bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Choosing venues (including e-mail, internet posting, and archival journals) for the dissemination, discussion, and publication of research
Authors: Pierce Allan D.
Published: November 2016

This paper is intended for researchers desiring that their papers get the attention of relevant research community members and will remain widely accessible for the indefinite future. It is suggested that authors send preprints of their works as electronic attachments to all those colleagues they suspect of having possible interest in the work. They should also consider the possibility of posting their preprints on personal and institutional web sites and on e-print servers such as arXiv. They may also want to consider establishing accounts on social networking sites such as ResearchGate so they can make their publications available to all other account holders (worldwide) who explicitly choose (and are enticed by ResearchGate) to follow their work. Before selecting a journal for submission of any paper, they should familiarize themselves with the terms of the copyright agreement and decide whether the scope of authors' rights is sufficient for their desires. Various factors important for the selection of a journal are discussed: relevance of previously published papers to the author's field of research, its likelihood of perpetual existence, the familiarity of the editors with the field, the quality reputation of the past published papers, and the timeliness of the processing of submitted articles.
The publication process as seen from various angles
Authors: Lynch James
Published: November 2016

The process of publishing a paper in JASA involves many people and several process components. The authors, reviewers, Associate Editors, Publication Office personnel, and our AIPP publishers all play their parts and interact to produce any paper that is eventually published. In this talk, the various components of the publication process will be examined, making an effort to present the tasks and viewpoints of the various participants. The merits and deficiencies of various parts of the publication process will also be discussed, with the goal of both promoting understanding of the system and also improving it.
How well do lumped-element models describe acoustic amplification in the recorder?
Authors: Price John C.
Published: November 2016

Nearly 50 years have passed since Cremer and Ising [Acustica 19, 142-153 (1967)] established lumped-element feedback models as the dominate paradigm for understanding flute-family musical instruments. Modern versions of these models include one feedback path through the resonant acoustic flow in the pipe, and a second path that accounts for edge-tone phenomena. They also incorporate results of later experimental and theoretical work on jet formation, jet deflection, and growth of instabilities along the jet. In this work, we test a lumped model of the recorder air-jet amplifier by replacing the recorder body with a waveguide reflectometer. When the mean flow from the air-jet into the waveguide is not blocked, the air-jet amplifier is unstable to edge-tone oscillations. When it is blocked, the air-jet is deflected somewhat outward, gain is reduced, and the system becomes stable. It is then possible to measure the reflection coefficient of the air-jet amplifier versus blowing pressure and acoustic frequency under linear response conditions, avoiding the complication of gain saturation. The results provide a revealing test of lumped flute drive models under simple conditions and with few unknown parameters. The strengths and weaknesses of modern flute drive models are discussed.
Acoustic energy generation of “air-jet” instruments: Energy transfer between jet oscillation and acoustic field
Authors: Takahashi Kin'ya , Iwagami Sho , Kobayashi Taizo , Takami Toshiya
Published: November 2016

In this talk, we discuss how to estimate the acoustic energy generation of “air-jet” instruments with numerical simulation. To attack this problem, we use Howe’s energy corollary, with which we can estimate energy transfer between unsteady flow, i.e., oscillating jet and acoustic field. To calculate Howe’s formula, we need solenoidal velocity of the flow and its vorticity together with acoustic particle velocity separated from the whole velocity of compressible fluid. Recently, a method, which allows us to approximately calculate Howe’s formula, was developed in experiments by Bamberger and Yoshikawa et al., and it can be applied for the numerical calculation. We apply the method for the numerical calculation of a flue organ pipe model. We also introduce a toy model of the oscillating jet to investigate the mechanism of sound generation from the oscillating jet in detail. The acoustic energy is mainly generated in the downstream of the oscillating jet near the edge of the mouth opening, but it is consumed in the upstream near the flue exit to synchronize the jet motion with it. Our results are in good agreement with the experimental result by Yoshikawa et al. as well as Howe’s theoretical prediction.
Simulation of three-dimensional motion of a piano string using detailed and simplified computational models
Authors: Nishiguchi Isoharu
Published: November 2016

It is well known that the decay curve of the piano sound is steep for the first few seconds and followed by slower decay at longer time. The causes of this double decay are also known: the effect of polarization of a string which is considered to be caused by the motion of the bridge which is connected to the string by two bridge pins and interaction among multiple strings for a note. As for the later, it is explained that multiple strings for a note tend to vibrate out of phase each other when they have slightly different frequencies and this suppresses the energy transferred to the soundboard through the bridge. However, to make quantitative evaluations of these causes, it is indispensable to develop a physical model of the piano in which contributions of each factor of these causes can be simulated with a necessary degree of accuracy. In this study, the finite element method and the mode superposition method are employed to simulate the three-dimensional motion of a piano string in which interaction with a bridge on a soundboard is taken into account. The polarization and the longitudinal vibration of a piano string were measured to assess the simulation.
A field survey on sound power level and spectrum of Japanese road vehicles
Authors: Yonemura Miki , Lee Hyojin , Sakamoto Shinichi
Published: November 2016

For precise prediction and appropriate countermeasure of road traffic noise, to grasp the sound power level and power spectrum of running vehicles is important. In Japan, there exists a road traffic noise prediction model “ASJ RTN-Model 2013,” which provides a simple sound source modeling and simple calculation methods of the noise propagation. Recently, vehicles with good fuel-efficiency such as hybrid vehicles are increasing in the category of passenger car. Such vehicles may have less noise emission than previous gasoline engine vehicles. The authors conducted field surveys to grasp the noise of the current road vehicles especially in the category of passenger cars. As a result of that, in terms of A-weighted sound power levels, which can be expressed as a function of running speed, the difference between gasoline engine vehicles is quantitatively discussed. As for the power spectrum, there is no appreciable difference between gasoline engine vehicles and hybrid vehicles. However, both types of vehicles have more or less different spectral characteristics from ASJ RTN-Model 2013.
Modeling noise from motocross facility with complex terrain
Authors: Nalls Leisa , Carman Richard
Published: November 2016

The authors prepared a study for an existing motocross facility under new ownership. The study was required by the county for a continued use permit. The facility is in a rural setting and will host weekend races and practice activity. The terrain of the motocross track is complex with a hill and flat section with jumps. To conduct the study, an empirical noise model was constructed for future track activity using noise measurements performed at selected locations at the facility’s property line during simulated race and practice activity. A model of the future dirt bike noise was created by scaling the measured race and practice activity based on the level of future bike activity anticipated by the owner. The data were scaled using the number of bike rider hours to account for the time riders spend riding, the number of riders per activity, and the number of different activities per day. Long-term noise was measured at the same locations to obtain typical ambient levels during hours with no bike activity. The expected Ldn noise exposure at the property line was obtained by combining the projected race and practice activity noise for different scenarios with the typical ambient noise.
Four methods of estimating population exposure to transportation noise
Authors: Murphy Enda , Douglas Owen
Published: November 2016

This paper assesses four methods for estimating population exposure to road traffic noise within the context of the EU Environmental Noise Directive (END). Employing a case study in central Dublin, Ireland, the methods—MAX, MIN, VBEB/CNOSSOS and AVE—are tested utilising the Lden and Lnight indicators. The study first investigates the extent to which exposure estimates may vary depending on the method utilised while controlling for the noise calculation method. Second, it investigates how estimates of exposure vary depending on the calculation method used; in this case, CRTN and NMPB. The results show that controlling for noise calculation method and employing the same input data, estimations of population exposure differ substantially depending on the exposure method employed. Furthermore, the potential variability in estimated night-time exposure and the potential for under or over estimation of the health effects of environmental noise on a given population when different methods are utilised is clearly demonstrated. The results also show that the method of noise calculation employed has an effect on estimated exposure, particularly for Lden measures. Values for Lnight were found to be very similar regardless of the calculation method employed.
A study on transient noise-generation characteristics in a diesel engine with rapid premixed-charge compression ignition combustion
Authors: Sagara Shodai , Sumida Yoshiki , Seo Takehiko , Mikami Masato
Published: November 2016

This study investigates time-frequency characteristics of noise generation in a diesel engine with rapid PCCI (premixed-charge compression ignition) combustion. We increased the pilot injection quantity from a base PCCI condition to simulate rapid PCCI combustion. We measured the in-cylinder pressure and sound pressures and analyzed them using fast Fourier transformation and wavelet transformation. The main cause of the engine noise is the combustion impact on the combustion chamber. We clarified the process that the combustion impact vibrates the engine structure and then lead to sound radiation. We identified main frequencies, whose noise components largely affect the overall level of engine noise. Almost all engine noise components at the main frequencies were found to be strongly affected by the combustion impact. We researched the noise source and transmission path of each noise component by using a sound field visualization device and measuring accelerations on the engine surface.
Proposal of suspended floor structure for reducing interior noise of railway vehicle
Authors: Goto Tomonori , Yamamoto Katsuya
Published: November 2016

In this study, we propose a new floor structure “suspended floor” as one of the countermeasures against the interior noise of a railway vehicle. The interior noise of a railway vehicle is mainly composed of the transmitted noise and the structure-borne noise from floor panels, where the vibration of the bogie is propagated. Although floor panels are generally supported on joists mounted on the floor structural panels, it is possible to reduce the vibration of floor panels by suspending them from less vibrating points. We investigated the vibrational characteristics of the car body and clarified that the vertical vibration of the side structural panel is less than that of the floor structural panel. Therefore, it was expected that the floor structure in which floor panels are suspended from side structural panels is effective in reducing the vibration of floor panels. The floor structure prototype was fabricated in the test car, and experiments have been made to verify the vibrational reduction effect. As a result, the sound power radiated from the floor panel was reduced by 5-10 dB. In conclusion, the suspended floor structure is effective in reducing structure-borne noise in a railway vehicle.
Stick and slip mechanisms in the acoustic emissions of ice fracture
Authors: Hayashi Rintaro , Yashinski Melisa , Allen John S.
Published: November 2016

Arctic ice noise has been qualitatively described in terms of crashing and cracking noises. Ships navigating through icy waters and colliding with icebergs have reported distinctive cracking sounds characteristic to the specific environmental conditions and the location. Many previous field studies of ice acoustics have been done with measurements from isolated, single hydrophones. These have provided useful physical insights into the ambient noise characteristics of ice, but the underlying mechanisms of the sounds are still not well understood. The mechanical properties of ice have been extensively studied in laboratory settings, but few studies have examined the acoustics emissions during fracture with respect these properties. The salinity content of sea ice can significantly influence fracture. The acoustics of ice fracture in water and air is investigated in laboratory using simultaneous acoustic and high speed optical measurements. Also, the mechanical properties of ice samples as a function of salinity were studied with three point bending. A stick and slip mechanism found in fracture of low salinity ice is supported by an Empirical Mode Decomposition of the acoustic signals.
Measurement of atmospheric sound propagation and meteorological parameters to support development of an acoustic propagation model
Authors: Hall Melissa A. , Ryan Teresa , Hubbard Seth , Vignola Joseph F. , Judge John A. , Turo Diego
Published: November 2016

Acoustic propagation over long distances is affected by many conditions including atmospheric properties, topography, vegetation, source characteristics, and frequency content. This work presents the results of a set of measurements of acoustic propagation of impulsive sound in the low kilohertz frequency range. These measurements are made over flat ground with limited vegetation at propagation ranges of up to 400 m. At multiple locations along the propagation path, the temperature, pressure, and relative humidity, along with altitude and GPS position are recorded to provide high spatial resolution characterization of the air column in the propagation path. A mast-mounted weather station at the acoustic source provides a record of wind speed and direction at ground level. These measurements are intended to inform related efforts developing a model of acoustic propagation that uses a Crank-Nicolson Parabolic Equation implementation. The measured transmission loss will be compared to preliminary results from the numerical model.
Standing shear waves in nonlinear gel-like media under static shear stress
Authors: Krit Timofey , Asfandiyarov Shamil , Andreev Valery
Published: November 2016

Standing shear waves in a resonator in the form of layer of gel-like medium placed between two rigid plates are studied. The bottom plate is fixed to the vibrator and oscillates in the horizontal direction with a preset amplitude. Two rubber threads attached to the upper plate can displace the plate by a specified value in the horizontal direction. The change in the tension of the threads creates an additional static deformation of the elastic layer resulting in the effective shear elasticity increase. The measured static stress-strain dependence of the elastic layer can be described by the cubic parabola. We measured the dependences of the resonance frequency on the static deformation of the layer. For static deformations of the layer less than 0.3 h (h—is the layer thickness), the resonance frequency increases linearly, that can be explained by a linear growth of the elastic force of rubber threads. In the deformation range of 0.3-1 h, an additional shift of the resonance frequency caused by the nonlinearity of a gel-like medium appears. The method allows the dynamic nonlinear parameter measurement in gel-like media at the low frequency range.
Influence of noise on sensitivity to ripple shift and spacing in rippled-spectrum signals
Authors: Nechaev Dmitry , Milekhina Olga , Supin Alexander
Published: November 2016

The influence of noise on hearing thresholds of ripple shift and ripple spacing in rippled-spectrum signals was investigated in humans. The band-limited noises with rippled spectra were used as signals. The signal spectrum band was 1 octave wide, centered at 2 kHz, the ripple spacing was frequency proportional. With the ripple-shift test, the ripple density was 3.5 cycles per octave and ripple-shift threshold was measured. With the ripple-spacing test, ripple-spacing threshold was measured using a ripple reversal paradigm. A two-alternative forced-choice procedure was combined with adaptive stimulation procedure. Signal levels were 50 or 80 dB SPL. Masker levels varied from 30 to 100 dB SPL. Masked thresholds were obtained for five maskers centered at 0 (on-frequency masker), 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 1.25 oct below the signal (low-frequency maskers). Both on- and low-frequency maskers increased thresholds of both ripple shifts and ripple spacing. The effect of the on-frequency masker depended more on masker/signal ratio than on masker or signal SPL. Effects of low-frequency maskers decreased with increasing the frequency distance between the signal and masker, and its effects became more dependent on masker SPL than on masker/signal ratio.
Effects of frequency separation and fundamental frequency on perception of simultaneity of the tones
Authors: Okazaki Satoshi , Ichikawa Makoto
Published: November 2016

Present study investigated the range of perceptual simultaneity, within which listeners perceive two asynchronous tones as simultaneous, as a function of frequency separation and fundamental frequency of the tones. This function was obtained with frequency separations ranging from 0.03 to 5.00 octaves, and fundamental frequencies ranging from 100 to 800 Hz. Listener’s task was to judge whether the two asynchronous pure tones were perceptually simultaneous or not. Results showed a V-shaped function for the perceptual simultaneity range against the frequency separation regardless of fundamental frequency. The perceptual simultaneity range steeply decreased and then gradually increased with the increment of frequency separation. The breakpoint of the V-shaped function was appeared at around the critical bandwidth. This breakpoint was best predicted by CB (Critical Bandwidth) scale, rather than by ERB (Equivalent Rectangular Bandwidth) or octave scales. These findings supported the notion (Okazaki & Ichikawa, 2015, Proc. Acoust. Soc. Jpn.) that the perception of simultaneity involves two different processes. These two processes would be explained respectively by the mechanics of cochlear basilar membrane motion, and by phase locking of the auditory nerve fibers.
Threshold shifts when water was injected into the ear canal reveal the difference among air-, bone-, and cartilage conductions
Authors: Nishimura Tadashi , Hosoi Hiroshi , Shimokura Ryota , Kitahara Tadashi
Published: November 2016

Cartilage conduction (CC) is a new form of sound transmission which is induced by a transducer being placed on the aural cartilage. To clarify the difference between CC and air or bone conduction (AC or BC), the vibrations of the cartilaginous portion were evaluated by the threshold shifts when water was injected into the ear canal. Seven volunteers with normal hearing participated in this experiment. AC, BC, and CC thresholds at 0.5-4 kHz were measured in the 0%-, 40%-, and 80%-water injection conditions. The water injection elevated the AC thresholds by 22.6-53.3 dB, and the threshold shifts for BC were within 14.9 dB. For CC, when the water was filled within the bony portion, the thresholds were elevated to the same degree as AC. When the water was additionally injected to reach the cartilaginous portion, the thresholds at 0.5 and 1 kHz dramatically decreased by 27.4 and 27.5 dB, respectively. In addition, despite blocking AC by the injected water, the CC thresholds in force level were remarkably lower than those for BC. The current findings suggest that CC is not a hybrid of AC and BC. CC generates airborne sound in the canal more efficiently than BC.
Can resonance frequency of the outer ear be measured in neonates using wideband tympanometry?
Authors: Kei Joseph , Myers Joshua , Aithal Sreedevi , Aithal Venkatesh , Manuel Alehandrea
Published: November 2016

This study investigated the feasibility of measuring the resonance frequency (RF) in healthy neonates’ ears using wideband tympanometry (WBT). WBT measures admittance and absorbance as a function of frequency and ear canal pressure. Clinically, RF is the frequency at which the susceptance, the vertical component of admittance, equals zero. In this study, RF was successfully measured in 154 ears (114 newborns) out of 297 ears (182 newborns), which passed a battery of tests including automated auditory brainstem response, 1000-Hz tympanometry and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. The success rate of measuring RF in healthy neonates was 51.9%. The normative data revealed a mean RF of 323 Hz (SD = 67 Hz; range = 240-595 Hz; median = 313.5 Hz; 90% range = 246-440 Hz). No significant gender or ear effects were found. The results of the present study are consistent with the resonance frequency of the outer ear (i.e., elastic ear canal wall) in neonates using a sweep frequency impedance technique (Murakoshi et al., 2013). In conclusion, while it is feasible to measure RF of the outer ear in neonates using WBT, the success rate is low.
Relationship between voicing perception and auditory brainstem responses to stop consonants
Authors: Tamura Shunsuke , Ito Kazuhito , Hirose Nobuyuki , Mori Shuji
Published: November 2016

A number of psychophysical studies have suggested that auditory temporal resolution is related to the voicing boundaries of stop consonants. For example, hearing-impaired listeners with poor temporal resolution have difficulty perceiving voiceless stop consonants. However, there is little neurophysiological evidence for the existence of a relationship between voicing boundaries and auditory temporal resolution. The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is suited to investigations of this relationship because it has proved useful in assessments of auditory temporal processing and speech processing. We conducted a speech identification task using synthesized /da/-/ta/ stimuli in which we varied the voice onset time from 3 to 15 ms in 2 ms steps. There were two types of /da/-/ta/ stimuli whose aspiration noise exhibited high or low power. ABR were measured for the some stimuli across voicing boundaries. The aspiration noises with higher power displayed shorter voicing boundaries and longer peak-to-peak latency between ABR onset responses to the leading noise and vowel parts. This finding suggests that the perception of voicing reflects subcortical temporal processing. [Work supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant No. 25240023.]
On the influence of sensorineural hearing loss on the pitch strength of bandpass noise
Authors: Horbach Maria , Verhey Jesko L. , Hots Jan
Published: November 2016

In the perception of environmental noises and in the field of speech and music, tonality plays a crucial role. A tonal character can help the listeners to identify the sound source. However, environmental noises with a tonal character are also considered as especially annoying sounds. The psychoacoustic measure “pitch strength” describes the strength of the tonal sensation evoked by the sound on a scale from weak to strong. For normal-hearing listeners, it was shown in the literature that the pitch strength of bandpass noises decreased with increasing bandwidth when the center frequency was fixed and increased with increasing center frequency when the noise bandwidth was fixed. These results are presumably linked to the frequency selectivity of the auditory system. Since cochlear damage leads to a pathological widening of the auditory filters in the inner ear, an altered perception of pitch strength seems possible. In our study, we investigated whether and to which extent pitch strength is influenced by cochlear damage. For this, we measured the pitch strength of bandpass noise for subjects with sensorineural hearing loss via an absolute scaling method and compared the results to own results and results in the literature of normal-hearing subjects.
Tone adjustments, or how an added tone makes a noise less pleasant
Authors: Hots Jan , Verhey Jesko L.
Published: November 2016

Several technical sounds contain tonal components which usually arise from rotating parts. Typical examples are sounds originating from turbines or electric engines. These sounds are commonly less pleasant than equal-level sounds without tonal components. To consider this effect on noise pollution, several standards include sections dedicated to tonal components. The standards have in common that they estimate the magnitude of the tones relative to the noise (e.g., tone-to-noise ratio, prominence ratio). Some standards include a second step where a few decibles are added to the measured sound levels, referred to as tone adjustment, to account for the reduction in pleasantness if tonal components are present. The aim of the present study was to measure the tone adjustment. First, the individual masked thresholds of three tonal components were determined. Then, the tonal components were added to the noise at three different levels above the individual masked threshold and a noise alone was adjusted in an adaptive matching experiment to elicit the same loudness or preference as the noise containing the tone. The results are compared to the tone adjustments calculated on the basis of the German standard 45681.
Effects of age and modality on children’s perception of musical meter
Authors: Nave-Blodgett Jessica , Hannon Erin , Snyder Joel
Published: November 2016

When listening to music, experienced adults perceive a metrical hierarchy of stronger and weaker events. Children can tap along with the main beat of music. However, it is unclear whether children can perceive more nuanced and hierarchical aspects of musical meter, such as the greater prominence of events on the downbeat of the measure. We asked 5- to 10-year-old children to provide ratings of fit between musical excerpts and auditory or visual metronomes. Metronomes could match 1) both the beat and measure, 2) the beat but not the measure, 3) the measure but not the beat, or 4) neither the beat nor the measure. Children at all ages gave higher fit ratings to all beat-matching auditory metronomes. For visual metronomes, the same pattern was observed among older children, but younger children’s ratings did not vary across conditions. At no age did children give higher ratings to metronomes that matched the measure level, suggesting that, unlike adults, children perceive a main beat but not a hierarchy of beats. These results suggest that children’s beat perception develops earlier in the auditory modality than in the visual modality, and listeners’ sensitivity to metrical hierarchies may emerge after age 10.
Auditory bubbles reveal sparse time-frequency cues subserving identification of musical voices and instruments
Authors: Isnard Vincent , Suied Clara , Lemaitre Guillaume
Published: November 2016

Classical timbre studies have modeled timbre as the integration of a limited number of auditory dimensions and proposed acoustic correlates to these dimensions to explain sound identification. Here, the goal was to highlight time-frequency patterns subserving identification of musical voices and instruments, without making any assumption about these patterns. We adapted a “random search method” proposed in vision. The method consists of synthesizing sounds by randomly selecting “auditory bubbles” (small time-frequency glimpses) from the original sounds’ spectrograms, and then inverting the resulting sparsified representation. For each bubble selection, a decision procedure categorizes the resulting sound as a voice or an instrument. After hundreds of trials, the whole time-frequency space is explored, and adding together the correct answers reveals the relevant time-frequency patterns for each category. We used this method with two decision procedures: human listeners and a decision algorithm using auditory distances based on spectro-temporal excitation patterns (STEPs). The patterns were strikingly similar for the two procedures: they highlighted higher frequencies (i.e., formants) for the voices, whereas instrument identification was based on lower frequencies (particularly during the onset). Altogether these results show that timbre can be analyzed as time-frequency weighted patterns corresponding to the important cues subserving sound identification.
How loudness affects everyday sounds recognition?
Authors: Susini Patrick , Houix Olivier , Seropian Lou , Lemaitre Guillaume
Published: November 2016

It has been recently shown that loudness affects the perceptual representation of sounds. Following this idea, the present experiment examines whether recognition of everyday sounds is sensitive to study-to-test changes in sound pressure level. In addition, the experiment tests the hypothesis that the sound pressure level changes could hinder recognition more strongly when an encoding task focuses participants on sensory properties of the sounds (e.g., loudness) during the study phase. The study phase used three encoding tasks: sensory (participants rated loudness), semantic (participants categorized sounds in three categories), and control tasks. The test phase measured recognition scores and response times for a list of targets (sounds presented in the study phase) mixed with distractors, both presented at two different levels (L1: the level of the phase study; L2: 15 dB higher for half of the sounds, and 15 dB lower for the other half). Results reveal a significant effect of the level change on recognition scores; recognition is more accurate for sounds at L1. As predicted, recognition is weaker with the sensory encoding task, though the effect is not significant. Those results suggest that loudness is encoded together with semantic attributes in the memory representations of sounds.
Auditory guided adjustment shows robust loudness constancy
Authors: Honda Akio , Yasukouchi Ayumi , Sugita Yoichi
Published: November 2016

Perceptual constancy refers to a tendency to perceive an object as having a constant shape, size, and brightness despite apparent changes in these stimulus features. Few studies have systematically and critically examined loudness constancy. We use two adjustment methods to examine it in a natural environment: “auditory guided adjustment”, by which listeners play a musical instrument as loud as a model player; and “volume adjustment,” by which listeners adjust the loudness of the sound produced by a loudspeaker. The experiments were conducted in the Yamanashi Eiwa College gymnasium, where dark noise was 32-35 dB(A). Stimuli were 2-s musical sounds with G4 (393 Hz) pitch produced by the actual musical instrument performance. The distances separating the model performer and the participant were 2 m, 8 m, and 32 m. Sound pressure levels of the stimuli were set as small, medium, and large corresponding to 60, 75, and 86 dB(A). Participants were asked to produce the sound of the same loudness. It was found that auditory guided adjustment showed more robust loudness constancy than volume adjustment. Transfer to learning through action observation and action-specific perception were discussed.
The role of skull resonance on localization
Authors: Gordon Michael S. , Suwangbutra Jitwipar
Published: November 2016

The skull is a dense resonant body that may filter sounds affecting many auditory tasks. Its possible influence has been minimally investigated with localization—a paradigm directly addressed in the current study. Unique spectral information was extracted from the skull recordings of 27 participants. The major lower frequency resonances (93.75—656.25 Hz) and higher frequency resonances (984.38—4781.25 Hz) from each skull were used to filter a set of narrowband noises that were enharmonic with the skulls in this sample. The 75 ms narrowband noises were presented concurrently to both ears or manipulated by adding a 2 ms delay in the left or right channel. Listeners were presented with the stimuli over headphones and were asked to determine its location (left, center, or right). Results indicated that listeners were more accurate localizing low-frequency filtered sounds that were enharmonic with their skull than high frequency peaks. In addition, participants were more accurate localizing to the left and had the most difficulty localizing sounds in the center. These results may be used to suggest the influence of the skull’s resonance on localization. Specifically, the resonance of the skull may cause listeners to be more sensitive to sounds of enharmonic spectra.
Effects of a listener’s very slow rotation on sound localization accuracy
Authors: Tsunokake Sayaka , Honda Akio , Suzuki Yôiti , Sakamoto Shuichi
Published: November 2016

A listener’s head movement is effectively used to accurately localize sounds. By contrast, when a sound stimulus is presented during head rotation, sound localization acuity decreases. Previous studies have shown that sound localization accuracy is degraded even during slow head rotation at 50/s. In this study, we investigated the sound localization accuracy during very slow head rotation from 0.6250/s to 50/s. We measured the detection thresholds (DTs) at the listener’s subjective front. The experiment consisted of static and rotation conditions. Listeners were asked to report whether a 30 ms noise burst was presented from the left or right of the subjective front (2 Alternative Forced Choice Task). In the results, the DTs in the rotation condition were larger than that in the static condition. Moreover, DTs seem almost independent of the rotation speed. This suggests that the sound localization resolution at the subjective front is degraded by a listener's passive rotation irrespective of the rotation speed. This is very interesting because a listener only rotates 0.150 during stimulus presentation, which is much less than the DTs in the static condition. Therefore, we investigated the origin of this phenomenon by changing the experimental parameters, including stimulus duration.
Talker identification: Effects of masking, hearing loss, and age
Authors: Best Virginia , Ahlstrom Jayne B. , Mason Christine R. , Roverud Elin , Perrachione Tyler K. , Kidd Gerald , Dubno Judy R.
Published: November 2016

The ability to identify voices was examined under both quiet and masked conditions. Subjects were grouped by hearing status (normal hearing/sensorineural hearing loss) and age (younger/older adults). Listeners first learned to identify the voices of four same-sex “target” talkers in quiet, with a fixed amount of training. On each trial subjects identified which of the four target talkers was asking a brief question (e.g., “What is 2 plus 3?"), and response feedback was given. At test, subjects identified voices (1) in quiet, (2) masked by speech-shaped noise, and (3) masked by a single, unfamiliar same-sex talker. Masked conditions included a range of target-to-masker ratios. The psychometric functions obtained in the speech masker were shallower than those in the noise masker, analogous to typical findings for the task of sentence identification/intelligibility. Both younger and older adults with hearing loss, as well as older adults with normal hearing, generally performed more poorly than younger adults with normal hearing, although large individual differences were observed in all conditions. These preliminary findings suggest that both hearing loss and age may affect the recall of who spoke in conversations, which may contribute to listeners' difficulty in solving the “cocktail party problem.” [Work supported by NIH/NIDCD.]
Recognition of vocal emotion in noise-vocoded speech by normal hearing and cochlear implant listeners
Authors: Zhu Zhi , Miyauchi Ryota , Araki Yukiko , Unoki Masashi
Published: November 2016

Chatterjee et al. (2015) reported that cochlear implant (CI) listeners have difficulty recognizing vocal emotions due to the limited spectral cues provided by CI devices. Researches on vocal emotion perception of CI listeners have been studying ways to simulate responses of CI listeners by using noise-vocoded speech (NVS) as CI simulations with normal-hearing (NH) listeners. However, it is still unclear whether the results of CI simulations with NH listeners are reliable with regards to CI listeners. This study aims to clarify whether CI listeners can perceive vocal emotion the same way as NH listeners with NVS do. Vocal-emotion recognition experiments were carried out by having both NH and CI listeners listen to original emotional speech and its NVS. The results for CI listeners revealed that they recognized sadness and hot anger more easily than joy and cold anger in both original emotional speech and NVS conditions. Moreover, the results for NH listeners with NVS showed the same trend. The results suggested that the vocal-emotion recognition paradigm using NVS can be used to investigate vocal emotion recognition by CI listeners. [Work supported by the Mitsubishi foundation and Grant in Aid for Scientific Research Innovative Areas (No. 16H01669) from MEXT, Japan.]
Using Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms to estimate auditory perceptual abilities
Authors: Lentz Jennifer , Silbert Noah
Published: November 2016

The development of methods to rapidly estimate perceptual abilities has always been a focus of sensory systems research, as many methods can be very time consuming and fairly tedious to the observer. One method recently developed in cognitive psychology is the application of Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms to measure perception of stimuli with multiple dimensions, abbreviated MCMCP where the P stands for people. Our original interest was to apply these methods to assess and characterize the tinnitus percept. However, validation of these methods for tinnitus assessment is imperative and development of the algorithm to measure perception of acoustic stimuli could have great advantages for psychoacoustic measurement as well. Here, we present data in which we have applied MCMCP to simultaneously measure the ability to perceive the frequency and bandwidth of a variety of noise bands with different center frequencies and bandwidths. Data suggest that the algorithm converges rapidly on the frequency dimension (typically within 10-15 trials) but not as quickly or reliably on the bandwidth dimension. Our data suggest that it is critical to validate methods used for tinnitus assessment as only certain perceptual dimensions may be well-suited for using such algorithms. These algorithms may also have limitations for the measurement of auditory perceptual abilities.
A framework for auditory model comparability and applicability
Authors: Dietz Mathias , Majdak Piotr , Stern Richard M. , Marquardt Torsten , Hartmann William M. , Goodman Dan F. , Ewert Stephan D.
Published: November 2016

Many computational models of the auditory system exist, most of which can predict a variety of psychoacoustical, physiological, or other experimental data. However, it is often challenging to apply existing third party models to own experimental paradigms, even if the model code is available. It will be demonstrated that model applicability is increased by providing a framework where the model acts as artificial observer performing exactly the same task as the subject (e.g., adaptive staircase procedure). A possible separation of the actual auditory processing of the model from the decision making stage will be discussed, which allows for testing the auditory processing of one model in a variety of experimental paradigms. The framework will consist of a citable data repository providing the required data for the models as well as toolboxes implementing both the auditory models and a variety of experimental paradigms. The model framework will be demonstrated with exemplary binaural models applied to the three most common binaural psychoacoustic paradigms: just noticeable difference (e.g., interaural time difference), tone in noise detection (e.g., binaural masking level difference), and absolute judgment (e.g., sound source localization). Further development of the framework will be discussed.
Predicting masked thresholds based on physiological models of auditory nerve and inferior colliculus population responses
Authors: Carney Laurel H. , Richards Virginia M.
Published: November 2016

Acoustic cues for detection of tones in background noise include envelope, fine-structure, and energy. These cues are transformed in the process of neural coding and are represented in fundamentally different ways by different types of neurons. Here, to study the detection of a tone masked by noise population responses were derived from model auditory-nerve (AN) fibers with low or high spontaneous rates (HSR or LSR) and inferior colliculus (IC) neurons [M. S. A. Zilany, I. C. Bruce, and L. H. Carney, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 135, 283-286 (2014) and J. Mao, A. Vosoughi, and L. H. Carney, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, 396-406 (2013)]. Initial analyses focused on average response rates. Percent correct on two-interval forced-choice tasks was estimated based on the distance between responses to each stimulus interval and a template based on noise-alone responses. Although HSR AN fibers had saturated rates, the addition of a tone reduced low-frequency fluctuations of the time-varying rate, a change encoded by modulation-sensitive model IC cells. This HSR-based code was robust to the roving-level paradigm. While the non-saturated LSR AN fibers responded to added tones with an increase in average rate, in the roving-level paradigm these fibers did not provide reliable information to the model IC cell.
The position-variable model at 40
Authors: Stern Richard M.
Published: November 2016

The position-variable model was first described in 1976 as a means to characterize and predict a variety of binaural lateralization, discrimination, and detection phenomena. The model was motivated by a desire for a more complete understanding of the putative mechanisms by which interaural time and intensity differences were combined, as well as the extent to which results in interaural discrimination and binaural detection experiments are mediated by cues based on subjective lateral position. Predictions of the model were based on the patterns of activity of the display of information proposed earlier by Jeffress and Colburn, based on the auditory-nerve response to the experimental stimuli. The model was originally limited to predictions for a limited set of experiments at 500 Hz. While various extensions of the model have been proposed over the years, they frequently were developed based on incomplete or inconsistent model formulations. This paper describes the capabilities of an extended implementation of the model that addresses a wider variety of experimental phenomena over an extended range of frequencies, all with a single set of assumptions. An implementation of the model will be integrated into the framework for evaluating auditory models described by Dietz et al. at this meeting.
Modelling the effect of pulse-rate on coding of interaural time differences in listeners with cochlear implants
Authors: Joshi Suyash N. , Epp Bastian
Published: November 2016

CIs stimulate the auditory nerve fibers (ANF) with a train of amplitude modulated current pulses. Depending on polarity, the pulses can generate spikes at different sites along the ANF. The latency difference between spikes generated at the central and the peripheral axons was found to be up to 200 μs in cats and up to 450 μs in humans. These timing differences could be the reason underlying the poor performance of CI listeners in ITD perception. A model of ANF responses to electrical stimulation (Joshi et al., 2016), which includes two sites of spike generation along the ANF was used to simulate the ANF responses to constant-amplitude and modulated pulse trains for different pulse-rates. The fidelity of the temporal coding was quantified by calculating the phase-locking value. The results show that an increase in pulse-rate leads to higher uncertainty in the site of spike generation, reduction in phase-locking, and increase in variance of its distribution. This may account for impaired ITD thresholds observed at high pulse-rates. The simulated monaural spike trains are then used predict the ITD discrimination thresholds by imposing delays between the two pulse trains and to identify the factors that affect ITD coding in CI listeners.
Fin whale call sequence analysis from tracked fin whales on the Southern California Offshore Range
Authors: Ierley Glenn , Helble Tyler A.
Published: November 2016

Time difference of arrival (TDOA) methods were utilized to localize and track fin whales on the Southern California Offshore Range (SCORE). In several instances two whales were shown to converge at the same location on the range. Analysis of 20 Hz call sequences revealed changes in call type and intercall-interval coinciding with changes in swim kinematics of the nearby transiting whales. Call sequence analysis may provide some insight on the ability of fin whales to convey information to conspecifics on location and bearing of travel.
The state of low frequency noise regulation in the United States
Authors: Blomberg Leslie D. , Woolworth David S.
Published: November 2016

This paper surveys state and local regulation of low frequency noise in the United States. Included in the survey are the noise regulations of the 500 largest cities in the United States, state regulations from the dozen states with reasonably comprehensive noise regulations, and various other regulations, usually related to mineral extraction or energy production. The prevalence of low frequency criteria in noise regulations as well as the metrics and criteria used are discussed and evaluated.
Impact non-linear reverberation spectroscopy applied to non-destructive testing of building materials
Authors: Ryden Nils , Dahlen Unn , Lindh Per , Jakobsson Andreas
Published: November 2016

The development of non-destructive testing techniques to detect early micro damage in concrete and other building materials is important for efficient maintenance and management of existing infrastructure. Nonlinear acoustic methods have shown potential for the identification of early damage in brittle materials such as concrete. Commonly, these methods evaluate relative nonlinearity parameters from multiple resonance tests at different amplitudes. We demonstrate a recently developed alternative method, Impact Nonlinear Reverberation Spectroscopy (INRS), where quantitative nonlinearity parameters are evaluated from a single impact resonance test. The recorded reverberation of the measured signal is matched to a synthetic nonlinear damped signal. The proposed model allows instantaneous true physical amplitude, frequency, and damping of each mode to be characterized as a function of time, allowing for quantitative information of the nonlinear parameters. The hysteretic material nonlinearity can be quantitatively characterized over a notably wider dynamic range compared to conventional methods. Two examples from the application to concrete and stabilized soil are presented. In addition quantitative values of the hysteretic nonlinear parameter from stabilized soil samples are compared with the measured ultimate compressive strength of each sample.