonstrated substantial variations in peripheral neural synchrony among pediatric CI users. These variations appear to depend on hearing loss etiologies.
The emotional characteristics of the piano, celeste, and harp with different pitch and dynamics
Authors: Chan Hiu Ting , Chang Bing Yen , Law Man Hei , Horner Andrew , Song Wenyi
Published: November 2023

This work investigates how pitch and dynamics influence the characters of the piano, celeste, and harp. We conducted listening tests where listeners gave absolute judgements on these sounds over ten emotional categories, and analyzed the data with logistic regression. With respect to pitch, the categories Happy, Romantic, Comic, Calm, and Shy had an arched shape that peaked around C6. Heroic, angry, and sad decreased with pitch. Mysterious did not show a clear trend with pitch. Scary had an asymmetric U-shape that was especially strong at the lowest pitch. With respect to dynamics, happy, heroic, comic, and angry were stronger for loud notes, whereas Romantic, Calm, Mysterious, Shy, and Sad were stronger for soft notes. For scary, loud and soft notes were about the same. Overall, pitch and dynamics had about an equally important effect on the piano, celeste, and harp emotional characteristics. Some characteristics such as Happy were affected more by pitch, while others such as Shy were affected more by dynamics. The emotional characteristics of the piano, celeste, and harp were largely similar for most categories, though there were some differences for categories such as Mysterious.
Spectral and temporal resolution in listeners with age-dependent hearing loss
Authors: Supin Alexander , Milekhina Olga , Tomozova Marina , Nechaev Dmitry
Published: November 2023

Two basic mechanisms perform the frequency analysis of sounds: (i) the spectral mechanism presented by a bank of frequency-tuned filters and (ii) The temporal mechanism that uses the temporal structure of the signal. The temporal structure manifests in the autocorrelation function. The roles of the spectral and temporal mechanisms in the age-dependent hearing loss were investigated using rippled-spectrum signals. It has been shown previously that discrimination of two rippled signals with different positions of ripples at the frequency scale is mostly performed the spectral processing; for discrimination between a rippled and “flat” signal, the temporal processing dominated. In cases of hearing loss, the decrease of the acuteness of frequency-tuned cochlear filters resulted in reduction of the ripple-pattern resolution by the spectral mechanism. This effect did not influence the capabilities of the temporal mechanism. However, listeners with the age-dependenthearing loss did not perceive high sound frequencies. High frequencies were more favorable for temporal processing, so the inability to perceive these frequencies negatively influenced the ripple resolution. Thus, resolution of rippled signals may reduce at any discrimination task; however, the mechanisms of the reduction differed depending on the task. [Work supported by The Russian Science Foundation, Grant 23-25-00148.]
Using virtual sound reproduction for studying L1/L2 speech perception in varying acoustic environments
Authors: Hioka Yusuke , Hui C. T. Justine , Masuda Hinako , Watson Catherine I.
Published: November 2023

Studying the effect of varying acoustic environments on speech perception is often challenging due to the logistical difficulties in moving participants undertaking listening tests between environments as well as lack of controllability and reproducibility in terms of the acoustics of the test environments. In addition, when the study requires to compare first and second language listeners, it often becomes infeasible due to the availability of participants with required language background in a single geographical location where the study is conducted. Virtual sound reproduction could address the challenge thanks to its ability to reproduce the acoustics of arbitrary spaces at multiple geographic locations in a controllable manner. However, it has not been studied well if the results collected using virtual sound reproduction would be a valid alternative to the results collected in real spaces. This talk will introduce a recent study that investigated the difference of speech perception in varying acoustic environments between first and second language New Zealand English listeners using virtual sound reproduction technology. The talk will particularly focus on how the results collected under virtual acoustic environments assimilates to that collected in the original real acoustic environments between first and second language listeners.
How well do hearing aids amplify “speech glimpses” in multitalker mixtures?
Authors: Best Virginia
Published: November 2023

Reductions in speech audibility are more detrimental in the presence of competing sounds, where there is little redundant speech information, than in quiet. Indeed, our previous work suggests that insufficient audibility of “speech glimpses” may partly explain the poor performance of listeners with hearing loss in multitalker mixtures. An implication of those results is that restoring audibility across the spectrum may be especially critical in such situations. Here we asked whether current hearing-aid amplification strategies adequately restore the audibility of speech glimpses. We used ideal time-frequency separation to isolate target speech glimpses from unaided and aided speech mixtures. We then measured intelligibility for the isolated glimpses and for the original mixtures. Participants were young adults with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and individualized non-linear amplification (NAL-NL2) was provided using the Oldenburg open Master Hearing Aid. Results show that amplification generally improved the audibility and intelligibility of the target speech glimpses. For some participants, the intelligibility improvements carried over to the mixtures. For others, the improvements were diminished in the mixtures, suggesting that there were counteracting effects. This approach may provide a useful way to unpack positive and negative effects of hearing-aid processing in multitalker mixtures.
Acoustic and durational correlates of diphthong contrasts in Nafsan
Authors: Billington Rosey
Published: November 2023

The phonetic realization of diphthongs, vowels with dynamic productions involving two targets and often described as inherently long, is under-studied cross-linguistically (e.g., Petersen, 2018), including within many well-documented languages. Nafsan, an Oceanic language spoken by around 6000 people on Efate island in Vanuatu, has a vowel inventory with monophthongs of five qualities, all with a length contrast (Billington et al., 2021), and at least six contrastive closing diphthongs (Thieberger, 2006). These include /ei/ and /oi/, and two pairs in which the primary difference is viewed as the height of the second target: /ai/ and /ae/, and /au/ and /ao/. However, there are indications that duration may be an important correlate in these pairs. This presentation reports on a study of the six closing diphthongs based on data collected with six Nafsan speakers in Erakor village, using a wordlist of mostly monosyllabic words with diphthongs in both open syllables and syllables closed with a coronal consonant, produced in an utterance-medial frame. Results show that, in addition to differences in second formant frequency, /ae/ and /ao/ are significantly longer than /ai/ and /au/, raising questions about whether the contrast is best interpreted as a length contrast similar to that found among monophthongs.
Extraction and analysis of three-dimensional sound scattering characteristics by body-generated internal waves
Authors: Nie Ruixin , Wang Bin , He Tengjiao
Published: November 2023

The motion of an object submerged in a stratified fluid generates surface wakes, and simultaneously induces internal waves at the interface where there is a change in sound speed, known as the thermocline. As a result, spectral-temporal fluctuations occur in both the surface height and the distribution of sound velocity. While surface wakes primarily contribute to geometric acoustic scattering, the internal waves generated by the underwater object's motion can have diverse effects on sound propagation, leading to a prolonged acoustic impact that may have practical applications in underwater acoustic detection. This paper investigates the impact of body-generated internal waves on underwater acoustic propagation through the establishment of an “unfrozen field,” range-dependent model using the approximated Kelvin wake theory. The model allows numerical simulations to demonstrate the spatial-temporal coherence, time-frequency modulation and directional characteristics of the three-dimensional sound field scattered by the body-generated internal wave. By analyzing the influences of thermocline depth, target motion velocity and source depth, the results presented in this study indicate that the long-range acoustic propagation, modulated by the body-generated internal waves, can provide additional information for detecting moving targets.
Complex sound perception by laboratory mice
Authors: Dent Micheal L. , Screven Laurel , Burke Kali , Kobrina Anastasiya , Charlton Payton
Published: November 2023

Although mice are known to produce vocalizations with varying spectrotemporal characteristics, exactly how they are using these vocalizations for communication is still not entirely known. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are produced by male and female mice of many strains and researchers have parsed these USVs into different categories. Whether or not these USV categories are meaningful to the mice has been the subject of many preference and playback studies, which have weaknesses. Using an operant conditioning nose poke paradigm, we have trained laboratory mice to detect, discriminate, and identify simple and complex stimuli, including USVs used for communication. We have found that USVs are easier to detect than pure tones, although noise, aging, and blast trauma disrupts this process. Like humans listening to words, the beginnings of USVs appear to hold more importance than the middle or ends of USVs. Mice can discriminate amongst USVs, and there is evidence for categorization of at least some USVs, but this ability is much worse than that of other animals tested on similar tasks. Psychophysical experiments with awake trained mice are important for determining the perceptual limitations of the mouse auditory system and using these rodents as models for human communication disorders.
Sonomechanobiology: High frequency cell mechanostimulation
Authors: Ambattu Lizebona A. , Yeo Leslie
Published: November 2023

It is well known that cells respond in many different ways to various forms of mechanical cues. To date, however, mechanostimulation has typically been carried out statically or at relatively low frequencies (several Hz), characteristic of the frequencies associated with the motion experienced by cells in their local environment, for example, in the human body (e.g., walking and running). Where higher frequency vibrational mechanotransduction pathways have been investigated, these have primarily been limited to kHz order, and it has generally been suggested that there is no significant advantage in utilising higher frequencies. In a similar manner to observations of new and often nonlinear discoveries when we couple high frequency (10–30 MHz) vibration in the form of surface and hybrid acoustic waves into fluids as well as crystalline materials, we however observe unique and novel phenomena when similar MHz-order vibrational stimuli are transmitted into cells. These include modulation of various ion and piezo channels, and transient, yet reversible, permeabilization of the cell membrane, which have implications for efficient intracellular cytosol delivery, exosome biogenesis, cytoskeletal reorganization and stem cell differentiation, at the same time maintaining very high levels (>95%) in cellular viability.
Ultra-fast mechanics and bioeffects of acoustic droplet vaporization in tissue-mimicking hydrogels
Authors: Aliabouzar Mitra , Abeid Bachir A. , Estrada Jonathan B. , Fabiilli Mario L.
Published: November 2023

Acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) enables phase-shift droplets to respond to focused ultrasound in a spatiotemporal manner, offering a versatile platform for theranostic applications. To better understand the ADV-inducedmechanics and resulting bioeffects in real-time, we integrated ultra-high-speed microscopy (up to 10 million frames per second), time-lapse confocal microscopy, and focused ultrasound. Three monodispersed phase-shift droplets—containing perfluoropentane (PFP), perfluorohexane (PFH), or perfluorooctane (PFO)—with an average diameter of ∼12 μm were studied in fibrin-based, tissue-mimicking hydrogels. To assess cellular bioeffects and mechanical changes resulting from ADV, we co-encapsulated fibroblasts and tracer particles within the hydrogel. Tracking the displacement of tracer particles during and after ADV indicated a hyper-local region of influence by an ADV-generated bubble, correlating inversely with the bulk boiling point of the phase-shift droplets. Additionally, cell membrane permeabilization significantly depended on the distance between the droplet and cell (d), decreasing rapidly with increasing d. We will discuss and compare ADV dynamics, including maximum radial expansion, expansion velocity, and induced radial strain, as well as the critical distance for cell membrane permeabilization in fibrin-based hydrogels containing three different phase-shift droplets. The findings here provide useful information to optimize ADV for more tailored theranostic applications.
Physical learning of stiffness tensors by self-activated solids
Authors: Chen Yangyang , Tang Yuxuan
Published: November 2023

Unlike plastic deformations, elastic deformations usually cannot change mechanical properties of materials under different loading conditions. In this talk, we suggest a class of self-activated solids and derive a local learning rule so that the solid can learn the desired stiffness tensors through repeated elastic deformations it experienced. The local learning rule is inspired by contrastive Hebbian learning, which guides the learning process by modulating the bond stiffness of the solid based on its local stain. Extensive numerical tests are performed to validate the design and learning rule. We show that the self-activated solid can be physically trained to display the desired bulk, shear, and coupling moduli and to manifest uni-mode and bi-mode materials. The solid can also realize time-varying moduli to function as time-modulated materials. The material design and learning strategy introduced are scalable and applicable to arbitrary lattice geometries and other discrete material systems. The study could lead to new physical learning systems, beneficial to autonomous materials, machines, and robots.
Development of a guideline for the assessment of low frequency noise in Victoria, Australia
Authors: Buret Marc , Just Elaine , Samuel Audrey
Published: November 2023

The Victorian Environment Protection Act 2017 commenced in July 2021 and includes a general environmental duty to minimise the risk of harm to human health and the environment from pollution and waste (including noise), as well as an obligation to not emit “unreasonable noise”. Unreasonable noise occurs if limits set by the Environment Protection Regulations 2021 are exceeded, or having regards to factors included in the Act’s definition of unreasonable noise. The Regulations prescribe ‘frequency spectrum’ as one of these factors. In this context, the Environment Protection Authority Victoria developed the ‘Noise guideline: Assessing low frequency noise’ (publication 1996) that applies to commercial, industrial and trade premises. This guideline provides the steps for assessing low frequency noise from existing and the approach to follow when planning and designing new developments in Victoria. It is the reference document to understand the risk of harm from the emission of low frequency noise and assess and address low frequency noise. The development of the guideline and the underlying considerations are presented.
Benefits of using ANSI/ASA S12.9 -2020/Part 7: “Measurement of environmental sound: Measurement of low-frequency noise and infrasound outdoors and in the presence of wind and indoors in occupied spaces.”
Authors: Hessler George , Broner Norm
Published: November 2023

I was invited and honored by Dr. Paul Schomer to Chair working group S12/WG 54 for Part 7 of ANSI S12.9. The working group had 23 learned members all at the reasonable disposal of the Chair. At the start I knew the technical tasks that would have to be done and it would be a time-consuming process, at least a year; completion took over three years. Some of the fundamental tasks required were (a) Define and quantify wind-induced-noise (WIN) for standard wind screen measurements and with upgraded wind protection to lower WIN, (b) Define conversion corrections necessary between post-mounted above grade and ground plane mounted microphones, and (c) Define a repeatable technique for measuring pressure levels outside and inside structures to characterize noise reduction NR in 1/3 octave bands for the facade of the structure. These tasks were completed with much effort by numerous group members. The standard may be consulted for analyses and reference, particularly Annexes A through D, as well as for authoritarian standard purposes. This presentation will outline the many valuable procedures in the standard for measuring low frequency noise and infrasound.
Ultrasonic in situ measurements for hybrid metal additive manufacturing
Authors: Turner Joseph A. , Sotelo Luz D. , Matz Nathanial , Brandl W. Tanner , Ferrin Morgan
Published: November 2023

Hybrid additive manufacturing (AM) of metals includes synergistic secondary processes such as milling or peening that impart changes to the component for improved performance. Although a valuable concept, implementation is difficult to verify due to a current lack of in situ inspection methods. In this presentation, two different strategies are described with respect to ultrasonic inspections for hybrid metal AM. Both are used for inspections during laser-based directed energy deposition with milling as the hybrid process. The first uses a transducer mounted below the build plate. This configuration allows waves to interrogate the entire sample during all additive and subtractive manufacturing steps. Experiments with Ti6Al4V show the changes in ultrasonic wave speed and attenuation that track the manufacturing temporally. The second inspection approach uses ultrasonic surface waves at the top surface of the sample. These measurements are used on samples of 316L stainless steel at the end of additive steps as well as before and after milling to quantify localized information regarding the most recent layers. Wave speed and diffuse scattering information show the variability with respect to sample geometry, build height, and process parameters. Finally, advantages and limitations of both approaches and prospects for validated parts are discussed.
Impact localization on structures using remote sensors
Authors: King Allison M. , Dowling David R.
Published: November 2023

Acoustic waves provide a wealth of information about their source and the environment in which they propagate. For large structures, it is sometimes desirable to use acoustic remote sensing methods to collect structure-borne sound because the microphone array and structure can then be maintained separately. Traditional time-of-flight array signal processing techniques used to localize acoustic sources are ill-suited for structures due to the potential for complicated propagation paths, the dispersive propagation of acoustic waves in structures, and the coupling of the vibrating structure and surrounding medium. Thus, source localization experiments were conducted using Matched Field Processing for a 6.4-mm thick circular aluminum plate excited by the impact of a 12.7-mm-diameter stainless-steel ball bearing dropped from 76-mm above the plate. This impulsive excitation of the plate contained frequencies between 0 and 5 kHz, resulting in wave speeds in the plate up to approximately 550 m/s. A linear array of 14 microphones with 51-mm spacing located 90-mm above the plate was placed in a random location such that it was not centered over the plate. Source localization results in both a quiet environment and an environment with additive white Gaussian noise are presented. [Sponsored by a SMART Scholarship, and the NEEC.]
Vibrational timber characterization through the use of model updating
Authors: Tran Thien , Nerse Can , Oberst Sebastian , Halkon Benjamin J. , Sawalhi Nader , Sepehrirahnama Shahrokh
Published: November 2023

The characterization of orthotropic materials has challenged the vibration and acoustics community for quite some time. Complex composite materials such as wooden structures require attention to factors including moisture, grain boundaries in addition to macroscopic features. Here we devise a basic model developed by measuring the vibrational response in two separate axes to determine the material characteristics of a timber dowel. A proposed benchtop procedure utilises vibrometers and accelerometers to gather data before the updating process, for which, FEMtools was used. Based on the input material parameters, uncovered by previous studies, provide a starting point for the model updating procedure where experimental mode shapes and frequency responses are correlated to the finite element model. With the focus on radiata pine, the results show radial and tangential values converge similar to previous literature but with variation in the longitudinal direction and shear planes. Overall, this study provides a solid foundation to the characterization process of orthotropic materials like timber which can be further expanded into fields of structural health monitoring, damage detection and potential use in digital twins. The authors acknowledge the support of the Australian Research Council Linkage Project LP200301196.
Prominence and focus: The tension between acoustic cues and phonological structure
Authors: Calhoun Sasha
Published: November 2023

Across many languages, prosodic prominence signals focus. For example, “Does SHE like it?” has different implications to “Does she LIKE it?” (capitals indicate prominence), as the prominence marks focus and therefore a different implied contrast (with she versus like). In prosody research, there has always been a tension in the extent to which prominence is marked directly by psychoacoustic cues (higher pitch, loudness, length, etc.), which may be universal across languages, versus prominence being part of phonological structure, and therefore language-specific (e.g., Ladd, 2008). I review my research on the production and perception of focus in the understudied Polynesian languages Samoan and te reo Māori (Calhoun, 2015, 2016; Calhoun et al., 2021, 2023, in press), as well as other diverse languages (e.g. see Kügler & Calhoun, 2020). This research shows very clearly that cues to prominence vary substantially across languages and must be related to the phonological system of a given language. Nonetheless, questions about whether psychoacoustic cues directly signal focus, or its pragmatic sister, (paralinguistic) emphasis, alongside or within phonological structure, remain unresolved (e.g., Ladd and Arvaniti, 2023). I consider recent research offering new approaches to resolving this tension in relation to results from understudied languages.
Time spreading of a target echo from a short pulse in a waveguide
Authors: Ellis Dale D.
Published: November 2023

The normal mode approach has proven very useful for calculating reverberation in a shallow water waveguide. Generally the calculation is done as a function of range r, then the time dependence t is obtained via t = 2r/c, where c is some average sound speed. This assumes that all the multipath returns from a particular scattering point arrive at the same time. A better time dependence can be obtained by using mode group velocities [D. Ellis, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 97, 2804–2814 (1995)]. For reverberation from a uniform bottom this only has a small effect compared to the simple approach. However, for a compact scattering feature or target, the time spreading for a short pulse can be quite significant. Analytical results for an isospeed waveguide have been previously obtained using an energy flux approach. Here, a model using modal group velocities is used to calculate the time dependence of an echo from a target or compact reverberation feature. The mode approach extends to a general sound speed profile. One can convolve the impulse response with the amplitude envelope of the transmitted pulse to obtain the echo time decay. [Work supported by Mount Allison University, and US Office of Naval Research.]
Comparison of facade noise reduction measurement methods: Field results
Authors: Waldeck Randy
Published: November 2023

Many projects require acoustical measurements of facade noise reduction be conducted to verify that Building Code, “green” rating systems (e.g., LEED), or other project interior noise criteria are met. In addition, federally funded airport sound insulation programs in the United States require facade noise reduction measurements be conducted to verify the eligibility of residences receiving sound insulation treatments. Currently, there exists a variety of standards to measure facade noise reduction (e.g., ASTM E966, ISO 16283-3, SAE ARP 6973). These standards employ various measurement methods: artificial exterior noise source, calibrated exterior noise source, line source, etc. In addition, these standards provide guidance on the location of exterior microphones (flush versus near facade) and correction factors to be applied to the data. Recently, a field comparison of three measurement methods was made at multiple residences: artificial exterior noise source, artificial interior noise source, and flush versus near microphone position. This is follow-on research from the National Academies of Science Airport Cooperative Research Project 02-51 and its purpose is to determine whether valid facade noise reduction measurements can be made with the loudspeaker located at the interior of the residence. A comparison of results across the measurement methods will be presented.
Multidimensional comparison of ocean soundscape properties across depth and substrate type
Authors: Miksis-Olds Jennifer , Wilford Dylan , Martin Bruce S.
Published: November 2023

The local soundscape is determined by its physical environment, human activity, and presence of soniferous marine life and, therefore, provides insight on ecosystem processes, habitat quality, and biodiversity. Shallow coral habitats in tropical environments are hotspots of biodiversity and marine life. Deep-sea coral environments along the southeastern U.S. provide important habitat for a variety of marine animals but are generally poorly understood. An innovative Soundscape Code methodology for quantitatively characterizing soundscapes was applied to passive recordings from four locations along the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and one from the Great Barrier Reef to assess how differences in habitat, depth, and substrate manifest acoustically. Comparisons were made between (1) deep, cold-water and shallow, warm-water coral reefs and (2) deep-sea coral and sandy bottom habitats. The shallow, tropical reef soundscape differed from the deep-sea soundscapes in amplitude and impulsiveness. Differences in soundscape properties among the deep-sea soundscapes suggest deep-sea coral sites produce different soundscapes than the deep sites without live hardbottom. Biologic and anthropogenic signals influenced the deep-sea soundscapes and represent fundamental differences in habitat. This initial assessment of deep-sea soundscapes along the US OCS provides baseline acoustic properties in a region likely to experience changes in climate and human use.
High-frequency point-of-care quantitative ultrasound to assess myopia-induced microstructural changes in the anterior sclera in vivo
Authors: Hoerig Cameron , Hoang Quan V. , Mamou Jonathan
Published: November 2023

The progression of myopia to advanced stages is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Standard ophthalmic measurements can evaluate myopia level but cannot predict disease progression. Recent evidence suggests the microstructural properties of the anterior sclera may be altered by myopia. We have developed a high-frequency (80MHz) point-of-care (POC) ultrasound device to collect radiofrequency echo data from the anterior sclera and infer the microstructural and mechanical properties using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) techniques and passive elastography (PE), respectively. We hypothesized that QUS parameters derived from measurements of the backscatter coefficient (BSC) and shear-wave speed (SWS) estimated through PE correlate with myopia severity. Both eyes of 85 patients exhibiting varying levels of myopia were scanned with the POC device. Multilinear regression between the QUS parameters with refractive error or axial length demonstrated moderate correlation (p < 0.001). A logistic regression classifier trained using a subset of the QUS parameters to differentiate eyes based on myopia level achieved satisfactory performance as measured by area under the ROC curve (AUROC = 0.7). Results of this study suggest high-frequency QUS can detect myopia-induced microstructural changes of the anterior sclera and may pave the way toward a method to predict myopia progression in vivo.
The acoustic emissions of bubbles released from melting glacier ice
Authors: Deane Grant B.
Published: November 2023

The transfer of heat and salt across the near-ice (proximal) boundary layer of tidewater glacier termini are important controls on submarine ablation. Glacier ice typically contains pressurized air bubbles, formed at the base of the firm layer and transported over centuries or millennia to the ocean. These bubbles are released during ice melting into the proximal boundary layer. The combination of ice, water, and air makes the proximal boundary layer a complex, multiphase flow. Bubble release is accompanied by pulses of sound with peak pressures spanning a wide range of values that can exceed 100 Pa. Investigations into the origins of this signal and its application to monitoring glacier submarine ablation rates will be presented. [Work supported by the US Office of Naval Research Ocean Acoustics program (Grant No. N00014-21-1-2316).]
Realistic interaural level differences help listeners suppress auditory distractors
Authors: Shinn-Cunningham Barbara , Liang Wusheng , Brown Christopher A.
Published: November 2023

Past research hints that realistic auditory spatial simulations not only “sound better,” but better engage brain mechanisms controlling spatial auditory attention. We sought to replicate this finding by comparing behavior and neural responses for simulations using: (1) individualized head-related transfer functions (HRTFs), (2) filters preserving individualized, frequency-specific interaural level differences (ILDs) but removing interaural time differences (ITDs), and (3) filters preserving ITDs but removing ILDs. Listeners were asked to report back a random stream of consonant-vowel syllables (tokens spoken by a male talker) from left or right while ignoring a different random, temporally inter-digitated consonant-vowel stream from the opposite direction. To extend previous findings, we tested a listener’s ability to ignore a salient distinct sound (a cat MEOW) that occurred in the middle of some randomly selected trials. ITD-only simulations led to worse performance, especially on cat-interrupted trials. Simultaneous electroencephalography showed that in ITD-only simulations, attention evoked no significant lateralized alpha oscillations (a signature of spatially directed attention) and the to-be-ignored cat elicited larger neural responses than for other simulations. These results highlight how different auditory virtual environment simulations can influence perceptual and neural outcomes and suggest that simulations including natural ILDs enhance a listener’s ability to focus spatial attention.
Updating the secondary path using deep learning models to enhance the performance of active road noise control
Authors: Oh Jun Young , Jung Hyun Woo , Kang Yeon June , Lee Myung Han , Lee Kyoung Hoon
Published: November 2023

This research investigates the importance of accurately updating the secondary path estimation to enhance the performance of active road noise control (ARNC), particularly in response to variable conditions within a vehicle. The study analyzes the impact of four spatial conditions on the secondary path and introduces prediction models using Delaunay triangulation-based interpolation and deep learning methods, using multi-layer perceptron (MLP) networks. MLP networks were constructed based on the representation domain chosen for the secondary path. The deep learning methods demonstrated higher prediction accuracy and smaller data storage requirements compared to the interpolation method. Among these deep learning methods, the approach that stood out as the best performer was representing the secondary path through principal component analysis (PCA) and learning the weight of each basis vector. Through this technique, it was experimentally confirmed that the performance of ARNC under variable conditions in the vehicle improved through the accurate update of real-time secondary path estimation. These advantages are particularly prominent when dealing with high frequencies, which are likely to be the foundational technology for the frequency expansion of ARNC.
Local active control of road noise with door loudspeakers in a car cabin
Authors: Wang Shuping , Xiao Xinfa , Tao Jiancheng , Qiu Xiaojun
Published: November 2023

Active control of road noise in car cabins has received much attention in recent years and it has been well known that local quiet zones can be created with headrest loudspeakers. The local control performance achieved with door loudspeakers is investigated in this manuscript based on the measurements in a car cabin, and it is compared with that achieved with two headrest speakers. The noise reduction performance at error microphones, the upper limit frequency of effective control, as well as the size of the quiet zone are investigated in detail. The difficulties and challenges of using the door loudspeakers for local control are discussed.
Scattering enhancement of partially buried sphere at the water-sand interfaces due to reflected subsonic Rayleigh waves
Authors: Li Bing , Fan Jun , Tan Liwen , Liu Zihao , Zhou Fulin
Published: November 2023

In view of the development needs of maritime security, the detecting of buried targets over long distances at low frequencies needs to be solved urgently. Through well designed experiments at low frequency (ka = 5–10), this paper presents a study on the scattering echoes from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) spheres in partially buried cases (50%, 75% and 100% buried), and the propagation characteristics of subsonic Rayleigh surface waves on the surface of PMMA spheres at the water-sand interface can be clearly observed. It is shown that the fine sand medium with larger impedance brings about smaller circumferential phase and group velocities of subsonic Rayleigh waves on the surface of the PMMA sphere; the resonance peak caused by subsonic Rayleigh waves is shifted toward the low frequency with the deepening of the burial depth, and the offset can be predicted by the circumferential phase velocity of the subsonic Rayleigh wave in different media and burial depth of PMMA sphere, and the experimental and finite element simulation results validate the shift of the Rayleigh resonance peak. The research results of this paper can provide certain reference value for the detection of low frequency buried targets.
New draft DEGA guideline103-1 for sound protection classes
Authors: Nocke Christian
Published: November 2023

The DEGA recommendation 103 (DEGA-Empfehlung–Schallschutz im Wohnungsbau und Schallschutzausweis) has been introduced in the year 2009 and includes a classification scheme for dwellings. Seven classes are defined. The classification is based on different criteria for air borne noise, impact noise and other quantities. In 2018, a revised version has been published. Both version relied on classical quantities such as air born sound insulation R’w and impact sound insulation L’n,w. A new version has recently published as a draft DEGA guideline 103-1 (Entwurf zur DEGA-Richtlinie 103-1 “Schallschutz im Wohnungsbau, Teil 1”). In this new draft, the idea of seven classes hae been taken over. The classification not only is based on traditional values such as R’w and L’n,w but also offers the use of the weighed sound level differences DnT,w and weighed standardizes impact sound pressure level L’nT,w. It is suggested to use the later quantities. This dual track approach allows a better design and will lead to a higher acceptance among acousticians and other users. The new draft is presented and will be discussed in relation to other approaches for sound protection in dwellings.
Optimising acoustic performance, cost efficiency, and embodied carbon in internal partitions: A holistic approach for sustainable building design
Authors: Foster Alex , James Deb , Fung Even , Khan Bilal , Davidson Deborah
Published: November 2023

The successful design of a building is a complex endeavor that requires careful consideration of multiple factors and disciplines, ultimately aiming for a holistic outcome throughout the entire process—from design and delivery to the lifespan of the building. To achieve this outcome, various aspects, such as architectural design, structural integrity, functionality, environmental sustainability, cost efficiency, and occupant comfort, must be balanced and integrated. This paper explores the relationship between acoustic performance, cost implications, and embodied carbon in internal partitions within the context of building design. It emphasises the importance of a holistic approach in considering these factors collectively and highlights the early integration of acoustic considerations, cost-effective materials and techniques, and environmental sustainability. By making informed decisions, stakeholders can optimize building outcomes by creating superior acoustic environments while minimizing costs and environmental impact. This paper aims to provide a guide for professionals, underlining the significance of a comprehensive approach in achieving optimal project results.