bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Cerasus humilis transcription factor, ChDREB2C, enhances salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis
Authors: Wang D. , Ji X. L. , Li Z. , Zhang M. Y. , Liu M. P. , Song X. S.
Published: November 2023

DREB transcription factors play important roles in plant responses to various abiotic and biotic stresses.

We conducted bioinformatics analysis of ChDREB2C, explored subcellular localization, transcription activation activity, and heterologous expression in Arabidopsis, and measured expression of related physiological indicators and genes under salt stress.

A transcription factor of the DREB family was cloned and named ChDREB2C. ChDREB2C protein was localized in the nucleus, and its C‐terminal domain exhibited transcriptional activation activity. ChDREB2C formed a homologous dimer in yeast. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing ChDREB2C were more tolerant to salt stress than WT plants, through increased scavenging capacity of ROS and accumulation of proline. Overexpression of ChDREB2C resulted in increased expression of AtSOS1, AtNHX1, AtRD29A, AtRD29B, AtKIN1, AtABA4, and AtABF2 genes. The interaction between ChABF2 (ABA response element binding factor 2) and ChDREB2C was verified using yeast two‐hybrid and firefly luciferase assays.

The results suggest that ChDREB2C could have a positive role in mediating the abiotic response.
Optimizing selection strategy for enhancing reproduction efficiency in Indian crossbred goats using milk productivity as a selection criterion
Authors: Upadhyay Amritanshu , Alex Rani , Sahoo Shweta , Khan Kashif Dawood , Das Pradyut , Dige Mahesh Shivanand , Vohra Vikas , Gowane Gopal Ramdasji
Published: November 2023

The present study was aimed at optimizing the selection strategy for enhancing reproductive efficiency and milk productivity of Alpine × Beetal crossbred goats. The data set included 2949 milk trait records across parities and 1389 milk records from first parity and corresponding reproductive traits. The traits included for analysis were 150‐day milk yield (150DMY), days in milk (DIM), peak yield (PY) and total milk yield (TMY). The litter size (LS) and litter weight (LW) were used for specifically formulating selection plan using indirect selection. The least squares mean for lactation traits during the first parity were 150DMY: 195.32 ± 2.09 kg, DIM: 236.42 ± 3.04 days, PY: 1.82 ± 0.02 kg, TMY: 269.62 ± 4.52 kg. Notably, Alpine × Beetal goats demonstrated genetic superiority pan India for milk productivity as compared to other native goat breeds. The least squares mean for 150DMY across all parities was 236 ± 3.13 kg. An animal model employing average information restricted maximum likelihood was used for (co)variance component estimation to get the genetic parameters. The analysis revealed total heritability estimates for 150DMY, DIM, PY and TMY as 0.18 ± 0.06, 0.04 ± 0.04, 0.12 ± 0.06 and 0.08 ± 0.05, respectively. Repeatability estimates for 150DMY, DIM, and TMY were 0.28 ± 0.04, 0.21 ± 0.03 and 0.37 ± 0.03, respectively. Bivariate analysis of 150DMY with reproductive traits revealed heritability for LS and LW as 0.05 ± 0.01 and 0.10 ± 0.01, respectively using Gibbs sampling. Strong and positive genetic correlations of 150DMY with other production and reproduction traits was observed, such as DIM (0.72), PY (0.98), TMY (0.88), LS (0.57) and LW (0.33). Moderate heritability and repeatability estimate of 150DMY, along with its positive correlation with production and reproductive traits suggested it as a suitable selection criterion for early selection and overall genetic progress of lactation traits. The genetic trend analysis showed an overall improvement in all these traits, with observed gain of 98.4 g per year for 150DMY, 0.04 days per year for DIM, 0.5 g per year for PY and 220.5 g per year for TMY. We observed that selecting based on 150DMY would lead to a favourable indirect improvement for LW as 79 g and LS 0.04 units per generation. We, therefore, recommend employing 150DMY as the single trait selection criteria to enhance both milk productivity and reproductive potential of Alpine × Beetal goats.
Analytic theology
Authors: Davis Aaron Brian
Published: November 2023

Analytic theology is often described as something like the application of analytic philosophy's tools to theological studies, but what this means can be unclear. In this paper, I offer a primer on analytic theology which clarifies this common description of the field. Particularly, following Sarah Coakley, I sketch an account of analytic theology on which it consists of a relation of familial resemblance. That is, analytic theologians are those who investigate theological loci in ways akin to those seen in contemporary analytic philosophy. In so doing, I also briefly describe how analytic theology is conceptually distinct from both philosophical theology and analytic philosophy of religion. I then provide a threefold typology for understanding analytic theology's literary landscape whereby its practitioners can generally be understood to produce works which are either philosophically‐inclined, theologically‐inclined, or mixed in their inclination. Finally, I offer a brief survey of new frontiers being explored by analytic theologians.
Perceptions of the utility of secure firearm storage methods as a suicide prevention tool among firearm owners who currently store their firearms loaded and unlocked
Authors: Anestis Michael D. , Bond Allison E. , Moceri‐Brooks Jayna , Bandel Shelby L. , Semenza Daniel
Published: November 2023

Background

Although secure firearm storage can prevent firearm injury and death, secure storage is relatively rare. This tendency may be driven in part by a perceived lack of utility for secure storage in preventing suicide and other gun violence‐related outcomes.

Method

We recruited a large (n = 3510) representative sample of residents from five US states and assessed the degree to which those who do and do not store their firearms securely perceive different utility in specific firearm storage practices for suicide prevention. To test for specificity, we examined if those differences hold when considering unintentional shooting and firearm theft prevention.

Results

Those who currently store their firearms unsecured reported lower perceived utility in several firearm storage practices, particularly for suicide and theft prevention.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight that a lack of perceived utility in secure firearm storage may partially drive unsecure firearm storage. Efforts to promote secure storage must address this misperception.
What's the influence of input's variation? Estimating the input elasticity in the global value chain
Authors: Cheng Xian‐nan , Wen Shuhui , Fan Nuobing , Liu Yuwei , Wang Yujing
Published: November 2023

This article presents a comprehensive framework for assessing the influence of input variation during the period of stagnant expansion of the global value chain (GVC) by incorporating input elasticity. Each import sector is treated as a complete input demand system with a stochastic preference for input in the framework of Ghosh Inverse, and the input elasticity is employed to quantify the input variation based on the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model. New empirical evidence covering three major regional value chains (RVCs) and the time span from 2010 to 2020 reveals that increasing input elasticity leads to additional output for most countries, except those within the North American RVC. Additionally, this article also discusses how external determinants have diverse extents influence to input elasticity, while the substitution effect among homogenous input in the specific input demand system may decide their input's competitiveness.
Variation in world Englishes through the lens of negation
Authors: Collins Peter
Published: November 2023

This article reports the findings of a study of negation across varieties of English worldwide, with data derived from the Global Web‐Based Corpus of English. Three general categories are explored: negative polarity‐sensitive expressions (lexical verbs such as bother, and idioms such as give a damn); negators (idioms such as be not half bad, boilerplate no‐collocations such as no worries, and implicit negators such as bugger all); and non‐standardised features such as invariant don't and multiple negation. The findings provide support for the Inner Circle versus Outer Circle distinction, with results ascribable to such factors as evolutionary status, SLA phenomena, colloquiality, and tolerance of vulgarity. Further areal findings are suggestive of linguistic epicentrality.
The Drivers of Customer Satisfaction in Interactions with Virtual Agents: Evidence from South Africa
Authors: Dhavraj Kival , Ndoro Tinashe T R
Published: November 2023

The advent of the fourth industrial revolution has increased the application of artificial intelligence in various marketing related activities. Organisations are increasingly using artificial intelligence through virtual agents to aid and facilitate interactions with consumers. Clearly, virtual agents need to be capable of fulfilling customer needs. However, it raises the question of whether they should be cold and unfeeling or should imitate the most innate human qualities. This research therefore set out to examine what impact humanness, perceived agency, trust, and emotionality have on customer satisfaction in interactions with virtual agents, or, more specifically, AI chatbots. A quantitative research design was employed in the study. Data were collected by using a survey questionnaire and a total of 207 respondents were obtained. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS 28, where a linear regression was performed. The results indicate that humanness and perceived agency were significant predictors of customer satisfaction. On the other hand, emotionality and trust were not significant predictors. The results of this research have theoretical and practical implications for both practitioners and researchers.
Multidimensional comparison of underwater soundscapes using the soundscape code
Authors: Wilford Dylan C. , Miksis-Olds Jennifer L. , Martin S. Bruce
Published: November 2023

The soundscape of a given habitat is a product of its physical environment, human activity, and presence of soniferous marine life, which can be used to understand ecosystem processes, habitat quality, and biodiversity. Shallow coral habitats are hotspots of biodiversity and marine life. Deep-sea coral environments, in comparison, are generally poorly understood. Four soundscapes along the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and one soundscape from the Great Barrier Reef were quantified to explore 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. Application of the soundscape code to recordings in each location seeded cluster analyses of soundscape metrics and an assessment of daily trends to quantitatively compare the soundscapes. The shallow, tropical reef soundscape differed from the deep-sea soundscapes in amplitude and impulsiveness. Differences in soundscape properties among the deep-sea soundscapes suggested cold-water coral sites produce different soundscapes than the deep sites without live hard bottom. This initial assessment of deep-sea soundscapes along the U.S. OCS provides baseline acoustic properties in a region likely to experience changes due to climate and human use.
An expanding pipeline: 20 + years of Acentech internships
Authors: Markham Benjamin E.
Published: November 2023

Acoustics interns at Acentech, a multidisciplinary acoustics, technology, and noise & vibration control consultancy based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, have included undergraduate and graduate students as well as graduates in many fields of engineering, physics, and architecture. Acentech interns work on a deliberate mix of both project work and internal research and development, often inspired by research presented by academics in our field. For a time, interns were typically from one of approximately a dozen US-based graduate programs in acoustic, and more rarely, from one or two undergraduate programs with acoustics concentrations. In recent years, successful interns have hailed from an increasingly wide array of university programs, and the results have exceeded expectations: an increasingly diverse pipeline of skilled, intellectually curious individuals with a passion for music, buildings, and acoustical design.
Baleen whale sound perception and anthropogenic ocean noise: Analyzing the behavioral response of migrating humpback whales to tones and airguns
Authors: Stone Kelsey , McNamara Riona , Noad Michael , Dunlop Rebecca
Published: November 2023

Baleen whale sound perception is an important factor to consider when predicting and mitigating the impacts of anthropogenic ocean noise. Some sound types, for example predator calls, may elicit greater responses, meaning whale behavior is not only driven by proximity and received level, but other factors. Here, we compared the response of migrating eastern Australian humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to tones and airguns. We tested the hypothesis that groups would have a greater response magnitude to higher frequency tones given they sound like killer whale whistles, a known predator. An airgun shot, however, has a similar sound profile to a breaching whale. Whale groups were exposed to either a 20 cubic inch air gun or one of four tonal frequencies (250 Hz, 1 kHz, 4 kHz, and 16 kHz), and their behavior was compared before and during the sound exposure. Results show that the 16 kHz tone elicited the largest response as measured by alterations in group movement and dive behavior. Their behavioral changes to lower frequencies (250 Hz and 1 kHz) were similar in magnitude to their responses to airguns. Results suggest humpback whales may perceive certain sound types as threatening, eliciting more dramatic behavioral changes than conspecific-like sounds.
Vocalization behavior response of captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to playbacks of pile driving noise
Authors: Chao Chuan-Kuan , Wu Pei-Ying , Yang Wei-Cheng
Published: November 2023

Anthropogenic noises in the ocean may cause significant impacts on the behavior of marine mammals, including stress, hearing impairment, and disruptions in social interactions. To investigate the potential effects of off-shore wind farm pile driving noise on dolphins, we conducted controlled experiments to 3 captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) exposed to pile driving noise playbacks at four different sound pressure levels (Mean Lpeak 0,127,147,160 dB re 1 μPa) with a Lubell LL1424HP underwater transducer. Several vocalizational parameters of the underwater video recordings during the exposure were analyzed to assess the quantity of vocalizations and frequency modulations. Our findings revealed a notable increase in frequency modulation within whistle calls as the sound levels of pile driving noises increased. Changes in the number of calls at different noise levels can also be noticed. Additionally, we observed time-matching jaw claps to the pile driving sounds. These results suggest that pile driving activity several kilometres away from the habitat may still cause frequency masking, leading to altered behaviors of dolphins and potentially inducing population-level stress. Understanding the impact of anthropogenic noise including behavioral and acoustic responses, auditory masking, and stress on marine species is crucial for effective conservation and mitigation strategies.
A first look at sound transmission through the elephant middle ear—Not what we expected
Authors: O'Connell-Rodwell Caitlin , Berezin Jodie , Ravicz Mike , Puria Sunil
Published: November 2023

Elephants, the largest terrestrial mammals, have the lowest frequency auditory system, even lower than previously thought, which likely facilitates their long-distance communication. We used a 3D laser Doppler vibrometer to quantify ossicular motions of cadaveric middle ears of both African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants as well as humans to understand the mechanics of sound transmission in animals with larger ears than humans. Velocity in the x, y, and z directions from the umbo and stapes over the 7–13,000 Hz range were converted to their anatomical piston directions. The magnitude of umbo velocity was an order of magnitude greater in elephants than humans below the elephant middle ear resonance of about 300 Hz, whereas the stapes velocity was 5 times greater. These higher magnitude velocities are most likely due to an eardrum that is 7 times larger. Despite elephant ossicles being 10 times heavier, the magnitude of stapes velocity above 1 kHz in elephants and humans was similar, but even more surprising, elephants showed much more group delay than anticipated. We present our results in the context of eardrum size, ossicle mass, the malleus-incus lever ratio that characterize elephant and human middle ear sound transmission. [Work supported by the Amelia Peabody Fund and K01 DC017812.]
Spectral and temporal cues used by echolocating bottlenose dolphins to discriminate changes in inter-highlight intervals
Authors: Christman Katie A. , Finneran James , Mulsow Jason , Lally Katelin , O'Kelley Austin , Bannon Matthew , Houser Dorian , Gentner Timothy
Published: November 2023

Echolocating dolphins use spectral cues to discriminate complex echoes from targets with multiple reflective surfaces; however, the specific cues involved are not clear. This study investigated the role of spectral interference patterns on the dolphin’s ability to discriminate two-highlight echoes. In task one of the study, two dolphins were trained to echolocate, listen to returning electronic (“phantom”) echoes with two identical highlights, and produce a conditioned acoustic response if the inter-highlight interval (IHI) increased. The amount that the IHI increased varied across trials. Task two replicated task one but applied a random phase shift to all highlights. This varied the specific locations of notches along the frequency axis in the complex echo spectrum but preserved the notch spacing (equal to the inverse of the IHI). For IHIs less than 250 μs, discrimination thresholds increased with IHI and were larger with random phase shifts. For IHIs greater than 250 μs, thresholds plateaued and were similar for both tasks. Results agree with those from a previous study with passively listening dolphins. Namely, echolocating dolphins can use the spacing of notches in spectral interference patterns to detect IHI changes within the ∼250-μs temporal window, but temporal cues are used at longer IHIs. [Work supported by ONR]
Finite-element modeling on noise impacts and hearing in marine fauna
Authors: Wei Chong , Erbe Christine , McCauley Robert D.
Published: November 2023

Despite increasing interest in the effects of anthropogenic noise on marine fauna, relevant research is limited, particularly in those inaccessible species. Unfortunately, some of these inaccessible species are endangered, such as the little penguins (Eudyptula minor) and Australian sealions (Neophoca cinerea). In this study, we collected freshly deceased bight redfish (Centroberyx gerrardi), little penguins, and Australian sealion for medical computed tomography (CT)/microCT scans. Ear structures were reconstructed based on high-resolution imaging data for the three species. Moreover, 3D finite-element models were built to simulate the sound reception processes and ear responses to the incident planar waves from various directions toward the heads. The received sound pressure levels and motion (e.g., displacement and acceleration) of the internal ear related structures were computed. The data was used to predict the absolute hearing curves of the little penguins and Australian sealions. Our results also indicate that the motion difference plus the geometry of the otoliths plays an important role in the fish otoliths' response to incident sounds from different directions, resulting in different levels of damage to the hair cells. This study may potentially aid researchers in investigating the hearing of some other marine animals.
How the structures of the Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) affect sound propagation and reception
Authors: Wei Chong , Erbe Christine , Smith Adam B. , Yang Wei-Cheng , Erbe King Leander
Published: November 2023

Like other odontocetes, Risso’s dolphins actively emit clicks and passively listen to the echoes during echolocation. However, Risso’s dolphin head anatomy differs from other odontocetes by a unique vertical cleft along the anterior surface of the forehead and a differently shaped lower jaw. In this study, 3D finite-element sound propagation and reception models were constructed based on CT data of a deceased Risso’s dolphin. Model results of sound propagation and reception were verified by finding good agreement with practical recording data from previous biosonar beam measurements and hearing sensitivity measurements. The cleft was filled with neighboring soft tissues, creating a hypothetical “cleftness” head. Comparison between sound travelling through a “cleftness” head versus an original head indicate that the distinctive cleft plays a limited role in biosonar sound propagation. Additionally, we digitally simulated the acoustic pathway for sounds to travel from the water into dolphin’s tympanoperiotic complexes (TPCs). The gular reception mechanism, previously discovered in Delphinus delphis and Ziphius cavirostris was also found in this species. Sound pressure levels and displacement (motion) of the TPCs were compared between the cases with/without the mandibular fats or mandible. The results demonstrate a wave-guiding role of the mandibular fats and a bone conductor role of the mandible to transfer acoustic energy to the TPCs.
Teaching the connections between music and mathematics
Authors: Ramsey Gordon P.
Published: November 2023

Mathematics is often perceived by students as being difficult. However, when they see how math and music are intimately related, their attitude often changes. Some of the most fundamental aspects of music are described by math. For example, the Circle of Fifths closely reflects musical structure and is used to create scales and chord progressions. The Circle is structured around the mathematical relations of frequency ratios of the corresponding notes in a 12-tone scale. The reactions to music of consonance and dissonance are related to the relative ratios of the notes in a chord or note sequence in a piece. The connection between music and math forms the basis for creating instruments that play the music. I will suggest ways to present these concepts to students for their greater appreciation of music and math.
Validating a model of bimodal hearing
Authors: Swanson Brett A. , Fullerton Amanda
Published: November 2023

Bimodal hearing is defined as using a cochlear implant (CI) on one ear and a hearing aid (HA) on the other ear. This study tested a model of bimodal hearing proposed by Dieudonné and Francart (2020) in 23 bimodal listeners. Firstly, the relative hearing performance of the CI and HA ears was characterized by scores for Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) words in quiet. Secondly, Speech Reception Thresholds (SRTs) were measured for CI alone and bimodal listening, with speech (sentences) from the front, and speech-weighted noise either from the front or the HA side. Bimodal benefit (the improvement in SRT when adding a second ear to the subject’s best ear) was 1.2 dB (p < 0.001***) averaged across all subjects. However, for the subset of 18 subjects who obtained better scores with CI alone than HA alone (“CI dominant”), there was no significant bimodal benefit. For the subset of 8 CI-dominant subjects who obtained bimodal benefit when speech and noise were co-located at the front, the benefit was lost when the noise was moved to the HA side, demonstrating that binaural cues were not being used.
Peripheral neural status and auditory temporal resolution in cochlear implant users
Authors: Skidmore Jeffrey , Yuan Yi , He Shuman
Published: November 2023

Auditory temporal resolution is important for understanding speech with a cochlear implant (CI). The aim of this study was to determine the relative contributions of peripheral neural synchrony and peripheral neural survival to perceptual temporal resolution in CI users. To date, study participants included 8 post-lingually deafened adult CI users. All participants used Cochlear™ Nucleus® devices in their test ears. For each implanted ear tested in each participant, auditory temporal resolution, neural synchrony, and neural survival were evaluated at multiple electrode locations along the array. Auditory temporal resolution was estimated using single-channel, psychophysical gap detection thresholds (GDTs), peripheral neural synchrony was estimated using the phase-locking value (PLV), and peripheral neural survival was estimated using the sensitivity of the electrically-evoked compound action potential to changes in interphase gap (i.e., IPG effect). After adjusting for multiple comparisons, our preliminary results indicated that GDT was significantly correlated with the PLV but not with the IPG effect. The PLV and the IPG effect were not significantly correlated. These preliminary results suggested that the degree of peripheral neural synchrony appeared to play a more important role in determining auditory temporal resolution than peripheral neural survival. [Work supported by NIH: 1R01 DC016038, 1R01 DC017846, R21 DC019458]
Impact of train horn noise on sleep disturbance and mental health
Authors: Li Xiaomeng , Ellis Bryn , McDonald Melinda , Griffin Wanda
Published: November 2023

Train horns are commonly used at Australian level crossings to raise people’s awareness of trains and improve road safety. However, the use of train horn could generate broader social effects than road safety. This study aims to investigate the relationships between train horn use and the sleep quality and mental health of people who live nearby an operational train environment. A questionnaire was developed to measure participants’ emotional states (i.e., depression, anxiety and anxiety), sleep quality and exposure to train horns. Participants were divided into three groups according to their residence’s distance to train horn use location, i.e., horn impact group, railway impact group and control group. The data collection is still ongoing, and 105 participants completed the questionnaire to the submission date. Results from primary data analysis showed that participants in horn impact group spent a longer time falling asleep and also reported lower sleep quality scores, as compared to the other two groups. No difference in the emotional states was found between groups. The study provided a lens to examine the negative impacts of train horn use in the Australasian environment and shed light on future train horn procedures and applications.
Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in measuring the hearing thresholds in sleeping infants
Authors: Gao Demi , Wunderlich Julia , Lee Onn Wah , Mao Darren , Balasubramanian Gautam , McDonald Linty , McKay Colette
Published: November 2023

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a developing technology that uses near-infrared light to image brain activity in the surface layers of the cortexIt measures changes in oxy- haemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-haemoglobin (HbR) in response to stimuli, which makes it suitable for objectively assessing hearing thresholds by examining the morphology of sound-evoked fNIRS response. This study recruited twelve sleeping infants with no known hearing loss. A natural recording of the /ba/ speech token was used as the stimulus, which was trimmed and concatenated into a 5.4 s stimulus block. The stimulus was presented monaurally between 35 and 80dB SPL using an insert earphone. fNIRS responses were recorded from bilateral pre-frontal and temporal regions. We observed a positive peak at around 5–6 s from stimulus onset and followed by a negative trough at around 10–20 s from stimulus onset. The amplitudes and latencies of this response varied with different stimulus intensity levels. Results showed how features of the fNIRS response changed systematically with intensity level. Characterizing the response differences to different stimulus intensity levels will facilitate the development of a model for assessment of hearing thresholds in this population.
Effectiveness of remote post-fitting support for over-the-counter hearing devices
Authors: Nelson Peggy , Wheeler Harley , Andriacchi Monica , O'Neill Erin
Published: November 2023

Models of hearing device services require revamping in light of the emergence of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. Much effort has gone into remote fitting for OTC customers, but other post-fitting support services are lacking. Our aim is to explore ways of translating important aspects of audiologic counseling to a format that is not dependent on in-person delivery models. Individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing loss were recruited and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: (1) a traditional clinical treatment model, (2) a “hands-off” OTC delivery model, or (3) a remote service model with orientation and personalized counseling materials provided via an app interface. We hypothesize that individuals receiving personalized counseling remotely will be as successful as those receiving traditional clinical counseling, and more successful than typical OTC customers. Preliminary results suggest that participants receiving tailored remote support use advanced hearing aid features more often and report similar levels of satisfaction and perceived benefit compared to the clinical delivery model. The remote delivery model also leads to greater improvement in individual hearing goals. Overall, results from this study suggest that a tailored remote delivery model could be an effective way to introduce hearing aids to new users.
Exploring the effect of sound scene on self-directed hearing-aid gain adjustment
Authors: Kursun Bertan , Zhang Jason , Sytsma Khloe F. , Buddhavarapu Aarushi , Shen Yi
Published: November 2023

Self-directed gain adjustments may present a plausible solution for fitting a hearing-aid (HA) without the requirement of audiometric tests. In the current experiment, users interacted with their hearing aids using a touchscreen-enabled mobile device while a continuous speech stimulus with background noise was played in the sound field, simulating real-world sound scenes. They explored different settings by dragging a cursor on the touchscreen, experiencing real-time audio changes, and identifying their preferred amplification level. Thirteen older adults with self-identified hearing difficulties participated in the study (RHHI score ≥6). The self-fitting procedure was conducted in two sound scenes: Restaurant and Traffic. The speech level was set at 60 dB-A in both sound scenes, and the signal-to-noise ratios were 5 and 10 dB for the Restaurant and Traffic scenes, respectively. Following the self-fitting procedure, real-ear aided responses were measured for the amplification profiles obtained using the two sound scenes. The real-ear aided responses for the two scenes resembled each other, with a median correlation coefficient across participants of 0.81. Nevertheless, a marginally significant difference was found between them, mostly driven by higher or lower frequency regions. This suggests that scene-specific adjustments of hearing-aid fitting may be beneficial for some users.
Towards two-point neuron-driven energy-efficient multimodal open master hearing aid
Authors: Adetomi Adewale , Raza Mohsin , Ahmed Khubaib , Arslan Tughrul , Hussain Amir , Adeel Ahsan
Published: November 2023

Here we demonstrate a two-point neuron-inspired audio-visual (AV) open Master Hearing Aid (openMHA) framework for on-chip energy-efficientspeech enhancement (SE). The developed system is compared against state-of-the-art cepstrum-based audio-only (A-only) SE and conventional point-neuron inspired deep neural net (DNN) driven multimodal (MM) SE. Pilot experiments demonstrate that the proposed system outperforms audio-only SE in terms of speech quality and intelligibility and performs comparably to point neuron-inspired DNN with a significantly reduced energy consumption at any time, both during training and inferencing.
Potential objective measures to assess the presence of hidden hearing loss in young adults with long-term exposure to loud music
Authors: Faundez Astudillo Juan P. , Hampton Edward , Naidoo Kasiea , Shetty Mihali , Monaghan Jessica J. , Mikiel-Hunter Jason , McAlpine David
Published: November 2023

Several objective measures for identifying individuals with “hidden hearing loss” (HHL), have been proposed based on cochlear synaptopathy and the resulting central changes in neural gain. While the loss of high-threshold auditory nerve fibres may result in weaker middle-ear muscle reflexes (MEMR) in HHL sufferers, binaural processing is likely disproportionately and deleteriously impacted by central gain changes in the same group of individuals. In this study, two groups of young adults (<35 years old) with normal audiometric thresholds were recruited, one of which consisted of students from a music conservatory who co-reported tinnitus and listening-in-noise difficulties, likely as a result of HHL. Participants completed a set of questionnaires as well as undergoing both multi-frequency MEMR testing (four ipsilateral elicitors), and an electrophysiological measure of IPD processing known as the ‘Interaural Phase Modulation-Following-Response(“IPM-FR”) (evoked using two IPD transitions using a clinical setup). Results show that the ‘HHL/Tinnitus’ group presents lower scores on the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale questionnaire, less steep MEMR growth functions, and smaller IPM-FRs compared to the ‘control’ group. This suggests that both objective measures could be clinically useful to identify populations with HHL.
EarGenie, an innovative test to measure speech discrimination using functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: McDonald Linty , McKay Colette , Wunderlich Julia , Gao Demi , Balasubramanian Gautam , Lee Onn Wah , Mao Darren
Published: November 2023

EarGenie is an innovative hearing test utilizing fNIRS (functional near-infrared light) technology to measure the brain's response to sound. By detecting variations in the brain's hemodynamic response to auditory stimuli, EarGenie can effectively assess a baby's hearing capabilities. Current audiology practices primarily rely on electrophysiology measures to determine hearing thresholds in infants. This approach poses limitations when it comes to accurately assessing infants with auditory neuropathy. There is no measure of speech discrimination for the paediatric population currently in the clinical setting, which can lead to uncertainties and challenges in providing appropriate care. The EarGenie will fulfill this unmet need to provide clinicians with an objective measure of speech discrimination. Improved clarity for clinicians and families of the diagnosis and management of infants with hearing loss is required to optimize audiology practices.
Using consonant confusion to predict unexplained hearing loss
Authors: Hajicek Joshua J. , Harris Sara E. , Neely Stephen
Published: November 2023

Some listeners have difficulty understanding speech in noise that is not explained by traditional audiometry. Speech perception errors can manifest as consonant confusions such as /s/ for /sh/. Consonant confusions contain information that may be used to detect or quantify unexplained hearing loss. We developed an efficient consonant confusion test, Quick-VC, based on ten vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) phonemes. Speech spectrum noise was added to each VCV to make consonant confusions sensitive to hearing impairment. Puretone threshold averages and consonant confusion matrices were collected from 15 listeners with normal hearing and 45 listeners with hearing loss. A logistic regression with regularized coefficients was performed on principal components of the consonant confusions. After removing the effect of audibility, the model predicted unexplained hearing loss greater than 5 dB for seven individuals with a cross-validated area under the curve (AUC) of 0.757, which is clinically acceptable. Six of these seven listeners reported bilateral tinnitus and four had a history of noise exposure, which implicates the peripheral auditory system. The Quick-VC test may be a valuable tool for identifying and quantifying unexplained hearing difficulties, perhaps due to partial loss of auditory nerve fibers, for which there is currently no clinical test.
Selective listening in checkerboard and interrupted speech stimuli with two talkers
Authors: Hasegawa Jun , Ueda Kazuo , Takeichi Hiroshige , Remijn Gerard , Hasuo Emi
Published: November 2023

A two-talker situation is tougher than a single-talker situation when one has to selectively listen to a target speech. To simplify experimental conditions, we focused on the situation that two talkers speak different sentences alternating with each other. At the same time, we introduced two types of alternations: alternation only in time (staggered speech) and alternation in time and frequency (two-talker checkerboard speech). To our knowledge, the intelligibility of two-talker checkerboard speech stimuli had been never investigated. Three steps of segment duration (20, 80, and 320 ms) for both stimulus types and three steps of the number of frequency bands (4, 8, and 20) for checkerboard speech stimuli were employed. Japanese native listeners (N = 10 or 22; age range: 21–34) successfully heard out a specific talker’s sentence while ignoring the other for both stimulus types. The intelligibility curves of two-talker checkerboard speech stimuli exhibited characteristic U-shaped curves as found in the previous investigations with one-talker checkerboard speech stimuli (although the intelligibility for two-talker checkerboard speech stimuli went down by 5–20%), suggesting that a common auditory grouping mechanism works in this case also.
Interrupted mosaic speech revisited: Gain and loss of stretching on intelligibility
Authors: Ueda Kazuo , Hashimoto Masashi , Takeichi Hiroshige , Wakamiya Kohei
Published: November 2023

Periodicity and temporal fine structure provide a perceptual cue to connect speech fragments when the speech is interrupted. In mosaic speech stimuli, which are noise-vocoded with stepwise amplitude and spectral envelopes, interruption drastically reduces intelligibility because of lacking the perceptual cue. Here we report that the intelligibility of mosaic speech stimuli, consisting of 20 frequency bands and 20-ms segment duration, decreased from 95% to 78% and 33% when they were interrupted by 20- and 80-ms gaps. However, when the mosaic segments were stretched to fill the silent gaps, the intelligibility improved again to 92% and 54%, resulting in gains of 14% and 21% respectively. By contrast, intelligibility dropped by 7% with stretching and filling 160-ms gaps. The intelligibility minimums (9%–16%) were observed at the 160-ms original gap duration irrespective of stretching ratios. It is possible that stretching with short gaps effectively restored the original amplitude envelopes, whereas, with long gaps, the effect was detrimental. Furthermore, a probability summation model with a short and a long integration window, by which the intelligibility minimums were predicted for lowpass-filtered interrupted speech stimuli, seems to be highly relevant to the current results.
Disentangling factors responsible for children’s pronounced susceptibility to speech-in-speech masking
Authors: Miller Margaret , Buss Emily , AuBuchon Angela , Miller Aimee , Leibold Lori
Published: November 2023

The ability to recognize masked speech follows a prolonged time course of development, particularly when the masker is also speech. Findings from prior research suggest that immature auditory segregation, selective auditory attention, and receptive language abilities contribute to these maturational effects. This study aimed to disentangle the relative contributions of these factors on speech-in-speech recognition for 5- to 8-year-old children and young adults with normal hearing. Speech-in-noise and speech-in-speech recognition were assessed using an adaptive, forced-choice procedure with a picture-pointing response. Tone detection thresholds in quiet and in the presence of a remote-frequency, narrowband noise were estimated using an adaptive, 2 down 1 up forced-choice procedure. Standardized assessments of receptive vocabulary, executive function, and working memory were completed. Preliminary data agree with results from prior studies, indicating increased susceptibility to auditory masking in the context of speech recognition and tone detection for children relative to adults. Associations between performance on speech recognition, psychoacoustic, linguistic, and cognitive tests will be presented.
How does a history of mild traumatic brain injury alter speech understanding in complex auditory environments?
Authors: Corbett Conner , Charney Lauren , Dean Nicole , Pešić Vanja , Stecker G. Christopher , R. Seitz Aaron , Gallun Frederick
Published: November 2023

Listening in complex environments is a challenge for most observers, but particularly for those with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Here, we explored the relationship between working memory (WM) and the ability to understand speech in competition, using three spoken sentences presented simultaneously via earphones using a Virtual Spatial Array. The three utterances were either presented at the same spatial location or different locations. Participants completed both an auditory/visual WM task and the competing speech task. The WM task involves auditory and visual list recall as well as the ability to recall lists from one modality while ignoring the other or while attending to both modalities. Fifty adults, some with and some without a history of mTBI, participated. Their ages ranged from 18 to 74 years and they either had normal hearing or moderate hearing loss. Results showed relationships between the WM and speech tasks consistent with previous results. Further analyses will be presented exploring the ways in which a history of mTBI influences the ability to use (1) spatial cues and (2) WM to make sense of competing speech utterances.
Retroflex nasals in the Mai-Ndombe (DRC): The case of nasals in North Boma B82
Authors: Maselli Lorenzo
Published: November 2023

Retroflex consonants represent a major class of language sounds, but our understanding of their phonetic and phonological behaviour is still relatively limited. From the standpoint of acoustics, recent contributions are largely lacking. Within retroflex consonants, liquids are particularly rare, and arguably very little descriptive and/or theoretical (and/or historical) research has been conducted on them, with a few exceptions for a number of Australian and Indian languages. Bantu languages have mostly been left out of broader surveys, a few cases notwithstanding. In this talk, we show why retroflex nasals could constitute a unique testing ground for phonetics, phonology, typology, and historical linguistics alike. Thanks to recent fieldwork in the Mai-Ndombe region (southwestern DRC), we were able to confirm the existence of nasal retroflexes in North Boma (B82), as initially attested by Stappers (1986). We present an acoustic description of the segments at hand, which represents the first detailed study of this kind for the Bantu languages of the region. We also hypothesise that the presence of retroflexion in the Mai-Ndombe might be a substrate feature originating in extinct hunter-gatherer languages once spoken by groups (known as “Batwa”) which still inhabit the area (Saïdi Hemedi et al., 2012: 3).
Cross-linguistic realization of lateral ejective affricates in connected versus isolated speech
Authors: Kye Ted K. , Percival Maida
Published: November 2023

Typological research on ejectives has focused on the realization of stops in isolated speech (Kingston 1985, Lindau 1984). However, there has been little research on the realization of ejectives, and in particular affricates, in connected versus isolated speech. Given that lateral affricates can be produced with variable realization, this study compares the acoustics of [tɬ’] in isolated and connected speech for speakers of three languages: Lushootseed (Coast Salish), Hul’q’umi’num’ (Coast Salish), and Dene Kədə́ (Dene/Athabaskan). Duration, spectral moment, and voice quality measurements were examined from corpus data of word lists and connected speech. Results indicated that there was greater voice onset time (VOT), longer closure duration, and a smaller frication duration to VOT ratio in isolated speech than connected speech, supporting Lindblom’s (1990) and Farnetani & Recasens’ (2013) view that words are produced more hyperarticulated in isolated speech. Cross-linguistic differences were found in the duration of frication, center of gravity, and the rise to peak amplitude of the following vowel. Dene Kədə́ had greater frication duration and a shallower intensity slope than the Salish languages, indicators of differences in place of articulation and degree of affrication. This suggests different realizations of [tɬ’] across languages.
Sound scattering at building façades
Authors: Vorlaender Michael , Heimes Anne , Pan Lili , Kempin Jonas , Tokac Iremnur , Brell-Cokcan Sigrid
Published: November 2023

The state-of-the-art models of soundscape planning and noise mapping are based on geometrical acoustics. Numerical wave models are possible but they exceed acceptable computation times for acoustics in practice by orders of magnitude. In geometrical acoustics, the sound is propagated either assuming Lambert’s diffusion or specular reflections, which applies to randomly corrugated surfaces and to flat surfaces, respectively. For specific architectural surface design, however, no appropriate simplified sound reflection model exists. In this paper, architectural façade shape typologies are categorized, and a directional scattering coefficient concept will be introduced and applied in an example simulation and auralization of complex sound scattering phenomena.
Biosonar sampling strategies in frequency-modulated echolocating bats
Authors: Tuninetti Amaro , Simmons James , Simmons Andrea
Published: November 2023

Echolocating bats dynamically control multiple aspects of their biosonar emissions (emission rate, frequency, bandwidth, duration, and direction) in parallel as a function of their surroundings and current goals. As environments become more difficult to navigate and tasks become more complex, bats converge on sampling strategies that have less variability in the timing and spatial changes of their echolocation. We investigated these biosonar dynamics within a virtual echo target presentation paradigm where we challenged big brown bats sitting on a platform to localize a single echo target, which was either stationary or moved unpredictably in azimuth. Acoustic clutter was also added at varying distances to investigate its effect on their sampling strategies during the task. Bats modified their biosonar strategies differently depending on the distance of added acoustic clutter and the distance that a target shifted, and individuals tended to converge on similar strategies. We also show that certain perceptual contexts can lead to unexpected biosonar strategies in individual bats, such as the use of longer-duration emissions with less emission ‘clustering’ when localizing a virtual target against nearby clutter.