bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Basic study on three-dimensional sound field auralization using a scale model
Authors: Suzuki Kazunori , Yamada Yoshinari , Koyanagi Shinichiro , Hidaka Takayuki
Published: October 2018

In order to achieve ambisonic three-dimensional sound field auralization using a scale model, the ambisonic recording procedure was reformulated based on a partly modified microphone arrangement. Specifically, a technique of measuring room acoustic response by changing a small microphone to various places in a scale model was introduced. In converting room acoustic responses to ambisonic signals, taking signal differences reduces the dynamic range of the low frequency range and deteriorates the sound quality of auralization. This is avoided by determining the microphone arrangement interval and measurement frequency range with the characteristics of the model sound source and the microphone SN ratio taken into consideration. The room acoustic responses measured in the divided frequency range was synthesized to obtain all the frequency range. To confirm the effectiveness of this method, ambisonic signals up to the secondary ones were prepared, and a fundamental psychological experiment on localization in the horizontal plane was conducted, and localization reproducibility equivalent to a full-scale model was confirmed. The presented sound contains no auditorily harmful noise and is expected to be applicable to subjective evaluation of the sound field of a hall.
The use of active and passive acoustics for early detection and control of invasions
Authors: Juanes Francis
Published: October 2018

As the threat of global invasions increase it is critically important to develop tools for early detection and control of invasive species. The earlier invasives can be detected the more feasible their control and potential eradication will be. Surveys involve the use of sensors to find and verify the identity of new invaders quickly and efficiently. Here, I summarize what features of acoustic sensors make effective tools for early detection of invasives and present examples of their use in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Acoustic sensors combined with visual sensors allow for species identification and localization when sounds are unknown or undescribed. Technology for use of passive acoustic sensors for early detection of invasives is still in its infancy, but use will expand as methodology for automatic detection and identification develops particularly in remote settings. Once an invasive species is detected, active acoustic methods can be used to prevent range expansion or facilitate biocontrol. I will present various examples of such control methods from studies targeting fish, bird, mammals and amphibians.
Broadband acoustic observations of individual naturally occurring hydrate-coated bubbles in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Weidner Elizabeth F. , Jerram Kevin , Weber Thomas C.
Published: October 2018

Methane has been observed escaping from the seafloor as free gas bubbles. During ascent through the watercolumn, these bubbles undergo several processes, including accumulation of surfactants on the bubble surface. Surfactants have been theorized to increase the longevity of bubbles, facilitating methane transport to the upper ocean. Surfactants take many forms, including biological detritus, oil coatings, and hydrate shells. In 2011 and 2012, hydrate shelled bubbles were visually observed by ROV Hercules in the Northern Gulf of Mexico at the Biloxi Dome. The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer returned to the Biloxi Dome in March of 2018 with a broadband (10 kHz bandwidth) echosounder with vertical range resolution of approximately 7 cm. Individual bubbles were acoustically observed, rising from the seafloor several hundred meters before exiting the echosounder beam. In addition, the Okeanos Explorer made multiple survey passes over the seep site, mapping the vertical rise of the bubble plume at almost 1000 m. The dataset supports detailed modeling of the effects of hydrate coatings on acoustic response and provides an opportunity to estimate the dissolution rate of naturally occurring hydrate-coated bubbles.
Estimation of gassy layer parameters in shallow water sediment using low frequency ship noise
Authors: Katsnelson Boris , Lunkov Andrey
Published: October 2018

Sound speed in gassy sediments can reach very low values (~100 m/s) which provides high reflection coefficient for not very low frequencies (above a few tens of Hz) and specific properties of frequency dependence in the sound reflection/propagation phenomena in shallow water which allows us to estimate parameters of gassy layer (thickness and gas concentration). In the present study, shipping noise is used for estimation of mentioned parameters in Lake Kinneret (Israel). The sound noise from R/V “Hermona” was recorded at a vertical line array, moored in the lake. R/V was moving toward VLA at the speed ~4 m/s along 37 m isobath. Fourier components of the noise in the band 22–76 Hz were identified and analyzed. Mode selection was implemented to determine the mode amplitude as a function of range to the source for up to 4 normal modes. Matching mode attenuation coefficients with modeled ones for several frequencies, the thickness of the gassy layer and bubble concentration were estimated. The obtained values (thickness ~40 cm and gas content ~0.25%) correlate well with the results of direct measurements using X ray CT for cores. [This work was supported by RFBR 16-32-60194.]
Target strength measurements of pointhead flounder, Cleisthenes pinetorum, a flatfish without a bladder
Authors: Mukai Tohru , Yan Naizheng , Yamamoto Jun , Hasegawa Kohei
Published: October 2018

There are only a few acoustic surveys of the bladderless fish. As is known by all, Atlantic mackerel was surveyed these years by echo-sounder and showed the high target strength at high frequency. In northern Japan, an interesting fish attracted the attention these years which called pointhead flounder, Cleisthenes pinetorum, without a bladder. It is a flatfish but captures prey in the middle water column. And the body shape is not the normal spindle-shaped, but a flat shape, which may cause different acoustic characteristics with Atlantic mackerel. We did the surveys in Funka Bay, northern Japan and keep the samples to the tank to measure the acoustic characteristics of live flounder. The acoustic characteristics of pointhead flounder measured both using the tether method (38, 120 kHz) and free swimming method (120 kHz). During the measurements of free swimming method, we also observed the swimming actions of pointhead flounder and calculated the swimming angle at the same time. We also discussed the characteristics of TS of the swimming angle.
Study on acoustic characteristics of pointhead flounder Cleisthenes pinetorum and juvenile walleye pollock Gadus chalcogrammus
Authors: Yan Naizheng , Mukai Tohru , Yamamoto Jun , Hasegawa Kohei
Published: October 2018

In this study, the acoustic differences between the pointhead flounder and the juvenile walleye pollock were examined using a quantitative echo-sounder around the Funka Bay, Japan and the acoustic characteristics of the pointhead flounder have been surveyed. Acoustics data of the fish were monitored using a Simrad EK60 (38, 120, 200 kHz) split-beam echo sounder in the field. The target strength (TS) and swimming angle of free swimming pointhead flounders were measured in a seawater tank (length: 10 m, width: 5 m, and height: 6 m). As the result, pointhead flounder schools presented a patch shaped echo on the echograms, whereas the distribution patterns of the juvenile walleye pollock schools were layered. The volume backscattering strength (SV) of the target schools extracted from the echograms showed that the pointhead flounder presented a higher SV at high frequency. In contrast, the juvenile walleye pollock showed higher SV at a low frequency. For pointhead flounder, the distribution of pitch angle was measured both by camera and echo-sounder at the experiments in the tank and shown the same distribution pattern. The TS of pointhead flounder is large bigger than other bladderless fish.
Ex vivo tissue preservation solutions for ultrasonic atomization
Authors: Simon Julianna C. , Wang Yak-Nam , Kreider Wayne , Liu Ziyue , Bailey Michael R.
Published: October 2018

Tissue water content has been observed to influence ultrasonic atomization efficiency, which raises questions regarding ex vivo tissue storage time and viability. Here, we investigate the influence of tissue preservation solutions on acoustic properties and atomization efficiency. Samples from ten bovine livers were immediately submerged in phosphate-buffered saline (PBSaline), phosphate-buffered sucrose (PBSucrose), phosphate-buffered raffinose (PBRaffinose), or ViaSpan® clinical organ transplantation solution; no solution was also tested. Acoustic attenuation, sound speed, water content, and atomization efficiency were evaluated on either day 1 or day 2. For atomization efficiency, samples were partially submerged in water with the liver-air interface aligned with a 2-MHz focused transducer operating with 10-ms pulses at 1 Hz and peak pressures of 65/-16 MPa. Overall, no difference in atomization efficiency was observed. Water content in tissue was 66–78%, with PBSaline showing a significant increase between days (p = 0.0013). Only tissues in no solution showed a significant difference between days in acoustic attenuation (p = 0.0003). Sound speed measurements had more variation with only ViaSpan and PBSucrose showing no significant differences. As ViaSpan and PBSurcrose showed the most similarities in the tested acoustic properties, PBSurcose may be a low-cost alternative to the clinical ViaSpan solution for preserving ex vivo tissues. [Work supported by NIH DK043881 and EB017857.]
Speckle imaging of air flow
Authors: Moore Thomas , Coyle Whitney L.
Published: October 2018

Imaging airflow in ambient air is difficult, and it is especially difficult if the flow covers a large area. Schlieren photography is often used to image airflow, but it requires that the optics be at least as large as the area of observation, often making the cost prohibitive. Particle image velocimetry can also be used to visualize flow, but it requires specialized equipment, is computationally intensive, and imaging large areas can be challenging. We present an alternative method for imaging flow that is a variation of electronic speckle pattern interferometry. The system is easy to construct, can image large areas, and can be used to visualize both transient and steady-state flow.
Using speckle imaging of air flow inside musical instruments to improve computational models
Authors: Coyle Whitney L. , Moore Thomas
Published: October 2018

Measuring air flow inside a clarinet mouthpiece is a difficult task but an important characterization step if the computational model of the instrument is to be as accurate as possible. Several studies have focused on solving this problem computationally, and some experimentally, using Schlieren imaging techniques. Though effective, the Schlieren technique is tricky and time consuming and does not offer the spatial resolution necessary to detect the small changes in flow. For the clarinet, there are two flow contributions in the clarinet mouthpiece (AC/DC flow and reed-induced flow) that need to be better understood experimentally in order to include them accurately in the computational models. Here, this flow characterization begins with a simpler, non-moving-reed instrument—an organ pipe. Building off of the previous presentation, this work details the physical measurements possible with the ESPI technique and will briefly discuss the implications of this discovery on one particular computational model.
Navier-Stokes-based computational studies of a lip reed instrument
Authors: Giordano Nicholas
Published: October 2018

Direct numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations have been used to calculate the behavior of the flow velocity and density in a trumpet-like instrument [1]. An essential ingredient of this study is a dynamical model of the player’s lips, which are described by the Adachi-Sato model [2] and incorporated into the numerical treatment using the immersed boundary method. The results are used to test previous models which rely on the Bernoulli approximation to estimate the pressure near the lips. That approximation is found to fail badly under the conditions commonly found in these instruments. Our numerical method can be readily extended to other wind instruments such as the clarinet. Work supported by NSF grant PHY1513273. [1] N. Giordano, “Physical modeling of a conical lip reed instrument,” JASA 143, 38–50 (2018), to be published. [2] S. Adachi and M. Sato, “Trumpet sound simulation using a two-dimensional lip vibration model,” JASA 99, 1200–1209 (1996).
Experimental investigation of acoustic radiation from a flute with an artificial blowing device
Authors: Natsubori Ai , Yokoyama Hiroshi , Iida Akiyoshi , Arimoto Keita
Published: October 2018

To clarify the effects of air jet conditions controlled by flutists on acoustic radiation, experiments were performed by an artificial blowing device with an artificial oral cavity. The experimental parameters are the flow rate, the jet angle between the jet issuing from the cavity exit and the surface of the mouth hole, the jet offset to the edge and the distance from the cavity exit to the edge. Each parameter was changed independently. The reference values for the conditions were determined by referring to the actual playing conditions, of which jet angle was measured by the Schlieren method in this research. The Reynolds number based on the cross-sectional mean velocity and jet height was changed from 1700 to 2560 by adjusting the flow rate. In this range, as the flow rate was increased, the fundamental frequency became higher, keeping the first acoustic mode. The fundamental frequency became lower for the larger jet angle within the intense radiation. When the cavity exit was biased outside the edge by the jet height, the second harmonic became more intense while the fundamental frequency was approximately constant. The shift of the fundamental frequency to the higher mode was observed for a longer jet distance.
Violin surface velocities and radiativity
Authors: Kanjilal Chironjeev , Waltham Chris
Published: October 2018

Complete surface velocity maps and radiativity measurements have been made of several violins of varying quality. The instruments were excited laterally at the top of the bridge with a small impact hammer, giving a strong signal up to 4 kHz. The wood velocities were measured with a 0.2 g accelerometer placed sequentially on a grid, all over the surface. The grid was small enough to allow a detailed look at the bridge island. The f-hole velocities were measured with a 6 mm diameter microphone at nine positions per hole, and the acoustic pressures were converted to velocities with a propagating wavefront model. The surface measurements were compared to radiation measurements made with a 92 cm radius microphone array in an anechoic chamber. The surface measurements could be completed in a day, the radiativities in two hours. The resulting maps of operating deflection shapes, calibrated in m/s per N, allow a detailed examination of the vibrational behavior of each instrument, at frequencies up to and including the first torsional mode of the bridge.
Workplace noise assessments by open-plan office occupants: Relationship with ISO 3382-3 metrics, and psychoacoustic parameters
Authors: Yadav Manuj , Cabrera Densil , Love James , Kim Jungsoo , de Dear Richard
Published: October 2018

ISO 3382-3:2012 is the international standard for measuring the acoustics of open-plan offices. These measurements are performed in unoccupied offices, and it has recently been shown that some of the ISO 3382-3 metrics, especially distraction distance, are useful in predicting the occupants’ perceived disturbance due to noise. The current research compares the ISO 3382-3 metrics, with several psychoacoustic parameters (loudness, fluctuation strength, etc.) derived from measurements done in an occupied state of open-plan offices, in terms of their usefulness in predicting occupants’ perception of several aspects of workplace noise. This comparison was based on using measurements performed in several offices in both occupied and unoccupied states, along with a workplace noise survey that was conducted in these offices. The results will enable a more comprehensive understanding of noise-related issues in open-plan offices, as it involves both physical acoustic, and psychoacoustic considerations.
Debunking unusual false noise damage claims
Authors: Hale Marlund E.
Published: October 2018

We live in a society where noise seems to be everywhere and some of it is relatively loud, very annoying or even painful. In some cases we use noise to mask out noise, or we use ear plugs or we create quite spaces or “sound proof” rooms, just to get some peace and quiet. Nowadays, nearly everyone is aware of the annoyance or potential harm caused by other people’s noise. This has been a liability issue for employer’s and insurance companies. Laws, ordinances, regulations and standards (LORS) have been passed or otherwise put into place in an attempt to remedy excessive noise situations. Occupational hearing loss claims, violation fines, jail time and civil lawsuits have all taken place because of noise conflicts. This paper presents three examples where litigation was attempted for financial gain or to impose a heavy financial burden and force a business closure, when the plaintiffs enacted noise damage legal claims. Examples of noise from (1) a pick-up mounted railroad engine horn, (2) a very large rural private gun club with SWAT, law enforcement and military “Afghanistan-type” progressive urban and desert conflict scenarios, and (3) an EMT training class explosion simulation. Claims and outcomes are discussed.
Reducing the noise of tramways in urban areas
Authors: Weinandy Rene , Appel Percy
Published: October 2018

One of the most important environmental issues in densely populated areas is the problem of noise. Traffic noise from cars, railway vehicles and airports located in close proximity to the city is not only annoying for residents; it also leads to serious health issues and has an enormous negative economic impact. Due to this, it is of primary importance for city planners, engineers and politicians to make our cities quieter. The research project “Reducing the noise of tramways in urban areas”—initiated and supervised by the German Environment Agency—investigates potential noise abatement technologies and its implementation for tramways in Germany. Urban areas are growing worldwide and due to the resulting progressive consolidation, public transport including tramways will expand rapidly and subsequently raise severe environmental problems, i.e., noise. In order to protect the people, it is important to operate public transport as quiet as possible. However, the current legal, technical and economic conditions in Germany are only partially suitable to achieve that. Therefore, the research project investigates technical and operational concepts for noise abatement of tramways, possibilities of constructional sound insulation and legal aspects for the implementation of noise abatement measures. The presentation identifies and describes obstacles for the market penetration, operational problems, maintenance, and legislation.
Measurement of the sound directivity of tonal and broadband reversing alarms in various controlled environments
Authors: Robin Olivier , Krpic Tamara , Nélisse Hugues , Berry Alain
Published: October 2018

Tonal reversing alarms are a recognized source of noise annoyance and recent broadband alarms target a reduction of the environmental impact of backup sound alarms. From the worker and safety point, the sound field generated behind vehicles by broadband alarms is considered more uniform and its source easier to localize in space, a main drawback of tonal alarms being to exhibit large amplitude variations in the produced sound field pattern. Very few datasets are nevertheless available in order to objectively compare these two alarm types. The zone where the generated sound field is studied is also almost all the time restricted to the rear of the vehicle, even though additional diffraction effects can occur around the vehicle due to its finite volume and geometry. For two commercial alarms (tonal and broadband), 3D directivity patterns are obtained from microphone array measurements performed in controlled conditions, i.e., in a hemi-anechoic room and a reverberant room. The backup alarms are either placed on a stand at the center of the room, or on a parallelepiped surface representing the rear part of a small fork lift. The effect of the floor condition, i.e., reflective or absorbing, is also studied in the hemi-anechoic room.
A study on the hearing reverence psychology using rhythm patterns
Authors: Jee SangHwi , Bae Myungjin , Kim Myungsook
Published: October 2018

Humans are exposed to noise from the moment they are born until they die. Noise is a sound that humans do not like to hear. In the case of automobile horn noises, it produces a noise of more than 100 dB, which causes stress to people, which leads to reprisal driving and becomes a social problem. In the case of a light machine, it produces a very sharp sound, which causes stress when people listen. Therefore, we propose a new sound that moves the rhythm and pattern based on the existing sound. If we make rhythmic sounds using a rhythm rather than a constant rhythm, it induces less stress than conventional rhythmic sounds.
Expansion of linear focused sound fields using Bessel beams
Authors: Daniel Timothy D. , Kirsteins Ivars P. , Marston Philip L.
Published: October 2018

Previous work on scattering by Bessel beams shows that expansion of incident sound fields in term of these beams has application to scattering [P. L. Marston, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 122, 247–252 (2007)]. In this work, we expand a focused cylindrically symmetric sound field in terms of Bessel beam components. In particular, the authors are interested in a focused beam radiated from a spherical cap source. A physical optics model is applied to sound propagation close to the source to facilitate the calculation of the Bessel beam expansion coefficients. This type of model is useful for focused scattering [P. L. Marston and D. S. Langley, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 73, 1464–1475 (1983)]. Once the expansion coefficients are found the sound field can be evaluated by the appropriate superposition. The model gives results in agreement with O’Neil [H. T. O’Neil, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 21, 516–526 (1949)] and Chen [X. Chen, K. Q. Schwarz and K. J. Parker, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 94, 2979–2991 (1993)]. Comparison is also made with direct integration of a Kirchhoff integral for both on and off axis pressures with good agreement. [Work supported by ONR.]
Experimental analysis of the instantaneous mechanical torque applied to objects by means of acoustic beams
Authors: Muelas-Hurtado Ruben D. , Ealo Joao L. , Volke-Sepulveda Karen
Published: October 2018

In this work, we quantify the mechanical torque and the angular momentum transferred by an acoustic beam (AB) to disk-like samples of flat surface and chiral objects. Also, two types of acoustic beams are generated, i.e., quasi-planar and helical beams. To produce the AB, we have fabricated a multitransducer of 123 ultrasonic elements (40 kHz) deployed on a triangular lattice which allows us an electronic wavefront synthesis by modifying the phase of each emitter. The samples to be freely rotated are supported at its center of mass by a sharp tip of a thin metallic needle vertically located at the geometrical center of the multitransducer. The instantaneous angular response of samples of different size, made of cork and plastic, was extracted using a fixed video camera. The instantaneous torque exerted on each sample and the transferred angular momentum are estimated by fitting the output of a dynamic model of the sample behavior to empirical data. The experimental apparatus proves to be useful to estimate the acoustic torque induced by AB on objects and its dependency on the geometries of the samples and the AB wavefront, their relative size and the intensity of the acoustic beam.
Behavioral and physiological measures of auditory processing in individuals with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Lau Bonnie K. , Maddox Ross K. , Lee Adrian K. C.
Published: October 2018

Sensory processing abnormalities are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the auditory domain, hyper- and hypo-sensitivity to sound, reduced orientation to speech, and difficulty listening in noise are commonly reported. However, the etiology of these auditory processing abnormalities is poorly understood. In this preliminary study, multi-talker speech perception thresholds, otoacoustic emissions, electrophysiological responses, as well as standardized measures of cognition, language, and adaptive function were measured in each individual subject with ASD and their age-matched controls. Speech perception was assessed by estimating target-to-masker ratios at 50% correct for speech targets (0° azimuth) presented with two spatially separated (±45° azimuth) simultaneous speech maskers. The electrophysiological battery used to characterize the transmission and representation of sound included: (1) a click-evoked supra-threshold auditory brainstem response, (2) an envelope following response recorded to a 400-ms-long 4 kHz pure tone carrier amplitude modulated at 100 Hz at two modulations depths (0 and -6 dB) and (3) a binaural potential evoked by an interaural phase difference embedded in an amplitude-modulated carrier tone. Together, these measures provide a behavioral and physiological assay of auditory function and show the potential to further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying auditory abnormalities in individuals with ASD.
Phonetic documentation in the literature: Coverage rates for topics and languages
Authors: Whalen D. H. , DiCanio Christian , Dockum Rikker
Published: October 2018

With the introduction of automatic methods for examining both the acoustic and articulatory aspects of speech, our knowledge of the phonetic details of well-studied languages has grown substantially. Research on the phonetics of under-documented languages has expanded, but the breadth of coverage remains a challenge. What topics within the sound systems of these languages should be documented? With an ultimate aim of a reasonably complete typological assessment, should researchers focus on particular language families or phenomena and exclude others? Here, a survey of several hundred articles was undertaken, examining three major venues in the phonetics literature: Journal of Phonetics, Journal of the International Phonetic Association, and publications from the UCLA Languages of the World project (which appeared in various venues). 20 features were found to be addressed in many studies, and a rough guide to the coverage for a language can be seen in the total number of features reported in a study. Coverage has increased over time, but most studies still address a small percentage of the phonetic substance of the target language. Coverage across language family and region also increased but is still skewed toward Indo-European languages. Future directions and recommendations will be presented.
Pitch realization of post-focus components in Chongming Chinese
Authors: Yang Yike , Chen Si , Li Kechun
Published: October 2018

Prosodic focus makes use of pitch to highlight part of an utterance. It has been generally found that a focused component is realized with an expanded pitch range, and there is evidence suggesting that a post-focus component may be associated with a reduced or compressed pitch range, the phenomenon of which is further coined as post-focus compression (PFC). However, the presence or absence of PFC seems to diverge even within the same language family, and what is more interesting is the potential interaction between focus and lexical tones in tone languages. The current project thus aims to investigate whether PFC is present and how post-focus pitch is realized in Chongming Chinese, an under-documented language with eight tones. Specifically, we conducted a production experiment in which 20 target words varying in consonants, vowels and tones were selected, four focus conditions (no focus, pre-focus, on focus and post-focus) were designed, and four tonal contexts with different proceeding and following syllables were manipulated. Linear mixed-effects models were fitted to examine the effects of these variables on the realization of pitch contours in the post-focus components and also tackle the interactions among them. Our findings contribute novel data to the prosodic typology literature.
Neutralization of underlying vs. derived “unnatural” palatals in Xhosa
Authors: Braver Aaron
Published: October 2018

Xhosa (Bantu) has an “unnatural” process of palatalization—contrary to typological expectations, it is triggered by [w], but not [i] or [j], and applies only to labials. For example, [m]→[ɲ] as in uku-lum-à to bite' ~ uku-luɲ-w-a ‘to be bitten', and [mb]→[ⁿd͡ʒ] as in uku-ɬamb-a 'to wash' ~ uku-ɬaⁿd͡ʒ-w-a ‘to be washed'. This paper compares underlying and derived palatals to determine whether the palatal/non-palatal contrast is neutralized (in)completely in the derivational context. 40 Xhosa nonce verbs, ending in segments which undergo palatalization, were created to be read by 6 native speakers. Speakers read these forms and were then asked to produce forms with the passive -w suffix, thus triggering palatalization. F2 was measured at boundaries and ten ms. into the vowels preceding and following the palatalized segment. F2 at ten ms into the following vowel differed on average by 167.99 Hz between underlying and derived palatals, trending towards, but not reaching significance (t = 1.94, p = 0.054), while F2 slope showed no clear trend. While Zsiga (1995) proposes that English palatalization can be complete or gradient, this is the first study of palatalization in the context of incomplete neutralization, and the first study to look at incomplete neutralization in Bantu.
An acoustic comparison of /θ/ and /s/ in Comox-Sliammon
Authors: Mellesmoen Gloria
Published: October 2018

Though some Coast Salish languages have innovated /θ/, a typologically rare segment, the only study of Salish fricatives describes Montana Salish, an Interior language without /θ/ [Gordon et al. (2002). A cross-linguistic acoustic study of voiceless fricatives. JIPA, 32(2), 141-174.]. In addition to being typologically noteworthy, /θ/ is also interesting within Salish, as impressionistic descriptions suggest articulatory similarity and perceptual ambiguity between /θ/ and /s/. This is found in Halkomelem, Northern Straits, and Comox-Sliammon. Motivated by a gap in documentation and reported ambiguity, this paper is an acoustic study of /θ/ and /s/ in Comox-Sliammon. Following the methodology of Reidy [(2016). Spectral dynamics of sibilant fricatives are contrastive and language specific. JASA, 140(4), 2518–2529.], PeakERBN trajectories are compared for /θ/ and /s/ across four fluent speakers of Comox-Sliammon. The results suggest that the fricatives are acoustically distinct, though there is considerable inter-speaker and intra-speaker variability for /θ/. Lack of overlap for three of four speakers suggests that the source of the reported ambiguity may be L1 English speaker perception, rather than the realization of Mainland Comox fricatives. The high level of variation suggests that /θ/ may be a recent and unstable innovation, supporting the reconstruction of a Proto-Comox [s]-like form.
Perception of focus in Sümi (Tibeto-Burman, India)
Authors: Teo Amos , Baese-Berk Melissa M.
Published: October 2018

This paper investigates the homophony/polysemy between a morphological agentive marker and a contrastive focus marker in Sümi, a Tibeto-Burman language of Northeast India. Both are realized by an enclitic  = no that attaches to grammatical subjects, but the interpretation of the enclitic varies by clause type: textual analysis shows that  = no with subjects of transitive clauses is more commonly interpreted as an agentive marker without focus; while  = no with subjects of verbless and intransitive clauses is more commonly interpreted as a contrastive focus marker (Teo 2018). The present study examines whether transitive subjects in contrastive focus receive any special prosodic marking that is recognizable to native listeners. We answer this question using a ratings task in which listeners were presented with sentences that were produced under different pragmatic conditions to have broad focus over the entire clause or narrow contrastive focus on the subject, i.e., in responses to a question like “Who (out of a set of potential participants) did the action?” The study has implications for understanding the development of focus markers in other languages of the Himalayas, as well as in New Guinea and Australia where homophony/polysemy between agentive or ergative markers and focus markers has been found.
A vowel space comparison of Tlawngrang Zophei and Lawngtlang Zophei
Authors: Lotven Samson A. , Berkson Kelly
Published: October 2018

Zophei refers to an undescribed group of Tibeto-Burman languages within the Kuki-Chin family. Originally spoken in the Chin Hills of Western Myanmar, approximately 4,000 Zophei-speaking refugees now live in Central Indiana. No previous research on Zophei exists. The speakers located in Indiana who identify as ethnically Zophei hail from 14 distinct villages, and it is not yet known how many dialects or languages are represented. As part of a larger effort to kick-start a research program on Zophei, the current study compares and contrasts the vowel spaces of two speakers, one from Tlawngrang and one from Lawngtlang. The vowel spaces created for each speaker show some clear differences, especially with regards to the number and distribution of high vowels and diphthongs, indicating that these two areas speak different varieties with markedly different phonologies. For example, where one speaker has an /ui/ diphthong the other speaker r consistently has the front rounded monophthong /y/. This research contributes to our ultimate goal, which is to determining the dialectal make-up of Zophei and to develop a description of the language or languages spoken by the ethnic Zophei population in Indiana.
The production and perception of Ikema geminates
Authors: Ford Catherine , Tucker Benjamin V.
Published: October 2018

Gemination is largely assumed to be cued through duration. While production and perception studies consistently confirm the importance of duration as a cue, certain phones are not as easily distinguished using duration alone. The current study analyzes geminate and singleton minimal pair production and perception in Ikema, an endangered Japonic language, to determine to what extent other cues may contribute to this distinction. Productions of stop, fricative, affricate, nasal, and rhotic geminates and singletons were used to determine acoustic differences and possible cues to gemination. We analyzed duration for all phones, and spectral moment and vocalic measures for fricatives and affricates. Results indicate that while duration is an important cue, spectral moment measures and vocalic measures are better predictors of affricate geminates and contribute significantly to the acoustic distinction among fricatives. Word-initial stops may be difficult to identify as closure duration is a more significant predictor of gemination than voice onset time. Listener perception was analyzed using a lexical decision task. Results indicate that while Ikema speakers distinguish geminates from singletons in novel situations, non-word perception may not be consistent cross-linguistically due to varying exposure to the concept, and community-internal acceptability of pronunciation variation.
Vowel length distinctions in Plains Cree
Authors: Athanasopoulou Angeliki , Flynn Darin
Published: October 2018

Plains Cree is a widely-spoken Indigenous language in Canada. Its vowels are traditionally described as contrasting short /i, o, a/ vs. long /i:, o:, a: (e:)/ (Wolfart 1973). Muehlbauer’s (2012) acoustic study of speakers born in the early 20th century confirms that duration is a significant cue, but differences in vowel quality were just as significant. We investigate the durational and quality differences in a younger L1 speaker’s productions of short and long vowels. Preliminary analysis of 195 vowels shows that the durational difference between the long (102ms) and short vowels (66ms) remains significant on average, but there is greater overlap between the two length categories than previously thought: the range is 40-186ms for long vowels and 15-201ms for short ones. Vowel quality remains significant, too. In addition, we report on the results of a logistic regression analysis that tests the relative importance of duration vs. quality (and their interaction) as acoustic cues to the phonological contrast in the current generation of Plains Cree speakers. Our findings dovetail with descriptions of Eastern varieties, e.g.: “the old long/short distinction in Proto-Cree became (or is still becoming) a tense/lax distinction in East Cree” (Dyck 2011).
Stop, approximant, and timing slot: The changing faces of the velar stop in Iwaidja
Authors: Shaw Jason , Carignan Christopher , Agostini Tonya , Mailhammer Robert , Harvey Mark , Derrick Donald
Published: October 2018

Limited access to speakers and incomplete lexical knowledge are common challenges facing phonetic description of under-documented languages. We address these challenges by taking a multi-dimensional approach, seeking to constrain our phonetic description by covariation across acoustic and articulatory parameters. We demonstrate the approach through an analysis of velar consonsants in the Australian Aboriginal language Iwaidja. Existing accounts contrast a velar stop /k/ with a velar approximant /ɰ/ in word-medial position (Evans 2009). Converging evidence from ultrasound images of the tongue body and acoustic analysis of intensity data reveal that the posited opposition is not consistent across speakers (N = 4) and lexical items. Unsupervised categorization of the phonetic data indicates two phonetic categories, appropriately labelled as [a] and [ɰ], which do not map consistently to dictionary labels in existing descriptions. We conclude that speaker-specific allophonic variation is the result of an ongoing process of lenition of /k/ between sonorant segments which has not yet phonologized. More broadly, integrating phonetic dimensions revealed categories that were ill-defined on the basis of just acoustic or articulatory measures alone. Depth of analysis, characterized by phonetic multi-dimensionality, may support robust generalization where broad analysis (multiple speakers, large corpora) are impractical or impossible.
Laryngeal contrasts in first and second language speakers of Hul’q’umi’num’
Authors: Percival Maida , Bird Sonya , Gerdts Donna
Published: October 2018

This paper investigates laryngeal contrasts in first (L1) and second (L2) language speakers of Hul’q’umi’num’, a dialect of Halkomelem (Salish). The language, which lacks a thorough acoustic description of its consonants, is highly endangered with 50-100 native speakers, but has a growing number of L2 speakers. Since the learners come from an English background and are therefore unfamiliar with glottalized consonants, the sounds can prove challenging. This study addresses this issue by examining how L1 and L2 speakers pronounce plain and ejective stops in terms of what acoustic correlates they’re using. Tokens of words read in isolation will be analyzed from L1 and L2 speakers participating in a language course in Duncan, BC. Tokens of both speaker groups will be classified by phoneme and acoustic measures of duration (e.g., voice onset time, closure duration), centre of gravity, and vowel coarticulation (e.g., spectral tilt, F0, rise time) will be made. The results of the two groups will be compared with statistical analysis, and the findings will be used to create guidelines to assess future learners’ and teach pronunciation. The findings will also contribute to a broader understanding of how Hul’q’umi’num’ consonants fit into voicing and ejective typology.
Acoustic tracking and localization using computationally efficient algorithms
Authors: Goldman Geoffrey H.
Published: October 2018

U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is developing low size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C) solutions for acoustic detection, tracking, and localization of moving targets. Many standard signal processing algorithms cannot be implemented on low SWAP-C commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware for unattended ground sensor applications due to power and computational requirements. To overcome this issue, ARL is developing lower complexity beamforming, tracking and localization algorithms. For example, beamformer algorithms are based upon 1-dimensional scans, multi hypothesis target trackers are based on alpha beta filters and localization algorithms are based upon linear least squares algorithms. The performance of these algorithms is slight poorer than other standard approaches, but their computational complexity can be lower by an order of magnitude.
Passive acoustic detection of surface ships at ranges exceeding 100 kilometers and mechanisms for ship noise generation
Authors: Schinault Matthew E. , Garcia Heriberto A. , Zhu Chenyang , Kaplan Anna , Ratilal Purnima
Published: October 2018

The passive ocean acoustic waveguide remote sensing technique is employed to detect diesel-electric vehicles at ranges exceeding 100 kilometers. The underwater sounds radiated from these vessels are received at long ranges on a large-aperture densely-sampled horizontal coherent hydrophone array. The source levels of these signals are estimated by correcting the received pressure levels for transmission losses modeled using a calibrated parabolic equation-based acoustic propagation model for random range-dependent ocean waveguides. Here we find spectra of ship-radiated sound that is extremely dynamic containing both broadband signals and narrowband tonals at discrete frequencies with source levels that vary depending on ship conditions. We track a vessel with increasing range to find range dependence on broadband signals at close range and tonal signals at long range. Machinery noise generated from engines, propellers, flow noise and other cavitation sources are found to vary depending on ship conditions and are unique to each vessel. Our analysis indicates these vessels can be instantaneously tracked over wide areas spanning more than 300 kilometers in diameter.
The frequency choice of continuous-wave signal in low frequency active detection
Authors: Gu Yiming , Zhang Yanjun , Gong ZaiXiao , Li Zhenglin
Published: October 2018

In active sonar, continuous-wave (CW) pulses are used to evaluate the velocity of a target because of its high-resolution of velocity. Unfortunately, due to multipath interface in shallow water, the received CW signals are fluctuating. This phenomenon degrades the performance of velocity measurement. The interference structure of low frequency sound field in shallow water is relatively stable and the intensity striations are regular in range-frequency graph, which makes it possible to reduce the influence of amplitude fluctuations by reasonable frequency design. In this paper, we obtain the separations of striations caused by different modes interfering. According to the separations, appropriate frequencies of multi-frequency CW pulses were selected to compensate the fluctuations. The simulation and experimental results show that this method can mitigate the influence of frequency selective fading in shallow water channel.
Acute motor and vocal response of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to playback of amplitude-modulated noise: A method to test frequency range of hearing
Authors: Branstetter Brian K. , Deakos Mark H. H. , Jenkins Keith , Balmer Brian C. , Ness Alan P. , Cartwright Rachel
Published: October 2018

The frequency hearing range of mysticete cetaceans remains elusive despite a growing concern about the negative impacts of anthropogenic noise. A playback study was conducted in the Maui Nui region of Hawaii during March 2018. Stationary humpback whales (i.e., single singers or silent dyads) were targeted due to their predictable behavior that allowed for observations pre, during, and post-playback. Playback consisted of amplitude-modulated noise that was broadband, high-pass filtered, or 1/3 octave bandpass filtered. The animal’s motor behavior was recorded by video from a swimmer positioned above the animal. Acoustic playback and acquisition was performed from a small vessel approximately 41 m to 56 m from a targeted animal. A total of 16 playbacks were conducted with estimated received levels between 116 dB–138 dB RMS (re 1 μPa). Motor responses ranged from abruptly swimming away to subtle fluke movements with a median response latency of 1.7 sec (n = 7). Vocal responses ranged from abrupt song termination to unexpected changes in song unit pattern, with a median response latency of 2.94 sec (n = 8). This novel playback methodology was effective at producing and measuring motor and vocal responses to sound and may be useful in measuring the hearing range of mysticetes.
An overview of non-governmental organization, passive acoustic, ocean observatory data available on the North East Pacific Coast
Authors: Dakin Thomas , Wray Janie , Meuter Hermann , Wilson Jordan , Peck Larry , Veirs Scott , Ryan John P.
Published: October 2018

There are governmental (DFO, DND, NOAA, USN), commercial (typically proprietary), and non-governmental organization (NGO) passive acoustic ocean observing systems installed on the North East Pacific Coast. The NGO passive acoustic datasets span many years, four decades for OrcaLab. This presentation provides an overview of the data collected at various NGO acoustic observatories on the North East Pacific Coast. The dataset time windows, sampling rates, formats, and ancillary data are given for each NGO. Data availability, searchability, data use restrictions, and contact information are given to allow acoustic researchers to access this treasure of acoustic observatory data. NGO’s include Fin Island Marine Institute, CetaceaLab, Pacific Wild, OrcaLab, Ocean Networks Canada, Saturna Island Marine Research and Education Society, Orcasound, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Ranking vessel noise emissions using measurements from an underwater listening station
Authors: Hannay David E. , Frouin-Mouy Heloise , Li Zizheng , MacGillivray Alexander O.
Published: October 2018

Commercial shipping routes pass through important habitat areas for several species of marine mammals in the coastal waterways of southern British Columbia. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, through its Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) program, has undertaken studies to develop mitigation measures that will lead to a quantifiable reduction in threats to whales resulting from shipping activities. This includes long-term measurements of vessel noise at a cabled underwater listening station in Georgia Strait (the ECHO ULS) where JASCO, in partnership with Ocean Networks Canada, has been measuring source levels of vessels calling at the Port using JASCO's PortListen® software. PortListen® receives and processes real-time acoustic and AIS data to calculate vessel source levels using ANSI standard methods (S12.64-2009 R2014). Since September 2015, PortListen® has collected a database of thousands of source level measurements, which has been used to implement ranking system for vessel noise emissions. The ranking system uses a data-driven model to adjust the ranking of each measurement according to the vessel characteristics (e.g., size, class) and measurement conditions (e.g., speed, wind, and draft). In addition to an unweighted noise ranking, the system also provides weighted rankings for five marine mammals hearing groups using NOAA (2016) auditory weighting curves.