bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Convergent field elastography
Authors: Gray Michael D. , Martin James S. , Rogers Peter H.
Published: October 2014

An ultrasound-based system for non-invasive estimation of soft tissue shear modulus will be presented. The system uses a nested pair of transducers to provide force generation and motion measurement capabilities. The outer annular element produces a ring-like ultrasonic pressure field distribution. This in turn produces a ring-like force distribution in soft tissue, whose response is primarily observable as a shear wave field. A second ultrasonic transducer nested inside the annular element monitors the portion of the shear field that converges to the center of the force distribution pattern. Propagation speed is estimated from shear displacement phase changes resulting from dilation of the forcing radius. Forcing beams are modulated in order to establish shear speed frequency dependence. Prototype system data will be presented for depths of 10–14 cm in a tissue phantom, using drive parameters within diagnostic ultrasound safety limits. [Work supported by ONR and the Neely Chair in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.]
Differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions using Comb-Push Ultrasound Shear Elastography
Authors: Denis Max , Mehmohammadi Mohammad , Meixner Duane , Fazzio Robert , Chen Shigao , Fatemi Mostafa , Alizad Azra
Published: October 2014

In this work, the results from our Comb Push Ultrasound Shear Elastography (CUSE) assessment of suspicious breast lesions are presented. The elasticity value of the breast lesions are correlated to histopathological findings to evaluate their diagnostic value in differentiating between malignant and benign breast lesions. A total of 44 patients diagnosed with suspicious breast lesions were evaluated using CUSE prior to biopsy. All patient study procedures were conducted according to the protocol approved by Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board (IRB). Our cohort consisted of 27 malignant and 17 benign breast lesions. The results indicate an increase in shear wave velocity in both benign and malignant lesions compared to normal breast tissue. Furthermore, the Young’s modulus is significantly higher in malignant lesions. An optimal cut-off value of the Young’s modulus ≥ 80 kPa was observed for the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. This is concordant with the published cut-off values of elasticity for suspicious breast lesions. [This work is supported in part by the grant 3R01CA148994-04S1 and 5R01CA148994-04 from NIH.]
@acousticsorg: The launch of the Acoustics Today twitter feed
Authors: Kloepper Laura N. , Farrell Daniel
Published: October 2014

Acoustics Today has recently launched our twitter feed, @acousticsorg. Come learn how we plan to spread the mission of Acoustics Today, promote the science of acoustics, and connect with acousticians worldwide! We will also discuss proposed upcoming social media initiatives and how you, an ASA member, can help contribute. This presentation will include an extended question period in order to gather feedback on how Acoustics Today can become more involved with social media.
Using Twitter for teaching
Authors: Slaton William
Published: October 2014

The social media microblogging platform, Twitter, is an ideal avenue to learn about new science in the field of acoustics as well as to share that new-found information with students. As a user discovers a network of science bloggers and journalists to follow the amount of science uncovered grows. Conversations between science writers and scientists themselves enhance this learning opportunity. Several examples of using twitter for teaching will be presented.
Unconventional opportunities to recruit future science, technology, engineering, and math scholars
Authors: Logan Roger M.
Published: October 2014

Pop culture conventions provide interesting and unique opportunities to inspire the next generation of STEM contributors. Literary, comic, and anime are a few example of this type of event. This presentation will provide insights into these venues as well as how to get involved and help communicate that careers in STEM can be fun and rewarding.
Leo Beranek’s role in the Acoustical Society of America
Authors: Schmid Charles E.
Published: October 2014

Leo Beranek received the first 75th anniversary certificate issued by the Acoustical Society of America commemorating his long-time association with the Society at the joint ASA/ICA meeting in Montreal in 2013. Both the Society and Leo have derived mutual benefits from this long and fruitful association. Leo has held many important roles as leader in the ASA. He served as vice president (1949–1950), president (1954–1955), Chair of the Z24 Standards Committee (1950–1953), meeting organizer (he was an integral part of the Society’s 25th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary meetings), associate editor (1950–1959), author of three books sold via ASA, publisher of 75 peer-reviewed JASA papers, and presented countless papers at ASA meetings. Much of his work has been recognized by the Society which presented him with the R. Bruce Lindsay Award (1944), the Wallace Clement Sabine Award (1961), the Gold Medal (1975), and an Honorary Fellowship (1994). He has participated in the Acoustical Society Foundation and donated generously to it. He has been an inspiration for younger Society members (which include all of us on this occasion celebrating his 100th birthday).
Beranek's porous material model: Inspiration for advanced material analysis and design
Authors: Fackler Cameron J. , Xiang Ning
Published: October 2014

In 1942, Leo Beranek presented a model for predicting the acoustic properties of porous materials [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 13, 248 (1942)]. Since then, research into many types of porous materials has grown into a broad field. In addition to Beranek's model, many other models for predicting the acoustic properties of porous materials in terms of key physical material parameters have been developed. Following a brief historical review, this work concentrates on studying porous materials and microperforated panels—pioneered by one of Beranek's early friends and fellow students, Dah-You Maa. Utilizing equivalent fluid models, porous material and microperforated panel theories have recently been unified. In this work, the Bayesian inference framework is applied to single- and multilayered porous and microperforated materials. Bayesian model selection and parameter estimation are used to guide the analysis and design of innovative multilayer acoustic absorbers.
Leo Beranek and concert hall acoustics
Authors: Markham Benjamin
Published: October 2014

Dr. Leo Beranek’s pioneering concert hall research and project work has left an indelible impression on the study and practice of concert hall design. Working as both scientist and practitioner simultaneously for most of his 60 + years in the industry, his accomplishments include dozens of published papers on concert hall acoustics, several seminal books on the subject, and consulting credit for numerous important performance spaces. This paper will briefly outline a few of his key contributions to the field of concert hall acoustics (including his work regarding audience absorption, the loudness parameter G, the system of concert hall metrics and ratings that he developed, and other contributions), his project work (including the Tanglewood shed, Philharmonic Hall, Tokyo Opera City concert hall, and others), and his role as an inspiration for other leaders in the field. His work serves as the basis, the framework, the inspiration, or the jumping-off point for a great deal of current concert hall research, as evidenced by the extraordinarily high frequency with which his work is cited; this paper will conclude with some brief remarks on the future of concert hall research that will build on Dr. Beranek’s extraordinary career.
Themes of thoughts and thoughtfulness
Authors: Rosenberg Carl , Cavanaugh William J.
Published: October 2014

In preparing and compiling the background for the issue of Acoustics Today on Leo Beranek to commemorate his 100th birthday, there were some consistent themes of Leo’s work and contribution to colleagues and scholars with whom he worked. This was particularly evident in the many “side-bars” solicited from over three dozen friends and colleagues. The authors discuss these patterns and share insights on the manner in which Leo was most influential. There will be opportunities for audience participants to share their thoughts and birthday greetings with Leo.
Models and findings of synchronization in musical acoustics and music psychology
Authors: Bader Rolf
Published: October 2014

Synchronization is a crucial mechanism in music tone production and perception. With wind instruments, the overtone series of notes synchronize to nearly perfect harmonic relations due to nonlinear effects and turbulence at the driving mechanism although the overblown pitches of flutes or horns may differ considerably from such a simple harmonic relation. Organ pipes close to each other synchronize in pitch by interaction of the sound pressures. With violins, the sawtooth motion appears because of a synchronization of the stick/slip interaction with the string length. All these models are complex systems also showing bifurcations in terms of multiphonics, biphonation or subharmonics. On the subjects perception and music production side models of synchronization, like the free-energy principle modeling perception by minimizing surprise and adaptation to physical parameters of sound production, neural nets of timbre, tone, or rhythm perception or synergetic models of rhythm production are generally suited much better to model music perception than simplified linear models.
One glottal airflow—Two vocal folds
Authors: Titze Ingo R. , Titze Ingo R.
Published: October 2014

Vocalization for speech and singing involves self-sustained oscillation between a stream of air and a pair of vocal folds. Each vocal fold has its own set of natural frequencies (modes of vibration) governed by the viscoelastic properties of tissue layers and their boundary conditions. Due to asymmetry, the modes of left and right vocal folds are not always synchronized. The common airflow between them can entrain the modes, but not always in a 1:1 ratio. Examples of bifurcations are given for human and animal vocalization, as well as from computer simulation. Vocal artists may use desynchronization for special vocal effects. Surgeons who repair vocal folds make decisions about the probability of regaining synchronization when one vocal fold is injured. Complete desynchronization, allowing only one vocal fold to oscillate, may be a better strategy in some cases then attempting to achieve symmetry.
Auditory-inspired pitch extraction using a synchrony capture filterbank
Authors: Ramdas Kumaresan , Peddinti Vijay Kumar , Cariani Peter
Published: October 2014

The question of how harmonic sounds in speech and music produce strong, low pitches at their fundamental frequencies, F0’s, has been of theoretical and practical interest to scientists and engineers for many decades. Currently the best auditory models for F0 pitch, (e.g., Meddis & Hewitt, 1991), are based on bandpass filtering (cochlear mechanics), half-wave rectification and low-pass filtering (hair cell transduction, synaptic transmission), channel autocorrelations (all-order interspike interval distributions) aggregated into a summary autocorrelation, followed by an analysis that determines the most prevalent interspike intervals. As a possible alternative to explicit autocorrelation computations, we propose an alternative model that uses an adaptive Synchrony Capture Filterbank (SCFB) in which channels in a filterbank neighborhood are driven exclusively (captured) by dominant frequency components closest to them. Channel outputs are then adaptively phase aligned with respect to a common time reference to compute a Summary Phase Aligned Function (SPAF), aggregated across all channels, from which F0 can then be easily extracted. Possible relations to brain rhythms and phase-locked loops are discussed. [Work supported by AFSOR FA9550-09-1-0119, Invited to special session about Synchronization in Musical Acoustics and Music Psychology.]
Identification of sound sources in soundscape using acoustic, psychoacoustic, and music parameters
Authors: Yang Ming , Kang Jian
Published: October 2014

This paper explores the possibility of automatic identification/classification of environmental sounds, by analyzing sound with a number of acoustic, psychoacoustic, and music parameters, including loudness, pitch, timbre, and rhythm. The sound recordings of single sound sources labeled in four categories, i.e., water, wind, birdsongs, and urban sounds including street music, mechanical sounds and traffic noise, are automatically identified with machine learning and mathematic models, including artificial neural networks and discriminant functions, based on the results of the psychoacoustic/music measures. The accuracies of the identification are above 90% for all the four categories. Moreover, based on these techniques, identification of construction noise sources from general urban background noise is explored, using the large construction project of London Bridge Station redevelopment as a case study site.
Personal alert safety system localization field tests with firefighters
Authors: Suits Joelle I. , Farmer Casey M. , Ezekoye Ofodike A. , Abbasi Mustafa Z. , Wilson Preston S.
Published: October 2014

When firefighters get lost or incapacitated on the fireground, there is little time to find them. This project has focused on a contemporary device used in this situation, the Personal Alert Safety System. We have studied the noises on the fireground (i.e., chainsaws, gas powered ventilation fans, pumper trucks) [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, 4221 (2013)], how the fire environment affects sound propagation [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, 4218 (2013)], and how firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) affects human hearing [POMA 19, 030054 (2013)]. To put all these pieces together, we have traveled to several fire departments across the country conducting tests to investigate how certain effects manifest themselves when firefighters search for the source of a sound. We tasked firefighters to locate a target sound in various acoustic environments while their vision was obstructed and while wearing firefighting PPE. We recorded how long it took them to find the source, what path they took, when they first heard the target sound, and the frequency content and sound pressure level of the acoustic environment. The results will be presented in this talk. [Work supported by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program.]
Comparison of the acoustical emissions of multiple full-scale rocket motors
Authors: James Michael M. , Salton Alexandria R. , Gee Kent L. , Neilsen Tracianne B.
Published: October 2014

Development of the next-generation space flight vehicles has prompted a renewed focus on rocket sound source characterization and near-field propagation modeling. Improved measurements of the sound near the rocket plume are critical for direct determination of the acoustical environment both in the near and far-fields. They are also crucial inputs to empirical models and to validate computational aeroacoustics models. Preliminary results from multiple measurements of static horizontal firings of Alliant Techsystems motors including the GEM-60, Orion 50S XLG, and the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) performed in Promontory, UT, are analyzed and compared. The usefulness of scaling by physical parameters such as nozzle diameter, velocity, and overall sound power is demonstrated. The sound power spectra, directional characteristics, distribution along the exhaust flow, and pressure statistical metrics are examined over the multiple motors. These data sets play an important role in formulating more realistic sound source models, improving acoustic load estimations, and aiding in the development of the next generation space flight vehicles via improved measurements of sound near the rocket plume.
Experimental study on lift-off acoustic environments of launch vehicles by scaled cold jet
Authors: Ashida Hiroki , Takeyama Yousuke , Fujita Kiyotaka , Azusawa Aki
Published: October 2014

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) have been operating the current Japanese flagship launch vehicle H-IIA and H-IIB, and developing the next flagship launch vehicle H-X. The concept of H-X is affordable, convenient, and comfortable for payloads including mitigation of acoustic environment during launch. Acoustic measurements were conducted using scaled GN2 cold jet and aperture plate to facilitate understanding of lift-off acoustic source and to take appropriate measures against it without use of water injection. It was seen that the level of vehicle acoustics in high frequency range depends on the amount of interference between the jet and the plate, and enlargement of the aperture is effective for acoustic mitigation.
Acoustic signature characterization of a sub-scale rocket launch
Authors: Alvord David , Ahuja K.
Published: October 2014

Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) conducted a flight test of a sub-scale rocket in 2013 outside Talladega, Alabama, to acquire the launch acoustics produced. The primary objective of the test was to characterize the acquired data during a sub-scale launch and compare it with heritage launch data from the STS-1 Space Shuttle flight. Neither launch included acoustic suppression; however, there were differences in the ground geometry. STS-1 launched from the Mobile Launch Platform at Pad 39B with the RS-25 liquid engines and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) firing into their respective exhaust ducts and flame trench, while the GTRI flight test vehicle launched from a flat reflective surface. The GTRI launch vehicle used a properly scaled Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) for propellant; therefore, primary analysis will focus on SRM/SRB centric acoustic events. Differences in the Ignition Overpressure (IOP) wave signature between both due to this will be addressed. Additionally, the classic liftoff acoustics “football shape” is preserved between both full and sub-scale flights. The launch signatures will be compared, with note taken of specific launch acoustic events more easily investigated with sub-scale launch data or supplement current sub-scale static hotfire testing.
Infrasonic energy from orbital launch vehicles
Authors: Alberts W. C. Kirkpatrick , Noble John M. , Tenney Stephen M.
Published: October 2014

Large, heavy-lift rockets have significant acoustic and infrasonic energy that can often be detected from a considerable distance. These sounds, under certain environmental conditions, can propagate hundreds of kilometers from the launch location. Thus, ground-based infrasound arrays can be used to monitor the low frequencies emitted by these large rocket launches. Multiple launches and static engine tests have been successfully recorded over many years using small infrasound arrays at various distances from the launch location. Infrasonic measurements using a 20 m array and parabolic equation modeling of a recent launch of an Aries V rocket at Wallops Island, Virginia, will be discussed.
Transient nearfield acoustical holography
Authors: Wu Sean F.
Published: October 2014

Transient Nearfield Acoustical Holography Sean F. Wu Department of Mechanical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202 This paper presents the general formulations for reconstructing the transient acoustic field generated by an arbitrary object with a uniformly distributed surface velocity in free space. These formulations are derived from the Kirchhoff-Helmholtz integral theory that correlates the transient acoustic pressure at any field point to those on the source surface. For a class of acoustic radiation problems involving an arbitrarily oscillating object with a uniformly distributed surface velocity, for example, a loudspeaker membrane, the normal surface velocity is frequency dependent but is spatially invariant. Accordingly, the surface acoustic pressure is expressible as the product of the surface velocity and the quantity that can be solved explicitly by using the Kirchhoff-Helmholtz integral equation. This surface acoustic pressure can be correlated to the field acoustic pressure using the Kirchhoff-Helmholtz integral formulation. Consequently, it is possible to use nearfield acoustic holography to reconstruct acoustic quantities in entire three-dimensional space based on a single set of acoustic pressure measurements taken in the near field of the target object. Examples of applying these formulations to reconstructing the transient acoustic pressure fields produced by various arbitrary objects are demonstrated.
Reversible quasi-holographic line-scan processing for acoustic imaging and feature isolation of transient scattering
Authors: Plotnick Daniel , Marston Philip L. , Zartman David J. , Marston Timothy M.
Published: October 2014

Transient acoustic scattering data from objects obtained using a one-dimensional line scan or two-dimensional raster scan can be processed via a linear quasi-holographic method [K. Baik, C. Dudley, and P. L. Marston, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130, 3838–3851 (2011)] in a way that is reversible, allowing isolation of spatially or temporally dependent features [T. M. Marston et al., in Proc. IEEE Oceans 2010]. Unlike nearfield holography the subsonic wavenumber components are suppressed in the processing. Backscattering data collected from a collocated source/receiver (monostatic scattering) and scattering involving a stationary source and mobile receiver (bistatic) may be processed in this manner. Distinct image features such as those due to edge diffraction, specular reflection, and elastic effects may be extracted in the image domain and then reverse processed to allow examination of those features in time and spectral domains. Multiple objects may also be isolated in this manner and clutter may be removed [D. J. Zartman, D. S. Plotnick, T. M. Marston, and P. L. Marston, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics 19, 055011 (2013) http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.4800881]. Experimental examples comparing extracted features with physical models will be discussed and demonstrations of signal enhancement in an at sea experiment, TREX13, will be shown. [Work supported by ONR.]
Acoustic properties of the vowel systems of Bolivian Quechua/Spanish bilinguals
Authors: Holliday Nicole
Published: October 2014

This paper describes the vowel systems of Quechua/Spanish bilinguals in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and examines these systems to illuminate variation between phonemic and allophonic vowels in this Quechua variety. South Bolivian Quechua is described as phonemically trivocalic, and Bolivian Spanish is described as pentavocalic (Cerrón-Palomino 1994). Although South Bolivian Quechua has three vowel categories, Quechua uvular stop consonants promote high vowel lowering, effectively lowering /i/ and /u/ towards space otherwise occupied by /e/ and /o/ respectively, producing a system with five surface vowels but three phonemic vowels (Buckley 2000). The project was conducted with eleven Quechua/Spanish bilinguals from the Cochabamba department in Bolivia. Subjects participated in a Spanish to Quechua oral translation task and a word list task in Spanish. Results indicate that Quechua/Spanish bilinguals maintain separate vowel systems. In the Spanish vowel systems, each vowel occupies its own space and backness. A one-way ANOVA reveals that /i/ is higher and fronter than /e/, and /u/ is higher than /o/ (p<0.05). The Quechua vowel systems are somewhat more variable, with substantial overlap between /i/ and /e/, and between /u/ and /o/. Potential explanations for this result include lexical conditioning, speaker literacy effects, and differences in realizations of phonemic versus allophonic vowels.
An analysis of the singleton-geminate contrast in Japanese fricatives and stops
Authors: Rourke Christopher S. , Jones Zack
Published: October 2014

Previous acoustic analyses of the singleton-geminate contrast in Japanese have focused primarily on read speech. The present study instead analyzed the lengths of singleton and geminate productions of word-medial fricatives and voiceless stops in spontaneous monologues from the Corpus of Spontaneous Japanese (Maekawa, 2003). The results of a linear mixed effects regression model mirrored previous findings in read speech that the geminate effect (the durational difference between geminate and singletons) of stops is significantly larger than that of fricatives. This study also found a large range of variability in the geminate effect size between talkers. The size of the geminate effect between fricatives and voiceless stops was found to be slightly correlated, suggesting that they might be related to other rate-associated production differences between individuals. This suggestion was evaluated by exploring duration differences associated with talker age and gender. While there was no relationship between age and duration, males produced shorter durations than females for both fricatives and stops. However, the size of the geminate effect was not related to the gender of the speaker. The cause of these individual differences may be related to sound perception. Future research will investigate the cause of these individual differences in geminate effect size.
Age- and gender-related variation in voiced stop prenasalization in Japanese
Authors: Takada Mieko , Kong Eun Jong , Yoneyama Kiyoko , Beckman Mary E.
Published: October 2014

Modern Japanese is generally described as having phonologically voiced (versus voiceless) word-initial stops. However, phonetic details vary across dialects and age groups; in Takada's (2011) measurements of recordings of 456 talkers from multiple generations of talkers across five dialects, Osaka-area speakers and older speakers in the Tokyo area (Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama, and Kanagawa prefectures) typically show pre-voicing (lead VOT), but younger speakers show many “devoiced” (short lag VOT) values, a tendency that is especially pronounced among younger Tokyo-area females. There is also variation in the duration of the voice bar, with very long values (up to -200 ms lead VOT) observed in the oldest female speakers. Spectrograms of such tokens show faint formants during the stop closure, suggesting a velum-lowering gesture to vent supra-glottal air pressure to sustain vocal fold vibration. Further evidence of pre-nasalization in older Tokyo-area females comes from comparing amplitude trajectories for the voice bar to amplitude trajectories during nasal consonants, adapting a method proposed by Burton, Blumstein, and Stevens (1972) for exploring phonemic pre-nasalization contrasts. Differences in trajectory shape patterns between the oldest males and females and between older and younger females are like the differences that Kong, Syrika, and Edwards (2012) observed across Greek dialects.
Perceptual affinity of Mandarin palatals and retroflexes
Authors: Chang Yung-hsiang Shawn
Published: October 2014

Mandarin palatals [tɕ, tɕʰ, ɕ], which only occur before [i, y] vowels, are in complementary distribution with the alveolars [ts, tsʰ, s], the velars [k, kʰ, x], and the retroflexes [tʂ, tʂʰ, ʂ]. Upon investigating perceptually motivated accounts for the phonological representation of the palatals, Wan (2010) reported that Mandarin palatals were considered more similar to the alveolars than the velars, whereas Lu (2014) found categorical results for the palatal-alveolar discrimination. The current study furthered the investigation to the perceptual affinity between Mandarin palatals and retroflexes by having 15 native listeners identify two 8-step resynthesized [ʂ-s] continua (adapted from Chang et al. (2013)) cross-spliced with [i, y] vowels, respectively. To avoid phonotactic restrictions from biasing perception, all listeners were trained on identifying the [çi, ʂi, si] and [çy, ʂy, sy] syllables produced by a phonetician before the experiment. The results showed that all resynthesized stimuli, though lacking palatal-appropriate vocalic transitions, were subject to palatal perception. Particularly, two intermediate steps along the [ʂi-si] continuum and five along the [ʂy-sy] continuum were identified as palatal syllables by over 70% of the listeners. The results suggest that Mandarin palatals could be identified with both the retroflexes and alveolars based on perceptual affinity.
Phonetic correlates of stance-taking
Authors: Freeman Valerie , Wright Richard , Levow Gina-Anne , Luan Yi , Chan Julian , Tran Trang , Zayats Victoria , Antoniak Maria , Ostendorf Mari
Published: October 2014

Stance, or a speaker’s attitudes or opinions about the topic of discussion, has been investigated textually in conversation- and discourse analysis and in computational models, but little work has focused on its acoustic-phonetic properties. This is a difficult problem, given that stance is a complex activity that must be expressed along with several other types of meaning (informational, social, etc.) using the same acoustic channels. In this presentation, we begin to identify some acoustic indicators of stance in natural speech using a corpus of collaborative conversational tasks which have been hand-annotated for stance strength (none, weak, moderate, and strong) and polarity (positive, negative, and neutral). A preliminary analysis of 18 dyads completing two tasks suggests that increases in stance strength are correlated with increases in speech rate and pitch and intensity medians and ranges. Initial results for polarity also suggest correlations with speech rate and intensity. Current investigations center on local modulations in pitch and intensity, durational and spectral differences between stressed and unstressed vowels, and disfluency rates in different stance conditions. Consistent male/female differences are not yet apparent but will also be examined further.
Compounds in modern Greek
Authors: Athanasopoulou Angeliki , Vogel Irene
Published: October 2014

The difference between compounds and phrases has been studied extensively in English (e.g., Farnetani, Torsello, & Cosi, 1988; Plag, 2006; Štekauer, Zimmermann, & Gregová, 2007). However, little is known about the analogous difference in Modern Greek (Tzakosta, 2009). Greek compounds (Ralli, 2003) form a single phonological word, and thus, they only contain one primary stress. That means that the individual words lose their primary stress. The present study is the first acoustic investigation of the stress properties of Greek compounds and phrases. Native speakers of Greek produce ten novel adjective + noun compounds and their corresponding phrases (e.g., phrase: [kócino δódi] “a red tooth” vs. compound: [kocinoδódis] “someone with red teeth”) in the sentence corresponding to “The XXX is at the top/bottom of the screen.” Preliminary results confirm the earlier descriptive claims that compounds only have a single stress, while phrases have one on each word. Specifically, the first word (i.e., adjective) in compounds is reduced in F0 (101 Hz), duration (55 ms), and intensity (64 dB) compared to phrases (F0 = 117Hz, duration = 85 ms, and intensity = 67 dB). Also, both words are very similar for all of the measures in phrases. The second word (i.e., noun) is longer than the first word, possibly indicating phrase-final lengthening.
Evoked potentials during voice error detection at register boundaries
Authors: Lodhavia Anjli , Patel Sona , Frankford Saul , Korzyukov Oleg , Larson Charles R.
Published: October 2014

Singers require great effort to avoid vocal distortion at register boundaries, as they are trained to diminish the prominence of register breaks. We examined neural mechanisms underlying voice error detection in singers at their register boundaries. We hypothesized that event-related potentials (ERPs), reflecting brain activity, would be larger if a singer’s pitch was unexpectedly shifted toward, rather than away, from their register break. Nine trained singers sustained a musical note for ~3 seconds near their modal register boundaries. As the singers sustained these notes, they heard their voice over headphones shift in pitch ( + /- 400 cents, 200 ms) either toward or away from the register boundary. This procedure was repeated for 200 trials. The N1 and P2 ERP amplitudes for three central electrodes (FCz, Cz, Fz) were computed from the EEGs of all participants. Results of a multivariate analysis of variance for shift direction ( + 400c, -400c) and register (low, high) showed significant differences in N1 and P2 amplitude for direction at the low boundary of modal register, but not the high register boundary. These results may suggest increased neural activity in singers when trying to control the voice when crossing the lower register boundary.
The articulatory tone-bearing unit: Gestural coordination of lexical tone in Thai
Authors: Karlin Robin P. , Tilsen Sam
Published: October 2014

Recently, tones have been analyzed as articulatory gestures that can coordinate with segmental gestures. In this paper, we show that the tone gestures that make up a HL contour tone are differentially coordinated with articulatory gestures in Thai syllables, and that the coordinative patterns are influenced by the segments and moraic structure of the syllables. The autosegmental approach to lexical tone describes tone as a suprasegment that must be associated to some tone-bearing unit (TBU); in Thai, the language of study, the proposed TBU is the mora. Although the autosegmental account largely describes the phonological patterning of tones, it remains unclear how the abstract representation of tone is implemented. An electromagnetic articulograph (EMA) study of four speakers of Thai was conducted to examine the effects of segment type and moraic structure on the coordination of tone gestures. In a HL contour tone, tone gestures behave similarly to consonant gestures, and show patterns of coordination with gestures that correspond to moraic segments. However, there is also a level of coordination between the H and L tone gestures. Based on these results, a model of TBUs is proposed within the Articulatory Phonology framework that incorporates tone-segment coordination as well as tone-tone coordination.
French listeners’ processing of prosodic focus
Authors: Namjoshi Jui
Published: October 2014

Focus in French, typically conveyed by syntax (e.g., clefting) with prosody, can be signaled by prosody alone (contrastive pitch accents on the first syllable of focused constituents, cf. nuclear pitch accents, on the last nonreduced syllable of the Accentual Phrase) (Féry, 2001; Jun & Fougeron, 2000). Do French listeners, like L1-English listeners (Ito & Speer, 2008) use contrastive accents to anticipate upcoming referents? 20 French listeners completed a visual-world eye-tracking experiment. Cross-spliced, amplitude-neutralized stimuli included context (1) and critical (2) sentences in a 2x2 design, with accent on object (nuclear/ contrastive) and person’s information status (new/ given) as within-subject variables (see (1)-(2)). Average amplitudes and durations for object words were 67 dB and 0.68 s for contrastive accents, and 63.8 dB and 0.56 s for nuclear accents, respectively. Mixed-effects models showed a significant effect of accent-by-information-status interaction on competitor fixation proportions in the post-disambiguation time window (p<0.05). Contrastive accents yielded lower competitor fixation proportions with a given person than with a new person, suggesting that contrastive accents constrain lexical competition in French. (1) Clique sur le macaRON de Marie-Hélène. (2) Puis clique sur le chocoLAT/ CHOcolat de Marie-Hélène/ Jean-Sébastien. (nuclear/contrastive accent, given/new person) ‘(Then) Click on the macaron/chocolate of Marie-Hélène/Jean-Sébastien.’
Three-dimensional acoustic propagation effect in subaqueous sand dune field
Authors: Chang Andrea Y. , Chen Chi-Fang , Chiu Linus Y. , Liu Emily , Chiu Ching-Sang , Reeder Davis B.
Published: October 2014

Very large subaqueous sand dunes are discovered on the upper continental slope of the northern South China Sea in water depth of 160–600 m, which composed of fine to medium sand. The amplitude and the crest-to-crest wavelength of sand dunes are about 5–15 m and 200–400 m, respectively. This topographic feature could causes strong acoustic scattering, mode coupling, and out-of- plane propagation effects, which consequently result in sound energy redistribution within ocean waveguide. This research focus on the three-dimensional propagation effects (e.g., horizontal refraction) induced by the sand dunes in the South China Sea, which are expected as the angle of propagation relative to the bedform crests decreases. The three-dimensional propagation effects are studied by numerical modeling and model-data comparison. For numerical modeling, the in-situ topographic data of subaqueous sand dune and sound speed profiles were inputted to calculate the acoustic fields, which were further decomposed into mode fields to show the modal horizontal refraction effects. The modeling results were manifested by data observations. [This work is sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan.]
A normal mode inner product to account for acoustic propagation over horizontally variable bathymetry
Authors: White Charles E. , Clark Cathy Ann , Potty Gopu , Miller James H.
Published: October 2014

This talk will consider the conversion of normal mode functions over local variations in bathymetry. Mode conversions are accomplished through an inner product, which enables the modes compromising the field at each range-dependent step to be written as a function of those in the preceding step. The efficiency of the method results from maintaining a stable number of modes throughout the calculation of the acoustic field. A verification of the inner product is presented by comparing results from its implementation in a simple mode model to that of a closed-form solution for the acoustic wedge environment. A solution to the more general problem of variable bottom slope, which involves a decomposition of bathymetric profiles into a sequence of wedge environments, will also be discussed. The overall goal of this research is the development and implementation of a rigorous shallow water acoustic propagation solution which executes in a time window to support tactical applications.
An assessment of the effective density fluid model for backscattering from rough poroelastic interfaces
Authors: Bonomo Anthony L. , Chotiros Nicholas P. , Isakson Marcia J.
Published: October 2014

The effective density fluid model (EDFM) was developed to approximate the behavior of sediments governed by Biot’s theory of poroelasticity. Previously, it has been shown that the EDFM predicts reflection coefficients and backscattering strengths that are in close agreement with those of the full Biot model for the case of a homogeneous poroelastic half-space. However, it has not yet been determined to what extent the EDFM can be used in place of the full Biot model for other cases. In this work, the finite element method is used to compare the backscattering strengths predicted using the EDFM with the predictions of the full Biot model for three cases: a homogeneous poroelastic half-space with a rough interface, a poroelastic layer overlying an elastic half-space with both interfaces rough, and an inhomogeneous poroelastic half-space consisting of a shear modulus gradient with a rough interface. [Work supported by ONR, Ocean Acoustics.]
Scattering by randomly rough surfaces. I. Analysis of slope approximations
Authors: Welton Patrick J.
Published: October 2014

Progress in numerical methods now allows scattering in two dimensions to be computed without resort to approximations. However, scattering by three-dimensional random surfaces is still beyond the reach of current numerical techniques. Within the restriction of the Kirchhoff approximation (single scattering) some common approximations used to predict scattering by randomly rough surfaces will be examined. In this paper, two widely used approximate treatments for the surface slopes will be evaluated and compared to the exact slope treatment.
Scattering by randomly rough surfaces. II. Spatial spectra approximations
Authors: Welton Patrick J.
Published: October 2014

The spatial spectrum describing a randomly rough surface is crucial to the theoretical analysis of the scattering behavior of the surface. Most of the models assume that the surface displacements are a zero-mean process. It is shown that a zero-mean process requires that the spatial spectrum vanish when the wavenumber is zero. Many of the spatial spectra models used in the literature do not meet this requirement. The impact of the zero-mean requirement on scattering predictions will be discussed, and some spectra models that meet the requirement will be presented.
Scattering by randomly rough surfaces. III. Phase approximations
Authors: Welton Patrick J.
Published: October 2014

In the limit as the roughness vanishes, the solution for the pressure scattered by a rough surface of infinite extent should reduce to the image solution. Approximate image solutions for an infinite, pressure-release plane surface are studied for an omnidirectional source using the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order phase approximations. The results are compared to the exact image solution to examine the effects of the phase approximations. The result based on the 2nd order (Fresnel phase) approximation reproduces the image solution for all geometries. Surprisingly, the results for the 3rd and 4th order phase approximations are never better than the Fresnel result, and are substantially worse for most geometries. This anomalous behavior is investigated and the cause is found to be the multiple stationary phase points produced by the 3rd and 4th order phase approximations.
Architecture and acoustics … form and function—What comes 1st?
Authors: Roy Kenneth
Published: October 2014

When I first studied architecture, it was expected that “form fits function” was pretty much a mantra to design. But is that the case today or has it ever been when acoustics are concerned? Numerous post occupancy studies of worker satisfaction with office IEQ indicate that things are not as they should be. And, as a matter of fact, high performance green buildings seem to fair much worse than normal office buildings when acoustic quality is considered. So what are we doing wrong—maybe the Gensler Workplace Study and other related studies could shed light on what is wrong, and how we might think differently about office design. From an acousticians viewpoint it’s all about “acoustic comfort” meaning the right amount of intelligibility, privacy, and distraction for the specific work function. Times change and work functions change, so maybe we should be looking for a new mantra … like “function drives form.” We may also want to consider that office space may need to include a “collaboration zone” where teaming takes place, a “focus zone” where concentrated thought can take place, and a “privacy zone” where confidential discussions can take place. Each of these requires different architecture and acoustic performance.
I can see clearly now, but can I also hear clearly now too?
Authors: Scanlon Patricia , Ranft Richard , Lindsey Stephen
Published: October 2014

The trend in corporate workplace has been away from closed plan gypsum board offices to open plan workstations and offices with glass fronts, sliding doors, and clearstories or glass fins in the wall between offices. These designs are often a kit of parts supplied by manufacturers, who offer minimal information on the sound transmission that will be achieved in practice. This results in end users who are often misled into believing they will enjoy a certain level of speech privacy in their offices. Our presentation will discuss the journey from benchmarking the NIC rating of an existing office construction, reviewing the STC ratings for various glass front options, evaluating details including door frame, door seals, intersection between office demising walls and front partition systems. We will then present how this information is transferred to the client, allowing them to make an informed decision on the construction requirements for their new space. We will highlight the difference in acoustical environment between what one might expect from reading manufacturer’s literature, and what is typically achieved in practice.
High performance medical clinics: Evaluation of speech privacy in open-plan offices and examination rooms
Authors: Pettyjohn Steve
Published: October 2014

Speech privacy evaluations of open plan doctors' offices and examination rooms were done at two clinics. One was in Las Vegas and the other in El Dorado Hills. The building were designed to put doctors closer to patients and for a cost savings. ASTM E1130, ASTM E336, and NRC guidelines were used to evaluate these spaces. For E1130, sound is produced at the source location with calibrated speakers, then measurements are made at receiver positions. The speaker faces the receiver. Only open plan furniture separated the source from the receiver. The examination rooms used partial height walls with a single layer of gypsum board on each face. Standard doors without seals were used. CAC 40 rated ceiling tile were installed. The cubicle furniture included sound absorption and was 42 to 60 in. tall. The Privacy Index was quite low, ranging from 30 to 66%. The NIC rating of the walls without doors ranged from 38 to 39, giving PI ratings of 83 to 84%. With a door, the NIC rating was 30 to 31 with PI ratings of 72. These results do not meet the requirements of the Facility Guideline Institute or ANSI 12 Working Group 44.
Breaking the acoustical code of ants: The social parasite’s pathway
Authors: Barbero Francesca , Casacci Luca P. , Balletto Emilio , Bonelli Simona
Published: October 2014

Ant colonies represent a well-protected and stable environment (temperature, humidity) where essential resources are stored (e.g., the ants themselves, their brood, stored food). To maintain their social organization, ants use a variety of communication channels, such as the exchange of chemical and tactile signals, as well as caste specific stridulations (Casacci et al. 2013 Current Biology 23, 323–327). By intercepting and manipulating their host’s communication code, about 10,000 arthropod species live as parasites and exploit ant nests. Here, we review results of our studies on Maculinea butterflies, a group of social parasites which mimic the stridulations produced by their host ants to promote (i) their retrieval into the colony (adoption: Sala et al. 2014, PLoS ONE 9(4), e94341), (ii) their survival inside the nest/brood chambers (integration: Barbero et al. 2009 J. Exp. Biol. 218, 4084–4090), or (iii) their achievement of the highest possible social status within the colony’s hierarchy (full integration: Barbero et al. 2009, Science 323, 782–785). We strongly believe that the study of acoustic communication in ants will bring about significant advances in our understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying the origin, evolution, and stabilization of many host–parasite relationships.